title: LGBT rights in Europe

text: A 2015 NDI public opinion poll shows that only 10% of the population in the Balkans (Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia) believe LGBTI marriages are acceptable, in contrast to 88% who think they're unacceptable.


title: Soybean oil

text: Soybean oil (British English: soyabean oil) is a vegetable oil extracted from the seeds of the soybean ("Glycine max"). It is one of the most widely consumed cooking oils and the second most consumed vegetable oil. As a drying oil, processed soybean oil is also used as a base for printing inks (soy ink) and oil paints.


title: Soybean oil

text: Chinese records dating prior to 2000 BCE mention use of cultivated soybeans to produce edible soy oil. Ancient Chinese literature reveals that soybeans were extensively cultivated and highly valued as a use for the soybean oil production process before written records were kept.


title: Soybean oil

text: To produce soybean oil, the soybeans are cracked, adjusted for moisture content, heated to between 60 and 88 °C (140–190 °F), rolled into flakes, and solvent-extracted with hexanes. The oil is then refined, blended for different applications, and sometimes hydrogenated. Soybean oils, both liquid and partially hydrogenated are sold as "vegetable oil", or are ingredients in a wide variety of processed foods. Most of the remaining residue (soybean meal) is used as animal feed.


title: Soybean oil

text: In the 2002–2003 growing season, 30.6 million tons (MT) of soybean oil were produced worldwide, constituting about half of worldwide edible vegetable oil production, and thirty percent of all fats and oils produced, including animal fats and oils derived from tropical plants.


title: Soybean oil

text: In 2018–2019, world production was at 57.4 MT with the leading producers including China (16.6 MT), US (10.9 MT), Argentina (8.4 MT), Brazil (8.2 MT), and EU (3.2 MT).


title: Soybean oil

text: Soybean oil contains only trace amounts of fatty carboxylic acids (about 0.3% by mass in the crude oil, 0.03% in the refined oil). Instead it contains esters. In the following content, the expressions "fatty acids" and "acid" below refer to esters rather than carboxylic acids.


title: Soybean oil

text: Per 100 g, soybean oil has 16 g of saturated fat, 23 g of monounsaturated fat, and 58 g of polyunsaturated fat. The major unsaturated fatty acids in soybean oil triglycerides are the polyunsaturates alpha-linolenic acid (C-18:3), 7-10%, and linoleic acid (C-18:2), 51%; and the monounsaturate oleic acid (C-18:1), 23%. It also contains the saturated fatty acids stearic acid (C-18:0), 4%, and palmitic acid (C-16:0), 10%.


title: Soybean oil

text: The high-proportion of oxidation-prone polyunsaturated fatty acid is undesirable for some uses, such as cooking oils. Three companies, Monsanto Company, DuPont/Bunge, and Asoyia in 2004 introduced low linolenic Roundup Ready soybeans. Hydrogenation may be used to reduce the unsaturation in linolenic acid. The resulting oil is called hydrogenated soybean oil. If the hydrogenation is only partially complete, the oil may contain small amounts of trans fat.


title: Soybean oil

text: Trans-fat is also commonly introduced during conventional oil deodorization, with a 2005 review detecting 0.4 to 2.1% trans content in deodorized oil.


title: Soybean oil

text: Soybean oil is one of many drying oils, which means that it will slowly harden (due to free-radical based polymerization) upon exposure to air, forming a flexible, transparent, and waterproof solid. Because of this property, it is used in some printing ink and oil paint formulations. However, other oils (such as linseed oil) may be superior for some drying oil applications.


title: Soybean oil

text: While soybean oil has no direct insect repellent activity, it is used as a fixative to extend the short duration of action of essential oils such as geranium oil in several commercial products.


title: Soybean oil

text: Soybean oil is traded at the Chicago Board of Trade in contracts of 60,000 pounds at a time. Prices are listed in cents and thousandths of a cent per pound, with a minimum fluctuation of 5/1000 cents. It has been traded there since 1951.


title: Dr. Pimple Popper (TV series)

text: Dr. Pimple Popper is an American reality television series airing on TLC. The series, starring dermatologist and Internet celebrity Dr. Sandra Lee, follows her as she treats patients with unusual cases of facial and skin disorders at her clinic Skin Physicians & Surgeons in the Inland Empire city of Upland, California. The show started with an hour-long special on January 3, 2018 before the first season aired on July 11, 2018.


title: Dr. Pimple Popper (TV series)

text: Initially airing at 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesdays, "Dr. Pimple Popper" became the top-rated cable program in its time slot among women between ages 25–54. On August 14, the day before the final episode for Season 1 aired, TLC announced it had renewed the series for a second season, with new episodes set to air in January 2019. Another hour-long special was aired on December 13, 2018, before the second season began on January 3, 2019 with its episodes moved to 9 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursdays. Beginning part-way through the fifth season, new episodes became available on the Discovery+ streaming service, before returning to TLC for the sixth season. A spin-off series titled "Dr. Pimple Popper: Before the Pop" premiered on September 3, 2020.


title: Dr. Pimple Popper (TV series)

text: On August 5, 2020, it was announced that a spin-off series titled "Dr. Pimple Popper: Before the Pop" would premiere on September 3, 2020.


title: Dr. Pimple Popper (TV series)

text: "Dr. Pimple Popper: This Is Zit" is an online series available on TLC's website and Facebook. Each three- to six-minute episode focuses on a particular procedure done by Dr. Lee.


title: Dr. Pimple Popper (TV series)

text: The first season of "Dr. Pimple Popper" has a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 78%. Kristen Baldwin of "Entertainment Weekly" gave the pilot episode a "B" rating, commenting that ""Pimple Popper" delivers that blast of feel-good warmth you want from a makeover show, as the patients offer tearful post-procedural testimonials about how Dr. Lee changed their life for the better."


title: DREAM Act

text: The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act, known as the DREAM Act, is a United States legislative proposal to grant temporary conditional residency, with the right to work, to illegal immigrants who entered the United States as minors—and, if they later satisfy further qualifications, they would attain permanent residency.


title: DREAM Act

text: In April 2001, United States Senators Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) first introduced the bill in the Senate as , but it did not pass. The proposal has since been reintroduced several times, but has not been approved by majorities in either house of the United States Congress.


title: DREAM Act

text: The beneficiaries of the proposed DREAM Act would have to meet the following requirements to qualify:


title: DREAM Act

text: During the first six years, qualifying people would be granted "conditional" status and would be required to (a) graduate from a two-year community college or (b) complete at least two years towards a four-year degree or (c) serve two years in the US military. After this six-year period, those who meet at least one of these three conditions would be eligible to apply for permanent resident status. During this six-year conditional period, they would not be eligible for federal higher education grants such as Pell grants but they would be able to apply for student loans and work study.


title: DREAM Act

text: If they have met all of the conditions at the end of the 6-year conditional period, they would be granted permanent residency, which would eventually allow them to become U.S. citizens. It is not known how many of those eligible would go on to complete the further requirements. One organization estimated that only 7,000–13,000 college students nationally can fulfill the further obligations.


title: DREAM Act

text: After having obtained and held conditional resident status, permanent residency may be granted if the following requirements have been met in a period of six years.


title: DREAM Act

text: If these requirements are not fulfilled the conditional resident will lose their legal status and be subject to deportation.


title: DREAM Act

text: Members of Congress have introduced several forms of this bill in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Members in the House passed one such bill on December 8, 2010, by a vote of 216–198; Senators debated a version of the DREAM Act on September 21, 2010. A previous version of the bill, , which required 60 votes to gain cloture, failed on a 52–44 vote in 2007, eight votes short of overcoming a filibuster by senators opposed to the bill.


title: DREAM Act

text: The United States military faced challenges in enlistment, which in 2005 were described as a "crisis", though the economic downturn of 2007–2010 did away with many of the enlistment challenges. Immigrants without a United States Permanent Resident Card (also known as a green card) are not allowed to enlist. In 2007, several senior officials at the Department of Defense have spoken in favor of promising resident status to members of the military as a means of boosting recruitment.


title: DREAM Act

text: The bill also restores the option for states to determine residency for purposes of higher education benefits by repealing Section 505 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) of 1996 (. The majority of states interpret this provision as disqualifying undocumented immigrant students from certain higher education benefits such as in-state tuition rates. Some states have enacted laws aimed at making undocumented state residents eligible for in-state tuition rates without violating this IIRIRA provision. However, some students paying out-of-state tuition have filed lawsuits in these states, claiming state education officials violated this federal law.


title: DREAM Act

text: The original version of the DREAM Act was introduced on April 25, 2001 by Representative Luis Gutiérrez, Democrat from Illinois, as the "Immigrant Children's Educational Advancement and Dropout Prevention Act of 2001" () during the 107th Congress. This bill received 34 cosponsors, and would have allowed undocumented immigrant students to first apply to be protected from deportation and then apply for and receive lawful permanent residency if they met the criteria.


title: DREAM Act

text: One month later, on May 21, 2001, Gutiérrez's version of the bill was scrapped in favor of a more limited version entitled "Student Adjustment Act of 2001" (), introduced by Representative Chris Cannon, Republican from Utah. This version of the bill lowered age eligibility to 21 years of age and garnered 62 cosponsors. On August 1, 2001 a mirror bill to the "Student Adjustment Act of 2001" was introduced in the Senate by Senator Orrin Hatch, also a Republican from Utah. This legislation, , was the first bill given the short title of "Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act" or "DREAM Act." Since that time the DREAM Act has been introduced in both the Senate and the House at various times.


title: DREAM Act

text: The text of the bill was placed in various other immigration-related bills, including the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006 () and the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007 (). With the failure of these comprehensive reform bills, Senator Richard Durbin, Democrat from Illinois, made its passage a top priority for 2007. In September 2007, Durbin filed to place the DREAM Act as an amendment to the 2008 Department of Defense Authorization Bill (). In light of the criticism, Durbin tabled the amendment in favor of a rewritten DREAM Act amendment to the Defense Bill. In consideration of their opponents, all language regarding in-state tuition was removed from the amendment and an age cap of 30 was put in place for potential beneficiaries. Military leaders embraced the bill, which included the promise of resident status to members of the military, as a means of boosting recruitment.


title: DREAM Act

text: On October 18, 2007, Durbin, along with Republican co-sponsors Charles Hagel of Nebraska and Richard Lugar of Indiana, introduced the DREAM Act as . Although nearly identical to the revised amendment to the Defense Bill, opponents continued to cite previous arguments. To bring the DREAM Act up for debate, a vote was scheduled on October 24 that would require a filibuster-proof count of 60 "yes" votes, but that failed. Senate opponents cited a variety of reasons for their opposition. Some labeled the DREAM Act as amnesty that would encourage chain migration and further undocumented immigration in anticipation of new versions of the DREAM Act. Others stated that the DREAM Act, though worthy legislation, should be enacted only as part of a comprehensive immigration reform.


title: DREAM Act

text: Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, who had previously stated that she would oppose consideration of the DREAM Act, announced on the Senate floor that she had expressed reservations to Durbin and he had made a verbal commitment to work with her to make changes that she saw necessary to garner greater Republican support. In response, Durbin announced that the first amendment that would be considered, should debate of the DREAM Act begin, would completely re-write the bill in favor of the language that Hutchison suggested. According to her suggestions, undocumented immigrant students should be allowed to hold a temporary student visa with a renewable work permit instead of conditional permanent residency. Although 52 Senators voted in favor of considering the DREAM Act, this fell eight votes short of breaking filibuster and the legislation was not considered.


title: DREAM Act

text: The act was re-introduced in both chambers of Congress on Thursday, March 26, 2009, during the 111th Congress by Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Richard Lugar (R-IN), Harry Reid (D-NV), Mel Martinez (R-FL), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Joseph Lieberman (I-CT), Ted Kennedy (D-MA), and Russ Feingold (D-WI) and U.S. Representative Howard Berman (D-CA). To date, 128 representatives and 39 senators (not including former Senator Edward Kennedy) co-sponsored the bill. Under this version of the DREAM Act, immigrants could qualify in part, by meeting the following requirements:


title: DREAM Act

text: In addition to the temporary Residency, undocumented immigrant students who qualified would also be entitled to apply for student loans and work study but would not be eligible for Pell grants. In certain circumstances, the person could lose temporary immigration residency if he or she did not meet the educational or military service requirement within the six-year time period or if they committed any crimes (other than those considered non-drug related misdemeanors) regardless of whether or not they had already been approved for permanent status at the end of their six years. If an individual were convicted of a major crime or drug-related infraction, (except for a single offense of possession of 30 g or less of marijuana) they would automatically lose the six-year temporary residence status and be immediately subject to deportation.


title: DREAM Act

text: The 111th Congress continued to consider the DREAM Act bill throughout 2010. , a new version of the DREAM Act, includes numerous changes to address concerns raised about the bill. The DREAM Act, along with a repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", was incorporated into the National Defense Authorization Act for the Fiscal Year 2011. On September 21, 2010, the Senate filibuster of the bill was maintained in a 56–43 vote; it would have taken 60 votes to stop the filibuster and continue the progress of the bill. The following day, Durbin introduced the bill once again along with Richard Lugar. Only two senators co-sponsored the bill and it was defeated again.


title: DREAM Act

text: Less than a month later, on November 16, President Barack Obama and top Democrats pledged to introduce the Dream Act into the House by November 29. The House of Representatives passed the DREAM Act on December 8, 2010, but the bill failed to reach the 60-vote threshold necessary to end debate on the Senate floor (55-41—Motion to invoke cloture on the motion to concur in the House amendment to the Senate amendment No. 3 to H.R. 5281).


title: DREAM Act

text: On May 11, 2011, then Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid reintroduced the DREAM Act in the Senate. Some Republicans who had supported the bill in the past, including Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, Jon Kyl of Arizona, John McCain of Arizona, and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, withheld their votes, objecting that such a bill should not be granted without increasing immigration enforcement. Reid indicated that he would consider adding a workplace enforcement measure in the DREAM Act that would require every employer to use E-Verify, the government's Internet-based work eligibility verification system. President Obama supported the bill as one of his efforts to reform the US immigration system.


title: DREAM Act

text: In July 2011, the state of California enacted the California DREAM Act, giving undocumented immigrant students access to private college scholarships for state schools. In August, the state of Illinois authorized a privately funded scholarship plan for children of immigrants both documented and undocumented.


title: DREAM Act

text: On June 15, 2012, Barack Obama announced that his administration would stop deporting undocumented immigrants who match certain criteria included in the proposed DREAM Act. On August 15, 2012, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) began accepting applications under the Obama administration's new Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Thousands applied for the new program. Because DACA was designed in large measure to address the immigration status of the same people as the DREAM Act, the two programs are often debated together, with some making little distinction between them and others focusing on the difference between the DREAM Act's legislative approach in contrast to the implementation of DACA through executive action. , 740,000 people have registered through DACA.


title: DREAM Act

text: On September 5, 2017 the Trump administration rescinded the program, while pushing Congress to enact a replacement to the legislation prior to the elimination of DACA protections. The Dream Act of 2017 was introduced on July 20, 2017 by Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), and Chuck Schumer (D-NY). With potential to provide a direct process for gaining U.S. citizenship, this bipartisan act has been both championed and scrutinized, but again failed to pass. People eligible for citizenship are those who are undocumented, have DACA or temporary protected status (TPS) (people without lawful immigration status), and who graduate from U.S. high schools and attend college, enter the workforce, or enlist in the military. Several other bills were introduced in 2012 meant to protect undocumented youth, all similar to the Dream Act, but never becoming law.


title: DREAM Act

text: The 2017 version of the Act would adapt the current law in several ways. It would give DACA beneficiaries permanent resident status and TPS beneficiaries the opportunity to apply for this status. The pathway to U.S. citizenship would be first conditional permanent resident status for 8 years, apply for and receiving LPR status, spending 5 years in LPR status, and lastly applying for and receiving U.S. citizenship. The Act would also terminate the deportation proceedings of anyone meeting the requirements of the Dream Act and those enrolled in elementary or secondary school over 5 years of age. It lastly would improve accessibility to college in-state tuition and financial aid for undocumented youth and immigrants.


title: DREAM Act

text: In a December 2010 report, the federal Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Taxation estimated that the November 30, 2010 version of the DREAM Act would reduce (federal) direct deficits by about $1.4 billion over the 2011–2020 period and increase federal government revenues by $2.3 billion over the next 10 years. Indirect federal costs (about 80% of the federal budget) and state and local tax impacts were not considered. However, the same report also notes that the Act "would "increase" projected deficits by more than $5 billion in at least one of the four consecutive 10-year periods starting in 2021" (emphasis added). A study conducted by the Center for American Progress estimates that if passed, the DREAM Act would create 1.4 million jobs by 2030, primarily through the expected increase in educational attainment, earnings, and buying power for "DREAMers".


title: DREAM Act

text: Luis Miranda, White House Director of Hispanic Media, has spoken in support of the 2010 version of the DREAM Act. He argues that passage of the Act would make the U.S. more competitive in the global economy by allowing undocumented immigrants "to live up to their fullest potential and contribute to the economic growth of our country." Miranda argues that the DREAM Act would not create an "amnesty program" because it requires a "lengthy and rigorous process" to be eligible for benefits, requiring, for example, a criminal background check and proof that the applicant has not committed any crimes that would make him ineligible for residency. Miranda also argues the Act would not encourage more students to immigrate because it only applies to undocumented immigrants who are already in the country. Furthermore, the Act would create a waiting period before DREAM Act applicants could sponsor green card applications for their relatives. Miranda also notes that Defense Secretary Robert Gates has stated that the DREAM Act would provide an expanded pool of military recruits.


title: DREAM Act

text: A 2010 study by UCLA's North American Integration and Development Center, an advocacy and research group that focuses on "transnationalism and globalization through action research", conducting "interdisciplinary research concerning the economic integration process between the United States, Mexico and Canada", produced two estimates of the income that would be earned by undocumented immigrants who would be potentially eligible for the proposed DREAM Act benefits. The first estimate is based on analysis from a study by the Migration Policy Institute's National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy, an organization seeking to "advance the economic mobility and social inclusion of immigrants in the United States", which estimated that 38% of those eligible for the DREAM Act's benefits would actually obtain legal permanent resident status. In that scenario, the NAIDC estimates that DREAM Act beneficiaries would earn $1.4 trillion over a 40-year period. On the other hand, NAIDC estimates that if "all" those eligible for DREAM Act benefits successfully met the education or military service requirements and obtained legal resident status, they would earn $3.6 trillion over the same 40-year period. How many dollars they would use of available federal, state and local resources over the 40-year period was not estimated.


title: DREAM Act

text: Education is a major priority for The DREAM Act. In a research article written by Roger M. Mahony, it is stated that the DREAM Act aims to repeal a provision of law that penalizes states for offering these students in-state tuition rates. Depending on eligibility standards, the DREAM Act could benefit as many as 1.2 million young people in the United States, giving them an opportunity to reach their educational and economic potential.


title: DREAM Act

text: The DREAMers movement emerged during the time that the DREAM Act was being pushed in Congress. The individuals that make up the group are primarily undocumented students/youth. The DREAMers movement have been seen tackling issues in regards to immigration, education, and citizenship. The DREAMers have partaken in many activists activities to demonstrate their support for the DREAM Act. On May 1, 2006, there was a demonstration that involved a collective group of students taking a stand to voice their concerns. There was an occasion on June 5, 2012, when DREAMers participated in a nonviolent civil disobedience which included picket-lines, sit-ins, hunger strikes, etc. There have been other scenarios throughout the country where undocumented youth have been actively involved in promoting the DREAM Act. Furthermore, the movement has had influence in other policies such as DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), an Executive Branch memorandum made by then-Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano on June 15, 2012 entitled “Exercising Prosecutorial Discretion with Respect to Individuals Who Came to the United States as Children,” creating a non-congressionally authorized administrative program that permitted certain individuals who came to the United States as juveniles and meet several criteria—including lacking any current lawful immigration status—to request consideration of deferred action for a period of two years, subject to renewal, and eligibility for work authorization.


title: Murder of April Jones

text: April Sue-Lyn Jones (4 April 2007 – ) was a Welsh child from Machynlleth, Powys, who disappeared on 1 October 2012, after being sighted getting into a vehicle near her home. The disappearance of April Jones, aged five, generated a large amount of national and international press coverage. A 46-year-old English man, Mark Bridger, was subsequently arrested and convicted.


title: Murder of April Jones

text: On 30 May 2013, Bridger was found guilty of April's abduction and murder, in addition to perverting the course of justice. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a whole life tariff, meaning he will never be released.


title: Murder of April Jones

text: On the evening of 1 October 2012, April Jones attended swimming lessons at a local leisure centre while her mother and father attended a parents' evening at her school. Afterwards, April invited a friend from school, aged seven, to come to her house to watch the film "Tangled". After that, April pleaded with her parents to allow her to play with her friend outside despite the late hour. April's parents eventually gave in, with her mother telling the girl that she did not want April to be out for too long. April Jones was last seen by her parents, riding her small pink bicycle, at approximately 7pm. At 7.15pm, Jones was playing with her friends at the Bryn-y-Gog housing estate in Machynlleth.


title: Murder of April Jones

text: Approximately 20 minutes after allowing April to leave the house, her mother Coral set out to search for her. At 7.29pm, having been unable to find her daughter, Coral dialled 999 to report April missing and summoned an officer from the Dyfed–Powys Police. The first officer on the scene spoke to a child witness who reported seeing April climbing into a grey van. The Dyfed–Powys Police immediately upgraded the investigation to a "critical incident" and launched a massive search across Machynlleth. Scores of civilians, some alerted by social networks, joined in the search, with the number swelling into the hundreds by the early morning hours of 2 October.


title: Murder of April Jones

text: On 3 October 2012, April’s mother made an appeal for information about her daughter. The following day, Prime Minister David Cameron also issued an appeal to the public, commenting that "clearly having this happen to you, and the fact that she suffers from cerebral palsy, something I know a little about from my own children, only makes this worse. My appeal would be to everyone. If you know anything, if you saw anything, heard anything, have any ideas you can bring forward, talk to the police."


title: Murder of April Jones

text: In the days following her disappearance, a large search operation for April was mounted around the Machynlleth area, involving police and search and rescue teams using specialised equipment, as well as hundreds of volunteers. On 12 December, police stated that the search for April would continue into 2013.


title: Murder of April Jones

text: On 27 March 2013, police revealed that they would call off the search after another month of being unable to locate her body, and on 22 April, police confirmed that the search had officially ended. The police stated that "a reactive team of specialist officers are available to respond to any new information that is received". This was the largest missing person search in UK police history.


title: Murder of April Jones

text: Mark Bridger, a 46-year-old local man, was arrested on the afternoon of 2 October 2012, less than 24 hours after April went missing. He became a suspect in the case because he matched a description of the man and the vehicle, a left-hand drive Land Rover Discovery which an eyewitness had seen April entering following a conversation with the man.


title: Murder of April Jones

text: On 5 October 2012, police officially designated the case a murder inquiry; even though a body had not been found, this was the first indication that the police now had reason to believe that April Jones was dead. Sky News presenter Kay Burley was accused of insensitivity after breaking the news of Jones' probable death live on-air to volunteers who had been searching for her. The interviewees were unaware the case had changed from a search for a missing person into a murder inquiry.


title: Murder of April Jones

text: On 6 October, Bridger was charged with child abduction, murder, and attempting to pervert the course of justice. He appeared before magistrates at Aberystwyth on 8 October, where he was additionally charged with the unlawful concealment and disposal of a body. He was remanded into custody and held at HMP Manchester pending an appearance at Caernarfon Crown Court, which occurred on 10 October via videolink.


title: Murder of April Jones

text: On 14 January 2013, at Mold Crown Court, Bridger pleaded not guilty to the charge of murdering April Jones, but accepted that he was "probably responsible" for her death. The trial was to begin on 25 February at Mold Crown Court, but it was adjourned until 29 April at the request of Bridger's defence team in order to make further inquiries.


title: Murder of April Jones

text: Mark Leonard Bridger was born at the War Memorial Hospital in Carshalton, Surrey, on 6 November 1965, the second of three children born to policeman Graham Bridger and his wife Pamela. He has an older sister and younger brother. He grew up in a semi-detached house in Wallington, Surrey. He attended John Ruskin High School in Croydon, leaving with seven CSEs.


title: Murder of April Jones

text: Bridger had a string of convictions for minor offences stretching back to the mid-1980s. When he was 19 he was convicted of firearms offences and theft. He moved to Wales in the 1980s, and there he was convicted of criminal damage, affray, and driving without insurance in 1991. The next year, he was convicted again, for driving whilst disqualified and without insurance. In 2004, he was convicted of battery and threatening behaviour; in 2007 he received his fifth conviction, this time for assault.


title: Murder of April Jones

text: Bridger's work history was varied; he had been an abattoir worker, hotel porter, fireman, lifeguard, mechanic, and welder. He fathered six children by four women, and was married once, to the mother of two of his children, from 1990 until the marriage ended in divorce several years later.


title: Murder of April Jones

text: The trial of Mark Bridger began on 29 April 2013 before Mr Justice Griffith Williams. A scientific expert told the court that fragments of human bone consistent with a "younger individual" had been found in the fireplace of Bridger's cottage. Blood found in several parts of the cottage was matched to April's DNA, and was enough to convince the police that April Jones had suffered injuries from which she could not have survived - and to persuade the Crown Prosecution Service to charge Bridger with murder.


title: Murder of April Jones

text: In his defence, Bridger claimed that he had accidentally run over April in his car and could not remember disposing of her body due to alcohol and panic. On 29 May the judge concluded his summing-up, and directed the jury to retire to consider its verdicts. On 30 May 2013, Bridger was found guilty of abduction, murder, and perverting the course of justice. Later that day, he was sentenced to life imprisonment with a whole life order, having been called a "pathological and glib liar" and "a paedophile" by the judge.


title: Murder of April Jones

text: After the verdict, it was revealed that Bridger had confessed to the Strangeways' prison chaplain that he had disposed of April's body in the fast-flowing Afon Dulas, which flows past Bridger's house before terminating in the River Dyfi near Machynlleth. Dyfed-Powys Police have said they doubt Bridger's claims and believe he scattered April's remains across the countryside near his house.


title: Murder of April Jones

text: In July 2013, several weeks into his sentence, Bridger was attacked in Wakefield prison by a fellow prisoner with an improvised weapon, resulting in facial and throat injuries, for which he received sutures. In December 2013, Bridger commenced an appeal against his whole-life tariff, but dropped the appeal a month later, days before it was due to be heard.


title: Murder of April Jones

text: Although her body was never found, 17 fragments of bone were recovered from the fireplace in Bridger's cottage. The funeral service for April Jones was held in Machynlleth on 26 September 2013.


title: Murder of April Jones

text: After Bridger's arrest, police discovered an extensive collection of child pornography on his computer.


title: Murder of April Jones

text: In November 2013, following campaigning by Jones' parents which was also backed by several national newspapers, the search engines Google and Bing modified their systems to block results from searches aimed at producing child abuse images.


title: Murder of April Jones

text: On 4 August 2014, it was announced that the cottage in Ceinws where April is believed to have been killed, had been purchased by the Welsh Government for £149,000, having stood empty since Bridger's arrest nearly two years earlier. The cottage was demolished in November 2014. April's family watched the house being demolished.


title: Pinworm (parasite)

text: The pinworm (species Enterobius vermicularis), also known as threadworm (in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand) or seatworm, is a parasitic worm. It is a nematode (roundworm) and a common intestinal parasite or helminth, especially in humans. The medical condition associated with pinworm infestation is known as pinworm infection (enterobiasis) (a type of helminthiasis) or less precisely as oxyuriasis in reference to the family Oxyuridae.


title: Pinworm (parasite)

text: Other than human, "Enterobius vermicularis" were reported from bonnet macaque. Other species seen in primates include "Enterobius buckleyi" in Orangutan and "Enterobius anthropopitheci" in chimpanzee. "Enterobius vermicularis" is common in human children and transmitted via the faecal-oral route. Humans are the only natural host of "Enterobius vermicularis". "Enterobius gregorii", another human species is morphologically indistinguishable from "Enterobius vermicularis" except the spicule size. Throughout this article, the word "pinworm" refers to "Enterobius". In British usage, however, pinworm refers to "Strongyloides", while "Enterobius" is called threadworm.


title: Pinworm (parasite)

text: The pinworm (genus "Enterobius") is a type of roundworm (nematode), and three species of pinworm have been identified with certainty. Humans are hosts only to "Enterobius vermicularis" (formerly "Oxyurias vermicularis"). Chimpanzees are host to "Enterobius anthropopitheci", which is morphologically distinguishable from the human pinworm. Hugot (1983) claims another species affects humans, "Enterobius gregorii", which is supposedly a sister species of "E. vermicularis", and has a slightly smaller spicule (i.e., sexual organ). Its existence is controversial, however; Totkova et al. (2003) consider the evidence to be insufficient, and Hasegawa et al. (2006) contend that "E. gregorii" is a younger stage of "E. vermicularis". Regardless of its status as a distinct species, "E. gregorii" is considered clinically identical to "E. vermicularis".


title: Pinworm (parasite)

text: The adult female has a sharply pointed posterior end, is 8 to 13 mm long, and 0.5 mm thick. The adult male is considerably smaller, measuring 2 to 5 mm long and 0.2 mm thick, and has a curved posterior end. The eggs are translucent and have a surface that adheres to objects. The eggs measure 50 to 60 μm by 20 to 30 μm, and have a thick shell flattened on one side. The small size and colourlessness of the eggs make them invisible to the naked eye, except in barely visible clumps of thousands of eggs. Eggs may contain a developing embryo or a fully developed pinworm larva. The larvae grow to 140–150 μm in length.


title: Pinworm (parasite)

text: The entire life cycle, from egg to adult, takes place in the human gastrointestinal tract of a single host, from about 2–4 weeks or about 4–8 weeks. "E. vermicularis" molts four times; the first two within the egg before hatching and two before becoming an adult worm.


title: Pinworm (parasite)

text: Although infection often occurs via ingestion of embryonated eggs by inadequate hand washing or nail biting, inhalation followed by swallowing of airborne eggs may occur rarely. The eggs hatch in the duodenum (i.e., first part of the small intestine). The emerging pinworm larvae grow rapidly to a size of 140 to 150 μm, and migrate through the small intestine towards the colon. During this migration, they moult twice and become adults. Females survive for 5 to 13 weeks, and males about 7 weeks. The male and female pinworms mate in the ileum (i.e., last part of the small intestine), whereafter the male pinworms usually die, and are passed out with stool. The gravid female pinworms settle in the ileum, caecum (i.e., beginning of the large intestine), appendix and ascending colon, where they attach themselves to the mucosa and ingest colonic contents.


title: Pinworm (parasite)

text: Almost the entire body of a gravid female becomes filled with eggs. The estimations of the number of eggs in a gravid female pinworm range from about 11,000 to 16,000. The egg-laying process begins about five weeks after initial ingestion of pinworm eggs by the human host. The gravid female pinworms migrate through the colon towards the rectum at a rate of 12 to 14 cm per hour. They emerge from the anus, and while moving on the skin near the anus, the female pinworms deposit eggs either through (1) contracting and expelling the eggs, (2) dying and then disintegrating, or (3) bodily rupture due to the host scratching the worm. After depositing the eggs, the female becomes opaque and dies. The female emerges from the anus to obtain the oxygen necessary for the maturation of the eggs.


title: Pinworm (parasite)

text: "E. vermicularis" causes the medical condition enterobiasis, whose primary symptom is itching in the anal area.


title: Pinworm (parasite)

text: The pinworm has a worldwide distribution, and is the most common helminth (i.e., parasitic worm) infection in the United States, western Europe, and Oceania. In the United States, a study by the Center of Disease Control reported an overall incidence rate of 11.4% among children. Pinworms are particularly common in children, with prevalence rates in this age group having been reported as high as 61% in India, 50% in England, 39% in Thailand, 37% in Sweden, and 29% in Denmark. Finger sucking has been shown to increase both incidence and relapse rates, and nail biting has been similarly associated. Because it spreads from host to host through contamination, pinworms are common among people living in close contact, and tends to occur in all people within a household. The prevalence of pinworms is not associated with gender, nor with any particular social class, race, or culture. Pinworms are an exception to the tenet that intestinal parasites are uncommon in affluent communities.


title: Pinworm (parasite)

text: A fossilized nematode egg was detected in 240 million-year-old fossil dung, showing that parasitic pinworms already infested pre-mammalian cynodonts. The earliest known instance of the pinworms associated with humans is evidenced by pinworm eggs found in human coprolites carbon dated to 7837 BC found in western Utah.


title: Tchotchke

text: A tchotchke ( , ) is a small bric-à-brac or miscellaneous item. The word has long been used by Jewish-Americans and in the regional speech of New York City and elsewhere. It is borrowed from Yiddish and is ultimately Slavic in origin.


title: Tchotchke

text: The word may also refer to free promotional items dispensed at trade shows, conventions, and similar commercial events. They can also be sold as cheap souvenirs in tourist areas, which are sometimes called "tchotchke shops".


title: Tchotchke

text: A wide variety of spellings exist for the English usage of the term, e.g., "tshotshke", "tshatshke", "tchachke", "tchotchka", "tchatchka", "chachke", "tsotchke", "chotski", or "chochke"; the standard Yiddish transliteration is "tsatske" or "tshatshke". In YIVO standard orthography, it is spelled טשאַטשקע. In Israeli Hebrew it is often spelled , , with a tsade instead of teth-shin, as in Yiddish. A Hebrew variant is צ׳אצ׳קע, using צ (tsade) with a geresh to represent the sound .


title: Tchotchke

text: Depending on context, the term has a connotation of worthlessness or disposability as well as tackiness.


title: Tchotchke

text: A common confusion is between the terms "tchotchke" and "tsatske" or rather "tsatskele", with the diminutive ending -le. Both terms have the same Slavic root, but the tch- version stems from Russian, while the ts- originates in Polish. "Tchotchke" usually references trinkets, while "tsatskele" is more likely to mean a young girl or woman who uses her charms in order to reach her goals. Being Yiddish, the meaning can change by the use of gestures and a change in tone, so that "tsatskele" can become the favorite child.


title: Tchotchke

text: Leo Rosten, author of "The Joys of Yiddish", combines the two main meanings and gives an alternative sense of "tchotchke" as meaning a desirable young girl, a "pretty young thing". Less flatteringly, the term could be construed as a more dismissive synonym for "bimbo", or "slut".


title: Tchotchke

text: The word "tchotchke" derives from a Slavic word for "trinket" ( ; , plural ; ; ; ), adapted to Yiddish singular .


title: Wack Pack

text: The Wack Pack is the name given to an assortment of personalities heard throughout the history of "The Howard Stern Show". As a parody of the Rat Pack or Brat Pack, Stern biographer Richard Mintzer has labeled them a key part of the show. Members tend to be unusual in some way: being blatantly racist, mentally disabled, having a comical appearance, voice or ability, or some combination thereof. As of 2016, twenty four living individuals are designated "Wack Packers" (along with a number of deceased). Not every regular guest on or caller to the show is considered a member, nor are any of the show's staff members; Stern has stated that Wack Packers are not defined by having any disability or peculiarity, but by their inability to understand why they are funny.


title: Wack Pack

text: Through their appearances on the radio show, some Wack Packers have gained notoriety for personal appearances around the country and occasionally, played roles in films and television programs.


title: Wack Pack

text: In the 1993 book "Private Parts", Howard Stern lists early members of the Wack Pack, including Irene the Leather Weather Lady, who is essentially the first Wack Packer, having met Stern in May 1980 when he was broadcasting from WWWW in Detroit, Michigan. Upon the introduction of Fred the Elephant Boy on the radio show on November 28, 1988, among a collection of others, Stern began calling the group of show personalities the "Wack Pack" on July 6, 1990, as documented in Stern's "The History of Howard Stern" radio series. Since moving to Sirius XM Radio, Stern has offered some members of the Wack Pack their own shows.


title: Wack Pack

text: The following individuals were at one time considered Wack Pack members. However, since 2015, they were excluded by Stern and his staff from the Wack Pack for reasons including their ability to hold a job and function in society, while still having a funny or unusual personality.


title: Wack Pack

text: The following individuals were determined to be Wack Pack members either by Stern and his staff or by other sources prior to their death:


title: Air Medal

text: The Air Medal (AM) is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces. It was created in 1942 and is awarded for single acts of heroism or meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.


title: Air Medal

text: The Air Medal was established by , signed by Franklin D. Roosevelt on May 11, 1942. It was awarded retroactive to September 8, 1939, to anyone who distinguishes himself by meritorious achievement while serving with the Armed Forces in aerial flight.


title: Air Medal

text: The original award criteria set by an Army Policy Letter dated September 25, 1942, were for one award of the Air Medal:


title: Air Medal

text: These criteria were altered by the commanding generals of each numbered Air Force to fit the conditions of their theater of operations and to maintain morale. The Distinguished Flying Cross would usually be awarded for roughly twice to five times the requirements of the Air Medal. This led to automatic "score card" awards of the Air Medal and Distinguished Flying Cross for completing a set number of operational missions rather than distinguished service, meritorious action, or bravery, as had been intended. On August 5, 1943, such score card awards were officially abolished by a Headquarters Army Air Forces Awards Board memorandum due to the embarrassment when airmen received the Air Medal for "score carding" five missions or more but were later removed from flying duties for "lack of moral fibre". Commanders could still issue the awards on those grounds, but the recipient must perform exceptional or meritorious service as well.


title: Air Medal

text: During World War II, the medal's award criteria varied widely depending on the theater of operations, the aircraft flown, and the missions accomplished. In Europe, the airspace was considered completely controlled by the enemy and heavy air defenses were encountered, so the criteria were altered from those of the original medal. Bomber, photographic reconnaissance, or observation crewmembers and air transport pilots received it for five sorties, fighter pilots received it for ten sorties, and individual pilots or air crewmen received one award per enemy aircraft shot down. Elsewhere in the Pacific and the China Burma India Theater, the pilots and crews flew mostly over uncontrolled or contested airspace for long hours and lighter air defenses were encountered, so much higher criteria were used. Anti-submarine patrols from the United States could qualify for the medal if an airman logged 200 hours of flight time.


title: Air Medal

text: The Air Medal may be awarded to recognize either single acts of merit or gallantry in combat or for meritorious service in a combat zone. Award of the Air Medal is primarily intended to recognize those personnel who are on current crew member or non-crew member flying status which requires them to participate in aerial flight on a regular and frequent basis in the performance of their primary duties. However, it may also be awarded to certain other individuals whose combat duties require regular and frequent flying in other than a passenger status, or individuals who perform a particularly noteworthy act while performing the function of a crew member but who are not on flying status. These individuals must make a discernible contribution to the operational land combat mission or to the mission of the aircraft in flight.


title: Air Medal

text: Examples of personnel whose combat duties require them to fly include those in the attack elements of units involved in air-land assaults against an armed enemy and those directly involved in airborne command and control of combat operations. Examples would be transport performing supporting "Dustoff" Medevac or resupply operations, or aircraft involved in reconnaissance over hostile airspace. Awards will not be made to individuals who use air transportation solely for the purpose of moving from point to point in a combat zone.


title: Air Medal

text: The Army may award the Air Medal for peacetime service, but approval authority is by general-grade officers at the group or brigade level or higher. The Air Force does not award the Air Medal for peacetime sustained operational activities and flights. Non-combat meritorious service is instead awarded the Aerial Achievement Medal, instituted in 1988.


title: Air Medal

text: The United States Air Force does not utilize numeral devices on the Air Medal. Subsequent awards are annotated with the traditional oak leaf clusters (or OLCs). Enlisted members are also awarded three points toward promotion per award.


title: Air Medal

text: Each ribbon carries a maximum of four OLCs; the ribbon signifies the first award, a bronze OLC equals one additional award, and a silver OLC represents five additional awards. If there were more than four OLC devices awarded (like the 10th, 14th, 15th, 18th, 19th, and 20th awards), extra Air Medal ribbons were issued to wear the extra OLCs (although only one Air Medal was awarded). Multiple Air Medals were usually earned by aircrew with extensive flight time and long meritorious service records, like during World War II or Korea.


title: Air Medal

text: The award of the medal is sometimes denoted on a member's gravestone with the abbreviation "AM" followed by an ampersand and the number of oak leaf clusters or "OLC". For example, "AM&5 OLC" means Air Medal and five oak leaf clusters.


title: Air Medal

text: The United States Army used the same criteria as the Air Force. Oak leaf clusters were awarded on the Air Medal's ribbon for additional awards – Bronze OLCs for every additional award and Silver OLCs for every five additional awards. Extra ribbons were worn to hold extra OLCs if the recipient had earned more than four OLCs.


title: Air Medal

text: One award was credited per every 25 hours of combat assault flights (any flight in which the aircraft was directly involved in combat), 50 hours of combat support flights (Visual Reconnaissance or Resupply), or 100 hours of non-combat service flights (Administrative or VIP flights). Flight hours were calculated in six-minute blocks.


title: Air Medal

text: During the Vietnam War, the US Army awarded the Air Medal to Warrant Officer or Commissioned pilots and enlisted aircrew for actual flight time (awards were also made to infantry troops who flew on combat assault missions). This became a bureaucratic nightmare to correctly log because of the short flight time of typical helicopter flights. Later, an equivalent "flight hours" conversion was created and an award standard was set by individual commands. This eventually was standardized in theater to one award per every 24 "flight hours" logged. A simplified set time was awarded depending on the type of mission, regardless of the actual flight time. Administrative or VIP flights counted for a quarter hour, regular duties (such as Visual Reconnaissance or Resupply) counted for a half hour, and hazardous duties (combat assaults or extractions) counted for one hour. Pilots and aircrew could log over 1,000 "flight hours" a year and earn a 40 or higher numeral on their Air Medal ribbon.


title: Air Medal

text: The "score card" system was retained after the war. This was changed on December 11, 2006, to an award for every six months of meritorious service instead of the number of flight hours.


title: Air Medal

text: Currently (as per AR 600-8-22 [December 11, 2006]) the medal can be awarded for every six months of meritorious service. The recipient must perform flight-related duties while serving in a combat zone. The number of flight hours logged is no longer a criterion. The soldier must be assigned as air crew with flight status (i.e., as a pilot, navigator, or gunner). Soldiers without flight status can be eligible if they help with an aerial attack during general transport (e.g., as a door gunner), serve as a combat controller (e.g., as a Pathfinder or Forward Air Controller) or the combat commander of an air or land operation at the Group or Brigade level or lower. Soldiers being transported by air as passengers are not eligible for the meritorious service award, but they may be eligible for the gallantry award.


title: Air Medal

text: The United States Navy and United States Marine Corps have two types of Air Medal awards: "Individual" for singular meritorious acts and "Strike/Flight" for participation in sustained aerial flight operations.


title: Air Medal

text: Officers of Captain (USN) or Colonel (USMC) rank and above are not eligible for award of the Air Medal on a Strike/Flight basis unless the sorties they fly are required in the performance of their regular duties.


title: Air Medal

text: In the interval between November 22, 1989, and September 27, 2006, inch bronze stars, inch gold stars, and inch silver stars denoted the number of "Individual" Air Medals. A bronze star was used to denote a first award. Gold stars were used for the second through the fifth awards, seventh through tenth awards, and so on. Silver stars were used in lieu of five gold stars, and denote the sixth and eleventh (and so on) awards. For "Individual" Air Medals, the Combat "V" may be authorized.


title: Air Medal

text: Bronze Strike/Flight numerals denoted the number of Strike/Flight awards. They are authorized for operations in hostile or disputed territory and count the total number of Strikes (operations that faced enemy opposition) and Flights (operations that did not encounter enemy opposition) added together.


title: Air Medal

text: The Commandant of the United States Coast Guard may award the Air Medal to any person in the Armed Forces of the United States who distinguishes themselves by heroic or meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.


title: Air Medal

text: During World War II, the Air Medal was also awarded to members of the Civil Air Patrol who participated in the CAP's anti-submarine patrol program. This was not made public at the time, since the Federal government did not want to admit it was arming civilian aircraft.


title: Air Medal

text: Description: A Bronze compass rose 1 inches circumscribing diameter and charged with an eagle volant carrying two lightning flashes in its talons. A fleur-de-lis at the top point holds the suspension ring. The points of the compass rose on the reverse are modeled with the central portion plain for engraving the name of the recipient.


title: Air Medal

text: Components: The following are authorized components of the Air Medal and the applicable specifications for each:


title: Air Medal

text: Designer: Walker Hancock. Hancock had competed for the medal design as a civilian, but prior to the award of the competition had been inducted into the army.


title: Paper Girls (TV series)

text: Paper Girls is an American science fiction drama television series created by Stephany Folsom. It is based on the 2015–2019 comic book series of the same name written by Brian K. Vaughan and illustrated by Cliff Chiang. The series premiered on Amazon Prime Video on July 29, 2022. In September 2022, the series was canceled after one season.


title: Paper Girls (TV series)

text: "Paper Girls" follows four young girls who, while out delivering papers during the dark morning hours after Halloween in 1988, become unwittingly caught in a conflict between warring factions of time-travelers, sending them on an adventure through time that will save the world. As they travel between time periods, they encounter future versions of themselves and must choose to embrace or reject their fate.


title: Paper Girls (TV series)

text: On July 11, 2019, it was announced that Amazon Studios had put the project in development with a series commitment, with Brian K. Vaughan, who wrote the original comic book series, executive producing the project under his overall deal with Legendary Entertainment. It was also announced that Stephany Folsom would write the series, as well as executive produce alongside Vaughan. On July 23, 2020, the project was officially greenlit to series, with Cliff Chiang, Christopher Cantwell, and Christopher C. Rogers joining as executive producers. On July 31, 2021, it was reported that Folsom has exited the series. On September 9, 2022, Amazon Prime Video canceled the series after one season, with Legendary Television shopping it around to other networks.


title: Paper Girls (TV series)

text: On April 26, 2021, it was announced that Sofia Rosinsky, Camryn Jones, Riley Lai Nelet, and Fina Strazza were cast in the four lead roles. On May 6, 2021, Ali Wong joined the main cast. On June 15, 2021, Nate Corddry was cast in a starring role.


title: Paper Girls (TV series)

text: The series was initially set to begin filming on March 1, 2021, but was later pushed back to May 17, 2021, in Chicago, Illinois. On May 28, 2021, photography took place in and around the Joliet police station. The series concluded filming on October 1, 2021.


title: Paper Girls (TV series)

text: The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an 91% approval rating with an average rating of 7/10, based on 64 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Folding together time-traveling wonder with a strong ensemble of youngsters who are as dimensional as origami, "Paper Girls" is an absolute blast to the future." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 70 out of 100 based on 20 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".


title: C-SPAN

text: Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network (C-SPAN ) is an American cable and satellite television network that was created in 1979 by the cable television industry as a nonprofit public service. It televises many proceedings of the United States federal government, as well as other public affairs programming. The C-SPAN network includes the television channels C-SPAN (focusing on the U.S. House of Representatives), C-SPAN2 (focusing on the U.S. Senate), and C-SPAN3 (airing other government hearings and related programming), the radio station WCSP-FM, and a group of websites which provide streaming media and archives of C-SPAN programs. C-SPAN's television channels are available to approximately 100 million cable and satellite households within the United States, while WCSP-FM is broadcast on FM radio in Washington, D.C., and is available throughout the U.S. on SiriusXM, via Internet streaming, and globally through apps for iOS and Android devices.


title: C-SPAN

text: The network televises U.S. political events, particularly live and "gavel-to-gavel" coverage of the U.S. Congress. C-SPAN also televises occasional proceedings of the Australian, British (including the weekly Prime Minister's Questions), and Canadian parliaments, as well as other major events worldwide. Its coverage of political and policy events is unmoderated, providing the audience with unfiltered information about politics and government. Non-political coverage includes historical programming, programs dedicated to non-fiction books, and interview programs with noteworthy individuals associated with public policy. C-SPAN is a private, nonprofit organization funded by its cable and satellite affiliates, and it does not have advertisements on any of its networks or radio stations, nor does it solicit donations or pledges. The network operates independently, as the cable industry and the U.S. Congress do not have control of its programming content.


title: C-SPAN

text: Brian Lamb, C-SPAN's chairman and former chief executive officer, conceived C-SPAN in 1975 while working as the Washington, D.C., bureau chief of the cable industry trade magazine "Cablevision". It was a time of rapid growth in the number of cable television channels available in the United States. Lamb envisioned a cable-industry financed nonprofit network for televising sessions of the U.S. Congress, other public affairs events, and policy discussions. Lamb shared his idea with several cable executives, who helped him launch the network. Among them were Bob Rosencrans, who provided $25,000 of initial funding in 1979, and John D. Evans, who provided the wiring and access to the headend needed for the distribution of the C-SPAN signal. According to a report from commentator Jeff Greenfield on Nightline in 1980, C-SPAN was launched to provide televised coverage of U.S. political events in their entirety. The purpose was to help viewers maintain a thorough view of politics and especially presidential campaigns. This was unlike television newscasts, which "[do] not really inform us about what the candidates mean to do with the power they ask of us."


title: C-SPAN

text: C-SPAN was launched on March 19, 1979, in time for the first televised session made available by the House of Representatives, beginning with a speech by then-Tennessee representative Al Gore. Upon its debut, only 3.5 million homes were wired for C-SPAN, and the network had just three employees. For the first few years of its existence C-SPAN leased satellite time from the USA Network (originally known as Madison Square Garden Sports Network) and had approximately 9 hours of daily programming. On February 1, 1982, C-SPAN launched its own transponder and expanded its schedule to 16 hours a day. The arrangement with the USA Network was discontinued two months later. C-SPAN began full-time operations on September 13, 1982. After C-SPAN was created and began broadcasting proceedings of the House of Representatives, the Senate wanted the same. After two years of discussion, Majority Leader Howard Baker introduced a resolution to allow cameras into the Senate, but it went nowhere. By 1986, Senator William L. Armstrong convinced his colleagues to allow cameras onto the Senate floor.


title: C-SPAN

text: The second C-SPAN channel, C-SPAN2, followed on June 2, 1986, when the U.S. Senate permitted itself to be televised. It began full-time operations on January 5, 1987. C-SPAN3, the most recent expansion channel, began full-time operations on January 22, 2001, and shows live/taped public policy and government-related events on weekdays, with historical programming being shown on weeknights and weekends. It has also sometimes served as an overflow channel for live programming conflicts on C-SPAN and C-SPAN2. C-SPAN3 is the successor of a digital channel called C-SPAN Extra, which was launched in the Washington D.C. area in 1997, and televised live and recorded political events from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time Monday through Friday.


title: C-SPAN

text: During the late 1980s through 2011 C-SPAN experienced many prank callers who made jokes about Howard Stern and Bababooey


title: C-SPAN

text: C-SPAN Radio began operations on October 9, 1997, covering similar events as the television networks and often simulcasting their programming. The station broadcasts on WCSP-FM (90.1 MHz) in Washington, D.C., is also available on XM Satellite Radio channel 120 and is streamed live at c-span.org. It was formerly available on Sirius Satellite Radio from 2002 to 2006.


title: C-SPAN

text: Lamb semi-retired in March 2012, coinciding with the channel's 33rd anniversary, and gave executive control of the network to his two lieutenants, Rob Kennedy and Susan Swain.


title: C-SPAN

text: On January 12, 2017, the online feed for C-SPAN1 was interrupted and replaced by a feed from the Russian television network RT America for approximately 10 minutes. C-SPAN announced that they were troubleshooting the incident and were "operating under the assumption that it was an internal routing issue."


title: C-SPAN

text: C-SPAN celebrated its 10th anniversary in 1989 with a three-hour retrospective, featuring Lamb recalling the development of the network. The 15th anniversary was commemorated in an unconventional manner as the network facilitated a series of re-enactments of the seven historic Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858, which were televised from August to October 1994, and have been rebroadcast from time to time ever since. Five years later, the series "", which won a Peabody Award, served as a year-long observation of C-SPAN's 20th anniversary.


title: C-SPAN

text: In 2004, C-SPAN celebrated its 25th anniversary, by which time the flagship network was viewed in 86 million homes, C-SPAN2 was in 70 million homes and C-SPAN3 was in eight million homes. On the anniversary date, C-SPAN repeated the first televised hour of floor debate in the House of Representatives from 1979 and, throughout the month, 25th anniversary features included "then and now" segments with journalists who had appeared on C-SPAN during its early years. Also included in the 25th anniversary was an essay contest for viewers to write in about how C-SPAN had influenced their life regarding community service. For example, one essay contest winner wrote about how C-SPAN's non-fiction book programming serves as a resource in his charitable mission to record non-fiction audio books for people who are blind.


title: C-SPAN

text: To commemorate 25 years of taking viewer telephone calls, in 2005, C-SPAN had a 25-hour "call-in marathon", from 8:00 pm. Eastern Time on Friday, October 7, concluding at 9:00 pm. Eastern Time on Saturday, October 8. The network also had a viewer essay contest, the winner of which was invited to co-host an hour of the broadcast from C-SPAN's Capitol Hill studios.


title: C-SPAN

text: C-SPAN continues to expand its coverage of government proceedings, with a history of requests to government officials for greater access, especially to the U.S. Supreme Court. In December 2009, Lamb wrote to leaders in the House and Senate, requesting that negotiations for health care reform be televised by C-SPAN. Committee meetings on health care were subsequently broadcast by C-SPAN and may be viewed on the C-SPAN website. In November 2010, Lamb wrote to incoming House Speaker John Boehner requesting changes to restrictions on cameras in the House. In particular, C-SPAN asked to add some of its own robotically operated cameras to the existing government-controlled cameras in the House chamber. In February 2011, Boehner denied the request. A previous request to Speaker Designate Nancy Pelosi in 2006, to add C-SPAN's cameras in the House chamber to record floor proceedings, was also denied. Although C-SPAN uses the congressional chamber feed cables, the cameras are owned and controlled by each respective body of Congress. Requests by C-SPAN for camera access to non-government events such as the annual dinner by the Gridiron Club have also been denied.


title: C-SPAN

text: On June 22 and into June 23, 2016, C-SPAN took video footage of the House floor from individual House representatives via streaming services Periscope and Facebook Live during a sit-in by House Democrats asking for a vote on gun control measures after the Orlando nightclub shooting. This needed to be done because—as the sit-in was done out of formal session and while the House was in official recess—the existing House cameras could not be utilized for coverage of the event by rule.


title: C-SPAN

text: Since the late 1990s, C-SPAN has significantly expanded its online presence. In January 1997, C-SPAN began real-time streaming of C-SPAN and C-SPAN2 on its website, the first time that Congress had been live streamed online. To cover the Democratic and Republican conventions and the presidential debates of 2008, C-SPAN created two standalone websites: the Convention Hub and the Debate Hub. In addition to real-time streams of C-SPAN's television networks online, c-span.org features further live programming such as committee hearings and speeches that are broadcast later in the day, after the House and Senate have left.


title: C-SPAN

text: C-SPAN began promoting audience interaction early in its history, by the regular incorporation of viewer telephone calls in its programming. It has since expanded into social media. In March 2009, viewers began submitting questions live via Twitter to guests on C-SPAN's morning call-in show "Washington Journal". The network also has a Facebook page to which it added occasional live streaming in January 2011. The live stream is intended to show selected well-publicized events of Congress. In June 2010, C-SPAN joined with the website Foursquare to provide users of the application with access to geotagged C-SPAN content at various locations in Washington, D.C.


title: C-SPAN

text: In 2010, C-SPAN began a transition to high definition telecasts, planned to take place over an 18-month period. The network provided C-SPAN and C-SPAN2 in high definition on June 1, 2010, and C-SPAN3 in July 2010.


title: C-SPAN

text: As part of the network's 40th anniversary, C-SPAN instituted the second logo change in the network's history on March 18, 2019.


title: C-SPAN

text: The C-SPAN network's core programming is live coverage of the U.S. House and Senate, with the C-SPAN channel emphasizing the United States House of Representatives. Between 1979 and May 2011, the network televised more than 24,246 hours of floor action. C-SPAN2, the first of the C-SPAN spin-off networks, provides uninterrupted live coverage of the United States Senate. With coverage of the House and Senate, viewers can track legislation as it moves through both bodies of Congress. Important debates in Congress that C-SPAN has covered live include the Persian Gulf conflict during 1991, and the House impeachment vote and Senate trial of President Bill Clinton in 1998 and 1999 as well as the impeachment proceedings of President Trump in 2019 and 2020. When the House or Senate are not in session, C-SPAN channels broadcast other public affairs programming and recordings of previous events.


title: C-SPAN

text: The public affairs coverage on the C-SPAN networks other than the House and Senate floor debates is wide-ranging. C-SPAN is considered a useful source of information for journalists, lobbyists, educators and government officials as well as casual viewers interested in politics, due to its unedited coverage of political events. C-SPAN has been described by media observers as a "window into the world of Washington politics" and it characterizes its own mission as being "to provide public access to the political process". The networks cover U.S. political campaigns, including the Republican, Democratic, and Libertarian presidential nominating conventions in their entirety. Coverage of presidential campaign events are provided during the duration of the campaign, both by a weekly television program, "Road to the White House", and at its dedicated politics website. C-SPAN also covers midterm elections.


title: C-SPAN

text: All three channels televise events such as congressional hearings, White House press briefings and presidential speeches, as well as other government meetings including Federal Communications Commission hearings and Pentagon press conferences. Other U.S. political coverage includes State of the Union speeches, and presidential press conferences. According to the results of a survey after the 1992 presidential election, 85% of C-SPAN viewers voted in that election. The results of a similar survey in 2013 found that 89% of C-SPAN viewers voted in the 2012 presidential election. In addition to this political coverage, the network broadcasts press conferences and meetings of various news media and nonprofit organizations, including those at the National Press Club, public policy seminars and the White House Correspondents' Dinner. While C-SPAN does not have video access to the Supreme Court, the network has used the Court's audio recordings accompanied by still photographs of the justices and lawyers to cover the Court in session on significant cases, and has covered individual Supreme Court justices' speaking engagements.


title: C-SPAN

text: Occasionally, proceedings of the Parliament of Australia, Parliament of Canada, Parliament of the United Kingdom (usually Prime Minister's Questions and the State Opening of Parliament) and other governments are shown on C-SPAN when they discuss matters of importance to viewers in the U.S. Similarly, the networks will sometimes broadcast news reports from around the world when major events occur – for instance, C-SPAN broadcast CBC Television coverage of the September 11 attacks. C-SPAN also covers lying in state in the Capitol Rotunda and funerals of former presidents and other notable individuals. In 2005, C-SPAN covered Hurricane Katrina through NBC affiliate WDSU in New Orleans, as well as coverage of Hurricane Ike via CBS affiliate KHOU in Houston. C-SPAN also carries CBC coverage during events that affect Canadians, such as the Canadian federal elections, the death and state funeral of Pierre Trudeau, and the 2003 North America blackout. During early 2011, C-SPAN carried broadcasts by Al Jazeera to cover the events in Egypt, Tunisia, and other Arab nations. Additionally, C-SPAN simulcasts NASA Space Shuttle mission launches and landings live, using video footage and audio sourced from NASA TV.


title: C-SPAN

text: With its public affairs programming, C-SPAN intends to offer different viewpoints by allowing time for multiple opinions to be discussed on a given topic. For example, in 2004 C-SPAN intended to televise a speech by Holocaust historian Deborah Lipstadt adjacent to a speech by Holocaust denier David Irving, who had unsuccessfully sued Lipstadt for libel in the United Kingdom four years earlier; C-SPAN was criticized for its use of the word "balance" to describe the plan to cover both Lipstadt and Irving. When Lipstadt ended media access to her speech, C-SPAN canceled coverage of both.


title: C-SPAN

text: The network strives for neutrality and a lack of bias; in all programming when on-camera hosts are present their role is simply to facilitate and explain proceedings to the viewer. Due to this policy, C-SPAN hosts do not state their names on television.


title: C-SPAN

text: C-SPAN covers floor proceedings of the House of Representatives, while C-SPAN 2 covers floor proceedings of the Senate. Although many hours of programming on C-SPAN are dedicated to coverage of the House, the network's daily programming begins with the political phone-in and interview program "Washington Journal" from 7:00 to 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time. "Washington Journal" premiered on January 4, 1995, and has been broadcast every morning since then, with guests including elected officials, government administrators, and journalists. The program covers current events, with guests answering questions on topics presented by the hosts, as well as questions from members of the general public. On weeknights C-SPAN2 dedicates its schedule to "Politics and Public Policy Today" (9:00 p.m. – midnight for the East Coast primetime, replayed immediately for the West Coast primetime), which is a block of recordings of the day's noteworthy events in rapid succession. On the weekend schedule, C-SPAN's main program is "Q&A", a Sunday evening interview program hosted by Susan Swain, with guests including journalists, politicians, authors, and other public figures.


title: C-SPAN

text: On weekends, C-SPAN2 dedicates its schedule to "Book TV", which is 48 hours of programming about non-fiction books, book events, and authors. "Book TV" was launched in September 1998. "Booknotes" was originally broadcast from 1989 to 2004, as a one-hour one-on-one interview of a non-fiction author. Repeats of the interviews remain a regular part of the "Book TV" schedule with the title "Encore Booknotes". Other "Book TV" programs feature political and historical books and biographies of public figures. These include "In Depth", a live, monthly, three-hour interview with a single author, and "After Words", an author interview program featuring guest hosts interviewing authors on topics with which both are familiar. "After Words" was developed as a new type of author interview program after the end of production of "Booknotes". Weekend programming on "Book TV" also includes coverage of book events such as panel discussions, book fairs, book signings, readings by authors and tours of bookstores around the U.S.


title: C-SPAN

text: C-SPAN 3 covers public affairs events, congressional hearings and history programming. The weekday programming on C-SPAN3 (from the morning — anywhere from 6 to 8:30 a.m. — to 8 p.m. Eastern Time) features uninterrupted live public affairs events, in particular political events from Washington, D.C. Each weekend since January 8, 2011, the network has broadcast 48 hours of programming dedicated to the history of the United States, under the umbrella title "American History TV". The programming covers the history of the U.S. from the founding of the nation through the late 20th century. Programs include "American Artifacts", which is dedicated to exploring museums, archives and historical sites, and "Lectures in History", featuring major university history professors giving lectures on U.S. history. In 2009, C-SPAN3 aired an eight-installment series of interviews from the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas, which featured historian Richard Norton Smith and Vice President Walter Mondale, among other interviewees.


title: C-SPAN

text: C-SPAN has occasionally produced spinoff programs from "Booknotes" focusing on specific topics. In 1994, "Booknotes" collaborated with Lincoln scholar Harold Holzer to produce re-creations of the seven Lincoln–Douglas debates. Several years later, retraced the journey of Alexis de Tocqueville described in "Democracy in America". Another special series was "", a 38-week tour of the U.S. based on the works of 40 famous American writers.


title: C-SPAN

text: During 2008 and 2009, as part of programming specially commissioned for the 200th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln, C-SPAN produced a series titled "Lincoln 200 Years", which featured episodes on a variety of topics relating to the life of Lincoln including his career, his homes and his opinions of slavery.


title: C-SPAN

text: The network has also produced special feature documentaries of American institutions and historical landmarks, exploring their history to the present day. These programs include: "The Capitol" emphasizing the history, art, and architecture of the U.S. Capitol Building; "The White House", featuring film footage inside the White House and exploring the history of the building and its occupants; "The Supreme Court", focusing on the history and personalities of the court; and "Inside Blair House", an examination of the president's guest house.


title: C-SPAN

text: In 2013, C-SPAN introduced a new program, "". 35 episodes profiling the First Ladies are planned for the series, which was created with support from the White House Historical Association.


title: C-SPAN

text: In addition to the three television networks, C-SPAN also broadcasts via C-SPAN Radio, which is carried on their owned-and-operated station WCSP-FM (90.1 FM) in the Washington, D.C. area with all three cable network feeds airing via HD Radio subchannels, and nationwide on XM Satellite Radio. Its programming is also livestreamed at c-span.org and is available via apps for iPhone, BlackBerry and Android devices. C-SPAN Radio has a selective policy regarding its broadcast content, rather than duplicating the television network programming, although it does offer some audio simulcasts of programs such as "Washington Journal". Unique programming on the radio station includes oral histories, and some committee meetings and press conferences not shown on television due to programming commitments. The station also compiles the Sunday morning talk shows for a same-day rebroadcast without commercials, in rapid succession.


title: C-SPAN

text: C-SPAN archival video is available through the C-SPAN Video Library, maintained at the Purdue Research Park in West Lafayette, Indiana. Unveiled in August 2007, the C-SPAN Video Library contains all of the network's programming since 1987, totaling more than 160,000 hours at its completion of digitization and public debut in March 2010. Older C-SPAN programming continues to be added to the library, dating back to the beginning of the network in 1979, and some limited earlier footage from the National Archives, such as film clips of Richard Nixon's 1972 trip to China, is available as well. Most of the recordings before 1987 (when the C-SPAN Archive was established) were not saved, except for approximately 10,000 hours of video which are slated to be made available online. , the C-SPAN Video Library held over 271,000 hours of programming, and they have been viewed over 253 million times. Described by media commentators as a major educational service and a valuable resource for researchers of politics and history, the C-SPAN Video Library has also had a major role in media and opposition research in several U.S. political campaigns. It won a Peabody Award in 2010 "for creating an enduring archive of the history of American policymaking, and for providing it as a free, user-friendly public service."


title: C-SPAN

text: Prior to the initiation of the C-SPAN Video Library, websites such as Metavid and voterwatch.org hosted House and Senate video records, however C-SPAN contested Metavid's usage of C-SPAN copyrighted footage. The result was Metavid's removal of portions of the archive produced with C-SPAN's cameras, while preserving its archive of government-produced content. C-SPAN also engaged in actions to stop parties from making unauthorized uses of its content online, including its video of House and Senate proceedings. Most notably, in May 2006, C-SPAN requested the removal of Stephen Colbert's performance at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner from YouTube. After concerns by some webloggers, C-SPAN gave permission for Google Video to host the full event. On March 7, 2007, C-SPAN liberalized its copyright policy for current, future, and past coverage of any official events sponsored by Congress and any federal agency and now allows for attributed non-commercial copying, sharing, and posting of C-SPAN video on the Internet, excluding re-syndication of live video streams. The new policy did not affect the public's right to use the public domain video coverage of the floor proceedings of the U.S. House and Senate.


title: C-SPAN

text: In 2008, C-SPAN's online political coverage was expanded just prior to the elections, with the introduction of three special pages on the C-SPAN website: the C-SPAN Convention Hubs and C-SPAN Debate Hub, which offered video of major events as well as discussion from weblogs and social media about the major party conventions and candidate debates. C-SPAN brought back the Convention Hub for the 2012 presidential election.


title: C-SPAN

text: In addition to the programming available in the C-SPAN Video Library, all C-SPAN programming is available as a live feed streamed on its website in Flash Video format.


title: C-SPAN

text: On July 29, 2014, C-SPAN announced that it would begin restricting access to the live feeds of the main channel, C-SPAN2 and C-SPAN3 to subscribers of cable or satellite providers later that summer, citing concerns with the slow shift in viewing habits from cable television to the internet due to its reliance on carriage fees from cable and satellite providers. However, it will continue to allow all government meetings, hearings and conferences to be streamed live online and via archived on the C-SPAN Video Library without requiring an authenticated login by a provider; live audio feeds of all three channels are also available for free through the network's mobile app. The decision drew some criticism from public interest and government transparency advocates, citing the fact that C-SPAN was designed as a public service. , C-SPAN has begun advertising on its online videos, with YouTube-style advertisements that can be skipped after 5 seconds.


title: C-SPAN

text: C-SPAN is operated by the National Cable Satellite Corporation, a nonprofit organization, the board of directors of which consists primarily of representatives of the largest cable companies. Early chairmen of C-SPAN include Bob Rosencrans, John Saeman, Ed Allen and Gene Schneider. C-SPAN began airing internet commercials early in 2021 and offering C-SPAN-themed clothing though not soliciting donations on air; nonetheless, as a non-commercial public service, it receives most of its funding from subscriber fees charged to cable and direct-broadcast satellite (DBS) operators. , C-SPAN received 6¢ of each subscriber's cable bill for an annual budget of $60 million. As the network is an independent entity, neither the cable industry nor Congress controls the content of its programming.


title: C-SPAN

text: , the network has 282 or 337 employees. C-SPAN is led by co-CEOs Rob Kennedy and Susan Swain. Founder and former CEO Brian Lamb serves as the executive chairman of the board of directors. The majority of C-SPAN's employees are based at C-SPAN's headquarters located on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.; however, in 2003 television studios were opened in New York City and Denver, Colorado. These studios use digital equipment that can be controlled from Washington.


title: C-SPAN

text: C-SPAN also maintains archives in West Lafayette, Indiana at the Purdue Research Park under the direction of Dr. Robert X. Browning.


title: C-SPAN

text: The C-SPAN networks are available in more than 100 million households , not including access to the C-SPAN websites. More than 7,000 telephone callers have participated with discussion on "Washington Journal" . There are no official viewing statistics for C-SPAN because the network, which has no commercials or underwriting advertisements, does not use the Nielsen ratings. However, there have been a number of surveys providing estimates:


title: C-SPAN

text: A 2009 C-SPAN survey of viewers found that the network's most-valued attribute was its balanced programming. The survey's respondents were a mixed group, with 31% describing themselves as "liberal," while 28% described themselves as "conservative", and the survey found that C-SPAN viewers are an equal mixture of men and women of all age groups.


title: C-SPAN

text: C-SPAN's public service nature has been praised as an enduring contribution to national knowledge. In 1987, Andrew Rosenthal wrote for "The New York Times" about C-SPAN's influence in political elections, arguing that C-SPAN's "blanket coverage" had expanded television journalism "into areas once shielded from general view". The network has received positive media coverage for providing public access to proceedings such as the Goldman Sachs Senate hearings, and the U.S. 2010 Healthcare Summit, while its everyday programming has been credited with providing the media and the general public with an intimate knowledge of U.S. political proceedings and people. The ability of C-SPAN to provide this service without federal funding, advertising or soliciting viewer contributions has been remarked by local newspapers and online news services, with the "Daily Beast" terming C-SPAN's $55 million annual budget (in 2009), "an astounding bargain." In an article on the 25th anniversary of the network, "The Washington Post" noted that C-SPAN's programming has been copied by television networks worldwide and credits the network with providing information about foreign politics to American viewers. According to "The New York Times", C-SPAN's mission to record official events in Washington, D.C. makes it "one of a kind", particularly in the creation of the C-SPAN Video Library, which received significant press coverage.


title: C-SPAN

text: Despite its stated commitment to providing politically balanced programming, C-SPAN and its shows such as "Washington Journal", "Booknotes", "Q & A", and "After Words" have been accused by some liberal organizations of having a conservative bias. In 2005, the media criticism organization Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) released a study of C-SPAN's morning telephone call-in show "Washington Journal". In their six-month sample of guests, they identified 32 as "right-of-center" and 19 as "left-of-center"; they also noted people of color are underrepresented at 15% of the guest list. A 2007 survey released by the think tank Center for Economic and Policy Research reported that C-SPAN covered conservative think tanks more than left-of-center think tanks.


title: C-SPAN

text: In 1992, Congress passed must-carry regulations, which required cable carriers to allocate spectrum to local broadcasters. This affected the availability of C-SPAN in some areas, in particular C-SPAN2, as some providers chose to discontinue carriage of the channel altogether. Between 1993 and 1994, cable systems in 95 U.S. cities dropped or reduced broadcasts of C-SPAN and C-SPAN2, following the implementation of the must-carry regulations. Viewers protested these decisions, especially when the changes coincided with matters of local interest occurring in the House or Senate. Some communities, such as Eugene, Oregon and Alexandria, Virginia, were successful in restoring C-SPAN availability. C-SPAN availability was later restored as technological developments that resulted in the expansion of channel capacity on cable providers allowed for mandatory stations and the C-SPAN networks both to be broadcast.


title: C-SPAN

text: C-SPAN offers a number of public services related to the network's public affairs programming. C-SPAN Classroom, a free membership service for teachers, began in July 1987 and offers help using C-SPAN resources for classes or research. The C-SPAN School Bus, introduced in November 1993, traveled around the U.S. educating the public about government and politics using C-SPAN resources, and served as a mobile television studio. The bus also recorded video footage of the places that it visited. A second bus was introduced in 1996. The two original buses were retired in 2010, and the C-SPAN Digital Bus was inaugurated, introducing the public to C-SPAN's enhanced digital products. C-SPAN has also equipped six Local Content Vehicles (LCVs) to travel the country and record unique political and historical stories, with each vehicle containing production and web-based technologies to produce on-the-spot content.


title: C-SPAN

text: C-SPAN has published ten books based on its programming; these contain original material and text taken from interview transcripts. The first C-SPAN book, "C-SPAN: America's Town Hall", was published in 1988. Other C-SPAN books include: "Gavel to Gavel: A C-SPAN Guide to Congress"; "Who's Buried in Grant's Tomb?", a guide to the grave sites of U.S. presidents; "Abraham Lincoln - Great American Historians On Our Sixteenth President", a collection of essays based on C-SPAN interviews with American historians; and "The Supreme Court", which features biographies and interviews with past Supreme Court judges together with commentary from legal experts. Five books have been drawn from the former "Booknotes" program: "Booknotes: Life Stories"; "Booknotes: On American Character"; "Booknotes: Stories from American History"; "Booknotes: America's Finest Authors on Reading, Writing and the Power of Ideas", the latter a compilation of short monologues taken from the transcripts of Lamb's interviews; and a companion book to the series on Tocqueville, "Traveling Tocqueville's America: A Tour Book".


title: Ricky Jay

text: Richard Jay Potash (June 26, 1946 – November 24, 2018) was an American stage magician, actor and writer. In a profile for "The New Yorker", Mark Singer called Jay "perhaps the most gifted sleight of hand artist alive". In addition to sleight of hand, Jay was known for his card tricks, card throwing, memory feats, and stage patter. He also wrote extensively on magic and its history. His acting credits included the films "The Prestige", "The Spanish Prisoner", "Mystery Men", "Heist", "Boogie Nights", "Tomorrow Never Dies", "State and Main", "House of Games" and "Magnolia", and the HBO series "Deadwood." In 2015 he was the subject of an episode of PBS's "American Masters", the only magician ever profiled in the series.


title: Ricky Jay

text: Jay preferred not to discuss the details of his childhood. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Shirley (Katz) and Samuel Potash. A member of


title: Ricky Jay

text: a middle-class Jewish family, he grew up in Elizabeth, New Jersey. He rarely spoke publicly about his parents, but did share an anecdote: "My father oiled his hair with Brylcreem and brushed his teeth with Colgate," Jay recalled. "He kept his toothpaste in the medicine cabinet and the Brylcreem in a closet about a foot away. Once, when I was ten, I switched the tubes. All you need to know about my father is that after he brushed his teeth with Brylcreem he put the toothpaste in his hair."


title: Ricky Jay

text: During an interview on the National Public Radio program "Fresh Air with Terry Gross", Jay said that possibly "the only kind memory I ever had of my parents" was when they secretly hired one of his idols, magician Al Flosso, to perform at his bar mitzvah. Jay's grandfather, Max Katz, was a certified public accountant and amateur magician who introduced Jay to magic.


title: Ricky Jay

text: Jay first performed in public at the age of seven, in 1953, when he appeared on the television program "Time For Pets". He is most likely the youngest magician to perform a full magic act on TV, the first magician to ever play comedy clubs, and probably the first magician to open for a rock and roll band. At New York's Electric Circus in the 1960s, he performed on a bill between Ike and Tina Turner and Timothy Leary, who lectured about LSD.


title: Ricky Jay

text: During the 1960s and 70s, Jay lived in Ithaca, New York, performing while also intermittently attending the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, but later moved to the Los Angeles area.


title: Ricky Jay

text: He quickly developed a following among magic aficionados, and a reputation for sleight-of-hand feats that baffled even his colleagues. In his 1993 "New Yorker" profile of Jay, Mark Singer related the following story from playwright David Mamet and theater director Gregory Mosher:


title: Ricky Jay

text: Three of Jay's one-man shows, "Ricky Jay and His 52 Assistants", "Ricky Jay: On the Stem", and "Ricky Jay: A Rogue's Gallery", were directed by Mamet, who also cast Jay in a number of his films.


title: Ricky Jay

text: A collector and historian, Jay was a student and friend of Dai Vernon, whom he called "the greatest living contributor to the magical art." He collected rare books and manuscripts, art, and other artifacts connected to the history of magic, gambling, unusual entertainments, and frauds and confidence games. Jay opposed any public revelations of the techniques of magic.


title: Ricky Jay

text: Jay was formerly listed in the "Guinness World Records" for throwing a playing card 190 ft at (the current record is by Rick Smith Jr.). He could throw a playing card into a watermelon rind (which he referred to as the "thick, pachydermatous outer melon layer" and "the most prodigious of household fruits") from ten paces. In addition, he was able to throw a card into the air like a boomerang and cut it cleanly in half with a pair of "giant scissors" upon its return. In his shows, he often attacked plastic animals with thrown cards in "self defense."


title: Ricky Jay

text: Jay appeared in a number of David Mamet films including "House of Games", "The Spanish Prisoner" and "Redbelt"; he also appeared in a few episodes of the Mamet-produced TV series "The Unit" as a C.I.A. recruiter.


title: Ricky Jay

text: Jay played Henry Gupta, a henchman to villain Elliot Carver, in the James Bond film "Tomorrow Never Dies;" and appeared in Paul Thomas Anderson's "Boogie Nights" and "Magnolia", as well as Christopher Nolan's "The Prestige".


title: Ricky Jay

text: He joined the cast of the HBO western drama "Deadwood" as a recurring character and writer for the first season in 2004, playing card shark Eddie Sawyer. He wrote the episode "Jewel's Boot Is Made for Walking" and left the series at the end of the first season.


title: Ricky Jay

text: As an expert on magic, gambling, con games and unusual entertainment, Jay had long been a go-to consultant on Hollywood projects, beginning with his work on Francis Ford Coppola's production of Caleb Deschanel's "The Escape Artist". Other early work included teaching Robert Redford how to manipulate coins for "The Natural" and working with Douglas Trumbull on his Showscan project "New Magic" (1983).


title: Ricky Jay

text: In the early 1990s, Jay and Michael Weber created a firm, Deceptive Practices, providing "Arcane Knowledge on a Need-to-Know Basis" to film, television and stage productions. By offering both vast historical expertise and creative invention, they were able to provide surprising practical solutions to real production challenges. Among many accomplishments, they designed the wheelchair that "magically" hid Gary Sinise's legs in "Forrest Gump"; the glass that "drinks itself" used by the gorilla in "Congo"; and an illusion "in which a man climbs to the top of a ladder of light and vanishes in midair" for the Broadway production of "Angels in America: Perestroika".


title: Ricky Jay

text: Other projects they worked on included "The Prestige", "The Illusionist", "Sneakers", "Leap of Faith", "Wolf", "The Parent Trap", "I Love Trouble", "The Great Buck Howard", "Heartbreakers", and "Ocean's Thirteen".


title: Ricky Jay

text: Additionally, he worked with libraries and museums on their collections, including the Mulholland Library of Conjuring and the Allied Arts and the Museum of Jurassic Technology in Culver City, California.


title: Ricky Jay

text: Jay authored numerous articles and delivered many lectures and demonstrations on such subjects as conjuring literature, con games, sense perception, and unusual entertainments. Among his presentations: