Summer 2018’s brightest star has been the scammer.

Grifters of all sorts have been in the headlines this year, from thieves to embezzlers to animals impersonating other animals. What’s bringing on all this Big Scam Energy? We’re not sure, but it’s made for some fun headlines. Here, our favorite summer grifters, ranked by how much we enjoyed reading about their exploits.

14. Billy McFarland of Fyre Festival fame

You might remember McFarland from his other failed scam: Fyre Festival. Unfortunately, he does not appear to have learned a single lesson from that debacle. McFarland was arrested in June and charged with wire fraud and money laundering for a fake ticket sales scheme completely separate from Fyre Fest. Billy, dude, what’s up?

Image: Mark Lennihan/AP/REX/Shutterstock

13. Beyoncé and the fake twins

“Beyoncé? A scammer?” you might be wondering. We hate to be the bearer of bad news but yes — kind of. Bey’s On The Run II tour with Jay-Z has brought us many incredible moments, including a pair of fake twins. Many were by the Queen when an image flashed on the screen of Beyoncé holding what seemed to be Sir and Rumi Carter, in all of their beautiful plump baby glory. 

Turns out, it wasn’t them. BuzzFeed later confirmed everyone’s speculations.

12. The zebra that is totally not a donkey

Somewhere out in this wild world, there is a donkey that has been forced to live life as a zebra because of an elaborate scam in a Cairo zoo. Nope, this isn’t a joke. A visitor went to view the zebras in the zoo, only to be greeted by a donkey with stripes painted on him and ears that are a little too big to be a zebra’s. 

The visitor then posted a photo of the animal on Facebook, complete with unmistakably smudged paint. While the zoo claims that it is not a donkey, our eyebrows are definitely furrowed.

11. MoviePass lifehackers

These days, it seems like MoviePass itself is a scam. But we have give it up for the real scammers: the people who have hacked the app (we’re talking rewards cards, illegal popcorn purchases) for their moviegoing pleasures. A begrudging shoutout to y’all.

10. The Portofino Pirate

In June, a 50-year-old designer named Larissa Watson hopped aboard a yacht docked in the upscale resort village of Portofino, found the keys, and just … tried to take it. Luckily, a nearby worker managed to remove the keys from the ignition before she made it out of the harbor, but she still almost made it out of the harbor. With a yacht worth €150,000. Imagine.

9. The stroller sharknappers

In July, three would-be thieves at the San Antonio Aquarium tried to kidnap Ms. Helen the horn shark by plucking her from her tank, placing her in a bucket full of bleach solution, and carting the bucket away in a stroller. They were later discovered when the aquarium’s manager noticed liquid dripping from the stroller.

Ms. Helen survived the ordeal and is doing fine.

8. The cast of Ocean’s 8

The film Ocean’s 8 is not a scam itself, but it does celebrate scammers. Therefore, it holds a very special place on this list and in our hearts. The film’s primary heist — which is set at the Met Gala and involves a necklace worth hundreds of millions of dollars — is full of little mini-scams, too, which makes a Ocean’s 8 movie night the quintessential 2018 viewing experience.

Image: Barry Wetcher/Warner Bros.

 7. The lunch ladies

Two cafeteria workers in New Canaan, Connecticut were arrested earlier this month for allegedly skimming $478,000 in student lunch money over a period of about five years.

How’d they get away with it? By consistently underreporting the amount of money the school had received. 

“Since [the scam] occurred over a long period of time in relatively small amounts, the district was unaware of these discrepancies until it instituted new financial controls specifically related to the collection and depositing of cash in the cafeterias,” Michael Horyczun, spokesman for New Canaan Public Schools, told the New York Times. 

Quite an operation.

6. Bonnie the cow

Bonnie is an anomaly among scammers: Her motives are noble. This hero, who is a cow, escaped slaughter when she was only four-months-old, then took up residence with a herd of deer. She was eventually rescued by Farm Sanctuary and now lives in a luxury barn. Scamming pays off!

Image: Becky Bartels/Farm Sanctuary

5. The former Vogue assistant

Yvonne Bannigan, a former Vogue freelancer, was arrested earlier this summer for stealing over $50,000 from former creative director Grace Coddington. Turns out Bannigan made a series of unauthorized purchases on Coddington’s credit card — and had the audacity to sell some of her personal items for almost $10,000 which she also pocketed. 

Bold!

4. The Hollywood exec impersonator

For two years, an unidentified woman has been impersonating powerful figures in Hollywood, luring them into unfulfilled contracts, and stealing money from them. Meanwhile, her victims are just excited about working with Amy Pascal or Kathleen Kennedy — two of the many women she’s pretended to be over the phone. 

It’s a scam so outrageous, it would probably would be a Hollywood film if it didn’t involve key players within the entertainment industry. The Hollywood Reporter uncovered the elaborate scam and spoke with many folks who interacted with her organization and the scammer herself, who has made upwards of thousands of dollars from identity theft and still remains unknown. Watch out. 

3. The royal wedding expert

Thomas J. Mace-Archer-Mills, Esq. sounds exactly like the name of someone who would fake their way into becoming an expert in all things royal wedding. With his best fake British accent, Tommy Muscatello scammed his way into history just in time for the nuptials of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. 

He perfected his British accent twenty years ago during a school play and put it to good use by appearing on news programs as a royal wedding expert and founding member of the British Monarchist Foundation — only to eventually be called out by . Turns out, Mace-Archer-Mills was just a combination of his friends’ last names. In an interesting twist, the has stuck with Muscatello even after all this controversy. Pretty impressive.

2. Clarinet girlfriend

In 2014, Jennifer Lee didn’t want her boyfriend, clarinetist Eric Abramovitz, to go away to school. Pretty relatable. Less relatable: She hacked into his email, intercepted his acceptance to Los Angeles’s Colburn Conservatory of Music, then sent an email on behalf of her boyfriend declining their offer. Then, she sent Abramovitz a fake email from the school to make it look like he’d actually been rejected.

The duped clarinetist only found out about Lee’s scam in 2016, when he auditioned for the same professor who he believed had rejected him three years earlier. The professor was weirded out, understandably, because he believed the clarinetist had already said no. And thus, the jig was up.

Abramovitz was awarded $375,000 CAD.

1. SoHo grifter Anna Delvey

Anna Delvey is the one scammer to rule them all. Two bombshell stories — one in Vanity Fair, one from The Cut — chronicled the fake German heiress’ wild schemes, all of which involved scamming hundreds of thousands of dollars from actual rich people. Read both in their entirety: there’s plenty of fancy dinners, celebrity appearances, hotel room evictions, leaked Lil Wayne albums, doomed arts foundations, and $4,500 personal training packages within.

Delvey, whose real name is Anna Sorokin, was indicted on grand larceny charges last week and faces 15 years in prison. On the bright side, Shondaland and Netflix are making a TV show about her, which we’re sure is all she really wants.

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Turkish police have arrested two more people for their suspected links to Monday’s drive-by shooting on the US embassy in capital Ankara, Anadolu Agency reports, in an attack coinciding with increased tensions between the NATO allies.

Friday’s arrests raise the total number of arrested suspects to four and they are being interrogated by police, the agency reported on Sunday citing a police source.

The detention period for Ahmet Celikten and Osman Gundas, the suspects arrested on Monday, was extended, it added.

Celikten and Gundas confessed to their involvement in the attack, the governor’s office in Ankara said.

No casualities

Assailants had fired six rounds at the embassy’s security gate from a passing white vehicle at about 5am (02:00 GMT), with three bullets hitting an iron door and a window, the office said. There were no casualties.

The Turkish police said the suspects were drunk at the time of the attack. 

The embassy was closed for a public holiday to mark the Eid al-Adha festival, when the incident happened.

The attack coincided with a deepening row between Ankara and Washington over the trial of a US pastor held in Turkey.

Ties have been severely strained over the case of Andrew Brunson, leading the US to impose sanctions and increase tariffs that sent the Turkish lira tumbling last week.

SOURCE: Al Jazeera and news agencies

Venezuela, once considered one of the richest countries in the world, is now suffering from skyrocketing inflation, emigration, starvation and political unrest. The national currency, the bolivar, has become almost useless.

President Nicolas Maduro blames it on what he calls an “economic war” against his country. His critics say widespread corruption and the government’s mismanagement are responsible.

The IMF predicts inflation will continue to rise by up to one million this year. To put that into perspective, Venezuelans are now paying about two million bolivars for a cup of coffee.

In an attempt to solve the problem, the government has introduced a plan to curb hyperinflation, reports Latin America editor Lucia Newman, from Caracas. There is a new currency, the “sovereign bolivar”, which removed five zeroes from banknotes. It is backed by a cryptocurrency, the petro, that is pegged to the price of oil.

The government is also raising the minimum wage by 3,000 percent, raising taxes, and increasing petrol prices for some drivers. And faced with a squeeze on the country’s cash reserves, President Maduro wants
Venezuelans to pay more for what is currently the world’s cheapest gas.

According to Carlos Cardenas, head of Latin America, Country Risk, IHS Markit, the current crisis is a culmination of a number of factors years in the making. “It has been accompanied by indiscriminate public spending via the printing of currency, the implementation of draconian price and exchange controls that were never relaxed, a policy of expropriations of companies that ended up being mismanaged and bankrupt – all of these compounded by economic mismanagement and widespread corruption.”

Additionally, US sanctions on Venezuela have had a crippling effect. “The key issue about US sanctions is they’ve operated in two ways. One, they’ve targeted top individuals of the government elite in an effort to promote regime change … the other one, and most critical for the economy, is the sanctions prevent Venezuela from restructuring its debt,” explains Cardenas.

“The country is in default because of the depletion of the foreign exchange reserves, it doesn’t have the ability to honour any payments to bondholders or any company operating in Venezuela. But it’s also unable to restructure that debt in the US financial system.”

“Regardless of the sanctions, the key issue is the authorities are still unable to present a credible economic package or programme that would take out the economy out of the current crisis – so that and,[in] combination with US sanctions, make the economic and political situation more difficult.” 

Overall, the new currency will have “very little impact,” according to Cardenas. “The critical point here is that oil production continues to decline, international reserves are not enough to cover any type of imports, and the government is unable to cover its debts and obtain more financing.”

Also on this episode of Counting the Cost:

Tesla cars: Tesla has a market value of between $60-70bn. The electric carmaker’s been trading as a public company for eight years, but it has never made an annual profit. CEO Elon Musk’s vision of integrating clean energy with transport and home power – some might say is the perfect marriage. But is Tesla on the cusp of profitability or is this a bubble?

Arash Massoudi, corporate finance and deals editor at the Financial Times offers his take.

Greece bailout: Greece is celebrating the end of eight years of bailouts. It has avoided bankruptcy since 2010 through $300bn of international loans from the IMF and the European Union. But alongside the punishing austerity policies, Greece had to abide by there was also a human cost involved, as John Psaropoulos reports from Athens.

US-Russia sanctions: It’s been a busy week for US President Donald Trump who has been pushing ahead with his “America First” agenda. Negotiations with Beijing over trade tariffs have failed to reach an agreement. The US president imposed new sanctions against Russia and his dispute with Turkey over tariffs sees no sign of abating. Shihab Rattansi takes a deeper look at how the Tump administration is using its financial clout to go after those it feels are adversaries.

Source: Al Jazeera

WASHINGTON — The sadness accompanying the death of Sen. John McCain wasn’t contained to party lines. 

A showing of support and condolences poured out by both Republicans and Democrats Saturday evening as the nation grasped with the news of the respect Arizona senator’s passing. 

Here is how leaders in Washington reacted to McCain’s death. 

Sen. Mitch McConnell, R- Ky: “Today is a deeply sad day for the Senate and for our nation. Elaine and I join all Americans in mourning the passing of our dear friend and colleague Senator John McCain. 

In an era filled with cynicism about national unity and public service, John McCain’s life shone as a bright example. He showed us that boundless patriotism and self-sacrifice are not outdated concepts or clichés, but the building blocks of an extraordinary American life.

It’s an understatement to say the Senate will not be the same without our friend John. I will treasure the many memories we’ve shared together through the years.”

Rep. Paul Ryan, R-WI: “This is a sad day for the United States. Our country has lost a decorated war hero and statesman. John McCain was a giant of our time—not just for the things he achieved, but for who he was and what he fought for all his life. John put principle before politics. He put country before self. He was one of the most courageous men of the century. He will always be listed among freedom’s most gallant and faithful servants. Our hearts are with his wife, Cindy, his children, and his grandchildren. This Congress, this country mourn with them.”

President Donald Trump: “My deepest sympathies and respect go out to the family of Senator John McCain. Our hearts and prayers are with you!”

Former President Barack Obama: “John McCain and I were members of different generations, came from completely different backgrounds, and competed at the highest level of politics. But we shared, for all our differences, a fidelity to something higher – the ideals for which generations of Americans and immigrants alike have fought, marched, and sacrificed. We saw our political battles, even, as a privilege, something noble, an opportunity to serve as stewards of those high ideals at home, and to advance them around the world. We saw this country as a place where anything is possible – and citizenship as our patriotic obligation to ensure it forever remains that way.

Few of us have been tested the way John once was, or required to show the kind of courage that he did. But all of us can aspire to the courage to put the greater good above our own. At John’s best, he showed us what that means. And for that, we are all in his debt. Michelle and I send our most heartfelt condolences to Cindy and their family.”

Former Vice President Joe Biden: “John McCain’s life is proof that some truths are timeless. Character. Courage. Integrity. Honor. A life lived embodying those truths casts a long, long shadow. John McCain will cast a long shadow. His impact on America hasn’t ended. Not even close. It will go on for many years to come.

As a POW, John endured the worst of what human beings can do to one another. In politics, he fell short of his greatest ambition. At the end of his life he faced a cruel and relentless disease. And yet through it all he never lost sight of what he believed most: Country First. And the spirit that drove him was never extinguished: we are here to commit ourselves to something bigger than ourselves.

John was many things – a proud graduate of the Naval Academy, a Senate colleague, a political opponent. But, to me, more than anything, John was a friend.”

Former President George W. Bush: “Some lives are so vivid, it is difficult to imagine them ended. Some voices are so vibrant, it is hard to think of them stilled. John McCain was a man of deep conviction and a patriot of the highest order. He was a public servant in the finest traditions of our country. And to me, he was a friend whom I’ll deeply miss. Laura and I send our heartfelt sympathies to Cindy and the entire McCain family, and our thanks to God for the life of John McCain.”

Sen. Chuck Schumer, D- NY: “As you go through life, you meet few truly great people. John McCain was one of them. His dedication to his country and the military were unsurpassed, and maybe most of all, he was a truth teller – never afraid to speak truth to power in an era where that has become all too rare. The Senate, the United States, and the world are lesser places without John McCain. Nothing will overcome the loss of Senator McCain, but so that generations remember him I will be introducing a resolution to rename the Russell building after him.”

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Tx.: Today the nation lost a proud veteran, seasoned lawmaker, and beloved father.  A true maverick and highly-effective statesman, John McCain’s career spanned the globe and was the envy of many.  The firmness of his character, and unyielding love for this country, were unmatched.

As we mourn the loss of John McCain, we’re called to be stronger patriots and better citizens.  We send our condolences to his four children, his wife Cindy, and the entire McCain family.  It’s hard to lose him, but I know the legacy he leaves will long remain.”

Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-CA: “The nation is in tears. Today, with the passing of John McCain, Congress and America have lost a leader and public servant of deep patriotism, outstanding bravery and undaunted spirit. Compelled by his unshakeable faith and deep love of country, he dedicated his life to defending both America and the American idea – fighting tirelessly to ensure that our nation always remains a land of justice, freedom and hope.

Over the course of John McCain’s years of distinguished service, whether as a naval officer, Member of Congress, U.S. Senator or presidential candidate, we all saw firsthand his integrity, humility, courage and grace.  He never forgot the great duty he felt to care for our nation’s heroes, dedicating his spirit and energy to ensuring that no man or woman in uniform was left behind on the battlefield or once they returned home.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. : “America and Freedom have lost one of her greatest champions. ….And I’ve lost one of my dearest friends and mentor.”

Sen. David Perdue, R-GA: “American patriot is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of John McCain. He dedicated his life to serving the country he loved so much and for that we will be eternally grateful. His wit, wisdom, and leadership will be missed in the United States Senate – especially on the Armed Services Committee. Bonnie and I send our heartfelt prayers to Cindy, their children, and the entire McCain family during this very difficult time.”

Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mi: John McCain was a true American hero. He served our country bravely on the battlefield and in public service. His independent spirit and his dedication to doing what is right will be greatly missed. My prayers are with Cindy and the McCain family during this very difficult time.”

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, R-AZ: “My heart is heavy today as I join countless Americans across our country in mourning the loss of one of our nation’s greatest leaders and statesmen, one of my personal heroes, Senator John McCain. Throughout his life – as a Naval Aviator, a Prisoner of War who endured years of torture, a Congressman, and a six-term Senator – John repeatedly showed how anything is possible when armed with determination, a deep sense of patriotism and an unbreakable will.

I will forever treasure the privilege of working with John McCain in the Senate—even if it was only for a short time—and I will be forever grateful for the sacrifices he made in service to the greatest country the world has ever known. I hope the heights he reached and the life he led can be a lesson to us all about the power of perseverance and the ability of every American to overcome any challenge and make our country a better place.”

Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-IN: “I deeply mourn the loss of my dear friend and mentor, John McCain, an American hero of the truest kind. His example will always inspire me. I will remember John as representing the very best of what makes America the greatest nation in the world. May God bless his family, friends, and our nation just as John blessed us with his life.”

Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-TN: “There is usually one United States Senator who stands above the rest and for the last several years that has been John McCain.  His character, courage and devotion to our country have been an example for all of us. Honey and I send our prayers to Cindy and the entire McCain family.”

Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-NJ: “We have lost a true American patriot. We will miss him and I send my condolences to his family and to his colleagues in the United States Senate. With great courage, John McCain protected the institution of the Senate at a time when our institutions are under duress. I will never forget Senate McCain standing in defense of Barack Obama from scurrilous attacks during the 2008 campaign. His response to vicious slanders against his opponent were not the answers of a cynical political, but of a human being. To me, this was his personification: scrupulously honest and true. I was honored to work closely with Senator McCain to pass legislation to aid our firefighters. I saw up close that here was a special man. Senator McCain served his country for virtually his entire life, right until the end. God bless you, Senator McCain. And thank you”

Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel: “We mourn the passing of a true American patriot, Senator John McCain,” said Chairwoman McDaniel. “Senator McCain dedicated his life to serving his country, both during his time in Congress and in combat in the U.S. Navy. He was an advocate for American leadership in the world and a tireless champion of our nation’s troops and veterans. We at the RNC are praying for the entire McCain family at this difficult time.”

Attorney General Jeff Sessions: “For John McCain his country was his life. He was tireless in its service.  Courage, determination and relentless drive made him a great leader.  

To me, having served with him in the Senate for 20 years, his support for President Bush’s surge in Iraq at a time when things had been going badly and public support had eroded, was one of the most dramatic, important, patriotic and selfless actions I had the honor to witness in that body. His presidential aspirations were entirely set aside. He totally deployed his considerable strength and energy to what he believed was best for his country–and in service to those then fighting valiantly for the mission the nation had given them. It was a very contentious debate. His personal dedication and leadership moved a very uncertain decision to a favorable outcome.

His ferocious tenacity for his country was unmatched.  America has lost one of its greatest patriots.”

 

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Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has accused the US of waging a ‘psychological war’ against Tehran and its business partners.

US sanctions were re-imposed on August 7, just months after US President Donald Trump withdrew from the multilateral Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal.

“[America’s] focus is on a psychological war against Iran and its business partners,” Javad Zarif said in comments reported on Sunday by the Iranian Tasnim news agency.

The nuclear agreement, which was implemented in 2016, would see Iran reduce its capacity to develop nuclear weapons in exchange for limited sanctions relief.

Its signatories included the US, the EU, several world powers, and Iran. At the time, it was thought to be one of former US President Barack Obama’s biggest diplomatic achievements.

But despite the US withdrawal, other parties to the accord are trying to find ways to save the agreement.

The EU has vowed to protect companies dealing with Iran and has urged Iran to continue keeping its side of the bargain.

Trump wants a broader deal, which addresses issues such as Iran’s missile programme and its involvement in several Middle Eastern conflicts, such as in Syria and Yemen.

Trump’s decision to withdraw from the accord has hurt the US, said Zarif, according to the Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA).

“From the time that Trump announced the withdrawal from the nuclear deal, America has not been able to reach its goals,” said Zarif.

Iran’s foreign minister also said the nuclear deal has led to political conflict within Iran.

“There are some in the country who, instead of laying the groundwork for using the opportunities presented by the nuclear deal, chose a political fight. And this political fight led to despair and disappointment.”

Hardline critics of the deal have lashed out at Iranian President Hassan Rouhani after America’s withdrawal, claiming the agreement was a form of capitulation.

Formula 1 was supposed to spend much of the last three and a half weeks since the Hungarian Grand Prix on a summer break, but the teams and drivers seem not to have got the message.

The normally quiet August period instead ended up witnessing a series of major news stories, including on the future of one of the sport’s biggest icons.

Here is a handy catch-up guide on everything you need to know as F1 returns for the decisive second part of the season, starting at this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix on the classic Spa-Francorchamps circuit.

Alonso’s leaving

Undoubtedly the biggest story of the summer break was Fernando Alonso’s announcement that he is to leave F1 at the end of this season.

The 37-year-old Spaniard is still at the top of his game – which makes him with Lewis Hamilton arguably the best driver in the sport – but he says he can find “bigger challenges” than F1 can offer elsewhere.

What that really means is that none of the top teams want to sign him, and he does not believe his McLaren team, after a season in which just how far they have fallen has been laid bare, can become competitive in the near future.

Alonso is likely to move to a full-time Indycar programme, with the aim of winning the Indianapolis 500 and becoming only the second man in history to win motorsport’s unofficial ‘triple crown’ of Monaco Grand Prix (or F1 title, depending on how you swing), Le Mans and Indy.

That means F1 fans likely have only nine more races to enjoy Alonso’s unique abilities, fascinating personality and charisma. Many will be hoping that somehow his McLaren will allow him to find a way to go out on a high, unlikely as that may seem.

Ricciardo’s moving – and so are many others

Alonso’s announcement was actually the second big driver news of the summer, following a week or so after Daniel Ricciardo announced his decision to move from Red Bull to Renault for 2019.

It was known that the likeable Australian was vacillating over signing his Red Bull contract – he had it in his briefcase over the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend – but even so, the move came as something of a shock to most in F1.

That’s because of the obvious performance difference between Red Bull and Renault. They might be F1’s third and fourth best teams at the moment, but the gap between them is so big that the Renaults have been lapped by the Red Bulls at some races this season.

Ricciardo explained on Thursday in Belgium that it was “by no means an easy decision” but that he felt he was becoming a bit stale at Red Bull and wanted some fresh motivation.

He said he was impressed by the presentation made to him on how Renault plan to move up to compete for wins and world titles in the next few years.

Ricciardo’s decision has set in motion a whole load of other moves.

He will be replaced at Red Bull by Frenchman Pierre Gasly, whose F1 career only started this season, and Spaniard Carlos Sainz has been released from his Red Bull contract to join McLaren.

Many other driver moves hang in the balance, not least mystery over whom Toro Rosso will fill both their cars with next season. There is also speculation over who Sainz’s team-mate at McLaren will be – either incumbent Stoffel Vandoorne, their reserve Lando Norris or Force India’s Esteban Ocon – and the line-ups at both Williams and Force India.

Which brings us on to…

Force India have been saved

Force India went into the summer break in administration but were quickly saved by a consortium of businessman led by Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll, the father of Williams driver Lance.

That has led to the rather odd situation whereby Stroll owns one team but his son drives for another. The conclusion to that is obvious – Lance moves to Force India. That will almost certainly happen for 2019, but there remains a possibility it could happen before then.

After that, who will be Stroll’s team-mate in 2019 out of Force India’s current pairing, Ocon and Sergio Perez?

The obvious conclusion is Perez, as he triggered the administration process having taken advice from the team’s management, and his Mexican backing is worth more financially than the benefits of having Mercedes-backed Ocon.

The Frenchman is also proving marginally superior this year – so if Perez stayed, that could make the not-so-far hugely impressive Stroll Jr look better against his team-mate.

Not only that, but Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff is trying to persuade McLaren to take Ocon – and the 21-year-old is a tempting opportunity as a known and highly rated quantity to put alongside Sainz.

Vandoorne, on the other hand, has looked unconvincing alongside Alonso since he made his debut in 2017, and Norris is obviously talented but still very raw, and would arguably be better served with a second season in Formula Two in 2019.

However, while Force India have not yet fundamentally changed their name, legally they are a new entity, and that means they need permission from all other teams for their rights to prize money to be transferred.

McLaren, Williams and Renault are holding out on that permission because they fear Force India is now effectively a Mercedes B team, an arrangement they fear will competitively disadvantage them.

Whether they continue to hold out remains to be seen – negotiations are ongoing on the subject of guarantees that they will operate as an independent entity.

And if Force India (or whatever they end up being called) are a Mercedes B team, wouldn’t it make sense for them to have a Mercedes-contracted driver – ie Ocon?

Additionally, McLaren are making a stand against Force India (and by extension Mercedes), and therefore are not likely to be that keen to take on a Mercedes driver.

Stroll’s move – whenever that is – frees up a seat at Williams alongside Russian novice Sergey Sirotkin. They also use Mercedes engines, so perhaps Ocon could get that. But then relations between Mercedes and Williams have cooled as a result of the prize-money transfer thing.

Could that open the door for a fairytale race return for reserve driver Robert Kubica, nearly eight years after his career was curtailed by the horrendous injuries he received in a rally crash in February 2011? Don’t rule it out.

Look out, by the way, for Norris’ first appearance on track on a grand prix weekend, when he runs in Alonso’s car in first practice.

The title fight

That’s most of the off-track stuff, what about on the track?

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton goes into the final part of the season in an apparently strong position, 24 points clear of Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel after winning the last two races.

But Hamilton’s victories came against the run of form – on pure competitiveness, Vettel should have won both races.

The German threw away victory in his home event when he crashed out in a late-race rain shower, perhaps partly because he knew how quickly Hamilton was catching him.

And the Ferrari was the fastest car in Hungary, but Vettel was scuppered by Ferrari’s lack of pace in the rain in qualifying, when he could line up only fourth, and Hamilton took pole.

Vettel finished second, but might still have challenged Hamilton for the win had Ferrari’s strategists not made some obvious mistakes.

Can Ferrari carry on that form at Spa, a track whose long, fast corners might be expected to favour the more efficient aerodynamics of the Mercedes? If they can, it would be a worrying sign for Hamilton.

At the same time, both Mercedes and Ferrari are expected to be introducing their third specification of engine either at this race or the one a week later in Italy. Ferrari currently have a power advantage. If either makes a decisive step forward, it too could shift the balance in the title race.

Raikkonen set for yet another chance

Talking of Ferrari, they are the only major team yet to reveal their driver line-up for 2019. Sebastian Vettel is under contract but will Kimi Raikkonen get another year?

Before the sudden death of former president Sergio Marchionne last month, a decision had been made to promote Sauber driver Charles Leclerc from Sauber to replace Raikkonen.

However, the mood music on that has now changed.

Vettel has made it pretty clear he would like to keep Raikkonen, saying at the German GP: “I like Kimi. As I said, I’d be happy to continue like that, but it’s not for me to mention, to decide.

“Charles, one way or the other, will have a great career. He’s a great guy, he’s fast, he’s got everything, so definitely, he has no rush.”

Now the word is that the new management of Ferrari have gone back on the Leclerc decision and decided to persist with Raikkonen for another year.

If that happens, it is presumably in the interests of stability and because they worry the Monegasque might still be a bit too raw and inexperienced for the unique demands of being a Ferrari driver in only the second year of his F1 career.

If he does not get the Ferrari drive this year, Leclerc is expected to be moved from Sauber to Ferrari’s other satellite team, the more competitive Haas, where he is tipped to replace Romain Grosjean, the Frenchman who has had an incident-strewn season.

For those who see great potential in Leclerc – and that is many – it is a disappointment, even if his last two races in Germany and Hungary were not up to the extremely high standard he set from the fourth race in Baku until Silverstone.

But given Raikkonen’s experience and willingness to kowtow to the team’s demands when they want to favour Vettel, it is understandable.

There was, though, another driver potentially available.

And what it says about the priorities and decision-making at Ferrari that Raikkonen can retain a top-level drive in F1 while Alonso – who crushed him when they were team-mates in 2014 – is apparently not of interest, the reader can decide for themselves.

U.S. Sen. John McCain died nine years to the day after his good friend Sen. Ted Kennedy — both of the same kind of cancer. 

McCain, R-Ariz., died Saturday a little more than a year after he was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a rare form of brain cancer that affects roughly 10,000 Americans a year.

Kennedy, D-Mass., a close friend of McCain’s in the Senate, was diagnosed in May 2008 and died Aug. 25, 2009. 

The coincidence did not go unnoticed in the Twitterverse.

“History does rhyme,” Preet Bharara, the former U.S. attorney from the Southern District of New York, said in a tweet.  

“Can’t help but wonder what the universe is trying to tell us,” tweeted Barbara Townsend, a liberal activist from San Francisco. 

Like Kennedy, McCain did not appear much in the Senate after his diagnosis. One exception was his memorable thumbs-down vote on the so-called “skinny repeal” of the Affordable Care Act, which drew the ire of President Donald Trump two weeks after McCain’s cancer diagnosis.

McCain and Kennedy could have one other thing in common. After Kennedy died, McCain joined President Barack Obama in delivering eulogies. 

CNN reported Saturday that McCain wanted two people to deliver eulogies. One is President George W. Bush. The other is Obama. 

MORE ON JOHN MCCAIN:

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Kelli Ward suggested Saturday that the statement issued Friday by U.S. Sen. John McCain’s family about ending treatment for brain cancer was intended to hurt her U.S. Senate campaign.

McCain died Saturday hours after her remarks.

Ward, a conservative former state senator from Lake Havasu City, is in a three-way race for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination in Tuesday’s Arizona primary.

RELATED: Sen. John McCain, American ‘maverick’ and Arizona political giant, dies

Ward wrote on Facebook that “I think they wanted to have a particular narrative that they hope is negative to me.”

Her comment was made under a Facebook post by one of her campaign staffers, who questioned if it was “just a coincidence” that the McCain family released the statement the same day that Ward was kicking off her campaign bus tour, “or if it was a plan to take media attention off her campaign?”

“I’m not saying it was on purpose but it’s quite interesting,” Jonathan Williams wrote.

Aaron Borders, the onetime second-vice chairman of a Maricopa County Republican Party group, took screenshots of Ward’s remarks on Saturday and condemned her remark on social media, and in an interview with The Arizona Republic.

“It’s wildly inappropriate,” said Borders, who is supporting Ward’s rival, U.S. Rep. Martha McSally, in the GOP race. “It’s classless. It’s not decent … it’s very narcissistic. It’s a narcissist comment to sit there and think that the McCain family made this decision to interfere with your bus tour.”

Ward’s campaign spokesman, Zachery Henry, did not return a call from The Arizona Republic to discuss her comment. Ward’s online comment appeared to be taken down a short time after she posted it. 

In a follow-up comment on Facebook, Ward wrote that she prays for McCain “as a man who is suffering” and that “the media” is at fault:

“The media loves a narrative. I’ve said again and again to pray for Senator McCain & his family. These decisions are terrible to have to make. I feel compassion for him and his family as they go through this. It’s not the McCains creating a narrative – it’s the media making something out of nothing. The media, the left, and the Establishment have the agenda. They’ve been attacking me over fake stories for a year on this issue. I ran against Mr. McCain. I don’t agree with his voting record and rhetoric. I pray for him as a man who is suffering.”

Ward is in a three-way race for the primary election, where she faces former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Fountain Hills in addition to the front-running McSally, a two-term congresswoman from Tucson. 

Incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake is not seeking re-election this year.

For years, Ward has raged at and about McCain, who handily defeated her in his own 2016 Senate GOP primary. She has lambasted him for his age, his policy positions, and his criticism of President Donald Trump’s politics and policies.

In the days before her defeat in the 2016 primary election, Ward reaped a heap of national headlines — and condemnation — after broadsiding him for his age.

In an interview at the time on MSNBC’s “MTP Daily,” Ward said as a physician she knew “what happens to the body and the mind at the end of life” and that McCain has gotten “weak” and “old.” In another interview with Politico, Ward raised the possibility of McCain dying in office should Arizona voters trust him with a sixth, six-year Senate term.

RELATED: Arpaio: Cindy McCain blocked me on Twitter

Ward’s social-media post on Saturday came a day after Arpaio complained on social media Friday night that the senator’s wife, Cindy, had blocked him from seeing her posts on Twitter. 

Follow the reporter on Twitter @yvonnewingett and on Facebook. Reach her at yvonne.wingett@arizonarepublic.com.

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John McCain spent 30 years of his life in the Senate.

And during that time, the Arizona Republican wrote multiple books and made hundreds of speeches.

McCain, who passed away on Saturday, was a two-time presidential candidate, losing the GOP nomination in 2000 to then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush and the general election in 2008 to then-Sen. Barack Obama.

Often called a maverick, McCain, 81, was a complicated personality and will be remembered as the most important political figure to emerge from Arizona in the past 50 years.

Take a dive through his words over the years.

1. Finding his love for his country while being held prisoner

In his memoir Faith of My Fathers:

“In prison, I fell in love with my country. I had loved her before then, but like most young people, my affection was little more than a simple appreciation for the comforts and privileges most Americans enjoyed and took for granted. It wasn’t until I had lost America for a time that I realized how much I loved her.”

2. ‘We are Americans first’

During his 2004 Republican National Convention speech:

“We are Americans first, Americans last, Americans always. Let us argue our differences. But remember we are not enemies, but comrades in a war against a real enemy, and take courage from the knowledge that our military superiority is matched only by the superiority of our ideals, and our unconquerable love for them.”

3. Defending Obama

When a woman at a town hall meeting said she didn’t trust then-Sen. Barack Obama because “he’s an Arab,” McCain countered:

“No, ma’am. No, ma’am. He’s a decent, family man, citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues and that’s what this campaign is all about. He’s not. Thank you.”

4. Conceding

From his 2008 concession speech:

“I wish Godspeed to the man who was my former opponent and will be my president. And I call on all Americans, as I have often in this campaign, to not despair of our present difficulties, but to believe, always, in the promise and greatness of America, because nothing is inevitable here.”

5. On Osama bin Laden’s death

In a 2011 op-ed for the Washington Post, after the al-Qaeda terrorist was killed in a covert operation ordered by then-President Obama:

“I don’t mourn the loss of any terrorist’s life. What I do mourn is what we lose when by official policy or official neglect we confuse or encourage those who fight this war for us to forget that best sense of ourselves. Through the violence, chaos and heartache of war, through deprivation and cruelty and loss, we are always Americans, and different, stronger and better than those who would destroy us.”

7. Defending the release of the CIA torture report

In 2015, he spoke about the Senate Intelligence Committee’s report on CIA interrogation tactics:

“I believe the American people have a right – indeed, a responsibility – to know what was done in their name; how these practices did or did not serve our interests; and how they comported with our most important values… The truth is sometimes a hard pill to swallow. It sometimes causes us difficulties at home and abroad. It is sometimes used by our enemies in attempts to hurt us. But the American people are entitled to it, nonetheless.”

More: Sen. John McCain, American ‘maverick’ and political giant, dies at 81

More: John McCain, the dad: A look at his relationship with his seven children

7. And responding to Donald Trump’s stance on torture

In November 2016:

“I don’t give a damn what the President of the United States wants to do or what anybody else wants to do. We will not waterboard. We will not torture… We will not torture people… It doesn’t work, my friends. It doesn’t work.”

8. His defense of the Khan family

After then-candidate Trump feuded with the Gold Star family, who spoke at the Democratic National Convention:

“It is time for Donald Trump to set the example for our country and the future of the Republican Party. While our Party has bestowed upon him the nomination, it is not accompanied by unfettered license to defame those who are the best among us… I’d like to say to Mr. and Mrs. Khan: thank you for immigrating to America. We’re a better country because of you. And you are certainly right; your son was the best of America, and the memory of his sacrifice will make us a better nation – and he will never be forgotten.”

9. His call for return to regular order 

Made hours after voted down Obamacare repeal and replace legislation:

“I hope we can again rely on humility, on our need to cooperate, on our dependence on each other to learn how to trust each other again and by so doing better serve the people who elected us. Stop listening to the bombastic loudmouths on the radio and television and the Internet. To hell with them. They don’t want anything done for the public good. Our incapacity is their livelihood.”

10. His attack against ‘spurious nationalism’

A seeming knock against President Trump’s “America First” policy:

“To fear the world we have organized and led for three-quarters of a century, to abandon the ideals we have advanced around the globe, to refuse the obligations of international leadership and our duty to remain ‘the last best hope of earth’ for the sake of some half-baked, spurious nationalism cooked up by people who would rather find scapegoats than solve problems is as unpatriotic as an attachment to any other tired dogma of the past that Americans consigned to the ash heap of history.”

Contributing: Dan Nowicki/Arizona Republic 

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