Category: World News

'No One Wants to Hear From the Birther-in-Chief,' Don Lemon Erupts About Trump and the George Floyd Killing

After U.S. Attorney Erica MacDonald held a press conference on the killing of George Floyd by police, CNN’s Don Lemon blasted President Trump and MacDonald for speaking about the president’s involvement in the case.

During the Thursday press conference, MacDonald said the investigation into George Floyd’s death is ongoing and did not announce any charges against the four Minneapolis police officers involved. But according to Mediaite, the attorney general did say: “President Trump, as well as Attorney General William Barr, are directly and actively monitoring the investigation in this case.”

But Lemon was having none of it and blasted MacDonald for naming the president during the press conference and quickly rattled off some of Trump’s previous racist statements and opinions about former president Barack Obama, the Central Park Five and the white supremacist protest in Charlottesville.

“No one wants to hear from the man who wanted the death penalty to come back for the Central Park Five,” Lemon said. “No one wants to hear from the man who says that the former president was not born in this country. No one wants to hear from the man who said there are ‘very fine people on both sides.’ Do you understand what I am saying?”

Lemon continued, “No one wants to hear from the person that they perceive as contributing to situations like this in this society. Not directly, but allowing people like that to think they can get away from this. No one wants to hear from the Birther-in-Chief, from the ‘sons of bitches’- calling person, who says that athletes are kneeling for this very reason.”

Protesters have marched in Minneapolis following Floyd’s death for three straight nights as residents call for legal action against the officers involved. Before his death, Floyd was arrested, cuffed and pinned by a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, because a grocery clerk suspected him of writing a bad check. While restraining Floyd, Chauvin knelt on his neck for several minutes —despite the man’s pleas of “I can’t breathe” — while Floyd lost consciousness and bystanders begged the officer to move his knee. Floyd was pronounced dead at an area hospital shortly later.

“He’d be alive today if he were white,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said of Floyd. “I’m not a prosecutor, but let me be clear, the arresting officer killed someone.”

President Trump announced on Wednesday that he asked the FBI and Department of Justice to step in and investigate, but given the president’s prior comments calling white supremacists “very fine people,” it’s no wonder Lemon does not believe the president’s concern is legitimate.

Popular on Rolling Stone

Source: Read Full Article

Scammers flog £339 'anti-5G bioshield' – but it's just a memory stick with a sticker on it

A DEVICE costing over £300 that promises to protect buyers from the supposed dangers of 5G is simply a memory sticker with a sticker on it.

The anti-5G "bioshield" purports to project a wearable holographic layer around a user that blocks 5G radiation.

The scammers behind it are cashing in on recent conspiracy theories that have spread the dangerous idea that 5G spreads coronavirus.

Of course, the rumour is total nonsense and has been widely debunked by scientists, including experts at the World Health Organisation.

That hasn't stopped makers of the 5GBioShield from trying to cash in on the conspiracy theory by claiming to block the "electric fog" of 5G.

They claim their gadget "provides protection for your home and family, thanks to the wearable holographic nano-layer catalyser.

"It can be worn or placed near to a smartphone or any other electrical, radiation or EMF [electromagnetic field] emitting device.

"Through a process of quantum oscillation, the 5GBioShield USB key balances and re-harmonises the disturbing frequencies arising from the electric fog induced by devices, such as laptops, cordless phones, wi-fi, tablets, et cetera," they add.

To test the bogus device out, Pen Test Partners, a company which specialises in taking apart consumer gadgets to see what's inside, took a look.

They found that the 5GBioShield is simply a £5 USB memory stick with just 128MB of storage.


What is 5G?

Here's what you need to know…

  • The term 5G stands for 5th-generation, and is simply the next "version" of mobile phone networks.
  • The world's network operators have settled on a new method of delivering mobile internet to your phone, making it possible to offer far higher download speeds.
  • Early figures suggest you'll be able to download 4K movies in a matter of seconds, and buffering video will be a thing of the past.
  • But 5G also promises low "latency" – the physical delay in transmitting data – which is a major boon for gamers, who desperately need their online actions to be sent and received as quickly as possible.
  • EE is first across the line in the UK, with 5G live in London, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Belfast, Birmingham or Manchester.
  • The good news is that EE plans to roll out 5G in a further 10 cities by the end of 2019: Glasgow, Newcastle, Liverpool, Leeds, Hull, Sheffield, Nottingham, Leicester, Coventry and Bristol.
  • Vodafone has also switched on 5G in seven cities: Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Manchester, Liverpool, and London.

To add a bit of flare, the 5GBioShield's creators appear to have stuck a shiny sticker on it.

"Now, we're not 5G quantum experts but said sticker looks remarkably like one available in sheets from stationery suppliers for less than a penny each," Pen Test Partners' Ken Munro said.

Ken and his colleague Phil Eveleigh dismantled the device and found an LED light on the circuit board – the same found inside any memory stick.

London Trading Standards has since told the BBC it has launched a probe into the scam.

Experts recently declared that 5G radiation is safe are safe to use and won't damage your health.

Radiation watchdog ICNIRP revealed its findings after studying seven years of scientific evidence.

And in a new ruling for March 2020, it decreed that radiation from 5G phones cannot cause harm under current guidelines.

Tougher radiation limits are now being enforced for 5G handsets to help reassure customers worried by online conspiracy theories.

In other news, sextortion scams that blackmail you using stolen webcam pics are on the rise, according to a recent report.

Another popular extortion hoax involves tricking a victim into thinking a bomb has been planted in their building.

You can read our full guide on sextortion, including how to stay safe online, here.

Have you ever been caught up in a nasty scam? Let us know in the comments!

Source: Read Full Article

U.S. Ends Iran Sanction Waivers Allowing Work on Nuclear Sites

The U.S. has ended waivers that allowed Russian, Chinese and European companies to work at sensitive Iranian nuclear sites as the Trump administration keeps up its “maximum pressure” campaign against the regime in Tehran.

The administration ended the waivers covering all remaining nuclear projects under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the international agreement that President Donald Trump quit in 2018, Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said in a statement on Wednesday.

The waivers will end after 60 days to let companies and entities involved in the work on Iran’s civil nuclear program cease their operations, he said.

The Trump administration had extended the sanctions waivers in January. That move came after a disagreement between Pompeo, who had advocated ending the waivers, and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who wanted them extended. It also avoided a confrontation with European nations, who argued that the nonproliferation work allows them and the U.S. to keep an eye on Iran’s nuclear program.

“The Iranian regime has continued its nuclear brinkmanship by expanding proliferation sensitive activities.” Pompeo said in the statement. “These escalatory actions are unacceptable and I cannot justify renewing the waiver for these JCPOA-related activities as a result. The regime’s nuclear extortion will lead to increased pressure on Iran and further isolate the regime from the international community.”

Yet the U.S. is providing a 90-day extension for a separate waiver covering international support to Iran’s Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1 to ensure safety of operations, Pompeo said. “We will continue to closely monitor all developments in Iran’s nuclear program and can modify this waiver at any time,” he said.

Source: Read Full Article

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon capsule – a complete guide to Elon Musk's spaceship

ROCKET-MAKER SpaceX will send man into orbit today for the first time in its history.

The California firm, bankrolled by tech billionaire Elon Musk, is working with Nasa to fire two astronauts to the International Space Station.

Musk and SpaceX have launched plenty of spacecraft before. The company's primary goal is to make space travel cheaper.

Today's launch involves a Falcon 9 rocket, which to date the firm has flown 85 times in various forms – though never with people on board.

Atop the rocket will sit a Crew Dragon capsule, where the mission's two-person crew of Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley will sit.

Here's how the Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon capsule work, and what to expect from the May 27 event.

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket explained

The Falcon 9 was first flown in June 2010 and stands roughly 70 metres tall.

Its main gimmick is a reusable "booster" – the bottom section of the rocket filled with fuel – which separates and lands back on Earth following liftoff.

The Falcon 9 is powered by nine of SpaceX's Merlin engines which can accelerate the craft to 17,000 miles per hour.

It has largely been used to carry cargo such as satellites into orbit, or to lift supplies to the International Space Station.

However, on May 27 the craft will carry humans to space for the first time.

According to SpaceX, each Falcon 9 flight costs an average of $57million (£47million).

That works out to less than $2,500 (£2,000) per pound to orbit. Companies and governments pay a lot more per pound to book a spot on a launch.

Falcon 9 is a two-stage rocket, with the first stage carrying it to the edge of space, roughly 60 miles above Earths surface.

The first stage is then jettisoned from the vehicle and autonomously flies back to Earth, landing on a launchpad in Florida.

Following separation, the second stage ignites its own single engine to take the payload into orbit.

Once in orbit, the payload (in today's case, a Crew Dragon capsule) separates from the second stage and carries out its mission.

SpaceX Crew Dragon explained

Crew Dragon is a capsule designed to carry humans into space.

It's about six metres long and cone-shaped. The craft can carry up to four astronauts into orbit.

Crew Dragon features touchscreen controls and even a "space toilet" for astronauts to relieve themselves during spaceflights.

Once separated from its rocket, the capsule can perform manoeuvres to edge itself into its intended orbit.

What is the ISS?

Here's what you need to know about the International Space Station…

  • The International Space Station, often abbreviated to ISS, is a large space craft that orbits Earth and houses astronauts who go up there to complete scientific missions
  • Many countries worked together to build it and they work together to use it
  • It is made up of many pieces, which astronauts had to send up individually on rockets and put together from 1998 to 2000
  • Ever since the year 2000, people have lived on the ISS
  • Nasa uses the station to learn about living and working in space
  • It is approximately 250 miles above Earth and orbits around the planet just like a satellite
  • Living inside the ISS is said to be like living inside a big house with five bedrooms, two bathrooms, a gym, lots of science labs and a big bay window for viewing Earth

It can automatically dock with the International Space Station, allowing astronauts to board the orbiting lab.

Following its separation today, the capsule will take roughly 24 hours to reach the ISS.

SpaceX hopes to send paying tourists up in Crew Dragon capsules in future.

According to SpaceX: "In 2020, SpaceX will return America’s ability to fly NASA astronauts to space on American vehicles for the first time since 2011.

"In addition to carrying astronauts to space for NASA, SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft can also carry private passengers to Earth orbit, the ISS or beyond."

Nasa SpaceX launch today – what is it and why is it important?

Nasa currently sends astronauts into space by piggybacking on launches of Russian Soyuz rockets from an air base in Kazakhstan.

The US space agency last fired one of its own astronauts into space in 2011.

Nasa retired its astronaut-carrying space shuttles that year to make way for a new space exploration program aimed at sending man to asteroids and other deep-space targets.

However, multiple delays to its development schedule have left the space agency without a way to carry out manned space flights for years.

Nasa hopes to fill the gap with spacecraft launched by private companies such as SpaceX, owned by Musk, and Blue Origin, run by Amazon boss Jeff Bezos.

Nasa astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley will make their way to a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at the Kennedy Space Centre on May 27.

The ultimate aim of the mission is to dock a SpaceX craft containing the astronauts on the International Space Station.b

They will be ferried to the spacecraft on its launchpad in Florida inside a Tesla Model X electric car sporting the Nasa logo.

That's because billionaire SpaceX boss Elon Musk is also CEO of Tesla.

Hurley and Behnken will take a special elevator up 230ft to a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule atop the awaiting rocket.

When the countdown hits zero, the rocket will blast into space – carrying astronauts into orbit from US soil for the first time since 2011.

Once in orbit, the Crew Dragon capsule carrying Hurley and Behnken will separate from the rocket booster.

As is customary for SpaceX flights, the booster will turn around and return to Earth so it can be refurbished and used on a future mission.

"Crew Dragon will accelerate its two passengers to approximately 17,000 mph and put it on an intercept course with the International Space Station," Nasa said.

"Once in orbit, the crew and SpaceX mission control will verify the spacecraft is performing as intended by testing the environmental control system, the displays and control system and the maneuvering thrusters, among other things."

What is SpaceX?

Here's what you need to know…

SpaceX is a cash-flushed rocket company that wants to take man to Mars.

It was set up by eccentric billionaire Elon Musk in 2002 and is based in Hawthorne, California.

SpaceX's first aim was to build rockets that could autonomously land back on Earth and be re-used.

Musk hoped the technology would make flying and operating space flights far cheaper.

SpaceX currently uses its reusable rockets to fly cargo to the International Space Station for Nasa.

It also carries satellites and other space tech into orbit for various international governments and companies.

The company will take astronauts up to the ISS for the first time in 2020.

Other future missions involve carrying tourists and astronauts to the Moon.

Musk has repeatedly said he believes humanity must colonise Mars to save itself from extinction.

He plans to get a SpaceX rocket to the Red Planet sometime in the 2030s.

About 24 hours after launch, Crew Dragon will be in position to dock with the space station.

It can do this automatically but astronauts have the option to take control themselves if something goes wrong.

"After successfully docking, Behnken and Hurley will be welcomed aboard station and will become members of the Expedition 63 crew," Nasa continued.

"They will perform tests on Crew Dragon in addition to conducting research and other tasks with the space station crew."

The Crew Dragon capsule will remain docked on the ISS until it's needed to take astronauts back to Earth.

Nasa has not yet selected a date for the return flight.

In other news, a tropical storm grounded a key SpaceX launch twice last week.

Nasa recently unveiled the Tesla car that will be ferrying astronauts to tonight's historic launch.

And, incredible photos of eerie Martian landscapes have been released online by scientists.

Are you excited for the SpaceX launch? Let us know in the comments!

Source: Read Full Article

Pelosi Says Republican Effort To Block Pandemic Voting Rules A ‘Sad Stunt’

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rejected a lawsuit filed Tuesday by Republican leaders over plans to use a remote voting system as a “sad stunt” and accused her GOP colleagues of “dangerous obstruction” as the nation reels from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The House approved a slate of historic rule changes on party lines earlier this month that would allow lawmakers to vote by proxy without being present in the chamber for the duration of the crisis. Under the procedures, any lawmaker not in Washington can designate another member who is present to vote for them, a change Democrats argue is necessary to keep members safe while still able to do their jobs.

But Republicans argue those shifts go against the Constitution, which mandates lawmakers be “present” to cast a vote. More than 20 Republicans, including Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), sued Pelosi and other congressional officials earlier Tuesday over the move, calling it a “brazen violation of the Constitution” and a “dereliction of our duty.”

Pelosi rejected their arguments in a pointed statement, accusing the GOP of being focused on delaying “urgently needed action to meet the needs of American workers and families during the coronavirus crisis.”

“The House made its will clear two weeks ago when it voted to implement remote voting by proxy and other necessary measures to ensure that Congress can continue to protect lives and livelihoods,” the California Democrat said in a statement Tuesday night. “The House’s position that remote voting by proxy during a pandemic is fully consistent with the Constitution is supported by expert legal analyses.”

She continued: “As our nation approaches the heartbreaking milestone of 100,000 lives lost to COVID-19, House Republicans must stop their dangerous obstruction and join Democrats to save lives, defeat the virus and grow the economy.”

The notion of voting remotely or by proxy is controversial, even as Congress debates how to operate in the coming months amid the pandemic. More than 1.6 million people in the U.S. have been infected with the virus and the country is closing in on a major moment in the crisis: 100,000 deaths across the nation.

But The New York Times notes any suit is likely to be an uphill battle as the courts have generally allowed Congress to set its own rules.

Despite those concerns, McCarthy said Tuesday the move broke more than 230 years of chamber tradition and warned such rule changes could lead to other lasting effects. The Republican leader noted more than 60 Democrats have already written to the House Clerk to nominate a proxy this week.

“Those numbers can and will grow, while the number of members who cast votes in person shrinks,” McCarthy said in a statement earlier Tuesday. “Ultimately, as few as 20 members could control the vote of over 220 members under this rule for the foreseeable future.”

He continued: “The Speaker’s reckless and partisan decision to adopt proxy voting was done despite unified opposition from the minority and even members of her own party. This is a serious matter that will damage the integrity of the House’s actions now and in the future.”

  • Stay up to date with our live blog as we cover the COVID-19 pandemic
  • 7 essential pieces of relationship advice for couples in quarantine
  • What you need to know about face masks right now
  • How to tell if you need to start doing online therapy
  • Lost your job due to coronavirus? Here’s what you need to know.
  • Parenting during the coronavirus crisis?
  • The HuffPost guide to working from home
  • What coronavirus questions are on your mind right now? We want to help you find answers.
  • Everyone deserves accurate information about COVID-19. Support journalism without a paywall — and keep it free for everyone — by becoming a HuffPost member today.
     

Source: Read Full Article

New GTA 6 release date clue hints that game won't arrive until 2023 – years after PS5 and Xbox Series X launch

IT could be YEARS before gamers get to play Grand Theft Auto 6.

That's the latest theory from eagle-eyed fans who same game-maker Rockstar has teased the elusive GTA 6 release date.

GTA 5 came out way back in 2013, so gamers are desperate for a new entry to the series.

But Take Two and Rockstar are playing their cards close to their chest, keeping details of the yet-to-be-announced game a secret.

However, a recent SEC filing by Take Two may be proof that the game is coming out in 2023 or 2024, according to tech blog CNet.

Each year the firm spends between $10million and $40million on marketing.

But between April 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024, Take Two expects to spend a mammoth $89million.

That's a similar figure to 2018, when blockbuster game Red Dead Redemption 2 came out.

Importantly, 2023 will mark a decade since GTA 5 came out.

And we'll be three years in to the lifecycle of the next-gen consoles: the PS5 and Xbox Series X.

This is already the longest wait between and two GTA games.

For instance, there was a five-year gap between GTA 4 and GTA 5.

The other bad news is that we still don't know much about GTA 6, and we might not learn more until 2023.

In May this year, details about GTA 6 allegedly surfaced online.

A purported former employee of Rockstar leaked apparent info about the game, including the names of the main characters.

In it, the anonymous poster claimed the hotly-anticipated game's map will mirror the one in GTA San Andreas, with three major cities and one smaller town.

However, it will apparently be larger than the maps of both Grand Theft Auto 5 (GTA:V) and Rockstar cowboy shooter Red Dead Redemption 2 (RDR2) combined.

Grand Theft Auto games – a timeline

Here's the full list…

Main series:

  • 1997 – Grand Theft Auto
  • 1999 – Grand Theft Auto 2
  • 2001 – Grand Theft Auto 3
  • 2002 – Grand Theft Auto Vice City
  • 2004 – Grand Theft Auto San Andreas
  • 2008 – Grand Theft Auto 4
  • 2013 – Grand Theft Auto 5

Expansion packs:

  • 1999 – Grand Theft Auto London 1969
  • 1999 – Grand Theft Auto London 1961
  • 2009 – Grand Theft Auto 4 The Lost and Damned
  • 2009 – Grand Theft Auto The Ballad of Gay Tony

Handheld games:

  • 2004 – Grand Theft Auto Advance
  • 2005 – Grand Theft Auto Liberty City Stories
  • 2006 – Grand Theft Auto Vice City Stories
  • 2009 – Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars

Players will follow four main characters through the game's story mode, the poster said.

They include a driver called Walther Wallace, a man named Thomas Branigan with a smuggling plane called "the Raven" and a drug dealer named Marcus Burke.

An unnamed former Israeli IDF agenct was also mentioned in the post.

Missions in the game allegedly won't be as linear as in GTA:V or RDR2.

Gun mechanics and the the hand-to-hand combat system will be more like RDR2's, the poster claimed.

Apparently, the game will be set in the 1980s but will later jump to modern times – an unusual narrative choice for the franchise.

According to a lengthy post on Reddit the new game is code-named Project Americas, and has been in development in some form since 2012, a year before GTA 5 launched.

It's been on-and-off since then, the post says, first picking up properly in 2015 before being put on ice while all of Rockstar's global studios focused on the final details of Red Dead Redemption 2.

GTA 6 will reportedly only have one main playable character, a wannabe drug lord called Ricardo.

Starting in Vice City, the game will also feature action in a new South American city, and some story content that takes you to Liberty City too.

The game's story will be spread out over several years too, with areas in-game changing as the years go by, according to the leak.

Going along with that is a new system to build up and manage your own drug-dealing empire that will draw inspiration from PS2 series entry Vice City Stories as well the business systems found in GTA Online but "dial it up to 10".

The weapon system will draw from RDR2 and previous Rockstar game Max Payne, with the player only able to use weapons you can carry "on your person".

However, to help with this you'll be able to store things in the trunk of your car, where you'll be able to tweak your loadout.

The way the story is told, its look and its characters are all heavily inspired by Narcos, the Netflix drama about Pablo Escobar.

Escobar got his start in the drugs trade in the mid 70s, rising to prominence throughout the 1980s, becoming a folk hero and one of the world's richest men.

Negotiations are ongoing, the leak says, into securing all the music you'd expect for a GTA game set in the period.

 In other new, Call of Duty Warzone is reportedly getting a graphics update for the PS5 and Xbox Series X.

A Grand Theft Auto cheater was recently ordered to pay £115,000 after being sued by the game's designers.

And check out this amazing Xbox Project Oris concept console.

We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Tech & Science team? Email us at [email protected]

Source: Read Full Article

HBO Max is here. Its boss explains why it's worth the price

New York (CNN Business)HBO Max launched Wednesday to big buzz, but also a litany of challenges.

The new service from WarnerMedia, CNN’s parent company, premieres with a big library of TV shows and films from popular brands like HBO and Warner Bros. However, the service also enters a crowded marketplace with a price that’s more expensive than its rivals.
Oh, and it’s launching during a global pandemic.

    Despite the hurdles, Bob Greenblatt, chairman of WarnerMedia entertainment and direct-to-consumer, says the service is ready for its big debut.
    Greenblatt spoke with CNN Business about the new service, the coronavirus’ effect on its launch and how the pandemic could change the streaming wars.

    This interview has been edited and condensed.
    Give me the elevator pitch for HBO Max. What makes it different than the countless streaming services out there?
    It is a highly curated platform, made up of the entire HBO service, as well as a deep library from the Warner Bros. film and television libraries, third-party acquisitions, and an enormous new slate of original production that we call the Max Originals. Twice the content of HBO for the same price. How’s that?
    That works. So what has been the biggest challenge in bringing HBO Max to market during a global pandemic? How has that affected your launch strategy?
    The good news is it really hasn’t affected us as much as we thought it might in the middle of March, when all this started. We had a couple of weeks there where we thought, “Can we bring this to market, will everything come together?” We still had 10 weeks to go and an enormous amount of technical build had to still happen… But we quickly realized that all of these teams were able to work at home. We initially thought maybe we should delay it, but learned pretty quickly that we didn’t need to. It became a bit of a rallying cry for the company to get this thing to market on the day that we promised, and all systems go.
    Are you expecting more subscribers than initially projected or less subscribers because of the economic downturn caused by the pandemic?
    Well, the honest answer is we really don’t know yet. We do know that people are hurting and there’s a lot of people out of work, many more than we ever imagined would be. At the same time, I think we have an offering that is really valuable… We’ve seen people during this pandemic watch more television and more content, really craving more and more. So I think on the one hand it could be a really perfect moment for us to be bringing this to market.
    HBO Max: Everything you need to know about AT&T's new streaming service
    With coronavirus halting productions, do you have enough content for the long run? Or do you guys see yourself making more acquisitions as you’re going along?
    The answer is yes to all of the above. We are in great shape for the launch because most of the new original content on both the HBO and the Max Original sides are ready to go. If this [shutdown] continues far beyond what we imagined -— and initially we thought it would just be a couple of months, and now we’re looking at probably not getting shows back into production until the fall at the earliest — that will have some ramifications on what we have to offer later in the year and at the beginning of 2021.
    We are always looking for additional great acquisitions content… The big question is long-term, what’s going to happen? And I guess the good news on that front is that we’re all in the same boat. All of our competitors, all the broadcast networks, cable networks, streaming services, we all need original programming. So we’re all going to be facing this six to nine months from now.
    People who don’t subscribe to HBO will probably think I didn’t need HBO before, why do I need HBO now? How do you change their minds when it comes to HBO Max?
    The answer is really simple: If you didn’t think before you were an HBO customer, for whatever reasons… the beauty of HBO Max is you have everything in HBO, but there’s so much more. It’s “Friends” and “South Park,” the Studio Ghibli films, “Doctor Who” and all this other great content including the Max Originals, which is designed to complement what HBO does. So it’s programming for kids and teenagers and young adults and people that HBO doesn’t typically appeal to.
    And that’s I think honestly been one of the hold backs on HBO over the years. It’s a very penetrated service, but we think we’ve hit a ceiling. And in order to expand that ceiling, we’re giving you all this additional content around it.
    'Snyder Cut' of 'Justice League' will be released on HBO Max
    By my count, there is HBO, HBO Go, HBO Now, and now HBO Max. How long will there be four different HBOs? Isn’t that confusing for a consumer?
    Yes. We’ve talked a little bit about that over the past few months. Go and Now are essentially the same thing, you just get it differently… They will continue for a while. Look, if a customer just wants HBO and just wants to have nothing but that service we’re happy to still offer that to them. And I think before too long it will whittle down to HBO will always exist and then HBO Max will exist. And I think HBO will be the linear service and HBO Max will be a bundle of HBO and the rest of it. At first, we’re throttling some of these things down, but I don’t think it will be too long before it gets much more simple.
    How do you think coronavirus will alter the streaming wars as we knew it?

      Well, I think it’s really going to come down to availability of original programming… The streaming wars are something I kind of laugh about. I call them “the streaming opportunities” because it’s really not one victor. We’re trying to reorient the whole world, and I think at the end of the day there will be four or five services that you will want to subscribe to. I mean, we see that in research, we hear that from people. So it’s not a zero-sum game of one victor who reaches the top of the mountain.
      We’re all going to coexist. We want to be different than Disney+ and different than Netflix in some of the ways I described. Covid I think is just going to slow all of us down a little bit in terms of delivering original programming and that’s really critical. So we’re all wishing for getting back into production as soon as we can.
      Source: Read Full Article

      Council Tax: Who do I pay my Council Tax to?

      Council tax is a tax on domestic property, but some property is exempt from Council Tax.

      You may not have to pay Council Tax, or you might get a discount.

      All homes are assigned a Council Tax valuation band by the Valuation Office Agency.

      The band you get is based on the value of your home as of April 1, 1991, and a different amount of council tax is charged on each band. The rate per band is set yearly.

      Who do I pay my Council Tax to?

      You pay your Council Tax to your local council, which then allocates the extra funding to one of several services.

      Council members will allocate money to local education, leisure, police, firemen and other services.

      Council Tax pays for:

      • Police and fire services
      • Leisure and recreation projects such as parks and sports centre upkee
      • Libraries and education services
      • Rubbish and waste collection and disposal
      • Transport and highway services including street lighting and cleaning, and road maintenance
      • Environmental health and trading standards
      • Administration and record-keeping, like marriages, deaths and birth, and local elections

      READ MORE- Martin Lewis shares six easy ways to reduce your council tax

      READ MORE

      • Council tax: Citizens Advice and UK charities call for changes

      Council Tax is a yearly bill, split into 10 monthly payments.

      Most councils will allow you to spread the bill out over 12 months, though.

      Paying the same amount every month will be easier for some households.

      You can ask your local council if this option is available for you if you are struggling to pay. Find your local council contact details here.

      What does your Council Tax bill tell you

      Your Council Tax bill tells you the following things:
      • how much you have to pay for the year
      • how that amount has been worked out
      • the dates you have to pay

      DON’T MISS…
      Council Tax: What does Council Tax pay for? [INFORMER]
      Council tax bill: How to cut down your council tax bill [EXPLAINER]
      Council tax refund warning: This email could cost you [INSIGHT]

      READ MORE

      • UK taxes should NOT be raised for Britons who live nears parks

      How to pay your Council Tax bill

      Most people pay their Council Tax bill online.

      Alternatively, you can normally pay in cash using ‘Paypoint’, ‘Payzone’, or ‘Quickcards’.

      You can normally do this at post offices, banks, newsagents and convenience stores, but ring in to check if this option is available during the pandemic.

      Your bill should tell you which other payment methods are available.

      How to defer Council Tax payment

      Andy Barr, the co-founder of www.Alertr.co.uk, told Express.co.uk:
      “Ideally the local authorities would have the same approach as the majority of the banks do for mortgage holidays, i.e. online applications and an automated process.

      “However, each authority is going to have its own rules and policies, and this is something we have seen regarding the business grants as well.

      “It is clear that whilst the Government drives the overall strategy and plan, the individual authorities deliver and administer these plans in a way that they feel is most practical.

      “The best thing you can do is go to them early if you are facing payment problems.

      “Check the local authority website for the preferred form of communication at the moment and be prepared for long call times.

      “Going to them before you miss a payment is always a stronger approach than going to them after you have missed a payment.”

      Source: Read Full Article

      White Woman Fired From Job After Calling Cops On Black Man In Central Park

      Amy Cooper, the white woman who called the cops on a Black man in Central Park over the weekend as seen in a now-viral video, was fired on Tuesday.  

      Cooper’s employer, Franklin Templeton, announced on Twitter that it made the decision to terminate her after conducting an internal review of the incident in the park, adding, “We do not tolerate racism of any kind.”

      The asset management firm had placed Cooper on administrative leave late Monday during its investigation.

      Earlier on Monday, Christian Cooper (no relation to Amy) posted a video on Facebook of Amy Cooper calling the police on him after he reportedly asked her to place her dog on its leash. They were in an area called the Ramble, where off-leash dogs are not permitted. 

      In the video, Amy Cooper threatens to call the cops, saying, “I’m going to tell them there’s an African American man threatening my life.” She then places the call, repeatedly identifying Christian Cooper, who is Black, as an “African American man” and saying he was recording and “threatening” her. 

      Cooper, who is a board member of the conservation group the Audubon Society and was birding in the park at the time, said in his Facebook post that Amy Cooper’s “inner Karen fully emerged and took a dark turn.”

      As HuffPost’s Zeba Blay wrote, when Amy Cooper called the police, she “knew exactly what she was doing” by wielding the power of law enforcement, which has a long racist history in the United States of unjust killings of Black people. 

      Amy Cooper apologized on Monday, telling NBC News that her behavior was “unacceptable.” 

      In turn, Christian Cooper told CNN on Tuesday that if her apology was “genuine” and “if she plans on keeping her dog on a leash in the Ramble going forward, then we have no issues with each other.”

      The Audubon Society said in a statement Tuesday that the outdoors “should be safe and welcoming for all people.” 

      “Black Americans often face terrible daily dangers in outdoor spaces, where they are subjected to unwarranted suspicion, confrontation, and violence,” Rebeccah Sanders, senior vice president of Audubon, said. “We unequivocally condemn racist sentiments, behavior, and systems that undermine the humanity, rights, and freedom of Black people. We are grateful Christian Cooper is safe. He takes great delight in sharing New York City’s birds with others.”

      Source: Read Full Article

      Bold and beautiful

      The aggressive BMW F 900 R makes a lasting first impression because it looks like it is all set to punch you in the face

      BMW has just launched its new F 900 R and XR in India and the bike you are reading about here is the R. This naked roadster is now the most affordable, big BMW in India. Despite that, the F 900 R makes a lasting first impression because it looks like it is all set to punch you in the face. The 900’s angry, broad-chested stance is far more aggressive than the F 800 R it replaces — a bike that never came to India, but was famous for being stunt legend Chris Pfeiffer’s weapon of choice. With its fat fuel tank and large side panels, the F 900 R looks more like a litre-naked than the Triumph Street Triple/KTM 790 Duke rival it actually is, and this will no doubt appeal to many big-bike enthusiasts in India. Strangely, the rear section is quite bland in comparison with the rest of the bike, aside from an interesting-looking exhaust.

      Swing a leg over and you will appreciate the reasonable, 815mm seat height, as well as the crisp 6.5-inch TFT display, which is part of the standard equipment. This one brings in more functionality over the screens in the 750/850 GS, and it even gets an S 1000 RR-style dynamic display with a lean angle indicator. The display is controlled via BMW’s peculiar scroll-wheel system on the left handlebar, which never feels instantly intuitive, but is something you will eventually get used to.

      The ride

      The F 900 R’s riding position is more aggressive than I was expecting. The bar is set at a reasonably sporty position, but the foot pegs are quite high up. This results in a riding position that is certainly more committed than on something like a 790 Duke. That does not mean it handles like the KTM though, and while the F 900 R is effective, it feels a lot more like an old-school roadster. Where the KTM and even the Triumph Street Triple are deliciously light and nimble on their feet, the BMW is more front-heavy and needs to be pushed around. The bike feels as big and heavy as it looks, and that is no surprise because it tips the scales at 211kg.

      Once you get the hang of how it wants to be ridden, the F 900 R is quite a bit of fun. We rode the top-spec model, which is not coming to India, but all of its features can be purchased as optional extras in our market. These features include two more riding modes over the standard Rain and Road, namely, Dynamic and Dynamic Pro. Switching to Dynamic Pro firms up the electronically adjustable rear shock (optional in India) and sharpens up the throttle response. Meanwhile, the 43mm USD fork is non-adjustable on all models, but the setup is balanced quite well.

      The first set of roads we hit were narrow, occasionally gravelly and peppered with sudden sharp corners, with unforgiving drops just a few feet away. The F 900 R was not very enjoyable here, partly due to the extra muscle required to change direction, but also because the ride-by-wire throttle felt a little abrupt, especially when moving from open to close. Once we got to the more typical wide, fast and flowing mountain roads of Spain, the bike felt much nicer. You could even call it fun, although like with most BMWs, you will silently applaud its talents, but never to the extent of shouting with sheer joy in your helmet.

      The engine

      On the faster roads, the F 900’s meaty midrange was something to appreciate. Its engine is essentially a bored-out version of the 853cc motor seen on the F 850 and F 750 GS models. Displacing 895cc, the new motor now makes 105hp, which is up from the 95hp in the 850 and 77hp from the detuned F 750 GS engine. Outright refinement is quite good at normal speeds, but a mild buzz does creep in as you approach the top of the rev ceiling. The up/down quickshifter is a familiar affair and it works well at high RPMs, but feels clunky at city speeds. The exhaust, meanwhile, produces quite a deep and pleasing note, and the sound tends to blend well with the look of the bike and the way it rides.

      Keeping the F 900 R relevant for the younger generation is BMW’s free-to-download Connected App. This is one of the best motorcycle apps we have used so far, and it lets you analyse a huge amount of ride data. This includes areas such as maximum lean angles, maximum speed achieved at any particular point on the route, and even when the ABS was triggered.

      For India, BMW is offering only the F 900 R in the Standard variant, which gives you basic ABS and traction control, LED lighting, two riding modes and TFT display. However, if you are willing to tick a lot of boxes, you can option many additional features, including cruise control, the up/down quickshifter, the electronic rear suspension, cornering headlamps, Dynamic and Dynamic Pro riding modes and keyless ignition. Naturally, all this will have a significant impact on the price.

      Pricing

      Regarding the price, with a badge like that, it is no surprise that the F 900 R is not cheap, especially considering the fact that it comes as a CBU from Berlin. At ₹9.9 lakh (ex-showroom), it will face strong competition from soon-to-be-launched bikes like the Triumph Street Triple R and BS-VI versions of the KTM 790 Duke and the Ducati Monster 821. But like we mentioned in the beginning, this is now your most affordable ticket into the exclusive world of big BMWs, and that alone will be all that matters to some riders.

      Source: Read Full Article