Terry Jones of Monty Python Diagnosed With Dementia
9:43 AM PDT 9/23/2016 by the Associated Press
LONDON (AP) Terry Jones, one of the founding members of comedy troupe Monty Python, has been diagnosed with dementia.
In a statement released by Britain"s film academy, a representative says the 74-year-old has primary progressive aphasia, which erodes the ability to use language. As a result, Jones can no longer give interviews.
News of Jones" illness came in a statement announcing he is to receive an award for outstanding contribution to film and television from the academy"s Welsh branch.
In the late 1960s Jones, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam and the late Graham Chapman formed the surreal and anarchic Monty Python"s Flying Circus.
Jones directed the Python films Life Of Brian and Monty Python"s The Meaning Of Life.With Gilliam, he co-directed Monty Python and The Holy Grail.
Ted Cruz endorses Donald Trump days ahead of first US presidential debate "After many months of careful consideration, of prayer and searching my own conscience, I have decided that on Election Day, I will vote for the Republican nominee, Donald Trump," Cruz wrote in a Facebook post.
"A year ago, I pledged to endorse the Republican nominee, and I am honoring that commitment. And if you don"t want to see a Hillary Clinton presidency, I encourage you to vote for him."
"I am greatly honored by the endorsement of Senator Cruz," Trump said in a statement obtained by CNN. "We have fought the battle and he was a tough and brilliant opponent. I look forward to working with him for many years to come in order to make America great again."
The move -- three days before Trump"s critical first debate with Clinton -- comes as the Trump and Cruz camps have moved closer in recent weeks.
Trump"s vice presidential nominee Mike Pence played a key role in bringing Cruz into the fold. Pence and Cruz traded multiple messages, then spoke at length once on the phone and again in person, when Pence visited Capitol Hill a few weeks ago, a source close to Pence said.
Trump has hired key Cruz allies such as Kellyanne Conway as his campaign manager, and Jason Miller as a spokesman.
Wednesday, Trump"s campaign expressed support for a Cruz-backed, Internet-related proposal in government funding talks in the Senate.
Friday, Trump released a new list of conservative judges likely to appeal to the former Supreme Court clerk -- including perhaps Cruz"s closest friend in Congress, Utah Sen. Mike Lee.
Cruz cited Trump"s pledges on the judiciary in his Facebook post. "We know, without a doubt, that every Clinton appointee would be a left-wing ideologue. Trump, in contrast, has promised to appoint justices "in the mold of (the late Antonin) Scalia," Cruz wrote. "For some time, I have been seeking greater specificity on this issue, and today the Trump campaign provided that, releasing a very strong list of potential Supreme Court nominees including Sen. Mike Lee, who would make an extraordinary justice and making an explicit commitment to nominate only from that list."
A Cruz endorsement could be the last pillar to helping Trump shore up the support of conservatives who have remained reticent about supporting his campaign.
Trump has already gotten most Republicans and conservatives on board with his campaign -- largely by reassuring them on the Supreme Court and on issues like the Second Amendment and abortion. But Cruz"s principled opposition to offering his support has given some conservatives high-profile cover.
Just as Cruz"s refusal to endorse Trump at the RNC fueled Democrats" efforts to paint Trump as divisive even within his own party, Cruz"s endorsement will help undermine that narrative -- suggesting to conservatives unsure about Trump that perhaps the brash billionaire has changed, and can be trusted to bring conservative change to Washington.
"Lyin" Ted" and "utterly amoral"
The move marks a dramatic turnaround from the personal insults Cruz and Trump traded during the previous year.
The two men clashed repeatedly during the primaries, as Trump taunted the senator with the nickname "Lyin" Ted," suggested Cruz wasn"t eligible to be president due to his Canadian birthplace, and even speculated that Cruz"s father was involved in the JFK assassination. Trump also said Cruz should "be careful" or he would "spill the beans on your wife," and retweeted an unflattering picture of Heidi Cruz. Those tweets have not been deleted from Trump"s account.On his last day of the GOP campaign -- the Indiana primary in early May -- Cruz let loose against Trump, calling the businessman a "serial philanderer," "utterly amoral," and "a narcissist at a level I don"t think this country"s ever seen.
At the RNC in Cleveland, Cruz gave a memorable speech espousing conservative values but ended without endorsing Trump, as Trump allies booed from the convention floor. "Don"t stay home in November," Cruz said. "Stand and speak and vote your conscience."
The next day, he defended the move by citing Trump"s attacks against his family.
"I"m not in the habit of supporting people who attack my wife and attack my father," Cruz told members of the Texas delegation. "That pledge was not a blanket commitment that if you go and slander and attack Heidi that I"m going to nonetheless come as a servile puppy dog and say, "Thank you very much for maligning my wife and maligning my father.""After the convention, Trump said that he would not accept Cruz"s endorsement if he offered it.
"I don"t want his endorsement. If he gives it, I will not accept it, just so you understand. If he gives it I will -- I will not accept. It won"t matter. Honestly he should"ve done it because nobody cares and he would"ve been in better shape for four years from now," Trump said.
Facing Senate primary in 2018?
Cruz"s move may also be politically expedient. He faces a possible 2018 Senate primary challenge from Texas Rep. Michael McCaul, the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, who has increasingly made an issue of Cruz"s failure to endorse Trump.
Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus has said Republicans who don"t back Trump could pay a price down the road. And Trump also floated the idea of setting up a super PAC to oppose Cruz if he decided to run for office again.
Clinton"s campaign, after Cruz"s message posted on Facebook, was happy to note a number of shots Cruz took at Trump during the primary, including when he called on the businessman to release his tax returns.
Clinton"s official twitter account retweeted a tweet Cruz sent during the primary that said, "I"ve released 9 years of tax returns. RT if you agree it"s time for Donald Trump to release his!"
Clinton"s campaign has been hounding Trump to release his taxes, arguing that he isn"t doing so because they show shady business deals and ties to Russia. Trump has said he would release his taxes after an IRS audit.
Clinton"s vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine, campaigning in Austin, Texas, Friday, said he couldn"t support someone who used the same language Trump did about Cruz"s father.
"I just can"t help but say this," Kaine said. "Donald Trump suggested that Ted Cruz"s dad was involved in the JFK assassination. Now we know that that is false, but false isn"t, there"s not the right word to describe what that is. It is so outrageously false. And as far as I know Donald Trump has not retracted it. As far as I know he has not apologized for it. And so if somebody said that about my dad they would never have me as a supporter for anything."
Radio host Steve Deace tweeted his disappointment, calling the move a mistake and speculating that Cruz backers may not all follow the senator.
"I think it"s the worst political miscalculation of my lifetime. I hope I am wrong. The people will decide that," Deace tweeted.
CNN"s Jeremy Diamond, Tom LoBianco, Dan Merica, Betsy Klein, and Dan Berman contributed to this report.
Hawaii Five-0 6x25 McDanno Scenes - Danny Donates Half His Liver to Steve
ByTania Gutierrez , CP Contributor
September 15, 2016|11:57 pm
Facebook/HawaiiFiveOCBS
Hawaii Five-O
The hype and excitement for "Hawaii Five-O" Season 7 have intensified now that its premiere is just a few days away. Fans are excited to see what is in store for the show when it returns on air, which is made more special with its 150th milestone episode happening in the upcoming season. But, a major character will not be around to celebrate the event.
Past and present
According to "Hawaii Five-O"Season 7 spoilers, the new episodes will feature the return of some familiar faces that might have a big impact on Steve McGarrett (Alex O"Loughlin). His ex, Catherine Rollins (Michelle Borth) is said to be dropping by. Her appearance may complicate matters in Steve"s life as he is now involved romantically with Lynn Downey (Sarah Carter).
The handsome detective will not have anything to worry about, however since the past and present women in his life will be coming back to "Hawaii Five-O" Season 7 for very different purposes. Rollins" return will not be to reignite their relationship but is purely for work.
EP Peter Lenkov emphasized in an interview that Rollins" return is plot driven rather than what it is being thought of by the fans of the former couple. He added that people are misinterpreting her return as coming back into the relationship and to start all over again, which is not. In fact, Lenkov closed the door on the relationship since he doesn"t think it will happen considering everything they have gone through.
Adam and Kono wedding
Lenkov however teased of another couplewho will be taking their relationship into another level in "Hawaii Five-O" Season 7. It was earlier reported that Adam (Ian Anthony Dale) will be released from prison and will finally marry Kono (Grace Park). There have even been talks of them starting a family together.
Lenkov revealed that their recent predicament has given them a much clearer perspective about their lives. In "Hawaii Five-O" Season 7, Adam and Kono are just trying to move on from the worst moment in their lives.
Danny will not be there
Meanwhile, Lenkov confirmed the rumors via Twitter that Scott Caanwill not be appearing in "Hawaii Five-O" episode 150 due to scheduling problems. The actor, who plays Danny in the series, has previously announced about his limited appearance in Season 7. He will just be in a number of episodes and unfortunately, the 150th episode is not one of them. Scott Caan has several projects lined up but is more popularly known for his role in the Ocean"s Eleven movie franchise.
All new "Hawaii Five-O" Season 7 episodes will start airing on September 23, Friday, on CBS.
USC Trojans football does not have a talent problem, but there is a flaw - "The Herd"
Salt Lake County prosecutors filed three felony charges Thursday against a University of Southern California football player over an alleged rape that took place in July.
Osa Masina, a 19-year-old sophomore linebacker at USC and former standout high school player in the Salt Lake area, is facing a $250,000 bond, reports ABC 4 Utah, a local affiliate.
Officials removed Masina from the football team at USC and the university asked him to leave the campus on Monday. On Thursday, prosecutors filed the charges against Masina for allegedly assaulting an old friend at a house party on July 26th. He"s also under investigation for sexually assaulting the same woman in California just weeks earlier, ABC 4 Utah reports.
The charges come after a nearly two-month investigation by police in Utah. Masina turned himself in on Thursday morning.
"Unfortunately, it"s a s*x assault case. We try to be sensitive to the victim in this case and get all the proper facts and work it that way," said Lt. Dan Bartlett with Cottonwood Heights police.
The District Attorney filed three felony charges against Masina: one for rape and two for forcible sodomy.
Masina"s attorney, Greg Skordas acknowledged the gravity of the allegations, "There are certainly some serious allegations." Skordas said.
The charging documents report the victim, a nineteen-year-old woman, told officers she consumed alcoholic beverages and marijuana at a party and went to sleep on a couch after feeling "not all there."
The documents say the victim awoke at some point during the night and found Masina on top of her. When she woke up early the next morning, according to the documents, she only had on a bra and a blanket draped over her, ABC 4 Utah reports.
"Consent is not assumed. And if a person says no or a person is not in a position to give you that consent, you cannot assume that you have that consent," Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said.
Gill says the process of taking this case to court now begins and that could take quite a while. In the meantime, he hopes the situation between Masina and his former friend will start a conversation in our community.
"I think that we need to recognize, and we need to start educating our community that we need to respect the integrity of every person and these are not liberties that we can take whenever we feel like it," Gill said.
ABC 4 Utah spoke with the woman"s attorney, who said, "She and her family wish to maintain as much privacy as possible, and will continue to cooperate with the investigation."
SHAWN MENDES - MERCY (MUSIC VIDEO) REACTION Photo Shawn Mendes at Madison Square Garden this month; the Canadian pop star, who took off on Vine, is releasing his second LP, Illuminate, on Friday. Credit Alex Wroblewski for The New York Times
Shawn Mendes got his first guitar at the age of 14, a major-label record deal at 15 and his first No. 1 album last years Handwritten at 16, thanks largely to the democratizing power of the internet.
But since taking off on Vine, the looping micro-video app, with his #6secondcover versions of others pop hits, this Canadian singer has done something more impressive: Hes stuck around with songs of his own.
Instead of banking on a gimmick or a single piece of shareable content to carry the load of a potential career think of Psys Gangnam Style Mr. Mendes, who has teen idol looks and thus far an unblemished reputation, diligently built a young fan base online and through live shows (and meet-and-greets). That loyal base has supported five platinum-selling hits, including two Billboard Top 10s (Stitches and Treat You Better), along with arena-size world tours, both as a headliner and as an opener for Taylor Swift.
There had never been anyone that emerged from Vine as a recording artist, said David Massey, the president and chief executive of Island Records, Mr. Mendess label, adding that this singers tendency to go viral was not in itself a reason to sign him. Im naturally wary of those things because they havent really translated, apart from Justin and YouTube, he said, referring to Justin Bieber, Mr. Mendess most obvious predecessor.
Yet not long after Handwritten topped the charts, Mr. Mendes was able to all but abandon Vine (and cover songs), seamlessly kicking into a new gear that of the established pop star. On Friday, he will release Illuminate, his second LP, which has benefited from more traditional channels of promotion: early radio singles, music videos and television commercials. His internet-curio days are over.
Adding to the unlikeliness of Mr. Mendess ascent is that he managed to gain a real industry foothold by being not on trend but decidedly off, relying on an acoustic guitar in place of electronic dance beats; a mostly anonymous team of collaborators, instead of brand-name producers; and an aw-shucks persona, without any trace of bad boy. His soft, sometimes soulful pop-rock plays primarily to tweens and teenagers, but has also found traction on adult contemporary radio stations, giving Mr. Mendes both the screaming-superfan and dentists office demographics.
Illuminate represents the careful evolution of his digestible sound and subject matter, with much of the organic instrumentation and good-guy earnestness of Handwritten intact. But backstage before a sold-out show this month at Madison Square Garden, Mr. Mendes, now 18, stressed the necessity of following up his debut promptly because of the relentlessness of adolescence.
From 15 to 18, everybody is a different person, he said in a voice not quite done changing. Every six months, I have a whole new outlook on life. Theres just so much happening, I would have exploded if I had to wait another year to show the world what Im capable of.
Shawn Mendes - Treat You Better Video by ShawnMendesVEVO
Unlike Handwritten, Mr. Mendess Illuminate, which he called a mix between Ed Sheeran and the John Mayer album Continuum, credits him as a songwriter on every track. Though many artists bristle at direct musical comparisons, Mr. Mendes is exceedingly open about his influences; his entire sonic development is documented in online videos, after all. (Mr. Sheeran and Mr. Mayer also serve as his big-brother figures in the industry, Mr. Mendes said.)
He is also forthcoming about the realities of outgrowing child stardom. While Mr. Mendes insisted that his chivalrous character in song is true to life I want all the strings attached, girl is a representative line he acknowledged that like Miley and Justin before him, some form of a fall could be expected.
Ive never had a scandal, but I dont know if thats so much because Im perfect, or because people arent caring enough yet, he said. Give it some time. Ill probably be very upset, but its a part of the gig.
Still, Im proud to say Im a role model for kids, he added.
That doesnt preclude growing up. In between albums, Mr. Mendes returned to his native Pickering, Ontario, to graduate from high school with his class (he has studied remotely since 10th grade) and splurged on a Jeep Wrangler (sans rims for the moment). Ahead of his 18th birthday, he also got his first tattoo, though its characteristically wholesome: an abstract acoustic guitar on his forearm, made up of trees, the Toronto skyline and a sound wave representation of his parents and little sister saying, I love you.
Confident but clearly tender, Mr. Mendes has the familiar charm of a popular kid who has the faculties not to unsettle parents with his slickness. On Illuminate, he pushes boundaries but always with respect; women tend to have the power in Mr. Mendess songs, though sometimes they are led astray by less honorable men.
At the Garden, Mr. Mendes admitted to some anxiety about debuting songs with more adult themes, like the sultry Bad Reputation, about a girl whos shamed for her sexuality. They dont know what youve been through, he sings. Trust me I could be the one to treat you like a lady.
Lights On is more straightforward, with Mr. Mendess pre-emptively identifying as a gentleman before promising to love you with the lights on/keep you up all night long. The song is barely PG-13, but Mr. Mendes said he worried he could surpass where my fans think I am in life (though the path to maturity is traditionally less fraught for male pop stars).
Im releasing a song about s*x at 18, which is appropriate, he explained. I wouldnt have done it if I were 16 or 17. Ill release a song about drinking at 21, you know what I mean?
Later that night, when he gave the premiere of Lights On from the arena stage, beginning with the line, d**n you look so good with your clothes on, the squealing crowd seemed to understand just fine.
You and I aren"t that dissimilar. We"re both white, born in the 1980s, went to very privileged high schools in places that otherwise have a lot of diversity me in Brooklyn at the same school as Lena Dunham and Zac Posen, you in Baltimore at the same schoolas Mark Teixeira and Gavin Floyd. We"re both catchers who won"t be in the major leagues next year because we can"t hit.
Other than that, Steve, I won"t pretend to know you, but I need to tell you, from one privileged urban white kid to another, be better.
Be better as a human being in this world than to think for a second that it"s OK to end a tweet about Black Lives Matter with "Everyone involved should be locked behind bars like animals!" The tweet included calling Barack Obama "pathetic," so basically, youdehumanized millions of people, including the President of the United States.
MORE: National anthem protests
Be better than apologizing by saying "First and foremost, I would like to apologize to the Seattle Mariners, my teammates, my family, and the fans of our great game for the distraction my tweets on my personal Twitter page caused." The apology you owe is notfirst and foremost to the Mariners. The problem you caused was not distraction. The problem you caused was fanning the flames of racism.
Be better at listening, and read a bit more. It was just last week that Adam Jones, your former teammate with your hometown Orioles, said "Baseball is a white man"s sport." Think about what he said, why he said it and how it applies to you.
MORE: Steve Clevenger"s offensive comments
"Just dont do something because youre told to do something," Jones said. "Do it because you understand the meaning behind it and the sacrifice behind it.
He was talking about standing for the national anthem, but, Steve, the words also fit your apology, which seemed more designed to get people off your back than to show that you intend to grow and learn from your mistake, if you even believe it was a mistake.
