Asian Wrestling Championship: Sumit Kumar settles for silver, India finish with 10 medals
India finished their Asian Wrestling Championships campaign on a resounding note with Sumit winning a silver medal in the 125kg category on the concluding day of the continental event.Sumit went down to Yadollah Mohammadkazem Mohebi of Iran in men’s 125kg Freestyle gold medal bout on the final day of the competition here.The Indian wrestlers finished with 10 medals, including a gold, five silver and four bronze, bettering their tally of nine medals in the last edition of the Championship at Bangkok.In the gold medal round, the Indian wrestler could not pose much threat to his formidable Iranian opponent – losing 2-6 to settle for the second position.After conceding a point, the Indian grappler was quick to pull back two points by overpowering his opponent and throwing him out of the mat.The Indian once again managed to grab the Iranian leg but failed to capitalise on the advantage as Mohebi push Sumit down on the mat to bag two points before finishing off the opening round with two more to lead 5-2 at the break.In the second half, the Iranian gained one more point even as Sumit failed to make a comeback and lost out on a gold medal.Earlier, the heavyweight grappler showed his mettle on his way to the final as he faced little difficulty in overcoming his opponents during the quarterfinal and semifinal bouts.In his first bout of the day, Sumit beat Taiki Yamamoto of Japan 6-3 in the quarters and then outplayed Farkhod Anakulov of Tajikistan7-2 in the semifinal to reach the gold medal round with much ease.advertisementHowever, all the other Indian freestyle wrestlers in the fray today – Harphool (61kg), Vinod Kumar Omprakash (70kg) and Somveer (86kg) – bowed out early.Harphool went down fighting 6-7 to Rei Higuchi of Japan in the quarterfinal round to crash out of the tournament.The Indian wrestler though did well during his qualification bout, thrashing Divoshan Charles Fernando of Sri Lanka 11-0.Vinod Kumar Omprakash lost to Japan’s Momojiro Nakamura in the quarterfinal of men’s 70kg.Somveer bowed out of the competition after he was handed a 0-11 defeat by Gwanuk Kim of Korea in his qualification bout.
Metropolitan East (Open Girls) and Northern (Open Boys) defended their Queensland Secondary Schools Touch State Championship crowns with deserved grand final victories at the Gold Coast Touch Association complex at Owen Park, Southport on Sunday 29 April 2007.Met East, with no less than eight current Open or 15 Years State representatives, were hot pre tournament favourites in the Open Girls division.The talented outfit swept all before them in the round games before being pushed all the way by a gallant Metropolitan West combination in an entertaining final that resulted in a 3-2 victory to the defending champions.In semi-final action, Met East, guided by Peter Bell, Australia’s most successful International coach in the history of the sport, dispatched South Coast 8-2.Met West, under the direction of 2005 Australian Youth World Cup 18 Years Girls Coach Mick Kelly, defeated Northern 10-3 in their semi-final to set up an absorbing showdown in the “Battle of Brisbane” for the State crown.The game was end to end in the opening exchanges with both sides denied the early ascendancy by desperate last-ditch defensive efforts.After several close calls, Met East’s Cobras Women’s Open NTL young gun Kelly Jones sliced through from acting half and managed to find the ever present Tallon Mc Carthy who dotted down for a 1- 0 lead.Met West hit back strongly when the free running Lorna Blair exploded out of acting half to surprise the Met East defence and gift wrap a long range touchdown for Ashley Monkland who squared the ledger at 1-1.The game ebbed and flowed, and right on half time Met East’s Sharks Women’s Open NTL pocket dynamo Kristy Brennan nearly sent her team to oranges breathing a little easier when she scythed through from acting half, only to be denied by some fantastic on line defence from the Met West team who covered support players expertly to keep their title dreams alive.Both teams had their chances after half time, but it was big game specialist, the indefatigueable Gen La Caze who stepped up to the plate to generate a quick hands play that gave Kristy Brennan an opportunity to race twenty metres and score with her signature dive over for a 2-1 lead.Met West, with talented National Youth squad members Ali Brigginshaw, Toni Tupuhi, and Lizzie Campbell were never going to go quietly, and it was the combination of long time Brisbane Metropolitan junior touch team mates Campbell and Brigginshaw that conjured a short play close to the line to allow Brigginshaw to slide over and put the teams back on level terms at 2-2.Both teams searched for the chink in the opposition’s armour, and it was Gen La Caze, running a beautiful A/B line that split the Met West middles to create space for the touchdown hungry Kristy Brennan to secure her second and put the champions in front 3 – 2 with little time left on the clock.Ali Brigginshaw threw the kitchen sink at Met East in a valiant attempt to inspire a late comeback, but the clock and the stout Met East defence was having none of it, and the game ended in the next set with the defending champions holding on for a deserved 3-2 win.Player of the Series, Met East’s Kristy Brennan was outstanding, and was well supported by Player of the Final Gen La Caze, the classy Kelly Jones, and Kirsty Quince, whose tireless efforts in attack and defence would make the Energizer bunny look over his shoulder and question his work ethic. Ali Brigginshaw and Lizzie Campbell were fantastic for a spirited Met West side that gave a great account of themselves against the odds.Northern completed an emphatic 5-2 victory over Metropolitan West in the Open Boys division. The highly skilled and fleet footed country combination secured a three peat of State Championships to underline the enormous spread of talent across Queensland in the school system.In semi-final action, Northern disposed of South Coast 11-3, and Met West triumphed over South Coast 7-2.In the Boys grand final, both teams searched for the early lead and came close with several attacking forays being thwarted only by last gasp defence, or poor option taking with the ball in hand.Northern drew first blood with an exceptional piece of play from the gifted Kristian Congoo who brought the crowds back to Touch with a simultaneous dive for the score line to the left and a well weighted flick pass to the right to part the middles on the scoreline for the alert Joel Townson to dive over and give the boys from the North a 1-0 lead.Met West pressed the line twice in the next few sets only to be denied by some great vision in defence by Josh Hall who nabbed two intercepts in quick succession to deny the Brisbane boys the equalizer.That man Congoo, who was busier than Santa’s elves on Christmas eve, couldn’t stay out of the action and he dotted down after a glorious long ball from play maker Chris Taiters to give the Northern boys a 2-0 score line.Met West were entitled to feel a little unlucky with several early chances going astray until their little general Matty Hopkin engineered some great flowing phase then finished off with a pinpoint long ball for Clargie Saltmere to narrow the gap to 2-1.The momentum continued to swing in the next few minutes and Met West fans kept the faith as Hopkin, on a hot streak, continued to dictate terms, splitting the Northern defence from acting half to link up with John Fainges to lock the contest up at 2-2.On the stroke of half time the game was turned on its head again when the impressive Chris Taiters got through the line for Northern and Congoo found space to score his second touchdown and give the boys from the bush a 3-2 advantage.After the break, both teams dug in, fully aware of the impact the next score would have on the complexion of the contest. Met West needed to score to stay alive, Northern wanted to break their opposition’s spirits and earn some breathing space.It should not surprise that the mercurial Kristian Congoo waved the magic wand once more, selling an audacious dummy close to the line to plunge over to snare a hat trick of touchdowns and put his team 4-2 up.Met West tried hard to rally, but when Joel Townson produced a masterful reverse flick pass for Mitchell Lauder to score and take Northern out to a 5-2 lead, the three peat souvenir t-shirts were being broken out of the box for Coach Shane Laskey and the Northern team who have set the benchmark for school touch in Queensland for the last three years.The fat lady was half way up the Pacific Highway when the full time siren sounded and a resounding 5-2 verdict went the way of Northern.Kristian Congoo was awarded the Player of the Final, whilst Lyle Murgha from Peninsula was named Player of the Series.At the conclusion of the tournament QSST Coaches Peter Bell (Girls) and Kathy O’Brien (Boys) named State Teams to contest the National 18 Years Tournament in Coffs Harbour from 17-21 September 2007.The 2007 QSST Open Teams:Girls: Genevieve La Caze, Kristy Brennan, Kelly Jones, Kirsty Quince, Candice Humm, Mtia Tass, Tallon Mc Carthy (Met East), Ali Brigginshaw, Lizzie Campbell, Toni Tupuhi (Met. West), Kirsty Beer (Wide Bay), Jess Shaw (South Coast), Jane Royal (Northern), Melissa Henare, Rebecca Lapraik (Sun Coast)Coach: Peter Bell, Assistant Coach: Karley Banks, Manager: Peta RogersonBoys: Chris Taiters, Mitchell Lauder, Kristian Congoo (Northern), Matt Hopkin, Cody Green, Clargie Saltmere (Met. West), Peter Norman, Dylan Taikato (South Coast), Ben Drury, Jayden Taylor (Capricornia), Lawrence Oberlenter, Lyle Murgha (Peninsula), Alex Patikura (Darling Downs), Nathan Boys (Sun Coast), Chris Rankine (North West)Coach: Kathy O’Brien, Assistant Coach: Ryan Pollock, Manager: Adrian Brandon
The U.S. women’s national team World Cup quarterfinal against France has been anticipated since before the tournament even started. Now that it’s here, Megan Rapinoe is hoping it will be a massive spectacle.Or, actually, in her words, “a total sh*tshow circus.”The USWNT defeated Spain 2-1 in Reims on Monday night, setting up the highly anticipated showdown against France in Paris on Friday. Article continues below Editors’ Picks ‘There is no creativity’ – Can Solskjaer get Man Utd scoring freely again? ‘Everyone legged it on to the pitch!’ – How Foden went from Man City superfan to future superstar Emery out of jail – for now – as brilliant Pepe papers over Arsenal’s cracks What is Manchester United’s ownership situation and how would Kevin Glazer’s sale of shares affect the club? It wasn’t easy by any stretch against a motivated and physical Spain side, who gave the U.S. all it could handle in the European nation’s first ever World Cup knockout game.But Rapinoe managed to grab two goals from the penalty spot, with her second in the 75th minute serving as the game winner.Now the team’s focus can turn toward France, which defeated Brazil 2-1 in extra time on Sunday night to reach the quarterfinal.It will be the most high-profile game the World Cup has seen thus far, with the teams considered by many to be the two favorites to win the tournament.But, in front of a sell-out crowd at Parc des Princes, one will be eliminated on Friday. Rapinoe is hoping that the interest and media coverage ramp into overdrive as the match approaches.“Hopefully [it’s] a complete spectacle, just an absolute media circus,” Rapinoe said. “I hope it’s huge and crazy, that’s what it should be.”“I hope it’s just a total sh*tshow circus,” she continued. “It’s going to be totally awesome.“I think this is what everybody wants, these are the biggest games that you dream about as a kid.”
U.S. manager Jill Ellis said she’s also looking forward to the game, though she admitted she couldn’t paint a picture of the match quite as descriptively as her star winger.“My reaction isn’t quite as colorful as that,” Ellis said with a laugh.”When you play in big games it’s actually when I get more excited. It means more, it matters more, there’s more at stake and that’s why you do this.”Ellis said that there may be some disappointment from fans hoping to see the teams meet in a semifinal or final, but is taking the draw in her stride.“I’m sure a lot of people would want it later in the tournament but it is what it is,” Ellis said.“I think probably myself and [France manager] Corinne [Diacre] are like, ‘You know what, we’ve got good players, we’ve got good teams, good setups and let’s go for it.’”
ATLANTA, GA – NOVEMBER 02: A general view of Bobby Dodd Stadium during the game between the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the Pittsburgh Panthers on November 2, 2013 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)Earlier: Georgia Tech’s Paul Johnson is retiring from coaching after 11 seasons with the Yellow Jackets and 22 overall seasons as a head coach, according to multiple reports.Johnson, who has been in Atlanta since 2008, led the Yellow Jackets to a 7-5 regular season and an upcoming bowl berth this season. He compiled an 82-59 overall record at Georgia Tech, including a conference championship in 2009.ESPN 93.1’s Bill Shanks first reported the news of Johnson’s retirement. Jeff Schultz of The Athletic confirmed it a short time later.Sources have told me that Georgia Tech football coach Paul Johnson will retire from coaching. Johnson has been at Georgia Tech since 2008. He compiled a 82-59 record in his 11 years on the job. Georgia Tech will be looking for a new head coach.— BillShanks (@BillShanks) November 28, 2018Paul Johnson is indeed retiring, a source tells me. @TheAthleticATL— Jeff Schultz (@JeffSchultzATL) November 28, 2018An official announcement has not been made yet by Georgia Tech.During his three head coaching stints at Georgia Southern, Navy and GT, Johnson won 189 games. His coaching trademark was a commitment to the triple option.The scheme clearly had its share of success, leading him to 13 bowl games and five 1-AA playoff appearances.However, the offense has also drawn criticism from Georgia Tech fans for being one-dimensional and limiting recruiting opportunities, since wide receivers and quarterbacks typically don’t want to play in.Update: Johnson is officially stepping down, he announced.“After 40 years of coaching, it’s time to take a break.”Three-time #ACC Coach of the Year @GTPaulJohnson is stepping down as head coach. #ThanksPaulFull details: https://t.co/ZDCtFciZNg pic.twitter.com/J8UM421j3t— Georgia Tech Football (@GeorgiaTechFB) November 28, 2018Georgia Tech is officially in the market for a new head coach.
VANCOUVER – Eight organizations in British Columbia are joining forces to advocate for ride-hailing services in the province as soon as possible.The Ridesharing Now BC coalition has been formed by groups including the Vancouver Board of Trade, BC Business Council, Canadian National Institute for the Blind and San Francisco-based on-demand transportation company Lyft.A news release from the coalition says it has launched a letter-writing campaign to B.C. politicians calling for a competitive ride-hailing industry “that can deliver much-needed choice to B.C. passengers.”Supporters are directed to the www.ridesharingnow.com website, where they can sign and email a letter to their representative in the legislature calling for speedy introduction of ride-hailing services.Coalition spokesman Ian Tostenson says politics, rather than public opinion, is driving decision making in Victoria.He says the government sets the conditions that will attract ride-hailing services to B.C., and warns it should not be taken for granted that companies such as Lyft and Uber will inevitably operate in the province.“The B.C. government appears to be moving toward a model that would simply replace the taxi monopoly with a one-app monopoly that favours taxis,” Tostenson says in the release.Other anchor members of the coalition include the Vancouver Economic Commission, BC Chamber of Commerce, Finger Food Studios, the BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association and the Urban Development Institute.Anne McMullin, president and chief executive officer of the institute’s Pacific region says balanced, well-planned communities depend on convenient, reliable and affordable transportation options.“The Urban Development Institute is strongly encouraging the B.C. government to follow the lead of over 40 other Canadian jurisdictions that already benefit from ride-sharing, and take immediate action to introduce a framework to enable a competitive market for ride-sharing that increases choice for passengers,” McMullin says.
CALGARY, A.B. – The National Energy Board says renewable sources of electricity in Canada will grow over the next 20 years but so will Canadian oil and natural gas production.In a new report, the national regulator says Canadians will learn to use less energy, even as the economy grows, through to 2040.Under its reference or base case, the NEB predicts total Canadian electricity generation will increase by about 12percentt from 2017 to 2040, with most of the new sources from natural gas, wind or hydro. By 2040, the share of non-emitting electricity generation rises to nearly 84 percent, compared to about 80 percent now.The NEB forecasts crude oil production will grow to 6.9 million barrels per day in 2040, up 58 percent from 4.4 million barrels per day in 2017, with most of the increase from the oilsands.The board envisions price discounts for Western Canadian Select bitumen blend compared with U.S. benchmark crude will remain higher than typical at US$26.30 per barrel in 2020 but will return to a sustained level of US$14 per barrel by 2027.Carbon intensity in Canadian energy sources will decline, it says, as more natural gas is consumed at the expense of coal and oil products.(THE CANADIAN PRESS)
WHAT ARE OUR politicians doing in the halls of Leinster House?TheJournal.ie lets you know with our guide to what’s coming up to the Dáil, Seanad and various Oireachtas committees today.DÁILEamon Gilmore takes the morning’s Leaders’ Questions at 10:30am, before TDs agree to the day’s agenda at 10:51am.The legislative agenda will see TDs finalise their consideration of two Bills: The Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Bill 2013, which gives the Minister for Health new powers to limit the sale and marketing of tobacco; andThe Electoral (Amendment) (Dail Constituencies) Bill 2012, which gives legal effect to the proposed changes to Dáil boundaries.If there’s time after those two Bills are disposed of – and if they weren’t already finished up yesterday – there’ll be more discussion on legislation to rationalise the number of VECs, and on abolishing FÁS.Four topical issues will be discussed at 3:42pm, before Michael Noonan ends the day with Questions to the Minister for Finance at 4:30pm.The day’s Dáil business can all be viewed here.SEANADThe Seanad’s day is a pretty short one: there’s 75 minutes of discussion and debate on the matters of the day in the Order of Business (10:30am), before Emer Costello MEP continues a series of speeches from MEPs to mark 40 years of Irish membership of the European Union.Her speech deals with the quest for social inclusion in Europe, and the problem of unemployment.The day’s Seanad business can all be viewed here.COMMITTEESThe fairly straightforward days in either chamber are made up for by the presence of five committee meetings. Here they are, in order of when they start:The Committee on Health and Children meets at 9:30am to discuss the establishment of the Child and Family Support Agency. Among the speakers are UNESCO professor Pat Dolan, and the HSE’s Gordon Jeyes. (Watch here.)At 10am the Public Accounts Committee casts its eyes over the Department of Education and Skills budget for 2011, and also discusses salary overpayments to teachers in the last few years. (Watch here.)Also at 10am, the Public Expenditure and Reform sub-committee discusses a procedural motion from Brendan Howlin. Irish financial law means cash authorised for spending in one year, but which isn’t actually spent that year, can’t be cleared for spending unless the Oireachtas says so. This motion would allow some of the cash assigned for spending in 2012 to be carried over and be used this year. (Watch here.)At 10:30am the Agriculture committee discusses a proposal from Simon Coveney to extend special provisions which allow him to appoint special investigators for agricultural matters. The laws stem from the foot and mouth saga, but could (in theory) also apply to the horse meat scandal. (Watch here.)Finally, at 2pm, the EU Affairs committee discusses the future of Ireland’s membership of the EU – and three specific topics: financial integration, democratic accountability, and the possible impact for Ireland if the UK leaves. The participants will include the Irish Times’ economics editor Dan O’Brien, the Irish Examiner’s Brussels correspondent Ann Cahill, and RTÉ’s economics editor Seán Whelan. (Watch here.)Explainer: How does a Bill become a law?
Tempête Xynthia : plus de 1300 maisons vont être raséesFrance – Cinq semaines après le passage de la tempête Xynthia en Vendée et en Charente-Maritime, le gouvernement a annoncé que près de 1.400 maisons seraient détruites pour rendre les parcelles concernées à la nature.Situées en zones inondables, ce sont quelque 1.393 habitations, 798 en Vendée dont 674 sur la seule commune de La-Faute-sur-Mer, et 595 en Charente-Maritime, qui devraient être rasées, a annoncé le porte-parole du gouvernement, Luc Chatel. “Dans les zones d’extrême danger, où les risques peuvent être mortels, il n’est pas acceptable de laisser les habitants se réinstaller” a-t-il insisté.Les préfets des régions concernées publieront au cours de la semaine le tracé des “zones noires” qui seront rendues à la nature. “Ce sera douloureux pour eux, […] l’État s’engagera à ce qu’il y ait des acquisitions amiables”, a assuré Jean-Louis Borloo, le ministre de l’Environnement.Des “zones jaunes”, à savoir des secteurs exposés aux risques mais pouvant être protégés, ont également été délimitées. Ces zones “devront faire l’objet d’un programme de protection basé sur des systèmes d’alerte, d’évacuation, de prescription technique sur les bâtiments ou encore de protection collective” a expliqué Luc Chatel.Si le secrétaire d’État au logement, Benoît Apparu, a promis aux habitants dont les maisons seront détruites qu’ils seront indemnisés au prix du marché avant la tempête, nombreux sont ceux qui craignent que ces indemnisations ne soient pas à la hauteur, leurs habitations étant situées dans des zones balnéaires où le foncier atteint des prix très élevés.Le 8 avril 2010 à 18:27 • Emmanuel Perrin
SEATTLE — People have a right to privacy in the text messages they send from their phones, even if they can’t know for sure who might be reading them after they’re delivered, Washington’s Supreme Court held in two related cases Thursday.In separate 5-4 opinions, the justices overturned two Cowlitz County heroin convictions in cases that hinged on text messages a detective read on someone else’s phone.“People have an expectation of privacy in their text messages,” said Hanni Fakhoury, a lawyer with the San Francisco-based Electronic Frontier Foundation, which filed friend-of-the-court briefs in the cases. “People have a right to have those messages delivered without fear of government intrusion or interception, and if the government wants to intrude or intercept them, they have to get a warrant or a wiretap to do so.”The cases arose from the arrest of Daniel Lee in Longview in 2009. After obtaining Lee’s cellphone, a detective started going through the text messages on it without a warrant. He found drug-related messages from Jonathan Roden, then responded, set up a drug deal and arrested Roden for attempted heroin possession. The detective also noticed texts coming in from Shawn Daniel Hinton and similarly arrested him.Writing for the majority in both cases, Justice Steven Gonzalez said the men had an expectation of privacy in the content of their text messages, just as they would have if they sent a sealed letter or made a phone call, and that Washington state residents have an expectation that their text messages won’t be read by police without a warrant.
Candidates for Anchorage Assembly Seat 6K – Bruce Dougherty, Bill Evans, and Pete Nolan – discuss local issues with host Michael Carey.Bill EvansBruce DoughertyPete Nolan
Official House portraits/Marjorie Kamys Cotera: Castro/Alyssa Banta: Johnson/DenKuvaiev: iStockTop row, left to right: U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, U.S. Reps. Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth, and Michael McCaul, R-Tomball. Bottom row: U.S. Reps. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio and Eddie Bernice Johnson, D- Dallas.After years as the dominant state delegation on Capitol Hill, Texans in Congress are bracing for a marked decline in political clout in Washington.For the past two terms, Texas Republicans wielded an unmatched seven committee gavels within the U.S. House and saw U.S. Sen. John Cornyn become the highest-ranking Texas senator since Lyndon Baines Johnson. But that power will begin to wane in the coming months, even if Republicans manage to keep control of both chambers.It was all inevitable, and members saw this transition coming for years.“It certainly puts Texas in a position of reduced influence for the GOP conference as a whole and congress in general,” said U.S. Rep. Bill Flores, R-Bryan. “So I’m hopeful that we’ll be in a position to quickly regain some chairmanships because of the size and strength of the delegation.”Flores is an example of the generational transition taking place.“I feel like I just got here,” he laughed. “It’s been less than eight years.”First elected in 2010, he will soon become one of the more senior members of the delegation as eight Texans in the U.S. House are not running for re-election, ensuring that the largest class of Texas freshman in recent memory will come to Congress next year. The group will lack choice committee assignments, institutional knowledge and seniority.The root of much of this transition is the GOP’s rules on term limits for leadership posts, thereby encouraging more of its members to become chairs when the party controls the House. Republicans climb the Congressional ranks quickly – but their time at the top of the Hill is finite.Of the seven Texas U.S. House chairmen, three are termed out in January: U.S. Reps. Jeb Hensarling at the House Financial Services Committee, U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul at the Homeland Security Committee and U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith of the Science, Space and Technology Committee. Hensarling and Smith are retiring, along with other fixtures of seniority: U.S. Reps. Joe Barton, R-Ennis, Gene Green, D-Houston, Sam Johnson, R-Richardson, Ted Poe, R-Humble.U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke, a relatively junior member of the House Armed Services Committee, is vacating his seat to run for U.S. Senate.And then there is the Senate situation: Cornyn faces a term limit in his post as U.S. Senate majority whip. Yet his political future remains promising. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced earlier this summer he intends to keep Cornyn within the leadership circle. Many delegation Republicans are hopeful he might one day ascend to the GOP leader position in the Senate.Back in the House, loss in seniority may not just come from retiring chairmen. Three Texas Republicans who Democrats are targeting also hold important slots. U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Dallas, is the House Rules Committee chairman – a post that lacks term-limits but serves as the pleasure of the GOP house leader.Also facing strong challenges: U.S. Reps. John Culberson, R-Houston, and John Carter, R-Round Rock. The two men are senior members of the House Appropriations Committee – a key jurisdiction when it comes to securing Hurricane Harvey relief funding.That those three congressmen – all in districts that were considered safe Republican territory until this election cycle – are becoming part of the worried calculations within the Texas GOP delegation, is indicative of the growing sense on Capitol Hill that Democrats could take back control of the House this fall.Should that happen, the remaining chairmen will lose power and become ranking members.Several GOP delegation sources interviewed for this story were quick to reinforce that several chairmen will all-but-certainly be their party’s highest-ranking member on key committees next term should Democrats win control of the chamber: U.S. Rep. Mac Thornberry of Clarendon at House Armed Services; U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady at the House Ways and Means Committee and U.S. Rep. Mike Conaway of Midland at the House Agriculture Committee.And there are also potential chairs on deck.While McCaul is moving out of the homeland security realm, he is in contention to run a different committee: the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee.But the biggest chair race of all involves another Texan – U.S. Rep. Kay Grangerof Fort Worth.If not for the battle to succeed U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan as the leader of House Republicans, her fight to become the chairwoman of the U.S. House Appropriations Committee would be the most exciting political contest in the GOP conference.Multiple sources say there are no assurances she will win the position, but she is, without question, a top contender.However, if Democrats take control of the chamber, all of these GOP calculations become essentially moot. Fights over chairmanships will become battles for the relatively neutered position of committee ranking member.U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, is a third-term member who is on the leadership ascent within his caucus. He argues that Texas Democrats will hold power – just not on the scale of the current state of the GOP side.“I think Texas will fair well,” he said. “I don’t think we’ll have seven, because that’s a lot.”Based on multiple interviews, U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Dallas, is the only Texan likely postured to become a chair – of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, in a Democratic takeover.Democrats do not have term limits on leadership roles and usually prioritize seniority over nearly all other considerations.Furthermore, while it is not a formal committee position, Castro is on track to become the chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, a powerful voting bloc within the Democratic side.Perhaps it’s making the best of an unpleasant situation, but some delegation sources suggest there is a silver lining to the transition.Those seven gavels from Texans have been something of a source of resentment for House Republicans from other states. So much so, it was a key argumentagainst Brady’s ultimately successful bid to run the House Ways and Means Committee.And Democrats and Republicans alike argue that Texas will not ever be ignored, no matter rank or seniority.It is simply too large of a group – 38 members now and, due to strong population growth, more to come in next decade’s reapportionment – to not have a major say in national policy. Those Texans are scattered all over the committees, and will almost always have a voice when sorting out policy – even if it is just at the rank-and file level.Yet despite the nastiness and partisanship of this past term, a number of the members bonded over their work following Hurricane Harvey and they insist the delegation will always find a way to come together amid a crisis.Yet they concede it’s highly unlikely any of the freshmen joining the delegation will earn their first choice in committee assignments.“We’re going to have to earn that back,” said Green, referencing the lost seniority.“You have to pay your dues, so to speak,” the Houston Democrat added.Flores, the Bryan Republican, concurred.“We do have some good members coming in, and I think we’re going to be okay,” he said. “But for at least a Congress or two, we are not going to have nearly the influence we have today.” Share
Let us know what you like about Geek by taking our survey. Stay on target Why Uber when you can SureFly?Workhorse Group plans to conduct the first manned flight of its SureFly personal helicopter in January.Unveiled at the Paris Air Show in June, the electric hybrid octocopter is safer, easier to fly, and more affordable than a conventional chopper, according to the manufacturer.AdChoices广告Its eight propellers and gas combustion engine boast an estimated 70-mile range, ideal for short hop application. An on-board, fully redundant backup battery system can drive the electric motors in the event of engine failure. (That’s where the ballistic parachute comes in.)Its four carbon fiber arms fold down for “easy” storage (via Workhorse Group)Early SureFly models will be pilot-operated—via a joystick, like flying a drone—with room for two passengers and a payload of up to 400 lbs.Of course, no modern transportation system is complete without autonomous technology, which Workhorse Group hopes to roll out in future designs.The company is working toward full vehicle certification by late 2019.“After productive conversations with the Federal Aviation Administration, we’re excited to be on a path forward to experimental status for the SureFly,” CEO Stephen Burns said in a statement.Room for two (via Workhorse Group)Expected to sell for $200,000, the helicopter is aimed at precision agriculture, emergency responders, the military, and city commuters.Yes, that’s right: In a couple of years, you’ll be able to hop into your private whirlybird and fly to the office, laughing at the suckers still stuck in traffic 4,000 feet below.“While we have much work ahead of us in our march toward certification, this first test flight represents a significant milestone for the project,” Burns said.SureFly takes up about as much room as a pick-up truck (via Workhorse Group)The event is scheduled for Jan. 8 in Las Vegas—just ahead of the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show. (date and time are subject to change, based on weather and regulatory approval from the FAA and local municipalities.)Don’t worry if you miss the big performance: SureFly will be on display at CES from Jan. 9-12 on the Central Plaza, near the main entrance of the tradeshow.
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Controller Patent Teases SNES Games on SwitchPlay These Nintendo Switch Games Before ‘Pokemon Sword and Shield&… Stay on target I’ve spent the past week playing the final version of Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle. I still love the game’s inexplicable franchise mash-up inside an X-COM-style strategy game, but I don’t have too much more to say about its excellent tactics mechanics I didn’t already say in my lengthy preview. It’s just nice to confirm the gameplay still holds up and in fact gets deeper as you invest more hours into it. I even came around on the block-pushing puzzles since they require the same strategic positioning thinking as the turn-based combat.So instead I wanted to talk about about another aspect of this, my favorite new Nintendo Switch Game That Isn’t Zelda. This is an aspect that has only become more apparent the more I play. Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, the final form of Nintendo and Ubisoft’s long-standing video game publisher corporate bromance, is the best bootleg Mario Game.Mario games are really, really weird. They’ve always been, we’ve just gotten used to it, and they always should be. But even as Mario heads off into New Donk City with its realistic human beings, there’s a familiar consistency to his weirdness that Nintendo can’t help but provide. There’s a sense that this strangeness is still canon or “on-model.” The closest the comes to breaking is when other 2nd party studios develop Mario games, like the weirdly violent Super Mario Strikers, but even there Nintendo is still a guiding hand keeping things on the rails.However, any time you see Mario and Mario-related iconography and merchandise from sources other than Nintendo, the results tend to be uncanny dreams and nightmares. Nintendo’s Mario is so specific that even a mild alteration breaks the spell and reminds us of how unsettling this cartoon but fully grown adult Italian-American hairy man and his mushroom universe is. Just check out the Twitter feed Shitty Mario to understand what I’m talking about.pic.twitter.com/VRoGeX49le— Shitty Mario (@ShittyMario) August 18, 2017Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle is absolutely dripping with this bootleg Mario aesthetic. It’s totally the video equivalent of this knock-off Mario fidget spinner. And it’s not just because of the presence of the Raving Rabbids, although an uncomfortably aggressive and masculine Rabbid dressed as Mario or a selfie-obsessed smartphone Rabbid in Princess Peach drag have bootleg quotients that are off the scale.If anything the Rabbids and their contemporary slapstick sense of humor feel more like extended guest stars in Ubisoft’s attempt to make a classic comedy Mario spin-off in the vein of Super Mario RPG (a Square Enix game which itself was a bit of a bootleg Mario at the time). It’s just that the game is full of these tiny little deviations from what an internally produced Mario game would ever be.Not to spoil too much, but even from the first frame the game is on some buckwild business that feels super foreign for a Mario game. There’s this whole framing device, a voiced pre-rendered cinematic with the kind of Western AAA production value Nintendo usually avoids, about hip technological teenagers in the real-world accidentally merging the fictional Mario and Rabbids worlds or something?The Rabbids show up in their time-traveling washing machine, making this canon with other Rabbids games. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if the whole story tied into the Assassin’s Creed (and now Final Fantasy XV) universe by the end, that the whole time you’ve been reliving Mario’s genetic memories in the Animus fighting Templar Rabbids. After all, arguably the best Assassin’s Creed game starred an Italian who loved to jump.The game itself, while gorgeous despite occasional technical hiccups, also doesn’t quite look like a Nintendo Mario game. There’s a plastic, toyish quality to the visuals, almost like the old Donkey Kong Country but with much higher fidelity. It adds to the sense that this is a very shiny and lovely fake, like those Hollywood-aping 1970s grindhouse movies shot throughout pastoral Europe. The most memorable music is loving orchestral covers of classic Mario tracks, exquisite but imitations.The generic text boxes might not look as lovely. They almost seem like unfinished placeholders. But the words within them are chef’s kiss sublime in how bizarre they are in a Mario context. After you get past the initial shock of reading light cursing in a Mario game (ah, the French) you’ll begin to notice the deeper shock of how weirdly heightened and dramatic the dialogue is. Bowser Jr. threatens you with oblivion as your robot helper companion Beep-0 compares you to the Greek sex god Aphrodite. And that’s before the fully sung Italian opera boss fight.Oh, and don’t forget that this is the Mario game where all the cartoon kids mascots have guns, which is the most fever dream bootleg Mario thing of all. Just watch this trailer (with it’s bootleg AC/DC muzak) again.More cynically, Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle‘s non-Nintendo status can also be seen in its business model. While Nintendo has dabbled with season passes in huge games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, extra DLC after the fact is Ubisoft’s bread and butter. So of course this game is already preparing to sell you more content going into 2018, content I’m already willing to begrudgingly purchase because I like the game so much.Ubisoft should be shocked and grateful this game has any good will at all thanks to surprisingly fantastic showings after weeks of eyebrow-raising and expectation-lowering rumors and leaks. I hope they don’t greedily squander it with typical big video game publisher BS. At preview events Nintendo reps would always stress how this is a Ubisoft game and now I get why.Regardless, Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle is an incredible, beautiful tactics game that’s accessible without sacrificing unique strategic depth. But it’s also a fascinating example of what happens when the zany but conservative Nintendo opens up its world-famous franchises to someone else’s interpretation. It’s like those guest animator openings on recent Simpsons episodes. We’ll be getting a proper official weird Mario on Nintendo Switch later this year with Super Mario Odyssey, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy a great bootleg Mario, too.Want to learn more? Here’s everything you need to know about the Nintendo Switch.Buy it now!The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the WildNintendo SwitchProtect Your Nintendo Switch With These Awesome CasesView as: One Page Slides1/61. Mario and the Raving Rabbids have joined forces to make a promising video game.2. Rabbid bosses put weird spins on classic Mario iconography.3. This turn-based strategy game resembles classics like X-COM.4. I’m very excited for this game.5. The surprisingly vast amount of movement and combat options really lets you plan out elaborate strategies. 6. Bizarre premise aside, Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle is shaping up to be a fun, deep, beautiful tactics game for Nintendo Switch.Let us know what you like about Geek by taking our survey.
Kolkata: As part of its continued efforts towards sustainable development, WWF India has enabled alternative energy access to a cluster of households at Gosaba block in the Sunderbans. The organization, under its ‘Sahasra Jyoti’ project, had been working extensively with local communities in the mangrove forest area of West Bengal to provide them cost-effective energy solutions – while reducing the pressure on surrounding environment, a WWFI official said. Also Read – Heavy rain hits traffic, flightsA solar project at Satjelia Island in the area has already covered five hamlets, he said.”We have installed five micro grids in three phases with the installed capacity of 56.18 kW,” senior coordinator-energy access and communities, Climate Change and Energy Programme, Subhro Sen said.The number of establishments covered under the project in Gosaba block included 25 shops, eight institutions and 512 houses, he said, adding that over 2100 individuals have benefitted in the area. Also Read – Speeding Jaguar crashes into Merc, 2 B’deshi bystanders killed”Sixty per cent of the households that got electricity belonged to BPL families. We have also installed 50 street lights as part of the initiative,” he said.Four village energy committees, with local people as members, have been formed in the area to monitor the project implementation and eight persons have been trained to function as system operators, he added.The project has improved the living conditions of people in the rural areas, a senior official at the Kolkata chapter of the organization said.”The village folks can now keep their shops are open till late in the evening and children can study after sunset,” the official added.
Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday announced setting up of a monument at Marichjhapi Island in the Sunderbans in memory of the incident of forcible eviction of Bangladeshi refugees in 1979 and the subsequent deaths of around thousands in police firing, starvation and disease. The response came from Banerjee during the question answer session in the Assembly about tourism projects in South 24-Parganas. Responding to another poser on whether the government is planning to host a light and sound show on Plassey ground, where the 1757 war of independence was fought similar to what is hosted at Motijheel, Banerjee said the proposal is under consideration. The response from the Chief Minister came after Tourism minister Goutam Deb failed to deliver proper information regarding tourism projects.
Melodies that are soothing tend to be remembered by connoisseurs and to showcase the best, Atul productions is coming up with the lushness of classical Indian music in a live show titled-’Mousiqui – A musical interpretation of life’ at Siri Fort Auditorium in the national Capital.Atul Productions in association with A & G Partners, promises to enthrall the music lovers with their 35-member troupe of exemplary singers, musicians and dancers. The show is planned as a series of 10 events in important Indian cities starting with its grand opening in Delhi followed by Kolkata, Bangalore, Lucknow, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Bhopal, Chandigarh and others. Through a grand event at Assi Ghat, Varanasi around Vijayadashami this year, ‘Mousiqui’ will take the audience through musical interpretation of the five stages of life. Also Read – ‘Playing Jojo was emotionally exhausting’The experience includes the serene seven notes of sur, the mystic melodies of raaga, the rejection and acceptance of unconditional love, the competitive spirit of Jugalbandi and the never-ending search for the supreme. This transcendent live music performance by musicians, singers and dancers will take Indian music and dance aficionados on a soul enriching experience.In the presence of elite dignitaries and classical music connoisseurs, Mousiqui will be unveiled with all the musical chords in a perfect harmony.Created by Sajjad Ali Chandwani, the festival –’Mousiqui – A musical interpretation of life’ is one of its kind. The composer Sajjad Ali is the grandson of legendary Ghulam Mohammed (Music Director of the film Pakeezah) and comes in with an experience of over a thousand international performances of similar shows in countries like France, UK, Canada etc.