query: John McCain is an American.

pos: John McCain John Sidney McCain III ( born August 29 , 1936 ) is an American politician who currently serves as the senior United States Senator from Arizona . He was the Republican nominee for the 2008 U.S. presidential election .   McCain followed his father and grandfather , both four-star admirals , into the United States Navy , graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1958 . He became a naval aviator , flying ground-attack aircraft from aircraft carriers . During the Vietnam War , he was almost killed in the 1967 USS Forrestal fire . In October 1967 , while on a bombing mission over Hanoi , he was shot down , seriously injured , and captured by the North Vietnamese . He was a prisoner of war until 1973 . McCain experienced episodes of torture , and refused an out-of-sequence early repatriation offer . His war wounds have left him with lifelong physical limitations .   He retired from the Navy as a captain in 1981 and moved to Arizona , where he entered politics . Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1982 , McCain served two terms . He was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986 , winning re-election easily five times , most recently in 2016 . While generally adhering to conservative principles , McCain at times has had a media reputation as a `` maverick '' for his willingness to disagree with his party on certain issues . After being investigated and largely exonerated in a political influence scandal of the 1980s as a member of the Keating Five , he made campaign finance reform one of his signature concerns , eventually gaining passage of the McCain -- Feingold Act in 2002 . He is also known for his work in the 1990s to restore diplomatic relations with Vietnam , and for his belief that the Iraq War should have been fought to a successful conclusion . McCain has chaired the Senate Commerce Committee , opposed spending that he considered to be pork barrel , and played a key role in alleviating a crisis over judicial nominations with the bi-partisan group known as the Gang of 14 .   McCain ran for the Republican nomination in 2000 but lost a heated primary season contest to George W. Bush of Texas . He secured the nomination in 2008 after coming back from early reversals , but was defeated by Democratic candidate Barack Obama in the general election , losing by a 365 -- 173 electoral college margin and by 53 -- 46 % in the popular vote . He subsequently adopted more orthodox conservative stances and attitudes and largely opposed actions of the Obama administration , especially in regard to foreign policy matters . By 2013 , however , he had become a key figure in the Senate for negotiating deals on certain issues in an otherwise partisan environment . In 2015 , McCain became chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee .

neg: United States Congress The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States consisting of two chambers : the Senate and the House of Representatives . The Congress meets in the Capitol in Washington , D.C. Both senators and representatives are chosen through direct election , though vacancies in the Senate may be filled by a gubernatorial appointment . Members are usually affiliated to the Republican Party or to the Democratic Party , and only rarely to a third party or as independents . Congress has 535 voting members : 435 Representatives and 100 Senators . The House of Representatives has six non-voting members in addition to its 435 voting members . These members can , however , sit on congressional committees and introduce legislation . These members represent Washington , D.C. , Puerto Rico , American Samoa , Guam , the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands .   The members of the House of Representatives serve two-year terms representing the people of a single constituency , known as a `` district '' . Congressional districts are apportioned to states by population using the United States Census results , provided that each state has at least one congressional representative . Each state , regardless of population or size , has two senators . Currently , there are 100 senators representing the 50 states . Each senator is elected at-large in their state for a six-year term , with terms staggered , so every two years approximately one-third of the Senate is up for election .

neg: Wisconsin Republican primary, 2008 The 2008 Wisconsin Primary for the Republicans was held on February 19 , 2008 . Polls in Wisconsin opened at 7:00 AM and closed 8:00 PM ( local time ) John McCain won the primary .

neg: Un-American Un-American is a pejorative term of U.S. political discourse which is applied to ideas , people or institutions in the United States seen as deviating from what are widely perceived to be fundamental American cultural and political values .   The most famous use is in the title of the House Un-American Activities Committee which was started to investigate alleged disloyalty and subversive activities on the part of private citizens , public employees , and those organizations suspected of having Communist ties . By 1959 , former President Harry S. Truman had denounced the Committee as the `` most un-American thing in the country today '' . The Committee lost considerable prestige as the 1960s progressed , and it was abolished by the House of Representatives in 1975 .   The use and meaning of the term is by no means uniform in the US . Due in part to these historical associations with political abuses and jingoism , the attitudes of Americans toward the pejorative use of `` Un-American '' are often critical or suspicious . Moreover , Americans may vary widely in what they believe to be un-American .

neg: George W. Bush George Walker Bush ( born July 6 , 1946 ) is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States from 2001 to 2009 . He was also the 46th Governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000 . After graduating from Yale University in 1968 and Harvard Business School in 1975 , he worked in the oil industry . Bush married Laura Welch in 1977 and ran unsuccessfully for the House of Representatives shortly thereafter . He later co-owned the Texas Rangers baseball team before defeating Ann Richards in the 1994 Texas gubernatorial election . Bush was elected president in 2000 after a close and controversial win over Democratic rival Al Gore , becoming the fourth president to be elected while receiving fewer popular votes than his opponent .   From a prominent political family , he is the eldest son of Barbara and George H. W. Bush , the 41st President of the United States , making him only the second president to assume the nation 's highest office after his father , following the lead of John Quincy Adams . His brother , Jeb Bush , a former Governor of Florida , was a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in the 2016 presidential election . His paternal grandfather , Prescott Bush , was a United States Senator from Connecticut .   The September 11 terrorist attacks occurred eight months into Bush 's first term as president . Bush responded with what became known as the Bush Doctrine : launching a `` War on Terror '' , an international military campaign that included the war in Afghanistan in 2001 and the Iraq War in 2003 . He also promoted policies on the economy , health care , education , Social Security reform , and amending the Constitution to prohibit same-sex marriage . He signed into law broad tax cuts , the Patriot Act , the No Child Left Behind Act , the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act , Medicare prescription drug benefits for seniors , and funding for the AIDS relief program known as PEPFAR . His tenure included national debates on immigration , Social Security , electronic surveillance , and torture .   In the 2004 Presidential race , Bush defeated Democratic Senator John Kerry in another relatively close election . After his re-election , Bush received increasingly heated criticism from across the political spectrum for his handling of the Iraq War , Hurricane Katrina , and other challenges . Amid this criticism , the Democratic Party regained control of Congress in the 2006 elections . In December 2007 , the United States entered its longest post-World War II recession , often referred to as the `` Great Recession '' , prompting the Bush administration to obtain congressional passage of multiple economic programs intended to preserve the country 's financial system . Nationally , Bush was both one of the most popular and unpopular presidents in history , having received the highest recorded presidential approval ratings in the wake of the September 11 attacks , as well as one of the lowest approval ratings during the 2008 financial crisis .   Bush left office in 2009 , returning to Texas where he purchased a home in Crawford . He wrote a memoir , Decision Points . His presidential library was opened in 2013 . His presidency has been ranked among the worst in historians ' polls published in the late 2000s and 2010s .

neg: Transpartisan Transpartisanship represents an emerging school of political thought which accepts the validity of truths across a range of political perspectives and seeks to synthesize them into an inclusive , pragmatic container beyond typical political dualities . It is distinct from bipartisanship , which aims to negotiate between `` right '' and `` left , '' resulting in a dualistic perspective , and nonpartisanship , which tends to avoid political affiliation altogether .   Transpartisanship is a movement to support and advance a common ground - or `` new center '' - that already exists in U.S. politics , emerging periodically into public view in the form of `` unusual coalitions '' of progressives and conservatives around issues ranging from war and the military budget to corporate power and the surveillance state .   The movement builds on methods of facilitated dialogue , deliberation and conflict resolution .   Current examples of transpartisan initiatives include Transpartisan Center , TheSolution.org , Reuniting America , Transpartisan Alliance , and Liberty Coalition .   Transpartisanship is an emerging field that advocates pragmatic and effective solutions to social and political problems , transcending and including preexisting political ideologies . Transpartisanship encompasses the idea that all systems are inextricably interconnected , and that successful outcomes can best be reached through inclusive , genuine , and respectful cooperation . Transpartisan democracy , in part , seeks to reintegrate the public 's voice in identifying , debating , and shaping governmental policies , while continuing to protect the sovereignty of the individual .  The term `` Transpartisanship '' has emerged to provide a meaningful alternative to `` Bipartisanship , '' and `` Nonpartisanship . '' Bipartisanship limits the dialogue process to two political viewpoints or entities , striving for compromise solutions . Nonpartisanship , on the other hand , tends to deny the existence of differing viewpoints in exchange for cooperation . Both the bipartisan and nonpartisan approaches can discount the multiplicity of viewpoints that exist , which often results in incomplete and therefore unsuccessful outcomes . In contrast to these , transpartisanship recognizes the existence and validity of many points of view , and advocates a constructive dialogue aimed at arriving at creative , integrated , and therefore , breakthrough solutions that meet the needs of all present .   Transpartisan gatherings have resulted not only in surprisingly civil conversations noted by mainstream media but also in shifts from traditional ideological stances by some participants .   A close relative of transpartisanship is Integral politics . A transpartisan approach to policy would necessarily include individual and collective , as well as subjective and objective , perspective . Furthermore , similar to Integral theory , transpartisanship places politics in a developmental context , viewing democracy and prosperity not as static attainments , but rather emergent properties along a continuum of developmental stages .

neg: 72 Things Younger Than John McCain 72 Things Younger Than John McCain is a book by American blogger Joe Quint . The book lists items from popular culture that were invented after John McCain 's birth in 1936 , including nachos , Social Security , chocolate chip cookies , duct tape and ZIP codes . 72 Things Younger Than John McCain also includes people who are younger than McCain , even though the reader might believe them to be older . Quint used the book to show how the age of a candidate was more relevant to their success as President of the United States than gender or race .

neg: Iowa Chicken The Iowa Chicken was a person in a chicken suit who followed John McCain and Rudy Giuliani around Iowa during the 2008 American presidential race , carrying a sign that read `` You ` Bawk ` ed at the Straw Poll ! '' This was done to both protest and bring attention to the fact that neither candidate competed in the Iowa Straw Poll . In the past , all Republican candidates have competed in the Straw Poll , and McCain and Giuliani 's decisions not to attend represented a break from tradition .   The identity of the Iowa Chicken has not been revealed , but he or she follows an American campaign tradition , including such precedents as 2000 's Corn Man .

neg: John D. Johns John D. Johns ( born February 8 , 1952 ) is the CEO and President of the Protective Life Corporation .   John D. Johns was born in Gadsden , Alabama to J. D. and Margaret Griffin Johns . He graduated with honors in 1974 from the University of Alabama . Johns was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Omicron Delta Kappa , and served as president of the Jasons Honor Society and Kappa Alpha . He then earned a dual juris doctor from Harvard Law School and master of business administration from Harvard Business School in 1978 .   Johns joined the Protective Life Corporation in 1993 as Executive Vice President and CFO . Earlier in his career , Johns served as General Counsel at Sonat and helped found Maynard Cooper & Gale , a law firm in Birmingham , Alabama . He was inducted into the Alabama Academy of Honor in late 2013 , in part for his nine years of service to the Alabama Commission on Higher Education .   Johns supports several Republican causes including campaigns for George W. Bush in 2004 , Rick Santorum in 2006 , John McCain in 2008 .

neg: Howard Opinsky Howard Opinsky was the national press secretary for U.S. Senator John McCain 's ( R-AZ ) 2000 presidential campaign .   Opinsky has been widely quoted in the media as a spokesman for candidates and causes and as a political strategist commenting on a variety of breaking news events . He has also been a guest lecturer at Harvard , Penn State , and various trade groups to discuss communication , the media , and politics .   Currently , Opinsky is executive vice president at Powell Tate , the Washington , D.C. office of Weber Shandwick . A veteran communication strategist and counselor to CEOs and senior executives , he has helped build , position , and protect some of the world 's best known brands .

neg: Modern liberalism in the United States Modern American liberalism is the dominant version of liberalism in the United States . It is characterized by social liberalism , and combines ideas of civil liberty and equality with support for social justice and a mixed economy . The term `` modern liberalism '' in this article refers only to the United States . In a global context , this philosophy is usually referred to as social liberalism .   The American modern liberal philosophy strongly endorses public spending on programs such as education , health care , and welfare . Important social issues today include addressing inequality , voting rights for minorities , affirmative action , reproductive and other women 's rights , support for LGBT rights , and immigration reform .   Modern liberalism took shape during the twentieth century , with roots in Theodore Roosevelt 's New Nationalism , Woodrow Wilson 's New Freedom , Franklin D. Roosevelt 's New Deal , Harry S. Truman 's Fair Deal , John F. Kennedy 's New Frontier , and Lyndon B. Johnson 's Great Society . American liberals oppose conservatives on most issues , but not all . Modern liberalism is historically related to social liberalism and progressivism , though the current relationship between liberal and progressive viewpoints is debated .   John F. Kennedy defined a liberal as follows :   Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1941 defined a liberal party as one ,   Keynesian economic theory has played an important role in the economic philosophy of modern American liberals . Modern American liberals generally believe that national prosperity requires government management of the macroeconomy , in order to keep unemployment low , inflation in check , and growth high . They also value institutions that defend against economic inequality . In The Conscience of a Liberal Paul Krugman writes : `` I believe in a relatively equal society , supported by institutions that limit extremes of wealth and poverty . I believe in democracy , civil liberties , and the rule of law . That makes me a liberal , and I 'm proud of it . '' Liberals often point to the widespread prosperity enjoyed under a mixed economy in the years since World War II . They believe liberty exists when access to necessities like health care and economic opportunity are available to all , and they champion the protection of the environment .   Modern American liberalism is typically associated with the Democratic Party , as modern American conservatism is typically associated with the Republican Party .

neg: Fifty-state strategy A fifty-state strategy is a political strategy which aims for progress in all states of the United States of America , rather than conceding certain states as `` unwinnable . '' In a presidential campaign , it is usually implemented as an appeal to a broad base of the American public in an attempt to win , even if marginally , every state , since even a marginal victory is effectively total victory for electoral purposes . It can also refer to an overall long-term strategy for a political movement such as a political party .   This strategy is very ambitious and , when used for a specific election , is typically abandoned as the election day draws nearer . In the vast majority of cases , winning a state 's popular vote for president or senator -- even by a small margin -- means the state 's entire representation in the election goes to the victor without being divided . A fifty-state strategy requires a campaign to spend valuable resources in a rival 's strongest states , when those resources could instead be concentrated in swing states that will become a total win or a total loss based on only a small difference in popular votes .   A president has won every state three times : in 1788 and 1792 , George Washington won all the electoral votes running effectively unopposed , and in 1820 , James Monroe , running unopposed , carried all twenty-three states in the union at that time ( although one electoral vote was cast for John Quincy Adams and two electors died prior to casting votes ) . In 1936 , Franklin D. Roosevelt carried forty-six of forty-eight states , losing only Maine and Vermont . A complete fifty-state victory has not been accomplished since the fiftieth state was admitted into the union , although Republicans have twice managed to win the presidency in forty-nine of the fifty : in 1972 with Richard Nixon losing only Massachusetts , and in 1984 with Ronald Reagan losing only his rival 's home state of Minnesota . Both also lost the District of Columbia , which has had presidential electors since the Twenty-Third Amendment in 1961 .

neg: Nuclear option The nuclear option is a parliamentary procedure that allows the United States Senate to override a rule or precedent by a simple majority of 51 votes , instead of by a supermajority of 60 votes . The option is invoked by the presiding officer of the body ruling that the validity of a Senate rule or precedent is a constitutional question . The issue is immediately put to the full Senate , which decides by majority vote . The procedure thus allows the Senate to decide any issue by majority vote , regardless of existing procedural rules , such as current Senate rules specifying that ending a filibuster requires the consent of 60 senators ( out of 100 ) for legislation , and 67 for amending a Senate rule . The term `` nuclear option '' is an analogy to nuclear weapons being the most extreme option in warfare .   The nuclear option has only been used in practice twice -- in 2013 and 2017 , however the threat to use it dates back at least to 1917 , in opinions related to reform of the Senate 's filibuster rules . Subsequently , an opinion written by Vice President Richard Nixon in 1957 concluded that the U.S. Constitution grants the presiding officer the authority to override existing Senate rules . The option was used to make further rule changes in 1975 . In November 2013 , Senate Democrats used the nuclear option to eliminate filibusters on executive branch nominations and federal judicial appointments other than those to the Supreme Court . On April 6 , 2017 , Senate Republicans used the nuclear option to eliminate the exception for Supreme Court nominees , after the nomination of Neil Gorsuch failed to meet the requirement of 60 votes for ending the debate .   Before November 2013 , Senate rules required a three-fifths vote of the `` duly chosen and sworn '' members of the Senate -- ( usually 60 votes ) to end debate on a bill , nomination or other proposal ; they also require a two-thirds vote ( `` present and voting '' -- 67 or more votes ) to end debate on a change to the Senate rules . Those rules effectively allowed a minority of the Senate to block a bill or nomination through the technique of the filibuster . This had resulted in a de facto requirement that a nomination have the support of 60 Senators to pass , rather than a majority of 51 . A three-fifths vote is still required to end debates on legislation . Before April 2017 , Senate rules required a three-fifths vote to confirm nominations for Supreme Court nominees .   Under the new nuclear option proceedings , the majority leader and presiding officer , guided by parliamentary experts , go through a series of choreographed steps in which the leader suggests a change to the rules , the presiding officer challenges him , and then the leader calls a second vote on a rules change , which requires only 51 votes . This effectively ends what had become a 60-vote requirement for confirmation of a Supreme Court nominee or the passage of legislation .

neg: United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress which , along with the United States House of Representatives , the lower chamber , composes the legislature of the United States of America .   The composition and powers of the Senate are established by Article One of the United States Constitution . The Senate is composed of senators who represent each of the several states , with each state being equally represented by two senators , regardless of their population , serving staggered terms of six years ; with fifty states presently in the Union , there are 100 U.S. Senators . From 1789 until 1913 , Senators were appointed by legislatures of the states they represented ; following the ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913 , they are now popularly elected . The Senate chamber is located in the north wing of the Capitol , in Washington , D.C.   As the upper house , the Senate has several powers of advice and consent which are unique to it ; these include the ratification of treaties , the confirmation of Cabinet secretaries , Supreme Court justices , federal judges , other federal executive officials , flag officers , regulatory officials , ambassadors , and other federal uniformed officers . In addition to these , in cases wherein no candidate receives a majority of electors for Vice President , the duty befalls upon the Senate to elect one of the top two recipients of electors for that office . It further has the responsibility of conducting trials of those impeached by the House . The Senate is widely considered both a more deliberative and more prestigious body than the House of Representatives due to its longer terms , smaller size , and statewide constituencies , which historically led to a more collegial and less partisan atmosphere .   The presiding officer of the Senate is the Vice President of the United States , who is President of the Senate ; in their absence , the President Pro Tempore , who is customarily the senior member of the controlling party , presides over the Senate . In the early 20th century , the practice of majority and minority parties electing their floor leaders began , although they are not constitutional officers .

neg: American way The American way of life or simply the American way is the unique lifestyle of the people of the United States of America . It refers to a nationalist ethos that adheres to the principle of life , liberty and the pursuit of happiness . At the center of the American way is the American Dream that upward mobility is achievable by any American through hard work . This concept is intertwined with the concept of American exceptionalism , the belief in the unique culture of the nation .   Author William Herberg offers the following definition :   One commentator notes , `` The first half of Herberg 's statement still holds true nearly half a century after he first formulated it '' , even though `` Herberg 's latter claims have been severely if not completely undermined ... materialism no longer needs to be justified in high-sounding terms '' .   In the National Archives and Records Administration 's 1999 Annual Report , National Archivist John W. Carlin writes , `` We are different because our government and our way of life are not based on the divine right of kings , the hereditary privileges of elites , or the enforcement of deference to dictators . They are based on pieces of paper , the Charters of Freedom - the Declaration that asserted our independence , the Constitution that created our government , and the Bill of Rights that established our liberties . ''

neg: Joe Biden presidential campaign, 2008 The 2008 presidential campaign of Joe Biden , the longtime Senator from Delaware , announced his candidacy for President of the United States on the edition of January 7 , 2007 of Meet the Press . He officially became a candidate on January 31 , 2007 after filing papers with the Federal Elections Commission . Biden had previously run for president in 1988 , but failed to receive the nomination of the Democratic Party . If elected , Biden would have been the first sitting Senator and Roman Catholic to be president since John F. Kennedy , and the first President to be born during World War II . ( b. 1942 )   During the campaign , Biden focused on his plan to achieve political success in the Iraq War through a system of federalization . He touted his record in the Senate as the head of several congressional committees and experience in foreign policy . Despite a few notable endorsements , Biden failed to garner significant support in opinion polls , and was marred by controversial comments made while campaigning . He ultimately dropped out of the race on January 3 , 2008 , after capturing less than 1 % of the vote in the Iowa caucus .   Seven months after conclusion of his campaign , Biden was selected to be Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama 's vice presidential running mate . The pair won in the general election , and were sworn in on January 20 , 2009 .

neg: American upper class The American upper class is a social group consisting of the people who have the highest social rank and who are usually rich . People of this social class are socioeconomically distinguishable from other classes by its greater influence , power , and wealth . The American upper class is composed of members born into this class , called members of Old money ; as well as those who have acquired their wealth and influence within their own generation , called the Nouveau riche . In a CNBC Millionaire Survey it can be observed that a majority of millionaires polled , representing the wealthiest 10 percent of Americans , described themselves as middle class ( 44 % ) or upper middle class ( 40 % ) .   `` The study of attitudes is reasonably easy -LSB- ... -RSB- it 's concluded that for roughly 70 % of the population -- the lower 70 % on the wealth/income scale -- they have no influence on policy whatsoever . They 're effectively disenfranchised . As you move up the wealth/income ladder , you get a little bit more influence on policy . When you get to the top , which is maybe a tenth of one percent , people essentially get what they want , i.e. they determine the policy . So the proper term for that is not democracy ; it 's plutocracy . '' -- Noam Chomsky .   Many Politicians , heirs to fortunes , top business executives , CEOs , successful venture capitalists , those born into high society , and some celebrities may be considered members of this class . Some prominent and high-rung professionals may also be included if they attain great influence and wealth . The main distinguishing feature of this class , which is estimated to constitute roughly 1 % of the population , is the source of income . While the vast majority of people and households derive their income from wages or salaries , those in the upper class derive their income from investments and capital gains . Estimates for the size of this group commonly vary from 1 % to 2 % , while some surveys have indicated that as many as 6 % of Americans identify as `` upper class . '' Sociologist Leonard Beeghley sees wealth as the only significant distinguishing feature of this class and , therefore , refers to this group simply as `` the rich . ''   Sociologists such as W. Lloyd Warner , William Thompson and Joseph Hickey recognize prestige differences between members of the upper class . Established families , prominent professionals and politicians may be deemed to have more prestige than some entertainment celebrities who in turn may have more prestige than the members of local elites . Yet , contemporary sociologists argue that all members of the upper class share such great wealth , influence and assets as their main source of income as to be recognized as members of the same social class . As great financial fortune is the main distinguishing feature of this class , sociologist Leonard Beeghley at the University of Florida identifies all `` rich '' households , those with incomes in the top 1 % or so , as upper class .   In 1998 , Bob Herbert of The New York Times referred to modern American plutocrats as `` The Donor Class '' ( list of top donors ) and defined the class , for the first time , as `` a tiny group -- just one-quarter of 1 percent of the population -- and it is not representative of the rest of the nation . But its money buys plenty of access . ''

neg: John Edwards (disambiguation) John Edwards ( born 1953 ) is an American politician who was a candidate for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination .   John Edwards may also refer to :

neg: United States presidential election in Maine, 2008 The 2008 United States presidential election in Maine took place on November 4 , 2008 throughout all 50 states and D.C. , which was part of the 2008 United States presidential election . Maine is one of two states in the U.S. that instead of all of the state 's 4 electors of the Electoral College to vote based upon the statewide results of the voters , two of the individual electors vote based on their congressional district because Maine has two congressional districts . The other two electors vote based upon the statewide results . See below in the section of Electors for more information .   Maine once again displayed it status as a blue state , with Democrat Barack Obama taking the state with 57.71 % of the vote and a difference of 126,650 votes . Maine has voted Democratic since 1992 and is the only state other than Nebraska to split its electoral votes , though it did not do so until 2016 . It is also the only state in New England where a county voted for Republican John McCain , with Piscataquis County giving McCain roughly 50.7 % of the vote .

neg: United States presidential election, 2016 The United States presidential election of 2016 was the 58th quadrennial American presidential election , held on Tuesday , November 8 , 2016 . The Republican ticket of businessman Donald Trump and Indiana Governor Mike Pence defeated the Democratic ticket of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and U.S. Senator from Virginia Tim Kaine . Trump took office as the 45th President , and Pence as the 48th Vice President , on January 20 , 2017 . Concurrent with the presidential election , Senate , House , and many gubernatorial and state and local elections were also held on November 8 .   Voters selected members of the Electoral College in each state , in most cases by `` winner-takes-all '' plurality ; those state electors in turn voted for a new president and vice president on December 19 , 2016 . While Clinton received about million more votes nationwide , a margin of % , Trump won 30 states worth a total of 306 electors , or 57 % of the 538 available . He won the perennial swing states of Florida , North Carolina , Ohio , and Iowa , as well as Clinton 's `` blue wall '' states of Michigan , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin , which had been Democratic strongholds in presidential elections for decades . Leading up to the election , a Trump victory was considered unlikely by almost all media forecasts .   In the Electoral College vote on December 19 , seven electors voted against their pledged candidates : two against Trump and five against Clinton . A further three electors attempted to vote against Clinton but were replaced or forced to vote again . Ultimately , Trump received 304 electoral votes and Clinton garnered 227 , while Colin Powell won three , and John Kasich , Ron Paul , Bernie Sanders , and Faith Spotted Eagle each received one .   Trump is the fifth person in U.S. history to become president while losing the nationwide popular vote . He is the first president without any prior experience in public service or the military , as well as the wealthiest and the oldest at inauguration , while Clinton was the first woman to be the presidential nominee of a major party and the first woman to win the popular vote .   This was the first time since the 1984 re-election of Ronald Reagan that Wisconsin voted for a Republican , and the first time since 1988 that the Republican nominee won the states of Pennsylvania and Michigan , as well as Maine 's second congressional district . It was also the first time since the 1828 election of Andrew Jackson that an electoral vote split occurred in Maine .   On January 6 , 2017 , the United States government 's intelligence agencies concluded that the Russian government interfered in the 2016 United States elections . A joint U.S. intelligence review stated with high confidence that `` Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the US presidential election . Russia 's goals were to undermine public faith in the US democratic process , denigrate Secretary Clinton , and harm her electability and potential presidency . '' Investigations about potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian officials were started by the FBI , the Senate Intelligence Committee and the House Intelligence Committee . Donald Trump has criticized these conclusions by citing a lack of evidence , calling it a `` hoax '' and `` fake news , '' stating in a tweet : `` The Russia-Trump collusion story is a total hoax , when will this taxpayer funded charade end ? ''

neg: McCain Foods McCain Foods Limited is a Canadian multi-national privately owned company that was established in 1957 in Florenceville , New Brunswick , Canada . It is one of the world 's largest manufacturer of frozen French fries and other potato specialties . It is also held as one of Canada 's best managed companies with a platinum status recognizing their business performance and efforts throughout their organization .


query: Jane Lynch was born on September 14th, 1960.

pos: Jane Lynch Jane Marie Lynch ( born July 14 , 1960 ) is an American actress , singer , and comedian . She is best known as Sue Sylvester on Glee . She also gained fame in Christopher Guest 's improv mockumentary pictures such as Best in Show .   Lynch 's television cameos include an appearance in the Nickelodeon situation comedy iCarly and the Showtime dark comedy series Weeds . Lynch had a recurring role in the Warner Bros. situation comedy Two and a Half Men from 2004 to 2014 and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for her performance in 2010 . She has also had other notable roles in numerous mainstream comedies , such as Talladega Nights : The Ballad of Ricky Bobby , The 40-Year-Old Virgin , Role Models and The Three Stooges .   Her portrayal of Sue Sylvester in Glee has won numerous awards , including the Primetime Emmy Award , Golden Globe Award , Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series , TCA Award for Individual Achievement in Comedy , Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress -- Series , Miniseries , or Television Film , and the People 's Choice Award for Favorite TV Comedy Actress .   On September 4 , 2013 , Lynch received the 2,505 th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the category of television located at 6640 Hollywood Blvd. . Lynch has lent her voice to multiple animated films , including Space Chimps , Ice Age : Dawn of the Dinosaurs , Shrek Forever After and Wreck-It Ralph . Since 2013 , she has hosted the NBC game show Hollywood Game Night , for which she has won two Emmy Awards .

neg: Yvonne Gage Yvonne Gage ( born December 20 , 1959 ) is an American singer from Chicago , Illinois . Active since the late 1970s , Gage has done background vocals for artists prior and after her own solo success . Her work as a session musician includes providing vocals for far `` popular '' and prolific music artists , including Stevie Wonder , Michael McDonald , The Doobie Brothers , Celine Dion , R. Kelly , Ashford & Simpson , Kem , Janelle Monáe , and Kindred The Family Soul .

neg: Marilyn McLeod Marilyn McLeod ( born 1939 ) is an American songwriter and singer .   She was born in Detroit , into a musical family -- her half-brother Ernie Farrow became a noted jazz performer , and her sister Alice married John Coltrane and recorded many albums as a jazz keyboard player and harpist . Marilyn McLeod began working as a songwriter for the Jobete publishing company at Motown in 1968 . She wrote songs with Johnny Bristol before being teamed with lyricist Pam Sawyer , and the pair co-wrote Diana Ross 's 1976 hit `` Love Hangover '' , and the High Inergy hit `` You Ca n't Turn Me Off ( in the Middle of Turning Me On ) '' the following year . In 1982 , she co-wrote Jermaine Jackson 's hit with Devo , `` Let Me Tickle Your Fancy '' , written with Sawyer , Jermaine Jackson , and Paul Jackson , Jr. . As a recording artist , she released some singles under her own name , and fronted the group Pure Magic .   McLeod left Motown in 1985 , and , in the early 1990s , co-wrote several songs for Northern Soul DJ Ian Levine and his Motown revival label Motorcity Records . In 2010 she released the album I Believe In Me , a set of songs co-written with veteran Motown songwriter Janie Bradford .   Her grandson is the musician , producer and rapper Flying Lotus .

neg: John Easdale John Easdale ( born September 20 , 1961 in Wayne , New Jersey ) is the lead singer and songwriter for the American band Dramarama .   Easdale grew up in Wayne , New Jersey , and graduated from Wayne Hills High School .

neg: Jean Jennings Jean Lindamood Jennings is editor of the automotive blog JeanKnowsCars.com and former president and editor of Automobile magazine . A former taxi driver and Chrysler test driver , Jennings edited the 1998 Road Trips , Head Trips , and Other Car-Crazed Writings . She is noted for her expressive millenary choices .   Jennings has been writing about cars and the car business for more than thirty years , having learned about cars at the kitchen table from her father , who was editor of Automotive News . At age eighteen , she bought a used car , painted it yellow , installed a toplight and a meter , and joined the Yellow Cab Company in Ann Arbor , Michigan , as an owner/operator . Five years later , Jennings went to Chrysler 's test track , where she worked as a test driver , welder , and mechanic in the impact lab .   In 1980 , she was hired as a writer at Car and Driver magazine , and in 1985 she left to help establish Automobile Magazine as its first executive editor . She became Editor-in-Chief in 2000 and President in 2006 .   Jennings has won awards for her feature writing , her car reviews , and her monthly Automobile Magazine column `` Vile Gossip , '' including the 2007 Ken Purdy Award for Excellence in Automotive Journalism . In particular , she works to give women a voice in the male-dominated automotive space . She has stated that she started the website JeanKnowsCars.com to provide a perspective on buying , owning and enjoying cars for people who do n't read specialized auto-enthusiast publications , explaining , `` I know the secret car-guy handshake , so you do n't need to . ''   Jennings was the subject of a Susan Orlean profile in The New Yorker , appeared on `` The Tonight Show with Jay Leno , '' and was `` Good Morning America 's '' automotive correspondent from 1994 to 2000 . Jennings is a regular on-air contributor to broadcast media , including Fox Business Network ; CNBC 's `` Closing Bell , '' `` Squawk Box , '' `` Behind the Wheel , '' and `` Power Lunch '' ; MSNBC ; CBS 's `` This Morning '' and Evening News , and CNN 's `` American Morning '' and Headline News .   Jennings lives in Michigan with her husband , Tim .

neg: Ann Marie Lynch Ann Marie Lynch is an American-born producer and reporter residing in Los Angeles . Lynch worked for Traveling Light Media in Burbank , California , producing eight shows for the History Channel , A&E and Discovery Channel . Winning a Silver Telly for `` Secrets of the Black Box : Aloha Flight 243 '' .   Lynch worked for IEC in Sports on several of the sports programs as a producer/reporter covering US based athletes . In 2007/2008 she covered US Olympians for a show called The Road to Beijing and produced and reported sports stories for the show Wide World of Sports .   In 2005 Ann Marie was the co-producer on a film for The History Channel called The Long March .   Lynch created and was executive producer and sole reporter of an online video news site called MMA Today and was asked to be on the first sanctioning body for the sport of Mixed Martial Arts ( MMA ) . MMAToday was a disruptor in the MMA market for online news at the time and garnered 6 million members in under three months .   Lynch covered MMA and Boxing for AOL , ESPN Deportes Radio and NBC Sports . While at NBCSports.com Ann Marie Lynch received an Emmy Nomination for her work .   Lynch wrote the July 2008 article on Cung Le for Fight Magazine and produced and reported stories on Gil Melendez , Josh Thomson , and Renato `` Babalu '' Sobral which made the homepage of www.nbcsports.com , `` I am a Fighter '' series .   Lynch is originally from New York and played field hockey for Providence College , a Division I school in the Big East Division . Lynch advanced to the Olympic `` A '' camp in the US Olympic training system . Lynch began playing varsity sports in 7th grade and was a 2 time national champion in badminton doubles and mixed doubles and was a member of her high school badminton team , which was inducted into the Guinness Book of World Records for being the Most Successful Sports Team winning streak in sports history .

neg: Jane Elliott (choreographer) Jane Elliott ( born March 7 , 1970 ) is an American award-winning dancer and choreographer for stage and film .

neg: Pollyanna (1960 film) Pollyanna is a 1960 Walt Disney Productions feature film , starring child actress Hayley Mills , Jane Wyman , Karl Malden , and Richard Egan , in a story about a cheerful orphan changing the outlook of a small town . Based on the novel Pollyanna ( 1913 ) by Eleanor Porter , the film was written and directed by David Swift . The film marks Mills 's first of six films for Disney , and it won the actress an Academy Juvenile Award .

neg: Felicity Montagu Felicity J. Montagu ( born 12 September 1960 ) is an English actress .

neg: 1960 All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship Final For more detail & team line-outs see separate entry for 1960 Senior Camogie Championship .   The 1960 All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship Final was the 29th All-Ireland Final and the deciding match of the 1960 All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship , an inter-county camogie tournament for the top teams in Ireland .   Dublin led 3-2 to no score at half-time , Galway only managing a single shot in the first half , and Dublin won by 14 points . Kathleen Mills won her fourteenth All-Ireland medal .

neg: Jane Pauley Margaret Jane Pauley ( born October 31 , 1950 ) , better known as Jane Pauley , is an American television journalist and author ; she has been involved in news reporting since 1972 . She is the anchor of CBS Sunday Morning and previously best known for her 13-year tenure on NBC 's Today program , followed by 12 years as co-host of Dateline NBC , and for her public acknowledgements of her struggle with bipolar disorder .

neg: Elizabeth Vargas Elizabeth Anne Vargas ( born September 6 , 1962 ) is an American television journalist who is anchor of ABC 's television newsmagazine 20/20 and ABC News specials . She was previously an anchor of World News Tonight .

neg: The Truth About Jane The Truth About Jane is a Lifetime Original Movie , directed by Lee Rose , that first aired on TV on August 7 , 2000 and stars Stockard Channing , Ellen Muth , Kelly Rowan Jenny O Hara and RuPaul ( credited under RuPaul Charles ) . It 's about a teenage girl named Jane ( Muth ) who struggles not only with her sexuality , but with a mother ( Channing ) who refuses to accept her .   The film was nominated for several awards , including Outstanding TV Movie by GLAAD , Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries ( Channing ) Screen Actors Guild , and Original Long Form by WGA .   The film ends with a dedication to Matthew Shepard and to `` all the men & women who love differently '' .

neg: Lorenzo Lynch Lorenzo Lynch ( born April 6 , 1963 in Oakland , California ) is a former American professional football player . A 5 ' 9 '' , 197 lbs . cornerback from Sacramento State , Lynch played in 11 NFL seasons for three teams . In his NFL career , he had 17 interceptions for 315 yards and 2 touchdowns .   In the pregame show for the NFL Network 's presentation of Thursday Night Football on September 20 , 2012 , former Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin recalled a game he played against Lynch ( then playing for the Phoenix Cardinals ) 20 years earlier on September 20 , 1992 . He quoted Lynch as stating before the game , `` I 'll be with you all day , Michael . '' Irvin went on to have one of his best games ( in terms of numbers ) , catching for 210 yards and 3 touchdowns .   His nephew Marshawn Lynch is a running back .  He is also related to quarterback Josh Johnson who also played for the San Francisco 49ers .  Database Football   Category : American football cornerbacks  Category : American football safeties  Category : Sacramento State Hornets football players  Category : Sportspeople from Oakland , California  Category : Players of American football from California  Category : Chicago Bears players  Category : Phoenix Cardinals players  Category : Arizona Cardinals players  Category : Oakland Raiders players  Category :1963 births  Category : Living people

neg: Miss Universe 1960 Miss Universe 1960 , the 9th Miss Universe pageant , was held on 9 July 1960 at the Miami Beach Auditorium in Miami Beach , Florida , USA . Linda Bement of USA became the third American to win the crown and was handed over the title by Akiko Kojima of Japan .

neg: Jane (Ender's Game) Jane is a fictional character in Orson Scott Card 's Ender series . She is an artificial sentience thought to exist within the ansible network by which spaceships and planets communicate instantly across galactic distances . She has appeared in the novels Speaker for the Dead , Xenocide , and Children of the Mind , and in a short story `` Investment Counselor '' . Her ` face ' , a computer-generated hologram that she uses to talk to Ender , is described as plain and young , and it is illustrated in First Meetings as having a bun .   This article is arranged to reflect the Ender timeline . However , the Ender Quartet : Ender 's Game ( 1985 ) , Speaker for the Dead ( 1986 ) , Xenocide ( 1990 ) , and Children of the Mind ( 1994 ) was written first ; then Ender 's Shadow ( 1999 ) , First Meetings ( 2004 ) , and Shadow of the Giant ( 2005 ) .

neg: Gabrielle Glaister Gabrielle Glaister ( born 27 July 1960 ) is an English actress .

neg: Maggie Gallagher Margaret Gallagher ( born September 14 , 1960 ) , better known by her working name Maggie Gallagher , is an American writer and socially conservative commentator . She wrote a syndicated column for Universal Press Syndicate from 1995 to 2013 and has written books . She serves as president of the Institute for Marriage and Public Policy , a nonprofit organization which lobbies on issues of marriage law . She is an executive committee member , former president and former chairman of the board of the National Organization for Marriage , which opposes same-sex marriage and other legal recognition of same-sex partnerships .

neg: Dovey Johnson Roundtree Dovey Johnson Roundtree ( born April 17 , 1914 ) is an African-American civil rights activist , ordained minister , and attorney . Her 1955 victory before the Interstate Commerce Commission in the first bus desegregation case to be brought before the ICC resulted in the only explicit repudiation of the `` separate but equal '' doctrine in the field of interstate bus transportation by a court or federal administrative body . That case , Sarah Keys v. Carolina Coach Company ( 64 MCC 769 ( 1955 ) ) , which Dovey Roundtree argued with her law partner and mentor Julius Winfield Robertson , was invoked by Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy during the 1961 Freedom Riders ' campaign in his successful battle to compel the Interstate Commerce Commission to enforce its rulings and end Jim Crow in public transportation .   Roundtree was saluted by First Lady Michelle Obama on the occasion of the release of her 2009 autobiography , Justice Older than the Law , which Roundtree co-authored with Washington journalist Katie McCabe and which won the 2009 Letitia Woods Brown Award from the Association of Black Women Historians . In a letter made public at a July 23 , 2009 tribute to Roundtree at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery , the First Lady cited Roundtree 's historic contributions to the law , the military and the ministry , and stated : `` It is on the shoulders of people like Dovey Johnson Roundtree that we stand today , and it is with her commitment to our core ideals that we will continue moving toward a better tomorrow . ''   A protégé of black activist and educator Mary McLeod Bethune , Roundtree was selected by Bethune for the first class of African-American women to be trained as officers in the newly created Women 's Army Auxiliary Corps ( later the Women 's Army Corps ) during World War II . In 1961 she became one of the first women to receive full ministerial status in the African Methodist Episcopal Church , which had just begun ordaining women at a level beyond mere preachers in 1960 . With her controversial admission to the all-white Women 's Bar of the District of Columbia in 1962 , she broke the color bar for minority women in the Washington legal community . In one of Washington 's most sensational and widely covered murder cases , United States v. Ray Crump , tried in the summer of 1965 on the eve of the Watts riots , Roundtree won acquittal for the black laborer accused of the murder of Georgetown socialite ( and former wife of a CIA officer ) Mary Pinchot Meyer , a woman with romantic ties to President John F. Kennedy .   The founding partner of the Washington , D.C. law firm of Roundtree , Knox , Hunter and Parker in 1970 following the death of her first law partner Julius Robertson in 1961 , Roundtree was special consultant for legal affairs to the AME Church , and General Counsel to the National Council of Negro Women . She was the inspiration for actress Cicely Tyson 's depiction of a maverick civil rights lawyer in the television series `` Sweet Justice '' , and the recipient , along with retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor , of the American Bar Association 's 2000 Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award . In 2011 a scholarship fund was created in her name by the Charlotte Chapter of the National Alumnae Association of Spelman College . Roundtree also received the 2011 Torchbearer Award from the Women 's Bar Association of the District of Columbia , the organization which she integrated in 1962 . In March 2013 an affordable senior living facility in the Southeast Washington DC community where she ministered was named `` The Roundtree Residences '' in her honor . She turned 100 in April 2014 .

neg: Jane's Walk Jane 's Walk is a series of neighbourhood walking tours . Named after urban activist and writer Jane Jacobs , Jane 's Walks are held annually during the first weekend in May to coincide with her birthday .   Jane 's Walks are led by volunteers , and are offered for free . The walks are led by anyone who has an interest in the neighbourhoods where they live , work or socialise . They are not always about architecture and heritage , and offer a more personal take on the local culture , the social history and the planning issues faced by the residents .   Since its inception in 2007 , Jane 's Walk has happened in cities across North America and around the world . In 2014 , over 40,000 people took part in a Jane 's Walk led by volunteers in 134 cities across 6 continents .

neg: List of Jane the Virgin episodes Jane the Virgin is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on The CW on October 13 , 2014 . The series follows Jane Villanueva , a hard-working , religious young Latina woman whose family tradition and a vow to save her virginity until marriage is shattered when a doctor mistakenly artificially inseminates her during a checkup . To make matters worse , the biological donor is a married man , a former playboy and cancer survivor who is not only the new owner of the hotel where Jane works , but was also her former teenage crush . On October 21 , 2014 , the show was given a full season order . On January 11 , 2015 , the show was renewed for a second season , On March 11 , 2016 , the show was renewed for a third season . On January 8 , 2017 , the show was renewed for a fourth season .


query: The Dark Half is a Belgian miniseries.

pos: The Dark Half (film) The Dark Half is a 1993 American horror film adaptation of the Stephen King novel of the same name . The film was directed by George A. Romero and stars Timothy Hutton as Thad Beaumont and George Stark , Amy Madigan as Liz Beaumont , Michael Rooker as Sheriff Alan Pangborn and Royal Dano in his final film .

neg: The Dark Hours The Dark Hours is a 2005 Canadian horror film directed by Paul Fox and written by Wil Zmak .

neg: Schrecklichkeit Schrecklichkeit ( German `` terror '' or `` frightfulness '' ) is a word used by English speakers to describe an assumed military policy of the German Army towards civilians in World War I.  It was the basis of German actions during their march through Belgium in 1914 . Similar policies were followed later in France , the Russian-held area of Poland , and in Russia .   Under the traditional `` laws of war '' in Europe , military activity was to be confined to the regular , uniformed armies of each side . Civilians were to take no part in fighting , neither attacking or being attacked . Thus , when the uniformed army troops in a nation or region were all defeated , resistance was supposed to end . In practice , informal resistance by `` partisans '' , `` guerrillas '' , or `` francs-tireurs '' often continued after the `` regular '' troops had given up or withdrawn . These fighters , never officially enrolled in an army , and not wearing uniforms to identify them as combatants , attacked occupying troops by ambushes , surprises , and sniping . Conducting such operations out of uniform was considered perfidy , and those involved could be executed .   Occupying armies sometimes responded to such attacks by reprisals against the local population : execution of local inhabitants , whether known to be guerrillas or not , or destruction ( usually by burning ) of homes and other structures .   German army doctrine in force at the time called for such reprisals to be performed immediately and severely in any case of civilian resistance . It was argued that such schrecklichkeit would end resistance quickly with relatively little bloodshed , whereas restraint would encourage resistance , leading to greater destruction and death .   When Germany invaded Belgium in 1914 , the German high command expected to sweep through the country with negligible opposition . The German army was many times larger and stronger than the Belgian army , and the Germans therefore thought that any resistance by Belgium would be futile . German leaders had even suggested to the Belgian government that in the event of war , the Belgians should just line up along the roads and watch the Germans march through . Belgium 's refusal to accept these German presumptions and its resistance to the German advance came as a surprise , and disrupted the German timetable for advancing into France .   This frustration was communicated to the German troops in Belgium . Anything which delayed the German advance was to be crushed mercilessly . The Belgians were viewed as irrational and even treacherous for their opposition .   This led to exaggerated suspicions among German commanders of Belgian civilian resistance . It is possible that some Belgian civilians engaged in resistance , though none is documented . It is certain that on several occasions , German commanders declared ( probably in unconscious error ) that such acts had occurred when they had not .   The Germans responded to these perceived acts of resistance with harsh measures . In several villages and towns , hundreds of civilians were executed . Many buildings were put to the torch . Priests thought guilty of encouraging the resistance were killed . Violence by German soldiers against Belgians , such as rape , was ignored or not seriously punished . The Belgian city of Leuven was largely destroyed . One German officer later wrote about the town , `` We shall wipe it out ... Not one stone will stand upon another . We will teach them to respect Germany . For generations people will come here and see what we have done '' .   These actions , taken in a period of near-panic as the German forces desperately tried to carry out their flanking march before Allied forces could respond , proved to be a propaganda disaster for Germany . The reports of them caused a wave of indignation which aided the Allied cause .

neg: Belgium Belgium ( -LSB- ˈbɛldʒəm -RSB- België -LSB- ˈbɛlɣijə -RSB- ; Belgique -LSB- bɛlʒik -RSB- ; Belgien -LSB- ˈbɛlɡi̯ən -RSB- ) , officially the Kingdom of Belgium , is a sovereign state in Western Europe bordered by France , the Netherlands , Germany , Luxembourg , and the North Sea . It is a small , densely populated country which covers an area of 30528 km2 and has a population of about 11 million people . Straddling the cultural boundary between Germanic and Latin Europe , Belgium is home to two main linguistic groups : the Dutch-speaking , mostly Flemish community , which constitutes about 59 % of the population , and the French-speaking , mostly Walloon population , which comprises 41 % of all Belgians . Additionally , there is a small group of German-speakers who live in the East Cantons located around the High Fens area , and bordering Germany .   Historically , Belgium , the Netherlands and Luxembourg ( along with parts of Northern France and Western Germany ) were known as the Low Countries ; it once covered a somewhat larger area than the current Benelux group of states . The region was called Belgica in Latin , after the Roman province of Gallia Belgica . From the end of the Middle Ages until the 17th century , the area of Belgium was a prosperous and cosmopolitan centre of commerce and culture . From the 16th century until the Belgian Revolution in 1830 , when Belgium seceded from the Netherlands , the area of Belgium served as the battleground between many European powers , causing it to be dubbed the `` Battlefield of Europe , ''  a reputation strengthened by both world wars .   Today , Belgium is a federal constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of governance . It is divided into three regions and three communities , that exist next to each other . Its two largest regions are the Dutch-speaking region of Flanders in the north and the French-speaking southern region of Wallonia . The Brussels-Capital Region is an officially bilingual ( French and Dutch ) enclave within the Flemish Region .  A German-speaking Community exists in eastern Wallonia .  Belgium 's linguistic diversity and related political conflicts are reflected in its political history and complex system of governance , made up of six different governments .   Belgium participated in the Industrial Revolution  and , during the course of the 20th century , possessed a number of colonies in Africa . The second half of the 20th century was marked by rising tensions between the Dutch-speaking and the French-speaking citizens fueled by differences in language and culture and the unequal economic development of Flanders and Wallonia . This continuing antagonism has led to several far-reaching reforms , resulting in a transition from a unitary to a federal arrangement during the period from 1970 to 1993 . Despite the reforms , tensions between the groups have remained , if not increased ; there is significant separatism particularly among the Flemish ; controversial language laws exist such as the municipalities with language facilities ; and the formation of a coalition government took 18 months following the June 2010 federal election , a world record . Belgium is one of the six founding countries of the European Union and hosts the official seats of the European Commission , Council of the European Union , and European Council , as well as a seat of the European Parliament in the country 's capital , Brussels . Belgium is also a founding member of the Eurozone , NATO , OECD and WTO , and a part of the trilateral Benelux Union . Its capital , Brussels , hosts several of the EU 's official seats as well as the headquarters of many major international organizations such as NATO.Belgium is a member of , or affiliated to , many international organizations , including ACCT , AfDB , AsDB , Australia Group , Benelux , BIS , CCC , CE , CERN , EAPC , EBRD , EIB , EMU , ESA , EU , FAO , G-10 , IAEA , IBRD , ICAO , ICC , ICRM , IDA , IDB , IEA , IFAD , IFC , IFRCS , IHO , ILO , IMF , IMO , IMSO , Intelsat , Interpol , IOC , IOM , ISO , ITU , MONUC ( observers ) , NATO , NEA , NSG , OAS ( observer ) , OECD , OPCW , OSCE , PCA , UN , UNCTAD , UNECE , UNESCO , UNHCR , UNIDO , UNMIK , UNMOGIP , UNRWA , UNTSO , UPU , WADB ( non-regional ) , WEU , WHO , WIPO , WMO , WTrO , ZC . Belgium is also a part of the Schengen Area . Belgium is a developed country , with an advanced high-income economy and is categorized as `` very high '' in the Human Development Index .

neg: Comedy Central Belgium Comedy Central is a Belgian television channel based on the American channel of the same name .  Comedy Central has been several years in Europe with broadcasters in the Netherlands , Germany , Sweden , Poland , Italy , United Kingdom and Hungary . The channel broadcasts mainly of Comedy , in the form of animation , series , movies and stand up shows . In Belgium , the channel started on Monday , January 20 , 2014 with the broadcast of a program block on the TMF channel , every day from 22 hours to 24 hours . The channel is available on cable , digital terrestrial and IPTV operators in Flanders . It airs between 10 pm and midnight on the channel of music channel TMF . As of November 1 , 2015 , it will broadcast 24 hours a day and therefore TMF will disappear .   Comedy Central is owned by Viacom International Media Networks Belgium . The sale is done by SBS Sales Belgium .

neg: Be 1 Be 1 is a Belgian premium television channel , owned by BeTV .

neg: The Other Half (2016 film) The Other Half is a 2016 Canadian romantic drama film , written and directed by Joey Klein . It stars Tatiana Maslany , Tom Cullen , Henry Czerny , and Suzanne Clément . The film had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 12 , 2016 .

neg: L'Affaire Labricole L'Affaire Labricole was a 1981 French - Belgian thriller TV series aired in France , Belgium and Switzerland .

neg: Half Cut Tea Half Cut Tea is a web-series dedicated to the understanding and exploration of artists through short documentary videos . The series is produced by a two-person team ( Jordan Wayne Long and Matt Glass ) that travels the country looking for artists and telling their stories through short documentary films . Episodes from the series have been licensed to several programs across the world including KCET 's Artbound and Belgium 's Lust For Life .

neg: De Grootste Belg De Grootste Belg ( The Greatest Belgian ) was a 2005 vote conducted by Belgian public TV broadcaster Canvas , public radio broadcaster Radio 1 , and newspaper De Standaard , to determine who is the Greatest Belgian of all time . It could be considered as a Flemish list , considering that French-speaking community broadcast RTBF also held a vote , Le plus grand Belge .  Nominees needed to have lived between 50 BC and now , between the borders of present-day Belgium . This is because Belgium only gained its independence in 1830 , while numerous historical individuals from , for example , the Spanish Netherlands , are considered to be `` Belgians '' .   An initial list of 111 names ( 100 decided by a panel , 11 added by the public after a preliminary poll ) was set online . People could vote for their favourites to reduce the longlist to a shortlist of ten . After the first television show , the final list of ten nominees was announced . Two of them , Ambiorix and Hendrik Conscience , came out of the 11 names chosen by the public instead of the 100 chosen by the panel . The ten finalists were each presented on Canvas with a documentary , their nomination defended by famous Flemish people .   On 1 December 2005 , Pater Damiaan was announced as the winner of the `` De Grootste Belg '' poll , beating Paul Janssen and Eddy Merckx .

neg: Brabant killers The Brabant killers ( also the Nijvel Gang ( De Bende van Nijvel , Les Tueurs du Brabant ) are believed responsible for a series of violent attacks that mainly occurred in the Belgian province of Brabant between 1982 and 1985 . Twenty-eight people died and 40 were injured . It 's considered Belgium 's most notorious unsolved crime spree .   The gang 's trademarks were a ) disproportionate and gratuitous violence for relatively small rewards , and b ) indifference to the police response . The three most active participants , according to witnesses , were :   The Giant ( tall man who may have been the leader ) ;  The Killer ( shot most of the victims ) ;  The Old Man ( mainly acted as the getaway driver ) .   The identities and whereabouts of the `` Brabant killers '' are unknown . One may have been killed after the last known robbery . Failure to catch the gang was a major impetus behind reform of the Belgian police .   There have been many theories about the case and those involved . One says the perpetrators may have been a particularly psychopathic group of criminals without any ulterior motive . A second theory asserts a politically-extreme paramilitary group conducted undercover surveillance on security at some of the targeted supermarkets .

neg: Those Who Kill Those Who Kill ( Den som dræber ) is a Danish crime TV series from 2011 , which follows a fictitious unit within Copenhagen Police which specialises in investigating serial murders . The series was aired as five two-part stories in Denmark ( i.e. ten episodes in total ) , but has aired as five feature-length episodes in most other countries . A separate 92 minutes feature film , Fortidens skygge , which forms a continuation and ending of the series , premiered in Danish cinemas on 15 March 2012 , and is being aired as a final , sixth episode of the series in many other countries , such as the UK and Germany .   The series is created and written by Elsebeth Egholm and Stefan Jaworski , with various other screenwriters helping out as episode writers , among them Siv Rajendram , Rikke De Fine Licht and Morten Dragsted . Directors have been Birger Larsen , Niels Nørløv and Kasper Barfoed . The series is a Danish-German-Swedish-Norwegian co-production .   Although originally planned to run for several seasons , Danish TV2 announced in October 2011 that there would be no further seasons made , due to falling viewer shares after the first few episodes . TV2 programming manager Keld Reinicke stated that , `` We have no plans to continue the series as it never gave us the audience share we expected in Denmark . ''

neg: Miljoenenjacht (Belgium) For the Dutch version see Miljoenenjacht .  Miljoenenjacht ( -LSB- mɪlˈjunə ( n ) jɑxt -RSB- ; Hunt For Millions ) is the original Belgian version of Deal or No Deal that aired on VTM . It was hosted by Walter Grootaers , and the top prize was $ 1,000,000 . The show has recently switched networks and now has a new title , Te Nemen of Te Laten , along with a new host , `` Felice '' . It was aired on VijfTV and has a top prize of $ 200,000 .

neg: Dracula's Shadow – The Real Story Behind the Romanian Revolution Dracula 's Shadow -- The Real Story Behind the Romanian Revolution is a new documentary film that reveals the secret mission from Canada in March 1989 to tape a clandestine TV interview with Romania 's biggest dissident , László Tőkés , that would later spark the Romanian Revolution .   Two French-Canadians - Michel Clair ( a former Cabinet Minister in the Parti Québecois ) and Réjean Roy ( a reporter for Radio-Canada ) worked together with Tőkés ' brother - István - who was living in Montreal to help set up the trip . The mission succeeded , and the tapes of the interview got out to the West with the aid of underground couriers just before Clair and Roy were arrested by the Romanian secret police ( Securitate ) . The two Canadians were eventually released . That interview was then first broadcast on July 24 , 1989 , on the `` Panoráma '' TV show on Hungarian State TV ( MTV ) which could also be seen in western Romania .   In the interview László Tőkés , a member of Romania 's large Hungarian minority , criticized the harsh living conditions in the country and the discriminatory policies against national minorities pursued by Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu . Because of the interview Tőkés was fired and after several court challenges was given the final deadline of Friday , Dec. 15 , 1989 to leave his church . On the previous Sunday - Sunday , Dec. 10 - Tőkés told his parishioners to come out on the Friday to bear witness as to what will happen . Instead , first dozens , then hundreds and eventually thousands of people came out and surroundeded his church to protect Tőkés from advancing Securitate and military . By the evening of Dec. 16 fighting broke out outside Tőkés ' church that then spread across the city and then across the country .   The film reveals how the Securitate was initially outfoxed , uncovers information from Securitate archives in Bucharest about attempts by Ceausescu to silence Tőkés , and talks about informers working for the Securitate . It also has an extensive interview with former Securitate Major Radu Tinu who was responsible for Tőkés .   Today László Tőkés is a member of the European Parliament .   The world premiere of the cinema version of the film will be in Timişoara on Dec. 15 , 2009 , on the 20th anniversary of the Romanian Revolution . Hungary 's DUNA-TV will also broadcast a 52-minute version on Dec. 15 .

neg: In the Dark Half In the Dark Half is a 2011 British drama film directed by Alastair Siddons and starring Tony Curran , Lyndsey Marshal , and Jessica Barden . Barden plays a teenaged girl who becomes obsessed with her neighbor , played by Curran , and his grief over losing his son . It received mixed reviews .

neg: The Dark Half The Dark Half is a horror novel by Stephen King , published in 1989 . Publishers Weekly listed The Dark Half as the second best-selling book of 1989 behind Tom Clancy 's Clear and Present Danger . The novel was adapted into a feature film of the same name in 1993 .   Stephen King wrote several books under a pseudonym , Richard Bachman , during the 1970s and 1980s . Most of the Bachman novels were darker and more cynical in nature , featuring a far more visceral sense of horror than the psychological , gothic style common to many of King 's most famous works . When King was identified as Bachman , he wrote The Dark Half -- about an author with a sinister parasitic twin -- in response to his outing .

neg: Life and Death in Flanders Life and Death in Flanders ( Leven en dood op het land ) is a 1963 Belgian drama film directed by Emile Degelin . It was entered into the 13th Berlin International Film Festival .

neg: Dark Descent Dark Descent is a 2002 film written and directed by Daniel Knauf .

neg: Half.com Half.com is a subsidiary of eBay , in which sellers offer items at fixed prices , usually items that have a UPC , ISBN , or other kind of SKU , rather than rare , old or collectible items . The items available on half.com are limited to books , textbooks , music , movies , video games , and video game consoles .   Half provides a platform where sellers competitively `` bid '' against one another , based on Universal Product Code . The seller can see the average sale price and most recent sale price for any particular item to determine the selling price desired . A potential buyer sees the available inventory for any particular item and can choose the seller . This is the opposite of eBay where buyers bid against one another . The Pre-order feature allows buyers to set a price and quality rating of a particular item they would like to buy . Sellers see the pre-order listed when they put an item up for sale and may sell it to the buyer if they agree with the buyer 's price .   There are no fees to list items on Half.com , but rather the company takes a commission of every completed sale . The seller is responsible for shipping any item within three business days of a sale and paying the actual shipping costs .

neg: Brussels by Night Brussels by Night is a Belgian drama film from 1983 , directed by former Humo journalist Marc Didden . The low budget picture was financed partly by Herman Schueremans , organizer of the Flemish rock festival Rock Werchter . The film was named after a 1979 song by Raymond van het Groenewoud , who also wrote the soundtrack for the movie .   Brussels by Night was important in Belgian film history because its bleak , grey atmosphere and stream of consciousness structure were a sharp contrast with the more conventional films the country produced up to then .

neg: The Dark Ages: An Age of Light The Dark Ages : An Age of Light is a four-part documentary television series written , directed , and presented by British art critic Waldemar Januszczak looking at the art and architecture of the Dark Ages that shows the era to be an age of enlightenment . Broadcast by the BBC in November and December 2012 .