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UK consumers slow pace of borrowing growth, mortgages fall as Brexit nears

FILE PHOTO: A woman holds an umbrella as she walks past the window of an estate agents office in Manchester
FILE PHOTO: A woman holds an umbrella as she walks past the window of an estate agents office in Manchester, northern England June 7, 2011. REUTERS/Phil Noble

March 29, 2019

LONDON, March 29 (Reuters) – Lending to British consumers grew at its slowest annual pace in four-and-a-half years in February and banks approved fewer mortgages as Brexit approached, Bank of England data showed on Friday.

The annual growth rate in unsecured consumer lending slowed to 6.3 percent from 6.5 percent in January, its weakest rise since September 2014, the BoE figures showed.

British consumers reined in their spending in late 2018 and have remained in a cautious mood in early 2019, faced with the possibility of the country leaving the European Union without a deal to smooth the economic shock.

However, there were some signs that consumers are not reining in their spending sharply.

Figures for unsecured lending in February alone showed a 1.145 billion-pound increase, higher than economists’ forecasts of a rise of 900 million pounds.

The BoE said the number of mortgages approved for house purchase fell to 64,337 in February from 66,696 in January, compared with a median forecast of 65,000 in a Reuters poll of economists.

Britain’s housing market has weakened in the run-up to Brexit with price growth at around five-year lows.

Earlier on Friday, lender Nationwide said house prices rose by an annual 0.7 percent in the 12 months to March. While picking up slightly from a month earlier, it compared with increases of about 5 percent a year at the time of the Brexit referendum in 2016.

The BoE data showed net mortgage lending, which tends to lag behind approvals, at 3.457 billion pounds in February, down from 3.587 billion pounds in January. Economists taking part in the Reuters poll had expected a rise to 3.7 billion pounds.

Net credit card lending rose to 442 million pounds, picking up from 384 million pounds in January.

The BoE also said net gilt sales by foreign investors totaled 8.281 billion pounds in February compared with net sales of 9.545 billion pounds January.

(Reporting by William Schomberg and Rachel Cordery; uk.economics@reuters.com, +44 20 7542 7778)

Source: OANN

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Rabbis: ‘Not kosher’ to buy at grocery store during strike

As thousands of Stop & Shop workers remain on strike in New England, some Jewish families are preparing for Passover without the region's largest supermarket chain, which has deep roots in the local Jewish community.

A number of rabbis in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island have been advising their congregations not to cross picket lines to buy Jewish holiday essentials at the store that one analyst says has the highest sales of kosher products among New England grocery stores. More than 30,000 Stop & Shop workers walked off the job April 11 over what they say is an unfair contract offer, a claim the company disputes.

"The food that you're buying is the product of oppressed labor and that's not kosher," said Rabbi Barbara Penzner, of Temple Hillel B'nai Torah, a reconstructionist synagogue in Boston. "Especially during Passover, when we're celebrating freedom from slavery, that's particularly egregious."

Rabbi Jon-Jay Tilsen, of Congregation Beth El-Keser Israel, a conservative synagogue in New Haven, Connecticut, cited ancient Jewish law prohibiting artisans from taking the livelihood of fellow artisans.

Tilsen said that ban is akin to the use of replacement workers by companies during labor strikes, which Stop & Shop has employed. "I am not making any judgment about the current strike," he stressed. "I am stating that we, local Jews, must respect the workers' action."

But at Temple Shalom, a reform synagogue in the Boston suburb of Newton, Rabbis Allison Berry and Laura Abrasley said it's ultimately a personal decision, though one they suggest should be framed within the American Jewish community's long history of supporting organized labor.

"Jewish law is interpreted in different ways," they said via email. "We encourage our members to celebrate the upcoming holiday in a manner that honors both the Jewish value of freedom and workers' dignity."

Penzner and other rabbis acknowledge their call to avoid the ubiquitous grocer can be challenging for some, especially in more remote communities where Stop & Shop is the most affordable — and sometime the only — place Jews can get matzo meal, for making matzo balls, gefilte fish, coconut macaroons and more for Passover Seder.

New Haven resident Rachel Bashevkin said she stocked up on Passover essentials before the strike. And for anything else, she won't be turning to Stop & Shop, which she said stocks harder to find items that make the meal extra special, like specialty baked goods, desserts, sweets and teas.

"The message of Passover is to me totally (that) you don't celebrate your holiday at the expense of other people," she told the New Haven Register earlier this week.

The dilemma isn't unique to Jews, either.

Rev. Laura Goodwin, of Holy Spirit Episcopal Church, in Sutton, Massachusetts, said she had ordered the church's Easter flower arrangements from the nearby Stop & Shop weeks ago. But when it became clear the strike wasn't going to end before the holiday, she scrambled to purchase enough tulips, hyacinths and daffodils from other stores.

"I just personally wasn't comfortable crossing the picket line," Goodwin said. "Flowers are nice, but they're not as important as people's livelihood."

The religious protests could have significant consequences for the bottom line of the Quincy, Massachusetts-based chain, said Burt Flickinger, a grocery industry analyst for the Strategic Research Group, a New York-based retail consulting firm.

Stop & Shop, which operates about 400 stores in New England, New York and New Jersey, is owned by the Dutch supermarket operator Ahold Delhaize but was founded in the 1900s by a Boston Jewish family whose descendants remain major philanthropists and civic leaders in New England.

Flickinger estimates the company has been losing about $2 million a day since the strike started, a financial hit that will only magnify in the coming days. Passover and the Christian holiday of Easter typically represent about 3% of the company's annual sales.

"They'll see big inventory loses, especially on profitable products like produce, flowers, meat and seafood that will go unsold," he said, projecting the losses for the company could be as much as $20 million for the time period.

Flickinger said competitors are already reaping the windfall, as can be seen in packed parking lots and long lines at many of Stop & Shop's regional rivals, including Shaw's and Market Basket, in recent days. He estimates competitors could see as much as a 20 percent bump in sales during the holiday season with the market leader largely sidelined.

Stop & Shop declined to comment on Flickinger's projections but apologized to customers for the inconvenience. The company has kept most of its 240 stores in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut open, but bakery, deli and seafood counters have been shuttered. The company's New York and New Jersey locations aren't affected by the strikes.

"We are grateful for members of the Jewish community who rely on our stores for kosher and Passover products," the company said in an emailed statement. "We're doing everything we can to minimize disruptions ahead of the holiday."

Source: Fox News National

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Golf: Kupcho makes history as first woman to win at Augusta

Jennifer Kupcho of the U.S. celebrates a birdie putt on the 18th hole to win the inaugural Augusta National Women's Amateur championship at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta
Jennifer Kupcho of the U.S. celebrates a birdie putt on the 18th hole to win the inaugural Augusta National Women's Amateur championship at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, U.S., April 6, 2019. REUTERS/Brian Snyder

April 6, 2019

By Steve Keating

AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) – Jennifer Kupcho struck a blow for gender equality on Saturday when she was crowned Augusta National Women’s Amateur champion by firing a final round five-under 67 to claim a four shot victory over Mexico’s Maria Fassi.

Following the first women’s competitive round played at Augusta National, it was a double celebration for Kupcho as she hoisted the silver and gold Tiffany-designed cup at a club that just seven years ago did not have a single woman member.

With Augusta National set to host the Masters next week, Fassi and Kupcho proved that women can also produce nerve-jangling drama with a back nine battle worthy of any major.

History dictates the Masters does not begin until the back nine on Sunday and that held true for the women who played their final round on Saturday, as Kupcho, the world’s top ranked amateur, exited Amen Corner erasing Fassi’s two shot lead with a brilliant eagle on the par five 13th.

The seesaw battle escalated with Fassi dropping a birdie at 14 and Kupcho again answering at 15.

The American turned up the pressure another notch with a birdie at 16 as Fassi blinked taking a bogey, her first since the opening hole, to hand Kupcho a two shot advantage with two to play.

After pars at 17, Kupcho would close out the historic round in style by rolling in a long range birdie putt at the last to seal a comfortable victory.

(Editing by Pritha Sarkar)

Source: OANN

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War Room – 2019-Feb-08, Friday – Roger Stone Security Footage Shows CNN Coordinating With FBI Morning Of Raid

Roger Stone drops exclusive footage today on The War Room of the FBI raid on his house, showing how CNN got a leak and was coordinating with the raid. We also hear from a high school listener who found a Alex Jones is satan flyer at his school. Caller weigh in on the epic weak that was.

GUEST // (OTP/Skype) // TOPICS:
Damian Sulikowski//Skype

Source: The War Room

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Timeline: Events in Ukraine’s political history since 1991

FILE PHOTO - Volodymyr Zelenskiy hosts a comedy show at a concert hall in Brovary
FILE PHOTO - Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ukrainian comedian and candidate in the upcoming presidential election, hosts a comedy show at a concert hall in Brovary, Ukraine March 29, 2019. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

March 29, 2019

KIEV (Reuters) – A comedian with no political experience is tipped to win the first round of Ukraine’s presidential election on Sunday amid discontent over corruption and five years of war against pro-Russian separatists in the east of the country.

Here is a timeline of the main events in Ukraine’s political history since the country’s independence in 1991.

** 1991: Leonid Kravchuk, leader of the Soviet republic of Ukraine, declares Kiev’s independence from Moscow. In a referendum and presidential election Ukrainians approve independence by 92 percent and elect Kravchuk president.

** 1994: Kravchuk loses presidential election to Leonid Kuchma in elections deemed largely free and fair by observers.

** 1999: Kuchma is re-elected in 1999 in a vote riddled with irregularities. Appoints a new prime minister: Viktor Yushchenko, former chairman of the national bank.

** 2000: Journalist Georgiy Gongadze is murdered in what becomes one of post-Soviet Ukraine’s most notorious crime cases. The incident epitomizes the sleaze and violence of the Kuchma era and leads to street clashes.

** 2001: Kuchma fires his deputy prime minister for energy, Yulia Tymoshenko. Known as the ‘gas princess’ for her designer clothes and involvement in the gas industry, she is fired after charges of forgery and gas smuggling in her previous business are brought against her. Tymoshenko spends a month in detention. She denies the charges as a political witchhunt and is later cleared by the courts.

** 2004: Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich, the pro-Moscow establishment candidate, takes on pro-European opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko in a presidential election. After a toxic race – during which Yushchenko’s face is disfigured in a poisoning attempt – Yanukovich is declared winner. But claims of vote-rigging trigger mass street protests known as the Orange Revolution, forcing a re-run of the vote. In a stunning reversal, Yushchenko is declared the new winner.

** 2005: Yushchenko comes to power in January, launching a pro-Western agenda that promises to modernize Ukraine and lead it out of the Kremlin’s sphere of influence, toward NATO and the European Union. He appoints Tymoshenko his prime minister, after her fiery speeches supporting the Orange Revolution gain her a dedicated following. But she soon falls out with the president and is sacked after less than eight months in office after much infighting.

** 2006: Following a row with Moscow over gas supplies, a parliamentary election produces a majority for Yanukovich’s pro-Moscow party. President Yushchenko accepts his rival as prime minister. Yanukovich gradually secures control over the economy and key government jobs.

** 2007: Parliamentary elections are held again, pro-“Orange” parties secure a tiny majority. In December, parliament votes in Tymoshenko as prime minister for a second stint.

** 2009: Amid another gas pricing row with Moscow, Tymoshenko starts negotiations with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to resolve a crisis that threatens to leave Europe without energy supplies.

** 2010: A fresh presidential election brings Yanukovich back to power, defeating Tymoshenko for the top job. His comeback is based on financial support from wealthy industrialists in eastern Ukraine, as well as promises to fight poverty. Russia and Ukraine clinch a new gas pricing deal, in exchange for an extension of a lease for the Russian navy in a Ukrainian Black Sea port.

** 2011: Tymoshenko is sentenced to seven years in prison over her 2009 gas deal with Russia on charges of abuse of power. She denies any wrongdoing and accuses Yanukovich of pursuing a political vendetta against her and her supporters.

** 2013: Yanukovich’s government suddenly announces suspension of trade and association talks with the EU in November and opts to revive economic ties with Moscow, triggering months of mass rallies in Kiev. Protests reach 800,000 by end-2013.

** 2014: Protests, largely focused around Kiev’s Maidan square, turn increasingly violent. Dozens of protesters are killed. In February, Ukraine’s parliament votes to remove Yanukovich, who flees. Tymoshenko is released from jail. Within days, armed men seize parliament in the Ukrainian region of Crimea and raise the Russian flag. Moscow annexes the territory after a referendum which shows overwhelming support in Crimea for joining the Russian Federation. In April, pro-Russian separatists declare independence and fighting breaks out in eastern Ukraine. In May, businessman Petro Poroshenko wins a presidential election with a pro-Western agenda. In July, a missile brings down the MH17 passenger plane, with the weapon used traced back by investigators to Russia, something Russia denies.

** 2017: An association agreement between Ukraine and the European Union is passed, opening both markets for the free trade of goods and services, as well as visa-free travel to the EU for Ukrainians.

** 2018: A naval clash between Russian border guards and Ukrainian ships in the Kerch Strait near Crimea leads Poroshenko to declare martial law.

** 2019: The Ukrainian Church secures autonomy from the Russian Orthodox Church, angering the Kremlin.

The first round of voting in Ukraine’s presidential election will take place on Sunday. If no candidate secures a majority, the election will move to a second-round run-off on April 21.

(Compiled by Polina Ivanova; Editing by Gareth Jones)

Source: OANN

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Greek baker who gave bread to arriving refugees dies at 77

Dionissis Arvanitakis, a Greek baker who provided free bread to refugees who arrived on a Greek island, has died of unspecified causes. He was 77.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker released a statement Sunday expressing his respect "for an exemplary European citizen" who showed "rare generosity and sensitivity towards the hundreds of unfortunate immigrants."

Juncker said: "My Europe is the one Dionissis Arvanitakis symbolized."

Raised in a poor family of 10, Arvanitakis emigrated to Australia at age 16 and eventually returned to Greece, settling on the island of Kos in 1970. He opened a bakery with his savings.

In March 2015, he started giving away 100 kilos of bread (220 pounds) a day to the large number of refugees showing up on Kos.

Arvanitakis said at the time: "I know what it feels like to have nothing."

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Cubans on Hunger Strike Beg Trump to ‘Denounce Communism’

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A group of 89 pro-democracy dissidents, members of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU), asked President Donald Trump in an open letter published Monday for his support for their campaign against a Communist Party referendum to impose a new constitution on the country.

The Castro regime scheduled the referendum to adopt the new constitution, written by the Party, for Sunday, February 24. Police and paramilitary have systematically targeted any individual who publicly states they will vote against the new constitution, or not vote at all in protest, with beatings, arrests, and state violence. Miguel Díaz-Canel, the Cuban “president” who answers to dictator Raúl Castro, stated on Twitter last week that he was prepared for when the Cuban people would “approve” the new constitution on Sunday, not allowing for the possibility that Cubans could vote “no.”

UNPACU launched a campaign this month to urge Cubans to vote “no,” triggering widespread violence against UNPACU members by state police.

“We have seen during the last week heavily armed forces of the Ministry of Interior violently raid fourteen homes of its members, knocking down doors and barging in while families are sleeping,” the group tells President Trump in their open letter. “Children, elderly and pregnant women have been dragged out of bed, minors stripped naked and searched and countless items stolen including medicine, food and personal effects. Actions that without a doubt qualify as state terrorism.”

The letter also highlights the use of state force to keep UNPACU members from leaving their homes and the group’s headquarters.

“Since February 11th, the regime’s repressive forces have permanently surrounded the organization’s headquarters and have arrested those that attempt to enter or exit. For example, a 16-year-old has been beaten and detained as he left the headquarters in search of food for his 23-month-old niece since food items were stolen during the raid,” the letter reads. “Although repression has been occurring with unusual fury in the last few days, actually since our campaign for the ‘NO’ to the Constitution began, the regime has increased its attacks against us.”

The signatories to the letter – 89 UNPACU members who have committed to a hunger strike against the regime – “respectfully ask that [Trump] join us in denouncing the fraud of the illegitimate Constitution.”

When the head of UNPACU, José Daniel Ferrer, announced the hunger strike this month, the group had 23 participants. It has since expanded an includes prominent activists like Tomás Nuñez Magdariaga, who completed a 62-day hunger strike last year, and Zaqueo Báez, the protesters famously beaten and arrested on video in front of Pope Francis for saying the word “freedom” too close to the papal convoy in 2015.

UNPACU has begun releasing a series of videos of the hunger strikers explaining the reasons for their protest. “I am on hunger strike to end communism,” one says to the camera. “I am on hunger strike to reveal the lies and farce of the Cuban regime,” another declares.

Those who cannot join the hunger strike but are in solidarity with the project have also produced video messages. Below, an UNPACU member expresses her support to colleagues, noting she is not participating in the hunger strike because she is five months pregnant. Despite her health status, she says she, too, was a victim of police brutality for publicly stating she would vote against the referendum.

Other dissidents and unaffiliated Cubans who publicly expressed disapproval of the new constitution have complained of beatings, arrests, and threats. Speaking to 14 y medio, a Cuban independent newspaper, activists said police threatened to “lock [them] in a dungeon” if they did not stop campaigning for the “no” vote, which any Cuban can legal cast in Sunday’s election. Ferrer, the head of UNPACU, was beaten and arrested for displaying a poster reading “I Vote No” in a public park.

February 24, the date of the referendum, is the 23rd anniversary of the murder of Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandre, Mario de la Peña, and Pablo Morales – four Cuban-American pilots working for a project called Brothers to the Rescue in which they would fly over the Caribbean looking for Cuban refugees adrift to save their lives. Fidel Castro ordered their planes shot down over international waters, an international crime, but President Bill Clinton did nothing to bring the Castro regime to justice.

The day before, February 23, the Cuban dissident movement observes the death of Orlando Zapata Tamayo, who died in a Cuban prison in 2010 of a hunger strike against the regime. He spent the last seven years of his life behind bars for opposing communism.

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FILE PHOTO: Small toy figures are seen in front of a displayed Huawei and 5G network logo in this illustration picture
FILE PHOTO: Small toy figures are seen in front of a displayed Huawei and 5G network logo in this illustration picture, March 30, 2019. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic

April 26, 2019

By Charlotte Greenfield

WELLINGTON (Reuters) – China’s Huawei Technologies said Britain’s decision to allow the firm a restricted role in building parts of its next-generation telecoms network was the kind of solution it was hoping for in New Zealand, where it has been blocked from 5G plans.

Britain will ban Huawei from all core parts of 5G network but give it some access to non-core parts, sources have told Reuters, as it seeks a middle way in a bitter U.S.-China dispute stemming from American allegations that Huawei’s equipment could be used by Beijing for espionage.

Washington has also urged its allies to ban Huawei from building 5G networks, even as the Chinese company, the world’s top producer of telecoms equipment, has repeatedly said the spying concerns are unfounded.

In New Zealand, a member of the Five Eyes intelligence sharing network that includes the United States, the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) in November turned down an initial request from local telecommunication firm Spark to include Huawei equipment in its 5G network, but later gave the operator options to mitigate national security concerns.

“The proposed solution in the UK to restrict Huawei from bidding for the core is exactly the type of solution we have been looking at in New Zealand,” Andrew Bowater, deputy CEO of Huawei’s New Zealand arm, said in an emailed statement.

Spark said it has noted the developments in Britain and would raise it with the GCSB.

The reports “suggest the UK is following other European jurisdictions in taking a considered and balanced approach to managing supplier-related security risks in 5G”, Andrew Pirie, Spark’s corporate relations lead, said in an email.

“Our discussions with the GCSB are ongoing and we expect that the UK developments will be a further item of discussion between us,” Pirie added.

New Zealand’s minister for intelligence services, Andrew Little, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

British culture minister Jeremy Wright said on Thursday that he would report to parliament the conclusions of a government review of the 5G supply chain once they had been taken.

He added that the disclosure of confidential discussions on the role of Huawei was “unacceptable” and that he could not rule out a criminal investigation into the leak.

The decisions by Britain and Germany to use Huawei gear in non-core parts of 5G network makes it harder to prove Huawei should be kept out of New Zealand telecommunication networks, said Syed Faraz Hasan, an expert in communication engineering and networks at New Zealand’s Massey University

He pointed out Huawei gear was already part of the non-core 4G networks that 5G infrastructure would be built on.

“Unless there is a convincing argument against the Huawei devices … it is difficult to keep them away,” Hasan said.

(Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield; Editing by Himani Sarkar)

Source: OANN

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FILE PHOTO: The logo commodities trader Glencore is pictured in Baar
FILE PHOTO: The logo of commodities trader Glencore is pictured in front of the company’s headquarters in Baar, Switzerland, July 18, 2017. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann

April 26, 2019

(Reuters) – Glencore shares plunged the most in nearly four months on Friday after news overnight that U.S. regulators were investigating whether the miner broke some rules through “corrupt practices”.

Shares of the FTSE 100 company fell as much as 4.2 percent in early deals, and were down 3.5 percent at 310.25 pence by 0728 GMT.

On Thursday, Glencore said the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission is investigating whether the company and its units have violated some provisions of the Commodity ExchangeAct and/or CFTC Regulations.

(Reporting by Muvija M in Bengaluru)

Source: OANN

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Well, Joe Biden didn’t exactly clear the field.

I don’t think it matters much that Biden waited until yesterday to become the 20th Democrat vying for the nomination, even though it exposed him to weeks of attacks while he seemed to be dithering on the sidelines.

A much greater warning sign, in my view, is the largely negative tone surrounding his debut. He is, after all, a former vice president, highly praised by Barack Obama, who has consistently led in the early primary polls, and beating President Trump in head-to-head matchups. Yet much of the press is acting like he’s an old codger and it’s just a matter of time before he keels over politically.

This is all the more remarkable in light of the fact that the vast majority of journalists and pundits know and like Joe Biden and his gregarious personality.

The reason is that Biden, after a half-century in politics, lacks excitement, and the press is magnetically attracted to novel and unorthodox types like Beto and Mayor Pete. You don’t see Biden on the cover of Vanity Fair, and a grind-it-out win by a conventional warrior doesn’t set journalistic hearts racing.

JOE BIDEN ANNOUNCES 2020 PRESIDENTIAL BID: 3 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE FORMER VICE PRESIDENT

For many in the media, Biden isn’t liberal enough, at least not for the post-Obama era. He doesn’t promise free college and free health care and has a history of working with Republicans, such as John McCain (whose daughter Meghan loves him, and Biden will hit “The View” today.)

What’s more, Biden’s campaign style — speak at rallies, rack up union endorsements — seems hopelessly old-fashioned when we measure popularity by Instagram followers. News outlets are predicting he’ll have trouble getting in the online fundraising game, leaving him reliant on big donors, which used to be standard practice.

And then there’s the age thing. Biden would be the oldest president to be inaugurated, at 78, and he looked a step slow in encounters with reporters yesterday and a few weeks ago.

But what if the journalists are in something of a Twitter bubble, and the actual Democratic Party is much more moderate? We saw that with the spate of allegations by women of unwanted touching, which dominated news coverage until polls showed that most Dem voters weren’t concerned. In that wider world, the Scranton guy’s connection to white, working-class voters could help him against Trump in the industrial Midwest.

SUBSCRIBE TO HOWIE’S MEDIA BUZZMETER PODCAST, A RIFF OF THE DAY’S HOTTEST STORIES

Biden denounced the president’s term as an “aberrant moment” in his launch video, saying four more years would damage the country’s character and “I cannot stand by and watch that happen.”

But first, he’d have to win the nomination in the face of an unenthusiastic press corps.

A New York Times news story said Biden would be “marshaling his experience and global stature in a bid to lead a party increasingly defined by a younger generation that might be skeptical of his age and ideological moderation.”

The Washington Post quoted Democratic strategists as saying that Biden faces an “uphill battle” and “isn’t necessarily the heir apparent to Obama, despite being his No. 2 in the White House for eight years. They argue voters will judge Biden by the span of his decades-long career and are worried the veteran pol hasn’t yet found a winning formula for his own candidacy.”

The liberal Slate said the ex-veep’s rivals view him as a “paper tiger”:

“Biden is something more like a 2016 Jeb Bush: a weak establishment favorite whose time might be past … Biden’s biggest challenge in the primary will be a compromised past spanning nearly 50 years.”

“Compromised” suggests a history of scandal, yet what Slate means is political baggage, such as his backing of a Clinton-era crime bill unpopular with black voters today. Yet I think the rank and file isn’t as concerned about a vote back in 1994, or even the Anita Hill hearings, as the chattering classes.

BIDEN’S SENATE RECORD, ADVOCACY OF 1994 CRIME BILL WILL BE USED AGAINST HIM, EX-SANDERS STAFFER SAYS

One of the few left-leaning pundits to suggest the press is underestimating Biden is data guru Nate Silver at 538:

“Media coverage could nonetheless be a problem for Biden. Within the mainstream media, the story of Biden winning the nomination will be seen as boring and anticlimactic. That tends not to lead to favorable coverage. Meanwhile, some left-aligned media outlets may prefer candidates who are some combination of more leftist, more wonkish, more reflective of the party’s diversity, and more adept on social media.

“If Biden is framed as being out of touch with today’s Democratic Party and that narrative is repeated across a variety of outlets, it could begin to resonate with voters who don’t buy it initially. If he’s seen as a gaffe-prone candidate, then minor missteps on the campaign trail could be blown up into big fumbles.”

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Look, it’s entirely possible that Biden could stumble, get lapped in fundraising and just be outclassed by younger and savvier rivals. He was hardly a great candidate in 1987 and in 2008.

But if the former vice president finds his footing and the field narrows, the press will be forced to change its tune, and we’ll see a spate of stories about how Joe Biden has “grown.”

Source: Fox News Politics

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South Africa's 400m Olympic gold medallist and world record holder Wayde van Niekerk looks on as he attends South African Championships in Germiston
South Africa’s 400m Olympic gold medallist and world record holder Wayde van Niekerk looks on as he attends South African Championships in Germiston, South Africa, April 25, 2019. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko

April 26, 2019

GERMISTON, South Africa (Reuters) – Olympic 400 meters champion Wayde van Niekerk has backed South African compatriot Caster Semenya in her battle with the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), which now appears to have taken a new twist.

Semenya, a double 800 meters Olympic gold medalist, is waiting for the outcome of her appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to halt the introduction of new regulations by governing body IAAF that would require her to take medicine to limit her natural levels of testosterone.

The IAAF wants female athletes with differences of sexual development who run in events from 400 meters to a mile, to reduce their blood testosterone level to below five (5) nmol/L for a period of six months before they can compete, saying they have an unfair advantage.

“She’s fighting for something beyond just track and field, she’s fighting for woman in sports, in society and I respect her for that,” Van Niekerk told reporters.

“I will support her and with the hard work and talent that she’s been putting into the sport. With what she believes in and what she’s dreaming for, I’ve got a lot of respect for her.

“I really hope and pray that everything just goes from strength to strength for her.”

Semenya has sprung a surprise at the on-going South African Athletics Championships though, ditching the 800 meters and instead competing over 1,500 and 5,000-metres – the latter one would not require her to medically lower her testosterone level.

She stormed to victory in the 5,000-metres final in a modest time of 16:05.97, but looked to have lots left in the tank as she passed the finish line.

Semenya beat fellow Olympian and defending national 5,000m champion Dominique Scott in Thursday’s final but the latter admitted she is unsure whether the 800m specialist could be a serious Olympic contender over the longer distance.

“Honestly‚ I have no idea‚” Scott said. “Before today I probably would have said no. It’s hard to compare a 5,000 at altitude to a 5,000 at sea level.

“But I think she’s an amazing runner and I don’t think there’s any limit or ceiling on what she can do.”

Van Niekerk, the 400m world record holder, had to abort his comeback from a knee injury, that had sidelined him for 18 months, following a combination of cold weather and a wet track.

“We are trying to take the correct decisions now early in the year so as not to put myself in any harm,” he said.

“It was a bit chilly this entire week prepping and coming through here as well it was quite cold and it caused bit of tightness in my leg. We decided to not risk it.

“My recovery is going well and I would like to be back in competition this year, but will only do so if I can deliver a good performance.

“I am a competitor and respect my opponents, so I need to be at my best when I return.”

(Reporting by Nick Said, additional reporting by Siyabonga Sishi; editing by Sudipto Ganguly)

Source: OANN

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The suspected leader of the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka died in the Shangri-La hotel, one of six hotels and churches targeted in the attacks that killed at least 250 people, authorities said.

Police said Mohamed Zahran, leader of the National Towheed Jamaat militant group, had been killed in one of the bombings. The group’s second in command was also arrested, police said.

Zahran amassed an online following for his hate-filled sermons. Some were delivered before a banner depicting the Twin Towers.

Sri Lankan authorities said Friday that Islamic cleric Mohammed Zahran died in the blast at the Shangri-La hotel during the Easter Sunday atatcks that killed at least 250 people. 

Sri Lankan authorities said Friday that Islamic cleric Mohammed Zahran died in the blast at the Shangri-La hotel during the Easter Sunday atatcks that killed at least 250 people.  (YouTube)

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Friday that the attackers responsible for the bombings were supported by the Islamic State group. Around 140 people in Sri Lanka had connections to ISIS, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena said.

“We will completely control this and create a free and peaceful environment for people to live,” he said.

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Investigators determined the attackers received military training from someone called “Army Mohideen.” They also received weapons training overseas and at some locations in Sri Lanka, according to authorities.

A copper factory operator arrested in connection with the bombings helped Mohideen make improvised explosive devices, police said. The bombings have led to increased security throughout the island nation as authorities warned of another attack.

Source: Fox News World

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