The Alligator Attack At A Disney Resort Wasn"t The First
The alligator attack that took the life of a 2-year-old boy this month was allegedly the first time such a traumatic incident happened at Walt Disney World, at least according to an official. A New Hampshire man who still remembers a similar incident happening to him as a child disagrees.
New York Daily News reports that 38-year-old Paul Santamaria was just an 8-year-old child when he was dragged to near death by an alligator while at a Walt Disney World campground that he visited with his family in 1986. After learning how Nebraska toddler Lane Graves was dragged off by an alligator, Santamaria couldnt help but remember the terrifying experience he went through decades ago at the same theme park.
Police have identified Lane Graves as toddler killed in Disney gator attack https://t.co/MwRHEb3ap6 pic.twitter.com/K493m6lFGx
Vibe Magazine (@VibeMagazine) June 16, 2016
Santamaria found it disappointing that Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings indicated that this sort of incident had never happened before, since Disneys Orlando opening in 1971.
I was like, Yeah it has! And it was me!"
Although its been 30 years since Santamaria visited the theme park, he still recalls the experience as if it were yesterday. His family had just arrived at the Disneys Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground when he spotted a play area close to the edge of water.
Interested in an exciting camping experience at #WDW? Check out Disney"s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground! pic.twitter.com/v9yZt8w0bZ
WDW Today (@WDWToday) April 24, 2016
Excited to see ducks in the water, Santamaria and his siblings began tossing bread to them. He never entered the water, but instead stood at the edge of the murky area where an alligator crept up, undetected.
I was feeding ducks near the waters edge and there was an alligator submerged under the water where you couldnt see it and it came up out of the water and hit me and knocked me on the ground. It just started throwing me around, trying to pull me into the water and my first reaction was just to grab the ground, to hold on and to yell for my brother and sister.
His siblings did their best to help him. While his brother threw whatever he could find at the seven-and-a-half-feet-long reptile, his sister tried to pull the alligator, who already clamped its jaw down on one of Santamarias legs. He remembers kicking the alligator with his free leg until he broke away.
I started kicking with my available leg and it opened its mouth and let me go.
Santamaria was rushed to hospital after being bit on the front of the leg, across the knee cap, up the shin. Doctors found an alligator tooth embedded in his thigh. He spent a week in the hospital, where he was visited by Disney characters, including Mickey Mouse and Snow White.
Paul Santamaria https://t.co/vyCaPGmm7H | https://t.co/uRE6CSAh3U pic.twitter.com/p0b1XcOyvq
Anthony Schell FL (@AnthonySchellFL) June 16, 2016
Although hes certainly disheartened that Demings isnt being open about a previous attack, he indicated that its no ones fault, and could have happened to anyone.
Its nobodys fault, anything can happen at any time and you just hope that your kids will stay safe and that you can keep them safe and that theyll grow up healthy.
However, he added that since most people from out of town arent aware of the alligators in the area, there should be some sort of warning when people come to Florida to enjoy a family vacation. An alligator attack is usually the last thing a family is thinking of when arriving to Disney World, but Santamaria thinks its something everyone should be aware of.
Its scary that alligators are there. Its an associated danger with that area. People from Florida know its there, but people from another place dont know. Maybe they should give verbal warnings when people check in. I dont have a crystal ball. But even if they handed out something when your check in or posted signs, theres no guarantee people would read it.
Graphic images of Reeva Steenkamps dead body after she was killed by Oscar Pistorius have been released after her family said they wanted "the world to see" what had happened to her.
JudgeThokozileMasipagranted the application from chief prosecutor Gerrie Nel, who said: "Isnt it time we now finally let the world see what this accused did with four black talon rounds through a door?"
The pictures (warning: some readers may find these images distressing) show Steenkamp"s fatal wounds, including a severe head injury. They had previously been withheld from the public in order to "protect the integrity of the deceased", says The Independent.
Giving evidence at Pistorius"s sentencing hearing on Tuesday, Reeva"s father, Barry, said he had seen "only one photo" of his daughters body, an image produced in court two years ago, but wanted the others to be shown as a warning about the dangers of firearms.
"I want the world to see. I want the world to see the photos of the wounds inflicted on her. To know my daughters pain. To know what her last few seconds were like, so that this is stopped - so that others do not have to go through this ever,"he told the court.
Making the application, Nel argued: "The court should have access to these photographs. The court itself should revisit certain things in sentencing."
"Four bullets tore through her body. The court should take that into account as an aggravating factor Its part of sentencing.
"We think its time that people should see what those bullets did; what the accused did."
Defence lawyerBarryRoux argued the application was inappropriate at this stage of the proceedings.
"Must children look at it?," he asked. "What is going to be achieved?"
Pistorius"s brother, Carl, tweeted that the request was "distasteful".
The release of the images came at the end of an emotional day, with the former Paralympian walking across the courtroom without his prosthesis to exhibit his vulnerability.
He faces a mandatory sentence of 15 years, minus time already served, unless his defence team can prove "substantial and compelling circumstances" for a shorter period.
Pistorius has already served one year in prison and is currently under correctional supervision at his uncle"s house in Pretoria. His conviction of culpable homicide was overturned by the Court of Appeal last December and changed to murder.
Pistorius has always argued he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder.
Judge Masipa will announce the new sentence on 6 July.
Oscar Pistorius: Don"t feel "undue sympathy" for killer, says prosecutor
15 June
State prosecutors have called for Oscar Pistorius to serve at least 15 years in prison for murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, saying there must be "truly convincing reasons for a different response."
Speaking at the Paralympian"s sentencing hearing in Pretoria, Gerrie Nel told the court that house arrest, which Pistorius has been under since leaving prison last October, "is not even close" to the punishment required.
"Undue sympathy is not an aspect that should be taken into consideration," he added, reading from the legal regulations.
Nel also referred to a request from Steenkamp"s father, Barry, to have the crime scene photos published. "Isn"t it time we now finally let the world see what this accused did with four black talon rounds through a door?" he said.
Pistorius faces a minimum sentence of 15 years for killing Steenkamp on Valentine"s Day 2013, after his original conviction of culpable homicide was changed to murder last December. The term may be reduced due to the year he has already spent in prison and mitigating factors.
Defence attorney Barry Roux, pleading for leniency, called on Pistorius to remove his prosthetic legs and walk across the room to show how vulnerable he is, a feat which left the former athlete in tears.
"He goes from being a fully grown, fit-looking man to suddenly being incredibly vulnerable, someone who you can push over with a hand," says Sky News correspondent Alex Crawford."That"s what he (Roux) wanted to show. I think that will play very heavily with the judge."
However, the public appeared less convinced by the dramatic scene, which some described as a "cheap shot".
Roux also argued that Steenkamp"s murder had "nothing to do with gender violence" Pistorius has long maintained that he believed her to be an intruder and that there would be "no purpose served" in him going to prison.
The court also heard an emotional testimony from Steenkamp"s cousin, Kim Martin, who said she did not believe the model had ever been in love with Pistorius.
She added that celebrations such as birthdays and Christmas had become a "funeral" since Steenkamp"s death. "Valentine"s Day is the worst day for us," she said.
Oscar Pistorius: Reeva Steenkamp"s father wants world to see her wounds
15 June
Reeva Steenkamp"s father has said he wants the world to see the wounds and the pain inflicted on his daughter, who was shot dead by boyfriend Oscar Pistoriusin 2013.
In an emotional testimony at Pistorius"s sentencing hearing today, Barry Steenkamp said the murder had "devastated" the family and changed their lives completely.
"Every day of my life morning, noon, night - I think of her all the time," he told the court in Pretoria.
Steenkamp suffered several strokes after the death of his daughter and missed much of the original trial on the advice of his doctor.
He added that he cannot mix with people anymore and sits on his veranda until the early hours of the morning smoking cigarettes and drinking coffee.
He said the family was "extremely proud" of Reeva, who was about to star on the television show Tropica and hadn"t yet told her father about her relationship with Pistorius.
"When at times I think about how she suffered when I was at home, my knuckles would shake, and I just couldn"t imagine the pain," he said.
"A lot of people will disagree with me and think that I"m callous... But what I would like the world to see are the wounds inflicted on to Reeva and the pain she must have gone through, so the world can see this."
Steenkamp told the court he and Reeva"s mother, June, had forgiven Pistorius in order to carry on with their lives, but that the former Paralympian had to pay for his actions.
"I don"t want to say that he has to go to the maximum... But he has to pay for it," he said.
Pistorius faces a mandatory sentence of 15 years, minus time already served, unless his defence team can prove "substantial and compelling circumstances" for a shorter period.
He has served one year in prison and is currently under correctional supervision at his uncle"s house in Pretoria. His conviction of culpable homicide was overturned last December and changed to murder by the Court of Appeal.
Pistorius has always argued that he had mistaken Steenkamp for an intruder.
Oscar Pistorius "traumatised" by the sound of guns
13 June
Oscar Pistorius is "traumatised" by the sound of guns, even in films, and never wants to handle a firearm again, a psychologist has said in the athlete"s sentencing hearing.
Jonathan Scholtz was first to testify in the hearing, which began today at the High Court in front of Judge Thokozile Masipa, who presided over the original trial.
The former Paralympian was convicted in 2014 of culpable homicide after shooting his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. He was allowed out of prison after a year to complete his five-year sentence under correctional supervision at his uncle"s house in Pretoria.
However, his conviction was overturned last year, when he was found guilty of murder at the Court of Appeal. Pistorius has always argued that he had mistaken Steenkamp for an intruder.
As a witness for the defence, Scholtz today argued that sending Pistorius back to prison would not be psychologically and socially constructive.
The athlete was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, an anxiety disorder and a depressive disorder following Steenkamp"s death.
"His psychological condition has worsened since he was first evaluated in 2014 It is my considered opinion, that further imprisonment would hamper his development," Scholtz told the court.
In cross-examination, state prosecutor Gerrie Nel suggested Pistorius had showed no remorse and simply felt sorry for himself, which prompted Scholtz to say the Paralympian had admitted intentionally shooting at the closed door of his toilet cubicle, thinking he would kill the intruder who he believed to be hiding there.
Nel pointed out that this was the first time the court had heard the admission, but acknowledged Scholtz"s testimony could not be accepted as a court finding in the sentencing stage.
The hearing is expected to finish by 24 June.
Oscar Pistorius: Steenkamp"s father expected to give evidence
13 June
Oscar Pistorius this week faces sentencing for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, with her father expected to give evidence for the first time.
Barry Steenkamp, who suffered several strokes after his daughter"s death, missed much of the original trial on the advice of his doctor.
He is due to ask for the Paralympian to be given a lengthy sentence, reports the Sunday Telegraph.
"Mr Steenkamp is expected to take to the witness box as the "final ace" up the prosecution"s sleeve in its lengthy bid to have the world-famous sprinter held to account," says the newspaper.
One source said it would be a "very powerful and emotional testimony".
Pistorius, who shot dead his girlfriend on Valentine"s Day in 2013, saying he mistook her for an intruder, is due in court today.
His original culpable homicide conviction was overturned and changed to murderby the Supreme Court of Appeal in December. He is currently under correctional supervision at his uncle"s house in Pretoriaafter serving one year in prison.
Under South African law, murder carries a mandatory sentence of 15 years unless there are "substantial and compelling circumstances".
An interview with Pistorius will be aired on 24 June once the sentencing is due to be completed.
Oscar Pistorius film to be introduced at Cannes
9 May 2016
A new feature documentary about Oscar Pistorius looks set to be introduced to distributors in Cannes this week.
According to Variety, Content Media has picked up the international sales rights to the film, which follows the journey of Pistorius from Olympic hero to convicted murderer.
It has been described as "Making a Murderer meets Senna a riveting true-crime story about a beloved sports icon".
Mr Calzaghe director Vaughan Sivell is at the helm and also co-producing it alongside Sean Richard for Western Edge Pictures and the Gennaker Group.
Content Media says the film will seek to discover the truth about the public image of Pistorius and his murdered girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.
"Oscar Pistorius captured and then broke our hearts," says Jamie Carmichael, the president of Content Film, the company"s sales arm. "Vaughan has struck a controversial nerve with his timely investigation of the man, the trial and country behind one of the most complex and compelling stories of our times."
The feature is expected to be delivered in full by early 2017.
"For us, it"s the story of South Africa alongside the story of Oscar. It"s so cinematic, it"s a real once-in-a-lifetime project in terms of scale," said Sivell earlier this year.
According to Screen Daily, the film will be made in collaboration with Daily Telegraph journalist Gareth A Davies, who has known Pistorius since he was 16. The production also hopes to interview the Paralympian as well as the Steenkamp family.
"The appeal ruling starts with the line, "This is a tragedy of Shakespearean scale." It"s fascinating to me that a judge was to write that," said Sivell. "The story mirrors when [Nelson] Mandela was released and we saw this nation of reliance and courage and now there is so much violence and corruption. [Pistorius] self-destructs in a way the country of South Africa destructs There are so many levels to it. It"s what makes great films."
Oscar Pistorius"s family hits out at "astonishing" new claims
27 April
New claims that Oscar Pistorius assaulted girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp before shooting her have been dismissed as absurd by the Paralympian"s family.
Pistorius has always maintained that he believed there was a dangerous intruder in his toilet cubicle when he fired into its door and killed Steenkamp, a version of events accepted by original trial judge, Thokozile Masipa.
However, in their book, Oscar vs the Truth, amateur investigators Thomas and Calvin Mollett claim there is evidence to suggest Pistorius battered his girlfriend with a cricket bat and shot her with an air gun before killing her with a revolver.
Among what The Sun describes as "astonishing" claims, the brothers say a 4.5mm hole in the bedroom door and a wound of a similar size on Steenkamp"s upper left arm appear to match the calibre of an air gun owned by Pistorius.
They also claim that the couple were fighting for more than an hour before the shooting and that neighbour Estelle van der Merwe, who told the trial she had heard "loud voices" coming from the house, would have been in the "perfect" position to witness the events.
Writing in their book, the brothers said: "One gets the impression that police arrived on the scene and thought they had an open-and-shut case against Oscar.
"They knew he pulled the trigger, and had statements from the neighbours who heard a woman scream why bother doing a proper forensic investigation."
Speaking to the Metro, Pistorius"s uncle, Arnold, described the allegations as "absurd".
"The court found it completely differently," he said, suggesting that the authors could not have read nor understood the trial findings as "every little detail" was explored.
Experts testified that Steenkamp had suffered injuries from bullet fragments, as well as wood splinters from the toilet door and pieces of her own bone. A hole in the bedroom door has also previously been put down to projectiles and it was agreed by the prosecutors and defence that Pistorius used the cricket bat to break down the toilet door.
In her final judgment, the judge said Merwe had been "in and out of sleep" and had "no idea" where the voices she heard came from, what language was being spoken or what was being said.
"Accordingly, there is nothing in the evidence of Ms van der Merwe that links what sounded like an argument to her to the incident at the house of the accused," she concluded.
In a statement, Pistorius family reiterated that it was "totally absurd" to suggest the state would have overlooked evidence to suggest the athlete had used his cricket bat for anything other than bashing open the door.
"This is yet another attention-seeking, money making exercise this time by two citizens with detective fantasies [who] manufacture sensational nonsense theories," they said. "It is of course also highly convenient for these two armchair sleuths to manufacture sensational nonsense theories without having to prove them in a court of law or to expose them to cross-examination."
The family said that anybody with an "iota of understanding" of the actual facts of this case, as tested by a court of law, would be able to point out the "gaping holes in their so-called theories".
Pistorius is due to be sentenced in June for the murder of Steenkamp, after his original conviction of culpable homicide was changed to murder.
Oscar Pistorius: Electronic tracking device is faulty
18 April
Oscar Pistorius"s legal team has complained that his electronic tracking device is faulty.
The Paralympian, who is currently serving a five-year sentence for culpable homicide under correctional supervision at his uncle"s house in Pretoria, made an appearance at the High Court in Pretoria this morning.
He had been due to receive a new sentence after his original conviction was overturned by South Africa"s Supreme Court in December in favour of a guilty verdict. However, proceedings have now been postponed until 13 June.
During today"s hearing, the defence team said the electronic tagging device kept incorrectly sending warnings to Pistorius that he had violated his bail conditions while he was at home.
"We are currently on the third device which is my Lord still giving violation warnings while he is at home. The accused is keeping proper logs of all these warnings that come through" advocate Samantha Jackson said.
She was told that correctional officers would be able to look into the matter.
Pistorius"s bail conditions were slightly relaxed today. Instead of a six-mile radius from home, he can now travel freely within a 12-mile radius between 7am and noon each day. If he wants to travel further afield, he now only needs permission from the police investigating officer in his case rather than the Department of Correctional Services.
Pistorius"s application for leave to appeal his conviction has been refused and he now faces a minimum sentence of 15 years, although his defence team may try to provide substantial and compelling reasons to cut this down.
The athlete served one-sixth of his five-year sentence in prison before he was released in October to serve the rest under correctional supervision.
He has always denied intentionally killing Steenkamp on Valentine"s Day in 2013 and said he mistook her for a dangerous intruder. In his original trial, Judge Thokozile Masipa accepted his version of events.
The judges at the Supreme Court described her death as "a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions".
Dramatic 15-Hour Filibuster Sparks Action on Gun Reform
The Fix"s Amber Phillips breaks down why Congress is unlikely to pass major gun control legislation, despite Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) filibustering for 15 hours on June 15. (Peter Stevenson/The Washington Post)
In the wee hours Thursday morning, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) ended his filibuster on gun control after nearly 15 hours because it looks like he got what Senate Democrats wanted: avote on gun-control legislation.
Murphy seized the Senate floor at 11:21 a.m. Eastern time Wednesday to demand Republicans allow the votes specifically to expand universal background checks and ban people on terrorist watch lists from buying guns.
He ended it at 2 a.m., saying Republicans had agreed.
[Why it makes perfect sense Chris Murphy is leading a gun control filibuster]
It was one of the longer filibusters in history, clocking in ahead of Sen. Rand Paul"s (R-Ky.) 13-hour 2013 filibuster on drones and short of Sen. Ted Cruz"s (R-Tex.) 21-hour filibuster the same year on Obamacare. (A reminder on the rules: Senators conducting an old-school talking-style filibuster cannot sit, even when someone else is speaking, or eat or even leave to use the bathroom.)
Here are four big moments from the filibuster:
1. It appears to have ended successfully
Which is actually kind of rare in modern-day filibusters. As Murphy wrapped up his seizure of the Senate floor, he said he was closing down shop because Senate Republicans had agreed to allow votes on the two gun-control measures.
That"s very different from actually getting those things into law, mind you. Both these proposals the terrorist watch list and background checks have been voted on in the Senate in recent years, and both have failed. The Washington Post"s Karoun Demirjian reports that as Murphy was talking, backroom negotiations on a compromise on the terrorist watch list were fraying.
And it doesn"t seem like House Republicans are keen on taking up either piece of legislation:
But still, Murphy can claim some sort of success by asking for an actionable item (as opposed to conducting a filibuster in protest of something (cough, Rand Paul, and cough, Ted Cruz) and, after nearly 15 arduous hours, getting it.
2. The 35-plus senators who joined him
Around 8 p.m., Murphy looked up into the gallery and waved at his family, who had come to the Capitol to watch him speak, telling his young son by way of explanation that he wasn"t planningon seizing the Senate floor for an untold number of hours.
"I decided to do this essentially that morning," he told CBS on Thursday, "and over the course of the day, organically, almost every single Democratic senator decided to join me."
For a spur-of-the-moment event, Murphy"s filibuster sure attracted a lot of support from his colleagues, an indication of how united Democrats are on the issue.When your Fix author went to bed Wednesday night, she and C-SPAN cameras counted 37 senators having walked onto the floor to join Murphy, almost all of them Democrats, almost all of them in support of his filibuster.
Shortly before 8 p.m., Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) sent out a statement calling Murphy"s filibuster "courageous."
By 10 p.m. or 11 p.m., it seemed like every few minutes the doors to the Senate floor were swinging open and a new senator was walking in to help Murphy use up time on the floor, including powerful Democratic leaders such as Sens. Richard J. Durbin (Ill.) and Charles E. Schumer (N.Y.), who gave their own speeches on the need for gun-control laws and asked Murphy softball questions such as: How would banning people on the terrorist watch lists save lives? (I"m paraphrasing there, but you get the point.)
3. And one Republican*
This happened earlier in the day Wednesday, but it"s still worth noting. Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska you"ll remember him as the Senate"s only confirmed #NeverTrump guycame to the floor, not in support of the gun-control legislation Murphy was asking for but to engage Murphyin some actual debate about it:
In other words, Sassewanted to know what Murphy was referring to when saying "terror watch list" since there"s actually not just one. (There"s several, including a no-fly list, but it"s hard to pin down exactly how many since the FBI doesn"t willingly share those numbers.) Sasse also asked Murphy to talk about due process of banning people on these lists from buying guns, a major sticking point right now between Republicans and Democrats.
Apparently Twitter lit up, thinking Sasse was on the floor in support of the gun-control legislation, which he quickly had to clarify:
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) ended a 14-hour filibuster to force Republicans to vote on two gun control measures on June 16. He told the emotional story of a Sandy Hook victim before he left the floor. (AP)
*Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) came to the floor to speak in favor of some of the proposals, a story we"re writing shortly!
4. The filibuster"s final moment
It"s fair to say both sides of this debate would agree that one victim of gun violence is one too many. But throughout the filibuster and the whole gun debate, really Democrats highlighted the emotional pain of gun violence to make their case for more gun-control laws. (Since joining the Senate in 2013, Murphy has given 45 speeches on the floor sharing stories of victims of gun violence.)
As a weary Murphy wrapped up his filibuster around 2 a.m., he shared one more heartbreaking story: that of Dylan, a 6-year-old boy who was murdered along with 25 others at a leafy elementary school in Newtown, Conn., in 2013. First responders found Dylan in his teacher"s arms.
Murphy addressed the moment to his son, who was apparently still up in the gallery.
The Way w/Anoa Live! #StateOfWomen, DC Primary results, Guests from People"s Revolution, +More!
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser suffered a significant loss of influence on the City Council Tuesday night after two candidates she had backed fell to fresh faces who garnered support from their previous boss city Attorney General Karl Racine.
Trayon White defeated Council member LaRuby May (a member of the so-called Bowser Green Team) for the Ward 8 seat, and Robert White unseated at-large incumbent Vincent Orange (a frequent Bowser supporter) in the D.C. Democratic primary on Tuesday.
Both Trayon White and Robert White (no relation) are former Racine staffers, giving the attorney general two solid allies on the D.C. Council and more voting influence than Miss Bowser, whose only reliable legislative support will come from Council member Brandon Todd, who barely beat back a challenge by Leon Andrews in Ward 4.
SEE ALSO: Whatever happened to conservatives, Republicans in D.C.?
Though both Democrats, Miss Bowser and Mr. Racine have not seen eye-to-eye on all issues. The mayor has sought to curtail the attorney generals authority in approving city development deals, and he fueled criticism of her super PAC, which was forced to disband. They have disagreed over the legality of the citys budget autonomy law and a provision in the mayors anti-crime proposal to allow warrantless searches of the homes of violent offenders who have been released from prison.
The shift of influence in the D.C. Council could affect the efficacy of the mayors and attorney generals offices, as well as the relationship between the two city leaders.
Robert Whites performance was the most surprising, since pundits surmised that challenger David Garber would split the anti-Orange vote and allow the longtime incumbent to eke out a victory. Mr. White won about 1,200 more votes than Mr. Orange, and a close look at the ward-by-ward tallies in the at-large contest reveals a divide in the city.
SEE ALSO: Former Mayor Vincent Gray wins primary fight for old D.C. Council seat
As expected, Mr. Orange won east of the Anacostia River in Wards 7 and 8, as well as his home jurisdiction Ward 5. But only about 14 percent of registered voters cast ballots in Wards 5 and 7, and about 18 percent in Ward 8.
Mr. White trounced Mr. Orange in Wards 1 and 3 each seeing 22 percent voter participation. Mr. Oranges tallies in those wards totaled about half of those for Mr. White.
Still, Mr. Orange barely edged out the challenger in Mr. Whites home jurisdiction of Ward 4, a Bowser stronghold.
Trayon Whites victory in Ward 8 was less surprising but still a blow to the mayor, who enjoyed a reliable vote from Ms. May on the council.
The Ward 8 primary was a rematch and vindication for Mr. White, who lost to Ms. May by 79 votes in the special election to fill the seat left vacant by Marion Barry when he died in 2014. This time, Mr. White defeated Ms. May by 51 percent to 42 percent, a gap of more than 700 votes.
Backed by Miss Bowser and her funding network, Ms. May outspent Mr. White by $106,000 during the campaign. But Mr. White overcame the financing deficit by applying retail politics: He frequently stopped to shake hands, hug and talk to passers-by about crime and jobs in Ward 8. By comparison, Ms. May, who did not attend a high-profile straw poll in the ward, was viewed as being more standoffish among some constituents.
A third Bowser-supported incumbent Yvette Alexander lost her Ward 7 council seat to former Mayor Vincent C. Gray, who returned to political life after having lost his 2014 reelection bid to Miss Bowser amid a yearslong federal probe of his 2010 campaign finances. Prosecutors decided not to charge him in the slush fund investigation, allowing his comeback Tuesday.
Speaking Wednesday on WAMU Radios Kojo Nnamdi show, Mr. Gray called the primary results a referendum on Miss Bowser. He noted the now-defunct FreshPac, the independent super PAC that had backed her and was run by some of her allies; the widespread criticism of a lack of public involvement in her homeless shelter proposal; and the $55 million cost for snow removal this year.
A longtime Bowser critic, Mr. Gray offered support for Trayon White in Ward 8, going so far as to record a robocall for the upstart candidate on Primary Election Day.
Ive known Trayon for a number of years. He knows what Ward 8 residents need and will work hard on your behalf, Mr. Gray said in the robocall, adding that Mr. White is an independent thinker and a man of integrity.
Mr. Gray also backed Robert White in his at-large contest with Mr. Orange, though not as explicitly as he did Trayon White.
Its not known if Mr. Gray and Mr. Racine are willing to work together, but they should have no problems in maintaining contact with each other: The attorney generals communications director, Robert Marus, once served as deputy communications director for Mr. Gray when he was mayor.
Chuck Thies, spokesman for the Gray camp, said Mr. Gray has had a friendly relationship with Mr. Racine and met with the attorney general several times before and after the former mayor announced his intention to run for his old Ward 7 seat on the council. Mr. Thies said the meetings were related to legal issues facing the District, not about the campaign.
During Mr. Grays victory party at Antioch Baptist Church in Northeast, the former mayor enjoyed the company of several current council members. Ward 3 Council member Mary Cheh and at-large Council member David Grasso, as well as Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, came around to congratulate the primary victor.
Ms. Cheh said she hopes the new makeup of the council will lead to more agreement among members but also more voices independent of Miss Bowsers influence.
Mr. Grosso agreed, saying he hopes the incoming members vote on the issues rather than in factions.
I hope well be a more deliberative body with more independent thinking, said Mr. Grosso, who is running unopposed for his seat in November. Independent of the mayor, but also more thoughtful and engaged on the issues for the right reasons.
Ms. Cheh was careful to say she wasnt speaking out against Miss Bowser, but rather in favor of unique perspectives on the council.
It could be what the mayor is in favor of, but it really means you give an independent judgement, she said.
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The O. J. Simpson Trial: Drama of the Century (2015)
You can now add Keeping Up With The Kardashians to the long list of things OJ Simpson was wrong about.
Among the many revelations that have spilled out of the O.J.: Made In America documentary a five-part series that is being broadcast all week and has been critically acclaimed as one of ESPNs best works comes a small anecdote from the night Simpsonset to steal memorabilia that he claimed had been initially stolen from him.
Per the Huffington Post, OJ and Tom Riccio, the man who goaded Simpson into attempting the robbery, were watching TV on the night of Sept 13, 2007. An interview withKim Kardashianwas airing on The Tyra Banks Show that day. Kim was announcing that her family was set to star in a new reality show.
According to Riccios account, its safe to say OJ thought the show would be trash.
Riccio recalled OJ saying,
Thats my goddaughter, her name is Kim.That show aint going to last two weeks.
This anecdote is a reminder of one of the more interesting, trivia-like facts about OJ Simpsons life, particularly at a time when that life is being brilliant dissected and analyzed by ESPNs documentary.
OJ was, in fact, very close to the Kardashians, a fact which is not insignificant in the USC legends incredibly complex tale.He was Kims godfather, and Kris Jenner was a close friend of the former football star.
Nicole Brown Simpson and her life as a victim of domestic violence is also examined in this documentary.
OJ was represented by Jenners ex-husband, Robert Kardashian. Meanwhile, a different documentary raises the question of Khlo Kardashians relation to OJ Simpson.
So, yeah. Its safe to say that OJs connection to the Kardashians is pretty important. That connection didnt stop him from throwing shade at their show, though.
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Cuplikan Gol Prancis vs Albania 2-0 • Euro 2016 16/6/2016
Despite a valiant effort against France on Wednesday, Albania has lost both its matches and has slim chances to advance. But it still has an outside chance to move on as a third-place team.
If Albania beats Romania, it will finish in third place in Group A, regardless of what happens in the Switzerland-France match. Its only chance of advancing would be to finish among the best four third-place teams. Three points may be enough to do so, but the Albanians would probably not be the only team with three points, so they would need to advance on goal differential. Which means: Albania needs to win, and win by as many goals as possible.
If Albania loses to or ties Romania, it is out.
The chart below details nearly all the ways group play could end for Albania. Well update this table live during the final game of group stages to reflect the current score of both games.
Albanias place in Group A
Each cell represents the outcome of two games. (The last matches of group play are played simultaneously, to discourage collusion between teams.) As a general rule, the more green cells you see, the more likely it is that Albania will advance to the knockout portion of the tournament.
Dark green cells mean Albania has won its group; lighter green cells indicate a second-place finish. Yellow cells indicate a third-place finish, which, for four of the six teams, will be enough to advance. Pink cells are bad news: they represent outcomes that eliminate Albania.
In a small number of situations, two teams may be tied after the traditional tiebreakers points, head-to-head record, goal differential, goals and so on are exhausted. These are represented by grey cells , and the outcomes determined either by fair play conduct or a penalty shootout, depending on the nature of the tie.
Here are Albanias group matches:
To see the scenarios for other teams, visit our overview page.
What"s not to like about beautiful Iceland? Photo: Iceland Monitor/Rax
Icelandic daily Morgunblai asked four Icelandic tour guides about what their customers think and feel about Iceland their frequent questions, what they find strange or attractive, and what annoys them the most.
When it comes down to major gripes, three things stand out: the poor quality of some tourist accommodation, the lack of decent toilet facilities, and the high price of alcohol.
Among their frequent questions are house prices, wages and taxes in Iceland, and when and where to see the Northern Lights. People are also interested in issues such as education, land ownership and how Icelanders survive the cold, dark, long winters.
Some visitors to Iceland find it strange how many people believe in elves and hidden people and that people leave sleeping children in prams outside in the cold. Others are surprised not to see snow and ice when they arrive, and raise an eyebrow when told that there are mosquitos in Iceland.
The beauty of Icelandic nature is a selling-point across the board as is the cleanliness of water and air. Many single travellers are attracted to Iceland as they feel it is a safe destination.
