Counters ‘colonial fantasy’ criticism
In response to critics who have complained that Swift’s Wildest Dreams video is a”colonial fantasy” Kahn says there were black Africans in the video in background shots but that it would have been “historically inaccurate to load the crew with more black actors as the video would have been accused of rewriting history.” He also notes that the video’s producer and editor are both African-American.
There is no political agenda in the video. Our only goal was to tell a tragic love story in classic Hollywood iconography.
Will sign loyalty pledge
According to sources, Trump has agreed to sign the GOP loyalty pledge that will bind him to endorse the GOP, and would preclude a third-party run. Source:
The rationale is that they have treated him fairly. He’s willing to sign it to avert any problems with is state filings – South Carolina asked for a pledge to support the nominee if you’re on the ballot. He’s been treated fairly, like any candidate. … And it takes away a line of attack for debates.
Signs loyalty pledge
Trump meets with Priebus and signs the RNC loyalty pledge.
The best way for the Republicans to win is if I win the nomination and go directly against whoever they happen to put up. And for that reason, I have signed the pledge. So I will be totally pledging my allegiance to the Republican Party and for the conservative principles for which it stands. We will go out and fight hard, and we will win.
The RNC has been absolutely terrific over the last two month period and as you know, that’s what I’ve wanted. I don’t want to be treated any differently. [In return for signing] I got an assurance that I will be treated fairly.”
Breaks Spotify record
Bieber’s What Do You Mean? breaks the record for biggest first week on Spotify, with more than 21 million globally listens., even though only five days have passed. The previous record — 20 million streams — was set last month by One Direction for Drag Me Down. The company says Bieber had a spike in streams after he performed at the MTV Video Music Awards.
Offers to buy island for refugees
Sawiris says “there is no limit” on what he is willing to spend to buy an island from Italy or Greece to provide 100,000 to 200,000 refugees with a new home. He says the new country could be called “Hope.” He says people would be free to return home at any time or stay on the island. Greek and Italian officials were not available to comment on the proposal.
It’s a very simple solution. They sell the island to me and I’ll make a temporary shelter for these people. I’ll make a small port or marina for the boats to land there. I’ll employ the people to build their own homes, their schools, a hospital, a university, a hotel. I sometimes think the politicians don’t have a heart. All I need is the permission to put these people on this island. After that I don’t need anything anymore from them. I’ll pay them for the island, I’ll provide the jobs, I’ll take care of all the logistics. I know I can do that.
Paid staffer to maintain private email server
After a campaign appearance in New Hampshire, Clinton says she and her family paid State Department technology specialist Pagliano to maintain her private email server. The Clintons paid Pagliano $5,000 for computer services before he joined the State Department, and after he joined. A campaign official says the arrangement with Pagliano ensured that taxpayer dollars were not spent on a private server. Clinton:
With respect to personal services that he provided to me and my family, we obviously paid for those services and did so because, during a period of time, we continued to need his technical assistance. And I think that’s in the public record.
Campaign spokesman:
Bryan was hired by the Clinton family as a consultant in order to help out periodically with the management of the system in Chappaqua that hosted the family’s emails.
Austria and Germany open borders
Germany opens borders to thousands of refugees from Hungary. About 4,300 people arrive in Germany, escaping Syria and Iraq. Austria says it received at least 6,500 refugees and migrants who flooded across the Hungarian border, where charity workers provided hospitality and much-needed bedding and food. Merkel:
The right to political asylum has no limits on the number of asylum seekers. As a strong, economically healthy country we have the strength to do what is necessary.
Says European parishes should host migrant families
Francis says that every European parish and religious community should take in one migrant family each in a gesture of solidarity he said would start in the Vatican state. There are more han 25,000 parishes in Italy, and more than 12,000 in Germany. The Vatican’s two parishes will take in two families.
I appeal to the parishes, the religious communities, the monasteries and sanctuaries of all Europe to … take in one family of refugees…Every parish, every religious community, every monastery, every sanctuary of Europe, take in one family.
Will not allow Israel to be ‘submerged’ by refugees
Netanyahu rejects calls by Mahmoud Abbas and opposition leader Isaac Herzog to let more Syrian refugees enter Israel, and says that a 30-kilometre fence will be constructed across the Jordan border.
We will not allow Israel to be submerged by a wave of illegal migrants and terrorist activists. Israel is not indifferent to the human tragedy of Syrian and African refugees… but Israel is a small country — very small — without demographic or geographic depth. That is why we must control our borders.
Breaks silence, resumes work
In his first interview, Palmer says he will return to work after Labor Day,
I have a lot of staff members, and I’m a little heartbroken at the disruption in their lives. And I’m a health professional. I need to get back to my staff and my patients, and they want me back. That’s why I’m back.
He claims he has not been in hiding.
I’ve been out of the public eye seeing family and friends. This has been especially hard on my wife and my daughter. They’ve been threatened in the social media, and again … I don’t understand that level of humanity to come after people not involved at all.
He also says he would not have killed Cecil if he had known more:
If I had known this lion had a name and was important to the country or a study, obviously I wouldn’t have taken it. Nobody in our hunting party knew before or after the name of this lion.
James Bond theme song hint
Smith posts a black-and-white photo of a hand wearing a ring emblazoned with Spectre‘s Octopus logo, a hint that he will sing the theme song for the upcoming James Bond film.
https://instagram.com/p/7VWisvR2Vl/
Court: case had ‘stunning’ flaws
Italy’s top criminal court issues a 52-page legal motivazioni, explaining why it threw out Knox and Sollecito’s murder case in March. The five-person panel says they did so in part because there was a lack of biological traces and that there was no proof Knox and Sollecito were in the bedroom where Kercher was fatally stabbed.
[The trial] had oscillations which were the result of stunning flaws, or amnesia, in the investigation and omissions in the investigative activity.
Knox:
I am deeply grateful that the Italian Supreme Court has filed its opinion and forcefully declared my innocence. This has been a long struggle for me, my family, my friends, and my supporters. While I am glad it is now over, I will remain forever grateful to the many individuals who gave their time and talents to help me. [I will] now begin the rest of my life with one of my goals being to help others who have been wrongfully accused.
Second review confirms classified mails
A special intelligence review by the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency of two emails that Clinton received on her personal account while secretary of state — including one about North Korea’s nuclear weapons program — supports a finding by the inspector general for the intelligence agencies that the emails were marked “Top Secret,” when Clinton received them. Clinton’s campaign disagrees with the conclusion and notes that agencies within the government often have different views of what should be considered classified:
Our hope remains that these releases continue without being hampered by bureaucratic infighting among the intelligence community, and that the releases continue to be as inclusive and transparent as possible.
State Department spokesperson:
Classification is rarely a black and white question, and it is common for the State Department to engage internally and with our interagency partners to arrive at the appropriate decision. Very often both the State Department and the intelligence community acquire information on the same matter through separate channels. Thus, there can be two or more separate reports and not all of them based on classified means. At this time, any conclusion about the classification of the documents in question would be premature.
James Bond theme song confirmed
Smith confirms that he will sing the Spectre theme song, which is called Writing’s on the Wall.
Defense will present new evidence
Slager’s defense team says it will present evidence at Slager’s bond hearing Thur Sep 10 that includes never-before-seen stills from the cell phone video that are said to show Scott on top of Slager. Attorney’s suggest Scott may not have been completely unarmed the entire time. Slager’s defense team believes his Taser was fired six times and that both the officer and Scott were each hit twice, suggesting there was more of a struggle than prosecutors have revealed. Additionally, Scott’s DNA was on the Taser and that there was blood on Slager’s clothing and abrasions on his knee, and that he had an injured finger.
You need to go back to the incident scene and you need to see where the original stop was and you need to see where the final events took place…Maybe he was found without any weapon on him at the time that he died…Time will tell and I think that you will be able to judge his actions not by just what he said but what the independent evidence is.
Simplifies annulment procedures
In a document known as a Motu Proprio, Latin for “by his own initiative”, Francis reaffirms traditional teaching on the “indissolubility of marriage”, making clear that the Vatican was not in any form promoting or sanctioning divorce. However, he said he would make it easier for separated couples to obtain an annulment, by eliminating a mandatory review of an annulment decision by a second tribunal, and giving bishops sweeping powers to judge quickly the most clear-cut cases. He says Catholics who sought annulments should not be “long oppressed by darkness of doubt” over whether they could have their marriages declared void.
Kerry reaffirms support of Israel
According to the State Department, Kerry phones to reaffirm the U.S.’s commitment to the security of Israel. Kerry and Netanyahu discussed a number of issues, including worries about reports of possible future Russian military buildup in Syria.
The secetary and the prime minister reiterated the need to continue pushing back on Iran’s destabilizing activities in the region, and he agreed to continue to have these discussions in the coming weeks. The secretary reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to Israel’s security and continued military and security relationship.
Record sandstorm hits Isreal
A massive sandstorm moves into Israel causing health concerns. The population is urged to keep children, the elderly and those with a respiratory illness inside. The dust density is worst in the hill country including the Golan Heights, the Southerrn West Bank and Jerusalem. The storm is expected to last through Wednesday. Governmental Official warns:
. . .for sensitive populations, short-term exposure to such dense clusters of particulates can cause a stroke, heart attacks, and even death. The storm comes in addition to the existing high heat and high humidity. The tiny particulates make their way into the lungs, where they can interfere with the oxygen to carbon dioxide exchange, giving rise to serious problems.
Says he will go to jail in Davis’ place
At a rally after Davis’ release Huckabee says he would go to jail in Davis’ place.
God showed up in the form of an elected official: Kim Davis, Today I was proud to stand with Kim Davis as she was released from jail. Kim Davis should have never been locked up for being a Christian and for following her conscience and the law…If somebody needs to go to jail, I’m willing to go in her place.
‘I want to give God the glory’
Davis addresses the rally, walking up to the stage in tears to Survivor’s Eye of the Tiger. Mike Huckabee and her lawyer stand on either side of her.
I just want to give God the glory. We serve a living God who knows exactly where each and everyone stands. Keep pressing, don’t let down because he is here. He is worthy.