October 16, 2018

Boy With Autism Meets Taylor Swift After She Helped Him Get A 'Life-Changing' Service Dog

Two years ago, Taylor Swift donated $10,000 to help Jacob Hill get a service dog.

Last weekend, with no advance notice, Taylor sent front row tickets and backstage passes to Jacob's family for her concert in Houston.

The world can be an overwhelming place for Jacob, an 8-year-old with autism. He is very sensitive to loud noises and bright lights. But he overcame them to meet his favorite musician, Taylor Swift.

Jacob also tends to wander off, which is why Taylor donated $10,000 to Jacob's family to get him a service dog. The donation was sent after Jacob's sister and cousin re-wrote Taylor's "Blank Space" and put it on YouTube, hoping for donations.

https://www.sunnyskyz.com/good-news/3027/Boy-With-Autism-Meets-Taylor-Swift-After-She-Helped-Him-Get-A-039-Life-Changing-039-Service-Dog

October 16, 2018

Canada starts legal marijuana sales Wednesday as world watches closely

VANCOUVER – Canada’s launch of legal marijuana sales may set the stage for a global cannabis revolution, unleashing a wave of high-quality medical research that could bolster pot's reputation as a healthier alternative to alcohol and tobacco and fuel a economic boom across the USA.

Starting Wednesday, Canada becomes the highest-profile country to not only decriminalize cannabis possession and use, but to tax, regulate and monitor its growth, distribution and sale.

"They know they are the global leaders if they get it right. And they are making this a priority from the top down," said April Pride of Van der Pop, a Seattle-based women-focused cannabis lifestyle brand operating in the USA and Canada.

Canada’s national approach means pot businesses can use banks, trade stocks and sponsor peer-reviewed medical studies like any other pharmaceutical operation. It's a far cry from the piecemeal approach taken in the USA, where cannabis entrepreneurs worry the Justice Department may swoop in if the political winds shift. Though a majority of states have adopted some form of legal weed, marijuana remains illegal at the federal level in the USA.

USA Today

October 16, 2018

Democrats eyeing 2020 run are building ties to power brokers in key states

Before he cut the $100,000 checks, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti brought the Democratic Party chairmen from Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada backstage to meet late night television host Jimmy Kimmel and superstar hip-hop producer DJ Khaled.

Garcetti may not be the best-known 2020 presidential prospect, but he will not be forgotten by those who lead Democratic politics in the states most responsible for picking the party's next presidential nominee.

After the star-studded California fundraiser late last month that featured 10 state-party chairmen, followed by a private dinner, Garcetti issued $100,000 checks to each of their state parties. It was the money, more than the celebrity, that impressed New Hampshire Democratic Party Chairman Ray Buckley.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-2020-democratic-presidential-candidates-20181016-story.html

Been seeing a lot of new names. Avenatti, Eric Garcetti, Howard Schultz.

I think Bloomberg is the one I am least excited about, if he throws his hat in the ring. I just worry he might be able to buy the office. Not that other don't have serious money.

I've heard very few name thrown out of people who don't speak well to our causes. I'm really excited about the next couple of years. The Senate is so important right now. Absolutely huge. The house is our stop-gap when it comes to Trumps destruction. Though he will still be able to cause enormous damage.

October 16, 2018

Pacers star Victor Oladipo has no interest in 'sticking to sports'

INDIANAPOLIS — Stick to sports? No thanks, says Victor Oladipo. That philosophy is reserved for people who define themselves as athletes and nothing more.

That’s not Victor Oladipo. Not anymore.

The budding Indiana Pacers superstar vowed to start pushing the envelope, to "play nothing safe now. I used to be conservative but that really didn’t get me anywhere.”

That’s why Oladipo had no problem defending LeBron James when President Donald Trump attacked the face of the NBA on Twitter, and that's why he was in Hammond, Ind. on Friday. The Pacers star attended a campaign rally last week with former Vice President Joe Biden where he publicly endorsed Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly.

IndyStar

October 16, 2018

Pelosi details her plans for House majority

With 21 days until the midterm elections, the California Democrat and House minority leader is crisscrossing the country fundraising and rallying the Democratic troops, all while plotting her return to the speakership.

Electing more women is central to Pelosi’s mission. Of the 84 “Red to Blue” candidates whom Democrats see as top pickups in races to win the House majority, female Democratic candidates are running in 43 of them.

“It’s not a zero-sum game,” she said in an interview, talking about the need to add more women to the ranks of Congress. “We should celebrate the success because that opens another door.”

Politico

October 16, 2018

Obama, Biden to appear in Las Vegas for rallies

LAS VEGAS - Former President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will be in Las Vegas for Democratic candidates in the next week as early voting kicks off.

The Nevada State Democratic Party said that Obama will appear in Las on Monday, Oct. 22 to appear at a #RiseNVote rally to campaign for Rep. Jacky Rosen, who is running for U.S. Senate, and Clark County Commission Chair Steve Sisolak, who is running for governor. That rally will be at the Cox Pavilion, at UNLV at 1 p.m. Ticket information will be provided in the coming days.

Biden will also appear with Rep. Jacky Rosen and Clark County Commission Chair Steve Sisolak on Saturday, Oct. 20 which is the first day of early voting. He will be at a rally hosted by the Nevada State Democratic Party, Latino Victory Fund, and Culinary Workers Union.

Las Vegas Now

October 15, 2018

Racism, sexism and bigotry.

They really have a hold on us. The Republican party would truly be dead if they didn't maintain the status and power of all three.

Imagine a woman, person of color, or gay person with a similar background to Trump running for national office. It wouldn't happen. White males are literally given opportunities in this country that others aren't. It's not just favoritism. It's literally opportunity others are not afforded.

Can you imagine a married woman talking about grabbing guys by the dicks, discussing how weak and sensitive mens little balls are, denying sexual allegation after sexual allegation, disparaging members of the military, etc. It would be a non-starter.

October 12, 2018

Nancy Pelosi's Internet Bill of Rights

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi plans sweeping regulation of tech if Dems win the majority, Recode's Kara Swisher reports in a New York Times essay:

In an interview with Swisher, Pelosi suggested that " a new agency could be created to manage tech’s growing impact." And in April, Pelosi put congressman Ro Khanna — the Democratic whose California district is home to Apple, Intel and Yahoo — in charge of with creating a list of principles. "Call it a Bill of Rights for the internet," Swisher writes.

Axios

October 12, 2018

Vintage photos show the realities of life after World War I

CNN Style

October 12, 2018

Pentagon grounds all F-35 fighter jets following crash -- latest issue for costly program

The U.S. Navy, Air Force and Marines — as well as 11 international partners who participated in the program — grounded all F-35 fighters on Thursday as part of an ongoing investigation into a jet that crashed in Beaufort, South Carolina, late last month.

A Navy aircraft mishap board is charged with overseeing the investigation, and they will be conducting a fleet-wide inspection of a fuel tube inside the engine of the F-35 aircraft, according to military officials.

"The primary goal following any mishap is the prevention of future incidents," Joe Dellavedova, the director of public affairs for the F-35 program, said in a statement. "We will take every measure to ensure safe operations while we deliver, sustain and modernize the F-35 for the warfighter and our defense partners."

Dellavedova said that they will remove and replace any fuel tubes they suspect might be problematic. Those planes that don't have the problem will be cleared to fly, he said, and they hope to have the inspections completed within 24 to 48 hours.

NBC