“Most of the outlets are reporting on world events from Washington,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters on Friday, according to The Washington Post, responding to reports about a narrative meant to mislead about the Iran deal. “The average reporter we talk to is 27 years old, and their only reporting experience consists of being around political campaigns. That’s a sea change. They literally know nothing.”
“Most of the outlets are reporting on world events from Washington,” White House press secretary Jos
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West Point Cadets are Under Investigation for Raising Their Fists in a Photo
16 cadets posed for an “Old Corps” historically-styled photo on the porch of one of West Point’s oldest barracks while in uniform. They raised their fists in what could be interpreted as a gesture of solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, or a whole host of other historical political activism in the U.S. Then a white guy found it and got them in trouble.
Former soldier and current professional fat-shamer John Burk posted the photo to his fitness blog under the title “Racism Within West Point.” It went semi-viral on Facebook, and, yes, he is calling the women racist. He writes:
The ladies before you are class seniors and have been making their voices heard more and more on an app called “Yik Yak” where users are kept anonymous, yet no one dares speak up in public against them due to them being accused of being racist and risk being expelled from the academy from[SIC] hurting someone’s feelings.
He signs off as Soldier of Steel. This is what that looks like, if you’re curious:
Burk is correct in one way, at least—these cadets are breaking the rules. In the Department of Defense Directive 1344.10, it says active members of the armed forces “should not engage in partisan political activity” and that nonactive members “should avoid inferences that their political activities imply or appear to imply official sponsorship, approval, or endorsement.”
Whether or not this matter would have come to the interested attention of West Point officials without Burk’s interference is hard to say, but Business Insider reports that they are now under investigation:
“We can confirm that the cadets in this photo are members of the US Military Academy’s Class of 2016,” West Point’s director of public affairs, Lt. Col. Christopher Kasker, wrote in a statement emailed to the Army Times. “Academy officials are conducting an inquiry into the matter,” the statement continued.
Burk’s post ends with the question, “Are these the type of ‘leaders’ you want moving down to the line and leading your sons and daughters, graduates with an agenda?”
Yes.
Image via Twitter, screenshot via YouTube.
Contact the author at aimee.lutkin@jezebel.com.
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Ted Cruz Spotted Desperately Trying To Win Yet Another Race
Ted Cruz is back in the horse race, and this time it’s even more torturous than the last.
Having lost in a debilitating defeat
For a change, Ted Cruz didn’t have much to say. Not even a pick for the Kentucky Derby.
Days after suspending his presidential campaign, the Texas senator showed up with his wife at Churchill Downs.
He got off the elevator at The Mansion, the track’s most exclusive section near Millionaires Row.
Cruz even declined an interview, according to a reporter from The Louisville Courier-Journal.
To be fair, it’s probably best to keep quiet about your pick, Ted. Why bet twice on a losing horse?
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Nobody Wins In Austin's Garbage Uber And Lyft Election
In Austin, a political action committee completely funded by ride-hailing services Uber and Lyft threw an $8 million temper tantrum over regulations the city council wants to enact on ride-hailing. It’s turned into one of the most contentious and aggravating elections the city has ever seen. The worst part is neither side should be trusted on this issue at all.
http://jalopnik.com/ride-hailing-c...
(Full disclosure: I drove for Uber in 2014 as part of a co-promotion for a local track day group. I only made a couple hundred bucks, but it’s worth noting, anyway. I am not currently driving for any ride-hailing services, in fact, I’d rather both leave me alone.)
At issue here is background checks for these ride-hailing drivers. If Austinites vote to pass Proposition 1, Uber and Lyft drivers will not be required to pass a fingerprint-based criminal background check, in addition to the standard background checks they must already pass. The fingerprinting is meant to curb some of the high-profile sexual assaults and other crimes perpetrated by drivers against passengers, as has been reported in Austin and other cities.
If Proposition 1 fails, drivers will have to undergo fingerprint background checks as well. Both Uber and Lyft have instructed their drivers that they will exit the Austin market on Monday morning if the fingerprint checks are implemented, per Austin Business Journals.
The services claim that the fingerprinting requirement in particular will make it harder for them to sign up drivers. The fewer drivers there are to meet demand, the more prices will have to go up to compensate, and the longer delays there will be for a ride.
There are also a couple other items Uber and Lyft would like to overturn in their favor. If it doesn’t pass, drivers will be banned from stopping for passengers in lanes of traffic, cars will be forced to identify that they’re in-use for the service, and several other options for paying their annual fee to the city. These, too, have the potential to cost ride-hailing companies extra cash to operate in Austin.
Neither Side Actually Cares About Austin
Like most elections, there’s more going on under the surface.
On one side, we have a city council where many representatives received campaign backing from the taxi industry—an industry which would like to see their new app-based competition go the way of the dodo.
On the other side, there’s a proposition to overturn several recent city regulations written by the Ridesharing Works for Austin PAC, a PAC that has been entirely funded by Uber and Lyft, according to KUT. That proposition, Proposition 1, is the only thing Austinites are voting on today.
This choice is beyond asinine. One industry should not be allowed to push through less favorable conditions for their competition. Likewise, no industry should be in the business of cherry-picking favorable regulations for itself via over-spending, over-campaigning, and threatening to rage-quit an entire metropolitan area, either.
Exacerbating the frustration with this choice is the fact that most of the people I know use ride-hailing services. They tend to be cheaper, cleaner and easier to use than cabs, which are fairly sparse in Austin anyway. (Public transit in Austin is a joke as well.)
So Uber and Lyft been a godsend to this city, especially by making it easier than ever for the denizens of the drinking capital of Texas set to get home without getting behind the wheel of their own cars.
It’s worked—the number of DWI crashes has dropped since Uber entered the Austin market, according to Politifact. While it’s true that updated DWI crash figures released by the Austin Police Department Thursday show less of a drop than the Ridesharing Works for Austin PAC claims, per the Austin American-Statesman, a 12-percent drop in 2014 isn’t insignificant.
If the city won’t invest in the proper infrastructure for widespread, easy-to-use public transit to keep drunken revelers out of cars, we really shouldn’t moan when private companies step in to fix the problem. Yet, here we are.
I’ve actually been for Proposition 1 despite having read the measure itself (against an Uber representative’s urging, no less), but now I’m so annoyed by that campaign’s heavy-handed tactics that I’ll have to hold my nose while I vote for it. The last thing I want is for my vote to be misconstrued as an approval of Uber and Lyft’s rude, tactless campaign.
While I’m in favor of working out safer solutions for dropping off and picking up passengers, and some small means of car identification would be nice to have, those sensible measures the city wants have been lumped in on Proposition 1 with a couple others that don’t make sense.
It’s in the ride-hailing companies’ best commercial interest to provide a safe service, so I’m unconvinced of the need for the city to mandate an extra fingerprinting step. If customers feel as if the lack of fingerprinting makes these services unsafe, another service (or even the cab companies themselves, which already require background checks with fingerprints) can step in and dominate the market. At that point, Uber and Lyft will either have to change or die.
City Council: Approved By The Cab Companies
Let’s not forget where the move to further regulate ride-hailing companies came from in the first place: Austin’s city council. Council members received just shy of $54,000 in campaign donations from the taxi industry for their last election cycle in 2014, per the Austin American-Statesman:
Over the last three years, taxi drivers, shuttle service providers and top executives at cab companies have plowed nearly $54,000 into the campaigns of City Council members.
In this election cycle, cab company executives bundled at least $18,500 in donations to the mayoral campaign of Council Member Mike Martinez, and taxi cab employees, spouses and attorneys contributed nearly $5,000 to Council Member Kathie Tovo. Tovo is running for re-election in the newly created District 9 in Central Austin against Council Member Chris Riley, the main sponsor of the ordinance legalizing Uber and Lyft.
Sure, that’s pocket change compared to the $8 million Uber and Lyft have spent on the Proposition 1 election, but it’s far more in line with Austin’s usual local election spending.
Likewise, the Our City, Our Safety, Our Choice group in opposition to Proposition 1 has only raised just a little over $100,000 in funds, per KUT—$90,000 of which came in the last month as Uber and Lyft started irritating an entire city to death over Prop 1.
The Statesman notes that Uber and Lyft donated nothing directly to the council members’ individual election campaigns. However, they hired several lobbyists who had already started to send emails to council members and hold pro-ride-hailing rallies in front of council meetings in 2014.
Uber even briefly added a horse-and-buggy service called “Kitchen’s Uber” in protest of the stricter regulations proposed by councilwoman Ann Kitchen, writes AustinInno, as Uber claimed the measures would set transportation back in time.
I’m certain the city council must be just as annoyed as we are at this point, so I’m not surprised that Uber and Lyft’s particular style of lobbying didn’t win them any favors.
One of the options a ride-hailing company could use to fulfill their annual fee should Proposition 1 fail gives away just how one-sided our council seems to be on this issue. The council suggested that a ride-hailing company could pay a full cab permit for each driver to fulfill that fee.
That’s unreasonable, as many ride-hailing drivers do it as a part-time gig. According to the Austin American-Statesman, that cab permit fee was $450 in 2015, which is far more than I ever made the time I putted around as an Uber driver.
At its heart, this is an ugly, industry vs. industry fight. No one wants corporate entities writing the rules for their own benefit, be it the established taxi industry, Uber or Lyft. As such, neither solution presented by a “yes” or “no” on Proposition 1 is ideal.
Requiring drivers who clearly have their own means of transportation to get out and get fingerprinted really isn’t that huge of a deal. However, it’s one more thing to do in order to register for the service, particularly if you have to work that extra appointment around your other responsibilities, such as a full-time job. So, I see their point, sans their histrionics about it.
However, because these companies are apparently run by disgruntled tech industry man-babies, Uber and Lyft say they’re just going to take their ball and go home if they don’t get their way.
It’s not an idle threat. Lyft pulled out of Houston due to tighter ride-hailing laws passed in 2014, and the Austin American-Statesman reports that Uber is now fighting Houston’s fingerprinting requirement.
For Austin’s sake, I hope both companies stay here regardless—after swallowing big pieces of humble pie, that is. Alternate ride-hailing solutions aren’t as polished yet, so unfortunately, losing these two insufferable companies would have a negative effect—especially after last call.
Maybe something good will come out of this, though. Uber has been sued for allegedly robo-texting users to get to the polls, reports the Statesman. If they still serve the area but get punched in the balls somehow for interrupting my day with unwanted calls and texts, that’s a win-win situation.
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A Moon Man for Vice President
As Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump begins to mull over his options for vice president, here’s hoping he’ll shoot for the moon—or, more particularly, a man who loves the moon.
That man is none other than moon colony propagandist Newt Gingrich. According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Gingrich is positively chomping at the bit to be Donald Trump’s lapdog:
With Trump saying he’s likely to tap a sidekick with political experience for the job, the ex-Georgian has landed on a string of lists from pundits and pollsters as a potential candidate for the gig.
“I have no idea what his thinking is right now. I don’t have any interest in the sense that I’m going to go out and try to become his vice president,” Gingrich told Channel 2 Action News. “I would obviously have to listen carefully if he called. He’s an old friend, and I think any time a potential president calls a citizen, a citizen owes them an obligation.”
This isn’t the first time Gingrich has made his aspirations clear—ABC reports that Gingrich has been “openly speculating” about considering the offer for some time. Gail Collins at The New York Times aptly writes that Gingrich is “hopping up and down and waving his hand.”
Gingrich, former the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, is best known and perhaps only known what he lovingly calls “the weirdest thing I’ve ever done.” In 2012, the congressman drafted a bill that would create a lunar colony that could gain to statehood after 13,000 residents lived on it.
In my opinion, a vice president with lunar aspirations would bring some much-needed grounding to the Trump campaign. Make the Moon Great Again!
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Saturday's Best Deals: Patio Furniture, $40 Tablet, KitchenAid, and More
A $40 tablet, patio furniture, and a KitchenAid mixer lead off Saturday’s best deals.
Bookmark Kinja Deals and follow us on Twitter to never miss a deal. Commerce Content is independent of Editorial and Advertising, and if you buy something through our posts, we may get a small share of the sale. Click here
This deal’s been around for about a week, but if it escaped your attention, today’s the final day to pick up Amazon’s good-enough
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TSUGXKE/...
http://gizmodo.com/amazons-50-fir...
There are plenty of internet-connected security cameras on the market, but Canary is the only one
For some reason, the MSRP is listed as $143 on the Amazon product page, which makes the $142 price tag seem less than impressive, but it typically sells for $175-$200, and today’s price is easily an all-time low.
http://gizmodo.com/canary-this-mi...
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NW31YSE/...
If you still haven’t outfitted your kitchen with a KitchenAid, you can get a Pro 500 today from Amazon for $225 as part of a Gold Box deal. We occasionally see refurbs cheaper, but if you want a brand new one, this is a fantastic price.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B019EQIALQ/...
Buy a $5 cookie sample box, get $5 to spend on your next cookie purchase. Yummy.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BZV55YI/...
Until very recently, if you wanted an external hard drive with more than 2TB of space, you had no choice but to plug in an external power cord. Now though, you can carry 4TB around in your pocket or bag for just $105, with no extra power supply required.
We’re not sure how long this deal will last, so if you need to keep a lot of storage in your travel bag, or plugged into your Xbox One, I’d grab this quickly.
While the Logitech Harmony Touch doesn’t have as many physical buttons as its brethren, its integrated touchscreen can perform all of the same functions as you control up to 15 of your favorite devices.
Anker just released a new line of essential oil diffusers and humidifiers with built-in accent lights, and they’re discounting the 100ml model to an all-time low $20 today as part of a Mother’s Day promotion.
http://www.amazon.com/Anker-Aromathe...
Don’t forget the oils!
http://www.amazon.com/Aromatherapy-E...
You know what they say: Once you go vacuum insulated stainless steel, you never go back. This 24 ounce Thermos can keep beverages cold for up to 12 hours, and its condensation-free design means it won’t leave water rings on your table.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003U583YW/...
This bamboo cutting board doesn’t have USB charging ports, a built-in scale, or any other traditional Kinja Deals trappings. I just think it looks nice, and $12 is a great price.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MI6GN4Q/...
If you like to take Fido on hikes, camping trips, or vacations, this collapsible dog bowl set will help you save precious space in your bag.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0142YAVIA/...
Ready to give mechanical keyboards a try? Razer’s uber-popular
http://co-op.kinja.com/your-favorite-...
Nothing beats hanging out on the patio on a spring or summer evening, and Amazon’s encouraging the habit today with big savings on Hanover patio furniture sets. Just note that this is a Gold Box deal, meaning these prices are only available today, or until sold out.
Anker’s new robotic vacuum sold out yesterday afternoon, but if you missed out, it’s back in stock now, albeit with a backorder and mandatory $4 shipping charge. Considering it’s still listed at $200 though, or $60 less than usual, it’s still a great deal.
http://www.amazon.com/Anker-RoboVac-...
For a few years now, Antec’s USB-powered HDTV bias light has been one of our most reliably popular deals
http://bestsellers.kinja.com/bestsellers-an...
Just like the Antec model, these Vansky LED light strips plug directly into your TV’s USB port for power, and sticks to the back of the set via built-in adhesive. Once you turn your TV on, the light strip will cast a soft glow on the wall behind it, which can reduce eyestrain when watching in the dark, and improve your TV’s perceived black levels.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A9RN2L2?...
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A9RN0UK?...
This Sony Bluetooth Speaker costs more than most sound bars we post, but this is a feature-packed device boasting serious sound and support for DLNA, Airplay, Spotify Connect, NFC, and high resolution audio files, and will charge your phone over USB.
One of the only downsides of cast iron pans is that they can be a nightmare to clean, but this 4.7 star-rated chainmail scrubber can scrape away caked-on food without hurting your seasoning, or resorting to soap. No wonder it’s one of the newest members of our bestsellers club. Today’s $11 deal (with code MOMSDY16) is the best price we’ve ever seen.
http://www.amazon.com/Hudson-Essenti...
Tech
- Roku Streaming Stick (3500R) | $35 | Amazon
- Amazon Fire Tablet | $40 | Amazon | Final day
- Canary All-in-One Home Security Device, Black | $142 | Amazon
- Micron/Crucial M500 480GB 2.5-inch SATA III MLC (6.0Gb/s) Internal SSD | $110 | Amazon
- Mpow Swift Bluetooth 4.0 Wireless Stereo Sport Sweatproof Headphones | $20 | Amazon | Use code Y9M389LV
- Insignia 5.0 Cu. Ft. Chest Freezer | $150 | Best Buy
- Seagate 4TB Expansion Portable External Hard Drive | $105 | eBay
- Sony BDPS3500 - Streaming Wi-Fi Built-In Blu-ray Player | $70 | Best Buy
- Samsung 11.6" Chromebook 2 - Intel Celeron - 4GB Memory - 16GB eMMC flash memory | $179 | Best Buy
- Onkyo TX-NR545 7.2-Ch Network A/V Receiver with Wi-Fi & Bluetooth | $300 | Groupon
- Volmate 60W 8-Port USB Desktop Rapid Charger | $15 | Amazon | Use code VOL608P1
- Samsung 40" 4K UHD Smart LED HDTV | $430 | Groupon
- Logitech - Harmony Touch 15-Device Universal Remote | $100 | eBay
- Abdtech 6 Outlet Power Strip Smart Surge Protector | $19 | Amazon
- AmazonBasics Large DSLR Gadget Bag | $22 | Amazon
Home
- KitchenAid PRO 500 Series 5-Quart Lift Style Stand Mixer | $225 | Amazon
- Cookie Sample Box, 5 or more samples w/ Future $4.99 Cookie Credit | $5 | Amazon
- Hario V60 Buono Coffee Drip Kettle, 1.2 L | $32 | Amazon
- Egyptian Comfort Hotel Quality Bed Sheets - 1800 Series Deep Pocket 4 Piece Set | $12 | eBay
- American Tourister Brookfield 3 PC Set - Luggage | $55 | eBay
- Thermos Vacuum Insulated 24 Ounce Stainless Steel Hydration Bottle | $19 | Amazon
- Black & Decker BDERO100 Random Orbit Sander, 5-Inch | $27 | Amazon
- Select Patio Furniture Sets are On Sale | Amazon
- Ambarella A7 2.0″ Car Black Box / Dash Cam w/ G-Sensor | $52 | Amazon | Use code QMGQ7Q3W
- Anker 100ml Essential Oil Diffuser | $20 | Amazon
- 3 Tier Chrome Triple Hammock Fruit / Vegetables / Produce Metal Basket Rack | $30 | Amazon
- ThermoPro TP-02 Digital Kitchen Cooking Thermometer | $8 | Amazon
- Culina Extra Large Thick Bamboo Cutting Board - 18x12 with Drip Groove | $12 | Amazon
- Collapsible Travel Dog Bowl | $6 | Amazon
- GikBay Spiral Slicer 4 Blade Vegetable Spiral Slicer | $9 | Amazon | Use code OS27RWN7
Gaming
- Best Buy has Select Games on Sale Including The Witcher: Wild Hunt, Etrian Odyssey, and More | Bestbuy
- Refurb Razer BlackWidow Ultimate Mechanical Gaming Keyboard | $50 | Newegg
- Preorder Battlefield 1 Early Enlister Deluxe Edition, PS4 | $64 | Amazon Prime Members
- Preorder Battlefield 1 Early Enlister Deluxe Edition, XBO | $64 | Amazon Prime Members
- Mega Man Legacy Collection | $14 | Amazon
- Good Smile Mega Man Nendoroid Action Figure | $36 | Amazon
- Humble Monthly Bundle includes Rocket League and More | $12 | Humble Bundle
- Star Wars Nerf Episode VII First Order Stormtrooper Blaster | $13 | Amazon
- Nerf Zombie Strike ZED Squad Longshot CS-12 Blaster | $30 | Amazon
Commerce Content is independent of Editorial and Advertising, and if you buy something through our posts, we may get a small share of the sale. Click here
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Sunday's Best Deals: Simple Surround Sound, Your Favorite Dash Cam, and More
A versatile griddler, simple surround sound, and your favorite dash cam lead off Sunday’s best deals.
Bookmark Kinja Deals and follow us on Twitter to never miss a deal. Commerce Content is independent of Editorial and Advertising, and if you buy something through our posts, we may get a small share of the sale. Click here
In just a matter of months, our readers have bought well over 10,000 Anker PowerLine Lightning and microUSB cables
http://bestsellers.kinja.com/bestsellers-an...
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A6G0CTQ?...
The supermassive version of our favorite surround sound system is down to its lowest price today on Amazon.
If you aren’t familiar, this VIZIO system offers true 5.1 surround sound by way of a wireless subwoofer and a pair of satellite speakers (which plug into the subwoofer), all without the aid of of a receiver, and without the need to run any cables from your TV to the back of the room. I own a smaller version of the same setup, and absolutely love it.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GSJROBA/...
If you’ve been meaning to wall-mount your TV, you can save 50% on this articulating Cheetah mount on Amazon with promo code XPGXFOL7. This dual-arm mount is designed for 32"-65" TVs, which should be perfectly suitable for almost all of you. I got this exact model recently for my mother-in-law’s new patio TV, and it’s fantastic. [Cheetah Mounts APDAM2B Articulating Dual Arm TV Wall Mount, $35 with code XPGXFOL7]
Dyson vacuums suck, and I mean that in the best possible way
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XVZ4BQK/...
http://co-op.kinja.com/five-best-vacu...
Cuisinart’s 3-in-1 Griddler is one of the most versatile kitchen appliances
http://gear.kinja.com/cuisinarts-gri...
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B016B40XT6/...
Just don’t forget the waffle iron plates!
http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-GR-W...
For a limited time, Amazon’s taking 20% off a variety of attractive OXO kitchen appliances, including the best price they’ve ever listed on the excellent
http://www.amazon.com/OXO-9-Cup-Coff...
http://gear.kinja.com/the-oxo-on-is-...
Amazon’s Prime Pantry program is great for stocking up on household goods and non-perishable foods without actually having to visit a store, but the $5.99 per box shipping charge has always been a drag. This month though, if you buy five select items, you can get that fee waived.
http://gear.kinja.com/get-the-most-f...
Bonus: If you already have a no-rush free shipping credit in your account, this deal should actually stack, netting you an extra $6 discount.
They ran a similar promotion the last two months with different eligible items. Just add five of them to your box (plus anything else that will fit), and use code PANTRYMAY at checkout to get free shipping. [Free Prime Pantry shipping with five eligible purchases, promo code PANTRYMAY]
If you manage to spend $75 on your box, toss in promo code PANTRY75 at checkout to save $6 on your next Pantry order as well.
Hopefully you never need a dash cam, but owning one can really save your bacon in the result of an accident. This affordable Black Box model was actually your favorite dash cam in a recent Kinja Co-Op
http://co-op.kinja.com/your-favorite-...
That price gets you 1080p recording (or 720p at 60FPS), night vision, auto on/off, and a g-force sensor to automatically lock your footage in the event of an accident.
http://www.amazon.com/Black-Box-G1W-...
Today only, Groupon is taking an extra 20% off all local offers with promo code SUNSHINE, up to a maximum $50 discount. That includes everything from restaurants to oil changes in the city of your choice.
If you struggle to keep your dresser drawers organized, this $9 set should help.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UM94L2C?...
Until very recently, if you wanted an external hard drive with more than 2TB of space, you had no choice but to plug in an external power cord. Now though, you can carry 4TB around in your pocket or bag for just $105, with no extra power supply required.
We’re not sure how long this deal will last, so if you need to keep a lot of storage in your travel bag, or plugged into your Xbox One, I’d grab this quickly.
Anker just released a new line of essential oil diffusers and humidifiers with built-in accent lights, and they’re discounting the 100ml model to an all-time low $20 today as part of a Mother’s Day promotion.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...
Don’t forget the oils!
http://www.amazon.com/Aromatherapy-E...
This bamboo cutting board doesn’t have USB charging ports, a built-in scale, or any other traditional Kinja Deals trappings. I just think it looks nice, and $12 is a great price.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MI6GN4Q/...
Anker’s new robotic vacuum sold out yesterday afternoon, but if you missed out, it’s back in stock now, albeit with a backorder and mandatory $4 shipping charge. Considering it’s still listed at $200 though, or $60 less than usual, it’s still a great deal.
http://www.amazon.com/Anker-RoboVac-...
For a few years now, Antec’s USB-powered HDTV bias light has been one of our most reliably popular deals
http://bestsellers.kinja.com/bestsellers-an...
Just like the Antec model, these Vansky LED light strips plug directly into your TV’s USB port for power, and sticks to the back of the set via built-in adhesive. Once you turn your TV on, the light strip will cast a soft glow on the wall behind it, which can reduce eyestrain when watching in the dark, and improve your TV’s perceived black levels.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A9RN0UK?...
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A9RN2L2?...
Tech
- Anker PowerLine USB-C to USB-C Cable | $10 | Amazon
- VIZIO S5451w-C2 5.1 Channel Sound Bar with Subwoofer and Surrounds | $300 | Amazon
- Canon - EOS Rebel SL1 DSLR Camera with 18-55mm STM and 75-300mm III Lenses + Extras | $550 | Best Buy
- RCA - Refurbished Amplified Indoor Flat HDTV Antenna | $35 | Best Buy | Plus $20 Best Buy Gift Card
- 4K TV Sale | $350-$2300 | Woot
- Unifun 20000mAh Power Bank Backup External Battery Dual USB 2A Fast Charging Portable Charger | $17 | Amazon | Use code NXT8UB6R
- Cheetah Mounts APDAM2B Articulating Dual Arm TV Wall Mount Bracket for 32 to 65-Inch | $35 | Amazon | Promo code XPGXFOL7
Home
- Refurb Dyson DC58 Handheld Vacuum | $150 | Amazon
- Hurom HU-100 Masticating Slow Juicer | $205 | Amazon
- Drawer Dividers Closet Organizers - Storage Boxes - Set of 4 | $9 | Amazon
- Cuisinart GR-4NR 5-in-1 Griddler | $67 | Amazon
- KONG Training Dummy Dog Toy, Large | $8 | Amazon
- Cuisinart Cookware Sale | Best Buy
- BISSELL - SpotBot Pet Portable Deep Cleaner | $100 | eBay
- Cool Living Aluminum Stand Up Desk | $250 | Woot
- Black Box G1W-C Capacitor Model Dashboard Dash Cam | $55 | Amazon
- 20% off any local Groupon offer | Groupon | Promo code SUNSHINE
- Intex Queen 2-in-1 Guest Airbed | $24 | Walmart
- Bosch 50-ft Metric and SAE Laser Distance Measurer | $30 | Lowe’s
Gaming
- Magnetic Building Block Sets 46 Piece | $36 | Amazon | Use code BOGSWT47
- Preorder Uncharted 4 | $50 | eBay | If you’re a Prime member, get it on Amazon instead for $48. Discount shown at checkout.
- Until Dawn - PlayStation 4 | $20 | eBay
Media
Commerce Content is independent of Editorial and Advertising, and if you buy something through our posts, we may get a small share of the sale. Click here
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Sarah Palin Boldly Claims That Someone's Else's Political Career Is Over
Using the phrase “know your place” when referring to a woman is almost unequivocally inappropriate. But in this particular case, regarding former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, it is the only phrase that comes to mind.
The one-time vice presidential hopeful was for some reason invited on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday, where she took the opportunity to spew some punditry about her opposition to House Speaker Paul Ryan. Ryan has said he’s “not ready” to back Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump for the nomination.
“His political career is over, but for a miracle, because he has disrespected the will of the American people...Paul Ryan and his ilk, their problem is they have become so disconnected from the people they were elected to represent. Their problem is they feel so threatened at this point that their power, their prestige, their purse will be adversely affected by this change that is coming with Trump.”
What an interesting way to phrase it, saying that someone’s “political career is over”—especially from someone whose greatest political achievement in the past year was endorsing a shriveled apricot for president:
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It's Not Always Necessary To Weigh In
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Why Do You Hate The Word Moist? Science.
Okay, a lot of people hate the word “moist.” It just sounds gross, but why does it repulse us? A new study published in the journal PLOS One may have some insight into why certain words make us cringe.
The research, conducted by Dr. Paul Thibodeau, a professor of psychology at Oberlin College, suggests that up to 20 percent of American English speakers are averse to the word “moist.”
Thibodeau hypothesized that there were three reasons why people might respond negatively to a word: that it sounds gross, that is has disgusting connotations, or that social transmission might have impacted the cultural response.
After conducting five experiments over four years with approximately 2,500 participants, Thibodeau found that people expressed word aversion due to the second and third hypotheses. People who were averse to “moist” also responded similarly to words such as “phlegm,” and “vomit,” leading him to believe that the disgust is related in part to the association with bodily functions. Those who expressed that disgust didn’t respond similarly to words that sounded like “moist,” such as “foist” or “rejoiced,” nor were they irked by words related to sex such as “vagina” or “horny.”
Researchers also found a social relationship in regards to word aversion. Many participants were showed a 2013 People Magazine video where the sexiest men alive say the word “moist” while others watched a control video that showed people saying the word to describe cake. People who watched the first video were more put off by the word and said that it had more negative connotations, suggesting that there is a social aspect.
“The work has implications for theories of language processing and the psychology of disgust,” Thibodeau said in an article on ThePsychReport about his research. “Emotional language is processed differently than “neutral” language: it grabs our attention, engages different parts of the brain, and is more likely to be remembered.”
The study also found that people expressed more aversion if they were younger, more educated, and female, although there seemed to be little difference among populations regarding other factors such as religion or political ideology.
Thibodeau said that this research could give us more insight into why we find certain words repulsive, along with how these kinds of opinions can be spread. There could be an evolutionary component to our disgust regarding bodily functions, since, as Thibodeau states, “if we didn’t have an instinct to run away from vomit and diarrhea, disease would spread more easily.” However, as we interact with one another, ideas can become inherent.
“The symbols we use to communicate with one another can become contaminated and elicit disgust by virtue of their association with bodily functions,” he said.
[PlosOne]
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“How do the breasts look?”
“How do the breasts look?” Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump once asked Howard Stern, responding to a hypothetical about whether he’d stay with his wife Melania if she were in a car accident. The bit, pinned by Frank Bruni in The New York Times, is a living nightmare; read if you can stomach it.
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Ted Cruz Graces Saturday Night Live's Cold Open in Character As 'Satan'
“I’ve been thinking about turning evil for a while, you know, going to the dark side,” said a caricature of former Republican presidential Ted Cruz, with great irony.
The defeated candidate was lampooned on “Saturday Night Live” this week, as was his rival, “orange mannequin” Donald Trump. Dana Carvey returned to the show with his beloved “church lady” character, too. And an added bonus: Melania!
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Alberta Wildfires Expected to Double In Size and Burn for Months
The wildfires that began in the Fort McMurray area in Alberta last week are expected to double in size, with officials saying that it could take months to get the situation under control.
According to an update provided late Saturday, a total of 43 wildfires are burning, seven of them out of control, while 12 new wildfires ignited on Friday.
Due to increasing temperatures, excessive winds and low humidity, officials fear that the fire could move to bordering Saskatchewan. Over the weekend, the weather worsened for firefighters, with temperatures reaching up to 82 degrees and winds gusting up to 25 mph.
“In no way is this fire under control,” Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said on Saturday, “Officials tell us the fire may double in size in the forested areas today. As well, it may actually reach the Saskatchewan border.”
So far, 80,000 people have been evacuated from Fort McMurray since the fire began on May 3. Officials said that they hope to complete evacuations of the area by this weekend. Despite a state of emergency
“I know the people of Fort McMurray want to get back into their homes as quickly as possible. And I am hoping we will be able to give you a sense of when you can go home shortly,”
So far, the wildfire has spread to around 200,000 hectares (494,211 acres), and has destroyed about 770 square miles of forest. More than 1,400 firefighters are fighting the wildfires with about 133 helicopters, 200 pieces of heavy equipment and more than 27 air tankers.
The fire can be seen from the International Space Station. UK Astronaut Tim Peake posted an image to Instagram yesterday, showing the size of the blaze.
While officials haven’t identified the source of the current blaze, Fort McMurray has seen its share of fires in recent years. As officials work to identify the origin of the wildfire with drones later this week, scientists believe that weather patterns connected to El Niño have likely played a role. according to NASA, the area has received less rainfall than average, while satellite imagery shows warmer than usual ground temperatures leading up to May.
Officials will be working to investigate the source of the fire this week. The government will use drones to pinpoint the hottest areas and will take around 800 images to map out the extent of the fire.
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Donald Trump Says His Muslim Ban Will Help the U.S. Make Muslim Friends
Over the course of this election race, it’s remained unclear exactly what type of friend Donald Trump is. But if his ideas about international friendships are anything to go on, we can likely hazard a guess that he’s a pretty crappy one.
On Sunday, the Republican presidential frontrunner sat down with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos for “This Week” to talk about House Speaker Paul Ryan, ISIS, and Trump’s proposed ban on Muslims.
http://gawker.com/trump-makes-cr...
According to Trump, other countries, including ones that have expressed publicly their disgust for the policy, like it when you force a horrible policy into effect. When asked by Stephanopoulos about international criticism for the ban, Trump said that other countries will get on board after it’s in place, and that the policy will help make Muslim allies “stronger toward” the U.S.
STEPHANOPOULOS: You’re in the Oval Office a year from now, President Trump is there. David Cameron, who’s criticized pro — your proposal — comes to you. Benjamin Netanyahu comes to you. He’s criticized the proposal. The leaders of — of Jordan and Egypt and Turkey come to and say we want to help you in the fight against ISIS, we can’t do it if that ban is in place.
What do you do?
TRUMP: I disagree with them. I think it’s going to be even better. I think if the ban is in place, they’re going to want to show that they’re going to — look, we’re not getting any help. If you look at the help, we’re not getting help. They keep saying boots on the ground, boots on the ground, they’re not fighting, we give them equipment, they run. They drop our equipment. The enemy picks up our equipment.
Exiling an entire group people, it turns out, is a great way to make friends!
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“The risk of Trump winning, however remote, represents the biggest national security threat that the
“The risk of Trump winning, however remote, represents the biggest national security threat that the United States faces today,” writes Max Boot, prominent Republican foreign policy adviser, in The Los Angeles Times, in a sad requiem for a dead party. RIP, GOP.
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High School Very Sorry for Misidentifying Muslim Student as "Isis" in Yearbook
On Saturday, a high school principal in California apologized for a yearbook “misprint” that identified a Muslim student wearing a hijab as “Isis Phillips,” the name of an unrelated student, NBC News reports.
“[Los Osos High School] is taking every step possible to correct & investigate a regrettable misprint discovered in the yearbook,” wrote Principal Susan Petrocelli on Twitter. “We sincerely apologize.”
According to Bayan Zehlif, the student pictured in the photo, school officials claimed the caption recalling the world’s preeminent jihadist organization was an accident—an explanation she disputes.
“I am extremely saddened, disgusted, hurt and embarrassed,” wrote Zehlif on Facebook Friday. “The school reached out to me and had the audacity to say that this was a typo. I beg to differ, let’s be real.”
In their own apology, the yearbook’s staff suggested the caption was the result of failing to check “each name carefully,” but on Sunday the school district’s superintendent acknowledged the possibility Zehlif was intentionally misidentified.
“The yearbook publisher has already been contacted and is working on a solution to remedy this unfortunate situation,” Superintendent Mat Holton told the Whittier Daily News. “If they find that a student acted irresponsibly and intentionally, administration will take appropriate actions.”
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Meet the Man Sarah Palin is Hoping Will Defeat Paul Ryan
Sarah Palin took to CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday morning to excoriate House Speaker Paul Ryan for his failure to enthusiastically endorse Donald Trump, and announce her support for...this person.
Paul Nehlen, a Wisconsin businessman and one-time Ryan supporter, found himself so aggrieved by the Speaker’s endorsement of the Trans-Pacific Partnership that he’s now hoping to take control of Wisconsin’s 1st congressional district in the August primary. The TPP is a trade agreement that seeks to stoke economic growth among the 12 countries involved, though critics say it will harm U.S. workers by moving jobs to developing countries.
In the video, the sleeveless shirt-wearing, woman-toting, motorcycle-cruising Nehlen offers Ryan the chance to “come back to Wisconsin and debate me man to man, face to face, on the realities of TPP. And if you don’t want to debate me, maybe we can arm wrestle.”
Childish though this offer may be, it doesn’t seem to grate on Palin, at least not in comparison to the unforgivable sin of failing to leap to Trump’s support. As she semi-intelligibly told Jake Tapper:
His political career is over, but for a miracle, because he has disrespected the will of the American people...Paul Ryan and his ilk, their problem is they have become so disconnected from the people they were elected to represent. Their problem is they feel so threatened at this point that their power, their prestige, their purse will be adversely affected by this change that is coming with Trump.
Nehlen’s chance at victory, however remote, is not impossible. Majority Leader Eric Cantor also biffed his primary election in 2014, and anyway, stranger things have happened
Forget the election. Why don’t we just have the nominees square off in a giant mud pit while the electorate pelts them with clods of dirt and old lunch meat?
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ISIS Claims Responsibility for Deadly Shooting of 8 Cops in Egypt
After eight plainclothes police officers were gunned down in a Cairo suburb on Sunday, the Islamic State released a statement taking responsibility for the attack, CNN reports.
According to Egyptian officials, the officers were conducting routine security checks when four gunman fired on their unmarked minivan with automatic weapons. From The Washington Post:
It was the deadliest assault on security forces since November, when gunmen killed four police officers at a security checkpoint. In that attack, Wilayat Sinai, the local Islamic State branch, claimed responsibility. If it is also behind Sunday’s attack, it would further highlight the terrorist network’s capabilities of striking inside the Egyptian capital.
The Islamic State said in a statement on Twitter that “a carefully selected group of the soldiers of the caliphate” carried out the killings. It claimed that it seized weapons “as booty” and that the attack was in retaliation for the incarceration of women in “Egypt’s infidel prisons.”
The Post reports the ambush comes amid a brutal police crackdown on political dissent in Egypt’s capital, making the attack especially bold.
“These are the heroes of the police,” Egyptian Minister of the Interior Magdy Abdel Ghaffar said on television Sunday. “We will continue our crusade against terrorism despite everything.”
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183 Days and a Wake Up
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Trump's Only Consistent Position on Taxes Is That He's Not Going to Release His Returns
In a move sure to strike terror into the heart of the Republican donor class, Donald Trump said this weekend he’d be willing to raise taxes on the wealthy. Then again, maybe nobody really cares, because last fall he said he’d lower taxes for everyone.
“For the wealthy, I think, frankly, it’s going to go up,” he said on ABC’s This Week. “When it comes time to negotiate, I feel less concerned with the rich than I do with the middle class.”
In September, Reuters notes, Trump released a tax proposal that included reducing the highest income tax rate to 25 percent from 39.6 percent. When asked what precipitated the change, Trump said the original proposal was “a concept.”
It seems that one of the only consistent positions Trump has held is his unwillingness to release his tax returns, citing once more an Internal Revenue Service audit that prevents him from making his returns public. (This is an imaginary problem. The IRS has said, “Nothing prevents individuals from sharing their own tax information.”)
“I’ll do it as fast as the auditors finish,” he said Sunday. From the Guardian:
The former reality TV star insisted that “you don’t learn much from tax returns” and that his “financials” show a value of more than $10bn. His financial filings with federal officials, however, do not always correspond with other declarations of his worth.
For instance, in a financial disclosure made when he announced his run for the White House last year, Trump listed a New York state golf club at $50m. But in a lawsuit, as part of his argument that he should pay 90% less tax on the property, he told a judge the same club was worth only $1.4m.
“I have very big tax returns,” Trump said. “They’re extremely complex.”
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