Todays regional news: Reflections on Putins career; an anguishing prisoner swap; more legal trouble for Hungarys MOL; Sputnik out of Estonia; and Polish education policy. 2 January 2020

It Was 20 Years Ago Today ...

The anniversary of Vladimir Putins stunning accession to the Russian presidency is prompting plenty of retrospectives. On New Years Eve 1999, Russias increasingly erratic President Boris Yeltsin told the nation he was resigning so that political rookie Putin, only recently named prime minister, could take power. Ahead of the March 2000 elections which returned him for a full term, Putin delivered a powerful message: Russians have had no sense of stability for the past 10 years. We hope to return this feeling, he said, Moscow-based journalist and author Marc Bennetts writes for Politico. During his first two terms especially, he seemed capable of delivering. The economy provided the stage for some of his greatest successes. Inflation began a decade-long fall and trade ballooned as the energy sector flourished, according to an RFE/RL data report. Putins approval ratings hovered between 70 and 80 percent throughout his first two terms, before sinking as the 2008 financial crisis set in but never falling below the mid-60s then shot to record highs after Russias intervention in Ukraine. On the down side, the Russian population continued to shrink and life expectancy for both men and women fell during his first term, although it has since recovered. Mens expected lifespan has increased by seven years since Putin took office, RFE says. According to Al Jazeera, critics respond that Putin and his allies failed to address Russia's most fundamental problems its dependence on energy exports, plummeting birth rates and industrial production, brain drain, an HIV/AIDS epidemic, and corruption.

Controversy Hits Ukraine Prisoner Swap

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy defended his difficult decision to include members of the now-disbanded Berkut police unit in a New Years prisoner swap with separatists. "If we hadnt exchanged Berkut fighters, we would not have returned our people living people," Zelenskiy told reporters after greeting released prisoners in Kyiv on 29 December, RFE writes. In the swap, agreed at last months meeting between the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, France, and Germany, separatists handed over 76 prisoners, and the government freed 124 prisoners, among them five Berkut officers charged with shooting unarmed demonstrators during the 2014 Euromaidan uprising against former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. The swap included two RFE contributors held by separatists since 2017. As the Kyiv Post reports, joy over the return of prisoners, some held for almost five years in the separatist Donbas region, was tempered by anger at Zelenskiys decision to free the Berkut officers. The country has to return its heroes but not at the price of diminishing the values for which these heroes fought, said Oleg Sentsov, the filmmaker who was freed from a Russian jail as part of a prisoner exchange in September.

Bribery Convictions for Hungarian Businessman, Former Croatian PM

The strained relations between Hungarys MOL energy group and the Croatian state hit a new low yesterday, as a Croatian court convicted MOL chief executive and chairman Zsolt Hernadi of bribery. Former Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader - previously sentenced to 8 and a half years in prison for accepting a bribe from MOL as the company acquired almost 50 percent of Croatian oil company INA - had his sentence cut to six years for health reasons, Court president Ivan Turudic said, Reuters reports. The verdicts are not final and can be appealed. MOL released a statement denouncing the courts baseless accusations, Hungary Today reports, and noted a Budapest courts refusal to execute a European arrest warrant for Hernadi on concerns that his right to a fair trial in Croatia might be infringed. Sanader, who served from 2003 to 2009, has been tried or convicted of a raft of crimes, from war profiteering to siphoning off state funds.

Sputnik Shutters Estonian Bureau as Sanctions Bite

Russias Sputnik news agency announced yesterday it was closing its Estonian bureau after pressure from the authorities. The state-controlled agency said its 35 staff in Tallinn had resigned, The Moscow Times reports. Estonian authorities last fall froze the bureaus assets and said the bureau would have to leave its rented offices by the end of February, and in December warned that its staff could be prosecuted on the basis of EU sanctions against Russia. Russian state-controlled media have come under pressure in the Baltics in recent years. In May, Lithuania expelled the chief editor of Sputniks local bureau to Latvia, where he holds citizenship, and banned him from re-entering Lithuania for five years. Dmitry Kiselyov, the head of Sputniks parent media group Rossiya Segodnya, is on the EUs list of individuals subject to sanctions for violating Ukraines territorial integrity, Estonian public broadcaster ERR reports. Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu told ERR that Estonias actions against Sputnik were financial sanctions only. The authorities have not taken measures against the portals media content, he said.

PiS Education Policy Comes Under Renewed Criticism

Polands ruling Law and Justice party (PiS) began reconstructing the primary and secondary education system three years ago, in part to reverse changes it said were undermining traditional educational values. Now, a parent group plans to file a collective lawsuit against the state for damaging the prospects of its children, Balkan Insight writes. The nationalist governments most dramatic change was the elimination of gymnasia, academically-oriented three-year schools introduced in 1999 as a step between primary and high school. PiS cited cases of aggression and misbehavior among gymnasia students as proof that the institutions were dysfunctional, Balkan Insight says. In their place, the government brought back eight-year primary schools. The introduction of gymnasia had also been controversial, but by the 2010s, excellent results on the OECD Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) student skills tests convinced many the new system was working, Wojciech Kosc wrote for TOL. The parents opposed to PiSs educational policies also say high schools are now overcrowded as they try to accommodate both the last crop of gymnasia students and those coming directly from primary school.

Compiled by Ky Krauthamer

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Around the Bloc - 2 January - Transitions Online

Caldwell University in Essex County has agreed to pay the United States more than $4.8 million to resolve its role in a scheme to defraud a federal education benefit program for veterans, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced Friday.

"Caldwell University tried to hoodwink the Department of Veterans Affairs and, worse, veterans themselves, by claiming to offer online classes developed and provided by Caldwell that were in fact marked-up offerings by an online correspondence school, Carpenito said in a statement. "Our veterans should never be treated this way, and we will continue to work to ensure that they receive all of the benefits that they deserve as a result of their service to the country.

Under a deal marketed by Ed4Mil, a Pennsylvania-based company, veterans could use their Post-9/11 GI Bill tuition benefits to enroll in online courses offered by Caldwell, authorities said. The bill was designed specifically to help veterans who served in the armed forces following the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

The online classes were not offered by Caldwell University or taught by the universitys staff, according to court documents. Instead, they were low-cost correspondence courses that were not eligible for the GI Bill.

But Caldwell University submitted false claims for payment for the courses to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs from Jan. 1, 2011 through Aug. 8, 2013, Carpenito said. The agency administers the Post 9/11 GI Bill.

Three people previously pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud related to the scheme, federal prosecutors said.

Lisa DiBisceglie, the former associate dean of the office of external partnerships at Caldwell, and Helen Sechrist, a former employee of Ed4Mil, pleaded guilty in 2017 in federal court in Newark to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

The womens guilty pleas followed the indictment of David Alvey, 40, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the founder and president of Ed4Mil, one year earlier.

Alvey was sentenced on June 4, 2018, to five years in prison and DiBisceglie and Sechrist were each sentenced on June 5, 2018, to three years of probation, according to the statement. The trio were also ordered to pay $24 million in restitution.

Ed4Mil falsely claimed on government applications that the classes offered to the veterans were approved Caldwell classes and not correspondence courses taught by an online company, according to court documents.

The government was charged between $4,500 and $26,000 per course, instead of the $600 to $1,000 per course the correspondence company charged for the same classes, federal prosecutors said.

The $24 million in tuition benefits collected through the GI Bill was allegedly paid to Caldwell University, which then turned over between 85 percent and 90 percent of the money to Ed4Mil, according to court documents.

Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrisrsheldon Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips.

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N.J. university will pay millions for role in defrauding government program for veterans - NJ.com

Despite the controversies in Maszlee Maliks tenure, a large number of Malaysians have banded together to urge Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to reinstate him as education minister.

Maszlee publicly resigned from his post on Thursday (Jan 2), after consultation with the PM.

Just hours after the announcement, an online petition on change.org titled Keep YB Maszlee Malik as Minister of Education Malaysia was started by a netizen identified only as Tuah Kencana.

In less than 24 hours, it had already garnered 297,977 signatures.

According to a translation by the Malay Mail, Tuah wrote in the petition that Maszlees contributions and efforts were shadowed by unfavourable reportssensationalised by parties with a vested interest.

The decision to resign is a huge loss to the nation, the petitioner wrote. Representing community groups, we request that YB Prime Minister, as the foremost statesman, to reinstate Maszlee Malik to shoulder responsibilities as Malaysias education minister.

The petition reportedly had an initial target of 75,000 signatures, but this was later increased to 500,000, after it crossed the 100,000 mark at 9pm on Thursday, and then the 200,000 mark an hour later.

Possible replacements for Maszlee

In a separate report, Malay Mail also cited sources as saying that former Umno minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed andBersatu secretary-general Datuk Marzuki Yahaya were both likely replacements for Maszlee.

Mustapa was also said to be Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysias favourite candidate, Malay Mail reported.

Maszlee, who was appointed education minister in 2018,wasreported by The Staras saying in a media conference that he was subject to public criticism over issues that were played up, despite the successes his ministry had.

I have been seen to be the cause of many crises, including the Jawi calligraphy issue, Internet at schools and the free breakfast programme.

However, I believe I have placed a foundation and a clear framework for the ministry to follow, The Star reported him as saying.

Meanwhile, The Star quoted Prime Minister Dr Mahathir as saying that he was thankful for Maszlees service, and will announce his successor soon.

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Less than a day after resigning, almost 300,000 people have petitioned for Maszlee to return as Education Minister - Business Insider

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The Colombian sprinter wants to put the bumpy 2019 season behind him as he targets a return to the Tour de France in his second season with UAE-Team Emirates

The 2019 season wasnt bad for Fernando Gaviria, but it wasnt that great, either. And the Colombian sprinter is the first to admit it.

The Colombian star ended 2019 well below the level he had grown accustomed to after emerging as a top sprinter with Deceuninck-Quick-Step. Although for the vast majority of his colleagues in the peloton, six wins would be a dream come true, Gaviria feels his haul for 2019 reflects a sub-par year.

I am not happy with my season, he told VeloNews. It was a very difficult year from start to finish.

What happened? Things started off well enough in his high-profile move to UAE-Team Emirates, but things soon came off the rails during the Giro dItalia. He scooped one victory courtesy of the relegation of first-across-the-line Elia Viviani on stage 3, and abandoned with knee pains a few days later.

We were heading to the Tour in a good way, but the injury I suffered in the Giro complicated everything. I spent a lot of time off the bike, he explained. I was unable to ride a bicycle because of the pain. I couldnt enjoy cycling because of being away from racing. The recovery was very slow and when we came back, we wanted to hasten everything and that was another mistake that we should not have made.

He returned to race the Vuelta a Espaa without a win, but won twice at the Gree-Tour of Guangxi to put a nice shine on an otherwise lackluster season.

Was it the Quick-Step curse? Gaviria just laughed. One could say that all the big names that have left Quick Step for other teams often suffer a kind of curse and end up not winning as much, something Quick-Step boss Patrick Lefevere likes to remind everyone. Just like what happened to Gaviria, many other top names have not been able to reach their own numbers outside the Belgian team.

The Colombian sprinter does not dare to rule out the curse, but admitted that Quick-Step knows what its doing.

Phew! I do not know what to tell you. It is somewhat complicated, he said.

Quick-Step is a winning team. They win a lot of races and that makes them win even more. That is why all their cyclists want to win even more. Each team has its methodology. In UAE we have been improving a lot in that. We no longer run just to do things right, but we are looking for victories. In that sense, we have been improving and I think that next year will be much better.

Now, with only a few weeks left to start what will be his second year at UAE-Emirates, Gaviria considers that his starting point for 2020 is much better than last year. Twelve months ago, I had shoulder discomfort from the crash in Turkey, where I broke my collarbone. Therefore, right now I am well above how I was last year.

Gaviria also knows its not so easy to be a pure sprinter in the modern peloton.

The grand tours arent as sprinter-friendly as they used to be and sprinters know these days they have to suffer to get their chances to win. Next years Tour de France is packed with climbs and will offer the pelotons fast men just a few chances at glory.

Thats fine with Gaviria, who wore the yellow jersey in 2018 and is champing at the bit to get back to grand tour racing following a frustrating 2019 campaign. His big dream: to win on the Champs-lyses. He knows that a victory in the grande boucle would be more than enough to justify a whole season.

On the Tour, even if you only have one option, that of Paris, it is one of the most important stages of the year, Gaviria said. It is worth suffering the entire Tour to try to win the last stage.

Even if it only comes down to that one sprint, Gavirias season will be largely focused on the Tour de France. With teammates Alexander Kristoff and Jasper Philipsen heading to the Giro dItalia and Vuelta a Espaa, the Tour is all for Gaviria. And with a climb-heavy Olympic road race on tap in Tokyo, he confirmed to VeloNews he wont be racing for a gold medal, either.

I have spoken with my Italian teammates [on UAE-Team Emirates] who went to see the parcours and they have told me that it is very hard, so the Olympic Games are completely ruled out for me, he said.

Other objectives loom as well, including Milano-Sanremo. More than anything, Gaviria wants to get his groove back. Injuries and setbacks saw him struggling last year. For 2020, Gaviria wants to get back to being the same Gaviria who won more than 30 races in the Quick-Step jersey.

Hell debut at the Tour de San Juan, skip the mountainous edition of the Tour of Colombia, hit the UAE Tour in February before carrying what he hopes is momentum into Tirreno-Adriatico and Milano-Sanremo.

When asked if he prefers quality or quantity in terms of triumphs in 2020, Gaviria says that it is a difficult issue, but I would love to have that monument [with Milano-Sanremo]. That said, I would also say that winning a single race in a year, even if it is a monument, is not enough.

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Gaviria motivated to get back into the fast lane - VeloNews

Cole Tucker was selected with the 24th overall pick in the 2014 MLB draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates out of Mountain Pointe High in Phoenix. Now six years later, another Tucker has a legitimate shot of being a first-round selection.

Coles brother Carson is a senior shortstop at Mountain Pointe and is one of the top prep players in the 2020 MLB draft class. Carson will have a chance to embark on a professional career in June and already is considered a top-100 prospect entering the spring, according to MLB.com.

Despite having to follow his brother, who made it to the major leagues with the Pirates last season, Carson isnt putting pressure on himself to live up to his brothers success. Instead, hes motivated to improve his skills in hopes of having a strong senior season of high school baseball.

I used it to my advantage, Carson Tucker said. It motivates me more. Of course I want to be better than him. I want to do everything better than him. It started when we were younger with little, stupid games around the house. I just want to be better and compete at his level. Hes made it to pro ball and to the majors, and I want to be that guy and the best I can be.

Carson is skilled and possesses a high ceiling, making him a desirable and intriguing draft prospect. Hes leaned on his older brother for advice throughout the early stages of the draft process and on what to expect in the pro ranks, if hed bypass his commitment to the University of Texas at Austin and sign with a major league team this summer, he said.

There is a whole lot of different things you have to look at depending on where you are picked or how much money youre offered or whether the college route is better, Tucker said. Any way that he can help me helps because hes been through it. Any way that he can help me to put me in the better position to be on TV or in The Show and doing my thing is my main goal, whether thats college or straight out of high school.

Tucker, a 6-foot-1, 175-pound shortstop, hits from the right side of the plate with an upright stance. He has a short, compact swing and consistently barrels up pitches.

Defensively, he has all the tools to stick at shortstop long term. He has the agility, arm strength and a quick release to make all the necessary throws required at shortstop.

I think my consistency in the game offensively and defensively is my biggest strength, Tucker said. Defensively, I feel like I make the routine plays, and I can make some crazy plays with my athleticism. I feel like I have the skills to be an everyday big league shortstop in the future.

After his junior season, Tucker had a busy summer competing on the showcase circuit. He played in the Perfect Game National Showcase, MLB High School All-Star Game in Cleveland and the Area Code Games. Besides those three events, he also attended the inaugural PDP League, whichis a three-week, invite-only developmental event put on by MLB and USA Baseball at IMG Academy in Florida.

The PDP League features 80 of the top prep players in the country. The event allows the players to compete in a high-level environment that resembles the pro ranks while receiving instruction from former professional players.

Once he was done with the showcase circuit, Tucker turned his attention to the offseason and improving his strength and speed. He currently is more of a gap-to-gap hitter but believes with time, he can add muscle to his frame and improve his power-hitting ability, he said.

Tuckers top priority is to remain consistent in all facets of the game, and he hopes with his work this offseason that he can have a strong showing this spring.

I dont try to be the cool power guy and yank everything because I dont feel that helps you in the long run, Tucker said. I do pull balls and have the juice when I need it, but I think staying simple and consistent is important.

In about six months, Tucker will have to decide between turning pro or attending Texas, which boasts the top-ranked recruiting class in 2020.

Tucker verbally committed to Texas over Arizona State on Sept. 30, 2018 and signed his national letter of intent Nov. 13. Although playing in his home state was attractive, Texas stood out to Tucker, he said.

Its a winning program, Tucker said. They have a great history. I fell in love with Austin and the place is sweet. The coaches are amazing. I just thought it was a perfect fit for me to get better and win a national championship over there.

Dan Zielinski IIIhas covered the MLB draft for five years. Hes interviewed191 ofthe top draft prospectsin that period, including three No. 1 overall picks. Multiple publications, including BaseballAmerica, USA Today and The Arizona Republic, have quoted his work, while hes appeared onradiostationsas a MLB draft expert. Follow him on Twitter@DanZielinski3.

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Carson Tucker motivated by brother's success - Baseball Prospect Journal

You can catch her on a Friday night playing basketball for the defending state champion Thunder Basin High School girls, but thats only a small part of what Sydney Solem brings to Gillette.

Theres a long list of organizations the junior has done volunteer work for, including Blessings in a Backpack, Special Olympics and the Hope Squad.

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TBHS junior volunteers much of her time and is motivated by faith - Gillette News Record

If there's any tried and true method for motivating a teenager, it's through his stomach, or at least it was Thursday night for East Hamilton basketball coach Andy Webb.

Down nine points against a hot-shooting Red Bank team at halftime of the late boys' game in the Times Free Press Best of Preps Tournament at Chattanooga State, Webb got his players' attention with the promise of free food. After a resulting rally and 73-72 win, it's a debt Webb will happily pay.

"At halftime we're down nine and Red Bank was shooting the ball great," the first-year coach said. "We didn't have an answer, so I promised the kids Buffalo Wild Wings if we pulled this one out. I guess we're going to Buffalo Wild Wings and celebrate. They played hard for food tonight."

It didn't work right away, though. Five quick Lions points, including a 3-pointer from Lucas Brown, pushed the lead to 14 to start the second half, but led by Darwin Randolph, Marcus Long and Ian Shropshire, East Hamilton put together a 23-8 run to end the period up 58-57.

Red Bank went right back up as Brown, a University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football recruit, scored 10 of his game-high 30 points for a 70-65 lead in the first 4:43 of the final quarter. The Lions did not score again, however, until the final second as they settled for several 3-point shots down the stretch.

The Hurricanes (6-7), on the other hand, drove the lane on every possession, with Jordan Harris and Long each scoring four points for a 72-70 lead. Randolph, fouled after making a steal with 12 seconds to play, hit one of two free throws for a three-point lead.

Brown, perhaps thinking the lead was two, drove the length of the court for an easy layup, but the clock hit zero as the ball went through.

East Hamilton will face Baylor in a semifinal game at 8:30 p.m. Friday. Red Bank (7-6) goes against Notre Dame at 2:30 p.m. in the consolation bracket.

Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6296. Follow him on Twitter @youngsports22.

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Grub club: Motivated East Hamilton rallies to edge Red Bank in Best of Preps thriller - Chattanooga Times Free Press

Nicole Poole allegedly drove her SUV onto a curb to hit 14-year-old Natalia Miranda and a 12-year-old black boy in two separate incidents on the same day.

An Iowa woman who is accused of running over two children in separate racially motivated attacks will undergo a competency evaluation.

A judge approved the evaluation for Nicole Poole, 42, on Monday.

She is accused of driving her SUV onto a sidewalk in the Des Moines suburb of Clive on Dec. 9 to hit 14-year-old Natalia Miranda. Poole allegedly told investigators she targeted Miranda because the girl is Mexican.

The girl was hospitalized for two days but survived.

That very same day, Poole is accused of driving over a Des Moines curb to hit a 12-year-old black boy. He suffered minor injuries to his leg, the Des Moines Register reports.

Poole fled after both alleged attacks. Poole, who also goes by Nicole Franklin, eventually ended up at a gas station convenience store and allegedly threw items at a clerk while directing racial epithets at him and customers.

Poole has been charged with two counts of attempted murder. While she has not been officially charged yet with any hate crimes, Des Moines Police Sgt. Paul Parizek told the Register last week that the hate-filled motivation is apparent." She is expected to face a felony hate crime charge for the gas station incident.

Its not clear if she will face hate crime charges for the alleged hit-and-runs. The League of United Latin American Citizensand the Council on American-Islamic Relations have called for hate crime charges for the attacks on the two children.

Pooles attorney Matthew Sheeley told the court on Monday that he worries that his client has a mental disorder, which could make herincompetent to stand trial, the Des Moines Register reports. Sheeley met his client for the first time earlier that morning.

This is not the first time that Poole hasclaimed incompetence in the face of criminal charges.

Last year, she was accused of biting her boyfriend on an arm, and threatening to kill him with a knife.

Her attorney in that case said he was concerned that her pre-existing psychiatric diagnosis and the status of her mental health treatment made her unable to stand trial. A judge ordered an expert to evaluate her but concluded months later that she was competent to stand trial. However, charges were dismissed in that case earlier this year after the victim refused to cooperate.

In another incident, in 2017,West Des Moines police officers responding to a domestic disturbance found Curtis Jones, a 60-year-old black man, bleeding from a severe laceration on his shoulder outside an apartment building, records show. He was taken to a hospital for treatment.

Poole admitted that she used a knife to stab Jones, her then-boyfriend, and she was arrested on charges of willful injury and domestic abuse assault with a dangerous weapon, according to a criminal complaint. Police called the attack unprovoked. In that case too, charges were eventually dismissed after Jones denied he was stabbed. Hetold doctors his wounds were cuts from glass, according to the Associated Press.

Just a month before the attack on Jones, her probation officer recommended that she face jail time for repeatedly testing positive for drugs and alcohol and skipping mandatory treatment sessions. Poole was put on probation in 2016 after fleeing from police and driving with a blood alcohol content of more than twice the legal limit. After the stabbing arrest, a probation agent cited Pooles continued substance abuse and escalated threat to the public."

Poole is being held on $2 million bond.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Woman Accused Of Racially Motivated Hit-And-Run Attacks Targeting Kids To Undergo Mental Evaluation - Oxygen

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If you're searching for any bit of motivation to get to the gym, consider amping up your workout wardrobe. Hear us out: While a new pair of leggings isn't going to make or break your routine, the excitement of wearing something new could at least help you get out the door. Ifyou're stocked up on cute leggings, you're going to needsomewhere to wear them!

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If your outfit is right and tight and you're still looking formotivation to get moving, just rememberhow you feel after working out (so good!), remind yourself of your goals, take time to appreciate your own awesome abilities and my personal favorite, ask yourself if you've ever regretted a sweat sesh (probably not).

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21 leggings that are so cute, you'll feel motivated to work out - Yahoo Lifestyle