title: Correlation does not imply causation

text: Correlation is a valuable type of scientific evidence in fields such as medicine, psychology, and sociology. Correlations must first be confirmed as real, and every possible causative relationship must then be systematically explored. In the end, correlation alone cannot be used as evidence for a cause-and-effect relationship between a treatment and benefit, a risk factor and a disease, or a social or economic factor and various outcomes. It is one of the most abused types of evidence because it is easy and even tempting to come to premature conclusions based upon the preliminary appearance of a correlation.


title: Badla (2019 film)

text: Badla () is a 2019 Indian Hindi-language mystery thriller film directed by Sujoy Ghosh and starring Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Tony Luke and Amrita Singh. The film is produced by Red Chillies Entertainment and Azure Entertainment and is a remake of the 2016 Spanish film "The Invisible Guest". The story follows an interview between a lawyer and a businesswoman, in which the latter insists that she is being wrongfully framed for the murder of her lover.


title: Badla (2019 film)

text: "Badla" was released on 8 March 2019, It has grossed over worldwide against a production budget of to emerge as a commercial success.


title: Badla (2019 film)

text: At the 65th Filmfare Awards, "Badla" received 4 nominations, including Best Supporting Actress (Singh).


title: Badla (2019 film)

text: Naina Sethi is a young and shrewd successful businesswoman in London with a perfect family. Her world turns upside down when she gets arrested for the murder of her secret lover, Arjun. Naina's lawyer, Jimmy Punjabi, hires prestigious defence attorney Badal Gupta to defend her, and over the course of one late evening, they work together to find out what actually happened. Badal reveals that there is a witness whose testimony will incriminate her in the crime. Naina explains that she and Arjun were blackmailed by someone for their extramarital affair. They were called to a hotel where Naina was attacked; only to wake and find Arjun dead with the money meant for the blackmailer. She was arrested but is out on bail. The police find no trace of anyone else being present in the room or breaking in.


title: Badla (2019 film)

text: Badal tells Naina that she is not being honest with him and questions her about the disappearance of a young man near the hotel. Naina reveals that she and Arjun went to a cabin in the woods few months ago. On the way back, she accidentally crashed into an oncoming car and killed its driver, a young boy named Sunny. Arjun convinced Naina not to inform the police, and they removed any trace of the crime. They put Sunny's body in the trunk of his car, which Naina dumped in a swamp. While Arjun was waiting for her, Rani and Nirmal, a local couple, met and invited him to their home, where Arjun discovered that they are Sunny's parents. When Rani called Sunny, his phone rang in Arjun's pocket as he had forgotten to dispose of it, making Rani suspicious. Arjun and Naina get away but become worried that they will be discovered soon.


title: Badla (2019 film)

text: Naina watched the news showing that Sunny had embezzled money from the bank where he was working before disappearing. She learned that Arjun had taken Sunny's wallet as they disposed of the body and used his girlfriend's employee credentials to hack into the bank to frame Sunny as a criminal. Rani identifies Naina's car at the scene of her son's disappearance, making her a suspect, but Naina has her lawyer falsify an alibi. The police buy it, but Rani is unconvinced. Rani later confronts Naina at a press event and reveals that she knows the truth. She pleads Naina to tell her Sunny's location but Naina keeps up her act of innocence. A few months later, Arjun and Naina are contacted by the blackmailer, leading to the present events.


title: Badla (2019 film)

text: Badal decides that Rani must have killed Arjun and could have easily done so since Sunny's father, Nirmal, works at the hotel. Naina reveals that she saw Rani in the room but lied to check whether Badal was a good lawyer or not, to which Badal reveals there was no witness and he was lying to get the truth from Naina. However, Naina who now trusts Badal, reveals a secret: Sunny was still alive in the trunk before she disposed of the car. However, she let him drown, deciding not to save him to protect herself from potential incrimination. Surprised by her murderous and selfish actions, Badal proposes an alternate sequence of events in which Naina was the one who actually pressured Arjun into hiding the crime and framed Sunny. In this version, Arjun grew so guilty that he traveled to the hotel to confess the truth to Rani and Nirmal, prompting Naina to kill him. With the police knocking, she decided to injure herself and frame Rani for the crime. Naina denies this and claims that what Badal proposed earlier is the truth.


title: Badla (2019 film)

text: Badal refuses to fight Naina's case. When she implores him for help, he agrees only if she honestly tells him whether she killed Arjun. Naina confesses to Arjun's murder, revealing where Sunny's body is. Badal agrees to continue defending her and excuses himself for a moment, going out to get some fresh air while Naina receives a call from Jimmy. She realises that Badal's pen is interfering with the call. Naina then discovers that the person who came to her as Badal Gupta was an imposter when she finds the real Badal Gupta at the doorstep. Naina, shocked, takes apart Badal's pen to reveal a voice recorder inside that recorded every word of their meeting, including her confessions of both murders. As she glances outside her window, Naina makes eye contact with the imposter and Rani in the apartment building across from hers. "Badal" takes off his disguise, revealing himself to be Nirmal. Rani calls the police for Naina's arrest.


title: Badla (2019 film)

text: On 11 February 2019, Shah Rukh Khan, whose production house Red Chillies Entertainment is producing the film, tweeted two first look posters of the film, one with Bachchan's character and another with Pannu's. The film was released on International Women's Day, 8 March 2019 and is available online on Netflix. The film was certified by British Board of Film Classification with runtime of 118 minutes.


title: Badla (2019 film)

text: Three unplugged innovative promotional videos which involved a conversation between Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan were launched on 3 March 2019, 6 March 2019 and 9 March 2019 respectively, which also featured Taapsee Pannu, to promote the film.


title: Badla (2019 film)

text: ""Main Sach Hi Toh Bol Rahi Hoon"" was published on 25 February 2019, ""Homework"" on 28 February 2019, ""Sab Ka Sach Alag Alag Hota Hai"" on 1 March 2019 and ""Mere Paas Teen Sawaal Hain"" was published on 7 March 2019 on YouTube, featuring Amitabh Bachchan and Taapsee Pannu respectively.


title: Badla (2019 film)

text: The music of the film is composed by Amaal Mallik, Anupam Roy and Clinton Cerejo while the lyrics are penned by Kumaar, A. M. Turaz, Siddhant Kaushal, Manoj Yadav, Anupam Roy and Jizzy. Amitabh Bachchan, inspired by Ranveer Singh's "Gully Boy", rapped the song "Aukaat".


title: Badla (2019 film)

text: On "Rotten Tomatoes", the film has scored based on reviews with an average rating of . Gaurang Chauhan reviewing for "Times Now" rates the film with 3.5 stars out of 5 and opines that Sujoy Ghosh has delivered yet another interesting, enticing and an edge-of-the-seat mystery thriller. Rachit Gupta of "The Times of India" also rates the film with 3.5 stars out of 5 and finds that the film is a slick-but-predictable thriller with solid performances. He said, "Sujoy Ghosh’s Badla delivers solid thrills and some genuine twists with great effect." He feels that this whodunit film, keeps the viewer engaging and constantly guessing about the big reveal. "Cinema200" too gave it 3.5 stars out of 5 and praised the climax along with Sujoy Ghosh's direction. Anupama Chopra of "Film Companion" gives 2.5 stars out of 5 with remarks, "Nothing is what it seems and there are many turns, but the film isn’t as clever as it thinks it is." and concludes the review as ""Badla" remains watchable until the end but it doesn’t become essential viewing." Saibal Chatterjee of "NDTV" giving it 3 stars out of 5, finds Amitabh Bachchan classy and Taapsee Pannu right on button in edgy thriller. Taran Adarsh gave the film 3.5 stars out of 5 and found the film and its star-cast, captivating and brilliant.


title: Badla (2019 film)

text: In its opening weekend, "Badla" collected 273.8 million from domestic market. The film had a worldwide gross collection of 138.49 crore consisting of domestic gross of 103.88 crore and overseas gross of 34.61 crore.


title: Carly Pearce

text: Carly Pearce (born Carly Cristyne Slusser; April 24, 1990) is an American country music singer and songwriter. Her material contains elements of both traditional and contemporary country-pop music. Pearce began performing professionally in her teens, appearing on several albums of bluegrass material in the 2000s. After moving to Nashville, Tennessee, she began gaining more widespread notice.


title: Carly Pearce

text: Pearce first gained major recognition in 2017 when her self-penned "Every Little Thing" found an audience on satellite radio. The song helped Pearce secure a major label recording contract and became a major hit, reaching number one on the "Billboard" country chart. Her debut album of the same name debuted in the top five of the "Billboard" Top Country Albums chart. Pearce has since released new material, including the 2020 single "Next Girl" from "29", an EP released on February 19, 2021. On September 17, 2021, she released her third studio album "". Pearce is a three-time Country Music Association Award winner, a four-time Academy of Country Music Award winner, has received one CMT Music Award and became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 2021.


title: Carly Pearce

text: Pearce was born Carly Cristyne Slusser in Taylor Mill, Kentucky to Todd and Jackie Slusser. Pearce developed interest in country music from her grandparents, who regularly played it at home during her childhood. Her stage name is based on her grandfather's last name. In home video saved by her family, Pearce declared that one day she would perform on the Grand Ole Opry. In mid-childhood, she began performing professionally. At age 11, Pearce performed regularly with a bluegrass band. She also performed in church and tent revival shows. At age 14, she performed at a boys prison.


title: Carly Pearce

text: At age 16, Pearce auditioned for the "Country Crossroads" show, a program part of the Dollywood theme park. After being offered the job, she convinced her parents to move to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee (the location of Dollywood), and to let her drop out of high school. Reflecting on the experience in 2017, Pearce commented, "Performing at Dollywood was a key part of my journey to finding myself and finding my way." While performing at Dollywood, she enrolled in a homeschooling program. The online course allowed Pearce choices to pursue collegiate opportunities post-graduation if she so desired. Pearce commented that the online program was similar to a college course in that her "parents wouldn't have to do anything". During her time at the park, Pearce performed at Dollywood five times a week, often in several shows per day. Additionally, she contributed her vocals to compilation albums of bluegrass music.


title: Carly Pearce

text: Pearce moved to Nashville, Tennessee, at age 19 to pursue a country music career. She would later describe her early years in Nashville similar to a "roller coaster" ride. She signed a developmental deal with Sony Music Nashville in 2012. Pearce's producer was fired from the label. With the producer's termination, Pearce lost her deal with Sony. She later said that experience of having an opportunity and then losing it was difficult. In a 2017 interview with "Nash Country Daily", Pearce commented, "Of course there were moments that I wanted to quit music. My condo has seen many tears and heard many prayers at night. I've always known I wanted to do this, and like I said a little earlier, when you open your brain to still staying in the game and waiting it out and fighting and really understanding that this is a business." After losing the opportunity, she took a series of part-time jobs to help make ends meet. Among these jobs was cleaning Airbnb's.


title: Carly Pearce

text: While working part-time jobs, Pearce began networking with other performers and executives in the country music industry. Around this time, she met Pete Fisher, who was the vice president and general manager of the Grand Ole Opry. Fisher provided Pearce the opportunity to perform on the Opry in 2015 (which was before she had a recording contract). From their professional relationship, Fisher informed record producer busbee about her musical abilities and interests. In 2015, busbee signed her to a developing artist deal.


title: Carly Pearce

text: In 2016, Pearce was featured on the track "Wasn't That Drunk" by the country group Josh Abbott Band. Released as a single that year, it peaked at number 37 on the "Billboard" Country Airplay chart. Her performance on the song allowed Pearce to gain exposure to country radio stations. She also performed with the Josh Abbott Band on television, including a performance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" The same year, Pearce was being brought to the attention of multiple Nashville record labels. However, all had declined to sign her. In an interview with "Forbes," she recalled being told by several industry professionals to move home or pursue other interests. The same year, busbee produced a track co-written by Pearce entitled "Every Little Thing". Released independently, it was picked up for radio airplay on Sirius XM's "The Highway" channel, where it received widespread recognition. Following its recognition, Pearce was offered multiple recording contracts. She ultimately chose to sign with Big Machine Records.


title: Carly Pearce

text: "Every Little Thing" was officially released as a single to country radio in February 2017. By November, the song had become a major hit, peaking at number five on the "Billboard" Hot Country Songs chart and number one on the "Billboard" Country Airplay chart. "Every Little Thing" sold over 500,000 copies in the United States, receiving a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. Pearce's debut studio album was released the same year, also named "Every Little Thing". The album debuted at number four on the "Billboard" Top Country Albums list short after its release. It also reached number 32 on the "Billboard 200" albums chart. The album received critical acclaim by music writers and critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic gave the release four of five stars calling "polished professionalism", but also contrasting it to the bluegrass musical style of earlier career work. In his concluding statement Erlewine commented, "her showbiz and country roots are inextricably entangled, a singer with a feel for the past but an eye for the present." Jewly Hight of NPR also praised the album, drawing similarities between her vocals and that of artists such as Alison Krauss and Trisha Yearwood.


title: Carly Pearce

text: During this time, Pearce established herself further with further musical projects. This included touring with Luke Bryan, Thomas Rhett, and Blake Shelton. Her next single release, "Hide the Wine", was spawned from her 2017 album. It became Pearce's second major hit, reaching number 13 on the "Billboard" Country Airplay chart in 2018. The same year, she issued a single that was to be the lead release of her upcoming second studio album. Entitled "Closer to You", the song was released in November 2018 and reached the top 40 of the "Billboard" country charts.


title: Carly Pearce

text: In October 2019, Pearce released a second single from her unreleased second studio album. The song, "I Hope You're Happy Now", was a duet with country artist Lee Brice. The song was her second to reach the number one spot on the "Billboard" Country Airplay chart. After taking time to marry singer Michael Ray, her self-titled second studio album was issued in February 2020. It would be busbee's final production project before his death in 2019. It debuted at number six on the Top Country Albums list and number 73 on the "Billboard 200". Jason Scott of "American Songwriter" gave it three of five stars and called the album an example that "illustrates an artist learning, growing, and embracing the good, the bad, and ugly."


title: Carly Pearce

text: In June 2020, Pearce revealed that she was recording new music and that her next single will not be a track off of her second album. In September 2020, she released the single, "Next Girl". In February 2021, Pearce released her first extended play collection titled, "29." The album's name was derived from personal setbacks she endured during her twenty ninth year. These events included her divorce from singer, Michael Ray, and the death of her long-time producer, busbee. The EP received praise from "American Songwriter," which called it an "exquisite seven song collection." "Rolling Stone" noted a "progression" in its seven tracks that ends "in a place of hope." Following its release, "Next Girl" reached the top 15 of the "Billboard" country airplay chart.


title: Carly Pearce

text: In June 2021, Pearce was invited by Dolly Parton to become a cast member of the "Grand Ole Opry". A month later, she announced the release of her third studio album titled "" alongside the promotional single "Dear Miss Loretta", a tribute to Loretta Lynn featuring Patty Loveless. The album was a continuation of her 2021 EP. It was officially released in September 2021. It reached number nine on the "Billboard" country albums chart and number 83 on the "Billboard" 200. The disc received positive reviews from critics, including AllMusic, which praised her "vulnerability" and "Variety" which highlighted its traditional musical sound. The disc spawned the 2021 single, "Never Wanted to Be That Girl", a duet with Ashley McBryde. It became Pearce's third single to top the "Billboard" Country Airplay chart. Pearce appears on Kelsea Ballerini's "You're Drunk, Go Home" along with Kelly Clarkson. On October 26 and 27, Pearce headlined two sold-out shows at the Ryman Auditorium, which featured guest appearances from Bill Anderson, Ricky Skaggs, Gary LeVox, Jackson Dean, Ronnie Dunn, Kelsea Ballerini, Mountain Heart and Trisha Yearwood.


title: Carly Pearce

text: Pearce's musical style is rooted in the contemporary country and bluegrass genres. Her musical experiences included performing as part of a bluegrass band. These early performances influenced the style she would later create. Pearce has also credited notable bluegrass artists for their influence on her. This includes Alison Krauss, Ricky Skaggs, and Rhonda Vincent. Pearce's music has also been described as having elements of contemporary country. When reviewing her 2017 studio album, AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted that it "still bears all the hallmarks of contemporary country production. It's crisp and nimble, using electronic and R&B as flair that accentuates the songs." In "Taste of Country" review of Pearce's 2017 album, it was mentioned that several album tracks (such as "Catch Fire") were "pop-leaning" in their sound.


title: Carly Pearce

text: In addition to bluegrass performers, Pearce has also been inspired by contemporary country artists. She has credited "late 1990s" female artists as major influences, notably Shania Twain and Trisha Yearwood. Pearce was also inspired by the career decisions of female country artists, including Faith Hill. In an interview with "Good Morning America", Pearce commented that she wanted her career choices to resemble Hill's: "I really want to be like what Faith Hill was to our genre back then. I love country music so much, and I wanted to do a little bit of that retro, cowhide, kind of throwback to the '90s ... but, like, a new spin on it."


title: Carly Pearce

text: In July 2018, Pearce confirmed that she was dating fellow country singer Michael Ray. Pearce admitted to "Taste of Country" that she met him after writing comments on his Instagram account. Upon their first interactions, Ray did not understand Pearce's intentions. They became engaged on December 19, 2018. Ray proposed to Pearce at a beach resort in Tulum, Mexico, alongside Pearce's family who also attended the vacation. The two were married on October 6, 2019, near Nashville, Tennessee. In June 2020, Pearce filed for divorce from Ray after only eight months, amidst rumors of a toxic marriage. In late 2020 she began dating former Minor League Baseball player Riley King.


title: Alessandro Nesta

text: Alessandro Nesta (; born 19 March 1976) is an Italian professional football manager and former player. Usually deployed as a centre-back, he is widely considered one of the best defenders of all time. He was best known for his pace, artistic tackles, elegance on the ball, distribution and tight marking of opponents.


title: Alessandro Nesta

text: He made over 400 Serie A appearances in a 20-year career spread between Lazio and AC Milan, winning domestic and European honours with both clubs. Later in his career, he played in Major League Soccer (MLS) for the Montreal Impact, and for Chennaiyin of the Indian Super League. Nesta is a four-time Serie A Defender of the Year and a four-time member of the annual UEFA Team of the Year. In 2004, he was named as one of the Top 100 greatest living footballers as part of FIFA's 100th anniversary celebration. In 2021, he was inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame.


title: Alessandro Nesta

text: Nesta was a member of the Italy national team for a decade from his debut in 1996, earning 78 caps in total. At international level, he competed at the 1996 Olympics, three UEFA European Championships, and three FIFA World Cups. Nesta was a member of the Italian team that won the 2006 World Cup, and he also represented the Italian side that reached the final of Euro 2000.


title: Alessandro Nesta

text: Nesta was first discovered by Francesco Rocca, a scout for Roma, but his father, a Lazio fan, turned down the offer. He began his youth career with Lazio in 1985, playing in various roles, including as a striker and midfielder, before being placed in the role of a defender. In the 1993–94 season he was called up to the first team, and on 13 March 1994 he made his debut in a 2–2 away draw against Udinese; Nesta came on for Pierluigi Casiraghi during the 78th minute.


title: Alessandro Nesta

text: He assumed the team captaincy in 1997 under Sven-Göran Eriksson, and helped Lazio win the 1998 Coppa Italia against AC Milan in the final, in which he scored the winning goal. He would also make the UEFA Cup Final that season, losing out to Internazionale. Nesta was awarded the Serie A Young Footballer of the Year Award at the 1998 Italian footballing awards for his performance throughout the season.


title: Alessandro Nesta

text: The following year he was forced to stay out for nearly half the season due to ligament injuries suffered during the 1998 FIFA World Cup. He returned to the field in December, and, as captain, led Lazio in the title race, lost by a single point on the final day of the season. He did, however, win the first two trophies at the international level of his team: the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, won against Mallorca, and, in August, the European Super Cup over Manchester United.


title: Alessandro Nesta

text: In the 1999–2000 season he led Lazio to the "Scudetto" and Coppa Italia, winning the double. During the 2000–01 season, under Dino Zoff, Lazio won the Supercoppa Italiana and finished third in Serie A. Nesta's performances and success for Lazio during this period earned him three consecutive Serie A Defender of the Year awards between 2000 and 2002. Financial problems for Lazio and its then-president Sergio Cragnotti led to the sale of Nesta to Milan in 2002. Nesta left the club with a backlog salary of €2 million, half of which were converted into shares of the "Biancocelesti" club.


title: Alessandro Nesta

text: Just before the 2002–03 Serie A campaign, financial woes forced Lazio to sell many of their best players, including Nesta, who transferred to Milan for €30,987,000 (60 billion lire). During this time, he would form a formidable defensive line alongside Paolo Maldini, Cafu, Alessandro Costacurta and Jaap Stam, among others. Nesta's first two seasons with the "Rossoneri" were very successful. During the 2002–03 season, he won the Champions League for the first time in his career as Milan defeated rivals Juventus at Old Trafford in the first all-Italian Champions League final in history. Nesta helped Milan keep a clean sheet during the match, which went to a penalty shootout following a 0–0 deadlock after extra time. Nesta was able to score his penalty kick as Milan won the shootout 3–2. Nesta also won the Coppa Italia over Roma during his first season at the club, while Milan finished third in Serie A that season. Nesta was once again awarded the Serie A Defender of the Year award for his performances, and was elected to be part of the UEFA Team of the Year.


title: Alessandro Nesta

text: The following season, Milan lost both the 2003 Supercoppa Italiana to Juventus and the Intercontinental Cup final to Boca Juniors, on penalties. Nesta managed to win the European Super Cup with Milan against Porto, however, and captured his second "Scudetto" that season, during which Milan set an Italian record for points won. Milan were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, and in the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia, to eventual winners Lazio, although Nesta managed to score a goal in the quarter-final match against Roma. Nesta was once again elected to be part of the UEFA Team of the Year, for the third consecutive season.


title: Alessandro Nesta

text: Nesta began the next season by defeating his former team Lazio to capture the 2004 Supercoppa Italiana. Milan also reached the Champion's League final in 2005, losing to Liverpool on penalties, while in Serie A, they finished behind champions Juventus. Despite finishing second in both Serie A and the Champions League, Nesta was elected to the 2005 FIFPro World XI for the first time in his career, for his performances.


title: Alessandro Nesta

text: During the 2005–06 A.C. Milan season, Milan once again finished behind Juventus in Serie A, although both Juventus and Milan were later deducted points for being involved in the 2006 matchfixing scandal, and the title was awarded to Internazionale; Juventus were relegated while Milan finishing in third place after the point deduction. Milan also reached the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2006, losing out to eventual champions Barcelona, while they were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia.


title: Alessandro Nesta

text: Despite missing most of the 2006–07 season due to a shoulder injury, Nesta played a vital part in Milan's return to the 2007 Champions League final, where Milan avenged their 2005 final loss, defeating Liverpool 2–1 in Athens. Despite Milan's point deduction during the season, Nesta was also able to return from injury in time to help Milan manage a fourth-place finish in Serie A, clinching the final Champions League spot. Nesta was elected to be part of both the UEFA Team of the Year and the FIFPro World XI for his performances that season.


title: Alessandro Nesta

text: Nesta won his third European Super Cup in August 2007 when Milan defeated Sevilla 3–1. Nesta signed a contract extension that would keep him at Milan until 2011. Nesta went on to score his first goal for Milan since April 2006 in a 1–1 draw with Siena on 15 September 2007. He followed this up with an important goal for Milan in the 4–2 victory over Boca Juniors in the final of the 2007 FIFA Club World Cup. Milan would disappoint throughout the rest of the season, however, finishing fifth in Serie A and being eliminated in the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League and the Coppa Italia.


title: Alessandro Nesta

text: Serious back injuries forced Nesta out of action for the whole 2008–09 season, which raised concerns about his chances to make a comeback into active football. He fully recovered from his injuries and came on as 77th-minute substitute in Milan's final Serie A away match to Fiorentina on 31 May 2009 for his first competitive appearance of the season. Milan finished the domestic season in third place.


title: Alessandro Nesta

text: The following season Nesta scored his first brace for Milan in a 2–1 victory over Chievo in the Serie A. He began to re-emerge as a starter for the club and was one of Milan's most consistent players throughout the entire 2009–10 season under Leonardo. Nesta continued his excellent partnership with fellow centerback Thiago Silva throughout the 2010–11 season under Massimiliano Allegri, forming a formidable defensive pairing, conceding just 24 goals in 38 games during Milan's victorious Serie A campaign. Milan also managed to reach the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia, but were once again disappointingly eliminated in the round of 16 of the Champions League. Throughout the 2010–11 season, speculation indicated that Nesta would retire at the end of the season. However, he later confirmed that he wanted to play one more season at Milan before retiring and signed a contract extension on 18 May 2011, which kept him on Milan's squad until summer 2012. Nesta was elected to be part of the Serie A Team of the Year for his performances during Milan's successful title run that season.


title: Alessandro Nesta

text: Nesta began his final season with Milan by winning the 2011 Supercoppa Italiana on 6 August 2011, defeating city rivals Internazionale 2–1 in Beijing. Milan finished second to Juventus in Serie A that season, and were eliminated in the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia and the quarter-finals of the Champions League. On 10 May, during a press conference, Nesta announced his retirement from Serie A at the end of the season. During his ten seasons at the Milanese club, Nesta collected 325 caps, scoring 10 goals. With Milan, he won two Serie A titles, a Coppa Italia, two Supercoppa Italiana, two Champions Leagues, two UEFA Super Cups and a FIFA Club World Cup.


title: Alessandro Nesta

text: On 5 July 2012, Nesta signed a contract with the Montreal Impact of Major League Soccer (MLS). He signed an 18-month contract on a free transfer. The club also stated he would not be signed as a designated player. Nesta made his Impact debut against Lyon in a friendly match on 24 July. He made his competitive debut three days later, in a 3–1 home win over the New York Red Bulls. In 2013, Nesta won his first and only title with Montreal Impact: the Canadian Championship.


title: Alessandro Nesta

text: On 20 October 2013, Nesta announced that he would be retiring at the conclusion of the 2013 MLS Cup Playoffs after playing parts of two seasons with the Impact.


title: Alessandro Nesta

text: On 28 November 2014, it was announced that Nesta had signed for Chennaiyin FC of the Indian Super League for the remainder of the 2014 season. He was signed by Marco Materazzi, his former international defensive partner. He made his debut on 9 December in a 2–2 draw against Delhi Dynamos, partnering Mikaël Silvestre in central defence in Chennaiyin's last match of a regular season in which they topped the league.


title: Alessandro Nesta

text: Nesta began his career for Italy and was a member of the under-21 squad that won the 1996 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship; in the final against Spain, following a 1–1 draw, he took Italy's fourth penalty in an eventual 4–2 shoot-out victory. A few months later, he was named to Italy's UEFA Euro 1996 squad in England by Arrigo Sacchi, but did not come off the bench as Italy were eliminated in the group stage by eventual finalists Germany and the Czech Republic. He earned his first cap for the "Azzurri" under Cesare Maldini in a qualifier for the 1998 FIFA World Cup against Moldova on 5 October 1996 and eventually made seven appearances in the qualifying campaign. At the final tournament, Nesta played in all three group games, playing alongside Paolo Maldini, Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Costacurta and Giuseppe Bergomi, helping Italy keep a clean sheet against Cameroon. He made no further appearances due to injury, however, as Italy were eliminated by the hosts and eventual champions France on penalties in the quarter-finals.


title: Alessandro Nesta

text: After featuring in defence for Italy during the Euro 2000 qualifying campaign under Dino Zoff, Nesta featured in the Italian starting lineup at Euro 2000, partnering with Paolo Maldini and Fabio Cannavaro in defence throughout most of the tournament. Italy only conceded two goals en route to the final, and kept three clean sheets throughout the tournament; the first coming against co-hosts Belgium in the group stage, and the second against Romania in the quarter-finals, in which he was named man of the match. In the semi-final, a ten-man Italy overcame co-hosts the Netherlands in a penalty shootout, after a 0–0 deadlock following extra time. Italy advanced to the final where they faced defending World Cup Champions France. Following a goal by Marco Delvecchio in the 55th minute, Italy led the match 1–0 until the final minute of stoppage time, when Sylvain Wiltord scored the equaliser. David Trezeguet then scored the golden goal in extra time for France to defeat the Italians in the second consecutive tournament, as the Italians finished the Euro as runners-up. Nesta, along with his defensive partners Maldini and Cannavaro, was elected to be part of the team of the tournament for his performances.


title: Alessandro Nesta

text: After Euro 2000, Nesta's remained a first-choice centre back for Italy under new manager Giovanni Trapattoni, featuring extensively during the 2002 World Cup qualifying campaign. During the 2002 World Cup, he partnered Fabio Cannavaro in central defence, keeping a clean sheet in the opening win against Ecuador, but once again, injury kept him from playing in the second round, and Nesta did not feature in the controversial second round defeat to co-hosts South Korea. Nesta featured prominently as Italy topped their Euro 2004 qualifying group. Italy's disappointment at major tournaments continued at Euro 2004, however, where they were eliminated in the first round following a three-way five-point tie with Denmark and Sweden, only to be eliminated on direct encounters. Nesta managed to stay injury free and played for a full 90 minutes in all three group games, helping Italy to keep a clean sheet in the opening draw against Denmark.


title: Alessandro Nesta

text: Following two successive disappointments, newly appointed manager Marcello Lippi kept Nesta in the starting lineup as Italy topped their qualification group en route to the 2006 World Cup. Despite starting the final tournament strongly, helping Italy to keep a clean sheet in their opening win over Ghana, the World Cup turned out to be a personal disappointment for Nesta, as an injury in the final group game against the Czech Republic, which Italy won 2–0, put him on the sidelines while Italy went on to win the trophy. After the World Cup, Nesta made one appearance in the Euro 2008 qualifiers, in a 3–1 away win against Georgia on 11 October 2006, but continuous injuries forced him to retire from the international team. Prior to the final tournament, Nesta declined Roberto Donadoni's invitation to return to the national team. Two years later, he similarly turned down an invitation from Marcello Lippi prior to the 2010 World Cup. In total he made 78 appearances for Italy.


title: Alessandro Nesta

text: On 31 August 2015, Nesta was introduced as the first head coach of the newly formed Miami FC, which began play in the North American Soccer League (NASL) in April 2016. After finishing a combined 7th place in his first season, Miami FC finished in first place in his second, as Spring and Fall champions of the 2017 NASL season. However, the team were defeated in the season playoffs semifinal round to the New York Cosmos following a 6–5 loss in penalty shootout after a goalless draw. He resigned as coach following the completion of the 2017 season, on 17 November.


title: Alessandro Nesta

text: On 14 May 2018, Nesta was appointed manager of Perugia. After a 4–1 loss to Verona in the 2018–19 Serie B promotion playoffs, Nesta parted with Perugia on 21 May 2019.


title: Alessandro Nesta

text: On 17 June 2019, Nesta was appointed manager of Frosinone on a two-year contract. The team finished the 2019–20 Serie B season in 8th, just making it into the playoffs. They lost the playoff final to Spezia after a 1–1 aggregate draw, as the opponents had performed better in the regular season. On 22 March 2021, Nesta was sacked.


title: Alessandro Nesta

text: Nesta was a complete and dominant defender, who was influential both at club and international level, and who is regarded by pundits as being one of the greatest and most talented defenders both of his generation, and of all time. Despite being a strong and imposing defensive, athletic and physical presence, he was also an extremely agile and elegant player, with excellent balance, ball skills, vision and passing ability for a defender, which allowed him to bring the ball out of the defence and start plays from the back after winning back possession; these abilities led him to be compared to former Milan captain Franco Baresi. Although he was usually deployed as a centreback during his career, he initially started out as a right-sided full back; his technical skills, athleticism and defensive ability made him a versatile player from a tactical standpoint, who was capable of playing anywhere along the backline, and also allowed him to be deployed on the left, or even as a sweeper on occasion. Nesta was also excellent in the air, and was unusually quick for a centreback; he often stood out throughout his career for his pace, acceleration, and stamina.


title: Alessandro Nesta

text: In addition to his class, as well as his technical and physical abilities, Nesta also possessed an excellent positional and tactical sense, as well as an acute capacity to read the game, which enabled him to anticipate and close down opponents in one on one situations, and prevent attacking plays; his defensive intelligence enabled him to maintain a consistently high level of performance even towards the end of his career, as he lost his pace and stamina. Due to his ability to lead from the back and organise his teammates, he excelled in a zonal marking system, but was also known for his tight marking of opposing players. An accurate and tenacious ball-winner, he was known for his artistic sliding tackles, acrobatic clearances, and ability to time his challenges well. Despite his talent, Nesta's career suffered from the many injuries he encountered, which hindered him from playing in the knockout stages at each of the three World Cups at which he participated.


title: Alessandro Nesta

text: On 7 May 2007, Nesta married his fiancée, Gabriela Pagnozzi, in a civil ceremony in Milan; the religious ceremony followed on 30 May 2007. Gabriela was working for "Casa Italia", the Italy national team headquarters, during the 1998 World Cup. Their relationship was born when she tended to him following his injury against Austria. "I can say, I got the injury and her in France then. And the injury has gone, [but] she has stayed with me." Their daughter, Sofia, was born on 19 October 2006, and on 20 March 2008, their son Tommaso was born. His nephew Gian Marco Nesta is also a professional footballer.


title: Alessandro Nesta

text: Nesta appeared in the 1998 Italian film "Paparazzi", directed by Neri Parenti. He was also on the cover of the Italian edition of SCEE's "This is Football 2002". Nesta features in EA Sports' "FIFA" football video game series; he was included in the Ultimate Team Legends in "FIFA 16".


title: Mike DeWine

text: Richard Michael DeWine (; born January 5, 1947) is an American politician and attorney serving as the 70th and current governor of Ohio. A member of the Republican Party, DeWine began his career as a prosecutor before being elected to the Ohio Senate. He served as a U.S. representative from 1983 until 1991, the 59th lieutenant governor of Ohio under George Voinovich from 1991 until 1994, United States senator from 1995 to 2007, and the 50th attorney general of Ohio from 2011 to 2019. DeWine was first elected governor in 2018, defeating Democrat Richard Cordray with 50.4% of the vote. He was reelected in a landslide in 2022, defeating Democrat Nan Whaley.


title: Mike DeWine

text: DeWine was born and raised in Yellow Springs, Ohio. He is the son of Jean Ruth (Liddle) and Richard Lee DeWine. Of Irish descent, he was raised and identifies as a Roman Catholic. DeWine earned his Bachelor of Science degree in education from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, in 1969 and a Juris Doctor from Ohio Northern University College of Law in 1972.


title: Mike DeWine

text: At age 25, DeWine started working as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for Greene County, Ohio, and in 1976 was elected County Prosecutor, serving for four years. In 1980 he was elected to the Ohio State Senate and served one two-year term.


title: Mike DeWine

text: Two years later, U.S. Representative Bud Brown of Ohio's 7th congressional district retired after 18 years in Congress; his father, Clarence Brown, Sr., had held the seat for 26 years before that. DeWine won the Republican nomination, assuring him of election in November. He was reelected three more times from this district, which stretches from his home in Springfield to the Columbus suburbs. He ran unopposed in 1986 in what was regarded as a bad year for Republicans nationally. DeWine gave up his seat in 1990 to run for lieutenant governor of Ohio as George Voinovich's running mate. The Voinovich-DeWine ticket was easily elected.


title: Mike DeWine

text: In 1992, DeWine unsuccessfully ran for United States Senate against the former astronaut and incumbent Senator John Glenn. His campaign used the phrase, "What "on earth" has John Glenn done?" echoing Jeff Bingaman's slogan, 'What on Earth has he done for you lately?'" against former astronaut Harrison Schmitt in their 1982 Senate race.


title: Mike DeWine

text: In 1994, DeWine ran again for Senate, defeating prominent attorney Joel Hyatt (the son-in-law of retiring Senator Howard Metzenbaum) by a 14-point margin. DeWine was reelected in 2000, defeating gunshow promoter Ronald Dickson (161,185 votes, or 12.44%) and former U.S. Rep. Frank Cremeans (104,219 votes, or 8.05%) in the primary and Ted Celeste (brother of former Ohio governor Dick Celeste) in the general election. DeWine sat on the Senate Judiciary and Select Intelligence committees. He was the initial sponsor of the Drug-Free Century Act in 1999. He voted in favor of the 2002 Iraq Resolution authorizing the use of force against Saddam Hussein.


title: Mike DeWine

text: In the 2006 United States Senate election in Ohio, DeWine ran for reelection but lost to U.S. Representative and former Ohio Secretary of State Sherrod Brown by double digits. He received 905,644 fewer votes in 2006 than he received in 2000.


title: Mike DeWine

text: DeWine accepted positions teaching government courses at Cedarville University, Ohio Northern University and Miami University. In 2007, he joined the law firm Keating Muething & Klekamp as corporate investigations group co-chair. He also advised the Ohio campaign of John McCain's 2008 presidential bid.


title: Mike DeWine

text: On July 21, 2009, DeWine announced candidacy for attorney general of the State of Ohio. On November 2, 2010, he was elected attorney general, defeating incumbent Richard Cordray, 48–46%. As attorney general of Ohio, DeWine sent letters to drugstore chains encouraging them to discontinue the sale of tobacco products.


title: Mike DeWine

text: In the 2012 Republican presidential primary, DeWine endorsed Tim Pawlenty, then endorsed Mitt Romney after Pawlenty dropped out of the race. On February 17, 2012, DeWine announced he was retracting his endorsement of Romney and endorsed Rick Santorum. DeWine said, "To be elected president, you have to do more than tear down your opponents. You have to give the American people a reason to vote for you, a reason to hope, a reason to believe that under your leadership, America will be better. Rick Santorum has done that. Sadly, Governor Romney has not."


title: Mike DeWine

text: On November 4, 2014, DeWine was reelected as attorney general, defeating challenger David A. Pepper. He carried 83 of Ohio's 88 counties.


title: Mike DeWine

text: In 2015, DeWine filed a lawsuit in federal court in Ohio against a part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In the suit, he alleged that the ACA's Transitional Reinsurance Program (which imposed a fee "paid by all employers who provide group health insurance in the workplace", which in 2014 was $63 per covered person and in 2015 was $44 per covered person) was unconstitutional as applied to state and local governments. When he filed the suit, DeWine claimed that the fee was "an unprecedented attempt to destroy the balance of authority between the federal government and the states".


title: Mike DeWine

text: In January 2016, the federal court dismissed DeWine's suit, with U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley holding that the Transitional Reinsurance Program did not violate the Constitution. DeWine appealed, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed Marbley's dismissal of the suit.


title: Mike DeWine

text: DeWine's stated goal has been "Protecting Ohio Families". To that effect, he made it a priority to significantly reduce DNA testing turnaround times in connection with open criminal investigations. Under his predecessor, DNA testing at the Ohio Attorney General's Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) took approximately four months in cases such as murders, rapes, and assaults. Under the DeWine administration, DNA test results are now returned to local law enforcement in less than a month, leading to faster apprehension of dangerous suspects.


title: Mike DeWine

text: Upon taking office in 2011, DeWine launched a special sexual assault kit (SAK) testing initiative after learning that hundreds of police departments across Ohio had thousands of untested rape kits on their evidence room shelves. DeWine invested resources to test the 13,931 previously untested rape kits over the course of his administration, which led to more than 5,000 DNA hits in the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). These DNA matches led to the indictments of approximately 700 alleged rapists, many of whom were serial attackers, connected to cases that would never have been solved if not for the DeWine initiative.


title: Mike DeWine

text: DeWine also launched the Crimes Against Children Initiative, which paired BCI criminal investigators with seasoned prosecuting attorneys to investigate and prosecute child predators. The Crimes Against Children Initiative focuses on holding accountable those who sexually and physically abuse children, those who share and view child pornography, and those who target children online. DeWine's office also developed several task forces for the investigation and prosecutions of human trafficking throughout the state.


title: Mike DeWine

text: As attorney general, DeWine took steps to close down "pill mills" in Ohio that fueled the opioid epidemic. By the end of his first year in office, he had worked to close all 12 pill mills in Scioto County, considered by many to have been the national center of the prescription drug crisis. DeWine's efforts also led to more than 100 doctors and pharmacists losing their licenses for improper prescription practices. In 2013, DeWine formed a new Heroin Unit to provide Ohio communities with law enforcement, legal, and outreach assistance to combat the state's heroin problem. The Heroin Unit draws from new and existing office resources, including BCI investigative and laboratory services, Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission assistance, prosecutorial support, and outreach and education services. In October 2017, DeWine announced a 12-pronged plan to combat the opioid epidemic, drawing from his experience breaking up pill mills, prosecuting traffickers, supporting recovery, and advocating the importance of drug-use prevention education. In addition, he went after the pharmaceutical industry, suing opioid manufacturers and distributors for their alleged roles in fraudulent marketing and unsafe distribution of opioids that fueled the epidemic in Ohio and across the country.


title: Mike DeWine

text: In October 2017, news reports surfaced that Anthony Precourt, the investor-operator of the soccer club Columbus Crew, was exploring the option of moving the team out of state. After the Cleveland Browns moved to Baltimore in the late 1990s, the Ohio General Assembly passed a law requiring professional sports teams that had accepted taxpayer assistance to provide an opportunity for local owners to purchase the team before initiating a move. In December 2017, DeWine sent a letter to Precourt reminding him of his obligations under Ohio law. After Precourt failed to respond, DeWine filed suit against Precourt and Major League Soccer in March 2018 to enforce Ohio law and insist upon a reasonable opportunity for local investors to buy the team. As the lawsuit played out, an investor group including Dee and Jimmy Haslam, owners of the Cleveland Browns, and the Columbus-based Edwards family announced in October 2018 they were working out the details of a deal to keep the Crew in Columbus.


title: Mike DeWine

text: On May 26, 2016, DeWine announced his candidacy for governor of Ohio in 2018. He confirmed this on June 25, 2017, at the annual ice cream social held at his home in Cedarville, Ohio. On December 1, 2017, DeWine chose Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted as his running mate. On May 8, 2018, he won the Republican primary, defeating incumbent Lieutenant Governor Mary Taylor with 59.8% of the vote. He defeated the Democratic nominee, former Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray in the general election, by a margin of about four percentage points.


title: Mike DeWine

text: On August 4, 2019, a mass shooting occurred in Dayton, Ohio, that killed ten people and injured 27 others; this followed a mass shooting in El Paso, Texas by just 13 hours. At a vigil for the victims of the Dayton shooting the next day, DeWine was drowned out by a crowd chanting "Do something!"; the chant referred to the lack of legislative gun control actions on the state and federal level. On August 6, DeWine proposed to allow judges to confiscate firearms from those deemed potentially dangerous and to provide them with mental health treatment while maintaining their due process rights. Other notable aspects of DeWine's plan include expanded background checks before purchasing a firearm, increased access to psychiatric and behavioral health services, and increased penalties for illegally possessing firearms.


title: Mike DeWine

text: In October 2019, DeWine held the first meeting of a Lead Advisory Committee he appointed for the state. The committee is meant to advise him on the state's lead remediation efforts. In December 2019, he expressed his support for Ohio allowing cities to ban plastic bags, opposing two bills in the state legislature that would have forbidden it being pushed by fellow Republicans.


title: Mike DeWine

text: On December 10, 2019, during the Ohio Contractors Association's winter conference in Columbus, DeWine said that he wanted to improve the Interstate rest areas in Ohio by adding more information about Ohio's history and culture. He also said, "I'm told that our rest areas are sorry." In late December, DeWine announced that Ohio would continue to accept refugees. In a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, he wrote, "Before entering the United States, there is a lengthy, complex, and careful vetting process done by multiple federal agencies to confirm a refugee's eligibility for entrance."


title: Mike DeWine

text: In January 2020, DeWine sent troops from the Ohio National Guard to Puerto Rico, which had recently experienced several earthquakes. On January 15, he signed a $30 million funding bill for Ohio farmers to prevent algal blooms, which went into effect on February 1. On January 27, DeWine signed Senate Bill 7, which gives military members and their spouses better employment opportunities by simplifying the process to transfer their occupational licenses to Ohio. In February 2020, he announced new distracted driving legislation he was sponsoring. Also in February 2020, he attracted attention for declining to share his opinion about Ohio's death penalty, at the time having "frozen all Ohio executions indefinitely as the state struggles to find lethal-injection drugs".


title: Mike DeWine

text: Informed of the public risk by Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton, on March 3, DeWine canceled most of the Arnold Sports Festival due to the imminent threat of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ohio, before any cases or deaths were reported. The cancellation was widely regarded as "radical" at the time but was soon seen as less so, with "Axios" calling DeWine "among the leading governors in the country sounding the alarm about the threat of the coronavirus" and "The Washington Post" calling his and Acton's response "a national guide to the crisis" and "textbook recommendations", pointing out numerous occasions when moves Ohio made were soon duplicated by other states. "The Hill" said DeWine had "been one of the most aggressive governors in responding to the pandemic". He has supported funding for COVID-19, signing his support of a funding bill along with 37 other governors in March 2020. On March 11, 2020, DeWine issued an order limiting visitors to Ohio assisted living facilities and nursing homes, limiting visitors to one per day per resident, with all visitors to be screened for illness. Also on March 11, he announced he was drafting legislation to limit mass gatherings in the state. DeWine barred spectators from sporting events; was first in the U.S. to shut down schools throughout his state; and, on the night before it was to take place, postponed Ohio's primary election. He directed the Ohio Department of Health to order the closing of the state's more than 22,000 food service locations and bars, except for carry-out. This was one of the earliest state closures of restaurants in response to the pandemic and drew disapproval from many high-level state Republicans. On April 1, the "BBC" called DeWine "quick to defer to Dr Acton for specific questions on the virus and its spread" during daily news briefings, "reminding Ohioans that the state's decisions are driven by science".


title: Mike DeWine

text: During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, DeWine voiced support for Ukraine, saying that the invasion was "unacceptable, and all freedom-loving people should stand against this unprovoked invasion”. On February 26, he took action in support of Ukraine by banning the purchase and sale of Russian Standard (vodka) within the state of Ohio because the brand and distilleries are owned by a Russian corporation. Retailers were asked to "immediately pull Green Mark Vodka" (an alternate variety of Russian Standard) "and Russian Standard Vodka from their shelves". On the same day, DeWine declared February 27, 2022, a "Day of Prayer for the People of Ukraine". On March 8, he directed the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services to convene with resettlement agencies, faith-based organizations, and charities, in a summit to plan for possible resettlement of displaced Ukrainian citizens within Ohio. This summit occurred on March 17.


title: Mike DeWine

text: In April 2019, DeWine signed House Bill 493, known as the Ohio "Heartbeat Bill", into law, prohibiting abortion after a heartbeat is detected in a fetus, with no exceptions for cases of rape and incest, imposing one of the nation's most extensive abortion restrictions. DeWine opposes abortion. In the Senate, he was the lead sponsor of the Unborn Victims of Violence Act. In December 2020, DeWine signed a bill that said "fetal remains from surgical abortions in Ohio must be cremated or buried"; failure to do so would be a misdemeanor of the first degree.


title: Mike DeWine

text: Although Catholic, DeWine has not joined the Pope and Catholic bishops in opposing the death penalty. He has not joined former governor Robert Taft, former attorney general Petro and former Speaker of the House Householder in calling for an end to Ohio executions. Taft cited the ineffectiveness of the death penalty as well as racial and geographic disparities in executions. Yet no executions have been conducted in Ohio since DeWine took office in January 2019, and he has delayed executions due to "ongoing problems involving the willingness of pharmaceutical suppliers to provide drugs to the Ohio Department". At present, there are no legally permitted execution methods in Ohio, following the abolition of lethal injection in the state.


title: Mike DeWine

text: In 2021, DeWine signed a redistricting map that favored Republicans. The map gave Republicans an advantage in 12 out of 15 districts, leaving two safely Democratic districts and one toss-up district. The map passed the Ohio legislature without any support from Democrats. Voting rights advocates called on DeWine to veto the pro-Republican redistricting map. In 2018, voters in Ohio voted in a referendum for anti-gerrymandering reform that encouraged bipartisan support for redistricting maps. The same year, DeWine pledged to honor the voters' wishes and support a redistricting process that was conducted in a bipartisan way. But in 2021 he approved the changes for 2022 onward.


title: Mike DeWine

text: In 2004, DeWine cosponsored an amendment to renew the Federal Assault Weapons Ban. He has repeatedly received an "F" rating from the National Rifle Association. The National Rifle Association endorsed him for governor. DeWine was one of only two Republican senators to vote against the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, which banned lawsuits against gun manufacturers, distributors and dealers for criminal misuse of their products. In the 2006 election cycle, DeWine was the first senatorial candidate to be endorsed by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence; he displayed the endorsement on his campaign webpage. In 2019, DeWine proposed a Red Flag Law for Ohio that would allow courts to take a gun from people seen as a threats to others or themselves.


title: Mike DeWine

text: As U.S. senator, DeWine joined a bipartisan effort to lower the national maximum blood-alcohol limit from 0.10% to 0.08% and to require reporting of vehicle-related deaths on private property like parking lots and driveways. He sponsored legislation on determining when aging tires become unsafe.


title: Mike DeWine

text: DeWine opposes same-sex marriage and sponsored the Federal Marriage Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which would have prevented same-sex marriage. He argued in the Supreme Court in favor of prohibitions on same-sex marriage, saying that same-sex marriage bans infringe on "no fundamental right" and that states should not have to recognize same-sex couples who married in other states. DeWine was acting as attorney general against Jim Obergefell in the case "Obergefell v. Hodges". The Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling against DeWine and other defendants, finding same-sex marriage bans unconstitutional.


title: Mike DeWine

text: In 2021, DeWine opposed a bill that would have banned transgender athletes from playing on sports teams that do not match their sex at birth, saying, "This issue is best addressed outside of government, through individual sports leagues and athletic associations, including the Ohio High School Athletic Association, who can tailor policies to meet the needs of their member athletes and member institutions."


title: Mike DeWine

text: In 2019 DeWine said: "it would really be a mistake for Ohio, by legislation, to say that marijuana for adults is just OK." In February 2020, NORML, a group advocating the legalization of marijuana, gave DeWine an "F" rating in relation to his policies.


title: Mike DeWine

text: As Attorney General of Ohio, DeWine did not join the lawsuits that over 22 states filed in the months following FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai's proposal to roll back online consumer protections and net neutrality regulations.


title: Mike DeWine

text: In 2020, DeWine signed a bill that forbids colleges and universities in Ohio blocking controversial speakers. In 2020, DeWine's compensation was 17th among state governors, at $159,189, compared to a maximum of $225,000 for the governor of New York and a minimum of $70,000 for the governor of Maine. The Ohio Checkbook shows that 92 employees of the Ohio state teachers retirement system, including director William Neville, equal or exceed the governor's salary.


title: Mike DeWine

text: DeWine lives in the Whitelaw Reid House. He and his wife Frances have been married since June 3, 1967, and have had eight children, one of whom died in an automobile accident in 1993. Ohio Supreme Court Justice Pat DeWine is Mike DeWine's son. Former Ohio Republican Party Chairman Kevin DeWine is DeWine's second cousin. DeWine and his family own Minor League Baseball's Asheville Tourists.


title: Jerry Bruckheimer Films

text: Jerry Bruckheimer Films Inc. (JBF) is an American independent film production company of Jerry Bruckheimer, formed in 1995, after cutting his ties with film producer Don Simpson, before his subsequent death in 1996. It produced hits such as the "Pirates of the Caribbean" film series.


title: Jerry Bruckheimer Films

text: The production logo of the company shows a tree without leaves, on which leaves appear when struck by lightning.


title: Jerry Bruckheimer Films

text: Longtime producer Jerry Bruckheimer co-founded Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer Films in 1983 with Don Simpson; it was initially an affiliate production company of Paramount Pictures. Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer Films produced such hits as (among others) the franchises "Beverly Hills Cop" and "Bad Boys". After breaking up an alliance with Paramount Pictures, he had moved to The Walt Disney Studios in 1991, and the production company produced such hits for Disney as "Crimson Tide" (1995) and "The Rock" (1996).


title: Jerry Bruckheimer Films

text: Jerry Bruckheimer Films was founded in 1995 by Bruckheimer, after he cut ties with former producing partner Don Simpson; its first movie under that branding was Simon West's action thriller movie "Con Air" (1997), starring Nicolas Cage. The company is currently headquartered in Santa Monica, California. He often produces movies with Walt Disney Pictures and Touchstone Pictures. In 2013, the company had shifted ties from Disney to Paramount after 22 years working at the studio. The company subsequently went independent in 2020.


title: Jerry Bruckheimer Films

text: The company also has a television production division Jerry Bruckheimer Television (also Jerry Bruckheimer TV or JBTV), which is best known for producing (among others) the TV franchise "CSI" and Netflix's urban fantasy superhero TV series "Lucifer". In June 2016, the division became an independent outfit, ending a 15-year exclusive deal with Warner Bros. Television Studios. In July 2017, the division signed a contract with CBS Television Studios.


title: Epic (2013 film)

text: Epic (stylized as epic) is a 2013 American computer-animated fantasy action-adventure film loosely based on William Joyce's 1996 children's book "The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs". It was produced by Blue Sky Studios; written by William Joyce, James V. Hart, Daniel Shere, Tom J. Astle and Matt Ember; and directed by Chris Wedge, the director of the animated movies "Ice Age" (2002) and "Robots" (2005). The film features the voices of Colin Farrell, Josh Hutcherson, Amanda Seyfried, Christoph Waltz, Aziz Ansari, Chris O'Dowd, Pitbull, Jason Sudeikis, Steven Tyler, and Beyoncé Knowles.


title: Epic (2013 film)

text: After teenager Mary Katherine gets shrunk and teleported to a tiny woodland kingdom inhabited by talking slugs, flower people and tiny soldiers called Leafmen, she is swept up in a wild adventure between good and evil and, alongside her new friends, must fight to protect the world she never knew existed.


title: Epic (2013 film)

text: "Epic" was released on May 24, 2013, by 20th Century Fox. It received generally positive reviews from critics and grossed $268 million against its $93 million budget.


title: Epic (2013 film)

text: After her mother dies, 17-year-old Mary Katherine, or M.K., moves in with her eccentric scientist father Professor Bomba, who has spent his life searching for tiny humanoid soldiers called Leafmen in Sherman, Connecticut. They protect the forest near where Bomba lives from wicked creatures called Boggans and their malevolent leader Mandrake. Bomba’s determination to find proof of his theories irritates his daughter as she believes it’s nonsense, like her mother did, but Bomba assures her he’ll find proof.


title: Epic (2013 film)

text: Meanwhile, an independent young Leafman named Nod decides to quit, much to the ire of the no-nonsense leader Ronin, who promised Nod’s late father he’d look out for his son.


title: Epic (2013 film)

text: The benevolent fairy queen of the forest, Queen Tara, must choose an heir to her throne and goes out to a field of leaf pods on board her flying barge and escorted by the Royal guards, arriving at the field guarded by a laid-back slug named Mub and a wannabe Leafman snail named Grub. Immediately after she chooses a pod, the Boggans attack. Tara flees the area with the pod, and though flying Leafmen bodyguards do their best to protect her, they are soon overwhelmed by the sheer number of Boggans. Unable to reach the barge and the safety of the Guards, while being chased, Ronin arrives for her and the pair fly off on his hummingbird mount. They are then attacked by Mandrake and his son Dagda. Dagda is killed by Ronin, but not until after he shoots Tara.


title: Epic (2013 film)

text: Meanwhile, M.K. decides to leave after having an argument with Bomba about his research. Before she can leave, Bomba's dog Ozzy runs into the woods. While looking for Ozzy, M.K. sees Tara falling. Dying, Tara gives her the pod and uses her magic to shrink her. She tells M.K. to take the pod to Nim Galuu, a glowworm wizard, before she dies, and M.K. joins Ronin and the Leafmen, along with Mub and Grub. Ronin discovers that Nod has entered a race against other creatures and bugs on birds. Nod goes back on a deal with a short-tempered toad gangster named Bufo to throw the race. Before Bufo and his two henchmen can feed Nod to a snake, Ronin intervenes and orders them to leave. A reluctant Nod joins him, M.K., Mub, and Grub after hearing about Queen Tara's death, which Bufo overhears.


title: Epic (2013 film)

text: Ronin, Nod, M.K., Mub, and Grub eventually track down Nim Galuu. He then leads them down to the library, where M.K. discovers Tara's brief message before shrinking her, and a message that will get her back to normal size. When Ronin leaves, Nod takes M.K. on a deer ride and they begin to fall for each other. Meanwhile, Mandrake, grieving over his son's death, has the Boggans bring Bufo to him, finding out the location of the pod. Mandrake goes to Nim Galuu's place to steal the pod, which, if it blooms in darkness, will birth a dark prince who will help Mandrake destroy the forest. He takes the pod and kidnaps Mub and Grub. Ronin scolds Nod for not being there to protect the pod. To get into Boggan territory undiscovered, M.K., Nod, and Ronin set out to Bomba's house to get some disguises, where M.K. learns that the Leafmen have deliberately been leading Bomba off their trail. Bomba sees that he has visitors and captures M.K., fainting when he sees her. M.K. marks the location of Moonhaven on a map Bomba has made of the forest before rejoining Nod and Ronin.


title: Epic (2013 film)

text: When they reach the Boggan land Ronin distracts the Boggans while M.K. and Nod rescue Mub, Grub, and the pod. Mandrake discovers them and orders the Boggans to stop them. M.K., Nod, Mub, and Grub escape alive, but Ronin sacrifices himself to ensure their escape. Before the full moon can sprout the pod at Moonhaven, Mandrake's bats block the light, causing the pod to begin sprouting in darkness. The Leafmen set out to fight the Boggans; M.K. tries to get help from her father by visiting his various cameras he had set in the forest. However, upon regaining consciousness, Bomba believes that he didn't really see M.K. and that he has been insane all these years, and shuts down all his cameras. He changes his mind when he sees the red push-pin that M.K. had put on his map.


title: Epic (2013 film)

text: Bomba is overjoyed to see that he has been right and he follows M.K. to Moonhaven. M.K. uses Bomba’s iPod to make bat sounds, luring Mandrake's bats away. Meanwhile, Mub and Nim Galuu try to stop Mandrake from reaching the pod, but are unsuccessful. Just then, Ronin appears, bearing scars and bruises from the Boggans. Mandrake manages to outdo him, but is defended by Nod, who finally realizes the importance of teamwork. Before Mandrake can obtain his victory, the pod blooms in moonlight, as Mandrake falls into the burl of a nearby tree.


title: Epic (2013 film)

text: The chosen heir is the flower child who helped save Tara earlier in the film. Grub becomes a Leafman, Nod and Ronin reconcile, and Nod and M.K. kiss before M.K. is returned to her original size.


title: Epic (2013 film)

text: After reuniting with Bomba and becoming his assistant, the human family still keep regular contact with their small friends as they continue the research of their world.


title: Epic (2013 film)

text: In 2006, it was reported that Chris Wedge would be directing an animated feature film based on William Joyce's book, "The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs" for Fox Animation. Joyce, who had already collaborated with Wedge as a designer and producer on the 2005 film "Robots", was set to produce the film. At one point, Wedge got permission to find a new home for the film and turned to Pixar, led by John Lasseter, a close friend that Wedge knew from working on "Tron". When Pixar tried to close the rights for the film and start development, Fox changed their mind, and the film returned to Fox. The film was officially greenlit in 2009, under the title "Leaf Men". In May 2012, Fox announced the final title for the film ("Epic") 3D-CGI its first cast details, and a plot. According to Wedge, he was not satisfied with the renaming, which was decided by the marketing department. He also expressed dissatisfaction with subtitles given to the film in some non-English countries, including the French subtitle, "The Battle of the Secret Kingdom".


title: Epic (2013 film)

text: Although the film is based on and borrows many characters from Joyce's book, its plot has been significantly changed. Wedge explained: "[W]hile Bill wrote a wonderful book, it is a quaint story. We wanted to make a gigantic action-adventure movie." To address online speculations about whether the film is similar to other films, like "" or "Avatar", Wedge said: "I hate to associate it with other movies. It is adventure on the scale of "Star Wars". And it does immerse the audience completely in a world like "Avatar". But it has its own personality."


title: Epic (2013 film)

text: The film was internationally released starting with May 16, 2013. In the United States, it premiered on May 18, 2013, at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City, and was theatrically released in on May 24, 2013.


title: Epic (2013 film)

text: "Epic" was released on DVD, Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D on August 20, 2013. On January 29, 2021, "Epic" was made available to Disney+ subscribers, following The Walt Disney Company's acquisition of both 20th Century Fox and Blue Sky Studios in 2019, but it later got removed from the service on May 1, 2021 due to pre-existing contracts.


title: Epic (2013 film)

text: Produced on a budget of $93 million, "Epic" grossed $107.5 million in North America, and $160.9 million in other countries, for a worldwide total of $268.4 million. In North America, the film earned $9.3 million on its opening day, and opened to number four in its first weekend, with $33.5 million and $42.8 million over the four day Memorial Weekend (Friday–Monday), behind "Fast & Furious 6", "The Hangover Part III", and "Star Trek Into Darkness". In its second weekend, the film dropped to number five, grossing an additional $16.6 million. In its third weekend, the film stayed at number five, grossing $11.9 million. In its fourth weekend, the film dropped to number seven, grossing $6.3 million. While the film was overshadowed by other animated films that summer including "Monsters University" and "Despicable Me 2", the film finished in third out of six family films that summer, and became a moderate box office success.


title: Epic (2013 film)

text: "Epic" received generally mixed to positive reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes gives the film approval rating based on reviews, with an average score of . The website's critical consensus reads: "Though its narrative themes are all too familiar, "Epic" is beautifully animated and crafted with just enough flair to make for solid family entertainment." Another review aggregation website, Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 top reviews from mainstream critics, calculated a score of 52 out of 100 based on 30 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an "A" grade on an A+-to-F scale, while specifically child audiences gave it an "A+" grade.


title: Epic (2013 film)

text: Stephan Lee of "Entertainment Weekly" gave the film a B+, saying "The story lacks the specialness of a Pixar movie—it retreads the same eco-battle archetypes as "" and "Avatar—"but it's a perfectly appealing explosion of color for a lazy summer day." Michael Rechtshaffen of "The Hollywood Reporter" gave the film a mixed review, saying "Where the animated film comes up short is on the inspiration front—despite the intriguing terrain, its stock inhabitants lack the sort of unique personality traits that would prevent them from feeling overly familiar." Michael Phillips of the "Chicago Tribune" gave the film two stars, saying "It's difficult to keep its story and characters, or even its visual design, in your mind's eye, in part because the five credited screenwriters overload the narrative with incident and threatening complication." Moira Macdonald of "The Seattle Times" gave the film three-and-a-half stars out of four, saying "The story's simple enough to appeal to young kids (the 8-year-old with me pronounced the movie "awesome"), but adults will enjoy the beautiful animation, whether 3D or 2D." Stephen Holden of "The New York Times" gave the film two-and-a-half stars out of five, saying "As beautiful as it is, "Epic" is fatally lacking in visceral momentum and dramatic edge."


title: Epic (2013 film)

text: Danny Elfman, who previously worked on a William Joyce film with "Meet the Robinsons" composed the original music for the film, which was released on May 21, 2013 by Sony Classics. Beyoncé performed and co-wrote with Sia an original song, titled "Rise Up." The song was released as a digital single and as part of the digital version of the soundtrack. This is the first time that a film produced by Blue Sky Studios has not been scored by John Powell since the first "Ice Age" installment, which was composed by David Newman.


title: Polestar 2

text: The Polestar 2 is a battery electric 5-door liftback produced by the Swedish automaker Volvo under its Polestar sub-brand. Based on the CMA platform, production began in March 2020 at the Luqiao CMA Super Factory in Luqiao, China.


title: Polestar 2

text: The concept car that precedes its design was called the Volvo Concept 40.2. It was designed by Thomas Ingenlath alongside the Volvo Concept 40.1, which later became the basis of the XC40. These two concept cars were both unveiled in 2016. However, Volvo decided to shift their focus to small crossovers later that year. Therefore, Polestar picked the 40.2 as the basis for their Polestar 2 design. Volvo's exterior design chief Maximilian Missoni tweaked the car's taillights, grille, and wheels in order to differentiate it as a standalone vehicle. The Polestar 2 is also the first car with Google's Android Automotive operating system built in.


title: Polestar 2

text: Polestar 2 is the second car under the Polestar brand after the Polestar 1. Polestar 1 is however a plug-in hybrid and limited production vehicle, making the Polestar 2 the first BEV and mass production Polestar vehicle in the Volvo Car Group.


title: Polestar 2

text: The production version was officially unveiled on 27 February 2019 during an internet livestream and made its first public appearance at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show that month. The car has a starting suggested retail price of US$49,900 as of October, 2021. For the 2022 model year, Polestar announced that additional options would be available for the Polestar 2.


title: Polestar 2

text: The Polestar 2 is designed to protect the battery pack during an impact and automatically disconnect it after a collision. On both front ends a SPOC (Severe Partial Overlap Crash) block is attached to mitigate the crash forces and prevent any material entering the occupant compartment. The Polestar 2 also features a centre airbag to protect from far-side impacts.


title: Polestar 2

text: The Polestar 2 obtained a 5-star 2021 Euro NCAP rating with a 92% score for protection of adults, 89% for protection of children, 80% for protection of vulnerable road users and 86% for safety assist.


title: Polestar 2

text: In October 2020, Polestar issued a recall on all Polestar 2 models due to a software defect that caused loss of power to the vehicle whilst driving. As the vehicles were not capable of OTA software updates at that time it required all of the vehicles to be recalled to a service centre for a manual software update.


title: Polestar 2

text: From Sept 2021 to March 2022 was available in Europe the Polestar 2 Single Motor Standard Range with a 64kWh battery and 165kW power, 224hp. The battery for this version was made by CATL. The 64kWh and 165kW power version is available until now in China, as the only Single Motor Standard Range version.


title: Polestar 2

text: Using the ISO 14044 method, Polestar 2 has lower life-cycle emissions than the XC40 when driving more than , depending on conditions.


title: Polestar 2

text: Polestar's factory is located in Chengdu (China). At least all cars for the European market get shipped to Shanghai (China) by train. In Shanghai, the car gets placed on a boat to Zeebrugge (Belgium). In Zeebrugge, the European cars get approved after European new-car rules before getting shipped to the destination country.


title: ECHELON

text: ECHELON, originally a secret government code name, is a surveillance program (signals intelligence/SIGINT collection and analysis network) operated by the five signatory states to the UKUSA Security Agreement: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States, also known as the Five Eyes.


title: ECHELON

text: Created in the late 1960s to monitor the military and diplomatic communications of the Soviet Union and its Eastern Bloc allies during the Cold War, the ECHELON project became formally established in 1971.


title: ECHELON

text: The European Parliament's Temporary Committee on the ECHELON Interception System stated, "It seems likely, in view of the evidence and the consistent pattern of statements from a very wide range of individuals and organisations, including American sources, that its name is in fact ECHELON, although this is a relatively minor detail". The US intelligence community uses many code names ("see", for example, CIA cryptonym).


title: ECHELON

text: Former NSA employee Margaret Newsham said that she worked on the configuration and installation of software that makes up the ECHELON system while employed at Lockheed Martin, from 1974 to 1984 in Sunnyvale, California, in the United States, and in Menwith Hill, England, in the UK. At that time, according to Newsham, the code name ECHELON was NSA's term for the computer network itself. Lockheed called it "P415". The software programs were called "SILKWORTH" and "SIRE". A satellite named "VORTEX" intercepted communications. An image available on the internet of a fragment apparently torn from a job description shows Echelon listed along with several other code names.


title: ECHELON

text: Documents leaked by the former NSA contractor Edward Snowden revealed that the ECHELON system's collection of satellite data is also referred to as FORNSAT - an abbreviation for "Foreign Satellite Collection".


title: ECHELON

text: Former NSA analyst Perry Fellwock, under the pseudonym Winslow Peck, first blew the whistle on ECHELON to "Ramparts" in 1972, when he revealed the existence of a global network of listening posts and told of his experiences working there. He also revealed the existence of nuclear weapons in Israel in 1972, the widespread involvement of CIA and NSA personnel in drugs and human smuggling, and CIA operatives leading Nationalist Chinese (Taiwan) commandos in burning villages inside PRC borders.


title: ECHELON

text: In 1982, James Bamford, investigative journalist and author wrote "The Puzzle Palace", an in-depth look inside the workings of the NSA, then a super-secret agency, and the massive eavesdropping operation under the codename "SHAMROCK". The NSA has used many codenames, and SHAMROCK was the codename used for ECHELON prior to 1975.


title: ECHELON

text: In 1988, Margaret Newsham, a Lockheed employee under NSA contract, disclosed the ECHELON surveillance system to members of congress. Newsham told a member of the US Congress that the telephone calls of Strom Thurmond, a Republican US senator, were being collected by the NSA. Congressional investigators determined that "targeting of US political figures would not occur by accident, but was designed into the system from the start."


title: ECHELON

text: Also in 1988, an article titled "Somebody's Listening", written by investigative journalist Duncan Campbell in the "New Statesman", described the signals intelligence gathering activities of a program code-named "ECHELON". James Bamford describes the system as the software controlling the collection and distribution of civilian telecommunications traffic conveyed using communication satellites, with the collection being undertaken by ground stations located in the footprint of the downlink leg.


title: ECHELON

text: A detailed description of ECHELON was provided by the New Zealand journalist Nicky Hager in his 1996 book "Secret Power: New Zealand's Role in the International Spy Network". Two years later, Hager's book was cited by the European Parliament in a report titled "An Appraisal of the Technology of Political Control" (PE 168.184).


title: ECHELON

text: In March 1999, for the first time in history, the Australian government admitted that news reports about the top secret UKUSA Agreement were true. Martin Brady, the director of Australia's Defence Signals Directorate (DSD, now known as Australian Signals Directorate, or ASD) told the Australian broadcasting channel Nine Network that the DSD "does co-operate with counterpart signals intelligence organisations overseas under the UKUSA relationship."


title: ECHELON

text: In 2000, James Woolsey, the former Director of the US Central Intelligence Agency, confirmed that US intelligence uses interception systems and keyword searches to monitor European businesses.


title: ECHELON

text: Lawmakers in the United States feared that the ECHELON system could be used to monitor US citizens. According to "The New York Times", the ECHELON system has been "shrouded in such secrecy that its very existence has been difficult to prove." Critics said the ECHELON system emerged from the Cold War as a "Big Brother without a cause".


title: ECHELON

text: The program's capabilities and political implications were investigated by a committee of the European Parliament during 2000 and 2001 with a report published in 2001. In July 2000, the Temporary Committee on the ECHELON Interception System was established by the European parliament to investigate the surveillance network. It was chaired by the Portuguese politician Carlos Coelho, who was in charge of supervising investigations throughout 2000 and 2001.


title: ECHELON

text: In May 2001, as the committee finalised its report on the ECHELON system, a delegation travelled to Washington, D.C. to attend meetings with US officials from the following agencies and departments:


title: ECHELON

text: All meetings were cancelled by the US government and the committee was forced to end its trip prematurely. According to a BBC correspondent in May 2001, "The US Government still refuses to admit that Echelon even exists."


title: ECHELON

text: In July 2001, the Committee released its final report. On 5 September 2001, the European parliament voted to accept the report.


title: ECHELON

text: The European Parliament stated in its report that the term ECHELON is used in a number of contexts, but that the evidence presented indicates that it was the name for a signals intelligence collection system. The report concludes that, on the basis of information presented, ECHELON was capable of interception and content inspection of telephone calls, fax, e-mail and other data traffic globally through the interception of communication bearers including satellite transmission, public switched telephone networks (which once carried most Internet traffic), and microwave links.


title: ECHELON

text: Two internal NSA newsletters from January 2011 and July 2012, published as part of Edward Snowden's leaks by the website "The Intercept" on 3 August 2015, for the first time confirmed that NSA used the code word ECHELON and provided some details about the scope of the program: ECHELON was part of an umbrella program with the code name FROSTING, which was established by the NSA in 1966 to collect and process data from communications satellites. FROSTING had two sub-programs:


title: ECHELON

text: The UKUSA intelligence community was assessed by the European Parliament (EP) in 2000 to include the signals intelligence agencies of each of the member states:


title: ECHELON

text: The EP report concluded that it seemed likely that ECHELON is a method of sorting captured signal traffic, rather than a comprehensive analysis tool.


title: ECHELON

text: In 2001, the EP report (p. 54 ff) listed the following ground stations as likely to have, or to have had, a role in intercepting transmissions from telecommunications satellites:


title: ECHELON

text: The following stations are listed in the EP report (p. 57 ff) as ones whose roles "cannot be clearly established":


title: ECHELON

text: The ability to intercept communications depends on the medium used, be it radio, satellite, microwave, cellular or fiber-optic. During World War II and through the 1950s, high-frequency ("short-wave") radio was widely used for military and diplomatic communication and could be intercepted at great distances. The rise of geostationary communications satellites in the 1960s presented new possibilities for intercepting international communications. In 1964, plans for the establishment of the ECHELON network took off after dozens of countries agreed to establish the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (Intelsat), which would own and operate a global constellation of communications satellites.


title: ECHELON

text: In 1966, the first Intelsat satellite was launched into orbit. From 1970 to 1971, the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) of Britain began to operate a secret signal station at Morwenstow, near Bude in Cornwall, England. The station intercepted satellite communications over the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Soon afterwards, the US National Security Agency (NSA) built a second signal station at Yakima, near Seattle, for the interception of satellite communications over the Pacific Ocean. In 1981, GCHQ and the NSA started the construction of the first global wide area network (WAN). Soon after Australia, Canada, and New Zealand joined the ECHELON system. The report to the European Parliament of 2001 states: "If UKUSA states operate listening stations in the relevant regions of the earth, in principle they can intercept all telephone, fax, and data traffic transmitted via such satellites."


title: ECHELON

text: Most reports on ECHELON focus on satellite interception. Testimony before the European Parliament indicated that separate but similar UKUSA systems are in place to monitor communication through undersea cables, microwave transmissions, and other lines. The report to the European Parliament points out that interception of private communications by foreign intelligence services is not necessarily limited to the US or British foreign intelligence services. The role of satellites in point-to-point voice and data communications has largely been supplanted by fiber optics. In 2006, 99% of the world's long-distance voice and data traffic was carried over optical-fiber. The proportion of international communications accounted for by satellite links is said to have decreased substantially to an amount between 0.4% and 5% in Central Europe. Even in less-developed parts of the world, communications satellites are used largely for point-to-multipoint applications, such as video. Thus, the majority of communications can no longer be intercepted by earth stations; they can only be collected by tapping cables and intercepting line-of-sight microwave signals, which is possible only to a limited extent.


title: ECHELON

text: British journalist Duncan Campbell and New Zealand journalist Nicky Hager said in the 1990s that the United States was exploiting ECHELON traffic for industrial espionage, rather than military and diplomatic purposes. Examples alleged by the journalists include the gear-less wind turbine technology designed by the German firm Enercon and the speech technology developed by the Belgian firm Lernout & Hauspie.


title: ECHELON

text: In 2001, the Temporary Committee on the ECHELON Interception System recommended to the European Parliament that citizens of member states routinely use cryptography in their communications to protect their privacy, because economic espionage with ECHELON has been conducted by the US intelligence agencies.


title: ECHELON

text: American author James Bamford provides an alternative view, highlighting that legislation prohibits the use of intercepted communications for commercial purposes, although he does not elaborate on how intercepted communications are used as part of an all-source intelligence process.


title: ECHELON

text: In its report, the committee of the European Parliament stated categorically that the Echelon network was being used to intercept not only military communications, but also private and business ones. In its epigraph to the report, the parliamentary committee quoted Juvenal, ""Sed quis custodiet ipsos custodes". ("But who will watch the watchers"). James Bamford, in "The Guardian" in May 2001, warned that if Echelon were to continue unchecked, it could become a "cyber secret police, without courts, juries, or the right to a defence".


title: ECHELON

text: The first United States satellite ground station for the ECHELON collection program was built in 1971 at a military firing and training center near Yakima, Washington. The facility, which was codenamed JACKKNIFE, was an investment of ca. 21.3 million dollars and had around 90 people. Satellite traffic was intercepted by a 30-meter single-dish antenna. The station became fully operational on 4 October 1974. It was connected with NSA headquarters at Fort Meade by a 75-baud secure Teletype orderwire channel.


title: ECHELON

text: In 1999 the Australian Senate Joint Standing Committee on Treaties was told by Professor Desmond Ball that the Pine Gap facility was used as a ground station for a satellite-based interception network. The satellites were said to be large radio dishes between 20 and 100 meters in diameter in geostationary orbits. The original purpose of the network was to monitor the telemetry from 1970s , air defence and other radars' capabilities, satellites' ground stations' transmissions and ground-based microwave communications.


title: ECHELON

text: In 1999, Enercon, a German company and leading manufacturer of wind energy equipment, developed a breakthrough generator for wind turbines. After applying for a US patent, it had learned that Kenetech, an American rival, had submitted an almost identical patent application shortly before. By the statement of a former NSA employee, it was later claimed that the NSA had secretly intercepted and monitored Enercon's data communications and conference calls and passed information regarding the new generator to Kenetech. However, later German media reports contradicted this story, as it was revealed that the American patent in question was actually filed three years before the alleged wiretapping was said to have taken place. As German intelligence services are forbidden from engaging in industrial or economic espionage, German companies have complained that this leaves them defenceless against industrial espionage from the United States or Russia. According to Wolfgang Hoffmann, a former manager at Bayer, German intelligence services know which companies are being targeted by US intelligence agencies, but refuse to inform the companies involved.


title: Second French intervention in Mexico

text: The Second French Intervention in Mexico (), also known as the Second Franco-Mexican War (1861–1867), was an invasion of the Second Federal Republic of Mexico, launched in late 1862 by the Second French Empire at the invitation of Mexican conservatives. It helped replace the republic with a monarchy, known as the Second Mexican Empire, ruled by the Mexican Emperor Maximilian I. Mexican monarchists came up with the initial plan to return Mexico to a monarchical form of government, as it had been pre-independence and at its inception as an independent country. They invited Napoleon III to aid in their cause and help create the monarchy, which would, in his estimations, lead to a country more favorable to French interests, but which was not always the case.


title: Second French intervention in Mexico

text: After the administration of Mexican President Benito Juárez placed a moratorium on foreign debt payments in 1861, France, the United Kingdom, and Spain agreed to the Convention of London, a joint effort to ensure that debt repayments from Mexico would be forthcoming. On 8 December 1861, the three navies disembarked their troops at the port city of Veracruz, on the Gulf of Mexico. However, when the British discovered that France had an ulterior motive and unilaterally planned to seize Mexico, the United Kingdom separately negotiated an agreement with Mexico to settle the debt issues and withdrew from the country; Spain subsequently left as well. The resulting French invasion established the Second Mexican Empire (1864–1867). Many European states acknowledged the political legitimacy of the newly created monarchy, while the United States refused to recognize it.


title: Second French intervention in Mexico

text: The intervention came as a civil war, the Reform War, had just concluded, and the intervention allowed the Conservative opposition against the liberal social and economic reforms of President Juárez to take up their cause once again. The Mexican Catholic Church, Mexican conservatives, much of the upper-class and Mexican nobility, and some Native Mexican communities invited, welcomed and collaborated with the French empire's help to install Maximilian of Habsburg as Emperor of Mexico. The emperor himself, however proved to be of liberal inclination and continued some of the Juárez government's most notable liberal measures. Some liberal generals defected to the Empire, including the powerful, northern governor Santiago Vidaurri, who had fought on the side of Juárez during the Reform War.


title: Second French intervention in Mexico

text: The French and Mexican Imperial Army rapidly captured much of Mexican territory, including major cities, but guerrilla warfare remained rampant, and the intervention was increasingly using up troops and money at a time when the recent Prussian victory over Austria was inclining France to give greater military priority to European affairs. The liberals also never lost the official recognition of the United States, which began providing materiel support following the end of the American Civil War in 1865. Invoking the Monroe Doctrine, the U.S. government made it clear that it would not tolerate a lasting French presence on the continent, and the French finally began to leave in 1866. The Empire would only last a few more months; forces loyal to Juárez captured Maximilian and executed him in June 1867, restoring the Republic.


title: Second French intervention in Mexico

text: The French intervention in Mexico, initially supported by the United Kingdom and Spain, was a consequence of Mexican President Benito Juárez's imposition of a two-year moratorium of loan-interest payments from July 1861 to French, British, and Spanish creditors.