Canadian Stirling Hart Claims Victory At The Stihl TIMBERSPORTS Champions Trophy 2018 In Marseille

The Canadian Stirling Hart wins the Champions Trophy 2018. (PRNewsfoto/Stihl TIMBERSPORTS Series)

The 2018 Champions Ring goes to Canada. Stirling Hart claimed victory at the Stihl TIMBERSPORTS Champions Trophy in Marseille's Vieux Port. 

In front of 1,200 spectators in the sold out arena, the 28 year-old came out on top against eleven of the world's best logger sports athletes. 

In a thrilling final he defeated Jason Wynyard from New Zealand completing all four disciplines with axe and saw in a time of just 1:03.40 minutes. 

Mitch Argent from Australia came in third.

The reigning World Champion Jason Wynyard from New Zealand, here at the Single Buck, lost against Stirling Hart in the final. (PRNewsfoto/Stihl TIMBERSPORTS Series)

World-class logger sports action

"Last year I was so close to winning the Champions Trophy - that was going through my head the whole time," admitted Stirling Hart. "I am thrilled to have won. My focus is already on the next international competition. I will take a few days off to enjoy my win and then start preparing for the World Championship." 

Mitch Argent from Australia, here at the Stock Saw event, came in third. (PRNewsfoto/Stihl TIMBERSPORTS Series)

Mitch Argent, who finished third, posted a stunning time of 58.12 seconds in his quarter final - the fastest time of the day - but lost against Hart in his semi final. In the bronze medal match Argent came out on top against Martin Komarek from the Czech Republic, who was the best European athlete.

Behind Komarek were Michal Dubicki (Poland), Arden Cogar (USA), Pierre Puybaret (France), Ferry Svan (Sweden), Armin Kugler (Austria), Paolo Vicenzi (Italy), Simon Bond (Great Britain) and Andrea Rossi (Italy).

Thrilling knockout duels and nerves of steel
The competition format used at the Champions Trophy demands maximum endurance, precision and strength. Four axe and saw disciplines from the Stihl TIMBERSPORTS Series are completed back to back, with the winner of each duel progressing to the next round. 

The athletes must show absolute concentration in the chainsaw discipline Stock Saw, the axe event Underhand Chop, the Single Buck discipline featuring a one-man handsaw two metres in length and the Standing Block Chop.

Also on Saturday, eight of the world's best young logger sports athletes competed in the Stihl TIMBERSPORTS Rookie World Championship. Daniel Gurr from Australia came out on top ahead of Italy's Michael Del Pin in second place and Chas Haasfrom the USA.

⏩ The world's best athletes will next meet on 19 and 20 October 2018 at the Stihl TIMBERSPORTS World Championship in Liverpool, England.

About Stihl TIMBERSPORTS:
The Stihl TIMBERSPORTS Series is an international extreme sports competition series. Its roots lie in Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand. Springboard, Underhand Chop and Standing Block Chop are the classic axe disciplines; Single Buck (single-man cross-cut saw), Stock Saw (standard chainsaw) and Hot Saw (tuned, customized chainsaw with up to 80 horsepower) see athletes compete against each other and the clock. 

⏩ For more information visit: stihl-timbersports.com

SOURCE: Stihl TIMBERSPORTS Series

The Video:

10 Things You Might Not Know About The 'Alien' Franchise

'Alien: Covenant' (© 2017 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved.)

With six films, two spin-off films, numerous books, comics, and video games, Alien is one of the most renowned science fiction and horror franchises in the world. In pop culture alone, it has served as a timeless reference for audiences everywhere.

From its beginnings in 1979, one can only imagine how much time, effort, and crafting was put into the expansive franchise and the stories that might come from it. 

Here are ten things you might not have known about the Alien Franchise:

1. The original design of the Alien was supposed to be very different

H.R. Giger, the artist behind the design of the Alien, had initially conceptualized for the beast to be albino and translucent. The idea being that audiences would be allowed to see all its internal organs, then as the story went on, the Alien's skin would darken and grow harder.

2. The crew got very familiar with animal parts while making the film 

The facehuggers, first seen in the original Alien film, were crafted using oysters, shellfish, and sheep kidneys. The alien eggs on the other hand, were made from the hearts and stomachs of cows, and the intestines of sheep.

3. Ellen Ripley was almost played by another legendary actress

Sigourney Weaver has made herself a household name through her iconic role as the heroine of the Alien franchise, Ellen Ripley -- and it would be hard to imagine anyone else in the role. However, the Alien-blasting character was almost played by the great Meryl Streep. Streep was highly recommended by the caster of the original film, but producer Gordon Carroll felt that it would not be right calling in Streep from the country to audition, given that her long-time companion had just passed recently.

4. Director Ridley Scott took inspiration from three iconic films

Almost all artists take inspiration and influence from other great works of art. In Ridley Scott's case, the Alien franchise was said to be shaped by 2001: A Space Odyssey, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, and 1974's The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

5. There's a special day dedicated to celebrating the Alien Franchise

With a film series as epic as Alien, it's no surprise that fans around the world have dedicated one day a year in it's honor. That day, known as Alien day, is April 26, which is taken from LV-426 -- the former name of Acheron, one of the three known moons of Calpamos. In the series, this is where the film Alien is set. 

⏩ Alien day is celebrated with various special releases like books, video games, and comics.

6. Alien's most iconic scream-scene was not scripted

Everyone can agree that one of the most memorable scenes of the whole franchise was when the baby Xenomorph bursts from Kane's chest cavity. It turns out, it was probably one of the most memorable to film for the actors as well. 

⏩ Because Director Ridley Scott wanted genuine and raw reactions from the cast, he had rigged the bursting scene in secret... 

But, because they could not predict where the blood would spatter, actor Vanessa Cartwright was so surprised to be covered with blood that it caused her to pass out.

7. Alien: Covenant almost had a different name and different story

The latest film added to the franchise, "Alien: Covenant", was almost named "Alien: Paradise Lost". This initially was supposed to stray further away from the "Alien" lore and instead focused on the history of the engineers, humanity's origins, and the creation of humans and xenomorphs.

8. In Prometheus, the unsettling and creepy musical score was achieved through unusual means

Marc Streitenfeld, the composer for the prequel film Prometheus, had his compositions played backwards by the orchestra. When he started putting the music together for the final film, he then digitally reversed the tracks, making the score sound unusual and unhinging -- exactly the mood that they needed for the picture.

9. Sigourney Weaver's bald family issues

In Alien 3, Sigourney Weaver's character had to be bald. However, when not filming, Weaver wore a wig due to her then 2-year-old daughter becoming upset when seeing her mother hairless.

10. Gender was never pre-meditated

When creating the original script, writers Dan O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett made all the character names unisex and even included a clause stating so. 

This was done with the intention that the characters could be played by either male or female actors, and also resulted in the later scripts having all the characters being referred to by their last names (Kane, Ripley, Brett, etc.) 

⏩ Given this however, the writers still did not really consider Ripley as a female character prior to casting. 

SOURCE: FOX+

'Alien: Covenant' - Poster

⏩ 'Alien: Covenant' can now be streamed on FOX+  ⏪
For more info, click here. 

Related Videos:

A First Look at 'Our Cartoon President', Exclusively on FOX+

The cast of 'Our Cartoon President' (© 2018 Showtime Networks Inc. and Showtime Digital Inc. All rights reserved.}

'Our Cartoon President' is a satirical new animated series that focuses on the daily life of Donald Trump

Everyone knows who Donald Trump is, but his life in the White House is a mystery to many. This is where the hilarious new satirical TV show, 'Our Cartoon President', comes in. Created by Stephen Colbert, the animated series premiered in February of 2018 and is based off a segment that was featured on 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.'  

The satirical show puts a spotlight on the current U.S. president and wants to "open the White House doors for an 'all access' look at a typical day in Donald Trump's world."

This of course involves examining his most important relationships, from friends and family to key political figures in U.S. government. The show doesn't shy away from portraying not only Trump, but also many of the people that surround him. This includes his family, members of the White House staff, and other U.S. government members. 

The characters are all represented through very distinct caricatures of themselves, being both hilarious and very dead on.

The first episode tackles Trump as he attempts to prepare a State of the Union address that will improve his approval rating, while he also tries to fix his relationship with his wife Melania. As he goes through this endeavor, the viewers are given a first glimpse of his day-to-day life in the White House, which includes meetings, dinners, and even what the writers imagine Trump does in his spare time. 

In the first episode, audiences meet the likes of Nancy Pelosi, Ted Cruz, Mike Pence, Mitch McConnelland several more. The character-packed first episode will might need one to be familiar with the current on-goings in the US government, but even if one isn't, the show tells audiences to enough for them keep following.

The first episode also highlights Trump's relationship with his two sons, Eric and Donald Jr., as they navigate their roles in their father's Presidency. Ivanka and Jared make a brief appearance, but one can expect that the two will play bigger roles in the future.  

The episode ends with Trump delivering a bizarre State of the Union address, which works anyway, and ultimately mending his relationship with his wife.

'Our Cartoon President' (Still from the show)

The show makes the writers' opinions on the President clear by both lampooning him and the members of his administration and putting on display their less favorable personalities through their caricaturized characters. 

At the same time, the show also gives viewers a way to look at the President through the lens of comedy and informing those who might not know a lot about the U.S. government in a more unorthodox way.

SOURCE: FOX+

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'Pride And Prejudice 2018': Pushing Forward The Global Agenda For LGBT Rights Through Advocacy

Pride and Prejudice 2018 (Image via The Economist)

On May 24th, 2018, The Economist Events hosted the third edition of Pride and Prejudice, a 24-hour event hosted by The Economist Events across three cities – Hong Kong, London and New York. This year's summit focused on evaluating how governments, companies and individuals can turn the global conversation around lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) diversity and inclusion into meaningful action through advocacy.

⏩ The panel of speakers in New York comprised of chief executives, politicians and activists, who spoke to several important issues including:

• Where the intersection lies between corporate and moral responsibility and how a meaningful shift in company culture must begin in the boardroom
• What it means to be an advocate and how the roles of individuals and businesses have evolved as external conditions continue to change
• The implications for executive teams that fail to recognize the importance of their own actions in influencing change within their companies
• How policymakers and business leaders can hold back a tide of regressive politics around the world
• The role of social media as a vehicle for progress
• The Economist Intelligence Unit's new research into the future of advocacy
• Where and how to act and invest to ensure continued progress in the recognition of LGBT rights across the world

"Human rights should come first, everything else should come after that. Corporations have a responsibility to take a stand and be a force for good," said Salesforce Chief Equality Officer Tony Prophet during Pride and Prejudice. "There's something powerful about making a public declaration, being someone's ally and using that as a higher purpose to direct your behaviors. You have to challenge people's moral compass. Are we standing on the right side of history or not?"

Also speaking at the event, actor and activist Nico Tortorella shared his perspective as a leading man in Hollywood. Tortorella stated that "because of the way I look, the color of my skin and the [straight] character I play on television, I have the ability to have this conversation [about LGBT issues] in a way that's more digestible for people because of how people see me. That is my privilege. So it's a no-brainer for me—I have a responsibility that comes with that privilege to not only share my story, but to also share my platform with as many people as I possibly can."

⏩ During the event, The Economist Intelligence Unit also unveiled findings from a global survey of over 1,000 executives across 87 countries to assess different aspects of LGBT inclusion. The research focused on the evolving landscape for public LGBT advocacy, how the environment for it may change in the future and the obstacles that still stand in the way of progress. 

Key findings include:

• Nearly half of executives believe that businesses in their country will take on a bigger role as agents of progress for LGBT rights over the next three years
• Almost 60% say current global political climate could undo progress made in LGBT inclusion, although few cite inaction by government in driving corporate advocacy
• Business advocacy on LGBT issues is heavily concentrated in North America; Asia, the Middle East and Africa lag behind

"We've come a long way, but we have a lot further to go as well. There are a lot of people who need to a little nudge to get the conversation going to realize how many allies they actually have. Unless they speak, you don't know that they're there. Don't be afraid to let your voice be heard. Otherwise, you are colluding in the abuse," urged Olympic athlete and LGBT activist Greg Louganis during the event. "Be a voice, be an advocate, and don't back away from standing up for what's right."

⏩ To access the full research report, please visit Pride and prejudice: the future of advocacy.

About The Economist Events:

The Economist Events brings the rigour of informed analysis and intelligent debate that The Economist is known for to life on stage in international forums. They host over 80 events annually in over 30 countries on topics that convene world-class thought leaders on a range of strategic business issues.

⏩ Follow @EconomistEvents on Twitter and check #EconPride for event updates

SOURCE: The Economist Events

Related Video:

Versions Of Han Solo's Blaster Exist – And They're Way More Powerful Than Real Lightsabers Would Be

Harrison Ford as Han Solo with his blaster in the old Star Wars triology.(BagoGamesFlickr, CC BY-SA)

People who think physics is boring couldn’t be more wrong. It can explain everything from spooky interactions on the tiny scale of atoms and particles to how the entire universe behaves. As if that wasn’t enough, it can also be used to assess how realistic futuristic technology in science fiction is. My area of expertise – plasma physics – can explain many aspects of both lightsabers and the Death Star within Star Wars lore, for example.

I’ve now worked out how feasible the blaster weapons used by, among others, the Star Wars character Han Solo are – and how they compare with lightsabers. In fact, real life versions of these weapons have already been developed. So with the prequel film Solo: A Star Wars Story being released, it seemed fitting to share this “research”.

The key to understanding Star Wars technology is plasmas – a so-called “fourth state of matter” (in addition to solids, liquids and gases). This comprises freely flowing electrically charged particles which naturally interact with electric and magnetic fields. Plasmas are common in space but they rarely exist naturally on Earth. However, it is possible to produce them in laboratories.

Powerful plasmoids
A common misconception about blasters is that they are laser weapons. But within the Star Wars canon, people realised that this wouldn’t make sense. Instead writers stated that a blaster was “any type of ranged weapon that fired bolts of intense plasma energy, often mistaken as lasers” and that it “converted energy rich gas to a glowing particle beam that could melt through targets”. This means that blaster bolts (glowing projectiles) are simply blobs of plasma – similar to a lightsaber flying through the air.

Han Solo’s BlasTech DL-44 heavy blaster pistol on display at Star Wars Launch Bay at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. (Quarax/wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Coherent masses of plasma and their associated magnetic fields are known as plasmoids. Within the Earth’s protective shield in space – the magnetosphere – plasmoids are commonly generated by a poorly understood process called magnetic reconnection. This is an explosive reconfiguration of magnetic field lines that can take place wherever there is plasma present, in particular when plasmas are forced together. When this happens in our magnetosphere, charged particles are accelerated into the top of the atmosphere – causing the aurora, or northern lights. A huge amount of material is also ejected away from the Earth as plasmoids.

However, it isn’t easy to create plasmoids on Earth. Many of the demonstrations that we can do (unlike the ones in space) produce structures which quickly expand and dissipate in the air. The solution to this problem is to use magnets – their fields can contain the hot plasma.

However, blaster bolts are projectiles so it’s not possible to have an externally powered magnet present at all times during their rapid journey. Thankfully, though, there is a solution. As plasmas are highly conductive, it is possible to set up electrical currents within the plasmoid itself. These currents, like all currents, generate magnetic fields that can confine the plasma. Such arrangements are known as spheromaks and they have received renewed interest in plasma physics experiments over the last 20 years.

Real versions
One way to create a spheromak is to use a “plasma railgun”, a device which uses an external magnet to induce currents in the plasma as well accelerate it up to high speeds. In fact, speeds of 200 km/s have been achieved with these spheromaks lasting some hundreds of microseconds. This is very impressive and certainly within the realms of use as a weapon.

Indeed, from the 1970s onward, the SHIVA Star programme (named after the multi-limbed Hindu god) at the Air Force Research Laboratory in Albuquerque, New Mexico, conducted various “arms” of research into this kind of plasma physics. One of these, known as MARAUDER (magnetically accelerated ring to achieve ultrahigh directed energy and radiation), was one of several US government efforts to develop projectiles based on plasmas.

The weapon was able to produce doughnut-shaped rings of plasma and balls of lightning that exploded with devastating thermal and mechanical effects when hitting their target and produced a pulse of electromagnetic radiation that could scramble electronics. However, its status as of 1993 remains classified.

The temperatures achieved in such devices so far are up to a thousand times hotter than the surface of the sun. With enough plasma in each bolt these would cause huge amounts of damage, so the blaster as presented in the Star Wars films looks to be quite feasible indeed.

But how would these real life blaster weapons fare against the other iconic Star Wars weapon, the lightsaber? A blaster bolt is essentially equivalent to a lightsaber blade, just without the hilt. But as I’ve mentioned before, magnetic reconnection is unavoidable when two magnetically confined plasmas meet. This is the case when two lightsabers collide, causing explosive destruction of both the weapons and the people holding them. However, with a blaster you are far away from that explosion – leaving you totally unscathed.

So it turns out that Han Solo was right when he said “Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side.”

About Today's Contributor:
Martin Archer, Space Plasma Physicist, Queen Mary University of London

This article was originally published on The Conversation. 

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46 Years After Notorious Skyjacking, D.B. Cooper's Identity Revealed At Last?

1960 photograph of Walter Reca outfitted for a jump. Reca was a highly skilled skydiver and former U.S. Army Airborne paratrooper who served in the Korean War. (Photo courtesy of Principia Media.)

Principia Media, a Grand Rapids, Michigan-based publisher, announced the believed identity of D.B. Cooper during a press conference held at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan on May 17. 

D.B. Cooper is the infamous skyjacker who boarded a Boeing 727 in Portland, Oregon on Thanksgiving Eve, 1971, and escaped with a $200,000 ransom after jumping from 10,000 feet.

The infamous skyjacker was identified by Carl Laurin, one of Cooper's best friends. Evidence supports the announcement D.B. Cooper is a Michigan man and former military paratrooper named Walter R. Reca. 

3+ hours of audio tape detailing the events of the skyjacking, an eyewitness, a pair of long underwear worn during the jump, and the testimony of a relative all were shared during the press conference. 

⏩ Laurin is a military veteran, commercial airline pilot, skydiver, and entrepreneur, and wrote the memoir D.B. Cooper & Me: A Criminal, A Spy, My Best Friend, which was also released.

'D.B. Cooper & Me: A Criminal, A Spy, My Best Friend' - Front cover

An overview of the evidence, which was gathered by Laurin over a 20-year period and vetted by both Principia Media and Joe Koenig, a Certified Fraud Examiner and forensic linguist with more than 45-years of investigative experience, is below:

3+ hours of audio tape:

Laurin and Reca began speaking in 2000 and recorded their conversations concerning the skyjacking in 2008. The tapes describe many details, some of which were not known to the public prior to the FBI's release of information in 2015. Details include:  

• Reca covered his fingertips with glue to obscure his fingerprints
• Reca dictated instructions to the stewardess, who wrote down demands to give to the captain
• Reca generously offered a "handful" of money to the stewardess before he jumped (an action which mimicked his behavior from a restaurant robbery committed earlier in his life)
• Reca received help with the rear door from the stewardess
• Reca ordered the window shades be pulled shut where he was sitting to protect against snipers
• Reca insisted the stewardess bring both the money and the parachutes to him
• Reca said the stewardess initially did not believe the plane was being hijacked
• Reca told the stewardess she was "polite and kind" and addressed her as "young lady"
• Reca told the stewardess to go into the cockpit before he jumped
• Reca told the stewardess to tell the passengers "Happy Thanksgiving" and ordered meals for the flight crew for the flight

An eyewitness:

The night that Reca committed the skyjacking, he landed near Cle Elum, Washington, and walked to a nearby restaurant called the Teanaway Junction Cafe. Jeff Osiadacz, a former law enforcement official, interacted with Reca that evening within an hour of the jump. 

Osiadacz said he remembers seeing Reca because even though it was a cold, wet night, Reca was walking along the road with his raincoat bundled under his arm. The two men later interacted at the cafe, where Osiadacz gave Reca's friend directions over the phone to pick Reca up from the cafe. Reca thanked Osiadacz by paying for his coffee, and then left.

Koenig, a Certified Fraud Examiner, said this about Osiadacz's account: "I found it particularly significant that Jeff Osiadacz, aka Cowboy, his statement of events on the night of November 24, 1971, was identical to Walt's statement that he gave Carl five years earlier."

A pair of long underwear:

Laurin is in possession of Reca's insulated long underwear bottoms which Reca wore during the skyjacking to protect from the cold air as he jumped and observed by at least one eye witness.

A relative's testimony:

Lisa Story is Reca's niece. She exchanged many letters with Reca when she was a teenager and he was working in the Middle East. She then began seeing him regularly in 1999 after her grandmother passed away. Reca did not admit to being D.B. Cooper at first, though he did send her news articles about D.B. Cooper suspects and confessions with notes debunking their claims.

Then, in August 2013, Reca admitted for the second time that he was D.B. Cooper and asked Story to take him to a notary to sign his confession. Story would not, terrified her uncle would spend his last days in jail. 

What Joe Koenig said about the evidence:

"The audio tapes and transcripts and Walt's last testament, provided me with great evidence. My analysis told me Walt was not forced or coerced to make his statements to Carl, that he made the statements freely and voluntarily. The statements and last testament contain Walt's admissions to all the elements of robbery and hijacking constituting a very good confession that could be used in a criminal proceeding. Based on his confession and all the corroborating evidence, Walt, if still alive, would be prosecuted for the hijacking of Northwest 305. I believe that Walter Reca is D.B. Cooper."

Why now? 

Laurin asked for Reca's permission to share his story in 2010. Reca agreed and signed a notarized letter to that effect, although the story was not to be told until after his death. Reca passed away on February 17, 2014. 

⏩ Full audio and video of the press conference is now available in the Principia Media online press kit at principiamedia.com. 

About Principia Media:

Principia Media is an independent publishing and documentary film company based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. With a focus on storytelling, they balance professional production and marketing skills with intimate client relationships. Their capabilities include publishing fiction and nonfiction and investigative storytelling through feature-length documentaries. 

SOURCE: Principia Media

US: The National Press Club Unveils Plan For Media Summit After Reporter Roughed Up At EPA Meeting

EPA chief Scott Pruitt (Image via The Guardian)

The National Press Club and its Journalism Institute are renewing a call for dialogue between newsmakers and the news media following another incident in which officials of President Donald Trump's administration manhandled a reporter in a public building.

Hours after one of its reporters was blocked from covering a summit on water contamination, along with representatives of several other news organizations, the Associated Press reported receiving an apology Tuesday from the Environmental Protection Agency. According to the AP's account, guards had barred the wire service's reporter from passing through a security checkpoint, and when the reporter asked to speak with EPA public affairs personnel, shoved her out of the building.

EPA officials insisted in public statements, including emails to the Press Club, that they were merely trying to manage an overcrowded room. But the Press Club expressed concern about the decision to limit coverage at an event featuring EPA chief Scott Pruitt to 10 invited reporters and questioned the way that limit was enforced.

"Pushing reporters around is what happens in dictatorships, not in a democracy where the press's right to represent the public is enshrined in the Constitution," said Andrea Snyder Edney, president of the National Press Club. "And why were reporters being kept out of a meeting of major news significance at which a senior official was speaking on the public record? This is unacceptable."

⏩ This is not the first time since the Trump administration came to office that reporters have been manhandled by security guards while trying to do their jobs. Last May, the Press Club protested when one of its members, CQ Roll Call reporter John Donnelly, was forcibly prevented from questioning members of the Federal Communications Commission and then kicked out of FCC headquarters.

"It should go without saying that the press must be able to cover public events convened by a taxpayer-funded government agency--but apparently it needs to be said these days," said Barbara Cochran, president of the National Press Club Journalism Institute, the club's not-for-profit arm. "It is bad enough to bar the press in this way, but to use force to enforce such a misguided dictate just compounds the mistake."

In response to earlier outbreaks of hostility towards the press, including the international headlines that erupted when a reporter was attacked by a congressional candidate, the Press Club's Journalism Institute last summer hosted "Can We Talk," a conversation between members of the press and leaders of the institutions they cover about how to lower the temperature.

Funding has since been secured for an expanded version of this event that will feature more in-depth, intimate conversations among invited participants. Plans will be underway this summer for a fall summit.

"The National Press Club has traditionally been a place where news reporters and newsmakers meet," said Cochran. "We can think of no better place to convene and work on ground rules that will enable all of us to do a better job for the public we all serve."

NATIONAL PRESS CLUB LOGO. ( (PRNewsfoto/National Press Club)

About the National Press Club:

Founded in 1908, the National Press Club is the world's leading professional organization for journalists. The Club has more than 3,100 members worldwide representing nearly every major news organization and fights for press freedom worldwide.

Through its Press Freedom Committee and the National Press Club Journalism Institute, the Club speaks out in defense of press freedom and transparency worldwide.

SOURCE: National Press Club