ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) Tampa Bay area clubs are focused on security after shooting attacks in Orlando and Fort Myers.
Jannus Live in St. Petersburgheld a gig on Sunday with about 1,500 people and 25 security. Staff employees said things basically went off without a hitch.
We like to be proactive, said Jason Nosal, head of Signature Security Services. Well sit thereWell scan the crowds.
Signature provides security services to Jannus Live and 30 other clients in the Tampa Bay area.Security personnelbegin the process by checking bags for weapons, drugs and booze, in addition to other contraband.
They check identification and then pat them attendees down. Thats just the process for peopleto get inside.
We have guys stationed all over the venues in pivotal areas, whether its an exit door or in front of the stage where theres vantage points where theyre able to see the entire crowd, Andrew Knapp of Signature Security Services said.
Jannus Live also works closely with the St. Petersburg Police Department.The downtown police squad adds an extra level of securityto bars and clubs in St. Petersburg.
But even with that extra security, Knapp and Nosal saywe live in a different world. They said theyve had to adjust with the times.
People are going to find a way to harm somebody if thats really what their intentions are, Knapp said.
Signature Security signed up for an active shooter class with St. Petersburg police, which takes place Thursday. Thats in addition to other classes and state-mandated training.
Cornel West Perfectly Explains Why He"s Supporting Jill Stein Over Hillary Clinton
With the DNC ready to throw their big party this week and officially make Hillary Clinton their nominee, there are still some Bernie Sanders supporters hoping for an upset. Others have shifted their focus to the Green Party candidate, Jill Stein. Stein had offered Sanders the top spot on her ticket if he was willing, but with that scenario unlikely, many people are writing off Stein as having no chance of winning in November.
However, while its a long shot, Jill Stein is running for president in a year when voters are so fed up with both the Democratic and Republican parties that she just might have a chance. Heres what she would have to do to become president.
The biggest hurdle Stein faces is voters fear of her being a spoiler candidate, drawing votes away from Hillary Clinton and allowing Donald Trump to win the election, much like Ralph Nader did to Al Gore. However, Stein is starting this race in a much stronger position than Nader did and with a much weaker Democratic and Republican party system with both parties on the verge of collapsing completely. (The GOP is much closer to collapse than the Democrats at this point, although once WikiLeaks is done with the Democrats, they may be in the same boat.)
Jill Stein somehow has to find a way to convince voters that she can win and that a vote for her wont help Trump to the Oval Office. To do that, shell definitely have to pull high enough poll numbers over the 15 percent required to be included in debates. Stein is still a relative unknown, but then so was Bernie Sanders back when he started his campaign. But Bernie also has had a lot more time to come to the forefront of politics.
Bernie Sanders [Photo by Craig Ruttle/AP Images, File]The next week will be critical to Jill Steins campaign, as those Bernie Sanders supporters still desperately clinging to the hope that he will be the Democratic nominee will get their wake-up call and realize they have to go to Plan B. If enough of them shift their support to Stein so that she pulls high enough numbers to get into the debates, that will be her make or break moment that determines that she can go on.
Before anyone starts screaming that Stein has no chance and no one should even consider voting for her, another consideration is the fourth candidate in this years presidential election, the Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson. Bear in mind that many Republicans will likely turn to Johnson despite his little-known status, rather than vote for Clinton or Trump. This will help weaken Trump if Johnson can get enough support to be included in debates.
Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson [Photo by John Raoux/AP Images]Basically, if this presidential election season becomes a four-person race, then yes, Jill Stein has a chance of winning. She can pull in a lot of Bernie Sanders supporters and already has the endorsement of Cornel West. As much as no one wants to admit it, the truth is a lot of women support Hillary Clinton because they want to see a woman elected president. Jill Stein can also be that first woman elected as president, without all the scandal and baggage that Hillary Clinton carries around. Im not talking about email scandals per se, but more serious allegations of brokering arms deals when she was Secretary of State in exchange for Clinton foundation donations. While she dodged a bullet with the email server scandal, the Clinton Foundation may still come back to haunt her.
If Jill Stein can get her name out there and start a movement the way Bernie Sanders did, she could overtake Clinton and Trump. If you think it cant happen, no one said Bernie Sanders would even be a contender. No one said Donald Trump could win the GOP nomination, either. All the pundits and predictors have completely underestimated the disgust of voters in this country and how eager they are for an alternative to the lesser of evils.
A huge number of people wanted Bernie Sanders to be that alternative, but that wont happen because not only will he not be the nominee for the Democratic Party, but Sanders will not do anything to divide the party and give Trump a chance to win, such as running as an independent or running with Jill Stein. That means our last hope for a true alternative to the two worst candidates in presidential race history lies with Stein.
I never thought I would agree with Ted Cruz on anything, but this is one year where you should vote your conscience, and if you feel like Jill Stein is the best candidate, put your support behind her 100 percent and be vocal about it. For now at least, forget about spoilers and what all the political commentators say, and just support who you feel is the best candidate. When it comes time to vote, if all your support doesnt prove that Stein is a viable candidate who can win, you can always go back Clinton.
But heres the Catch-22: you have to get behind Jill Stein 100 percent now for her to even have a chance. She cant prove shes a viable candidate, we have to make her viable.
Once the DNC crowns Hillary Clinton the official nominee, lets all get on board with Jill Stein and fight for her as long as we can the way he fought for Bernie. Then when we go into the voting booth on Election Day, well know we did everything we can, and its only at that moment that we must make our final decision as to who gets our vote, based on how the field looks that day. We can support Stein till Election Day, but youre still free to change your mind November 8 and vote for whoever you choose if you feel she cant win.
At the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on Monday night, marquee speaker Michelle Obamamanaged the feat of attacking Donald Trump without ever mentioning his name:
"We teach our girls that when someone is cruel or acts like a bully you don"t stoop to their level," in her first reference to Trump. "No, our motto is "When they go low we go high"."
Referencing Trump"s love for Twitter: "The issues we face are not black and white andcannotbe boiled down to 140characters."
"When you have the nuclear codes at your fingertips, and the military in your command you can"t make snap decisions, you can"t have thin skin and a tendency to lash out," she said, referencing Trump"s short fuse. "You need to be steady and measured and well-informed."
The first lady didn"t neglect to point to Trump"s lack of experience in politics. "I want a president with a record of public service, someone whose life"s work shows our children that we don"t chase fame and fortune for ourselves, we fight to give everyone a chance to succeed," she said.
And she went out with a bang: "Don"t ever let anybody tell you our country isn"t great, that somehow we need to make it great again." she said, referencing Trump"s famous slogan. "This country is the greatest country on earth."
TPP Trade Agreement Finalized: Corporations Agree On How To Best Screw Everyone... Tuesday, 26 July 2016, 4:21 pmPress Release: InternetNZ
TPP laws risk creative handbrakes and unwarrantedcriminal charges
InternetNZ has released itssubmission to Parliament on the TPP Amendment Bill. Thesubmission sets out ways to update the draft legislation todeliver the most fair possible copyright laws for all NewZealanders.
"This legislation makes some use of theexceptions allowed in the TPP, but it can and should go muchfurther. The TPP will make New Zealand"s copyright laws lessfair - but Parliament can amend this draft legislation tominimise the damage," says Jordan Carter, Chief Executive ofInternetNZ.
Under the TPP, all member countries must adoptshared rules on intellectual property. This means a range ofNew Zealand laws will need to change to satisfy theTPP.
In particular, InternetNZ is concerned about newrestrictions on digital locks or "Technological ProtectionMeasures," which could unfairly restrict New Zealanders"access to content. Given the huge number of ways theInternet is being used, and the new ways yet to be invented,the impact of such locks in future could be even worse thanwe know today.
The proposed digital lock rules restrictwhat New Zealanders can do with both digital content andwith physical things that they have purchased. Overseas,similar restrictions have meant people have to askpermission to repair a car or tractor, because the softwarein it is a copyright work. Right now, similar rules in theUSA are facing a legal challenge because of thoserestrictive effects.
"We are pleased that this Bill allowsfor exceptions to the newly restrictive rules, which go someway to restoring the fairer balance in today"s copyright lawthat the TPP damages," says Carter.
"However, we areconcerned that the threat of lawsuits or criminal liabilitywill stop people using content and technology in legitimateways. This law may scare people away from innovating, whichis not good for our creative industry or anyone else."
TheTPP itself calls for a balance of rights, and suggests theuse of exceptions so that copyright law does not unfairlystop people from innovating and using newtechnologies.
"It is vital for the most expansive possibleset of exceptions to be put in place. Regardless of whathappens with the TPP, InternetNZ supports a review ofcopyright law, to ensure our balance is fair and up todate."
InternetNZ"s submission also considered theproposed extension of copyright terms. TPP"s requirement ofan extension of the term goes against its promise of balancein IP rights, but isn"t a negotiable part of the deal atthis stage.
InternetNZ says that the upcoming review ofcopyright should consider this balance as soon as possible.The organisation has argued for fair copyright lawsthroughout the TPP negotiations and hopes the submissionwill be carefully considered in the work of the SelectCommittee scrutinising the draft legislation.
"It isimportant that this law is finalised with carefulconsideration so that, as a country, we minimise the veryreal risks of unfairly restricting New Zealanders" access tocontent," says Carter.
You can read InternetNZ"ssubmission here: Trans-Pacific Partnership AgreementAmendmentBill
Sarah Silverman: "Bernie or bust" people are ri...
PHILADELPHIA (AP & KWCH) Demi Lovato took to the stage Monday night to endorse Hillary Clinton.
The pop singer is just one of the entertainers set to perform inside the Wells Fargo Center.
Boyz II Men performed shortly before the convention opened. All three members are Philadelphia natives.
Also set to add their celebrity to the 2016 DNC on Monday are Paul Simon, part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel and actress and comedian Sarah Silverman.-----6:20 p.m.
Bernie Sanders" supporters are getting plenty of time at the podium at the Democratic National Convention.
Some key backers of the Vermont senator were late additions to Monday night"s program - in an effort to promote party unity.
Tensions are simmering on the convention"s opening night as Sanders" allies celebrate the onetime presidential candidate and advocate for Hillary Clinton"s election.
Among those added are two strong Sanders supporters - Maine lawmaker Diane Russell and former NAACP president Ben Jealous.
Jealous is praised the party platform and saying, "Join us at the ballot box and we will elect Hillary Clinton as president of these United States."
Some frustrated Sanders fans are continuing to boo at the mention of Clinton"s name.
5:50 p.m.
Bernie Sanders may have asked his supporters as a "personal courtesy" not to protest at the Democratic convention - but not everyone"s willing to heed that request.
Michigan delegate Bruce Fealk says he understands Sanders" position and understands why the Vermont senator is making the request.
But Fealk also says: "I"m really annoyed. ... I haven"t decided yet. I want to support Bernie, but I also want to voice my displeasure with the Democratic Party."
Fealk says he sees the hacked party emails as a revelation, and says they show the party"s disrespect for progressives.
___
5:35 p.m.
A Bernie Sanders supporter has taken the stage at the Democratic convention and has two missions.
Diane Russell - a Maine lawmaker - is trying to sell delegates on the compromise that"s been reached on the future role of superdelegates in the nominating process.
And she"s stressing her support for Hillary Clinton.
Russell led an effort to abolish superdelegates - they"re the party insiders who can cast their convention vote for the candidate of their choice.
She"s using her convention speech to praise a deal by the party"s rules committee that establishes a commission" to review the nominating process.
___
5:25 p.m.
A Democratic official says Bernie Sanders" campaign has urgently reached out to Hillary Clinton"s team to express concerns that tensions are still raw among Sanders delegates.
They"re fuming about hacked party emails that already have led to the ouster of the head of the Democratic National Committee, Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
Aides to Clinton and Sanders have met in hopes of forming a plan to avoid excessive disruptions on the convention floor.
The Democratic official spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss the private discussions.
Sanders has sent out a text message and an email to delegates urging them not to engage in protests on the floor as a "personal courtesy" to him.
___
5:05 p.m.
Bernie Sanders is urging supporters not to demonstrate on the floor of the Democratic National Convention.
He"s sending out text messages and emails with his personal request.
Sanders is characterizing the request "as a personal courtesy to me" and urging his followers to "not engage in any kind of protest on the floor."
The Vermont senator says it is of the "utmost importance" that this be explained to the state delegations.
Sanders say "our credibility as a movement will be damaged by booing, turning of backs, walking out or other similar displays."
The challenger to Hillary Clinton is speaking later Monday at the Philadelphia convention.
It comes as many of his supporters contend the Democratic National Committee failed to be neutral during the primaries.
___
5 p.m.
The Ohio congresswoman who"s the chair of the Democratic National Convention is getting an earful from a rowdy group of delegates in the convention"s opening moments.
During Marcia Fudge"s opening remarks, she is being halted by boos and chants from Bernie Sanders" delegates at any mention of presumptive nominee Hillary Clinton.
But also cheers - from Clinton"s supporters. At one point, there were chants of "Let her speak!"
Fudge is asking for respect and promising to deliver it in turn.
She says, "We are all Democrats and we need to act like it."
___
4:45 p.m.
The Democratic National Committee is offering its "deep and sincere apology" to Bernie Sanders, his supporters and the entire party for what it calls "the inexcusable remarks made over email."
The statement from incoming interim party leader, Donna Brazile, and six other officials says the comments in the emails "do not reflect the values of the DNC or our steadfast commitment to neutrality during the nominating process."
The statement says the party won"t tolerate disrespectful language.
The statement wasn"t signed by the outgoing DNC head, Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
She announced on Sunday that she"d step down from that job at the end of this week"s Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.
The emails suggested party officials favored Clinton over rival Sanders during the primaries.
___
4:15 p.m.
Democrats have gaveled in their convention in Philadelphia - after a day of discord that sent the party chief into exile.
It was Baltimore"s mayor, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, who called the 47th Democratic convention to order. Her formal welcome was briefly held up a slight oversight - she forgot the gavel and had to retrieve it off stage.
Rawlings-Blake is a last-minute fill-in Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the ousted Democratic National Committee leader.
The Florida congresswoman was forced out of her post by a trove of leaked emails that appeared to show DNC officials favored Hillary Clinton over Sanders in their fierce primary fight. She"s set to step down from the party job after the convention.
The July pay-per-view for WWE is typically a forgotten one. Usually taking place between Money in the Bank and Summerslam, it functions primarily as a way to move things toward the second biggest show on the WWE schedule. However, due to the draft and a roster shakeup, "Battleground" ended up being one of the most compelling shows of the year.
From the beginning of the build toward the card, this show seemed to be a little bit more special. Announcing the Shield triple-threat right off the bat helped. The card that developed looked good on paper and may have exceeded expectations. The Kevin Owens/Sami Zayn match was easily the match of the night, and may end up being the WWE match of the year. However, we also got great showings from both six-man tag matches, and the Shield triple-threat was good as well. Of the eight matches on the main card, only two, at most, could really be labeled as duds.
While the matches were great, the moments may prove to be the defining points of the show. We started off with the women"s tag match, and Bayley making her WWE main roster debut to team with Sasha Banks. The crowd, which wasn"t going to accept anyone besides Bayley coming through that curtain, exploded when her music hit. That set the tone for the big moments throughout the night.
Another NXT star debuted as Mojo Rawley came out to defend Zack Ryder. While his debut may not have been the same elsewhere, he received a big hometown pop from the crowd in Washington, D.C. Seeing John Cena not just recognize Enzo Amore"s mic skills, but basically bow before them, is something that"s not going to be soon forgotten. Randy Orton"s return may not have been exactly what people wanted, but his No enhancements needed shot at Brock Lesnar is going to be talked about for weeks to come.
All of it led to the Shield triple-threat in the main event. Shockingly, the match went off without any shenanigans, despite all the authority figures being at ringside. Roman Reigns was booed louder than anyone else on the roster, and the boos continued every time he got in any offense. While he didn"t portray a heel, it seemed like they almost started to get into the crowd reaction. Eventually Ambrose and Rollins started double-teaming Reigns after Reigns started to string together some power moves. They even teamed up to powerbomb him through the announce table.
At the end, Reigns speared Rollins, but Ambrose was there to pull Reigns off and drop him with a Dirty Deeds, getting a clean pin on Reigns just days after cleanly pinning Rollins on Smackdown. The entire Smackdown locker room emptied out and celebrated with Ambrose, as he will keep the title on Smackdown.
"Battleground"has set the stage for the beginning of the new brand extension. We have Ambrose as the champion, some fresh blood, and some new feuds that need to be started. WWE provided a great start to this new era, now they just have to capitalize.
The rest of "Battleground":
-As mentioned above, the match of the night was clearly Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. The two put everything into the match. It seemed at one point, after Sami had botched a moonsault to the outside, that the match might be in jeopardy due to an injury. However, the two soldiered on, and even brought the mistake into the match. The two know each other so well, and it showed. They brought in sequences we had seen before as wrestling fans; however, not all of it was from their WWE or NXT encounters. They brought some flashbacks to their Ring of Honor days, including Sami hitting a brainbuster (or BRAINBUSTAAAHHH) on the apron. The storytelling was truly beautiful during the match. At one point Owens basically begged Sami to stay down, but Sami didn"t, and finally, after multiple half-and-half suplexes and two Helluva Kicks, Sami ended up the victor. Will this actually be the end? Well, we"ll see. But if it is, it goes out on a high note.
-John Cena, Enzo and Cass beat The Club as Cena pinned AJ Styles after a Super-AA. The match was almost secondary to the opening promo though. Enzo was in rare form, and Cena was more than happy to be the straight man to Enzo"s antics. Cena didn"t talk at all, but his mannerisms as the promo stretched on really added to everything. I don"t want to say it was a passing of the torch moment from one great orator to another, because Enzo still has a ways to go, but the acknowledgment from Cena was a big thing.
-The oddest match of the night was the Intercontinental Title match. The match was slow, though that was almost expected, as The Miz wrestles a more old-school style, and Darren Young is trying to pattern himself after Bob Backlund. However, that wasn"t what made it on. Instead, the finish was rather baffling. After Backlund prevented Miz from leaving up the ramp, Maryse came over and slapped Backlund. Then, as Miz was pulled back into the ring by Young, Maryse fell down, pretending that Backlund hit her. That caused Miz to once again leave the ring and shove Backlund. Young came out, put the Chickenwing on Miz, and then the ref called for the bell. There was no announcement of what the actual result was, but according to WWE.com, it was a double DQ. Nothing that happened should have drawn a DQ, so that was an odd finish that I presume will continue the feud.
-Zack Ryder was unsuccessful in his attempt to win back the U.S. title. However, the important bit happened after the match was over. Rusev continued the assault on Ryder, which brought out Mojo Rawley. Rusev stared at Rawley, and then eventually backed down and left the ring. Ryder and Rawley are on a different brand from Rusev, so I"m not sure if the feud will continue, or if it was just a way to introduce Mojo to the crowd. Either way, it was good of WWE to debut him where they knew he"d get a pop near his hometown and just seven miles from where he played college football at the University of Maryland.
-The Wyatt Family beat The New Day in what may be the final match for this iteration of the Wyatts, as Braun Strowman was separated from the rest in the draft. This match, like so many others, featured some great storytelling. The best moment came when Xavier Woods and Bray Wyatt got to face off with each other. It seemed like Xavier would succumb to Bray"s influence, but instead he started teeing off on each of the Wyatt members. It wasn"t enough though, and Bray would eventually catch him with a Sister Abigail.
-Bayley debuted, but it was Sasha who picked up the pin against Charlotte, which should segway directly into the title match at Summerslam. It will be interesting to see exactly how they handle Bayley now. She wasn"t drafted, so it seems like she"ll stay away from the main roster for a little while longer. However, if there was anyone who doubted what sort of reception she"d get from the main crowd, that doubt is gone.
-Breezango beat The Usos in the preshow match.
Questions? Thoughts? Leave them in the comment section here, email me, or find me on Twitter: @TheAOster. You can also hear my podcast, Jobbing Out, at https://soundcloud.com/jobbingout
President Obama Brother Malik Obama Voting For Donald Trump
(Foto: TONY KARUMBA/AFP/Getty Images)
Puede ser el medio hermano del presidente Barack Obama, pero Malik Obama dice que votar por Donald Trump en noviembre.
El medio hermano del presidente Obama dijo al New York Post que a l le gusta el nominado republicano porque habla desde el corazn y que Hacer a Estados Unidos grande de nuevo es un gran eslogan.
Malik Obama tambin critic algunas decisiones de su hermano y de la ex secretaria de Estado Hillary Clinton, especialmente la destitucin del lder libio Moammar Gadhafi en 2011.
Aun siento que haberse deshecho de Gadhafi no hizo las cosas mejor en Libia dijo Malik Obama. Mi hermano y la secretaria de Estado me decepcionaron en ese sentido, agreg.
En una entrevista separada con la agencia de noticias Reuters, Malik Obama dijo que la posicin de Trump contra los musulmanes que vienen a Estados Unidos era entendible, an para musulmanes como l.
Yo soy musulmn, por supuesto, pero no se puede dejar que la gente siga baleando gente y matando gente solo en el nombre del Islam, indic.
El presidente Obama tiene siete hermanastros por parte de su padre y de su madre. Malik, quien es tres aos mayor que el presidente, es hijo de Barack Obama senior y su primera esposa.
Malik Obama tena una relacin cercana con el presidente y fue su padrino de bodas. Sin embrago en aos recientes ambos parecen haberse distanciado. Malik dijo al New York Post que su hermano no hizo nada para ayudarlo cuando se postul para gobernador del condado kenyano de Siaya en 2013.
