Opposes Keystone pipeline
Clinton says she opposes the Keystone XL pipeline:
I don’t think we need to have a pipeline bringing very dirty oil, exploiting the tar sands in western Canada, across our border…I don’t think it’s in the best interest of what we need to do to combat climate change…I thought this would be decided by now, and therefore I could tell you whether I agree or disagree. But it hasn’t been decided and I feel now I’ve got a responsibility to you and to voters who ask me about this.
FBI recovers personal emails
A source says the FBI has recovered an unknown number of Clinton’s personal emails from her server. Clinton has said that she deleted 30,000 personal emails out of 60,000 total mails, and that most of the personal mails concerned planning for Chelsea’s wedding, yoga routines and condolence messages. The bureau’s probe is expected to last at least several more months.
Disputes email discrepancy report
After a meeting with the Des Moines Register editorial board, Clinton is questioned about a Washington Post story that says the State Department’s request for her emails was prompted entirely by the discovery that Clinton had exclusively used a private e-mail system. This came three months before, and contradicts Clinton’s account, which is that agency officials asked her for her emails as part of a benign, general record-keeping effort that included mails from other secretaries of state.
I don’t know that. I can’t answer that. All I know is that they sent the same letter to everybody. That’s my understanding…You’re telling me something I don’t know [about the three month discrepancy] All I know is what I have said. What I have said is it was allowed. The State Department has confirmed that. The same letter went to, as far as I know, my predecessors, and I’m the one who said, ‘Hey, I’ll be glad to help.
Withdraws from school
Mohamed’s father says he has pulled all of his children from their Irving Independent School District schools. He says the family is still deciding where to send the children to school. He says the turmoil surrounding the case has resulted in his son losing his appetite and not sleeping well.
Ahmed said, ‘I don’t want to go to MacArthur. These kids aren’t going to be happy there…It’s torn the family and makes us very confused.
Numerous schools have offered to enroll Ahmed, But his father says he wants to give his son a breather before making a decision.
Questions Mohamed’s ‘motives’
Dawkins writes a series of tweets that question Mohamed’s motives, and questions whether the clock was an invention at all. The scientist linked to a YouTube video entitled Ahmed Mohammed [sic] Clock is a FRAUD, in which user Thomas Talbot alleges Mohamed’s clock is in an invention, but a commercial bedside alarm clock removed from its casing.
If this is true, what was his motive? Whether or not he wanted the police to arrest him, they shouldn’t have done so…This man seems to know what he’s talking about…Assembling clock from bought components is fine. Taking clock out of its case to make it look as if he built it is not fine. Which is true?…Yes, there are other reasons why a boy might take a clock out of its casing & pretend he’d made it. Trying to impress teachers, for instance…If the reassembled components did something more than the original clock, that’s creative. If not, it looks like hoax.
If this is true, what was his motive? Whether or not he wanted the police to arrest him, they shouldn’t have done so https://t.co/LtOFAAmVxK
— Richard Dawkins (@RichardDawkins) September 20, 2015
Says Pope will be assasinated
In an interview with New York Daily News, Sarandon says she is worried that Pope Francis will be assassinated while on his U.S. visit.
I think they’re going to assassinate him. I think he’s done some major, major cleansing of the whole system…I love this Pope. He’s humble . . . he doesn’t live in the palatial whatever. I think he’s a Pope of the people.
She also talks about Donald Trump:
I think people are really starved for something authentic and even though he has no idea specifically what he’s talking about. He speaks to the guy who wishes he could say, ‘Everything’s a mess, we’re tired of the machine, we’re tired of politics as usual.’ . … I think it’s great that the Republicans have to figure out how to deal with him, it’s interesting.
And says she supports Bernie Sanders, and says she does not like it when people dismiss him:
Everybody said that about Obama. It’s like, the laziest way to do politics as usual. To just say, ‘Oh, well, he can’t get elected’. I think at least he’ll make some very unexpected dialogue in the debates.
Hard cap on minutes
Lakers coach Scott says that Bryant will have a hard minutes cap this season. The cap is an attempt to preserve Bryant, who has had his last three seasons cut short by injuries. Scott:
I know Kobe’s a competitor and he’s going to play as many minutes as you want him to play. I’m also a competitor, so I want to win and I know having him on the court gives me the best opportunity to win.
Malware discovered
Security firm Palo Alto Networks discovers that login names and passwords for more than 225,000 Apple accounts were stolen by cyber-thieves in China. Apple says hackers embedded malicious code into the App Store by persuading developers to use a counterfeit version of the firm’s own software. The program, dubbed KeyRaider, allows hackers to collect data from jailbroken devices.
We’ve removed the apps from the App Store that we know have been created with this counterfeit software. We are working with the developers to make sure they’re using the proper version of Xcode to rebuild their apps.
No ‘moral obligation’ to defend Obama
In a series of tweets, Trump says he has no obligation to defend President Obama:
Am I morally obligated to defend the president every time somebody says something bad or controversial about him? I don’t think so!…If I would have challenged the man, the media would have accused me of interfering with that man’s right of free speech. A no win situation!…This is the first time in my life that I have caused controversy by NOT saying something…If someone made a nasty or controversial statement about me to the president, do you really think he would come to my rescue? No chance!
Takei offers support
In a Facebook message, Takei compares his own experiences in an internment camp to Mohameds arrest.
But I want you to know, while America may have done a terrible thing to me and my family, and to 120,000 other Japanese Americans, I have great hope for this country, and I believe we do learn. There was a Japanese word we often said in the camps: Gaman. It means to keep on keeping on, with dignity and fortitude. I think you understand this word already. While certain school officials and police officers may have shown you the worst side of our nation, I understand many others have since shown you the best side. I was touched to hear you say that we all have to be true to ourselves. Ahmed, you are now part of the story of America, and many will learn from your fine example. I see great things ahead for you.
https://www.facebook.com/georgehtakei/photos/a.223098324386295.105971.205344452828349/1366653030030813/
Invited to Facebook
Zuckerberg invites Mohamed to Facebook HQ.
https://www.facebook.com/zuck/posts/10102373304096361
Obama tweets support
President Obama tweets support for Mohamed.
Cool clock, Ahmed. Want to bring it to the White House? We should inspire more kids like you to like science. It's what makes America great.
— President Obama (@POTUS44) September 16, 2015
Toronto science show invitation
Hadfield invites Mohamed to Toronto for October’s Generator event, a ‘science-based variety show’
Hi @IStandWithAhmed ! I'd love you to join us for our science show Generator in Toronto on 28 Oct. There's a ticket waiting for you.
— Chris Hadfield (@Cmdr_Hadfield) September 16, 2015
GOP debate tweets
Coulter sends out a set of Tweets about the debate.
Cruz, Huckabee Rubio all mentioned ISRAEL in their response to: "What will AMERICA look like after you are president."
— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) September 17, 2015
How many f—ing Jews do these people think there are in the United States?
— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) September 17, 2015
I like the Jews, I like fetuses, I like Reagan. Didn't need to hear applause lines about them all night. https://t.co/4guFehK0CM
— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) September 17, 2015
Comedians admit prank
Two Russian comedians, “Vovan” and “Lexus,” admit that they prank called John. In the phone call the pranksters get John to talk about gay rights:
I think the violence toward LGBT people–they don’t feel safe–but this something I don’t really want to talk about over the phone.
They also arrange a November meeting date with the Russian president and agreed to attend a gay pride parade in Moscow. Kremlin spokesperson:
The president has always been open to discuss human rights issues…I would recommend to apologise (to) Elton John, he is a respected and favoured singer here. It was not good to trick him like that.
John:
Pranks are funny. Homophobia, however is never funny. I love Russia and my offer to talk to President Putin about LGBT rights still stands. I will always stand up for those that are being degraded and discriminated against. If this unfortunate incident has helped push this vital issue back into the spotlight, then I am happy to be pranked on this occasion.
Kremlin denies call
A spokesman for Putin says that the Russian President did not speak to John.
I don’t know who spoke to Elton John but President Putin did not speak to him. I don’t know [what happened] but President Putin did not speak to Elton John and most importantly we didn’t receive any proposals to meet. If the president does get such a signal from Elton John, the president has always been open to discuss any… human rights problems, any issues. He is always ready to clarify the real situation.
Ctiticizes Trump
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Waters criticizes Trump.
I have [laughed] except it’s not funny that he’s as popular as he is. His ideas [are] not outlandish at all. It’s American exceptionalism gone crazy and delivered under the umbrella of absolute ignorance. He is pig-ignorant and he always was and he always will be. He lives in the illusion that he’s admirable in some way. And obviously for somebody like me, he stands for everything that is not admirable in American society. “Let’s Make America Great Again” [is] the worst possible slogan anybody could ever come up with. It’s silly and disgusting as well, unless they wanted to hark back to the potential. If the Founding Fathers hadn’t been so up their own asses, they might have come up with a system that fell somewhere between republican democracy that was going to work and that had proper checks and balances to prevent it disintegrating into what it has become, which is a country for sale to the highest bidder with the Supreme Court at the top of it, who’s appointed by the highest bidder eventually.
Says Putin called
John says that Putin called him to discuss gay rights in Russia.
Thank-you to President Vladimir Putin for reaching out and speaking via telephone with me today. I look to forward to meeting with you face-to-face to discuss LGBT equality in Russia.
Crew grounded until they lose weight
The airline asks 125 of its flight attendants to lose weight or prepare for ground duties. It insists that the move to manage its employees’ physique is not about appearances but because they are concerned about the safety of the staff. A spokesperson does not say how much they have to slim down.
This is an ongoing process. It is an opportunity for them to bring themselves back to the (required) fitness level. If they cannot because of any medical reasons, they will be offered ground duties.
The decision follows fitness guidelines laid out by India’s civil aviation regulator who mandated a body mass index (BMI) of 18-25 for male cabin crew members and 18-22 for female cabin crew members. Men with a BMI over 25, and women with a BMI over 22 were classified as overweight. A “large number” of the employees refuse to undergo medical examinations for their BMI as ordered and instead ask the airline to first pay for gym memberships before conducting any lab tests.
Diversity comments
In the season four premiere of Project Greenlight, Damon and Brown are among a number of producers discussing which finalist would win the contest and go on to direct the chosen script for the season. Brown wants directing team Leo Angelos & Kristen Brancaccio (an Asian man and white woman), in part because Brancaccio flagged the stereotypical aspects of the only black character in the script. Brown:
I want to urge people to think about, whoever this director is, the way that they’re going to treat the character of Harmony, her being a prostitute — the only black person being a hooker who gets hit by her white pimp. You’re looking at this group right here, and who you’re picking, and the story that you’re doing, and I just want to make sure we’re doing our best —
Damon:
The only team that’s left with diversity is the team that announced that they liked this script the most as it is, and that’s Leo and Kristen. Everyone else had major problems with it, with exactly the things that you’re bringing up, and exactly the things that we brought up to each other. I think on the surface, they might look like one thing, but they might end up giving us something that we don’t want. And when we’re talking about diversity, you do it in the casting of the film, not in the casting of the show (italics added).
Brown:
Wow, okay.