Conor McGregor Teases Early Retirement on Fight News Now
With the news of Conor McGregor being out at UFC 200and apparently retiring via Twitter, reaction came in from all levels of UFC fighters.
Not content to simply share their opinion on McGregor"s departure, some fighters decided to volunteer their services for the UFC 200 main event.
It remains to be seen what Dana White and UFC will do with UFC 200, scheduled for July 9 in Las Vegas. As of right now, the UFC"s website lists the main event as "To Be Announced" vs. "To Be Determined," with the interim featherweight title fight between Jose Aldo and Frankie Edgar still listed as the co-main event.
HAPPY 420!!!!!!!!!!! Where did 420 actually come from? (Picture: Getty)
Rejoice, smokers of weed (or just continue to comfortably sit and marathon-watch Netflix with a bucketload of snacks). Today is 4/20, AKA the only worldwide holiday in celebration of the joy of marijuana.
But whatis4/20? Why do we celebrate it? And what do these specific numbers have to do with weed?
Happy 420: History of cannabis and how the plant spread across the world
First off, the easy bit. 4/20 refers to April 20, written the American way with the month first and the day second. Its widely considered to be an annual day of marijuana joy, marked by weed-themed festivals, brands doing food offers with a weed-themed twist, and plenty of smoking.
Now, on to the history of 4/20. Buckle your seatbelts.
People think 4/20 refers to a secret police code(Picture: Getty)
Ill be real. This is EXACTLY what I always thought 4/20 referred to, and it seems to be what most cannabis fans believe when it comes to the day.
People claim that 420 is the radio code used by police to describe catching anyone smoking weed. And so, weed-smokers took over the code for their own reference and made 4/20 their special weed-smoking day.
But actually, the 420 code is actually used for homicide. Dark.
People also think 420 is the number of chemical compounds in cannabis(Picture: Getty)
This is not true.
There are also theories that 420 comes from a Bob Dylan song(Picture: Getty)
Yep, some geniuses have noted that 12 x 35 equals 420. And 12 and 35 happen to be the numbers referenced in Bob Dylans song Rainy Day Women #12 & 35. Whaaaa.
Bob Dylan also chants everybody must get stoned! in the song, which adds to this theorys power.
But heres the truth (as far as we know): 4/20 is all down to a group of students(Picture: Getty)
This, according to the internet, is the most credible story out there on the origins of 4/20 as told in its entirety to the Huffington Post.
Back in 1971, five students at San Rafael High School in California would meet at 4.20pm right after doing their after-school sports by the schools statue of Louis Pasteur to toke up.
It became a tradition, and the group, who called themselves The Waldos, began using 420 as a shorthand for smoking weed.
This spread, 4.20pm became known as the perfect time for smoking weed, and the number 420 became synonymous with marijuana. Whoa.
How do you celebrate 4/20?(Picture: Getty)
Simple. Smoke some weed on April 20 at 4.20pm. You can also just smoke weed (as long as youre living somewhere where its legal, obviously) at 4.20pm on any other day.
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Or at any other time, according to the popular stoner bro phrase: Its 4.20 somewhere.
Theres also a pro-cannabis legalisation rally in Hyde Park on April 20, if you fancy attending.
MORE: This pizza box turns into a weed pipe to fulfill all your stoner dreams
Mika: Hillary Clinton Couldn"t Get Bernie-Sized Crowd | Morning Joe | MSNBC The failure of Kansas Gov. Sam Brownbacks (R) economic experiment should be pretty obvious to everyone by now. By slashing taxes far more than the state could afford, the Republican governor has generated debt downgrades, weak growth, and state finances in shambles.During his re-election bid last year, Brownback assured Kansans his plan would create 25,000 jobs in the state per year. The Kansas City Star reported last week, however, that job growth in the state over the last 12 months was 0.0%.To appreciate just how ridiculous conditions have become, consider the fact that even Brownbacks allies are giving up on his failed policy. The Kansas Associated Pressreported yesterday:
After he became Kansas governor in 2011, Sam Brownback slashed personal income taxes on the promise that the deep cuts would trigger a furious wave of hiring and expansion by businesses.
But the shot of adrenaline hasnt worked as envisioned, and the state budget has been in crisis ever since. Now many of the same Republicans who helped pass Brownbacks plan are in open revolt, refusing to help the governor cut spending so he can avoid rolling back any of his signature tax measures.
The key element in this controversy, even more than the growth failures, is state finances. Brownback assumed that massive and unaffordable tax breaks would not only boost Kansas economy, they would also largely pay for themselves through new jobs and tax receipts from economic activity. When none of those benefits materialized, the governor and the Republican-led legislature faced a massive budget shortfall, which necessitated big cuts to things like education and transportation.
The more Brownbacks policy failed, the more Kansas had to cut. The state has now reached the point at which the budget mess is no better Kansas has missed revenue projections in 11 of the last 12 months and the governor is calling for even more cuts.
Republican state lawmakers have come up with a new response to Brownbacks latest request: Um, no.
If Brownback wont reconsider any of the tax cuts, they say, he will have to figure out for himself how to balance the budget in the face of disappointing revenue. Let him own it, Republican Rep. Mark Hutton said. Its his policy that put us there. []
Were growing weary, said Senate President Susan Wagle, a conservative Republican from Wichita. While GOP legislators still support low income taxes, wed prefer to see some real solutions coming from the governors office, she said.
Or put another way, Brownbacks plan leave his massive tax cuts in place, while cutting public investments even more is no longer seen as a real solution.
Also note, the alliance between the governors office and the GOP-dominated legislature is supposed to be unshakable. Lets not forget that in his first term, Brownback identified moderate Republican lawmakers and pushed them out of the legislature, replacing them with far-right ideologues whod be more inclined to do his bidding.
And now even some of these Republican allies of the governor are no longer willing to follow him off the cliff.
About a month ago, New York published a good piece arguing that the Republican Party must answer for what it did to Kansas. As things stand, many GOP legislators would prefer to avoid the question and put the onus on Brownback, not the party.
CNN REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL JOHN KASICH TOWN HALL WITH FAMILY - NEW YORK CITY (4/11/2016) Republican presidential candidate John Kasich speaks during a town hall event in Maryland this month. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Ohio Gov. John Kasichs home-state paper, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, has long noted his mix-and-match style. He is a proud fiscal conservative who tried to roll back the power of public unions but also bucked his party on Obamacare. He fought to reinstate the death penalty while filling his public appearances with pop-culture references to Pearl Jam or the Rolling Stones. He presents himself as the hugging, compassionate Republican in the presidential race, but was known in Congress for his prickly temper and volatility and he once got kicked off the stage at a Grateful Dead concert.
When he first went to Congress in 1982, after serving in the Ohio State Senate, Kasich quickly established himself as a cost-cutter. Against the position of some other Republicans, he opposed building more B2 stealth bombers (an addition the Pentagon said it did not need) and proposed a package in 1993 that he projected would cut expenditures by $400 billion over five years. When he was promoted to budget chairman after the Republican takeover of Congress in the 1994 election, the congressman promised to pull things out by the roots.
His new position put him right in the middle of rough-and-tumble budget negotiations with the White House in 1995negotiations that got so nasty they broke down entirely, leading the government to shut down. Twice. Two years later, Kasich authored the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, which he touts on the campaign trail as one of his greatest achievements.
He irritated some of his House colleagues. The chairmen of the Appropriations and Ways and Means committees claimed he was overstepping his bounds, and some other Ohio lawmakers tried to avoid sitting next to him on flights home. GOP pollster Frank Luntz called him the Woody Harrelson of Congress.
Kasich launched his first presidential bid in February 1999 but quickly dropped out in July (he endorsed George W. Bush). He made his way into the private sector, becoming a managing director at Wall Streets Lehman Brothers and kept up with the political world as a Fox News contributor. While at Lehman in 2002, Kasich helped arrange two meetings between representatives of state pension funds and Lehman officials, but the meetings didnt result in any money for Lehman. When the firm went down in the 2008 financial crisis, Kasich did not leave with a golden parachute, according to records released by his gubernatorial campaign in 2010.
In 2010, Kasich defeated incumbent Democrat Ted Strickland for governor. He put his budget committee skills to use and went about slashing his states deficit and working to bring Ohio out of the 2008 economic crisis. His tax cuts and budgeting, however, came at the expense of local governments: 70 cities have lost at least $1 million per year in state funding since Kasich took office in 2011. Specifically, Kasichs elimination of Ohios estate tax, reduction of the Local Government Fund, and phasing out reimbursements to help communities cope with a 2005 rollback of property taxes cost Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati more than $20 million each per year. The overall effect of the cuts has been mixed.
After Kasich became governor, several of his best friends became Ohios new go-to lobbyists, drawing criticism that they were cashing in. Kasich was accused of hypocrisy after campaigning against special interests. While Kasich said there was nothing improper going on, he and one of his friends-turned-lobbyists admitted theyd had at least one conversation about an issue that mattered to the friends client.
One of Kasichs signature programs as governor is JobsOhio, a privatized development agency created to bring jobs to the state that replaced a public model. But the agency has been plagued with allegations of extravagant spendingincluding using public money to pay private employeesand complaints by Democrats about conflicts of interest. A 2013 law largely exempted JobsOhio from public audits.
Kasich and Ohios Republican leadership sought to roll back some rights and powers of unionized public workers, but the unions collected nearly a million signatures in support of holding a statewide referendum on the law. Kasichs measure went down to defeat in 2011 by nearly a 2-to1 margin.
Read our rundowns of the best reporting on other presidential candidates:
But Kasich also defied the national Republican position on Obamacare, deciding to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act and accept $2.5 billion from the federal government, framing his argument in terms of Christian compassion. By his account, he lectured one legislator by saying: Now, when you die and get to the meeting with St. Peter, hes probably not going to ask you much about what you did about keeping government small. But he is going to ask you what you did for the poor. You better have a good answer.
The governor won reelection in 2014 and launched his presidential bid in 2015. His message of optimism and his mellow demeanor on the trail surprised those who remembered him as a man who ran hot-and-cold, called out-of-state rivals wackadoodles, and derided a cop as an idiot for pulling him over (Kasich later apologized to the officer). The GOP establishment was reluctant to embrace himsome because they remember his temper, some because he expanded Medicaid, but primarily because they didnt see him as a viable candidate. In the Republican primaries, Kasich to date has only won his home state of Ohio. Although he remains far behind Ted Cruz and Donald Trump in the delegate tally, he is hoping to come out on top if there is a contested convention.
The San Jose Sharks signed goalie Mantas Armalis to an entry-level contract on Monday. And, then the Internet went crazy over the part-time model.
The San Jose Sharks signed goalie Mantas Armalis to an entry-level contract on Monday. And, then the Internet went crazy over the part-time model.
Photo: Instagram Photo: Bruce Bennett, Getty Images Photo: Djurgarden Stockholm, Champions Hockey League Via Getty Images
The San Jose Sharks" new goalie is also a model
He"s being called the Zoolander of hockey and it"s not hard to see why.
Shortly after the San Jose Sharks announced on Monday thatthey had signed new goalie, Mantas Armalis, the Internet went gaga over the Lithuanian native.
The 23-year-old describes himself as a "Lithuanian hockeyplayer, model, human being from Stockholm, Sweden" on his Instagram account.
According to Models.com, Armalis most recently walked a Versace runway show in June 2013 for the label"s 2014 Spring/Summer collection.
As far as his hockey credentials go, San Jose Sharks General Manager Doug Wilson said in a statement released Monday, "Mantas had a number of NHL suitors and we are excited that he chose San Jose."
"We"ve been following his progression up the ranks in Sweden over the last few seasons and he has consistently performed at every level. He has a history of playing above his age group internationally, and we"re looking forward to him joining our organization."
In 54 career Swedish Hockey League games with Djurgardens, Armalis recorded 23 wins, a 2.75 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage, and earned a promotion to a higher league in four of the last five seasons (played each of the last two seasons in Sweden"s highest professional league).
But enough about hockey, let"s talk about that runway walk.
Here are some of the reactions on Twitter after the Sharks" made the announcement:
It does appear as though Armalis has a lovely girlfriend by the name of Stina Rosengren, who is from Stockholm, Sweden.
KHOU 11"s Drew Karedes reports from NW Harris County
KHOU.com Staff , KHOU 9:29 AM. EST April 19, 2016
Rescues at 8 a.m. along Cypresswood Dr (Photo: KHOU 11)
HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS - Despite the lack of rain, residents in northwest Harris County watched the water rise in Cypress Creek even more overnight.
Officials say about 200 people have been rescued so far from the Chasewood Common Apartments along Cypresswood Drive near Cutten Road. As of 6 a.m. Tuesday the rescues were still underway with many more people in need of help.
Military vehicles and boats are assisting in the rescues.
Those looking to help can visit redcross.org/volunteer.
The National Weather Service reports Cypress Creek is at a near-record 127.5 feet as of Tuesday morning, which is 5.5 feet above flood stage. The last time the creek crested this high was in October 1994.
At the Springhill Suites on 249 and Chasewood, the water keeps rising and submerging vehicles in the parking lot. The frontage road of 249 and Chasewood remains covered in water and is impassable by low profile vehicles.
"As far as the county goes, it"s business as usual except jury service has been canceled today," said Harris County Judge Ed Emmett. "If you"re a county employee, come to work but be careful."
Forecasters are still calling for a 50-percent rain chance today, but rain as heavy as Monday"s is not expected.
Photos: Cypress Creek area rescues
"There are still some high water spots we need to be aware of, but generally we should be okay."
Floodwaters were quickly rising Tuesday morning all along Cypresswood near Champion Drive, and fire crews were checking on residents who live along Cutten.
While it didnt rain much overnight, the creek continued to rise as flood waters moved down stream.
In all, at least five deaths have been reported in the Houston area.
Officials: about 200 rescued so far from Chasewood/Common Apts. Many more still in need of help #khou11 pic.twitter.com/GE36zPre4r
Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis are expecting their second child together.
The Hollywood couple"s baby son Otis will celebrate his second birthday on Wednesday, and his mom has presented him with an early surprise present - the news he is set to become a big brother.
Taking to her Instagram page on Monday, Olivia, 32, confirmed the happy news by posting a black and white photo of herself sitting beside Otis, with their stomachs on display.
"Matching baby bumps" she wrote alongside the shot, in which she beamed down at her little boy as she sat cross legged on a bed wearing black underwear and an open white shirt, with a visible bump already on display.
Meanwhile, little Otis grins up at his mother as he sits cross legged beside her with his white T-shirt rolled up.
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Olivia recently told People magazine that she and Jason, 40, were ready for another baby.
"I"m desperate for more (kids)!" she said. "I love my siblings so much and Jason has incredible siblings too. The more the merrier."
She also confessed to E! News she was feeling jealous and maternal towards her actress friend Rose Byrne, who is a new mom with her son Rocco.
Asked if she is experiencing baby fever, the beauty exclaimed, "Yeah! Everything makes me want another one!"
Olivia and Jason first got together in November 2011, before becoming engaged in January 2013.
The Vinyl star was previously married to Italian filmmaker Tao Ruspoli for seven years until March 2011, while Jason tied the knot with 30 Rock actress Kay Cannon in 2004 after five years of dating. They divorced in 2010.
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