#ERLANGER CHAMPIONS-DAY

[smilesatdawnmain]

HEY- HEAR ME OUT FOR A SECOND...

You know the song "My Lullaby" from The Lion King 2?? I can totally see the lady bone demon with little MK at "The Tragedy of Six" AU singing this lullaby to him!

Oh.... OH MY GOSH....

Me trying to draw a quick comic and then I got to the last page and... welp...

This is how I imagine the full lyrics going!

Hush, my little one. You must be exhausted

Sleep, my little Champion. Let your dreams take wing. One day when you're big and strong…

You will be a KING

I've been exiled, persecuted. Left alone with no defense

When I think of what that brute did (Monkey King) I get a little tense

But I dream a dream so pretty. That I don't feel so depressed. 'Cause it soothes my inner kitty. And it helps me get some rest

The sound of Azure’s dying gasp. His Son squealing in my grasp. His Dragon's mournful cry. That's my lullaby

Now the past, I've tried forgetting. And my foes, I could forgive. Trouble is, I know it's petty. But I hate to let them live

Mayor; So you found yourself somebody who'd chase Azure up a tree

Oh, the battle may be bloody, but that kind of works for me

The melody of angry growls. A counterpoint of painful howls. A symphony of death, oh my! That's my lullaby

Parent’s gone, but Nezha’s still around. To love this little lad. Till he learns to be a killer. With a lust for being bad

Erlang: Sleep, ya little termite!- I mean, precious little thing!

Toddler Red Son: One day, when you're big and strong

You will be a king!

The pounding of the drums of war. The thrill of MK’s mighty roar

Erlang: The joy of vengeance

Red Son: Testify!

I can hear the cheering

Forced Nezha/Erlang and misunderstanding Red Son: MK! What a guy!

Payback time is nearing. And then our flag will fly

Against a blood-red sky

That's my lullaby!

Song

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[lizseyi]

The Autumn Analysis & Ridley London

From the catwalks to the latest collections, the mood has shifted. Here are the six most wearable and lasting trends to invest in for Autumn and Winter 2024

Recently waking to crisper mornings and yellowing leaves I’d forgotten how much I love Autumn. It’s as if we have a biological and symbiotic relationship with the onset of cooler days and shorter nights. It’s this moment that has me instantly emotionally ready for the deeper, richer colour palettes that reflect the change in nature and welcome the onset of the new cultural calendar: back to school, logs on the fireplace, and of course a pivotal point in the annual fashion calendar for designers and fans alike.

This Autumn’s collections on the catwalks and the high streets are inspiring but constrained, reflecting a much needed step change away from endless novelty towards a slower and more measured style of fashion that we have long championed here at Ridley. As Laird Borrelli Persson for Vogue aptly summarised the Autumn collections as, ‘Real as opposed to fantastical.’ Fashion after all is a collective interpretation of the Zeitgeist, and designers across the board have responded to continued conflict and uncertainty by offering a much needed sense of balance and assurance with a visible shift towards more elegant, sophisticated and timeless dressing. As fashion bible Who What Wear aptly points out "Well-cut skirt suits, tailored coats, smart handbags, sharp shoes and chic shift dresses come together to create a wardrobe that's made for women, not little girls.” 

It’s true that fashion can feel frivolous in comparison to the daily headlines, raging wars, budgets and some of the most crucial governmental elections of our time. But it also has a crucial social role to play. At its best fashion can nourish us, an art form that provides gentle relief away from a turbulent world. And as science has shown, our sartorial choices directly affect our psychology and behaviour, while helping to cultivate and project our individual identities. The right clothes can literally put a spring into your step, helping you face your daily challenges with confidence and a renewed sense of energy and purpose. In tough times, maybe a new dress, skirt or accessory really does hold some of the answers. I just hope this season's garments truly live up to the 'investment piece’ label many are touting. While a shift towards 'slow fashion’ is welcome, it’s vital it's bothauthentic and lasting. As consumers, we can take that little extra bit of care to examine the labels, ask the right questions, and in short demand that our garments are made ethically and made to last. Otherwise this will just be another shallow style statement and a major opportunity missed. With this in mind, here’s are pick of this Autumn’s most wearable and important trends, and as elite Hollywood stylist Micaela Erlanger puts it: “The fashion cycle moves fast, so you don't need to participate in every trend that comes up — just the ones that speak to you." 

1. Return to elegance

Catwalks this season have seen a marked return to the simple elegance of a bygone era with refined feminine silhouettes reminiscent of the late 50’s and early 60’s. Colours are predominantly muted punctuated by rich jewel tones in silk satins. Key styles include duchess satin shift dresses, tweed twin sets in Autumn muted tones, pencil skirts, swing coats and tailored woollens that appear to beg for a pair of shades, pearls or a fur collar. This vintage aesthetic is best epitomised by Prada’s new collection styled with vintage pearl necklaces and broaches. Mark Jacobs adapted the look with colour blocking and exaggerated silhouettes. At Ridley we have long championed the merits of classically feminine cuts and exquisite tailoring. This season’s collection features a number of elegant new dress styles inspired by vintage silhouettes that are both easy, flattering and available in a spectrum of jewel tone silks and unique floral prints. We are also introducing a new collection of vintage style pencil skirts that pair beautifully with our silk tops and blouses. For the ultimate in on-trend elegance, style your dress or separates with one of our chic tailored jackets or a statement full length opera coat. Both are available in tweeds and a spectrum of rich seasonal velvets.

 2. Rich seasonal colours and shimmering satins

Elegance doesn’t have to mean boring, as Who What Wear points out "It’s also about dressing with authentically individual style that reflects our true selves”, and colour and print appear to be the prime choice of self expression this season. While styles tend towards the understated and classical, designers are unanimously using colour as a counterpoint to add modernity and energy across their collections. Whether it’s a sweater, blouse, draped scarf, bag or entire dress, embrace this season's colour palette of natural autumnal tones including vivid reds, earthy greens rich burgundies, sky blues and versatile navy. Nowhere has this colour trend more apparent than in the spectrum of shimmering satin creations that have adorned so many of this season’s catwalks. Whether it’s an on-trend pair of silk day pyjamas, a versatile blouse, fluid jumpsuit or a sumptuous dress, satin introduces a touch of luxury and timeless glamour to wardrobes. But wear it wisely as certain styles combined with satin's reflective nature can highlight unsightly areas creating a less than flattering silhouette. At Ridley we help customers find the style and colour that’s right for them, and all of our dresses, tops and jumpsuits can be ingeniously customised and tailored for the most flattering fit.

 3. Animal instincts

This Autumn’s catwalk shows featured a panoply of sophisticated textiles dyed to mimic the exotic creatures of the African continent. Fashion houses showcased dresses, coats and accessories in versions of leopard, tiger and zebra prints, including nostalgic references to 1950’s leopard from Dior, as well as exaggerated zebra prints from Ellie Saab, all in the deeper tones best suited to the season. Stella McCartney excited us with animal prints in muted natural colours. The pieces looked more like an animal hide come to life. These looks together punctuated the theme of animal prints as highly adaptable with hyperbolic versions very much in the forefront. In harmony with this sartorial favourite, Ridley has introduced a new collection of animal style prints including Zenab tiger fabric in khaki and inky green shown here on one of our iconic shirt dresses. The classic cut allows the design of the fabric to feature without hindrance and the ease of wear suits every body shape. Finally, the beauty of animal prints is they transition easily from day to evening extending the possibilities with a change in accessories. 

 4. Late bloomers

Florals aren’t just for summer. Floral dresses and separates made a much-welcomed return for the Autumn 2024 collections. Catwalks have been filled with vivid multi-toned floral looks, from the more discrete to bold floral blooms. Loewe featured dresses in bright florals on white backgrounds paired with biker boots for contrast. Yanina Couture opted for dresses fashioned as glorious gardens that looked photographic with graduating flowers to the hemline. Meanwhile, Ulla Johnson flirted with florals in unusual mesh treatments and Marchesa showcased two-toned florals in a mini dress. Finally, Erdem introduced floral dresses with abstract geometric overlays for a more whimsical aesthetic. Ridley is synonymous with our use of floral prints, and this Autumn's collection features florals in deeper, earthy hues which contrast beautifully with our elegantly feminine silhouettes. Our new Elena dress in mid-tone florals for Autumn is an amazingly versatile long-sleeve dress that will carry you through all sorts of occasions and into winter simply by moving from heels to boots and adding a velvet jacket. Our Carla dress in the emerald and citrine Artists Bouquet silk twill print is equally adaptable and is already proving a popular choice with winter wedding guests.

5. County chic

According to Vogue ‘country house weekends are trending’, and this season’s must have heritage tweeds, herringbones, argyles and tartans perfectly capture the practical and nostalgic spirit of traditional rural style with a mixture of classical avante-garde versions. Loewe’s Autumn collection favours enlarged tartan plaids, while Stella McCarthy has opted for more traditional tweeds adding a modern edge with her contemporary cut. Whether you opt for classical or contemporary style, good quality tweed is both comfortable and hardwearing, making any garment an instant investment piece. A point much favoured by Royalty and aristocracy. Our tweed here at Ridley is woven by Linton Tweeds of Carlisle who have supplied some of the most celebrated fashion houses and designers for over 100 years, including the legendary Coco Chanel who rumour has it had a longstanding liaison with the founder. We have worked with Linton Tweeds for over 30 years and the quality of their yarn is second to none, lending our tweed garments a unique combination of fluidity, softness and durability. As shown this season in our tailored tweed jackets, over coats, skirts and trousers.

6. Boho sleek

Customers yearn for pieces that will stand the test of time, and increasingly these days act as an investment for future fashion resale. Or styles that can be easily repurposed with a few key pieces to create a fresh, updated look. Timelessness needn’t be limited to a sombre aesthetic of quiet luxury. A glance at this season’s catwalks proves that the bohemian, laid back, creative aesthetic of the 70’s seems just as timeless and relevant as ever. And as Who What Wear points out there has been a recent spike in searches for boho fashion. Successively championed by the likes of Chanel and Fendi with chiffon blouses, tiered dresses and aviator glasses, the look is back with vengeance this season lead by Chloé. If there was ever proof of the timelessness of this trend, according to Google, searches for Chloé increased 35% in the 48 hours following the brand’s A/W 2024 show in Paris this March. Our collections here at Ridley have always featured more than a dash of sleek bohemian style. Not only is it super glamorous, romantic and sexy, but it lends itself to beautiful silks, overblown floral prints. Most of all the style is incredibly comfortable and flattering to wear, balloon sleeves, a-line style maxi skirts and cuts that skim the hips and draw in at the waist all help to create an enhanced, flattering silhouette for almost every body shape. If you’re looking to add a touch of sleek boho glamour to your wardrobe this autumn, our new Ella dress is perfect and can be customised for your perfect fit in a spectrum of sumptuous silk shades and luxurious prints. 

Ridley London's new collection of dresses, skirts, tops, jackets and knitwear for  is available to purchase online and in Ridley's Barnes store. Celebrate your individuality this season with a unique piece that's customised to flatter in your choice of any of our stunning new printed florals or solid silks or luxurious velvets. Or call us to arrange a virtual fitting: 

Ridley London, 82 Church Road, Barnes, London SW13 0DQ T: 01730 823097

[hjkrieg]

HC Erlangen begrüßt HBC Nantes zum 2. Erlanger Champions Day

Der HC Erlangen verabschiedete sich mit einem deutlichen Sieg gegen den Ligakonkurrenten TBV Lemgo Lippe vom Sparkassen Handballcup 2019. Mit dem dritten Platz und einem zufriedenen Cheftrainer im Gepäck reisten die Franken gestern nun wieder in Richtung Heimat, wo am Mittwoch der 2. Erlanger Champions-Day mit dem Highlight-Spiel gegen den HBC Nantes wartet.

Denn am 07. August wartet um 19.00 Uhr ein absolutes Handball-Highlight auf die Fans des HC Erlangen. In der Karl-Heinz-Hiersemann-Halle empfangen die Franken am ERLANGER CHAMPIONS-DAY den Champions-Ligisten HBC Nantes. Ermöglicht wurde dies dank der Unterstützung von den HC-Sponsoren Stadt- und Kreissparkasse Erlangen Höchstadt Herzogenaurach, Sontowski & Partner Group, MAUSS UNTERNEHMENSGRUPPE und Der Beck, allesamt langjährige Partner des HC, die fest in Erlangen verwurzelt sind und mit ihrem Engagement der Hugenottenstadt ein echtes Handballfest bescheren.Wer sich das Handball-Spektakel gegen den HBC Nantes nicht entgehen lassen möchte sollte schnell sein! Tickets für ein Handball_Leckerbissen der Spitzenklasse in Erlangen: http://www.bit.ly/hce_nantes

[raijinhasverybigpecs]

jing wei tik tok jing wei tik tok jing wei tik tok.............. yes it is mostly jing wei forcing her pantheon members to join her in dances or challenges BUT it is also makeup tutorials and shopping hauls. also some travel stuff !

jing wei complaining about nu wa and nu wa getting her ass later for it. also nu wa misusing Cool Kid slang like “you are still my little pogging champion jing wei” whenever jing wei is sad

jing wei and ne zha eating up any tik tok challenge you love to see it! also entirely here for them being incredibly dumb together (big da vinki energy here imo)

jing wei one day decides to hang around erlang shen and suggests trying out a challenge for fun and erlang gets it perfect 1st try. he’s a secret dancing machine/thirst trap dancing icon (but that isn’t on her tik tok :P)

wukong would just learn the dances to annoy ao kuang in tandem with jing wei although in secret ao kuang might be practicing some moves for his sons videos lol

zing tian would just be flipping around n shit, his antics would probably be the more popular videos on her account tbh

[jockifotopress]

HC Erlangen unterliegt hauchdünn gegen den HBC Nantes

Zum 2. Erlanger Champions Day kamen über 1300 Handballfans in die Erlanger Hiersemann-Halle und wurde – trotz einer Niederlage - nicht enttäuscht

Es war das erwartete Handball-Spektakel: Der HC Erlangen hatte am Mittwochabend in der heimischen Karl-Heinz-Hirsemann Halle das französische Spitzenteam HBC Nantes zu Gast. In einer torreichen Partie, in der die Erlanger in der Crunch-Time eine rasante Aufholjagd starteten, setzte sich der Championsleague-Finalist von 2018 zum Schluss knapp mit 33:34 durch (15:17).

[trendkraft]

via TRENDKRAFT

[everettwilkinson]

THE LATEST on London — President Trump says ‘we must stop being politically correct’ — SUNDAY BEST — OBAMAS dine at Mirabelle, TED CRUZ hangs out at PRINCETON reunion — B'DAY: Mike Murphy

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT — THE PRESIDENT’S RESPONSE TO LONDON ATTACKS — @realDonaldTrump at 7:17 p.m.: “We need to be smart, vigilant and tough. We need the courts to give us back our rights. We need the Travel Ban as an extra level of safety!” … at 7:24 p.m.: “Whatever the United States can do to help out in London and the U. K., we will be there – WE ARE WITH YOU. GOD BLESS!” …

… at 7:19 a.m.: “We must stop being politically correct and get down to the business of security for our people. If we don’t get smart it will only get worse” … at 7:31 a.m.: “At least 7 dead and 48 wounded in terror attack and Mayor of London says there is ‘no reason to be alarmed!’” … at 7:43 a.m.: “Do you notice we are not having a gun debate right now? That’s because they used knives and a truck!”

Story Continued Below

LONDON MAYOR SADIQ KHAN responds, through a spokesman saying he has better things to do than respond to Trump’s “ill-informed tweet.” http://bit.ly/2rpMGKp

**SUBSCRIBE to Playbook: http://politi.co/2lQswbh

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW — NYT’S STEVEN ERLANGER IN LONDON: “Declaring ‘enough is enough,’ Prime Minister Theresa May vowed on Sunday a sweeping review of Britain’s counterterrorism strategy after three knife-wielding assailants unleashed an assault late Saturday night, the third major terrorist attack in the country in three months.

“Seven people were killed in the attack and dozens more injured as the men sped across London Bridge in a white van, ramming numerous pedestrians, before emerging with large hunting knives for a stabbing spree in the capital’s Borough Market, a popular and crowded night spot. The assault came days before national elections this week and after the British government had downgraded the threat level to ‘severe’ from ‘critical,’ meaning that an attack was likely, but not imminent.”’ http://nyti.ms/2rpKkuY

— AP at 8:10 a.m.: “LONDON (AP) – UK police say they have arrested 12 people in east London over London Bridge attack.”

U.K. P.M. THERESA MAY’S Sunday morning statement. http://bit.ly/2rpFOww

–CHECK OUT the latest version of Politico Europe’s Sunday Crunch newsletter which typically covers British politics but today is devoted to the terror attack http://politi.co/2ssBbQN

THE GUARDIAN — “WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR” — “Seven people have been killed during attacks in two closely connected areas of London on Saturday night which police have described as ‘terrorist incidents’ … Armed police arrived at the scene and shot dead three attackers who were armed with knives and wearing what turned out to be fake bomb vests. The incidents took place on London Bridge and in nearby Borough Market. … There were multiple casualties in addition to the deaths, with London Ambulance Service saying at least 48 people have been taken to five hospitals in the capital.” http://bit.ly/2ryqtbb

THE PRESIDENT is at his golf club in Virginia this morning.

FROM THE WEST WING — The president is dining with members of Congress Tuesday night.

SNEAK PEEK — NBC NEWS’ “SUNDAY NIGHT WITH MEGYN KELLY” with VLADIMIR PUTIN — KELLY: “He came over for a dinner, a photo of which has been widely circulated in the American media. What was the nature of your relationship with him?” PUTIN: “You and I, you and I personally, have a much closer relationship than I had with Mr. Flynn. You and I met yesterday evening. You and I have been working together all day today. And now, we’re meeting again. When I came to the event for our company, Russia Today, and sat down at the table, next to me there was a gentleman sitting on one side. I made my speech. Then we talked about other stuff. And I got up and left. And then afterwards I was told, ‘You know there was an American gentleman, he was involved in some things. He used to be in the security services.’ That’s it. I didn’t even really talk to him. That’s the extent of my acquaintance with Mr. Flynn.”

SUNDAY BEST — JAKE TAPPER talks to SEN. MARK WARNER (D-VA.) on CNN’S “STATE OF THE UNION” — TAPPER: “The British prime minister, Theresa May, said there’s far too much tolerance for extremism in the U.K. Do you think we have that problem here in the United States?” WARNER: “I think we don’t have it the same way as the U.K., but it’s obviously a challenge in modern society to maintain free societies and freedom of speech, but still recognize that we have to be on guard against some the hateful venom that is oftentimes spewed over the Internet.” TAPPER: “Why do you think it is that we see these attacks in London, but we haven’t, knock on wood, seen such a thing happen here in the United States?”

WARNER: “I believe, in many ways, the Muslim-American community is better integrated into our society. They — I think that’s always been our secret sauce in America, that you can come here, first generation, and if you accept our laws and rules, become American.”

TAPPER: “Prime Minister May also said that she thinks Internet-based technology firms are giving extremism the safe space it needs to breed. She wants new regulations of cyberspace. … Facebook, Twitter, Google, do you think that these tech firms are doing enough?”

WARNER: “Jake, I think — and my background, as you know, was in technology business before I came in — went into politics. I think we do have to reexamine these platform companies that, for years, have said they have no responsibility to curate the information that flows across their platforms. They have started to change. Originally, they changed their policies as related to child pornography. Now they’re changing their policies as related to terrorism. I was just out on the West Coast last week talking with folks at Facebook. They’re now recognizing the weaponization of false information, even around elections. They shut down 30,000 fake accounts right before the French elections. But this is going to require, I think, a much broader conversation than we’ve had to date.”

— GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS talks to FORMER U.N. AMBASSADOR SUSAN RICE on ABC’S “THIS WEEK” — STEPHANOPOULOS: “On Friday, President Putin also continued to deny that his government has interfered in our elections. But he did for the first time say it might have been done by patriotic Russians. Is that as close to an admission of guilt we’re going to get from President Putin?” RICE: “I don’t know what we’ll hear from President Putin, George. But frankly, he’s lying. The reality is, as all of our intelligence agencies have come together to affirm with high confidence, the Russian government, at the highest levels, was behind the very unprecedented effort to meddle in our 2016 presidential election. And we need to understand exactly how and why that happened and whether or not there’s any evidence to suggest that there were those on the American side who facilitated that meddling.”

— STEPHANOPOULOS talks to EPA ADMINISTRATOR SCOTT PRUITT — STEPHANOPOULOS: “But so, a pretty simple question, why can’t the president just say whether or not he believes in man-made client change? You speak for the president. You’re the EPA administrator. Do you know what the president believes?” PRUITT: “Well, frankly, George, I think the whole question is an effort to get it off the point and the issue of whether Paris is good for this country or not. And the president has indicated the climate changes.” … STEPHANOPOULOS: “I want to move on. But just very simply, do you — do you know if President Trump still believes that climate change is a hoax?” PRUITT: “Our discussion, George, has been about the agreement, the efficacy of the agreement. That’s what he spent the last several weeks focused upon, the merits and demerits of the Paris agreement. He put America first. He said that he’s going to put jobs, and the environment first by the way, by making the decision that he did on Thursday.”

HOT CLICK — Former Secretary of State John Kerry tells NBC News’ Chuck Todd on “Meet the Press” that Trump seeking a better climate deal is like O.J. Simpson searching for the real killer. http://nbcnews.to/2rG1bKC

— @FoxNewsSunday: “.@AlGore on @POTUS’ withdrawing from #ParisDeal: I thought it was in our best interest to stay in. It was reckless & indefensible decision.”

****** A message from Morgan Stanley: Morgan Stanley helped All Aboard Florida raise capital to bring Brightline, an express railway, to the Sunshine State—potentially cutting travel time across Southern Florida by up to 25-30%1 versus existing options. Investing in infrastructure isn’t just good for people—it can be good for cities. Learn more at morganstanley.com/brightline. ******

WHAT JAKE IS READING — THE LEGISLATIVE ITEM OF THE WEEK — “Trump plans week-long focus on infrastructure, starting with privatizing air traffic control,” by WaPo’s John Wagner: “President Trump will seek to put a spotlight on his vows to privatize the nation’s air traffic control system and spur $1 trillion in new investment in roads, waterways and other infrastructure with a weeklong series of events starting Monday at the White House. The events — billed as ‘infrastructure week’ — are part of a stepped-up effort since the president’s return a week ago from his first foreign trip to show that the White House remains focused on its agenda, despite cascading headlines about investigations into his administration’s ties to Russia.

“The president has invited executives from major airlines to join him as he kicks off the week with one of his more controversial plans: spinning off the air traffic control functions of the Federal Aviation Administration to a nonprofit corporation. It’s an idea that’s been tried many times before dating back to the Clinton administration and most recently last year in legislation championed by Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.), chairman of the House Transportation Committee. His bill never made it to the Senate, where several key GOP members resisted the idea of transferring government assets to a corporation.” http://wapo.st/2ryRcVo

THE BUSY SEASON… When Congress returns this week, it will have 31 days in session before breaking for the month-long August recess. Capitol Hill denizens are bracing for a long two months.

THE VEEP — THE LATEST ON HEALTH CARE — “Mike Pence rides a Harley in Iowa, presses for action on health care reform,” by Des Moines Register’s Jason Noble in Boone, Iowa: “On stage, the vice president ticked through President Donald Trump’s efforts since taking office on regulatory reform, defense spending, confronting immigration and limiting funding for abortion. But he devoted the bulk of his remarks to pressing for action on the GOP health care reform law that passed the U.S. House this spring but has seen slower progress in the Senate. ‘First and foremost, this summer, this Congress must come together and heed the president’s leadership and we must repeal and replace Obamacare,’ Pence told a crowd about 1,400 on a hot, windswept field on the Central Iowa Expo grounds here.” http://dmreg.co/2qUswEx

RACHAEL BADE in San Juan Capistrano, California — “Issa walks fine line at town hall in divided district”: “During a Saturday morning town hall here in an affluent Southern Californian neighborhood, [John] Matthews lit into the nine-term Republican congressman for failing to do more to stop Russia’s interference with the 2016 election. ‘I want to know when you and the Republican Party are going to stand up, use your political capital, and recognize that our democracy is under attack from an adversary,’ he asked Issa. The crowd cheered, and raised yellow signs reading ‘Agree.’

“Issa — who just minutes earlier had boasted about being the first Republican to ask Attorney General Jeff Sessions to recuse himself from the FBI’s Russia investigation — retorted that Russia wasn’t a Republican problem at all. He argued it was a bipartisan nuisance, and claimed he’s been tough on what he called the ‘evil empire’ of Russia his entire career. As the audience jeered at Issa to ‘Stand up! Stand up!’ against President Donald Trump, and ‘revoke’ the security clearance of Jared Kushner, his son in law, Matthews said that he would not vote for Issa again.” http://politi.co/2qUf97t

SPOTTED — BARACK AND MICHELLE OBAMA dining in the private room at 16th Street hotspot Mirabelle Saturday night … SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TEXAS) at his 25th Princeton reunion over the weekend. He debated his college debate partner, David Panton, Friday. Pic http://bit.ly/2sDSg9J Cruz was holding down the fort in the Hyatt Regency in Princeton until at least 2:30 a.m.

PHOTO DU JOUR: Armed police officers arrive at The Shard in the London Bridge quarter in London on June 4 following a terror attack. | Niklas Halle’n/AFP/Getty

LURCHING TO THE LEFT — “The Single-Payer Party? Democrats Shift Left on Health Care,” by Alex Burns and Jennifer Medina on A1 of the NYT: “For years, Republicans savaged Democrats for supporting the Affordable Care Act, branding the law — with some rhetorical license — as a government takeover of health care. Now, cast out of power in Washington and most state capitals, Democrats and activist leaders seeking political redemption have embraced an unlikely-seeming cause: an actual government takeover of health care.” http://nyti.ms/2qPMyVA

ONE IS THE LONELIEST NUMBER — “The Trump administration’s lonely voice for human rights,” by Nahal Toosi: “When President Donald Trump told an audience of Muslim leaders last month that America will no longer ‘lecture’ their countries on internal matters, it sent the clearest signal yet that his administration plans to downplay human rights. But one of his Cabinet aides apparently wasn’t listening. Nikki Haley, Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations, has pointedly made human rights, along with humanitarian assistance, a central focus of her agenda, putting her at odds with Trump as well as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. It’s a stance that puts her credibility at risk if she can’t deliver on her rhetoric, but one that also could prove politically smart by letting her distance herself from Trump’s record if the former South Carolina governor seeks higher office.” http://politi.co/2qU6fXA

DEEP DIVE — “How a ‘shadow’ universe of charities joined with political warriors to fuel Trump’s rise,” by WaPo’s Robert O’Harrow Jr. and Shawn Boburg: “The Freedom Center has declared itself a ‘School for Political Warfare,’ and it is part of a loose nationwide network of like-minded charities linked together by ideology, personalities, conservative funders and websites, including the for-profit Breitbart News.[David] Horowitz’s story shows how charities have become essential to modern political campaigns, amid lax enforcement of the federal limits on their involvement in politics, while taking advantage of millions of dollars in what amount to taxpayer subsidies. In interviews with The Washington Post, Horowitz, 78, acknowledged the Freedom Center’s partisan mission and said its aim is to protect ‘traditional American values’ against adversaries on the left, who operate their own network of charities. …

“Horowitz makes a good living as the Freedom Center chief executive, earning $583,000 from a charity that received $5.4 million in donations in 2015, according to the latest available records. But he said he has come to believe that his group and others across the political spectrum ought to be reined in to ensure they fulfill the original spirit of the Internal Revenue Service’s charitable rules, even though such overhauls would be ‘personally devastating for me.’” http://wapo.st/2qPTAKb

****** A message from Morgan Stanley: Morgan Stanley helped raise the capital needed by innovative company All Aboard Florida to enhance Florida’s infrastructure by developing the nation’s first express, intercity rail, Brightline. The train, connecting cities across Southern Florida, is expected to cut down on travel time for residents and tourists, and could potentially add up to hundreds of millions in federal, state and local government tax revenue over the next several years.1 Capital creates better connections for people, communities and cities. Learn more at morganstanley.com/brightline. Capital creates change. ******

WEST COAST WATCH — “SpaceX Launches Previously Used Cargo Capsule for First Time,” by L.A. Times’ Samantha Masunaga: “SpaceX launched supplies to the International Space Station in a previously used spacecraft Saturday and then landed the rocket’s first-stage booster back on Earth. With the launch, SpaceX’s Dragon capsule joins a small number of spacecraft, most notably NASA’s space shuttles, to reenter space — a first for the Hawthorne space company.” http://lat.ms/2qN0yLQ

BONUS GREAT WEEKEND READS, curated by Daniel Lippman:

–“Hell Is Empty And All the Hedge Fund Managers Are At The Bellagio,” by Hamilton Nolan in Deadspin: “All of the younger men looked like Jared Kushner, and all the younger women looked like Ivanka Trump might look if she had to work 14-hour days. Their lives stretched out in front of them, down the Bellagio’s gaudy, carpeted halls. They could fall in love over credit strategies, have a marriage announcement in the New York Times at 26 and a scandalous divorce announcement in the New York Post at 44.” http://bit.ly/2qP4b35

–“Amazon Is Killing My Sex Life,” by Tricia Romano in DAME Magazine: “The tech boom in Seattle is bringing in droves of successful, straight single guys. And as any woman will tell you: You don’t want to date any of them.” http://bit.ly/2smYdbz (h/t Longreads.com)

–“Why are doughnut boxes pink? The answer could only come out of Southern California,” by LATimes’ David Pierson: “A Cambodian doughnut shop owner asked Westco some four decades ago if there were any cheaper boxes available other than the standard white cardboard. Westco found leftover pink cardboard stock. It didn’t hurt that pink was a few shades short of red, a lucky colour for the refugees, many of whom are ethnic Chinese. White, on the other hand, is the colour of mourning.” http://lat.ms/2s2ePbi

–“Who’s the real c***?” by Andrew O’Hagan in the London Review of Books, reviewing “Mail Men: The Unauthorised Story of the ‘Daily Mail’, the Paper that Divided and Conquered Britain,” by Adrian Addison: “The Mail desecrates the holy places where it likes to stake its claim, and would be a laughable rag, really, were it not for our degraded political culture taking it seriously. Every day in [editor Paul] Dacre’s paper the people who make up the population of Britain, the people who teach your children and bandage your wounds, drive your trains or clean your floors, are described as aliens and forgers and scum.” http://bit.ly/2qKGihS

–“What Xi Jinping Wants,” by Graham Allison, author of “Destined for War: Can America and China Escape Thucydides’s Trap?,” in The Atlantic: “China’s leader is determined to turn his country into ‘the biggest player in the history of the world.’ Can he do it while avoiding a dangerous collision with America?” http://theatln.tc/2qJg0II … $16.80 on Amazon http://amzn.to/2qOSwBs

–“Curtains For Us All? A Conversation With Martin Rees” – Edge: “We can observe many galaxies, out to 13 billion light-years from us; however, there’s no reason to think that that’s all of physical reality. We want to know how much further reality extends beyond the domain we can see. It may go so far that all combinatorial options are fulfilled, that there are avatars of us far away making the right decision where we might make the wrong one.” http://bit.ly/2rt8Rxn

–“Standing up for cinema,” by Martin Scorsese in the Times Literary Supplement: “Every time I get back into the editing room, I feel the wonder of it. One image is joined with another image, and a third phantom event happens in the mind’s eye – perhaps an image, perhaps a thought, perhaps a sensation. Something occurs, something absolutely unique to this particular combination or collision of moving images. And if you take a frame away from one or add a couple of frames to the other, the image in the mind’s eye changes.” http://bit.ly/2qKiBq8 (h/t TheBrowser.com)

–“Why We Fight Wars,” by Matthew Evangelista in the Chronicle of Higher Education: “‘Wars are not barroom brawls writ large,’ wrote Barbara Ehrenreich. She was responding to Francis Fukuyama’s claim in Foreign Affairs magazine that men are mainly responsible for military conflicts because ‘aggression, violence, war, and intense competition for dominance in a status hierarchy are more closely associated with men than women,’ and that ‘statistically speaking it is primarily men who enjoy the experience of aggression.’” http://bit.ly/2rtqVYc (h/t ALDaily.com)

–“More professionalism, less populism,” by Jonathan Rauch and Benjamin Wittes in Brookings: “How voting makes us stupid, and what to do about it.” http://brook.gs/2qKBYz6

–“The Way Ahead,” by Stephen Fry: “What Pandora did not know was that when she shut the lid of the jar so hastily she forever imprisoned inside one last little creature, which was left behind to beat its wings hopelessly in the box for ever. Its name was Elpis, Hope. The comparison seems rather good, don’t you think? If Gutenberg’s revolution was Pandora 2.0 and the Industrial Revolution 3.0 then the information age is Pandora 4.0.” http://bit.ly/2sy7A7y

SPOTTED: last night at the WNO Opera Gala at the Kennedy Center: Samuel Alito, Ben Carson, Pat Leahy, Mick Mulvaney … Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) running in Georgetown early this morning wearing an RWB shirt

OUT AND ABOUT — Last night Michael Moroney and Francesca Chambers hosted their annual “Welcome to Summer” rooftop soiree in D.C.

SPOTTED: Michael and Beth Hoare, Steve Clemons, Meredith McPhillips, Elizabeth Landers, Tim and Shana Teehan, Olivia Peterson, Caren Auchman, John Arundel, Abby Phillip, Courtney Flanzer, Joel and Jordan Gehrke, Heidi Przybyla, Jennifer Dargan, Teddy Davis, Amanda House, Eli Lake, Holly Shulman, Nikki Schwab, Neil Grace, John Kartch, Brad Bosserman, Carolyn Fiddler, David Pasch, Adam Green, Ryan Williams, Erin McPike, Miranda Green, Morgan Finkelstein, Josh Dawsey, Janet Donovan, Tommy Burr, Fin Gomez, Jim Acosta, Byron Tao, Adrian Carrasquillo, Tierney Sneed, Giovanna Coia, Anne LeHardy, Natalie Strom, Ninio Fetalvo, and Brian K. Walsh.

ENGAGED — Alexandra Smith, national chairman of the College Republican National Committee, got engaged in Jersey City on Saturday to fellow lawyer Charlie Wilkes, an associate at Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith & Davis LLP in in Woodbridge, N.J. They met on a College Republican campaign trip ten years ago. She posts on Facebook: “Last night, I said YES! to my person–the most wonderful man God could’ve given me. I love you, Charlie.” Pics http://bit.ly/2rGe73d … http://bit.ly/2rz26u7

WEEKEND WEDDINGS — The Des Moines Register’s news director Annah Backstrom married DMR business columnist and reporter Joel Aschbrenner Saturday evening on Lake Michigan in Annah’s hometown of Muskegon, Michigan. Guests included caucus crew DMR’s Grant Rodgers and Lynn Hicks, former RPI comms director Charlie and Anastasia Szold, former IDP press secretary Josh Levitt, and CNN’s Betsy Klein. Pic http://bit.ly/2qPFKHw

–“Stephanie Akpa, Christopher Eiswerth” — N.Y. Times: “The bride, 33, is a policy counsel in Washington for Senator Elizabeth Warren, Democrat of Massachusetts. She graduated cum laude from the University of California, San Diego, and received a law degree from Yale. … The groom, 31, is a litigation associate in the Washington office of Sidley Austin, the Chicago law firm. He graduated summa cum laude from Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa., and received a law degree cum laude from Harvard. In 2013 and 2014, he was a law clerk for Judge Moore in Cleveland, where she has her chambers. … The couple met at the wedding of mutual friends in summer 2013.” http://nyti.ms/2rpN4IM

–“Shivonn Foster, Chad Jones”: “The couple met in 2007 at Howard University, from which they both graduated. The groom also received a doctorate of dental surgery there.Mrs. Jones, 30, works as an account director in the Washington office of Sunshine Sachs, a public relations firm in New York, where she is a publicist for progressive nonprofit organizations. She received a master’s degree in corporate communications and public relations from Georgetown. … Dr. Jones, 29, is a dentist for So Others Might Eat, a community health clinic, and for Dental Dreams, an office in Washington.” With pic http://nyti.ms/2sspOZc

TRANSITIONS — Reagan Payne is starting on June 12 at Cruise Automation, an autonomous vehicle startup out of San Francisco that was acquired by GM last year (http://for.tn/2rpqeB6). She’ll be on Rebecca Mark’s D.C.-based government relations team and will manage the eastern region. Payne previously worked for Rep. Susan Brooks (R-Ind.).

FORMER REP. ELLEN TAUSCHER (D-Calif.) has been appointed to the board of regents of the UC system. http://bit.ly/2qUtn8r

BIRTHWEEK (was yesterday): Direct Impact acting CEO Michael Fleischer, celebrating with family at Millie’s restaurant in Spring Valley (hat tip: Nic Breeding)

BIRTHDAYS: Mike Murphy … Steve Lombardo, chief marketing and comms. officer for Koch Industries (h/ts Mark Holden and Ken Spain) … Mort Zuckerman is 8-0 (h/t Jewish Insider) … Emily Gold, associate producer at “For the Record” with Greta on MSNBC (h/t Sarah Gadsden) … Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) is 46 (h/t Will Levi) … Politico’s Traci Schweikert … Jim Wallis, president and founder of Sojourners, is 69 … Talley Sergent … George Burns, father of Alex and principal of Fieldston Lower School … John Arundel, associate publisher of Washington Life magazine (h/t Kevin Chaffee) … D.C. photographer Daniel “Dan Around Town” Swartz (h/t Kelley McCormick) … Anders Ericson is 19 … Camden Stuebe, chief of staff at IJR (h/ts Alex Skatell and Michelle Zar) … ProPublica’s Justin Elliott (h/t Isaac Arnsdorf) …

… Dana Edwards Manatos, Bush 43 WH alum and current co-CEO of Edward Marc Brands, Inc., the creator of Snappers … Gena Wolfson, social media and digital content producer for SiriusXM Politics (h/t Danielle Lynn) … reporter Polly Kreisman … 0ptimus Partner Scott Tranter (h/t Kurt Bardella) … WaPo’s Colby Itkowitz … Bloomberg’s Lauren Spurr (h/t Kendall Breitman) … Robert Schulte … Clinton WH alum David Bolger, founder of Executive Briefing, is 55 (h/t Chris Lapetina) … Deb Callahan, executive director at Bay Area Open Space Council … Joel Packer, principal at the Raben Group (h/ts Jon Haber) … Abigail Strayer … Vinnie Wishrad … Tracey Lewis (h/t Teresa Vilmain) … Steve Weinberg is 69 … Amelia Showalter, co-founder and CEO of Pantheon Analytics and an Obama 2012 alum … The Raben Group’s Ryan Daniels … former Hawaii governor Linda Lingle is 64 … Lori Ann LaRocco, CNBC’s senior talent producer … Greg Anrig … Jack Buechner … Ranya Kadri … Nathan DeWitt … Andrew Meehan … Dr. Ruth Westheimer is 89 … Angelina Jolie is 42 … model Bar Refaeli is 32 (h/ts AP)

****** A message from Morgan Stanley: All Aboard Florida wanted to create a faster and easier way to move around Florida. Morgan Stanley helped them raise capital to begin development of the country’s first express, intercity railway to do just that. Not only are the new Brightline trains expected to reduce travel time across Southern Florida by approximately an hour1, but they’re also projected to take up to 3 million vehicles off the road each year, helping to reduce congestion and harmful emissions1. Read more about Morgan Stanley’s work at morganstanley.com/brightline. Capital creates change.

Disclaimer: 1 Based on data provided by All Aboard Florida. For more information visit: http://allaboardflorida.com/projectdetails/aaf-fact-sheet CRC 1737672 03/17 ******

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from CapitalistHQ.com http://capitalisthq.com/the-latest-on-london-president-trump-says-we-must-stop-being-politically-correct-sunday-best-obamas-dine-at-mirabelle-ted-cruz-hangs-out-at-princeton-reunion-bday/

[newstfionline]

Pillars of the West Shaken by ‘Brexit,’ but They’re Not Crumbling Yet

By Steven Erlanger, March 29, 2017

LONDON--Britain stepped into the unknown on Wednesday--and possibly off a cliff.

On a day that blended dull ritual with undeniable historical import, Britain formally began its departure from the European Union with the delivery of a letter to Brussels, followed by lofty words from Prime Minister Theresa May in Parliament. Two years of grinding divorce negotiations now begin, with the outcome unclear, except that the talks are certain to be contentious and spiteful--and that the only sure winners will be lawyers and trade negotiators.

For the first time, the European bloc is losing a member, not to mention its second-largest economy. The multilateral architecture that has shaped the Western world since the aftermath of World War II has taken a severe blow, and questions abound about whether this pivot toward nationalism and self-interest represents the beginning of a more volatile global era.

When Britons voted last June to leave the European Union, the champions of “Brexit” argued that the country, with its exit, was at the front edge of a larger populist wave. Months later, the election of Donald J. Trump as president of the United States only deepened the feeling that an anti-establishment political contagion was sweeping across Western democracies, upending the established order. Britain, the argument went, would be a winner in this new era.

Few people predicted the British exit, and fewer still predicted Mr. Trump’s victory. But few predicted where things stand now, either: The European Union, if still ailing and dysfunctional, is far from dead. Populist parties are sinking in the polls in Germany and underperformed in the Dutch elections this month. Opinion polls in many countries show continued public unhappiness with the bloc but little desire to see it fall apart.

“No one is following Britain out of the E.U.,” Pierpaolo Barbieri wrote recently for Foreign Affairs, a magazine published by the Council on Foreign Relations, a nonpartisan research group.

The question now is whether some Europeans, having watched the first aftereffects of the vote to withdraw and the American presidential vote--political division in Britain and the fall of the pound, and political missteps in the Trump White House--are sobered by the chaos of the right. That thesis is speculative, too, and will be tested next month in France, where the traditional parties have imploded and the far-right nationalist Marine Le Pen, if victorious, has promised to take France out of the European Union. But for now, Emmanuel Macron, who is pro-Europe, is leading the polls.

Picking winners at such a volatile moment is perilous, but many analysts agree that the British withdrawal, and the uncertainty it produced, has been good news for Russia, and possibly for China, as two large powers that can exercise greater leverage in negotiations with individual European capitals than with a tightly unified European bloc that, taken together, is a geopolitical powerhouse.

“‘Brexit’ surely strengthens the disintegrative processes already underway in the E.U., and therefore is a boon to a Russia,” said James Nixey, head of the Russia and Eurasia program at the London-based think tank Chatham House. “The E.U. is more powerful than any single actor, even Germany, so anything that diminishes a rival in the zero-sum terms in which Russia thinks strengthens the Russian voice in Europe.”

Britain’s absence at the European table could also help the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin. Partly pressed by Britain, the United States’ main ally, the European Union has been tough on Russia over its annexation of Crimea, and the bloc has moved to cut Europe’s dependence on Russian natural gas. Anything that shifts power in Brussels away from that Anglo-Saxon view is considered a plus for Moscow.

The coming exit from the European Union has already turned Britain inward, with the government and the country’s powerful tabloid news media fixated on the particulars of its withdrawal: the uncertainties of whether the country will maintain access to the bloc’s single market; demands that the country take control of its borders to stunt immigration; and an insistence on “reclaiming sovereignty” by returning lawmaking powers to London.

Those themes of national sovereignty and curbing immigration resonate across the Continent, which is why some saw the British exit as a political precursor and the European Union as an endangered species.

In December, however, Austrians narrowly elected a pro-European president, Alexander Van der Bellen, over Norbert Hofer of the far-right Freedom Party. In Spain, the populist Podemos party underperformed polling expectations last year and the conservative prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, stayed in office.

This month, the Dutch gave the far-right anti-European politician Geert Wilders fewer votes than expected in a northern European country similar in its political outlook to Britain. In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel remains popular in the polls, although weakened by her long service in the job and by severe criticism of her 2015 “open-door” immigration policy. The anti-euro, anti-immigration Alternative for Deutschland is slipping, however, and Ms. Merkel’s main challenger is the pro-European Martin Schulz of the Social Democrats, the former head of the European Parliament.

Even Bulgaria, the European Union country considered most influenced by Russia, saw voters endorse the pro-Europe, center-right party in elections last weekend.

As European voters seem to be tentatively endorsing unity, Britain is confronted with widening divisions. On Tuesday, less than 24 hours before the exit letter was delivered to Brussels, the Scottish Parliament voted to demand a new referendum on independence from the United Kingdom. Such a referendum is unlikely to happen anytime soon--it requires the approval of the British government in Westminster--but the rising nationalism in Scotland is a reminder that London could get a taste of its own medicine.

With her government desperate to maintain Britain’s standing in the world, Mrs. May has turned to President Trump. He and his chief political adviser, Stephen K. Bannon, are deeply skeptical of multilateralism, free trade and “entangling alliances.” While NATO may pass muster as a security shield (provided everyone pays up), the European Union, like the United Nations, seems an example of the world that Mr. Trump and Mr. Bannon want to dismantle or, at the very least, weaken.

Yet Mrs. May has also tried to present Britain as committed to globalization and to global trade--as, effectively, still open for business. It is a tricky circle to square, demonstrating how difficult it is to predict Britain’s future. Some envision the country’s fate as being a European equivalent of Singapore, sovereign and respected, a partner eagerly sought by the rest of the world. Others warn that Britain could be left much more isolated than it is now, especially since European leaders feel they must strike a hard bargain.

“There is a political imperative that ‘Brexit’ not be seen as a success,” said Mark Leonard, director of the European Council on Foreign Relations, “because every government in Europe is challenged to some degree by resurgent nationalists who would be encouraged and inspired by a ‘Brexit’ success.”

[hjkrieg]

Handball-Bundesliga: intensiver Sommerfahrplan des HC Erlangen

Nach dem Abschluss der erfolgreichsten HCE-Sasion beginnt Mitte Juli die Vorbereitung auf eine sicherlich anstrengenden Reise, die Ende August mit dem ersten Spiel der Hinrunde für die Erlanger Handballer

Am 10. Juli bittet HCE-Cheftrainer Adalsteinn Eyjolfsson seinen kompletten Kader mit allen Neuzugängen zum Trainingsauftakt in die Karl-Heinz-Hiersemann-Halle in Erlangen. Nach einer vierwöchigen Pause, in der die Spieler bereits intensiv nach Trainingsplänen gearbeitet haben, startet der HC Erlangen in die Vorbereitung auf die Saison 2019/2020. 

Leckerbissen: Weltklasse-Handball in Erlangen Am 07. August wartet ein absolutes Handball-Highlight auf die Fans des HC Erlangen. In der Karl-Heinz-Hiersemann-Halle empfangen die Franken am ERLANGER CHAMPIONS-DAY den Champions-Ligisten HBC Nantes. Ermöglicht wurde dies dank der Unterstützung von den HC-Sponsoren Stadt- und Kreissparkasse Erlangen Höchstadt Herzogenaurach, Sontowski & Partner Group, MAUSS UNTERNEHMENSGRUPPE und Der Beck, allesamt langjährige Partner des HCE, die fest in Erlangen verwurzelt sind und mit ihrem Engagement der Hugenottenstadt ein echtes Handballfest bescheren (folge dem Link)