Problem: Sergio Santos Mendes (Portuguese pronunciation: ['seRZju 'satuZ 'medZiS]; born February 11, 1941) is a Brazilian musician. He has over 55 releases, and plays bossa nova heavily crossed with jazz and funk. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2012 as co-writer of the song "Real in Rio" from the animated film Rio. Mendes is married to Gracinha Leporace, who has performed with him since the early 1970s.

Mendes was born in Niteroi, Brazil, the son of a physician. He attended the local conservatory with hopes of becoming a classical pianist. As his interest in jazz grew, he started playing in nightclubs in the late 1950s just as bossa nova, a jazz-inflected derivative of samba, was emerging. Mendes played with Antonio Carlos Jobim (regarded as a mentor) and many U.S. jazz musicians who toured Brazil.  Mendes formed the Sexteto Bossa Rio and recorded Dance Moderno in 1961. Touring Europe and the United States, Mendes recorded albums with Cannonball Adderley and Herbie Mann and played Carnegie Hall. Mendes moved to the U.S. in 1964 and cut two albums under the Sergio Mendes & Brasil '65 group name with Capitol Records and Atlantic Records.  Sergio became full partners with Richard Adler, a Brooklyn-born American who had previously brought Bossa Tres plus two dancers, Joe Bennett and a Brazilian partner, to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show, in 1963. He was also accompanied by Jobim; Flavio Ramos, and Aloisio Olivera, a record and TV producer from Rio. The Musicians Union only allowed this group to appear on one TV show and one club appearance (Basin Street East) before ordering them to leave the U.S. When the new group, Brasil '65 was formed, Shelly Manne, Bud Shank and other West Coast musicians got Sergio and the others into the local musicians union. Adler and Mendes formed Brasil '65, which consisted of Wanda Sa and Rosinha de Valenca, as well as the Sergio Mendes Trio. The group recorded albums for Atlantic and Capitol.

How long did he play in the nightclubs?

Answer with quotes: Mendes formed the Sexteto Bossa Rio and recorded Dance Moderno in 1961.


Problem: Charles Krauthammer (; born March 13, 1950) is an American syndicated columnist, author, political commentator, and former physician whose weekly column is syndicated to more than 400 publications worldwide. While in his first year studying at Harvard Medical School, Krauthammer became permanently paralyzed from the neck down after a diving accident, severing the spinal cord at C5. After spending 14 months recovering in a hospital, he returned to medical school, graduating to become a psychiatrist involved in the creation of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders III, and later developing a career as a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer. He was a weekly panelist on PBS news program Inside Washington from 1990 until it ceased production in December 2013.

Krauthammer criticized President George W. Bush's nomination of Harriet Miers to succeed Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. He called the nomination of Miers a "mistake" on several occasions. He noted her lack of constitutional experience as the main obstacle to her nomination.  On October 21, 2005, Krauthammer published "Miers: The Only Exit Strategy", in which he explained that all of Miers's relevant constitutional writings are protected by both attorney-client privilege and executive privilege, which presented a unique face-saving solution to the mistake: "Miers withdraws out of respect for both the Senate and the executive's prerogatives." Six days later, Miers withdrew, employing that argument: "As I stated in my acceptance remarks in the Oval Office, the strength and independence of our three branches of government are critical to the continued success of this great Nation. Repeatedly in the course of the process of confirmation for nominees for other positions, I have steadfastly maintained that the independence of the Executive Branch be preserved and its confidential documents and information not be released to further a confirmation process. I feel compelled to adhere to this position, especially related to my own nomination. Protection of the prerogatives of the Executive Branch and continued pursuit of my confirmation are in tension. I have decided that seeking my confirmation should yield."  The same day, NPR noted, "Krauthammer's scenario played out almost exactly as he wrote." Columnist E.J. Dionne wrote that the White House was following Krauthammer's strategy "almost to the letter". A few weeks later, the New York Times reported that Krauthammer's "exit strategy" was "exactly what happened," and that Krauthammer "had no prior inkling from the administration that they were taking that route; he has subsequently gotten credit for giving [the Bush administration] a plan."

Who is that

Answer with quotes: " Columnist


Problem: Jean-Marie Le Pen (French pronunciation:  [Za ma.Ri l@.pen]; born 20 June 1928) is a French politician who has served as Honorary President of the National Front since January 2011 and a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from France since 2004, previously between 1984 to 2003. He previously served as President of the National Front from 1972 to 2011.

Prosecution for assault : In April 2000, Le Pen was suspended from the European Parliament following prosecution for the physical assault of Socialist candidate Annette Peulvast-Bergeal during the 1997 general election. This ultimately led to him losing his seat in the European parliament in 2003. The Versailles appeals court banned him from seeking office for one year.  Statements about Muslims in France : In 2005 and 2008, Le Pen was fined, in both case 10,000 euros for "incitement to discrimination, hatred and violence towards a group of people", on account of statements made about Muslims in France. In 2010. the European Court of Human Rights declared Le Pen's application inadmissible.  Allegations of war crimes in Algeria : Le Pen allegedly practiced torture during the Algerian War (1954-1962), when he was a lieutenant in the French Army. Although he denied it, he lost a trial when he attacked Le Monde newspaper on charges of defamation, following accusations by the newspaper that he had used torture. Le Monde has produced in May 2003 the dagger he allegedly used to commit war crimes as court evidence.  Although war crimes committed during the Algerian War are amnestied in France, this was publicised by the newspapers Le Canard Enchaine, Liberation, and Le Monde, and by Michel Rocard (ex-Prime Minister) on TV (TF1 1993). Le Pen sued the papers and Michel Rocard. This affair ended in 2000 when the Cour de cassation (French supreme jurisdiction) concluded that it was legitimate to publish these assertions. However, because of the amnesty and the statute of limitations, there can be no criminal proceedings against Le Pen for the crimes he is alleged to have committed in Algeria. In 1995, Le Pen unsuccessfully sued Jean Dufour, regional counselor of the Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur (French Communist Party) for the same reason.

Did Le Pen have a defense?

Answer with quotes: