Daily Archives: September 20, 2021

STILL VERY DANGEROUS: SA residents told there will be no freedom day by premier Steven Marshall – 7NEWS.com.au

Posted: September 20, 2021 at 9:22 am

There will be no freedom day in South Australia when vaccine targets are reached, with efforts continuing to try to keep COVID-19 out of the state, Premier Steven Marshall says.

The premier says while SA has signed up to the national roadmap, to allow border measures and lockdown rules to ease, some level of local restrictions will remain in force to keep people safe.

We will have to keep some public health social measures in place, he said.

Were not going to have a freedom day where the borders are open and restrictions are removed at the same time.

This is still a very dangerous pandemic. We want to ensure we maintain our good management of the disease.

Mr Marshall said anybody who became infected in SA, along with their close contacts, would still face periods in quarantine.

The premier said South Australia did not want the disease running through our state but believed the virus will eventually come in.

We want to do that on our own terms and that means, test, trace, isolate and quarantine, and have some public health measures remaining in place, he said.

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Another Texas Execution Delayed on Religious Freedom Claims – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

Posted: at 9:22 am

Another Texas inmate has had his execution delayed over claims the state is violating his religious freedom by not letting his spiritual adviser lay hands on him at the time of his lethal injection.

Ruben Gutierrez was set to be executed on Oct. 27 for fatally stabbing an 85-year-old Brownsville woman in 1998.

But a judge on Wednesday granted a request by the Cameron County District Attorney's Office to vacate the execution date. Prosecutors said the U.S. Supreme Court's upcoming review of similar religious freedom issues made by another inmate, John Henry Ramirez, whose execution the high court delayed last week, will impact Gutierrez's case.

"As the Ramirez matter may be dispositive of any issue related to Gutierrez's religious liberty claim, it is in the best interest of the state, the family of the victim of Gutierrez's crimes, that his execution be delayed," prosecutors said in a motion filed Tuesday.

News from around the state of Texas.

Gutierrez was previously an hour away from execution in June 2020 when the Supreme Court granted him a stay because his spiritual adviser was not allowed to accompany him in the death chamber.

Last month, Gutierrez's attorneys filed a complaint in federal court alleging the Texas Department of Criminal Justice was violating his right to practice his religion by denying his request to have his priest touch his shoulder, pray out loud and perform last rites when he was executed.

Gutierrez, 44, said that these three things need to be done "to ensure my path to the afterlife," according to his complaint.

His attorneys cited the Constitution's First Amendment and a federal statute that protects an inmate's religious rights. Ramirez made similar claims when he was granted a stay.

The Supreme Court has dealt with the presence of spiritual advisers in the death chamber in recent years but has not made a definitive ruling on the issue. That could change after it hears oral arguments in Ramirez's case on Nov. 1.

The court was criticized after it declined to halt the February 2019 execution of Alabama inmate Domineque Ray over his request to have his Islamic spiritual adviser in the death chamber, but then a month later granted a stay for Texas inmate Patrick Murphy, who wanted his Buddhist spiritual adviser in the chamber.

Since then, the Supreme Court has delayed several executions over requests for spiritual advisers.

After the court halted Murphy's execution, the Texas prison system banned all clergy from the death chamber. Texas previously allowed state-employed clergy to accompany inmates, but its prison staff included only Christian and Muslim clerics.

In April, the Texas prison system reversed its two-year ban. The new policy allows an inmate's approved spiritual adviser to be in the chamber, but the two cannot have any contact and vocal prayers are not allowed during the execution. Texas prison officials say direct contact poses a security risk and vocal prayer could be disruptive.

Robert Dunham, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, said the Ramirez case is an opportunity for the Supreme Court to determine if inmates have the right to a spiritual adviser in a death chamber and if so, what is permitted in exercising that right.

"The fact this case can provide the court with an opportunity to lay out a blueprint for what is and what is not acceptable, that's not a guarantee that they'll do it," said Dunham, whose group takes no position on capital punishment but has criticized the way states carry out executions.

If the Supreme Court doesn't provide clear guidance, this issue will continually come up, Dunham said.

Gutierrez has long maintained he didn't kill Escolastica Harrison during what prosecutors say was an attempt to steal more than $600,000 that the elderly woman had hidden in her home.

His attorneys have requested DNA testing they say could point to the real killer.

Prosecutors have said that request is a "ruse" and that Gutierrez was convicted on various pieces of evidence, including a confession.

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The Freedom to Vote Act is Democrats’ final chance to save voting rights – MSNBC

Posted: at 9:22 am

Senate Democrats are all finally on the same page on voting rights. The full text of the newly drafted Freedom to Vote Act dropped Tuesday, the first voting rights bill introduced this year featuring the support of the entire Democratic caucus.

That unity, unfortunately, will not inspire bipartisan comity from their Republican colleagues. Instead, the GOP will likely dig in their heels against what they know is a bill that will overturn their partys state-level disenfranchisement efforts. A filibuster is inevitable.

Whats not written in stone is how the Democrats respond to this hurdle blocking whats likely a once-in-a-generation chance to finally level the playing field for both parties and all of Americas voters. Because this is it this is the ball game. There won't be time to start from scratch with a new bill. Its not hyperbole to say the future of democracy itself depends on Congress passing voting rights legislation before the year is out. And doing so will require, at minimum, carving out an exception from the filibuster for voting rights protections.

This is it this is the ball game. There won't be time to start from scratch with a new bill.

The Freedom to Vote Act is the result of weeks of efforts from senators to craft a pared down version of the For the People Act, or S1. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., was the lone Democratic holdout on that bill, voting with all 50 Republican senators in June to prevent the Senate from beginning debate on the bill. Since then, Manchin has worked with a group including Sens. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., as well as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to hammer out a compromise.

What they produced doesnt go as far as the For the People Act on reforming campaign ethics and finance, but it contains enough provisions to safeguard future elections against Republican tampering. It includes sections that would limit the ability of the GOP to box Democratic-voting minorities into convoluted districts through gerrymandering, overturn the Supreme Courts recent ruling on how provisional ballots can be counted and roll back newly passed laws that make voting by mail harder.

If passed, the bill will also make Election Day a federal holiday, expand voter registration and boost the power of the courts to safeguard elections, as election law expert Marc Elias wrote on Tuesday:

But, the crown jewels of the Freedom to Vote Act are contained in the judicial review provisions. The bill not only creates a specific right to vote in federal elections but guarantees it. Under the new bill, states would be prohibited from enacting laws or policies that are retrogressive i.e., that make voting harder. In addition, the bill would subject significant state restrictions on the right to vote to heightened judicial scrutiny. In another small but important improvement, the new bill allows for virtually all voting rights cases to be filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, which has the promise of creating a national, uniform pro-democracy jurisprudence.

Schumer said Monday that he hopes to hold a vote on the bill as soon as next week. As things stand, though, the Freedom to Vote Act is set to meet the exact same fate as the For the People Act frozen in place thanks to a GOP filibuster. Manchin has set about searching for the 10 Republicans needed to get to 60 votes, enough to break the filibuster, buoyed by the bipartisan infrastructure bill he helped get over the finish line in August. But hes simply not going to find them, not this time.

This time around, much more is on the line than Americas bridges and highways. Passing this bill would totally scramble assumptions about what the next two years look like. Right now, the conventional wisdom is that the Democrats are almost certain to lose control of at least the House next year, thanks in no small part to Republican gerrymandering. In states that President Joe Biden barely won, such as Georgia, Republicans have been working overtime to limit access to the polls and make it harder for those same voters to turn out in the midterms.

But in reversing state laws passed in the name of preventing voting fraud and creating a truly level playing field across the country, Democrats may actually be able to retain power. And, more importantly, elections will be freer and more open than at any point since the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act in 2013. Politicians will have to work to convince their constituents to vote for them rather than relying on voter suppression.

That, in turn, could reset assumptions about what President Joe Biden will be able to pass through Congress before time runs out on his time in office. Biden gets that, which is why hes finally ready to do what it takes to get this bill over the line, according to Rolling Stone:

During a late-July meeting in the Oval Office, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pressed Biden to do more on voting rights; Democrats needed action from him, according to a person briefed on the meeting.

In that Oval Office meeting, the source says, Biden made a pledge: If Pelosi and Schumer tried every option they had to pass a voting-rights bill with Republican votes and got nowhere, Biden would get involved himself and lobby the handful of moderate Democrats to convince them to weaken the filibuster so that the For the People Act could pass without any Republican votes.

Since then, the tenor has shifted in the White House in the last month, multiple sources tell Rolling Stone. The White House has devoted more staff to the issue. More importantly, it has given assurances to outside supporters that Biden now plans to push for filibuster reform when necessary.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., also understands the stakes. The longtime GOP master strategist gave his blessing to the infrastructure bill earlier this summer and allowed it to sail through without opposition. He knew that the benefits outweighed any that would come from blocking it, given that it could all be folded into the Democrats budget reconciliation bill. Thats not the case with federal election legislation, which once upon a time McConnell supported.

That means that there can be no hope for the GOP to see the light on this one, as Manchin has insisted the only way out is through changing the rules of the game. Manchin and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., have been the two most vocal holdouts to preserving the filibuster. But Norman Eisen and Norman Ornstein argued in the Washington Post Tuesday that while eliminating the filibuster is probably off the table, changes to the filibuster are likely inevitable at this point.

Creating a carveout for voting rights then provides Democrats with the chance to send the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which passed in the House in August, to Bidens desk as well. Together, the two bills can be the bulwark against the GOPs attempts to revitalize Jim Crow for a modern era and dilute the poison that Republicans have allowed to seep into our elections. But this is the last chance on the table for the Senate to act. If the Democrats abrogate their duty to the American people in the name of tradition and civility, it will be decades before the damage done to our system will be able to be undone.

Hayes Brown is a writer and editor for MSNBC Daily, where he helps frame the news of the day for readers. He was previously at BuzzFeed News and holds a degree in international relations from Michigan State University.

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Elon Musk may have had the best Met Gala afterparty – Page Six

Posted: at 9:21 am

There are a lot of things about 2021 that we wouldnt have expected a few years ago. But who anticipated that scientists would be throwing the hottest Met Ball after parties?

As we reported, the word in the fashion world on Monday was that Rihanna would have the best late night bash. But it sounds like Elon Musks rocket-fueled fte may have given her a little competition.

Were told the Space X founder hosted an appropriately interstellar guest list including Lil Nas X, Leo DiCaprio, Chris Rock, Rami Malek, music mogul Scooter Braun, Nina Agdal, and rapper Lil Baby at a bash at fashionable private club Zero Bond.

(Lil Nas X had also been at RiRis bash earlier in the evening.)

Sleepless sources say the Tesla bosss pals partied all night.

Teyana Taylor showed up with 15 people and they wouldnt let them in, said a spy, She was pissed. Were told the rapper left with her crew.

Meanwhile, they added, Elon had Secret-Service-level security. He had around 10 guys.

Were told there were no cell phones allowed inside the party.

The Met Gala is something of a special occasion for Musk and baby mama Grimes, who went to this year in a mask (the sci-fi kind, rather than the COVID kind) and a sword inspired by the movie and book Dune.

The pair made their public debut as a couple there in 2019, shortly after Page Six revealed that the pair were an item.

Reps for Musk and Taylor didnt immediately get back to us.

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A 31-year-old ‘frugal’ millionaire explains why he decided to start spending more money – CNBC

Posted: at 9:20 am

Graham Stephan is on track to make more than $6 million this year, and he's finally allowing himself to open up his wallet.

For years, the 31-year-old YouTuber cut costs anywhere he could, eschewing everything from designer clothes to coffee shops. "No one is more frugal than me," he said an interview with CNBC Make It in 2019.

Two years later, however, Stephan has adjusted his philosophy slightly. Though he says he's "still really frugal" and refuses to ever buy coffee out of the house, he now spends much more money than he used to, including on things that his younger self would have never splurged on.

In the past, Stephan exclusively filmed his YouTube videos in the early morning or late evening because he didn't want to buy an air conditioner for his office. But now, he keeps several air conditioners running in his new Las Vegas home at all times.

"I remember [in 2019] the contractor gave me a quote to put in an AC unit in the garage. I think it was like $3,000. I thought to myself 'Well, I could just film in the morning anyway, I could film at night,'" he says. "That was so stupid of me and I wish I had just splurged that extra $3,000."

It's not just comfort that Stephan has decided is worth investing in. Because he works around 10 hours a day on his five different YouTube channels, Stephan also uses his money to buy back his time.

"This is a shift that probably happened for me about a year ago when I was overworked and taking on too much," he says.

Instead of doing everything himself, he spends $130 to have a technician come once a month to maintain his swimming pool and splits $250 a month evenly with his girlfriend, Macy, to hire a cleaning person for the house. He says that the expenses are worth it to have more time to relax or put back into his work.

"[A cleaner is] able to do so much more in two to three hours [and] I'm able to go and do so many other things," he says.

Stephan is also more willing to eat out or get food delivered after long days. "If that means I can save an hour and Macy doesn't have to cook, that to me is 100% worth it to pay that delivery fee or pay for food from a restaurant," he says.

Now that he lives in Las Vegas, Stephan even allows himself to visit a casino every now and then, though he has very strict rules for his gambling and never bets more than $100 or $200 in a single day.

"If I go to the casino, I do the same mathematics as I do for purchasing anything and I think about what game gives the best chance at me making money," he says. He avoids games such as slots, which have a high house advantage, and instead sticks to blackjack, baccarat and craps. "I have a thing where if I double my money I will always walk away. I think this last month I'm up $700."

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Don't miss: Kevin O'Leary explains why he isn't leaving all his money to his kids

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Fred Dakota, Native American casino pioneer in UP, dies at 84 – The Detroit News

Posted: at 9:20 am

Associated Press| Associated Press

Baraga Fred Dakota, whose garage casino in Michigans Upper Peninsula in 1983 was a milestone for Native American gambling, has died at age 84.

Dakota, a former leader of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, died Monday at his home in Baraga, according to Reid Funeral Service. The cause was not disclosed.

Tribal offices were closed Friday, the day of the funeral, along with Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College. Ojibwa Casino locations in Baraga and Marquette were closed for much of the afternoon.

It was an honor and a privilege to stand shoulder to shoulder with one of the greatest leaders in Indian country, tribal President Warren Chris Swartz Jr. said. Fred impacted not only KBIC, but many tribal communities with his leadership abilities.

With a single blackjack table, Dakota opened a casino in a two-stall garage in Baraga County on New Years Eve 1983. A shot of whiskey was 70 cents; better stuff was 20 cents more.

We gave the government vast tracts of land in Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota when we signed that treaty in 1854, Dakota told The New York Times in 1984. And what did we get in return? We got the government to agree not to kill us. Well, now its time we got something more. Gambling is going to make a lot of Indians rich.

The garage casino led to construction of a larger casino, but decisions by federal courts shut it down. Dakota said he couldnt afford more appeals.

By 1987, the U.S. Supreme Court used a California case to ease restrictions on gambling on tribal land, a turning point for Native American casinos. A federal law a year later allowed states to negotiate compacts with tribes.

A jury in 1997 convicted Dakota of accepting $127,000 in bribes from a New Jersey slot machine dealer and evading taxes on the money. He claimed the money was an advance for a telephone lottery game. Dakota was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison.

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The Celebs You’re Most Likely To Spot In The Casino – CelebMix

Posted: at 9:19 am

Casinos are a billion-dollar industry. Its worth 227 billion dollars, to be exact, according to Statista. Why? Because there is a provocative and exciting lure to casinos. Thanks to James Bond and the Ocean sagas, amongst other films, casinos are more than just about winning money. Theyre about class, style, and fun. Still, people go to the casino to win money. Often, success doesnt matter to most people; its the entertaining lure of a casino rather than gambling.

It doesnt get more entertaining than spotting a celeb, so keep reading to see who youre most likely to find at a casino.

Theres a lot you wont know about Matt Damon. One of them is that hes also a professional poker and blackjack player. The 50-year-old, born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is best known for his role in Jason Bourne, The Great Wall, and The Martian. Hes won Golden Globe Awards, multiple critics awards, and even gambling tournaments.

Matt is an excellent poker player, often teaming up with other stars like Ben Affleck to play at some of the most luxurious casinos. As well as being linked to many famous casinos worldwide, he also likes to partake in various tournaments, both online and in land-based casinos. Attributed to Matts success in casinos is that one of the most recognized poker players trained him, Johnny Chan, for a film he starred in, namely Rounders.

Brad Pitt is a sort of acting legend. While he doesnt star in as many films as he used to, the aging (gracefully) Brad Pitt is known for his role in films like Se7en, Mr & Mrs. Smith, Troy, and the iconic fight club. Hes probably more famous for his heavily publicized relationship with both Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie.

Currently, 57-years old and born in Oklahoma, Brad spends his days doing TV appearances and appearing in the media for his terrible relationship with Angelina Jolie. He also loves the casino, both land-based and online. Brad developed a passion for casino games while filming for Oceans 11. He loves interactive high-return slot games, blackjack, and poker. Hes often spotted at glamorous casinos around the world.

Paris Hilton is a public personality, fashion icon, and reality TV star who is loved and hated equally. She is well known for her nasal voice and her ability to act dumb. Whether or not she is as brainless as she makes out is yet to be seen.

Although, recently, she made a documentary that aired on YouTube, highlighting that everything from her voice to the way she acts is fake and how she wants to get rid of the image. It didnt stop her from creating a Netflix series with the same nasally voice rather than her own. When shes not a public personality, the 40-year-old from New York spends her downtime shopping, working out, and in the casino. Paris has been papped multiple times in Las Vegas casinos, letting her hair down on slot games.

George Clooney is by far one of the most successful actors. We know him for being a handsome, all-around good guy in many films. Most of the time, he plays the heroic, romantic womanizer. Best known for his role in films like the Ocean series, Gravity, Batman and Robin, and Fantastic Mr. Fox, George has had an esteemed career. Although he hasnt starred in many films recently, his presence is still felt in the acting world.

His link to the gambling world is probably down to his role in the Oceans films, in which world-class poker players trained him alongside other actors like Brad Pitt. He famously tried to set up his own Las Vegas casino, which ultimately failed because the construction never started. Still, his love for casinos is very much alive.

We know Floyd Mayweather Jr for his love of gambling, not just in casinos. He frequently shares betting tips for many upcoming fights. Floyd is an eccentric character who has been in the media for good and negative in equal measures. Recently he has been in the media because Jake Paul, a YouTuber he went head to head with, stated that Floyd tried to kill him.

The 44-year-old from Michigan often referred to as the Pretty Boy is known for his insane boxing abilities. He has competed in 50 fights and won them all. Hes a machine in the ring and outside, finding success in casinos and the ring. Floyd is best known for partying in Las Vegas, which includes some of the best casinos.

Casinos attract the rich and famous and the average Joe; you dont need to have a ton of money to go to one. Casinos attract attention because theyre fun, thrilling, and an easy way to win some cash. Which celebrity would you most like to meet?

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Our Review Of The Top 15 Gambling Movies Streaming Today – blog.casino.com

Posted: at 9:19 am

Who needs chill when you can have a stack of chips? Its been a great year for online streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and BBC iPlayer. Here at Casino.com, we love a little ante with our visual action.

If youre scratching around for something to watch this week, here is our indispensible guide to the top 15 movies streaming today. Not surprisingly, they all have either a betting theme or are set in a casino or Las Vegas. Is your favourite film here? Did we miss one? Are you sitting comfortably? Lights, camera, action

If you like your clichs served thick and fast, with a large order of strippers, gangsters, crime, and raucous what-happens-in-Vegas-stays-in-Vegas exploits, Bachelor Party Vegas hits the spot. This is Friday night lads movie, best enjoyed with a tub of popcorn and a few beers. The plot: five lads go wild in Las Vegas and things get a lot crazy.

With a 35% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Shakespeare it doth not be. It is however a no-brainer scattered with giggles and a few belly laughs. Just dont over think it and you wont be (too) disappointed.

Made in 2009, just three years after Bachelor Party Vegas, The Hangover was everything its predecessor wasnt. Once again, the pre-nuptial lads go wild in Las Vegas, scoring every stereotype during an unforgettable night which cue plot twist they forget.

The genius premise, of the protagonists trying to work their way back through the night, delighted both viewers and critics. It also introduced the world to nerd extraordinaire Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms, and Bradley Cooper. Funny, sharp, and clever enough to flip the clichs, The Hangover is a must-see and available on Netflix right now.

Gary Oldman, Christian Slater, and a title that promises much. Sadly, this sub-par Quentin Tarantino tribute act largely misses the mark but its not without its good bits. The critics destroyed it but the viewers take is quirky, borderline tacky, and fun stupid fun. Want to give it a whirl? Its on Amazon Prime enjoy

Win It All is a critically acclaimed 2017 film from director Joe Swanberg. Its a Netflix Originals movie and tells the tale of hopeless gambler Eddie who agrees to stash a bag for an acquaintance who is headed to prison. Curiosity rears its head, Eddie opens the bag, finds money, and goes gambling. Next, we find out that the prisoner is getting out early and wants his bag of money. Will Eddie win it all back? Entertaining, sparky, original, and a solid 85% on Rotten Tomatoes.

With his hangdog, dour, looks, The Cooler was a role made for actor William H. Macy. Bernie Lootz aka The Cooler is a living jinx; used by Las Vegas casino management to stop winning streaks and take the win out of a table. In the film, Lootz falls in love and flips the jinx; helping players clean up at the blackjack and baccarat tables. Smart, complex, and available on Amazon Prime.

Stylish, witty, and packed with stars, Oceans Eleven is a ridiculously enjoyable heist movie that makes Las Vegas look almost as good as its cast of A-listers, including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, and Julia Roberts. Beautifully shot and directed by Steven Soderbergh, Oceans Eleven is streaming now on Amazon Prime.

Based on the true story of Las Vegas legend Frank Rosenthal, Casino is Martin Scorseses masterpiece about the evolution of Las Vegas. No other film has ever given the casino such a central role, with support from Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Sharon Stone. If you have never seen it, this is definitely not one to miss. Its on Prime.

Set a generation earlier than Casino, Bugsy tells the true-life story of gangster Bugsy Siegel. The 1991 film was directed by Barry Levinson and stars Warren Beatty as its eponymous hero. Siegel was the inspiration behind modern Las Vegas and built the Strips first hotel the Flamingo in 1946. An amazing story and yours to enjoy on both Prime and YouTube.

No list of casino-themed films can be complete without at least one James Bond movie. Casino Royale is one of the most iconic. In the 2006 film, the Casino Royale is supposed to be in Montenegro. Its actually the five-star Grandhotel Pupp in Karlovy Vary, Czechoslovakia. One of the best 007 out of 10.

This film is a favourite with Poker fans. Its a brilliant portrayal of the world of high stakes underground poker and its many perils. Stand out performances from Matt Damon and Ed Norton make this a winning hand. Deal it out on Prime.

Terry Gilliam and Johnny Depp do a half-decent job of putting Hunter S. Thompsons drug-addled, insane, Las Vegas road trip on film. It split the critics but Depp gives the performance he was born to deliver watch out for the bats.

Mark Wahlberg stars in this cautionary tale of a literature professor who spirals into a cycle of self-destructive gambling. His secret life eventually catches up with him and drama ensues. Weighty stuff but worth a watch.

If Blackjack is your game, this movie needs to be on your bucket list. This true-life story of Harvard card counters beating the casino, under the tutelage of rogue professor MIcky Rosa, played by Kevin Spacey. The critics gave it a rinsing but its worth a look on Prime; especially, if you want to learn the secrets of beating blackjack.

Set in a London casino, Croupier is a masterpiece of low key, understated, cinema, from director Mike Hodges. Starring Clive Owen as a failing writer looking for inspiration, Croupier combines the search for human truths with a slick thriller. It all kicks off in the casino. Arguably, the best on this list. Check it out on Amazon Prime today.

Adam Sandler turns in the performance of his career in the brilliant thriller Uncut Gems. It tells the story of hapless gambler and jeweller Howard Ratner and his battles with debt, the mob, and a six-way parlay. Its definitely one to watch and its on Netflix right now.

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China launches Tianzhou 3 cargo ship to new space station – Space.com

Posted: at 9:18 am

China has launched a cargo mission to its new space station, just days after astronauts departed the orbiting outpost.

A Long March 7 rocket topped with the robotic Tianzhou 3 freighter lifted off from Wenchang Satellite Launch Center in southern China's Hainan Province today (Sept. 20). Liftoff occurred at 3:10 p.m. local time.

Tianzhou 3 is headed for Tianhe ("Harmony of the Heavens"), the core module of China's new Tiangong space station. Three astronauts recently departed the 54-foot-long (16.6 meters) Tianhe after a three-month stay, landing safely in Inner Mongolia early Friday (Sept. 17) to wrap up their Shenzhou 12 mission.

Related: The latest news about China's space program

The 35-foot-long (10.6 m) Tianzhou 3 is loaded with thousands of pounds of supplies, scientific equipment and propellant that will help get Tianhe ready for its next astronaut crew, which will arrive soon. The three-astronaut Shenzhou 13 mission is expected to launch toward the core module in mid-October. (Firm target dates are hard to come by, because China tends not to announce many details of its spaceflight plans in advance.)

Tianhe is the heart of a three-element space station called Tiangong ("Heavenly Palace"), which China aims to finish building in 2022. It will take a total of 11 launches to fully assemble and equip Tiangong, which will be about 20% as massive as the International Space Station (ISS), Chinese space officials have said. (China is not a partner on the ISS, which has been hosting rotating astronaut crews continuously since November 2000.)

Tianzhou 3 will be the fourth of those 11 launches. Tianhe was the first, lifting off on April 28. Tianzhou 2 launched to Tianhe a month later and remains attached to the core module. Shenzhou 12 took flight on June 16.

In case you were wondering, the first Tianzhou vehicle launched to the prototype Tiangong-2 space lab in April 2017. The cargo craft performed a series of refueling and rendezvous maneuvers before being deorbited in September of that year. Tiangong-2 was steered to a fiery death over the Pacific Ocean in July 2019.

Tianzhou translates as "Heavenly Vessel." Shenzhou continues the cosmic naming theme, translating as "Divine Vessel."

Mike Wall is the author of "Out There" (Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Karl Tate), a book about the search for alien life. Follow him on Twitter @michaeldwall. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook.

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SpaceX’s Inspiration4 Crew Has Reached Orbit – The Atlantic

Posted: at 9:18 am

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.Before liftoff, the moon was the brightest object in the sky, followed by the tiny, shining pinpricks of Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn. Then the rocket rose with a roar, a white-hot needle casting the dark evening in a soft gold. A crew of four sat atop it, strapped inside a small capsule. And none of themnot onewere professional astronauts.

The passengers who launched today are SpaceXs first-ever private crew. They are Sian Proctor, a geoscience professor and artist; Hayley Arceneaux, a physician assistant and childhood cancer survivor; Chris Sembroski, a data engineer and Iraq War veteran; and Jared Isaacman, the tech businessman who paid for all their seats. Not long ago, they were strangers. Now they are travel buddies andin the case of Proctor, Arceneaux, and Sembroskithe beneficiaries of a billionaire with the means to make them all spacefarers.

The tourism era of American spaceflight is really, truly here. Yes, Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson flew to space this summer to inaugurate their space-tourism businesses and show off their high-flying services to their future customers, who will enrich the men even further. But their trips dont compare to what the Inspiration4 crew has signed up for.

The space billionaires made quick suborbital jaunts to the edge of space to experience just a few minutes of weightlessness before falling back down. Isaacman, Proctor, Arceneaux, and Sembroski flew well beyond that boundary today, traveling at screaming speeds so they could not only reach orbit, but stay there for three days, looping around Earth as a satellite or a space station would. In fact, the Dragon capsule will orbit the planet about 100 miles higher than the International Space Station does.

And from way up there, coming home is not a matter of simply coasting back to Earth. When its time for the Inspiration4 crew to return, the Dragon capsule will experience scorching temperatures as it hurtles through the atmosphere. The vehicle, roasted like a marshmallow during reentry, will then splash down at sea.

Read: Americas new vision of astronauts

This Inspiration4 mission is the first of its kind. Non-professional astronauts have flown into orbit beforeultra-wealthy private citizens have paid their way onto the ISS, and NASAs current administrator flew on the space-shuttle mission when he was a U.S. representative in the 1980s. But these passengers flew on government-operated machines, accompanied by government-employed astronauts, and the government decided where they were going. Now, if you have enough money, you can charter your own private spaceflight, and even customize it to your liking.

The Inspiration4 astronauts are flying on their own, without a SpaceX professional on board, and Elon Musk, SpaceXs founder, seems to have determined that theyll do just fine. Unlike the NASA space shuttles that once took astronauts to orbit, the Dragon capsule can fly itself from launch to landing. Last year, when two NASA astronauts test-drove the vehicle for the first time, they took it off autopilot for a few minutes just to see how it handled, but the flight software did the rest for them.

The Inspiration4 crew seems to think theyll do just fine too. They arrived here at Kennedy Space Center last week in fighter jets, just like professional astronauts before them, looking the part in their black flight suits adorned with mission patches. The Inspiration4 crew did receive about six months of training to learn the ins and outs of their spaceship, far less than the typical NASA astronaut but considerably more than future Blue Origin or Virgin Galactic passengers. And as they flew over Floridas Space Coast, they changed something fundamental about it. The area around Kennedy has been a tourist destination for decades, its beaches and palm-tree-lined streets filling up with spectators craning their heads to catch a glimpse of a rising rocket from afar. Now its a tourist destination of another kind. With enough money and a bit of luck, you can get on the launchpad yourself.

Musk, with his dreams of sending humans to Mars soon, would tell you that this kind of future is long overdue. But for nearly everyone else in the space industry, this moment arrived quicker than they imagined. Just a decade ago, the idea that SpaceX could fly people into space seemed far-fetched, especially at NASA, where agency officials felt they knew how to do spaceflight better than anyone, Phil McAlister, NASAs director of commercial spaceflight development, said last year. Now SpaceX isnt just doing spaceflight as well as NASA did; its doing things NASA never attempted.

When the American space-shuttle program ended in 2011 because of cost and safety concerns, NASA needed a new, different form of transportation for its astronauts. The agency had always relied on private contractors to build, but this time, the developmentfrom the complex propulsion systems to the cabins toiletwas entirely in SpaceXs hands. In the spring of last year, SpaceX safely flew two astronauts to the International Space Station and back, while NASA watched over its shoulder. The company has flown two more crews since. Today, SpaceX provides the only transportation into orbit from American soil.

Read: Thanks for flying SpaceX

SpaceX will continue to fly professional astronauts on NASAs behalf. But interspersed between these formal astronaut work assignments will be flashy trips for private citizens who want an adrenaline rush. NASAs involvement is confined to the historic launchpad where Apollo missions left for the moon, which it now leases to SpaceX. With SpaceX, space travel is a real customer experience.

You can see it in the Dragons interiorthe minimalist design, all clean lines, with touch-screen displays and cushy fabrics. In the spacesuits, with their sleek black-and-white look, and in the shiny Teslas that bring astronauts to the launchpad. In the big, bubble-shaped glass window that SpaceX has installed especially for this mission, so that its passengers can enjoy panoramic views of Earth sparkling below and the countless stars twinkling beyond. Professional astronauts dont need it, because theyre not there just for the views, but paying customers do.

The customer experience extends all the way into orbit. Theres the autonomous flight software, a feature private citizens will expect to take care of the ride. (McAlister, the NASA official, once told me that relinquishing control to the flight software was the hardest thing that the two NASA astronauts had to do during SpaceXs test flight last year.) Theres the menu: Proctor asked SpaceX to supply cold pizza for the crews first meal. And theres the flight plan: Musk let Isaacman, a licensed pilot with experience flying fighter jets, decide how many days the crew would spend in space, and even the altitude the capsule would reach. Isaacman decided how to fill out the crew, and he went about it in unusual ways, including a Super Bowl commercial advertising a raffle for one of the seats.

Isaacman has said that although he could have invited a bunch of my pilot buddies to space, he knew that the lineup for such a historic mission would carry meaning. But someday, private crews will look more like the most privileged classes. SpaceX has already agreed to fly Tom Cruise to the space station to shoot a movie. The main requirement for SpaceX passengers, Musk has said, is the capacity to handle an intense roller-coaster ride.

Read: The outdated language of space travel

As private spaceflight expands, the traditional picture of astronautsembedded in the American consciousness as nearly mythical figures with the right stuffwill change. Astronaut could become a synonym for wealthy, and spaceflight for luxury. The infrastructure of spaceflight will likely shift to accommodate them; perhaps in the future, the room where passengers suit up will have a snack table, and maybe some cucumber water toospecial details befitting of an already extraordinary service. When John Glenn orbited the Earth, he did it for America. Future space tourists will be doing it for fun.

Although the aesthetics of spaceflight may change, the physics of it wont. Space travel is just as dangerous when regular people fly as when NASA astronauts do it. When NASA tried to take a non-professional astronaut to space in 1986Christa McAuliffe, a high-school teacherthe attempt ended in tragedy. SpaceX is even taking an extra risk with this flight, and, in a sign of the changing times, the decision was made at the customers request. The crew asked SpaceX to take the capsule to an unusually high altitude of 360 miles. The Dragon has never flown this high, and the crew will experience greater exposure to cosmic radiation than astronauts on the space station. Isaacman said this week that the crew wanted to get a little outside of our comfort zone, to fly beyond the ISS. Yes, it adds risk, he said, but he feels confident that SpaceX can pull it off.

And SpaceX is determined to avoid a horrible outcome. Over the years, employees, including senior leadership, have received briefings about the aftermath of the two space-shuttle disasters, which together killed 14 astronauts, and the launchpad fire during the Apollo program that killed three. Theyve met with NASA employees who lived through the tragedies, and listened as they told SpaceX about the mistakes the agency made and how to do better. When SpaceX was preparing for its first crewed flight last year, technicians work orders bore pictures of Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken, the NASA astronauts assigned to the mission.

Read: SpaceXs riskiest business

When I asked Arceneaux this week about the moment she decided that she was willing to put her life in SpaceXs hands, she told me about her third visit to the companys headquarters in California, early on in her training. Arceneaux and her mom sat in on a long meeting with SpaceXs lead engineers, who went over every detail of her mission. At the end of the day, we looked at each other and said, We trust them, Arceneaux told me.

Future private astronauts will have to make the same determination for themselves. They must feel confident not only that SpaceX will give them a glorious once-in-a-lifetime experience, but that also the company will keep them alive. The Dragon capsule is less complicated than the space shuttles were, and the system has an abort option that the NASA spacecraft didnt; in the case of an emergency right after liftoff, Dragon can push itself away from the Falcon 9 rocket and toward safety.

But ask anyone who worked at NASA during the shuttle years, or the astronauts who flew on those vehicles: Spaceflight is risky, and a fatal disaster is a matter of not if, but when. No amount of money can protect you from that. SpaceX passengers, as well as the family and friends they leave behind on Earth, must believe in SpaceX through it allthe teeth-rattling launch, the careful maneuvering through space, the perilous journey down. Theyll need to trust SpaceX in those wonderful, wide-awake moments, when the view of Earth from the cupola leaves them speechless. Even more important, theyll need to feel that trust in the quiet, vulnerable times too, as they change into pajamas and doze off in their sleeping bags, tethered to their seats so they dont knock into one another, as the capsule steers itself through space.

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SpaceX's Inspiration4 Crew Has Reached Orbit - The Atlantic

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