Trump’s dubious claim of federal worker backing for shutdown is a familiar tactic

The president often cites murky, unverifiable or false backers for his controversial policies.

Call them President Donald Trump’s mystery federal workers.

In recent weeks Trump has repeatedly claimed that he’s heard from government employees who aren’t getting paid because of the partial government shutdown, but who have nonetheless urged him to keep fighting for a U.S.-Mexico border wall.

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The only problem: there’s no evidence that they exist in the large numbers Trump is implying.

“Many of those people that won’t be receiving a paycheck, many of those people agree 100 percent with what I’m doing,” Trump told reporters on Sunday. During a Friday press conference, he insisted that “[a] lot of people that you think are upset — and certainly they’re not thrilled — but they say, ‘Sir, do the right thing. We need border security.’ And these are people that won’t be getting paid.”

But the White House declined to provide evidence that the president has spoken with federal workers impacted by the 17-day-and-counting shutdown, aside from a group of Trump-supporting union officials representing Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement employees. A White House official, who declined to go on the record, said Trump regularly speaks with government employees across the administration and many of them have thanked him for focusing on border security.

Trump has relied on numerous distortions and outright falsehoods as he wages his crusade for the wall, which will intensify in the coming days with a primetime Tuesday night speech and a Thursday visit to the border. He has also turned to a familiar rhetorical trick: citing support from vaguely-defined, and often improbable sources.

In speeches and rallies, the president regularly points to anonymous figures — friends, executives and businessmen — who he says have confided their wholehearted backing for him. They include a friend named “Jim” — a “very, very substantial guy” — whom Trump said last year had told him he stopped visiting Paris because immigrants had made it too dangerous and unpleasant. The White House would not provide Jim’s full identity. Sometimes he is even more brazen, like when he told an interviewer last year, amid mass protests in London against his July visit to the United Kingdom, that “[t]here are many, many protests in my favor.” (There were not.)

Just last week, Trump claimed that past presidents have told him privately they regret not building a wall themselves. (People close toevery living president: Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter have disputed that claim).

One Republican close to the White House called the tactic a symptom of Trump’s refusal to accept blame or lose an argument.

Meanwhile, Trump has stretched or upended the truth in several other ways as he makes his case for keeping the government shutdown in order to win border wall funding.

He has said that the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade deal will pay for the wall — even though Congress has yet to approve the pact and U.S. taxpayers, not Mexico, would foot the bill for any revenues the agreement rakes in. Trump has also insisted that terrorists are entering the U.S. through the southern border even though the State Department says it has “no credible evidence” to support that assertion.

And when it comes to Trump’s claims of support from federal workers, union officials say their members have almost uniformly expressed deep concern about the shutdown, worrying about paying their bills and in some cases even fearing eviction over late rent and mortgage payments.

Jacqueline Simon, the policy director at the American Federation of Government Employees, the country’s largest federal workers union, said she hasn’t heard from anybody who thinks the shutdown is a good thing.

“Certainly, no one has called me to say that and my phone never stops ringing,” she said. “They’re terrified.”

She added, “There apparently are a small number of federal employees who are supporting the shutdown, but the vast majority are not.” More than 100,000 AFGE members called into a teleconference hosted by the union on Sunday. Nobody who spoke on the call said they want the shutdown to continue, Simon said.

Still, there is at least some basis for Trump’s claim. The president has pointed to a meeting he held last week with officials from the National Border Patrol Council and the National Immigration and Customs Enforcement Council, two unions that endorsed Trump’s presidential bid and have regularly applauded his immigration policies. National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd, for example, is a frequent guest on Fox News and has received praise from the president on Twitter.

“There’s also a lot of talk on this shutdown, that federal employees do not agree with the shutdown. I will tell you that’s not true,” Judd said during remarks to reporters in the White House briefing room after he and his associates met privately with Trump. Many border patrol agents are required to work during the shutdown without pay. Neither Judd, nor representatives of the Border Patrol and ICE unions responded to interview requests.

That meeting appeared to make a strong impression on the president – even if close advisers say the president typically writes off the majority of federal workers as left-leaning Democrats.

“I have never had so much support, as I have in the last week, over my stance for border security, for border control and for, frankly, the wall or the barrier,” he told reporters that same day. “I have never had anything like it in terms of calls coming in, in terms of people writing in and tweeting, and doing whatever they have to do. I have never had this much support. And we’ve done some things that, as you know, have been very popular.”

Yet, there is no evidence that the Border Patrol and ICE union’s perspective reflects that of the much broader group of federal workers. And it’s unclear if Trump has spoken to any other people directly affected by the shutdown. The White House has not provided any read-outs of the president interacting directly with furloughed federal workers, and until a few days ago, he barely mentioned them in his discussions of the shutdown.

More than 70 percent of federal workers surveyed in a recent poll said they oppose the shutdown, while just 22 percent said they support it. Thirty percent of workers said they support Trump’s wall, though 35 percent of those that support it said it wasn’t worth shutting the government down over it. That support could fall further if the shutdown stretches on, creating greater financial shortfalls for unpaid workers. Trump has said he’s willing to keep the government closed for months or even years.

Trump’s insistence that the public is on his side may also reflect his tendency to surround himself with people who reinforce, instead of challenge, his pre-existing worldview — from Fox News hosts to immigration hardliners to China hawks and trade protectionists.

As the shutdown continues without any sign of a breakthrough, there are few indications that the president will back down from his demand for $5.6 billion in wall funding.

“I think Trump’s President Trump’s greatest single attribute is his stubbornness,” longtime Trump associate Roger Stone said in an interview. “I think he understands that in American politics if you don’t have your base you have nothing.”

“I don’t see him folding,” Stone added, though he allowed that Trump could make a deal “if somebody comes up with a reasonable compromise that allows him to declare victory with a reasonable level of credibility.”

Another Republican close to the White House said the administration is becoming much more aggressive in its messaging of the shutdown this week, with the president doubling down on the idea that he can win the political fight over the shutdown by making it all about the border.

With Congress back in session, administration officials understand the need to maintain the support of congressional Republicans, particularly those facing re-election in 2020, said one former administration official.

The Republican close to the White House attributed the president’s aggressive tone in part to the influence of White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, who has now worked on three shutdowns for the Trump administration and feels more comfortable than Kelly did with both politics and messaging.

After receiving no specific guidance from the White House last week, pro-Trump surrogates were provided with talking points on Monday outlining the exact appropriations the administration is seeking.

That includes $5.7 billion for the construction of a “steel barrier” on the border, spanning 234 miles, according to an email obtained by POLITICO; at least $563 million for 75 additional immigration judges and support staff to reduce the backlog of pending immigration cases; $571 million for 2,000 additional ICE personnel; $211 million to hire additional border patrol agents; $4.2 billion to support 52,000 detention beds for migrants and illegal immigrants; and $800 million to fund additional medical support, supplies, and transportation for temporary immigration facilities.

The request also includes $675 million to provide “non-intrusive” inspection technology at ports of entry, the email says – and promises Trump will work with Congress to expand in-country processing of asylum claims.

Despite Trump’s upcoming visit to the border and planned primetime speech on Tuesday night, Democrats remain unmoved by the White House’s efforts to cast building the wall as the solution to the shutdown.

Darren Samuelsohn contributed to this story.

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What Does Losing The Golden Globe Mean For Lady Gaga’s Oscar Chances?

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

The momentum behind A Star Is Born has been strong ever since it premiered to a standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival in August. Critics and audiences alike are raving for Bradley Cooper’s first turn as a director, and for Lady Gaga’s first starring role in a major motion picture.

Since then, the film has picked up nominations at the Critics’ Choice Awards, SAG Awards, Grammys, Producers Guild Awards, and has been honored at the AFI Awards and Palms Springs International Film Festival.

But for all of these honors, of the film’s five Golden Globe nominations — which was among the most nominations a single entity received this year — they only picked up one award at the January 6 ceremony, Best Original Song, and lost out on in the Best Picture, directing, and acting categories — including Lady Gaga’s Best Actress nod. So, what does that mean for the musician-turned-actress’s chances at the Academy Awards?

Jacopo Raule/FilmMagic

Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga at the Venice Film Festival

First, let’s establish the most important point of all: The Golden Globes and the Oscars have entirely different voting bodies. For the Globes, voters are members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, made up of journalists from around the world (or, ahem, the “globe”). At the Oscars, we’re getting the opinion of Hollywood insiders, including actors, directors, producers, editors, casting directors, cinematographers, and so on. Different voting bodies means there is potential for different results.

How often these different results are seen in the Best Actress category is another matter, made slightly more complicated by the way the two awards shows organize their honors. The Golden Globes separates films into two categories, letting movies compete as a drama or as a comedy/musical, so the Golden Globes produces two Best Actresses each year, one drama and one comedy/musical.

The Oscars, on the other hand, does not separate by genre, narrowing the pool of nominees down from ten slots to five. I’m not going to say that means it’s more difficult to secure an Oscar nomination, but statistically, it is less likely, which isn’t good news for anyone, Lady Gaga included.

Fortunately, the love Lady Gaga and the film have already received — not only in the form of nominations, but also in celebrity adoration and internet meme-ification — means she’s definitely going to be on voters’ minds as they review their ballots. But will that be enough?

George Pimentel/WireImage

Lady Gaga with her 2019 Golden Globe for Best Original Song

The Academy, historically made up of older white men, loves to reward years of hard work. In the past ten years, only two nominees won the Best Actress category on their first ever nomination: Sandra Bullock in 2010 — after she’d appeared in approximately 17,000 movies — and Brie Larson in 2016, whose acting in Room was simply stunning. (The preceding decade was more welcoming of first-timers, during which time six of the ten best actresses were first-time nominees — and many of whom were Hollywood heavy-hitters with established résumés: Gwyneth Paltrow, Hilary Swank, Halle Berry, Charlize Theron, Reese Witherspoon, and Marion Cotillard.)

There’s one more piece of not-great news for Gaga: The last time the Academy awarded a Best Actress who didn’t also receive the Globe was Halle Berry in 2002. Of course, correlation is not causation, but that fact must make Glenn Close (a six-time Oscar nominee, zero-time winner) and Olivia Colman feel good about their Oscars odds. (And seriously, have you seen The Favourite?)

Now, these voting patterns could be very different at this point in time. Over the past few years, the Academy has made a widely publicized effort to establish a more inclusive body of voters — meaning more people of color, more women, and more young people. They’ve added approximately 2,000 new members over the past three years as part of their pledge to double the Academy’s diversity by 2020 — increasing the number of people of color from 8 percent to 16 percent, and upping the percentage of women by a few points to 31 — which could (and hopefully will) result in a shift in who is recognized at the ceremony.

It’s also worth noting that Lady Gaga is no stranger to the Oscars, and should she be nominated, it wouldn’t be her first time. In 2016, she picked up a nomination alongside Diane Warren in the Best Original Song category for their song, “Til It Happens To You,” which appeared in the documentary The Hunting Ground. She followed up her nomination with an impactful performance at the ceremony that featured over 50 sexual assault survivors, all tagged with words like “survivor” and “not your fault,” standing with her on stage.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Lady Gaga performing at the 2016 Academy Awards

Gaga had also been tapped to perform at the ceremony one year earlier — months before she debuted her acting chops in American Horror Story: Hotel — as the Academy honored the 50th anniversary of The Sound of Music.

Another positive sign for Gaga: “Shallow” is shortlisted for Best Original Song, and since the Academy members are probably still kicking themselves for not giving her the award the first time around after that room-silencing performance, and because of the mainstream success of the song, I, for one, will be shocked if she doesn’t snag that award.

In short, they like her, they really like her — her music, at the very least.

It’s hard to say exactly what this all means for Lady Gaga’s chances in an acting category, particularly because the crossover from musician to prestige actress is slim. We can look to Madonna, who won Best Actress, Musical or Comedy, at the 1997 Golden Globes for her role in Evita, and who had previously performed at the Oscars — but that might not result in the prediction most are hoping for. Madonna did not receive a Best Actress nomination at that year’s Academy Awards. (The film, however, received five nominations and won Best Original Song for “You Must Love Me,” which Madonna performed at the ceremony.)

We can also look to Cher, who, in 1988, took home the Best Actress Oscar for her role in Moonstruck after securing the Golden Globe. Unfortunately for Gaga fans, Cher’s monumental win came with her second acting nomination at the Academy Awards, after having lost Best Supporting Actress for her role in Silkwood in 1984. (She did win the Golden Globe that year, though — marking her first win on the motion picture side.)

Tommaso Boddi/WireImage

Bradley Cooper, Sam Elliott, and Lady Gaga at the TCL Chinese Theatre

Still, where there’s a will, there’s a way, and Gaga, Cooper, and the entire A Star Is Born team certainly have the will. For the past few months, they’ve taken every opportunity to champion the movie everywhere from major film festivals to local theaters. They’ve done sit-down interviews with reputable outlets detailing the artistry that went into the project.

They’ve told us, time and time again, just how much they believe in the work they did, all to generate the kind of buzz that’s reserved only for the best projects of the year, to get as many voting members of the Academy to see their film, to love their film, and to tell their colleagues about the film.

But just in case those voting members still hadn’t heard of their movie, they put up viral billboards in the swankiest parts of Hollywood. They immortalize their hand and footprint outside of Hollywood’s famed TCL Chinese Theatre. They send out screeners — or copies of the movie — so voting members of the Academy can watch at home, and they hold special “For Your Consideration” screenings for members who want to get the full movie-going experience. They attend luncheons and events where they can chat with voters face-to-face. And they do all of this with one goal in mind: to win Oscar gold.

The intense campaigning began with the film’s world premiere in Venice, all leading up to today, Monday, January 7, when the first round of Oscars nominations voting opens, and, if a nomination is secured on Tuesday, January 22, the campaigning will continue until the final round of voting closes just days before the Academy Awards ceremony on Sunday, February 24.

In the meantime, it’s hard to say what boxes the Academy members are checking off and whether their habits from the past will shine again. But one thing is for sure: A Star Is Born’s Oscars campaign is going strong, and Lady Gaga is fully diving in.

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HTC’s new Vive Pro Eye headset features built-in eye tracking

The new HTC Vive Pro Eye headset, which has built-in eye

tracking.

2016%2f09%2f16%2f8f%2fhttpsd2mhye01h4nj2n.cloudfront.netmediazgkymde1lza3.c1888

By Karissa Bell2019-01-07 23:19:36 UTC

HTC’s best VR headset just got a lot more exciting.

The company just unveiled a new Vive Pro Eye headset, which has eye tracking features built directly in, eliminating the need for external controllers.

Instead of using hand controllers to navigate content, the headset uses “gaze-oriented menu navigation.” In other words, you can navigate menus and other content just by looking at them.

The Vive Pro Eye comes one year after HTC first launched the $799 Vive Pro, its first VR headset optimized for enterprise users. The Vive Pro Eye has a similar design as last year’s Vive Pro, though it’s gotten upgrades under the hood to incorporate eye tracking.

The back of the HTC Vive Pro Eye headset.

HTC says it plans to make the Vive Pro Eye available to developers later this year, and it’s already been working with a select group of partners on experiences for the new headset. The MLB, for example, has used the Vive Pro Eye for its Home Run Derby VR game.

Besides just enabling new controller-less experiences, the company also notes the new headset could have a significant impact on accessibility since it could open up VR experiences to people who aren’t able to use traditional hand controllers.

HTC hasn’t revealed a price or release date for the Vive Pro Eye, but says it will launch during the second quarter of 2019.

The Vive Pro Eye wasn’t the only new headset HTC showed off. HTC also teased an all-new headset called the Vive Cosmos. Unlike the Vive and Vive Pro, the Cosmos won’t require external trackers, and is optimized for comfort and ease of use.

HTC's new Vive Cosmos. — HTC’s new Vive Cosmos.

HTC's Vive Cosmos headset with controllers. — HTC’s Vive Cosmos headset with controllers.

The Cosmos, which will run a new platform called “Vive Reality System,” is meant to be a more approachable type of headset than what HTC has typically offered. Unlike The Vive Pro Eye, it will make use of hand controllers, but won’t require external sensors placed around the room.

Intriguingly, the company also hinted that the headset could be compatible with mobile devices, in addition to PCs. A render that appeared on-screen during HTC’s CES press conference clearly showed a smartphone form factor overlaid onto the headset, though the company stopped short of outright saying it would work with smartphones.

More details on the new Vive Cosmos #VR headset: Inside-out tracking and is compatible with Vive’s new “Vive Reality” platform. It also hinted that it could be powered by smartphones in addition to PCs #CES2019 pic.twitter.com/GuPPLE4Kdy

— George Jijiashvili @ #CES2019 (@George_CCS) January 7, 2019

HTC says it will reveal more details around pricing and availability for the Cosmos later this year.

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Daimler’s semi-autonomous truck puts self-driving features on the road

Daimler trucks are going autonomous — eventually.

For now, Level 2 (L2) partial automation will have to suffice. The vehicle company behind Mercedes-Benz cars announced Monday at CES 2019 that its new Freightliner Cascadia big-rig will include higher levels of robotic driving. The semi-autonomous trucks will start production in July in North America. It’s not fully self-driving, but it’s pushing the trucking industry deeper into an autonomous mode.

Truck CEO Martin Daum admitted he was skeptical of autonomous capabilities back in 2015, when Daimler unveiled its Freightliner Inspiration autonomous concept truck. Now he sees Level 4 autonomy (full autonomy in most situations, climates, and environments) coming to trucks within the decade.

For Daimler, L2 means trucks that can self-steer, accelerate, and decelerate on their own. It builds on auto braking and other advanced driver assistance systems already on Daimler’s trucks. Adaptive cruise control can bring the truck to a full stop at 0 mph.

Blind spot detection warns drivers about other cars, while auto-braking capabilities can stop on a dime when a pedestrian or other object crosses in front of the cab. Collision warnings flag drivers with info from bumper-mounted radar and front-facing cameras. If after an alert the driver doesn’t do anything, the car takes over. A drifting truck without a turn signal on will trigger a rumble warning and pulls the car back into the lane.

There are a variety of little things that can’t be overlooked, like automatic wipers and headlights in inclement and wet weather and auto high-beam adjustments.

At the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, a test-only Cascadia drove down the public road and showed how these things work in real-life situations. It’s still very much driver-dependent, but like Tesla’s Autopilot, these features help drivers relax a bit while remaining engaged.

As the driver took his hands off the wheel, the truck stayed in its lane, and with adaptive cruise control it continued along at 55 mph without a foot on the pedal. Eventually a visual warning came on to grab the wheel and then started beeping when it took too long. When the car in front started slowing down and eventually stopped, the truck slowed on its own down to 0 mph.

A bicyclist, then a pedestrian, appeared in the driver’s blind spot – sure enough, the truck beeped and warned the driver.

The specs, improvements, and advanced driving systems on the truck are impressive, but these details are part of the bigger picture that trucking is an ideal platform for improving automated driving for all vehicles. With long stretches of monotonous driving and busy urban settings for delivery, trucks can absolutely benefit from automation. What companies like Daimler learn on the road eventually trickles down to the everyday cars non-truckers drive, too.

Daimler didn’t mention any competition, but others are racing to automate trucking. The infamous Uber/Waymo engineer who founded self-driving trucking company Otto before he was fired at Uber just announced another new company building self-driving software for trucks. After a legal battle with Google’s Waymo, Uber dropped its plans for self-driving trucks last year.

Tesla has its Semi, which CEO Elon Musk certainly wants to put his semi-autonomous Autopilot program on and eventually make it more self-driving capable. Nikola, a Tesla competitor with an electric truck, could also benefit from autonomous features.

Then there’s Einride, the Swedish company, pushing for truly driverless electric trucks with a creative design. From the more traditional auto makers, Volvo is pushing the autonomous freight limits too, with its futuristic Vera design and other transport trucks.

But before a truly autonomous future is on the highways hauling our online deliveries, Daimler’s approach with partial autonomy is a strong start.

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Titans OC Matt LaFleur Reportedly Hired as Packers Head Coach

Timothy Rapp @@TRappaRTTwitter LogoFeatured ColumnistJanuary 7, 2019

Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) talks with offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur before a preseason NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings Thursday, Aug. 30, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski)

Mark Zaleski/Associated Press

The Green Bay Packers are hiring Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur to be their next head coach, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

Per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com, the two sides are “working on finalizing a deal.” He added that LaFleur’s hiring is “expected to help keep Mike Pettine and the defensive staff intact.”

This article will be updated to provide more information on this story as it becomes available.

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Captain America hates you, CES

And who can blame him?

Image: Jason LaVeris / getty

By Jack Morse2019-01-07 22:15:16 UTC

Dear CES, Captain America is not here for your bullshit.

As the tech journalists of the world converge en masse this week on the annual Las Vegas consumer electronics show known as CES, Chris Evans — the actor who famously stars as Captain America in the Marvel cinematic universe — tweeted a message seemingly tailored to dunk on the convention’s entire raison d’etre. Namely, that so-called “smart” gadgets are trash.

“Dear All Technology,” wrote the embodiment of a certain kind of American fantasy, “Remember the 90’s when you just WORKED??? I don’t need a ‘smart’ feature on my TV, thermostat, lights, music, refrigerator, security cameras, and f-ing car.”

Dear All Technology,

Remember the 90’s when you just WORKED??? I don’t need a ‘smart’ feature on my TV, thermostat, lights, music, refrigerator, security cameras, and f-ing car. You’re a major pain in all of our asses. You’re not worth it.

Signed,

Everyone

— Chris Evans (@ChrisEvans) January 7, 2019

And let’s be real, he’s not wrong. Gadgets are becoming needlessly complicated to use and operate, and the very features touted at places like CES are often more hinderance than help.

CES is perhaps most famous for its collection of largely worthless self-described smart gadgets trumpeted by the tech behemoths of the world. Can I interest you in home appliances integrated with an “AI platform?” Or how about a bulky machine to slowly fold your pants? Or maybe a $6,000 stuffed animal? You’ll definitely want to see this smart underwear that controls your smart home, too. CES has it all, along with plenty of other dumb stuff.

The smart TVs, thermostats, lights, and refrigerators that Evans rails against are CES’s bread and butter. They also kinda suck.

Surprisingly, even Elon Musk (who some refer to as the real-life Iron Man), chimed in. Although, as someone who fills Tesla cars with bloatware, his take on the matter is a little less unambiguous.

But back to the Captain.

“You’re a major pain in all of our asses,” writes Evans of the useless features plaguing his and our lives. “You’re not worth it. Signed, Everyone.”

Never stop speaking truth to power, Cap.

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This edited version of the fire drill scene from ‘The Office’ will give you chills

By Morgan Sung2019-01-07 22:00:08 UTC

Someone turned the iconic fire drill scene from The Office into a horror short, and it might give you nightmares.

By removing the jokes, adding music from Captain America: Winter Soldier, and darkening the scene to a more ominous color scheme, Austin Spencer made paper salesman Dwight K. Schrute look like an absolute psychopath.

(Granted, Dwight usually seemed a bit psychopathic in the show, but in a lovable way!)

I removed all the jokes from the fire drill scene from The Office and added scary music to see how much I could change the tone pic.twitter.com/pBrGNEK53e

— Austin Spencer (@austinthefreak1) January 5, 2019

The scene opens with Dwight typing the same thing over and over again, like Jack Torrance did in The Shining. Then, he jams all the doors,

“People learn in lots of different ways,” he says in a sinister narration. “But experience is the best teacher.”

As the rest of the office panics at the sight of smoke, Dwight calmly paces through the space. It’s pretty spooky.

I had to cut so much out of the intro that the pacing felt a little rushed, so I decided to add that shot to help set the stage I was also trying to allude to this moment from The Shining pic.twitter.com/zTaTDZzh1w

— Austin Spencer (@austinthefreak1) January 5, 2019

In the original version, Dwight attempts to teach his coworkers a lesson in fire safety, but it quickly descends into chaos.

As the video went viral, people took some time to pay their respects to the victims of the fire drill — cats included.

I know it’s considered “a joke” but I still wanted to see Angela’s cat fall through the ceiling.

— jo (@thebronze_) January 6, 2019

So many lives lost in the Dundler-Mifflin fire of 2009

RIP

— DoubleCakes (@Robinson_Nox) January 5, 2019

But not everyone could separate it from the original version.

The camera man falling ruined it for me

— ItsWinterTimeBitch (@relatablethotty) January 6, 2019

It’s not the first time someone has turned The Office into a thriller. A few years ago, another filmmaker re-edited scenes from Dwight’s beet farm into a horror trailer called My Cousin Mose.

Others wanted to see more horror versions of hilarious scenes from The Office, like when a deranged Dwight hacks the face off of a CPR dummy and wears it.

TBH, I’d watch a horror movie about Angela’s beloved cats!

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Khashoggi case: Saudi refuses to confirm Qahtani’s whereabouts

Saudi authorities are refusing to confirm the whereabouts of Saud al-Qahtani, the former top aide to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman(MBS), according to the Washington Post.

Qahtani was fired in October, just days after the gruesome murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi came to light.

In November, the Kingdom confirmed that he was under investigation and banned from leaving the country. Since then there has been no official statement in the case, the Washington Post reported.

Saudi prosecutors allege that Qahtani played a major role in Khashoggi’s killing inside Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2 last year. He was among 17 Saudis sanctioned by the US government over the murder.

Saudi officials say Prince Mohammed was not aware of the plot to kill Khashoggi, the Washington Post reported.

The US and western countries are watching the Saudi government’s treatment of Qahtani as a measure of its seriousness in bringing to justice Khashoggi’s killers, the paper reported.

A number of questions remain to be answered about Qahtani’s involvement, including his role in planning the killing or whether he was framed.

Khalil Jahshan, executive director of the Arab Centre of Washington, told Al Jazeera that Qahtani’s disappearance is a “natural progression of [Saudi Arabia’s] investigation” and is likely used as a strategy to keep MBS protected from accusations regarding Khashoggi’s murder.

Saudi Crown Prince’s aide under spotlight over Khashoggi murder

“They have sheltered some of the key players accused of being involved [in the murder] whether by Turkey or by the international community,” Jahshan said.

“The intention of the Saudi campaign right now is to keep the crown prince clear of any accusations with regards to the murder of Khashoggi.”

‘They are above the law’

Abdulaziz Almoayyad, Saudi Human rights activist told Al Jazeera from Ireland that his disappearance is simply “what is expected from Saudi ideology”.

Almoayyad said that non-violent Saudi dissidents who are asking for some reforms from the government are punished with capital punishment.

“They don’t even need to be a reformer. This is the way the government deals with different opinions, to deal with people who ask for peoples representation,” Almoayyad said, adding that the perpetrators of the murder won’t be brought to justice.

Saudi Arabia puts Jamal Khashoggi murder suspects on trial

“[MBS] isn’t willing to punish [the murderers]; he isn’t willing to punish his own and that will lead him to lose his power.

“In Saudi Arabia, this is a small minority that controls the people…Saudi people are fighting for their rights and they are imprisoned for it.

“But this small circle [of MBS] cannot be harmed. They are super rich, super powerful and they really think they are above the law of Saudi Arabia, or international.”

Last November, the CIA concluded that MBS ordered the assassination of Khashoggi in Istanbul, a finding that contradicts Saudi government assertions that Prince Mohammed was not involved.

US officials expressed high confidence in the CIA assessment, according to the Washington Post.

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Keep the loneliness at bay with Lovot’s $6,000 friendship robot

Lovot is an adorable companionship robot that shows and offers affection to people who interact with it.

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By Michael Nuñez2019-01-07 21:12:30 UTC

It’s a sad and lonely world out there — but Japanese startup Groove X has a perfect solution for anyone with a huge stockpile of cash.

The company’s new companion robot Lovot ($6,000 for a pair) is built with one purpose in mind: making you feel less dead inside.

The most surprising part: These cute little robots actually work! Watching them roll around the showroom floor at CES 2019 warmed my heart in the same way seeing an adorable puppy would have. They’re undeniably lovable, and practically beg to be interacted with.

The Lovot robots caught my attention during a small showcase on one of the first nights of the conference. Those big doe eyes are almost impossible to miss from across the room, plus the robots drew a massive crowd pretty quickly.

These robots have heaps of personality. They wag their pudgy arms, stare cautiously at new faces, and they absolutely LOVE being held and hugged. If artificial companionship is what you’re looking for, these robots have plenty to offer.

Lovots are cautious around new people, but ultimately want to offer companionship.

My favorite part about these weird little creatures is they’re some of the most sophisticated gadgets I’ve seen at CES 2019. Each Lovot has over 50 sensors embedded in its body that help it move around a person’s home, and they can convincingly recognize and interact with people as though they were a part of the family. They’re like having small puppies that need love and affection every second of the day.

The Lovots look a lot like alien-penguin creatures, and I know it’s a little weird to say, but they’re super realistic. They stare up at people towering over them, trying to identify new faces and old friends. The camera that sits on the top of their head like a hair bun gives them facial recognition abilities, and it also helps them avoid crashing into things.

The Lovot companionship robot sells in pairs for $6,000 and will be available in the U.S. in 2020.

Each Lovot also has its own unique personality, powered by artificial intelligence, that develops quirks over time. For example, you can dress your Lovots in a wide range of goofy clothing, and each will begin to prefer certain outfits. Although Lovots don’t say any words, their emotive animations and coos are universal enough that you will naturally know how to respond.

If by now, you’re still in disbelief that these robots even exist, you should know that this is part of a growing trend. The popular Netflix show Master of None featured a similar “companion robot” called Paro back in 2015 (that one is only about $5,000). The Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry expects the robotics service industry to reach $4 billion annually by 2035. So expect to see many more of these weird, lovable robot companions in the near future.

The Lovot is available for pre-order now, and costs $6,000 for two. Groove X says they expect to start shipping in 2020. But if you decide to purchase a set, just remember, you can probably buy an actual human friend for that type of money.

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