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The Senate majority leader said of the president: "For people who are not Republicans and already committed to the president and his agenda, Donald Trump did indeed become presidential tonight." |
MONTGOMERY, Alabama --- Alabama state prisoners are not allowed to have cellphones, but that policy hasn't stopped some inmates from showing up on YouTube in recorded interviews talking about prison conditions and other issues. |
Alabama Department of Corrections spokesman Brian Corbett said the videos, posted on the YouTube channel Free Alabama Movement, are part of the nonviolent protests taking place at three Alabama prisons. Inmates are protesting about not being paid for prison jobs, unsanitary conditions, overcrowding, sentencing and parole policies and other issues. |
Corbett said disciplinary action is possible against those inmates involved in the videos because of the contraband phones. |
The number of inmates refusing to work at prison jobs as part of the protest went down today, Corbett said. |
At Elmore Correctional Facility, Corbett said all inmates who are assigned a job at the prison worked today. At Holman Correctional Facility, Corbett said fewer inmates refused to work today than on Monday. He said the number of inmates refusing to work at St. Clair Correctional Facility was about the same today as on Monday. |
The inmates involved work in prison kitchens, laundries, maintenance and other jobs, including the license plate plant at Holman. |
One of the complaints is that the inmates aren’t paid for the work. Holman said inmates have never been paid for such prison jobs. |
Some inmates receive a small amount, about 35 cents to 50 cents an hour, for other jobs that are through Alabama Correctional Industries. But that is a small percentage of inmate jobs. |
Corbett noted that some of the issues raised in the protests have been outside the scope of the Department of Corrections, such as parole policies, life without parole sentences and other sentencing issues. |
JAKARTA — The annual debate over whether Muslims can say “Merry Christmas” to their Christian fellows took a new turn on Sunday after a Makassar-based bakery refused a customer’s request to write “Selamat hari Natal keluargaku” (Merry Christmas, my family) on top of a cake she had ordered. |
Indonesian netizens, whether Muslim or Christian, are sharply divided over the company’s policy. If a Muslim believes that their faith prohibits them from saying “Merry Christmas” on the grounds it is akin to confirming the beliefs of Christians (an argument that has been widely refuted by top ulema), would they be considered intolerant if they denied a request of writing it on a cake? |
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The bakery, Chocolicious Indonesia, believes that it did nothing wrong, saying the policy should by no means be interpreted as an act of intolerance. |
“With all due respect and humility, first of all, we would like to offer our deepest regrets. We from Chocolicious Indonesia are not yet able to write ‘Merry Christmas’ or other similar expressions,” the bakery said in a statement on its official Instagram account. |
“This does not mean we do not respect your religion. But with all due respect this is what we have to practice based on our religious principles,” it said. |
“Again, we sincerely apologize from the bottom of our hearts and with a feeling of respect and honor as Indonesians. We will still provide greeting cards and chocolate boards as additional services for your order. You are welcome to add your own writing. Again, we wish for your understanding.” |
For some netizens, the seemingly inoffensive and carefully worded explanation still failed to conceal what they perceived as the bakery’s intolerance toward Christians. |
Journalist Dandhy Dwi Laksono tweeted: “In the case of Chocolicious, what if the word ‘Christmas’ in the decorous sentence were replaced by ‘Idul Fitri’? Or what if the same attitude were displayed by chocolate farmers in Flores who refuse to serve their buyers who celebrate Idul Fitri?” |
Other social media users were less diplomatic, condemning the bakery as “racist”, “fanatics” and “unfit to live in Indonesia”. |
But not all netizens were furious or alarmed. |
Burhanuddin Muhtadi, a political analyst from Jakarta Islamic State University, argued that the bakery had the right to refuse the request, saying, “Other people also have the right to buy cakes from other shops if they feel uncomfortable with [the bakery owner’s] religious interpretation.” |
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The Christmas cake controversy came amid concerns over rising identity politics in Indonesia, with the nation’s burgeoning middle class now seen to be growing more religiously conservative. While many have become used to the antics of hard-line Islamic groups in their war against Christmas, it is unusual for a seemingly law-abiding Muslim shop owner to politely refuse a small request of writing “Selamat Natal” on the cakes they are selling. |
Specifically, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), regarded as the highest religious authority in the country, does not prohibit Muslims from greeting Christians on their holiday. The late Buya Hamka, one of the most influential Muslim clerics in Indonesia, also made it clear that Muslims were permitted to say “Merry Christmas” despite many Muslims basing their argument against Christmas greetings on a 1981 MUI fatwa released by Hamka. |
Yudi Latif, who heads the presidential working unit on the implementation of the state ideology of Pancasila (UKP-PIP), said more work needed to be done to instill tolerance in society. |
He said the shop owners had “the right to refuse or accept” an order, adding that it was the task of religious leaders to spread the message of tolerance, including persuading the bakery owner to grant the customer’s request. |
Yudi said, “The government must ensure that business owners can operate freely and accept any order they want, as long as it is not against the law.” |
But regardless of the debate, Chocolicious Indonesia is losing some of its customers because of its policy. |
Makassar resident Widya Sabila said she and her family had long been customers of the bakery. “I never thought they would do that. I am no longer a fan of their pastries,” she said, adding that she and her friends would just stop buying from them. |
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We finally know how good Jadeveon Clowney, Sammy Watkins and Blake Bortles will be in the NFL -- at least in the digital NFL. EA Sports has released the complete ratings for the top 10 rookies in this year's game (top 13 actually -- there are a few ties), and has allowed SB Nation a first look at the numbers. |
To absolutely nobody's surprise, Clowney is at the top of the list. The No. 1 overall pick of the 2014 draft comes in at an 83 overall and is a "beast in the game," according to longtime Madden ratings guru and owner of the coolest job in the world, Donny Moore, who sat down with SB Nation to discuss this year's rookie crop. |
"Why's [Clowney] good?" asks Moore, excitedly setting up his own answer. "He's got great speed -- he's got 88 speed and 92 acceleration. He's got great power moves. He's a guy that can really bull rush and get to the quarterback. He doesn't really have a whole wide array of moves though -- we didn't give him a spin move, we didn't give him good finesse moves rating." |
In case you're hoping to replicate Clowney's devastating, helmet-and-football-dispatching hit against Michigan in the 2013 Outback Bowl (of course you are), Madden's got you covered: Clowney comes with 95 hit power. |
Noticeably absent among the top rookies is one Johnny Manziel, who untold multitudes in Texas and Ohio will be hoping to use as the next coming of Michael Vick (don't complain Browns fans, that Peyton Hillis cover bought EA Sports infinite slack in Cleveland). |
That won't quite be the case, according to Moore, who says Manziel's ratings would be released along with the rest of the league on Aug. 1. |
"He's got good speed, not great. He's going to be in the low-80s range with his 4.66 combine 40." |
Not to worry, Johnny will still be a dangerous weapon. |
"He's going to have good acceleration, though -- he's going to hit his top speed really, really fast," Moore adds. "Good agility. And he'll have a 90-plus throw power. You're going to be pleased if you're playing with him in the franchise mode." |
Blake Bortles, who comes in at a 78 overall, is the only quarterback included in the top 13, though Moore notes that Manziel and Teddy Bridgewater are "very, very close." |
"Bridgewater's throw power is a little weaker and he has shoddy deep accuracy," Moore explains. "Johnny is coming from a college-style offense so we try to simulate that by giving him a lower awareness." |
Check out some key ratings for the top 13 rookies below. |
Player OVERALL SPEED POWER MOVE FINESSEE BLOCK SHED MAN ZONE PURSUIT Jadeveon Clowney 83 88 94 85 87 50 63 90 Khalil Mack 81 87 90 76 84 55 74 91 Calvin Pryor 79 85 59 61 72 67 76 76 Aaron Donald 79 81 86 70 85 30 35 85 Ha Ha Clinton-Dix 79 85 49 55 67 74 84 77 Darqueze Dennard 78 90 52 66 56 89 79 83 PLAYER OVERALL SPEED CATCHING THROW POWER RUN BLOCK PASS BLOCK ELUSIVENESS IMPACT BLOCK Greg Robinson 83 73 35 25 94 78 10 88 Jake Matthews 81 69 40 25 84 90 33 85 Sammy Watkins 80 93 88 40 56 33 93 40 Taylor Lewan 79 75 48 16 85 86 20 83 Blake Bortles 78 73 60 92 28 22 65 15 Mike Evans 78 88 89 35 60 45 72 58 Zack Martin 78 58 32 29 83 84 10 75 |
So how do Moore and his team project ratings for rookies who have never played a down in the NFL? It's a task that's surprisingly close to the scouting process of real-life NFL teams -- from evaluating combine measurements to studying film and pouring over actual scouting reports. |
Moore watches a ton of college football and stays on top of the mock draft projections during the season. He and his team begin scouting in earnest in January, when the various college all-star showcase games begin. |
"When the combine hits I'm in full-blast rookie creation mode, churning out guys," he says. "I think I've made about 400 guys this year just for the 2014 class, a lot of whom are undrafted." |
"It's sort of a combination of what they did measurable-wise -- what's their vertical, what's their 40 time, what's their shuttle time -- and where they actually got selected. That plays a role. Just because we love Logan Thomas or Jimmy Garoppolo, we're not going to make them the top-rated rookie in Madden. We want to make sure that we're in line with how the NFL teams are evaluating players." |
Moore tries not to get too involved in projecting how good the rookies will become -- rather he focuses on what the scouting report and film says about their current level of ability. |
"Take a look at Tom Brady, for example. Nobody had him rated as a top rookie quarterback," Moore notes. "JaMarcus Russell -- when he came out he was probably one of the top-rated rookies in our game. Nobody knew he was going to bust. We try to capture that player how he is at the moment." |
Adjustments can be made as players progress or digress during the season thanks to online roster updates, a development some five years ago that allowed Moore to release weekly changes to his ratings -- and makes his scouting a near year-round job. |
"The fan demand for the updates has increased so much that we had to go every week with it," he says. "We've been doing that since Madden '10 I believe. That's 20 to 25 roster updates per season." |
For the in-season updates, Moore relies on advanced statistics websites like Pro Football Focus. |
"They grade each and every play, and each and every player in every game. That type of scoring is incredibly beneficial to me when I'm doing my weekly updates, as far as who should be trending up and down based on their play that week." |
So if you're busy throwing a temper tantrum because there's no way in hell Mike Evans's catch in traffic is only 89, relax. Moore will be hard at work after the opening weekend tweaking all of these numbers. |
Madden '15 releases on Aug. 26, an eternity away for those of us desperately awaiting football, even if only in digital form. Don't worry though, there should be another questionable Johnny Football party photo out soon that we can overanalyze. |
De Jong drops Kaka-Milan hint |
By Football Italia staff |
Nigel de Jong has hinted on social media that Kaka could make a sensational return to Milan. |
Premium Sport reported on Wednesday that Kaka had asked to re-join Milan as a player for six months, before moving into an executive position. |
That was followed by De Jong – the veteran’s former Rossoneri teammate – seemingly corroborating the rumour on Instagram. |
“Good luck, you’re the best. All the best for the near future,” wrote the Dutchman, who added red-and-black emojis at the end of his message on Kaka’s post. |
The broadcaster also claims a move back to first club Sao Paulo and retirement are Kaka’s other two options. |
The Brazilian spent six, hugely-successful years at Milan between 2003 and 2009, winning the Scudetto, Champions League and Ballon d’Or. |
He then played at Real Madrid for four seasons, which were hampered by injury, before heading back to San Siro for the 2013-14 campaign. |
Officials want space agency head to keep flights over lake going to watch out for harmful algae blooms |
This Oct. 5, 2011, satellite photo from a NASA website shows algae blooms swirling on Lake Erie. (Photo: NASA AP) |
WASHINGTON — Michigan and Ohio's U.S. senators on Monday sent a letter to NASA's head administrator asking him to continue supporting flights being flown over Lake Erie to monitor for harmful algae blooms. |
In August 2014, a toxic bloom on western Lake Erie disrupted water supplies for some 400,000 people in Toledo and southeastern Michigan. |
In the letter Monday to NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, U.S. Sens. Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., asked Bolden to make funding for the $3.5 million program a priority in the next fiscal year. U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Rob Portman, R-Ohio, also signed the letter.As part of the response to that, scientists and engineers at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland began using airborne equipment to more intensely monitor lake conditions. |
"The health and safety concerns posed by HABs (harmful algal blooms) not only put our communities at risk, but also affect local businesses," the senators wrote, saying NASA’s remote-sensing program, in collaboration with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Naval Research Lab, could provide early warning of blooms. |
The senators also asked that NASA provide details about its plans to continue monitoring the lake and coordinate its efforts with state and local governments. |
Contact Todd Spangler at 703-854-8947 or at tspangler@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter at @tsspangler. |
Read or Share this story: http://on.freep.com/1Lezr2H |
Variations in traits like height, skin color, body weight, and vulnerability to diseases fall along a spectrum, and they’re all the results of genetics combined with the environment. Now, researchers working with ants have identified a key chemical process that allows environmental factors to interact with the genes that code for these sorts of quantitative traits. In the process, they've created ants who run the gamut from miniscule to (relatively) gargantuan. The findings are published in Nature Communications this week. |
The environment affects the expression of genes through what’s called epigenetics. Specific biochemical reactions can turn parts of the genome on or off, and one of the most well-studied of these mechanisms is DNA methylation. That’s when molecules called methyl groups are added to sections of DNA sequences. |
Well, a McGill team led by Ehab Abouheif and Moshe Szyf conducted epigenetic experiments on Florida carpenter ants (Camponotus floridanus) collected from Tallahassee. Their genome had already been sequenced. Queens, workers, and soldiers in an ant nest share similar genetics—yet they display a huge range of sizes that corresponds to their duties to the colony. That’s because early in their development, differences in nutrition and chemical cues trigger various parts of their genome, and you end up with adult ants who are specialized to perform specific tasks. Since there’s little genetic influence on worker size, the researchers were able to focus on epigenetic factors. |
They exposed ant larvae to drugs that either increased or decreased the degree of DNA methylation of a gene involved in controlling growth called Egfr. “Basically, what we found was a kind of cascading effect. By modifying the methylation of one particular gene, that affects others, in this case the Egfr gene, we could affect all the other genes involved in cellular growth,” first author Sebastian Alvarado now of Stanford explains in a news release. |
As a result, the team created a continuous spectrum of worker ant sizes: They shrank ants to sizes smaller than those that exist in nature, while almost doubling the size of others. The more methylated the gene, they found, the larger the size of ants: A 20 percent modification in DNA methylation, for example, yielded a 20 percent change in body size. "This helps explain at a molecular level how continuums exist between two very discrete variables," Alvarado says in a university statement. |
“We were working with ants,” he adds, “but it was a bit like discovering that we could create shorter or taller human beings.” The findings could one day help researchers influence how much (or how little) of a gene gets expressed, potentially limiting the growth of cancer cells or our different tendencies to develop certain diseases. |
This video helps explain the science behind Ant-Man: |
ADAM RICHMAN grew up in the food Mecca of New York City and began his love affair with food early on, sampling all of the diverse culinary specialties The Big Apple had to offer. From samosas to sushi, even at a young age, Adam had a desire to taste it all. |
Years later, as an undergraduate at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, Adam began a food journal to document the standout food establishments he was discovering throughout the Southeastern U.S. Though he majored in International Studies, his love of all things edible naturally drew him into the culinary world after graduation. Subsequently, he built a solid resume working in nearly every echelon of the restaurant world, from coast-to-coast and from the counter to the kitchen. Though he never trained professionally, Adam was able to gain invaluable on-the-job experience in the various restaurants he worked in. |
In 2014 he hosted NBC’s new food competition show “Food Fighters,” which delivered the biggest regularly scheduled week-one to week-two gain in it’s demographic for any new series on the Big 4 networks in several years. The second season will premiere in 2015. After earning a master’s degree in Fine Art from Yale University’s School of Drama, Adam traveled the United States acting in many regional theaters. The nature of his work allowed him to feed his appetite for the best local dishes across America – all of which found their way into his food journal. In 2008, Adam began hosting “Man v Food” for the Travel Channel, which quickly became their highest rated show. With “Man v Food Nation”, “Adam Richman’s Best Sandwich in America” and “Fandemonium” Adam not only hosted but co-Executive Produced. His next show on Travel Channel, Man Finds Food, in which he stars and produces, will premiere April 1, 2015. |
A 1/350 scale destroyer with its 1/20 scale Kanmusu both as a plastic model kit set! |
Ever since the start of the Kantai Collection -KanColle- the Japanese Navy's fastest destroyer has been in the spotlight, and now it has been transformed into a 1/350 scale plastic model - the first Shimakaze plastic model to ever be made in this scale! The various parts of the ship have been carefully thought out and separated by different cast colors making for an easy to build and paint model for even beginners to the plastic modeling scene. Not only that, but the details of the ship are also faithfully preserved creating a detailed ship model that anybody can complete! |
The included display base includes space for the 1/350 scale destroyer, the 1/20 scale Shimakaze character as well as the included Rensouhou-chan to all be displayed together! The Kanmusu character of Shimakaze is similar to the minimum factory series, and is also an assemblable plastic model pick with color-separated parts that need to be connected together. The eyes are included as decals which can easily be stuck on once the model is complete. It's a whole new experience to the world of plastic model building brought to you by Max Factory - be sure to try your own hands at putting Shimakaze together! |
The destroyer and character are separated by five mold colors. Simply putting them together even without paint looks great! |
The turret of the destroyer can be replaced with the head of the included Rensouhou-chan for an alternate display. |
The building instructions are included as a full color 16-page booklet. Even beginners will be able to put the model together! |
The various markings of the boat are included as water application decals. The searchlight and windows use foil stickers. |
A specially shaped translucent blue display base is included to display the ship, Shimakaze and Rensouhou-chan all together. |
The package box art features an amazing illustration done collaboration by Yoshinori Shizuma and Katsuyuki Hoshino. |
* Photos shown on this page have certain areas painted. |
* This model requires cutters and plastic model adhesive to assemble. These are not included. |
* Standard plastic model paint can be used to paint the finished model. |
Published with permission from Media Matters for America. |
The white nationalist website Eternal Sentry is sponsoring an upcoming pro-Trump “unity rally” with longtime Trump adviser Roger Stone and several Trump surrogates. Eternal Sentry is a self-described “altright” website that features racist and anti-Semitic material, repeatedly warns about “White Genocide,” and is produced by a Trump activist who said whites need to “fight back” against African-Americans and “send them back to the mud-huts they so desperately and obviously desire.” |