The high school student who went viral for making faces behind President Donald Trump during a rally in Montana Thursday thinks he was kicked out of the event for not being “enthusiastic” enough.

Tyler Linfesty — who became knows as “plaid shirt guy” on social media — was removed from his position behind Trump at a rally in Billings, Montana Thursday. Afterward, Secret Service looked at his ID and told him to leave, Linfesty told CNN Friday.

He said no one specifically told him why he was being kicked out, but he suspects he wasn’t showing the proper amount of excitement during Trump’s speech.  

Linfesty, a high school senior, said the people set to stand behind the president were told: “you have to be enthusiastic, you have to be clapping, you have to be cheering for Donald Trump.”

He said he and his friends were asked to wear Make America Great Again hats, but he declined.

He was positioned right behind the president, a spot visible in most TV camera shots. Linfesty, who wears a Democratic socialist pin, reacted in real-time to what Trump was saying by raising his eyebrows and mouthing responses.

Linfesty said he disagreed with “plenty” of what the president said but wasn’t against all of it. In fact, he said he clapped when Trump “railed against” the North American Free Trade Agreement  (NAFTA) and when the president said the 2016 Democratic primary was stolen from Bernie Sanders.

Linfesty said the facial expressions that caused him to go viral were just his natural reactions to what the president was saying.

“I wasn’t trying to protest, those were just my actual honest reactions,” Linfesty told CNN.

He said he wasn’t there to cause a scene. He just wanted to see the president and hear his speech.

“I mean I’m not going to pass up the opportunity to see the president of the United States,” he said.

At some point, the Trump team appeared to have had enough. A woman came up and told Linfesty she was replacing him. His friends were also replaced.

 

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Born and raised in Nigeria, Francis Anwana was just 14 years old when he came to the United States on a student visa.

He was deaf, couldn’t talk, and had cognitive disabilities, enrolling at the Michigan School for the Deaf in Flint. 

Now 48, Anwana lives in Detroit at an adult foster care facility, helping mow the lawns and mop the floors at a nearby church on Detroit’s west side. 

But in a shock to immigrant advocates, the U.S. now wants to deport Anwana to Nigeria, a country he has not lived since he was a teenager. Given his severe disabilities, it would be a virtual “death sentence” for him, said Susan Reed, an attorney with the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center. 

Because of his disability, Anwana can only read at a second-grade level and is unable to mentally grasp the fact he could be forced to go back to Nigeria, according to advocates and his lawyer.

On Wednesday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) told Anwana he would be deported on Tuesday, Sept. 11, according to advocates for Anwana. After the advocates raised concerns, ICE told them Friday that his deportation has been postponed. Anwana has a meeting with ICE set for Sept. 21.

“This removal is not imminent at this time,” Khaalid Walls, spokesman for the Michigan and Ohio office of ICE, said Friday. 

Several years ago, his visa was not renewed because he was often moved around from group homes and caretakers lost track of his case, said local advocates. They repeatedly tried to get him a path to citizenship, but failed. He has no criminal record, advocates say.

He is not eligible for DACA because of his age. 

Help for disabilities 

Anwana was born in a small village in the area of Lagos, Nigeria, one of about eight or 10 children, said Diane Newman, an educator who has assisted Anwana over the years. 

“It was a very loving family,” Newman said. “But they understood they would not be able to provide him a life in Nigeria … as a handicapped person.”

After immigrating to the U.S., he was able to learn sign language and lived in Flint for most of his life before moving to Detroit in January to stay at a different group home.

“About a decade ago, someone tried to help him by applying for citizenship,” said Reed, the immigration attorney helping him. “He was denied because he was ineligible, placed in deportation proceedings, and finally denied asylum which he sought based on conditions for people with his condition in Nigeria.”

Anwana has been compliant with his orders to show up for regular check-ins. On Tuesday, he was told by ICE to show up the next day again, when he was then told he would have to leave on Sept. 11. 

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The move stunned longtime immigration advocates who say such an order failed to take into consideration Anwana’s unusual circumstances of being disabled, and the fact he has lived in the U.S. for so long. 

On Friday, he communicated to the Free Press by sign language through a translator, Sarah Shaw, who has known him for years. The two were students at the school for the deaf in Flint. 

“I am happy” living in the U.S., he said. Shaw, who is helping Anwana navigate ICE check-ins, said he is unable to understand what deportation is and his immigration proceedings. 

Anwana enjoys soccer and basketball, and helping out with chores. 

“He’s been a model citizen,” said Shaw. 

Reed said that he “has lived in group homes and supportive environments for many years and won the love and friendship of many, but he has no family in the U.S. His elderly mother in Nigeria has no ability to support him or meet any of his medical needs. He needs medication to manage his conditions.”

Fatou-Seydi Sarr, with the African Bureau for Immigration and Social Affairs, said that  “with his condition, life in Nigeria will be very, very bad, and can lead to death for not receiving proper medical care.”

Contact Niraj Warikoo:nwarikoo@freepress.com or 313-223-4792. Follow him on Twitter @nwarikoo

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England batsman Jos Buttler is a “special player” who has “the game and the gift” to make big Test centuries, says former captain Michael Vaughan.

Buttler, 28, struck 89 to help England recover from 181-7 to post 322 in their first innings of the fifth Test against India at The Oval.

The tourists fell to 174-6 at the end of day two in reply, trailing by 158.

“Buttler will strike fear through bowling attacks around the world,” said Vaughan on Test Match Special.

“Once he gets more confident in this format and starts moving up the order, then he will have more opportunity to get big scores.

“At number seven you can only get so many – but if he can get to number five then he has the game and the gift to get big, big Test match scores.”

Vice-captain Buttler shared a vital 98-run partnership with Stuart Broad after the early dismissal of Adil Rashid on day two, also hitting two sixes once Broad had departed for 38.

His knock of 89 is his second-highest Test score, following his maiden century in the third Test at Trent Bridge, while he has also made four half-centuries and averages 51 since his recall for the Pakistan series in May.

“England have got a special player – he knows how to play the pressure card and calm situations down,” said Vaughan.

“He’s not just crashing it about, he’s playing with good technique, he’s timing the ball, manoeuvring it into the gaps and leaving well.

“You just feel so relaxed when Buttler is at the crease – many times, in all three formats, he’s got England out of tricky positions because of his temperament and mentality.

“He can soak up pressure but then suddenly grab the game, because of his striking ability.”

Lancashire’s Buttler said he had found a “nice balance and good mentality” for Test cricket since his return to the side after a 17-month absence.

“Of course you feel confident when you feel like you’re contributing to the team and scoring runs – confidence is one of the golden eggs of any professional sport and I have been really pleased with how it’s gone so far,” he added.

“I’ve just enjoyed my cricket more than anything else.”

One-day wicketkeeper Buttler took the gloves for the fourth Test, with Jonny Bairstow unable to keep due to a broken finger, but the Yorkshireman is back behind the stumps at The Oval.

“Jonny Bairstow had a poor week last Test – you could see he wasn’t quite right,” said Vaughan.

“Buttler had the gloves taken off him this week but he’s just got on with it. He went out there as a batsman and produced the goods because he trusts himself to make good, sensible decisions in the middle.”

Image: screenshot by sasha lekach / mashable

Want to know what people are listening to right now in Belize? How about Macau? Or Uganda?

A new Apple Music feature rolled out on Friday introduced a large collection of Top 100 charts to the service. There are 116 of them, to be exact: One global chart, and then one more for each country where Apple Music is available.

Each list shows the most-streamed songs in whichever region they cover. They’ll all be updated once per day at 12:00 a.m. PT, and they’re grouped together under the app’s “Browse” section whether you’re viewing Apple Music from a mobile device or your desktop (h/t Rolling Stone).

Image: SCREENSHOT BY SASHA LEKACH / MASHABLE

(It’s worth noting that while Rolling Stone‘s firsthand look at the new feature mentions 116 charts, a Mashable subscriber on staff only saw around 50 listed on both desktop and mobile.)

Apple Music has been growing steadily since it launched in 2015. By the end of 2016, it was up to 20 million subscribers globally. Then, earlier this summer, a report surfaced suggesting that Apple’s subscriber count in the U.S. had overtaken that of competing service Spotify.

In June, Apple launched a browser-based web player to give desktop users an option other than the iTunes app for their music listening. Then, in August, a new feature launched that gave users a listening mix that assembles the top 25 songs their Apple Music friends are listening to.

The new Top 100 charts deliver an added “discovery” layer to the service, providing subscribers with yet another way to tailor their new jams around what’s popular, and where.

Naomi Osaka made history at the US Open on Saturday, becoming the first Japanese player to win a Grand Slam title.

But that’s not what this match will be remembered for.

A year after ”fighting for her life” and undergoing four surgeries after giving birth to daughter Olympia, Serena Williams was defeated 6-2, 6-4 in maybe the most controversial final ever.

She was called for a game penalty for verbally abusing chair umpire Carlos Ramos after two warnings – one for coaching and one for smashing her racket.

“You owe me an apology. You stole a point from me. You’re a liar,” Williams said.

She repeatedly demanded an apology.

Ramos then said game penalty, verbal abuse, which put Williams serving at 3-5. She then was near tears as she asked for officials to come out. She repeatedly argued that she was being treated unfairly.

The first offense is a warning, the second a point and the third a game.

“I don’t cheat to win, I’d rather lose,” Williams said after the chair umpire issued a warning when Williams’ coach Patrick Mouratoglou gave her a hand signal early in the second set.

Instead, Osaka won when she served for the match after Williams held serve.

Williams embraced her at the net as both players cried. 

“Well, I don’t wanna be rude, she played well and this is her first Grand Slam,” Williams said after the match, as she fought back tears. “Let’s make this the best moment we can, let’s give credit where credit is due and no more booing. Congratulations Naomi!”

“Thank you to the crowd, you really are the best in the world. I really hope to play here again, it’s been a tough year but thank you so much.”

Osaka stood next to her crying as Williams put her arm around her.

Everyone in Osaka’s box was reduced to tears – including her mother and Williams’ former hitting coach Sascha Bajin.

Osaka apologized to the crowd. ”I’m sorry it had to end like this,” she said through tears. “I just want to thank everybody for watching the match.”

Like her previous two matches, Williams got off to a slow start. Osaka got out to a quick 4-1 lead behind two breaks of serve. Osaka’s pinpoint placement forced Williams to lay back instead of approaching the net. She served for the set to win 6-2.

Osaka, 20, who admitted after reaching the final she was thrilled with the opportunity to face her favorite player for the title, showed no fear.

She jumped out to a quick 4-1 lead in the first set by breaking Williams, who was struggling to get her first serve in, twice. 

Bajin, who served as Williams’ hitting coach from 2008-2015, has helped Osaka reach the top of her game in his first year as her coach. 

“I feel like since I was working with him, and I tend to be a bit negative on myself, I feel like I’ve gotten a little bit more optimistic,” she said of Bajin after her quarterfinal win. “He tries to make every day really fun and exciting. For someone like me that sort of thinks sometimes things are boring, I think that’s good for me.”

Osaka defeated Williams earlier this year at the Miami Open, but Williams was early in her comeback and since has advanced to two Grand Slam finals. She lost at Wimbledon to Angelique Kerber 6-3, 6-3.

Osaka holds dual Japan-U.S. citizenship. She was born in Osaka, Japan to a Japanese mother and Haitian-born father.  Her father attended college in New York City before moving to Japan for 13 years.

When she was three, Osaka’s family moved to New York where they lived with Haitian relatives, and eventually settled in Florida, where shev currently lives in Fort Lauderdale and trains at the Chris Evert Academy in Boca Raton.

Contributing: Sandra Harwitt

Sandra Harwitt, Special for USA TODAY Sports
Published 5:20 p.m. ET Sept. 8, 2018 | Updated 6:36 p.m. ET Sept. 8, 2018

NEW YORK – A frustrated Serena Williams was driven to tears in arguing with the chair umpire about two warnings – one for coaching and one for smashing her racket after Naomi Osaka broke her serve in the US Open final.

Williams was already behind by a set, losing the first set 6-2 on Friday night.

She called for an official and argued her case, saying men did much worse and didn’t get called. She stood by her point that she didn’t cheat and wanted an apology. She also said she shouldn’t have gotten a game penalty.

ESPN analyst Chris Evert said she believed chair umpire Carlos Ramos could have shown more restraint.

After giving up her first lead in the match in a game where she double-faulted twice, she smashed her racket. 

She received a point penalty after breaking the racket, which allowed Osaka to start serving the sixth game at 15-0. She had a code violation earlier in the second set for coaching, and then the racket abuse charge surmounted to a point penalty.

After realizing that she was already down a point – Osaka won her serve at love in that sixth game – Williams started yelling at Ramos.  

“You owe me an apology,” she told him. “I’ve never cheated in my life. I have a daughter and I stand for what’s right.” 

Williams told Ramos that her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, gave her a thumbs up, which is just a “C’mon.” 

“I don’t cheat to win, I’d rather lose,” Williams was heard telling Ramos. 

A TV replay of Mouratoglou showed him motioning with two hands as if telling her to move forward. There was no thumbs-up sign. 

Williams began going into the net more often and broke Osaka in the next game.

After Osaka broke back, Williams smashed her racket. She was issued a second warning for that, which cost her a point in the next game.

She lost, 6-4, 6-2, to miss out on another chance to win a record-tying 24th Grand Slam title.

 

Naomi Osaka won the US Open after an angry Serena Williams accused the umpire of being a “thief” in some of the most dramatic scenes at a Grand Slam final.

Williams was given a game penalty for her outburst, which followed racquet smashing and another code violation as Osaka won 6-2 6-4 in New York.

Osaka, 20, kept her focus to become the first Japanese to win a Grand Slam.

Williams refused to shake hands with umpire Carlos Ramos after the match.

The American, 36, graciously congratulated Osaka at the net after the 20th seed completed an extraordinary victory and, although Williams’ behaviour will grab the attention, nothing should detract from a classy and composed display from Osaka at Flushing Meadows.

“I’m sorry it had to end like this,” a crying Osaka said.

What happened?

Williams was given a first code violation after Ramos judged a gesture from coach Patrick Mouratoglou to be coaching – which is allowed on the WTA Tour but not during Grand Slams.

Williams insisted she had not received any tactics from Mouratoglou, telling the umpire she would “never cheat to win and would rather lose”.

The Frenchman later admitted to ESPN that he had been coaching from the box.

“I was coaching but I don’t think she looked at me,” Mouratoglou said. “Sash [Osaka’s coach Sascha Bajin] was coaching as well, everybody does it.”

She then received another for a racquet smash at 3-2 in the second set, leading to Ramos docking her a point as Osaka started at 15-0 in the following game.

Williams was furious, walking up to Ramos, shouting and pointing at him as the crowd started booing in support of the former world number one.

The drama continued as the atmosphere in Ashe became more toxic.

Williams, still angry with Ramos for the previous two violations, refused to let the issue slide and launched an extraordinary rant at him at the changeover with Osaka leading 4-3.

“You are a liar. You will never be on a court of mine as long as you live. When are you going to give me my apology? Say you are sorry,” she told him.

That led to Ramos docking her the next game – leaving Osaka just one more away from victory at 5-3 up.

Boos continued to rain down, generating incredible noise, as Williams refused to take to the court and demanded an intervention from the tournament referee.

Eventually she returned to the baseline, serving out a game to love before Osaka showed remarkable focus to hold the final game for her first Grand Slam win.

Boos, anger & tears

Williams is a national icon in the United States, as well as a global star around the world, and had the backing of the 24,000-capacity Arthur Ashe Stadium.

But the boisterous crowd was quietened as Osaka came out firing at the six-time champion.

Osaka, playing in her first Grand Slam final and against her idol, showed no fear as her aggressive approach led to multiple errors from Williams’ racquet.

Williams’ first serve percentage was down at 38% and made 13 unforced errors as Osaka broke for 2-1 and 4-1 leads on her way to the opening set.

The Ashe crowd, whilst remaining respectful towards Osaka, was already upset with the way Williams had been treated by Ramos and unhappiness turned to anger during the madness of the second set.

Security staff ran on to the perimeter of the court as Ramos walked off and the Portuguese did not return, as he would usually have done, for the trophy presentation.

More boos followed at the start of the ceremony, leading to Osaka pulling her visor down over her eyes to hide her tears.

Fox News host Tucker Carlson went on a rant Friday against Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, and other Democrats and politicians who have called for a more diverse workforce, government, and American way of life.

Carlson went off on anyone who has said “diversity is our strength” with the chyron on the screen blaring the question: “How exactly is ‘diversity’ our ‘strength’?” 

He rhetorically asked how can we get along better “if you can’t understand each other or share no common values.” Then he noted that the less people have in common, the less likely they are to be “cohesive.”

Here’s the clip: 

Carlson’s thinking seems to line up with white nationalist rationales for limiting immigration or multiculturalism in our government, work places, and leadership.

A call for ad companies to protest his talk show went out Saturday and others took to Twitter outraged with his racist views. 

It also seems Carlson has a limited understanding of the value of diversity. He listed marriage and the military as examples where diversity weakens the institution. This was shot down with the simple explanation of “science.”

In the pro-diversity camp, this comment rings loud and true:

We reached out to Fox News for comment on Carlson’s diversity segment.