Kasich, Christie make the cut for prime-time Republican debate

Republican U.S. presidential candidate and Ohio Governor John Kasich participates in the Voters First Presidential Forum in Manchester, New Hampshire August 3, 2015.

REUTERS/BRIAN SNYDER

Republican Governors Chris Christie and John Kasich on Tuesday grabbed the last spots on stage next to front-runner Donald Trump and seven others in the first prime-time presidential debate, winning a potentially valuable head start in exposure.

Former Texas Governor Rick Perry, former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum and five others in the crowded 2016 Republican field were left out of Thursday's televised 9 p.m. EDT debate by host Fox News, which invited the top 10 candidates in an average of five recent opinion polls.

The leftover candidates will appear in a separate forum outside of the spotlight at 5 p.m. EDT on Thursday, leaving them fighting to win attention and prove to voters and donors they have a legitimate shot at the nomination.

At center stage in prime time will be Trump, the real estate mogul who has shot to the top of Republican polls, flanked by former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, the top three finishers in the poll average.

Also making the cut were former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, U.S. Senators Marco Rubio of Florida, Ted Cruz of Texas and Rand Paul of Kentucky, and Governors Christie of New Jersey and Kasich of Ohio.

Shuffled to the earlier forum were Perry, Santorum, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, former business executive Carly Fiorina, former New York Governor George Pataki and former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore.

Those candidates deemed not ready for prime time at the Cleveland debate tried to stay positive.

"I look forward to answering questions on Thursday in Cleveland," Fiorina said in a statement. Perry said on Twitter he looked forward to the forum "for what will be a serious exchange of ideas and positive solutions to get America back on track."

Fox's decision to limit the participants created weeks of anxiety for those on the bubble. It also was criticized by some Republicans as unfair given the number of candidates bunched in the low single digits, well within the margin of error of most polls.

Fox said Kasich, the last debate qualifier, averaged 3.2 percent in the polling. Perry, the first one out, averaged 1.8 percent.

Fox said it used polls conducted by Bloomberg, CBS News, Fox News, Monmouth University and Quinnipiac University, the five most recent national polls using standard methodology.

(Additional reporting by Emily Stephenson; Editing by Sandra Maler, Eric Beech and Leslie Adler)

Souce: Reuters

Hat Bought For £2 Expected To Fetch £1 Million At Auction

Napoleon's hat will be auctioned by Christie's next month.

A Scotsman bought the historically significant hat in 1814, and its value has appreciated by 500,000% in the past 201 years.

A hat bought for just £2 is expected to fetch more than £1 million when it goes on the auction block in London next month.

The black felt bicorne hat was worn by Napoleon throughout his 1807 campaign, which included the battle of Eylau and Friedland and the Treaty of Tilsit.

Napoleon wore the black felt bicorne hat for the whole of his 1807 campaign.

Sir Michael Shaw Stewart – a member of an aristocratic Scottish family – bought the hat in 1814 for £2.

"The hat has remained in the Shaw Stewart family since he bought it,” said Robert Copley, deputy chairman of Christie's UK.

"When dealing with a unique item like this hat is difficult to put a price on it, but we expect a lot of interest."

Napoleon Bonaparte: Nice hat, buddy.

Christie’s has set a guide price of £300,000 to £500,000 for the head gear, but a similar hat owned by Napoleon fetched £1.4 million at auction last year.

Shaw Stewart was fascinated by Napoleon and collected a number of items related to him over the next 15 years.

The other lots on sale include an imperial state portrait which Napoleon's mother gifted to Shaw Stewart, a playing card, a lock of hair and an unopened bottle of wine from Napoleon's Waterloo carriage.

“What is interesting is that all of these items were collected by one man between 1814 and 1830,” said Mr Copley.

"The whole of Europe was fascinated by Napoleon at the time and people continue to be interested in him today.

The hat, together with other relics, will be sold by Christie's at its 'Extraordinary Sale' in London on July 9.

Source: Yahoo News