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Trump ousts Attorney General Jeff Sessions, endangering Mueller investigation

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WASHINGTON – U.S. President Donald Trump has ousted Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a move that makes it easier for him to possibly fire the special counsel investigating his campaign’s relationship with Russia.

Sessions submitted his resignation on Wednesday, the day after the midterm elections in which Trump’s party lost the House of Representatives. He told Trump he was resigning “at your request,” making clear he was effectively fired.

He will be replaced, at least temporarily, by his chief of staff, Republican lawyer Matthew Whitaker — a former Republican political candidate who has publicly called for the special counsel probe to be limited.

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Whitaker wrote an article for CNN last year in which he argued that special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation was on the verge of going too far, by delving into Trump’s finances, and that Mueller should be ordered to curtail his work. And he mused on television about slashing Mueller’s budget to a level “so low that his investigation grinds to almost a halt.”

Trump had been furious with Sessions for recusing himself from the Russia investigation last March, a move that eventually led to the appointment of Mueller. Trump had blasted Sessions, the nation’s top law enforcement officer, in an unprecedented months-long series of angry tweets, public statements and private rants.

Sessions, a right-wing former Alabama senator and federal prosecutor, was the first sitting member of the Senate to endorse Trump. Formerly on the political fringe, he used his job as head of the Department of Justice to turn their shared hard-line views on immigration and criminal justice into policy.

He was widely seen as one of Trump’s most effective appointees. But Trump was fixated on the recusal decision, which he blamed for the Mueller investigation he calls a “witch hunt.”

“I have never seen anything so Rigged in my life. Our A.G. is scared stiff and Missing in Action,” Trump wrote on Twitter in August of the investigation, one of numerous public complaints over the last year.

Because Sessions had recused himself, authority over the Mueller investigation had fallen to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. Until now, Rosenstein would have had to be the one to execute the firing of Mueller. But Rosenstein had expressed hostility to the idea.

Now, Trump can theoretically have Whitaker do the firing for him — though a federal regulation says the attorney general needs a good cause: “misconduct, dereliction of duty, incapacity, conflict of interest,” or “other good cause, including violation of departmental policies.”

Firing Mueller would likely cause the biggest firestorm of Trump’s presidency, producing a democratic crisis that would increase the chances that Trump could eventually be impeached. Trump has fumed about Mueller’s investigation but has not publicly said he wants to fire him.

At a press conference on Wednesday, he said that he did not want to fire Mueller but that he thought he had the power to do so any time he wants.

Democrats will take control of House committees in January thanks to their victory in the midterms, which will give them new powers to conduct oversight of the administration. The incoming chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler, said on Twitter: “Americans must have answers immediately as to the reasoning behind @realDonaldTrump removing Jeff Sessions from @TheJusticeDept. Why is the President making this change and who has authority over Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation? We will be holding people accountable.”

Trump had made no secret of his desire to oust Sessions. In an Oval Office meeting in May 2017, he berated Sessions so forcefully over the recusal that Sessions wrote a letter of resignation, according to multiple news reports and former Trump chief of staff Reince Priebus.

Priebus claimed he convinced Trump not to accept the resignation — and that, the next month, he talked Trump a second time out of forcing Sessions into a resignation.

Trump settled for taunting Sessions on Twitter, showing no interest in the tradition of attorney general independence.

“Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails & DNC server) & Intel leakers!” he wrote in July.

“Why aren’t Dem crimes under investigation? Ask Jeff Sessions!” he wrote in February.

In December, Trump compared Sessions unfavourably with Obama attorney general Eric Holder, suggesting to the New York Times that Sessions was insufficiently “loyal” to him. “I don’t want to get into loyalty, but I will tell you that, I will say this: Holder protected President Obama. Totally protected him,” Trump said.

Sessions had dismayed employees of the Justice Department and many others by saying almost nothing as Trump impugned the department’s integrity. He issued a rare statement in response to Trump’s “DISGRACEFUL” tweet in February.

“As long as I am the attorney general, I will continue to discharge my duties with integrity and honour, and this department will continue to do its work in a fair and impartial manner according to the law and Constitution,” he said.

Sessions was ousted eight months after he fulfilled Trump’s desire for him to fire FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe. Some observers thought his decision might convince Trump to spare his own job.

Sessions had made a major mark on American criminal justice. An opponent of a growing bipartisan push toward the liberalization of justice policy, he reversed a series of Obama-era efforts that sought to reform policing and prosecution practices.

Sessions told federal prosecutors to seek the harshest possible sentences for drug offences, reversing the Obama-era guidance that favoured more leniency for non-violent crimes. He had the Justice Department pull back from their Obama-era push to compel rights-violating local police forces to change their practices. He rescinded an Obama-era directive that sought to reduce the use of private prisons. And he rescinded another Obama-era directive that told the federal government to take a hands-off approach to states that have legalized marijuana.

Sessions has also been a key player in Trump’s immigration crackdown. He recommended and announced the cancellation of Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which protected from deportation young immigrants brought illegally to the U.S. as children. And he aggressively fought the “sanctuary cities” that do not fully co-operate with federal immigration authorities, in March announcing a federal lawsuit against California over state sanctuary policies — which he described as the work of “radical extremists.”

Daniel Dale is the Star’s Washington bureau chief. He covers U.S. politics and current affairs. Follow him on Twitter: @ddale8

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Nostalgia and much more with Starburst XXXtreme

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Get a taste of adventure with Starburst XXXtreme based on the legendary NetEnt Game. The nostalgic themes are sure to capture fans of the classic version as they get treated to higher intensity, better visuals, and features. The most significant element of the game is its volatility. Patience will not be an essential virtue considering the insane gameplay, and there is a lot of win potential involved. It retains the original makeup of the previous game while adding a healthy dose of adrenaline. 

Starburst Visuals and Symbols

The game is definitely more conspicuous than before. The setting happens over a 5-reel, 3-row game grid with nine fixed win lines, which function if a succession from the left to the right reel is present. Only those players that that attain the highest win per bet line are paid. From a visual standpoint, the Starburst XXXtreme slots illustrates lightning effects behind the reels, which is not surprising as it is inherited from the original version. Available themes include Classic, Jewels, and Space. The game is also available in both desktop and mobile versions, which is advantageous for players considering the global pandemic. According to Techguide, American gamers are increasingly having more engaging gaming experiences to socialize to fill the gap of in-person interaction. Starburst XXXtreme allows them to fill the social void at a time when there is so much time to be had indoors. 

Starburst XXXTreme Features

Players get to alternate on three features which are Starburst Wilds, XXXtreme Spins, and Random Wilds. The first appears on reels 2,3, or 4. When these land, they expand to cover all positions while also calculating the wins. They are also locked for a respin. If a new one hits, it also becomes locked while awarding another respin. Starburst XXXtreme offers a choice between two scenarios for a higher stake. In one scenario with a ten times stake, the Starburst Wild is set on random on reels 2,3, or 4, and a multiplier starts the respin. The second scenario, which has a 95 times stake, starts with two guaranteed starburst wilds on reels 2,3, or 4. it also plays out using respin game sequence and features. The game also increases the potential with the Random Wilds feature to add Starburst Wilds to a vacant reel at the end of a spin. Every Starburst Wild gives a random multiplier with potential wins of x2, x3, x5, x10, x25, x50, x100, or even x150.

The new feature is sure to be a big hit with the gaming market as online gambling has shown significant growth during the lockdown. AdAge indicates the current casino customer base is an estimated one in five Americans, so Starburst XXXtreme’s additional features will achieve considerable popularity. 

What We Think About The Game

The gambling market has continued to diversify post-pandemic, so it is one of the most opportune times to release an online casino-based game. Thankfully Starburst XXXtreme features eye-catching visuals, including the jewels and space themes. These attract audience participation and make the gameplay inviting. The game also has a nostalgic edge. The previous NetEnt iteration featured similar visuals and gameplay, so the audience has some familiarity with it. The producers have revamped this version by tweaking the features to improve the volatility and engagement. 

That is characterized by the potential win cap of 200,000 times the bet. Starburst XXXtreme does not just give betting alternatives for players that want to go big. The increase of multipliers also provides a great experience. If the respins in the previous version were great, knowing that multipliers can go hundreds of times overtakes the game to a new level. 

Players should get excited about this offering. All of the features can be triggered within a single spin. Whether one plays the standard game or takes the XXXtreme spin route, it is possible to activate all of the features. Of course, the potential 200,000 times potential is a huge carrot. However, the bet size is probably going to be restricted and vary depending on the casino. It is also worth pointing out that a malfunction during the gameplay will void all of the payouts and progress. Overall, the game itself has been designed to provide a capped win of 200,000 times the original bet. 

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‘We’re back’: Montreal festival promoters happy to return but looking to next year

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In downtown Montreal, it’s festival season.

In the city’s entertainment district, a musical act was conducting a sound check on stage Friday evening — the second day of the French-language version of the renowned Just For Laughs comedy festival. Tickets for many of the festival’s free outdoor shows — limited by COVID-19 regulations — were sold out.

Two blocks away, more than 100 people were watching an acoustic performance by the Isaac Neto Trio — part of the last weekend of the Festival International Nuits d’Afrique, a celebration of music from the African continent and the African diaspora.

With COVID-19 restrictions continuing to limit capacity, festival organizers say they’re glad to be back but looking forward to next year when they hope border restrictions and capacity limits won’t affect their plans.

Charles Décarie, Just For Laughs’ CEO and president, said this is a “transition year.”

“Even though we have major constraints from the public health group in Montreal, we’ve managed to design a festival that can navigate through those constraints,” Décarie said.

The French-language Juste pour rire festival began on July 15 and is followed by the English-language festival until July 31.

When planning began in February and March, Décarie said, organizers came up with a variety of scenarios for different crowd sizes, ranging from no spectators to 50 per cent of usual capacity.

“You’ve got to build scenarios,” he said. “You do have to plan a little bit more than usual because you have to have alternatives.”

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MELS new major movie studio to be built in Montreal

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MONTREAL — MELS Studios will build a new film studio in Montreal, filling some of the gap in supply to meet the demand of Hollywood productions.

MELS president Martin Carrier said on Friday that MELS 4 studio construction will begin « as soon as possible », either in the fall or winter of next year. The studio could host productions as early as spring 2023.

The total investment for the project is $76 million, with the Quebec government contributing a $25 million loan. The project will create 110 jobs, according to the company.

The TVA Group subsidiary’s project will enable it to stand out « even more » internationally, according to Quebecor president and CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau. In the past, MELS Studios has hosted several major productions, including chapters of the X-Men franchise. The next Transformers movie is shooting this summer in Montreal.

Péladeau insisted that local cultural productions would also benefit from the new facility, adding that the studio ensures foreign revenues and to showcase talent and maintain an industry of Quebec producers.

STUDIO SHORTAGE

The film industry is cramped in Montreal.

According to a report published last May by the Bureau du cinéma et de la télévision du Québec (BCTQ), there is a shortage of nearly 400,000 square feet of studio space.

With the addition of MELS 4, which will be 160,000 square feet, the company is filling part of the gap.

Carrier admitted that he has had to turn down contracts because of the lack of space, representing missed opportunities of « tens of millions of dollars, not only for MELS, but also for the Quebec economy. »

« Montreal’s expertise is in high demand, » said Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante, who was present at the announcement.

She said she received great testimonials from « Netflix, Disney, HBO and company » during an economic mission to Los Angeles in 2019.

« What stands out is that they love Montreal because of its expertise, knowledge and beauty. We need more space, like MELS 4, » she said.

There is still not enough capacity in Quebec, acknowledged Minister of Finance, the Economy and Innovation Eric Girard.

« It is certain that the government is concerned about fairness and balance, so if other requests come in, we will study them with the same seriousness as we have studied this one, » he said.

Grandé Studios is the second-largest player in the industry. Last May, the company said it had expansion plans that should begin in 2022. Investissement Québec and Bell are minority shareholders in the company.

For its part, MELS will have 400,000 square feet of production space once MELS 4 is completed. The company employs 450 people in Quebec and offers a range of services including studio and equipment rentals, image and sound postproduction, visual effects and a virtual production platform.

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