Obama administration defends handling of China trade

January 10, 2017

The US Trade Representative said in its annual report to Congress that continued dialogue with China over trade disputes, backed up by formal complaints in the World Trade Organization when necessary, have yielded results for US companies, although « significant trade distortions » remain.
China is now the second largest market for US goods exports, expanding 505 percent since joining the WTO in 2001, to $116 billion as of 2015, the report said.
Services exports reached $48 billion in 2015, an increase of 802 percent since 2001.
Since China joined the WTO, the United States has filed 20 WTO dispute cases against China, more than twice as many as any other WTO member.
Trump has taken a hardline with China, threatening to immediately impose 45 percent import tariffs on Chinese goods once he takes office, saying the world’s second biggest economy has stiffed the US through currency manipulation and illegal subsidies.
That antagonism has raised fears among US businesses that their exports to China will be threatened, especially since Beijing has signaled it will retaliate.
Strong support across America’s industrial « Rust Belt, » and frustration over lost jobs blamed on globalization, helped carry Trump to victory in the November election.
But the Obama administration has repeatedly touted engagement and enforcement as tools it has used successfully with China to prompt it to open its markets.
However, the USTR acknowledges that more progress is needed, saying the current leadership in Beijing has not followed through on pledges to open the economy further.
« Many of the problems that arise in the US-China trade and investment relationship can be traced to the Chinese government’s interventionist policies, » the USTR said.
Those practices, and the large role of state-owned enterprises in China’s economy, « continue to generate significant trade distortions that inevitably give rise to trade frictions. «
The USTR said « if China is going to deal successfully with its increasing economic challenges at home, it must allow greater scope for market forces to operate, which requires altering the role of the state in planning the economy. «
Major concerns remain about China’s protection of intellectual property rights, the country’s support for state-owned companies, subsidies, and lack of market access for agricultural goods, among others.

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A rocky visit to Taiwan for Hong Kong pro-democracy leader Joshua Wong

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January 10, 2017

In the latest sign of tensions between Taiwan and mainland China, a young pro-democracy activist and three legislators from Hong Kong received protection in Taiwan when their visit prompted demonstrations by pro-Beijing groups.
Two of the Hong Kong delegation, Joshua Wong and Nathan Law, were reportedly roughed up on their return home when they encountered more protesters who want Hong Kong and Taiwan to stand with China rather than pursue independence.
Police in Taipei had kept angry protesters away from Wong, the 20-year-old secretary general of Hong Kong’s minor party Demosisto, and three party lawmakers, while they visited over the weekend for a pair of forums. Taiwan’s 2-year-old New Power Party held the events to discuss advancing democracy.
The incidents raised questions in Taiwan about who organized the protests. A pro-China advocacy group in Taipei said it protested the events peacefully. Local media pointed to possible involvement by a mafia-style gang with China connections. Others wonder if disgruntled Communist officials in China were behind the opposition to Wong’s visit.
China claims sovereignty over Taiwan despite the island’s self-rule since the 1940s. Officials in Beijing have grown nervous over the past year because Taiwan’s new president, Tsai Ing-wen, and a majority in parliament advocate stronger autonomy rather than China’s goal of eventual unification.
At least 70% of Taiwanese oppose unification with China, according to opinion polls on the island. The Patriotic Alliance, the protesting pro-China group in Taipei, is “very extreme” compared with mainstream public opinion, said Lin Chong-pin, a retired strategic studies professor at Tamkang University in Taiwan.
In Hong Kong, Wong helped rally hundreds of thousands to protest in 2014 against Beijing influence in the financial center’s local government – a protest known as the Umbrella Movement. After Britain handed Hong Kong back to China in 1997, Beijing pledged to allow it a high degree of autonomy for 50 years, but pro-democracy groups believe Beijing has kept the island on too short a tether.
Hong Kong’s anti-Beijing faction has looked to Taiwan for inspiration and practical cues since the Umbrella Movement.
“We are hoping that whether in Hong Kong or Taiwan we can remain democratic, so to hold this kind of exchange is a natural thing,” New Power Party media liaison Chen Nai-chia said, describing the weekend forums. “It’s not that we were trying for some specific goal.”
The Taipei-based Patriot Assn., a citizen group that advocates Taiwan’s unification with China, organized the protest outside the forum where Wong was speaking, group executive Chang Hsiu-yeh said Monday.
The Taipei Times newspaper reported that a noted local anti-government protest leader said he has information that points to involvement by the Four Seas Gang, an international syndicate, or triad, made up largely of people with mainland China connections. But the Patriot Assn., said the gang was not involved.
“How could we even get in to hit people?” Chang said. “There was yellow tape on the right and yellow tape on the left. We were just shouting, and that’s all. Who are the gangsters? It’s the police.”
Historical records show that Taiwan and Hong Kong belong to China, Chang said.
As Wong’s delegation arrived Saturday, it ran into about 200 opponents at the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Chen said. Some were wearing masks. She said the protesters wanted the visitors out of Taiwan. For his protection, police escorted Wong to a vehicle that took him into Taipei, where the forums were scheduled, Chen said.
Some of the 300 protesters outside the forum venue engaged in shoving on Saturday afternoon, city police said in a statement. Officers ordered the protesters to leave and cleared the site in about an hour. About 20 activists gathered Sunday morning to protest again, the statement says. They were questioned and their case turned over to prosecutors.
Members of Taiwan’s minor China Unification Promotion Party were also protesting, according to the police statement. Party head Chang An-le, often nicknamed White Wolf, is a former gangster.
Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je was quoted saying Saturday he wanted police to “protect our guests.”
After Wong’s group flew back to Hong Kong on Sunday night, it was assailed by another group of people supporting China, an aide to Law said. The incident left Law’s clothes ripped, and Wong went to the hospital for a checkup, the aide said. He would not say who the party believes rallied the protests.
“To my surprise, they started pushing towards me even though there were a few airport security staff surrounding me,” Law said in a statement Monday. “Their actions quickly escalated when they tried to pull me out of the crowd, where my shirt was torn apart and my glasses fell off as a result. Some of them even poured some unknown stinking liquid and threw plastic bottles at me.
“I was immediately escorted by the airport security to the taxi station, but unfortunately I was attacked again at the staircase,” he said.
Wong is no stranger to clashes. He was convicted last year of unlawful assembly in Hong Kong and egged on his way to an earlier court hearing.
In October, he was detained on arrival in Thailand , where he was invited to speak at a university-sponsored event marking the anniversary of an attack by the Southeast Asian country’s forces against student protesters.
« La La Land » was the big winner at the Golden Globes , what values does Hollywood promote? , storms have slammed Northern California , Thomas Barrack’s latest gig is planning the president-elect’s inauguration .
Rescue crews were searching the Dominguez Channel in the Gardena area Monday morning after a woman reported her boyfriend had been washed away after entering the channel.
Meryl Streep accepted the Cecil B. DeMille award at the 2017 Golden Globes Sunday Jan. 8.
Los Angeles City Councilman Paul Koretz fights Watermark Retirement Communities Inc.’s decision to serve eviction notices to 150 seniors from Westwood Horizons at 947 Tiverton Ave. in Los Angeles.
On the red carpet with Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell
On the red carpet with Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell

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China reserves rise, indicating intervention in yuan

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January 10, 2017

Keeping China’s yuan from falling much further will likely bedevil the mainland’s policymakers, Eric Robertsen, head of global macro strategy and foreign-exchange research at Standard Chartered, said on Monday.
The yuan has certainly been volatile recently.
The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) set the yuan midpoint at 6.9262 on Monday, a sharp drop for the renminbi, compared with Friday’s fixing at 6.8668. On Tuesday, the fixing was set at 6.9234, indicating a slightly stronger yuan, compared with the pair’s onshore trading close at 6.9330 on Monday.
China’s central bank does not allow the currency to move more than 2 percent from its daily fixing in onshore trade. While policymakers cannot closely control offshore trade of the currency, it usually remains relatively close to its onshore counterpart.
Onshore, the dollar was fetching as little as 6.8679 yuan late last week, dropping from levels as high as 6.9603 yuan earlier in the week. At 9:35 a.m. HK/SIN on Tuesday, the dollar/yuan was at 6.9285.
In offshore trade late last week, the dollar was fetching as little as 6.7815 yuan amid a spike in overnight borrowing and deposit rates, down from as much as 6.9872 early last week. At 9:20 a.m. HK/SIN on Tuesday, the dollar was fetching 6.8879 yuan offshore.
« We’ve started the year with some fireworks in the currency, » Robertsen said. But while he expected dollar strength would continue to pressure the yuan, he only expected the dollar/yuan pair would rise to around 7.06 this year.
He noted that the PBOC was likely to use three methods to control the pace of the renminbi’s depreciation – foreign-exchange intervention, interest rates and capital controls – but added that those would all present « very challenging side-effects. »
Intervention was the most straightforward way to control the currency, but the bite out of foreign-exchange reserves could become an issue, Robertsen said.
On Saturday, China reported that its foreign exchange reserves fell for a sixth straight month in December, declining by $41 billion for the month, to $3.011 trillion, the lowest since early 2011.
« We’ve seen a meaningful decline in reserves over the last two years, largely as a function of FX intervention, » he said. « If they continue to intervene in the FX markets, they will categorically take the FX reserve number through $3 trillion. »
In pragmatic terms, China’s reserves would still be adequate as it likely doesn’t need more than $2.25 trillion, he noted.
« But the market doesn’t see it that way. A break of $3 trillion will lead to a picked up pace of capital outflows and the PBOC has to manage that situation, » he said.
The second way policy makers can support the currency would be through interest rates, but that can only be a short-term measure, Robertsen said.
« The onshore investor community is heavily long fixed income and the interbank community has deployed quite a bit of leverage in expanding their balance sheets, » he said. « For them to either tighten monetary policy explicitly or tighten onshore liquidity conditions through either onshore or offshore liquidity measures in the interest rate and foreign exchange markets will have a significant impact on investor liquidity onshore. »
Robertsen said policymakers had leaned aggressively on the third strategy, capital controls, over the past three months.
Chinese regulators introduced new rules, which will take effect in July, requiring financial institutions on the mainland to report domestic and overseas cash transactions of more than 50,000 yuan (around $7,217), down from 200,000 yuan previously, Reuters reported.
Starting from January 1, the country’s foreign-exchange regulator also planned to step up scrutiny on foreign-currency purchases, Reuters reported.
« Getting capital out of the country has frankly become much more difficult, » Robertsen said, noting that the measures come as the annual quota on currency conversion of $50,000 for individuals has « reset » for the new year.
« They’re working very hard to make sure that is done in a way that is according to the rules and regulations, » he said.
But he noted that the capital controls and the step up in enforcement work counter to policymakers’ longer term goals.
« This whole program or agenda of the internationalization of renminbi takes a step backwards and we know that is a major part of their policy agenda and a major part of their reform agenda, » he said.
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China’s Xinjiang tightening border amid terrorist threats

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January 10, 2017

BEIJING — China says it is tightening border controls in its northwestern Xinjiang region amid rising terrorism threats.
State media reported Tuesday that Xinjiang’s governor Shohrat Zakir made the pledge in a speech at the region’s main annual political meeting on Monday. Zakir said increased measures taken in the last year would be further strengthened.
Xinjiang has long been home to a simmering insurgency against Beijing’s rule being waged by extremists among the native Turkic-speaking Uighur (WEE-gur) ethnic group, who are mainly Muslim and culturally distinct from most Chinese.
Xinjiang shares a border with Afghanistan, Pakistan and four nations in the often volatile Central Asian region. Uighur extremists have also been reported to have joined the fighting in Syria and were blamed for a deadly attack on a Buddhist temple in Thailand. /rga
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Photo shows Obama snorkeling in the Pacific Ocean

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January 10, 2017

Washington (CNN) A new photo published by National Geographic magazine Monday shows President Barack Obama enjoying the sights of a reef while snorkeling in the Pacific Ocean.
This never-before-seen shot of @POTUS snorkeling shows him at ease in the sea he helped protect last year. https://t.co/5hQyi16dYi pic.twitter.com/8xUI6Su1SL

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Study: Cost of Raising a Child Is More Than $233,000 Before College

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January 10, 2017

Expecting a baby? Congratulations! Better put plenty of money in your savings account.
The Department of Agriculture says the estimated cost of raising a child from birth through age 17 is $233,610, or as much as almost $14,000 annually. That’s the average for a middle-income couple with two children. It’s a bit more expensive in urban parts of the country, and less so in rural areas.
The estimate released Monday is based on 2015 numbers, so a baby born this year is likely to cost even more. It’s a 3 percent increase from the prior year, a hike higher than inflation.
Since 1960, USDA has compiled the annual report to inform — and probably terrify — budget-preparing parents. State governments and courts also use the information to write child support and foster care guidelines. The main costs include housing, food, transportation, health care, education, clothing and other miscellaneous expenses.
Things to know about how much it costs to raise a child:
Up to a third of the total cost is housing, accounting for 26 to 33 percent of the total expense of raising a child. USDA comes up with those numbers by calculating the average cost of an additional bedroom — an approach the department says is probably conservative, because it doesn’t account for those families who pay more to live in communities that have better schools or other amenities for children.
The cost of raising a child varies in different regions of the country. Overall, middle-income, married-couple families in the urban Northeast spent the most ($253,770), followed by those in the urban West ($235,140) and urban South ($221,730). Those in the urban Midwest spent less ($217,020), along with those in rural areas ($193,020).
USDA estimates the annual housing cost per child in urban areas is $3,900, while it’s $2,400 in rural areas.
There were also differences depending on income. Lower-income families are expected to spend around $174,690 per child from birth through 17; higher-income families will spend a whopping $372,210.
The average middle-income family earns between $59,200 and $107,400 before taxes.
After housing, child care, education and food are the highest costs for families. For a middle-income couple with two children, food costs make up about 18 percent of the cost of raising a child. Child care and education costs make up 16 percent.
Education costs have sharply risen since 1960, when USDA estimated that those expenses were around 2 percent of child-rearing expenses. The report says this growth is likely due to the increased number of women in the workforce, prompting the need for more child care.
The numbers don’t even include the annual cost of college, which the government estimates is $45,370 for a private college and $20,090 for a public college.
New parents may flinch at the costs of diapers and baby gear, but it’s going to get worse. While a child costs around $12,680 when he or she is between 0 and 2, a teenager between 15 and 17 costs around $13,900 annually.
USDA says food, transportation, clothing and health care expenses all grow as a child ages. Transportation costs are highest for the oldest children, perhaps because they start driving, and child care and education costs are highest for six and under.
There is some good news for big families. Families with three or more children spend an average of 24 percent less per child. USDA says that’s because children often share bedrooms in bigger families, clothing and toys are handed down and food can be purchased in larger and more economical packages. Also, private schools and child care providers may offer sibling discounts.
In contrast, one-child households spend an average of 27 percent more on the single child.

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Dairy Queen Closes Illinois Store After Owner Uses Slur

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January 10, 2017

CHICAGO (CBS ) – Dairy Queen has closed one of its stores in Illinois and terminated its relationship with the franchise owner after police say he used racial slurs in an angry confrontation with a customer.
A Zion police report says the franchise owner, Jim Crichton, told a responding officer he called Deianeira Ford, 21, of Tinley Park, Illinois, and her children a racial slur. He also said he was “fed up with black people” and would go to jail over the issue. According to the report, Ford said Crichton called her and her children the slur after she asked for a refund for a mixed-up food order in the drive through.
“It was really just upsetting especially with having my children in the car,” said Ford, the mother of a 2-year-old daughter and 5-month-old son. “I mean, no one deserves to be treated like that.”
The incident prompted protesters to gather outside the Dairy Queen on Saturday. Ford said she has an attorney and is considering legal action. Ford’s attorney didn’t immediately return a call seeking comment.
Crichton apologized in a statement provided by American Dairy Queen Corporation and said he would undergo sensitivity training.
“My actions were inexcusable and unacceptable,” Crichton said. “I can only ask for forgiveness and try to make it up to all involved.”
Dairy Queen in a statement called Crichton’s statements “reprehensible” and said his behavior doesn’t represent the restaurant’s values.
Crichton didn’t immediately respond to a message seeking comment. He is not charged with any wrongdoing.
Ford has the support of Zion’s mayor and police department.
“I’m disgusted and discouraged by the comments made by this business owner,” Police Chief Stephen Dumyahn said. “I reached out to Miss Ford to tell her that this does not represent the diverse community of Zion.”
Zion is about 50 miles north of downtown Chicago.
(Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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Cristiano Ronaldo beats Lionel Messi to win Fifa best player award

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January 10, 2017

Cristiano Ronaldo was named the world’s best player at the inaugural Best Fifa Football Awards in Zurich.
Real Madrid and Portugal forward Ronaldo, 31, beat Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann to the prize.
Ronaldo also won the Ballon d’Or in December, with both honours recognition for success in the Champions League with Real and Euro 2016 with Portugal.
Carli Lloyd of the United States was named the world’s best female player.
Leicester’s Claudio Ranieri was named best men’s coach, ex-Germany boss Silvia Neid won the female coach award, while Penang’s Mohd Faiz Subri received the Puskas award for the best goal of 2016.
We have – but this is different.
For the past six years, the world’s best player has received the Fifa Ballon d’Or award.
A version of that prize has been awarded by France Football magazine since 1956, but last year world football’s governing body ended its association with that honour.
Instead, it introduced the Best Fifa Football Awards, with Ronaldo the first recipient of its main prize.
Voting for the player and coach categories was by national team captains and managers, selected journalists and, for the first time, an online poll of fans.
Each counted for 25% of the points.
2016 was quite a year for Ronaldo.
As well as scoring the decisive penalty in the shootout to win the Champions League, rescuing Real with a hat-trick in the final of the Club World Cup, captaining Portugal to Euro 2016 glory and being recognised with a fourth Ballon d’Or, he now has something Messi does not – the honour of being named best Fifa men’s player.
The former Manchester United forward had been the favourite for the award, following a year in which he continued to deliver remarkable statistics. These included:
« It was my best year so far, » said Ronaldo. « The trophy for Portugal was amazing. I was so happy and of course I cannot forget the Champions League and the Club World Cup. We ended the year in the best way. I’m so glad to win a lot of trophies, collective and individual. I’m so, so proud. »
Ronaldo and Messi have a history of not voting for each other for major awards and they continued that habit, both filling their top three with club-mates.
Portugal captain Ronaldo opted for Gareth Bale, Luka Modric and Sergio Ramos.
Messi, the Argentina captain, went for Luis Suarez, Neymar and Andres Iniesta.
Results
Cristiano Ronaldo: 34.54% of total votes
Lionel Messi: 26.42%
Antoine Griezmann: 7.53%
Despite being on the shortlist for best individual player, Griezmann did not make the best XI.
The line-up features five players from Real Madrid, four from Barcelona, one from Juventus (Dani Alves, who was at Barca for the first half of 2016) and one, Manuel Neuer, from Bayern Munich.
That means no Premier League players were included.
Despite the United States failing to finish on an Olympic podium for the first time, co-captain Carli Lloyd has continued her exceptional form both for her club, Houston Dash, and country.
The 34-year-old saw off competition from Germany’s Olympic gold medallist Melanie Behringer and five-time winner Marta of Brazil.
« I honestly was not expecting this, » said Lloyd. « I know Melanie did fantastic in the 2016 Olympics. »
Results
Carli Lloyd: 20.68% of total votes
Marta: 16.60%
Melanie Behringer: 12.34%
From 5,000-1 outsiders to Premier League champions.
Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri, who has also led his side to the last 16 of the Champions League this season, won the award ahead of Real Madrid’s Zinedine Zidane, who lifted the Champions League in his first season in charge, and Portugal’s Fernando Santos, who led his team to an unexpected success at Euro 2016.
Results
Claudio Ranieri: 22.6% of total votes
Zinédine Zidane: 16.56%
Fernando Santos: 16.24%
Germany’s Silvia Neid retired in 2016 after capping an 11-year spell in charge of the national team by guiding them to Olympic gold for the first time.
Success in Rio added to her extensive trophy collection, which includes the World Cup and two European Championships.
Results
Silvia Neid: 29.99% of total votes
Jill Ellis: 16.68%
Pia Sundhage: 16.47%
The best goal of 2016 was, officially, scored by Penang’s Mohd Faiz Subri.
It came in the Malaysia Super League, the forward converting a superb, swirling free-kick from 35 yards which started out heading towards the top left corner but ended up in the top right.
Results
Mohd Faiz Subri: 59.46% of total votes
Marlone: 22.86%
Daniuska Rodriguez: 10.01%
Others: 7.68%
The fan award went to supporters of Liverpool and German club Borussia Dortmund, who together sang a moving rendition of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ – an anthem adopted by both teams – before their Europa League quarter-final in April. The match came the day before the 27th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, in which 96 Liverpool fans died.
Liverpool went on to produce a stirring display, coming from behind to win the match 4-3 and advance to the semi-finals 5-4 on aggregate.
Results
Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool supporters: 45.92% of total votes
Iceland supporters: 31.37%
ADO Den Haag supporters: 22.71%
Colombian side Atletico Nacional were given the fair play award for their part in the aftermath of the plane crash which killed 19 players and staff of Brazilian side Chapecoense.
Chapecoense were en route to play the first leg of their Copa Sudamericana final when the plane crashed, killing 71 people.
Atletico Nacional said the title should be awarded to Chapecoense. Fifa recognised their « spirit of peace, understanding and fair play ».
Swimming Lessons (London Borough Tower Hamlets)
Parent and Child Gymnastics

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MMA Fighters Steamed Meryl Streep Said Their Sport Isn’t Art

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January 10, 2017

Reaction to Meryl Streep ‘s Golden Globes speech can be summed up as follows: “ Yay! ” from the celebs, “ Boo! ” from the far-right commentariat. But there’s another group of folks that are as miffed at Lady Meryl as Sean Hannity and Tomi Lahren are… though for much different reasons.
While extolling the importance of the arts and multiculturalism in American society, Streep took a drive-by shot at two very popular sports: “Hollywood is crawling with outsiders and foreigners. And if we kick them all out, you’ll have nothing to watch but football and mixed martial arts, which are not the arts.”
The comment got a strong reaction from the MMA community, who are used to attacks against their sport dating back to Sen. John McCain’s infamous description of it as “human cockfighting” during the early years of the UFC.
I agree w/ her but MMA was also brought to US by foreigners. @roriongracie who start everything is an immigrant too. https://t.co/89JcUtIpju
– Demian Maia (@demianmaia) January 9, 2017
Meryl Streep how ignorant are u. In your speech you stated “Disrespect invites disrespect” yet you ignorantly disrespected an entire sport.
– Big John McCarthy (@JohnMcCarthyMMA) January 9, 2017
Really weird to see someone talk about not discriminating then basically discriminate against an entire group of skilled, hard working ppl.
– Megan Olivi (@MeganOlivi) January 9, 2017
Also Read: Did Mel Gibson and Vince Vaughn Hate Meryl Streep’s Speech? Twitter Thinks So
When asked by a TMZ cameraman about his thoughts on Streep’s comments, UFC president Dana White called them “stupid” and “uneducated” and said that Streep was “an uppity 80-year-old lady.” Streep is 67.
MMA president Scott Coker was a bit more diplomatic in his response, tweeting out a letter inviting Streep to his promotion’s event at The Forum on Jan. 21, which features a match between former UFC fighters Chael Sonnen and Tito Ortiz.
As a martial artist and an MMA promoter, here is my open letter and #Bellator170 invite to the very talented #MerylStreep #GoldenGlobes pic.twitter.com/zostN22RAK
— Scott Coker (@ScottCoker) January 9, 2017
But for some fighters, Streep’s speech didn’t faze them in the least. Take the response from former fighter Rosi Sexton.
Favourite sports are like babies (or penises). You naturally think yours is the best thing ever; most other people will be underwhelmed.
— Rosi Sexton (@RosiSexton) January 9, 2017
Read original story MMA Fighters Steamed Meryl Streep Said Their Sport Isn’t Art At TheWrap

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Esteban Santiago, Fort Lauderdale airport shooting suspect, makes first court appearance, is denied bond

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January 10, 2017

U. S. Magistrate Judge Alicia Valle explained the charges 26-year-old Esteban Santiago faces and told him the death penalty could apply during a 15-minute hearing Monday morning.
CBS News’ David Begnaud has the latest on the Fort Lauderdale shooting suspect Esteban Santiago.
Valle ordered Santiago to be temporarily detained without bond. A detention hearing has been scheduled for next week.
Security was tight outside the courthouse with more than two-dozen officers in bulletproof vests. Santiago wore a red jumpsuit and was shackled at the wrists, stomach and legs.
Santiago has been in custody since the Friday afternoon shooting. He answered the judge’s questions in a clear voice. He told the judge he worked for a security firm in Anchorage, Alaska, until November. He said he only has about $5 to $10 in the bank.
The judge set a detention hearing for Jan. 17 and an arraignment hearing on Jan. 23.
In a press release about Santiago’s charges, the Department of Justice said Santiago is accused of being in the Terminal 2 baggage claim area of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
The FBI says Esteban Santiago-Ruiz, the Fort Lauderdale airport shooting suspect and U. S. Army veteran, first popped up on their radar two months…
“The area was crowded with newly-arrived passengers retrieving their luggage,” the press release stated. “Santiago started shooting, aiming at his victims’ heads until he was out of ammunition.”
Santiago was arrested after running out of ammunition and lying spread-eagle on the floor until a deputy took him in to custody, his 9mm handgun nearby.
Although the charges carry a potential death sentence, the Justice Department will decide later whether to pursue that penalty assuming Santiago is convicted. Many other issues can come into play, such as whether he decides to plead guilty or go to trial. Guilty pleas usually do not result in death sentences. The airport violence charge allows a sentencing judge wide latitude in deciding how many years behind bars he might serve, all the way up to life in prison, if the death penalty is off the table.
Santiago’s attorney can ask for a mental competency evaluation to determine if he is fit to stand trial. It’s a fairly high standard for any defendant to escape criminal charges because of mental problems because many defendants understand the difference between right and wrong. The main issue for the court is whether a defendant is too impaired to assist in his own defense. Most defendants who go this route are ultimately judged fit for trial and the mental health issue becomes a major factor at sentencing.
Santiago, 26, apparently had trouble controlling his anger after serving in Iraq and told his brother that he felt he was being chased and controlled by the CIA through secret online messages. When he told agents at an FBI field office his paranoid thoughts in November, he was evaluated for four days, then released without any follow-up medication or therapy.
“The FBI failed there,” Bryan Santiago told The Associated Press. “We’re not talking about someone who emerged from anonymity to do something like this.”
Speaking in Spanish outside his family’s house in Penuelas, the brother said: “The federal government already knew about this for months, they had been evaluating him for a while, but they didn’t do anything.”
A law enforcement source said when Santiago — who had been living in Anchorage, Alaska — walked into the FBI office in November, he had a handgun in his possession, CBS News senior investigative producer Pat Milton reports. It is not known if the handgun was the 9mm handgun that authorities said Santiago used in the Florida attack on Friday.
The weapon had been taken away when he entered the FBI reception area and was held while he was interviewed by the FBI, Milton reports. When the Anchorage Police Department transported Santiago to the hospital, they took possession of the weapon. The law enforcement source said that apparently the police department returned the weapon to Santiago after he received a medical evaluation.