Tampa serial killer suspect used same gun in 4 killings, police say

Howell Emanuel Donaldson 111  booking mugshot .
By Edmund DeMarche, Travis Fedschun | Fox News

The suspect in the serial killings spanning a 51-day period that terrorized a Tampa neighborhood used the same gun in four killings, but had "no apparent motive," the city's top law enforcement official said Wednesday.

The suspect, 24-year-old Howell Emanuel Donaldson III, admitted he owned the gun that was turned over to police Tuesday and that cracked the case, but did not admit to the killings, Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan said at a news conference.

"He was cooperative, but did not tell us why he was doing this," he said.

Howell E. Donaldson III seen in a mugshot released Wednesday.  (Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office)
Donaldson was arrested at a McDonald's in Ybor City based on a tip given to Tampa police after he brought the loaded gun to his job at the restaurant and asked a co-worker to hold it. The employee then told her manager about the gun, who alerted a Tampa police officer at a table in the restaurant, according to an arrest report. 

When Donaldson returned to the McDonald's, police were waiting for him and took him into custody. Dugan praised the tip from the employee on Wednesday. 

"The person who called us, I cannot thank them enough for standing up and doing the right thing and saying 'this doesn't seem right, why does this person have a gun in a bag?'" Dugan told reporters. 

Bryan Llenas shares latest details of the Seminole Heights investigation.Video
Tampa police believe one person behind four murders

The police chief said the gun, a .40-caliber Glock, was the missing evidence authorities needed to connect the killings to the images previously released from surveillance video of the suspect leaving the area. 

"The gun is what we needed," Dugan said at a news conference surrounded by family members of the victims.

Donaldson told investigators he was unfamiliar with the Seminole Heights neighborhood where the shootings occurred. He then asked for an attorney, but arrest records don't list one and the police chief said he didn't know if he had a lawyer yet.

Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan, center, along with Mayor Bob Buckhorn, right, announce that they intend to charge Howell Emanuel Donaldson, 24, with four counts of first degree murder in connection with the Seminole Heights homicides, Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2017, in Tampa, Fla. Police detained the man earlier Tuesday after a tip that he had a gun at a McDonald's. Four people have been killed in the neighborhood since Oct. 9.  (Chris Urso/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan, center, along with Mayor Bob Buckhorn, right, announce that they intend to charge Howell Emanuel Donaldson, 24, with four counts of first degree murder in connection with the Seminole Heights homicides, Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2017, in Tampa, Fla.  (Chris Urso/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
"I don't think he wanted to get caught," Dugan said, adding that Donaldson gave the gun to his co-worker at McDonald's for "safe keeping." He allegedly told the co-worker that he wanted to leave the state, FOX 13 Tampa reported. 

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and ATF analyzed the fired cartridge casings in all four murder scenes, and determined the casings were fired from the same firearm: a Glock .40-caliber handgun, according to the affidavit.

A search of Donaldson's cellphone found location data that indicated three days of recorded times and activities corresponding with the first three shootings on Oct. 9, Oct. 11 and Oct. 19, FOX 13 reported, citing the arrest report.

Law enforcement agents investigate a fatal shooting in the Seminole Heights neighborhood in Tampa, Fla., Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2017.  Police searched the neighborhood after a person was shot dead, possibly by a serial killer. Spokesman Steve Hegarty said detectives can't immediately say whether the shooting is related to last month's 10-day spree where three people were slain, but officers are treating it like it is.  (Jones, Octavio/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
Law enforcement agents investigate a fatal shooting in the Seminole Heights neighborhood in Tampa, Fla., Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2017.  (Jones, Octavio/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
Donaldson agreed to allow authorities to search his car and they found a suspected blood stain on clothing, the affidavit said.

"You know, 51 days ago I said this was a struggle between good and evil, well now, goodness has won,"  Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn said.

Donaldson had a brief stint at St. John's University in New York, where he was a walk-on player in the 2011-12 season for the Red Storm basketball team, school sources told The New York Post. He did not play in any games, according to the newspaper.

Residents in working-class Seminole Heights have been on edge since Oct. 9, when 22-year-old Benjamin Mitchell was shot to death. Two days later, 32-year-old Monica Hoffa was slain. And on Oct. 19, Anthony Naiboa, 20, was killed after taking the wrong bus home from his new job.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott said Wednesday that he was happy "no one else got hurt," adding that his heart went out to "these poor families" who lost loved ones.

The latest victim to be gunned down was remembered by family and friends Saturday for his passion for helping others. Ronald Felton, 60, was shot dead Nov. 14 as he was walking to volunteer at a food pantry in Seminole Heights.

"If you knew him, you seen his caring service. He was the Superman of service,” one man said at Felton's memorial service, FOX 13 reported. “I was the supervisor at the food bank, but he was the one in charge."

All of the October victims were either getting on or off a city bus, or were at a bus stop when they were shot dead, police said. 


Dugan said the department had received more than 5,000 tips. He thanked those who called in the tip that led to Donaldson's arrest.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reveal how Harry proposed during BBC interview

GIBSON JOHNS, AOL.COM       November  27th 2017 
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle revealed new details about their relationship -- including how Harry proposed to the "Suits" actress -- in their sit-down interview with the BBC on Monday, their first since announcing their engagement.

Speaking with Mishal Hussein, Markle and Harry appeared completely at ease and totally in love as they talked about the low-key proposal just hours after sharing their exciting news with the world.

"It happened a few weeks ago," Harry started about his proposal. "Earlier this month here at our cottage on just a standard, typical night for us."

"Just a cozy night," Markle interjected with a smile. "What were we doing? Just roasting chicken? Trying to roast a chicken. And it was just an amazing surprise. It was so sweet, and natural and very romantic ... he got on one knee!"

"Yes!" Markle responded enthusiastically when asked if it was an "instant" yes from her. "As a matter of fact, I would barely let you finish proposing. I was like, 'Can I say yes now?'"

"She didn't even let me finish," Harry said, laughing. "Then there were hugs and I had the ring in my finger and I was like, 'Can I give you the ring?' And she was like, 'Oh, yes! The ring!' So, no, it was a really nice moment; it was just the two of us and I think I managed to catch her by surprise, as well. 

As for the ring itself, it was reportedly designed by Harry, along with Cleave and Company, Court Jewellers and Medallists to the queen. It's on a gold band and features a cushion diamond from Botswana, along with two outside stones from the "personal collection" of Princess Diana. 

The couple first met back in July of 2016 on a blind date at a private members club through mutual friends. They went on two back-to-back dates before going camping together in Botswana a few months into their relationship. Markle called their first five or six months together "amazing" because their romance hadn't become public knowledge yet.

Before going on a date with Harry, though, Markle had one question for her friend: "Is he nice?"

"If he wasn't kind, it didn't seem like it would make sense," she said. 

After a highly successful first two dates, the couple "never went longer than two weeks without seeing each other." Neither knew much about the other before they met, which Markle considers a blessing.

"Everything I know about him, I've learned through him," she said with a smile.

'Do you think they'll get the president?': Kushner is reportedly worried as the Russia investigation heats up

MMMMM
Business Insider      SONAM SHETH         November 22nd 2017 
White House senior adviser and President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is said to be increasingly worried about the size and scope of the Russia investigation.
Kushner reportedly asked a friend whether the probe would grow big enough to "get the president."
Trump is under investigation for obstruction-of-justice related to James Comey's firing as FBI director and for his role in crafting a misleading statement his son, Donald Trump Jr., released when it emerged he met with a Kremlin-connected lawyer and lobbyist at Trump Tower in June 2016.
Kushner is a central figure in both those events.

Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's senior adviser and son-in-law, is worried about the widening scope of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, Vanity Fair reported. 

As part of his investigation, Mueller is looking into whether members of the Trump campaign colluded with Moscow to tilt the election in his favor. 

Mueller's office issued the first indictments in October, charging former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his associate, Rick Gates, with 12 counts related to money laundering, financial crimes, and their work as foreign agents. 

After the indictments against Gates and Manafort were unsealed, Kushner reportedly asked a friend, "Do you think they'll get the president?"

Trump is said to be under investigation for obstruction of justice, stemming from his decision to fire James Comey as FBI director in May. 

The White House initially said Trump fired Comey because of the way he handled the FBI's investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server to conduct government business. Later, however, Trump told NBC's Lester Holt that "this Russia thing" had been a factor in his decision.

He also reportedly told two high-ranking Russian officials that firing "nut job" Comey had taken "great pressure" off of him. The alleged conversation took place in the Oval Office one day after Comey was dismissed. 

In addition to building an obstruction-of-justice case against Trump, Mueller is also reportedly looking into the president's role in drafting an initially misleading statement his son, Donald Trump Jr., issued in response to reports in July that he met with a Kremlin-connected lawyer at Trump Tower in June 2016.

The statement had to be amended several times, after it emerged that Trump Jr. took the meeting when he was promised dirt on then Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton as "part of Russia and its government's support for Mr. Trump."
Kushner's role takes center stage

Kushner was a key player during both events. He attended the Trump Tower meeting in June 2016, along with Manafort and Trump Jr., and he "pushed" Trump to fire Comey, according to The Wall Street Journal.

He was also with Trump in Bedminster during a weekend in early May, when Trump put together a draft letter laying out all the reasons he wanted to fire Comey. Though the letter was never ultimately sent after White House counsel Don McGahn strongly advised against it, Trump fired Comey days later. The letter is now in Mueller's possession. 

Concerns about the Russia investigation and Kushner are not one-sided. Two Republicans who have spoken with Trump recently told Vanity Fair that he has been "frustrated" with Kushner's advice, including when he pushed the president to dismiss Comey. 

Trump has been "pressuring" Kushner and his wife, Ivanka, to leave Washington, DC and return to New York to avoid negative press coverage, one source close to Kushner told Vanity Fair. 


But it's unlikely he will leave the spotlight any time soon, particularly as he becomes an increasingly critical figure in the Russia investigation.

It is the first time a coffee-derived biofuel will be used on London's public transport system  

              

Waste coffee grounds will be used to help power some of London's buses from Monday, it has been revealed.

A biofuel created by blending oil extracted from coffee waste with diesel is to be added to the public transport fuel supply.

Technology firm bio-bean says it has produced enough coffee oil to power one bus for a year.

Transport for London (TfL) has increasingly turned to using biofuels to reduce transport emissions

Biofuel made using waste products such as cooking oil and tallow from meat processing is already used in many of the capital's 9,500 buses. However, this is thought to be the first time a coffee-derived biofuel has been added to London's public transport system.
 

About 55 million cups of coffee are drunk in the UK per day, the British Coffee Association says

 

Londoners create 200,000 tons of coffee waste a year, according to bio-bean. The company takes the used grounds from coffee shops and instant coffee factories, and extracts oil from it in its factory.

This is then processed into a blended B20 biofuel. Buses can be powered using the fuel without the need for modification.

 

More than two billion passenger trips are made on buses each year in London

 

Will buses be run on coffee in future?

The firm believes it would take just over 2.55 million cups of coffee to create the enough biofuel to run a London bus for a year once the oil has been blended with diesel. Six-thousand litres of coffee oil have been produced so far.
"It's a great example of what can be done when we start to reimagine waste as an untapped resource," bio-bean founder Arthur Kay said.
A report from the University of Manchester suggests that renewed emphasis be placed on developing waste.... "In the UK we produce 16 million tons every year, enough to double our current biofuel supplies. A third of that waste is called green waste, a quarter of it is agricultural straw".
The authors believe there is great scope for expansion in the use of unavoidable waste, such as used cooking oil, forest and sawmill residues, the dregs from whisky manufacture, even oils from sewage are possible bio-fuel.
In the future it is possible that we will be able to convert all waste products, including plastic into bio-fuels. Cheap transportation fuel, no carbon emissions and no garbage dumps. It's a win-win.
What a beautiful world.

World’s first head transplant is “imminent”

 This post was suggested by my grandson Jacob

 

Never too far away from making headlines, the controversial neurosurgeon Sergio Canavero is back with claims that the world’s first head transplant is “imminent”, after Chinese scientists successfully carried out the first head transplant on a human corpse.
He revealed the news at a press conference in Vienna on Friday morning. Professor Canavero claims the feat was carried out during an 18-hour operation at Harbin Medical University in China, during which a team of surgeons successfully severed then reconnected the spinal cord, nerves, and blood vessels in the spine and neck.

The operation was led by Dr Xiaoping Ren, a surgeon who has previously transplanted the head of a monkey and numerous rodents. Harbin Medical University is expected to write a full report on the operation within the next few days.
“The first human transplant on human cadavers has been done," Canavero told the crowd, according to the Telegraph. "A full head swap between brain-dead organ donors is the next stage. And that is the final step for the formal head transplant for a medical condition which is imminent.”

In a phone interview today, Canavero told USA Today that the operation will take place in China because the scientific establishment and authorities of Europe and the US were unwilling to support the contentious surgery.
"The Americans did not understand,” he said. "Chinese President Xi Jinping wants to restore China to greatness. He wants to make it the sole superpower in the world. I believe he is doing it.”

The eccentric Italian's plans to pull off the first live human head transplant have been surrounded and fueled with controversy. Back in 2015, he estimated that the operation would be done and dusted by 2017, however that’s looking unlikely considering the recent rate of developments.
Even though Canavero has spent the past few year writing scientific studies on the feat, massive doubts are continuing to be cast onto the scientific legitimacy of his big promises. Arthur Caplan, head of medical ethics at Langone Medical Center of New York University, said Canavero was “out of his mind”.

Speaking about head transplant surgery, neuroscientist Dean Burnett said: “When someone makes an extreme claim, my rule of thumb is this: If they haven’t provided robust scientific evidence, but they have done a TED talk, alarm bells should be ringing.”

First head transplant successfully carried out on live monkey
WARNING: Graphic picture. 


The first head transplant on a primate has been carried out by scientists in China 

Dr Sergio Canavero  carried out the first head transplant on a monkey ahead of plans to attempt the controversial procedure on a human by the end of next year.
Professor  Canavero, Director of the Turin Advanced Neuromodulation Group and researchers at Harbin Medical University in China posted pictures of the creature whose head appears to have been grafted onto the body of another animal.
Stitches can clearly be seen surrounding the neck, which looked to be entirely severed.
"The plan for the first human head transplant is on schedule, towards its expected date of realization, Christmas 2017. “

According to Prof Canavero, the team led by Xiaoping Ren, connected the blood supply to prove that the animal could survive without suffering brain injury. They have not yet attempted to join the spinal cords so if the animal survived it would be completely paralysed.
“The monkey fully survived the procedure without any neurological injury of whatever kind,” says Prof Canavero, but said it was  kept alive for only 20 hours after the procedure for ethical reasons.

The picture claimed to be the first monkey head transplant

Ren has also tested some experiments on human corpses.
“We’ve done a pilot study testing some ideas about how to prevent injury,” he said.
The experiments are reported in a set of seven papers which are due to be published in the journals Surgery and CNS Neuroscience and Therapeutics. The papers also claim to have shown that spine fusion technology developed by Canavero ‘has a strong rationale’ and works in mice allowing them to recover motor function. The team claims that crucial nerve fibers regrew.

A press release ahead of the publication said: “A full monkey head transplant has been successfully accomplished by Prof Ren’s group in China with the goal of testing cross-circulation and hypothermia as an effective neuroprotective strategy.
“The first studies on human cadavers have already begun in China and will be expanded shortly.
"The plan for the first human head transplant is on schedule, towards its expected date of realization, Christmas 2017. “
Canavero shocked the world last year when he said that he would be ready to transplant a human head within two years. He wants the first patient to be 31-year-old Russian, Valery Spriridonov, who has a genetic muscle-wasting disease.

 

Spriridonov, the Russian patient, will only be able to receive a new body in Russia, which will require a commitment from Russian authorities.
It is claimed that initial talks with Russian surgeons have already taken place and the team are hoping to approach Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg for finance.
In the meantime, Vietnam has offered itself to host future head transplants.
“I would say we have plenty of data to go on,” said Prof Canavero. “It’s important that people stop thinking this is impossible. This is absolutely possible and we’re working towards it.”

Prof Sergio Canavero

However the fact that the team has press released their work before it has been published an peer reviewed has left some scientists anxious about the validity of their claims.
“It’s science through public relations,” Arthur Caplan, a bioethicist at New York University School of Medicine told New Scientist.
“When it gets published in a peer-reviewed journal I’ll be interested. I think the rest of it is BS.”

Thomas Cochrane, a neurologist at Harvard Medical School’s Centre for Bioethics, also told the magazine Canavero’s press release was unorthodox. “It’s frowned upon for good reason,” he said.
“It generates excitement before excitement is warranted. It distracts people from actual work that everyone can agree has a valid foundation. As far as I can tell, that operation has mostly been about publicity rather than the production of good science.”
“If the so-called head transplant works, this is going to open up a whole new science of spinal cord trauma reconstruction,” says Michael Sarr, editor of the journal Surgery and a surgeon at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. “
We are most interested in spinal cord reconstruction using head transplantation as a proof of principle. Our journal does not necessarily support head transplantation because of multiple ethical issues and multiple considerations of informed consent and the possibility of negative consequences of a head transplant.”

I can see a cornucopia of ethical problems with this process . Add to this, a certain amount of shock and awe that we can actually do this. Is it a good thing? Is it a step toward immortality? Will someone take this knowledge and use for evil purposes? Of course they will. They always do.

Exciting new exoplanet discovered ...could support life

 
Ross 128 b might be a target in the search for extra-terrestrial life  

              

Astronomers have found a cool, Earth-sized planet that's relatively close to our Solar System.

The properties of this newly discovered planet - called Ross 128 b - make it a prime target in the search for life elsewhere in the cosmos. The climate and atmosphere seem adequate to support life so it is very exciting.
At just 11 light-years away, it's the second closest exoplanet of its kind to Earth.  The closest one, known as Proxima b, looks to be less hospitable for life. Found in 2016, it orbits the star Proxima Centauri, which is known to be a rather active "red dwarf" star. This means that powerful eruptions periodically batter Proxima b with harmful radiation.

The new planet, Ross 128 b, orbits a star that's not dissimilar to Proxima Centauri (it's also a red dwarf), but is significantly less active.
Co-discoverer Nicola Astudillo-Defru from the Geneva Observatory in Switzerland told
 journalists, "Because Proxima Centauri blasts its planet with strong flares and high energy radiation, I think Ross 128 is much more comfortable for the development of life.  But we still need to know what the atmosphere of Ross 128 b is like. Depending on its composition and the reflectivity of its clouds, the exoplanet may be life friendly with liquid water as the Earth, or sterile like Venus.

The discovery was made at the La Silla Observatory in Chile

 

Lead author of the study describing the find, Xavier Bonfils, from the Institute of Planetology and Astrophysics in Grenoble (IPAG), France, said, "Ross 128 is one of the quietest stars of our sample and, although it is a little further away from us it makes for an excellent alternative target."
The new world was discovered with the High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher (Harps) instrument at the La Silla Observatory in Chile. The work will be published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.
Dr Astudillo-Defru said the find was the result of more than a decade of "intensive monitoring" using the Harps instrument. At 1.35 times the mass of our planet, Ross 128 b is a bit heftier than Earth and orbits 20 times closer to its star than we orbit the Sun. But because the new planet's parent star is much smaller and dimmer than our yellow sun, it receives only a little more solar radiation than Earth. Consequently, it is expected to have a surface temperature close to that on our own planet.

The Extremely Large Telescope should be able to probe the atmospheres of exoplanets like Ross 128b

The James Webb Space Telescope should launch in 2019
 

In the search for habitable worlds beyond our Solar System, astronomers generally look for low-mass, rocky and temperate planets like ours.  But these are comparatively difficult to detect; most of the 3,500 known exoplanets are so-called Hot Jupiters - huge gas giants orbiting very close to their parent stars that don't have suitable conditions for life.
Of the smaller contingent of Earth-sized planets, the vast majority orbit red dwarf stars - the most common type in the Milky Way. Because this category of star is dim, it's easier for astronomers to detect low-mass planets when they pass in front (as viewed from Earth), blocking out a portion of the light.
Red dwarfs are generally more active than G-type stars like the Sun, but there's underlying variation.
At "just" 4.2 light-years away, Proxima b may be the closest exoplanet with a mild temperature. But it receives about 30 times more extreme ultraviolet radiation than Earth. Ross 128 b, on the other hand, has the "quietest" nearby star to host a temperate exoplanet.

Proxima b is in the habitable zone, but could be exposed to harmful levels of radiation
 

Astronomers often talk about the "habitable zone" around a star - it's the range of distances where temperatures allow water (essential for life as we know it) to remain liquid on the surface of a planet. Where the habitable zone lies depends on the star itself: red dwarfs are dimmer and therefore cooler than the Sun, so their habitable zones are shifted closer in than the equivalent zone in our Solar System.
There's still uncertainty about whether Ross 128 b is within its star's habitable zone, but scientists say that with temperatures of between -60 and +20°C, it can be considered temperate. But, as Dr Astudillo-Defru alluded , a lot depends on the presence of an atmosphere. An envelope of greenhouse gases can warm the surface and provide sufficient pressure to keep water in the liquid state.
Next, astronomers want to study the atmospheric composition and chemistry of suitable, nearby worlds like Ross 128 b. The detection of gases such as oxygen could potentially point to biological processes.  When the ELT ( European Southern Observatory's Extremely Large Telescope) comes online (at the middle of the next decade) it will provide both the power and  resolution to observe Ross 128 b directly. We will be able to see if it has an atmosphere and, eventually, to search for O2, water and CH4 (methane).
 An atmosphere, O2 and water would be super exciting and an important step toward the evidence of life outside our Solar System.
Although currently 11 light-years from Earth, the new planet's parent star Ross 128 is moving towards us and is expected to overtake Proxima Centauri as our nearest stellar neighbour in just 79,000 years - a heartbeat on cosmic timescales.
The search for life continues and it is no longer a question of 'if' but 'when'.

North Korean state newspaper announces 'death sentence' for Trump

ALEX LASKER, AOL.COM          November  15th 2017 
A North Korean state newspaper has issued a death sentence for U.S. President Donald Trump after he insulted Kim Jong-Un during his recent trip to Asia, according to the Guardian. 

An editorial in the ruling party's newspaper Rodong Sinmun declared Trump a "criminal" and said their nation's people had sentenced him to death because of the unflattering way he talks about their country and their supreme leader. 

"The worst crime for which he can never be pardoned is that he dared [to] malignantly hurt the dignity of the supreme leadership," the editorial read. "He should know that he is just a hideous criminal sentenced to death by the Korean people."

The scathing article was in response to comments Trump made during his recent visit to South Korea, where he condemned the North's "cruel dictatorship" in a speech to South Korea’s National Assembly.

During his address, Trump called North Korea, "a hell that no person deserves," and warned that "the weapons you are acquiring are not making you safer. They are putting your regime in grave danger. Every step you take down this dark path increases the peril you face."

"Do not underestimate us, and do not try us," the U.S. President added. "We will defend our common security, our shared prosperity, and our sacred liberty."

The editorial also took aim at the fact that Trump skipped a planned visit to the demilitarized border zone between North and South Korea due to inclement weather.

"It wasn’t the weather. He was just too scared to face the glaring eyes of our troops," the article said. 

Days after his South Korea visit, Trump again insulted Kim Jong-Un, calling the dictator "short and fat" in a controversial tweet.

A glimpse of Witchy in her human form :

Okay, so let me get this straight----It's okay for Kim Jung Un to continually threaten the US mainland, South Korea and Japan and constantly insult Trump, but Trump is a "criminal" with a "death sentence" for insulting him?!?  Give me a break!  I'm not a Trump fan and abhor him constantly tweeting insults, no matter who they are directed to--his comments are childish and unprofessional bullying.  However, I think his statements shown above are thoughtful and well-reasoned, and some of the best he has made during his presidency.  He showed constraint and tempered his rhetoric---    I  was very surprise . Good move-Kudos.

Skin cancer-detecting device invented by 4 students wins award

 Courtesy James Dyson Award  The sKan, a skin cancer detecting device

A low cost and non-invasive device that can detect skin cancer has won this year's international James Dyson Award.
The sKan was invented by four Canadian engineering graduates from Ontario's McMaster University.
The handheld device is made from widely available and inexpensive components and could make detection of the disease more accessible.
The World Health Organization says one in every three cancer cases diagnosed worldwide is a skin cancer.
Dyson company founder James Dyson said the sKan received the award because it is "a very clever device with the potential to save lives around the world".
The James Dyson Award has been open to university or recent design graduates across the world since 2002 and celebrates significant, practical and commercially viable designs.

 

The four Canadian students behind the award winning design

The sKan began as final year engineering class project for four medical and bioengineering undergraduates: Michael Takla, Rotimi Fadiya, Prateek Mathur and Shivad Bhavsar.
They were awarded C$50,000 to develop the device, which uses temperature sensors to help in the early detection of melanoma, the mostly deadly form of skin cancer. Because cancerous cells have a higher metabolic rate than normal tissue cells, cancerous tissue warms at a faster rate than non-cancerous tissue when the tissue - in this case skin - is cooled.
The goal is to select patients who should be sent for a biopsy as early detection is key for the treatment of melanoma.
The team plans to use the funds to build a new prototype that can be used in pre-clinical testing.
In Canada, more than 80,000 cases of skin cancer are diagnosed each year. Of those, more than 5,000 are melanoma.
In the US, there are over 5.4 million cases of non-melanoma skin cancer treated each year, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation.
Around 87,000 new cases of invasive melanoma will be diagnosed this year, the organization says.

We should keep supporting and funding research by brilliant young students. They are our brighter future.

Former top intel officials say Trump is getting 'played' by Putin

New York Daily News       ERIN DURKIN
Two former top intelligence officials said President Trump is getting “played” by Russian President Vladimir Putin with his denials of interference in the 2016 election.

“I think he's giving Putin a pass. And I think it demonstrates to Mr. Putin that Donald Trump can be played by foreign leaders who are going to appeal to his ego and to try to play upon his insecurities,” former CIA director John Brennan said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

The manipulation, he said, is “very, very worrisome from a national security standpoint.”

On Air Force One Saturday, Trump said he believes Putin is sincere in his denials that Russia meddled with the presidential election. “Every time he sees me, he said, ‘I didn’t do that.’ And I believe, I really believe that when he tells me that he means it,” he said.

In the same remarks, he called Brennan and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper “political hacks.”

Trump later sought to clarify, saying at a press conference hours later that while he thinks Putin means what he says, he doesn’t necessarily believe him. He said he trusts U.S. intelligence assessments, which found that Russia did interfere.

Clapper, appearing on CNN with Brennan Sunday, agreed that the President is getting played by the Russian leader.

“Putin is committed to undermining our system, our democracy and our whole process. And to try to paint it in any other way is, I think, astounding and, in fact, poses a peril to this country,” he said.

“I do think both the Chinese and Russians think they can play him.”

Brennan said he wasn’t bothered by Trump’s insult. “Considering the source of the criticism, I consider that criticism a badge of honor,” he said.

“Mr. Trump is, for whatever reason, either intimidated by Mr. Putin, afraid of what he could do or what might come out as a result of these investigations. So it's very worrisome,” he said. “It's either naivete, ignorance or fear.”

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, appearing later on the same show, slammed the former intelligence leaders.

“Those were the most ridiculous statements. President Trump is not getting played by anybody,” he said.

He suggested downplaying the Russian misdeeds was a tactic meant to encourage Russian cooperation in North Korea and Syria. “Those are areas we need to work together with Russia and get them on board with our strategy,” he said.

Marc Short, the White House director of legislative affairs, stressed that the President does believe a January 2017 intelligence assessment that concluded Russia had interfered with the vote, though he downplayed the Russian actions as merely “buying Facebook ads” and said the election outcome was not affected.

Intelligence agencies found Russia was behind hacking of Democratic officials’ e-mails, as well as creating fake social media accounts posing as Americans commenting on the election.

“The President does not overlook that. He signed the proclamation that said that there was meddling. We’re not denying that or saying it’s not important,” Short said. “There is zero evidence of any ballot being impacted by Russian interference.”

Twitter/@realDonaldTrump

After US President Donald Trump's Twitter account was briefly deactivated last week by a Twitter employee, many people started wondering if there would be a similar period of silence this week.

After all, Mr Trump is currently in China, known for its "great firewall" that blocks access to many foreign websites, including Twitter.
As it happens, the president has kept up his tweeting in China, thanking his hosts for their hospitality, firing a warning at North Korea, and even changing his Twitter header image to one of him, Chinese president Xi Jinping, and the two first ladies, surrounded by dozens of Chinese performers.
So what's going on? There's two sides to this - a technical aspect, and a political one.

Twitter is blocked on China - but not for the privileged or tech-savvy.
Thousands of websites and social media platforms are blocked in mainland China. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp are all blocked or disrupted, as are websites the authorities consider sensitive. (The BBC News website has been blocked in the past, as have the New York Times and the Economist). Many people circumvent China's firewall by using virtual private networks (VPNs), although the government is now cracking down on VPN vendors.
But the Chinese authorities aren't beyond making exceptions to the rules.Officials briefly contemplated relaxing its censorship laws in a Shanghai Free Trade Zone back in 2013. And the official news agency, Xinhua, uses Twitter to promote its articles - to the consternation of many Chinese social media users who have accused the government of double standards.
Ahead of Mr Trump's arrival, China's Vice Foreign Minister Zheng Zeguang assured reporters he would be able to tweet as much as he wants, saying: "We take everything into account on receiving foreign heads of state, so you should have no reservations about Mr President's ability to keep in touch with the outside."
It's an approach that's been criticized by rights groups. Sophie Richardson, China director at Human Rights Watch, told Bloomberg: "If President Trump is able to tweet from China it's because he enjoys privileges President Xi systematically denies to people across that country."

So how is Mr Trump accessing Twitter?Journalists travelling with Mr Trump have found they can access Twitter on their mobile phones, as long as they are using 3G or 4G roaming networks on a foreign sim card. In practice, foreign officials visiting China are told to follow strict security guidelines, and have sometimes been advised against using their own phones or laptops in the country.
So Mr Trump probably isn't just tweeting off his usual mobile phone.

Mr Trump is a prolific tweeter - while Mr Xi is not

For obvious reasons, the US hasn't given the full details of their arrangements to ensure Mr Trump can go online securely.
But, while en route to Beijing, a White House official did assure reporters that Mr Trump would keep up his tweeting from China, saying "I'm sure we've got the gear aboard this airplane to make it happen."

 Twitter is a political tool
Don't forget that tweeting is also a political act for Mr Trump - he's used it to announce policies, lambast political rivals, and criticise other countries - including China.
If Mr Trump had decided to stay off Twitter in China, it could have been perceived as him being silenced, albeit virtually, by Chinese censorship.
That could explain why the White House official emphasized to reporters that "the president will tweet whatever he wants [while in China]. That's his way of communicating directly with the American people."
However, observers have also picked up on the contrast in tone between Mr Trump's tweets in Beijing, and some of his previous posts.
Although Mr Trump's Wednesday tweets focused on thanking his hosts for the "beautiful welcome", adding "Melania and I will never forget it!", he has previously used Twitter to criticize China's currency devaluation, and argue that China has not done enough to deter North Korea from its nuclear ambitions.

           

Meanwhile, Chinese state media outlets have enthusiastically picked up on Mr Trump's latest China tweets, and the fact he has changed his header image to one of him with Mr Xi.
"Mr Trump was full of feeling after visiting the Forbidden Palace - and even changed his Twitter header photo!" TV station iFeng reported on Chinese microblog weibo, with a thumbs up emoji.
Of course, there was no mention of the fact that Twitter is not officially accessible in China.


Donald J. Trump‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump Nov 9

I am leaving China for Vietnam. @FLOTUS Melania is staying behind to see the zoo, and of course, the Great WALL of China before going to Alaska to greet our AMAZING troops. 11,266 replies 13,115 retweets 67,988 likes      

Donald J. Trump‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump Nov 9 

 My meetings with President Xi Jinping were very productive on both trade and the subject of  North Korea. He is a highly respected and powerful representative of his people. It was great being with him and Madame Peng Liyuan!

Donald J. Trump‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump Nov 9

I don’t blame China, I blame the incompetence of past Admins for allowing China to take advantage of the U.S. on trade leading up to a point where the U.S. is losing $100's of billions. How can you blame China for taking advantage of people that had no clue? I would've done same!

Donald J. Trump‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump Nov 9

In the coming months and years ahead I look forward to building 

an even STRONGER relationship between the United States and China.

 

      

    

 

Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump ‘in a world of s**t’ after moving to DC

President Donald Trump’s tenure in office has reportedly been a rocky time for daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner, whom one family insider has said are “in a world of s**t.” 

“He may seem cool, but he’s sweating, and she’s like her father," a source close to the family told  Vanity Fair in a new story looking back at the couple's first year in D.C. "She’ll never acknowledge it and [will] blame the media. But she’s been working on her reputation forever, and now it’s going to suffer horrifically. And for what?” 

As the piece points out, their initial ascent in Washington was marked by a hope that they would provide a moderating perspective within the administration, but they have since been dogged by a lack of big victories, constant criticisms, and legal woes.

In fact, Ivanka has spoken about the backlash she has experienced.

“Some people have created unrealistic expectations of what they expect from me,”  she told the Financial Times in September. “That my presence in and of itself would carry so much weight with my father that he would abandon his core values and the agenda that the American people voted for when they elected him…It’s not going to happen.”

Her father has since defended her, saying earlier this month that “Ivanka has been treated very unfairly.” 

Ivanka and Jared’s path into politics has also reportedly affected many of their prior relationships. 

Kushner appears to have even cut ties with some friends who expressed their dismay about the election. He told Forbes late last year, “I call it an exfoliation. Anyone who was willing to change a friendship or not do business because of who somebody supports in politics is not somebody who has a lot of character.”

But an earlier Vanity Fair piece from October suggested he and Ivanka may be the ones getting snubbed by the D.C. elite and their former New York associates. 

Despite the challenges both of their brands have faced since joining the administration, and the Russia investigation which looms over Kushner, they are reportedly continuing to work on key issues like child tax credits and others. 

Mr . Humble our in house expert :
Jared's got that backwards...  the people who decided to not do business with him are showing they DO have character....  he says it's because they don't  .   They 'do'  which is why they don't want to do business with him.   And Ivanka........ 'Cry me a river' .....
They have no business in the WH.   They are there as protection for her father which has been said to  have  a mental disability which the family had to constantly hide and delude people in their business sphere from finding out.  They moved there to run interference and it has backfired on all of them tremendously.
It' is being said that  he (Trump)  also has a learning disability that was never addressed.  He is 71 years old and can't read, can't think on his feet, can't carry on a conversation about anything.
This could not happen to a nicer couple. I hope they both end up in prison with the so-called president.
 I've got news for him (Kucher).  He may think that if people drop him because of his political beliefs and his choice of politician he supports shows lack of character, that there are OTHERS who believe that if you support someone who is a KNOWN crook, mentally ill bottom feeder who is a compulsive liar interested in only himself and not the good of the country, YOU'RE showing lack of character...not to mention judgment.  Looks to me like his life has got steadily worse since Crazy Crooked Comrade Chump took office.  I wonder how he will feel when he sees the looks on his children's faces when they march HIM out in handcuffs and they have to visit him in jail--just like HIS felonious father did before him?  You'd think he'd have learned from that experience.  He deserves what he gets. 
Just my humble opinion

Trump warns North Korea's Kim Jong-un: 'Don't try us'

Trump warns North Korea not to underestimate America

 

In a speech in South Korea, President  Trump told Pyongyang it will face disaster unless Kim Jong un abandons his nuclear
ambitions
Donald Trump delivered a stark personal message to Kim Jong-un, saying North Korea will face disaster unless he gives up his nuclear ambitions.
Speaking in front of lawmakers at South Korea’s national assembly, the US president offered a “brighter path” if Pyongyang abandoned its weapons programme, leaving the door open to diplomacy, but also warned that the US was prepared to use military means if necessary. “The weapons that you are acquiring are not making you safer, they are putting your regime in grave danger,” he said. “Every step you take down this dark path increases the peril you face.”
Trump spent two days in South Korea as part of his 12-day tour of east Asia. Addressing Kim directly, he said “despite every crime you have committed against God and man”, the US was prepared to resolve the crisis diplomatically.

“We will offer a path to a much better future,” he said. “It begins with an end to the aggression of your regime, a stop to your development of ballistic missiles, and complete, verifiable and total denuclearisation.”
But Trump also issued a warning to the regime, saying: “Do not underestimate us. Do not try us.”
He said the US would not tolerate threats to its cities and “would not be intimidated”.
“North Korea is not the paradise your grandfather envisioned, it is a hell that no person deserves,” he told Pyongyang.
Trump gave a blistering assessment of life inside the reclusive dictatorship, highlighting a host of human rights abuses including forced labour, arbitrary detentions and famine.
Trump said the world would not tolerate “the menace of a rogue regime” and further nuclear provocations. He also called on China and Russia to help resolve the nuclear crisis by downgrading diplomatic relations with Pyongyang and severing all trade ties.China is North Korea’s most important diplomatic ally and largest trading partner, and Trump has long said Beijing holds the key to controlling Kim’s regime. After speaking in Seoul, Trump flew to Beijing, where he will meet Xi Jinping on Thursday on the next leg of his tour.
“It is our responsibility and our duty to confront this danger together,” he said. “The longer we wait, the greater the danger grows and the fewer the options become.”

Park Ju-min, a lawmaker who attended the speech, said: “It’s good that he didn’t make any comments that will enrage North Korea.
“Of course, North Korea will feel offended because of Trump’s focus on human rights abuses, but he did not make any specific threats against Kim.”
Park added that he was hoping to hear more about improving communication between South Korea and the US, saying he was worried about the US acting unilaterally in dealing with North Korea.
Trump said the world would not tolerate “the menace of a rogue regime” and further nuclear provocations. He also called on China and Russia to help resolve the nuclear crisis by downgrading diplomatic relations with Pyongyang and severing all trade ties.
China is North Korea’s most important diplomatic ally and largest trading partner, and Trump has long said Beijing holds the key to controlling Kim’s regime. After speaking in Seoul, Trump flew to Beijing, where he will meet Xi Jinping on Thursday on the next leg of his tour.

But in a briefing onboard Air Force One, senior US officials admitted efforts to open a dialogue with North Korea had been “discouraging”. Any discussions where it was not open to giving up its nuclear weapons were “a non-starter”, a White House official said, adding that any agreement must include inspections.
Before the speech, Trump was forced to abandon a surprise visit to the demilitarized zone separating South Korea and North Korea. A heavy fog prevented the president’s helicopter from landing on a trip that was meant to show support for US allies in the region and has been a tradition of past presidents.
Min Pyung-doo, a lawmaker in the ruling Democratic party, said of Trump’s speech: “He had some tough words, but the real message is that there is a path to peace through dialogue.
“He reassured us and the world that the alliance with South Korea is strong and that will go a long way to calming the people’s fears here.”
The US president has struck a more conciliatory tone during his two days in South Korea, placing greater emphasis on diplomatic efforts. He said there was “progress” in resolving the North Korean nuclear crisis during a press conference on Tuesday, but declined to give details.
The same day, North Korea showed little sign of giving up its nuclear programme. A commentary in the mouthpiece of the ruling Workers’ party said “we will further bolster our nuclear, treasured sword of justice” if the US continues “hostile acts”.
 

Trump suggested Kim Jong-un should come to the negotiating table to try to thrash out a deal on its weapons programme at a press conference during his 12-day tour of Asia.
But there is little to suggest the reclusive regime is keen on taking up the US offer of talks.
The White House official said: "I think that our administration has made clear from the start that the door is open to dialogue and efforts to sort of probe have been rather discouraging.
"They have shown very little sign that they're interested in talking."
 In fact Kim Jong un responded  to the president's speech by calling Trump "a lunatic old man' who may 'start nuclear war'."

The idea of diplomatic talks was first floated in September when US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Washington was "probing" to see if Pyongyang was interested in talks on denuclearisation.
With tensions at boiling point and rhetoric between the two sides running high, Mr Trump said Mr Tillerson was "wasting his time" trying to instigate talks with Kim.
But the US President struck a much softer tone in Seoul on Tuesday when he reigned in the incendiary language and instead said he believed Pyongyang should "make a deal" on its nuclear weapons programme for its people and all of humanity.
The White House official said Mr Trump believed North Korea should first reduce the threats and end provocations before moving towards sincere steps to ultimately denuclearise
But he added: “I think North Korea has shown that they are the ones that are putting forward preconditions.
"They are the ones who have been saying they're unwilling to talk about nuclear weapons - that that's not on the table.
“Well that's a nonstarter for us."
Mr Trump, who is now in China, plans to enlist Beijing's commitment to enforce economic sanctions against Pyongyang. If successful Mr Trump will have influenced North Korea's only ally.
The official said: “I think that if you look at the activity across that border, certainly there is still some trade taking place.
"There is still some financial links that exist that should not under the Security Council resolutions.
"China is doing much more than it's ever done in the past but it's not the time for complacency or for allowing people to slip through loopholes and for a lot of that residual activity to continue.
"We know that some of that activity is continuing, and we're going to work closely with the Chinese to identify that activity and end it.”

 

On a lighter note,
Mexicans love Mr Trump 

 

 

Paradise Papers: Commerce chief Wilbur Ross's links with sanctioned Russians

First of all; what are the Paradise Papers??
The papers are a huge batch of leaked documents mostly from offshore law firm Appleby, along with corporate registries in 19 tax jurisdictions, which reveal the financial dealings of politicians, celebrities, corporate giants and business leaders.

The 13.4 million records were passed to German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung and then shared with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists as part of a global investigation involving nearly 100 other media organizations in 67 countries.

Wilbur Ross has played a key part in Donald Trump's business and political careers

A top member of Donald Trump's administration has business links with Russian allies of President Vladimir Putin who are under US sanctions, the Paradise Papers have revealed.
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has an interest in Navigator Holdings, which earns millions a year transporting oil and gas for Russian energy firm Sibur. Two major Sibur shareholders are under some form of US sanctions. A commerce department spokesman did not dispute the revelations.
"Secretary Ross recuses himself from any matters focused on transoceanic shipping vessels," the spokesman said, adding that the secretary "works closely with Commerce Department ethics officials to ensure the highest ethical standards".

Another Sibur shareholder is President Putin's son in law, Kirill Shamalov. He holds a 3.9% stake in the firm. Gennady Timchenko, who has been individually sanctioned by the United States, as have at least 12 companies connected to him, and Leonid Mikhelson, whose main company, Novatek, is also sanctioned, are major shareholders. Sibur itself and Mr Shamalov are not under sanctions, although Mr Shamalov's father, Nikolai, is.

The commerce department spokesman said Mr Ross had never met the three Russian shareholders.
The US imposed some sanctions after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. Others were imposed last year for alleged interference in the US presidential election.

The revelations will again raise questions about the Russian connections of Donald Trump's team. His presidency has been dogged by allegations that Russians colluded to try to influence the outcome of the election. He has called the allegations "fake news". A special counsel is investigating the matter.

Wilbur Ross and Donald Trump have known each other for more than a quarter of a century. Mr Ross played a key part in a prepackaged bankruptcy deal - deal agreed between a company and its creditors - for Mr Trump's Atlantic City casino, the Taj Mahal, in the 1990s.

Trump biographer David Cay Johnston reported, "If it hadn't been for Wilbur Ross, Donald Trump would not be in the White House. WL Ross & Co, which was founded by Wilbur Ross, first invested in Navigator Holdings in 2011.

An investigation has revealed details of how Mr Ross retains a financial interest in Navigator Holdings via a number of companies in the Cayman Islands. Some of these Cayman companies were disclosed by Mr Ross when he became commerce secretary, but under the disclosure rules he did not have to declare his interest in Navigator Holdings.
Its annual report in 2016 showed 31.5% was still held by entities in which Mr Ross has a stake, although the value of Mr Ross's personal holding remains unclear.

When Trump met Ross

Donald Trump at the Taj Mahal casino in 1990

Back in 1990, after a high-profile financial battle, Donald Trump opened his third casino in Atlantic City - the Taj Mahal, dubbed the "eighth wonder of the world".
It didn't go well. Mr Trump financed it with $675m raised through junk bonds at an interest rate of 14%. He struggled to make the payments.

Step in Wilbur Ross. Then at Rothschild Inc, he was representing the angry bondholders but liked Donald Trump's style.
Trump biographer David Cay Johnston said: "Wilbur Ross was a key negotiator in Donald Trump not having to go through bankruptcy and not being swept into the dustbin of history because he saw the value in the Trump name."

Mr Ross said at this year's Concordia Annual Summit: "When you meet people who are under tremendous financial pressure... you really get to see what they are made of, and he was made of much stronger stuff than a lot of owners of troubled businesses." One prepackaged bankruptcy later and The Donald was on his way out of debt and heading up the Forbes rich list.

Wilbur Ross became a board member of Navigator in 2012 but the commerce department said he was not on the board when Navigator signed its charter deal with Sibur that year.
But Mr Ross was still a board member during the period from March to November 2014, when the US was sanctioning Russians over the annexation of Crimea, including Mr Timchenko and Mr Mikhelson's company, Novatek.

During that period Navigator continued to increase its business with Sibur. The energy firm accounted for 9.1% of Navigator's total revenues in 2015, compared with 5.3% in 2014, Navigator's own filings show.
Mr Ross left Navigator's board in November 2014 but his seat was taken by Ross group partner Wendy Teramoto, who served on it until 2017.

Figures from 2016 showed Sibur was still among Navigator's top five clients, predominantly exporting Russian gas to Europe and potentially providing significant income to sanctioned Putin allies.
This year, Navigator doubled the fleet it is using on Sibur exports to four. Sibur has provided Navigator with $68m in revenue since 2014.

Ex-US sanctions policy co-ordinator Daniel Fried

There is no suggestion Mr Ross has violated any rules. But Daniel Fried, who oversaw the introduction of US sanctions against Russia under President Barack Obama, said  that it would be a mistake for any American official to do business with Sibur.

"I would advise any client who came to me to stay well away from Sibur or anybody else who has been sanctioned or has a relationship with sanctioned individuals... on the grounds, at least, of reputational risk."

But Mr Ross appears to have maintained a close relationship with the shipping company. On the night that he was nominated as commerce secretary by President Trump, Mr Ross went to a restaurant in New York where he was congratulated on his promotion by the senior management of Navigator Holdings, Bloomberg reported.
Mr Ross reportedly told the CEO of Navigator: "Your interest is aligned to mine. The US economy will grow, and Navigator will be a beneficiary."

Another key Navigator customer has been PDVSA, the Venezuelan state oil company. It was targeted by US sanctions this year. The commerce department said Mr Ross had "been generally supportive of the Administration's sanctions of Russian and other entities".

 Mr Ross seems to be playing both sides against the middle. A very precarious position at best.