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Tuesday, October 4, 2016

LinkedIn co-founder slams Trump over tax returns

(CNN)Reid Hoffman, co-founder and executive chairman of LinkedIn, on Monday slammed Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, suggesting the recent revelations about Trump"s 1995 tax return undermine his claims of a desire for public service.

"It"s really awkward, almost indecent, to be claiming "I am a great public servant, I want to serve you and by the way, I go through enormous amounts of expense and energy to avoid contributing my fair share into the common coffers,"" Hoffman told CNN"s Erin Burnett on "Erin Burnett OutFront."

"It is really in fact not continent with a claim that "I care about all of us. I care about paying my fair share." That"s the disconsonance," he added.

Hoffman"s comments come on the heels of a New York Times report that revealed Trump declared a $916 million loss in 1995, which could have allowed him to legally forgo paying federal income taxes for nearly two decades. The Trump campaign has not disputed that report.

Hoffman also scoffed at the candidate"s $916 million loss, suggesting it weakened his claim of being a successful businessman.

"My first reaction was "so a $916 million loss?"" Hoffman said. ""That equals very, very successful businessman? That doesn"t quite go together.""

Last month Hoffman, who is vocal Hillary Clinton supporter, pledged to donate up to $5 million to nonprofit organizations that assist veterans if Trump releases his tax returns in time for the final presidential debate on October 19.

So far the Democratic nominee, Clinton, has released decades of tax filings while Trump has released none.

"All it requires now is for Trump to do the right thing and essentially say, "let me reveal my taxes, let me be open and transparent,"" added Hoffman.

LinkedIn Co-founder @reidhoffman on Trump"s taxes: Losing nearly a billion dollars doesn"t make you brilliant https://t.co/cdUo7nsi7a
— OutFrontCNN (@OutFrontCNN) October 3, 2016

Long Island town shaken by slayings of four teens

(CNN)In the span of 11 days last month, the bodies of four teenagers -- including the skeletal remains of two victims missing for months -- were found in yards and wooded areas of a suburban Long Island town.

Suffolk County Police haven"t announced any arrests in the mysterious slayings, which have the community on edge.

Police Commissioner Timothy Sini said Monday there is an indication of "gang involvement" in all four deaths, but he declined to elaborate.

Nisa Mickens, 15; Kayla Cuevas, 16; Oscar Acosta, 19, and Miguel Garcia-Moran, 15, had attended the same high school in Brentwood, a working-class community about 45 miles east of New York City. Mickens and Cuevas were beaten to death, CNN affiliate News 12 Long Island reported. Acosta and Garcia-Moran also were victims of assault, according to Sini.

The first sign of tragedy came when a passerby found Mickens" body on a Brentwood street on September 13, the eve of her 16th birthday, according to Sini. The following day, the body of 16-year-old Cuevas, who was Mickens" best friend, was discovered in the backyard of a nearby home after the two had gone for a walk the night before, News 12 reported.

Sini said the two girls were likely together when they were attacked. Authorities have offered a $15,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the two slayings.

"The murders of Nisa and Kayla are related," said Sini, who added the two girls died of blunt-force trauma. "For any community to have girls brutally murdered on the streets is appalling. I know the Brentwood community is not going to stand for that."

CNN Map

Two more bodies

Nine days later, Acosta"s and Garcia-Moran"s remains were found in an industrial and wooded area of Brentwood. Their deaths are being probed as independent investigations, Sini told CNN.

Garcia-Moran was reported missing in February and Acosta was reported missing in May, police said. Sini wouldn"t say what led police to their bodies on September 23 or whether they had been buried.

Garcia-Moran"s stepfather said his son disappeared when he went to meet friends at Brentwood High School, News 12 reported. The teenager"s father said he feared the boy may have been involved with a gang, News 12 reported.

Sini wouldn"t say if any particular gang was involved. He said authorities are working to solve the crimes and to ensure residents" safety in several ways, including increasing police presence and employing specially trained officers to crack down on gangs.

"The only people who have anything to fear are the criminals," Sini said.

But the killings have unnerved some parents in this ethnically diverse community.

"After they found those two girls, we don"t even let my daughter walk (outside) anymore," Fidel Cabrera, a parent, told News 12.

"Fighting with love"

At Mickens" funeral, a pastor eulogized her by praising her bravery, telling mourners it appeared she had tried to fight off the attack.

"I said, "We"re not just burying a young girl, we"re burying a hero because she went out fighting,"" said the Rev. Bryan Greaves, 27, associate pastor of Holy Church of Christ in Central Islip, New York, in an interview with CNN.

Sini couldn"t confirm that Mickens put up a fight during the struggle. She had suffered at least 10 injuries to her head or face, he said.

Mickens and Cuevas were juniors at Brentwood High, while Garcia-Moran was a sophomore and Acosta was not a student at the time of his death, school officials said.

The Brentwood Union Free School District has since taken security measures, such as reinstating metal detectors at Brentwood High School and increasing police presence, said district spokesman Felix Adeyeye.

Suffolk police and community members also have held a forum to address concerns about safety. And Greaves, the pastor, organized a community peace and prayer march.

Greaves said he challenged mourners at Mickens" funeral to start "fighting with love, fighting with peace."

Greaves told CNN the community is still vibrant -- much like Brentwood"s school colors, which are green and white -- and will recover.

"Brentwood had a tragic moment, but the grass is still green," he said in an interview. "The pride is not gone. We"re still who we say we are."

Cheap, cheerful and delicious: Kuala Lumpur"s best local eats

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (CNN)Malaysia"s population is made up predominantly of ethnic Malays, Chinese and Indians -- diverse cultures that each have unique cuisines.

It"s no wonder the country is a food lover"s paradise.

Street stalls, food courts and restaurants offer everything from barbecued skewers and grilled seafood to fried rice and piping hot bowls of noodles.

The capital, Kuala Lumpur, has some of the best fine dining establishments in Southeast Asia.

But just because something costs $2 doesn"t mean it"s not delicious.

Here are the unmissable dishes in KL that offer a true taste of the local flavors -- and where to find them.

Chili pan mee at Restoran Super Kitchen

This authentically Chinese-Malaysian noodle dish is an explosion of textures and flavors that will leave you wanting a second -- or third serving.

Soft, chewy noodles are topped with fried anchovy, deep fried onions, fresh scallions, crushed peanuts, shredded pork and a poached egg.

Diners can add as much dry chili as they like and use chopsticks to mix it all together, breaking the egg yolk and making a sauce that coats the noodles with the spices, peanuts and onions.

Where: Restoran Super Kitchen, 33, Jalan Dewan Sultan Sulaiman 1, off Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman

Price: 7.50 Malaysian rupees (MYR) ($1.81) per bowl

Curry laksa at Kam Fatt

Laksa is a traditional Malaysian coconut noodle soup and nowhere does it better than Kam Fatt, an unassuming street side restaurant that"s only open for breakfast and lunch.

Choices include egg noodles, flat rice noodles, vermicelli or a combination of two or three.

The noodles are smothered in a thick gravy and served with boiled Hainan-style chicken, fried tofu puffs, cockles, bean sprouts and green beans.

It"s seasoned with a squeeze of fresh lime and extra chili sauce.

Mouths will tingle from the perfect balance of sweet, savory and spicy.

Where: Restoran Kam Fatt, 37, Jalan Tengkat Tongshin

Price: MYR6 per bowl

Banana leaf in Bangsar

Forget plates and utensils.

The authentic way to eat this traditional South Indian cuisine is with hands.

A set meal consists of rice, a crispy papadum and a choice of curries and chutney that are served on a banana leaf.

Diners can also choose to add chicken, beef, fish or vegetable curry and other dishes to round out their meal.

The meal is best ended with a banana or mango lassi, which is sweet and cooling and tempers down the heat of the spicy curry.

Where: Devis Corner, Nirvana or Raj"s Banana Leaf -- all in Bangsar

Price: From MYR7.50

Mr. Chiam"s pisang goreng (fried banana) stall

Appam is a traditional Indian breakfast pancake made from fermented rice batter.

It"s soft in the middle, crispy around the edges and usually served with a hefty dose of coconut milk, making it a warm, sludgy and absolutely delicious mess of a meal.

While Chelo"s, which has been going strong for more than 20 years, features the classic version of this timeless staple, what takes our breath away is their riff on the dish, which sees the soft white center of the appam swimming in swirls of caramelized palm sugar.

The addition of the sugar doesn"t just add a kick of sweetness, it also gives the light and airy dish a unique full-bodied texture.

Don"t let its humble roadside location fool you -- it"s the best appam joint in town.

Where: Lorong Ara Kiri 3, Lucky Garden, Bangsar

Price: MYR1.50 per brown sugar appam

Monday, October 3, 2016

Fighting oppression through fashion: Africa"s dandies.

(CNN)The new African aesthetic is not what you"d expect. There are girls dressed like boys and men hoarding money to splash out on expensive luxury shoes.

Now, the Brighton Photo Biennial is turning its focus on these fashion-obsessed millennials by featuring The Dandy Lion Project -- a look at black men and women who like to dress provocatively as dandies.

The exhibit has already been across the U.S. and parts of Europe, reaching Amsterdam and now Brighton. But the updated UK edition features women dandies for the first time.

"It"s 2016 and it would be funny to have a conversation about black masculinity and not include women who present as masculine or feminine on that spectrum," says curator Shantrelle Lewis, who has been amassing images of black dandies since 2010.

His staged black and white shots are very much "about drama" and telling people"s stories he admits.

Over 20 of Hamese"s photographs were part of the initial exhibition and the show"s final line-up will take the form of a book, to be published next year. Of the exhibition, "It"s not only about the clothes because I don"t photograph clothes," says Hamese. "I photograph people."

Kanye West halts show after Kim Kardashian held at gunpoint in Paris

New York (CNN)Kim Kardashian West was held at gunpoint in her Paris hotel room Sunday night, according to her spokesperson.

"Kim Kardashian West was held up at gunpoint inside her Paris hotel room this evening, by two armed masked men dressed as police officers. She is badly shaken but physically unharmed," spokesperson Ina Treciokas tells CNN.

Kardashian West is currently overseas for Paris Fashion Week along with her mother, Kris Jenner, and sisters, Kourtney Kardashian and Kendall Jenner.

Her husband, rapper Kanye West, abruptly left his set early at the Meadows Festival in New York on Sunday night after telling concert goers there had been a "family emergency."

The Meadows NYC"s official Twitter account confirmed West would not be coming back to finish his set.

Concert attendees shared videos of the abrupt departure. The crowd gasped in surprise.

"Dude just ran on stage and grabbed Kanye and he said, "Sorry guys, family emergency I have to leave the show" and just ran off the stage," Twitter user Joe Berg said.

"It was wild, too, because Kanye ignored the dude at first like on some "I can"t leave" and dude wouldn"t leave without Kanye leaving with him."

CNN"s Frank Pallotta was at the concert and tweeted: "Everyone was shock it just ended. No reason given, just "family emergency.""

Just a few hours before the traumatic incident, Kim attended the Givenchy runway show where Kendall was walking. Kim and Kanye are very close with Givenchy"s creative directo, Riccardo Tisci. Kimye, as the couple is collectively known, visit Paris regularly and also held part of their lavish wedding in 2014. The couple hosted their rehearsal dinner at Versailles and Lana Del Rey performed.

She also posted a picture of her outfit to Instagram with the caption "Details."

Details

A photo posted by Kim Kardashian West (@kimkardashian) on Oct 2, 2016 at 10:27am PDT

In response to the news, social media erupted with rumors and prayers for West and his family.

LeBron James endorses Hillary Clinton

(CNN)Lebron James, the three-time NBA champion and four-time NBA most valuable player, endorsed Hillary Clinton on Sunday.

James, in an op-ed posted by Business Insider, wrote that he backs Clinton because "she will build on the legacy of my good friend, President Barack Obama.

"I believe in what President Obama has done for our country and support her commitment to continuing that legacy," James writes.

Clinton will campaign in Ohio on Monday, including in Akron, James" hometown. James will not attend the event, according to an aide.

"There"s still a lot of work to be done in Akron, Northeast Ohio, and all across our great country," James writes. "We need a president who understands our community and will build on the legacy of President Obama. So let"s register to vote, show up to the polls and vote for Hillary Clinton."

James, the most well-known basketball player in the United States, currently plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers and it is likely that his endorsement is more coveted than most Ohio papers.

"Hillary has always been a champion for children and their futures," James writes. "For over 40 years, she"s been working to improve public schools, expand access to health care, support children"s hospitals, and so much more."

The basketball star also heralded Clinton for touting affordable college and addressing violence "of every kind, the African-American community is experiencing in our streets and seeing on our TVs."

Pope warns of "ideological colonization" in transgender teachings

(CNN)Pope Francis reaffirmed his disagreement with teaching gender identity in schools on Sunday, after earlier calling it a "war against marriage."

On a return flight to Rome at the end of a three-day trip to Georgia and Azerbaijan, the Pope recounted a meeting with a French father whose young son wanted to be a girl after reading about it in a textbook.

"This is against nature," he said. "It is one thing when someone has this tendency ... and it is another matter to teach this in school."

"To change the mentality -- I call this ideological colonization," the Pope said.

The Pope said he still spends time with transgender people, leading them closer to God.

In August, the Pope called the teaching of gender identity theory "terrible."

"Today, in schools they are teaching this to children -- to children! -- that everyone can choose their gender," Pope Francis said.

New Ways Ministry, a Catholic LGBT advocacy group, criticized those remarks.

"The pontiff"s remarks are further evidence that church officials need desperately to educate themselves about the lives and experiences of LGBT people," said Francis DeBernardo, executive director of New Ways Ministry.

"Nobody chooses a gender identity. They discover it."

As a new Pope in 2013, Francis made headlines around the world for his progressive stance on homosexuality.

"If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?" Francis asked.

The position appeared to be a shift from the traditional Catholic stance on homosexuality as a sin.