Sessions says hurt by Trump outbursts, but not quitting

By AFP  

US Attorney General Jeff Sessions leaves the West Wing of the White House in Washington, DC on July 26, 2017. US Attorney General Jeff Sessions found himself in an increasingly untenable position Tuesday, as President Donald Trump once again publicly skewered his top law enforcement official, calling him “VERY weak” and saying he is “disappointed.” SAUL LOEB / AFP

US Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Thursday called a barrage of criticism from President Donald Trump “hurtful” — but vowed to remain in his post.
The president has launched a series of attacks against his top law enforcement official in recent days, furious at Sessions for recusing himself from a probe into alleged Russian ties to Trump’s election campaign.
Sessions has remained largely silent in response but, in an interview with Fox News during a visit to El Salvador, he admitted to being stung by the president’s comments.
“It is kind of hurtful, but the president of the United States is a strong leader,” said Sessions, a former senator from Alabama who was one of the first senior politicians to endorse Trump.
Sessions said that Trump’s overwhelming desire was for “all of us to do our jobs. That’s what I intend to do.”
The attorney general stepped away in March from overseeing the FBI-led Russia probe after it emerged he had not disclosed during his Senate confirmation hearing that he met twice with the Russian ambassador to Washington.
In an interview with The New York Times last week, Trump said he would never have appointed Sessions had he known he would recuse himself from the Russia probe.
He later called him out on Twitter, saying he had been “VERY weak” for failing to open a criminal investigation into his defeated election rival Hillary Clinton.
The attacks, widely seen as designed to force Sessions into resigning, have upset leading figures in Trump’s Republican Party, who have sprung to the attorney general’s defense.
“If Jeff Sessions is fired, there will be holy hell to pay,” Republican Senator Lindsey Graham warned Thursday.

Culled from Guardian in AFP

One dead after Fireball fairground ride sends riders flying through the air

Richard Hartley-Parkinson

The ride pictured moments before the accident happened

A swinging and spinning amusement park ride has broken apart on the opening day of the Ohio State Fair, hurling people through the air, killing a man and injuring seven others.
Three of the injured were in a critical condition, authorities said.

‘The fair is about the best things in life and tonight with this accident it becomes a terrible, terrible tragedy,’ said Ohio governor John Kasich.
The man who was killed was one of several people who were thrown off when the Fire Ball ride malfunctioned, Columbus Fire Battalion chief Steve Martin said.
Dramatic video captured by a bystander shows the ride swinging back and forth like a pendulum and spinning in the air when it crashes into something and part of the ride flies off, throwing riders to the ground.

People were treated at the scene where one person died and another seven were injured (Picture: Justin Eckard via AP)

A company providing rides at the Columbus fair this year describes the Fire Ball as an ‘aggressive thrill’ experience.
On its website, Amusements of America says that since its debut in 2002, the Fire Ball has become ‘one of the most popular thrill rides on the AOA Midway’.
The company description of the ride says it swings riders 40 feet above the midway while spinning them at 13 revolutions per minute.
Mr Kasich said he had ordered a full investigation and all fair rides to be shut down until additional safety inspections can be completed.
In a post on its Twitter page the fair said: ‘There has been a report of a ride incident. We are investigating and will report information as available.’

Some of the damaged chairs involved in the accident (Picture: Barbara J. Perenic/The Columbus Dispatch via AP)

An investigation is now underway to work out why the ride malfunctioned in such a catastrophic way  (Picture: Justin Eckard via AP)

The Ohio State Fair runs until August 6.
State director of agriculture David Daniels said all the rides were checked several times when they were being set up to ensure it was the way the manufacturer intended.
‘We started out today with 11 rides that did not open because the inspection work was not done on them,’ he said.
Mr Daniels said four rides would not be operating because they did not meet the mechanical test.
Ride inspectors said the Fire Ball was inspected at a couple of different stages and signed off Wednesday.

The man who died was thrown 50ft from the ride (Picture: Jim Woods/The Columbus Dispatch via AP)

Three of the people who were injured are in a critical condition – another four are stable (Picture: Justin Eckard via AP)

The riders were on seats attached to the end of a fast-rotating pendulum (Picture: Reuters)

All rides have been closed while investigations take place (Picture: Barbara J. Perenic/The Columbus Dispatch via AP)

People watch as authorities respond near the Fire Ball amusement ride (Picture: Justin Eckard via AP)

Culled from Metro

Opinion: 7 real ways for millennials to save money (not by brownbagging and skipping Starbucks)

The real way to take control of your finances is by focusing on the big-ticket items in your life

Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection

Extend parts of that college lifestyle by a few years.

By

BenCarlson

It seems young people get blamed for everything these days. Millennials have been accused of killing marriage, home ownership, chain restaurants, diamonds, department stores, face-to-face interaction and pretty much every long, boring sporting event imaginable.
They’re also being accused of killing their own net worth. Here’s a recent survey from Bankrate.com:
“In particular, younger millennials (ages 18 to 26) are falling victim to vices that may feel good in the moment, but are far from worth it in the long run:
• 54% of people in our age group eat out at least three times per week.
• 30% of millennials say we buy coffee at least three times a week.
• 51% typically go to a bar at least once a week. (Among people ages 21-26)
Bottom line: We’re spending a lot of cash on vices.”
This is pretty standard personal finance advice. If you just stop buying coffee every day or bring a brown bag lunch to work, you’ll be a millionaire in 250 years!
The problem is this advice doesn’t really work. Nickel and diming your way to savings is no way to go through life. You need to prioritize the little things that make you happy and stop wasting money on the little things that don’t.
But the real way to save money as a young person is by focusing on the big-ticket items in your life.
Millennials are constantly being told that student debt it too high, wages are stagnant, the Great Recession made it difficult to find a job and the future is going to be a terrible place. I never liked the idea of blaming macro factors on your own personal situation. All of that stuff is out of your control anyway.
While it’s not easy, here are some ways young people can actually take control of their finances and save a little money:
Live like a college student for a few years. College was the most fun period of my life…and I was basically broke the entire time. I never went out to nice dinners. I rarely purchased new clothes. The houses and apartments I lived in were dumps. If you can simply keep your lifestyle the same for a few years after school that can be a huge head start to getting your finances in order. You can pay off some student loans, develop good saving habits and avoid crippling credit card debt. And you can still have fun when you’re young without spending a ton of money.
Skip the starter home. Buying a house is a huge commitment, requires a lot of work and a consumes a large part of your budget. There’s no reason to rush into buying a house when you’re young just because it seems like the logical next step. There’s nothing wrong with renting for a few years until you’re ready financially to buy a home.
Another easy way to save money in the housing department is to live with roommates. Whether you buy or rent, housing will likely be your biggest line item every month. Splitting that cost is a simple solution to save more.
Skip the new car. A new car is a depreciating asset. It falls in value by something like 20%-30% in the first year. If you can’t save money, you have no business buying a new vehicle.


Focus on your fixed costs. I’ve never been a huge fan of budgeting. I like the idea of understanding what your fixed costs are going to be every month and spending the rest (and yes, saving is a fixed cost). The 50/30/20 rule isn’t a bad place to start. You can also save money by understanding which periodic payments you’re making — gym memberships, Netflix, Apple Music, cable, Internet, phone service — that are worth it and which ones you don’t utilize enough.


Automate. The problem with the latte factor is we all have a limited amount of discipline. Decision fatigue will eventually catch up with you if you’re constantly trying to skimp and save on every minor spending choice. Automate your bills. Automate your savings. Automate your credit card payments. Then spend whatever is leftover. This allows you to avoid late fees and overdraft charges as well.
Read: Young investors aren’t as smart as they think they are
Make more money. The best way to save more money is to make more money. That can be difficult when you’re first starting out in the working world, but here are a few suggestions:

• Become indispensable to your employer. And once they realize they can’t function without you, that’s when you negotiate a higher salary. People hate having that conversation but eventually, you’ll make more money if you’re worth it.
• Invest in yourself. Unless you have superior connections in the working world you absolutely have to be in the mindset of continuous self-improvement. That means reading, getting designations/certifications, taking classes, going to conferences, taking people out to coffee, etc. Your education isn’t done when you get out of college, it’s really just beginning.

Understand yourself. No two people have the same exact situation. You have to figure out what works for you. But delayed gratification is almost always painful. Have fun when you’re young, but develop good financial habits and your future self will thank you.

Culled from yahoo finance