Michael Cohen, Mick Mulvaney, Brexit: Your Weekend Briefing
The crimes of Michael D. Cohen, President Trump’s former lawyer, above, were a “veritable smorgasbord of fraudulent conduct,” according to the New York judge who sentenced Mr. Cohen to three years in prison. It was a startling fall for Mr. Cohen, whose hopes for a position in the White House ended with a scandal involving hush-money payments to an adult-film star and a former Playboy model before the 2016 election. Mr. Cohen’s sentence is the first substantial prison term in a case stemming from the special counsel’s investigation into possible links between Russia and the Trump campaign. Separately, Maria Butina, a Russian who schmoozed with Republican presidential candidates and networked with top officials of the National Rifle Association, pleaded guilty to conspiring to act as a foreign agent. The plea casts a spotlight on the conservative Americans Ms. Butina worked with, as she effectively acknowledged that her were part of an organized effort backed by Russian officials.
Source:New York Times
December 16, 2018 11:03 UTC
Rocket Lab Launches Its First Ever Mission For NASA
Rocket Lab has successfully launched its fourth rocket, and it was an important one – the company’s first ever mission for NASA. “There’s nothing more special than flying a mission for NASA,” Rocket Lab’s CEO Peter Beck told me ahead of the launch. But Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket, about four times smaller than SpaceX’s Falcon 9, offers an alternative for missions like this to reach orbit. ELaNa-19 isn’t just a milestone for Rocket Lab and NASA, though. For now, it’s another successful launch under the belt for Rocket Lab, who are very quickly making their rocket launches seem routine.
Source:Forbes
December 16, 2018 10:41 UTC
US Navy contractors' data compromised by ...
The Wall Street Journal reported recently that Chinese hackers have compromised sensitive data stored by U.S. Navy contractors a number of times over the past 18 months. As a result, a comprehensive review of the Navy’s cyber vulnerabilities has been ordered by Navy Secretary Richard Spencer. Smaller budget contractors, considered more vulnerable, were the primary target of the attacks, reports the WSJ. Alarmingly, some classified information involving supersonic anti-ship missile technology was also compromised during one of the data breaches targeting the U.S. The avy has not released details on the exact number or frequency of the cyber attacks, but there were reportedly "more than a handful"over the past year and a half.
Source:Wall Street Journal
December 16, 2018 10:30 UTC
What the Obamacare Court Ruling Means for Open Enrollment
Does the ruling change anything for open enrollment? But for now, open enrollment is proceeding as planned. “The marketplaces are still open for business, and we will continue with open enrollment. Why are open enrollment numbers down this year? Connecticut, which had planned to end enrollment on Saturday, extended its deadline until Jan. 15 in response to the Texas ruling.
Source:New York Times
December 16, 2018 09:56 UTC
‘The Worst I’ve Ever Seen It’: Lean Stone Crab Season Follows Red Tide in Florida
Stone crab claws are a luxury commodity, freshly available for only seven months of the year and served on special occasions, including for Thanksgiving at Mar-a-Lago, President Trump’s Palm Beach estate. But they help employ an industry of fishermen who are the first ones to struggle when the catch drops. Naturally occurring red tide takes place off the state’s coast almost every year. The blue-green algae, which grows when stagnant warm waters get nutrients from runoff agricultural fertilizers, flowed down the Caloosahatchee River into the Gulf of Mexico, where it mixed with red tide. In the 1970s, scientists studied the effect of red tide on stone crabs and found little to worry about, said Dr. Ryan L. Gandy, the lead crab research biologist at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Source:New York Times
December 16, 2018 09:56 UTC
Cyntoia Brown deserves clemency, Tennessee Democrats tell state's departing GOP governor
At a news conference Friday to draw attention to Cyntoia Brown’s case, several Democrats asked for Gov. Bill Haslam to act before he leaves office next month, the Tennessean reported. CYNTOIA BROWN, SERVING LIFE FOR MURDER, ASKS TENNESSEE PAROLE BOARD FOR CLEMENCY: A LOOK AT HER CASE"Do not kick this decision down the road for Gov.-elect [Bill] Lee," said Sen. Brenda Gilmore. WILL CYNTOIA BROWN BE PAROLED? On Saturday, a few dozen activists marched at Georgia’s state Capitol in Atlanta to urge Haslam to grant Brown clemency, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
Source:Fox News
December 16, 2018 09:33 UTC
The 'Granblue Fantasy' Series Has Some Interesting New Games On The Way
We first heard of some new Granblue Fantasy spin-off games a while back, with the announcement of Granblue Fantasy Project Re:LINK but now it seems we also have a fighting game to look forward to. If you are not familiar with the Granblue Fantasy series, it is a hugely popular gaming franchise in Japan and is one of the biggest mobile games in the region. Split between two games, that of Granblue Fantasy Relink and Granblue Fantasy Versus, developed by Platinum Games and Arc System Works respectively, fans of this series have a lot to look forward to. While Granblue Fantasy Versus is expected to be released sometime in 2019, it’s currently unclear when Granblue Fantasy Relink will be available. For now at least, the world of Granblue Fantasy looks to get a lot more varied and interesting.
Source:Forbes
December 16, 2018 09:33 UTC
How This Entrepreneur Invested $15,000 In Her Startup And Sold It For $25 Million
Julie Clark is the founder of the Baby Einstein brand. A company she built from scratch, to being bought by Disney for $25 million, and becoming a $300 million a year phenomenon (listen to the full episode here). Baby Einstein was born. Today the Baby Einstein brand has morphed into 50 bestselling books in multiple languages, toys, toothpaste lines and so much more. One in three homes with babies now have Baby Einstein in them.
Source:Forbes
December 16, 2018 09:22 UTC
Trump blasts shuttering Weekly Standard as ‘pathetic and dishonest,’ rips editor Kristol
Many conservatives may have been saddened by Friday’s news that the Weekly Standard, a publication that has existed for 23 years, will be ceasing operations this month. But don’t count President Trump among them. Kristol appeared concerned that the president's Twitter message wasn't sent to him directly. Parent company Clarity Media’s CEO Ryan McKibben told staffers Friday morning that the magazine would print its final issue Monday. Whether any Standard employees would be hired at the new weekly was unclear, the Daily Beast reported.
Source:Fox News
December 16, 2018 09:11 UTC
How to make peace in a world full of hate
The version of peace I’m calling for is rooted in Christ and is unattainable without him. We may broker peace among friends who are bickering, or step in to stop a squabble among family members. The only way we can find lasting peace is by submitting our lives to the Prince of Peace. Ask him to fill you with his spirit and give you the “peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7). Not simply a temporary transaction of peace –like a ceasefire agreement between nations, or a court settlement amongst bitter enemies – but real and lasting peace.
Source:Fox News
December 16, 2018 09:00 UTC
The best gift you can give yourself this holiday season
But showing these people love and grace might be the best gift we can give OURSELVES this holiday season. That makes NO sense!” I’m not proud to admit that I sometimes respond in these scenarios with knee-jerk reactions rather than swallowing my pride and practicing forgiveness. When you do, you will love better. And when you love better, you live better. To me, that is the best Christmas gift we can give ourselves.
Source:Fox News
December 16, 2018 09:00 UTC
New law could break the stalemate over housing on the site of a near-vacant Cupertino mall
After nearly a year’s worth of meetings, the city came up with a proposal that had more homes — but fewer reserved for low-income residents — slightly less office space and shorter buildings. As part of the deal, Sand Hill would have to build Cupertino a new city hall and a performing arts center. The developer said it preferred the city’s version of the Vallco redevelopment over the one authorized under state law and agreed to back it. Cupertino’s City Council voted 3-2 in September in favor of the plan the city developed.
Source:Los Angeles Times
December 16, 2018 08:03 UTC
For the Republicans left in California's Legislature, fewer lawmakers will have to do more work
The legislative process has required lawmakers in recent years to serve on five standing policy committees, with assignments to other committees as needed. But simple math shows one of two things are going to happen in 2019: Republicans are going to have to take on additional responsibilities or each committee will comprise fewer of them. In many cases, the second choice is pretty hard to imagine — some committees in the prior session had as few as two GOP members. (Democrats routinely stack the deck in their favor to ensure a priority bill can’t be killed on a party-line vote.)
Source:Los Angeles Times
December 16, 2018 08:03 UTC
In Cameroon, journalists are being jailed on charges of ‘fake news’
In Cameroon, where English-speaking separatists are fighting the largely French-speaking government to establish a new nation, journalists covering the violence are increasingly finding themselves behind bars on a surprising charge: fake news. In the immediate aftermath of his death, in one of the country’s unstable regions, Cameroonian journalist Mimi Mefo Takambou sought to find out who killed him. As of early December, seven journalists were in custody — four for reporting false news, the three others for a variety of charges, including embezzlement and defamation, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Two of the journalists were later released, but Cameroon remains the second-leading jailer of journalists in sub-Saharan Africa after Eritrea, CPJ said. (Joyce Lee/The Washington Post)Press advocates see a recent uptick in accusations of fake news as the government’s attempt to stifle journalists reporting on the growing internal crisis.
Source:Washington Post
December 16, 2018 07:52 UTC
‘S.N.L.’: Pete Davidson Largely Absent From Last Show of Year
But the show featured only the briefest of appearances from the cast member Pete Davidson, who on Saturday afternoon published an Instagram post that elicited widespread concern about his safety and well-being. The post from Davidson said: “I don’t really want to be on this earth anymore. Davidson did not participate in any of the live comedy sketches on this weekend’s episode, which was hosted by Damon. But Davidson did appear around 12:50 a.m. to introduce a musical performance by Miley Cyrus, Mark Ronson and Sean Ono Lennon. Davidson was also shown in a pretaped segment satirizing the efforts to find a host for the Academy Awards.
Source:New York Times
December 16, 2018 07:47 UTC