text:
The sand had shifted from blinding white to the dull crimson of spilled blood. Bodies lay scattered about with little regard for anything even resembling burial rights. In the distance a crowd of thousands roared for more, more violence, more blood, and more death. But their screams meant nothing to the two men left standing. Their ears had long ago grown dull to the masses and their demands for unfettered carnage. These men were no longer fighting to entertain. The rules had been abandoned long ago when that…thing… had been released into the pit. This was no longer about spectacle, this was about survival. The horrid being would not stop until it had massacred all it laid eyes upon. It did not fight to please the
masses; it fought to feed its bloodlust.

It was clearly not human. That much had been certain from the start. The emperor claimed his men had found it in the deserts of Egypt, within a great metal structure that fell to earth. A flying tomb, he had called it, and within was a sarcophagus fit for the great kings of the Nile. But within there was no long dead Pharaoh. Only evil beyond imagination.

It stood at least 3 heads above even the tallest of men and possessed four arms that widened out into massive 8 fingered hands, each of them large enough to envelop a small child. Its head was elongated at the jaw and topped with an ornate headdress made of metal unlike any other, adorned with jewels that sparkled like the inky blackness of the midnight sky. The beast’s entire body was covered in such ornamentation, necklaces and bangles, jewelry beyond measure laid atop the decaying gauze bandages wrapped so tightly around every inch of its being. The bandages themselves were just as fascinating,
moving and shifting of their own
accord as if the beast were entangled in a nest of serpents. What little flesh could be seen was dark and shriveled, that of a corpse left in the sun for weeks on end.

The emperor had warned his favorite fighters that they would face the creature in the pit. Such an exotic beast was too good to be kept locked away. The people grew tired of Christians being fed to lions and tigers, but who could tire of a monster from beyond the heavens that had the strength of ten men and the passion of one hundred?

One By one the gladiators had filed out into the coliseum. Each had waved and shouted, trying to rile up the crowd, trying to draw the most attention and praise to himself. Eventually all were made to turn and face the mighty casket that stood upright in the center of the pit, rattling and thrashing, the beast inside making unholy such an unholy din. The handlers refused to open it themselves. The animals of China and the Dark Continent were one thing, but this creature knew no concept of loyalty or mercy, and the beast masters refused to let it prove this on anybody other than the fighters.

The first brave soul who opened the sarcophagus was swiftly punished. The beast’s bandages shot out from the inky darkness inside and grabbed his arms and legs, swiftly tearing him to pieces before dragging the torso in and slamming the lid shut once more. Moments later it emerged, the once pristine white gauze soaked in gore. More fighters tried to rush in, some managing to strike it with their swords before having their skull caved in by a strike from one of its mighty palms. Two more were strangled by the animate bandages, hung by their necks about the horrid thing while it used its limbs to face more pressing challengers. A brief spark of hope did appear when one man managed to catch the monster by surprise and stab at its chest,
causing it to fall to its knees in shock. The crowd roared with excitement as the warrior lifted his sword to take the beast’s head, but it took too long. The creature screamed with rage, the very sand on the ground around it whipping into the air and creating a furious gale that enveloped him. The sheer force of the coarse particles blasted flesh away from bone, and soon another corpse laid upon the ground, reduced to little more than a skeleton.

Two men remained standing against the creature. The first saw no victory, and promptly fell upon his sword in despair. The second however, had other ideas. The creature may not tire, and it may not be slowed by conventional attempts to wound, but it was old. Old and dry. Which meant that in theory, he reasoned, it could burn. Quickly he sprinted to the outer edge of the coliseum, making a bee line for the torches that brought light to the pit when it was enveloped by the shadows of the day. The gladiator grabbed a burning fixture and lobbed it, striking the beast in the center of the chest. A brief sound of surprise escaped its mouth before it was enveloped in flames, bandages and desiccated skin blazing like tinder. Once more the horrid thing dropped to its knees, but before it could truly die, something truly strange occurred. The sarcophagus, originally dormant at the center of the pit, flew open once more, and a violent wind pulled from within it with hurricane force. The beast was ripped from the battlefield, the raging fire dissipating as it was pulled back from whence it came and the lid slammed shut. The box no longer rattled and shook. It was done. For now, this was over. But as the gladiator heard the people cheer, and the emperor praise his bravery, something stuck within his mind. He could have sworn, that for the few moments before the sarcophagus closed…that within it he saw an ocean of stars.

title: [SF] Foreign Sands

question: Why is there blood in the sand?

answer: The characters are in an arena fighting a monster.

question: Where does the story take place?

answer: It's not disclosed but it's likely taking place in Rome.

question: What is the creature?

answer: The creature appears to be a powerful four-armed mummy.

question: What is strange about the sarcophagus

answer: It can summon wind and stars appear inside it.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: A fight rages on in an arena between some gladiators and a mummy-like monster the emperor's men found in Egypt. One gladiator defeats the mummy using fire.


split: test

text:
     Any advice would be greatly appreciated I hope to become a author and would love to hear what you guys think of my writing(:

  Against the blood red sky, a lone helicopter hovers around the city looking for any trace of survivors that might be below. Down on what used to be the peaceful city, (now referred to as ground zero) the horrific cries of death and fear bellow throughout the city. Never stopping.. Like a record stuck in a loop. The dead have poured out from the deepest depths of hell and returned to the living. Devouring every living soul that they come across. The city is in ruins. Overturned and abandoned cars littler the street, buildings turned to ash from the riots and looting, death and gore fill the streets turning the once pure black asphalt now to a deep murky red. Over the pain filled screams of the living and the mindless groans of the undead, Kenton and Elizabeth hear a desperate shriek from the helicopter, “Any survivors that can hear me, get to the roof tops NOW!!” Elizabeth’s eyes and face light up with a hopeful glee. “We can get out!” she exclaimed. “They’re here to save us.” Kenton’s face however, had that horrified look that had been there since the infection ravished the city. “Yeah, if we can even make it that far” he silently said to himself. Kenton gazed around the corner of the hunting supplies shop they had been trying to gain access to. “There is an old grocery store about a block from here that they should be able to see us from.” Kenton said. “I don’t care what it is, as long as we get the hell out of here.” Elizabeth murmured. “We’re going to need guns if we are even going to stand a chance at getting over there.” Kenton exclaimed.
     Kenton pulled the last bobby pin out of his pocket and slowly slipped it into the lock on the door that opened the gun store they’d been hiding behind silently. Saying a prayer under his breath he ever so carefully and slowly maneuvered it until he heard the slight clicking sound. “Thank you” he whispered. He placed his sweaty palm around the knob and slowly turned it being careful not to make a sound. With it opened, he and Elizabeth let out a sigh of relief as there was no one in the store. Luckily this one hadn’t been looted in the chaos in the beginning. They slowly moved in, Elizabeth so close behind Kenton, he could feel the warmth of her moist breath. They found where the weapons had been displayed. Kenton picked off a twelve gauge from the wall along with four boxes of shells, from the display case he picked a .454 magnum up surprised by the weight and the how the cool steel and plywood felt in his grip than walked behind the counter, and picked up three boxes of ammunition. When he noticed the M-16 automatic rifle propped up against the back of the counter. The owner of the store was obviously planning to use but never got the opportunity to. “Good, better for us.” He thought. When he did he hated himself a little for being so heartless. But quickly dismissed the feeling and found where the ammunition had been stored and picked it up along with the sling that had been placed next to it and attached the sling and placed it around his back. After loading the weapons and putting the rest in a place where he could easily access, he put the .357 in the gun holster he had looted off a corpse that had been thoroughly executed with a bullet to the back of the head. Kenton could still vividly see the pool of blood and skull fragments that had quietly settled around the poor man in the back of his subconscious. He snapped out of the gruesome thought and placed the excess ammunition in his bag and decided there wasn’t anywhere else to hold another gun and began to gather up his newly stocked bag.
     As he and Elizabeth were exiting the shop, he noticed a door that he somehow missed upon first arrival. On the other side of the door, he heard a wet slurping noise that almost sounded like a dehydrated dog attempting to drink from its bowl. He didn’t know why, but he had to know what was on the other side of that door… He felt the cool metal against his sweaty anxious palm. He slowly turned the knob and the door opened. He immediately regretted the decision. What he seen would forever burned into his memory. In the dark crowded room, a man with a noose around his thick neck hung a foot off the ground. And around the poor souls feet was a thick pool of blood with bits and pieces of torn flesh and a… a half-eaten hand with three missing fingers… It was then that Kenton noticed one of the undead on the man. Its hands digging into the stomach of the man ripping it open with ease. Kenton stared in shock as the man’s small intestine slowly slip out and dangled inches off the ground slowly swaying back and forth and the undead man took giant bites into the poor man’s flesh. And in a hypnotic gaze Kenton watched as the blood poured out of the man like a waterfall hitting the ground making the pool bigger. He had failed to notice Elizabeth screaming at him and the undead man now absent from the scene and who was now shambling towards him. And when he did, it was too late. The undead man fell onto Kenton with his full weight, taking all the breath out of him. In a panicked set of motions he desperately reached for the .454 that was in its holster. But as he did, time seemed to freeze. He stared into its lifeless eyes that were now pure glossy white, no pupil or lens left, which terrified Kenton. But when he looked upon the mouth of the creature he felt a fear that he had never experienced before, a mind numbing fear that sent a cold shiver to his very core. The undead man was grinning at him. An evil, soulless, demonic grin that took the color out of his face… He then seemed to float out of his body and watch the events unfold. Like a dream. He watched as he pulled out the .454, centered the gun against its temple, cocked the hammer back, and pulled the trigger spraying the opposing wall with thick murky blood, brain matter, and bits of skull fragment. He snapped back into reality. He quickly jumped to his feet knowing the gunshot that still buzzed in his almost deafened ears would certainly alert more to their presence. He quickly grabbed Elizabeth and turned to run out the door. It was then he noticed the man who hung himself had reanimated, and was desperately trying to break free of the noose but to no success. He felt pity on the man. He pointed his magnum at his head and shot. There was now a gaping hole where the man’s left eyes once was. With that, they quickly evacuated the shop and made a desperate run towards the old grocery store.
      By the time Kenton and Elizabeth got halfway to the store dozens of the undead were running after them. “FASTER!” Kenton shouted as he was firing rounds off into the crowd. They reached the store, and put a little distance between themselves and the horde. But once they stepped inside they looked upon the store with horror. The undead were here. Hordes of them. They looked up from the piles of dead they were feasting on eyes fixed upon Kenton and Elizabeth. “Run!” screamed Kenton. They broke into a sprint with the undead not far behind running after them. Kenton managed to blow the heads off a couple with the .454 while firing into the horde behind them. They had finally reached the stairs and only one appeared on them. Kenton ran up next to it, took the 12 gauge that Elizabeth had been holding and shoved the barrel into its mouth as it let out a high pitched moan and fired. Completely blowing of the lower portion of the undead’s head sending it spiraling over the railing doing acrobatics as it flew down. They ran up the emergency stair well all the way to the roof and quickly slammed the door shut. Kenton took the opportunity to reload his various weapons. The nearby hovering chopper saw them and quickly flew over to the roof the couple was on. It flew close enough for the couple to get on board. Kenton picked up Elizabeth’s small figure with ease and quickly handed her to the soldier who was completely decked out in full protective body gear and a gas mask making him appear bulky and overweight. As she safely got aboard, Kenton slowly stepped back and gazed at her. She looked at him with confused gaze. “Kenton what in the hell are you doing?! Get up here NOW!!” She screamed almost crying now. He didn’t say anything. He just stood and looked at her perfect features. Her soft red hair flowing in the wind, her flawless complexion, her gorgeous face… Everything about her perfection he took in one last time. “I’m sorry my love I can’t go…” He said with tears rolling down his cheeks. Elizabeth only than noticed the deep bite mark that protruded his neck already making the skin around the wound decay. “NO!!!!” She screamed at the top of her lungs she was now bawling. She attempted to jump out to hug him but was stopped by the solider. “Please don’t cry my love. You are safe, that’s all that matters… I promised I’d keep you safe and I did. Be happy my love. I love you so much and I always will Elizabeth.” He took the wedding ring off his finger, and placed it in the palm of her hands and kissed her goodbye. That’s when the door broke down and dozens of the undead poured out. “I love you” he cried as the helicopter lifted into the air and took off.
    He then turned and faced the now approaching undead horde. The 12 gauge in his hands and the M-16 dangling carelessly around his back. He opened fire into the horde blowing off limbs and sending groups of them spiraling backwards. Through the thick red mist created by their blood, he could see that demonic grin they all seemed to have. “Damn out of ammo he said.” He then dropped the weapon to his feet and pulled the M-16 from around his back and opened fire into the oncoming horde. He was unsure of how many he had actually killed. The blood spurting out of the undead bodies like water erupting from a geyser.  Spraying bullet after bullet into the undead mass that was now sprinting towards him, Kenton heard the distinct ping sound indicating that the gun was now out of ammo. Not wasting any time Kenton dropped the M-16 and pulled his .454 magnum out. Glancing down upon it the looking at the undead horde sprinting at him, he slowly lifted the gun to his temple, cocked the hammer back, whispered the words “I love you Elizabeth” one last time and gently pulled the trigger. The last thing that Elizabeth saw as the helicopter escaped the building that’s rooftop was now painted red was the faint red mist coming from Kenton’s skull and his body slowly falling into oblivion, than hitting the ground with a horrid thumping noise that would haunt her forever..

title: Against The Blood Red Sky.

question: What does the story say about Kenton's feelings?

answer: Kenton is horrified when he watches how the infection ravished the city. He is worried if he and Elizabeth will manage to reach the helicopter. They go to the gun store to find weapon, and he feels relieved when they see that the store is unlocked and there is no one inside. He is surprised by the weight of the .454 magnum and how the cool steel and plywood feel in his grip. Kenton is relieved when he realizes that the owner of the store was obviously planning to use it but never got the opportunity to. At the same time, Kenton hates himself a little for being so heartless. He sees s door and is curious to see what is on the other side of the door. He opens the door and immediately regrets the decision as he notices an undead man. He is shocked and terrified when he sees the man’s small intestine slowly slip out. He is devastated when he realizes he is infected and decides to kill himself. He loves Elisabeth.

question: What does the story say about Elizabeth's feelings?

answer: Elizabeth is pleased when she sees the helicopter that is there to save them. She is relieved when she sees that there is no one in the gun story. They each the helicopter. Elizabeth is surprised that Kenton does not get up. She is devastated when she realized that Kenton is infected.

question: What does the story say about when Kenton and Elizabeth met?

question: What does the story say about the city?

answer: The city used to be peaceful but now the infection ravished the city. The horrific cries of death and fear bellow throughout the city. The dead have poured out from the hell and returned to the living. The city is in ruins. Overturned and abandoned cars litter the street, buildings turned to ash from the riots and looting, death and gore fill the streets turning the once pure black asphalt now to a deep murky red.


text:
The NORTH CAROLINA REPUBLICAN PARTY (NCGOP) is the affiliate of the Republican Party in North Carolina. Michael Whatley was elected Chairman of the party on June 8, 2019.

History

Nineteenth century

Although Republicans first nominated a candidate for President of the United States, John C. Fremont, in 1856,[1] the party was not established in North Carolina until 1867, after the Civil War. With the help of the newly enfranchised freedmen, Republicans were briefly successful in state politics, dominating the convention that wrote the Constitution of North Carolina of 1868 and electing several governors.[2] After Reconstruction, Democrats returned to power, often suppressing the black vote by violence and fraud. Republicans had success in the 1890s when they joined forces with the Populist party in an “electoral fusion.” They gained enough seats in the legislature to control it in 1896, and elected Daniel L. Russell as governor in 1896.[3][4][5]

Twentieth century

To prevent this kind of challenge, after Democrats regained control of the state legislature, in 1900 they adopted a constitutional suffrage amendment which required prepayment of a poll tax and an educational qualification (to be assessed by a registrar, which meant that it could be subjectively applied), and lengthened the residence period required before registration. A grandfather clause exempted from the poll tax those entitled to vote on January 1, 1867, which limited exemptions to white men.[6] These barriers to voter registration caused a dramatic drop in the number of African-American voters in the state by 1904, although they constituted one-third of the population.[7] An estimated 75,000 black male citizens lost the vote.[8][9]

With North Carolina a one-party Democratic state of the Solid South following the disfranchisement of blacks, North Carolina Republicans struggled to survive as a party during the first half of the twentieth century. African Americans were virtually excluded from the political system in the state until the late 1960s. In 1928 Republicans carried the state's electoral votes for president (for candidate Herbert Hoover).[10] White members of the Republican Party generally lived in the Piedmont near Charlotte and Winston-Salem, and the mountains in the western part of the state. In 1952 Charles R. Jonas was elected to Congress from the western part of the state as the first Republican since before the Great Depression. He was joined in 1962 by Jim Broyhill. From this base, and nearly winning the electoral votes for the state in the Presidential elections from 1952 to 1960, the party began to grow.

As in other southern states, in the late 20th century, white conservatives began to shift from the Democratic Party to the Republican one, especially after national Democratic leaders supported the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. White conservatives first voted for Republican presidential candidates. From 1968 through 2004, the majority of North Carolina voters supported Republicans in every presidential election, except 1976, when favorite son Democrat Jimmy Carter was elected from Georgia.[11] When they re-entered the political system, African Americans shifted their alliance from the Republican to the Democratic Party, which had national leaders who had supported the civil rights effort and legislation enforcing their constitutional rights as citizens.

In 1972, Republicans became competitive in statewide elections for the first time since 1900: James Holshouser was elected Governor of the state, and Jesse Helms, a former Democrat who held office for a long time, was elected to the U.S. Senate.[12] Jack Lee, who was elected state party chairperson in 1977, is widely credited with unifying the North Carolina Republican Party in this period.[13][14]

The parties were generally competitive, with the state's voters split between them, through much of the rest of the 20th century.

Twenty-first century

The elections of 2010 led to Republican control of both houses of the North Carolina General Assembly for the first time since 1896[15] when it had gained success in a fusionist campaign with the Populist Party.

The state legislature's redistricting of congressional districts has been challenged in several lawsuits for racial gerrymandering, which are still in progress in 2016.

In 2012, Republicans retained control of the legislature and elected two Republicans, Pat McCrory and Dan Forest, as Governor and Lieutenant Governor, respectively. Most of the other Council of State offices (the Governor and Lieutenant Governor are Chairman and Vice Chairman, respectively) were won by Democratic candidates. (The other Republicans are Cherie K. Berry, Commissioner of Labor and Steve Troxler, Commissioner of Agriculture.)

Party platform

The most recent version of the North Carolina Republican platform was released on June 7, 2013. It contains ten articles and was formed by 13 district representatives and 3 Republican chair members.[16]

North Carolina Republicans passed laws in 2016 to order the transgender people to use their bathrooms according to their original sex. On March 23, 2016, Governor McCrory signed the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act (commonly known as House Bill 2 or HB2), which has been described as the most anti-LGBT legislation in the United States.[17][18][19][20] One contentious element of the law eliminates and forbids cities to re-establish anti-discrimination protections for gay, transgender, and intersex people.[21] The law also legislates that in government buildings, people may only use restrooms that correspond to the sex on their birth certificates,[22] which has been criticized because it prevents transgender people who do not or cannot alter their birth certificates from using the restroom consistent with their gender identity.[23]

The party supports free enterprise economics with little government regulation and taxation.[24]

North Carolina Republicans have been criticized for their support of the death penalty, as studies have shown it has been disproportionately applied to racial minorities. In an effort to repeal the Racial Justice Act, North Carolina Republicans introduced a bill that would essentially veto the act passed in 2009.[25] In June 2013, North Carolina's governor Pat McCrory signed the repeal of the Racial Justice Act, saying that the law was essentially a ban on capital punishment in the state.[26]

English should be the official language of the United States.[27]

Current elected officials

The party controls six of the ten statewide Council of State offices and holds a majority in both the North Carolina House of Representatives and the North Carolina Senate. Republicans also hold both of the state's U.S. Senate seats and 8 of the state's 13 U.S. House seats.

When the Republican-controlled legislature conducted redistricting in 2011, it established districts biased toward Republicans. As a result, although more voters chose Democratic congressional candidates in the state in 2012 than Republican, the Republicans took a majority of the seats. The redistricting has been challenged in legal cases going before the Supreme Court.[28]

Members of Congress

U.S. Senate

Republicans have controlled both of North Carolina's seats in the U.S. Senate since 2014:

-   Class II: THOM TILLIS (_Junior Senator_)[Junior Senator Tillis]
-   Class III: RICHARD BURR (_Senior Senator_, _Chair of Senate Intelligence Committee_)[Senior Senator Burr]

U.S. House of Representatives

Out of the 13 seats North Carolina is apportioned in the U.S. House of Representatives, 10 are held by Republicans:

-   NC-02: GEORGE HOLDING
-   NC-03: GREG MURPHY
-   NC-05: VIRGINIA FOXX
-   NC-06: MARK WALKER
-   NC-07: DAVID ROUZER
-   NC-08: RICHARD HUDSON
-   NC-09: DAN BISHOP
-   NC-10: PATRICK MCHENRY
-   NC-13: TED BUDD

Statewide offices

Republicans control six of the ten elected statewide offices:

-   Lieutenant Governor: DAN FOREST
-   Commissioner of Agriculture: STEVE TROXLER
-   Commissioner of Insurance: MIKE CAUSEY
-   Commissioner of Labor: CHERIE BERRY
-   Superintendent of Public Instruction: MARK JOHNSON
-   Treasurer: DALE FOLWELL

North Carolina General Assembly

-   Senate President Pro Tempore: PHIL BERGER
    -   Senate Majority Leader: HARRY BROWN
-   Speaker of the House: TIM MOORE
    -   Speaker Pro Tempore: SARAH STEVENS
    -   House Majority Leader: MIKE HAGER

[1]

[2]

[3] http://ehis.ebscohost.com/eds/detail?vid=2&hid=102&sid=f21d52b3-ac19-4eb87b-036eaad362b9%40sessionmgr114&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#db=f5h&AN=39024661

[4]

[5]

[6] Richard H. Pildes, “Democracy, Anti-Democracy, and the Canon”, _Constitutional Commentary_, Vol.17, 2000, p. 27. Retrieved March 10, 2008

[7] Historical Census Browser, 1900 US Census, University of Virginia , accessed 15 Mar 2008

[8] Albert Shaw, _The American Monthly Review of Reviews_, Vol.XXII, Jul-Dec 1900, p.274

[9] Richard H. Pildes, “Democracy, Anti-Democracy, and the Canon”, _Constitutional Commentary,_ Vol. 17, 2000, pp. 12-13

[10]

[11] http://ehis.ebscohost.com/eds/detail?vid=3&hid=102&sid=f21d52b3-ac19-4e7a-b87b-036eaad362b9%40sessionmgr114&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#db=funk&AN=NO057500

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16] http://www.ncgop.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/2013-Platform-Passed.pdf

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24] 1

[25]

[26]

[27]

[28] _The New York Times,_ 11 March 2016

title: North Carolina Republican Party

question: What does the text say about the qualities that make a good Republican?

question: What does the text say about the history of the North Carolina Republican Party in the 19th century?

answer: The Republican Party was not established in North Carolina until 1867, after the Civil War. Newly enfranchised freedmen helped the Republicans' success in state politics. They dominated the convention that wrote the Constitution of North Carolina of 1868 and elected several governors. However, after Reconstruction, the Democrats returned to power by suppressing the black vote through fraud and violence. In the 1890s, Republicans joined forces with the Populist party in an "electoral fusion" to great success. It led them to gain enough seats to control the legislature in 1896 and elect Daniel L. Russell as governor.


text:
Washington (CNN)Special counsel Robert Mueller's investigators were allowed to review years of Michael Cohen's emails and other online data from the time he worked under Donald Trump, according to federal warrants released Tuesday.

The documents show that Cohen, Trump's former lawyer and fixer, was a target of Mueller almost immediately after the special counsel was appointed in May 2017 and how extensively Mueller tracked computer data of those close to then-candidate Trump in the early days of his presidency.

In all, prosecutors and the FBI received permission to execute four search warrants for Cohen's two Gmail accounts and stored data in his Apple iCloud account in July, August and November 2017 -- long before Cohen's office was raided in April 2018 and he pleaded guilty in an illegal campaign contribution and tax prosecution led by Manhattan federal prosecutors.

Mueller also received approval on two separate occasions to track the numbers of Cohen's incoming and outgoing calls.

[READ: Newly released Michael Cohen court documents]

Cohen has become a centerpiece of the sprawling investigations into Trump from both federal prosecutors and the Democratic-controlled Congress -- prompting the President to relentlessly attack Cohen as a "rat" after he began cooperating with federal authorities last year.

The warrants provide new information about Cohen's financial crimes, but details about Cohen's campaign finance violations -- the hush-money payments made to women to keep silent about alleged affairs with Trump -- are nearly entirely redacted in the unsealed documents.

The search warrants released Tuesday say that the special counsel's office referred "certain aspects" of its investigation into Cohen to the New York-based US Attorney's Office.

After pleading guilty in the Manhattan probe, Cohen also later pleaded guilty to lying to Congress in a case brought by Mueller's investigators. They have said he's been helpful to them, but have not revealed how so.

Mueller's search warrant justifications related to Cohen that were provided to DC federal court are not yet public.

The searches done by Mueller are described as part of the probable cause that led prosecutors to seek electronic phone and other data from Cohen in their illegal campaign contribution investigation, for which he was charged. Mueller also received warrant approvals on November 7, 2017, and January 4, 2018, to track the numbers of Cohen's incoming and outgoing phone calls and other phone call metadata. Mueller's team then handed over that data to the Manhattan federal prosecutors, and the Manhattan prosecutors also sought additional information filtered out of the Mueller searches.

At the time, Mueller's team was investigating Cohen for a host of crimes, including some for which he's not been charged, such as money laundering and acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government.

The documents released Tuesday, which number hundreds of pages, were released as a result of a ruling from federal Judge William Pauley partially granting a request from various media organizations, including CNN, to unseal documents related to the raid on Cohen's home, office and hotel room.

Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison by Pauley in December for multiple crimes, including campaign finance violations stemming from payments Cohen made or helped orchestrate in 2016 that were designed to silence women who claimed affairs with then-candidate Trump. Cohen is scheduled to report to prison on May 6.

Heavily redacted

The materials related to the campaign finance contribution scheme are entirely redacted in the documents, and there does not appear to be extensive justification that prosecutors have made visible to the public that describes their reasoning for looking at Cohen's phone and email communications.

Instead, in describing to a federal judge the probable cause they had to investigate Cohen's campaign-finance scheme, investigators write almost 20 pages of detail that are all redacted.

The Manhattan US Attorney's Office and FBI "are investigating a criminal violation of the campaign finance laws by Michael Cohen, a lawyer who holds himself out as the personal attorney for President Donald J. Trump. As detailed, there is probable cause to believe that REDACTED," they wrote.

Mueller's office was investigating Cohen for lying to banks, breaking foreign lobbying laws and money laundering, according to one of the search warrants.

[Exclusive: Lawyer said Michael Cohen could 'sleep well tonight' after speaking to Rudy Giuliani]

Mueller's search warrants sought Cohen's emails related to his business dealings under a shell company used to cut hush money deals with women accusing then-candidate Trump of extramarital affairs, which Trump has denied.

Mueller's justification for those warrants were "several different courses of conduct by Cohen, including, among other things, false statements to financial institutions relating to the purpose of an account he opened in the name of Essential Consultants LLC and the nature of funds flowing into that account, and activities undertaken by Cohen on behalf of certain foreign persons or foreign entities without having registered as a foreign agent," an FBI investigator wrote to a judge, piggybacking on Mueller's pursuit.

_This story is breaking and will be updated._

question: Why was Michael Cohen being investigated?

answer: Robert Mueller's team was investigating Michael Cohen for several crimes such as money laundering and acting as an illegal agent for a foreign government. Cohen was also investigated and sentenced for campaign finance violations where payments were made in an attempt to silence women who claimed affairs with Donald Trump. Investigations on Cohen continued for lying to banks and breaking foreign lobbying laws.


text:
[start2]

[Download WiFi Password Recovery]

WiFi Password Recovery is a free utility to recover the passwords of the WiFi networks saved on your computer. For example if you forgot the password of a WiFi network (which you have entered in the past), you can easily recover it thanks to this tool. WiFi Password Recovery provides a very simple user interface which shows also other informations (SSID, Interface, Security type, Encryption algorithm) for each wireless network. The program is able to recover the passwords of wireless networks which use the following security types: WEP, WPA, WPA-PSK, WPA2, WPA2-PSK.*

NOTE: ON WINDOWS XP THE PASSWORDS OF WIFI NETWORKS USING WPA SECURITY WILL BE SHOWN AS 64 HEX DIGITS. YOU CAN USE THESE CHARACTERS AS PASSWORD TO CONNECT TO THE WIRELESS NETWORK ANYWAY.

Requirements

-   Windows XP SP3, Vista, 7, 8.x, 10
-   A wireless network card of course

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Precompiled binaries

Precompiled binaries of WiFi Password Recovery are available for download as installer version or portable version. Click the button below to download the installer:

[Download WiFi Password Recovery]

or visit this page for more download options.

Screenshots

[1]
_WiFi Password Recovery main screen_

[2]
_WiFi Password Recovery main screen 2_

[3]
_WiFi Password Recovery wireless network info screen_

[4]
_WiFi Password Recovery Wireless Networks Import Wizard_

Compiling source code

To compile WiFi Password Recovery source code you need:

-   _MinGW-w64_ compiler
-   _wxWidgets_ 2.8

Before compiling source code you may need to modify the _Makefile_ in order to set the right compiler and libraries paths. After doing that, run:

    mingw32-make clean

and

    mingw32-make

If the compilation succeeds, you will find the generated object files into _obj/_ folder and the main executable into _bin/_ folder.

Don't forget to add the runtime libraries inside the executable path before running it otherwise it will not work.

License

    This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
    it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
    the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
    (at your option) any later version.

    This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
    but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
    MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
    GNU General Public License for more details.

    You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
    along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.

3rd-party libraries used

-   wxWidgets

Contributing

If you want to contribute to this project please follow the Contribution Guidelines.

question: Summarize WiFi Password Recovery utility features.

answer: WiFi Password Recovery utility is a free tool that you can use to recover all the passwords of the WiFi networks that your computer is connected to. Using it, you can easily retrieve forgotten passwords using its simple interface. The tool also shows other information like SSID, Encryption Algorithm, etc. The encryptions it can handle are WEP, WPA, WPA-PSK, WPA2, WPA2-PSK.

question: Summarize the license of the software.

answer: The software is free and it can be modified or redistributed under GNU General Public License as published by Free Software Foundation. It doesn't have any warranty or implied warranty and the details of this can be seen in GNU General Public License.

question: Summarize how the WiFi Password Recovery utility was developed.


text:
**Prologue**

My name is Ian Ruhte. I don't know why I am thinking that. Of course I know my name. I know who I am. I became who I am by choice. Not my choice, but the choice of that bastard Shiloh Conners. That's the man I'm going to kill.

My head hurts. I need something to drink. I'd drink a barrel of salt water right now to get this sweater off my tongue. I know who put me here. It was Shiloh Conners. He has to die.

Shiloh Conners beat me bad. I was just looking for a book. Yes, I was told that book contained the true history of the world. That book contained a lot more. It contained the true story of the downfall of the greatest leader the world had ever seen. It contained the true story about how trade was established from the fertile farmlands to the barren cities where everyone lived off what they could grow in their backyards and what animals they could cook.

Shiloh Conners didn't want anyone to read that book, and now I know why. Now I know and he has to die. There was a time when he didn't have to die. There was a time Shiloh Conners wasn't guilty. That was a long time ago. When he wasn't who he was now. When he didn't kill my wife. When he didn't beat me and leave me here. That was before I talked to a man who told me about the book.

I need a drink.

**Chapter One**

Ian Ruhte slept peacefully on a straw mat, his wife pacing the fireplace. She couldn't sleep when he was going to leave just the next day. The next day arrived as she paced, wearing a rut into the floor in front of the embers. Ian turned over and saw his wife holding back tears, exhausted and tense.

"Doesn't make sense to kill yourself so slowly, girly. You need to stop worrying so much."

"Don't tell me not to worry. One of these days you're not going to come back. It's a dangerous job."

"Dangerous, yes. And it takes me away from you for long periods of time. But after this quarter I've passed the apprenticeship period and I get fellowship pay. That's the kind of money that can guarantee our lives."

"Is a guaranteed living better than a probable death?"

"Red don't do this to me. You knew I was in training to be a field rigger. We met at a bar full of them!"

"I just don't think it's worth it when there are so many safer jobs in town."

"Safer jobs won't make us wealthy."

"Wealth hasn't anything to do with it when you are laid out and dead."

"At least then you could collect some good insurance. You'd be set for quite a few years."

Red glared at him. That was an enraging statement and always cut deep when Ian said things like that.

"That's cruel Ian. You're a cruel man."

"No crueler than I need to be. Honesty may be cruel but it has come to me quite nicely." He stepped closer and kissed his wife. Every kiss they shared was electric. That was what brought them together in the first place- that electricity. Ian washed his face and dressed. "I'll send word if I'm going to be gone for more than a few days," he said.

"I pray you won't be. I need you here more often." Red sighed and wiped the weariness from her face.

"I love you Red. Please take care." Ian kissed her again, then went to the dresser. He grabbed his axe and hooks and strapped them on to his back. Then he grabbed a leather pouch and stuffed it in his pocket. He walked out of the door and Red sat down, breathed deeply, and fell asleep.

**Chapter Two**

I remember the bar where I first met Red. It was called the Backwoods Game Lounge, and it was always hot. They kept it hot in there year round. The fire was constant and somehow managed to warm the whole place, while the drinks warmed me inside. It was the only place I could manage to go after rigging all day. It was physically exhausting to be an apprentice field rigger, but it made me strong. Not strong enough to kill that bastard, but strong enough to break into the Central House and find the book.

I didn't only meet Red at the bar. I met the man who changed my life. Who opened my eyes to the truth. He called himself.. what did he call himself? The Wizard. Yes, that's right. He told me about the book. The history. Well, he thought it was a history. Or maybe he just told me it was a history. He probably knew what it really was. He knew who I really was, and he knew who that bastard really was and what he'd done. He probably knew what he'd do too. I think the Wizard should have died too. I don't know. Once I find and kill Shiloh, I'll find the Wizard and find out what he really knew. Then I'll kill him.

That book was no history. I read the chapter that I felt drawn to. It was clear that it may have been historical like a myth or something, but in reality I knew what it was. It was a prophecy. I was one of the subjects of the prophecy. Prophecy cloaked as a history. Clever, whomever wrote that. Whomever? Whoever? Not that it matters here in my mind.

I wonder if the Wizard wrote this. He seemed like a smart man. Round face. Round glasses. Hair that curled out under his cap. He wasn't round, but every detail was. He cracked his knuckles a lot. He told me about the book and how I needed to read it. He saw me at the bar every day. He knew I liked to read. I'm a good reader. That's how I found the chapter so fast and figured out what it truly meant.

He had to have written it. He practically told me so himself. I wonder how old he really was. He didn't look more than forty. He had to be older. He begged me, pleaded with me to read the book. He knew it wasn't a history. He knew who I really was. He knew what I was going to do.

He knew what that evil man had done.

**Chapter Three**

Ian woke with a start. His parents were arguing again. Five years young, he had a mane of wavy blonde hair. He didn't know much, but he knew when his parents argued it never ended happy. He hid himself away and listened to their yelling. His dad was always louder.

"I'm telling you Martha, they're driving the trade! He's paying off everyone and getting rid of anyone who won't take his money."

"Well then maybe your dad should just take his money. It couldn't possibly be worse."

"It is worse because he gets to dictate who trades what, when, and who they can trade it with. It's servitude. He has no right!"

"He's young. The youngest ruler in the Central House that we've ever seen. He'll change as he grows into it."

"He lied and cheated his way in. Building his legacy on that foundation I don't think he's going to change. He's going to make the farmers his men with money or with violence. It's just wrong. My father and I are going to stand against him."

"You'll die."

"And I'll take out as many as I can with me."

"How could you be so cruel! Ian is only five. How on earth could I provide for him?"

"You'll get my severance pay. You'll get income from the farm- my mother will see to that even if my father dies with me."

Martha couldn't keep the tears from streaming down her face. Ian cried too, but no one could see him in his corner. He couldn't figure out what was going on. All he knew is that a few days later his dad was gone and his mom cried a lot.

"Ian, promise me you'll never leave me" she begged of him.

"Of course mommy. I won't leave you." A child's promise. Pure, innocent, and sweet.

Ian took care of his mom for two more years until she died. She cried a lot. She didn't cry when she was dead. Ian thought that was better.

**Chapter Four**

I know why my dad died. I read it in the book. They thought it was a history. "The Real History of the Central Houses" it was called. Houses. As in more than one. I only ever knew the one. How can you have more than one center? It was in the book. There used to be two Houses. The City House and the Country House.

I never knew there was a Country House. When I was a little kid all the country was were farmers and hunters and riggers. I knew I wanted to be a rigger. I didn't know what I'd wind up being. I didn't know I'd have nearly killed the man who lead the city house. I never called it the City House. I just knew it as the Central House. I went there when I was twelve to apply for apprenticeship. I was denied. Even without parents I couldn't apply until I was sixteen. Two years of apprenticeship and then I would become a fellow. Fellows got the good pay. No one likes being a rigger. Most people didn't make it past apprenticeship before they left and went to drive carts or take some city job.

I was good at rigging. Taking down trees, moving them, digging, and building. It took a lot of work, and every day I was sore. That's why I went the the Backwoods Game Lounge. It was a place to relax and drink and just far enough to walk home and sober up some. Red came in one night. She was just a country girl who wanted a taste. Her first taste. I was seventeen. She was seventeen. I sat next to her and we hit it off. We were just sober enough to feel the electricity when we walked home.

I grabbed a drink from a water barrel just a minute ago. Terrible water. City people get the worst of it. No water here. Used to be very little food. That's what the real history told me. The real history told me about how the Houses were united. I'm not sure if United is the right word, when one just destroys the other. The ruler of the City House killed farmers and replaced them with his own men. He was clever about it. He sent his men in two years prior to his taking the seat at the City House. He was raised to be the ruler, and his first act was to take over the Country House. He saved the realm. He saved the cities. He killed men and women and tore down the Country House. That's the truth of it.

The Wizard knew what I'd read, I know it. He knew I'd see past the history. He knew I'd see this as a prophecy. He knew that the ancient ruler was actually Shiloh Conners and that Shiloh killed my father and grandfather. Then he killed my wife. The ancient ruler was killed when he was 29, by a farmer's son. I am that farmer's son. It wasn't a history. It was a prophecy.

title: Ian Ruhte Part 1

question: Summarize the Wizard's physical description.

answer: He is described as round - round face, round glasses, curly hair.

question: What does the story say about heroism?

question: Summarize what the story says about Red.

answer: Red is the wife of Ian Ruhte, the narrator. She met him in the Backwoods Game Lounge when they were both seventeen, and they connected over shared chemistry. Red worries about Ian working in a dangerous field.


text:
Consumers were pleasantly surprised when Xiaomi launched the Redmi Note in early 2014, with the extremely affordable smartphone offering specifications and features beyond what its price point would suggest. A year later, and the affordable smartphone segment has become increasingly competitive. At a price range below $200, where the original Redmi Note was once king, its successor, the Redmi Note 2, may have a harder go of it.

The follow up brings some key enhancements over the original, but is it enough to stand strong against the tough opposition? We find out, in this in-depth Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 review!

Design

[Xiaomi Redmi Note 2-19]

Like its predecessor, the Redmi Note 2 features a large 5.5-inch display, but borrows its design language cues from Xiaomi’s newer releases, like the Xiaomi Mi 4i. There is a striking resemblance between the two smartphones, including the soft touch plastic rear with a matte finish, but while the smaller smartphone comes with an unibody design, the rear cover of the Redmi Note 2 can be removed, allowing for access to the battery, microSD card slot, and dual micro-SIM card slots.

[Xiaomi Redmi Note 2-13]

Going around the device, the volume rocker is found above the power button on the right side, and the headphone jack and microUSB port are placed up top and at the bottom respectively. The Redmi Note 2 also adds an IR blaster, and the capacitive navigation keys up front below the display are now illuminated and of a red color. The power button and volume rocker don’t offer as much tactile feedback as one may hope for, but there are certainly no issues as far as responsiveness is concerned.

[Xiaomi Redmi Note 2-22]

Despite featuring the same display size, Redmi Note 2 comes with a smaller footprint when compared to its predecessor, and manages to be significantly thinner and lighter as well, allowing for a far improved handling experience. The matte finish on the rear helps with the grip as well, and some users should also be able to manage comfortable one-handed use with the device.

Display

[Xiaomi Redmi Note 2-23]

The Redmi Note 2 comes with a 5.5-inch IPS LCD display like its predecessor, but sees a bump in the resolution from 720p to Full HD, resulting in a higher pixel density of 401 ppi. This is a significant upgrade, but a necessary one, given the fact that some of the competition in this price range also feature 1080p screens. The display is of course, sharp and offers excellent viewing angles, but the contrast and vividness of the colors could have used a boost. It’s definitely not a bad display by any means, but it certainly isn’t the best out there, even when compared to other similarly-priced smartphones like the Meizu M2 Note.

Performance

[Xiaomi Redmi Note 2-2]

Under the hood, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 comes with an octa-core MediaTek MT6795 Helio X10 processor, clocked at either 2 GHz or 2.2 GHz depending on the version of the device you pick, backed by the PowerVR G6200 GPU and 2 GB of RAM. The processing package is another marked improvement from its predecessor, and as such, addresses all the performance concerns that plagued the original.

Day to day performance with the Redmi Note  was excellent, and everything remained smooth and snappy throughout, and things should get even better with the upcoming rollout of MIUI 7. The device also handles multi-tasking well, but there were a few instances of stutter and lag when it came to gaming, which is a bit of a let down. The phone also did heat up during processor-intensive tasks, but it wasn’t so much as to make the device uncomfortable to hold.

Hardware

[Xiaomi Redmi Note 2-14]

The Redmi Note 2 comes with either 16 GB or 32 GB versions, with the top-end model featuring 4G LTE connectivity with both SIM slots, and also comes with a standard suite of connectivity options. Given that this is the Chinese model of the phone, there is expandable storage available via microSD card by up to 32 GB, but it is unclear whether the international version will have this feature. With this version, it was possible to only get HSPA+ connectivity on the AT&T network, so it is a good idea to check for compatibility with your home networks before picking up this phone.

[Xiaomi Redmi Note 2-9]

The IR blaster functions as expected, although the in-built Mi Remote app may not be compatible with some televisions. Third-party apps are available however, to allow for support with many other TVs. Overall, this is a very nice addition, which isn’t expected with a device that falls in this price range. The rear speaker of the Redmi Note 2 sounds really good, and offers adequate volume to be heard even in somewhat noisy environments. The distortion isn’t as much as seen with previous Xiaomi smartphones, and the only drawback here is its placement on the rear. This is certainly one of the better audio experiences that can be had when compared to other devices that are priced at below $200.

The Redmi Note 2 comes with a 3,060 mAh battery, but despite its size, the battery life isn’t as good as expected. With Wi-Fi on for most of the day, and the screen brightness set to auto, the phone was able to manage 4 hours of screen-on time at most, and lasted for around 12 hours overall. Toning down the usage resulted in the battery life going up to 15 hours, but with only 2 hours and 15 minutes of screen-on time. The battery drain is surprisingly significant when the phone is in the idle state, but hopefully, this is a software issue that can be fixed in future updates. If battery life is a concern, the battery of the Redmi Note 2 is removable, which gives you the option of carrying around a spare.

Camera

[Xiaomi Redmi Note 2-11]

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 comes with a 13 MP rear camera with a LED flash and phase detection auto focus, and also packs a 5 MP front-facing unit. While the auto focus is very fast, the actual performance of the camera itself is just about average, as there is a noticeable lack in detail and sharpness in images. As far as the camera application is concerned, there are many different camera modes available, and the manual mode allows for more granular control over aspects like white balance and ISO.

Software

[Xiaomi Redmi Note 2-17]

The Redmi Note 2 ships with MIUI 6 based on Android 5.0.2 Lollipop, but will soon receive an official update to MIUI 7. MIUI is a very different experience from stock Android, but does have a lot of positives, such as the ability to re-organize the quick toggles, adjust the brightness even when auto brightness is on, and also customize what information is seen in the status bar, along with the option to change the display color temperature or contrast.

[Xiaomi Redmi Note 2-25]

You can also change the look and feel of the user interface by taking advantage of the robust theme store that is available, as well as change the functions of the capacitive keys. Useful applications that are pre-installed include the Mi Sound Enhancer and the Xiaomi Backup app, that lets you back up app data, as well as launcher layouts, settings, and account information, without requiring root access to do so.

Of course, MIUI is not without its drawbacks either, such as the fact that you cannot dismiss notifications from the lock screen, or access any other app from it other than the camera. There is also no app drawer, leaving users dependent on folders to keep things organized and clutter-free. A significant drawback with this Chinese version of the phone is also the lack of any Google Apps, but if you pick up the device after its official release in international markets, this won’t be an issue.

Specifications

  -------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Display        5.5-inch IPS LCD, 1920 x 1080 resolution, 401 ppi

  Processor      2/2.2 GHz octa-core MediaTek MT6795 Helio X10
                 PowerVR G6200 GPU

  RAM            2 GB

  Storage        16/32 GB, expandable up to 32 GB

  Camera         13 MP rear camera with LED flash
                 5 MP front camera

  Connectivity   Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 4.0, FM Radio, IR Blaster

  Battery        3,060 mAh

  OS             MIUI OS 6 based on Android 5.0.2 Lollipop

  Colors         white, yellow, pink, grey, blue

  Dimensions     152 x 76 x 8.3 mm
                 160 grams
  -------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gallery

Pricing and final thoughts

The Chinese version of the device starts at just $140, with the Prime version, which comes with 32 GB of storage and both SIM slots capable of LTE support, priced at $156, and the price point is expected to be quite similar with the international version of the phone itself. Available color options currently include white, black, yellow, blue, or pink.

[Xiaomi Redmi Note 2-21]

So there you have it for this closer look at the Xiaomi Redmi Note 2! This smartphone is an excellent option, especially when considering its price, with it featuring a nice design, powerful processing package, and great software experience. The average camera performance is to be expected, but the disappointing battery life is certainly a letdown however. Overall, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 is one of the better options available in this price range, and things should be even better with the international version of the phone, which will come with Google Apps pre-installed as well.

question: Summarize the differences between the original Redmi Note and the Redmi Note 2.

answer: The Redmi Note 2, successor to the highly successful smartphone Redmi Note, is entering a more competitive market. The Redmi Note 2 comes with a 5.5-inch IPS LCD display like its predecessor, but sees a bump in the resolution from 720p to Full HD, resulting in a higher pixel density of 401 ppi. The Redmi Note 2 also manages to be significantly thinner and lighter, and has an improved processing package that addresses performance concerns around the original.

question: What does the text say about desktop computers?

question: What does the text say about the international version?

answer: The international version of the phone will come with Google Apps pre-installed. The price is expected to be similar to the price of the Prime version at around $156.

question: What does the text say about the company's data usage?


text:
SAN ANTONIO -- After nearly seven months of operation and serving more than 32,000 migrants seeking asylum in the U.S., the City of San Antonio has decided to close the Migrant Resource Center, which is located at 400 North St. Mary’s Street as of Friday.

-   OPENED ON MARCH 30
-   OTHER CITY AGENCIES ALSO HELPED
-   AGENCIES WILL CONTINUE TO OFFER SERVICES

“Our community came together to provide a compassionate layover to families seeking asylum in the United States. As they traveled through our city they were greeted with safe shelter and San Antonio’s welcoming spirit,” said Mayor Ron Nirenberg. “We should all be proud of the response San Antonio provided these families during their stay. I’d like to thank my Council colleagues, City staff and our community partners for their support in operation of the Migrant Resource Center.”

READ MORE | SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL MULLS OVER FUNDING NEW INITIATIVES

The City opened the center on March 30, 2019, to provide needed services to the surge of Central American asylum seekers traveling through San Antonio after being released by Border Patrol and legally on their way to host families and cities.

The City of San Antonio Human Services Department operated the center, in close coordination with other City departments, San Antonio Food Bank, Interfaith Welcome Coalition, Travis Park Church, Catholic Charities, and other nonprofits and community volunteers.

“We are grateful to the City Council, City staff, and our many community partners for their support and hard work, embodying compassion in San Antonio,” said City Manager Erik Walsh. “I am proud of our City employees and community members who volunteered their time at the Migrant Resource Center. San Antonio opened itself to migrants seeking asylum and showed compassion to our neighbors from across the world.”

READ MORE | $30M IN REIMBURSEMENT SET FOR SAN ANTONIO, OTHER CITIES AIDING MIGRANTS

At its peak in mid-summer, the center served as many as 450 migrants per day, with just as many receiving overnight shelter at Travis Park Church.

Associate Pastor Gavin Rogers of Travis Park Church said this in a statement about the closing of the migrant center:

_“Getting to shelter, serve and walk alongside our migrant brothers and sisters has not only been a blessing for our church, volunteers, and workers but also a practice of solidarity, love, and hospitality. We had the opportunity to serve and it was worth every long night and day. Our migrant friends and families added so much to our community with their presence, love, and testimonies. They are heroes.”_

The number of daily arrivals and overnight shelter use dropped significantly in the last several weeks, prompting the City to transition the center. Partner agencies will resume managing services to asylum seekers, as they were doing before the center was activated.

question: Why was the San Antonio Migrant Resource Center closed?

answer: The number of immigrants coming through reduced significantly. The city decided to use the center for other duties.

question: What did the Migrant Resource Center accomplish?

answer: They processed more than 32,000 migrants, found them shelter in their time of need.

question: What departments were involved with the Migrant Resource Center?

answer: The City of San Antonio Human Services Department operated the center, in close coordination with other City departments, San Antonio Food Bank, Interfaith Welcome Coalition, Travis Park Church, Catholic Charities, and other nonprofits and community volunteers.

question: How will the handling of asylum seekers continue?

answer: The partner agencies of the Migrant Resource Center will continue to provide services.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: After serving more than 32,000 migrants over the last seven months, San Antonio closes the Migrant Resource Center. The center, which opened on March 30, 2019, served more than 450 people per day at its peak with the help of other city agencies. Now that the migration numbers have dwindled significantly, the city decided to use the center for other purposes. Head officials associated with it expressed their gratefulness for being able to show solidarity and charity.


text:
We’ve all heard the adage that “the personal is political,” and as we watched the slow motion train wreck that was Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearing, that saying holds true more than most times. Unfortunately, that means we have a battle over due process, rape, and what those two terms should mean for us as a society. It’s being cast as a victim versus perpetrator battle, but I suspect that it’s really making all sides the victims.

I hate the word “victim,” and avoid it all costs. It is not who I am, no matter how many times anyone may say the term applies to me because of my past. When it comes to the Kavanaugh accusations, I cringe every time something new hits the headlines.

It’s not because I think there might be a credible accusation. That dread comes from the fact that each headline – each accusation and new accuser – pushes the entire narrative about rape at least a step or two back. We managed to (almost) get beyond the point of putting those who were raped on trial, and then we entered into the abyss that is filled with false accusations mingled with real ones. The reactionary response hit our college campuses first, where young women started calling for the ability to call “Monday morning regrets” rape.

Of course, that isn’t how it was back in the 1980’s, when Kavanaugh allegedly did horrible things. It’s an important detail to remember since it seems everyone is all too pleased to act as though the social atmosphere was “just like today” back then. By today’s standards, the accusations of attempting to remove a girl’s clothing, and giving one’s genitals a bit of air in the vicinity of women at a party are viewed on nearly the same level as rape in an alley. In the early to mid-eighties, I recall both of those kinds of behavior directed toward me by boys. I didn’t like it, and the attempts to remove my clothing without my consent were definitely unsettling at the time. However, I had been raised to understand that while I shouldn’t tolerate that sort of behavior from boys, I also shouldn’t consider calling it “rape” or even “abuse.” It wasn’t “boys will be boys” behavior either. It was simply unacceptable, and a very good reason to avoid the boys who did it.

When I went to college, I learned why there was a big difference between guys trying to go too far or being idiots about their genitals, and rape. That lesson left me with a couple bruised ribs, a split lip, and assorted bruises all over. Back then I didn’t report what happened to anyone except a few close friends. There was no point, because I already knew nothing would happen – the college would bury the report, convince me not to talk to the police, and based on campus rumors, might even threaten to oust me if I didn’t keep it quiet. And, that was rape, defined as forced sexual intercourse.

Times have changed, and what I grew up knowing as “not rape” has been placed under an umbrella for “all things sexual that men might do with or to women and make them feel uncomfortable.” That umbrella is becoming the new definition of “rape,” and the current accusers of Kavanaugh are taking advantage of that categorization. People have politicized sexual interactions to the point where one needs to check daily to find out what new things have been placed under that growing umbrella. What’s worse is no one is thinking about the consequences of criminalizing the concept of making people uncomfortable, or that due process is becoming meaningless in the face of accusations that have anything to do with sex. It’s creating an interesting political battle, but unfortunately the casualties of it are vast and most of them are not even old enough to vote.

Worst of all, there is absolutely nothing empowering for women in any of this. I thought that I would get over the fact that I was silenced in the eighties when I was raped if I lived to see a day when women wouldn’t be treated as I was. It has gone so far in the opposite direction – just the word “rape” has become a weapon, which has rendered it meaningless. It means nothing – less than nothing. It means the destruction of lives, not only of the men who are accused, but also of the women who use the word for accusations of actions other than forced sex. We are human, and we (hopefully) learn from mistakes and bad things that happen to us along the way. But, there are no lessons in this new political game except one – practice isolation. If you never get close to anyone ever, you should be safe from being accused of getting too close. Sadly, I have come extremely close to teaching my teenage son exactly that. Maybe one day I’ll also teach him about how making “all the uncomfortable things rape” just ripped open scars I thought I’d buried years ago. But, I will not call myself a “victim,” because I don’t want to be under their umbrella.

question: What caused the author to write this article?

answer: Allegations against Brent Kavanaugh of rape.

question: Why did the author choose not to report what had happened to them?

answer: They felt like nothing would happen if they did.

question: How does the author feel about the current use of the term "rape?"

answer: They feel like it has changed to mean something different.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: With recent allegations against Brett Kavanaugh of rape, the author feels uncomfortable with the way that the word "rape" is being used. They believe that the term is now an umbrella term to describe sexual instances that once were not considered rape to them. Having been a victim of rape, the author feels like this new understanding of rape turns the accused into victims as well.


text:
	Ned Harper was an ordinary man with an ordinary job, which is why it came as no surprise that this particular Tuesday began like any other; he was running late. Ned whipped his beige Toyota into the gravel parking lot of the Ashland train station and skid to a rock-flinging halt.  The clock outside read 4:38 AM, 3 minutes after his train to was scheduled to depart.  “Please be running late,” he exclaimed as he snatched his suitcase from the passenger seat and belted towards the small white station that doubled as the Ashland visitor center.  The November air was icy cold and it bit at his cheeks and burned his lungs as he flung open the door of the building. “Has the 4:35 to Atlanta left yet?” he asked the small aging woman behind the ticket counter. Her gray hair was pulled back in a tight bun and she seemed too embroiled in removing a hangnail from her thumb to hear him.

“I’m sorry, what did you say?” she asked, looking up at Ned.

“The 4:35 train to Atlanta, has it left yet?”

“Yes, sir; I’m afraid you’ve just missed it. It was running ahead of schedule and departed about 10 minutes ago. Could I get you another ticket?”

“No, no that won’t be necessary” Ned replied, the disappointment evident in his voice. “Is there a public phone I could use? I forgot to charge my cellphone and I need to ring my manager to have him schedule another through our office.”

“Certainly, sir. Just outside on the platform, second door to your left.”

“Thanks.”

Ned picked up his suitcase and headed in the direction the woman had indicated. Although he’d only been inside a few moments, the Virginia air shocked him as it cut through his thick business jacket when he stepped outside. Even more surprising, Ned was immediately confronted with the sight of a hulking gray locomotive looming out of the dim, pre-dawn air of the platform. A tall, thin man in a dark blue uniform with brightly polished buttons leaned from one of its doors. He smiled warmly as Ned jogged up to the side.

“Excuse me, sir,” Ned asked. “Where is this train going?”

“Why, we’re on our way to Atlanta, son,” he said with a long southern drawl. “That where you’re headin’?”

“Oh thank God,” Ned sighed, relieved at the fortunate turn of events. “Yes, I’m going to Atlanta.”

“Well, step right up and we’ll get ‘ya there in a jiffy. Just grab a seat and tha’ inspector will be by shortly to check ‘ya ticket.”

“Thank you so much,” Ned replied and stepped inside.

	Faded teal paint coated the walls, starkly contrasted by bronze curtains on the windows and dark brown seats along both sides of the car. There were no other passengers save for a young man in an olive-green uniform seated across from a young black girl in a dress. Ned picked a seat one row down from them and settled in for a long day. He’d made the trip to Atlanta before, last year when he’d attended a restaurant equipment convention for work. This time it was for a corporate meeting at his company’s headquarters. Trimark U.S.A. had just opened a new showroom in Virginia and Ned was traveling down to personally meet with the chief financial officer to deliver their first annual sales report. It had been quite a year; they’d blown away every estimate they’d received from the company and Ned was excited he’d been chosen as the one to break the good news. He eyed the car’s other two passengers. The young soldier’s uniform seemed different from those he’d seen before. Then again, it seemed to him the military changed their clothes as often as where they fought. The train lurched away from the station and they spent the next hour or so in silence, the young girl reading a book, the soldier dozing off and on, and Ned reading the newspaper he’d packed the night before. Finally, after finishing the last of the sports page, he decided to strike up a conversation with the man in the next row over.

“How long have you been in?” he asked the young soldier.

“A little over a year,” he replied. His shortly cropped blonde hair and smooth face made him look young. Ned thought he couldn’t have been more than 19 at most.

“Did you sign up right out of high school?” he asked.

“No, sir. Got drafted as soon as I dropped out. I’ve been pretty lucky so far though. I took artillery shrapnel to the leg my first day in theater and so I’ve been working the supply lines and haven’t been sent to the front. I’m only home now because both my brothers were killed so they gave me a month of R&R to see my folks.”

*That’s strange*, Ned thought. *I didn’t know the Taliban had artillery. Although, with the way the Russians were selling things off at the end of the Cold War I’m not surprised some of it made its way to Afghanistan. And what does he mean, “drafted?”* “Sorry to hear that,” he offered. “My condolences to you and your parents.”

They were interrupted by the door at the end of the car opening to admit the ticket inspector. His handlebar mustache and pocketwatch marked him as someone fond of antique fashions. Ned checked his own to see how long they’d been traveling but was shocked to see it still read 4:39 AM. *Must have banged it getting on,* he thought to himself.
“Excuse me, sir,” he asked the inspector as he handed him his ticket. “Do you happen to have the time?”

“10 ‘till 6,” the man replied. “Looks like we’re right on schedule.”

“Thanks,” Ned said as he watched the inspector punch holes in the tickets of the other two passengers and move to the next car. “What about you?” he asked the young girl. “Visiting family as well?” She set her book down in her lap and smoothed the long folds of her skirt around her legs.

“No, sir. My mama’s sendin’ me to live with my aunt in Little Rock. She says they just started letting black folks go to the schools down there and they better ‘n the ones at home.”

“Surely the schools there have been integrated for quite some time now, haven’t they?” Ned asked quizzically.

“No, sir. Mama said not since the President sent the Army down there last year and made ‘em open ‘em up.”

“Well, that’s nice” he said. Confusion and worry crept onto his face over the next half hour as he began to wonder what was going on. *Is she messing with me?* he thought. *I think I need some air.* He stood and walked to the end of the car, intent on finding a place where he could open a window. As he neared the door he encountered the inspector returning to the front of the train.

“Um, what time is it, again?” Ned asked, his mind reeling with confusion.
The inspector pulled out his watch.

“10 ‘till 6,” the man replied. “Looks like we’re right on schedule.”

title: Wrote this for one of my graduate classes. Thought I'd see what you guys thought. It's called "Out of Time."

question: When does the man find himself after he goes on the train?

answer: After he gets on the train it is clear that the man is no longer in the 21st century, but in the 20th. At first it seems it might be during WWII, as the young soldier he speaks to has just been drafted. But when he discusses with the black girl whose schools have not been integrated and she suggests the army may be sent down to enforce things, it seems more likely that he has arrived in the 1960s, during the Vietnam war. How he traveled through time is unclear.


text:
[A path through a slag heap in Clarkdale, Arizona showing the striations from the rusting corrugated sheets retaining it.] [_The Manufacture of Iron – Carting Away the Scoriæ_ (slag), an 1873 wood engraving] [Molten slag is carried outside and poured to a dump]

SLAG is the glass-like by-product left over after a desired metal has been separated (i.e., smelted) from its raw ore. Slag is usually a mixture of metal oxides and silicon dioxide. However, slags can contain metal sulfides and elemental metals. While slags are generally used to remove waste in metal smelting, they can also serve other purposes, such as assisting in the temperature control of the smelting, and minimizing any re-oxidation of the final liquid metal product before the molten metal is removed from the furnace and used to make solid metal. In some smelting processes, such as ilmenite smelting to produce titanium dioxide, the slag is the valuable product instead of the metal.[1]

Ore smelting

In nature, iron, copper, lead, nickel and other metals are found in impure states called ores, often oxidized and mixed in with silicates of other metals. During smelting, when the ore is exposed to high temperatures, these impurities are separated from the molten metal and can be removed. Slag is the collection of compounds that are removed. In many smelting processes, oxides are introduced to control the slag chemistry, assisting in the removal of impurities and protecting the furnace refractory lining from excessive wear. In this case, the slag is termed _synthetic_. A good example is steelmaking slag: quicklime and magnesite are introduced for refractory protection, neutralising the alumina and silica separated from the metal, and assist in the removal of sulfur and phosphorus from the steel. [Slag run-off from one of the open hearth furnaces of a steel mill, Republic Steel, Youngstown, Ohio, November 1941. Slag is drawn off the furnace just before the molten steel is poured into ladles for ingotting.]

Ferrous and non-ferrous smelting processes produce different slags. The smelting of copper, lead and bauxite in non-ferrous smelting, for instance, is designed to remove the iron and silica that often occurs with those ores, and separates them as iron-silicate-based slags. Slag from steel mills in ferrous smelting, on the other hand, is designed to minimize iron loss and so mainly contains oxides of calcium, silicon, magnesium, and aluminium. Any sandy component or quartz component of the original ore automatically carries through the smelting process as silicon dioxide.

As the slag is channeled out of the furnace, water is poured over it. This rapid cooling, often from a temperature of around , is the start of the granulating process. This process causes several chemical reactions to take place within the slag, and gives the material its cementitious properties.

The water carries the slag in its slurry format to a large agitation tank, from where it is pumped along a piping system into a number of gravel based filter beds. The filter beds then retain the slag granules, while the water drains away and is returned to the system.

When the filtering process is complete, the remaining slag granules, which now give the appearance of coarse beach sand, can be scooped out of the filter bed and transferred to the grinding facility where they are ground into particles that are finer than Portland cement.

Ancient uses

[Early slag from Denmark, c. 200-500 CE ] During the Bronze Age of the Mediterranean there were a vast number of differential metallurgical processes in use. A slag by-product of such workings was a colorful, glassy, vitreous material found on the surfaces of slag from ancient copper foundries. It was primarily blue or green and was formerly chipped away and melted down to make glassware products and jewelry. It was also ground into powder to add to glazes for use in ceramics. Some of the earliest such uses for the by-products of slag have been found in ancient Egypt.[2]

Historically, the re-smelting of iron ore slag was common practice, as improved smelting techniques permitted greater iron yields—in some cases exceeding that which was originally achieved. During the early 20th century, iron ore slag was also ground to a powder and used to make agate glass, also known as slag glass.[3]

Modern uses

Ground granulated slag is often used in concrete in combination with Portland cement as part of a blended cement. Ground granulated slag reacts with a calcium byproduct created during the reaction of Portland cement to produce cementitious properties. Concrete containing ground granulated slag develops strength over a longer period, leading to reduced permeability and better durability. Since the unit volume of Portland cement is reduced, this concrete is less vulnerable to alkali-silica and sulfate attack.

Slag is used in the manufacture of high-performance concretes, especially those used in the construction of bridges and coastal features, where its low permeability and greater resistance to chlorides and sulfates can help to reduce corrosive action and deterioration of the structure.[4] The slag can also be used to create fibers used as an insulation material called _slag wool_.

Basic slag

Basic slag is a co-product of steelmaking, and is typically produced either through the blast furnace - oxygen converter route or the electric arc furnace - ladle furnace route.[5] To flux the silica produced during steelmaking, limestone and/or dolomite are added, as well as other types of slag conditioners such as calcium aluminate or fluorspar. The major components of these slags therefore include the oxides of calcium, magnesium, silicon, iron, and aluminum, with lesser amounts of manganese, phosphorus, and others depending on the specifics of the raw materials used.

Because of the slowly released phosphate content in phosphorus-containing slag, and because of its liming effect, it is valued as fertilizer in gardens and farms in steel making areas. However, the most important application is construction.[6]

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title: Slag

question: What is slag?

answer: Slag is the glass-like by-product left over after a desired metal has been separated from its raw ore. It is usually a mixture of metal oxides and silicon dioxide. It can also contain metal sulfieds and elemental metals.

question: What are the ancient uses of slag?

answer: During the Bronze Age of the Mediterranean, there are wide variety of metallurgical processes in use. A slag by product of such works was a colorful, vitreous material found on the surfaces of slag from ancient copper foundries, and was chipped away and melted down to make glassware products and jewelry. It was also ground into powder to add to glazes for use in ceramics. Historically, the re-smelting of iron ore slag was common practice, as improved smelting techniques permitted greater iron yields.

question: What is basic slag?

answer: Basic slag is a co-product of steelmaking, and is typically produced either through the blast furnace to oxygen converter route or the electric arc furnace to ladle furnace route.


text:
In 2019, Dolly Parton became the first country artist _ever_ to be named the MusiCares Person of the Year. The honor came in recognition of the country icon's years of charity work and giving back -- and rightfully so -- but it's difficult not to think that the award was long overdue.

Parton's charity efforts are legendary, not just in her home state of Tennessee -- where she's worked for years to improve literacy and promote education via programs such as her Imagination Library -- but worldwide. Over the years, she has supported the United Way and the Save the Music Foundation; donated items to charity; and participated in the Make-a-Wish program.

Additionally, Parton has also dedicated money, time and support toward animal rights: In 2003, for instance, she received the Partnership Award from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in connection with Dollywood's American Eagle Foundation bald eagle sanctuary. She's also worked with HIV/AIDS charities -- for example, she contributed the tune "You Gotta Be My Baby" to the benefit album _Red Hot + Country_ -- and health-related causes.

In 2017, meanwhile, Parton donated $1 million to the Monroe Carell Jr. Vanderbilt Children's Hospital. One year later, the Sevier County Senior Center was renamed the My People Senior Activity Center in her honor. In 2020, amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, Parton gave $1 million to help fund research into a cure for the virus at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

"I am impressed that Dolly doesn’t do anything that doesn’t grow to have a widespread impact," Parton's longtime friend and musical foil Kenny Rogers told _Parade_ in 2015. "It may start locally, but because of her focus and determination, whatever it may be grows to have influence in a much larger way."

Although it's tough to narrow down Parton's most impressive charity achievements, these are five of the most important ones:

question: What was Dolly Parton's latest accomplishment?

answer: She became the first country artist to be named MusiCares Person of the Year.

question: Why are Dolly's charity efforts legendary?

answer: She has worked for years to promote education worldwide, supported countless charities, and donated millions of dollars to hospitals and COVID-19 research.

question: What does Kenny Rogers say about Dolly's philanthropy?

answer: Kenny is impressed by Dolly's focus and determination to do things that grow and have a widespread impact, influencing people in a much larger way.

question: Where is Dolly's home state?

answer: Tenessee

question: Write a ~5 sentence summary.

answer: At the time of the article, Dolly Parton became the first country artist to be named MusiCares Person of the Year. Her charity efforts are legendary, not only in her home state of Tennessee but also worldwide. Dolly has given her time, money, and support to countless charities and animal rights. Dolly has also donated millions of dollars to medical institutions and even gave Vanderbilt University Medical Center $1 million for COVID-19 research. Her longtime friend, Kenny Rogers, is impressed by Dolly's focus and determination to do things that grow and have a widespread impact.


text:
A new poll shows President Donald Trump losing his 2020 re-election bid to every leading Democratic candidate in the key swing state of Minnesota.

A _Star Tribune_ poll released on Monday found that the trio of leading candidates for the Democratic nomination, former Vice President Joe Biden, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, all defeated Trump in head-to-head matchups. The survey also found Minnesota's Amy Klobuchar besting Trump in the swing state despite being less successful in national polling.

Biden had one of the biggest leads over Trump of any of the Democratic candidates, according to the poll. Fifty percent of voters backed the former vice president compared to the 38 percent who supported Trump.

Fifty-one percent of voters said they'd choose Warren over the president. But Trump did have slightly more support from voters (40 percent) when matched up against Warren than with Biden. Sanders came in third among Democratic candidates, with 49 percent of voters backing him as opposed to the 40 percent who would support Trump.

But it was Klobuchar who was shown beating Trump by the widest margin of any Democratic candidate, 50 percent to 38 percent. The Minnesota senator has a national polling average of just 2 percent. Candidates need to average at least 3 percent support in four DNC-approved polls to move on to the next debate.

The _Star Tribune_ poll was conducted from October 14 to October 16. It consisted of 800 registered voters and has a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.

[donald trump 2020 rally minnesota]

President Donald Trump speaks onstage during a campaign rally at the Target Center on October 10, 2019, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The rally follows a week of a contentious back and forth between President Trump and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. A new poll shows Trump losing to top Democratic challengers in Minnesota. Stephen Maturen/Getty
Trump was just in Minneapolis, Minnesota earlier this month for a 2020 campaign rally. During the event, the president slammed polling that showed him in danger of losing to his Democratic competitors.

"Now, the do-nothing Democrat con artists and scammers are getting desperate," Trump said. "Thirteen months, they've got to move fast because they are not beating us in the polls and they know it. Despite the phony polls that you see all the time."

Trump added that he "knows polls very well" and that polls are "no different than crooked writers."

But his hold on the presidency has become even more uncertain after the House of Representatives launched an official impeachment inquiry against him last month. The inquiry came as a result of reports that Trump pressured a foreign country to investigate Biden and his son Hunter.

Trump has waved off the impeachment inquiry as a "Democratic witch hunt" and has claimed that no other president in U.S. history has been treated so badly. But polling shows that a growing number of Americans support removing him from office. According to a recent Gallup survey, 52 percent of U.S. adults now support Trump's impeachment.

question: Why is Minnesota referred to as a swing state?

answer: Because it's part of the U.S states that don't vote for the same party consistently, that is what determines if a candidate will win or lose.

question: What percentage of support do candidates need to acquire in four DNC-approved polls to move on to another debate

answer: 3%.

question: How did Trump feel about the voting polls

answer: Bad.

question: Besides the voting numbers in Minnesota, what placed Trump's presidency in jeopardy

answer: There were reports that he pressured foreign countries to investigate Joe Biden and his son.

question: Write a ~5 sentence summary.

answer: This article highlights the American re-election poll among Donald Trump, former vice president Joe Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders in Minnesota. It showed that Joe Biden had the most significant lead against Trump with 50% support. Trump's presidency was further jeopardised when reports revealed that he pressured a foreign country to investigate Biden and his son. Despite this, Trump claimed he would be the first U.S president to be treated that badly. Irrespective, a growing number of Americans voted for his impeachment from office.