Kendrick Lamar Responds To FOX News Calling His Music Worse For African-Americans Than Racism
Earlier this week, the pundits over at FOX News took offense at Kendrick Lamar and his performance of “Alright” at the BET Awards, ultimately concluding that Lamar and hip-hop are worse for African-Americans than racism. Naturally, Lamar responded to Geraldo Rivera to set the record straight about his music.In an interview with TMZ Live, Lamar said, “How can you take a song that’s about hope and turn it into hatred?” He continued, saying “The overall message is ‘we’re gonna be alright.’ It’s not the message of ‘I wanna kill people.’”The full interview elaborates on the situation, saying that his performance on a vandalized cop car was just that… a “performance piece.” Lamar talks about going from the street to the studio, and encouraging youths towards positive acts in the full clip. His conclusion: “Hip-hop is not the problem. Our reality is the problem of the situation.”Check it out below:
Notre Dame’s home football season wrapped up with the Nov. 23 game against Brigham Young University in frigid weather, and Director of Game Day Operations Mike Seamon said it was a “very successful” weekend celebrating the team’s 31 seniors. Seamon said the highlight was recognizing the contributions the senior players made to the program at the Friday Football Luncheon, the pep rally and the pre-game program. “Overall, it was a great weekend honoring all the seniors and their contributions to Notre Dame,” Seamon said. At the pep rally Friday night, captains Bennett Jackson, TJ Jones and Zack Martin spoke about their experience as part of the team and the University. A highlight video was shown for each captain at the pep rally, and all seniors were recognized with highlight videos during the Friday luncheon. “Despite the extremely cold weather, there was still a sizeable crowd on campus for the home season finale,” Seamon said. “The tunnel on Friday had 4,150 visitors and the pep rally at the Compton [Family Ice Arena] had approximately 6,800 in attendance. “We estimated that there were approximately 85,000 fans on campus for the BYU weekend.” Phil Johnson, chief of police for Notre Dame Security Police, said the day turned out well from his group’s perspective despite the cold weather and snow. “Traffic ran smoothly and there were no reported crashes,” Johnson said. “Police made two custodial arrests Saturday, Nov. 23. One man was arrested for public intoxication and possession of marijuana and the other for public intoxication.” Contact Ann Marie Jakubowski at ajakubo1@nd.edu
Earlier this year, we posted the introduction of SABS’ antilock brake pads for V-brake equipped bikes. During my Bike Blogger trip to Taiwan, we got to see the new standard road caliper version and test them out on a short ride.In short, they’re amazing.I sprinted up to a good speed and grabbed a handful of front brake. Normally, this would result in broken teeth, collarbone or worse. With these things, it was a smooth, perfectly controlled stop. Next test? Do the same thing while trying to turn a corner… Coming into the turn, I grabbed the brake as hard as I could again. I’m not going to lie, it was a scary test, but the bike turned as smoothly as normal and the wheel retained perfect traction while holding the intended line.In otherwords, it worked exactly like you’d expect antilock brakes to work in a car. The difference is they rely on speed-appropriate frequency rather computer controlled pulsing. It was really, really impressive.The design uses what’s essentially a tuning-fork-like-weight at the front or rear of the pads depending on model to pulse the entire pad at up to 23 times per second. At 30kmh (about 18mph), your pads are contacting the rim at full force nearly 12 times per second. I didn’t feel any of the pulsing or any vibrations, just smooth, consistent speed reduction.SABS says they’re proven to reduce stopping distances by more than half and offer especially improved braking in the rain.Other than aesthetics, the only downsides are added weight and cost. They retail for $109 to $129 per wheel. For performance bikes and riders, the first two are likely deal breakers. For commuters and casual cyclists, the latter may or may not be an issue. OEM placements would be a really good way to seed the market, and they could likely help keep newbies and occasional bikers safer (and those around them).Performance wise, they’re onto something. They’ve mentioned plans for a disc brake compatible pad or brake, too, which could be a really interesting thing for upscale commuter bikes.Check them out online here.
“Wherever I get contacted to coach, I’ll go. I’ll go anywhere across the state, as long as I get to spread some knowledge,” Patrick McKee said. “I really love giving back to the little kids and giving back to programs that I’ve either wrestled for or competed against.” Coaching gives Patrick and Mitch a chance not only to train better physical wrestlers, but also train them in ways more valuable than sport. Sports have always been a means of teaching life lessons, and both Patrick and Mitch understand the impact they have on the kids goes beyond the sport. They want to be like the mentors they had growing up, ones who helped them get to where they are now. “You understand that what you’re teaching them is more than just wrestling,” Mitch McKee said. Sunday was the last time Patrick will coach until after nationals, but he will still be making an impact. The kids he coaches love to see him compete and they often come to his duals. “The kids will be like, ‘I saw your match the other day, good job!’” he said. “It’s really cool to hear that they’re watching us. It shows you really got to be a good role model, on and off the mat. All these little kids are watching you, so you got to do the right thing.” On the mat, Patrick hopes to replicate his early season success, showing younger wrestlers they can accomplish anything they put their minds to. “I don’t have any short expectations,” he said. “I want to go make a loud statement right away, make the finals of the NCAA, win a national title this year in Minneapolis, and I believe I can do that.” Patrick McKee learned from his brother, now he’s teaching othersBrothers Patrick and Mitch McKee are reunited this season wrestling for the Gophers. Kamaan RichardsRedshirt Freshman Patrick McKee competes at the Maturi Pavilion on Friday, Nov. 1. Nolan O’HaraNovember 14, 2019Jump to CommentsShare on FacebookShare on TwitterShare via EmailPrintWrestling has been a part of Patrick McKee’s life for as long as he can remember. McKee started wrestling when he was three years old, just weeks after his older brother Mitch got involved in the sport. After seeing Mitch go to practices, he wanted to know what wrestling was all about, so he went too, something his mother was not entirely excited about. As one might expect, she was worried about her three-year-old, 30-pound son participating in such a physical sport. Yet, Patrick excelled, getting better and better before becoming a standout athlete in high school. He would go on to be a three-time state champion, earning three all-state and two All-American selections. Then he joined his brother, competing at the University of Minnesota. “We’ve always been on the same team and went to the same club growing up, so it definitely seems right for him to be on the team,” Mitch McKee said.Patrick’s success has continued into college. He got off to an excellent start to his redshirt freshman season, landing a pin within the first minute of his first career dual, and becoming one of five Gophers to be crowned champions at the Bison Open. While Patrick remains dedicated to the sport and keeps his expectations high, personal success is only a small part of the importance wrestling plays in his life. He has also taken the opportunity to use his knowledge of the sport to educate the next generation of wrestlers.“It’s always really fun going and coaching because I get to make my own practice plan, get to warm these kids up and try different things. It’s really cool,” he said. Patrick started coaching when he was a senior in high school. He and Mitch go across the state, from their hometown of St. Michael all the way up north to Brainerd, wherever they can go to help younger wrestlers find their footing. 
Using techniques to uncover people’s implicit intuitions, the researchers explored the fundamental differences behind our attitudes towards unemployment benefits and healthcare. According to the researchers, the differences may be found in the evolutionary history of our species.“For millions of years, a need for health care reflected accidents such as broken legs or random infections. Evolution could therefore have built our psychology to think about illnesses in this way, as something we have no control over. People everywhere seem to have this deep-seated intuition that ill people are unfortunate and deserve to be helped,” Michael Bang Petersen explains.Agreement across countries and political ideologiesEven countries like the US, which you would normally not associate with the term welfare state, healthcare costs are enormous. The researchers did research in both Denmark, the US and Japan and found that everywhere people intuitively believed that people who fall ill are unlucky, while unemployed people have brought it on themselves.“Because we have this psychological tendency to regard people who are ill as unlucky, people’s attitude towards the sick are extremely difficult to change,” Carsten Jensen explains.In modern societies, more people die from lifestyle diseases than from broken legs and infections, and there are considerable socio-economic differences in who will suffer from these lifestyle diseases. But we continue to think of illness as random accidents. This even applies across the political spectrum, where conservatives who normally oppose government spending think of ill people has unfortunate and deserving of care.“The traditional attitudinal factors such as self-interest, access to information and political ideology do not really matter in the healthcare area,” says Michael Bang Petersen and continues:“When it comes to healthcare, everyone seem united in the belief that people who are ill are unlucky and need help. This means that the policies in the areas of health care and unemployment are very different, as we all more or less agree on the goal in healthcare, while we deeply disagree on whether or not unemployed people deserve help.”Pressure on the politiciansIncreased healthcare spending is often explained by the supply of health – i.e. the costs of new technology and medicine. But the researchers from Aarhus University argue that when it comes to the rising costs of healthcare, we are also dealing with demand. Politicians find it hard not to accommodate people’s demand for better healthcare, and no one wants to be seen as responsible for a health scandal.The study behind these results have just been published in the American Journal of Political Science. New research from Aarhus BSS at Aarhus University explains why healthcare costs are running out of control, while costs to unemployment protection are kept in line. The answer is found deep in our psychology, where powerful intuitions lead us to view illness as the result of bad luck and worthy of help.Illness and unemployment are two types of ordinary risks to which we are all exposed. But from a historical perspective, unemployment and illness represent two very different types of risks. Unemployment came about as a result of the industrialisation, while illness is something the human species has faced for millions of years. This difference is reflected in current-day political attitudes.“People across countries are very positive towards the healthcare sector, but are not necessarily that inclined to give money to the unemployed. Why do people generally prefer helping the ill and not the unemployed?” This is the question posed by two professors in political science, Carsten Jensen and Michael Bang Petersen, from Aarhus University. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share
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China confirms new H7N9 case in Zhejiang provinceChina has reported its second case of H7N9 avian flu in a week, according to a story today from Xinhua, China’s state news agency.The Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed the virus in a 67-year-old Zhejiang man. Last week a 35-year-old man from the same province was confirmed to have the disease.The new case-patient, a farmer from the city of Jiaxing, developed symptoms on Oct 16 and is now hospitalized in serious condition, the story said. His case raises the global H7N9 case count to 137, of which 45 have been fatal.Oct 23 Xinhua story Oct 15 CIDRAP News Story “Chinese man hospitalized with severe H7N9 flu”BARDA awards $15 million for flu vaccine capacity buildingTo build influenza vaccine manufacturing capacity in developing countries and prepare for the next influenza pandemic, the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) today announced grants totaling $15 million to two international organizations and two US universities.The World Health Organization (WHO) will receive the lion’s share of the funds—$10.5 million—to support its Global Action Plan for Influenza Vaccines (GAP), the ASPR said in a news release. GAP enhances flu vaccine production in low-resource nations. The money will support production of H7N9 pre-pandemic vaccine candidates and subsequent clinical trials. BARDA has provided about $50 million to GAP in the last 7 years.In addition, PATH, an international non-governmental health group, will receive $4.25 million to provide technical support to flu vaccine manufacturers and help with advanced clinical development of vaccines.Finally, Utah State University and North Carolina State University will receive $125,000 each to conduct training programs for vaccine makers.”Making more vaccine available worldwide during pandemics makes everyone safer,” BARDA Director Robin Robinson, PhD, said in the news release.Oct 23 ASPR news release
Saudi Arabia reports 3 MERS cases, 3 deathsThe ongoing string of MERS-CoV cases in Saudi Arabia continued with a report of three more late yesterday, along with three more deaths, according to the Ministry of Health (MOH).Today the MOH reported no new cases but noted two more deaths in previous cases. The latest reports raise the total cases this month to 71, with 30 deaths.The MOH did not release any of the details it usually includes about new cases, disclosing only their locations: Riyadh, Al Khobar, and Al Jawf. The latest deaths included one in Riyadh, two in Mecca, one in Hofuf, and one in Al-Quway’iyah.The country’s total of MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus) cases has reached 916, with 392 deaths, 24 patients still being treated, and 500 recoveries. Feb 26 MOH reportFeb 27 MOH reportMeanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) released details yesterday on four MERS cases that the MOH had reported to the agency from Feb 20 to 22.The patients were three men and one woman in four cities: Dammam, Al Khobar, Al-Quway’iyah, and Buraydah. The woman, a 58-year-old from Buraydah, died on Feb 21; two of the men were listed in critical condition and one was stable. The man in Al-Quway’iyah, a 51-year-old, matches the description in one of the deaths reported by the MOH today.The Buraydah woman and the man from Al Khobar had possible exposure to MERS-CoV in hospitals, as they were treated in the same ward and by the same personnel as some previous MERS patients, the WHO said. The man from Al-Quway’iyah had drunk raw camel milk before he got sick. The fourth patient had no reported exposure risks.The WHO also said it was informed of the deaths of four previously reported MERS patients. The agency’s MERS case count has reached 1,030, with at least 381 deaths. Feb 26 WHO statement New bornavirus suspected in deaths of German squirrel breedersResearchers say a newly discovered bornavirus may have been the cause of fatal encephalitis in three German men who bred exotic squirrels, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) reported today.The three men, between the ages of 62 and 72, bred variegated squirrels, which are native to Central America and are sometimes used as pets, the ECDC said in a rapid risk assessment. The men, who knew each other but did not live close together, all died recently after illnesses that included confusion, psychomotor impairment, and ocular paresis (partial paralysis).Veterinary investigators did a genetic analysis of tissue from a squirrel that belonged to one of the men and discovered sequences of a new type of bornavirus, a genus that can infect many species of mammals and birds, the ECDC reported. Analysis of brain tissue from the three deceased men subsequently revealed the same virus, which “is clearly different from all currently known bornaviruses.”The available evidence suggests that the virus passed from the squirrels to the men, but there is no proof yet of a direct causal relationship between the viral material in the brain and the encephalitis cases, the report said.Additional testing of variegated squirrels from one breeder and a zoo did not detect the virus, but further investigations are under way. The role of the virus in the three cases and the identification of the virus’s natural hosts, reservoirs, and transmission route all require additional research, the ECDC said.The agency said any risk to the general population appears to be very low, but squirrel breeders and owners of pet squirrels could have an increased risk. Until the investigation is finished, the statement warned, people should avoid feeding or having director contact with variegated squirrels. Feb 27 ECDC statement Feb 27 ECDC rapid risk assessment European report notes high resistance in Salmonella, CampylobacterMulti-drug resistant isolates of Salmonella continue to spread across Europe, and some nations have reported ciprofloxacin resistance in Campylobacter isolates from both humans and animals, according to a report released yesterday by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the ECDC.The report, based on 2013 data, reflects for the first time, the EFSA’s and ECDC’s use of similar criteria to interpret data, which eases comparisons among isolates from humans, animals, and foods, according to an EFSA news release.The report found multidrug resistance levels to be 73.0% in turkeys, 56.0% in broilers, 37.9% in fattening pigs, and 31.8% in humans. Researchers also expressed concern over the continued spread of particularly multidrug-resistant clones in human, broiler, pig, and cattle isolates.More than half of both human and broiler Campylobacter jejuni isolates (54.6% and 54.5%, respectively) were resistant to ciprofloxacin, and the level was 35.8% in cattle. Two thirds of human and broiler Campylobacter coli isolates (66.6% and 68.8%, respectively) were resistant, compared with 31.1% of pig isolates.”The high levels of resistance to fluoroquinolones observed in Campylobacter isolates from both humans and broilers are of concern considering that a large proportion of human Campylobacter infections come from handling, preparation and consumption of broiler meat,” said Mike Catchpole, PhD, chief scientist at ECDC. “Such high resistance levels reduce the effective treatment options for severe human Campylobacter infections.”The report also includes data on resistance in Escherichia coli, enterococci, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in animals and food.Feb 26 EFSA/ECDC abstract and link to full report Feb 26 EFSA press release Study identifies Marburg antibody binding siteUS researchers have determined that antibodies to Marburg virus (MARV), a close relative of Ebola, bind to the virus’s glycoprotein (GP) as well as to Ebola virus glycoprotein, according to a study yesterday in Cell.The study shows that the human immune system can effectively fight MARV infections by producing antibodies and shows how these antibodies inactivate the virus, according to a news release yesterday from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB). The findings could one day help researchers develop antibody-based treatments against both MARV and Ebola viruses, the release says.The researchers isolated a panel of neutralizing antibodies from a Marburg survivor that bind to the virus’s GP and compete for binding to a single antigenic site, which could inhibit infection. This appeared to be the same spot thought to interact with human cells targeted by the virus during the initial phase of infection, according to the release.The authors conclude, “The data suggest that MARV-neutralizing antibodies inhibit virus by binding to infectious virions at the exposed MARV receptor-binding site, revealing a mechanism of filovirus inhibition.”Feb 26 Cell abstract Feb 26 UTMB news release
DeMoulpied comes to LSI from the Private Client Services practice of Ernst & Young where he managed strategy & operations improvement engagements for privately held client businesses. Some of his prior roles include VP of strategic development, director of strategic initiatives, and Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt at OptumHealth, UnitedHealth Group’s health services business, as well as Lean Six Sigma Black Belt at General Electric, where he applied operations improvement principles to customer service, supply chain and product development. A successful entrepreneur, deMoulpied is also the founder of PrestoFresh, a Cleveland-based e-commerce food/grocery business. DeMoulpied has a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Management from the United States Air Force Academy and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Dayton in Marketing and International Business. He served six years with the USAF overseeing the development of technology used on fighter aircraft and the E-3 Surveillance aircraft, finishing his career honorably as Captain. MORTON GROVE, IL — The board of directors of Automatic Transmission Parts (ATP-Inc.) has announced a number of executive appointments. The board has promoted Gary Rogak to president. He most recently served as executive vice president. AdvertisementClick Here to Read MoreAdvertisement Maureen Rogak has been promoted to vice president, logistics and secretary. Mark Pritt, previously vice president of sales, has been named executive vice president, replacing Gary Rogak. Pritt also announced that Robert (Bob) Francen will now assume the role of the national sales manager. Francen previously was field sales manager. Founded in 1955, ATP is supplier of automatic transmission parts, exhaust manifolds, heat risers, harmonic balancers, timing covers, cables, flywheels, ring gears, interior vent filters and chemicals, covering vehicles dating back to the 1960s. _______________________________________ Click here to view the rest of today’s headlines.,Lubrication Specialties Inc. (LSI), manufacturer of Hot Shot’s Secret brand of performance additives and oils, recently announced the expansion of senior leadership. Steve deMoulpied joins LSI as the company’s chief operating officer (COO). AdvertisementClick Here to Read MoreAdvertisement With more than 20 years of experience across multiple industries and functional areas, deMoulpied has particular expertise in organizations with complex technical products. Combined, his prior positions have required a spectrum of skills in corporate strategy, operations improvement, product quality, and revenue cycle management. He has an impressive history of utilizing data driven problem solving (Lean Six Sigma) and project management (PMP and CSM) to achieve strategic goals surrounding customer satisfaction, operational efficiency and improved profit. LSI President Brett Tennar says, “Steve’s success in developing operational strategies that improves the bottom line, builds teamwork, reduces waste and ensures quality product development and distribution checks many of the boxes of what we were looking for in a COO. This, coupled with his career in the Air Force working with highly technical systems and his in-depth understanding of Lean Six Sigma and Business Process Management sealed our offer. As our tagline states, our products are Powered by Science. This data driven approach is one reason why our company has grown exponentially as we employ the most advanced technology to product development. I am confident that Steve is the right person to drive operational strategy for our diverse and growing brands.” Advertisement
A warning bell has sounded for law firms that advised on complex financial deals involving local authorities before the economic downturn, after a firm was found liable to pay more than £28m for giving negligent advice. In Haugesund Kommune v Depfa and Wikborg Rein (No.2), decided on 12 February in the High Court, Mr Justice Tomlinson found that Norwegian firm Wikborg Rein failed to advise Irish bank Depfa ACS that swaps contracts it entered into with two Norwegian municipalities fell outside the local authorities’ powers, and were therefore unenforceable. The contracts were governed under English law. The municipalities had lost money advanced to them by Depfa after investments they made went badly wrong. However, they claimed that they did not have to repay Depfa, because they lacked the capacity ever to have entered into the transactions under laws that restrict their borrowing powers. Before entering into the swap agreements, Depfa sought advice from Wikborg Rein on whether the municipalities had the power to enter into the transactions. Wikborg Rein advised that they did. Tomlinson held that Wikborg Rein gave negligent advice and was liable to pay Depfa NOK258m (£28.3m) to cover the advance payments. The case has similarities with a swath of cases in the 1990s where local authorities’ use of complex financial instruments were found to be outside their powers, causing problems for law firms that advised on the deals. Tomlinson said: ‘Depfa would not have advanced the money to the municipalities had it been advised by Wikborg Rein that there was any material risk that the swaps were prohibited loans… Depfa advanced money on the strength of what turned out to be a non-existent promise to repay it by an entity which had no capacity to borrow or to promise to repay. It is to my mind consistent with [the relevant case law] to regard Wikborg Rein as responsible for the whole loss arising from the advice…’ In his original judgment, Tomlinson found that Wikborg Rein was in breach of its contractual duty to exercise reasonable care and skill in failing to advise Depfa that the swaps were prohibited. He also found that the municipalities were not bound by the swap transactions, but had to make restitution to Depfa nevertheless. Depfa then sought judgment directly against Wikborg Rein for the £28m, relying on the fact that the firm gave negligent advice. Tomlinson addressed this issue in a second judgment on 12 February. A Wikborg Rein spokesman said the firm was appealing the decision.
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