#concerned ape has really nailed it with this update

[nuttydefendoryouth]

Are stinky inflatable pool toys putting your kids at risk?

The researchers expressed concern that some of the products contain potentially hazardous chemicals that could pose a risk to children’s health, depending on the degree of exposure and concentration levels in the products.

The researchers conducted tests using an inflatable beach ball, a pair of swimming armbands and two bathing rings they bought off the shelf from local stores and online suppliers in Germany.(Shutterstock)

HEALTH

Are stinky inflatable kids' toys putting your kids at risk? Here’s what a study found

The researchers expressed concern that some of the products contain potentially hazardous chemicals that could pose a risk to children’s health, depending on the degree of exposure and concentration levels in the products.

Washington D.C. | By ANI

UPDATED ON APR 13, 2017 08:46 PM IST

Turns out, there are many dangerous chemicals lurking in your swimming pool that can risk your children’s health.

Inflatable sprinkler and swimming aids, like bathing rings and arm bands, often have a distinctive smell which could indicate that they contain a range of potentially hazardous substances.

Some of these compounds, which include carbonyl compounds, cyclohexanone, phenol and isophorone, might be critical when present in higher concentrations in children’s toys, said authors Christoph Wiedmer and Andrea Buettner.

Lead author Wiedmer from Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV in Germany and his team conducted tests using an inflatable pool, a pair of swimming armbands and two bathing rings they bought off the shelf from local stores and online suppliers in Germany.

A small piece of material from each sample was analysed using a variety of material analysis techniques, including one that takes infrared measurements, and it was concluded that the inflatable objects were all made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

The researchers then investigated the molecular make-up of the distinctive smells arising from the pool toys. They extracted detectable odours from each sample using solvent extraction and high vacuum distillation methods, and then identified the main odorants using a combination of sensory and common analytical approaches.

Between 32 and 46 odours were detected in each sample, of which up to thirteen were quite intense. The majority of these odorants were identified and among these were several fatty smelling mono- or di-unsaturated carbonyl compounds and their epoxidised derivatives, but also odouractive organic solvents such as cyclohexanone, isophorone, and phenol.

As part of the study, a panel of trained volunteers sniffed each product, and ascribed common odour attributes to these. They also rated the intensity of each odour, and had to guess whether these could be hazardous. Three of the products reminded the panellists of almonds, plastic and rubber, while the fourth more pungent one reminded them of glue and nail polish.

Wiedmer expressed his concern that some of the products contain potentially hazardous chemicals that could pose a risk to children’s health, depending on the degree of exposure and concentration levels in the products. Cyclohexanone can be harmful if inhaled, phenol is known to be acutely toxic and to presumably have mutagenic potential and isophorone is a category 2 carcinogen, which means that this is a suspect substance in the development of cancer in humans.

“A range of these substances are not yet resolved in their chemical structures. Likewise, potential negative effects on humans, such as irritation, smell nuisance, or other physiological or psychosomatic effects still need to be resolved,” said Wiedmer.

“Modern products such as toys and children’s products are sourced from a wide variety of chemical and physical manufacturing processes, and this complexity often makes it difficult for us to identify those containing contaminants and unwanted substances, and to determine their causes,” noted Wiedmer. “However, we found that in a number of cases our noses can guide us to ‘sniff out’ problematic products.”

The study appears in the journal Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry (ABC).

Backyards and patios have been working hard all year because of the pandemic, and this summer they can provide new ways to cool off and have fun in the water.

Whether you have a lot of space or a little, there’s gear ranging from water tables and tubs for kids to floating loungers with drink holders for adults.

One company, Minnidip, makes inflatable “adult kiddie pools” that aim to transport you to some exotic travel destination. Patterns on the Marrakesh pool reference Moroccan architectural details, while the Amalfi is a nod to the blue, yellow and white tile of the Italian coast.

“Because for me, having a pool on our urban Chicago rooftop felt like being transported to another place,” says company founder Emily Vaca. “I wanted to capture that feeling through design and pattern. “

Minnidip also offers inflatable drinks coolers and glam pool balls filled with gold confetti, among other offerings.

The only water table that lets you make waves, Little Tikes’ Island Wavemaker has a water wheel, plus cute sea creatures and a wee pirate to send paddling around the waterway or down the waterfall. Toddlers can practice their fine motor skills with Little Tikes’ Spinning Seas Water Table; small balls, a cup, a funnel and a water wheel set up the fun.

Step2’s two-sided Waterfall Discovery Wall has adjustable toggles, spinners and chutes to send the water tumbling in lots of different ways. And Lakeshore Learning’s Watch It Flow water table features three plastic logs that can be configured however you wish. Fill the logs using a hose or bucket; gates control the flow and can close up to make long tubs.

Foamo, also from the folks at Little Tikes, creates mountains of easy-to-clean-up foam when you add the nontoxic, biodegradable foam solution to water.

HOSE HAPPY

Turn on the hose and attach it to West Elm's inflatable car bed or giant shark mouth sprinklers. Fat Brain Toy’s Hydro Twist Pipeline Sprinkler has a couple of fountains, plus a bunch of wiggly worm hoses. Or hook up to BigMouth’s giant 6-foot-high unicorn, who shoots water out of her horn. There’s a ginormous ape, giraffe, dinosaur and giraffe here as well.

SWIM AND PADDLE

Giant inflatable water wheels let you find your inner hamster. You can find ones online for toddlers, while Wow Watersports has a grownup version they call the Aqua Treadmill.

Don’t forget the family pets; a nonporous, puncture-resistant floating dog bed at Frontgate comes in a bunch of colors and three sizes.

Chewy has ZippyPaws Floaterz sturdy turtle-shaped water toys for dogs, as well as rope-handled bumpers and a variety of floating balls.

A hard-sided kiddie pool can be a good non-inflatable option for cooling off; just hose it out and stow away. Other pluses: The doggos will also have fun splashing around in it, and it makes a great sand or snow play zone in colder weather. The Sun Squad Wading Kiddie Pool is inexpensive and has an embossed bottom, so it’s less slippery.

SLIDE AND RIDE

A basic heavy-duty plastic water slide or “slip and slide” can be set up in most backyards; if yours doesn’t come with an attached barrier at the bottom, make sure to put something soft there.

Studio 21 Graphix’s slide has a crash pad at the finish line, plus two lanes for racing and a sprinkler curtain to pass thru on the way down. Wow Watersports’ Strike Zone Water Slide is 25-by-6 feet of slipperiness; zigzag sprinkler patterns assure a wet ride, fat pontoons on either side keep riders inside, and two sleds are included. Got a really long yard? Get two; they can be interconnected.

If you’ve got lots of space, consider Costway’s inflatable Bounce House and Water Slide, with a bounce area, water gun, two slides, a basketball hoop and several balls. It comes with a storage bag for easy transport.

POOL STYLE

Marisa Issa of Los Angeles says her family’s favorite pool games are corn hole and a floating basketball hoop, but her favorite is a floating mat from Frontgate “that only mom can use,” she says. The sleek, minimalist white float has a headrest, and is made of marine-grade dense foam, suitable for chlorine or saltwater pools.

If you prefer sitting up a little, Frontgate’s got a floating armchair with attached ottoman. Choose from aqua, blue or flamingo pink. Or splash out on a full-size pool chaise kitted out with drink holders.

Want to hang out with a handful of friends in a backyard pool? Funboy has a 9-foot-wide floating metallic crown with drink holders. Or lounge luxuriously in the company’s Bali Cabana Lounger, with a curved integrated shade, a tropical leaf print, cup holders and handy grab ropes.

BigMouth has some food-related inflatables like a giant ice pop, pizza slice, donut, watermelon slice, cheeseburger and taco.

At first, glance, laying on an inflatable toy in shallow water seems pretty safe. After all, the water isn't deep, and there is a floating toy right there. Recently, a family's trip to the beach in Nova Scotia proved to be a harrowing reminder of why this is not the case. In August, two 5-year-olds played in shallow water – one in an inflatable ring, the other on an inflatable roller. Because the girls were in shallow water, their caregiver assumed the inflatable toys were enough. It wasn't until the girls began to drift away from that the complete danger of the situation became clear.

Inflatable toys can be dangerous

Because they are so light and buoyant, they tend to drift in the water or deflate when they get wet. That's when it's a problem. Kids don't know when their toys are deflated and cannot compensate when they're in the water. They can get trapped in the holes or strangle. When the girls got stuck, their caregiver did the right thing by calling for help. First responders rescued the girls and took them to the hospital to be treated for their injuries. While it's infrequent that inflatable toys are the source of injury to kids, it's good to know that they can pose a hazard. The numbers aren't obvious, but it seems that they're responsible for 1 in every 100 boating-related deaths in the U.S. and are one of the leading causes of drowning for children aged 4-6.

Why Inflatable Toys Can Be Dangerous

The giant inflatable was much bigger than the girls and began to drag the mattress toward shore, according to the parent of one of the girls who spoke with CTVNews. However, the inflatable ring wasn't nearly as big or heavy and was drifting with the current. The girls eventually lost hold of both and drifted a considerable distance. The girls' parents rushed to the scene and tried to retrieve their children, but the current was too firm, and the military eventually rescued them. The girls were found to be unharmed. Since this incident, many parents have expressed concerns about the safety of inflatable toys.

[thefeedpost]

What to expect from the NBA’s All-Star Saturday night

Dennis Smith Jr. got off to a slow start but recovered to reach the Slam Dunk Contest finals. (Chuck Burton/AP)

Candace Buckner

National Basketball Association with an emphasis in covering the Washington Wizards.

February 16 at 10:16 PM

Live updates from Charlotte:

— Diallo might be relatively anonymous, but he doesn’t lack ambition in the slightest. With his second dunk, the NYC native jumped OVER Shaquille O’Neal and finished with the classic Vince Carter elbow dunk while ripping his jersey to reveal a Superman logo across his chest. The Spectrum Center genuinely liked that one. A 50 was the only option.

Diallo (98) and Smith (95) advance to the finals. Collins and Bridges go home.

— Smith counters with the heavy hitter: North Carolina’s own J. Cole. DSJ donned the rapper’s high school jersey and leaped over J. Cole, converting a simple lob into a smooth one-handed slam on his first try. Smith cocked it back far, drawing oohs and aahs on the slow-motion replay. The judges gave the best dunk of the night (so far) a perfect 50. Collins’s night is officially over.

— It’s time for the props! Collins got creative by placing a Wright Brothers, Kitty Hawk inspired classic plane on the court. Collins’s teammate, Trae Young, helped him done a pilot’s hat and goggles to go with a scarf. The execution wasn’t quite as flawless as the concept. He cleared the plane to finish the dunk, but clipped it on the way down. The judges weren’t having it, dishing out a stingy 42.

— Bridges rebounded from his first dunk mess with help from a Kemba Walker alley-oop off the side of the backboard and a vintage Larry Johnson Hornets jersey. He finished the 360 on his first try, drawing a (somewhat generous) 50.

— The big concern with Miles Bridges is that he might be a better in-game dunker than contest dunker. The posterization specialist tossed the ball off the backboard to himself, hoping to set up a through-the-legs lefty try, but he couldn’t get it down in three tries. He got a 33 and will likely be eliminated. This contest is teetering on the verge of a bust.

— Dennis Smith Jr. tried to start with a bang, but he missed his first three tries on a 360 slam that he set up with a self alley-oop. The judges rewarded his persistence with a 45, as they are instructed not to take into account misses. The crowd still hasn’t woken up yet.

— The Thunder’s Hamidou Diallo, the no-name wildcard in the field, called in some superstar help from Russell Westbrook, who tossed a lob off the glass to set up a clean lefty windmill. 48/50.

— Collins opened things up with a swooping, backboard-touching slam but the crowd wasn’t really feeling it. 40/50

— The courtside seats are filling up with NBA legends as the Slam Dunk Contest approaches. George Gervin, Julius Erving, Dikembe Mutombo, David Robinson, Dominique Wilkins, Kevin Garnett, Rasheed Wallace, and Charles Barkley are all braced for impact.

Meanwhile, Hornets legend Alonzo Mourning and former winner Dee Brown are among this year’s judges.

This year’s Dunk Contest field isn’t very star-studded, but John Collins (Wake Forest), Dennis Smith Jr. (Fayetteville native and N.C. State) and Miles Bridges (Hornets forward) all have North Carolina ties.

— Upset alert! Although Stephen Curry blistered at the start by making nine in a row, he cooled off and finished with 22. That makes Joe Harris, with a score of 26, the 2019 three-point contest winner. Surprisingly, no one in this arena booed Harris for taking down both Curry sons.

Harris: 18,000 Instagram followers

Curry: 24 million Instagram followers

— Down goes the champ. Devin Booker reached 23 but not the top 3. After his final rack, Booker looks shocked. Even rapper Quavo, standing behind him on courtside, appeared as if his world will never be the same after watching the champ lose his crown. Stephen Curry, Buddy Hield and Joe Harris are your final four.

— Well, the next Curry family Thanksgiving will be awkward. Big brother Stephen dominated the first round — making his last 10 (!) shots, including the final rack of money balls — to take the lead with 27.

— From the Dallas Mavericks, one of the greatest power forwards to ever step on the court… Dirk Nowitzki deserved the special introduction from the PA announcer but there will be no happy sendoff for the retiring legend. Dirk’s 17 wasn’t enough to make the next round. On to Charlotte’s favorite son: Stephen Curry.

— Here’s a sentence rarely uttered in a basketball story: A Sacramento Kings player has taken the lead. Buddy Hield tallied 26 to become your new leader over Harris. And in the process, Charlotte’s son Seth Curry has been eliminated.

— After winning the Skills Challenge, which is sponsored by everyone’s favorite purveyor of Chalupas, Jayson Tatum,who can count ‘Taco Jay’ among his nickname, told reporters: “I’m going to call Taco Bell tomorrow and tell them I need a deal. I need to be on the commercial. I love tacos.”

— Aside from the sweet-shooting Joe Harris, who poured in 25 points to start things off, the first batch of contestants started cold. First-time all-star Khris Middleton managed just 11 points, Kemba Walker scored 15 while drawing applause from the Charlotte faithful, and Seth Curry topped out at 16.

— NBA legend Bill Russell just arrived to take a courtside seat next to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Now the show can officially begin. And in a plot twist that no one (read: everyone) saw coming, Dell Curry is going through the three-point contest, along with retired marksmen Ray Allen, Mark Price and former Charlotte Hornets all-star Glen Rice. While the four legendary shooters tossed up more far bricks than swishes, they combined to raise $35,000 for charity.

— Dell Curry, Stephen Curry and Seth Curry are all at center court, which means the three-point contest is about to get underway. It’s been amazing to see dozens of retro Dell Curry jerseys around town this weekend.

— THE LUCK OF THE IRISH! Boston’s Jayson Tatum wins the crown by nailing a shot from half-court.

While Trae Young has built his rookie reputation on hitting from way downtown but Tatum beat him at his own game. Tatum, like a good son, shouts out his mom after the win. Next up, the three-point shooting contest.

— Luka Doncic has the passing skills and the cool shots but apparently lacks speed. Doncic treated his semifinal matchup with Trae Young as a Saturday morning run at the Y and slowly navigated the obstacle course. Easy work for Young against the fellow rookie for whom he was traded on draft night, and now he faces Jayson Tatum for the skills crown.

— And your Skills Challenge Final Four: Denver’s Nikola Jokic will take on the Celtics’ Jayson Tatum while rookies Trae Young of the Hawks will go head to head with Dallas’s Luka Doncic.

— Trae Young for the win! In a comeback for the ages (or actually, the moment), Young had difficulty hitting the passing target but defeated De’Aaron Fox with a running three-pointer to complete the obstacle course.

— Here at all-star Saturday night, the bigs have completed the skills obstacle course. Two Nikolas have entered — Jokic and Vucevic — but only one Nikola, the Nuggets big man, will leave. Next up: some guard play.

Pre-event coverage:

CHARLOTTE — Don’t be fooled by the lack of household names in the NBA slam dunk contest, the all-star Saturday night lineup is loaded with star power and intrigue.

The league’s annual showcase of the best dribblers, shooters and dunkers is Saturday night from Charlotte’s Spectrum Center, airing live on TNT.

As always, the Dunk Contest will be the main attraction, even though this year’s four-man field is high on potential and low on name recognition. The headliner is New York Knicks guard Dennis Smith Jr., a highflying guard from nearby Fayetteville, N.C., best known for being included in the return package in the trade that sent Kristaps Porzingis to the Dallas Mavericks.

[Graphic: LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan: Who is the superior scorer?]

Joining Smith, who is viewed by bookmakers as the favorite, will be Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges, Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Hamidou Diallo. Bridges has thrown down some vicious poster dunks during his rookie season, Collins tossed in multiple double-clutch reverse slams during the Rising Stars Challenge on Friday, and Diallo is the ultimate wild card, having logged just 515 minutes so far in his first NBA season.

Slam Dunk Contest favorite Dennis Smith Jr. of the New York Knicks is an explosive leaper and a powerful finisher. (Raj Mehta/USA Today Sports)

The four dunkers will each get two dunks in the first round. The top two will advance to the final round, where each will get two more dunks to determine the champion. All dunks will be rated on a 6-10 scale by a panel of five judges, with a perfect dunk earning a coveted “50.”

The stars are much brighter in the three-point contest, which features two-time MVP Stephen Curry and his younger brother Seth. The Charlotte natives will be competing alongside all-stars Damian Lillard, Khris Middleton, Dirk Nowitzki and Kemba Walker, plus the contest’s defending champion Devin Booker. Danny Green, Joe Harris and Buddy Hield round out the 10-man field.

Each player will shoot 25 three-pointers — five each from both corners, both angles and the top of the arc — in 60 seconds. Four of the five racks will include one “money ball,” worth double points; the remaining rack will feature all money balls and can be located at the spot of the player’s choosing. The top three finishers in the first round will advance to the final round, where they will shoot again to determine a champion. Oddsmakers view Stephen Curry, the 2015 contest champion, as the favorite.

The night begins with the skills challenge, a complex obstacle course that includes dribbling, passing, agility and shooting components. Its eight-man field includes rookie sensations Luka Doncic and Trae Young, plus all-stars Nikola Jokic and Nikola Vucevic. Mike Conley, De’Aaron Fox, Kyle Kuzma and Jayson Tatum round out the diverse field.

The eight contestants will face off in a head-to-head bracket format, with four advancing to the semifinals and two going on to the finals, where the champion will be crowned.

Read more from The Post:

Charles Barkley slams agents and predicts Superteams will lead to NBA lockout

Three questions facing the Wizards at the all-star break

NBA’s Adam Silver reportedly approached by ‘several NFL owners’ to run their league

The post What to expect from the NBA’s All-Star Saturday night appeared first on TheFeedPost.

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[tarisilmarwen]

Cracks In The Mirror: Endure

(Welp, with the sudden spate of reblogs on Chapter One I just realized I’d forgotten to crosspost Chapter Two and Chapter Three, whoops.  My bad.

There are depictions of torture in this chapter so the squeamish should use caution and discretion.  It’s not explicit, just potentially upsetting.

Once again, also on FFnet here.)

— 

Everything was a haze of pain.

Ezra didn't know how long they'd tortured him. His sense of time was distorted, his mind fogged from the shocks and the myriad drugs and serums they had flooded him with. He was barely conscious of what was happening around him. He would be writhing in pain, then given a brief rest, three times in a regular repeating cycle. Then the pain would stop and voices would ask him questions. He muttered, but he didn't really know what he was saying. Evidently it was never what his tormentors wanted to hear, for the pain would start again, worse and worse each time.

He couldn't tell if they were increasing the intensity of the shocks or if the drugs were just increasing his sensitivity. Every time his head started to clear, every time he felt a little more lucid, they injected him again and plunged him back into the drugged haze.

The only thing that cut through it was the agony.

He'd tried to reach out to the Force, wrap it around him for some measure of relief. But he couldn't focus; the Force slipped away from his grasping fingers. There was no respite for him, no shelter from the blinding, stabbing pain they assaulted him with.

About two cycles ago they'd added something new to the drug cocktail, something that burned his insides even through his rest periods. Ezra whimpered softly as he felt it like slow-moving lava through his veins.

A female voice was speaking. Fingers prodded at him, trying to get his attention.

He didn't want to open his eyes. He didn't have the energy. His vision was just a blur anyways.

The fingers gently brushed his cheek.

Unconsciously, he tilted his head into the gesture.

"He... ra...?" he rasped. His throat was cracked and sore, his voice weak from screaming.

"That's right, dear," the voice cooed, soothingly. "I need your help."

Okay...?

"Where does Fulcrum transmit from? I need you to tell me."

Transmit?

"N... no..."

"His life is in danger. You need to tell me."

Ezra shook his head. "Y're not Hera..." he slurred. Hera wasn't here. Hera would already know, if anyone did.

"Of course I am," the voice reassured him. "Don't you want to help Fulcrum?"

"Not Hera..." Ezra repeated, his head still shaking. "Go 'way."

"Tell me what I want to know."

Ezra tuned the voice out, going still, slackening, trying to sink into oblivion to escape her questions and the constant burning through his limbs. With how drowsy he was from the sedatives already, it was easy to let his mind go blank, let his consciousness slowly fade into—

Something struck him hard across his face. Ezra yelped, startling back into awareness. His lolling eyes fixed on the blur that was Pryce's face, trying to focus.

She didn't look happy.

"You'll sleep when we're finished," she growled. She grabbed his face in her hand, her nails digging into his skin. "You can end all of this," she told him. "Tell me what I want to know, and it all stops."

Force, he was really beginning to hate her.

Ezra hardened his eyes, his fists clenching. "'ll die firs'," he said.

She stared him down a moment, scowling. Then she stepped back with a haughty sniff.

"Very well." She nodded at the technician. "Begin another round."

Ezra held back a moan of despair as the electrodes charged again.

He didn't know how much longer he could hold out.

***

"Something's wrong," Kanan said, fidgeting, tapping the console. "We should have heard something from him by now."

"Take it easy, Kanan," Rex told him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Chopper'll update us on the situation as soon as he's able."

The words didn't reassure him. Kanan had been agitated since Chopper had first reported in, and the echoes he could sense in the Force only added to his worry.

He'd had some reservations about the mission from the beginning. A light cruiser was no Imperial Academy, and going in as a prisoner was considerably more risky than going as someone who belonged there. Ezra hadn't liked it much either. But it had been a simple enough plan at first. Get in, extract Kallus, get out. Thrawn showing up was more than a little panic-inducing. This was the second time the man had turned up exactly when and where the Rebels were planning to move and Kanan was beginning to wonder if the tentative trust they'd placed in Kallus had been a mistake.

His ears pricked up at the click that said a transmission was incoming.

"Speak o' the old clanker..." Rex commented. Kanan sensed him shift forward, heard him open the channel. "What's happening, Chopper? Has Kallus got Ezra yet?"

Chopper sounded as anxious as Kanan felt as he relayed his message.

"The brig?" Rex repeated in surprise. "They found him out?"

Kanan felt no satisfaction from knowing he was right to worry.

There was a creak as Rex leaned back again. "Well, that's a problem," he said.

That's an understatement, Kanan thought.

"Now what?"

The Jedi exhaled heavily. "I'm not sure," he said. "Give me a minute."

He closed his eyes—not that it made a difference but old habits died hard—and tuned in to the Force. The echoes at once became clear, the burning ripples of distress from his padawan beaming to him strongly through their bond.

It must have shown on his face, for Rex asked in concern, "Kanan? What is it?"

He inhaled slowly, opening his eyes and coming out of the Force. "Ezra's in pain." Kanan turned toward the dashboard. "Chopper, we need those clearance codes. We're coming to get you."

"WUB WUB-WUB WUUB—"

"I know what Kallus said!" Kanan snapped. "Just get the codes so we can get Ezra out of there!"

"Kanan..." Rex called. He heard the stoic warning in the old Clone Trooper's voice, the quiet defeat. "They'll be expecting us."

Harsh words almost slipped from him, but Kanan bit his lip and clamped them down. He hated to admit it. Rex was right.

"I know," he blurted. "I just..."

Swiveling in the pilot's chair , Kanan stood, feeling his way towards the door. He couldn't just sit still. He needed to feel like he was doing something.

"See if you can contact Ryder," he instructed. "Maybe he can do something from the ground. I need to talk to Hera." He paused at the doorway, one hand on the frame. He sighed, turning back towards the cockpit. "Chopper, you and AP-5 do what you can. But if we don't hear from you in two hours we are going to come get you, and you'd better have those clearance codes when we do." He turned his head toward Rex. "That should give us enough time to come up with something, right?"

"Let's hope so," Rex just replied, flicking buttons on the dash to call up Ryder Azadi.

***

Chopper unplugged from the communications terminal with an aggravated sigh and relayed Kanan's instructions to AP-5.

"Do what we can. That's not very specific," the inventory droid said. "Have you any ideas?"

The astromech rolled back from the wall, chirping out a suggestion.

"Infiltrate the security system?" He mused on the idea a moment. "Yes, that could work. If we could get into the system we could gain access to the security cameras and at least be able to see where they are keeping Bridger and Agent Kallus."

Chopper grunted in enthusiasm, already starting to roll out.

"Hold on a moment, you're not going to be careless about this like you were when you first contacted the retrieval team are you?" AP-5 asked sharply, following behind him. He had already made the C1 unit change terminals twice, and scramble the codes they were using to contact the shuttle. Broadcasting Rebel transmissions from an Imperial starship once was foolish, more than that was ludicrously illogical.

Chopper replied with a surly string of grumbles.

"It was careless, plugging in to the first available port on an unknown vessel could have compromised the entire mission!" AP-5 argued hotly. "You're lucky I am around to guide you."

The astromech huffed. "WUB WUB. WUB WEB WUB."

"It's this way," AP-5 said, pointing. "We must be cautious." The droid glanced around the hallway as if searching for unwanted listeners. "We don't want anyone to know we're here."

For once, Chopper had no grouchy remark to reply back with, only giving an anxious hum to agree.

The droids fell silent, and so became invisible to the crew of the Chimera.

***

Hurt. It all hurt.

Pain. Fog. Burning. Always burning. Cold trickles through his veins. The drugs again. More drugs. Needle pricks. They stabbed him in his neck, his arms, his stomach.

Itching. Why was he itching?

It was hard to breathe. His lungs were struggling.

What were they doing to him?

The voices blended. He couldn't tell one from the other. He thought Pryce might've hit him again a few times but he wasn't sure. It was so hard to think.

He missed Hera. And Kanan and... everyone.

Harsh coughing racked his frame. His chest felt like it was squeezing him.

Sharp pain, prolonged, like hot metal through his limbs. That was the electrodes. The feeling vanished, leaving his limbs twitching.

Nerves on fire. Thin metal cutting him. Scalpels? Maybe.

Wouldn't be surprised if they were trying to bleed the answers out of him.

The voices were yelling again. Why couldn't they just leave him alone? He just wanted to sleep.

So tired... Kanan...

Where was Kanan anyway?

"C'ming for me..." he heard himself mutter.

His heart was still jolting and it hurt. He just wanted to curl up but he was so numb and he couldn't move.

What was Pryce trying to ask him now? Force, he didn't even care. She was making his ears ring. He gathered as much moisture from his dry, parched mouth as he could. From the sharp copper taste it was probably actually mostly blood. Whatever. He spat it out.

An indignant squawk cracked his hearing. Sounded like he'd hit her in the face.

Good.

Hope she choked on it.

Oh but now there were pincers squeezing his face, crushing his jaw in an iron-hard grip, and he regretted everything.

The Force... I need...

His mind reached out, weakly. Don't grab for it too hard, Kanan had taught him. Let it come to you. Let it flow into you. Be at peace.

The edges of his consciousness turned warm.

***

Thrawn stared down through the window, frowning darkly. The technicians were putting away their tools, stacking the empty syringes on the tray. Ezra Bridger had had about as much as he could take for now. He was insensate, and no longer coherent enough to give any reply to their interrogation.

And he had defiantly given up... nothing.

The door hissed and Pryce stepped into the room, wiping off her gloves with a sour look.

"Stubborn little whelp," she grumbled. She scratched furiously at a smear on her cheek.

Stirring, the Grand Admiral turned from the window to face her. "The boy's resistance is... impressive," Thrawn admitted, begrudgingly. He paced towards the opposite wall, distracted, already considering their next course of action. "We will resume our session after the next rotation," he said. They had pushed Bridger to the edge of his endurance. Likely the boy would break after another intensive round. For now, though, continuing would be futile; there were no answers to be gleaned from an unconscious body. "In the meantime," he told Governor Pryce, changing the subject, "we should turn our attentions to the matter of Fulcrum."

"Our rebel spy." Pryce put away her handcloth and clasped her hands behind her. "Do you think Agent Kallus will talk?" she asked.

"ISB would have trained him to resist interrogation," Thrawn dismissed. "Though gratifying, such an attempt would yield few answers." It wasn't an unpleasant thought, having his men take a few rounds against the traitor.

"He seems to have some sentiment for Bridger," Pryce noted. "Could we employ the boy as leverage against him?"

Thrawn smirked faintly. "Amusing, but... no. Agent Kallus is too practical; he will not give up the wider Rebel base just for Bridger's sake."

He started to pace again.

"Now that we know they are connected, however, we can review our intelligence information with fresh eyes." Thrawn touched a hand to his chin in thought, then made a decision. "Speak with Agent Kallus's associates and subordinates," he instructed Pryce. "Let us see if we can get a map of his recent movements. And I want everything we have on him, all records, reports, and files." If there was a pattern, he would spot it easily.

She nodded curtly. "As you wish, Grand Admiral."

She departed swiftly, leaving him to his thoughts. Thrawn glanced through the observation window. Bridger was limp, head lolling on his shoulder. Aside from the gentle rise and fall of his chest, he was completely still.

So. Once again the boy's resilience surprised him. But Thrawn was nothing if not patient. And torturing Bridger was not nearly his only angle.

As he left the observation room he was already bringing to mind his keen recollection of Bridger's file, sifting through the information, analyzing everything and disregarding nothing.

The boy would come to regret his defiance.

—

Chapter notes!  (Copy/pasted from FFnet, shh, I won’t tell if you won’t.)

1. Not as much Kallus this round, I know, but don't worry, he'll be back next chapter.

2. Worried Spacedad is worried. :)

3. Since the Imperials were able to pick up the first coded transmission Chopper sent (as conveyed by Yularen in the episode), it became necessary to explain how they're able to keep talking to Kanan and Rex without continuing to arouse suspicion. So my excuse is basically that Chopper was sloppy and half-assed his job the first time and AP-5 has been riding his butt about it and making him take extra precautions to mask their signal ever since.

Chapter Three will be uploaded shortly and I’m actually working on Chapter Four presently so.  Expect to see that one soon as well. :)

[movieswithkevin27]

Kong: Skull Island

Directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts, Kong: Skull Island is his chance at a Vietnam War. In his sophomore feature, Vogt-Roberts seems to have some self-recognition that he will never get to direct a Vietnam War film. This is not a shot at him, as he is certainly a promising young director with both this and his debut Kings of Summer standing as solid starts that show he is capable of handling both small intimate films and huge films of epic proportions. While neither are particularly great, they are both capable films nonetheless. In this film, he takes his chance to add as much Vietnam imagery as possible by setting the film in 1973 and also tossing in some Cold War paranoia for good measure in this story of a group of people wandering the jungles on a mission, encountering a remote tribe, and facing a being that the tribe sees as a god. Did Francis Ford Coppola not make this film, sans the big monkey, in 1979?

Wearing this Apocalypse Now influence on its sleeve, Vogt-Roberts shows a love of both gratuitous shots of helicopters flying into the island or of the smell of napalm in the morning when Preston Packard (Samuel L. Jackson) tries to dump napalm on Kong. Yet, as with all Kong films, it must run through the beats of the story. Fortunately, Vogt-Roberts improves upon Peter Jackson's recent rendition. By chopping off an hour, the film is not so dreadfully long, which is really a major benefit. Give me the dinosaurs, but not for too long. Give me some backstory, but not extended scenes in a boat and trying to get funding for the trip. This latest edition streamlines it, yet still has the time to get into very compelling mythology regarding Skull Island and the nature of Kong as well as the other beasts that call Skull Island home. Additionally, some of the more unsavory elements of Jackson's films included its depiction of the natives of Skull Island. Depicting them as horrible savages out to kill white people, Jackson's film indulges in nasty stereotypes that create a truly captivating opening scene in that film, but that hardly justifies the racism. With Skull Island, Vogt-Roberts dispatches of this nastiness and instead has a smart and respected tribe in the center of Skull Island. Playing host to WWII veteran Hank Marlow (John C. Reilly) for 28 years, these are no savages and Vogt-Roberts never pretends they are. Instead, the tribe is given its due respect throughout the film. This latest film also ditches the racist undertones of past Kong films. From the original to various remakes, critics have shown the parallel between King Kong being an ape (as black people have often been derogatorily been referred to as "monkeys") and the white/blonde damsel in distress that he clutches in his hand. To critics, it has been a parallel between the perceived assault on the white race by black America. Now, whether or not you buy that or not, I did once have a film professor who claimed that it was why no studio could have an American direct King Kong again, as that parallel had been made. She was not entirely wrong, even if Vogt-Roberts is American as Brie Larson is never a damsel in distress or screeching in his paw, which Naomi Watts did often in 2005. Instead, he holds her once and it is to save her. By then, she had already established that he was not an enemy and was passed out anyways, so no concerns there from her. Of all of its updates, ditching the possible racist undertones is certainly a major plus, regardless of whether you buy into that angle or not.

However, Vogt-Roberts' influences also come via the heavily 70s soundtrack, references, and the political situation at the time. Fortunately, it does actually have a lot to do with the plot. As the Cold War is burning brightly and the Americans are coming off a loss in Vietnam, the whole country needs a win. This mission to Skull Island is that win. Finding new species' or a new island would re-establish America as the top dog in the world and, as such, is a major effort even if it takes some convincing. Yet, what the film does very well with its 1970s post-Vietnam setting is to show the men trying to regroup and go back to war, even if it is a different kind of war. The men are resistant and constantly thinking home. From writing letters, discussing home, or making references to what they will do once they get there, the men form a common bond of trying to make the best of the situation. Yet, on the flip side men such as Packard or James Conrad (Tom Hiddleston) need this war. Even photographer Mason Weaver (Brie Larson) needs the war, though she is anti-war. The three of them have nothing left to do after the end of the Vietnam War and the Skull Island job represents another opportunity to feel useful in the world at a time when opportunities were scarce.

That said, in spite of all of the updates and the post-war themes at play here in the sea of disillusionment that was the post-war 1970s, Kong: Skull Island is a King Kong film. Fighting the god of Skull Island and facing off with the various monsters that also call it home, we get to see Kong rip apart a giant squid and exact revenge on the skullcrawler that killed his family. This is definitively one of those films that shows Kong as a tragic figure with him serving as the protector of the tribe that calls the island home, as well as the benevolent animals that exist there. Defending them against the skullcrawlers, Kong is a lonely and incredibly sad figure. Juxtaposing his sheer size with how small and lonely he has become after having his entire family killed, we get a pretty solemn take on the giant ape that makes the attacks lodged against him by the military even harder to watch. In terms of the action, however, Vogt-Roberts stages every scene with Kong incredibly well and really makes them pack a punch throughout. Yet, the peak of this film comes with the skullcrawlers surrounding the human characters in the mass grave of Kong's family. With nothing but the clicking of a camera inside the skullcrawler to let them know where it is while lost in a sea of bones and a cloud of smoke, the scene is terrifically captured and easily the most tense moment of the film. Though the opening in Skull Island with Kong knocking helicopters out of the sky is similarly tense, we know that only the nameless characters played by actors we have never seen before will die. In the skullcrawler scene, the film has already developed a willingness to kill its cast and is unafraid to indulge in this throughout. As such, this sequence keeps the audience on edge and fully alert, as it is how unpredictable as to who will be wiped out next.

In terms of its special effects, Kong: Skull Island is a truly beautiful film. With lots of smoke and light effects to create a smoky scene in Skull Island, as well as an excellent ring of thunderstorms around the island, every effect is done terrifically well and always delivers the goods. The creature design is excellent and really hits the nail on the head with a realistic looking Kong and fun takes on various dinosaurs or unique creatures. Taking influence from a variety of sources on this front, the creature design here is what really makes it so much fun to watch. Seeing new or unique animals not only makes the land feel more foreign, but also adds a sense of adventure to this monster movie. Every scene feels fresh and adventurous, due to the fact that anything could be lurking around the corner. Its skills and traits are unknown and whether or not it eats humans is even more questionable. Whatever is awaiting the cast, however, is something that inspires awe and will likely have them clutching their guns.

However, as with all modern blockbusters, Kong: Skull Island is simply a palatable take on the story. Though I prefer it to Peter Jackson's elongated 2005 take on the story, the film is hardly unique. While it is a stunning film with excellent cinematography, the film still falls into the trap of ruining tense moments with comic relief and having action that looks cool, but lacks weight or substance. The cinematography really helps the action earn some substance as it feels like Vogt-Roberts staged many scenes just to have an excuse to silhouette Kong against the backdrop of fire or have a gorgeous shot of the landscape of Skull Island. Unfortunately, scenes that do not have this feel hollow and straight forward. Though I love the giant squid scene because it is cool, it is a culprit of being nothing but hollow action. We already know Kong is big and strong. Showing him rip apart a squid hardly furthers this feeling. The writing in the film is also incredibly clunky with many scenes of dialogue either forcing in another reference, bad joke, or just coming off awkwardly. This translates into lackluster performances from Jason Mitchell and Thomas Mann, who receive the vast majority of the bad lines. That said, nobody really has excellent dialogue and character development is, naturally at a minimum. For those that would like some substance with their monster movies, Kong: Skull Island does not deliver there and it only further exacerbates its issue with feeling hollow.

Kong: Skull Island, in spite of its issues with hollow action and lackluster writing, is still a terrifically entertaining piece of popcorn entertainment. Wearing its influences on its sleeves and ditching some of the more unsavory elements of past King Kong films and replacing it with a look at post-war time for soldiers, mercenaries, and photographers amidst this sea of disillusionment and the rise of rock and roll, Kong: Skull Island often feels like a time capsule. For a man born in 1984, Jordan Vogt-Roberts does an excellent job providing great 1970s nostalgia and capturing the feeling of America as Vietnam War ended and the Cold War raged onward. Thus, while it has issues with excessive comic relief, hollow action, and bad characters like every other modern blockbuster, Kong: Skull Island makes up for it with that thematic substance. Above all, however, the film is absolutely visually stunning and, even where all else fails, this film is damn pretty. Fun, dumb, and gorgeous, Kong: Skull Island is the hot blonde of films. Though I am pretty sure it has nothing under the hood, it is just pretty enough to keep me distracted with a light and off-the-cuff personality that really keeps you running and guessing as to what is next. While perhaps not the key to a lasting relationship, it does translate well into being a quality blockbuster.

[investmart007]

LOS ANGELES | Emmy hosts Che, Jost ready for fun, politics, even mishaps

New Post has been published on https://www.stl.news/los-angeles-emmy-hosts-che-jost-ready-for-fun-politics-even-mishaps/169987/

LOS ANGELES | Emmy hosts Che, Jost ready for fun, politics, even mishaps

LOS ANGELES  — Michael Che and Colin Jost, typically stuck behind a desk as “Saturday Night Live” news anchors, are moving to a grander setting Monday as Emmy Awards hosts.

The comedians got in the mood at Thursday’s rollout of the traditional arrivals carpet — yellow-hued this time around, not red, as the ceremony marks its 70th year.

“This isn’t as gold as I thought it would be. I was expecting a much tackier gold. But this is a reasonable gold,” Che observed.

After carpet duty, he and Jost talked to The Associated Press about the high-profile job of hosting and what it’s like to be tapped for it by Lorne Michaels, their “SNL” boss and this year’s Emmys telecast producer.

The “Weekend Update” anchors were serious, sometimes. Remarks were edited for clarity and brevity.

AP: How does it feel to get this high-profile gig?

Jost: We love going to the Emmys. Anytime we’re nominated, it feels like a big honor. And to go and get asked to host, and they trusted us, it’s great. Am I right (to Che)?

Che: Your hair is gorgeous.

AP: What did Michaels say about how to approach it?

Che: It was something along the lines of, ‘Have fun out there’ and ‘We trust you.’ So that’s exciting when maybe the greatest producer in TV trusts us with a show. So I think the (TV) academy is in good hands.

AP: Will you include political humor?

Jost: We don’t totally know yet because we don’t even know what’s going to happen over the weekend politically. There might be some, and there might not.

Che: There’s gonna be political jokes. And we’re gonna come out on the wrong side of history, for sure. We’re aiming toward it.

AP: Some awards hosts who have taken a different approach, such as David Letterman and his ‘Oprah-Uma’ bit at the 1995 Oscars, have fallen flat. Will you be more traditional hosts?

Jost: I don’t even know really what a traditional host for it is. Che: Ed McMahon. Ed McMahon is a traditional host. Jost: Well, should we do that?

Che: If we could be half as good as Ed McMahon, we’ve nailed it. We’re Ed McMahon-ing it.

AP: Given the Oscars envelop mix-up, are you concerned about mishaps?

Jost: We have lots of those planned.

AP: Best worst-case scenario for what could go wrong? Che: All the winners will be announced via Jack-in-the-box (toy). So we’re just going to have to crank and crank and crank till it pops out.

And it will be a puppet of the winner’s face.

Jost: That’s a subtle change that you’ll notice. And then the show’s going to be five hours.

Q: Will the ceremony be very “SNL”-ish?

Jost: There will be a lot of people from the ‘SNL‘ family involved. But also a lot of people that are just the stars of television now that have nothing to do with ‘SNL,’ because people want to see everyone who’s on TV.

Q: Some nominees have said they hope that politics won’t dominate the night. But you two tackle serious issues on “Weekend Update,” so is it a tightrope for you?

Che: We’re overthinking it if we’re thinking about that. It’s a celebration for a lot of people who worked really hard this year to be nominated and (for) a lot of shows that people really enjoy. We’re just gonna have fun at the top and keep the show moving and make sure it’s an enjoyable show to watch.

Jost: You want to make it celebratory. You want people to be laughing and you want people to have a fun time. You’re lucky to be doing this job and you’re lucky to get recognized in some way, so why not make it a fun night?

By Associated Press

[nancygduarteus]

A Tough-to-Detect Danger in Shopping for Your Kids Online

Crayons are generally an innocuous children’s product, but a consumer-advocacy group has discovered a dangerous substance in one brand. In a newly released report on 27 back-to-school products, the United States Public Interest Research Group revealed that some green crayons in packs by Playskool, available at Dollar Tree, Amazon.com, and eBay.com, contained a toxic chemical with a deadly history: asbestos. The substance is known to cause mesothelioma and lung cancer, and is suspected to contribute to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and kidney cancer.

This sort of testing and detection of toxic chemicals is nothing new. Last year, the U.S. PIRG found lead in fidget spinners, and in 2015, the Environmental Working Group found trace amounts of asbestos in crayons. But the new incident highlights a hard-to-nail-down problem in the increasing availability of products on the internet: Enforcing bans with such disparate points of sale is an incredible challenge, and can make keeping kids safe a logistical nightmare.

In their investigation, the U.S. PIRG discovered that two other children’s products containing toxic materials were currently available: a three-ring binder containing phthalates, a plastic that is being investigated for suspected links to asthma and birth defects; and markers containing benzene, a common chemical that’s known to cause leukemia and potentially other types of cancers. The reason these products are available, says Kara Cook-Schulz, a co-writer for the report, is that there aren’t strict laws that protect Americans from every potentially dangerous chemical. Benzene is is allowed in concentrations less than 5 percent; asbestos is allowed in concentrations less than 1 percent.

To put it into perspective, says Andrew Stolbach, a medical toxicologist for Johns Hopkins Medicine, “asbestos is a rock that’s shaped like a fiber. And it sounds really cool! You know, you spray it onto houses and make them fireproof. But as we know, that went very wrong.” The mineral, which has been used in the United States for hundreds of years in insulation, car parts, cement, and more, was found to be harmful in the early 20th century. It has been banned in 55 countries.

The United States is not one of these countries. In the 1970s, the Environmental Protection Agency introduced regulations on the import and use of asbestos, and while its use has been significantly curtailed, it has only been entirely banned from six product categories. And the rules around the chemical are likely to change under the Trump administration, which introduced a proposal in June that would overturn a ban on new uses of asbestos and institute something called a Significant New Use Rule. This rule would allow the development of new products containing asbestos, after the EPA evaluates the new use for any potential safety concerns. The EPA contends that its proposal would protect consumers by requiring companies to receive approval before manufacturing or importing asbestos-containing products. Advocacy groups and former EPA officials, however, have erupted in opposition to new health hazards.

A 2015 study estimates that about 9.9 million people per year are still killed from asbestos poisoning globally, with the United States leading the charge among countries with good data: At least 2,500 Americans die from the effects of exposure every year.

It may seem odd that crayons would contain asbestos, given that the chemical is typically found in housing construction materials. But the asbestos isn’t a component of a crayon so much as it is a byproduct of processing talc, a widely-available material that’s also found in cosmetics, baby powder, and deodorant. “Talc is mined in places where asbestos is co-occurring,” says Cook-Schulz. “So what you have to do is refine the talc, and then you test it, and then you put the talc in your product, your crayon, your makeup. But some of these companies aren’t doing enough of a process to refine the asbestos out of the products.” A lot of talc mines and refineries are in China, says Cook-Schulz. And while there are refineries that adequately remove traces of asbestos, regulations are not as stringent as they are in the states.

When asbestos is found in products, it’s often found in trace amounts, which, says Stolbach, isn’t dangerous for most people. In that case, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, or CPSC, might issue a voluntary recall to the manufacturers and retailers with the product on its shelves. The U.S. PIRG has requested a recall of the crayons, which the CPSC has not yet issued.

But Cook-Schulz says there’s still a danger in accumulation: The trace amount found in a crayon or a face powder might not be harmful on its own, but exposure from enough products is enough to put consumers at risk. In a statement, Playskool stood by the safety of their products. “We are currently re-verifying that they are safe and free of any asbestos, as well as requesting a review of PIRG’s testing methods.”

Online retailers, from Amazon to eBay to smaller shops often not based in the U.S., present an additional challenge to managing consumer’s exposure to toxic chemicals. Because essentially anyone can sell on Amazon and eBay, resulting in huge numbers of sellers and products available there and on the web at large, it’s difficult for the CPSC to ensure that products containing asbestos or other chemicals are removed.

“It may be riskier for parents to buy products online because international sellers may not meet the same safety standards that the U.S. has in place,” says Morgan Statt, a health and safety investigator for ConsumerSafety.org, a consumer advocacy group.

“That’s something we are concerned about,” says Cook-Schulz. “That you can buy stuff online but not in stores, and that there are products you can’t find in stores but may be able find on Amazon or Ebay. The CPSC does spot-check, but there’s a lot of websites, and places to buy things. So this is a new area that we’re grappling with how to regulate it.”

Stolbach agrees. “We’ve relied on imminent regulation to protect us from nasty things that have been in products before, and regulations have been a real success story,” he said. “It does worry me that consumption has become decentralized. We do more buying from places with relaxed regulations, and we will be less likely to know what is in our stuff.”

To ensure safety, Cook-Schulz recommends that parents check product images for the AP non-toxic label, which appears on art supplies like crayons or glue sticks. (The contaminated Playskool crayons did not have this label, according to Cook-Schulz.) Or parents can check with manufacturers for a children’s product certificate, which guarantees that the product was made in a factory that adheres to CPSC standards.

In a statement, eBay said that it maintains a recalled items policy and hazardous-goods policy to keep consumers informed. As for dangerous products at DollarTree, the company wrote in a statement that that it “has since re-verified that each of the listed products successfully passed inspection and testing.” Amazon did not respond to a request for comment.

As far as dangerous products go, crayons aren’t the worst. The most likely mode of asbestos exposure from a crayon for a child is if they eat it, and that’s less dangerous than inhaling it, says Stolbach. Still, it’s safer for children to avoid contact with it. And, Stolbach adds, “Why do we have it in our life? There’s no reason for crayons to have asbestos. But it shouldn’t be something that keeps you up at night.”

from Health News And Updates https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2018/08/asbestos-crayons-kids-safety/567131/?utm_source=feed

[everettwilkinson]

TRUMP hosting Dems at the W.H. for tax reform dinner — ALEXANDER, PORTMAN and SHAHEEN break bread — Russia probe: loyalty test for Trump staffers — KATY TUR’s new book is out — B'DAY: Matt Lewis

THE NEXT TIME YOU HEAR SOMETHING ABOUT URGENCY IN WASHINGTON, remember this: the House comes in tonight at 6:30 p.m., and is gone by noon on Thursday. The week was cut short by Hurricane Irma, but still …

L.A. TIMES MEXICO BUREAU CHIEF KATE LINTHICUM: (@katelinthicum): “After a devastating earthquake and hurricane (and after Trump failed to send condolences), Mexico today rescinded its offer of aid to the US”.

Story Continued Below

Good Tuesday morning. SPOTTED: Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) dining at Tadich Grill on Pennsylvania Avenue Monday night. Could there be a health-care deal in the offing?

BURGESS EVERETT — “Trump, continuing courting Democrats, will host dinner on tax reform”: “Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Joe Donnelly of Indiana have been invited and are expected to attend, aides said. GOP Sens. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania and John Thune of South Dakota are among the Republican attendees. … The three moderate Democrats are all up for reelection next year in states Trump won handily in 2016. They have also been closer to the president than other congressional Democrats. Each declined to join a letter with party leaders outlining conditions on tax reform and all three supported Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch earlier this year.” http://politi.co/2xhae7p

— THE REALITY: Democrats have been shut out of the tax reform process. The Big Six is made up of only Republicans. Republicans have designed a legislative process that only requires Republican support — reconciliation. When asked last week if Democrats would go along, Speaker Paul Ryan said, “I hope Democrats join us on tax reform. I think that’s fantastic if they do. We’re going to go the path we’ve been planning on tax reform.” LET’S BE REAL: Do you really think Donnelly, Manchin and Heitkamp’s votes can be bought with some chicken? By the way, we heard this dinner was originally slated to be only Democrats.

AND, REMEMBER: Republicans have not yet passed a budget — a prerequisite for tax reform. There’s talk they’ll take it up in the House in the last week of September, but the support is not nearly firm enough yet. There’s a chance there is no final action on the budget until October or November. Without a budget, tax reform talks are just that, talk. STEVEN MNUCHIN and GARY COHN are meeting with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and the Republicans on the Budget Committee today.

— More from Colin Wilhelm and Aaron Lorenzo on the lack of reform details http://politi.co/2eSWXHN

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

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO MIDDLE EAST PEACE? — “Some Trump Lawyers Wanted Kushner Out,” by WSJ’s Peter Nicholas, Rebecca Ballhaus and Erica Orden: “Some of President Donald Trump’s lawyers earlier this summer concluded that Jared Kushner should step down as senior White House adviser because of possible legal complications related to a probe of Russia’s involvement in the 2016 presidential election and aired concerns about him to the president, people familiar with the matter said. Among their concerns was that Mr. Kushner was the adviser closest to the president who had the most dealings with Russian officials and businesspeople during the campaign and transition, some of which are currently being examined by federal investigators and congressional oversight panels. Mr. Kushner, Mr. Trump’s son-in-law and confidant, has said he had four such meetings or interactions.” http://on.wsj.com/2y1yloz

— FLASHBACK: July 12, Axios’s Jonathan Swan: “Scoop: Trump lawyers want wall between Kushner, president” http://bit.ly/2y1HUE2

— “Russia probes pose loyalty test for Team Trump,” by Darren Samuelsohn: “Lawyers representing Donald Trump’s current and former aides are giving their clients one simple piece of advice: don’t lie to protect the president. As special counsel Robert Mueller and congressional investigators prepare to question high-ranking aides – including Hope Hicks, Reince Priebus and Sean Spicer – in the coming weeks, Trump’s long history of demanding his employees’ complete loyalty are being put to the test.

“But Trump stalwarts know the president is closely following the media coverage of the Russia case – and the last thing they want is to be deemed a turncoat whose answers end up becoming further fuel for investigators. Several of the lawyers representing current and former aides told POLITICO they’re actively warning their clients that any bonds connecting them to Trump won’t protect them from criminal charges if federal prosecutors can nail them for perjury, making false statements or obstruction of justice.” http://politi.co/2h0Ab1b

HURRICANE UPDATES …

–“Battered Florida tries to assess scope of Irma’s destruction,” by AP’s Jennifer Kay in Miami and Doug Ferguson in Jacksonville: “Battered Florida tries to assess scope of Irma’s destruction,” by Aid rushed in to hurricane-scarred Florida early Tuesday, residents began to dig out, and officials slowly pieced together the scope of Irma’s vicious path of destruction across the peninsula. … [T]he fate of the Florida Keys … remained largely a question mark. … A Navy aircraft carrier was due to anchor off Key West to help in search-and-rescue efforts. Drinking water supplies in the Keys were cut off, fuel was running low and all three hospitals in the island chain were shuttered. A stunning 13 million people, two-thirds of the third-largest state’s residents, plodded on in the tropical heat without electricity, and nearly every corner of Florida felt Irma’s power.” http://bit.ly/2feMNSe

— “Hurricane Irma’s impact, from the air: Florida Keys a bit battered but mostly spared,” by WaPo’s Joel Achenbach “above the Florida Keys”: “The Conch Republic is still here, if dark, dirty, trashed, and weeks away from being what it was before Hurricane Irma blew in. It wasn’t devastated because, for some reason, this massive storm punched below its weight. This was a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson wind scale as it rolled into the Keys. It brought a fair bit of destruction, and tossed boats onto lawns. It turned towns raggedy. But a tour of Southwest Florida and the Florida Keys on Monday afternoon by air suggests that this quirky storm spared the state the kind of direct, punishing violence that residents had dreaded.

“A Coast Guard C-130 transport plane carrying two U.S. senators, a congressman and a handful of journalists left from the Coast Guard air station in Opa-Locka, just north of Miami, for the two-hour tour of hurricane damage. At 2,000 feet, the journey offered no chance for a granular diagnosis, but the big picture was clear: Southwest Florida and its huge population of retirees emerged relatively unscathed. The storm severely battered some of the small and fragile Keys. Key West itself is generally intact, though without power, a water supply and a functional sewage system.” http://wapo.st/2wUekTh

— NYT’S ALEX BURNS ANCHORS THE N.Y.T. LEAD ALL: “Damp, Dark and Disarrayed, Florida Starts Coping With Irma’s Aftermath” (with reporting by Trevor Aaronsen from St. Petersburg, Fla.; Jess Bidgood from Tampa, Fla.; Audra Burch and Jonah Bromwich from Orlando, Fla.; Richard Fausset from Isle of Palms, S.C.; Sheri Fink from Houston; Henry Fountain from Naples, Fla.; Joseph B. Treaster from Miami; and Caitlin Dickinson, Christine Hauser, Hannah Fairfield, Daniel Victor and Mary Williams Walsh from New York). http://nyti.ms/2wWTDUr

DATA DU JOUR – Over 24 hours on Sunday, Snapchat received almost 250,000 submissions from Snapchatters to their Irma news story, which is two and a half times more than what the company saw during Harvey last week.

****** A message from CTIA and America’s wireless industry: The global race to deploy 5G wireless is on—and America needs to win. Government action on spectrum and infrastructure policy will allow U.S. wireless companies to invest $275 billion, create more than 3 million jobs, and add $500 billion to the economy, according to Accenture. Learn more at CTIA.org. ******

FOR THE WHITE HOUSE’S TO DO LIST — “After nine months, federal offices are still waiting to hang Trump’s picture,” by WaPo’s Lisa Rein: “In the lobby of every federal building, just inside security turnstiles and before the elevator banks, a framed photograph of the president has always hung on the wall. Not so anymore. Nine months after Donald Trump’s inauguration, pictures of the president and Vice President Pence are missing from thousands of federal courthouses, laboratories, military installations, ports of entry, office suites and hallways, and from U.S. embassies abroad. …

“Federal agencies ordered photographs of their new commander in chief months ago. But they say they are still waiting for the Government Publishing Office, the printer of official portraits, to send them for distribution by the General Services Administration, which owns or leases 9,600 federal buildings across the country. The Government Publishing Office says it has yet to receive the images from the White House. And the White House says the president and vice president have not yet decided when they will sit for the type of high-quality official photographs usually churned out by the modern GPO, continuing a portrait tradition that began after the Civil War.” http://wapo.st/2vQrKfd

THE LATEST ON NORTH KOREA …

— “Oil will keep flowing, but UN sanctions hit Pyongyang hard,” by AP’s Eric Talmadge in Tokyo: “North Korea will be feeling the pain of new United Nations sanctions targeting some of its biggest remaining foreign revenue streams. But the Security Council eased off the biggest target of all: the oil the North needs to stay alive, and to fuel its million-man military.

“Though the United States had proposed a complete ban, the sanctions by the U.N. Security Council to punish North Korea for its sixth nuclear test cap Pyongyang’s annual imports of crude oil at the same level they have been for the past 12 months: an estimated 4 million barrels. Exports of North Korean textiles are prohibited, and other nations are barred from authorizing new work permits for North Korean workers, putting a squeeze on two key sources of hard currency.” http://bit.ly/2gZalyz

— “How Russia quietly undercuts sanctions intended to stop North Korea’s nuclear program,” by WaPo’s Joby Warrick: “Russian smugglers are scurrying to the aid of North Korea with shipments of petroleum and other vital supplies that could help that country weather harsh new economic sanctions, U.S. officials say in an assessment that casts further doubt on whether financial measures alone can force dictator Kim Jong Un to abandon his nuclear weapons program. The spike in Russian exports is occurring as China — by far North Korea’s biggest trading partner — is beginning to dramatically ratchet up the economic pressure on its troublesome neighbor in the face of provocative behavior such as last week’s test of a powerful nuclear bomb.

“Official documents and interviews point to a rise in tanker traffic this spring between North Korean ports and Vladivostok, the far-eastern Russian city near the small land border shared by the two countries. With international trade with North Korea increasingly constrained by U.N. sanctions, Russian entrepreneurs are seizing opportunities to make a quick profit, setting up a maze of front companies to conceal -transactions and launder payments, according to U.S. law enforcement officials who monitor sanction-busting activity.” http://wapo.st/2vReWp4

— BREAKING THIS MORNING: BOEHNER TO TRUMP: DON’T WITHDRAW FROM SOUTH KOREAN TRADE DEAL: Former Speaker John Boehner — a staunch proponent of free trade — is urging Trump to bolster ties with Seoul: “For our strategic endeavors to succeed, however, the United States must strengthen — not weaken — its already vital economic relationships in the Pacific, from South Korea and Japan to Australia and China. We cannot isolate the regime in Pyongyang by isolating ourselves.

“Withdrawing from the Korea-U.S. Trade Agreement … would undermine America’s strategic objectives in the Pacific region and undercut our own workers and employers, who continue to depend on the free flow of goods and services between the US and the Republic of Korea. Instead of pulling back from our current engagements and commitments, we must renew and strengthen our relationships in the Pacific region, not just with South Korea, but with China, as reflected in the joint commitment to economic cooperation that was expressed by President Trump and President Xi in April; and with Australia and Japan, our long-standing allies, whose alliances and friendships with America are now more important than ever.” PDF of full statement http://politi.co/2wWphBn

TRUMP’S BUDGET — “Congress Rejects Trump Proposals to Cut Health Research Funds,” by NYT’s Robert Pear: “Back in March, when President Trump released the first draft of his budget proposal for the coming fiscal year, he asked lawmakers for deep cuts to one of their favorite institutions, the National Institutes of Health — part of a broad reordering of priorities, away from science and social spending, toward defense and border security. Six months later, Congress has not only rejected the president’s N.I.H. proposal; lawmakers from both parties have joined forces to increase spending on biomedical research — and have bragged about it.

“The Senate Appropriations Committee approved a bipartisan bill last week providing $36.1 billion for the health institutes in the fiscal year that starts next month. Senator Roy Blunt, Republican of Missouri and the chairman of the subcommittee responsible for health spending, said it was the third consecutive year in which he had secured a $2 billion increase for the agency, amounting to an increase of about 20 percent over three years. The audience erupted in applause when Senator Lamar Alexander, Republican of Tennessee, announced the increase at a hearing of a separate Senate committee.” http://nyti.ms/2eSBRJL

KELLY VS. GUTIERREZ — “John Kelly fires back at Democrat who called him ‘disgrace to the uniform,'” by FoxNews.com’s Christopher Wallace: “Illinois Rep. Luis Gutierrez had leveled the criticism at Kelly over his support of President Trump’s decision to end a controversial program that shielded young illegal immigrants from deportation. In an email to Fox News late Sunday, Kelly responded by saying Congress did ‘nothing’ to help so-called Dreamers when they had the chance. ‘As far as the congressman and other irresponsible members of congress are concerned, they have the luxury of saying what they want as they do nothing and have almost no responsibility,’ Kelly said. ‘They can call people liars but it would be inappropriate for me to say the same thing back at them. As my blessed mother used to say “empty barrels make the most noise.”’ http://fxn.ws/2wmb6DC

TRUMP’S TUESDAY — THE PRESIDENT is meeting with Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. He meets with H.R. McMaster before hosting Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak at the White House. Afterwards, he is huddling with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. He’s then hosting senators at the White House.

ANNA’S POSTCARD FROM LONDON — POLITICO LONDON’S TOM MCTAGUE shares with us two fun tidbits from his upcoming book lifting the lid on Prime Minister Theresa May’s disastrous decision to call a snap general election “Betting the House: The Inside Story of the 2017 Election” with Tim Ross. Interesting nuggets for this side of the pond — former President Barack Obama called conservative campaign headquarters (the same team former aide Jim Messina worked for) on the day of the election to let them know someone from the Labour’s campaign told him the party was going to lose 20 to 30 seats. …

ON THERESA MAY: The two write that an aide briefing the prime minister before a Sunday show appearance in January was concerned May would get asked about President Donald Trump. “As she waited to collect the PM from her Sunday morning church service, May’s spin chief knew she would have to find a way to prepare her boss. She decided she would just have to say it. ‘Prime Minister, it’s possible she will be asked what you think of Donald Trump saying he can grab women by the p****.’ In the front seat of the Government Jaguar, the police protection officer snorted. May was told not to grimace because the camera was likely to zoom in on her face in a close-up. In the end, May remained perfectly composed, waiting, expressionless, before answering: ‘I think that’s unacceptable.’ Pre-order the book on Amazon http://amzn.to/2xWN3MV

THE JUICE …

— KATY TUR’S BOOK IS OUT TODAY … WAPO’S CARLOS LOZADA – “Katy Tur’s insider memoir chronicles the Trump campaign — and the indignities of reporting while female” http://wapo.st/2jlqfUm … NYT REVIEW, by Jill Abramson: “A Memoir by Donald Trump’s Favorite Target” http://nyti.ms/2vR1fX8 … BUY THE BOOK: http://amzn.to/2gXyRQA … Ranked No. 68 on Amazon as of this morning … MARK YOUR CALENDARS for Katy’s event with Jake at Politics and Prose Sept. 22 http://bit.ly/2wWffjD

— MORNING JOE IS 10! — “Morning Joe” is starting a 10-year anniversary Twitter sweepstakes this morning ahead of the anniversary show on Sept. 19. A pic of the prizes that fans can win http://bit.ly/2h0y2mv … More info http://on.msnbc.com/2xtKk1p

— American Action Network is launching a $2.5 million TV ad campaign on tax reform targeting 23 congressional districts nationwide, including those in leadership, on key committees, in the Freedom Caucus and holding competitive seats. List of districts http://bit.ly/2eS79Aq … The ad http://bit.ly/2wXgUFG

FOR YOUR RADAR — THREE NEW IPHONES — “What to Expect at Apple’s Biggest Event in Years: Look for the iPhone X, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and a bunch of other iProducts on Tuesday,” by Bloomberg’s Mark Gorman. https://bloom.bg/2wXChrQ

DESSERT — HAPPENING FRIDAY — Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), a noted harmonica player, and Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), a multi-instrumentalist, are joining members of the Buck Mountain Band to perform as “The Amateurs” at the 17th Annual Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion on Friday. 15-second video of Alexander (on the piano) and Kaine practicing http://bit.ly/2jlguWj

PHOTO DU JOUR: A man with flowers stands at the edge of a waterfall pool at Ground Zero during a ceremony on the 16th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in New York. | Seth Wenig/AP Photo

AUSTIN WRIGHT: “Kaine hits the trail again, battling 2016 ghosts on his way”: “An aide to Tim Kaine enters a diner in Charlottesville and informs the host that the Virginia senator is about to walk in. The host smiles and cracks a joke: ‘You mean the guy who lost to Trump?’ Ten months after the presidential election, Kaine is still trying to shed the stigma of being the vice presidential candidate on the ticket that came up short against Donald Trump, a man so reviled by Kaine’s fellow Democrats that many of them can’t bear the thought of him serving out his full four-year presidential term. The senator is back on the campaign trail — stumping in Virginia for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ralph Northam and preparing for his own 2018 reelection campaign.

“But even as Kaine tries to keep his focus on the next election, there are constant reminders of the last one — the only election he’s ever lost. Trump, it seems, looms over everything. Kaine isn’t interested in relitigating one of the biggest electoral upsets in U.S. history. He looks visibly uncomfortable talking about the election and cautions against ‘overinterpreting’ what went wrong.” http://politi.co/2y1mR4B

HRC: GOING NOWHERE — NPR’S TAMARA KEITH interviews HILLARY CLINTON: When asked about critics who believe she should disappear from public life, CLINTON: “Well, they’re going to be disappointed because I think it’s important for people with my experience and my insight into what went on in the campaign but more generally about our country to speak out. We need more voices, not fewer voices.” Clinton chronicler Jonathan Allen in POLITICO magazine reviews her new book http://politi.co/2vPKsUf

STATE OF THE DARK ARTS — “Russia Used Facebook Events to Organize Anti-Immigrant Rallies on U.S. Soil,” by Ben Collins, Kevin Poulsen, and Spencer Ackerman in The Daily Beast: “Russian operatives hiding behind false identities used Facebook’s event management tool to remotely organize and promote political protests in the U.S., including an August 2016 anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim rally in Idaho, The Daily Beast has learned. A Facebook spokesperson confirmed to the Daily Beast that the social-media giant ‘shut down several promoted events as part of the takedown we described last week.’ … The Facebook events—one of which echoed Islamophobic conspiracy theories pushed by pro-Trump media outlets—are the first indication that the Kremlin’s attempts to shape America’s political discourse moved beyond fake news and led unwitting Americans into specific real-life action.” http://thebea.st/2w42y94

ISAAC DOVERE interviews REP. WILL HURD (R-TEXAS) in the latest “OFF MESSAGE” podcast: “To House Republicans who don’t like the funding deal President Donald Trump made with Democrats, Rep. Will Hurd has a message: Get yourself together, or quit complaining. Otherwise, get used to the feeling of watching the Republican president brag about how much he’s getting done with Chuck and Nancy. ‘If we’re not in agreement on what the topic is going to be or what we want to achieve, then guess what? You’re probably not going in with a strong hand,’ Hurd told Dovere. ‘I think rank-and-file members need to understand that there is a team aspect to politics.’ On getting rid of the debt ceiling: ‘you give that up, you’re basically giving up your responsibility.’” http://politi.co/2vQPjVr … Listen to the full podcast http://apple.co/2h1efTG

ROSIE GRAY: “An Ousted NSC Official Is Joining the House Intelligence Committee Staff”: “A former National Security Council official, forced out by National-Security Adviser H.R. McMaster in July, is set to join the staff of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, according to two sources familiar with his move. Derek Harvey, who was the NSC’s senior director for the Middle East and had been appointed by the former National-Security Adviser Michael Flynn, was among several officials who were ousted this summer.” http://theatln.tc/2xWNYNq

****** A message from CTIA and America’s wireless industry: Tomorrow’s 5G networks will create 3 million jobs, add $500 billion to the economy, and fuel innovation and entrepreneurialism across every sector. If policymakers move quickly to release more spectrum and modernize infrastructure rules, the wireless industry stands ready to invest $275 billion to build these next-gen networks, according to Accenture. This will drive breakthrough advancements in remote health care, connected vehicles, energy, education and beyond—making our lives better and safer. But the race to deploy 5G wireless networks is underway—and we’re at a critical moment. The EU, China, Japan, South Korea and others are doing everything they can to win. If policymakers act now, the U.S. can continue our global leadership in wireless. Learn how at CTIA.org. ******

GOOD LIFE LESSON — “An Exit Interview With Richard Posner, Judicial Provocateur,” by NYT’s Adam Liptak: “Judge Richard A. Posner, whose restless intellect, withering candor and superhuman output made him among the most provocative figures in American law in the last half-century, recently announced his retirement. The move was abrupt, and I called him up to ask what had prompted it. ‘About six months ago,’ Judge Posner said, ‘I awoke from a slumber of 35 years.’ He had suddenly realized, he said, that people without lawyers are mistreated by the legal system, and he wanted to do something about it.

“For starters, as is his habit when his interest alights on a fresh topic, he wrote a book on the subject. Judge Posner blurts out books at a comic pace. ‘I realized, in the course of that, that I had really lost interest in the cases,’ he said. ‘And then I started asking myself, what kind of person wants to have the same identical job for 35 years? And I decided 35 years is plenty. It’s too much. Why didn’t I quit 10 years ago? I’ve written 3,300-plus judicial opinions.’” http://nyti.ms/2wU2vfX

MEDIAWATCH — “Laura Ingraham set to take over Fox News’ 10 p.m. slot,” by CNN’s Brian Stelter and Hadas Gold: “Ingraham is expected to take over the 10 p.m. hour on Fox News, according to people who spoke on condition of anonymity. While there may be one or two final details to negotiate, Ingraham has been telling friends that the deal is essentially done … Her new show will be part of a broader change to the network’s top-rated prime time lineup. Sean Hannity’s show, currently at 10 p.m., will move one hour earlier to 9 p.m. … And ‘The Five,’ a talk show originally named for its 5 p.m. time slot, will shift from 9 p.m. back to its namesake hour.” http://cnnmon.ie/2wW1h15

— FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — From an FT memo going out today: “Pilita Clark is appointed business columnist and associate editor. … Lyndsey Jones is appointed an executive editor. … Robin Kwong is appointed head of digital delivery under editorial director Robert Shrimsley. … Paul Murphy is appointed investigations editor.”

— KIMBERLY DOZIER has been named executive editor of The Cipher Brief. She previously was a reporter for the AP, CBS News and The Daily Beast.

— SCOTT WILSON will cover “the West and especially California” for The Washington Post. He had been national editor (h/t Morning Media).

— TAYLOR ANTRIM has been named executive editor of Vogue. He has spent five years at Vogue, first as senior editor and then articles editor.

SPOTTED: Gina McCarthy last night at Dirty Habit bar near the EPA, having a relaxed drink. She had a rolling backpack with her. … Carly Fiorina last night at Charlie Palmer … Justice Stephen Breyer in coach on American’s 5:30 p.m. shuttle from DCA to Boston … Eric Cantor at District Commons last night entertaining two people — pic http://bit.ly/2wUoB1S … former Ariz. Sen. Jon Kyl in seat 23C of an American Airlines flight from PHX to DCA.

OUT AND ABOUT – Pool report: “The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute kicked off their annual conference with a reception featuring Google Arts & Culture’s new Latino Cultures in the U.S. — the largest ever online collection of artifacts and stories dedicated to U.S. Latino history and culture. Guests entered through a hologram wall of the mural ‘Mundos de Mestizaje’ by Frederico Vigil and took virtual field trips in the virtual reality lounges.”

SPOTTED: Reps. Joaquín Castro (D-Texas), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Tony Cárdenas (D-Calif.) Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.), Jimmy Gómez (D-Calif.) and Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.), Mayor Muriel Bowser, Henry Muñoz and Kyle Ferari, Domenika Lynch, Susan Molinari, Caroline Atkinson, Daniel Alegre, Laura Marquez, Stephanie Valencia and Katherine Vargas.

TRANSITIONS — Tina Tchen is returning to Chicago to lead the Chicago office of the law firm Buckley Sandler http://trib.in/2wXdMel … Adam Sharon has joined the Harbour Group as a senior vice president. He previously worked at Prime Strategies, and was the former Democratic communications director of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. … Adrienne Kimmell is joining NARAL Pro-Choice America as the VP of strategic research. She previously was executive director of the Barbara Lee Family Foundation and Barbara Lee political office. …

… Farrin Jay has joined the Snap Inc communications team. She was previously at NBC News, where she did PR for the “Today Show.” … Chris Simone started this week as a legislative affairs specialist on contract to FEMA for Klett Consulting Group. He was previously a researcher at America Rising Squared.

K STREET FILES — Mehlman Castagnetti Rosen & Thomas is launching a new podcast, “14th & G,” which is “designed to deliver quick, easily digestible insights into the business of Washington”. The podcast is hosted by Mehlman Castagnetti principal CR Wooters. http://politi.co/2xhvx8T

BIRTHWEEK (was yesterday): hedge fund manager David Tepper … Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies

BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Matt Lewis, senior columnist at The Daily Beast and CNN political commentator. A fun fact about Matt: “My mom had twelve siblings; my dad had nine. They must have gotten tired of all the noise, because I’m an only child.” Read his Playbook Plus Q&A: http://politi.co/2wWcfUh

BIRTHDAYS: “Face the Nation” senior producer Jill Jackson (hat tip: Caitlin Conant) … Andrea DiVito of “Fox News Sunday” … GQ’s Ben Schreckinger … Politico’s Walt Houseknecht … Don Fowler, former DNC chairman … former Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) … former Waxman staffer Greg Wetstone … Dave Willett … Johnny Enterline of LCV … Natalie Raps, director at SKDKnickerbocker … Andrew Whalen … Rep. Evan Jenkins (R-W.Va.) … Rep. Trey Hollingsworth (R-Ind.) … Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback … Ed Moy, former director of the U.S. Mint … Maria Harris Roumel … Desiree Sayle … Jill Alper (h/t Jon Haber) … Max D’Onofrio, press secretary for Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) … Emily Lampkin … Melissa Schulman, SVP of gov’t and public affairs at CVS Health … former Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) (h/t Ryan Williams) … Brett Thompson, partner at Banner Public Affairs and CEO of Pork Barrel BBQ … NYT’s Kim Severson … John Lippman, deputy director for programming at VOA … Alex Botting of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce … Pam Stevens …

… Courtney O’Donnell, head of external affairs at Airbnb … Ethan Klapper, global social media editor at HuffPost … Peter Robbio, SVP at CRC … Fox News alum Jim Angle … Fred Schuster … Jason Stverak … James Faeh … Edelman’s Gavin Mathis … Jason O’Malley … Amazon’s Allison Marshall … Joseph Voss … Anne Johnson … lawyer Matthew Wald … Erin Hood … Russel Wade … Chip Ward is 64. He’s a big Terp fan and “thrilled that Maryland is off to a 2-0 start. His dad, Bob Ward, was consensus all-American football player there in early 50s” (h/t Jon) … Bill Hayden … Alison Harden Siciliano … Allison Ramiller … Nate Yohannes, director of business development at Microsoft and an Obama alum (h/t Sophia Kim) … Tom Vilmain … Alexandra Simbana (h/ts Teresa Vilmain)

****** A message from CTIA and America’s wireless industry: We need new rules for new 5G networks. New policies that will allow the U.S. to win the race to 5G and enable breakthrough advancements in healthcare, transportation, energy and more. First, a pipeline of low-, mid-, and high-band spectrum will help meet today’s mobile needs and enable the 5G networks of tomorrow. Second, every level of government must modernize their rules for the building of small cell wireless infrastructure. Third, permanent and common sense federal regulations for interstate services like mobile broadband will preserve an open internet and protect consumer privacy while promoting innovation and investment. Finally, America’s tax structure must be updated to spur billions of dollars in new 5G investment. Learn more about how wireless is working to invest in America’s future at CTIA.org. ******

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The Smartest of Them All!!!

Having worked in the electronics retail industry for years now, I've seen scores of Smart devices come and go. Until now, nobody quite got it right. In the Echo Dot, Amazon has created a near perfect blend of hardware and software. I've seen plenty of the former, but truly seamless multi platform software has eluded everyone but Amazon. We're talking major players like Samsung and Google who have been at it for much longer than Amazon. The main problem is that excellent products like the Samsung Smart Things hub, which do a fantastic job of unifying a slew of different connected devices from different companies (Nest, Honeywell, Phillips, and so on), still lacked the web connectivity and entertainment support I wanted, so I'd still end up needing my tablet or phone. Thanks to fantastic third party support, the Dot has no problem controlling all of my smart stuff while allowing me to listen to music, order food, check the weather, listen to the radio, set alarms and timers, all of which is easily accomplished through simple voice commands. To me, this is the exceedingly rare product that I didn't know I needed, and now can't live without. Similar to the smartphone and tablet I use every day that didn't exist just a few short years ago. If you're even a little bit curious you owe it to yourself to give the dot a try. Add a good speaker and enjoy just how simple a connected life can be! Update: After a bit more time with the dot, or maybe I should say dots since I went out and bought another one for my living room, I've come up with a few tips. 1. Use the best speakers you can with it. I found that while Bluetooth was convenient I got much better sound out of my JBL duet computer speakers. 2. Take the time to voice train Alexa at least once. It's kinda tedious but really improves the accuracy. I've now gone through three trainings with each dot, the phrasing gets more intricate with each, and it really is amazing how much of an improvement it makes. Kinda hard to quantify, but I'd guess Alexa is at least twice as likely to understand long, complex phrases and has also gained noticeable accuracy when ambient noise I'd present. 3. If a phrase doesn't yield the results you're looking for, reword it and try again. For instance, "Alexa, lower the temperature to 75 degrees" got no result, so I tried "Alexa, Honeywell Thermostat, 75 degrees" and she picked it up perfectly. 4. Take the time to look through all the skills. There's a lot of helpful and just plain fun stuff in there, from strange facts to a calculator and everything in between, that really helps to enhance the experience. 5. I'd never really used my prime music prior to setting up my dots. Now I can't live without it! I can say basically whatever I want and I get a result. My favs so far: "Alexa, play 90s music", "Alexa, play indie music", and "Alexa, play thunderstorm sounds". The last one I ask to repeat and it plays all night. Really a great "freebie" if you're a prime member. 6. I was a bit worried initially that Alexa might be triggered accidentally by ambient TV or general household noise, so I'm really impressed that it's only happened twice so far. Both times in my living room when I was watching TV at high volume. If it's a concern, the mic can be temporarily disabled, so the dot won't trigger and listen accidentally. 7. I've had no problem pairing the dot to a variety of devices including: two different Bluetooth speakers, my Galaxy S7 edge, and pioneer receiver. I need to look into it further, but each time I paired my phone the Bluetooth connection to the speaker was lost, so I ended up having to listen to the built in speaker. Definitely not ideal for music, but no big deal if you're using wired speakers. Plus, most Bluetooth sets offer an auxiliary input for wired listening. 8. It's fun to ask Alexa general questions to see if she's capable of finding the answers. So far I've gotten accurate responses to "Alexa, what's the definition of", "Alexa, how far away is", "Alexa, Wikipedia" (just about anything you can think of and she'll tell you more if you ask "Alexa, tell me more"). If you have the time, ask her a set of questions and you'll quickly get used to her nuances. 9. Even though the microphones are extremely sensitive and quite accurate, I've found that the Dot works best when placed on a surface that's close to the level of the person speaking to it. Generally speaking, three to five feet off the ground. Alexa had some trouble hearing my requests when the dot was placed above or behind me. If you'd like to place the dot higher, it works much better when flush with the wall, instead of sitting on a shelf etc. I tried both setups and found with a couple nails set apart to make a cradle facing the dot out towards the room works best for me (sorry for the run on sentence lol). Suggestions for Improvement: 1. Unlike the upcoming Google Home BT speaker, the Dot and other Alexa devices are unable to answer general web queries. They do a decent job of answering factual questions like "How far away is the sun" but I'd really like too see Amazon add a "search" function. 2. Not Amazon's fault, but several of the news briefing skills update infrequently and volume levels vary enough that I'd find myself constantly changing the volume level to match. 3. I enabled briefings from several outlets like NPR, BBC, AP, and so on. I'd suggest you pick one or two and stick with them, otherwise you'll here the same news over and over. I ended up going with BBC and AP briefings.

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