News from Tina Brown.

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Exciting Changes at The Daily Beast

Media and Internet giants at odds over dealing with purloined content on the Web may need to agree first on exactly how bad the problem is.

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In Piracy Debate, Deciding if the Sky Is Falling

As Valentine's Day draws near, the romantically inclined among you are officially in full-on scheming mode. You could partake in a heavy, pricey, prix-fixe meal with one hundred other canoodling strangers at the city's “most romantic” restaurant – or you could go the trés romantique route and woo your beloved the homemade way. For dessert, might we propose a soufflé? Jacques Capsouto, owner of soufflé-centric French bistro Capsouto Frères , is here to deflate the myth of soufflés as kitchen catastrophe. All that's required is a little heart, a soupçon of practice time, a foolproof recipe and someone to share it all with. Soufflé Makes 6 Ingredients Chocolate mixture (recipe below) 8 dashes Grand Marnier or orange liqueur 6 four-inch ramekins, buttered and sugared 16 egg whites (2 cups) Dash of cream of tartar or salt 6 Tbsp confectioners' sugar Chocolate sauce (recipe below) 6 oz crème Chantilly (recipe below) Cooking Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a bowl, combine the chocolate mixture with two dashes of Grand Marnier. Add a dash of liqueur in each ramekin. In another bowl with a mixer, add egg whites and cream of tartar; beat until soft peaks form. Add confectioners' sugar until stiff peaks form. Do not overbeat. Add 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, then gently and quickly fold the next third and then the last third. Divide evenly into the six ramekins; tap on the counter to settle and wipe off excess. Bake in oven for 15 to 20 minutes until puffed and golden. (Do not open the oven while the soufflés are cooking.) Serve immediately. At the table, gently pierce the top of soufflé, pour in some of the chocolate sauce and top with crème Chantilly. Chocolate Mixture Ingredients 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup cocoa powder (extra bitter) 3/4 Tbsp butter (melted) Vanilla extract Salt (couple of pinches) Cooking Directions In a pot, bring sugar and water to a boil; allow to cool. Sift cocoa powder into syrup mixture. Add melted butter, vanilla and salt; stir. Chocolate Sauce Ingredients 1/2 lb bittersweet chocolate 1 Tbsp butter 1 cup milk 1 cup heavy cream 1/4 cup sugar Cooking Directions Melt chocolate with butter in double boiler . In a separate pot, bring milk, cream and sugar to a boil. Whisk milk, cream and sugar mixture into chocolate; slowly incorporate each amount before adding more. Crème Chantilly Ingredients 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream 1 tsp sugar 1 dash pure vanilla extract Cooking Directions Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl; beat until thick, either by hand or with a mixer. Do not overbeat. Sugar and vanilla may be adjusted according to taste.

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Rise to the occasion with homemade chocolate soufflé

CAIRO — The Egyptian government intends to prosecute at least 40 people, including some American citizens, as part of an investigation into non-government organizations that receive foreign funding, state media reported Sunday. Read full article > >

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Egypt to prosecute Americans in NGO probe

Last month, Wadah Khanfar, erstwhile Director General of Al Jazeera and now President of the Sharq Forum, an independent think tank dedicated to developing long-term strategies for Mideast development and social justice, visited London. Appearing at the Frontline Club , Middle East monitor , London School of Economics and the Chaltham House , Khanfar discussed the Arab Spring, Al Jazeera, and political Islam.

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Wadah Khanfar Discusses The Arab Spring, Al Jazeera, and Political Islam

Two years ago, Hollywood talent agent Ari Emanuel made a remarkable statement about the future of media. He said he could see a time when certain movies premiered on Facebook instead of in theaters. “For the $150 million movie, you’ll still need to go to Warner Brothers, but for the $25 million movie, probably not,” he said at a San Francisco conference . Read full article > >

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How Facebook could remake the entertainment industry

For about 15 hours Wednesday night and Thursday morning, Donald Trump was going to endorse Newt Gingrich for the Republican nomination. The news media — or at least several highly respected parts of it — said so. Read full article > >

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How Trump’s non-endorsement of Gingrich made the news

You’d think the political process had turned into one big, sexy GoDaddy Super Bowl ad , with all the focus on breasts, bellies and even butts this week. Let me explain how our political discourse had gone all T & A on us. Read full article > >

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The big backlash against bullying women

The Muslim Women’s Institute for Research and Development serves over 5,000 needy New Yorkers a month – and just got a new lease on life. The organization has two locations: in Highbridge and Parkchester, Bronx, providing hunger, health and immigration services. It was in danger of closing its doors on December 31, due to lack of funding, but got a donation just in the nick of time from the Collegiate Church . “It felt really good,” said Nurah Ama’tullah, executive director of the Institute. “It is truly like a blessing.” Ama’tullah said the payroll was disrupted around Labor Day and the Institute’s future was in limbo until the donation came in on December 19. “It was a time of prayer and reflection as to how we would continue,” she recalled. “For someone like myself, it’s always a question as to ‘Is this what Allah wants me to do?’” The $100,000 grant was able to pay off the $50,000 in existing debt and will be used to cover operational expenses through the end of March. But since the middle of December, an additional $49,000 was raised from various sources, so now costs are covered through the end of May. “We are working to raise additional funds,” Ama’tullah said.

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Bronx Interfaith Nonprofit Saved

House freshmen have been on the job for almost exactly a year, and until now they’ve done little more than talk about cutting the national debt. But on Wednesday morning, eight lawmakers finally decided to take action. They scheduled a “major announcement,” invited the media and declared that they had a plan to reduce the deficit by — are you sitting down? — $1.5 million. Read full article > >

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House freshmen have a grand(standing) plan to cut the national debt

CAIRO — A little over a year ago, on the eve of the revolution that ousted Egyptian autocrat Hosni Mubarak, Hisham Kassem was poised to launch the Arab world’s first independently owned multimedia news company. But the revolution failed to redeem its promise of full democracy, press freedoms deteriorated, the economy tanked, and Kassem’s shareholders abandoned him. Read full article > >

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New hope for Egypt’s pioneering journalist

ORLANDO — Is a third resurrection possible for Newt Gingrich? The former House speaker, who has charted the most topsy-turvy course of any of the up-again-down-again candidates during this presidential election cycle, insisted Tuesday night that he would revive his campaign once more. Read full article > >

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Gingrich: Nomination will go on for ‘probably six months’

TAMPA — There’s no question the Washington Capitals would rather have picked up two points here Tuesday night instead of only one in an overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning . But the mood in the visiting dressing room was more positive than morose as the Capitals prepared for the second leg of back-to-back games in Florida. Read full article > >

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Capitals vs. Lightning: Washington rallies from two-goal deficit before falling in overtime at Tampa Bay, 4-3

Same-sex marriage supporters, including Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, squared off Tuesday in a lengthy legislative hearing against ministers and others who urged that the state not abandon its tradition of limiting nuptials to one man and one woman. Read full article > >

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Supporters, opponents of same-sex marriage bill square off at Md. legislative hearing

They’re studs abroad, playing the field. The next wave waits in Virginia, preparing to board a ship, cross an ocean and hit a desperate mating scene. It’s an enviable mission, at least from the perspective of the Virginia Holstein bulls dispatched to help the Russian dairy industry by doing what bulls do best. Read full article > >

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Russian farmers importing Virginia Holstein bulls to help dairy industry