Duck Dynasty Season 5 premieres on January 15th at 10/9c on A&E.
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Dieudonne M’bala M’bala appeals against ban on show
Comedian Dieudonne M’bala M’bala, viewed as a dangerous anti-Semite by the French government, has appealed against a ban on his show, Le Mur (The Wall).
Dieudonne M’bala M’bala lodged the appeal with France’s highest court, the Council of State, after it overruled a provincial judge on Thursday and reinstated the ban.
The ban took effect as fans gathered for the first show of a tour, in the western city of Nantes on Thursday.
Authorities in other cities on the tour have also banned the performance.
Legal analysts say that while the Council of State decision applied specifically to Nantes, judges in other cities will have to take it into account and a flurry of further bans is likely.
Among the performances of The Wall which have been banned is one that was scheduled for the city of Tours on Friday.
Supporters of Dieudonne M’bala M’bala and critics of the bans accuse the authorities of denying the comic freedom of speech.
However, government lawyers argue that the fundamentally racist nature of his act means it cannot be afforded protection under France’s constitutional provisions on freedom of speech.
Interior Minister Manuel Valls wants Dieudonne M’bala M’bala kept off all stages in France, condemning the comic’s “mechanics of hate”.
PM Jean-Marc Ayrault said he was satisfied with the Council of State ban.
“What’s at stake is the struggle against the drift towards anti-Semitism in which Dieudonne was engaged,” he said on Friday.
“Over the course of time, each show leads to a spiraling out of control. And we can’t accept that in our society there is the slightest complacency with regards to anti-Semitism. It’s totally alien to our values and principles.”
Shocked fans booed outside the concert hall in Nantes, where more than 5,000 people had been due to see the show.
Some gave Dieudonne M’bala M’bala’s trademark “quenelle” gesture, which is regarded by many as an inverted Nazi salute, while some brandished pineapples.
One of Dieudonne M’bala M’bala’s most notorious songs, Shoananas, roughly translates as Pineapple-Holocaust and mocks commemoration of the Nazi extermination of the Jews.
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Rebecca and Korie Robertson launch Duck & Dressing clothing boutique
Duck Dynasty’s Korie Robertson and her foster daughter Rebecca recently launched a clothing boutique together called Duck & Dressing.
Rebecca Robertson, 24, wrote in a blog post earlier this year: “Welcome to the Duck & Dressing blog! It’s a new year and just wanted to start a new adventure so that maybe I can share some of the fun behind the scenes stuff that goes on around the store and also share some of the styles that we are featuring. We’ve been working around the clock getting the store running but we’ve been having some fun too!”
The store’s online website will be launching in Spring this year.
Rebecca Robertson recently joined the Duck Dynasty cast for the fifth season.
Duck Dynasty Season 5 premieres on January 15th at 10/9c on A&E.
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Who is Rebecca Robertson from Duck Dynasty?
A new family member has joined Duck Dynasty reality for this fifth season: Korie and Willie Robertson’s adopted daughter, Rebecca.
Rebecca Robertson, 24, has remained off-screen up until now, but she’s decided to step in front of cameras this year.
Becca came to the family as an exchange student from Taiwan, and eventually, Willie and Korie Robertson took her in full-time as a foster child.
Now, Rebecca and Korie are extremely close and have even opened a boutique together in Monroe, Louisiana, called Duck & Dressing.
Korie Robertson is so proud of her new daughter, that she included her in her Twitter tagline: “Mom to four awesome kids plus a sweet exchange student who became ours.”
Duck Dynasty Season 5 premieres on January 15th at 10/9c on A&E.
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Duckhorn Wine Company files trademark lawsuit against Duck Dynasty wines
Duckhorn Wine Company has filed a trademark lawsuit against Duck Commander, Inc., Trinchero Family Estates and Wal-Mart.
The suit claims Duck Commander wines violate the trademark of Duckhorn Vineyards.
Duckhorn has a history of going after wineries that dare to use a duck in their names or labels.
The Napa Valley winery is going after the Duck Dynasty folks because they’ve used the word “Duck” and an image of a duck on their wines.
In November, the Robertson family collaborated with Trinchero Family Estates to produce three wines from California grapes: Triple Threat red blend, Wood Duck chardonnay and Miss Priss pink moscato.
“We decided to create Duck Commander Robertson Family Wines because we know that many of our customers and our viewers choose to celebrate family moments with wine,” Duck Commander CEO Willie Robertson said at the time.
The St. Helena winery, which produces wines that largely sell for $50 and up, has taken on a number of what it deems to be trademark violators in recent years, although not always successfully.
“It turns out that Duckhorn doesn’t own the word <<duck>>,” said Jay Behmke, an intellectual property attorney at Santa Rosa law firm Carle, Mackie, Power & Ross.
“I know that Duckhorn has an interest in trademarks, and I’ve seen their interest, but there are a lot of duck trademarks, so they don’t have an exclusive on that.”
Duckhorn took aim at Duck Pond Cellars in Oregon in the mid ‘90s, but that case settled. Greg Fries, president of Duck Pond Cellars, confirmed the case was resolved, but said he was bound by the settlement not to comment.
Plasma thermogram can be used to detect cervical cancer
A new test – plasma thermogram – that uses heat to examine blood can be used to detect cervical cancer, according to US scientists.
The plasma thermogram examines the proteins inside blood, including those produced by tumors.
The new study, published in the journal Plos One, showed the test could detect cervical cancer and how advanced it was.
Screening for cervical cancer currently involves a looking for abnormal cells in a smear test and detecting high-risk viruses that can cause the disease.
The study, at the University of Louisville, used the plasma thermogram technology to analyze blood samples.
The sample will respond differently to heat depending on the types of proteins contained in the blood. It results in a thermogram – like a fingerprint – of the protein content.
The system was tested on 67 women with different stages of the cervical cancer to see if it could detect the differences between the patients and healthy people.
Lead researcher Dr. Nichola Garbett said: “We have been able to demonstrate a more convenient, less intrusive test for detecting and staging cervical cancer.”
She said the test could be used to determine which cancers needed to be treated and which needed monitoring.
“Comparing blood samples of patients who are being screened or treated against those thermograms should enable us to better monitor patients as they are undergoing treatment and follow-up,” she added.
“This will be a chance for us to adjust treatments so they are more effective.”
Jessica Chastain portrays Princess Merida for O, The Oprah Magazine
Jessica Chastain has portrayed fictional Scottish Princess Merida from 2012’s animated movie Brave for O, The Oprah Magazine photo shoot.
Jessica Chastain posed for award-winning photographer Annie Leibovitz in Cold Spring, New York.
The image will appear in O, The Oprah Magazine‘s February issue.
Made by Disney-Pixar, Brave is a fairytale featuring a fictional Scottish royal family, bears and a witch.
Merida, a young, flame haired Scottish princess, refuses to conform with traditional rules on marriage and princess-like behavior.
Disney-Pixar has described it as a story about mothers and daughters and families.
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LEGO to make Simpsons construction set
World’s second-biggest toymaker LEGO has confirmed that it will produce a construction set based on the hit TV animation, The Simpsons.
The new kit will include figures of the main characters including Homer, Bart, Marge and Ned Flanders.
LEGO struck the deal with the show’s owners, Twentieth Century Fox.
Fox is scheduled to air an episode of The Simpsons featuring the cast in Lego form in May, in the US.
“We know our fans will love the challenge of building the Simpsons’ family home in great detail and the ability to collect quintessential characters in Lego minifigure form,” Jill Wilfert, from the LEGO Group said in a statement.
The Simpsons, a satirical parody of family life, has been running for 25 years making it the longest running scripted TV show in the US.
LEGO new set will go on sale in the US in February priced at $199.99. The company plans to launch a separate line of 16 Simpsons mini figures in May.
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Salman Khurshid: There was no stand-off with US following Devyani Khobragade scandal
Indian Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid told reporters in Delhi there was “no stand-off” with the US and predicted problems would be sorted out.
The row erupted after the diplomat, Devyani Khobragade, was arrested in New York on charges of visa fraud and underpaying her housekeeper.
Devyani Khobragade is now back in India after an apparent agreement with Washington.
“If there are any issues” India and the US will “sort them out mutually”, Salman Khurshid said in televised remarks.
Salman Khurshid was speaking a day after Devyani Khobragade arrived in India, where she was greeted by her father, Uttam. On Saturday, the two were welcomed by Salman Khurshid.
Surrounded by reporters on leaving the Maharashtra Sadan state guesthouse, Devyani Khobragade gave little away.
“No comments, I am really thankful for all your support… I cannot make any comments right now. My government will speak for me, my lawyer will speak for me,” she said.
Devyani Khobragade was asked to leave the US as the diplomatic rift deepened.
The US meanwhile confirmed that an American official will leave its embassy in Delhi at India’s request – Salman Khurshid described this as an expulsion.
“We have our reasons and have informed the US about it. We are in touch with the US. We will do what needs to be done. I do not think that this needs more discussion,” Salman Khurshid said.
Washington said it deeply regretted the move but hoped that it would bring closure to the case and lead to a return to constructive ties.
The expelled US diplomat has not been named.
Sources told Agence France Presse that the individual was of similar rank to Devyani Khobragade and had been involved in the Khobragade case.
India had demanded an apology after Devyani Khobragade, 39, was handcuffed and strip-searched following her arrest last month. It refused to waive her immunity so she could be prosecuted in the US.
Devyani Khobragade has always denied any wrongdoing.
On Thursday Devyani Khobragade was indicted by a US federal grand jury in Manhattan, but was also granted immunity by US officials, paving the way for her to return to India.
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Nick Gordon’s biological parents were unable to take care of him
Although he is largely credited with being Whitney Houston’s adopted son, Nick Gordon was never officially adopted by the family.
Whitney Houston invited Nick Gordon to live with her family when he was only 12 years old after learning that his father went to prison and his mother was unable to take care of him.
Nick Gordon was raised with Bobbi Kristina Brown until Whitney Houston’s death in February 2012.
Francois Hollande and Julie Gayet: President under pressure to clarify relationship
President Francois Hollande is coming under pressure in France to clarify his personal situation, after Closer magazine reported on his alleged secret affair with actress Julie Gayet.
Francois Hollande is making a key policy announcement on Tuesday amid fears it may be overshadowed by the allegations.
One French paper said the report was “catastrophic” in every way for him.
Francois Hollande said the publication was an “attack on the right to privacy”. He said he might sue, but did not deny it.
A major press conference next week was intended to be a platform for Francois Hollande to launch his economic program for the year ahead – detailing a much-anticipated new tack in efforts to spur growth and create jobs.
Key questions include whether the president is indeed in a relationship with Julie Gayet, and if so what of his recognized partner Valerie Trierweiler, who lives with him at the Elysee palace. and who is scheduled to accompany him on an official visits to the US next month.
Closer magazine’s article, which describes Francois Hollande riding across Paris on the back of a scooter to see his alleged lover, could ruin the president’s year, French papers warned on Saturday.
“Having to explain, a few minutes before sketching out his vision for France, instead, what he has in mind for his relationship [with Valerie Trierweiler] promises to be a highly interesting performance,” the Sud-Ouest newspaper wrote.
L’Alsace newspaper described the allegations as “catastrophic in every possible way for Francois Hollande”.
Meanwhile, L’Est Republicain said in an editorial that Tuesday’s announcement was “expected to mark a political resurgence by confirming the social-democratic shift” the president hinted at in a New Year address, but that “all eyes will now be on the president’s reaction”.
Francois Hollande, who took office in May 2012, has seen public support slipping recently. One poll in November gave him just 15% support, the lowest for any president in the past 50 years.
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Ariel Sharon dies after 8 years in coma
Former Israel’s PM Ariel Sharon has died at the age 85 after spending 8 years in a coma following a stroke.
Ariel Sharon was a giant of the Israeli military and political scene, but courted controversy throughout his long career.
The head of the Sheba Medical Centre near Tel Aviv said Ariel Sharon had died on Saturday afternoon of heart failure.
Ariel Sharon’s health had declined for the past week and a half, he said.
He fought in Israel’s war of independence in 1948, and from that point until he slipped into a coma in 2006 it seemed there was hardly a moment of national drama in which he did not play a role, our correspondent says.
Ariel Sharon, who became PM in 2001, was suffering from a malfunction of several organs including the kidneys, doctors said on Thursday.
His health was showing signs of “a slow and gradual deterioration” and his life was in danger, they added.
Ariel Sharon had been in a persistent vegetative state since a stroke in 2006.
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Boardwalk Empire to end after Season 5
Boardwalk Empire is to end after its upcoming fifth season, HBO has announced.
The decision comes three months after HBO renewed the prohibition-era drama for a fifth outing.
“We’ve decided to wrap up the series after such a great run and look forward to bringing it to a powerful and exciting conclusion,” creator Terry Winter said.
Boardwalk Empire has won 17 Emmys since it first aired, including Martin Scorsese winning for his direction of the series’ big budget pilot that premiered in 2010.
“It has been an incredible honor to bring this powerful and groundbreaking series to our subscribers,” HBO programming president Michael Lombardo said.
“Terry Winter has created one for the ages.”
Boardwalk Empire Season 5 will return to TV screens in the autumn.
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Amiri Baraka dies in New Jersey hospital at 79
Poet Amiri Baraka died in New Jersey on Thursday at the age of 79.
Amiri Baraka died in hospital – where he had been since last month – surrounded by his family.
He was initially associated with Beat generation poets such as Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac. He published his first poetry collection in 1961.
Amiri Baraka later became an advocate of a militant black separatist movement. In 1964, he garnered global attention for his explosive play Dutchman.
The New York Times, in a 2007 review of a new production of the play, called it the “singular cultural emblem” of the black separatist movement in the United States.
Amiri Baraka wrote prolifically, including poems, short stories, novels, essays, plays and jazz operas.
Among his better-known works are the non-fiction book Blues People: Negro Music in White America and the poetry collection The Dead Lecturer.
The poet was born Everett LeRoi Jones, but following a radicalizing trip to Cuba in 1960, he later adopted the name Amiri Baraka.
After the 1965 assassination of Malcolm X, Amiri Baraka played a principal role in the creation of the Black Arts Movement, as the head of a theatre and school in Harlem.
He also divorced his wife, writer Hettie Cohen, with whom he had founded the literary magazine Yugen.
Among his accolades were the Rockefeller Foundation Award for Drama and a poetry award from the National Endowment for the Arts.
In later years, Amiri Baraka moderated his views on black nationalism, and became an avowed Marxist.
In 2002, as poet laureate of New Jersey, Amiri Baraka drew accusations of anti-Semitism over his poem Somebody Blew Up America, which referenced the September 11 2001 attacks.
Amiri Baraka refused then-New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey’s request for him to resign and, in response, a state law was passed eliminating the position of poet laureate.
Latterly, he taught at Yale and George Washington University, and spent 20 years teaching at the State University of New York.
Amiri Baraka is survived by his second wife Amina – whom he married in 1966 – and several children.
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Richard Gere to appear in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel 2
Richard Gere will appear in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel 2, it has been announced.
It had been rumored last October that Richard Gere, 64, had been approached to star in the movie.
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel 2 production has begun in India with John Madden returning to direct.
The sequel will see Dev Patel’s character Sonny and hotel co-manager Muriel (played by Maggie Smith) continue with their business as Sonny juggles his plans for expansion and an impending marriage.
With the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel for the Elderly and Beautiful thriving, it only has a single remaining vacancy, which poses a problem for new arrivals Guy – played by Richard Gere – and Lavinia – played by Tamsin Greig.
“We’re thrilled to reunite our creative and delightful Marigold Hotel family along with some intriguing new <<guests>>,” Claudia Lewis, Fox Searchlight Pictures president of production, said.
“With John Madden’s direction and Ol Parker’s original screenplay, we look forward to further exploring our characters’ rich stories and triumphs.”
John Madden added: “This film presented us with an irresistible opportunity: to continue a story we realized we had only just begun.
“Not to tell the same story again, but to pursue where the lives of these very different characters lead, with an audience which already holds them in great affection.”
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel earned more than $135 million at the box office worldwide on a production budget of $10 million.
The film was also nominated for a best British film BAFTA and best picture Golden Globe, while Judi Dench was also recognized for her role in as hotel resident Evelyn.
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US Air Force officers investigated over illegal drug possession
Ten US Air Force officers at six military bases are being investigated for alleged illegal drug possession, service officials report.
Nine lieutenants and a captain at bases in the US and Britain have been implicated in the investigation.
Two nuclear launch control officers at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana are said to be involved in the probe.
The Air Force has since suspended the two officers’ security clearances, US media report.
The investigation was reportedly initiated with two officers at Edwards Air Force Base in California, the second-largest US Air Force base.
It then “expanded, based on contact with the officers in question regarding recreational drug possession”, Air Force spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Brett Ashworth told Reuters news agency.
The investigation has since grown to include officers at bases Malmstrom, Vandenberg in California, FE Warren in Wyoming and Schreiver in Colorado, as well as Royal Air Force Lakenheath in England, he added.
Malmstrom Air Force base reportedly oversees 420 nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles, while Schreiver Air Force Base is home to the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization.
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US open to build a new relationship with Cuba
The US is “very open” to building a new relationship with Cuba, a senior American official has said.
However, Edward Alex Lee of the US state department stressed that any improvement should go hand-in-hand with more political freedom on the communist-run island.
Edward Alex Lee said the two countries had held “very constructive” talks on migration and other issues this week.
But he declined to give any details of what he called “substantial progress”.
Edward Alex Lee, who has been on an official visit to Cuba, added the two nations would seek to continue these rare negotiations.
“Despite our historically difficult relationship…we have been able to speak to each other in a respectful and thoughtful manner,” he told a news conference in Havana.
However, he added that the US wanted a “fundamental change” in the Cuban government’s attitude towards its own people.
“We want to have that opening reflect – from the Cuban side – a respect for Cubans to express themselves freely, to be able to petition their government with grievances without the danger of arrest.”
Talks between the US and Cuba were suspended in 2011 but resumed last July.
The main focus of the latest talks was migration: discouraging Cubans from risking their lives at sea to reach the US, by ensuring that there were safe and legal alternatives.
The US and Cuba cut formal diplomatic ties more than five decades ago.
The talks, which took place in Havan, were also centered on other topics of mutual interest, including aviation safety, co-operation in counter-narcotics work, protocols on preparing for oil spills, search-and-rescue work, and renewing postal services between the two neighbors.
They came after the first handshake between President Barack Obama and his counterpart, Raul Castro, last month, at the memorial service for Nelson Mandela in South Africa.
Edward Alex Lee insisted however that the handshake was not pre-arranged, but reflected what he called the “innate graciousness” of Barack Obama.
The dialogue between the Cold War foes was cut after Cuba sentenced a US citizen, Alan Gross, to 15 years in prison for smuggling illegal satellite equipment into the country.
Edward Alex Lee confirmed that he had visited Alan Gross in prison, adding that the US was “deeply concerned” about his wellbeing. He expressed hope that the Cuban government would free Alan Gross, arguing the contractor had simply been providing internet access for Cuba’s small Jewish community.
Rebecca Robertson added to Duck Dynasty cast
Duck Dynasty reality show is adding another face to the Robertson clan in 2014, Willie and Korie’s foster daughter Rebecca.
The exchange student from Taiwan eventually became a foster child of the Robertsons and Korie has shared news about Rebecca on Twitter way before the show was successful.
“Who’s ready for January 15th? Premiere party?! You finally get to meet our sweet Rebecca!” tweeted Jessica Robertson from her official Twitter account on Friday.
A&E network also hinted there was a new cast member as the hype of the show starts. Duck Dynasty Facebook page revealed a sneak peek of the new episodes of the popular show.
Elliptic Vault: World’s first insured Bitcoin storage service launched in London
Elliptic Vault, a Bitcoin storage service that insures deposits of the digital currency against loss and theft, has launched in London.
Elliptic Vault uses “deep cold storage”, where private encrypted keys to Bitcoins are stored on offline servers and in a secure location.
The facility’s founders say they are the “first in the world” to offer insurance for Bitcoin owners.
Stolen Bitcoins cannot be recovered as all transactions are irreversible.
Online wallets used to store Bitcoins have been subject to a number of cyber-attacks and some users have also suffered from accidental loss.
James Howells lost about $7.5 million when he threw away his hard drive, forgetting that he had Bitcoins stored on it.
Unlike money stored in a conventional bank, Bitcoins are not insured and there is no way of retrieving them once they are gone.
But convincing an insurance firm to trust the nascent currency was not an easy task.
The company is underwritten by Lloyd’s of London, which will give people “more faith in the Bitcoin system”, according to Emily Spaven, managing editor of CoinDesk, a digital currency news site.
Insurance payouts will be calculated using the Bitcoin to US dollar exchange rate at the time a claim is made.
Elliptic’s focus is on storing Bitcoins as securely as possible, using “deep cold storage” techniques.
Bitcoin keys are encrypted and stored offline. There are multiple copies, protected by layers of cryptographic and physical security.
The copies are accessible only via a quorum of Elliptic’s directors.
Elliptic’s launch comes as Bitcoin has been making news around the world, with governments deciding how to legislate for the currency.
Singapore has become one of the first countries to issue guidance on taxation for Bitcoin businesses, although it also said it was monitoring transactions to detect illicit financing by criminals and terrorists.
Bitcoin was less fortunate in China, where the largest online marketplace, Alibaba Group’s Taobao, said it would ban virtual currencies.
In December, the country’s central bank ordered financial institutions to halt Bitcoin-related services and products.
There was a breakthrough for the currency in the US, however, where Overstock.com became one of the first major online retailers to accept Bitcoin on Thursday.
Ian Redford found dead in Scotland woods
Former football player Ian Redford has been found dead in woodland near Irvine in Ayrshire, south-west Scotland.
Police Scotland confirmed that a body was found near Long Drive just after 11:00 on Friday.
Officers said there did not appear to be any suspicious circumstances.
Ian Redford, who was 53, began his career with Dundee before joining Rangers in February 1980 for a then Scottish record fee of £210,000 ($335,000).
After six seasons with Rangers, which included four domestic cup trophies, Ian Redford moved to Dundee United, where he collected runners-up medals in the UEFA Cup and Scottish Cup in the space of a few days in 1987.
Chris Christie sued by New Jersey residents over bridge scandal
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is being sued by six residents over claims his office created gridlock on to the George Washington Bridge as part of a political vendetta.
The traffic mayhem was allegedly instigated in revenge against a mayor who declined to endorse Chris Christie.
Lawyer Rosemarie Arnold, who filed the lawsuit, said her clients were late for work and one had a panic attack.
State legislators plan to release on Friday nearly 1,000 pages relating to their probe of the incident.
Chris Christie, seen as a potential future Republican presidential candidate, has said he is “embarrassed and humiliated” by the incident and has denied any involvement, blaming “deceitful” staff.
He announced he had fired a top aide on Thursday after documents apparently showing her engineering the traffic problems became public a day earlier.
On September 9, two traffic lanes in the borough of Fort Lee on to the George Washington Bridge, which connects New Jersey to Manhattan, were shut for several days, causing gridlock.
Emails and texts made public on Wednesday appear to link Bridget Anne Kelly, a top Chris Christie aide, to the move.
“Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee,” Bridget Anne Kelly wrote on August 13 to David Wildstein, a political appointee to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which controls the bridge.
“Got it,” David Wildstein, who has since resigned, replied.
David Wildstein refused to testify on Thursday in a hearing investigating the matter.
The lawsuit filed, which seeks class-action status, calls for unspecified damages for those who were late to work because of the lane closures and lost pay.
The plaintiffs accuse Chris Christie, Bridget Anne Kelly, David Wildstein and the Port Authority of conspiring and committing “acts of official misconduct”, then covering it up with a “fictional traffic study”.
It claims the residents “suffered economic damages” as a result of the delays.
In a lengthy press conference on Thursday, Chris Christie said he was “heartbroken that someone who I permitted to be in that circle of trust for the last five years betrayed my trust”.
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Costa Concordia wreck to be removed in June
Costa Concordia cruise ship wreck will be removed from the coast of north-west Italy in June, officials say.
The stricken liner will then be taken away to be scrapped.
Ports in Italy, Britain, France, Turkey and China are bidding for the lucrative contract to dismantle the ship, Italian officials said.
The Costa Concordia hit a reef near the island of Giglio in January 2012 and capsized, killing 32 people.
Captain Francesco Schettino is currently on trial for multiple charges of manslaughter and for abandoning ship.
Officials overseeing the Costa Concordia salvage operation set out their timetable at a news conference on Friday.
Project manager Franco Porcellacchia said that, from April, the team would start to fix at least 15 large tanks to the side of the ship. They will be filled with water, and then gradually emptied to give the ship enough buoyancy to float off the seabed.
Once afloat, the ship can then be towed away.
Franco Porcellacchia said if that does not work then the world’s largest semi-submergible ship, the Dockwise Vanguard, will be on standby and can literally carry the ship into port.
The winning contract for dismantling the Costa Concordia is due to be announced in March.
Italy’s environment minister Andrea Orlando said the preference was to keep the project in Italy, both to limit the environmental impact and to keep any economic benefits.
The 290m-long vessel was righted last September in one of the largest, most complex salvage operations ever that took 18 hours and followed months of stabilisation and preparation work by a team of 500 engineers and divers.
That operation allowed divers to retrieve the remains of one of the two people still missing in the disaster, believed to be an Italian passenger, Maria Grazia Trecarichi. An Indian waiter, Russel Rebello, is still unaccounted for.
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Bobbi Kristina Brown and Nick Gordon marriage announced on Twitter
Bobbi Kristina Brown has announced her marriage to Nick Gordon on Twitter.
Bobbi Kristina Brown, 20, shared the news by posting a photo of the couple’s wedding rings.
“@nickgordon! #HappilyMarried,” Whitney Houston’s daughter captioned the snapshot.
“SO #Inlove. If you didn’t get it the first time that is.”
The picture shows Bobbi Kristina Brown’s hand resting on top of Nick Gordon’s hand, with their weddings bands on display.
Bobbi Kristina Brown and Nick Gordon first announced they were engaged in October 2012 during a sneak peek of their short-lived reality show, The Houstons: On Our Own.
However, they called off their engagement one month later.
Sources told Us Weekly at the time that Bobbi Kristina Brown’s family members didn’t approve of the relationship.
Prior to her February 2012 death, Whitney Houston informally adopted Nick Gordon when he was 12 years old; he lived with the family throughout his teens.
In July 2013, Bobbi Kristina Brown announced that their engagement was back on and clarified the nature of their relationship.
“Yes, me and Nick are engaged. I’m tired of hearing people say, <<Eww you’re engaged to your brother>> or <<If Whitney was still alive, would we be together or would she approve of this?>>” she wrote on Facebook.
“Let me clear up something, we aren’t even real brother and sister, nor is he my adoptive brother. My mom never adopted him. In fact, mommy was the one who even said that she knew that we were going to start dating.”
In addition to her marriage announcement, Bobbi Kristina Brown also hinted on Twitter Thursday that she’ll be sharing other news soon.
“BIGGGG things in store guys . . . I’m so excited!” Bobbi Kristina Brown wrote.
“We bouta change the world babbbbby! #bringEmOut! #Getready! xO!”
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Elk River chemical spill leaves 300,000 people without water in West Virginia
A chemical spill into the Elk River in West Virginia has led to a tap water ban for up to 300,000 people, shut down bars and restaurants and led to a run on bottled water in some stores as people looked to stock up.
The federal government joined Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin in declaring a disaster as the West Virginia National Guard arranged to dispense bottled drinking water to emergency services agencies in the counties hit by the chemical spill into the Elk River.
The advisory was expanded at night to nine counties and includes West Virginia American Water customers in Boone, Cabell, Clay, Jackson, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, Putnam and Roane counties.
It followed a notice from the West Virginia American Water Company that its water supply had become contaminated, sending a strange licorice-like smell wafting through the surrounding streets.
According to the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, the symptoms include: severe burning in throat, severe eye irritation, non-stop vomiting, trouble breathing or severe skin irritation such as skin blistering.
Once word got out about the governor’s declaration, customers stripped store shelves in many areas of items such as bottled water, paper cups and bowls. As many as 50 customers had flooded a convenience store near the state Capitol in Charleston to purchase water.
Residents were told not to drink the tap water, bathe in it or cook with the water and only use it for flushing and fire emergencies. Boiling it will not remove the chemicals.
“Right now, our priorities are our hospitals, nursing homes, and schools,” Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin said in a statement.
“I’ve been working with our National Guard and Office of Emergency Services in an effort to provide water and supplies through the county emergency services offices as quickly as possible.”
The odor from the spill – which has been likened to that of licorice or cough syrup – was especially pungent at the Charleston Marriott hotel just a stone’s throw from the Elk River, which runs into the Kanawha River in downtown Charleston. The Marriott shut off all water to rooms – but soon turned it back on so hotel guests could flush toilets. The hotel distributed 16.9-ounce bottles of spring water to each guest.
Schools will be closed Friday in some of the affected counties.
West Virginia American Water did not provide a timeline for the clean-up process, but the company’s external affairs manager Laura Jordan told Reuters that the spill originated with Freedom Industries, a Charleston company.
It occurred right above the intake of the Kanawha Valley water treatment plant in Charleston – the largest in West Virginia – and affects 100,000 homes and businesses, or 250,000 to 300,000 people, she said.
The leaked product is 4-methylcyclohexane methanol, which is used in the froth flotation process of coal washing and preparation.
Earlier, another West Virginia American Water spokesperson Jennifer Sayre urged residents not to panic and rush out to grocery stores to purchase bottled water, as local officials were working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to open water distribution centers.
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Molly Schuyler eats 72oz steak in 2 minutes and 44 seconds
Molly Schuyler, a mother-of-four from Nebraska, has smashed the world record for speed eating by devouring a 72oz steak in 2 minutes and 44 seconds.
The 125-pound woman finished the mammoth meal in just 2 minutes and 44 seconds using her hands.
The video of Molly Schuyler’s world record has since gone viral.
The previous record used to belong to an eater who was described as a “body building huge man”.
He only managed to eat the meal in 6 minutes and 48 seconds.
Molly Schuyler, 34, even had room to eat some french fries washed down with a drink of water after she had demolished her steak dinner.
She has had a rather impressive start to 2014. Just a day before, she also smashed another world record by eating a 12lb sandwich and 1lb of French fries in just 54 minutes, which saw her awarded $600.
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