Divvys Blog

June 07, 2018

Jay Z and Beyonce renew wedding vows?

Jay Z and Beyonce have hinted they have renewed their wedding vows.

The couple - who tied the knot in April 2008 - kicked off their 'On The Run II Tour' at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on Wednesday night (06.06.18), and one of their background videos appeared to show the pair dressed in white for a wedding ceremony.

The pair sang 'Young Forever' while the clip, which doesn't seem to be from their 2008 nuptials, played out on stage.

Jay and Beyonce's three kids, daughter Blue, six, and 11-month-old twins Rumi and Sir were all present at the apparent wedding renewal, and after the footage a message flashed up on screen stating: ''This is real love''.

The video also featured footage of the 36-year-old singer holding their twins just moments after giving birth.

This comes after the couple celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary earlier this year by reserving the entire rooftop of the NoMad Hotel in Los Angeles.

Jay and Beyonce are said to have dined alfresco to see in the milestone.

The 48-year-old rapper previously admitted he wasn't sure he would be a good father because he didn't have a role model to look up to.

He said: ''[There were not] very many examples for us growing up of that.''

But everything fell into place following the birth of Blue.

He said: ''It's strange that way.''

Jay has also admitted he felt anger towards his father when he was growing up.

He previously explained: ''As a kid I had a bunch of anger towards him, but as I grew up I realised that the things he went through in life were very difficult.

''I'm not heartbroken at this point in my life. I wake up, I look around, I look at my kids, they're healthy...

''I feel grateful every day.''

Photos

June 07, 2018

Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina celebrates their twins’ first birthday with sweet family photo

by RITEBET, in

Cristiano may be one of the world’s best footballers, sure, but you can’t forget he’s also a family man.

He showed us another glimpse into his world as he wished his twins a happy birthday yesterday.

It’s hard to resist some awwwws as the family all looked to the camera, while the champion Real Madrid player looked to be on cloud nine as he beamed in the sweet family snap added to Instagram earlier this week.

His family was hanging out in the pool, as he took a selfie with girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez and his son, Cristiano Jnr, seven, twins Eva and Mateo – who were born via surrogate last year – who were celebrating their big day in some swish floaties.

The couples baby daughter, Alana, who was born in November last year, could be seen in the background strapped in safely to a bouncer chair.

The 33-year-old captioned the shot in his native Portuguese, but translated to English it read: ‘My babies Eva and Mateo are celebrating their first birthday today! Congratulations, my dear children!’

Os meus bebés Eva e Mateo cumprem hoje o seu primeiro aniversário! Parabéns meus queridos filhos!👏🏽🎂😘😘

A post shared by Cristiano Ronaldo (@cristiano) on Jun 5, 2018 at 4:34am PDT

Georgina shared her own snap, with the tots wearing crowns.

‘Congratulations to our loves Eva and Mateo on their first year of life,’ she captioned the shot in Spanish. ‘We’re the world’s most fortunate parents. They’re the perfection in our days. A blessing.’ The brood looked like a cosy unit, that’s for sure.

Felicidades a nuestros amores Eva y Mateo en su primer añito de vida. 🎈🎉🎁 Somos los papas más afortunados del mundo. Sois la perfección de nuestros días. Una bendición. Hemos extrañado mucho hoy a papi que está con la selección de Portugal preparando el Mundial 🇵🇹 Te amamos, papi❣️ @cristiano Quiero agradecer a nuestra familia y amigos por acompañarnos en un día tan especial para nosotros 😘 #felizcumpleañosevaymateo #parabens #amor

A post shared by Georgina Rodríguez (@georginagio) on Jun 5, 2018 at 12:42pm PDT

June 07, 2018

Liverpool hire Philipp Jacobsen, medic behind Adam Lallana rehab, in top role

by RITEBET, in

Liverpool have announced that Philipp Jacobsen has joined the club to become medical rehabilitation and performance manager.

Jacobsen will be jointly leading Liverpool's medical department, alongside club doctor Andrew Massey.
The German joins Liverpool from Aspetar, a Qatar-based medical facility that specialises in sports medicine and rehabilitation, where he headed up a team dedicated to the recovery of elite footballers and athletes.

A source has told ESPN FC that he recently oversaw Adam Lallana's rehab in Cape Town, South Africa, back in April as the midfielder recovered from a hamstring injury.

Jacobsen has worked with the Qatar national team in the past and spent time as Panathinaikos' head physio between 2001-2004 before joining Portsmouth in 2005

June 07, 2018

Michigan Democrat Bets Governor’s Race on Universal Health Care

by RITEBET, in

A Democrat running for governor in Michigan is supporting a tax increase to pay for a statewide government-run health-care system, going further than his party’s candidates in other parts of the country who are also calling for expanded coverage.

Abdul El-Sayed, a physician and former Detroit health director running in a three-candidate Aug. 7 primary, said he’ll unveil a detailed plan Wednesday that seeks to place residents with private health insurance or Medicaid into a single-payer system run by Michigan. Recent polls show El-Sayed in third place among Democrats in the primary.

Abdul El-Sayed

Photographer: Carlos Osorio/AP Photos

The plan comes as single-payer insurance, an issue once confined to the fringes of the left, moves into the mainstream of the Democratic Party. A number of the party’s congressional candidates are embracing it, as are some of the party’s highest profile senators -- including Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Kamala Harris of California and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York. Liberal activists are working to make it a litmus test for Democrats seeking high office.

El-Sayed is doing what many other candidates have avoided by spelling out his plan and saying which taxes he’d raise to finance it. He said it would be disruptive to the health-care system and move many off existing plans, but emphasized that it would save money on health care for businesses and families.

“The system needs to be disrupted,” he said in an interview, describing his plan publicly for the first time. “The people that I talk to every day are deeply frustrated with the fact that the system’s forgotten about them.”

Health care is a “human right,” he said, and families shouldn’t live in fear of falling into dire financial straits to cover the cost of a serious illness.

The issue has become a flashpoint in some other Democratic gubernatorial primaries, though other major candidates have stopped short of releasing a plan to achieve it. In New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo, challenged from the left by Cynthia Nixon, has signaled support for single-payer insurance. In California, gubernatorial front-runner Gavin Newsom has championed the idea, while Democratic rival Antonio Villaraigosa has questioned its viability.

In Michigan’s race for governor, the other two Democrats are backing expanded health coverage but don’t go as far as El-Sayed. Entrepreneur Shri Thanedar vows on his website to “fight for universal health care coverage” without getting specific, while former state Senate Minority Leader Gretchen Whitmer says she’ll “work with anyone who wants to expand coverage.”

Two-term Republican Governor Rick Snyder is barred by a state term limit from seeking re-election.

In a move sure to draw fire from his Republican rivals, including front-runner and state Attorney General Bill Schuette, Ed-Sayed’s plan would raise billions of dollars from a tax on business earnings and a surtax on incomes across the spectrum, but heavier on top earners.

The single-payer plan would face opposition in the state legislature, controlled by the GOP. Democrats would have to win control of the state House, and possibly the Senate, for his plan to have a chance, he said. If the state were to approve the plan, the Trump administration would have to grant waivers from federal rules; President Donald Trump opposes single-payer health care.

“This is a serious plan, and it’s upfront about the tax increase required, which is often just an asterisk in single payer proposals,” said Larry Levitt, senior vice president at the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation. “A single payer plan like this has the potential to provide universal coverage while saving money.”

Levitt said financing the program would mean paying higher taxes in place of premiums, deductibles and co-pays. Low income residents would probably pay less and wealthier families more, he said.

The proposal is unlikely to succeed given a maze of obstacles, especially at the state level, said Timothy Jost, a professor emeritus of health law at Washington and Lee University School of Law. He said that any single payer system would probably need to be implemented at the federal level, where it’s opposed by Republicans and many Democrats.

El-Sayed said advocates of single payer systems in Vermont and California haven’t succeeded because they weren’t upfront about the tradeoffs and "failed to properly message this and build public support."

He said the success of his plan will depend on whether he and his supporters could successfully counter criticism from conservatives, industry groups and Michigan residents skeptical of losing their plans.

“It will take time," El-Sayed said. "It will take a steady push to move this public conversation.”

June 07, 2018

Lawyer to ex-Trump campaign aide Manafort taps ethics adviser

by RITEBET, in

A lawyer involved in several real estate deals that U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating in his criminal case against President Donald Trump’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort has hired his own ethics adviser.

Marc Garfinkle, a New Jersey ethics attorney, told Reuters that he has been retained by Bruce Baldinger, a longtime lawyer for Manafort also based in New Jersey, as a legal consultant to advise him about “attorney confidentiality and privilege issues that may arise” in the case. He did not elaborate on the details.

Baldinger declined to comment, as did Jason Maloni, a spokesman for Manafort.

Prosecutors have alleged that two of Manafort’s New York companies were part of a scheme to take tens of millions of dollars earned overseas and launder it in the United States, including through real estate investments.

Baldinger signed biennial statements as the authorized person for those companies, attesting to the address at which the companies could be served with any court papers received by New York State authorities, according to copies reviewed by Reuters. The signed statements are necessary to keep the companies in good standing.

According to property records, in 2016 Baldinger also signed two loans as a “special secretary” for one of the New York companies - MC Brooklyn Holdings, LLC - for a total of $5.3 million against a brownstone in Brooklyn, some of which Mueller has alleged Manafort illegally earmarked for other purposes.

Baldinger has not been accused of any wrongdoing and Reuters could not determine what, if any, interest Mueller has in him.

If prosecutors determine that Baldinger’s role in the deals was minimal and he was unaware of any purported fraud, then his legal exposure could be limited to being called as a witness at any Manafort trial, legal experts said. They said, however, that if prosecutors believe he knew about any fraud or may have participated, then his legal risk could be much greater.

Garfinkle said he did not know whether or not Baldinger had also separately retained an attorney and added that it “doesn’t appear that he has any need to.”

Manafort has pleaded not guilty to charges in indictments in Washington and Alexandria, Virginia, which arose from Mueller’s investigation into any links or coordination between the Russian government and people in Trump’s 2016 election campaign. [nL2N1T719L] Manafort was a lobbyist for about a decade from 2004 for pro-Russian political leaders in Ukraine and among the charges is that he failed to register as a foreign agent.

Baldinger may be seeking guidance on the scope of attorney-client privilege applicable to the work he did for Manafort, with the real estate transactions potentially falling outside those protected bounds, said Mala Ahuja Harker, a former prosecutor.

“Manafort would certainly want the lines of the privilege to be drawn as broadly as possible,” said Harker, a lawyer with Friedman Kaplan Seiler & Adelman LLP.

Although the attorney-client relationship is generally protected, lawyers can testify against their clients if the clients were involved in an ongoing fraud.

June 07, 2018

Mike Hatch says he's dropping out from attorney general race

by RITEBET, in

Former Minnesota Attorney General Mike Hatch says he’s dropping out of the race for his old seat.

Hatch told Minnesota Public Radio News that he was satisfied with the field of candidates in the race. He had hinted in filing papers Tuesday that he might drop out if that happened.

Hatch was among a slew of people jumping into the race after incumbent Lori Swanson announced Monday that she was shifting to run for governor.

Remaining Democrats including attorney Matt Pelikan, the party endorsee; U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison; state Rep. Debra Hilstrom, former Commerce Commissioner Mike Rothman and former Ramsey County Attorney Tom Foley.

Former state Rep. Doug Wardlow is the Republican-endorsed candidate.

June 07, 2018

Becerra, incumbent California attorney general to face GOP challenger Bailey

by RITEBET, in

Incumbent California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, a Democrat who has been at the center of the state's legal war with the Trump administration, will face off in the fall general election against a conservative GOP challenger, retired judge Steven Bailey, to keep his job as the state's top lawyer.

Becerra, a longtime congressman who was appointed to the state attorney general post last year by Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown, garnered 45 percent of the vote and first place in Tuesday's "top two" primary system. Bailey, a retired Superior Court judge from El Dorado County and critic of the state's so-called sanctuary laws, received 25 percent and took the second spot.

There were nearly 768,000 votes separating Becerra and Bailey. Under California's so-called "jungle primary" system, the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, advance to the general election. The state's general election will be held on Nov. 6.

Another Republican opponent, Los Angeles attorney Eric Early, last month during a debate called Becerra "obsessed with [President] Donald Trump." Early finished third in the race for attorney general with nearly 15 percent of the vote, while Dave Jones, a Democrat and the state's insurance commissioner, was fourth with slightly over 14 percent.

Jones was a harsh critic of Becerra during the campaign but tweeted his congratulations and support Wednesday for the incumbent attorney general. "I endorse his candidacy for AG & encourage CA to unite in supporting him," Jones tweeted.

Associated Press reported that Becerra spoke Tuesday to supporters at an election party in Sacramento and took another swipe at Trump. The attorney general said that 2018 was not 2016, a reference to the presidential election that put Trump into the White House.

Becerra also spoke to supporters about the need to go after polluters harming the state's water and air. He also pledged to go after street gangs, sex-trafficking rings and fraudsters preying on seniors.

At latest count, Becerra has filed at least 35 lawsuits against the Trump administration, including legal action taken last week against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over landfill methane regulation.

More than half of the lawsuits filed, or 18 suits, have dealt with protecting the environment. There also have been actions filed against the Trump administration involving health care, reproductive rights, education and the transgender military ban as well as immigration and the 2020 Census.

Becerra also challenged the administration's planned border wall by charging it didn't comply with U.S. and state environmental laws. But a federal judge rejected California's claims to stop the construction. The state is appealing the ruling.

"While the current attorney general has focused on fighting Washington, crime has increased, homelessness has reached record levels, and drug abuse has taken more lives, but he has been absent on all of these issues," Bailey told supporters Tuesday evening at an election party in Folsom. "It is time for an attorney general who is focused on solving problems here in California — someone who will stop the unconstitutional sanctuary state, prevent the early release of violent career criminals, and provide fair and honest ballot titles and summaries for initiatives and referendums."

During a debate last month, Bailey lashed out at Becerra for the flood of lawsuits filed against the federal government. "Unfortunately, what we're faced with here in California is a whole series of frivolous lawsuits that have no basis," Bailey said.

Meantime, Becerra is defending the state against the Trump administration's lawsuit challenging California's sanctuary laws that protect undocumented immigrants. A key hearing in that case is scheduled for June 20 in a Sacramento federal court where a judge is expected to hear the federal government's request for a preliminary injunction against three of California's sanctuary laws.

At least 35 local jurisdictions in the state, including San Diego and Orange counties, have taken action opposing the sanctuary legislation.

State Senate Bill 54, one of California's controversial sanctuary laws, was passed last year by the Democratic-led state legislature and bars local jails from detaining undocumented immigrants who have been convicted of a crime past their normal release time at the request of federal agents. Some police also have complained it puts restrictions on their ability to communicate concerns with federal authorities such as the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, or ICE, about certain undocumented offenders being released on the street.

Bailey said last month the sanctuary legislation "has the collateral consequence of creating a situation where we're forcing ICE into our neighborhoods. That's exactly what we shouldn't be doing. If we were just allowing ICE to function the way they wanted to function, and that is going to the local jails and picking up law breakers, you wouldn't have the collateral consequence."

The state's sanctuary legislation also includes a law that bars employers from voluntarily giving employee information to federal authorities. In January, Becerra warned that businesses could face a $10,000 fine if they violated the law.

According to Bailey, small businesses, in particular, are in a tough spot due to the state's sanctuary legislation because they are forced to decide "whether they are going to be prosecuted by the federal government or by the state government. That quite frankly is wrong."

Bailey was endorsed by the California Republican Party as well as the National Rifle Association. "I'm rock hard on the Second Amendment," Bailey said last month. "It's not guns that are the problem; it's people that are the problem."

In contrast, Becerra said last month during a debate that "responsible gun owners" have rights to weapons but added he "will fight to the dickens to make sure that California's progressive gun safety laws stay in place. I have been sued by the NRA four times."

June 07, 2018

Stormy Daniels files new lawsuit against Michael Cohen and her old attorney

by RITEBET, in

Stormy Daniels on Wednesday launched a new lawsuit against her former attorney, Keith Davidson, as well as President Donald Trump's personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, saying the two men "colluded" and "acted in concert" to "manipulate" Daniels and to benefit Trump.

The lawsuit, filed in the Superior Court of California, is just the latest in Daniels' continuing onslaught against Cohen, led by her Los Angeles-based lawyer, Michael Avenatti -- and all rooted in Daniels' alleged sexual encounter with Trump in 2006. The White House has said Trump denies the alleged affair.

The lawsuit alleges that in January 2018, when Davidson was still representing Daniels, "Mr. Cohen immediately colluded with Mr. Davidson in an attempt to use and manipulate Ms. Clifford in a manner designed to benefit Mr. Cohen and Mr. Trump."

The men sprung into action, the lawsuit alleges, when they became aware of the forthcoming publication of an "In Touch" magazine article that would detail Daniels' descriptions of her alleged affair with Trump. As a part of the efforts to deny the affair, Cohen "hatched a plan to have Ms. Clifford appear on Mr. Sean Hannity's program to falsely deny the accuracy of the In Touch article," the lawsuit says.

Included in Wednesday's lawsuit are alleged text messages exchanged between Cohen and Davidson that appear to show communications between January 2018 and March 2018.

"These text messages show that the prior denials by Mr. Trump and Mr. Cohen relating to what Mr. Trump knew and about the honesty of my client were absolute lies," Avenatti said in a statement. "There was a significant cover-up here as part of an attempt to deceive the American people and Mrs. Trump and we intend on getting to the bottom of it."

Dave Wedge, a spokesman for Davidson, blasted the new lawsuit.

"This outrageously frivolous lawsuit is yet another desperate attempt by Michael Avenatti to continue his 'publicity tour,' as well as divert attention from the recent allegations against him relating to bankruptcy proceedings and the failure to withhold millions of federal employee taxes," Wedge said.

"That said, attorney Davidson is very happy that he has filed this lawsuit because he strongly believes that the filing constitutes a full and complete waiver of the attorney-client privilege. Thankfully, the truth can now finally come out to rebut the false narrative about attorney Davidson that Mr. Avenatti has been pushing in his more than 175 television appearances and countless other media interviews. Attorney Davidson believes that the American people deserve to know the entire truth -- and they soon will. This lawsuit has made that happen."

June 07, 2018

SC Solicitor Johnson losing fundraising battle to challenger in Democratic race

by RITEBET, in

COLUMBIA, SC

Embattled 5th Circuit Solicitor Dan Johnson, hit by allegations of financial mismanagement and sexual harassment, is badly losing the battle for money to keep his job in next Tuesday's Democratic primary.

Challenger Byron Gipson raised almost $6 for every $1 that Johnson raised in April and May, according to the latest campaign filings by each candidate.

Johnson raised $9,530, including two $1,000 donations, during that period.

Gipson raised $56,840. Gipson's contributors included 31 lawyers who gave $1,000 each, including former U.S. attorneys Pete Strom and Bill Nettles, and former 5th Circuit Solicitor Barney Giese.

How much the two candidates raise is important because the sum can indicate community support — or the lack thereof. Money also can pay for last-minute ads or drive get-out-the-vote efforts. In short, the more money a candidate has, the better.

Meanwhile, the leader of S.C. House Democrats called on Johnson on Wednesday to quit his bid for a third, four-year term if he can not answer questions about his office's spending by Friday.

However, a Greenville County auditor said a report on that spending will not be available until July, week's after Tuesday's primary. But an incomplete review shows Johnson's office spent public money on personal expenses, the auditor added.

That disclosure came after House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford, D-Columbia, challenged Johnson to make that audit public by Friday or quit his bid for a third four-year term.

Johnson "should not put the public in a position where they are being required to vote in a race where they don't have all the answers and they don't know what is going on," said Rutherford. "We deserve better than this."

S.C. Democratic Party Chairman Trav Robertson said Wednesday that if any of the allegations concerning Johnson proves true, he needs to step aside. "Those who enforce our laws need to be beyond reproach."

Johnson and his attorney, Wally Fayssoux, also did not respond to a request for comment.

However, the auditor whose firm was hired to do a forensic review of spending in Johnson's office predicted Wednesday that audit will not be completed until July. That audit will look into whether money in Johnson's office was handled inappropriately, Micheal O'Shea said.

But one initial finding already is in.

Johnson's office has spent public money on personal expenses, and that spending likely will have to be reimbursed, O'Shea said.

The FBI and the State Law Enforcement Division are investigating spending in Johnson's office, including numerous trips that the prosecutor took around the country, as well as to Europe, South America and the Galapagos Islands. Johnson and his office also spent thousands on luxury Uber rides, trips to casino complexes and checks made out to "cash."

Records of Johnson's office spending were obtained by the Public Access to Public Records watchdog group, or PAPR, and, subsequently, reported by news media outlets. Last week, The State also published accounts by two former lawyers in the solicitor's office who said they had been sexually harassed by Johnson, who sent them hundreds of text messages and sought a closer relationship with them.

O'Shea, a Greenville County auditor, said it is not simple to audit records in Johnson's office. The office takes in about $10 million a year from various sources. However, it lacks systematic procedures to track and handle expenses, and a designated person to monitor spending and revenues, O'Shea said.

Auditors are sifting through roughly 70,000 pages of spending records that cover the past eight years, including credit card and bank statements, O'Shea said. Johnson and his staff are cooperating with auditors and answering questions, the auditor added.

O'Shea said he is aware federal law enforcement officers also are investigating spending in the solicitor's office.

The 5th Circuit solicitor, paid $141,300 a year, is the chief prosecutor in Richland and Kershaw counties. With its multimillion-dollar budget and a staff of 144, including 42 assistant prosecutors, the solicitor's office handles thousands of criminal prosecutions each year in those two counties. The office also works with state, federal and local law enforcement agencies.