Obama Denies Permit to Drill at DAPL! Victory at Standing Rock Within Reach!
On Sunday evening, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan strongly criticized the recent DAPLannouncement, which indicated thatthe construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL)will be halted following months of protests by Native Americans. On his Twitter account, ryan asserted that "this [the dapl decision] is big-government decision-making at its worst. I look forward to putting this anti-energy presidency behind us." Ryan referring to the DAPL decision as "big-government" and "anti-energy" and seemingly using it as a platform to advocate for his long-held beliefs on these issues comes across as particularly insensitive.
Ryan"s tweet clearly indicates his stance on the DAPL controversy as well as seemingly on broader issues regarding the prioritization of capitalism and business interests over other issues. Ryan characterizing the halting of the pipeline"s construction as a "big-government" and "anti-energy" decision implies that he likely perceives the government as inappropriately intervening in private domestic oil industry actions.
These views seem to align with Ryan"s public stances on both energy and governmentalreform. In regards to the former, Ryan has long been an advocate of eliminating barriers, particularly those of a governmental nature, to domestic oil production. "The federal government has a clear role to play in preserving our natural resources and protecting the environment," he stated on his website. "However, I have concerns with several regulatory initiatives coming from the Obama administration that increase the costs of energy and have a devastating effect on job creation."
Ryan has also historically advocated against what he perceivesas the government overstepping its authority, as well as against the size and scope of the federal government. His reference to "big government" in his DAPL tweet is illustrative of this mindset. Indeed, earlier this year Ryan proposed a set ofpolicy initiatives know as "A Better Way"that included proposals for "reestablishing and enforcing limits on agency authority, conducting more "robust oversight" of the executive branch, [and] reforming the rulemaking process," among others.
However, this response horrificallytrivializes Native American rights and concerns. The Native American DAPL protesters have spent months fighting the construction of the pipeline to ensure the preservation of their ancestral lands as well as to protect their nearby reservation from a possible oil spill or leakage into their water source. During these months, they have endured harsh living conditions and reportedlyharsh reactionsfrom law enforcement, who claim they were responding to "ongoing riots" among protesters.Yet, protestersstill persisted because of their strong belief in the ill-consequences that the pipeline could bring for their community.
Ryan has failed to acknowledge the plight of the protesters and the fact that DAPL is a Native American rights issue. Instead, he has cast the issue as one of big government attempting to impose its will on the domestic energy industry; this is, in my opinion, very disrespectful to a group of people who have perpetually had to struggle with ensuring protections for their land and rights, and who have paid a great price to ensure that these protections are guaranteed.The fact that the government is finally taking a step to ensure that these rights are protected (even though protesters and allies believe they should have done so sooner), is commendable and not overreaching. What Ryan espouses as "big government" is actually government playing the role it shouldstepping in to protect its citizens when private industry fails to do so.
Avión del Chapecoense se estrella en Colombia 28.11.2016 HD
This haunting picture shows three members of the Chapecoense football team sitting in the club"s empty changing room after learning the plane carrying their teammates had crashed.
The Brazilian football team had been travelling to Colombia to play Athletico Nacional for the biggest game in the club"s history, the Copa Sudamerica final.
But their journey to the Colombian city of Medellin came to a devastating end when the jet crashed down in remote mountains.
The Avro RJ85 plane, which was carrying nine crew, crashed at about 10.15pm after suffering "electric failures" while flying through the mountainous Antioquia Department on its way from Bolivia.
Local officials said it crashed against a hill and broke in two.
The heartbreaking images of the non-travelling players came just days after the players were filmed celebrating wildly in the same room as they reached the final of the Copa Sudamericana.
This heartbreaking picture showed players who were not travelling with the team sitting in the empty club changing room
United for the last time, this is the Brazilian football team posing together in front of a passenger jet before their doomed flight crashed in Colombia, killing 71 on board
The plane carrying 76 people crashed in Colombia - only five people survived
Rescue bid: Pictures from the scene show the crumpled remains of the aircraft after it crashed down in Colombia
One of the players who did not make the journey wasAlejandro Martinuccio, who was nursing an injury.
The 28-year-old, who also played for Villarreal in Spain, told Argentina"s La Red radio: "I was saved because I got injured. I feel profound sadness. The only thing I can ask is prayers for the companions who were on the flight."
The other eight players who did not travel have been named locally as Nenm, Demerson, Marcelo Boeck, Andrei, Hyoran, Nivaldo, Moiss and Rafael Lima.
Meanwhile, Matheus Saroli, son of Chapecoense"s coach Caio Junior, who died in the crash, revealed how he didn"t board the flight as he had forgotten his passport.
The team, from the small city of Chapeco, was in the middle of a fairy tale season.
It joined Brazil"s first division in 2014 for the first time since the 1970s and made it last week to the Copa Sudamericana finals - the equivalent of the UEFA Europa League tournament - after defeating Argentina"s San Lorenzo.
Chapecoense issued a brief statement saying: "May G*d be with our athletes, officials, journalists and other guests travelling with our delegation."
Later the team"s vice-president, Ivan Tozzo, told cable channal SporTV: "There are a lot of people crying in our city. We could never imagine this. Chapecoense is the biggest reason for joy here."
There are reports the team had to change their flight and board the doomed aircraft after Brazilian aviation authorities prevented them from taking a charter plane.
The Chapecoense football team are pictured here on a plane.The footballers had to change their flight and board the plane that crashed after Brazilian aviation authorities prevented them from taking a charter flight, it has been claimed
Medical staff from the San Juan de Dios hospital transfer 27-year-old Brazilian footballer Alan Ruschel after he was pulled alive from the wreckage of the crash
The pilots and cabin crew on board the plane that crashed were all Bolivian while most of the passengers were Brazilian and about 40 were part of the Chapecoense delegation.
They included 20 players, the manager Caio Junior and four other members of his coaching team including an assistant manager, a personal trainer, a kinesiologist and a masseur.
The club"s president and vice-president were also on board along with other club managers. The team were only about five minutes from their destination when they crashed.
Chapecoense defender Alan Ruschel survived, as did Jakson Follman and Zampier Neto.
Two crew members Ximena Surez and Erwin Tumiri and journalist Rafael Valmorbida, also survived according to Colombia"s civil aviaiton authorities.
The team"s goalkeeper Danilo was initally reported to have survived the crash but died from his injuries, according to reports.
Danilo"s last-minute save in the semi-final had ensured the team made it through to the Copa Sudamericana final.
Globo Esporte, a Brazilian sports website, reported that one of the dead players, Thiaguinho, found out he was to be a father for the first time just one week before the crash.
Images from the site reveal the mangled wreckage of the plane and what appears to be a muddied outfit with the emblem of theChapecoense football team
The plane was flying from Viru Viru airport in Santa Cruz, Bolivia and should have landed at Jose Maria Cordova in Colombia
A post on the Instagram account of player Filipe Machado showed a picture of an aircraft and a message saying: "Already in Bolivia, now we"re going direct to Medellin, Colombia"
The British Aerospace 146 short-haul plane, operated by charter airline LaMia, declared an emergency at 10pm local time on Monday because of an electrical failure
Chapecoense were set to play Colombian team Atletico Nacional in the South American club tournament"s final on Wednesday, with the return fixture in Brazil on December 7.
It was the first time the small club from Chapeco had ever reached the final of a major South American club competition but they were underdogs against a club going for a rare double after winning the Copa Libertadores in July.
Chapecoense reached Brazil"s first division in 2014 and were in ninth place ahead of this weekend"s last round of games.
On its way to the continental final, the team known as Chape beat major clubs such as Argentina"s San Lorenzo and Independiente.
Officials opened the club"s stadium at Chapeco in the state of Santa Caterina in Brazil"s south to console the grieving families and fans.
"We"re all here at the stadium to help the people connected," said Mr Tozzo.
"It hasn"t really sunk in yet. We have to trust in G*d. Our team must carry on," he said.
Chapecoense is based in Chapeco, a city of about 200,000 that is known for its poultry industry and is about 800 miles south of Rio de Janeiro.
Brazil"s president, Michel Temer, has declared three days of national mourning following the crash.
HOW CHAPECOENSE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF A FAIRY TALE SEASON
Why were Chapecoense heading to Colombia?
Chapecoense were due to play in the final of the Copa Sudamericana on Wednesday, which is South America"s secondary club competition - an equivalent to the Europa League in Europe.
They were going to face Colombian side Atletico Nacional in the first match of the two-legged final. A video was uploaded by the club to social media showing the players heading on to the flight.
Chapecoense edged Argentinian side San Lorenzo 1-1 on away goals in the semi-final to become the first Brazilian club to reach a major final in South America since 2013.
After the victory, they were described as "an unglamorous but growing club" by ESPN.
When were Chapecoense formed?
Chapecoense are a relatively young club, formed in 1973 in the city of Chapeco, in south Brazil.
Their stadium, Arena Conda in Santa Catarina, holds 22,600.
Chapecoense would have had to have played the second leg of the Copa Sudamericana final at an alternative venue because CONMEBOL, South America"s equivalent to UEFA, state the final must be played at a venue holding at least 40,000 spectators.
They are managed by Caio Junior, who has played and coached extensively across Brazil.
The team joined Brazil"s first division in 2014 for the first time since the 1970s and made it last week to the Copa Sudamericana finals - the equivalent of the UEFA Europa League tournament - after defeating Argentina"s San Lorenzo
How long have they been in Brazil"s top division, Serie A?
They have competed in the first division for three seasons, having made the top tier in 2014.
As recently as 2009, they were in the fourth tier of Brazilian football and their run to a continental final this season was rightly heralded as a significant achievement.
Who are their most notable players?
Ananias, who is on loan at the club from Cruzeiro, netted the decisive away goal against San Lorenzo that got them to the final.
Another loanee at the club is 21-year-old defensive midfielder Matheus Biteco, from German Bundesliga side Hoffenheim.
Goalkeeper Marcelo Boeck spent five years at Sporting Lisbon from 2011-2016, where he was a team-mate of current Leicester striker Islam Slimani.
Boeck reportedly got in trouble with Slimani after they won the Potruguese Super Cup in August 2015 and spraying him with champagne. As a Muslim, Slimani is not allowed to touch alcohol.
What is the reaction to the tragedy in South America?
Chapecoense said on the club"s Facebook page it "reserves the right to wait for the official announcement of the Colombian air authority to issue any official statement about the accident. G*d be with our athletes, officials, journalists and other guests who are with the delegation."
Atletico Nacional said it "deeply regrets and sympathizes with @chapecoensereal on the accident and expects information from authorities."
CONMEBOL has suspended all activities until further notice.
HOW CRASH HAS ECHOES OF 1958 MUNICH AIR DISASTER
On 6 February 1958 British European Airways flight 609 crashed on its third attempt to take off from a slush-covered runway at Munich-Riem Airport, West Germany.
On the plane was the Manchester United team, nicknamed the "Busby Babes", along with supporters and journalists.Sir Bobby Charlton and Matt Busby survived.
Geoff Bent, Roger Byrne, Eddie Colman, Mark Jones, David Pegg, Tommy Taylor, Liam "Billy" Whelan all died. Duncan Edwards survived the crash, but died in hospital 15 days later.
On 6 February 1958 British European Airways flight 609 crashed on its third attempt to take off from a slush-covered runway at Munich-Riem Airport, West Germany
The squad were returning from a European game in Belgrade, Yugoslavia (now Serbia) when they stopped to refuel in Germany.
In total 20 of the 44 on the aircraft died. The injured, some unconscious, were taken to the Rechts der Isar Hospital in Munich where three more died, resulting in 23 fatalities with 21 survivors.
The pilot James Thain was blamed for the crash but it was later established that slush on the runway caused the accident.
Odell Beckham Jr. Goes Off for 222 Yards & 2 TDs! (Week 6 Highlights) | Ravens vs. Giants | NFL
The New York Giants" best punt returner doubles as their top receiver. Who knows, he may also be their best running back, cornerback and kicker as well.
Its actually quite simple -- Odell Beckham Jr. is the Giants" best playmaker, which puts coach Ben McAdoo in a sticky situation considering the damage Beckham did as a punt returner on Sunday in Cleveland.
The Giants resisted the temptation to use Beckham to return punts for most of his first three seasons. But they were so displeased with Dwayne Harris decision-making and Bobby Raineys lack of ball security as punt returners that they turned to Beckham last Sunday. After seeing the results against the Browns, the Giants might change their minds on Beckham"s special-teams role with the team entering a tough stretch run -- beginning this Sunday on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Beckham, 24, had punt returns of 12, 28 and 59 yards against the Browns. The last of the three went for a touchdown but was negated by a penalty. The 28-yard return was also brought back by a penalty.
Would the potential reward from using Odell Beckham Jr. as a returner be worth the added injury risk?Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports
It was still more than enough to open the coaches" eyes. Harris and Rainey havent produced a return of more than 17 yards this season.
Beckham at punt returner could be the added weapon the Giants need considering their struggle to score points this season.
It was electric, McAdoo said following the 27-13 victory over the Browns. When he has the opportunity to get his hands on the ball, hes sure-handed back there. Hes electric with the ball in his hands.
The dilemma the Giants face is weighing whether the added risk of Beckham getting injured while returning punts outweighs the potential reward from getting the ball in the hands of their best player a few more times each game. Beckham was averaging six touches per game entering last week. Adding punt-returning responsibilities would boost that total.
Antonio Brown is considered by many to be the best wide receiver in the NFL and he serves as the Steelers primary punt returner. It allows Pittsburgh to put the ball in his hands more.
Brown is averaging 8.5 touches per game and it hasnt resulted in an injury. He has played in 64 straight regular-season games for the Steelers.
The Giants must look at the rate of injury before making their decision. They must also factor in Beckhams injury history, which includes a hip problem earlier this season and thumb pain that forced him to leave Sundays game for a few plays.
McAdoo wouldnt commit Monday to using Beckham as the Giants full-time or part-time punt returner.
Well take a look at it and talk through it in the game plan meetings this week, he said.
Beckham wouldnt seem to mind, especially with the Giants having trouble putting the ball in his hands at times this season. He had just three touches in the first three quarters of the previous weeks win over the Chicago Bears. He finished with five touches in the contest.
Adding punt-return responsibilities would increase the potential for big plays.
Youre going to have to talk with Coach about that one, Beckham said after the win over the Browns. Between us, I wouldnt mind doing it. You never know. Maybe I might get back there. It just depends. With Dwayne being as banged up as he is -- this guy really comes out and gives us his all every day, he had the touchdown on offense [Sunday]. It was great. He really gives us his all every day and we appreciate it.
But Beckham may be able to give the Giants even more on punt returns. The solution may be to use him part-time in that role.
Dont be surprised to see the Giants pick their spots -- late in games, against top teams or in the playoffs -- with Beckham as their punt returner.
Frank Ocean Debuts "Nikes" Video on Apple Music There are two different versions of Frank Ocean"s new album "Blonde".
The singer released his third album, which was originally called "Boys Don"t Cry", this morning (August 21).
A physical version of the record was sold at pop-up shops in London, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago with copies of Ocean"s Boys Don"t Cry magazine.
Fans noticed that the tracklisting for the physical version differs to that available to stream online. As The Fader notes, the physical version features two songs that are not included on the digital copy, "Mitsubishi Sony" and "Easy".
"Nikes", "Be Yourself", "Self Control", "Good Guy", "Solo (Reprise)", "Facebook Story" and "Close To You" are all exclusive to the online version.
The tracklistings for both versions are as follows:
Now You See Me 2013 | best Crime movies 2013 | Mystery movies 2013, new Thriller movies 2013
Lionsgate on Friday had its biggest opening day ever in China with Now You See Me 2, and is now looking at a record three-day. The sequel to the 2013 summer hit pulled $14.8M out of its hat yesterday in the Middle Kingdom a magical increase of 790% in local currency and 679% in U.S. dollars versus the first film. Through Saturday, the two-day total is $36.4M (240.4M rmb) sending the film to a potential $50M China weekend which would be Lionsgates biggest ever opening in the market. Its previous biggest bow was 2013s Escape Plan with $22.8M.
According to unofficial local estimates, Now You See Me 2 is No. 1 in China, topping Independence Day: Resurgence which looks to be at about $28M after today. From helmer Jon M Chu, NYSM2 stars Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Morgan Freeman, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Daniel Radcliffe and Lizzy Caplan.
In another sign of how important a local marketing partner in China can be, Now You See Me 2 which includes scenes shot on location in Macau isbenefiting from a strong campaign run by local Lionsgate partner Leomus Pictures. And, its got a secret weapon in Asian superstar singer-songwriter Jay Chou who also features in the film. He previously provided the theme song to Kung Fu Panda 3. The original NYSM nabbed a foreign cume $234m.
7-11 Bring Your Own Cup Day #DAGO Style ...They shouldnt have never did it lol
A perfect way to stay cool in the heat- bring your own cup to 7-Eleven.
Gabe Trujillo, KPNX 9:37 AM. MST August 19, 2016
An illustration of Two, 7-Eleven Slurpees on October 27, 2010 in Washington, DC. (Photo: TIM SLOAN/AFP/Getty Images)
Slurpee fans have an extra reason to be excited this weekend.
On Aug. 19 and 20 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., customers can fill up their own cups with their favorite Slurpee flavor for $1.50 during "Bring Your Own Cup Day."
But before you decide to grab your nearest bucket to fill up, there are a few ground rules. Any cup you bring to a participating location:
- Must be able to fit upright through a 10-inch hole.
- Needs to be safe for food.
- Should be water tight.
- Only one cup per person.
Those who decide to grab a Slurpee in their own cup are encouraged to share photos of their drinks using the hashtag "#BYOCUPDAY."
To find a participating 7-Eleven location near you, visit the Slurpee website.
Olympics: USA Women"s Basketball Returning To Gold Medal Game
With vicious screens and ample player movement, the Aussies nearly handed Team USA its first Olympic defeat since 2004.
As Australia carved up the vaunted USA mens basketball team with yet another backdoor cut, you could imagine the Serbian and French players feeling a little better about themselves.
Both of those teams entered this Olympic tournament as the top challengers to Team USA in Group A. Both of those teams left their games against Australia dizzy from the Boomers chaotic player movement and bruised from an avalanche of vicious Andrew Bogut screens.
Team USA understands their pain. Though the Americans escaped with a 10-point victory, they werent any more successful at slowing the Boomers equal-opportunity system. Only clutch shot making from Carmelo Anthony and Kyrie Irving saved the U.S. from its first international defeat in a decade.
Even in victory, Team USAs performance should make Mike Krzyzewskis blood boil because it fits the rough outline of inattention that caused the programs lowest moments a decade ago. But as France and Serbia can attest, its really difficult to stop Australias offensive system in a FIBA game. Theres a reason Team USA had a lot of trouble doing it, and it goes beyond taking the Boomers lightly.
There are rough parallels between this Australia offense and the spread pick-and-roll attacks of "04 Argentina and "06 Greece that flummoxed Team USA. All three teams moved the ball beautifully and caught Team USAs perimeter defenders napping at critical points.
But as the NBA slowly adopted the style that defined top international teams of the past, their competitive advantages faded. Top American teams could spread the floor and play with pace in half-court situations, except with far better players. It wasnt enough to simply spread them out anymore and use speed to confuse them.
Australias approach adds an important layer on top of the old formula. Aided by FIBAs more physical style, Andrej Lemanis, the teams resourceful coach, has built an offensive system that takes advantage of his rosters two biggest strengths: the off-ball speed of Patty Mills and the bone-crushing screens of big man Andrew Bogut. Together, Mills and Bogut form the bedrock of a system that combines speedy guards, multiple playmakers and big men that operate in the high post while flocking to anyone in the vicinity that can be picked off.
Boguts screen setting is the key to unlocking Australias potential. He has always been one of the NBAs best at getting teammates open, but as hes aged, the speed of the NBA game and his inability to score has chipped away at that skill. Increasingly, hes been unable to move himself into proper position, choosing instead to compensate with tactics that may or may not be legal. If not for his reputation, he would have been called for far more offensive fouls.
Despite a knee injury that recently ended his NBA Finals, he looks revived in Rio. Because the three-point line is shorter, FIBA teams run their offenses within a smaller surface area, which allows Bogut to get into proper screening position on the move more effectively. That allows Lemanis to layer cascading off-ball movement on top of crushing Bogut screens that get players open.
In a sense, this style actually resembles what the Warriors did with Bogut at center. Mills isnt Stephen Curry of course, but hes supremely quick for a FIBA guard and is very dangerous shooting off screens. Joe Ingles and Matthew Dellavedova dont come close to resembling Draymond Green or Andre Iguodala, but they can each handle the ball as Mills swerves around Bogut. And while Australia certainly cant bomb threes like the Splash Brothers, it generates enough confusion through movement to allow Bogut to slide in and give Mills or anyone else the separation they need to shoot or drive.
Bogut is more than just a screen setter. He remains a beautiful passer, which helps him slip passes in tight spaces to make up for the spacing crunch that comes from starting two centers.
And while Boguts scoring ability completely fell off the map in the NBA over the past few years, his lefty hooks and little runners have returned in Rio. Whenever Team USA left him, he made them pay.
Its overstating it to expect Bogut to carry this level of production over to Dallas next year. FIBA play is contested in tighter quarters, which masks Boguts lack of foot speed and puts him closer to more bodies to bounce straight into his large chest -- or anywhere else on his body, really. FIBA referees are more judicious with screening contact, so Bogut gets away with some of the more underhanded tactics that might be called in the NBA.
In Rio, though, his presence is essential in getting other Boomers open. Bogut is great at down screens, ball screens, back screens and any other sort of screen Australia needs. That skill, combined with Australias many playmakers in Mills, Dellavedova and Ingles, allows Lemanis to set up an offense that tosses in a decoy action on one side while simultaneously running a second option on the other. Defenses arent ready for Boguts screens and cant recover once they make their impact.
As Wednesdays game went along, Team USA tried switching all of these actions, much like the Cavaliers switched away to stifle the Warriors offense in the NBA Finals. In theory, this is a fine solution to the style Australia plays. But such an approach requires a level of defensive coordination thats tough for any national team to achieve with so little practice time. Bogut has made a living slipping to the basket against FIBA teams that mistime their off-ball switches.
All this makes Australias offense a riddle that even a dominant Team USA cannot fully solve. In a short international tournament like the Olympics, its hard to see anyone that can execute the air-tight scheme needed to hold the Boomers scoring down. If Team USA faces Australia again in the gold medal game, they may have to accept that Australia will score against them and hope its own offense is even better. Better preparation should help, but Australia forces opponents to make so many decisions that its hard for opponents keep track of all the items on the scouting report in real time. And as soon as opponents get a handle on whats actually happening on the floor, theyre slammed out of the play by a Bogut lead block.
In an international world where traditional powers like France and Spain are on the downswing, Australias Bogut-heavy system has allowed them to fill the power vacuum next to Team USA. The Boomers shouldnt relinquish that spot, not with young stars like Ben Simmons, Thon Maker and Dante Exum on the way. Wednesday should only be the first close battle in a budding international rivalry.
But that way-way-way-closer-than-expected game against Team USA was also a warning shot to the other teams in this tournament. Australia has the goods on an offensive system that can get them a medal right now. And if the U.S. isnt careful in a potential rematch, maybe theres a tiny chance that medal will be a different color than anyone could have possibly expected.
