Trump call for budget cuts sparks new shutdown fears


President Donald Trump

Although the White House’s budget request is merely a messaging document, President Donald Trump’s posture will contribute to apprehension about a government shutdown. | Tom Brenner/Getty Images

President Donald Trump will make a cost-cutting opening budget offer Monday that will dismiss hopes for a grand budget deal and likely stoke fresh fears of another government shutdown.

Trump will put on paper what the White House has already prepared lawmakers to receive — an audacious plan for sucking 5 percent from the budgets of non-military arms of the federal government, while using an accounting trick to bust beyond set spending limits for defense programs. The 5 percent would be below the fiscal 2019 budget limits for domestic agencies.

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Trump in his budget request also is expected to rekindle partisan feuds over the border wall, project robust economic growth above 3 percent, take longer to balance the books than Republicans have advocated in the past and pay for a new Space Force within the Air Force.

Although the request is merely a messaging document, the president’s posture will contribute to apprehension about a government shutdown, some seven months before federal funding runs out again on Sept. 30.

On Capitol Hill, even Republicans are saying the president will need to come to the realization that the GOP must give some ground this year to Democrats, who hold the House majority and 47 seats in the Senate. But the Trump administration wants to hold fast to its mission to slash spending.

“Congress wants an automatic big-spending deal, and now they’re upset because they lost their favorite talking point that the president’s budget assumes a caps increase,” a senior administration official speaking on background said Saturday, referring to an increase in budget limits set eight years ago. “Congress hasn’t grappled with their spending addiction since 2011, and the administration is forcing the conversation before the debt crisis worsens.”

In recent years, Democrats in Congress have insisted that spending increases above the budget caps remain equal for defense and non-defense spending. But Trump administration officials say the president won’t bend this time to those demands of funding “parity.”

Congressional Republicans say that could produce another stalemate and shutdown. “Sorry, you’re elected to deal, you’ve got to deal,” said Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), who chairs the spending subcommittee that funds the departments of Education, Labor and Health and Human Services. “They’re going to all have to compromise … And the longer they delay, the more threatening it will be to the economy, the more likely we are to slide into some sort of confrontation that results in a government shutdown.”

Besides 5 percent cuts below fiscal 2019 caps for non-defense programs, Trump’s budget request is expected to project economic growth of 3.2 percent this year, 3.1 percent in 2020, 3 percent in 2021 and 2.8 percent in 2026, with a 10-year forecast of 3 percent.

The plan will also seek to balance the budget within 15 years, by 2034, rather than bringing spending in line with revenue over the typical 10-year period that’s been a goal for Republicans.

The budget request is expected to restart partisan feuding over funding for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Although the administration has not said how much money the president will propose for that project, the request is expected to be substantial enough to evoke the same kind of rebuke from congressional Democrats that led to the veto threat that spurred the 35-day shutdown that began just before Christmas last year.

Through the request, Trump will seek $100 million for the Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative his daughter and adviser, Ivanka, is spearheading with an aim to assist 50 million women in developing countries by 2025 through aid programs and partnerships with private businesses.

The president will ask Congress to fund a new Space Force within the Air Force, a project expected to cost $72 million in fiscal 2020 with a 200-person headquarters and eventually grow to about 900 people for a cost of about $500 million a year.

In the plan, the Trump administration will detail reforms to eliminate duplication and increase efficiency within federal agencies.

When a president’s annual budget request arrives on Capitol Hill, lawmakers love the retort: “The president proposes, Congress disposes.” Spending leaders are already taking this year’s plan less seriously, however, than past presidents’ wish lists.

“This one is frankly less realistic than most presidential budgets,” said Cole, calling it a “gimmick” to avoid budget limits by trying to stash $174 billion of $750 billion in defense funding within the Overseas Contingency Operations fund that doesn’t count toward the caps. “That’s fine, but Congress isn’t going to accept that.”

Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) said last week that it would be hard for Congress to find consensus to cut non-defense programs by 5 percent, as the president seeks. “Plus, you’ve got the House, too. You’ve got a third leg of politics,” Shelby said.

Congress has less than seven months to pass spending bills to fund the government in fiscal 2020, which begins on Oct. 1. An overarching deal on limits for defense and non-defense funding is the first step in that process. From there, spending leaders can divvy up limits among the 12 annual spending bills, then among each federal department, agency and program.

“We’ve got to figure out a number,” Shelby said. “Ultimately, when we put a bill together, we’ve got to have some numbers we can agree to.”

White House budget director Russell Vought already signaled that the Trump administration may oppose any congressional deal to raise the budget caps, citing “unsustainable” levels of borrowing, in an op-ed last month. And it would not be out of the question for Trump to ultimately veto such a deal, if congressional leaders tune out his demands.

House Budget Chairman John Yarmuth (D-Ky.) insists, however, that there is already bipartisan agreement on raising caps for both defense and non-defense spending. Democrats will at the very least seek to raise caps equally for non-defense programs and the military, he said, while pursuing greater investment in things like education and health care.

“There is bipartisan consensus on Capitol Hill that we must raise the caps for both non-defense and defense discretionary spending levels … The Administration’s plan to delay is a total disregard for responsible governing,” Yarmuth said in a statement Saturday.

The Trump administration’s renewed focus on fiscal responsibility comes after two years of ignoring a ballooning deficit and shepherding passage of a tax overhaul that contributed to a federal debt of more than $22 trillion.

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Coby White, No. 3 UNC Top RJ Barrett, No. 4 Duke Without Injured Zion Williamson

North Carolina's Kenny Williams (24) drives to the basket as Duke's RJ Barrett defends during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Chapel Hill, N.C., Saturday, March 9, 2019. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

Gerry Broome/Associated Press

Coby White scored 21 points as No. 3 North Carolina beat No. 4 Duke 79-70 Saturday at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Bleacher Report @BleacherReport

UNC beats Duke 79-70! https://t.co/hAeFQ7Gorj

Luke Maye posted seven points, 16 rebounds and seven assists for the 26-5 Tar Heels, who won their seventh straight game. Kenny Williams added 18 points, and Cameron Johnson posted a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double.

The Blue Devils, also 26-5, are just 3-3 in their last six contests. Duke has been without Zion Williamson for all but 36 seconds of that stretch with a knee sprain suffered early in the first half against UNC on Feb. 20.

RJ Barrett led Duke with 26 points and 12 rebounds. Cam Reddish added 23 points and three steals.

What’s Next?

UNC will be the No. 2 seed in the ACC tournament, which begins Tuesday, March 12. Duke will be the No. 3 seed. Virginia earned the No. 1 spot by virtue of its 16-2 conference record, capped by a victory over Louisville on Saturday.

Both teams have received double byes and will start the tournament in the quarterfinal round Thursday, March 14, at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. UNC will play at approximately 7 p.m. ET, and Duke will tip off around 9:30 p.m.

This article will be updated to provide more information soon.

Get the best sports content from the web and social in the new B/R app. Get the app and get the game.

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Adnan Syed of ‘Serial’ denied new trial days before HBO documentary

Adnan Syed, whose murder conviction was the focus of the popular podcast “Serial,” has been denied a retrial.

Image: Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for HBO

2018%252f06%252f26%252fc2%252f20182f062f252f5a2fphoto.d9abc.b1c04.jpg%252f90x90By Matt Binder

Adnan Syed, the focus of the first season of the hit podcast Serial, has been denied a retrial.

The highest court in Maryland, the Court of Appeals, overturned a ruling to grant Syed a new trial and vacate his previous murder conviction.

Since 2000, Syed has been in prison serving a life sentence for the 1999 murder of his high school girlfriend, Hae Min Lee. Syed has maintained his innocence throughout the years behind bars.

His argument rested on the failure of Syed’s defense lawyer at the time to call a witness who saw Syed in the library on the afternoon of Lee’s disappearance. The court ruled that while his lawyer was “deficient” in not having this witness testify, Syed was not “prejudiced” by the “deficient performance” because there was other evidence that proved him guilty.

The Court of Appeals also rejected a claim that Syed’s defense lawyer failed to raise challenges against prosecutors use of cellphone location data in 2000. The court denied this claim because it was raised late into the process.

SEE ALSO: Spotify bets big on podcasts with acquisition of Gimlet and Anchor

Syed’s case was thrust into the national spotlight In 2014, thanks to a podcast called Serial, hosted by former “This American Life” producer Sarah Koenig.

The following year, due in part to the podcast’s popularity, the Maryland Court of Special Appeals accepted Syed’s application for an appeal, which would grant Syed’s legal counsel the chance to make arguments for a new trial.

In 2016, Adnan Syed found himself in court once again, this time making the case for his retrial. Later that year, a Baltimore judge granted him a new trial. The decision was upheld in 2018.

However, that decision has now been reversed.

Syed’s lead defense lawyer, C. Justin Brown, released the following statement after the court’s ruling:

We are devastated by the Court of Appeals’ decision but we will not give up on Adnan Syed. 

Unfortunately we live in a binary criminal justice system in which you either win or you lose. Today we lost by a 4-3 vote. 

Our criminal justice system is desperately in need of reform. The obstacles to getting a new trial are simply too great. 

There was a credible alibi witness who was with Adnan at the precise time of the murder and now the Court of Appeals has said that witness would not have affected the outcome of the proceeding. We think just the opposite is true. From the perspective of the defendant, there is no stronger evidence than an alibi witness.

The ruling comes just days before the premiere of a miniseries looking at the case and Syed’s years-long attempts to win an appeal. The Case Against Adnan Syed airs Sunday, March 10 on HBO.

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‘It breaks my heart’: WHO chief decries raid on DRC Ebola centre

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) has denounced an attack on an Ebola treatment centre in the restive east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) during a visit to the facility, just hours after a raid which killed a policeman and wounded a health worker.

During a tour on Saturday of the centre, located at Butembo in North Kivu province, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said violence in the region was undermining the early progress made by authorities in fighting the ongoing outbreak of the lethal disease.

“Attacks on the Ebola treatment centre are not by the community, these are attacks on the community,” Tedros said in a tweet.

“We have no choice except to continue serving the people here, who are among the most vulnerable in the world,” he added.

“It breaks my heart to think of the life we lost in this attack on the #Ebola treatment centre, as we continue to mourn those who have died in previous attacks, while defending the right to health”- @DrTedros from Butembo, #DRC pic.twitter.com/XAMJ8Wr7B1

— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) March 9, 2019

The Butembo facility reopened last week after an attack by gunmen the previous Wednesday forced its closure.

Butembo mayor Sylvain Kanyamanda told the AFP news agency the raid on Saturday had started with shooting at about six in the morning (04:00GMT) and resumed 30 minutes later “with resistance from the army and the police”. The health worker who was shot was being treated in hospital.

“The army and the police caught one of the attackers,” Kanyamanda said, saying he was a member of the Mai-Mai rebel group.

This was the third attack on the centre, the mayor added, branding the attackers as “terrorists” who wanted to “kill the sick”.

 

‘Toxic’ atmosphere

Ebola, a deadly viral disease, broke out in North Kivu in August last year, before spreading to neighbouring Ituri province. Both provinces are wracked by intercommunal violence and unrest.

According to the latest ministry figures, the DRC’s current and worst Ebola outbreak has killed close to 600 people. 

Efforts to contain the epidemic, the 10th documented in the country, have been hampered by poor security in the highly unstable region, where numerous militia groups are active.

Health centres have repeatedly come under attack in the seven months since the breakout begun.

On Thursday, a leading medical charity warned that efforts to tackle the outbreak were falling short, accusing the DRC’s authorities of failing to contain it because of an overly militarised response that was alienating patients and their families and contributing to the creation of a “toxic” atmosphere.

Doctors Without Borders, also known by its French acronym MSF, highlighted that more than 40 percent of deaths were occurring in communities rather than in Ebola treatment centres.

The charity alleged that security forces had used “coercion” while overseeing safe burials, tracking contacts and assisting with the admission of patients to treatment centres. 

But Jessica Ilunga, a spokeswoman for the DRC’s health ministry, rejected MSF’s claims as a “gross exaggeration of the situation” and said there was a “misunderstanding” about the security forces’ role in dealing with the outbreak.

“The police and the army are not involved in Ebola-response activities, and their role has never been to enforce sanitary measures,” Ilunga said.

“Contrary to international agents, local health workers don’t have the privilege of being evacuated when security conditions worsen. As such, it is necessary to reinforce the security to allow for smooth response operations,” she added.

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Live: No. 4 Duke vs. No. 3 UNC 🍿

  1. Ross Martin @RossMartin_IC

  2. White’s Step Back 🔥

    Basketball Society @BBallSociety_

    Coby White step-back 3 sheeeeeeeeeeeesh🔥🔥🔥🔥 https://t.co/UtVNQGRcU4

  3. Marques Bolden (Knee) Carried Off Court

    via Bleacher Report

  4. Zion Supporting Duke During Warmups

    SportsCenter @SportsCenter

    Out comes Zion Williamson to support Duke. https://t.co/lSczGN3UWJ

  5. Salute to the Seniors

    Tar Heel Blog @tarheelblog

    Our seniors 💙 https://t.co/msAXtAwN4r

  6. InsideCarolina @InsideCarolina

  7. Ross Martin @RossMartin_IC

  8. Adam Rowe @AdamRoweTDD

  9. Together 🤝

    Duke Basketball @DukeMBB

    Together. 👊 #HereComesDuke ⚫😈 https://t.co/995Z0f32Le

  10. Duke’s ‘Brotherhood’ Hype Tape 🔥

    Bleacher Report CBB @br_CBB

    Duke reminding UNC of a few big wins at the Dean Dome ahead of tonight 👀

    (via @DukeMBB)
    https://t.co/rR1AlRbKrD

  11. Duke MBB Analysis @CC_DukeGames

  12. NCAA March Madness @marchmadness

  13. Duke MBB Analysis @CC_DukeGames

  14. Adam Rowe @AdamRoweTDD

  15. Adam Rowe @AdamRoweTDD

  16. Adam Rowe @AdamRoweTDD

  17. Adam Rowe @AdamRoweTDD

  18. Duke MBB Analysis @CC_DukeGames

  19. Duke MBB Analysis @CC_DukeGames

  20. Ross Martin @RossMartin_IC

  21. Carolina Basketball @UNC_Basketball

  22. Adam Rowe @AdamRoweTDD

  23. ESPN @espn

  24. Pat Forde @YahooForde

  25. C.L. Brown @clbrownhoops

  26. TheDevilsDen.com @TheDevilsDen

  27. #DukeMBBStats @DukeMBBStats

  28. Ross Martin @RossMartin_IC

  29. C.L. Brown @clbrownhoops

  30. 🇨🇦Pulled a Homer🏀 @DFSBBallGuy

  31. SB Nation @SBNation

  32. Brant Wilkerson-New @BrantGNR

  33. Duke MBB Analysis @CC_DukeGames

  34. Adam Rowe @AdamRoweTDD

  35. C.L. Brown @clbrownhoops

  36. Adam Rowe @AdamRoweTDD

  37. Kyle Boone @Kyle__Boone

  38. Dana O’Neil @DanaONeilWriter

  39. Brant Wilkerson-New @BrantGNR

  40. #DukeNation @TheDukeNation

  41. Jeff Goodman @GoodmanHoops

  42. Duke MBB Analysis @CC_DukeGames

  43. Pat Forde @YahooForde

  44. Stephen Wiseman @stevewisemanNC

  45. Carolina Basketball @UNC_Basketball

  46. Keeping It Heel @KeepingItHeel

  47. Adam Rowe @AdamRoweTDD

  48. Marilyn Payne @marilyn_payne

  49. Ross Martin @RossMartin_IC

  50. Keeping It Heel @KeepingItHeel

  51. Brant Wilkerson-New @BrantGNR

  52. Duke MBB Analysis @CC_DukeGames

  53. Duke Basketball @DukeMBB

  54. Adam Rowe @AdamRoweTDD

  55. Duke MBB Analysis @CC_DukeGames

  56. Adam Rowe @AdamRoweTDD

  57. Carolina Basketball @UNC_Basketball

  58. Pat Forde @YahooForde

  59. C.L. Brown @clbrownhoops

  60. InsideCarolina @InsideCarolina

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Live: No. 4 Duke vs. No. 3 UNC 🍿

  1. Ross Martin @RossMartin_IC

  2. White’s Step Back 🔥

    Basketball Society @BBallSociety_

    Coby White step-back 3 sheeeeeeeeeeeesh🔥🔥🔥🔥 https://t.co/UtVNQGRcU4

  3. Marques Bolden (Knee) Carried Off Court

    via Bleacher Report

  4. Zion Supporting Duke During Warmups

    SportsCenter @SportsCenter

    Out comes Zion Williamson to support Duke. https://t.co/lSczGN3UWJ

  5. Salute to the Seniors

    Tar Heel Blog @tarheelblog

    Our seniors 💙 https://t.co/msAXtAwN4r

  6. InsideCarolina @InsideCarolina

  7. Ross Martin @RossMartin_IC

  8. Adam Rowe @AdamRoweTDD

  9. Together 🤝

    Duke Basketball @DukeMBB

    Together. 👊 #HereComesDuke ⚫😈 https://t.co/995Z0f32Le

  10. Duke’s ‘Brotherhood’ Hype Tape 🔥

    Bleacher Report CBB @br_CBB

    Duke reminding UNC of a few big wins at the Dean Dome ahead of tonight 👀

    (via @DukeMBB)
    https://t.co/rR1AlRbKrD

  11. Duke MBB Analysis @CC_DukeGames

  12. NCAA March Madness @marchmadness

  13. Duke MBB Analysis @CC_DukeGames

  14. Adam Rowe @AdamRoweTDD

  15. Adam Rowe @AdamRoweTDD

  16. Adam Rowe @AdamRoweTDD

  17. Adam Rowe @AdamRoweTDD

  18. Duke MBB Analysis @CC_DukeGames

  19. Duke MBB Analysis @CC_DukeGames

  20. Ross Martin @RossMartin_IC

  21. Carolina Basketball @UNC_Basketball

  22. Adam Rowe @AdamRoweTDD

  23. ESPN @espn

  24. Pat Forde @YahooForde

  25. C.L. Brown @clbrownhoops

  26. TheDevilsDen.com @TheDevilsDen

  27. #DukeMBBStats @DukeMBBStats

  28. Ross Martin @RossMartin_IC

  29. C.L. Brown @clbrownhoops

  30. 🇨🇦Pulled a Homer🏀 @DFSBBallGuy

  31. SB Nation @SBNation

  32. Brant Wilkerson-New @BrantGNR

  33. Duke MBB Analysis @CC_DukeGames

  34. Adam Rowe @AdamRoweTDD

  35. C.L. Brown @clbrownhoops

  36. Adam Rowe @AdamRoweTDD

  37. Kyle Boone @Kyle__Boone

  38. Dana O’Neil @DanaONeilWriter

  39. Brant Wilkerson-New @BrantGNR

  40. #DukeNation @TheDukeNation

  41. Jeff Goodman @GoodmanHoops

  42. Duke MBB Analysis @CC_DukeGames

  43. Pat Forde @YahooForde

  44. Stephen Wiseman @stevewisemanNC

  45. Carolina Basketball @UNC_Basketball

  46. Keeping It Heel @KeepingItHeel

  47. Adam Rowe @AdamRoweTDD

  48. Marilyn Payne @marilyn_payne

  49. Ross Martin @RossMartin_IC

  50. Keeping It Heel @KeepingItHeel

  51. Brant Wilkerson-New @BrantGNR

  52. Duke MBB Analysis @CC_DukeGames

  53. Duke Basketball @DukeMBB

  54. Adam Rowe @AdamRoweTDD

  55. Duke MBB Analysis @CC_DukeGames

  56. Adam Rowe @AdamRoweTDD

  57. Carolina Basketball @UNC_Basketball

  58. Pat Forde @YahooForde

  59. C.L. Brown @clbrownhoops

  60. InsideCarolina @InsideCarolina

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Filter concert in Texas canceled following anti-Trump sentiments

A concert venue in Texas cancelled a Filter show after the band bashed Trump on Facebook and planned to display the American flag upside down during their performance.
A concert venue in Texas cancelled a Filter show after the band bashed Trump on Facebook and planned to display the American flag upside down during their performance.

Image: NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images

2018%252f06%252f26%252fc2%252f20182f062f252f5a2fphoto.d9abc.b1c04.jpg%252f90x90By Matt Binder

Rock band Filter had their show cancelled on Thursday night after frontman Richard Patrick posted an anti-Trump video on Facebook.

The problems started during the band’s soundcheck at the Speaking Rock Entertainment Center in El Paso, Texas. Patrick, the lead vocalist, uploaded a video live from the venue to the band’s Facebook page promoting the show later that night.

“A lot of trump bashing!” Patrick promised, along with a request that former U.S. Democratic Congressman and El Paso native Beto O’Rourke come to the performance.

Not long after the video of the band’s soundcheck hit social media, Patrick posted on Instagram to share that the show had been cancelled.

View this post on Instagram

FILTER(ED) IN TEXAS Speaking Rock Casino in El Paso, TX, the Tigua Tribe’s Casino / Resort / Music Venue has cancelled tonight’s FILTER show, due to a humorous Facebook post written by vocalist, Richard Patrick, and the band’s plans to use the American flag turned upside down in their background video on stage. The “offending” post, which included a short video of the band soundchecking at the venue: This is sound check!! We’re Playing El Paso!!! Get here later and it will be packed!! A lot of Trump bashing! Does anyone know Beto?? Bring Beto! The band was told the venue “didn’t like” the post and that they were getting threatening phone calls and bomb threats from Texans who didn’t like it either. The tour manager was in the green room and woke up from a pre-show nap to 30 yellow-shirted security guards and the General Manager shouting expletives and telling the band they were not welcome at the venue. “The First Amendment does not exist in this Casino. Get the f@*k out,” they said. Management also told Patrick that it was illegal to display the flag upside down in their video. The law to which they might refer is Title 4, US Code “(a) The flag should never be displayed with union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.” Patrick explains “This is a dire emergency! This country is totally jacked up!! This is my right to artistic expression. If they are going to tell me that I am un-American for saying that about the President, I’d ask them if they have been to Iraq or Afghanistan. I have been over there and love and respect the job that our troops are doing over there – fighting to ensure our rights to say what we like. As a matter of fact – I was asked recently what FILTER stands for and THIS IS IT – our freedom of expression!” In addition to the First Amendment, The Texas Constitution, in Article I, sections 8 and 27 protects the “liberty to speak, write or publish … opinions on any subject.” You have the right to express your views in these ways regardless of how unpopular or controversial they may be. #freespeech #america #GOP #filter2019 #reBus

A post shared by Richard Patrick (@filter_richard_patrick) on

According to Patrick, the venue informed Filter that it “didn’t like” the Facebook comments and said it had received threatening phone calls over the anti-Trump post. The venue also claimed that it was “illegal” to display the American flag upside down, which the band had planned to do during the show.

It should be noted that the U.S. does have a code outlining proper ways in which the American flag should be displayed. However, it isn’t illegal or against the law to not follow the flag code.

SEE ALSO: Trump called his friend and Apple CEO Tim Cook ‘Tim Apple’

Rock Entertainment Center released a statement of its own in a now-removed Facebook post announcing the cancellation:

“Unfortunately due to safety concerns associated with Filter’s performance tonight we will be canceling their show. We want everyone who comes to our venue to experience entertainment with positivity, union, safety, and joy. We all have our own political views and want to respect everyone’s opinion, but our shows will not be a platform for it. We apologize for the cancellation.”

In a further statement to Billboard, the venue confirmed what it told Patrick about the threatening phone calls in response to Filter’s Facebook video about President Trump. The venue’s general manager also noted that his staff was uncomfortable with Filter’s plan to display the American flag upside down and turn the concert into what he called a “political rally.”

Filter’s original members reunited in 2018 and began writing their first album in more than 20 years with that lineup. The band is probably best known for its hit 1999 song “Take a Picture.” 

While the band and the venue have different accounts as to how the events transpired, there is no dispute from either side when it comes down to why the show was cancelled. 

Filter promised, in a social media post shared before the show, to bash Trump. and wanted to incorporate its political stance during the show as well. Patrick also said the band had originally planned to incorporate some manner of political message into the show. The venue pulled the plug because of that.

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People are editing photos of their cats into the Captain Marvel poster

The breakout 'Captain Marvel' star, Goose.
The breakout ‘Captain Marvel’ star, Goose.

Image: marvel studios

2017%252f10%252f24%252f21%252fraymondwong3profile.34d72.jpg%252f90x90By Raymond Wong

If you need a reminder of how amazing the internet is, look no further than the trending hashtag for Captain Marvel’s cuddly cat — sorry, I mean Flerkennamed Goose.

Following the release of Disney’s latest superhero blockbuster in South Korea, the hashtag for Goose, “#캡틴마블_우리집구스,” started trending. But whereas most Twitter hashtags are usually filled with text, this one quickly turned into a gallery of cute kitty overload.

SEE ALSO: Everything you need to know about Captain Marvel’s cat

Spotted by Twitter user @doryheartsbooks, the hashtag is filled with images of peoples’ cats Photoshopped into a Captain Marvel background.

Awww, too cute:

OK, and this one’s adorable as well…

Arghh, they’re all too darn cute…

But the most hilarious ones are the tweets parodying the fan creations…like this one made of Nanoblocks:

And this savage kitty:

Not to be left out, even people who don’t own a cat got in on the fun. Check out that gallery with the dogs and the parrot!

But really, goose or Goose? 😂

If you own a cat, you have a civic duty as a person who uses the internet to Photoshop your furry friend into a Captain Marvel background and overload everyone with cuteness. What are you waiting for? Get ‘shoppin.

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Lakers Rumors: Lonzo Ball Expected to Miss Rest of Season with Ankle Injury

Los Angeles Lakers guard Lonzo Ball, center, is carried off the court by Michael Beasley, left, and Lance Stephenson after Ball sustained an injury during the second half of the team's NBA basketball game against the Houston Rockets, Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Eric Christian Smith/Associated Press

Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball’s season may be over.

Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported Saturday that Ball is receiving a re-evaluation of an ankle injury that has kept him sidelined since Jan. 19. Per Haynes, “there’s strong suspicion he’ll also be ruled out the remainder of the season” following the checkup.

Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times reported that Ball has a Grade 3 left ankle sprain with a torn ligament. He is also dealing with a bone bruise.

Ball, 21, has had injury issues in his first two seasons. A knee injury limited him to 52 games during his rookie season, while he twice sprained his left ankle this season and was forced to miss time.

When Ball has been on the court, he’s shown flashes, though he remains a work in progress. This season he’s averaging 9.9 points, 5.4 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game, though he’s shooting just 40.6 percent from the field, 32.9 percent from three and an atrocious 41.7 percent from the charity stripe, an inexcusable number for a guard. 

He’s also had to adjust to life with LeBron James, who often handles the facilitating duties in L.A.’s half-court offense.

The Lakers’ young players have adapted differently. Brandon Ingram, who is also out injured, has struggled to find his ideal role. Kyle Kuzma has played well. Josh Hart has been buried in the team’s rotation. Ball has been a nice role player when he’s been healthy, though he’s yet to emerge as the star-in-the-making he was selected No. 2 overall in the 2017 NBA draft to be. 

That leaves open the possibility that some of those young players, or all, could eventually be traded for a superstar player to pair with James.

Expect Rajon Rondo and Hart to maintain significant roles in the Lakers offense with Ball out.

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Mazie Hirono at SXSW: Trump’s rhetoric and policies ‘give me a lot of reasons to be vocal and visible’


Mazie Hirono, Anna Palmer, and Jake Sherman

Sen. Mazie Hirono called President Donald Trump a “liar,” “misogynist” and “an admitted sexual predator,” but stopped short of saying House Democrats should launch impeachment proceedings. | POLITICO screengrab

Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) on Saturday said President Donald Trump’s campaign rhetoric and his administration’s policies compelled her to “speak up” as a minority female lawmaker and the Senate’s only immigrant member, calling his recent jibes against her a “badge of honor.”

“Let’s face it: This president and this administration give me a lot of reasons to be vocal and visible. And I think it’s really important at a time like this for people to see a face like mine, which is obviously a minority face,” Hirono told POLITICO’s Jake Sherman and Anna Palmer during an interview at the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas.

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“I think it’s really important for people in our country to understand that when minorities are attacked, as this president does on a daily basis, that I should speak up,” she added.

Hirono also said Trump’s election to the White House in 2016 allowed her to become more candid with reporters in Congress, and precipitated her “journey of becoming a lot more plain — I call it plain — when I speak.”

Hirono, who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, garnered national attention for her forceful opposition to Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearings last year, which were dominated by decades-old sexual assault accusations against the federal judge.

Addressing members of the media at the time, Hirono called on American men to “do the right thing for a change” and take measures to end sexual violence.

“Guess who’s perpetuating all of these kinds of actions? It’s the men in this country. And I just want to say to the men in this country: Just shut up and step up,” she said.

The president blasted those remarks last weekend, mocking Hirono during his more-than two-hour address at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland.

“The crazy female senator from the state of Ohio — the state of Hawaii, right?” Trump said, correcting himself. “She’s like, she’s like a crazy person. What she said about men is so bad. What she said about men is so bad.”

Hirono on Saturday said Trump’s CPAC jab was “pretty funny,” and she considered it a “badge of honor.”

“This is the second time he’s referred to me as ‘that crazy female senator from Hawaii,’” Hirono said. “And I’ve decided that the reason he doesn’t say my name is because he can’t figure out how to pronounce it, and he doesn’t want to look foolish in front of his adoring audience.”

Hirono went on to call Trump a “liar,” “misogynist” and “an admitted sexual predator,” but stopped short of saying House Democrats should launch impeachment proceedings.

“It’s time to investigate the man, that’s for sure,” she said, adding: “We should not be rushing into impeachment. This is serious business. And I certainly don’t want to end up making the president a martyr.”

Hirono declined to single out for praise one of the many Democrats vying to replace Trump in 2020, and said there was an “abundance of riches” among her Senate colleagues competing for the nomination — including New Jersey’s Cory Booker, New York’s Kirsten Gillibrand, California’s Kamala Harris, Minnesota’s Amy Klobuchar, Vermont’s Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts’ Elizabeth Warren.

Asked about the presidential candidacy of fellow Hawaiian Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Hirono appeared reluctant to extinguish the feud that began between the Aloha State lawmakers in January — when Gabbard in an op-ed accused Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee of “religious bigotry” in their questioning of a Trump nominee for a district judgeship.

“I wish her well,” Hirono said of Gabbard on Sunday.

“She had called me a religious bigot, which was totally unfounded,” Hirono continued. “And I thought, ‘Wow.’ If she wants to be in the lane that has the support of David Duke and Bannon and the Russian bots, she’s got that lane. That’s not my lane.”

Hirono also took aim at Gabbard’s much-criticized meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in 2017, remarking: “I think I joined everyone in saying, ‘What the heck what is that all about?’”

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