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Federal Judge Strikes Down Georgia Abortion Restrictions

A federal judge is permanently blocking Georgia’s 2019 “heartbeat" abortion law, finding that it violates the U.S. Constitution. U.S. District Judge Steve Jones ruled against the state Monday in a lawsuit filed by abortion providers and an advocacy group.




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Lawmakers Consider Repealing Citizen’s Arrest Law Used As Defense in Ahmaud Arbery Death

According to Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter, Georgia’s citizen’s arrest law is rooted in medieval times and is an “outmoded concept” in this age of “increased police forces.” Porter made those remarks at a Georgia House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee hearing on Monday.




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Political Rewind: History As Comfort, Teacher In Troubled Times

Tuesday on Political Rewind, conventional wisdom states that we are living through an unprecedented era of crisis in America today. As the country looks to recover and heal through these tough times, does our history have any answers or lessons? We discussed this topic with several top historians. Listen below:




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Trump's Visit To Atlanta Wednesday: Boost For GOP, Target For Dems

Ahead of President Donald Trump's visit to the Atlanta area on Wednesday, prominent Georgia Democrats have scheduled a news conference to "slam" what they call the president's "failed coronavirus response," the group announced in a press release. For state Republican leaders, the visit offers an opportunity to showcase Trump before the GOP base as the November election approaches.




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First COVID-19 Vaccine Tested in US Shows Promising Results

The first vaccine against COVID-19 tested in the United States is moving into its final phase with promising results, according to results published Tuesday in the New England Journal of Medicine . Moderna Inc. in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health started working together and within six weeks had a vaccine called mRNA-1273, said Dr. Nadine Rouphael, one of the authors on the study. "To be able to publish preliminary results three months later is really unprecedented," Rouphael said. "It had shown that the vaccine was well tolerated. It has also shown that the vaccine is able to induce a good immune response."




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By fire, water, earth, air in "Coping in a red state" on Ask MeFi

Let me tell you a story about a woman I know who votes conservative. She isn't the type of person I would self-select to be a friend, or even a friendly acquaintance — perhaps to my detriment! — because she's well-to-do, right-leaning, and very Christian. But I see her every week and have talked to her quite a bit because she's one of my medical providers.

Because I'm disabled, she charges me half of what she'd normally charge; every time I thank her, she says it's no big deal, and that, "Disabled people deserve every break they can get!" This saves me something like $3,000 dollars a year: that's an extra $3,000 a year she could be making, and actually now can't be making, because she's using her hours to treat me instead of other patients. She does a lot of volunteering. Donates a lot of money. She talks about how she's disappointed that certain social services, like disabled transit, fail disabled people, and has a fairly robust understanding of how that plays out because she listens carefully to her disabled patients. In her church, she's taken a stand for welcoming gay members of the community into the congregation, and into leadership positions, and was heartbroken and felt powerless and bewildered when the higher-up leadership blocked several of these things.

Whenever I've talked about the difficulties my trans friends are facing, she is genuinely sympathetic to the individual friend, interested in their life, and sad about their suffering, but sometimes expresses the concern-trolling talking points of the right-wing media — I read this as her being very responsive and caring to any unique individual she knows, but not recognizing the perils of the wider systemic discrimination going on.

Last time there was an election, I was talking about how conservative funding cuts impact the disabled community, and she expressed a lot of opinions along the lines of, "Of course I think everyone who needs disability income should have it! But don't you realize that the left-wing government will get us further into debt, whereas the conservatives will improve the economy so that we have more government funds to give social programs?" This coming from a person whose personality is very caring, motherly, and friendly, not at all a combative or hostile "debater:" normal people genuinely believe these things because the right-wing media repeats them over and over again.

I think that you really are right when you say, I truly believe they are good, kind, thoughtful people. Most of them probably are. But they are being lied to and duped by right-wing politicians, and not realizing the extent to which they're being lied to, because they believe we still live in a reasonable society in which no one would actually lie that much ... so some of the things they're saying must be true, right?

They don't realize the extent to which BIPOC, queer, disabled, immigrant, etc. minority groups are in very real danger, and think it must be exaggerated, because they don't really know that many, or the few that they know appear to be doing just fine. And so they vote with their worry and their fear, and their vote does not truly carry through their intentions about the kind of world they wish to live in.

This is not, of course, all people. Some people really are deep into right-wing ideology and have entire groups that they do not see as real people. But I find that most of the people I meet are like her: I could have several conversations with them not knowing they are right-wing, and get along with them just fine, because their day-to-day values of how to treat other human beings really are quite similar to mine. But because of their political/cultural education, their sociological and media literacy, and the demographics of people that make up their workplace, friends, and family, they are being fed a different set of facts, a different "reality."

This all makes me incredibly sad but also gives me bit of hope, and I hope it will bring some peace to you.

I live in Canada, so it's not the same, but I do live in one of the most right-leaning provinces. I really feel what you're going through. I am also surrounded by people I care about — who appear to care about me — who vote in one awful conservative government after another. Stay strong: sending love and sympathy.




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By MiraK in "Coping in a red state" on Ask MeFi

My situation is not exactly the same as yours but it is a story of how to get along with friends and family who are on the total opposite side of the aisle, so perhaps you can find something to help you in my strategies.

My parents are extremely right wing - in India. It is mortifying and horrifying enough that they are this way but to make things worse my mother is also deep into conspiracy theories on a similar scale and off-the-charts-insane like QAnon in the US. At the same time I am also still engaged in a decade-long effort to build a decent relationship with my parents. So even though this is a self-imposed form of hell, the fact remains I am trying to actively love (as in verb-love) these people whose political opinions horrify me and who ruined their relationship with me in the past by throwing me out of their home as a teenager, abusing me as a child, etc.

Step 0 in accomplishing this task is to actually be clear, honest, and fully committed with yourself that you do want to keep and build these relationships.

For many years I was on the fence about it and I made no effort at all to build a relationship with my parents. That was fine! If you are here, you are not doing anything wrong! And neither will you be doing anything wrong if you do choose to walk away properly from people who trigger you too much. Many years after not working and fence-sitting, I intellectually realized I wanted to fix things but emotionally I remained uncommitted, angry, resentful, and blisteringly mad about how unfair it was that *I* was the one doing this fixing and building. This was also a valid stage to go through, and I suspect you're somewhere around here, feeling angry and hurt and torn within yourself that these are your fucking choices: to learn how to get along with assholes or else to lose all your family and friends. The unfairness REALLY RANKLES. This is extremely valid and extremely real, and there is no way out of this stage but through it. But sadly, no forward movement will happen FOR YOU EMOTIONALLY in this phase, as far as making your peace with your situation goes. (Also no forward movement will happen in fixing the relationship but that is not necessarily a bad thing, if you're in this stage.)

Accomplishing Step 0 - becoming fully and truly committed to building and maintaining these relationships - is a hue, huge task in itself. I would strongly encourage you to work with a psychodynamic therapist or some other modality that pays attention to childhood issues, in order to get to Step 0. You will know you have reached Step 0 when you can "radically accept" that your friends and family voted against your life, your rights, and your wellbeing. That is who they are, this is what you are dealing with, and you no longer have any wish to wrestle with this reality (try to convince them, try to lead by example, try to explain yourself, try to talk to them, try to get them to acknowledge your pain or at least be forced to see it, etc) because you. just. fully. accept their political position is their political position - you accept their total separateness from you and you accept their right to be separate from you - and even though you may be angry, even though you may be hurt, even though you still hate their politics, you want to just get on with building the relationship. If you're there, then you can move on to

Stratagem 1: find things you enjoy about this person, and trying to do things you mutually enjoy with them. Even the smallest movement towards identifying and then amplifying the good (by having small good interactions) will help. Repeated good interactions are what finally defeated my insecurity about "giving my parents an inch" - it felt so threatening to me to have anything nice with these people against whom I was nursing so much anger, and I TREASURED my anger, I didn't want to lose it! Having repeated nice experiences made me feel like, okay, I still haven't lost my right to anger or my anger even though I am having fun with them. Both my anger and my love can coexist. This has been a HUGE relief.

Stratagem 2: stop talking politics with them entirely. These are not your politics buddies. FIND OTHER POLITICS BUDDIES YOU CAN RELIABLY GET SUPPORT FROM for the political side of you. This type of compartmentalization is a healthy practice because nobody can be everything to us. Nobody in our personal life can check all the boxes and be everything we need from the world. People's failings are sometimes located near the very things we consider "basic shit". They are human, and this is okay, and we can find others to fill this basic need for us.

Stratagem 3: This may seem like the opposite of Stratagem 2 but it is not - don't stay silent when your friends and family say horrible political things to you or around you. You don't bring up politics but you don't stay quiet when unacceptable things are spoken in your vicinity. You MUST say something, you MUST speak your mind. Make it short but make it honest. Otherwise you build up an incredible amount of resentment and anger that will poison the relationship and run counter to your Step 0 goals.

Stratagem 4: After you say it, move on without belaboring your point or trying to get them to agree with you. Say it, and then completely let it go. Saying it is the point. The goal is NOT to change them, move them, make them think like you, make them acknowledge you, make them apologize, etc. The goal is unburdening yourself by speaking your truth, protecting the relationship by not allowing thoughts to fester in secret. If what they have said is horrible, say, "Wow, that's pretty horrible," and then move on immediately - warmly, affectionately, taking the sting out of it with your manner, without holding a grudge. You get your satisfaction by speaking up, not by making them bend. This strikes a great balance between being authentic and yet sidestepping useless conflict.

Stratagem 5: If they want to argue with you, you have to learn how to bow out smoothly without engaging in that. Say things like, "Oh, dad, that's fine, we can let it go. Tell me about Auntie's health..." Again it is important to remain non-retaliatory, don't punish them for wanting to hash this out by being angry. Be calm and warm and affectionate, but do not be moved into engaging in the political discussion. Walk out and take a short break if you need to. But come back on your own as soon as possible, and be loving. These are your people. You have boundaries with them, not walls.




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Political Rewind Special Edition: Top Political Stories of 2019

On this Special Edition of Political Rewind, it’s a look at the biggest political stories of 2019. A new governor put his unique stamp on Georgia, an unexpected resignation put the state front and center in the race for Senate, and two Georgia members of Congress announced their departures.




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Armed Neighborhood Groups Form In The Absence Of Police Protection

Cesia Baires knocks on the three apartment doors above her restaurant and a neighboring taqueria just before curfew. A woman opens the door. Her two young children are inside. "Remember," she says to them in Spanish. "Same thing as yesterday. I'm going to come check on you. If there's anything you guys need, give us a call right away." Meanwhile, a few men climb through the window and on to the roof to set up semi-automatic weapons as the curfew begins in Minneapolis. It's something Baires never thought she would have to do as a small-business owner, but then she found out these apartments were occupied. "Material things we can replace, that's true," she says. "But there are families up here. These aren't empty buildings." A car drives by boarded-up businesses as it crosses Lake Street in Minneapolis. Volunteers, sometimes armed, are working together to protect homes and businesses. Jim Urquhart for NPR As break-ins and fires raged in the first days of mass protests over the killing of




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Did George Floyd Die Or Was He Murdered? One Of Many Ethics Questions NPR Must Answer

Since a Minneapolis police officer killed George Floyd on Memorial Day, NPR has faced ethical challenges every hour of every day, including how to describe the killing, how to use the audio of Floyd's last words, how to document Floyd's life and how to describe the mass demonstrations. The best answer to every one of these questions is: embrace precision, be descriptive, use more words. The more this happens, the better the journalism. When news organizations, including NPR, sometimes fall short, it's usually because of an attempt to economize words. This week we received questions and complaints from a number of listeners about a variety of topics. I have summarized them across four general questions that I put to two senior editors and one host. Here's a breakdown of the most frequent questions and the answers I received: Why do hosts and reporters say, "George Floyd died in police custody?" It seems like an understatement. That phrase does feel incomplete, even weak, given that




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Rashad Turner Had Wanted To Be A Cop. He Founded A Black Lives Matter Chapter Instead

Growing up in St. Paul, Minn., Rashad Turner remembers playing cops and robbers. It was always a given which side he'd choose. "We'd ride our bikes," he says. "I'd always be the cop." He always knew. It was that way for years. He trained for it. He got a bachelor's in criminal justice. He enrolled in the police academy. All because he wanted to help. To him, the cops were the good guys. Turner is 35 now. When he was two years old, a man shot and killed his father in an alley during a dispute. No one should lose a parent that way, he thought. And policing was one way to protect a community. "I had this idea of the Officer Friendly that came to our school," he says. "Like, that was all cops." His friends didn't always get it, he says. Some of them quit him. In the African American neighborhoods he moved in, there had been too many bad run-ins with police. But back then, Turner was used to defending law enforcement. Not so much anymore. Five years ago, he founded a chapter of Black Lives




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As New Zealand Police Pledge To Stay Unarmed, Maori Activists Credit U.S. Protests

Although New Zealand is about as far — in miles, at least — as you can get from Minneapolis, protests have erupted there over the killing of George Floyd. The Indigenous Maori people in particular have pushed back against police use of force, which disproportionately affects them. At first glance, the context seems quite different. New Zealand police don't usually carry firearms. The reason goes back to the 19th century British aversion to creating a police force too much like a military. In general, if New Zealand police officers need to use a gun, there is one in a lockbox in their car that they can use with a supervisor's permission. But after a white nationalist gunned down 51 people in two mosques last March in Christchurch, New Zealand's police introduced a pilot program to send heavily armed police teams on patrol in three communities. One of these communities was around Christchurch. The other two were far away in counties near the city of Auckland. The police said it would




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'We're Not Racist': French Police Say They're Being Unfairly Criticized

French police say they are being stigmatized during protests in France against police violence in the wake of George Floyd's death. On Thursday, police gathered in front of precincts across the country and threw down their handcuffs in a symbolic gesture against what they say is unfair criticism. "The police in France have nothing to do with the police in the U.S., and we're not racist," said Fabien Vanhemelryck, the head of the main police union in France, as he joined dozens of police officers demonstrating Friday morning along the Champs-Élysées. Just days after Floyd was killed while in police custody in Minneapolis, more than 20,000 Parisians defied a ban on gatherings during the pandemic to demand the truth about the death of a black Frenchman named Adama Traoré while in police custody in 2016. The protesters said the French police, like their American counterparts, are endemically racist, a charge denied by many top officials in a country that likes to consider itself colorblind




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Twin Cities Area Police Forces Loaded Up On War Surplus Under President Trump

When protests erupted in Minnesota following the death of George Floyd — the black man who died after a white Minneapolis policeman kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes — many of the law enforcement agencies from the Twin Cities metropolitan area that responded were recent beneficiaries of free excess military materiel from a Pentagon program originally meant to support counter-narcotics and counter-terrorism operations. At least 10 police departments in the Minneapolis and St. Paul suburbs have obtained either all or nearly all of their Department of Defense military-grade equipment — ranging from $13.56 cartridge magazines to hulking personnel carriers with original price tags surpassing $700,000 — during the first three and a half years of the Trump administration. That haul was part of more than $1 billion worth of military equipment transferred to police and sheriff departments since 2016 under what is commonly known as the 1033 program, named for the section of a 1997




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Are Prosecutors Too Cozy With Police? Some DAs Say Campaign Contributions Need To End

The growing calls for systemic reform of American policing follow years of rising anger at the ongoing deaths of African Americans at the hands of law enforcement, including the recent killing of George Floyd. The calls for change run the gamut from severely restricting police use of deadly force, creating a national database of abusive officers and re-directing taxpayer money away from police toward social programs that improve education and tackle crises including homelessness, poverty and mental health care . But one key problem has gotten less attention: the conflict of interest, real and perceived, between prosecutors and police unions. When district attorneys run for the office they get political donations from a range of interests including powerful, well-funded police unions who represent the officers that district attorneys will be called to prosecute in the event of officer brutality, corruption or even murder. "We need to do everything that we can in this moment to avoid not




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NYPD Officer Accused Of Using Chokehold Charged With Strangulation

The New York police officer accused of using a chokehold in an incident captured on video Sunday has been charged with strangulation. The officer, 39-year-old David Afanador, was suspended the same day the cellphone video appeared to show him choking a Black man on a Queens boardwalk. Now he's been arrested and charged with felony strangulation and attempted strangulation. Afanador pleaded not guilty and was released Thursday afternoon without bail. Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz noted that New York state had criminalized chokeholds just days earlier. "The ink from the pen Gov. Cuomo used to sign this legislation was barely dry before this officer allegedly employed the very tactic the new law was designed to prohibit," Katz said in a statement. "Police officers are entrusted to serve and protect — and the conduct alleged here cannot be tolerated." Afanador could face up to seven years in prison if convicted. Sunday's incident began when police responded to complaints about




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Police Investigate Incident Where Officer Appeared To Use Knee To Restrain Suspect

Officials in Allentown, Pa., have released a roughly ten-minute surveillance video showing officers subduing and arresting a man in front of a local hospital on Monday evening. The man ends up face-down on the ground, and as two officers pin the man's arm behind his back, a third officer kneels on his neck. The release of the footage by Allentown police came days after activists tweeted a shorter, 26-second video , which has been viewed hundreds of thousand of times. Police say the man was taken into the hospital and, after treatment, was released. His name and medical details were not disclosed. Police also didn't release the names of the officers. Reaction to the video has sparked comparisons to what happened to George Floyd, the Black man who was killed by Minneapolis police on Memorial Day. Derek Chauvin, the white officer who was filmed kneeling on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes, has since been fired and faces a second-degree murder charge. Three other officers were also




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Amid Movement For Racial Justice, The Need For Rebellious Art — And Uncomfortable Conversations

Today, in celebration of Juneteenth, Power Haus Creative has organized what they’re calling the “ Juneteenth Takeover ” – in which 19 Atlanta artists will display their work on the exterior of the historic Flatiron building in downtown Atlanta. Carlton Mackey and Melissa Alexander are two of those artists.




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Pediatrician Makes Case For Reopening Schools This Fall

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit SCOTT SIMON, HOST: Pediatricians across the country have spoken out in favor of bringing students back to school this fall even as coronavirus infection rates increase in most states, including among younger people. Dr. Sara Bode is a pediatrician and a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on School Health. She joins us now from Columbus, Ohio. Thanks very much for being with us. SARA BODE: Thank you, Scott. SIMON: Infection rates are rising. Officials all over the country are raising alarms. Why do you believe it's important to reopen schools? BODE: So what we know is that for kids, school is not just an optional activity. It's really an essential service for them not only for their academics, but also for their social-emotional health, also for safety, nutrition, so many other things that they get through the school system. And so it's critical for us to find a way to support and get kids back. SIMON: We've heard concerns about




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Many Arizona Educators Urge Governor To Delay The Start Of School

Copyright 2020 KJZZ. To see more, visit KJZZ . STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: Hospitals in Arizona are reaching capacity. Coronavirus infections there continue to rise. And the governor, who once pushed ahead with reopening, has now delayed the start of school. Is that enough? From our member station KJZZ, Rocio Hernandez reports. ROCIO HERNANDEZ, BYLINE: Arizona students are some of the first in the nation to go back to school. Some districts opened their doors as early as end of July. But that won't be the case this year. In June, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey issued an executive order pushing back the reopening of brick-and-mortar schools. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) DOUG DUCEY: At this point in time, we are going to delay the first day of school till August 17. HERNANDEZ: That's too soon, says teacher Stacy Brosius at Deer Valley Unified School District in Phoenix. STACY BROSIUS: I don't want to be the teacher that gets COVID and have my third-graders have to attend my funeral. But I




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MeFi: Tides that take me away/To a distant shore/And I don't want to be saved

A Distant Shore has just been released in an expanded version by Cherry Red Records, along with demos for songs that would eventually be released on Everything but the Girl's debut album. Tracey Thorn's classic 1982 indie album has long been a favorite of artists from Björk to Massive Attack, and is constantly rediscovered. In 2013 Thorn spoke about the album to the Guardian [archive link] and also wrote about the circumstances of its writing in her memoir Bedsit Disco Queen, excerpted here.




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MeFi: Boss's greed has G-O-T-T-O-G-O

Strike-friendly games from the NYT tech guild "New York Times tech workers are still on strike after walking out one day before the presidential election. That means they're still asking people to skip their usual Crossword, Wordle, or Connections routines. But now, the union has released its own offerings for games lovers that could keep them from crossing the digital picket line." - Fast Company

In addition to games like Strikle and Strikeman, they're also sharing recipes like We've Got Beef With Management Stuffed Mushrooms and Solidarity Soup.




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Ask MeFi: Coping in a red state

I am devastated by the results of this election. I live in a red state, which I love, and I am surrounded by people I love who voted for Trump. I have given up trying to understand it. These people are my community. I truly believe they are good, kind, thoughtful people, and they voted for someone who is promising to do a lot of harm to other good, kind people. Any advice for coping? I can't cut them off, they are friends and family. Help.




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Ask MeFi: Antidepressants Contained in a Book?

Looking for stuff that will make me laugh mostly. Snarky and kind reqs appreciated.

Especially interested in general or historical fiction, but I'll take whatever.

The only criteria are that it's witty and has a generally kind tone. I definitely don't want to feel worse about the world after reading.

If you can include a brief description of why you liked it, that would be useful. Thanks in advance!




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Senators Call For Probe Into Claims Russia Interfered In U.S. Election

Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit RACHEL MARTIN, HOST: And we begin this hour with the latest on the CIA, Russia and President-elect Trump. To get you caught up this Monday morning, here is what unfolded over the weekend. Late on Friday, news broke that the CIA believes Russia interfered with the presidential election in order to tip it to Donald Trump. That has led a bipartisan group of senators to call for a sweeping investigation. Donald Trump is dismissing it, saying there is no hard evidence. (SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "FOX NEWS SUNDAY WITH CHRIS WALLACE") DONALD TRUMP: They have no idea if it's Russia or China or somebody. It could be somebody sitting in a bed someplace. MARTIN: And that was the president-elect speaking yesterday on Fox News. NPR's Mary Louise Kelly is here in the studio with us to talk more. Good morning, Mary Louise. MARY LOUISE KELLY, BYLINE: Good morning, Rachel. MARTIN: Let's start off by having you remind us exactly what it is the CIA is claiming. KELLY:




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US Contractor From Augusta Charged With Leaking Classified Report

A government contractor in Georgia has been charged in federal court with leaking a classified report containing top-secret information to a news organization. The Department of Justice announced Monday prosecutors charged 25-year-old Reality Leigh Winner of Augusta with mailing copies of classified documents to a reporter.




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Report: Russia Launched Cyberattack On Voting Vendor Ahead Of Election

Updated at 9 p.m. ET Russia's military intelligence agency launched an attack days before Election Day on a U.S. company that provides election services and systems, including voter registration, according to a top-secret report posted Monday by The Intercept . The news site published a report, with redactions, by the National Security Agency that described the Russian spear-phishing scheme, one it described as perpetrated by the same intelligence agency — the GRU — that the Obama administration imposed sanctions on for the 2016 cyber mischief. According to the NSA report, Russian hackers sent emails to people who worked at a company that provides state and local election offices with voter registration systems, trying to trick them into giving up their user credentials. The Intercept reports, "At least one of the employee accounts was likely compromised, the agency concluded." The NSA report says that the Russians then used information from that account to launch a separate phishing




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The Next Big Focus In The Russia Investigations: Social Media

For more than nine months, Twitter and Facebook have tried to dodge the intense public scrutiny involved with the investigation into Russian interference in last year's presidential election. Now they're in the spotlight. Congressional investigators are digging in on Russia's use of Facebook, Twitter and other social media companies to try to influence the 2016 campaign. And after a series of escalating complaints by the leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Facebook said Thursday it was handing over the content of more than 3,000 ads believed to be linked with Moscow's attack on the election. "We support Congress in deciding how to best use this information to inform the public, and we expect the government to publish its findings when their investigation is complete," said Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg . And there'll be much more: The chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee has said he wants to hold a public hearing next month on Moscow's efforts to manipulate social




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CIA Backs Off Director's Claim That Russian Meddling Didn't Swing Election

The CIA on Thursday was forced to walk back an assertion by Director Mike Pompeo, who incorrectly said U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Russian efforts to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election were unsuccessful. Asked at a security conference in Washington, D.C., on Thursday whether he could say with absolute certainty that the November vote was not skewed by Russia, Pompeo replied: "Yes. Intelligence community's assessment is that the Russian meddling that took place did not affect the outcome of the election." In a later clarification, the head of the CIA's office of public affairs, Dean Boyd, said: "The intelligence assessment with regard to Russian election meddling has not changed, and the Director did not intend to suggest that it had." U.S. intelligence concluded in a January assessment that "the senior-most officials" in Russia had authorized hacks into the Democratic National Committee and officials connected with the Clinton campaign. And then




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Georgia Election Server Wiped After Suit Filed

A computer server crucial to a lawsuit against Georgia election officials was quietly wiped clean by its custodians just after the suit was filed, The Associated Press has learned.




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2016 RNC Delegate: Trump Directed Change To Party Platform On Ukraine Support

Updated at 3:36 p.m. E.D.T. on December 4. President Trump may have been involved with a change to the Republican Party campaign platform last year that watered down support for U.S. assistance to Ukraine, according to new information from someone who was involved. Diana Denman, a Republican delegate who supported arming U.S. allies in Ukraine, has told people that Trump aide J.D. Gordon said at the Republican Convention in 2016 that Trump directed him to support weakening that position in the official platform. Ultimately, the softer position was adopted. Denman is scheduled to meet this week with the House and Senate Intelligence committees to discuss what she saw, said two sources familiar with the briefings. Investigators in Congress and elsewhere want to ask the San Antonio-area woman about how her proposal supporting Ukraine changed in the course of last year's convention. People familiar with the story described it to NPR. Robert N. Driscoll, a Washington-based lawyer for Denman




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Song Reviewed by Veteran Song Writer and Producer Brian Keith

I'm eager and willing to share my nearly 20 years of industry experience to help other Artist,Producers, and Writers Grow. I will offer truthful feedback and advice on how you might make your project better. I will listen to everything you send me and respond immediately. If your material is what I'm looking for I'll be swift to put my experience to work for you.

Brian Keith is a Artist/Writer/Producer/Musician with 17 years of Industry Experience. He's worked with some of the biggest names in the business as both a producer and music director. He is the C.E.O of 2039 music Group based in Cincinnati, OH.




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SAMBA Needed URGENTLY

Pop-Up Music is seeking SAMBA - big loud street samba. Bring on the pandeiro, ago-go, cuica, apito, surdo and the party!

This opportunity is for an exclusive contract with a term - all submissions must be 100% owned by the writer/writers.

Let the party begin! We look forward to your submissions.

Thanks,
The Pop-Up Music Team




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Pop-Up Music Needs Pop Music

Pop-Up Music needs 'Pop' Music to add to their roster.

We are after all genres of Pop music past and present from 1960's(USA Bubble-gum-Pop would be so cool), 1970's{some original Disco or Glam Rock would be amazing), 1980's(bring on some New Romantic) up-to present Pop - Indie Pop, Electro Pop, Indie Folk, Electro Swing, Dubstep.

This opportunity is for an exclusive contract with a term - all submissions must be 100% owned by the writer/writers.

We look forward to your Pop submissions




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Brazilian Music Needed for TV, Film, & Ads

Pop-Up Music is in need of authentic Brazilian music. All styles - Samba/Bossa nova/Afoxe/Maracatu/Brazilian Metal/Brazilian Rock.

Please submit your best material for consideration and a member of the Pop-Up Music team will listen and respond.

This opportunity is for an exclusive contract with a term - all submissions must be 100% owned by the writer/writers.

Many many thanks,
The Pop-Up Music Team




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Instrumentals needed urgently for TV, Film & Ads

Seeking instrumentals for all genres. We're not looking for wallpaper or bland outtakes, but top quality music that will cut it in commercials. Please note, YOU MUST control master and publishing to submit.

This opportunity is for an exclusive contract with a term - all submissions must be 100% owned by the writer/writers.

- Pop-Up Music Uk Limited




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Robomagic is seeking incredibly compelling acts with amazing music people have GOT to hear

Robomagic is seeking charismatic, amazing new acts (solo or groups) with infectious music people want to hear. Acts should have an eye toward working hard to make it in the music business and come to the table ready to get involved with experienced teams that know how to make it happen.

Acts can be based anywhere but relocation to London may be necessary, depending upon a range of variables and circumstances. But if you've got the goods, we'd got the team, the know-how, and the resources to help make it happen.

We look forward to hearing your best material.

- Rob Hallett - Founder / President - Robomagic




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Seeking EDM Artist/DJ with a Completed Single

Bobby Springsteen is seeking an EDM Artist/DJ that already has a completed single. Please submit your best track(s) for consideration and state if you are a writer or producer.

Dreamwire is a multi-media company focusing on management, artist development, production, and publishing.

Compensation: Co-publishing and/or Record deal with Dreamwire Ent. - $1,000+

- Bobby Springsteen / Dreamwire Entertainment




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We are looking for HOUSE & EDM Producers, Remixers for label deals

We're looking for new dance music artists to sign on Meska Music record label. If you produce house music - progressive, techno, deep house, you are welcome to submit your production for this opportunity!

Meska Music is record label with the goal of spreading the vibration of electronic dance music. After a good start in 2013, the company now is looking for new artists, producers and singers. Genres: House, Deep House, Tech House, Indie Dance / Nu Disco, Electronica, Progressive.

- Kathy Tom - A&R - Meska Music

Deal Type: Collaboration/Song Placement
Decision Maker: I'm the final decision maker
Deal Structure: Exclusive
Compensation: Negotiable
Song Quality: Rough Mixes, Fully mastered, Broadcast ready
Similar Sounding Artists: Mark Knight, David Guetta, Deadmau5




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The Most Awesomely Eighties 1980s Music Needed

Pop-Up Music is seeking songs/instrumentals recorded in the 80's or with a retro 80's vibe. All genres welcome - New Wave, New Romantic, instrumental Hip Hop, Pop, Rock, Power Ballads, TV Themes, Synth pop and so on.

This opportunity is for an exclusive contract with a term - all submissions must be 100% owned by the writer/writers. No samples please.

Thanks the Pop-Up Music Team!




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Songs required for Recording Artists

We are searching again this year for hit songs for a host of signed artists with projects in production this year. Well crafted songs with clever edgy lyrics and memorable melodies. Songs that have a current commercial sound and feel that you would hear in the top 40 charts. Songs that have that x-factor thing about them that blow you away the first time that you hear them.

Afrikan Cowboy Publishing works closely with major publishers and records labels in many territories of the world who are constantly looking for hit material to work with. We are in a great position to be able to submit songs to the decision makers.

We are looking for Pop, RnB, Dance,Rock and Country/Pop all tempos are required, male and female songs.

Looking forward to hearing your great songs for this opportunity.

- Dean Hart / Afrikan Cowboy Publishing

Deal Type: Song Placement / Publishing Deal
Decision Maker: Selected tracks will be pitched for final decision
Deal Structure: Non-Exclusive
Compensation: $1,000+ TBD Based on Placement
Song Quality: Rough Mixes, Fully mastered, Broadcast ready
Similar Sounding Artists: Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Rihanna, Drake, Bruno Mars, etc.




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Female Indie Rock/Pop Songs Wanted

We are seeking indie rock/pop female vocal songs. A good reference would be in the style of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Big powerful vocals with 'that something really special' quality.

The songs must be 100% owned by the writer/writers.

Pop-Up Music is a PRS registered music library and publisher located in London. We pride ourselves in providing undiscovered music and bespoke music for advertising, film, TV, gaming and corporate.

Thanks, Pop-Up Music.

Deal Type: Catalog Inclusion
Decision Maker: I'm the final decision maker
Deal Structure: Non-Exclusive
Compensation: Negotiable
Song Quality: Rough Mixes, Fully mastered, Broadcast ready
Similar Sounding Artists: Yeah Yeah Yeahs




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Dancehall tracks Needed

Dancehall tracks needed urgently. We are looking for male vocal tracks that have a genuine vibe. Instrumental tracks also welcome.

All submissions must be 100% owned. all submissions must be 100% owned by the writer/writers. No samples please. Thanks the Pop-Up Music Team!

Pop-Up Music is a PRS registered music library and publisher located in London. We pride ourselves in providing undiscovered music and bespoke music for advertising, film, TV, gaming and corporate.

- Mark Garfield / Pop-Up Music Uk Limited

Deal Type: Catalog Inclusion
Decision Maker: I'm the final decision maker
Deal Structure: Non-Exclusive
Compensation: Negotiable
Song Quality: Fully mastered, Broadcast ready




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Seeking Producers With High Quality, Energetic, Trap, Pop, & R&B Instrumentals To Be Considered For Placement!

Our Clients are independent and multi platinum artist(s) Seeking high quality, energetic trap, pop, & R&B style beats for production placement on upcoming releases. We are looking for industry quality production to shop throughout our network, as well as to consider signing new talent for production management opportunity. We will provide you with feedback & rate your submissions!

: Please submit your best work. Songs will go through the review process and if selected you will receive negotiated compensation. We look forward to hearing what you have to offer. 
- The Administration

Deal Type: Producer / Production Management Decision Maker: We are the final decision makers Deal Structure: Negotiable Compensation: Negotiable Song Quality: Rough Mixes, Fully Mastered, Broadcast Ready Similar Sounding Artist: Future, Migos, The Weeknd, Drake, Ty Dolla Sign, 2Chainz, Gucci Mane, Tory Lanez, Chris Brown, Cardi B, Lil Baby




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Dream Pop needed for Ads, Movies, & TV

We are seeking epic Dream Pop songs and instrumentals. Think big/airy/dreamy songs that also have a driving pulse and a commercial appeal - for pitching to Ads, Movies, and Film & TV.

We need fully completed and mixed songs, no demos please.
All songs must be written and owned 100% by the submitter.

Pop-Up Music is a PRS registered music library and publisher located in London. We pride ourselves in providing undiscovered music and bespoke music for advertising, film, TV, gaming and corporate.

Many thanks,
Pop-Up Music Team

Deal Type: Catalog Inclusion
Decision Maker: I'm the final decision maker
Deal Structure: Non-Exclusive
Compensation: Negotiable based on final placement
Song Quality: Fully mastered, Broadcast ready




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Positive tracks needed All rights £100-£10,000 per use

Seeking positive music for use in online video & advertising campaigns!

Music must be good vibes, positive and upbeat. All genres considered ie, Dance, Rock, Jazz, Electronica, Pop, R&B, Hip Hop, Classical, Orchestral, Ambient... etc.

Music must be high-quality, mixed and mastered. Instrumental tracks preferred, but great vocal tracks accepted too and if you can supply instrumentals even better!

All music will be listened to, reviewed and feedback given. Artists must own all rights to their music and there must be no copyright infringement.

Selected tracks will be licensed on a non-exclusive basis (so you maintain all rights to your music), simply go 50-50 on deals we get for you and you keep 100% of all publishing rights.

Clients are professional video production companies and advertising agencies that make high-quality online video content. Including JD Sports, The North Face, Asics, Addidas, Pringles, to name a few!

Artist's receive between £50-£1,000 per track depending on use, and there’s no limit the number of times a track can be licensed. So, if you have any positive music really love to hear from you!

Any questions please feel free to ask and look forward to working with you :)

All the best,
Giles

- Giles Gale - Music supervisor, sync & Licensing Manager - Resonant Music Licensing




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Beats needed for TV & Online Advertising Campaigns in South Korea ($500-$14,000 per use)

Currently seeking “beats” for use in TV & Online advertising campaigns in South Korea!
,br> When I say “beats”, I mean any tracks that are driven by a breakbeat, as one, if not the most dominant part of the track. Ie, Drum & Bass, Hip-Hop, Dubstep, Electronica, Edm, Trap, Grime, Experimental etc.

All tracks must be upbeat and have a “Phat Beat”, “Killer Beat”, “Sick Beats”, “Dope Beat” or whatever your preferred description would be.

Music must be well produced, high-quality, mixed and mastered. Instrumental tracks preferred please, but great vocal tracks can be accepted too (if you can supply instrumental versions even better) and all tempos considered.

Artists must own all rights to their music 100% on both sides and there must be no copyright infringement. All music will be listened to, reviewed and feedback given.

The average cost of TV advertising commercial in Korea is $800 to $1,500 per track, and for worldwide rights up to $14,000.

The average cost of Online & YouTube advertising in Korea is $500-$2500 (geo restricted for single country of Korea), and worldwide use for $3000-$5000.

Selected tracks be sent to clients in South Korea and music licensed on a non-exclusive basis (so you maintain all rights to your music), we simply go 50-50 on deals we get and you're paid quarterly.

The South Korean market is built on a unique structure, which is not the same as any foreign market structure around the world. Because of this Korea has a higher advertising music fee than most other countries. This may be due to systemic limitations that the performing royalties cannot be collected, but also because there is no subsequent secondary payment after the initial payment of music fees. The total amount paid in Korea is 100% mechanical payout.

Clients who will be using music in South Korea; Korea's major advertising agencies including the CHEIL and INOCEAN and brands such as; Samsung, LG, Hyundai and SK to name a few.

If you make “beats’ I really look forward to hearing from you !

All the best,


- Giles Gale - Music supervisor, sync & Licensing Manager - Resonant Music Licensing




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How to avoid disordered eating during perimenopause

I'm struggling to go through perimenopausal changes with grace, but also struggling with some disordered eating habits as I try to find a balance between accepting what nature wants to do to my body and trying to maintain a healthy weight. I'm not overly restrictive during the day. I eat when hungry. I don't crave junk early in the day. But at night once everyone is in bed I crave junk and binge. I'm not sure if I am using that word correctly in a clinical sense. I am doing HRT and my meds seem to work ok to balance me out.

I'm pretty sure this is mostly mental, like I'm trying to make healthy choices but I have a shadow self that doesn't like the rules and I keep her at bay til the end of the night. Idk. I had this problem when I tried keto a few years back. Many years ago I decided to do a raw food diet temporarily and maintained it perfectly. I didn't feel restricted or rebel against myself. But then after having children and breastfeeding my relationship to carbs changed maybe. So I tried keto and I feel AMAZING in ketosis but I end up eating tons of garbage because the mental aspect of restriction just doesn't work well for me.

So even though I am not intentionally "restricting" early in the day I am prioritizing healthier foods and I guess in some way it's effectively the same thing.

I also have PDA autism which is probably relevant as I wonder if the food choices are a "demand" and how to navigate that. I also suspect part of the current issue is due to having to take a break from my Vyvanse until I get checked by the cardiologist - since Vyvanse is also prescribed for binge eating disorder it isn't surprising if I'm struggling more with this while I can't take it. (As an aside, if you've done research into the safety of stimulants for cardiac patients, specifically those with late discovered congenital issues like a hole in the heart, please share citations for clinical studies about this as I want to advocate for the doctor to let me stay on my meds.)

I don't want to just get fat. But I also don't want to have so much mental energy taken up by this inner battle. What do?




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ADHD dad needs to get a job

Brainstorming session for my brother please! Stay-at-home dad for most of the last 15 years has launched the teen and now hopes to find something rewarding that he can do when ADHD translates to everything taking him 5x longer (but is near perfection once it's done). Four-year business degree. Veteran. Some success a long time ago in sales, but never loved the work. Enjoyed a couple of years in tech recruiting because more than anything it seemed he found great satisfaction in helping his clients find just the right match. Otherwise, youth soccer coaching led to becoming a ref at the collegiate level. Got a Salesforce Admin cert but never used it. Learned a ton as the parent of an elite athlete about the realm of sports marketing and sponsorships and contracts and really gets into it.

Has a good head for businessy things and building relationships. He likes helping people, using his brain and problem solving. Very kind and personable guy, logical head, communicates well, a smart and sensitive dude. I think he'd be great in business strategy, maybe athletics administration. But he has so little recent work experience and is pushing 60.

The ADHD means that composing the perfect 20-min business communication can take two hours. Obv this does not translate well to successful work and can make it stressful. I think he takes meds and experiences limited benefit. His happy place is spending hours reading the paper and going down rabbitholes of news analysis.

Given his age and the ADHD time suck problem, what might be out there for him? Even part time? He's healthy, he can travel, he's near a major metro area.

I deleted a whole paragraph of TMI for context, and have shortened that to: His partner makes good money, so this is more about him finding rewarding productive work that he can do to augment the household income.




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Safe way to make transcribed audio notes while I'm driving

I often have thoughts or ideas when I'm in the car, but I have no easy way to capture them. I have an iPhone, but I don't want to fiddle with it while I'm driving. I'm seeking an app (or possibly a standalone device) that I can safely use while driving. Is there some app that is voice-activated (i.e., without unlocking the phone) and will transcribe short memos? Ideally, I'd like those transcripts to be available in some cloud site, so I can access them via a web browser on my office computer or home computer.

I'd even consider buying a standalone recorder that I can activate just by pushing a button. I looked on Amazon, but I didn't really see anything that can make transcripts and upload them to a cloud site. Just the audio files might work, but it would be much better for me to have transcripts that I can easily access from a computer.