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Category Archives: Transhuman News

Riot insurance: American cities’ new must-have – CBS News

Posted: August 15, 2017 at 11:45 am

Does your town need "riot insurance?" That may depend on what kind of statue is in the town square. Monuments and statues of Confederate-era generals and statesmen -- many erected after their cause was lost -- have ignited a firestorm that has inflamed racial tensions and helped escalate the white supremacists' rally last weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia, into a deadly conflagration.

Riot insurance was once a requirement for only major cities -- especially those hosting controversial gatherings like presidential conventions and international monetary conferences that attract demonstrators. But now such coverage is becoming a must-have for midsize cities and small towns nationwide, particularly throughout the South, where more than 700 Confederate monuments dot the landscape.

It could also be needed at federal parks and tourist attractions like Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where Confederate and Union generals faced off across the battlefield. Statues of former slave-holding presidents such as Andrew Jackson also may not be exempt.

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Mayor Jim Gray of Lexington, Kentucky, is working quickly to relocate two Confederate monuments from outside a historic former courthouse. He sai...

The issue of politically incorrect monuments had a harsh spotlight shone on it this past weekend in the liberal bastion of Charlottesville, home to the University of Virginia. White supremacists protested the city's decision to remove statues of Confederate Generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson.

Their demonstration provoked a counter-demonstration. Violent confrontations between the two groups turned deadly when 20-year-old James Alex Fields Jr. allegedly drove his car into the counter-demonstrators, killing one and injuring 19. The Ohio resident has been charged with second-degree murder.

The killing provoked demonstrations across the country, including as far away as Seattle, and it escalated racial tensions everywhere. Meanwhile, a group called Americans for Richmond Monument Preservation recently announced plans to hold an "event" in September in Virginia's capital city of Richmond to keep Lee's monument in place. A permit for the event has yet to be granted. And this Saturday several more alt-rallies are scheduled for cities across the U.S.

Insurers -- even abroad -- are noticing the change in the tone of political violence in America and reacting to it. They're advocating that cities and municipalities should, too. "There's an increase in activism from all sides," said Srjdan Todorovic, head of terrorism for Allianz Insurance in London. "People aren't just satisfied with expressing themselves on social media anymore. The want to do their talking on the streets."

Allianz sells terrorism insurance, but it also offers "riot insurance," which covers strikes, riots and civil disturbances, as a "stand-alone product." It has been doing so for years, but riot insurance came to the forefront during the U.S. presidential conventions of 2016, when both Cleveland and Philadelphia feared that -- with the angry rhetoric surrounding the campaign -- these gatherings would turn violent.

Cleveland reportedly spent $10 million to protect itself. Americans are acting in a way "we haven't seen in generations," said Todorovic.

Play Video

White supremacy opponents held vigils Sunday in Charlottesville, Virginia, following a weekend of violence that killed one woman and injured doze...

Riot insurance covers companies, cities and even small towns. Many insurers have been "blindsided" by the current atmosphere of violence, so the current policy, which usually covers fire, flood and wind, may not be enough, said Todorovic.

"Policies generally include coverage for losses caused by riot," said spokesperson Loretta Worters of the Insurance Information Institute, which represents the property-casualty industry. But it has to be "direct physical loss caused by riot or civil commotion, and looting at the time and place of the occurrence."

"As for those businesses that must suspend operations due to rioting, coverage is only triggered if there is direct physical damage to the premises of such magnitude that the business must suspend its operations," she added.

Every business and government entity should determine if they're covered against the effects of political violence, said Allianz's Todorovic. They need to make sure they have insurance if a riot shuts down their business district for an extended time or forces a police curfew that causes financial losses or even bankruptcy to local restaurants, bars and night-time businesses.

Todorovic noted that when buying riot insurance, towns also have to be careful of the "triggers." For example, a single act of violence, such as ramming a car into a crowd, might not be enough to get the insurer to pay a claim, but a resulting protest by a thousand people would. "Some policies might say that 10 or more people have to be involved before it is a 'disturbance,'" he added.

This type of insurance is relatively cheap, and prices seem to be coming down. But the drawback is that these confrontations appear to be random and so could happen anywhere an offending statue of a general or slaveholding former president has been erected. General Lee is now an insurance risk.

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Riot insurance: American cities' new must-have - CBS News

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Fargo man who marched in Charlottesville responds to family estrangement – TwinCities.com-Pioneer Press

Posted: at 11:45 am

FARGO, N.D. Peter Teffts voice was hoarse, the result, he said, of tear gas he breathed over the weekend in Charlottesville, Va., where white supremacists and counterprotesters clashed during demonstrations that turned deadly.

This is the beginning of the new civil rights era, said Tefft, a 30-year-old from Fargo who describes himself as a pro-white civil rights activist and whose family members publicly disavowed his views Monday.

Asked how he felt about the estrangement, Tefft said he doesnt hold anything against his family and that he was angry that relatives, including a 13-year-old niece, were receiving threats.

Teffts father, Pearce Tefft, sent the Fargo-based Forum newspaper a letter to the editor condemning the involvement of his youngest child in the events that happened in Charlottesville.

In Pearce Teffts letter to newspaper, he described his son as an avowed white nationalist and said the rest of the Tefft family wants the world to know they reject the vile, hateful, and racist rhetoric his son has embraced.

In a Monday phone interview, Pearce Tefft said his son did not grow up learning such things, but began expressing extreme views on race about two years ago.

Pearce Tefft said hes not sure of the source of his sons involvement in the white nationalist movement, but he believes it is bolstered by praise from like-minded people whenever his son speaks out on the subject.

He got lost in getting kudos. I dont know for sure, Im speculating, Tefft said, adding that when his son returned to Fargo from Charlottesville, he handed his son a copy of the letter he wrote and let his son know he wasnt welcome at family functions until he distanced himself from groups that foment racial hatred.

I look at Peter as a prodigal son, Tefft said. I do pray that he will renounce all this stuff and come back.

He didnt grow up with it, and I do think he will change, Tefft said, adding: Maybe Im screaming at the wind, I dont know. I just hope he will.

During the weekend events in Charlottesville, Peter Tefft spoke to a number of media outlets and images of him were circulated on the internet.

Peter Tefft said he went to Charlottesville to hear speakers give talks, listen to music and exercise the right to free speech.

Were not politically incorrect, were factually correct, he said, adding, Im certainly not a hateful person.

He said he is looking to organize a pro-white civil rights event in Fargo in October. He said he expects 200 to 300 local residents would attend.

Peter Tefft grew up in Fargo and works in construction as a drywaller and framer, according to his father, who said the attention his son has been getting has been hard on siblings and other relatives, some of whom, he said, have received hateful attention on social media sites because people think incorrectly that family members share his sons views.

Its just wrong; they said some terrible things, Pearce Tefft said, referring to comments directed toward his family.

In his letter to the public, Tefft said he is breaking his silence on his sons views because one reason Nazism took root in the world was because people hesitated to stand up against what they knew to be wrong.

It was the silence of good people that allowed the Nazis to flourish the first time around, and it is the silence of good people that is allowing them to flourish now, Tefft said.

Jacob Scott Wieber, Peter Teffts nephew, said in an interview with WDAY-TV that the majority of the Tefft family are progressive-minded people.

Our grandfather, Pearce, who is Peters father, taught us all to believe in the fundamental equality of all human beings, and we all believe in social justice and equality, Wieber said.

His (Peter Teffts) mind has been poisoned by stuff hes found on this crazy rabbit hole hes gone into, added Wieber, who cautioned people not to judge the rest of the family on the actions and beliefs of one member.

Its just been a great big headache, Wieber said. I would say these people are motivated by the right motivations Nazis should not have a welcome place in this country but theyre targeting the wrong people. Its friendly fire, in a way.

Wieber said that if he could say one thing to his uncle, I would say if he has any love left in his little hateful heart for us, he should change his name.

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Fargo man who marched in Charlottesville responds to family estrangement - TwinCities.com-Pioneer Press

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Trump campaign accuses CNN of censorship – The Hill

Posted: at 11:44 am

President Trumps reelection campaign saidTuesdaythat CNN has denied its offer to buy air time for a campaign ad, marking the second time the network has refused to run a pro-Trump campaign spot.

The ad, called Let President Trump Do His Job, accuses the media of attacking our president and briefly displays pictures of news anchors from several news outlets, including CNN anchors Jake Tapper, Don Lemon and Anderson Cooper.

The presidents enemies dont want him to succeed, the ad states. Let President Trump do his job.

The ad alsotouts U.S. economic growth, the stock market, jobs figures and military strength, while accusing Democrats of obstruction.

One of the many reasons that so many millions of Americans support President Trump is because of their complete mistrust of the mainstream news media, and the presidents refusal to allow their biased filter to interfere with his messages, Trump campaign executive director Michael Glassner said in a statement.

Today, CNN provided further proof that the network earns this mistrust every day by censoring President Trumps message to the American people by blocking our paid campaign ad, he continued. Clearly, the only viewpoint CNN allows on air is CNNS.

CNN did not respond to a request for comment.

Earlier this year, CNN refused to run a Trump campaign ad because it cast the mainstream media as fake news.

Trump and CNN are locked in an increasingly personal feud that has pitted the White House against the networks top on-air talent.

CNNs chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta has gained prominencefor his entrenched opposition to Trump.

Acosta has infuriated conservatives, who view him as a grandstander whose chief goal is buildinghis personal brand through viral clips of heated exchanges with White House spokespeople.

At a press conferenceon Monday, Acosta, who was representing the media through the press pool, shouted a question at Trump, who responded: Youre fake news.

Havent you spread a lot of fake news yourself, sir?Acosta shot back.

CNN has run its own ads with footage of anchors lecturing White House officials and talking about whether Trump will be impeached.

The network has attracted criticism for its relentless hostility toward the president. A Harvard study found that CNNs coverage of Trump was negative 93 percent of the time over the course of his first 100 days in office.

CNN's ratings are up, although the networkstill trails rivals Fox News and MSNBC.

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Trump campaign accuses CNN of censorship - The Hill

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Chinese Censorship Hits the Middle East – Raddington Report (blog)

Posted: at 11:44 am

A deal between Beijing and the increasingly despotic Erdogan regime in Turkey is raising fears of a new phase of Chinese political influence, in which Chinese soft power is used to persuade foreign governments to allow the same type of pro-Beijing censorship that constricts the Chinese internet in their own countries. After a meeting last week between Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, it was reported that Turkey plans to block anti-China reports from its media and Turkish language websites. This has worried many activists from Chinas persecuted Uighur minority, for whom Turkey has functioned as something of a safe haven after other Asian countries closer to Beijing crumbled in the face of political pressure to crackdown on Uighur refugees within their borders.

Within China, the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is steadfast on three sacred rights over which it perceives there is very little room for negotiations. These are continued unchallenged rule by the CCP at home; uncompromising defence of Chinese claims to sovereignty and territorial integrity within and without Chinas present borders; and continued economic expansion at home and abroad. Beijing has often sparred diplomatically with other countries and turned the screws on the private sector at home in pursuit of these three rights. It has also long threatened foreign governments and companies if it sees them as somehow challenging any of these core interests; what is new is that China now wishes to export the censorship methods it has perfected at home to foreign audiences whose interest and familiarity with China is very limited.

Of course, Beijing has long wielded control over what its own citizens can see or speak of both online and through media outlets whose output it can control domestically. But in a globalised world China is also the source of much concern from international observers, from the international status of Taiwan and the South China Sea to repression in Tibet and Xinjiang. It has been a source of great irritation to Beijing that media outlets online who are based overseas can contradict the official narrative without penalty. As China has grown stronger it has begun to try and impose a pro-Chinese narrative on media coverage overseas whose target audiences are not Chinese consumers. This overt effort especially targets Chinese dissidents searching for space to hide or places to broadcast from, but it also seeks to undermine foreign resistance to increasingly assertive Chinese territorial demands in places like the South China Sea.

In Turkey, media freedom has all but vanished following the failed coup last year and Erdogans victory in the April referendum. The Turkish media blackout there is only part of an offensive which China is carrying out with the help of autocratic states in the Middle East against Uighurs who have fled overseas. In Egypt, the military authorities have copied the example of Thailands junta and rounded up dozens of Uighurs for deportation back to China. But Uighurs are Turkic-speaking Muslims whose fate has traditionally been championed by Ankara. By muzzling the Turkish press, Beijing has both struck a blow against the international media coverage that Uighur activists have traditionally relied upon to publicise their cause, and made it easier to forcibly return such critics to Chinese soil without arousing much negative publicity.

Some may see the agreement between China and Turkey as constituting a special case; Uighur activists are vulnerable to accusations propagated from Beijing that their organisations are tied to terrorist groups. Some Uighurs have indeed joined international terrorist networks like the Islamic State and carried out attacks overseas which targeted foreigners and not Chinese state facilities (though these have been attacked too). This has made Middle Eastern governments, most whom are not particularly concerned with human rights, happy to be persuaded to fight Beijings battles for it. The terrorism connection has also muted Western and East Asian criticism of China, conditions which cannot be said to applied to issues such as Taiwan, Tibet or historical controversies that Beijing censors such as the Tiananmen Square massacre.

But success in controlling the narrative over its treatment of the Uighurs in Xinjiang is liable to encourage China to try this method of media manipulation in other regions, over other issues. Semi-democratic Malaysia for example, despite a border dispute with China, has cooperated with Beijing in the past, sending Taiwanese and Uighur detainees back to China despite international outcry. It is not hard to imagine Beijing demanding Kuala Lumpur extend its cooperation into the area of media censorship when Malaysia already has some of the toughest media controls in the modern world. This future blackout could be over the fate of Uighurs migrants as in Turkey, or it could be over a different issue entirely, such as corruption within the ruling CCP. Chinese dissidents are already vanishing overseas with the help of foreign governments; it is hard to image they will be keen to publicise the dirty work they carry out on Beijings behalf.

As democracy falters in the West and the rest, international human rights groups and large media conglomerates must remain wary of any emerging pact of censorship between China and the gaggle of autocrats and demagogues currently in vogue. Dictatorships can cooperate internationally to conceal the truth of their actions, as Latin American military regimes did when they joined together to hunt down dissidents in each others countries during Operation Condor. When one country inside such a pact is as powerful as China, such an arrangement would give the CCP almost unprecedented abilities to persecute its own people abroad, engage in bad faith negotiations over territorial disputes and manipulate foreign audiences sentiments in favour of CCP priorities. That is not a future which is good for China or the peoples with whom it is now coming into closer contact with in the 21st century.

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Trump can’t be serious about attacking Venezuela – Times-Enterprise

Posted: at 11:43 am

There is something unsettling about how President Trump has surrounded himself with generals. From his defense secretary to his national security advisor to his White House chief of staff, Trump looks to senior military officers to fill key positions that have been customarily filled by civilians. Hes surrounded by generals and threatens war at the drop of a hat.

President Trump began last week by threatening fire and fury on North Korea. He continued through the week claiming, falsely, that Iran is violating the terms of the nuclear deal. He finally ended the week by threatening a U.S. military attack on Venezuela.

He told reporters on Friday that, We have many options for Venezuela including a possible military option if necessary. We have troops all over the world in places that are very, very far away. Venezuela is not very far away and the people are suffering, and they are dying.

Venezuelas defense minister called Trumps threat an act of craziness.

Even more worrisome, when Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro tried to call President Trump for clarification he was refused. The White House stated that discussions with the Venezuelan president could only take place once democracy was restored in the country. Does that mean President Trump is moving toward declaring Maduro no longer the legitimate president of Venezuela? Is Trump taking a page from Obamas failed regime change policy for Syria and declaring that Maduro must go?

The current unrest in Venezuela is related to the economic shortcomings of that countrys centrally-planned economy. The 20th century has shown us very clearly that state control over an economy leads to mismanagement, mal-investment, massive shortages, and finally economic collapse. That is why those of us who advocate free market economics constantly warn that U.S. government intervention in our own economy is leading us toward a similar financial crisis.

But there is another factor in the unrest in Venezuela. For many years the United States government, through the CIA, the National Endowment for Democracy, and U.S. government-funded NGOs, have been trying to overthrow the Venezuelan government. They almost succeeded in 2002, when then-president Hugo Chavez was briefly driven from office. Washington has spent millions trying to manipulate Venezuelas elections and overturn the results. U.S. policy is to create unrest and then use that unrest as a pretext for U.S. intervention.

Military officers play an important role in defending the United States. Their job is to fight and win wars. But the White House is becoming the war house and the president seems to see war as a first solution rather than a last resort. His threats of military action against a Venezuela that neither threatens nor could threaten the United States suggests a shocking lack of judgment.

Congress should take President Trumps threats seriously. In the 1980s, when President Reagan was determined to overthrow the Nicaraguan government using a proxy army, Congress passed a series of amendments, named after their author, Rep. Edward Boland (D-MA), to prohibit the president from using funds it appropriated to do so. Congress should make it clear in a similar manner that absent a Venezuelan attack on the United States, President Trump would be committing a serious crime in ignoring the Constitution were he to follow through with his threats. Maybe they should call it the Were Not The Worlds Policeman act.

Former congressman Ron Paul is the founder and chairman of the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity.

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Trump can't be serious about attacking Venezuela - Times-Enterprise

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Cuomo proposes new hate crimes provisions post-Charlottesville – Albany Times Union

Posted: at 11:41 am

FILE -- New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo talks about improvement plans for Penn Station and the subway system at the City University of New York, in New York, May 23, 2017. Cuomo will make a rare trip to Washington on Wednesday, July 26, 2017, to meet with Democratic members of the New York congressional delegation and the transportation secretary, Elaine Chao, as New York City suffers through an ongoing transit crisis. (Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times) ORG XMIT: XNYT182 less FILE -- New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo talks about improvement plans for Penn Station and the subway system at the City University of New York, in New York, May 23, 2017. Cuomo will make a rare trip to Washington ... more Photo: HIROKO MASUIKE Torch-bearing white nationalists rally around a statue of Robert E. Lee, the Confederate general, near the University of Virginia campus in Charlottesville, Aug. 11, 2017. Following violent confrontations on Saturday, a car plowed into a crowd of counterprotesters, killing one and injuring at least 19. (Edu Bayer/The New York Times) ORG XMIT: XNYT98 less Torch-bearing white nationalists rally around a statue of Robert E. Lee, the Confederate general, near the University of Virginia campus in Charlottesville, Aug. 11, 2017. Following violent confrontations on ... more Photo: EDU BAYER People fly into the air as a vehicle drives into a group of protesters demonstrating against a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. The nationalists were holding the rally to protest plans by the city of Charlottesville to remove a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. (Ryan M. Kelly/The Daily Progress via AP) ORG XMIT: VACHA301 less People fly into the air as a vehicle drives into a group of protesters demonstrating against a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. The nationalists were holding the rally ... more Photo: Ryan M. Kelly Unite the Right rally organizer Jason Kessler is escorted by police after his press conference was disrupted by protestors Sunday, Aug. 13, 2017, outside City Hall in Charlottesville, Va. The previous day, a woman was killed and several others injured after the Unite the Right rally. (Andrew Shurtleff /The Daily Progress via AP) ORG XMIT: VACHA101 less Unite the Right rally organizer Jason Kessler is escorted by police after his press conference was disrupted by protestors Sunday, Aug. 13, 2017, outside City Hall in Charlottesville, Va. The previous day, a ... more Photo: Andrew Shurtleff

Cuomo proposes new hate crimes provisions post-Charlottesville

ALBANY Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday he will push to add inciting to riot and rioting that targets a protected class of people to the state hate crimes statute, a response to violence at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., over the weekend.

Dubbed the Charlottesville Provisions, penalties for rioting and inciting to riot would be increased. Rioting under the hate crimes law would come with stiffer felony penalties, while inciting to riot under the hate crimes law would become a felony (up from a misdemeanor).

Hate crimes statute protects those who are targeted because ofa perception or belief about their race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, religion, religious practice, age, disability or sexual orientation.

Cuomo also called on legislators to extend human rights law protections to public school students so that the state Division of Human Rights would be able to investigate bullying, harassment or other discrimination by public school students.

A 2012 state Court of Appeals decision found that public schools are not covered under the definitions in human rights law that gives the state the ability to investigate such incidents.

"The ugly events that took place in Charlottesville must never be repeated, and in New York we're going to stand united against hate in all of its forms," Cuomo said in a statement. "Our diversity is our strength and this legislation will help protect New Yorkers and send a clear signal that violence and discrimination have no place in our society. New York is one community and one family, and we will never stop fighting to ensure the safety and equal treatment of all New Yorkers."

Lawmakers are not set to return to the Capitol to act on legislation until January.

Since the weekend, Cuomo has been responding to the events in Charlottesville through different methods.

On Monday, he signed legislation that adds community centers to the list of public places where people who commit certain crimes, including making a false bomb threat, can face stiffer penalties. Originally crafted in response to bomb threats made to Jewish Community Centers in New York and elsewhere in the country, Cuomo said the Charlottesville violence demonstrated a need to stand against bias and hate.

On Sunday,he circulated a petition calling on President Donald Trump to "clearly and unequivocally condemn and denounce the violent protest organized by the white supremacists and neo-Nazis, including Richard Spencer and Jason Kessler, with support from David Duke."

"President Trump must immediately call this for what it is no cover, no euphemisms," the petition states. "This was a terror attack by white supremacists."

Trump said Monday that those who acted criminally "in this weekend's racist violence" will be held accountable. In remarks at the White House, he singled out the Ku Klux Klan, neo-Nazis and others who "are repugnant to everything we hold dear as Americans."

mhamilton@timesunion.com 518-454-5449 @matt_hamilton10

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Cuomo proposes new hate crimes provisions post-Charlottesville - Albany Times Union

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Cristiano Ronaldo shows he’s human; Matic key for Man Utd; Neymar’s start – ESPN FC (blog)

Posted: at 11:41 am

The FC crew talk the length of suspension that would be suitable for Cristiano Ronaldo's actions in the Spanish Super Cup.

It was all set up so nicely. Other than an eight-minute cameo against Manchester United in the European Super Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo hadn't played at all since June. Against Barcelona, in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup on Sunday, he came in just before the hour mark with his team one-nil up. After Lionel Messi converted a dubious penalty, Ronaldo scored an absolutely stunning long-range goal to put Madrid ahead.

So far, so good. He then decided to take off his shirt (OK, he has the body to do it) and take the booking as a result. And he held up the jersey to the Camp Nou, mimicking Messi's celebration at the Bernabeu last season. (Fine. A healthy rivalry; nothing wrong with that.)

Except the booking meant that when he collided with Samuel Umtiti a few minutes later and referee Ricardo Bengoechea concluded it was a dive, Ronaldo was shown a second yellow and sent off. And, as if that wasn't enough, his instinctive shove of Bengoechea after the decision meant he is now facing a five-gamesuspension.

Bengoechea was way behind the play and got the decision wrong. It should have been a non-call: There's no rule that says that you have to give a penalty or a yellow for diving. Had it not been for the goal celebration, Ronaldo would not have been sent off. And obviously, the shove (while understandable) is inexcusable. With his experience -- and with the number of bad calls he has had in his career -- you don't expect that. It just shows he's human too.

The incident overshadowed a stellar performance from Real Madrid, who took a while to take the lead but already looked in midseason form. And that was without Ronaldo but also without Luka Modric, for whom Mateo Kovacic was a more than capable deputy. Marco Asensio's own gorgeous strike to make it 3-1 was simply a cherry on top.

Again, you have to give Zinedine Zidane credit here. Sometimes coaching Real Madrid is about managing the egos and letting the XI get on with it. And sometimes it's about finding the right balance. That's what he did on Sunday.

As for Barcelona, Gerard Pique had a nightmare and Gerard Deulofeu got a rough ride, which is what you'd expect when you're trying to fill Neymar's shoes. There's a ton of work for Ernesto Valverde to do. He'll likely get help from the transfer market, but perhaps the bigger issue is whoever comes in can't be expected to do what Neymar did. The synchronicity of movement in the "MSN" isn't going to be easily replicated, not in a short time.

Maybe the best thing for Valverde isn't to try and mimic the past, but rather work out his own scheme for how to do things.

You can only beat what's in front of you, and on a day when West Ham were awful, Manchester United were devastating. Some have called it the most exhilarating United performance since the Sir Alex Ferguson era. That may be overstating it a little, but it sure as heck was fun to watch.

To me, the most interesting aspect of the 4-0 win was the 4-2-3-1 formation. Last year, conventional wisdom had it that Paul Pogba wouldn't perform at his best in a two-man midfield. That's why United eventually switched to a three-man midfield. He was certainly outstanding alongside Nemanja Matic on Sunday. Maybe the point was that he wouldn't perform his best in a two-man midfield when the other midfielder is Ander Herrera, Michael Carrick or Marouane Fellaini.

Then again, when Matic plays like this, just about anyone would thrive alongside him. Compare this performance with his stint in the FA Cup final and it seems like they are two different players. We're only a game in and judgments are inevitably premature, but if Jose Mourinho can get this level production from him, then it's a game-changer. It allows Mourinho to play a 4-2-3-1 formation that in turn allows him squeeze three attacking midfielders on to the pitch, plus Pogba driving from deep. And all of this comes without United losing their defensive shape.

With so much creativity behind him, Romelu Lukaku -- willing, eager and intelligent on Sunday -- can't help but score goals. It's early yet and United still have a lot to prove. But if this is the Matic who shows up to work this year, midfield and attack won't be a problem.

Kylian Mbappe stayed rooted to the bench during Monaco's 4-1 win away to Dijon, which only further prompted speculation that he's one step away from leaving, whether for Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain. Whatever the destination, we'll be talking about a fee in the Neymar range for a guy who, lest we forget, has started all of 20 top-flight league matches in his career.

We'll cross the bridge of where Mbappe fits at PSG (or how they'll pay for him) another day. In the meantime, Neymar made his debut away to Guingamp in a straightforward victory, even though all the goals came in the second half.

Guingamp aren't a terrible side -- indeed, they're managed by Antoine Kombouare, the first PSG boss in the Qatari era and finished midtable last year -- but in some ways are typical of what Neymar face in Ligue 1: a substantially less-talented opponent who will congest their own half and look to hit on set-pieces or the counterattack.

Neymar was given (or took?) licence to roam and find his own space wherever he wanted; even on TV, you could see the likes of Angel Di Maria and Adrien Rabiot deferring to him. Will this continue or will Unai Emery try to fit him in a more traditional scheme? My guess is the latter, partly because Emery is, above all, a tactical manager; partly because Neymar is more than capable of fitting in an orthodox scheme; and partly because the "free role" schtick won't work quite as well when they face better teams.

Anybody who flipped on the TV to see Chelsea 3-0 down at half-time at home to Burnley would have been shocked. Immediately, comparisons to what happened in Chelsea's last post-title campaign (under Mourinho) sprang up. Throw in Antonio Conte's grumbles about the summer transfer campaign and Diego Costa sniping his club from deepest Brazil, and it was a weekend to forget.

Chelsea were pretty dire in the first half, but it's also worth reminding ourselves of the circumstances. Eden Hazard, Pedro, Victor Moses and Tiemoue Bakayoko were all sidelined. Alvaro Morata started on the bench. Somebody named Jeremie Boga, who couldn't hold down a starting place at a team that finished bottom of La Liga last season, was starting up front.

You can't blame Boga, though, because he only lasted 17 minutes until Gary Cahill got himself sent off. Playing 73 minutes in August down a man is obviously going to be tough, especially when you then go two men down in the second half following Cesc Fabregas' second yellow.

Two things are pretty obvious. One is that Chelsea are unlikely to go through the sort of injury-free campaign they had last year, and the other is that, with Champions League football, they need to find more depth. The question is whether that depth comes from the transfer market or whether Chelsea can find it in-house.

Boga, Charly Musonda, Andreas Christensen, Fikayo Tomori and Jake Clarke-Salter are exactly the kind of Academy products that Chelsea get criticized for not playing regularly. Yet at the same time, the folks who chastise the club for not giving their youngsters "a chance" (how many other clubs in Europe's top 10 or 15 are stacked with academy products?) are the same ones who say Conte needs to spend money.

The guess here is that Chelsea will bring in somebody else to add some depth, but at the same time, the club will do what they can to ensure that Conte actually gives his kids a shot. If he does, he might actually be pleasantly surprised.

Serie A hasn't even started yet and some are already raking Max Allegri -- he of the three titles and two Champions League finals in three season -- over hot coals. Some Juventus fans are so used to winning that they can't stomach what happened on Sunday, when a dramatic injury-time winner from substitute Alessandro Murgia gave Lazio a 3-2 victory over the bianconeri in the Italian Super Cup.

Juventus did look disjointed, especially in the first half. And if you're going to play Andrea Barzagli at right-back, then you really need at least one ball-playing centre-half, something Juve don't have now that Leo Bonucci is gone. Meanwhile, Miralem Pjanic and Sami Khedira were swallowed whole by the immense Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Gonzalo Higuain was seeing little of the ball; when that happens, he's little more than a passenger.

Is there reason for Juventus fans to panic? I don't think so. The fact is, this will be a different team to last season. The additions of Federico Bernardeschi and Douglas Costa pretty much mandate this. Bonucci's long-term replacement -- whether it be Daniele Rugani or Medhi Benatia -- will be adequate (maybe more), but again, whoever it is won't play the game the way he does. My impression is that Juve will start slowly and won't really come together until winter ... which is a little bit like what happened last season.

Consider also that Lazio played exceptionally well. Ciro Immobile continues on his free-scoring tear -- he has 19 goals in the last 24 games -- and Lazio were well-organised and aggressive. You get the sense that some folks are underestimating Simone Inzaghi ... again. If they play like this, they have a legitimate shot at a top-four finish.

Christian Eriksen was in fine form as Tottenham (with a man advantage, thanks to Jonjo Shelvey's silly red card) broke through in the second half to win away to Newcastle. Danny Rose didn't play; in fact, he hasn't played since January. Still, he thought it would be a good day to grant an interview with a tabloid newspaper in which he said he felt he was underpaid (like many of his teammates) and wished the club signed guys he "didn't have to Google."

Mauricio Pochettino laughed off the latter, joking that Rose probably had to Google him when he was appointed. The club evidently found the former less funny: Despite his apology, they fined Rose two weeks wages or 130,000.

We live in a free market. There's nothing wrong with a guy thinking he's underpaid and looking for a better deal. The problem with Rose is there's a clever way to do it and a foolish one; he did not choose the clever option.

Rose signed a contract, the one that gave him a raise to his current wages, which apparently are now inadequate, back in September 2016. He got injured four months later, so it's really pretty simple: Either he improved so sharply in those 132 days that the contract he willingly signed earlier in that same season is now an insult to his supreme footballing ability, or he was a fool to put pen to paper last year.

Indeed, had he not extended his deal, he'd be entering the final two seasons of his contract just about now and would enjoy plenty of leverage to get a move elsewhere -- much like his former teammate Kyle Walker, in fact.

This is a case of bad judgment (extending his contract) made worse by bad choices (giving that interview). Rose chose to go for the security of a $20m-plus contract rather than betting on himself to outperform his salary.

Whatever sympathy there is in this tale goes entirely to Tottenham for having to deal with a guy acting like a child.

It's been one headache after another for Borussia Dortmund.

Last week, Ousmane Dembele, who is strongly linked with a move to Barcelona, skipped training and was later suspended "indefinitely." On Saturday, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored a hat trick in the first round of the German Cup and then followed it up with an Instagram live stream in which he answered a question about a return to Milan by saying, "I want to go back, but they are sleeping. ... What am I supposed to do?" He even did a little impression of the stadium announcer at the San Siro, giving himself the No. 7 shirt.

It's not just the fact that between them, Dembele and Aubameyang scored more than half of Dortmund's league goals last season. It's that it's happening at this stage of the season. Both players have been linked with moves all summer long. Stuff like that happens. But the mark of a well-run club isn't so much hanging on to them; it's having a Plan B if you get an offer you can't refuse.

We may soon learn whether Dortmund and Michael Zorc are prepared.

Liverpool's 3-3 draw at Watford was in some ways a rerun of last season: electrifying attacks, highly dubious defending. The latter prompts the age-old issue: Is it personnel or is it Jurgen Klopp's approach?

Former Liverpool stars Jamie Redknapp and Jamie Carragher argued this very point. Personally, I think it's system rather than personnel. You can get better center-backs than Dejan Lovren and Joel Matip, but if they're exposed, they'll still struggle.

The odd thing is that I don't remember Klopp's Borussia Dortmund struggling like this on the defensive end. And while that was a good back four -- Mats Hummels and Neven Subotic in the middle, Lukasz Piszczek and Marcel Schmelzer at full-back -- it wasn't exactly Baresi and Maldini either.

Gabriele Marcotti is a Senior Writer for ESPN FC. Follow him on Twitter @Marcotti.

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Cristiano Ronaldo shows he's human; Matic key for Man Utd; Neymar's start - ESPN FC (blog)

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‘Brains linked to computers will kill our inner freedom’ – Zizek to RT on biohacking & identity loss – RT

Posted: at 11:41 am

Humans are losing their freedoms, self-identity and free will, Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Zizek has told RT, noting that a recent biohacking experiment by a team from the University of Washington is just another sign of the dawn of a post human era.

A team of scientists from the University of Washington successfully managed to hack into a computer using custom synthesized strands of DNA.

In their study, which is to be presented at 2017 USENIX Security Symposium Thursday, researchers said that it is potentially possible for a molecular code to take over machinery by exploiting weaknesses of gene sequencing software.

We designed and created a synthetic DNA strand that contained malicious computer code encoded in the bases of the DNA strand, researchers from the Paul G Allen school of computer science and engineering at the University of Washington said ahead of their presentation.

When this physical strand was sequenced and processed by the vulnerable program it gave remote control of the computer doing the processing. That is, we were able to remotely exploit and gain full control over a computer using adversarial synthetic DNA.

While the researchers led by Tadayoshi Kohno and Luis Ceze admit that at this point, the threat is only theoretical, Zizek noted the sinister side of this experiment.

The fact that is what possible to break into, to hack a computer through a DNA, means that our identity, determined by DNA is nothing more than just another computer formula, Zizek said.

Our life, human life, our identity is reduced to a series of formulas. So we are effectively entering some kind of post human universe where everything, our inner most identity can be reduced to a formula.

I would not be afraid of this [particular experiment], thats not necessarily a bad thing, Zizek said, emphasizing that there are a lot of much more disturbing scientific achievements

What I'm afraid of is a possibility of a direct contact-link between our brain, what we are thinking, and a computer network, because there we lose our autonomy.

He warned that soon computers will be able to control the human mind, misleading the individual to believe they are still in control of their thoughts and reality. Under this arrangement, Zizek argues, humans will lose their autonomy and will become indistinguishable from the machines.

What is much more dangerous is... if our brains will be directly linked to computers so we will lose our inner freedom. Even in the worst of Nazism those in power could not control what you are thinking. You can have your inner thoughts... Now with a direct link between our brain and the digital network, we lose our inner freedom, the philosopher said.

In order to avoid machines potentially taking over the human identity, Zizek argues that all research into artificial intelligence has to be made public so that people can decide on the discourse of machine learning.

Make all these procedures, and what is going on, these results as public as possible. No agency which is not transpiring to the public, neither state nor a public corporation should do this outside public knowledge and public control, Zizek told RT.

Corbyns paradoxical victory over Mays politics of scaremongering gives hope Slavoj Zizek to RT

Overall, the philosopher argues that humankind has entered an era of technological domination.

Biology as science is totally integrated into a project of technological domination, manipulation and so on. And this technological use is inscribed into how biology functions today... life itself becomes just a technological process, Zizek said.

But there is still a deeper philosophic problem, which nowadays has growing practical implications, Zizek said. Is our identity fully determined by DNA? Or are we are not just biological automats? Do we have some spiritual freedom and so on?

I think if we are just our DNA. If the interaction of our DNA with environment determines us completely, then yes we should worry. But in a way, we just discovered that we never were free. We were automats [machines] also now but we did not know it. Our freedom was an illusion So are we automats which just can be controlled or is there hope for our freedom?

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'Brains linked to computers will kill our inner freedom' - Zizek to RT on biohacking & identity loss - RT

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Human remains discovered in Fayette County – Tribune-Review

Posted: at 11:41 am

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Human remains discovered in Fayette County - Tribune-Review

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SpaceX Just Completed Another Launch, Marking the End of an Era – Futurism

Posted: at 11:41 am

In BriefEven if the Dragon 2 wont be taking the most precious cargo(i.e. humans) to the Red Planet, SpaceX is expected to have acargo-only version of the craft for future resupply missions. Recycling the Dragon

Minutes ago, as SpaceXs Dragon took off atop the Falcon 9 toward the ISS, an era ended. Concurrently, another was ushered in as smoke (dont worry, it was the good kind) engulfed Launchpad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This is the same Pad that will be the center point for the Falcon Heavy, crewed flights, and potentially even the future Interplanetary Transport System.

Todays launch which brought more than 6,400 pounds of supplies, equipment, and science experiments to the Expedition 52 crew was the first for SpaceX in more than a month. While it may just sound like another resupply mission for Elon Musks spaceflight company, it truly marked a shift in focus.

The craft used today will be the last new first-generation Dragon spacecraft to fly. In a NASA advisory meeting, Sam Scimemi, NASA Director for the ISS, discussed the upcoming SpaceX missions for 2017. He noted that all future CRS-1 launches from SpaceX will be conducted with reused capsules. After today, there are eight more contracted cargo missions through the first CRS program, which means eight more opportunities to reuse the Dragon 2.

Since SpaceX will no longer be making the Dragon 1 spacecraft, resources can be reallocated toward the Dragon 2. This craft is designed to transport up to seven humans to the ISS or, someday, the Red Planet as a part of the Red Dragon Mission.

However, this Martian destination may not be set in stone. Musk recently tweeted, saying:

There was a time that I thought the Dragon approach to landing Mars, where youve got a base heat shield and side-mounted thrusters, would be the right way to land on Mars. Now Im pretty confident that is not the right way and theres a far better approach.

Musks tweet hints that the Red Dragon mission could be pushed back, or even cancelled from the original 2018 date. Even if the Dragon 2 wont be taking the most precious cargo (i.e. humans) to the Red Planet, SpaceX is expected to have a cargo-only version of the craft for future resupply missions.

Suffice itto say, SpaceX fans have quite a bit to look forward to throughout the rest of the year, with the excitement (arguably) culminating in the maiden Falcon Heavy launch. The Dragon 1 that launched today will attempt to land on the LZ-1 pad, which is already being prepped for the dual booster landing of the Falcon Heavy this November. While the side boosters land on LZ-1, the core booster will attempt to touch down onSpaceXs drone shipOf Course I Still Love You.

If all goes well, the most powerful operational rocket in the world will restore the possibility of flying missions with crew to the Moon or Mars in the very near future.

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Category Archives: Transhuman News

Riot insurance: American cities’ new must-have – CBS News

Fargo man who marched in Charlottesville responds to family estrangement – TwinCities.com-Pioneer Press

Trump campaign accuses CNN of censorship – The Hill

Chinese Censorship Hits the Middle East – Raddington Report (blog)

Trump can’t be serious about attacking Venezuela – Times-Enterprise

Cuomo proposes new hate crimes provisions post-Charlottesville – Albany Times Union

Cristiano Ronaldo shows he’s human; Matic key for Man Utd; Neymar’s start – ESPN FC (blog)

‘Brains linked to computers will kill our inner freedom’ – Zizek to RT on biohacking & identity loss – RT

Human remains discovered in Fayette County – Tribune-Review

SpaceX Just Completed Another Launch, Marking the End of an Era – Futurism

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