#Tuesday&039;s Treats

[journeyintotheshelves]

Tuesday’s Treats is a weekly blog post dedicated to newly released books that I’m most excited for. (Books are in no particular order.)

All books featured this week will be released: May 19, 2020

1. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes: Suzanne Collins (goodreads) (book depository)

I cannot believe that it’s 2020, and we’re getting a new Hunger Games book, but here we are. Watch me impatiently wait for my copy in the mail. (And if I get spoiled before then I will riot.)

YA Dystopian; Scholastic, Hardcover (US)

2. Date Me, Bryson Keller: Kevin van Whye (goodreads) (book depository)

Everyone at Fairvale Academy knows about Bryson Keller and his dare: he must date someone new each week, namely the first person to ask him out Monday morning. Kai didn’t think Bryson would say yes when he asked him, but when Kai asks Bryson to secretly go out with him Bryson does just that. But Kai knows that he only said yes because of the dare, and stories about a gay boy liking a straight boy never end in romance. But as they spend the week together, Kai learns more about Bryson and their relationship starts to feel more real than he ever thought it would.

YA Contemporary Fiction, Romance, LGBTQIA+; Random House, Hardcover (US)

3. Just a Boy and a Girl in a Little Canoe: Sarah Mlynowski (goodreads) (book depository)

Sam’s summer is turning out less than perfect: Eli, her boyfriend, has gone to Europe for the summer, and she’s going to be a camp counselor to the one place she’s sworn to never go back to: Camp Blue Springs. Sam’s convinced that this summer is going to be the worst yet. That is, until she meets Gavin, the camp’s sailing instructor (and resident hottie). Sam loves Eli, but this summer may turn out to be exactly what she needs.

This book just reminds me of stories I loved to read in the summer when I was a pre-teen/early teenager, so a bit excited to pick this one up and enjoy the nostalgia.

YA Contemporary Fiction, Romance; HarperTeen/HarperCollins, Hardcover (US)

4. Breath Like Water: Anna Jarzab (goodreads) (book depository)

Susannah is a world champion swimmer and is ready for greatness and a successful career. But when she starts slowing down and can’t figure out why, she beings to struggle to keep her dreams afloat. As she does so, two new people enter her life that will change everything: a new coach, and another swimmer named Harry.

Harry becomes one of her biggest supporters as Susannah makes her push back to becoming the best, and their relationship grows from friendship to love. But as they get closer, there are outside forces that are pulling them apart, and Susannah has to learn how to balance all of her desires or risk losing one.

YA Contemporary Fiction, Romance; Inkyard Press/Harlequin, Hardcover (US)

5. We Are Not From Here: Jenny Torres Sanchez (goodreads) (book depository)

Pulga, Chico, and Pequeña know that their town is dangerous, but their families have tried to create a warm community. But when the threats grow, the three teens know that they only have one option: to run for the border for freedom and safety. Traveling from Guatemala through Mexico to the U.S. border, they follow the route of La Bestia, a train route, the group make the dangerous journey with nothing but the bags on their backs towards the hope of a better life.

Inspired by real, current events, I have a feeling that this book will cement itself in the YA canon, similar to The Hate U Give, as an important book that should be read by all.

YA Contemporary Fiction; Philomel/Penguin, Hardcover (US)

It's finally starting to feel a bit like summer with all of the contemporaries that were released today AND one of the biggest YA releases of the year! Check out this week's stacked Tuesday's Treats post here: Tuesday’s Treats is a weekly blog post dedicated to newly released books that I’m most excited for.

[caridadpineiro]

Tasty Tacos - #TacoTuesday #TuesdayTip

Tasty Tacos – #TacoTuesday #TuesdayTip

I love tacos and Mexican food in general. I just crave the combination of spices, vegetables, cheeses, and sour cream. So tasty! So today I’m sharing links to some awesome taco recipes.

Taste of Home: 24 Recipes to Make for Taco Tuesday – http://bit.ly/2W2f0PC Tacos with Avocados: http://bit.ly/2W2PIAW Food Network Taco Recipes: http://bit.ly/2W0oCud Real Simple Tacos: http://bit.ly/2W0Grt9 Foo…

[snapzuhealth]

An effort to control costs in the insurance industry could be helping to fuel the nation's opioid epidemic, a new study says.From 2007 to 2018, Medicare part D patient access to buprenorphine fell from 89 percent in 2007 to 35 percent in 2018, despite its effectiveness in treating opioid use disorder, according to a research letter published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. via Snapzu : Health & Body

[15andmeowing]

#ChewyInfluencer

Hi everyone. We have a Chewy review today, but first we want to give our sympathies on the loss of two of our friends

Sunny ( Miss Itty) of Colehaus Cats

and Gracie of Brian’s Home 

This month we got to try a Goody Box Made in the USA filled with full sized products for your kitty all made in the USA.

*Disclosure: We were given a Goody Box as a ChewyInfluencer in exchange for a fair review. All…

[newssplashy]

Tech: Stanford researchers are figuring out how ketamine fights depression — and why the drug has been called 'the most important discovery in half a century'

A new Stanford study is the first to illuminate how ketamine works in the brain to alleviate depression. The research suggests that the drug engages the opioid system — the same one that's activated by opioid painkillers — in addition to affecting the glutamate system.

A new study from Stanford sheds light on how ketamine works in the brain to alleviate depression.

The research suggests that the drug not only impacts a network of switches called the glutamate system, but also engages the opioid system — the same one that's activated by opioid painkillers.

The finding could have big implications for plans to turn ketamine into the next blockbuster antidepressant.

Ketamine's unique ability to staunch the symptoms of depression has earned it a new reputation in recent months. No longer seen solely as an illicit party drug, the compound is the focus of research into a novel class of antidepressants that could yield the first new depression drug in more than 30 years.

But the science of how ketamine stonewalls depression symptoms has remained murky. For years, researchers believed it worked by acting on a network of brain receptors called the glutamate system, which other popular antidepressants ignore. But a new study suggests that ketamine also influences the brain's opioid network — the same one engaged by opioid painkillers.

That could have implications for plans to turn the drug into a pharmaceutical. Drug companies including Allergan, Johnson & Johnson, and a San Francisco-based drug maker called VistaGen have all been looking to ketamine as inspiration for the next blockbuster antidepressant.

"When we say this is a new generation of drugs, we mean it. This drug is fundamentally different from all the other antidepressants that have been approved so far," Shawn Singh, VistaGen's CEO, told Business Insider in May.

The new paper, published Tuesday night in the American Journal of Psychiatry and funded by the National Institutes of Health, is the first to illuminate how ketamine exerts its effects in the brain.

Alan Schatzberg, a co-author on the paper and a professor of psychiatry at Stanford, told Business Insider that he hopes drug makers can use his team's discovery to streamline their efforts and avoid the pitfalls of antidepressant drug candidates that have failed.

"Before we did the study, I had some doubts about ketamine's use for treating depression," Schatzberg said. "Now I've seen the drug work, but I've also seen it doesn't work the way people originally thought."

How ketamine is distinct from existing depression drugs

Most existing antidepressants, from Abilify to Zoloft, work by plugging up the places where our brain takes up serotonin, a chemical messenger that plays a key role in mood. The result is more free-floating serotonin and, in some people, relief from a dark curtain of depressive symptoms.

But those effects don't occur in everyone who tries the drugs. In fact, up to 80% of the people who try existing antidepressants fail to see results. Plus, the drugs take four to six weeks to work. As a result, depression remains one of the world's leading causes of death.

Ketamine, on the other hand, affects key switches in the brain called NMDA receptors. Collectively, these switches are part of a larger network in the brain called the glutamate system. Like serotonin receptors, those for NMDA play an important role in our mood and help keep our emotions in check. But NMDA receptors also keep our brain's synapses — the delicate branches that serve as the ecosystem for our thoughts — flexible and resilient.

Depression appears to cause those synaptic branches to shrivel up and in some cases even die. Scientists think existing antidepressant drugs send help to those branches indirectly over time by way of serotonin. Ketamine, by contrast, delivers its aid directly by plugging up NMDA receptors like a cork and nipping depressive symptoms within hours.

This mechanism of action spurred some scientists to call ketamine "the most important discovery in half a century" in 2012.

The new study suggests that in addition to affecting the glutamate system, ketamine also impacts the same switches that are targeted by opioid painkillers.

For their work, the Stanford researchers gave 12 adults whose depression failed to respond to multiple treatments two infusions of ketamine. Before the first infusion, the participants took a drug that blocks the brain's opioid receptors. Before the second infusion, the participants got a placebo. (The participants and researchers were never told whether they were getting the drug or the placebo — a double-blind setup designed to minimize the chance that observed results were merely psychological.)

In more than half the cases in which the participants got the placebo, the ketamine appeared to reduce depressive symptoms by roughly 90%; the effects lasted about three days. Conversely, when the patients got the opioid-blocker before the ketamine, the ketamine had virtually no antidepressant effects.

This finding led the researchers to hypothesize that ketamine's activity takes place in different phases. In the first, the drug activates the brain's opioid receptors, quickly smothering depressive symptoms, one of the researchers suggested in the paper. In the second phase — which is thought to be key for ketamine's lasting antidepressant qualities — the drug appears to engage the brain's glutamate system.

What the next blockbuster antidepressant needs

Several drug companies have tried and failed to create a new depression drug that targets the NMDA receptors in the glutamate system. Pharmaceutical giant Roche pulled the plug on a drug called basimglurant in 2016 after it failed to show results in a Phase II study; AstraZeneca discontinued its work on a heavily-promoted candidate called lanicemine in 2013.

Yet ketamine's rapid-fire ability to stymie depressive symptoms has continued to baffle and inspire researchers looking for an alternative to current treatments.

Allergan, Johnson & Johnson, and VistaGen are all currently working to develop new ketamine-inspired drugs. In fact, two of the authors on the latest paper previously consulted for these companies: Schatzberg received a grant from Janssen, Johnson & Johnson's neuroscience partner, and study author Carolyn Rodriguez has consulted for Allergan.

None of the three drug candidates target the brain's opioid system, however.

Mark Smith, VistaGen's chief medical officer, said that although the results of the study are "intriguing," they would not directly impact the company's work on its new drug.

Similarly, a representative from Janssen, whose work with Johnson & Johnson has focused on a nasal-spray version of esketamine (the chemical mirror image of ketamine), told Business Insider in a statement that the Stanford study would not impact the direction of their work. They added that there were several issues with the study, including the fact that it was small and did not include "relevant control conditions."

But overall, the new study sheds light on important questions about why — and how — ketamine works to fight depression in the brain.

"I think this paper points us in the direction that the [opioid system] is an area for potential interest," Schatzberg said. "The question is, can we have a rational discussion about this in an era when there’s an opioid crisis?"

source http://www.newssplashy.com/2018/08/tech-stanford-researchers-are-figuring_29.html

[reginaperes157]

Rep. Mark Sanford

Gov-auctions.org - #1 Government & Seized Auto Auctions. Cars 95% Off!

<a href="http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/03/08/rep-mark-sanford-gop-house-leadership-bill-just-opening-bid/" title="Rep. Mark Sanford: GOP House Leadership Bill Is Just an ‘Opening Bid’"><img width="200" height="150" src="http://media.breitbart.com/media/2017/03/Rep.-Mark-Sanford-200x150.png" alt="In this Dec. 18, 2013, file photo, U.S. Rep. Mark Sanford, R-S.C., discusses his first months back in Congress during an interview in Mount Pleasant, S.C. A spokesman for the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division said on Tuesday, July 12, 2016 that the agency is investigating after Sanford's niece's foot was apparently injured in an incident involving the congressman. An incident report said it happened on June 18, 2016 on a dock at the Sanford family farm near Beaufort, S.C. (AP Photo/Bruce Smith, File)" /></a><br /> South Carolina Republican Rep. Mark Sanford told reporters at the Capitol on Tuesday that in the spirit of President Donald Trump's legacy as a businessman, he is treating the Obamacare bill supported by Speaker Paul Ryan (R.-Wis.) as the beginning of the process, not the end.

Legally Concealed Courses - Firearms, Concealed Carry, Survival

from Regina Perez RSS Feed http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/breitbart/~3/cUa7QktLwZs/ via IFTTT

[journeyintotheshelves]

Tuesday’s Treats is a weekly blog post dedicated to newly released books that I’m most excited for. (Books are in no particular order.)

All books featured this week will be released: SEPT. 17th

  Tuesday’s Treats is a weekly blog post dedicated to newly released books that I’m most excited for. (Books are in no particular order.)

All books featured this week will be released: SEPT. 17th

1. Suggested Reading: Dave Connis (goodreads) (book depository)

Clara is furious when she finds her principles new “prohibited media” list: a list of contraband books that are pulled from the library and that would result in punishment if any student is caught with them. A bunch of the books on the list have changed Clara’s life and she wants that to happen for other kids too. To fight back, she starts a secret library in her locker.

YA Contemporary Fiction; KT Books/HarperCollins, Hardcover (US)

2. The Babysitter’s Coven (The Babysitter’s Coven: 1): Kate Williams (goodreads) (book depository)

Esme knows that being a babysitter isn’t the most glamorous thing to do, but it’s better than any other job and she needs the cash. Cassandra, on the other hand, isn’t your “usual” babysitter: she’s rebellious and really doesn’t care what other people think. So it’s a complete surprise to Esme when Cassandra comes to her wanting to join her babysitters club. But, Esme and Cassandra have more in common than they ever thought, including powers to save the innocent (read children) from evil — all before the parents come home.

YA Paranormal Fantasy; Delacorte Press/Random House, Hardcover (US)

3. The Stars and the Blackness Between Them: Junauda Petrus (goodreads) (book depository)

After being caught with her secret girlfriend (and the pastor’s daughter) by her super religious mother, Audre is sent from Trinidad to live in American with her father. Meanwhile, in Minneapolis, Mabel is trying to figure out her feelings about her ex Terrell, whatever happened in the woods with Jada, and the strange feeling that she’s had about her health all summer.

When the two girls meet, Mabel quickly falls to Audre and leaps at the opportunity to take care of her, and teach her all the ins and outs of American high school. But when Mabel learns that her feeling about her health is more than just a feeling, Audre has to start taking care of Mabel.

This story just sounds so beautiful and heart wrenching, I cannot wait to dive into it.

YA Contemporary Fiction, LGBTQIA+; Dutton/Penguin, Hardcover (US)

4. A Hero Born (Legends of the Condor Heroes: 1): Jin Yong & Anna Holmwood [translator] (goodreads) (book depository)

Translated from it’s original Chinese, A Hero Born follows Guo Jing as he and his mother flee their home to join Ghengis Khan and his people after Guo Jing’s father is murdered. While there, he learns all that he can in order to, one day, join their cause. What he doesn’t know is that he is destined to fight someone who will challenge him in every way he knows, and will set forward a chain of events that will change his life and his world.

Historical Fantasy; St. Martin’s Press, Hardcover (US)

5. The Umbrella Academy, Vol. 3: Hotel Oblivion: Gerard Way [writer] & Gabriel Bá [artist] (goodreads) (book depository)

The first new volume in ten years, Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá are back with The Umbrella Academy. I first read the two volumes after I watched the Netflix adaptation. Even though I didn’t like the graphic novels as much as the show, I love the art style and I’m intrigued to see where Way’s story takes this interesting and diverse group of characters.

Graphic Novel, Fantasy; Dark Horse Comics, Paperback (US)

Will I ever post a Tuesday's Treats post on a Tuesday again? Who knows? But, check out this week's awesome array of new releases (that all have the same purple/red color scheme, coincidentally) here: Tuesday’s Treats is a weekly blog post dedicated to newly released books that I’m most excited for.

[newssplashy]

The presidency said it's not bothered by the alleged comment because its source is questionable.

The presidency has responded to a report that United States president, Donald Trump, allegedly described Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari as 'lifeless' after a meeting between the two leaders on April 30, 2018.

According to a report by Financial Times, sources revealed that Trump informed aides after his meeting with Buhari that he never wanted to meet someone so lifeless again.

"The first meeting, with Nigeria's ailing 75-year-old Muhammadu Buhari in April, ended with the US president telling aides he never wanted to meet someone so lifeless again, according to three people familiar with the matter," the newspaper claimed.

The alleged comment has led to public ridicule of the president by Nigerians on social media and calls for the government to question the US government for an explanation. However, the presidency is unfazed by the comment because of its questionable source.

While speaking during an interview on Channels TV on Tuesday, August 28, 2018, the president's Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said the government is not worried about the report which could be politically-motivated.

When asked about the alleged comment, he said, "Channels is a television station reputed for news and objectivity; if that came to you, that information, not ascribed to anybody, not verified, would you take it as authentic? If it's unverified as it came out, then the presidency has no comment on it. It does not pass all the tests of good journalism."

When asked if the comment impacts the president's public image ahead of the 2019 presidential election, Adesina said, "No doubt it won't because Nigerians ultimately are the ones that'll elect their president. No foreign power will determine who gets elected.

"That does not worry us. One because it's unsubstantiated, it's unverified. Anybody could have planted it. We know that in the jostle for power, people can do anything."

Buhari's medical problems

It's unclear why Trump would have allegedly described Buhari as 'lifeless' behind closed doors, but the 75-year-old president has a well-documented history of ill health over the past one year.

He was away in London for a combined 154 days treating an undisclosed ailment on two separate visits. In fact, when he left the US after meeting Trump, he was 'missing' for two days before his aides reported that he was in London for a 'technical stopover'.

A few days later, it was disclosed that the president saw his doctor during the stopover and had been asked to return to London for another four-day medical trip.

The president only recently just returned from London after he went away for a 10-day vacation during which time vice president, Yemi Osinbajo, was Acting President.

via Nigerian News ➨☆LATEST NIGERIAN NEWS ☆➨GHANA NEWS➨☆ENTERTAINMENT ☆➨Hot Posts ➨☆World News ▷NEWS

[newssplashy]

Buhari: "Anybody could have planted it", Presidency responds to Trump's 'lifeless' comment about President

The presidency said it's not bothered by the alleged comment because its source is questionable.

The presidency has responded to a report that United States president, Donald Trump, allegedly described Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari as 'lifeless' after a meeting between the two leaders on April 30, 2018.

According to a report by Financial Times, sources revealed that Trump informed aides after his meeting with Buhari that he never wanted to meet someone so lifeless again.

"The first meeting, with Nigeria's ailing 75-year-old Muhammadu Buhari in April, ended with the US president telling aides he never wanted to meet someone so lifeless again, according to three people familiar with the matter," the newspaper claimed.

The alleged comment has led to public ridicule of the president by Nigerians on social media and calls for the government to question the US government for an explanation. However, the presidency is unfazed by the comment because of its questionable source.

While speaking during an interview on Channels TV on Tuesday, August 28, 2018, the president's Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said the government is not worried about the report which could be politically-motivated.

When asked about the alleged comment, he said, "Channels is a television station reputed for news and objectivity; if that came to you, that information, not ascribed to anybody, not verified, would you take it as authentic? If it's unverified as it came out, then the presidency has no comment on it. It does not pass all the tests of good journalism."

When asked if the comment impacts the president's public image ahead of the 2019 presidential election, Adesina said, "No doubt it won't because Nigerians ultimately are the ones that'll elect their president. No foreign power will determine who gets elected.

"That does not worry us. One because it's unsubstantiated, it's unverified. Anybody could have planted it. We know that in the jostle for power, people can do anything."

Buhari's medical problems

It's unclear why Trump would have allegedly described Buhari as 'lifeless' behind closed doors, but the 75-year-old president has a well-documented history of ill health over the past one year.

He was away in London for a combined 154 days treating an undisclosed ailment on two separate visits. In fact, when he left the US after meeting Trump, he was 'missing' for two days before his aides reported that he was in London for a 'technical stopover'.

A few days later, it was disclosed that the president saw his doctor during the stopover and had been asked to return to London for another four-day medical trip.

The president only recently just returned from London after he went away for a 10-day vacation during which time vice president, Yemi Osinbajo, was Acting President.

source http://www.newssplashy.com/2018/08/buhari-anybody-could-have-planted-it.html

[newssplashy]

The presidency said it's still working on verifying the recent audio tape of the kidnapped girl.

The presidency has disclosed that only God can determine  when Leah Sharibu, the Dapchi schoolgirl being held by terrorist group, Boko Haram, will return from captivity.

When terrorists raided Government Girls Science and Technical College in Dapchi, Yobe, on February 19, 2018, Leah was abducted alongside 112 other hostages. After weeks of negotiations with the government, the terrorists released 107 of the 113 originally abducted on March 21.

While it was reported by some of the released hostages that five of them that were taken had died of heart attack and stress and buried in the bush, Leah Sharibu was kept in captivity by the terrorists because she refused to renounce her Christian faith.

In an audio message published on Monday, August 27, 2018, Leah appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to secure her freedom, six months after she was abducted.

She said, "I am Leah Sharibu, the girl that was abducted in GGSS Dapchi. I am calling on the government and people of goodwill to intervene to get me out of my current situation.

"I also plead to the members of the public to help my mother, my father, my younger brother and relatives. Kindly help me out of my predicament. I am begging you to treat me with compassion, I am calling on the government, particularly, the president to pity me and get me out of this serious situation. Thank you."

While speaking during an interview on Channels TV on Tuesday, August 28, President Buhari's Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said the government cannot properly give a timeline of Sharibu's return.

He said, "For how much longer? I think that question can only be answered by God, but I believe that God is interested in that young girl and will ensure that she's preserved.

"At least by the time that clip we had is verified, one will be sure it's her actually and when that is determined, we should all be glad that she's alive.

"When will she return? By the grace of God, the government is working on it, working at it and we believe she'll be back."

Later during the interview, when asked how long it'll take to verify the voice in the audio message, Adesina could not confirm, but he revealed that President Buhari is eager to get the young girl back.

"To verify, that will be within the purview of the security agencies, particularly the DSS, to do, but I don't think that should take time; but on how long it'll take Leah Sharibu to come back, left to the president, he wants her back today," he said.

Leah's parents confirm audio is authentic

Even though Buhari's Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, disclosed that the government is working on verifying the audio message, Leah's parents have confirmed it's indeed her voice in the clip.

"I can confirm to you that the voice that spoke is that of my daughter, Leah. It is her voice, no doubt. I am happy that I can hear my daughter speak. This has given me hope that she is alive. I am also happy to see her recent picture displayed.

"My request is the same with my daughter's. The government should play their part now by intensifying efforts to secure her freedom," her father, Nathan Sharibu, told The Nation.

via Nigerian News ➨☆LATEST NIGERIAN NEWS ☆➨GHANA NEWS➨☆ENTERTAINMENT ☆➨Hot Posts ➨☆World News ▷NEWS

[newssplashy]

Paula Duncan, one of the jurors who took part in Paul Manafort's trial on bank and tax fraud charges, said there was one holdout who kept Manafort from being convicted on all of the 18 charges he was facing. Manafort, President Donald Trump's campaign chairman was convicted on eight charges Tuesday.

A juror who participated in the trial of President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, said just one holdout prevented the jury from convicting Manafort on all of the 18 federal charges he faced.

In a Fox News interview on Wednesday, Paula Duncan, a self-described Trump supporter, said the unidentified juror was not convinced that Manafort was guilty of all 18 criminal charges he faced.

The jury found Manafort guilty on eight counts, including bank fraud, tax fraud, and failure to disclose a foreign account. The judge in the case declared a mistrial on the remaining 10 charges.

"We all tried to convince her to look at the paper trail, we laid it out in front of her again and again," Duncan said of the holdout juror.

Duncan also described the room in which the jurors, some of them emotional, deliberated Manafort's case: "Crazily enough, there were even tears."

A juror who participated in the trial of President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, said just one holdout prevented the jury from convicting Manafort on all of the 18 federal charges he faced.

In a Fox News interview on Wednesday, Paula Duncan, a self-described Trump supporter, said the unidentified juror was not convinced that Manafort was guilty of all 18 criminal charges he faced.

"We all tried to convince her to look at the paper trail, we laid it out in front of her again and again," Duncan said during an interview with Fox News host Shannon Bream.

Manafort was ultimately convicted on eight counts on five counts of tax fraud, two counts of bank fraud, and one count of failure to report a foreign bank account. The judge declared a mistrial on the remaining 10 counts.

Duncan claimed that the holdout juror is the one who prompted them to send a note to Judge T.S. Ellis asking for an explanation of the term, "reasonable doubt."

"Most of us did not want that question out there ... we felt a little foolish," Duncan said.

The interview Wednesday night marked the first time a juror has publicly identified themselves after the trial. Judge Ellis cautioned against publicizing the juror's identities, citing the high-profile nature of the case. Ellis previously said he had personally received "criticism and threats" while presiding over the trial.

"I don't feel a threat," Duncan said. "I'm an American, I'm a citizen, I feel I did my civic duty. I don't think I need to hide behind anything. I'm not afraid at all."

Duncan said she wanted to come forward because "the public, America, needed to know how close this was."

"The evidence was overwhelming," Duncan said. "I did not want Paul Manafort to be guilty, but he was, and no one is above the law. So it was our obligation to look through all of the evidence."

"The charges were legitimate but the prosecution tried to make the case about the Russian collusion right from the beginning, and of course the judge shut them down on that," Duncan added. "We did waste a bit of time with that shenanigans."

Asked if she believed there were jurors whose personal political views influenced their decisions, Duncan said she did not believe so.

"I think we all went in there, like we were supposed to and assumed Mr. Manafort was innocent. We did due diligence, we applied the evidence, our notes, the witnesses, and we came up with the guilty verdicts on the eight counts."

Duncan also described the room in which the jurors, some of them emotional, deliberated Manafort's case: "Crazily enough, there were even tears," Duncan said.

Manafort was found guilty of tax fraud, bank fraud, and failure to report foreign bank accounts. He was indicted as part of special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe.

Manafort will face a new judge and jury in another trial in September on charges that include obstructing justice and failing to register as a foreign agent.

After Manafort's arrest, Trump distanced himself from his former surrogate and said "it doesn't involve me."

In several tweets on Wednesday morning, Trump referred to Manafort as "a brave man," and contrasted his behavior with that of Michael Cohen, his longtime personal attorney, who implicated Trump as a participant in his crimes in a plea deal he signed a day earlier.

Rudy Giuliani, Trump's attorney, says the two of them discussed the pros and cons of pardoning Manafort, The New York Times reported Wednesday. Giuliani echoed Trump's assertion that he believes Manafort was treated "horribly" by the justice system.

via Nigerian News ➨☆LATEST NIGERIAN NEWS ☆➨GHANA NEWS➨☆ENTERTAINMENT ☆➨Hot Posts ➨☆World News ☆➨News Sp

[newssplashy]

Politics: Rudy Giuliani reportedly said he and Trump discussed a possible pardon for Manafort, but said they're unsure about the political fallout

In an interview with The New York Times published Wednesday, President Donald Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani said he talked about the pros and cons of pardoning Paul Manafort, Trump's former campaign chairman who was convicted on multiple federal counts of fraud.

President Donald Trump and his lawyer Rudy Giuliani talked about the pros and cons of pardoning Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, The New York Times reported on Wednesday.

Manafort was convicted on eight counts of financial fraud a day earlier.

Trump has since distanced himself from Manafort and asserted that "it doesn't involve me," when asked about the crimes for which Manafort was convicted.

President Donald Trump and his lawyer Rudy Giuliani talked about the pros and cons of pardoning Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, The New York Times reported on Wednesday.

According to the newspaper, Giuliani echoed Trump's assertion that he believes Manafort was treated "horribly" by the justice system.

On Tuesday, Manafort was convicted on eight counts of financial fraud. He was charged with 18 counts, but the judge declared a mistrial after the jury was unable to reach a verdict for ten counts.

Trump has since distanced himself from Manafort and said "it doesn't involve me."

"But it's a very sad thing that happened," Trump said. "This has nothing to with Russian collusion."

In several tweets on Wednesday morning, Trump referred to Manafort as "a brave man," and contrasted his behavior with that of Michael Cohen, his longtime personal attorney, who implicated Trump as a participant in his crimes in a plea deal he signed a day earlier.

Cohen claimed that his campaign finance violations, related to a $130,000 payment made to the porn star Stormy Daniels in exchange for her silence — were made "at the direction of the candidate" with "the purpose of influencing the election." Lanny Davis, Cohen's attorney, later confirmed that candidate was Trump.

A pardon for Manafort would not be an unprecedented action from Trump. During his tenure, he pardoned Joe Arpaio, the controversial Arizona sheriff who took up an anti-immigration stance; Dinesh D'Souza, a right-wing personality who pleaded guilty to campaign finance fraud; and Scooter Libby, former Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff who was convicted of perjury and obstruction of justice.

But the inherent risk tied to a Manafort pardon is not lost on Giuliani and Trump, according to The Times' report, which said Trump was "uncertain about the political fallout" from such a move.

Manafort will face a new judge and jury in another trial in September on charges including obstructing justice and failing to register as a foreign agent.

source http://www.newssplashy.com/2018/08/politics-rudy-giuliani-reportedly-said.html

[newssplashy]

Wizkid: "I'm not just a baby mama, but also his manager"-Jada Pollock cries out

Jada Pollock corrects the notion that she is just Wizkid's baby mama.

Wizkid's baby mama, Jada Pollock has come out to say she is not just his baby mama but also his manager.

The music executive made this known via her Instagram page on Tuesday, August 14, 2018. Jada had posted a photo of Wizkid's new business venture on her page and a fan took to her comment section to call her a supporting baby mama.

"Nothing better than a baby mama supporting her baby daddy God bless you, Jada," the fan wrote. Obviously, Jada didn't like the fact that she was been addressed as a baby mama cried out and clarified her relationship status with Wizkid.

 "Thanks for you’re kind words! I’m NOT just a baby mama supporting her baby daddy. I’m a manager working extremely HARD to elevate and push a global movement that means a lot to us all.     ," she replied the follower.

We all know Wizkid has a number of baby mamas but the relationship between Jada Pollock and himself didn't just start up on a romantic note, rather she was his manager before we the arrival of their child. The last time we got to hear about Wizkid's baby mamas was when his second baby mama, Binta Diallo shaded Jada Pollock.

ALSO READ: Take a look at the real 1st photo of singer's son, Zion

Drama as singer's 2nd baby mama shades 3rd baby mama

 Earlier in May 2018, Instagram was thrown into chaos when Wizkid's second baby mama, Binta Diallo threw shades at Jada Pollock. Ok, let's simplify this gist you guys, baby mama number three, Jada Pollock had gone to her Instagram page to post a photo of the music star and their son and praised him for being such an amazing father.

 "Thank You’ For always being such an incredible Dad!! Ayo ❤️" she captioned the photo. Within an hour, baby mama number two, Binta Diallo Diamond took to her Instagram page where she posted a number of photos shading Wizkid and Jada Pollock.

 She posted a photo with the description, "When your baby father is a clown and so is his girlfriend." This was just the beginning as she went on to call out Wizkid for treating their child like crap. She also slammed the relationship between Wizkid and Jada Pollock with a quote in one of the numerous photos.

 Jada Pollock is an entertainment veteran also known as Jada Styles. She’s the head of her consulting business firm she shared with African football star Didier Drogba. She is responsible for the branding of many affluent and prominent football players for the U.K. The Daily Star and West London Living once referred to her as a highly acclaimed image guru.

source http://www.newssplashy.com/2018/08/wizkid-im-not-just-baby-mama-but-also.html

[newssplashy]

Jada Pollock corrects the notion that she is just Wizkid's baby mama.

Wizkid's baby mama, Jada Pollock has come out to say she is not just his baby mama but also his manager.

The music executive made this known via her Instagram page on Tuesday, August 14, 2018. Jada had posted a photo of Wizkid's new business venture on her page and a fan took to her comment section to call her a supporting baby mama.

"Nothing better than a baby mama supporting her baby daddy God bless you, Jada," the fan wrote. Obviously, Jada didn't like the fact that she was been addressed as a baby mama cried out and clarified her relationship status with Wizkid.

 "Thanks for you’re kind words! I’m NOT just a baby mama supporting her baby daddy. I’m a manager working extremely HARD to elevate and push a global movement that means a lot to us all.     ," she replied the follower.

We all know Wizkid has a number of baby mamas but the relationship between Jada Pollock and himself didn't just start up on a romantic note, rather she was his manager before we the arrival of their child. The last time we got to hear about Wizkid's baby mamas was when his second baby mama, Binta Diallo shaded Jada Pollock.

ALSO READ: Take a look at the real 1st photo of singer's son, Zion

Drama as singer's 2nd baby mama shades 3rd baby mama

 Earlier in May 2018, Instagram was thrown into chaos when Wizkid's second baby mama, Binta Diallo threw shades at Jada Pollock. Ok, let's simplify this gist you guys, baby mama number three, Jada Pollock had gone to her Instagram page to post a photo of the music star and their son and praised him for being such an amazing father.

 "Thank You’ For always being such an incredible Dad!! Ayo ❤️" she captioned the photo. Within an hour, baby mama number two, Binta Diallo Diamond took to her Instagram page where she posted a number of photos shading Wizkid and Jada Pollock.

 She posted a photo with the description, "When your baby father is a clown and so is his girlfriend." This was just the beginning as she went on to call out Wizkid for treating their child like crap. She also slammed the relationship between Wizkid and Jada Pollock with a quote in one of the numerous photos.

 Jada Pollock is an entertainment veteran also known as Jada Styles. She’s the head of her consulting business firm she shared with African football star Didier Drogba. She is responsible for the branding of many affluent and prominent football players for the U.K. The Daily Star and West London Living once referred to her as a highly acclaimed image guru.

via NewsSplashy - Latest Nigerian News,Ghana News ,News,Entertainment,Hot Posts,sports In a Splash.

[newssplashy]

Women withstand a lot during pregnancy and especially childbirth. It's time to allow women make their choice on the number of children they want.

Women are warriors and it is sad how some men forget or neglect or are ignorant to acknowledge that. Women are warriors, babies come out of their vaginas after carrying them for 9 months.

I have not remained the same since the first time I watched childbirth through labour, induced labour and cesarean section on National Geographic about 10 years ago.

In truth, asides the fact that I appreciate and love seeing pregnant women, I try to aid them in whatever they do.

Seeing a pregnant woman go through the mood swings, weight gain and inability to change positions while sleeping across the night is enough to appreciate them.

My mother had my sisters and I through cesarean section. After she had my younger sister, she had to go back in for another emergency surgery, 6 weeks postpartum due to infection around her pelvis.

Till date, she has a mummy pouch that makes her look ever so good in native attires — Iro and buba.

Postpartum Issues

While I didn’t really decipher it until I was 19, listening to Gwyneth Paltrow talk about postpartum depression on E! Entertainment, I once saw my aunt struggle with the effects of having her first child in 2007

Her confidence was gone and it took her 3 years to regain that confidence. She vowed to never have another kid after that.

 In 2007, Beyonce appeared on Ellen DeGeneres show shortly after her wedding to Shawn ‘Jay-Z’ Carter.

During the discussion, Ellen asked her if a child was in her future, she answered, “I was in the room when my nephew was born and it traumatized me.”

She continues, “I told my sister ‘Please, don’t let me in the room’ and she said, ‘you’re my sister, don’t be silly’. I was right, I’m traumatized”.

10 years later, Beyonce has 3 children. Asides being a celebrity mom, she has her struggles. In her much celebrated, Vogue issue, she chronicles how she struggled after the birth of her twins in 2017 as she prepared for Coachella.

She claimed she pushed herself so hard to regain her body in 3 months, but she somehow settled for enjoying the effects of motherhood on her body.

 During her catharsis, she claims her arms, boobs, thighs and calves are slightly bigger, and she even has a ‘mum pouch’ that she’s not in a hurry to get rid of. While she has seen the took the strengths in her journey, most people are not as strong or lucky.

   While she admits she might go back to work for a lean body and six pack, her point was made.

Motherhood, pregnancy and childbirth are processes some women never fully recover from physically and emotionally.

A Beyonce might be inspired enough to engage in exercise to pull through, but most mothers don’t get past that phase.

My mother was like a size 2 before childbirth. Since she had my older sister, she’s become curvy. My Dad loved it about her — before he died, but a lot of women do not have that luxury as they wallow in their depression while living with insensitive, emotionally and verbally abusive partners.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

 The rigours, stress and sometimes, trauma of childbirth induces post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD] in some women. Some of them get depressed and distant while a fair bit don’t want children after the experience.

It is why you should never judge a woman who is content with her one child. We are built differently, but no matter how strong you are, childbirth is an arduous process that usually leaves great emotional and physical scars.

In a survey conducted on post-traumatic stress disorder after Childbirth in Nigerian women by Adewuya A.O, Ologun Y.A and Ibigbami O.S for the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institute of Health, the following were found out;

The prevalence of PTSD was 5.9%. The factors independently associated with PTSD after childbirth include hospital admission due to complications, instrumental delivery cesarean section, manual removal of placenta and poor maternal experience during childbirth.

They concluded that, “the prevalence of PTSD is slightly higher in Nigerian women than those in the western culture.”

Historical Perception

Women were born disadvantaged. In a society heavily influenced by masculinity, mostly toxic, but usually subtly entitled, women are placed on a lesser rung of existence.

Their usefulness is limited to child rearing and house chores. It is why any woman who refuses to do same or isn’t good at same is derogated and viewed as ‘useless’. This perception is not only wrong, but very insensitive.

 It is simply time to cut it out. Child rearing should be a thing of choice and readiness. Whatever she’s content with, a sensitive and good partner should listen and understand.

 Maybe it is time to start letting Nigerian men into the operating and labour rooms to see what women go through to understand why some get PTSD and love their children more than anything. It is also why they get really emotional when those kids get a big head and get disrespectful over the slightest issues. Some of us children are insensitive.

 It is not about treating women as fragile or weaker people, no. It is about sensitivity to the plight of a probable traumatic process. What they need is support. Childbirth might be perceived as a happy process, but it is not funny for women.

 It is just time for women to start talking about the rigours of childbirth that some of our mothers were forced to stomach because of societal expectations. Some of them would have been happy not having more than one child.

Don’t get me wrong, some women enjoy child rearing and live for it. They love being pregnant and the entire process of childbirth, but we are built differently. The ones who talk about tie trauma and rigours are not weaker. They are regular women who are different. We should listen to them.

Even more seriously, the women who enjoy childbirth will tell you it is not all fun and games.

Modern Women and Social Media Chatter

  On Tuesday, August 7, 2016, feminist, Ozzy Etomi hit the bullseye again with her discussion of the rigours and trauma of childbirth.

  While opinions were divided, even amongst women and some insensitive men pelted stones their way, we can downplay these points no more.

 The scariest part was when she discussed memory issues since childbirth. That might be some pseudo-fugue state caused by PTSD. Although rare, trauma can induce fugue state, causing the mind to block out that traumatic memory. Sometimes, other memories, happy or sad go with the blocked out memories. Maybe her mind is trying to deal with the trauma of childbirth and it’s proving too heavy.

For perspective, from the social media activity, although infinite, we can group women, postpartum into the following;

1. Women who get illnesses and conditions from childbirth;

2. Women who go through physical changes. Changes some have to live with forever;

3. Women who have disabilities from childbirth;

4. Women who die by losing some parts of themselves during childbirth;

5. Women who actually die when the trauma becomes excessive for their bodies.

On another note, it shows the point is hitting home when young, unmarried women have also had their fears about childbirth intensified since the discussion. It is sad, but the reality, nonetheless.

But then, the issue is not about men. Make your choice, find yourself a partner that understands you and live a lit life. Childbirth is not an avenue to diss men again. It’s an unnecessary backdrop.

 Whatever it is, people like the human in the above tweet; male or female should be cancelled.

"Medical Condition" might be extreme

Nonetheless, calling childbirth a “medical condition” might be a tad extreme.

Olaiya, a 40 year old Lawyer of 13 years and mother of two via cesarean section says, “Well, there are two sides to a coin. Some people have complications while some have it easier. I had my 2 kids through caesarian section. While the pain was great initially and it was slightly arduous post-partum, I got over it. I did not want to have children again initially, but later I got over it and we had another one.”

On another note, Tolu, 28 who had a child via cesarean section and lost the child at 22, but has since not had another says “It was really traumatic. Considering all I went through, but immediately after the birth and I saw her [her child], I immediately forgot the trauma. You know, it was fascinating to see this little thing that came from inside me. One misses being pregnant. Even though I lost her, I will have another one without hesitation.”

In the end, while childbirth might be a arduous for some unwilling to repeat the process, others cherish it. We should however let women choose their own paths.

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Senate President Bukola Saraki has dumped the APC for the PDP. Here's why.

Senate President Bukola Saraki on Tuesday, July 31, 2018, dumped the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Saraki first announced his decision to leave the APC via a Tweet on the evening of Tuesday.

In a statement personally signed by him, Saraki described his exit from the ruling APC as a “difficult decision” he arrived at after extensive consultations with stakeholders.

Pulse lists five reasons why he left the APC for the PDP.

1. No peace in the APC

Saraki alleged that certain forces within the APC prevented true reconciliation of aggrieved members in the ruling party.

“While I take full responsibility for this decision, I will like to emphasise that it is a decision that has been inescapably imposed on me by certain elements and forces within the APC who have ensured that the minimum conditions for peace, cooperation, inclusion and a general sense of belonging did not exist,” Saraki announced.

“They have done everything to ensure that the basic rules of party administration, which should promote harmonious relations among the various elements within the party were blatantly disregarded. All governance principles which were required for a healthy functioning of the party and the government were deliberately violated or undermined.

“And all entreaties for justice, equity and fairness as basic precondition for peace and unity, not only within the party, but also the country at large, were simply ignored, or employed as additional pretext for further exclusion.”

 2. Three years in the APC has not been rosy.

The Senate President accused 'some elements within the APC' of making the party uncomfortable for him and his associates.

Recall that Saraki had battled the Federal Government at the Code of Conduct Tribunal within same period.

He recently won his case of asset declaration at the Supreme Court.

“The experience of my people and associates in the past three years is that they have suffered alienation and have been treated as outsiders in their own party,” Saraki said.

“Thus, many have become disaffected and disenchanted. At the same time, opportunities to seek redress and correct these anomalies were deliberately blocked as a government-within-a-government had formed an impregnable wall and left in the cold, everyone else who was not recognized as ‘one of us’. This is why my people, like all self-respecting people would do, decided to seek accommodation elsewhere,” he added.

 3. Executive/Legislature friction

Saraki noted that the anti-corruption war was being used by the Executive to “silence some members of the Legislature.”

“The framers of our constitution envisage a degree of benign tension among the three arms of government if the principle of checks and balances must continue to serve as the building block of our democracy,” Saraki said.

“In my role as the head of the legislature, and a leader of the party, I have ensured that this necessary tension did not escalate at any time in such a way that it could encumber Executive function or correspondingly, undermine the independence of the legislature.

“Over the years, I have made great efforts in the overall interest of the country, and in spite of my personal predicament, to manage situations that would otherwise have resulted in unsavoury consequences for the government and the administration. My colleagues in the Senate will bear testimony to this.

“However, what we have seen is a situation whereby every dissent from the legislature was framed as an affront on the executive or as part of an agenda to undermine the government itself. The populist notion of anti-corruption became a ready weapon for silencing any form of dissent and for framing even principled objection as ‘corruption fighting back’.

 “Persistent onslaught against the legislature and open incitement of the people against their own representatives became a default argument in defence of any short-coming of the government in a manner that betrays all too easily, a certain contempt for the Constitution itself or even the democracy that it is meant to serve.

“Unfortunately, the self-serving gulf that has been created between the leadership of the two critical arms of government based on distrust and mutual suspicion has made any form of constructive engagement impossible. Therefore, anything short of a slavish surrender in a way that reduces the legislature to a mere rubber stamp would not have been sufficient in procuring the kind of rapprochement that was desired in the interest of all.

“But I have no doubt in my mind, that to surrender this way is to be complicit in the subversion of the institution that remains the very bastion of our democracy. I am a democrat. And I believe that anyone who lays even the most basic claim to being a democrat will not accept peace on those terms; which seeks to compromise the very basis of our existence as the parliament of the people.”

 4. Osinbajo, Oshiomhole tried but…

Saraki who expressed gratitude to Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo and the newly elected chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, for their efforts in reconciling aggrieved members of the party.

ALSO READ: Kwara Governor dumps APC for PDP

But, the Senate President said their efforts came rather late.  

“The emergence of a new national party executives a few weeks ago held out some hopes, however slender. The new party chairman has swung into action and did his best alongside some of the Governors of APC and His Excellency, the Vice President. I thank them for all their great efforts to save the day and achieve reconciliation. Even though I thought these efforts were coming late in the day, but seeing the genuine commitment of these gentlemen, I began to think that perhaps it was still possible to reconsider the situation.  “However, as I have realized all along, there are some others in the party leadership hierarchy, who did not think dialogue was the way forward and therefore chose to play the fifth columnists. These individuals went to work and ensured that they scuttled the great efforts and the good intentions of these aforementioned leaders of the party. Perhaps, had these divisive forces not thrown the cogs in the wheel at the last minutes, and in a manner that made it impossible to sustain any trust in the process, the story today would have been different.”

5. No change

 Saraki said he was heading back to the PDP due to the lack of justice, equity and inclusion in the APC.

He maintained that the PDP had learnt from its past mistakes and would bounce back even stronger.  

“When we left the PDP to join the then nascent coalition of All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2014, we left in a quest for justice, equity and inclusion; the fundamental principles on which the PDP was originally built but which it had deviated from. We were attracted to the APC by its promise of change. We fought hard along with others and defeated the PDP.  “In retrospect, it is now evident that the PDP has learnt more from its defeat than the APC has learnt from its victory. The PDP that we return to is now a party that has learnt its lessons the hard way and have realized that no member of the party should be taken for granted; a party that has realized that inclusion, justice and equity are basic precondition for peace; a party that has realized that never again can the people of Nigeria be taken for granted.  “I am excited by the new efforts, which seeks to build the reborn PDP on the core principles of promoting democratic values; internal democracy; accountability; inclusion and national competitiveness; genuine commitment to restructuring and devolution of powers; and an abiding belief in zoning of political and elective offices as an inevitable strategy for managing our rich diversity as a people of one great indivisible nation called Nigeria.  “What we have all agreed is that a deep commitment to these ideals were not only a demonstration of our patriotism but also a matter of enlightened self-interest, believing that our very survival as political elites of this country will depend on our ability to earn the trust of our people and in making them believe that, more than anything else, we are committed to serving the people.  “What the experience of the last three years have taught us is that the most important task that we face as a country is how to reunite our people. Never before had so many people in so many parts of our country felt so alienated from their Nigerianness. Therefore, we understand that the greatest task before us is to reunite the county and give everyone a sense of belonging regardless of region or religion,” the Senate President added.

Saraki urged the APC to “respect his choice and understand that even though we will now occupy a different political space, we do not necessarily become enemies unto one another.”

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