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☆ Pat Robertson, Who Gave Christian Conservatives Clout, Dies at 93
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Douglas Martin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Pat Robertson, a Baptist minister with a passion for politics who marshaled Christian conservatives into a powerful constituency that helped Republicans capture both houses of Congress in 1994, died on Thursday at his home in Virginia Beach, Va. His death was announced by the Christian Broadcasting Network, which Mr. Robertson founded in 1960. Mr. Robertson built an entrepreneurial empire based on his Christian faith, encompassing a university, a law school, a cable channel with broad reach, and more. The loss did not dampen his political fervor; he went on to found the Christian Coalition, which stoked the conservative faith-based political resurgence of the 1990s and beyond. But he was also given to statements that his detractors saw as outlandishly wrongheaded and dangerously incendiary.

Persons: Pat Robertson, marshaled, Robertson, chuckling Organizations: Republicans, Christian Broadcasting Network, Mr, Republican, Christian Coalition Locations: Virginia Beach, Va

☆ April Stevens Dies at 93; Her ‘Deep Purple’ Became a Surprise Hit
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Daniel E. Slotnik | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

April Stevens, whose rushed recording of “Deep Purple” with her brother, Nino Tempo, became a chart-topping single in 1963 and won a Grammy Award, died on April 17 at her home in Scottsdale, Ariz. She was 93. The Stevens-Tempo version of “Deep Purple” — a jazz standard that had been a hit for Bing Crosby — featured the siblings harmonizing over a mellow arrangement accented with a harmonica. In one section, Ms. Stevens recited the lyrics and Mr. Tempo sang them back in falsetto. Ms. Stevens then fed them to him during that session. A friend loved the effect, Mr. Tempo said in a phone interview, and “we knew we had backed into something magical.”

☆ New Zealand's Georgina Beyer, world's first openly transgender MP, dies
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, March 6 (Reuters) - New Zealander Georgina Beyer, the world's first openly transgender member of parliament and tireless advocate for LGBTQ rights, has died at the age of 65. She had long battled kidney disease but statements about her death did not mention the cause. A former sex worker, actor and drag queen, Beyer was elected to national parliament in 1999 after several years as mayor of Carterton, a rural town on the country's North Island. Beyer received a kidney transplant in 2017 after four years of end-stage renal failure that required daily dialysis. "I certainly think that Georgina blazed a trail that has made it much easier for others to follow."

☆ Google will bring generative AI to Gmail. It's trying to stem the threat of the Microsoft-OpenAI alliance.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Emilia David | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

It's been developing AI models for years and has used AI in products, including search. Google will release new tools and APIs for developers and users to experiment with its AI models. Unlike some Big Tech AI models, ChatGPT went insanely viral because it was so easy to use and available even to non-programmers. The company also announced plans to offer more AI products for businesses and organizations, though Pichai did not specify which kinds. Pichai pointed to using AI to improve Google Search and said people should expect further upgrades fueled by AI.

☆ Twinkle, twinkle fading stars: Hiding in our brighter skies
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON — Every year, the night sky grows brighter, and the stars look dimmer. A new study that analyzes data from more than 50,000 amateur stargazers finds that artificial lighting is making the night sky about 10% brighter each year. “This is real pollution, affecting people and wildlife,” said Kyba, who said he hoped that policymakers would do more to curb light pollution. The study data from amateur stargazers in the nonprofit Globe at Night project was collected in a similar fashion. “The night sky has been, for all the generations before ours, a source of inspiration for art, science, literature,” he said.

Now that I do, I've found I think differently about spending money, today and in the future. I'm determined not to spend over $100 because it would mean dipping into the money I've set aside for emergencies, vacations, my husband's birthday dinner, and so on. You're making our financial decisions without understanding how much money we need, and I'm making our spending decisions without understanding how much money we have." Upper-middle-class people don't need to be thrifty with their kids' back-to-school shopping." I don't need a $40 basket tote for the beach if we can't afford to take a vacation to the beach this year.

Instead, this ketamine clinic feels like an oasis of zen, strewn with twinkle lights, lush greenery and comfy meditation pillows. Chere Scythes, right, listens to guided meditation during a ketamine session at Field Trip Health in New York City. “And so many of these clinics don’t have mental health professionals staffing them. When those mental health concerns pop up, they may not be equipped to respond appropriately.”Ketamine also isn’t a cure-all. “That deep dark depressive cloud started to lift.”In combination with her antidepressants, she has continued the ketamine treatments and now gets one every five weeks.

☆ Cramer: What I learned about investing from the first millionaire I met as a kid
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

He didn't talk much on the drive in, just listened to call-in radio shows and then the opera, the Metropolitan Opera, brought to you by Texaco. And if you ran out of those, you might have to close on one of the most important business days leading up to Christmas. But Mr. Paul was a supplier, a decent man, and most importantly a retired Marine Corps colonel. One day Pop asked me to summon up the courage and ask Mr. Paul to show him his stock ledger. Mr. Paul, in short, was a millionaire.

☆ Russian oligarchs believe Putin tricked them into appearing to support the war in Ukraine, and got them all sanctioned, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russian oligarchs say Putin tricked them into supporting his war in Ukraine, per The New York Times. When Putin announced the invasion, they were gathered before cameras "to tar everyone there," The Times reported. "Russian businesspeople, Russian officials, the Russian people — they saw a czar in him. He joined rows of other business moguls who were equally surprised by Putin's invasion. In the weeks and months that followed, Russian oligarchs had their assets frozen and were banned from traveling to some countries as the Ruble fell into freefall.

Since the early days of the invasion, Mr. Putin has conceded, privately, that the war has not gone as planned. “I think he is sincerely willing” to compromise with Russia, Mr. Putin said of Mr. Zelensky in 2019. To join in Mr. Putin’s war, he has recruited prisoners, trashed the Russian military and competed with it for weapons. To join in Mr. Putin’s war, he has recruited prisoners, trashed the Russian military and competed with it for weapons. “I think this war is Putin’s grave.” Yevgeny Nuzhin, 55, a Russian prisoner of war held by Ukraine, in October.

☆ 14 Best Gifts for Dog Lovers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +10 min

Browse the ideas below, and take a look at our roundups of expert-approved products to keep your pet calm and the best gifts for cat lovers too. For the bakerThe Dash Dog Treat Maker—a small waffle iron with bone-shaped plates—lets your pal whip up homemade dog treats. Dockx eased her golden retriever’s separation anxiety while she was at work with a Snuggle Puppy, a plush toy with a battery-powered heartbeat. To brush up on dog speak, DeWillems recommends “Doggie Language: A Dog Lover’s Guide to Understanding Your Best Friend,” which decodes canine body language through illustrations that highlight subtle nuances in their mannerisms. For the devoted dog dadDog Dad Hats Custom Dog Dad Hats $69 at Dog Dad HatsAny proud parent will dig a Dog Dad Hat, with a custom embroidered illustration of their pet’s portrait.

☆ tWitch tributes: Friends honor dancer who was 'loved by everyone'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Dan Heching | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —The late Stephen “tWitch” Boss was a man who wore many hats. He was hungry, eager, and willing to do the work that would lift him in spirit and means,” she wrote. Murphy shared that the first time she met Boss, “there was something about him. Other celebrities to mourn Boss’s passing included Questlove, who wrote on Instagram, “I have no words man. Ciara continued in her missive to Boss that she always knew him “as joy, laughter, good times, and a big smile!

☆ 11 Best Gifts for Dog Lovers
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +8 min

For the bakerThe Dash Dog Treat Maker—a small waffle iron with bone-shaped plates—lets your pal whip up homemade dog treats. It makes up to eight bone-shaped dog treats at a time, and it includes sweet and savory recipes. Dockx eased her golden retriever’s separation anxiety while she was at work with a Snuggle Puppy, a plush toy with a battery-powered heartbeat. To brush up on dog speak, DeWillems recommends “Doggie Language: A Dog Lover’s Guide to Understanding Your Best Friend,” which decodes canine body language through illustrations that highlight subtle nuances in their mannerisms. For the devoted dog dadDog Dad Hats Custom Dog Dad Hats $69 at Dog Dad HatsAny proud parent will dig a Dog Dad Hat, with a custom embroidered illustration of their pet’s portrait.

☆ Paris plans to turn off Eiffel Tower's lights early to save electricity, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-11 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Paris plans to turn off the Eiffel Tower's lights earlier each night to save electricity. The tower's lights have given the "Iron Lady" her golden glow since 1958. In Germany this summer, cities limited heating and turned off lights to save energy. The Eiffel Tower went fully dark on Thursday after Queen Elizabeth II's death was announced. The last time the tower's lights were turned off was following terrorist attacks in Paris in November 2015.

☆ Hillary Clinton said she'd sometimes have a 'wry' exchange with Queen Elizabeth about how 'as a woman leader you always had to have your hair done'
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-11 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton shared some of her memories with Queen Elizabeth II. Clinton said she and the late Queen had privately remarked on being women leaders. Sometimes, there would be a wry exchange about how, as a woman leader, you always had to have your hair done," Clinton said on Sunday. Clinton described the late Queen as a "symbol of a strong, stalwart woman leader." US President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary talk with Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in London on December 14, 2000.

☆ Notable quotes of Britain's Queen Elizabeth
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

I can give you my heart and my devotion to these old islands and to all the peoples of our brotherhood of nations." - First televised Christmas broadcast in 1957. "We cheered the king and the queen on the balcony and then walked miles through the streets. Throughout all my life and with all my heart I shall strive to be worthy of your trust." - Christmas broadcast in 2017.

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