Our top 3 stories of the week…and an American adventurer who just set a world record tells us his inspiring story.
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Quick Quotes
“I don’t want anyone to experience cancer or anything bad, but I would love all people to experience that kind of love thrown on you at once.”
Quick Quotes
“If the Iranian regime demonstrates a commitment to make fundamental changes in its behavior, then the president is prepared to engage in dialogue in order to find solutions.”
Quick Quotes
SMARTHER REFRESHER“Mr. Trump’s claims of no collusion are, in a word, hogwash.”
Quick Quotes
“Director Brennan’s recent statements purport to know as fact that the Trump campaign colluded with a foreign power…. If his statement is based on intelligence he has seen since leaving office, it constitutes an intelligence breach. If he has some other personal knowledge of or evidence of collusion, it should be disclosed to the Special Counsel, not The New York Times.“
Quick Quotes
Click: McGregor's Response“My plan is to make him flat, make him tired and make him give up.”
Quick Quotes
TGIF!
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Current Events
DOWN, BUT NOT OUT
ISIS attacks have fallen from the front pages, but the terrorist group remains a threat, according to new reports — as a suspected ISIS member is arrested in California.
Why It Matters
Current Events
The Big Picture
“The U.S. doesn’t really know how many fighters ISIS has, but it is clearly enough to continue launching daily attacks across Iraq and Syria, while also fighting in several other countries. It is a mistake to think ISIS is defeated and the US needs to ensure it doesn’t mushroom once again.”
Current Events
On America’s Shores
- Suspected ISIS member arrested Wednesday in Sacramento on murder charges.
- Allegations: He killed an Iraqi police officer in 2014 & fled to America, posing as a refugee.
- Allegedly, ties to ISIS & Al Qaeda.
- DOJ seeking to extradite him back to Iraq.
Current Events
Something To Consider:
- 30,000: UN & DOD estimate of ISIS fighters in Iraq & Syria alone
- Positive: America’s military defeat of ISIS, & the terrorist’s loss of territory in Syria.
- However, power of ISIS loyalty / ideology remains. “ISIS’ resilience” mentioned in both reports; $2B U.S. dollars has gone to the Iraqi Security Forces to support fight vs. ISIS.
Current Events
ISIS: Overseas
- Tajikistan: 2 American cyclists in an ISIS claimed attack in July.
- Afghanistan: ISIS bombed a school; dozens killed.
- Iraq: operating in smaller cells, ISIS kidnaps & plants IEDs.
- Syria: ISIS launched largest attack since 2017 in early June. Defeated in 2 days.
- Philippines: ISIS fighters present.
Current Events
Turkey, a NATO member, has both provided a gateway for ISIS fighters & suffered from ISIS terrorism. America planned to work w/Turkey vs. ISIS strongholds in Syria. As tension rise between U.S, & Turkey, the way forward remains uncertain & Russia lurks in the background.
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Eats
Is Orange The New Rosé ?
Will orange wine threaten the domination of rosé?
No Way Rosé
Eats
What Is Orange Wine?
Orange or amber-colored wine.
- How: The color of wine comes from the skin of grapes. White wine is made with NO grape skins; Orange wine ferments with the skin of white wine grapes, creating an orange hue.
- Taste: “notes of hazelnuts, almonds, citrus fruits (even oranges!) and dried fruits.”
Eats
Doubting Orange Wine?
Read This On Rosé:
“No one cared about it, no one thought about it, no one drank it…
A winemaker maybe had some leftover grapes or something that
didn’t ripen and that was what the rosé was. No one was going out
and saying, ‘I am going to make great rosé.”
Eats
Rosé sales climbed more than 50% last year. Orange Wine may sound new, but Michelin says it's actually one of the oldest forms of wine. Although it recently reemerged as a topic du jour, folks have debated its place for years. Will you give it a try?
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Uncategorized
THE QUEEN OF SOUL
“Everybody wants respect.”
Aretha Franklin in her own words.
Uncategorized
“I was concerned. I wasn’t afraid. My faith in God is too great for that.”
Uncategorized
“You weren’t an overnight sensation. You had to work at it and learn your craft: how to take care of your voice, how to pace your concerts, all that trial and error. I paid my dues, I certainly did.”
Uncategorized
Watch Now“Everybody wants respect. In their own way, three-year-olds would like respect, and acknowledgment, in their terms.”
Uncategorized
“I do appreciate it, absolutely. But some very fine and dynamite people paved the way for me… Sarah (Vaughn), Ella (Fitzgerald), and so on.”
Uncategorized
“Falling out of love is like losing weight. It’s a lot easier putting it on than taking it off.”
Uncategorized
“I love Wal-Mart and not just because my record is there. You can get some things there that you cannot find at Saks or Bergdorf’s or other upscale stores.”
Uncategorized
Aretha Franklin passed away Aug. 16, 2018 at the age of 76.
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Quote of the Day
“Find the best things about you and the best things about life and celebrate them.”
Michael J. Fox
Quote of the Day
Fox and his wife, Tracy Pollan, sat down with PEOPLE to discuss their 30-year marriage. On the secret to their success, Pollan said “Just give each other the benefit of the doubt. He assumes I’m doing the best I can.” In 1991, Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
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From The President’s Desk
WHO KEEPS OUR NATION’S TOP SECRETS?
4+ million Americans have security clearances.
President Trump revoked 1.
Why some say stripping former CIA Dir. John Brennan of his clearance is an attack on free speech, while others say it had to be done.
BIGGER PICTURE
From The President’s Desk
Who Keeps Clearance?
- Who: Former federal employees who had on the job security clearances.
- Why: In case a need arises when he or she can be of use to the current administration.
- How long: Clearance continues (with periodic reviews) as long as person avoids sharing classified info, getting into debt, & traveling to certain parts of the world, etc.
From The President’s Desk
Bigger Picture:
- Current *Security Clearance* system deemed “high risk” by gov’t watchdog.
- Too many people have security clearances (est. 1.4M at “top secret” level) & continual reviews of their eligibility are inconsistent.
- Evaluations take too long. More than 700,000 people waiting for security clearance, according to most recent estimates.
From The President’s Desk
Why Revoke Brennan?
“Mr. Brennan has recently leveraged his status as a former high-ranking official with access to highly sensitive information to make a series of unfounded and outrageous allegations — wild outbursts on the Internet and television — about this administration.
From The President’s Desk
John Brennan’s Response:
Click: His Criticism“This action is part of a broader effort by Mr. Trump to suppress freedom of speech & punish critics. It should gravely worry all Americans, including intelligence professionals, about the cost of speaking out. My principles are worth far more than clearances. I will not relent.”
From The President's Desk
The topic of revoking security clearances came up several weeks ago when some, like Brennan criticized the President's meeting with Vladimir Putin. Is Brennan sowing "division & chaos" or exercising free speech? Does social media change the equation?
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Quick Quotes
“I think Vermonters should take me seriously because I have practical progressive ideas, and I happen to be 14, not the other way around. I think that my message and my platform transcend age.”
Quick Quotes
Watch Now“I can’t guarantee anything, but I can tell you that the president addressed this question directly. I can tell you that I’ve never heard it.”
Quick Quotes
“Priests were raping little boys and girls, and the men of God who were responsible for them not only did nothing; they hid it all. For decades…. Until that changes, we think it is too early to close the book on the Catholic Church sex scandal.”
Quick Quotes
“Today a grateful nation salutes the Navajo Code Talkers whose bravery & skill saved the lives of countless Americans during WWII. History will forever marvel at the Navajos who used their language as an unbreakable code to help secure Allied victories.”
Quick Quotes
Have a great day!
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Now You Know
GO FUND MY
(fill in the blank)
GoFundMe (GFM), the globe’s largest crowdfunding website hosts 10,000 new campaigns every day and has raised more than $5 billion bucks since it launched in 2010.
Got a cause, goal, or bill to pay?
Now You Know
GoFundMe
- Who: Users create a campaign & solicit donations from the public.
- What: Funds are raised for anything from memorials to charities, parties, and more. #1 CAUSE: Medical bills.
- How: In 2017, GFM stopped taking a 5% fee for personal funds. There is still a 2.9% processing fee & a 30 cent fee for every donation. Users may also tip.
Now You Know
Top Three Large$t GoFundMe Campaigns
$21.9 million: Time’s Up Legal (sexual assault / harassment) Defense Fund
$11.8 million: 2017 Las Vegas Shooting Victims Fund
$7.8 million: 2016 Pulse Nightclub Shooting Victims Fund
Now You Know
“The biggest surprise is how much positivity there is in the world. News cycles and the social web often present a barrage of negativity. Yet I’ve been surprised by just how much people are compassionate, sympathetic, and empathetic – they genuinely want to help.”
Now You Know
The GoFundMe page for newly fired FBI agent Peter Strzok has raised more than $380K+ since it launched on Monday. Although GoFundMe campaigns cannot be used anonymously, sometimes it is difficult to know exactly who is behind a campaign.
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Now You Know
Fanning the Flames
100+ Wildfires Burn Across America
California’s Governor calls it “the new normal,” but as fires rage from Washington to New Mexico, with the Golden State the hardest hit, why there’s hope in a wood that CAN’T catch fire.
FLIP: The Anti-Firewood
Now You Know
Will This Prevent Fires?
Synthetic Wood Discovery
- Scientists created *new* synthetic wood similar to plastic-wood composites used for decks, but synthetic wood won’t burn.
- Lightweight & high-strength like real wood.
- Take hours to make, unlike trees which take decades to grow.
- Price TBD.
Now You Know
Wildfire Destruction
- Why is it happening? It’s hot & dry/dead vegetation acts as fuel.
- Who’s to blame? Often, humans but wildfires can ignite from innocuous activities like a boat trailer chain dragging on a road and sparking.
- Earlier than normal? Yes, August is peak month. Forecasters expect fires to slow in September before ramping up again in Oct.
Now You Know
Is It Worse This Year?
“This year is turning out to be more active even than last year. We have more fires, more acres burned this fire season than we did in 2017, which, as you know, was a record year for us.”
Thom Porter, Cal Fire Region ChiefTwenty large fires are now burning in CA, including the Ranch Fire (one of the Mendocino Complex Fire) the largest wildfire in CA history.
Now You Know
In California, 6 firefighters died and more than 2,200 buildings are damaged or destroyed with still months left in wildfire season. For a different perspective, click to see the devastating fires from space.
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Quick Quotes
“We want children to rediscover the real, that connection to the concrete, to nature, to do doing things with their hands, to contact with other human beings.”
Quick Quotes
“I’ve been sleeping next to this kidney for thirty years. It knows me. So I’m hoping it stays with me for a good long time.”
Quick Quotes
“I’ll just leave that to your imagination.”
Quick Quotes
“The very idea a staff member would sneak a recording device into the White House Situation Room, shows a blatant disregard for our national security – and then to brag about it on national television further proves the lack of character and integrity of this disgruntled former White House employee.”
Quick Quotes
Check out our source page for a SmartHER Take on kids and cell phones. Do you think an all-out ban on cell phones in American schools would work? Have a great day!
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Now You Know
The Rise of The Mini Book
It’s roughly the size of your cell phone, but packs the punch of a regular size book. Will the mini-book revolutionize reading?
Introducing Flipbacks
Now You Know
“Flipbacks”
- Debuted 2009 in Netherlands.
- Bible-publisher turned printer pioneered the “Flipback” & has now re-printed more than 1,000 titles in this horizontal fashion.
- Bible-thin paper; fits in pockets.
- Opens horizontally & stays open.
- Easy to flip pages & hold with one hand.
Now You Know
“Phone-Shaped”
“I haven’t seen a new book format that I thought was at all interesting, but I find this format really usable and super-portable.”
Now You Know
While overall book sales increased last year in America, paperback sales fell. Will this "Flipback" be the 'novel' new novel? In 2011, one European paper asked, "Could this new book kill the Kindle?" What do you think?
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