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Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - Oct 16, 2015
October 16, 2015
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He's dead, Jim:
KEN TAYLOR, the Canadian ambassador to Iran who famously helped six Americans escape Tehran after the 1979 hostage crisis, has died at the age of 81 of colon cancer. The mission, which was carried out by the Canadian government and the CIA, was shown in the 2012 BEN AFFLECK movie, "Argo."
Taylor and other Canadians sheltered the Americans at great personal risk. He helped arrange airline tickets and fake passports for the Americans who'd fled the U.S. Embassy after it was attacked by radical supporters of AYATOLLAH KHOMEINI.
The U.S. State Department sent condolences to Taylor's family with a statement reading "Ambassador Taylor earned the enduring gratitude of the United States of America --and was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal-- for his valor and ingenuity... [his] courageous actions exemplify the enduring nature of the special relationship between the United States and Canada."Posturing, Posing and Press Releases:
Both DONALD TRUMP and BEN CARSON are threatening to skip the next Republican presidential debate unless the format is changed. Both campaigns fired off a joint letter yesterday to CNBC's Washington bureau warning they wouldn't participate in the network's debate on October 28th unless it lasts no longer than two hours and includes both opening and closing statements by the candidates.
Trump's campaign manager COREY LEWANDOWSKI tells the New York Times, "The criteria that was outlined by CNBC was never discussed with any of the candidates or the campaigns ...So what CNBC did was send out a memo and said, 'Here's the criteria as you have approved them' and that went out to all the campaigns. We said we never agreed to this criteria."
Lewandowski added, "For us it was imperative that the time be changed to 120 minutes... Until we have this criteria specifically laid out, it is difficult to participate." (Pacelli)Christmas... already?
Congratulations to PENN & TELLER, who'll be the Grand Marshals for the annual Hollywood Christmas Parade. ERIK ESTRADA, LAURA McKENZIE, DEAN CAIN and MONTEL WILLIAMS will be co-hosting the parade, which will take place starting at 5 pm on Nov 29 on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles. The parade will be taped to air on Dec 11 on the CW network, along with several showings on the Hallmark Channel.
Shipping packages for the holidays? Look to spend a little more if you use UPS, which says prices for ground, air and freight rates will go up around five percent starting a week from Monday (Oct 26) --just in time for the lucrative holiday gift-giving (and sending) season).
Another Chalk Outline:
Note to all social media users --DON'T post pics of yourself or your spouse with wads and wads of cash. TONY HARRIS, who's 50, from Philly, posted a pic of his wife with stacks of cash on Facebook and a week later, was shot in the head by three armed intruders at his home.
ANTHONY FLEMING, who's Harris's nephew, said it was just a joke. The money was stacks of one dollar bills with $20 dollar bills on top. The intruders allegedly held Harris and wife as gunpoint and demanded cash. No suspects have been caught and the investigation is ongoing. (Myers)Stupid people, stupid places:
A pair of pranksters in the Netherlands organized a "gourmet" taste test --using only McDonald's food.
The professional pranksters call themselves "Lifehunters." They conducted their bogus taste test at one of Europe's most prestigious culinary exhibitions. They disguised McNuggets and cheeseburgers as "organic snacks." Foodies who sampled the grub believed was healthy organic food. One expert commented, "It's good, the structure is good. Not too sticky, and it has a good taste." A video of the prank has been posted on the group's YouTube channel. (Still) -
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