Icetruck

Australia to ban climbing on Uluru from 2019

Climbing on Australia's iconic Uluru landmark will be banned from October 2019, local authorities have confirmed.

The board of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park voted unanimously to end the climb because of indigenous sensitivities.

The giant red monolith in the Northern Territory is a sacred site for Aboriginal Australians.

Local people have long asked visitors not to climb the outcrop, which was known for many years as Ayers Rock.

Signs at the start of the climb ask people to abstain from going up in respect to the traditional law of the Anangu Aboriginal people, the custodians of the land.

"It is an extremely important place, not a playground or theme park like Disneyland," board chairman and Anangu man Sammy Wilson said on Wednesday.

"If I travel to another country and there is a sacred site, an area of restricted access, I don't enter or climb it, I respect it. "

He said the Anangu people had felt intimidation over the years to keep the climb open because it was a top tourist attraction.

However the group had consistently wanted to close the site, a sacred men's area, because of its cultural significance.

"Closing the climb is not something to feel upset about but a cause for celebration. Let's come together; let's close it together," he said.

The board was made up of eight traditional owners as well as four government officials.

• Stunning vision of Uluru

Only 16% of visitors made the climb between 2011 to 2015, according to the board's data.

The Unesco World Heritage-listed monolith was handed back to its traditional owners in 1985. The ban will commence on 26 October, 2019 – the 34th anniversary of the handover.

Popular site

Tourism Central Australia said it supported the decision, pointing out that the public could still access much of the site respectfully.

However, not all have supported the idea of a ban.

Last year, Northern Territory Chief Minister Adam Giles sparked debate when he described the suggestion as "ludicrous.

"We should explore the idea of creating a climb with stringent safety conditions and rules enforcing spiritual respect," said Mr Giles, who is Aboriginal.

However weather and safety concerns have also led to the climb being frequently closed over the past 12 months. Since the 1950s, at least 35 people have died on the trek.

This recent push for the climb's ban was outlined in the park's 2010-2020 management plan, where it was proposed the climb be closed if attendance numbers dropped under 20% and other visitor activities were successfully established.

More than 250,000 people visit Uluru each year, according to the national park's website.

Source – bbc.com

Daughter of Apple engineer says he was fired after she posted video of iPhone X

WATCH Apple engineer reportedly out of a job

An Apple engineer who worked on the iPhone X has been allegedly let go from the company because of a video his daughter posted to YouTube showing exclusive video of the new phone prior to its release.

Interested in Apple?

Add Apple as an interest to stay up to date on the latest Apple news, video, and analysis from ABC News. Apple Add Interest

Brooke Amelia Peterson said in a second YouTube video posted on Saturday that her dad was an engineer who worked on the iPhone X and added that he had been let go from the company for breaking a rule.

In her Sept. 16 vlog documenting her tour of Apple's headquarters while visiting her father at work, which has now been taken down at Apple's request, Peterson is seen playing with the new iPhone for a few seconds.

She shows off the phone's edge-to-edge screen, advanced camera capabilities and the new Animoji feature that uses facial recognition to create custom emojis, in Apple's Cupertino headquarters cafeteria after her father paid for their lunch using Apple Pay on the phone.

The video has since been re-uploaded on other YouTube accounts.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images, FILE

iPhone X sells out within minutes overnight What you need to know about the iPhone 8, iPhone X Apple officially opens Steve Jobs Theater with unveiling of iPhone 8, iPhone X

"I just made this little, innocent video," she says in her new video apologizing for posting the footage of the iPhone X, adding that her father is the best dad anyone could ask for and that he takes full responsibility for the rule he broke.

"One of Apple’s greatest assets is information about our products and services, including future product offerings. Never disclose confidential, operational, financial, trade secret, or other business information without verifying with your manager that such disclosure is appropriate," states the Apple Business Conduct policies from October 2015, the most recent available.

The policies also say that failure to comply could result in "disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment."

"At the end of the day when you work for Apple, it doesn’t matter how good of a person you are, if you break a rule, they just have no tolerance," Peterson says in Saturday's video. "They had to do what they had to do."

She also says that she respects Apple and will continue buying Apple products.

"We're not angry. We're not bitter," Peterson explains in the video. "I don't think he deserved it, but we're OK."

Apple and Peterson have not immediately responded to ABC News' request for comment. ABC News has not confirmed that Peterson's father was fired by Apple.

• Star

Add Interests Customize your news feed by choosing the topics that interest you.

To save your interests across all devices Log In or Sign Up &raquo
Source – abcnews.go.com

Drone delivers food to Japan town hit by nuclear disaster

Drones are delivering food to residents of a Japanese town devastated by the Fukushima nuclear disaster where access to shops is limited.

Residents were allowed to return to the Minamisoma area last year but obtaining supplies can be difficult.

Operators of the drone food delivery service said it was the first of its kind in Japan.

A 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Fukushima triggered the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.

Convenience store chain Lawson has worked with e-commerce firm Rakuten and this week launched a drone service in the Odaka district of the city of Minamisoma, which has a large population of older people.

The district is roughly within a 20km radius of the Fukushima Daiichi Power Station, the site of the nuclear disaster triggered by an earthquake and tsunami six years ago. People were forced to leave their homes because of radiation concerns.

• Five years on: Japan tsunami remembered
• Executives on trial over Fukushima nuclear disaster
• Japan quake: Loss and recovery in numbers

The Japanese government lifted an evacuation order for Minamisoma in October 2016 and allowed residents move back to the area following decontamination efforts.

"The town is starting to regain its former liveliness as its residents continue to return home," Lawson spokesperson Ken Mochimaru told the BBC.

"However, improving the shopping environment for daily necessities, food, and other products represents a high-priority challenge," he said.

The drone service is designed to help. Shoppers can order hot food like fried chicken and household items, which are sent from a nearby Lawson store to a mobile food van that operates at a community centre in the area. The companies are trialling the service for the next six months.

The drone can carry up to 2kg of goods.

As well as its shops, Lawson operates mobile vans across Japan, particularly in rural and mountainous regions where access is difficult, as well as serving ageing populations in urban areas.

More than a quarter of Japan's population is aged over 65, and set to increase over the next two decades, as the total number of people in the country shrinks.

Source – bbc.com

PIA: Pakistan airline leaves two coffins behind in New York

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has ordered an inquiry, after two sets of human remains it was repatriating were left behind in New York.

The two coffins were meant to be flown to Lahore on 28 October – but were left at JFK Airport by mistake.

It was PIA's last New York-Lahore flight, as it had just suspended the route – so Etihad Airlines had to step in.

PIA said the error was caused by the handling company on the ground.

PIA said it "regrets the inconvenience caused due to negligence on part of the airline's ground handling agency… and expresses its sympathies with the family members of the deceased persons".

One of the families had now asked for their relative be buried in Maryland, while the other body was being transferred by Etihad Airways back to Lahore, PIA's statement added.

PIA said it would look after the transfer arrangements, adding that "all expenses will be borne by PIA".

Source – bbc.com

AP FACT CHECK: Trump ad hits wrong target on health care

President Donald Trump's re-election committee is lashing out at Democrats in a new TV ad that incorrectly blames his critics in the opposing party for blocking fixes to the nation's health care system.

The ad, which was set to broadcast on cable stations nationwide on Tuesday, seizes on "skyrocketing" insurance premiums "all while Democrats in Washington, D.C., block a better plan to repeal and replace Obamacare once and for all — obstructing our president just to score political points with the radical left."

The ad comes as the Trump White House and GOP leaders in Congress struggle to revive efforts to repeal and replace Barack Obama's health care law.

Despite the ad's claims, however, the Republican Party's health care problems are largely of its own making.

The president's party, which controls the House and the Senate, had a chance to pass a new health care law without a single Democratic vote in the summer. Recent health care plans backed by the White House stalled chiefly because Republicans like Maine Sen. Susan Collins and Arizona Sen. John McCain opposed the specific fixes.

The ad excludes Republican critics altogether, even though Trump and his allies have attacked them publicly in recent weeks.

The TV spot features grainy images of Democrats such as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Florida Rep. Frederica Wilson, the cowboy hat-wearing Democrat who recently clashed with Trump over his comments to the widow of a fallen soldier.

"President Trump will fix it," the narrator says of health care.

The Congressional Budget Office has determined that the White House-backed legislation would cause millions of Americans to lose health care coverage in the coming years, while eliminating popular protections in some cases for those with pre-existing health conditions.

At the same time, the ad omits significant information about insurance premiums.

Insurance premiums associated with the federal health care law are indeed rising. The consulting firm Avalere Health determined last week that premiums for the most popular "Obamacare" plans are going up an average of 34 percent.

But the firm found that the Trump administration's actions are contributing to the price increases by adding instability to the underlying problems of the health law's marketplaces. Avalere said market instability is driven by Trump's recent decision to end subsidy payments to insurers, the continued debate over repeal and replace, and a presidential executive order that could open a path for lower cost plans outside of the Obama-era law.

———

Find AP Fact Checks at https://apnews.com/tag/APFactCheck

EDITOR'S NOTE _ A look at the veracity of claims by political figures

• Star

Source – abcnews.go.com

New York truck attack: Trump vows to tighten vetting

US President Donald Trump has ordered the Department of Homeland Security to "step up" vetting measures, after a deadly truck attack in New York.

Eight people were killed and 11 injured when the driver of the truck hit people on a cycle path in Lower Manhattan. Five Argentines were among the dead.

A 29-year-old man was shot by police as he left the car, and detained. Media named him as Sayfullo Saipov, an Uzbek immigrant who came to the US in 2010.

Officials said it was a terror attack.

The suspect is now in a hospital. A note was found in the truck that referred to so-called Islamic State, law enforcement sources were quoted as saying by US media.

Sayfullo Saipov had been arrested in Missouri last year over a traffic fine.

• In pictures: New York truck attack
• 'He was revving – I saw him hit people'

How did US authorities respond?

President Trump had been briefed about what happened in New York on Tuesday afternoon, the White House said.

He then took to Twitter, saying:

• "In NYC, looks like another attack by a very sick and deranged person. Law enforcement is following this closely. NOT IN THE U.S.A.!"
• "We must not allow ISIS [Islamic State] to return, or enter, our country after defeating them in the Middle East and elsewhere. Enough!"
• "My thoughts, condolences and prayers to the victims and families of the New York City terrorist attack. God and your country are with you!"

He also announced that he had ordered the Extreme Vetting Program to be stepped up. He did not elaborate further.

Skip Twitter post by @realDonaldTrump

I have just ordered Homeland Security to step up our already Extreme Vetting Program. Being politically correct is fine, but not for this!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 1, 2017

Report

End of Twitter post by @realDonaldTrump

Meanwhile, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the incident in Manhattan was a "cowardly act of terror aimed at innocent civilians".

"We know that this action was intended to break our spirit. But we also know that New Yorkers are strong, New Yorkers are resilient and our spirit will never be moved by an act of violence and an act meant to intimidate us," he said.

Police urged people to avoid the usually busy area as a major emergency services operation got under way.

How did the attack unfold?

At a news briefing, New York Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner James O'Neill described what had occurred:

• Shortly after 15:00 local time (19:00 GMT), a white pick-up truck rented from retailer Home Depot struck cyclists and pedestrians while being driven along the West St-Houston St path for many blocks
• The vehicle then hit a school bus, injuring two adults and two children on board, and came to a halt
• The driver emerged holding what appeared to be two handguns and made a statement "consistent with a terror attack"
• He was shot in the abdomen by a police officer stationed near the scene
• A paintball gun and a pellet gun were recovered from the scene

Media playback is unsupported on your device

The suspect reportedly shouted "Allahu Akbar" ("God is great") as he left the truck.

He was then shot and injured in the stomach by a police officer, the NYPD said.

Mangled bicycles littered the scene of the attack, which occurred as much of the city was celebrating Halloween.

Media playback is unsupported on your device

In a statement, the Argentine foreign ministry said five of those killed were from Argentina.

It said the five men – all from the city of Rosario – were part of a group of friends celebrating the 30th anniversary of their graduation from a polytechnic school. Another member of the group was in hospital.

A Belgian national was also killed, Belgium's foreign minister said.

One witness, identified as Eugene, told ABC Channel 7 that he saw the white pick-up truck driving fast down the cycle path alongside the West Side Highway, near Stuyvesant High School, at full speed and hitting a number of people.

He also reported hearing about nine or 10 shots.

Another witness, who gave his name as Frank, told local TV network NY1 that he had seen a man running around an intersection and heard five to six gunshots.

"I saw he had something in his hand, but I couldn't tell what it was. But they said that it was a gun…

"When the cops shot him, everybody started running away and it got a little bit crazy right there. So when I tried to look again, the guy was already down."

What is known about the suspect?

The NYPD only identified the attacker as a 29-year-old male,

However, US media named him as Sayfullo Saipov, who had reportedly lived in Tampa, Florida, and Paterson, New Jersey.

He arrived to America from Uzbekistan in 2010 and is believed to be a legal resident in the country.

Three officials said Mr Saipov had previously come to the federal authorities' attention as a result of an unrelated investigation, the New York Times reported.

Are you in the area? Email [email protected] with your experiences. Do not endanger yourself.

Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways:

• WhatsApp: +44 7555 173285
• Send pictures/video to [email protected]
• Upload your pictures / video here
• Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay
• Send an SMS or MMS to 61124 or +44 7624 800 100

Or use the form below

Source – bbc.com

Big K.R.I.T., Gord Downie, Julien Baker and more music reviews

In this batch of reviews we explore the latest from rapper Big K.R.I.T, late Tragically Hip-frontman Gord Downie, singer-songwriter Julien Baker, a tribute to Nat “King” Cole from singer Gregory Porter and the latest (surprise) album from Fever Ray.

Decca Records

Big K.R.I.T.’s “4eva is a Mighty Long Time”
****

On his third full-length collection, Mississippi rapper Big K.R.I.T. hands in a double-disc, 85-minute opus. This is an often stunning, adventurous set. One of the two discs is emblazoned with the name “Big K.R.I.T.” The other is labeled with K.R.I.T.’s real name, “Justin Scott.” That second disc does indeed have a slightly earthier feeling. The jazzy vibes of “The Light” which features Robert Glasper Jr., Bilal, Kenneth Whalum and Burniss Earl Travis II has a mature vibe, while the Jill Scott-assisted “Higher Calling” is inward-looking and contemplative.

K.R.I.T. finds balance here. He crafts rhymes in a modern, more emo-driven style on tracks like “Mixed Messages” and “Price of Fame,” making him an excellent contemporary of people like Kendrick Lamar and Earl Sweatshirt, while on tracks like “Layup” and “Get Up 2 Come Down” he recalls the greatness of Outkast and the Pharcyde. He’s able to get some strangely funky gospel edges on “Keep the Devil off” and rap beside UGK on “Ride Wit Me.”

Sometimes this record can be a bit of a grab-bag, but it doesn’t need focus. If K.R.I.T. can give us something as hard as nails as “Confetti” one moment, extol the benefits of a having a booming system a couple tracks later (continuing his series of the subject) on “Subenstein (My Sub IV),” then later give us something that drifts as beautifully as “Aux Cord” a little while later, he’s doing something right.

Big K.R.I.T. is packed with ambition and shows immense versatility here. If you are a hip-hop fan with eclectic tastes, this is the record for you. With his flows and his production, K.R.I.T. proves to be a malleable, dynamic force.

Focus Tracks:

“Aux Cord” This beat flows so easily and K.R.I.T. drops his verses so effortlessly. It blends together perfectly.

“Price of Fame” K.R.I.T. debates whether living his dream is worth what he loses in the process, and along the way he drops some real insight.

“Get up 2 Come Down” (Featuring CeeLo Green and Sleepy Brown) This has a classic retro vibe, but perhaps the high-point of this song is CeeLo’s verse, as he often sings more than he raps these days.

Arts & Crafts

Gord Downie’s “Introduce Yourself”
***1/2

When Gord Downie, the famed lead-singer of the Tragically Hip died a couple weeks ago after a battle with brain cancer, he got a teary tribute from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The Tragically Hip made a few notable blips down here, but in Canada, they are considered musical gods.

Last year’s excellent “Man Machine Poem” served as the final Tragically Hip album, but at the beginning of this year Downie managed to squeeze out this sprawling 73-minute set with Broken Social Scene’s Kevin Drew handling production. As you’d expect, this is often a difficult listen. Downie sounds like a man taking stock of his life and these often sparse pieces frequently feature just Downie and a piano. Take “First Person,” which has some moving depth to it, but isn’t designed for passive listening. Downie’s work has always been ripe with subtlety. Many might find passages of this record to be on the repetitive side, but a closer listen results in something more nuanced and rewarding.

“My First Girlfriend,” seems to be the result of Downie’s life flashing before his eyes, and “Far Away and Blurred” is a striking reflection on personal experiences. There’s a wistful but winking sadness to this record.

Downie’s voice is also an ever-changing instrument. On “Wolf’s Home,” he sounds a bit like David Byrne, whereas the reflection on putting a child to bed, “Bedtime,” has a Lou Reed-like sensibility.

“Introduce Yourself” is full of pain and anguish. There’s serenity in Downie’s voice, but there is an undercurrent of sadness at what is about to happen. This in some ways is less of a traditional record and more of a goodbye to everything that Downie has loved. The result is an album that won’t leave you humming its tunes but will leave you treasuring what you hold dear. This isn’t the catchiest of records, but if you internalize Downie’s sentiments, this collection may tug at your soul.

Focus Tracks:

“Wolf’s Home” This is a tuneful song. In the long-run, Downie faces his fears headfirst. The operatic yelp he adopts occasionally here is an unusual yet effective choice.

“Faith Faith” A touching tribute that seems to be aimed at Downie’s dog. It is delivered with the sweetest and most sincere emotion.

“Safe is Dead” A harsh title gives way to a song with a catchy bass, piano and drum backdrop. Again, there is a mixture of dread and resignation in Downie’s delivery. That combination is hard to achieve.

Matador Records

Julien Baker’s “Turn out the Lights”
****

Julien Baker follows up her excellent 2015 album “Sprained Ankle” with “Turn out the Lights.” If you loved “Sprained Ankle,” you’ll enjoy this record, too, as it showcases many of the same hallmarks. Baker still sings sparse numbers packed with a uniquely powerful sense of emotional heft. The singer, who has dealt with addiction in the past, is deeply religious and openly gay, giving her narratives a great deal of subject matter to approach. Often she sounds like she is coming from a similarly quiet, angst-driven place as Elliott Smith.

On “Televangelist,” she says, “All my prayers are just apologies.” There’s a palpable sense of hushed torment here as Baker is eloquently trying to spell it all out.

She finds beauty in “Hurt Less,” which discusses perhaps the same car accident as the “Sprained Ankle”-opener “Blacktop.” On “Appointments,” she has some real emo-fueled momentum. It is no wonder why she opened for Death Cab for Cutie. When she raises her voice momentarily on both the title track and on “Sour Breath,” it adds a layer to her normally subdued sound.

This is a bolder record sonically than “Sprained Ankle," but it may not be quite as immediate in its appeal. Still, “Turn out the Lights” shows Baker continuing to grow and continuing to find her own unique niche. At 22, she has already firmly planted herself as an honest, detail-oriented singer-songwriter who wears her heart on her sleeve.

Focus Tracks:

“Appointments” Anyone who listened to “Sprained Ankle” will immediately be sucked into the guitar riff of this track. In a way, only two albums in, Baker already has her own compositional framework cemented in place.

“Turn out the Lights” So much quiet angst bubbles up and explodes before the end of this track, hitting a new sonic apex. Baker is from the punk world originally and as this track builds, that begins to show more clearly.

“Shadowboxing” Fighting her demons or “the devil,” Baker’s internal struggle is spilled out eloquently.

BMG Rights Management

Gregory Porter’s “Nat ‘King’ Cole & Me”
***1/2

Jazz singer Gregory Porter’s latest album is a tribute to the output and career of Nat “King” Cole. Fittingly, it is titled “Nat ‘King’ Cole & Me.” Porter’s often delicate and smooth approach is winning and he’s able to deliver softly sweeping versions of “Mona Lisa,” “Nature Boy” and “The Christmas Song.” The orchestral arrangements handled by different musicians in both Los Angeles and London give this collection some real depth. When Porter picks up the pace a little bit on “L-O-V-E,” the band really gets some opportunity to swing.

Much of this material has been widely covered in the past, perhaps most notably by Cole’s own daughter, Natalie Cole, on her much-celebrated 1991 album, “Unforgettable: With Love.” While Porter definitely isn’t reinventing the wheel here, his enveloping delivery shows how much he cares about the material. He tackles his version of “Quizas Quizas Quizas” with real gusto and brings emotion to the sad and upsetting narrative of the Cole Porter-penned “Miss Otis Regrets.”

To Porter’s credit, not all of his choices are the most obvious and that benefits this set a great deal. In the end, you get a record that pays tribute to Nat “King” Cole with a great deal of affection. Hopefully it will introduce the music Cole helped make famous to a whole new generation.

Focus Tracks:

“L-O-V-E” You may find yourself wishing the rest of this album had more of the swinging energy demonstrated here.

“Miss Otis Regrets” A harsh but moving song which is delivered with skill and nuance.

“Mona Lisa” Sure, this is a timeless standard that Cole made his own, but Porter’s interpretation does it justice.

Rabid Records

Fever Ray’s “Plunge”
****1/2

Last Thursday it was announced that Karin Dreijer Andersson, who spent years as one half of the experimental Swedish dance outfit The Knife, would be releasing her first album in eight years under her solo-project moniker, Fever Ray. A day later, we got “Plunge,” a rich, weird bouncy record that may very well be her most upbeat work since The Knife’s classic “Deep Cuts.”

This is a sometimes raw, sometimes sexually graphic, record that also sounds like it is at the forefront of pop. “Mustn’t Hurry” and “Wanna Sip” are definitely groundbreaking pieces, but they could also work in a left-field pop context, while on the frank and overtly sexual “This Country,” Dreijer Andersson sounds like the lost Swedish artistic love child of Bjork and Trent Reznor. The beginning of “To the Moon and Back” even slightly recalls the beginning of Nine Inch Nails’ “Head Like a Hole.”

The synth-line that begins “A Part of Us” sounds like it should be scoring episodes of “Stranger Things,” while closer “Mama’s Hands” has a subtle house-music undercurrent.

Andersson continues to be a groundbreaker. If anything, “Plunge” is a much more accessible, brighter, almost celebratory record when compared to her 2009 self-titled offering. If you are looking for inventive electronic music full of oddball surprises while still maintaining a pop core, “Plunge” is most definitely the album for you.

Focus Tracks:

“This Country” A powerfully charged piece, this track is full of so many sonic details that it should grab just about anyone who likes experimental electronic music with slightly industrial edges.

“Mustn’t Hurry” This is among the most accessible music she has ever made. It’s a slow-burning experimental pop ballad with a strong score-music-esque backbone. It has a quiet build, but it holds on tightly.

“Plunge” This title track has a vaguely Asian vibe and some really inventive beat-work.

Coming up: New music from Sam Smith and more.

Plus, get reviews of albums from Kelly Clarkson, Rachel Platten and Weezer.

• Star

Trump fatigue? Female mayoral candidates dominate in Seattle

When political consultant Cathy Allen and others learned the top four vote-getters in Seattle's mayoral primary race were women, she paused to think.

"When was the last time Seattle had a woman mayor?" she wondered. A few prominent women who ran unsuccessfully over the years sprang to mind, but not any who won. So Allen checked and discovered the last female mayor of the Pacific Northwest's largest city was elected in 1926.

"We're sitting here going, 'This can't be,'" she said. "This is our progressive city."

After 91 years, Seattle is poised to elect its second female mayor next week. Voters will choose between urban planner Cary Moon or former U.S. attorney Jenny Durkan to lead this city dealing with the benefits and headaches of an economy booming for some more than others as e-commerce giant Amazon expands. There are the only two candidates on the ballot.

Just a few months ago, neither woman was even in the race. Former Mayor Ed Murray was expected to easily win re-election after pushing through increases to the city's minimum wage and emerging as a vocal opponent of President Donald Trump, who was trounced by Seattle voters in 2016. But Murray dropped his bid in May following accusations of sexual abuse by multiple men. He resigned in September.

In the August primary, Durkan, Moon, community activist Nikkita Oliver and former state lawmaker Jessyn Farrell took the four top spots.

The shock many Seattleites felt when Hillary Clinton lost to Trump could have played a part in the strong showing by this year's female mayoral candidates, Allen said. Two well-known male candidates – state Sen. Bob Hasegawa and former Mayor Mike McGinn – finished a distant fifth and sixth in the primary.

There's been a realization that "women are not nearly as equal as we figured we were," said Allen, who has helped train female candidates in dozens of countries working with the national Women's Political Caucus and the State Department.

Moon said attending the Women's March in January in Washington, D.C., inspired her to run.

"There's been a massive shift," Moon said. "A lot of women are feeling a responsibility to step up and offer a different kind of leadership in politics."

As of July 2016, only 19 percent of U.S. cities had a woman as mayor, according to the U.S. Conference of Mayors. And just 6 percent of the country's top paid CEOs last year were women, an analysis by executive data firm Equilar and The Associated Press found.

"Every job I've ever had I've faced barriers because I'm a woman," Durkan said.

The race between Durkan and Moon has keyed on how the city will respond to changes largely brought by Amazon, which employs about 40,000 people in Seattle. Housing prices have skyrocketed amid constant complaints about traffic and worries that the poor and middle class are being priced out.

Durkan, backed by the city's business and labor establishment, has touted her managerial experience as a prosecutor. Moon, meanwhile, who formerly managed her family's manufacturing business, has stressed her 20 years of activism on transit, waterfront and other city issues. During the campaign, both said they have been treated differently based on gender.

Durkan, who says she's the first openly gay person to become a U.S. attorney, said she no longer looks at social media comments because so many are sexist and homophobic.

"Any woman who's had any job is aware that you're always pulled between various narratives: Are you going to cry, or are you an ice princess?" she said.

Moon said she gets asked if she's tough enough for the job.

"Leadership is not about knocking heads together. It's about leading," she said. "But yes, when it comes time to settle a dispute, of course I can do that. There's nothing in my resume that presumes I couldn't do that."

Bertha Knight Landes was elected Seattle's mayor 16 years after women won the right to vote in Washington and just six years after women won the right to vote nationally.

She had to prove herself in ways that men did not – facing constant scrutiny over whether her dress and demeanor were proper for a woman of the early 20th century.

Newspapers and magazines told readers that Landes was a "plain, unassuming, churchgoing woman" not the "chattering kind" and not a smoker or a threatening "new woman," according to a 1994 biography of Landes by the late University of Idaho professor Sandra Haarsager.

Durkan said a phrase from a conference over 20 years ago sticks with her today: "The first people who break the glass ceiling are going to get a lot of cuts."

Having women in leadership positions has a "society-changing effect," she said. "We want every little girl to think they can be whatever they want, and every little boy."

• Star

Source – abcnews.go.com

Prince Harry and Michelle Obama surprise students at Chicago public school

Prince Harry and Michelle Obama surprised approximately 20 students today at Hyde Park Academy, a high school on Chicago’s South Side, which is located across from the future site of the Obama Presidential Center.

“The warm and wide-ranging conversation, lasting over an hour, covered how the Obama Presidential Center will showcase the South Side of Chicago for a global audience, the importance of young people staying inspired and hopeful, and the transformative power of students using their voices to change the world,” Caroline Adler Morales, the former first lady’s communications director, said in a statement provided to ABC News.

Prince Harry and @michelleobama made a surprise visit to students at Hyde Park Academy in Chicago. pic.twitter.com/dMAuIzSYsZ

— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) October 31, 2017

Former President Obama, Bidens join Prince Harry at Invictus Games Prince Harry, Michelle Obama Give Behind-the-Scenes Account of Kensington Palace Dinner Prince George Stays Up to Meet the Obamas at Kensington Palace Dinner

Prince Harry has joined former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama for the Inaugural Summit of the Obama Foundation today in Chicago, Illinois. During a discussion panel at the event this evening, Harry opened up about how he came to understand his role of public service.

"What happened to my mother put me a step back," Harry said. "How could someone like her, who did so much … be treated that way?"

Harry went on to say that his time in the military helped him understand the concepts of "service and duty." He added that he now wants to use his platform to "normalize the discussion of mental health."

At the event, the prince shared the stage with a young representative from the Chicago-based mentoring program After School Matters, and a young leader from the Full Effect mentorship program in Nottingham, England, that Harry works with publicly and privately to provide opportunities and prevent young people from engaging in crime.

The high school is across from the future site of the Obama Presidential Center on the South Side of the city. pic.twitter.com/jjSav1neEQ

— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) October 31, 2017

The warm and wide-ranging conversation, lasting over an hour, covered how the Center will showcase the South Side of Chicago to the world. pic.twitter.com/84lQfvF9iH

— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) October 31, 2017

They spoke about the importance of young people staying inspired and the power of students using their voices to change the world. pic.twitter.com/Ah1unCjBn2

— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) October 31, 2017

Michelle Obama wanted to highlight some of the future leaders at Hyde Park Academy who are inspiring their generation and will participate in the Obama Foundation’s work.

The public high school serves a predominantly African-American population in the area and focuses on career preparation and college advancement. Barack Obama visited Hyde Park Academy in 2013 to meet with students involved in their "Becoming a Man program."

We're about to kick things off at the #ObamaSummit with civic leaders from around the world.

Here's a quick preview from @BarackObama: pic.twitter.com/KfNDaxCw0i

— The Obama Foundation (@ObamaFoundation) October 31, 2017

The Obamas have created a warm friendship with Harry and were early supporters of Harry's Invictus Games, and he has repaid the favor supporting the Obamas at the Inaugural Summit for the Obama Foundation. Barack Obama joined Harry last month in Toronto, Canada, with former Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden.

The former first lady headlined the opening ceremony at the 2016 Invictus Games in Orlando with Harry.

The Obamas visited the U.K. for a state visit in 2011 and Prince William, Princess Kate and Harry reciprocated by inviting the president and first lady to Kensington Palace in April 2016, showcasing their enduring friendship. The Obamas also met Prince George for the first time during a dinner where the Obamas challenged Harry, which resulted in the viral video of the Queen Elizabeth and Harry responding to the Obamas' tweet.

Harry welcomed Barack Obama back in May of this year during the former president's most recent European visit. In addition to Barack Obama offering his condolences for the latest terror attack, they discussed "a range of shared interests including support for veterans, mental health, conservation, empowering young people and the work of their respective foundations," Kensington Palace said in a statement.

Harry and William both made visits to the White House during the Obama administration. Michelle Obama and Jill Biden pitched in, joining Harry to announce the U.S. launch of the Invictus Games in October 2015 with the first lady teasing Harry about his heartthrob status and asking Harry if the U.K. was ready to "bring it" to the Invictus Games.

• Star

Source – bbc.com