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– America's finest, indeed. An Irma-related photo of three male members of the Gainesville Police Department has caused such a stir that the photo was updated to note "Officer Rengering is being placed into Cougar Prey Protective Care, similar to the witness protection program for his safety." And they aren't referring to the four-legged type of predator. The Sunday night post originally simply read, "Officers Nordman, Hamill and Rengering...part of the night crew getting ready to do some work. #Irma." But it's much more interesting reading now, thanks to the 127,000 comments that have been left, some of which "actually made our chief blush," per an update to the post that notes a charity calendar is planned. The update also specified that while "MRS. Nordman and MRS. Hamill have also enjoyed knowing how millions of women are going crazy over their husbands," Officer Rengering (the one "with the amazing hair") is available. Some standout comments: "Do a calender [sic], add puppies and I'm pretty sure we can rebuild Texas and Florida." (here) "I can't believe how many women are objectifying these poor, fine, young, strong,handsome, brave, sexy, delicious, virile, ovulation-inducing, mouth-watering, beefy..... I can't remember where I was going with this..." (here) "This pic is exactly why your grandmother always told you to wear clean underwear in case you're in an accident." (here) "I never seen breakfast lunch and dinner in the same pic before." (here) "...... just so we're clear. When exactly does the night shift begin ? Asking for a friend." (here)

More than 1,000 desert tortoises are taking a trip with the Marine Corps this month. The military is using helicopters to relocate the tortoises to another part of the Mojave to make way for an expansion of its desert training grounds. During the two-week-long process, the hubcap-sized tortoises are being loaded into plastic containers, which are then stacked and strapped to a helicopter. Their new home will be swaths of federal land to the north and southeast of the Twentynine Palms base, Marine officials said. The areas were deemed far enough away that the tortoises wouldn’t migrate back to the original habitat. The cost of the whole effort, including a 30-year monitoring program to ensure the health of the federally protected species, is $50 million. The Marines at the Twentynine Palms base want to be able to practice large-scale exercises with live fire and combined-arms maneuvering. The campaign goes back to 2008, when the Corps began studying how to do it without breaking environmental law. The 2014 National Defense Authorization Act handed land formerly managed by the Bureau of Land Management to the Defense Department. Tortoises living on that land are now being moved. In March 2016, the Center for Biological Diversity filed a notice of intent to sue, arguing that the federal government failed to fully examine how the move might harm the tortoises. However, the move went ahead this month after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service told the Marine Corps that its review wouldn’t be done before the spring window for the move, Marine Corps officials said. It’s not the first time that the Corps has been in the tortoise-moving business. In 2006, the Twentynine Palms base relocated 17 adult tortoises in order to build a training range. Marine officials say no tortoises died during three years of post-move monitoring. This time, Marine Corps biologists will monitor tortoises intensely for the first five years. Then monitoring requirements will diminish over time until the 30-year obligation is met, officials said. About 235 juveniles too small for relocation are being admitted to the base’s “head start facility,” where they will remain until they grow large enough to better survive on their own. CAPTION A series of Santa Ana wind-driven wildfires have destroyed hundreds of structures, forced thousands to flee and smothered the region with smoke in what officials predicted would be a pitched battle for days. A series of Santa Ana wind-driven wildfires have destroyed hundreds of structures, forced thousands to flee and smothered the region with smoke in what officials predicted would be a pitched battle for days. CAPTION A series of Santa Ana wind-driven wildfires have destroyed hundreds of structures, forced thousands to flee and smothered the region with smoke in what officials predicted would be a pitched battle for days. A series of Santa Ana wind-driven wildfires have destroyed hundreds of structures, forced thousands to flee and smothered the region with smoke in what officials predicted would be a pitched battle for days. CAPTION A wildfire destroyed several homes in one of Los Angeles' most exclusive neighborhoods. As the House and Senate reconcile their tax bills, some provisions appear designed to achieve policy goals. Former national security advisor Michael Flynn reportedly promised Russia sanctions would be "ripped up." A wildfire destroyed several homes in one of Los Angeles' most exclusive neighborhoods. As the House and Senate reconcile their tax bills, some provisions appear designed to achieve policy goals. Former national security advisor Michael Flynn reportedly promised Russia sanctions would be "ripped up." CAPTION The fire ignited shortly before 5 a.m., authorities said. The fire ignited shortly before 5 a.m., authorities said. CAPTION Strong winds were pushing the blaze in a southwest direction toward the cities of Santa Paula and Ventura, leading to new evacuations of homes north of Foothill Road in Ventura and reports of power outages. Strong winds were pushing the blaze in a southwest direction toward the cities of Santa Paula and Ventura, leading to new evacuations of homes north of Foothill Road in Ventura and reports of power outages. CAPTION The 14,000-acre Creek fire has prompted evacuations in parts of Sylmar and Lake View Terrace. (Video by Irfan Khan and Genaro Molina) The 14,000-acre Creek fire has prompted evacuations in parts of Sylmar and Lake View Terrace. (Video by Irfan Khan and Genaro Molina) jen.steele@sduniontribune.com Steele writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune ALSO Rattlesnake season begins with a vengeance in Southern California The trees that make Southern California shady and green are dying. Fast. Polar bear at SeaWorld San Diego dies after a brief, unexplained illness ||||| As military missions go, this one is unique: Relocate desert tortoises inhabiting desert land eyed to train Marine Corps brigades to safer areas away from human activity and military training. By the sixth day of a two-week effort, the Marine Corps was almost halfway through its goal to relocate about 1,100 tortoises in a “translocation” program to re-home desert tortoises from its recently-expanded Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at Twentynine Palms, Calif. The combat center is the Marine Corps’ premier training center for desert warfare and houses numerous live-fire, maneuver and urban warfare ranges and operating bases where units train before they are certified to deploy overseas. But the home of the desert tortoise, which is federally listed as a species “threatened” with extinction, includes those swaths of the Mojave desert. The relocation plan began April 8, when 125 biologists fanned out to find the first group of desert tortoise in the expansion areas of mostly federal recreation desert lands west and south of the existing base. They located the tortoises, and each got a full health assessment, including blood work and a physical exam, food and water. The following day, a helicopter piloted by a biologist carried bins bearing tortoises to their new homes in one of five sites within MCAGCC or nearby federal lands. On Wednesday, 98 tortoises — all tagged with transmitters and ranging in age from about six to 60 years– were taken to their new future homes, or “receiving site,” via a contracted helicopter, officials said. “This is the last recovery requirement before we can proceed with full-scale use” of the expansion areas, Walter Christensen, conservation branch head of the center’s Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs division, told USNI News on Thursday. Over the past two years, biologists had placed radio transmitters on the shells of tortoises marked for relocation. Last year’s planned relocation was stymied by California’s extended drought, which shorted the water and growth of plants that provide the tortoise’s nourishment and lifelines. Legal challenges by conservation groups also put the brakes on the Marine Corps’ airlift plans. Those delays had hampered the service’s initial plans to enable brigade-sized forces to conduct the first large-scale exercise in August 2016. It’s no small feat to find new homes for the desert tortoise, whose native region in the Mojave is besieged by increasing human activity, development, diseases, commercial and energy uses and recreational off-roaders. Then there’s the threat from predators: Ravens, coyotes, even jackrabbits who find the soft underbellies of fledgling juvenile desert tortoises a tasty treat. Yet the tortoise has found kin among Marines. For more than a decade, the Marine Corps has taken point in finding better ways to ensure survivability and viability of the critters. Desert tortoises found to be too small to relocate instead are placed in holding pens at the combat center’s Tortoise Research and Captive Rearing Site, Christensen said. The site, known as TRACRS, covers about six acres and houses large fenced pens where clatches of eggs and juveniles are housed and monitored as part of a long-running study with the University of California. TRACRS, considered by some as the tortoise’s “head start” program, was established in 2006. The first group of 35 TRACRS tortoises was released in October 2015, but the region’s drought delayed a planned spring 2016 release. Recent rains across California sprouted more native plants across the desert, so, in March, a second group of 50 tortoises were moved from TRACRS to new habitats, Brian Henen, a combat center biologist and resident tortoise expert, told USNI News. About 390 tortoises remain in the pens at TRACRS, Henen said. The Marines’ relocation program had come under legal challenge by conservation groups, some who pointed to failed previous attempts by the Department of Defense to save tortoises by moving them from military training areas in California, at Fort Irwin and Edwards Air Force Base. The Marine Corps “learned from past lessons,” Christensen said, adding it “took the time to do it right.” “People feel very strong about the tortoise,” he said. “The tortoise is very charismatic. We are pretty careful about what we do here.” The service has funneled money and focus into ways to improve the odds of tortoise survivability, including TRACRS and its long-term study and tracking and the relocation program once Congress approved the combat center’s expansion into mostly former federal lands controlled by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. For the relocation mission, combat center officials followed U.S. Fish and Wildlife guidance that provided methods to up the odds that the tortoises could persevere against predators and manage in their new environment. Biologists had affixed transmitters to each desert tortoise, which enabled tracking and monitoring and helped identify any social groupings of tortoises that could be moved together. The Marine Corps will track these tortoises for 30 years, with consistent tracking for the first five to 10 years, Henen said, adding, “we are committed to doing 30 years.” Tortoises were moved from areas in the Western Expansion Area, west of the main combat center, to five areas 15 to 20 kilometers away but within the training base or on BLM-controlled lands, all identified as supportable tortoise habitat. “We are not fencing these areas off,” Henen said. A smaller number, about 85, will be moved from the combat center’s Southern Expansion Area in the upcoming week. It’s uncertain whether tortoises would return or venture to lands busy with military activity or remain in their new areas, but by their nature they tend to stay within six miles or so of their location. “The tortoises are mobile,” Christensen said, “but yes, they are slow.” That lack of speed makes them vulnerable to coyotes and ravens. Ongoing efforts are trying to track and control the raven assaults, official said. Those ravens found to target tortoise nests can be removed by Fish and Wildlife Service personnel, Christensen said. Coyotes, which frequent the combat center, also are targeted by existing base regulations. In recent incidents, Christensen said, a Marine training in the field was bitten, and several base residents reported attacks on their household pets by coyotes. ||||| Wildlife biologist Scott Welch looked out over the Mojave Desert and readied for action when he heard a distant helicopter flying in. Just seconds after the aircraft landed, he and two others began loading it with plastic storage bins containing desert tortoises captured at an expansion area of the U.S. Marines Corps training base at Twentynine Palms. They carefully packed 26 of the imperiled reptiles — one or two per bin — onto cargo carriers on the helicopter that looked like oversized saddlebags. Biologists work with the USMC, BLM, the California and US Fish & Wildlife Services to relocate about 1,100 to 1,500 Desert Tortoises from the Bessemer Mine area of Johnson Valley in Twentynine Palms Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Wednesday, April 12, 2017. (Eric Reed/For The Press Enterprise/SCNG) Veterinarian Shannon DiRuzzo, DVM, weighs a Desert Tortoise as biologist work with the USMC, BLM, the California and US Fish & Wildlife Services to relocate about 1,100 to 1,500 Desert Tortoises from the Bessemer Mine area of Johnson Valley in Twentynine Palms Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Wednesday, April 12, 2017. (Eric Reed/For The Press Enterprise/SCNG) A six-month-old baby Desert Tortoise crawls across the Mojave Desert floor as Biologists work with the USMC, BLM, the California and US Fish & Wildlife Services to relocate about 1,100 to 1,500 Desert Tortoises from the Bessemer Mine area of Johnson Valley in Twentynine Palms Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Wednesday, April 12, 2017. (Eric Reed/For The Press Enterprise/SCNG) Dr. Brian Henen explains operations to Commanding General, Brig. Gen. William Mullen III as biologists work with the USMC, BLM, the California and US Fish & Wildlife Services to relocate about 1,100 to 1,500 Desert Tortoises from the Bessemer Mine area of Johnson Valley in Twentynine Palms Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Wednesday, April 12, 2017. (Eric Reed/For The Press Enterprise/SCNG) Dozens of desert tortoises packed and ready to be helicoptered out of the Johnson Valley as the Marine Corps relocates them Wednesday, April 12, in order to conduct live-fire exercises. Tortoises ready for transport. Biologists work with the USMC, BLM, the California and US Fish & Wildlife Services to relocate about 1,100 to 1,500 Desert Tortoises from the Bessemer Mine area of Johnson Valley in Twentynine Palms Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Wednesday, April 12, 2017. (Eric Reed/For The Press Enterprise/SCNG) Biologist Glenn Rink gives wind direction to the incoming helicopter as they work with the USMC, BLM, the California and US Fish & Wildlife Services to relocate about 1,100 to 1,500 Desert Tortoises from the Bessemer Mine area of Johnson Valley in Twentynine Palms Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Wednesday, April 12, 2017. (Eric Reed/For The Press Enterprise/SCNG) A Desert Tortoise is measured as biologists work with the USMC, BLM, the California and US Fish & Wildlife Services to relocate about 1,100 to 1,500 Desert Tortoises from the Bessemer Mine area of Johnson Valley in Twentynine Palms Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Wednesday, April 12, 2017. (Eric Reed/For The Press Enterprise/SCNG) Dr. Peter Praschag rehydrates a Desert Tortoise with Veterinarian Shannon DiRuzzo as biologist work with the USMC, BLM, the California and US Fish & Wildlife Services to relocate about 1,100 to 1,500 Desert Tortoises from the Bessemer Mine area of Johnson Valley in Twentynine Palms Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Wednesday, April 12, 2017. (Eric Reed/For The Press Enterprise/SCNG) Biologist Scott Welch walks boxes of Desert Tortoises to a helicopter as they work with the USMC, BLM, the California and US Fish & Wildlife Services to relocate about 1,100 to 1,500 Desert Tortoises from the Bessemer Mine area of Johnson Valley in Twentynine Palms Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Wednesday, April 12, 2017. (Eric Reed/For The Press Enterprise/SCNG) Biologist Scott Welch and Glenn Rink load boxes of Desert Tortoises onto a helicopter as they work with the USMC, BLM, the California and US Fish & Wildlife Services to relocate about 1,100 to 1,500 Desert Tortoises from the Bessemer Mine area of Johnson Valley in Twentynine Palms Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Wednesday, April 12, 2017. (Eric Reed/For The Press Enterprise/SCNG) And within minutes, the tortoises were flying toward a safer haven of the recently created Mojave Trails National Monument — about 25 miles away from the crushing treads of tanks, the boots of soldiers and the blasts of bombs. Operation Desert Tortoise was in its fifth day. As of Wednesday morning, 266 of the animals had been moved out of the Johnson Valley, about 30 miles northwest of Yucca Valley. Before the end of the month, the Marines, working with about 125 wildlife biologists expect to have moved 1,156 tortoises, with a focus on clearing transportation corridors and other areas expected to be most disturbed by live-ammunition training missions. It’s part of a multi-year, $50 million-plus tortoise relocation and study program at the base that was OK’d by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service following a 2013 vote by Congress to add about 88,000 acres in Johnson Valley to the combat center. For the Marines, the expansion will allow them to hold longer and more-involved live-ammunition desert training missions to prepare Marines to intervene in global hot spots, such as the Middle East, should it be necessary. Such training is expected to start this summer. For the tortoise, a species listed as threatened with extinction, it means the loss of more than a hundred square miles of quality habitat, as evidenced this year by robust blooms of yellow desert dandelions and other annual plants that are their primary food source. The resources of the U.S. Defense Department were put to work to minimize harm to the tortoises, said Brian Henen, an ecologist for the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at Twentynine Palms. Analysis and field work for the move began more than two years ago. Scores of specially trained biologists have methodically walked the valley and fitted each tortoise they found with radio transmitters, so the animals could be gathered for this month’s move. It’s the largest tortoise move yet in the Mojave Desert. The five areas of public land around the base that are receiving the animals were carefully chosen for their quality habitat and their distances from human habitation, Henen said. Tortoises that lived near each other are being released in similar proximity in the recipient areas to preserve their social structure. “We are moving them in groups. We are trying to sustain the similarity and the structure of their origin,” said Henen, standing by a makeshift medical checkup station for the tortoises. There, Peter Praschag, a world-renowned tortoise and turtle expert from Austria, was working with veterinarian Shannon DiRuzzo to screen tortoises for signs of disease and other health issues. A large male dubbed MC-2013 appeared frightened by the checkup and voided the water stored in his bladder, called a coelomic cavity. This was a serious matter, because a tortoise may get only one or two chances a year to get a good drink of water. So Praschag used a syringe to carefully refill the animal’s coelomic cavity with a saline solution of water. The work of the biologists won’t be finished until long after the last load of tortoises are flown out this month. Henen explained that the biologists will return frequently during the next four years to search for any reptiles that may have been left behind. They expect to move another 300 tortoises during that time. The plans also include tracking and studying the relocated tortoises, as well as those already in the recipient area, for as long as 30 years. For this research, three groups of 225 tortoises — relocated ones, those already there and an unaffected control group — will be fitted with transmitters to track their movements and survival rates. Biologists hope that the knowledge gained from this research will help the species recover. But the loss of more than 100 square miles of prime habitat is still harmful to the tortoises, which has faced declines since the 1970s, prompting its 1990 listing under the Endangered Species Act, said Ileene Anderson, a biologist with the Tucson-based Center for Biological Diversity. “It is going to be a big hit on the species,” she said. She said it is not known if the public property outside the base will have enough food and other resources for both residents and newcomers to survive, and that wildlife biologists don’t know for sure why tortoises numbers have dropped in those areas. She’s also worried that the tortoises may try to find their way back to their birthplaces in the base expansion areas. But the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) determined in January that moving the tortoises from the Johnson Valley won’t jeopardize the survival of the species. Scott Hoffman, who was observing the relocation effort for the FWS, said the species may benefit in the long run. “Yes, we are losing habitat. But are we are using the relocated tortoises to supplement the populations in the critical habitat areas,” said Hoffman, referring to some of the recipient areas.

– The mission: to airlift 1,156 desert tortoises to a place where there's no threat of being flattened by tanks. The Marines are this month moving the reptiles out of a corner of California's Mojave Desert where the Corps will soon begin extensive live-fire training, the Los Angeles Times reports. Packed up two per plastic bin, the hubcap-sized creatures are being loaded into helicopters and flown 25 miles away to federal lands beyond the Marines' Twentynine Palms base northeast of Palm Springs. Their new home is far enough away to keep tortoises from wandering back into the line of fire when the Marines begin "longer and more involved" training exercises this summer that the Press-Enterprise reports will better position them to carry out missions in "global hot spots." Operation Desert Tortoise doesn't come cheap: Its $50 million price tag covers everything from the 125 biologists USNI News describes as setting out to locate, examine, and box up the tortoises to an agreed-upon 30 years of monitoring. The Marines have been pushing for this move since 2008, an effort complicated by the tortoises' "threatened" status. Environmentalists threatened to sue, citing the harm that taking away 100 square miles of habitat might do, but the Times reports the program got final approval after the US Fish and Wildlife Service said it couldn't finish its review before the spring relocation window closed. A biologist with the Center for Biological Diversity expressed concerns there might not be adequate food in the new habitat. (This really old tortoise is the "savior" of the Galapagos.)

The 9,550-year-old conifer first took root at the end of the last ice age A tree said to be the oldest on the planet - thought to be nearly 10,000 years old - has been found in Sweden. Scientists from Umeaa University discovered the spruce on Fulu Mountain in Dalarna province while carrying out a census of tree species there in 2004. The age of its genetic material was recently calculated using carbon dating at a laboratory in Miami, Florida. Scientists had believed the world's oldest trees were 4,000-year-old pine trees found in North America. The oldest, a bristlecone pine named Methuselah located in California's White Mountains, is aged 4,768, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. Cloning The new record contender, which would have taken root just after the last ice age, was found among a cluster of around 20 spruces believed to be more than 8,000 years old at an altitude of 910m (2,985ft) on Fulu Mountain. The visible portion of the spruce was comparatively new, but analysis of four "generations" of remains - cones and wood - found underneath its crown showed its root system had been growing for 9,550 years, Umeaa University said. Our results have shown the complete opposite, that the spruce is one of the oldest known trees in the mountain range Leif Kullmann Umeaa University Umeaa's professor of physical geography, Leif Kullmann, said the spruce's stems or trunks had a lifespan of around 600 years, but as soon as one died, a cloned stem could emerge from the root system. The clones take root each winter as snow pushes low-lying branches of the mother tree down to ground level, Mr Kullmann added. The discovery of the tree has been surprising, because the spruce had until now been regarded as a relative newcomer in the region. "Our results have shown the complete opposite, that the spruce is one of the oldest known trees in the mountain range," Mr Kullmann said. He explained that 10,000 years ago the spruce would have been extremely rare in the region and that it was conceivable Mesolithic humans might have imported the species as they migrated northwards with the receding ice cap. The discovery also shows that it was much warmer in the region at the time than had been thought previously, perhaps even warmer than today, he added. E-mail this to a friend Printable version Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? ||||| A Bosnian pine (Pinus heldreichii) growing in the highlands of northern Greece has been dendrocronologically dated to be more than 1075 years old. This makes it currently the oldest known living tree in Europe. The millenium old pine was discovered by scientists from Stockholm University (Sweden), the University of Mainz (Germany) and the University of Arizona (USA). ”It is quite remarkable that this large, complex and impressive organism has survived so long in such an inhospitable environment, in a land that has been civilized for over 3000 years” says Swedish dendrochronologist, Paul J. Krusic, leader of the expedition that found the tree. It is one of more than a dozen individuals of millennial age, living in a treeline forest high in the Pindos mountains. ”Many years ago I read a thesis about this very interesting forest in Greece. In our research, we try to build long chronologies to construct climate histories, so finding living trees of old age is one of our motivations. To age the tree, we needed to take a core of wood, from the outside to the center. The core is one meter and has 1075 annual rings” says Krusic. Thousand years of climate history The scientists hope the annual variations of the tree rings from trees like this and those fallen in centuries past, yet still preserved on the ground, will provide an informative history of climatic and environmental conditions, going back thousands of years. Considering where the tree was found, and its venerable age, the scientists have named this individual ”Adonis” after the Greek god of beauty and desire. ”I am impressed, in the context of western civilization, all the human history that has surrounded this tree; all the empires, the Byzantine, the Ottoman, all the people living in this region. So many things could have led to its demise. Fortunately, this forest has been basically untouched for over a thousand years” says Krusic. The millennium old trees were discovered during research expeditions conducted by the Navarino Environmental Observatory (NEO), a cooperation between Stockholm University, the Academy of Athens and TEMES S.A. The observatory studies climate change and its impact on environment and humans in the Mediterranean. Timeline: 941 – Adonis is a seedling. The Byzantine Empire is at its peak. From the North, the Vikings reach the Black Sea. 1041 – Adonis is a 100 years old. In China, a book is published describing gunpowder. A man called Macbeth is crowned King of Scotland. 1191 – Adonis is 250 years old. The universities of Oxford and Paris are founded. The third crusade battles Saladin in the Holy Land. 1441 – Adonis is 500 years old. The Ottoman empire conquers Greece. Many Greek scholars flee to the west, influencing the Renaissance. In Sweden, the first parliament is held in Arboga. Johannes Gutenberg is about to test his first printing press. 1691 – Adonis is 750 years old. Isaac Newton has formulated his Laws on Motion. Ice cream, tea and coffee are introduced in Europe. 1941 – Adonis is a millennium old. World War II is ravaging the world. Greece is occupied by Nazi Germany, Italy and Bulgaria. ||||| Europe's oldest officially dated tree has been uncovered in Greece, and despite living more than a millennium (and counting!), it doesn't look a day over 200. The tree, dubbed "Adonis" by the scientists who discovered it, is a Bosnian pine (Pinus heldreichii) that took root in A.D. 941, high in the Pindus mountains of Greece. (In ancient Greek mythology, Adonis was the god of beauty, youth and desire.) "It is quite remarkable that this large, complex and impressive organism has survived so long in such an inhospitable environment, in a land that has been civilized for over 3,000 years," Paul J. Krusic, a dendrochronologist at Stockholm University in Sweden, and the leader of the expedition that found the tree, said in a statement. (Dendrochronology is the study of tree-ring dating.) [Nature's Giants: Photos of the Tallest Trees on Earth] The venerable tree lives within a pristine forest of ancient pines that are nearly as old, the researchers said. Researchers first discovered the tree during a research trip run by the Navarino Environmental Observatory (NEO), which was analyzing tree rings for evidence of the region's past climate. Krusic had first heard about this grove of ancient trees while studying for his thesis, but it was only recently that he was able to visit. To determine Adonis' true age, the team drilled a core from the tree that reached from its heart to the outer bark. Then, they counted the tree rings, which alternate by season. The thickness and color of tree rings can also reveal clues about the historical climate. To officially date the tree, the team also compared Adonis' tree rings to those of its neighbors in the forest. Because trees occasionally have skipped rings or lay down extra rings because of drought or other environmental conditions, comparing a tree to nearby ones to account for such anomalies is the only way to get an accurate estimate of a tree's age from its rings, Krusic told Live Science. When the researchers tallied up the rings, they found that Adonis was an impressive 1,075 years old and had a core of 3.3 feet (1 meter). When Adonis was just a seedling in A.D. 941, the Vikings were still raiding the European coastlines. Still, while the Greek tree is incomprehensibly old compared to the average human or even the oldest living animal, it is a young whipper snapper compared to other European trees believed to be older, yet not officially dated. For instance, the oldest tree in Europe, the Llangernyw yew tree in Wales, is thought to be at least 3,000 years old, while Kongeegen (or the "king's tree") in Denmark's royal hunting forest is thought to be between 1,500 and 2,000 years old. The world's oldest tree, an unnamed bristlecone pine that lives high up in the White Mountains in California, is more than 5,000 years old, while dozens of giant sequoias in California are thought to be between 3,000 and 3,500 years old. Meanwhile, a clonal colony of quaking aspen in Utah called Pando is thought to be at least 80,000 years old. (Clonal colonies are made up of groups of genetically identical creatures.) Original article on Live Science. ||||| The planet's trees have seen plenty of history pass by their trunks. In fact, they began to populate Earth 385 million years ago, toward the end of the Devonian period. Considered living historical records, the organisms can withstand generations of development and change. But which tree has been around the longest? Until 2013, the oldest individual tree in the world was Methuselah, a 4,845-year-old Great Basin bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva) in the White Mountains of California. Researchers at the Rocky Mountain Tree-Ring Research Group then announced the age of another P. longaeva also located in the White Mountains — this one 5,062 years old. Europe's oldest tree, crowned in 2016, is a 1,075-year-old Bosnian pine (Pinus heldreichii) growing in Greece. The tree — named Adonis after the Greek god of beauty, youth and desire — took root in A.D. 941, when the Vikings were still raiding along European coastlines. Europe is home to some even longer-lived trees, but these have yet to be officially dated. [Nature's Giants: Photos of the Tallest Trees on Earth] "Adonis," A Bosnian Pine living high in the mountains of Greece, is Europe's oldest officially dated tree, at 1,075 years. Credit: Dr Oliver Konter, Mainz For instance, living in a churchyard of the Llangernyw village in North Wales, the Llangernyw Yew is estimated to be at least 4,000 years old. The yew tree (Taxus baccata) is believed to have taken root sometime during Britain's Bronze Age. Though these are some of the oldest individual trees in the world, they are technically not the oldest living organisms. There are several clonal colonies — which are made up of genetically identical trees connected by a single root system — that are much older. For example, the Pando, or "trembling giant," is a clonal colony made up of more than 40,000 individual quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) trees, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Located in Fishlake National Forest in south-central Utah, the colony is estimated to be an astounding 80,000 years old. Called Old Tjikko, this 9,550-year-old trunk from a clonal Norway spruce is a record-breaker. Credit: Leif Kullman In 2008, peculiar circumstances led to the discovery of the world's oldest individual from a clonal tree: Old Tjikko, a 9,550-year-old Norway spruce located the in Fulufjället Mountains in Sweden, according to scientists at Umeå University. Old Tjikko is suspected to be the only living trunk of an ancient clonal colony like the Pando. The tree's true age was revealed by carbon-14 dating its root system. According to a statement from Umeå University, scientists found four generations of spruce remains at the site, all with the same genetic makeup. Spruce trees can multiply with the root penetrating branches to produce exact copies of themselves, so while the individual trunk is younger, the organism has been cloning itself for at least 9,550 years. Umeå University also reported that a cluster of around 20 spruces were found in the Swedish mountains that are estimated to be over 8,000 years old. The trees are able to survive very harsh weather conditions, but a warming climate has allowed them to thrive. Compared with all of these ancient trees, the oldest living animal, a 183-year-old tortoise, is a young whipper snapper. Editor's Note: This article was first published in 2013 and updated with new information in 2016. Original article on Live Science.

– When it comes to ancient things, the United States has Europe beat on one front: A bristlecone pine found in California's White Mountains was shown to be more than 5,000 years old, an age that dwarfs what was on Monday announced as Europe's oldest officially dated tree. "Adonis," a Bosnian pine living in Greece's Pindus mountains, was confirmed to have been growing for 1,075 years. Swedish, German, and American scientists reached that conclusion as you might guess they did: by counting tree rings, in this case those appearing on a core of wood drilled from the tree; Live Science notes the ring-counting process also involved accounting for ring anomalies and reviewing the cores of nearby trees. "It is quite remarkable that this large, complex, and impressive organism has survived so long in such an inhospitable environment ... so many things could have led to its demise," says Swedish dendrochronologist Paul Krusic in a press release. That release outlines milestones in the life of the tree, a seedling in AD 941 as Vikings reached the Black Sea. On its hundredth birthday, Macbeth was made king of Scotland. As it hit 550, Christopher Columbus had not yet made his first voyage to the New World. And when it turned 1,000, it did so in a country occupied by Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. Should you see the "oldest living tree" title assigned to a more than 9,500-year-old Swedish spruce, here's the difference: That's a cloned tree, meaning the root system is that old, but the tree's trunks die and and then regenerate about every 600 years, reported National Geographic. (The oldest gold of mankind was recently discovered.)

The Lebanese have grown used to their capital city of Beirut being used as a synonym for destruction and violence. But a recent episode of the hit US drama Homeland was apparently one negative portrayal too far, and now the government is threatening to sue the makers of the show. The country's tourism minister, Fady Abboud, hit out at the show for its “lies” following the airing of the latest episode of the Golden Globe-winning show, which featured Beirut as its backdrop, and is now planning to take legal action against its producer and director. In the episode in question, the show's heroine - a CIA agent named Carrie, played by Claire Danes - dodges bullets and flees turban-wearing bad guys on rooftops across the city. Later, a band of heavily-armed fighters from the Shia militant party Hezbollah ride on the back of a pick-up truck to a terrorist meeting in Beirut's Hamra Street, roughing up bystanders as they go. Chaos ensues when an assassination attempt by the CIA goes wrong, and gunfire fills the air. “This kind of film damages the image of Lebanon - it is not fair to us and it's not true, it is not portraying reality,” Mr Abboud told Executive magazine. “We want to take action, we want to write to the filmmakers and producers and demand an apology. And we are planning to raise a lawsuit against the director and the producer.” Mr Abboud said that the show, which is broadcast in 20 countries worldwide, could harm Lebanon's already beleaguered tourism industry. “This series has a lot of viewers and if you are promoting Lebanon as a non-secure zone it will affect tourism. It will mean a lot of foreigners stay away if they are convinced by what they see,” he said. He added: “Beirut is one of the most secure capitals in the world, more secure than London or New York.” The minister also took exception to the decision by the show's producers to film the episode in Haifa, Israel - a country with which Lebanon is still technically at war. “We would like to welcome the crews here to film in this city - we were offended by the fact that they filmed the thing in Israel and said it was Beirut,” he said. The show's portrayal of Hamra Street, in particular, has irked many. The busy shopping street in the west of the city is perhaps Beirut's most famous thoroughfare, known for its bars and coffee shops- a stark contrast to the dilapidated alley in which terrorists battled it out in Homeland. Negative portrayals of Beirut in the media are nothing new. The city has struggled to shake off its image of a rubble-strewn battleground that it earned during Lebanon's long civil war, which destroyed much of the country between 1975 and 1990. One former resident of the city grew so tired of the stream of articles and broadcasts in which the words “looks like Beirut” were used to describe scenes of destruction that he started a blog to document them. Jad Aoun, the author of the blog, named 'Looks Like Beirut', called Homeland's portrayal of the city “a mash-up of every conceivable generalization of the Arab World.” “Were the episodes taking place in the 70s and 80s, it could have passed for a slight resemblance of Beirut. Therein lies the problem: the civil war in Lebanon had such an impact on people's perception that Beirut is stuck in that perpetual state in people's minds.” Showtime, the company behind the show, did not respond to a request for a comment. The first series of Homeland, first broadcast in 2011, won a slew of awards, including six Primetime Emmys and a Golden Globe. ||||| This undated image released by Showtime shows actors Claire Danes as Carrie Mathison, right, and Mandy Patinkin as Saul Berenson in a scene from the second season of "Homeland," filmed in Israel. The... (Associated Press) Militants carrying assault weapons clear the area around a street, shouting in Arabic for people to get out of the way. A jeep pulls up: The world's No. 1 jihadi has arrived for a meeting with top Hezbollah commanders. On rooftops, U.S. snipers crouch unseen, the kingpin in their crosshairs at last. The scene, from a recent episode of the hit U.S. Showtime series "Homeland," is supposed to be Beirut. But it is really in Israel, a country similar enough in some areas to stand in for Lebanon, yet a world away in most other respects. The show about Arab terrorists and American turncoats has inadvertently become a tale of two cities. Some Beirutis are angry because the depiction of their city as swarming with militiamen is misleading and because they see Israel as the enemy. And in Israel, some are peeved that Haifa and even Tel Aviv _ a self-styled nightlife capital and high-tech hub _ apparently appear, to outsiders at least, to be Middle Eastern after all. Lebanese Tourism Minister Fadi Abboud told The Associated Press on Thursday that he's so upset about the portrayal of Beirut that he's considering a lawsuit. "The information minister is studying media laws to see what can be done," he said. Abboud pointed to the scene with the snipers. Hamra Street in West Beirut is portrayed as a hotbed of violence, but it is actually a lively neighborhood packed with cafes, book shops and pubs. "It showed Hamra Street with militia roaming in it. This does not reflect reality," he said. "It was not filmed in Beirut and does not portray the real image of Beirut." Twentieth Century Fox Television refused to comment. Several Lebanese interviewed by the AP said they have never heard of the show. When a reporter described the plot and said it was shot in Israel, the reactions ranged from anger to blithe acceptance that filmmaking is an imperfect art. Hamed Moussa, an engineering student at the American University of Beirut, said it's not a problem that Israelis are portraying Lebanese. In fact, he said, Lebanese often play Israeli characters in Lebanese soap operas. But Ghada Jaber, a 60-year-old housewife, said Israel should never stand in for Lebanon. "It is very insulting," she said as she walked along Hamra Street. "Israel destroyed our country. Israel invaded and occupied our country." "Homeland," based on the Israeli series "Prisoners of War," is about a U.S Marine named Nick Brody who was a POW for years in the Middle East. The federal government and the public see Brody as a war hero, but a CIA operative played by Claire Danes believes he was turned by the enemy and is now a threat to the U.S. The second season began last month, and some of the urban scenes are shot in Tel Aviv, the Israeli metropolis about 250 kilometers (150 miles) south of Beirut. Jaffa, a popular mixed Jewish and Arab neighborhood of Tel Aviv, was an Arab town before Israel gained independence in 1948, and its Levantine architecture, mosques and minarets, situated along the Mediterranean, allowed the creators of "Homeland" to present a plausible version of Beirut. To the average viewer, the Beirut scenes may appear authentic. But to the discerning viewer, hints of Israel are everywhere: cars with blurred yellow Israeli license plates, red-and-white curbs that designate no-parking zones, an Israeli-style traffic circle, and a well-known minaret and clock tower in Jaffa. In one rooftop scene, parts of the Tel Aviv skyline, with hotels lining the Mediterranean and the iconic "Shalom Tower" skyscraper, can be seen in the distance. In one publicity shot released by Showtime from the recent "Back to Beirut" episode, Danes' character is walking through a Beirut open market and passes a stall selling two Israeli T-shirts: one red with the white Coca-Cola logo in large Hebrew letters, the other a yellow jersey of a Jerusalem soccer team with the name in Hebrew, Beitar Yerushalayim, and a menorah. In a fast-paced chase that actually aired, however, there were no traces of Israel. The reactions to the show in Lebanon and Israel reflect the tremendous divergence of narratives between the two peoples _ each seeing the other as aggressor, each seeing itself as a victim. Many Lebanese cannot forget the massive destruction Israel inflicted on Beirut during a 1982 invasion when it succeeded in routing the Palestine Liberation Organization from the country. They resent the 18-year occupation of south Lebanon that followed, and their leaders in any case reject the existence of the Jewish state. But to Israel, Lebanon has been a perennial staging ground for missile strikes and other attacks on Israel, more than justifying the massive Israeli operations there that have occurred in every decade since the 1970s. Eytan Schwartz, a spokesman for Tel Aviv's mayor, said the Lebanese should, if anything, be pleased at the TV show's choice for a stand-in. "If I were Lebanese, with all due respect, I'd be very flattered that a city, and a world heritage site, thanks to its incredible architecture, and residents who were named among the top 10 most beautiful people in the world (ranked by Traveler's Digest magazine in 2012) could pass as Lebanese," he said. "All we can do is pray for a day when the Lebanese regime will allow our Lebanese friends to visit us and see for themselves," Schwartz said. Nir Rubinstein, an Israeli Internet developer who fought in Beirut as a young soldier 30 years ago, said he understood the Lebanese anger, but also how Israelis might be insulted as well. "This sort of diminishes Tel Aviv and Jaffa, which are more modern than Beirut," said Rubinstein, speaking for a generation of Tel Aviv residents who are aggressively proud of their city _ a densely populated urban area of some 2.5 million people with a standard of living that rivals most places in Europe, a world-class tech industry and a raucous nightlife. Beirut itself has developed impressively in the two decades since its 15-year civil war ended, and its growing renown as a party city in its own right _ the most liberal and fun-loving of major Arab cities _ is a source of some fascination to Israelis who are barred from going there. But the portrayal of Lebanon as swarming with guns is hardly unreasonable nonetheless. The country has dozens of armed militias that still flourish, and an alarming number of private individuals have weapons in their homes, including hunting rifles, guns and even RPG launchers. The biggest militia of all, Iranian-backed Hezbollah, has gained so much power and influence over the years that it's now part of the government, wielding virtual veto power, and long-running talks on disarmament have gone nowhere. The abundance of weapons is one reason why conflicts here can turn deadly so quickly. In May, an explosive, eight-hour shootout in a residential area of west Beirut, which apparently began after a domestic dispute, killed several people _ including a man who was firing machine guns and lobbing grenades from his balcony. Lebanon also has seen a rise in clashes stemming from the civil war in neighboring Syria. Despite its immense popularity, "Homeland" does not appear to have reached Hezbollah's radar. "I have no idea what you are talking about," Hezbollah spokesman Ibrahim al-Moussawi told the AP when asked about the show. "This is the first I'm hearing about it." Still, he described Abboud's plan to sue the producers as "a good step" and said Hezbollah will probably study the issue and put out a statement if needed. Lebanon's leading LBC TV carried a report on the controversy Thursday, saying the show disparages Arabs and that its setting in Israel is "a double insult." But Ariel Kolitz, a Tel Aviv businessman who was a childhood friend of Gideon Raff, the Israeli co-creator of "Homeland," said that it wasn't as if the production team had the option of shooting in Beirut, where Raff and other Israelis involved are not permitted to visit and where they could be in danger. "It's a lot simpler to shoot here," he said. "That's it." ___ AP writer Lauren E. Bohn in Tel Aviv contributed to this report.

– The darling of the Emmy Awards is causing a dust-up in the Mideast. Lebanese officials are complaining that scenes from Homeland revealing Beirut as a nest of terrorists are way off base. They don't even show the actual city because the scenes were shot in ... Haifa, Israel. Israelis are also miffed that the scenes featuring the mission of a slightly psychotic (now fired) CIA agent played by Claire Danes fail to show Haifa's sophistication, reports AP. At least Lebanon plans to get tough—sort of, reports the Independent. “This kind of film damages the image of Lebanon. It's not fair to us and it's not true,” says Lebanon's tourism minister. “We are planning to raise a lawsuit against the director and the producer.” But then he adds that he would like any further scenes to actually be shot in Beirut. “We would like to welcome the crews here to film in this city," he says. "We were offended by the fact that they filmed the thing in Israel and said it was Beirut." No word yet from Homeland.

Korean Air's Boeing 747-8 (AFP) It could be the end of an era for one of aviation’s most iconic airplanes, with Boeing hinting at the end of the production line for its double-decker 747 aircraft. Weak sales and encroaching competition are forcing the planemaker to re-evaluate the production of its legendary 747 aircraft, the original Jumbo Jet which changed the face of the industry when it debuted in 1970. In a post-earnings call with analysts this week, Boeing said “it’s reasonably possible” that production could halt altogether if sales continue to plummet. The company has slashed production plans from 12 a year, to six, beginning in September. In addition to its distinctive hump which is most commonly used as a first class cabin, the 747 became the world’s first wide-body aircraft and held onto the title of world’s biggest airliner for nearly four decades, before the arrival of Airbus A380 in 2007. The most popular version of the 747 currently in service is the 747-400. The newest iteration of the series is the 747-8, a powerful jet that can travel the length of three FIFA soccer fields in one second. Airlines that have purchased the latest 747 as part of their fleet include Korean Air, Air China, Cathay Pacific, Lufthansa and All Nippon Airways. The 747-8 accommodates 410 passengers. The 747-8 has also been chosen by the US Air Force to serve as Air Force One. ||||| Boeing: Airlines will need 617,000 pilots, 814,000 attendants SEATTLE -- In the latest forecast of future airline jobs, Boeing expects the world’s airlines to hire 814,000 flight attendants. This is the first time that cabin crew members have been added to the now seven-year-old forecast issued annually by the U.S. jetmaker. Previously, Boeing has made forecasts for pilots and mechanics. For those professions, Boeing projects that the world's airlines will need 679,000 technicians and 617,000 pilots in the next 20 years. That ups Boeing's estimates for both categories by about 11% as compared to last year’s forecast. BOOKMARK: Go directly to the Today in the Sky homepage The Asia-Pacific region, according to Boeing, will continue to lead with the most new jobs generated. But North America and Europe are also large generators of new airline jobs, largely because of an upcoming wave of retirements, says Sherry Carbary, Boeing’s Vice President for Flight Services with the company’s airliner business. "The Pilot and Technician Outlook has become a resource for the industry to determine demand for successful airline operations" Carbary adds in a statement. "Cabin crew are an integral part of operating an airline, and while Boeing does not train cabin crew like pilots and technicians, we believe the industry can use these numbers for planning purposes." The creation of the report -- officially named the “Pilot and Technician Outlook” (even though it now includes cabin crew) -- comes decades after Boeing established its Current Market Outlook (CMO) that forecasted global sales of airliners regardless of manufacturer. VIDEO: Boeing expects airlines to hire more flight attendants The current Boeing CMO calls for the sale of 39,620 planes over the next twenty years on the same basis as the personnel forecast, the years 2016 through 2035. One of the drivers behind the number of jobs is that the largest percentage of airplanes expected to be delivered to airlines are so called “single aisle” jets, which include the Boeing 737 and the Airbus 320. These are jet families which experience high rates of utilization, flying multiple flights in a single day requiring multiple teams of pilots and flight attendants. The exact numbers vary from airline to airline and country to country depending on business models and regulatory requirements. KING 5 TV of Seattle is part of the USA TODAY NETWORK. Occasionally, USA TODAY NETWORK stories are used in Ben Mutzabaugh's Today in the Sky blog. You can follow the author of this story, KING 5 reporter Glenn Farley on Twitter at @GlennFarleyK5. IN PICTURES: Boeing's centennial: A look into the photo archives IN PICTURES: Behind the scenes on Boeing's 747 assembly line Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/2atYYHa ||||| Boeing Forecasts Nearly 1.5 Million Pilots and Technicians Needed by 2035 20 year demand for cabin crew tops 800,000 Boeing (NYSE: BA) released its 2016 Pilot and Technician Outlook today at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh and projects a demand for nearly 1.5 million pilots and technicians over the next 20 years. OSHKOSH, Wis., July 25, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing (NYSE: BA) released its 2016 Pilot and Technician Outlook today at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh and projects a demand for nearly 1.5 million pilots and technicians over the next 20 years. In its seventh year, the outlook is a respected industry study which forecasts the 20 year demand for crews to support the world's growing commercial airplane fleet. New this year is a look at cabin crew demand. Boeing forecasts that between 2016 and 2035, the world's commercial aviation industry will require approximately: 617,000 new commercial airline pilots 679,000 new commercial airline maintenance technicians 814,000 new cabin crew The 2016 outlook shows a growth of 10.5 percent for pilots over the 2015 outlook and 11.3 percent for maintenance technicians. New pilot demand is primarily driven by new airplane deliveries and fleet mix, while new technician demand is primarily driven by fleet growth. "The Pilot and Technician Outlook has become a resource for the industry to determine demand for successful airline operations" said Sherry Carbary, vice president, Boeing Flight Services. "Cabin crew are an integral part of operating an airline, and while Boeing does not train cabin crew like pilots and technicians, we believe the industry can use these numbers for planning purposes." The outlook represents a global requirement for about 31,000 new pilots, 35,000 new technicians and 40,000 cabin crew annually. Projected demand for new pilots, technicians and cabin crew by global region for the next 20 years is approximately: Region New Pilots New Technicians New Cabin Crew Asia-Pacific 248,000 268,000 298,000 Europe 104,000 118,000 169,000 North America 112,000 127,000 151,000 Latin America 51,000 50,000 51,000 Middle East 58,000 66,000 92,000 Africa 22,000 24,000 27,000 Russia / CIS 22,000 26,000 26,000 The Asia-Pacific region comprises 40 percent of the global need due to the growth in the single-aisle market which is driven by low-cost carriers, while North America is the result of new markets opening in Cuba and Mexico, and demand in Europe has increased as a response to a strong intra-European Union market. Forward-Looking Information Is Subject to Risk and Uncertainty Certain statements in this release may be "forward-looking" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "expects," "forecasts," "projects," "plans," "believes," "estimates" and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements. Examples of forward-looking statements include statements relating to our future plans, business prospects, financial condition and operating results, as well as any other statement that does not directly relate to any historical or current fact. Forward-looking statements are based on current assumptions about future events that may not prove to be accurate. These statements are not guarantees and are subject to risks, uncertainties and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Many factors could cause actual events to differ materially from these forward-looking statements, including economic conditions in the United States and globally, general industry conditions as they may impact us or our customers, and other important factors disclosed previously and from time to time in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any such statement, except as required by law. Contact: Kate Bergman Boeing Commercial Aviation Services Communications +1 206-304-7411 kate.m.bergman@boeing.com More information: http://www.boeing.com/commercial/market/long-term-market/pilot-and-technician-outlook/ SOURCE Boeing ||||| Boeing, the world’s biggest plane manufacturer, may be looking to end production of one of its most iconic aircraft, the 747, following a drop in demand and financial losses. "If we are unable to obtain sufficient orders and/or market, production and other risks cannot be mitigated, we could record additional losses that may be material, and it is reasonably possible that we could decide to end production of the 747," the company announced on Wednesday. Boeing reported its first quarterly loss in nearly seven years earlier this week and the era of the jumbo jet already showed signs of drawing to a close in January when it was announced that production of the 747 would be reduced to just six a year by September. The production rate was 1.5 per month last June, and is currently one per month. "On the 747 program, we decided to reduce future production expectations and revenue assumptions to account for current and anticipated weakness in the air cargo market," said Dennis Muilenburg, Boeing's chief executive. Inside one of the first 747s "Despite the ongoing challenges of the air cargo market, we continue to see the 747 as a unique and significant value creator for our customers over the long term." The American manufacturer isn’t the only group facing a drop in orders for it largest passenger aircraft. Boeing’s chief rival, Airbus, confirmed this week that it would also be cutting production of its Airbus A380 "superjumbo" jet by half, as airlines favour smaller two-engine jets over four-engine models. The French manufacturer said it would be reducing its A380 delivery target to 12 a year from 2018, down from 27 in 2015, in a bid to avoid being left with unsold planes. The Boeing 747, launched more than 40 years ago, is one of the most influential and admired passenger aircraft of all time. However, the original "jumbo jet", which has flown many millions of people in its decades of service, began falling from favour following the arrival of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Boeing’s costliest aircraft, as well as the Airbus A380. Both are designed to be quieter and more fuel-efficient than the 747. The latest version of the 747 is used by Cathay Pacific, Lufthansa, and Air China, among other airlines. The inaugural flight of the 747, made in 1969 This week's development follows Boeing’s announcement earlier this month that it is looking to launch its first brand new plane in more than a decade, as it seeks to fill the gap left when it ended production of the 757. The new so-called “middle of the market” plane will carry about 200 passengers on journeys of up to 5,000 miles. The company is currently talking with customers to determine whether there is a large enough market to justify the tens of billions that will need to be spent on development. “A middle of the market aircraft could be addressed in many ways, it could be a new design or a derivative, such as a 'stretched’ 737,” Mr Muilenburg said earlier this month, adding that if the decision to go ahead was made imminently the jet could be in service by 2024. Earlier this month, Boeing marked its centenary, having been incorporated in Seattle – as “Pacific Aero Products Co” on July 15 1916. ||||| If you’re looking for a new career, Boeing suggests checking out the airline industry. Based on the number of plane orders and airline expansion plans in the works, the aerospace giant predicted this week that the industry will need to hire 617,000 new commercial pilots, 679,000 maintenance technicians and 814,000 new crew members by 2035. That means the worldwide industry must hire an average of about 31,000 pilots, 35,000 technicians and 40,000 flight attendants each year over the next 20 years. “Airlines across the globe are expanding their fleets and flight schedules to satisfy demand generated by global economic expansion,” Boeing said in its annual “Pilot and Technician Outlook” report. The biggest growth in the industry will be in Asia, where air traffic is growing by 6% a year, fueled by the surge of middle-class travelers. The growth means that Asia will need about 40% of all the new pilots, technicians and flight crew members in the next 20 years, the report said. The growing popularity of low-cost carriers around the world also has triggered the demand for planes and their crews. North America will need about 17% of the new pilots and technicians and 21% of new crew members, the report said. Boeing spokesman Tom Kim said the company operates several pilot training and development programs to help meet future pilot demand. He said the purpose of the outlook report is to “hopefully encourage people to pursue careers in those fields.” MORE BUSINESS NEWS HBO's new programming boss talks 'True Detective's' fate, pulling the plug on 'Vinyl' and a hope for more diversity What does Disney want to do with photos of your feet? What to buy (and skip) in August

– Thinking about a career change? You might want to consider the aviation industry. According to Boeing's annual Pilot and Technician Outlook report, commercial airlines worldwide will need to add 814,000 cabin crew members, 679,000 maintenance technicians, and 617,000 pilots through 2035. A lot of that growth—40%—will happen in Asia thanks to the growing middle class, the Los Angeles Times notes. Still, there will be many airline jobs created in North America and Europe as current workers retire, according to USA Today, which notes that this is the first year that Boeing has included cabin crew in its report. North America will account for 21% of new crew members and 17% of new pilots and technicians, with growth being spurred by the new markets in Cuba and Mexico. Per USA Today, Boeing's Current Market Outlook report projects the sale of 39,620 airplanes over the next two decades. Meanwhile, in a call with analysts late last month, Boeing said "it's reasonably possible" that it may stop producing its double-decker 747 due to poor sales, according to Raw Story. Already in January, according to the Telegraph, Boeing said it would reduce production of the 747 to six a year, down from 1.5 per month as of last June.

The Spy Who Loved Me In her 20s, Avril Haines held erotica readings at the Baltimore bookstore and restaurant she co-owned at the time. Ben Jacobs and Avi Zenilman report. The former host of “Erotica Night” at a Baltimore bookstore will be the first-ever female No. 2 official at the CIA. On Wednesday, Barack Obama nominated Avril Danica Haines to be the deputy director of the CIA, replacing Michael Morell, who twice served as acting director of the agency but took much of the blame for editing the highly controversial talking points around the 2012 attack on the consulate in Benghazi. As a lawyer in the White House Counsel’s office, Haines oversaw the approval process for the CIA's covert actions, acting as a vital link between the CIA and the president. But 20 years ago, Haines opened and co-owned Adrian’s Book Café in the Baltimore waterfront neighborhood of Fells Point. She opened Adrian’s after dropping out of a graduate program in physics at Johns Hopkins University. The store featured regular “Erotica Nights.” including dinner and a series of readings by guests of published work or their own prose, according to a 1995 report in the Baltimore Sun; couples could attend for $30, while singles paid $17. "Erotica has become more prevalent because people are trying to have sex without having sex. Others are trying to find new fantasies to make their monogamous relationships more satisfying,” Haines, then in her 20s, told the Sun. “What the erotic offers is spontaneity, twists and turns. And it affects everyone." (She also told Baltimore Sun reporter Mary Corey that friends heckled “you just want a mass orgy in your bookstore, while she and her co-owner were initially worried only "dirty old men" would show up.) The event Corey attended at the bookstore featured a room lit with red candles where guests held chicken tostadas, waiting to eat as Haines read aloud the opening pages of The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty, by Anne Rice writing under the pseudonym A.N. Roquelaire, which features passages such as: “He mounted her, parting her legs, giving the white inner flesh of her thighs a soft deep pinch, and, clasping her right breast in his hand, he thrust his sex into her. He was holding her up as he did this, to gather her mouth to him, and as he broke through her innocence, he opened her mouth with his tongue and pinched her breast sharply.” But her bookstore was hardly defined by erotica (which was shelved between self-help and parenting), stocking titles from a variety of smaller publishing houses and local authors, and offering a café. Haines was also well respected in the close-knit waterfront neighborhood of Fells Point, according to former neighbors. One of them, long-time neighborhood fixture Steve Bunker, who has since retired to Maine, raved about Haines to The Daily Beast, saying “She’s brilliant, has a genius IQ, is easy to work with, and reliable.” He recalled going to New Year’s Eve parties with her at the $22 million dollar townhouses then owned by her father, Dr. Thomas Haines, a liberal activist and noted chemist, on the Upper West Side of New York. Another property owner in the neighborhood, Howard Barstop, raved about Haines’ work ethic, reminiscing about when she would rehab her apartment in “jeans or a pair of shorts.” At an agency recently rocked by revelations about then-Director David Petraeus’s secret erotic emails while having an affair with his biographer, Haines’s bookstore past seems considerably more appealing, and about as racy as what a reader might find in a Lewis Libby or Jim Webb novel. ||||| The C.I.A.’s deputy director, Michael J. Morell, is retiring after 33 years at the agency and will be replaced by Avril D. Haines, the top lawyer at the National Security Council, the C.I.A.’s director, John O. Brennan, announced Wednesday. The switch will put a woman in one of the agency’s top two jobs for the first time. Ms. Haines is an unusual choice because she is not an intelligence professional, though in her two years at the White House she has been deeply involved in intelligence programs and got to know Mr. Brennan when he was President Obama’s counterterrorism adviser. In April, the president had nominated Ms. Haines to become the legal adviser at the State Department, a job in which she would also have been the first woman. But with Mr. Morell’s departure, he evidently decided to shift her to the C.I.A. post. The agency’s deputy director is not subject to Senate confirmation. Mr. Morell, 54, is leaving voluntarily, officials said, after a full career that has included two recent stints as acting director of the spy agency, first after the departure of Leon E. Panetta in 2011 and then after the resignation of David H. Petraeus last year over a sex scandal. He was a leading candidate for the top job, but Mr. Obama chose Mr. Brennan in January, and colleagues said then that Mr. Morell was likely to retire. ||||| Deputy CIA Director Michael Morell is retiring and President Barack Obama has selected a White House lawyer, Avril D. Haines, to replace him at the spy agency. Morell, 54, who began at the Central Intelligence Agency in 1980 as an analyst, helped draft the administration’s talking points on the attack on diplomatic facilities in Benghazi, Libya. He will become a member of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board, the White House said in a statement. Taking over the job is Haines, 43, who has been deputy counsel to the president for national security affairs since 2010, marking the first time a woman has ascended to the agency’s second highest position. While she previously worked at the State Department and on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, she does not have a background in intelligence work. “I am proud that such experienced and committed individuals have agreed to serve the American people in these important roles,” Obama said in a statement. “I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead.” With United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice scheduled to become Obama’s national security adviser in July and former adviser Samantha Power nominated to replace Rice at the UN, Obama’s foreign policy team has three women in top positions. Morell, who served as acting director following the resignation of David Petraeus in November until John Brennan was confirmed as CIA director in March, said he’s leaving to devote more time to his family. Family Concerns “Whenever someone involved in the rough and tumble of Washington decides to move on, there is speculation in various quarters about the ‘real reason,’” Morell said in a statement. “But when I say that it is time for my family, nothing could be more real than that.” Brennan, who was Obama’s counterterrorism adviser before taking over at the CIA, said he’s worked closely with Haines over the past several years. She’s been a regular participant in high-level meetings and headed a group of lawyers that reviews the CIA’s most sensitive programs, he said in a statement. He also thanked Morell for helping him make the transition back to the agency. Morell, who also was one of President George W. Bush’s intelligence briefers, has come under criticism from Republicans over the Benghazi talking points, which removed any reference to al-Qaeda from the administration’s initial explanation of the Sept. 11, 2012, attack that killed U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans. Talking Points The talking points were used by Rice on Sunday talk shows to describe the Benghazi attack as growing out of a spontaneous demonstration sparked by a movie trailer that Muslims found offensive to their religion. Republicans have conducted multiple hearings on the administration’s response. When the Obama administration released almost 100 pages of e-mails about the origins of the talking points last month, administration officials said that they showed that it was Morell, a career CIA employee, who made the final edits to the document. That chain of authorship allowed the Obama administration to preserve its argument that the White House made only minor edits to a document that originated in the intelligence community. Final Draft References to al-Qaeda were removed while the document was still being drafted by the CIA, according to White House officials who briefed reporters. It was eventually replaced with “Islamic extremist,” in the final draft. Morell didn’t mention the Benghazi controversy in his public notice about his retire. “I am passionate about two things in this world -- the agency and my family,” he said in a statement emailed to CIA employees. “And while I have given everything I have to the Central Intelligence Agency and its vital mission for a third of a century, it is now time for me to give everything I have to my family.” To contact the reporter on this story: Hans Nichols in Washington at hnichols2@bloomberg.net To contact the editor responsible for this story: Steven Komarow at skomarow1@bloomberg.net

– CIA Deputy Director Michael Morell has announced his retirement, making way for the first woman to take the job. Avril Haines, 43, is a White House lawyer who has worked in the State Department and Senate Foreign Relations Committee. She hasn't worked in an intelligence post before, Bloomberg notes, but her work at the White House has been steeped in intelligence-related matters, the New York Times reports. President Obama had initially nominated her to the post of State Department legal adviser; she would have been the first woman in that job, too, the Times notes. Morell, for his part, was involved in the drafting of White House talking points on Benghazi. He's leaving to spend more time with his family, he says, though he will also join the President's Intelligence Advisory Board. "Whenever someone involved in the rough and tumble of Washington decides to move on, there is speculation ... about the 'real reason,'" Morell says. "But when I say that it is time for my family, nothing could be more real than that." (Odd aside about his successor: The Daily Beast reports that Haines co-owned a Baltimore bookstore in her 20s, and the store hosted regular "Erotica Nights," during which she would do readings.)

Cato Berntsen Larsen (20 years old) tried to pick up a lost cell phone from the public toilet, but got stuck. “I was obviously slim enough to get into it, but not slim enough to get out. I was down there for one hour, and it was very unpleasant”, Larsen says to the local newspaper Drammens Tidende, which was the first news medium to report the story. The public toilet is not connected to the sewer. It is an old-fashioned outhouse with a large tank underneath the toilet seat. VG meets Larsen outside the local emergency room in Drammen, a city in southern Norway, close to the capital Oslo. “It was disgusting as hell. The worst thing I have ever experienced. Animals were down there too. I will never enter a toilet again. Now my body hurts, and I will go home and get some rest”, he tells VG. SAVED: Cato Berntsen Larsen. Photo: TERJE BRINGEDAL Lost cell phone Larsen explains that a friend of him lost his cell phone into the toilet while using it. The two men quickly agreed that only Larsen was slim enough to have a chance to climb into the tank. Seconds later he was standing at the bottom of the tank, with feces up to his thighs. “I panicked. I hate confined spaces. It was difficult to move”, he tells VG. MARKS: Cato Berntsen Larsen was not seriously wounded, but scratched his shoulder while trying to get up. Photo: TERJE BRINGEDAL Out of service His friends called for help. “We received an emergency call at 07:58 AM, regarding a man stuck in a toilet tank. We sent a fire truck with four men to the location. It took them about ten minutes to get the man out. The fire personnel had to demolish the toilet. It is now out of service”, Kristin Rødnes at Vestviken emergency central tells VG. At the emergency room, Larsen's wounds were cleaned. He also received antibiotic treatment. Section manager Kristine Høibraaten in Drammen municipality says that this is the first time anyone has fallen into the toilet tank, after it was installed in the 1990s. “The tank is normally emptied only once a year. This is a very sad incident. Normally it shall be very difficult to fall into this toilet”, Høibraaten says. ||||| Cato Berntsen Larsen was able to climb through the toilet seat opening to recover the phone lying at the bottom of the outhouse, but was unable to climb back out again (AFP Photo/Drammen Fire Department) Oslo (AFP) - Firemen in Norway came to the rescue Friday of a man who climbed into an outdoor public toilet to retrieve a friend's cell phone, after he got stuck in the tank. Cato Berntsen Larsen, 20, was able to climb through the toilet seat opening to recover the phone lying at the bottom of the outhouse, but was unable to climb back out again. "First we tried to get the phone with a stick but that didn't work. So I jumped in," he told daily VG. "I was down there an hour, I was panicking," he said, adding there were "animals" crawling on his body. Overcome by nausea and vomiting, he tried in vain to pull himself of the tank, and which is only emptied once a year, according to VG. He ultimately decided to contact the fire brigade to help end his ordeal in the small town of Drammen outside Oslo. "It was a fairly easy task for us. We sent a four-man crew with a chainsaw and they cut open the front of the (plastic) toilet," fire brigade spokeswoman Tina Brock told AFP. The rescue was a "first" for the local fire brigade, she acknowledged. "It was pretty full down there." The phone was not recovered. ||||| A MAN was freed from down a toilet by firemen - after he climbed in to retrieve his pal's mobile phone. Dopey Cato Berntsen Larsen, 20, volunteered for the disgusting task because he was thin enough to get inside. 3 The Norwegian toilet which imprisoned poor Cato 3 The stinky loon pictured following the unfortunate ordeal But he was left stuck with his hands forlornly clutching the rim for an hour unable to clamber out. Tattooed Cato explained his friend dropped the phone inside as he tried to text while urinating at Hillside River Park in Drammen, Norway. He added: "My friend said I was thinner, and could fetch it. I did not take time to think, and jumped down legs first. related stories Latest 'SEXUAL MONSTER' Peeping Tom primary head teacher jailed for using spy pen to record pupils and staff in the toilet CLAW HAMMER STANDOFF Cops threaten to taser hammer-wielding teen on Tube train after he 'smashed up toilet' ‘MAKES ME SICK’ Mum flees pub in tears after she’s ordered to breastfeed her nine-week-old son in disabled TOILET CLUB SEX ATTACK Teenager celebrating her A-level results 'raped at a nightclub toilets at a Pokemon Hunt party' MIGRANT CHILD RAPE CASE Afghan asylum seeker, 22, accused of raping boy, 4, in toilet cubicle at German refugee centre Exclusive 'That poor girl!' Geordie Shore star Gaz Beadle accused of bullying after posting screengrab of fan on the toilet POODUNNIT? CBB's Samantha Fox tells Loose Women Saira Khan had to clean up mystery housemate's diarrhoea Video Bog off Watch the moment daredevil Wolves fan spectacularly fails in attempt to crowd surf inside St Andrews TOILETS "I was apparently thin enough to get down, but not thin enough to come up again. "It was damn disgusting - the worst ever experience. There were animals down there too. I was bit several times. "The sh*t was up to my thighs. I was sick. Then I started panicking because I hate confined spaces and couldn't move." Friends called the fire brigade who had to smash the loo to haul him free. After being treated for bruising on the arms and disinfected by medics. he said: "I really hurt and am going home to rest. I will never go down a toilet again." Fire boss Kare Hoel added: "It was standing room only down the toilet." He did retrieve the phone - but it was smashed in the fall. Alamy 3 The disgusting incident was reminiscent of the famous toilet scene from Danny Boyle's hit movie Trainspotting (1996) starring Ewan McGregor We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368

– There are good friends and then there's Cato Larsen of Norway. The 20-year-old climbed into the tank of an outdoor toilet Friday after his friend dropped his cellphone into it, AFP reports. According to VG, the friends decided Larsen was the only one skinny enough to get into the toilet and retrieve the phone. "Slim enough to get into it, but not slim enough to get out," Larsen clarifies. He found himself standing thigh-deep in excrement—the toilet is only emptied once per year—and unable to climb out. Larsen was, understandably, vomiting; in addition to the human waste, he says there were animals crawling on him. After an hour of Larsen trying to escape the poo-poo prison, his friends called the local fire department. Firefighters quickly cut Larsen out of the toilet using a chainsaw. A spokesperson for the department notes "it was pretty full down there." Larsen was disinfected and treated for bruising on his arms, and he also says he received some animal bites, per the Sun. "It was disgusting as hell. The worst thing I have ever experienced," Larsen tells VG. "I will never enter a toilet again." And he didn't even get the phone, according to AFP. (That classic summertime pool smell? It's pee.)

Actor Morgan Freeman says a North Carolina Republican and his campaign manager are "lying" in claiming that he narrated a campaign ad for them. B.J. Lawson touted the narration, by a voice sounding like Freeman's, and his campaign manager told Byron Tau today that Freeman had narrated the ad. But Freeman spokesman Stan Rosenfeld sends over a sharp denial from the actor: These people are lying. I have never recorded any campaign ads for B.J. Lawson and I do not support his candidacy. And, no one who represents me ever has ever authorized the use of my name, voice or any other likeness in support of Mr. Lawson or his candidacy. Campaign manager Martin Avila didn't immediately respond to a question about Freeman's statement. Avila earlier told us that the campaign went to Freeman through an intermediary, and never had contact with him directly. The campaign of incumbent David Price, whom Lawson is challenge to represent the district around Chapel Hill, jumped on Freeman's statement. "Lawson has lied to his supporters and to the community he wants to represent," Price said in a statement calling on Lawson to pull down the ads. “This is an unfortunate and desperate attempt to fool voters in the last hours of a campaign. By using Mr. Freeman’s good name, BJ Lawson has ruined his own, and he should be ashamed. Now the voters will decide whom they trust.” The apparent use of a Freeman impersonator in a campaign ad also raised eyebrows in Wisconsin this year, though it's unclear if the cases are related. UPDATE: The B.J. Lawson for Congress campaign replied to the unfolding controversy over the use of a likeness of Morgan Freeman in a campaign ad. “We have a contract saying it’s Morgan Freeman,” Lawson campaign manager Martin Avila told POLITICO. Avila said that the campaign was approached by a campaign supporter named Ben Mathis of MEI Political and Mathis Entertainment earlier this summer who offered to cut an ad with Morgan Freeman. The campaign declined the offer at the time, but was re-approached several days ago and agreed. They cut the ad with Mathis for $4.500. Avila said that Mathis had an impressive portfolio of work, and other political spots featuring Hollywood celebrities. “We’re pulling our ads, obviously, if Morgan Freeman says its not him” said Avila, adding “This is obviously not what we want to talk about” with one day looming until the general election. The ad is after the jump. ||||| The Lawson for Congress campaign, responding to allegations of misusing actor Morgan Freeman's voice, have placed the blame on the vendor, MEI Political. The campaign provided POLITICO with the signed contract for delivering Freeman's services. "Upon receipt of this signed contract and a final script provided by LFC, MEI shall write and produce one Morgan Freeman radio commercial for LFC. MEI shall make any reasonable modifications to the commercial requested by LFC and deliver the complete commercial no later than 36 hours after the signing of this contract,” says the contract. According to the document, the Lawson campaign paid $4500. The document can be viewed here. MEI Political's Ben Mathis, however, said it had been clear to Lawson that he was using a voice double. "I made it very clear to B.J. in our conversation and via email that this was a voice double for Morgan Freeman," he said. “They cannot go around promoting this as if it’s Morgan Freeman or a Morgan Freeman endorsement.” "In conversation, I told him – as I would tell anyone – that you cannot go around telling people that it’s Morgan Freeman," Mathis said. “I didn’t expect that he was going to be going around telling people that this is Morgan Freeman. Perhaps he didn’t understand why he couldn’t do that." Mathis also said the voiceover had been intended for a robocall, not an ad, which suggests that it may have been intended to mislead the call's recipients. &UPDATE: Emails suggest that Lawson was made aware of the prospect of a "voice double," but also that he appears to have believed he was getting Freeman. ;

– Campaign officials for a North Carolina congressional candidate have finally conceded the voice on a radio and TV spot really isn't Morgan Freeman's, even though they insisted yesterday it was. The confession came after a furious Freeman slammed the campaign for hijacking his endorsement of Republican candidate BJ Lawson, who's challenging Democrat David Price. "These people are lying. I have never recorded any campaign ads for BJ Lawson and I do not support his candidacy," Freeman said in a statement. "No one who represents me has ever authorized the use of my name, voice or any other likeness in support of Mr. Lawson or his candidacy." The campaign now says that staffers were "misled" by the production company that produced the spot. But a production company official made it "very clear" to Lawson that the spot would use a "voice double" for the actor, the official told Politico. The voice on the ad is eerily similar to Freeman's. Just yesterday a campaign statement confirmed the ad was "indeed narrated by actor Morgan Freeman," adding: "People shouldn't be so shocked that someone like Mr. Freeman would think outside of the left-right red vs. blue dynamic." Now the campaign is "apologizing to Congressman Price, to the voters, and most of all to Morgan Freeman."

Image caption Spring babies have a slightly higher incidence of anorexia nervosa. Babies born in spring are slightly more likely to develop anorexia nervosa, while those born in the autumn have a lower risk, say researchers. A report published in the British Journal of Psychiatry suggests temperature, sunlight, infection or the mother's diet could be responsible. Other academics said the effect was small and the disorder had many causes. The researchers analysed data from four previous studies including 1,293 people with anorexia. The researchers found an "excess of anorexia nervosa births" between March and June - for every seven anorexia cases expected, there were in fact eight. There were also fewer than expected cases in September and October. Dr Lahiru Handunnetthi, one of the report's authors, at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, said: "A number of previous studies have found that mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression are more common among those born in the spring - so this finding in anorexia is perhaps not surprising. Screening methods "However, our study only provides evidence of an association. Now we need more research to identify which factors are putting people at particular risk." The report suggests seasonal changes in temperature, sunlight exposure and vitamin D levels, maternal nutrition and infections as "strong candidate factors". Dr Terence Dovey, from the Centre for Research into Eating Disorders, at Loughborough University, said: "Anorexia is a very complex multifaceted disorder," adding that the study looked at just one aspect. "Should we concentrate screening methods to those born in the winter months? No, we should not. It leaves too much error of margin and the potential significant difference is only small." ||||| OXFORD, England — People born in the spring are more likely to suffer from anorexia, British scientists claimed yesterday. In the largest study of its kind, researchers from the University of Oxford said that they found “clear evidence” that the season of birth affects the chances of developing the eating disorder. The team, led by Dr. Lahiru Handunnetthi, analyzed the birth dates of almost 1,300 anorexic patients and found an excess of anorexia births between March and June but the least from September to October. The study suggested that the mother’s reduced exposure to sunlight and subsequent drop in vitamin D levels in the months leading up to a spring birth could be contributing factors to the development of anorexia. He added, “Seasonal changes in temperature, sunlight exposure and vitamin D levels, maternal nutrition and exposure to infections are all possible risk factors,” said Handunnetthi, writing in the British Journal of Psychiatry. Several celebrities who have battled an eating disorder — including Victoria Beckham, Alanis Morissette and Karen Carpenter, who died from anorexia in 1983 — were born in spring months.

– Those born between March and June face a higher risk of developing anorexia, a study suggests. Oxford scientists reviewed the birthdays of 1,300 people with the eating disorder and found “clear evidence” leading to their conclusion, the New York Post reports. September and October produced the fewest anorexia patients, the study in the British Journal of Psychiatry found. Researchers attribute the finding to mothers’ lack of sun exposure—and thus lower vitamin D levels—before the birth. “Seasonal changes in temperature, sunlight exposure and vitamin D levels, maternal nutrition and exposure to infections are all possible risk factors,” said one. A more skeptical scientist tells the BBC that the finding is too insignificant to have practical screening applications.

In Post-Katrina Killing, NOPD Cop Testifies Why He Shot Man, Another Explains Why He Burned the Body ProPublica In the ongoing trial of five police officers charged with killing a New Orleans man in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, two of those charged have taken the stand in their own defense. In testimony yesterday and this morning, New Orleans police officer Greg McRae explained his decision to burn the body of 31-year-old Henry Glover, who had been shot by police officer David Warren earlier that day. "I had seen enough bodies," McRae said. "I had seen enough rot." McRae testified that he did not know, at the time, that Glover had been shot by a police officer. He said he was motivated by exhaustion, the trauma of the storm, and the need to get the body away from the makeshift police station where he was based. Glover's death was first detailed by ProPublica nearly two years ago, in an investigative partnership with the Nation Institute and the Nation magazine. In June, the Justice Department indicted five officers in connection with the case. Warren has been charged with shooting Glover; McRae and Lt. Dwayne Scheuermann have been charged with beating three men who tried to help Glover, and then burning Glover's remains; and former Lt. Robert Italiano and Lt. Travis McCabe are charged with covering it up. Last week, in the first day of testimony from the defense, Warren told the jury that he believed his life was in danger when he shot Glover on Sept. 2, 2005. Warren said that Glover was running toward him at the time, and that from the second floor balcony where Warren stood, it appeared that Glover was holding a weapon. His partner that day, NOPD officer Linda Howard, testified earlier in the trial that Glover was actually running away from the strip mall where they stood -- not towards it -- when Glover was shot. In testimony on Monday, Alan Baxter, an expert for the defense, testified that Warren's shooting was justified, and that Warren met the standard for firing his weapon, which requires the reasonable belief that his or someone else's life was in danger. As our partners at the Times-Picayune explain, Baxter himself appeared to be on trial at times, as the prosecution picked apart his qualifications, noting that he has never published any articles about police procedure. Baxter says he is a former executive-level police commander with the United Nations, yet the U.N. has no record of his employment, the prosecution said. A quick look at Baxter's background (PDF) shows that he's not an attorney, but was formerly a member of the Canadian Bar Association as well as two trial lawyers' groups in Washington State. He's listed as a current member of the National Association of Police Chiefs, the American Correctional Association and the American College of Forensics. We called to confirm he's still a member, and learned that his membership in the first two expired earlier this year. The American College of Forensics doesn't give out information on its members, but says that anyone can join, as long as they pay the fees. Baxter's testimony was based on a two-hour interview with Warren, he said. He did not speak with any other witnesses of the event. In addition to saying that Warren's shooting of Glover was justified, Baxter also said that Warren was acting legally when he fired a warning shot at a man earlier in the day. The NOPD's use of force guidelines, explicitly says, "Police Officers shall not fire warning shots." (We have posted the guidelines.) Baxter testified that the guidelines were essentially suggestions rather than rules. The trial is expected to continue at least through the end of the week. Check out nola.com for continued coverage. ||||| In New Orleans, do you get free shots at unarmed men, or don't you? This is the only question that Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro needs to ask himself. If the answer is, as it ought to be, "No,...

– A New Orleans police officer charged with burning the body of a man shot to death by a fellow officer after Katrina testified that he didn't do so to cover up the killing, ProPublica reports. Officer Greg McRae said he was exhausted and stressed, and that he burned the body of 31-year-old Henry Glover inside a car because it was sanitary and efficient: "I had seen enough rot," he said. "I had seen enough bodies." McRae, one of five officers on trial on charges related to Glover's death, also is accused of beating three men who came to Glover's assistance. The officer charged with the actual shooting, David Warren, said earlier in the trial that he opened fire because he thought Glover was running toward him with a weapon; a fellow officer says Glover was actually running away from their makeshift police station. The Times-Picayune has full coverage of the trial here.

Our recent analysis, Super Spending: U.S. Trends in High-Cost Medication Use, examines prescription drug use among patients with exceedingly high annual medication costs under the pharmacy benefit to help clients identify new opportunities to improve care, quality of life and health outcomes for the patients who rely on these costly, complex therapies. An estimated 576,000 Americans spent more than the median household income on prescription medications in 2014. This population of patients grew an astounding 63% from 2013. Further, the population of patients with costs of $100,000 or more nearly tripled during the same time period, to nearly 140,000 people. The total cost impact to payers from both patient populations is an unsustainable $52 billion a year. Profile of a High-Cost Population The patients in these extremely high-cost patient populations are overwhelmingly taking specialty medications, and have multiple comorbidities, prescriptions and prescribers. In fact, nine out of 10 patients with drug costs of $50,000 used specialty medications. Among patients whose costs reached $100,000 or higher: More than one-third of these patients were being treated for ten or more different medical conditions. The most common co-morbidities included high blood pressure, high cholsterol, diabetes and depression. Of note, the use of antidepressants was more than twice as prevalent as it is in the general population. Approximately 60% took 10 or more different medications. Approximately 72% had prescriptions written from at least four prescribers. 58% of the population were Baby Boomers, aged 51-70. Men represent 56% of patients with annual prescription costs exceeding $100,000. Top Therapy Classes Cost Drivers Compounded therapies, hepatitis C and cancer medications, comprise nearly two-thirds of drug spending in patients whose costs exceed $100,000 in 2014. Among patients in this highest-cost tier, 32% were taking cancer medications, and the number of patients receiving medication treatment for hepatitis C jumped 733% in 2014. Compounded medication use was the third-largest contributor to these extremely high medications costs. Among Americans with annual drug costs above $100,000, the proportion of patients using compounded medications grew 30% in 2014, while their costs on these compounded medications quadrupled. Patients Pay a Small Fraction of the Total Expense Insurance plans and employers covered more than 98% of the costs for patients whose prescription drug bills exceeded $100,000 in 2014, paying an average of $156,911 of these patients’ 2014 pharmacy costs. Patients within this highest-cost tier were responsible for less than 2% of their total 2014 pharmacy costs, paying an average $2,782 out-of-pocket in 2014. This reflects an annual decrease in the out-of-pocket percentage these patients paid in 2013. Average Annual Cost Per Patient Payer Preparedness The size, complexity and make-up of the patients in this population are a significant challenge for payers and require swift and effective solutions to improve care for these costliest patients. Reducing waste can create headroom for affordable coverage for patients who desperately need treatment. For example, addressing wasteful spending on compounded therapies that add little value to patient outcomes, and in a growing number of cases, may actually put a patient’s health at risk, can eliminate a significant contributor to high-cost medication use while protecting patients. Programs that improve medication adherence, particularly for patients with cancer and diabetes, can improve outcomes and help additional medical spending that result from less than optimal management of these conditions. Lastly, use of Express Scripts home delivery pharmacy and Accredo specialty allows us to treat the whole patient by providing a home pharmacy that offers integrated, coordinated care with specialist pharmacists, physicians, nurses, nutritionists and other specialists. We deliver more efficient, effective and personalized patient care for these vulnerable patients. And we guarantee it. The rapid growth of these patient populations threatens the affordability of medical coverage for patients and plan sponsors. A comprehensive management approach that effectively improves patient care and outcomes while reducing costs – and especially cost associated with wasteful spending – will help ensure new, innovative medications are readily available and affordable to the patients who need them most. Author Bio Glen Stettin, MD Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus ||||| ORLANDO, Fla., May 13, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- As pharmaceutical companies introduce more high-cost medications for larger populations, employers, health plans and others are increasingly challenged to control the significant increase in spending that happens as a result, according to new research released this week by Express Scripts (NASDAQ: ESRX) during its annual Outcomes Symposium. The new report, Super Spending: U.S. Trends in High-Cost Medication Use, examines prescription drug use among patients with exceedingly high annual medication costs under the pharmacy benefit. The number of U.S. patients estimated to have annual medication costs greater than $50,000 jumped 63 percent between 2013 and 2014, from 352,000 to 576,000 Americans. The population of patients estimated to be taking at least $100,000 worth of medication nearly tripled in the same time period, from 47,000 to 139,000 Americans. "The profile emerging from this research shows these patients are overwhelmingly taking specialty medications, and have multiple comorbidities, prescriptions and prescribers," said Glen Stettin, M.D., Senior Vice President, Clinical, Research and New Solutions at Express Scripts. "These insights highlight clear opportunities for payers to work with their PBM to improve care, quality of life and health outcomes for the patients who rely on these costly, complex therapies." Comorbidities, Polypharmacy Complicate Care Nine out of 10 patients with drug costs of $50,000 used specialty medications, which are expensive treatments for complex conditions. However, the analysis reveals patients at the top of the pyramid of prescription spending are often afflicted with numerous comorbidities that add to the complexity and cost of their care. Among patients whose costs reached $100,000 or higher: More than one-third were being treated for 10 or more different medical conditions; Approximately 60 percent took 10 or more different medications; and Approximately 72 percent had prescriptions written from at least four prescribers. Depression was one of the most common comorbidities among patients with more than $50,000 in annual costs, with about one-in-three patients having at least one prescription for an antidepressant in addition to their other therapies. The prevalence of antidepressant use among patients taking a specialty medication was 2.3 times higher compared to the national average. "Patients in these highest-spend categories are treating a complex condition along with other more common chronic conditions, such as diabetes or depression, which can leave them at risk for medication safety concerns and increased medical costs," said Dr. Stettin. "When we treat the whole patient, as we do in the Express Scripts Therapeutic Resource Centers® and our specialty pharmacy, Accredo, we provide a home pharmacy that offers integrated, coordinated care with other members of the patients' healthcare team. The result is more efficient, effective and personalized patient care." Costs driven by Hepatitis C, Cancer and Compounded Treatments Compounded therapies, hepatitis C and cancer medications, comprise nearly two-thirds of drug spending in patients whose costs exceeded $100,000 in 2014. Among patients in this highest-cost tier, 32 percent were taking cancer medications, and the number of patients receiving medication treatment for hepatitis C jumped 733 percent in 2014. Compounded medication use was the third-largest contributor to these extremely high medication costs. Among Americans with annual drug costs above $100,000, the proportion of patients using compounded medications grew 30 percent in 2014, while their costs on these compounded medications quadrupled. "Unlike high-priced hepatitis C and oncology therapies, most compounded medications add little-to-no value to patient outcomes, and in a growing number of cases, may actually put a patient's health at risk," said Dr. Stettin. "Tightly managing the use of compounded medications offers a significant opportunity for payers to improve patient safety and reduce spending." Majority of Patients in the Highest Spend Category are Baby Boomers Baby Boomers, ages 51-70, surpassed all other age groups as the highest-cost medication users, making up 58 percent of the population with annual drug costs exceeding $100,000, an increase of 243 percent from 2013 to 2014. Among Boomers in this high-cost category, 50 percent were being treated for cancer, 77 percent were being treated for hepatitis C, and 46 percent were taking compounded drugs. Patients Pay a Small Fraction of the Total Expense Insurance plans covered more than 98 percent of the costs for patients whose prescription drug bills exceeded $100,000 in 2014, paying an average of $156,911 of these patients' 2014 pharmacy costs. Patients within this highest-cost tier were responsible for less than 2 percent of their total 2014 pharmacy costs, reflecting an annual decrease in the out-of-pocket percentage these patients pay. Methodology The analysis examined de-identified prescription drug claims of 31.5 million insured Americans between 2013 and 2014. The research included beneficiaries with pharmacy coverage through commercial insurers, Medicare and Medicaid. To review the full report, please visit lab.express-scripts.com. About Express Scripts Express Scripts manages more than a billion prescriptions each year for tens of millions of patients. On behalf of our clients — employers, health plans, unions and government health programs — we make the use of prescription drugs safer and more affordable. Express Scripts uniquely combines three capabilities — behavioral sciences, clinical specialization and actionable data — to create Health Decision ScienceSM, our innovative approach to help individuals make the best drug choices, pharmacy choices and health choices. Better decisions mean healthier outcomes. Headquartered in St. Louis, Express Scripts provides integrated pharmacy-benefit management services, including network-pharmacy claims processing, home delivery, specialty benefit management, benefit-design consultation, drug-utilization review, formulary management, and medical and drug data analysis services. The company also distributes a full range of biopharmaceutical products and provides extensive cost-management and patient-care services. For more information, visit Lab.Express-Scripts.com or follow @ExpressScripts on Twitter. Media Contacts: David Whitrap, Express Scripts 314-517-3605 DWhitrap@express-scripts.com Jennifer Luddy, Express Scripts 908-794-9226 Jennifer_Luddy@express-scripts.com Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20080827/EXPRESSSCRIPTSLOGO SOURCE Express Scripts ||||| Pricey cancer drugs, expensive new cures for hepatitis and made-to-order drugs have driven U.S. prescription costs to new highs for some Americans, according to a report issued Wednesday. It finds that more than half a million Americans each took home $50,000 or more worth of prescription drugs last year. And the number of super-high spenders prescribed $100,000 or more worth of medications nearly tripled from 47,000 to 139,000, pharmacy benefits manager Express Scripts says. These are often very sick people, the report found. “Among patients whose drug costs reached at least $100,000, more than one-third were treated for at least 10 conditions and more than 60 percent were taking at least 10 different prescription medications,” the report reads. “Among patients whose drug costs reached at least $100,000, more than one-third were treated for at least 10 conditions." For those spending $100,000 or more a year, specialty, made-to-order drugs known as compounded therapies, as well as drugs for hepatitis C and to treat cancer accounted for two-thirds of the costs, Express Scripts found. The hepatitis C drugs include Gilead Science’s Sovaldi, which can cure the liver-destroying virus. Gilead charges $84,000 for the three-month drug course, and argues that it costs less than treating patients for a lifetime of liver disease. Play Facebook Twitter Embed Report: Drug costs top $50,000 for 575,000 Americans 0:20 autoplay autoplay Copy this code to your website or blog Express Scripts, which has actively fought drug companies over their pricing, has refused to cover Gilead’s other expensive hepatitis C drug Harvoni, and instead negotiated a deal with rival drugmaker Abbvie to get its hepatitis C drug Viekira at a discount. The benefits manager, which covers about 85 million Americans, has also complained about pricey cancer drugs. Bristol-Myers Squibb’s melanoma drug Yervoy can keep patients with terminal melanoma alive for a year or longer but it costs $120,000 for a course of treatment. Patients are almost never bearing these high costs. Insurance plans covered more than 98 percent of the costs for patients whose drugs cost $100,000 or more in 2014. “Across the cost spectrum, patients in 2014 paid an average of 13.5 percent of their total medication costs, down from 14.9 percent in 2013,” the report reads. "Patients are overwhelmingly taking specialty medications, and have multiple comorbidities, prescriptions and prescribers." Express Scripts used data from 31.5 million insured Americans covered by commercial insurers, Medicare and Medicaid for its report. “The profile emerging from this research shows these patients are overwhelmingly taking specialty medications, and have multiple comorbidities, prescriptions and prescribers,” said Dr. Glen Stettin, senior vice president for clinical research at Express Scripts. The report found that 90 percent of patients with drug costs of $50,000 used specialty medications, which are expensive treatments for complex conditions. More than a third of them were being treated for 10 or more different medical conditions. ||||| More than a half-million U.S. patients had medication costs in excess of $50,000 in 2014, an increase of 63 percent from the prior year, as doctors prescribed more expensive specialty drugs for diseases such as cancer and hepatitis C, according to an Express Scripts report released on Wednesday. Of the estimated 575,000 Americans who used at least $50,000 in prescription medicines last year, about 139,000 used at least $100,000 worth of medication, nearly triple the 47,000 who hit that mark in 2013, the report said. The total cost to health plans for U.S. patients with prescription drug expenses in excess of $50,000 was $52 billion in 2014, Express Scripts said in its report: "Super Spending: Trends in High-Cost Medication Use." "These patients are overwhelmingly taking specialty medications, and have multiple (health problems), prescriptions and prescribers," Glen Stettin, Express Scripts Holding Co's head of clinical, research and new solutions, said in a statement. Health insurance covered 97.4 percent of the drug expenses among patients prescribed at least $50,000 worth of medicines in 2014, according to Express Scripts, the largest U.S. pharmacy benefit manager. By contrast, patients with less than $1,000 in total prescription medication costs paid 35 percent of the bill out of pocket. Among baby boomers aged 51 to 70 in the high-cost category, 77 percent were being treated for hepatitis C, for which costly new cures were introduced last year. Fifty percent were being treated for cancer, for which several expensive new drugs were approved in the last two years. The new drugs for those diseases alone can cost upwards of $90,000 per patient. About 60 percent of patients in the super-spending report were taking at least 10 medicines from at least four different prescribers. "Patients in these highest-spend categories are treating a complex condition along with other more common chronic conditions, such as diabetes or depression," Stettin said. Anti-depressant use among those also taking a specialty medicine was more than twice the national average, the report found. The report looked at prescription drug claims of 31.5 million Americans with either commercial health insurance or coverage through federal and state Medicare and Medicaid plans. Pharmacy benefit managers like Express Scripts negotiate prescription drug pricing for employers and health plans and run large mail-order pharmacies. (Reporting by Bill Berkrot; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)

– Prescription drugs are pricey: According to a report released Wednesday by benefits manager Express Scripts, more than 500,000 people in 2014 took home meds costing a total of $50,000 or more per year, while the number of big spenders who took home at least $100,000 worth of drugs annually jumped from 47,000 to 139,000 between 2013 and last year, NBC News reports. About 60% of the patients in the $100,000 group were taking at least 10 medicines from no fewer than four different prescribers, Reuters reports. "Patients in these highest-spend categories are treating a complex condition along with other more common chronic conditions, such as diabetes or depression," an Express Scripts' head researcher says in a statement. A significant factor in the 63% increase of those dropping at least $50,000: More prescriptions are being issued for pricey specialty drugs for diseases such as hepatitis C and cancer, Reuters notes. Using info from 31.5 million insured Americans (covered by either commercial insurers or Medicaid/Medicare), the report also figured out the cost to payers for these pricey prescriptions: what the report labels "an unsustainable" $52 billion per year. But insurance picks up most of the tab, with plans covering almost 98% of the bill in the $100,000-plus group, per a press release. (What one expert calls "highway robbery": the trend of manufacturers to hike drug prices as soon as they buy them from other companies.)

Editor's note: Read this story in Arabic. (CNN) -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy has denied taking money from the Gadhafi family during his 2007 run for France's highest office, calling the allegation "grotesque." He said the late Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi was "known for talking nonsense," and challenged his son Saif al-Islam Gadhafi to produce records of the donations. Sarkozy was responding to allegations which surfaced on the Internet ahead of the French presidential election scheduled for April 22. "I am sorry that a big channel like TF1 is taking from information from the documents from Mr. Gadhafi or his son," Sarkozy said in the interview, which aired on Monday night on TF1. "When one quotes Mr. Gadhafi, who is dead, or his son, who is standing trial, the credibility is zero. And when you drag up their accounts with these questions you are asking, you quite degrade this political debate," he said in an attack on interviewer Laurence Ferrari. Gadhafi was toppled in a civil war last year and killed after several months in hiding. His one-time heir apparent, Saif al-Islam was captured by Libya's new authorities and is awaiting trial. It's the second time in as many weeks that Sarkozy has made headlines with a nationally televised interview. Last week, he said France has too many foreigners and is not integrating them properly. "Today we have a problem," Sarkozy said on France 2 TV on March 6. "Our system of integration is working worse and worse, because we have too many foreigners on our territory and we can no longer manage to find them accommodation, a job, a school," he said. France places a premium on national identity, pressing the population to put "Frenchness" before religion or national background. Sarkozy is running for a second term in office. He faces a strong challenge from Francois Hollande of the Socialist party and a range of candidates from smaller parties, including the far-right Marine Le Pen. If no candidate wins a majority in the first round, there will be a second round on May 6, with the top two finishers facing off. ||||| The “terms” for handing over the money were agreed in a meeting between the two men in Libya two years before Mr Sarkozy’s election, documents published by a French investigative website suggest.A memo obtained by the Mediapart site and handed to a judge alleges that the meeting on Oct 6, 2005 resulted in “campaign financing” of “NS [Nicolas Sarkozy]” being “totally paid”. At the time Mr Sarkozy was France’s interior minister with well-documented ambitions to succeed Jacques Chirac. Political financing laws ban candidates from receiving cash payments above €7,500 (£6,300) but Mediapart claims that €50 million mentioned in the memo were laundered through bank accounts in Panama and Switzerland. The Swiss account, it is alleged, was opened in the name of the sister of Jean-Francois Copé, the leader of Mr Sarkozy’s ruling UMP party and one of the most active campaigners for his re-election. The memo claims that “ZT”, believed to be an arms dealer called Ziad Takieddine, known to have close ties with several of Mr Sarkozy’s most loyal aides, was “in charge of arrangements”. It also mentions “several previous meetings” between Mr Takieddine and Saif-al Islam Gaddafi, Gaddafi’s son and former heir, who last year claimed that Libya had funded Mr Sarkozy’s election. “Sarkozy must first give back the money he took from Libya to finance his electoral campaign. We funded it. We have all the details and are ready to reveal everything,” said Saif-al Islam, currently held in Libya following the overthrow of his father’s regime. “The first thing we want this clown to do is to give the money back to the Libyan people. He was given the assistance so he could help them, but he has disappointed us. Give us back our money.” Mr Sarkozy provoked outrage among opposition figures and some members of his government when he welcomed Gaddafi to Paris in late 2007 when the Libyan dictator was permitted to pitch his tent next to the Elysée Palace. But he was the first to recognise the Libyan opposition last year and French jets were the first to strike Gaddafi’s tanks in a military campaign that ended with the Libyan leader’s death. The memo relates the testimony of Mr Takieddine’s former personal doctor, Didier Grosskopf, whom the dealer took on numerous trips to Libya, and who claimed he witnessed negotiations on party funding. Mr Takieddine cut off all relations with the doctor in 2006, when the memo was written. Fabrice Arfi, the co-author of the Mediapart report, told The Daily Telegraph that Mr Grosskopf “wanted to put down in writing what he had witnessed in case anything happened to him because of what he knew”. The memo also mentions the alleged presence of “BH”, Brice Hortefeux, one of Mr Sarkozy’s oldest friends who went on to become his interior minister and is now part of his campaign team. Mr Hortefeux confirmed yesterday that the 2005 meeting took place but that “never was there any question of political financing whatsoever”. The memo reached the investigating magistrate, Renaud Van Ruymbeke, as part of an inquiry into Mr Takieddine’s alleged role in party funding. Mr Sarkozy on Monday night angrily denied the allegations he had received money from Gaddafi. “If he (Gaddafi) had financed it, then I haven’t been very grateful,” Mr Sarkozy said. “Gaddafi, who is known for talking nonsense, even said that there were cheques. Well then the son should just go ahead and produce them then.” Mr Takieddine has denied involvement in any illegal party funding. When previously asked about Saif al-Islam’s claims, a spokesman for the Elysée Palace told Le Monde: “We deny it, quite evidently.” Mr Takieddine declined to comment about the latest allegations.

– Moammar Gadhafi helped bankroll Nicolas Sarkozy's rise to power, according to a French investigative website. Mediapart says it has seen documents suggesting the Libyan leader made a $66 million donation ahead of Sarkozy's election in 2007, the Telegraph reports. Gadhafi's son Saif-al Islam made similar claims a year ago, threatening to expose the French president. “The first thing we want this clown to do is to give the money back to the Libyan people," he said. "He has disappointed us." Sarkozy was one of the strongest supporters of action against Gadhafi's regime, although he raised eyebrows soon after his election by welcoming the Libyan leader to Paris and describing him as a "brother leader." Sarkozy, who is seeking re-election next month, described the allegations as "grotesque," CNN notes. "When one quotes Mr. Gadhafi, who is dead, or his son, who is standing trial, the credibility is zero," he said in a televised interview last night, adding that if Gadhafi had financed him, "then I haven’t been very grateful."

Heidi Klum was seen over the weekend at Hollywood’s Bootsy Bellows bar, locking lips with art playboy Vito Schnabel, and we’ve got all the details for you right here on RadarOnline.com. The America’s Got Talent stunner, who recently parted ways with bodyguard-turned-boyfriend Martin Kristen sat in a VIP booth with the 27-year-old hunk, who came on our Radar previously when he dated another show biz cougar in Demi Moore in 2012. PHOTOS: The New Flesh-Flash: Forget The Side Boob… Introducing The Hollywood Side Bum! An insider told X17 that the German stunner “was acting like a teenager” with the rich hunk. “I guess being with a younger guy was making her act like she was in high school. She was kissing his face all over as they enjoyed drinks with friends. They hardly left the booth — they just sat next to each other, touching from the shoulder down, laughing and flirting and making out.” PHOTOS: They’re Gorgeous, They’re Moms & They’re Models! The source said there was no shortage of passion — or lust — emanating from the sexy tandem. “This looks like a hot romance,” the insider said. “I don’t know if it’s going to last, but there is some serious chemistry between these two. They were both totally into each other.” PHOTOS: Golden Girls! Sports Illustrated’s 50th Anniversary Bash Draws Stunners From Past, Present Vito, the son of renowned painter Julian Schnabel, has also been romantically connected to Liv Tyler and Elle Macpherson. ||||| Anthony Harvey/Getty Images Katy Perry flaunts huge diamond ring at the Elle Style Awards 2014 on Feb. 18 in London. Katy Perry continues to let the engagement rumors roar. The 29-year-old starlet stepped out at the Elle Style Awards in London on Tuesday flashing a huge diamond ring on her left hand. The "Walking on Air" singer paired her sparkler with a printed Vivienne Westwood silk ensemble as she accepted the Woman of the Year honor from the fashion mag. This is the second time since Valentine's Day that Perry, who is in a serious relationship with fellow musician John Mayer, has been spotted with the suspicious bling. Anthony Harvey/Getty Images Katy Perry, wearing Vivian Westwood, was named Woman of the Year by Elle. Perry first rocked the ring on Friday when she spent the romantic holiday with her beau dining out at Sunset Towers in Los Angeles and clubbing at West Hollywood hot spot Bootsy Bellows. Despite the engagement buzz, sources have denied the couple are set to wed at the moment. "It's not true. They are not engaged," an insider told Us Weekly magazine. SPW/SPW Katy Perry hides her face but shows her ring beside beau John Mayer in West Hollywood. "It was a romantic Valentine's Day dinner for the two of them in a private spot but there was no proposal. … The dinner was sweet but low-key," a second source added. Perry is set to perform at Wednesday's Brit Awards. A rep for the star has yet to return the Daily News request for comment.

– If you were devastated by the 2012 demise of Heidi Klum and Seal's relationship because they always seemed like such a fun couple (see the gallery for photographic evidence), we have good news for you: There may be more matching Halloween costumes in their future. A source tells ninemsn that the divorced couple is getting close once again, following Klum's recent split from her bodyguard boyfriend. They started spending more time together with their kids late last year, "then in the last couple of weeks, that turned into long dinners at the house, longer stays with the kids and then sleepovers," the source says. "They’re even kissing in front of the kids now. It's very much back on." As for why Klum split with her last beau, the source says she found out he planned to propose on Valentine's Day, "and she knew that the time was now to cut it off in order to not hurt his feelings and have anything drag out that would be unpleasant. ... She still had feeling for Seal so couldn't let her relationship with Martin [Kirsten] go to the next step." But you may not want to get too excited: Klum was also recently linked to Demi Moore's 27-year-old ex. In other thinly-sourced celebrity romance news, Miley Cyrus is supposedly "hooking up" with Jared Leto, and rumors are flying that Katy Perry and John Mayer are engaged.

The former Nasa scientist criticizes the talks, intended to reach a new global deal on cutting carbon emissions beyond 2020, as ‘no action, just promises’ Mere mention of the Paris climate talks is enough to make James Hansen grumpy. The former Nasa scientist, considered the father of global awareness of climate change, is a soft-spoken, almost diffident Iowan. But when he talks about the gathering of nearly 200 nations, his demeanour changes. John Kerry rejects leading climate scientist's claim Paris talks were 'fraud' Read more “It’s a fraud really, a fake,” he says, rubbing his head. “It’s just bullshit for them to say: ‘We’ll have a 2C warming target and then try to do a little better every five years.’ It’s just worthless words. There is no action, just promises. As long as fossil fuels appear to be the cheapest fuels out there, they will be continued to be burned.” The talks, intended to reach a new global deal on cutting carbon emissions beyond 2020, have spent much time and energy on two major issues: whether the world should aim to contain the temperature rise to 1.5C or 2C above preindustrial levels, and how much funding should be doled out by wealthy countries to developing nations that risk being swamped by rising seas and bashed by escalating extreme weather events. But, according to Hansen, the international jamboree is pointless unless greenhouse gas emissions are taxed across the board. He argues that only this will force down emissions quickly enough to avoid the worst ravages of climate change. Hansen, 74, has just returned from Paris where he again called for a price to be placed on each tonne of carbon from major emitters (he’s suggested a “fee” – because “taxes scare people off” – of $15 a tonne that would rise $10 a year and bring in $600bn in the US alone). There aren’t many takers, even among “big green” as Hansen labels environment groups. Hansen has been a nagging yet respected voice on climate change since he shot to prominence in the summer of 1988. The Nasa scientists, who had been analyzing changes in the Earth’s climate since the 1970s, told a congressional committee that something called the “greenhouse effect” where heat-trapped gases are released into the atmosphere was causing global warming with a 99% certainty. A New York Times report of the 1988 testimony includes the radical suggestion that there should be a “sharp reduction in the burning of coal, oil and other fossil fuels that release carbon dioxide”, a plea familiar to those who have watched politicians who have traipsed up to the lectern or interviewer’s microphone in Paris over the past two weeks. After that, things started to get a little difficult for Hansen. He claims the White House altered subsequent testimony, given in 1989, and that Nasa appointed a media overseer who vetted what he said to the press. They held practice press conferences where any suggestion that fossil fuels be reduced was considered political and unscientific, and therefore should not be uttered. “Scientists are trained to be objective,” Hansen says. “I don’t think we should be prevented for talking about the the implications of science.” He retired from Nasa in 2013. “That was a source of friction. I held on longer than I wanted, by a year or two. I was in my 70s, it was time for someone else to take over. Now I feel a lot better.” Facebook Twitter Pinterest A man rides his bicycle on yellow paint poured on the street during a protest by activists from environmental group Greenpeace on the Champs-Elysee in Paris. Photograph: Christophe Ena/AP From being possibly America’s most celebrated scientist, Hansen is now probably its most prominent climate activist. He’s been arrested several times in protests outside the White House over mining and the controversial Keystone pipeline extension. He is also an adjunct professor at Columbia University. When he’s in New York, he lives near the campus, surrounded by books piled on groaning shelves. Hansen’s not slowing down – he’s involved in a climate lobbying group and still undertakes the sort of scientific endeavor which helps maintain his gravitas. One particular paper, released in July, painted a particularly bleak future for just about anyone living near the coast. Hansen and 16 colleagues found that Earth’s huge ice sheets, such as those found in Greenland, are melting faster than expected, meaning that even the 2C warming limit is “highly dangerous”. The sea level could soon be up to five meters higher than it is today by the latter part of this century, unless greenhouse gases aren’t radically slashed, the paper states. This would inundate many of the world’s cities, including London, New York, Miami and Shanghai. “More than half of the world’s cities of the world are at risk,” Hansen says. “If you talk to glaciologists privately they will tell you they are very concerned we are locking in much more significant sea level rises than the ice sheet models are telling us. “The economic cost of a business as usual approach to emissions is incalculable. It will become questionable whether global governance will break down. You’re talking about hundreds of million of climate refugees from places such as Pakistan and China. We just can’t let that happen. Civilization was set up and developed with a stable, constant coastline.” The paper has yet to be fully peer reviewed and some of Hansen’s colleagues, including his protege at Nasa, Gavin Schmidt, have voiced their doubts whether sea level rise will be quite this bad, with the IPCC projecting up to a meter by 2100. Brickbats are thrown in a bipartisan way. Hansen feels Obama, who has made climate change a legacy issue in his final year in office, has botched the opportunity to tackle the issue. COP21 environmental photography exhibition – in pictures Read more “We all foolishly had such high hopes for Obama, to articulate things, to be like Roosevelt and have fireside chats to explain to the public why we need to have a rising fee on carbon in order to move to clean energy,” he says. “But he’s not particularly good at that. He didn’t make it a priority and now it’s too late for him.” Hansen is just as scathing of leading Republicans who have embraced climate science denialism to the chagrin of some party elders. Leading presidential candidates Donald Trump, Marco Rubio and Ben Carson have all derided evidence that the world is warming due to human activity while Ted Cruz, another contender, has taken time out from his campaign to to sit on an inquiry into climate science that has heard testimony from a rightwing radio host who has no scientific background. “It’s all embarrassing really,” Hansen says. “After a while you realise as a scientist that politicians don’t act rationally. “Many of the conservatives know climate change is not a hoax. But those running for president are hamstrung by the fact they think they can’t get the nomination if they say this is an issue. They wouldn’t get money from the fossil fuel industry.” There is a positive note to end on, however. Global emissions have somewhat stalled and Hansen believes China, the world’s largest emitter, will now step up to provide the leadership lacking from the US. A submerged Fifth Avenue and deadly heatwaves aren’t an inevitability. “I think we will get there because China is rational,” Hansen says. “Their leaders are mostly trained in engineering and such things, they don’t deny climate change and they have a huge incentive, which is air pollution. It’s so bad in their cities they need to move to clean energies. They realise it’s not a hoax. But they will need co-operation.” ||||| The chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee says the climate change accord adopted in Paris on Saturday will do little to change the status quo. Sen. Jim Inhofe James (Jim) Mountain InhofeRepublican agenda clouded by division Overnight Regulation: Dems go on attack during EPA chief's hearing | Mnuchin promises more Russia sanctions | Regulators subpoena major bitcoin exchange | New lawsuit over FDA e-cig rule Dems go on the attack during EPA chief's hearing MORE (R-Okla.) said the agreement is no different from the Kyoto Protocol on climate change adopted 18 years ago. ADVERTISEMENT “The news remains the same. This agreement is no more binding than any other ‘agreement’ from any conference of the parties over the last 21 years,” Inhofe said in a Saturday statement. “Senate leadership has already been outspoken in its positions that the United States is not legally bound to any agreement setting emissions targets or any financial commitment to it without approval by Congress.” Inhofe, an outspoken doubter of the human role in climate change, has worked in recent months to undermine the agreement and demand that it be submitted to the Senate for approval, which it would not get. In his Saturday statement, he criticized many aspects of the deal, including his contention that nations like China and India, two of the largest greenhouse gas emitters, will not be held to high standards. He also hit the pact for the fact that many countries’ emissions reductions pledges do not say how they will meet them, and for setting arbitrary international goals. Inhofe reiterated his anger for the fact that the Environmental Protection Agency and the White House Council on Environmental Quality did not agree to testify at his committee on the Paris conference. “The Senate EPW Committee will continue oversight of the president’s climate agenda and the final Paris climate ‘agreement,’” he said. “Many questions have remained unanswered since the administration refused to testify in October to its plans to meet emissions reduction targets.” ||||| Le Bourget (France) (AFP) - India, China and Saudi Arabia are "happy" with a planned 195-nation agreement to rein in global warming, a spokesman for a developing country bloc long at odds with the West, told AFP Saturday. "We're happy with the agreement. We think it is balanced and we feel they've taken into account our interests," Gurdial Singh Nijar said on behalf of the Like-Minded Developing Countries (LMDC) grouping of two dozen odd countries. "India agrees. China agrees. Saudi Arabia agrees. The Arab group agrees." All had been considered hard to win over in the years-long battle between rich and developing countries for a pact binding all the world's nations to curbs of climate-altering greenhouse gas emissions. "LMDC has very serious objections, but to the weather conditions outside, not the agreement," the Malaysian negotiator and LMDC spokesman said on the sidelines of the UN conference, clearly in high spirits despite many sleepless nights of tough haggling. Nijar's announcement raised hopes that UN talks underway in Paris, already running a full day into overtime, would ultimately adopt the final draft which was presented to ministers by host France in the early morning hours. The European Commission also said it had no reservations. "The agreement covers all our main asks -- it's ambitious, it's balanced," commission spokeswoman Anna-Kaisa Itkonen told AFP. Rich and developing nations have been at odds for years over questions fairness and finance in sharing out responsibility for greenhouse gas emission curbs. Developing nations insist rich countries must shoulder the lion's share of responsibility for tackling climate change as they have polluted most since the Industrial Revolution -- a principle known as "differentiation". But the United States and other rich nations say emerging giants must also do more as they account for most of today's emissions and will be largely responsible for future warming. Finance for developing nations to make the shift to costly renewable energy and shore up defences against climate impacts, has been another long argument. Nijar said the latest draft upheld the differentiation principle. In addition, "the finance is made compulsory, the figure has been indicated, it has to be scaled up, there has to be progression. "So overall, we feel it has taken into account the interests of developing countries." ||||| Secretary of State John Kerry on Saturday thanked international delegates gathered in Paris for adopting a climate change pact that he called a win for the entire world. “This is a tremendous victory for all of our citizens,” Kerry said on the floor of the United Nations negotiations in Paris, shortly after French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius declared that the agreement had been adopted. ADVERTISEMENT “Not for any one country, or any one bloc, but for everybody here who has worked so hard to bring us across the finish line. It’s a victory for all of the planet and for future generations,” Kerry said. Kerry congratulated the delegates for putting aside their differences and objections for a monumental pact. “The world has come together around an agreement that will empower us to chart a new path for our planet, a smart and responsible path, a sustainable path,” he said. “And extraordinarily, we are 196 delegations, 186 plans. That is a remarkable global commitment.” Kerry had been a leading voice for the Obama administration in its attempts to lead diplomatically in the effort toward the accord. He’s been in Paris throughout the week, the second half of the formal negotiations for the agreement. “We have reached an agreement that, when fully implemented, will help us transition to a global clean energy economy, and ultimately, prevent the worst, most devastating consequences of climate change from ever happening,” Kerry said. Kerry also used the speech as an opportunity to thank French leaders for hosting the summit, especially so soon after the November terrorist attacks in Paris that killed 130, perpetrated by terrorists affiliated with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. “France, in the most difficult circumstances, after loss of life and terror, stood proud, stood up, stood strong, set an example to the world,” he said. “And now the world, here, today, says ‘thank you’ by restoring the global community’s faith that we can accomplish things multilaterally.” President Obama, who was in Paris Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 for the beginning of the talks, has scheduled a public speech at 5:30 from the White House to discuss the agreement.

– Delegates from 195 nations made history on Saturday—signing the first legally binding agreement to reduce carbon emissions and combat global warming—during climate talks in Paris. But not everyone is onboard with the pact. Here are some reactions from around the world: Secretary of State John Kerry: “This is a tremendous victory for all of our citizens,”the Hill quotes Kerry, who was the face of the Obama administration during he second week of talks. “Not for any one country, or any one bloc, but for everybody here who has worked so hard to bring us across the finish line. It’s a victory for all of the planet." Green Groups: The New Republic reports activists are mostly responding with "measured optimism." While Greenpeace International calls the agreement "diluted and polluted," most green groups see it as a place to start and something to build on. The GOP: “The news remains the same," the Hill quotes Republican Sen. Jim Inhofe. "This agreement is no more binding than any other ‘agreement’ from any conference…over the last 21 years." The chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee has been trying to undermine the agreement since talks started and says the Senate won't be bound by it. Developing Countries: "We're happy with the agreement," AFP quotes a Malaysian official representing two-dozen or so developing nations. He notes the only "serious objections" of the group—which includes India, China, and Saudi Arabia—are to the weather, not the agreement. "The Father of Climate Change": "It’s a fraud really, a fake. It’s just [expletive]," the Guardian quotes former NASA scientist James Hansen. "There is no action, just promises." Hansen believes the only way to lower emissions quick enough to avoid the serious consequences of climate change is to make fossil fuels prohibitively expensive through taxes or fees.

Cocoa police detectives released a surveillance photo of a man they say killed a 65-year-old man in a motel room. The suspect stole the victim’s vehicle and drove away from the Dixie Motel, police said. He may have gone to the Hialeah area in South Florida, officers said. An employee called 911 around 11 a.m. Wednesday after finding a body in room 216, according to police. The victim was later identified as Terry Scott Hilliard, of Ocala. Hilliard arrived at the hotel with the suspect around 5 p.m. Tuesday, police said. The motel is at 301 Forrest Ave. Anyone with information is asked to call Crimeline at 1-800-423-8477. dharris@orlandosentinel.com, 407-420-5471 or @DavidHarrisOS ||||| A man who'd traveled to Cocoa, Florida, to watch SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket launch was found dead in his hotel room Wednesday, sparking a nationwide hunt for his killer. Interested in SpaceX? Add SpaceX as an interest to stay up to date on the latest SpaceX news, video, and analysis from ABC News. Add Interest Terry Hillard, of Ocala, Florida, was in the area for Monday’s SpaceX launch, Cocoa police said in a statement. He checked into the Dixie Motel late Tuesday night with the suspect. Hillard's body was discovered Wednesday morning. Officials would not comment on the cause of death in the case. Cocoa Beach Police The suspect took Hillard’s black Chevy Cruz and abandoned it in Hialeah, Florida, police said. “We don’t know who [the suspect] is, we don’t think he is local, we think he’s a drifter,” Yvonne Martinez, a public information officer for the Cocoa Police Department, told ABC News. Authorities are not sure how the suspect and the victim knew each other, Martinez said. “The plaza where he ditched the car is near the turnpike. He could have hitchhiked to the other side of Florida, or he could have headed north, he could be anywhere,” Martinez said. Officials have issued statewide and nationwide bulletins to try and locate the suspect. Authorities cautioned the suspect may be armed “due to the nature of the homicide” and should be considered dangerous. Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Central Florida Crimeline. Up to a $5,000 reward is being offered. ||||| NBC 6 Reporter Erika Glover explains how police are looking for a man who is believed to be connected to a murder in Cocoa. What to Know Suspected killer is described as a white male, average build with dark hair, 5'7" to 5'10" between 18 and 28 years of age. Victim was found dead Wednesday morning at a motel in Cocoa, which is an hour outside of Orlando. Victim's abandoned vehicle was found in Hialeah Gardens. A suspected killer could be on the run in South Florida and police need your help to find him. “Somebody knows him, somebody has seen him, somebody has gone past him,” said Ron McCarron of Cocoa Police. Investigators believe the man they are searching for is connected to this week’s death of 65-year-old Terry Scott Hillard from Ocala. “It’s a while male, average build, dark hair. Possibly 5’7” to 5’10” between 18 and 28 years of age,” said McCarron. An employee at the Dixie Motel in the city of Cocoa, which is about an hour from Orlando, first alerted police to the homicide on Wednesday morning. Cocoa police said Hillard checked into the Dixie Motel around 5 p.m. Tuesday with the same man that’s now on the run. “We don’t know if it was someone that the victim knew or someone they had just met. Everything is showing us that they were hanging out together at the hotel and during the time just before the hotel,” said McCarron. Detectives tracked down the victim’s abandoned vehicle, which was used as the suspect’s getaway car, at a strip mall in Hialeah Gardens on Northwest 138th Street. He was last seen on security video at a gas station on West Okeechobee Road in Hialeah Gardens at around 4:30 Thursday morning. “He should be considered armed and dangerous,” said McCarron. The victim’s wife said he was in Cocoa Wednesday watching the Falcon Heavy rocket launch. Relatives tell police they have never seen the suspect. “As far as I know, he’s a suspect,” said David Walker, a relative of the victim. “I don’t know what happened. We’re clueless as to what happened, why it happened. That’s basically what my sister is trying to understand.” Anyone with information on this crime is urged to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.

– Terry Hillard arrived in Cocoa, Florida, to watch Tuesday's SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launch. A day later he was dead. The Orlando Sentinel reports an employee of the Dixie Motel called 911 on Wednesday morning after finding Hillard's body in his room. The 65-year-old Hillard checked into the motel late Tuesday with the suspect, according to ABC News. It's unclear how Hillard knew the unidentified suspect, who police say may be "a drifter." “We don’t know if it was someone that the victim knew or someone they had just met," Ron McCarron of the Cocoa Police Department tells NBC Miami. "Everything is showing us that they were hanging out together at the hotel and during the time just before the hotel." Relatives of Hillard say they had never seen the suspect before. Police spokesperson Yvonne Martinez says the suspect left the motel in Hillard's car before abandoning it. The suspect was last spotted on a gas station security camera early Thursday morning. Martinez says he "could be anywhere," and a nationwide manhunt is underway. “Somebody knows him, somebody has seen him, somebody has gone past him,” McCarron says. While officials aren't saying how Hillard was killed, they're warning the suspect may be armed "due to the nature of the homicide."

Why Approving Emergency Funding For Harvey Might Not Be Easy For Congress Enlarge this image toggle caption Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images When the floodwaters in Texas eventually recede, the cleanup and rebuilding will begin. The cleanup bill will likely be hefty — possibly topping $100 billion — and the vast majority of those efforts will be funded by the federal government. President Trump doesn't seem worried about Congress footing the bill. "You're going to see very rapid action from Congress," he told reporters Monday. "You're going to get your funding." In a visit to Austin on Tuesday, Trump met with the state's two Republican senators and again alluded to the price tag for federal help. "We'll be working with these characters over there and think we'll come through with a really, you know the right solution," the president said, adding recovery from Harvey is "going to be a costly proposition." But emergency response legislation has become increasingly partisan in recent years, and Congress is already facing a daunting stretch of must-pass bills when it returns next week. Funding for cleanup and rebuilding will likely pass — but it probably won't be easy. "I sort of see it as everyone holding their breath," Sarah Binder, a congressional expert at the Brookings Institution, said about the coming stretch of deadlines. Funding for the government expires Sept. 30. The deadline for raising the debt ceiling hits next month, too. It has been increasingly hard to round up conservative support for both measures in recent years. "It's not yet clear how exactly they're going to proceed," Binder said. "And there's the wild card of the president who has threatened to shut down the government if they don't fund a border wall." Several popular government programs expire at the end of September, too, and need reauthorization votes beforehand. That is the backdrop that urgent Harvey funding will be added to. "The federal funds are absolutely essential to recovery," says Edward Richards, director of Louisiana State University's Climate Change Law and Policy Project. Over the past six decades, the federal government has become the prime funder and driver of recovery efforts after major storms. On Tuesday night, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao announced that her department would make $25 million "immediately available to help Texas with repairs on flood-damaged roads and bridges," following a request by the state. A statement from the secretary said the funding "represents the beginning of our commitment to help repair Texas' affected infrastructure." Richards describes federal funding as coming in three waves: first, initial grants doled out to individuals and businesses by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. After that, the National Flood Insurance Program issues billions in claims for flooded-out homes and businesses. "That is fairly swift and fairly certain money. It's the most reliable relief after a flood," Richards says. Except for this: The National Flood Insurance Program happens to be one of those federal programs that expires on Sept. 30. A spokeswoman for House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., insists that won't be a problem. "Details are still being worked through, but the flood insurance program will be reauthorized," said Ryan spokeswoman AshLee Strong in a statement. But the program has its share of critics and is still in debt because of major claims payments from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The third wave of federal funding is even more politically precarious: It's the individual relief bills Congress passes after major disasters. After Superstorm Sandy in 2012, 179 House Republicans voted against relief for the New York-New Jersey area, including several members of the Texas delegation. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz did as well, in one of his first votes after joining the Senate. Cruz has found himself defending that vote all week. "The problem with that particular bill is it became a $50 billion bill that was filled with unrelated pork," he said on MSNBC. "Two-thirds of that bill had nothing to do with Sandy. Fact-checkers disagree — and many lawmakers still remember that vote. "Ted Cruz was one of the leaders who was trying to keep New York and New Jersey and Long Island from getting the funding we needed, and now he's the first one in asking for aid to Texas," New York Rep. Peter King, a fellow Republican, told Long Island's News 12. "But as bad as I feel toward Ted Cruz — what a hypocrite he is — I'm not going to take that out on Texas." Another quote being resuscitated this week: a 2005 floor speech delivered by then-Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., warning against funding Katrina relief without cutting funding elsewhere. "Congress must ensure that a catastrophe of nature does not become a catastrophe of debt," Pence said at the time. Binder says both Cruz and Pence are good examples of a longtime legislative adage: "Where you stand depends on where you sit." In other words, changing circumstances can lead to changing opinions. To wit, the recent caveat-free promise Pence made to Houston station KTRH: "I think what you're going to see is the national government — and we anticipate the Congress — are going to make the resources available to see Texas through the rescue operation, through the recovery." House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., says Democrats are ready and willing to vote for a relief bill. And House Appropriations Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-N.J., said in a statement that "my committee stands at the ready to provide any necessary additional funding for relief and recovery." So, the measure will likely pass. The big questions are how much it will ultimately cost and how much it affects all of Congress' other must-pass bills. ||||| Thousands of people likely remain stranded, and an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 homes have been destroyed in the Houston area as Hurricane Harvey, now a tropical depression, continues to batter the Gulf Coast with torrential rains, flooding and strong winds, Harris County Judge Ed Emmett said. Interested in Hurricane Harvey? Add Hurricane Harvey as an interest to stay up to date on the latest Hurricane Harvey news, video, and analysis from ABC News. Add Interest Harvey made its third landfall, just west of Cameron, Louisiana, Wednesday at 4 a.m. CDT, with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph, according to the National Weather Service. As of 11 p.m. EDT, the slow-moving storm had picked up some speed, moving northeast at 9 mph, with its center was about 30 miles northeast of Alexandria, Louisiana. The storm was starting to fall apart overnight, with rain scattered in nature and falling over Mississippi and Arkansas. Residents in western Tennessee, around Memphis, should expect heavy rains on Thursday morning and possible flash flooding as up to 8 inches of rain are possible locally. Before that, it battered the Beaumont-Port Arthur area in southeastern Texas, dumping more than 2 feet of rain in some parts. By Wednesday evening, the storm had weakened from a tropical storm to a tropical depression. "We have people who are on the second floor of their homes. They're riding it out, and they're waiting for the waters to go down," Emmett, who is also the director of Texas' Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, said in an interview Wednesday with ABC News Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos on "Good Morning America." "We've got probably [30,000] to 40,000 homes that have been destroyed," Emmett added. Power outages in the Houston area are down to 75,000, but 32,000 of those outages are inaccessible to crews, officials said Wednesday. The brunt of the storm's impact has begun to shift to western and northern Louisiana. Now, for Harris County, "the biggest challenge is going to get people back in their homes," Emmett said. "We've got to get those people back into their normal lives as soon as possible." The Houston Airport System announced that it has lifted restrictions on commercial operations. On Saturday, Southwest Airlines will ramp up the number of flights, according to the airport system. A curfew from midnight to 5 a.m. will take effect in Houston for the second night in a row, Mayor Sylvester Turner said in a press conference. No arrests were made during Tuesday night's curfew, a spokesperson for the Houston Police Department said at the press conference. The Houston Fire Department has received about 15,000 calls for assistance, a spokesperson said Wednesday evening. The fire department will begin recovery operations in certain areas and conduct door-to-door checks of accessible homes that got more than 3 feet of water, the spokesperson said. Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said 911 calls for water rescues were down to about 40 an hour as of this morning. Still, the Coast Guard is taking more than 1,000 calls per hour from people needing rescue. The Navy is sending two ships -- the USS Kearsarge and the USS Oak Hill -- to the Gulf of Mexico to held with storm relief efforts, it announced Wednesday. Vice President Mike Pence said on Wednesday that he will travel to Texas Thursday. "@POTUS asked me to travel to Texas tomorrow with his message: 'We will be with you every single day to restore, recover, and rebuild,'" the vice president tweeted. .@POTUS asked me to travel to Texas tomorrow with his message: "We will be with you every single day to restore, recover, and rebuild." pic.twitter.com/jQ0A9BGnPK — Vice President Pence (@VP) August 31, 2017 Harris County Flood Control District meteorologist Jeff Lidner told reporters this morning that the lowest homes near the Addicks and Barker reservoirs have 3 to 6 feet of water. Harvey, which first came ashore last Friday in Texas as a category 4 hurricane, dumped more than 51 inches of rain on some parts of the state, according to preliminary reports from the National Weather Service. The storm led to at least 31 deaths over the past five days, according to The Associated Press. Harris County officials, where Houston is located, confirmed six new deaths late Wednesday. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott -- who spoke by phone Wednesday with the president while the commander in chief was on board Air Force One, returning from Missouri -- said most of the deaths were due to people driving vehicles into high water. .@POTUS @realDonaldTrump speaks w/ Texas @GovAbbott on Air Force One - returning to Washington, D.C. from Missouri w/COS General John Kelly. pic.twitter.com/oTwxwM4VMU — Dan Scavino Jr. (@Scavino45) August 30, 2017 An undetermined number of people are missing. The Coast Guard is leading a search for two volunteer rescuers missing after their boat crashed and capsized on Cypress Creek near the North Freeway early Wednesday. Authorities found a third rescuer clinging to a tree, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office. The Harris County Sheriff's Office urged people awaiting rescue to "hang a towel or sheet prominently" for rescuers to see because addresses are difficult to spot. Harvey is expected to weaken and continue moving to the north and east across the Lower Mississippi Valley and Tennessee Valley through Thursday. But the National Weather Service said Harvey still has the potential to cause "life-threatening flooding." "Catastrophic and life-threatening flooding continues in southeastern Texas and portions of southwestern Louisiana," the service said in an advisory this morning. "Excessive runoff from heavy rainfall will cause flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses, as well as other drainage areas and low-lying spots." The situation became serious in eastern Texas Wednesday. The National Weather Service issued a flash-flood warning for parts of southeastern Texas, including the cities of Beaumont and Port Arthur, which received more than 26 inches of rain in some areas on Tuesday alone. Port Arthur Mayor Derrick Freeman urged residents to get to higher ground in a Facebook post early Wednesday. "Our whole city is underwater right now but we are coming!" Freeman wrote in one post. "Please get to higher ground if you can, but please try stay out of attics." The largest oil refinery in the United States is shutting down because of the devastating floods. Its owner, Motiva Enterprises, announced in a statement early Wednesday that it began a "controlled shutdown of the Port Arthur refinery in response to increasing local flood conditions." The refinery won't reopen until floodwaters recede, the company said. Officials were forced to evacuate the shelter at the Bob Bower Civic Center in Port Arthur this morning after it began to fill with water. One witness, who was forced to relocate, said some areas of the center had almost 4 feet of water inside. Displaced residents were taken to a secondary evacuation site at the Carl Parker Center, according to ABC Texas affiliate KBMT-TV. The disastrous rainfall Wednesday led the National Weather Service to further extend a flash-flood emergency for the cities of Beaumont and Port Arthur until 4:30 p.m. CT in anticipation of additional rain that morning. The worst is not over for Texas, Abbott warned Wednesday. He said 24,000 National Guard troops, including all of Texas' force, have been deployed in the state and will be crucial in the weeks and months to come to help restore order. The National Guard has made 8,500 rescues, evacuated 26,000 people and done 1,400 shelter-in-place welfare checks in Texas so far. Meanwhile, there are 32,000 people in shelters throughout the state, Abbott said. Five days after Harvey first made landfall, FEMA said it's still in "life-saving, life-sustaining" mode, with recovering survivors being the top priority. FEMA Administrator Brock Long said at a news conference Wednesday that there are more than 12,000 emergency staffers on the ground in Texas and Louisiana, spread across 50 counties. The agency is operating more than 230 shelters in Texas, housing more than 30,000 people. The George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston is no longer accepting evacuees, Turner said. About 8,000 people are currently at the convention center, down from 10,000 people on Tuesday night. The city had opened up the Toyota Center as an additional shelter to ease the overcrowding at the convention center. Long said the FEMA travel trailers used after Hurricane Katrina are a "last resort" and the agency will first try to move displaced residents into local hotels before helping them clear out their inundated houses so they can return to them. FEMA has already placed more than 1,800 flood survivors in hotels, he said. The Air Force said it was providing aircraft assistance in response to Harvey, including two HC-130J Combat King IIs, three HH-60G Pave Hawks, air crews and other support personnel to College Station, Texas. Two C-17 Globemaster IIIs are carrying more than 30 tons of relief supplies to Louisiana's Alexandria International Airport. Help is also coming from overseas. Gov. Abbott said on Wednesday that Texas is accepting resources from Mexico, including boats, food and other supplies. And Israel's embassy in Washington tweeted, "A team from the Israeli Rescue Coalition will arrive in #Houston on Thursday to help victims of #HurricaneHarvey." A team from the Israeli Rescue Coalition will arrive in #Houston on Thursday to help victims of #HurricaneHarveyhttps://t.co/Wd7Kl3fs7B pic.twitter.com/rbBL0NNHWX — Embassy of Israel (@IsraelinUSA) August 30, 2017 ABC News' Max Golembo, Serena Marshall, Whitney Lloyd, Luis Martinez and Zunaira Zaki contributed to this report. Take part in Disney's Day of Giving: To support people impacted by Hurricane Harvey, call 1-855-999-GIVE, donate at www.RedCross.org/ABC or text "HARVEY" to 90999 to make a $10 donation. ||||| HOUSTON — Five days after the pummeling began — a time when big storms have usually blown through, the sun has come out, and evacuees have returned home — Tropical Storm Harvey refused to go away, battering southeast Texas even more on Tuesday, spreading the destruction into Louisiana and shattering records for rainfall and flooding. Along 300 miles of Gulf Coast, people poured into shelters by the thousands, straining their capacity; as heavy rain kept falling, some rivers were still rising and floodwater in some areas had not crested yet; and with whole neighborhoods flooded, others were covered in water for the first time. Officials cautioned that the full-fledged rescue-and-escape phase of the crisis, usually finished by now, would continue, and that they still had no way to gauge the scale of the catastrophe — how many dead, how many survivors taking shelter inland or still hunkered down in flooded communities, and how many homes destroyed. For everybody, it was another head-shaking 24 hours: • The storm made its second landfall early Wednesday morning in Louisiana, just west of the town of Cameron, the National Hurricane Center announced at 4 a.m. As Harvey moves northeast through the state scarred by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, forecasters expect it to gradually weaken and become a tropical depression by Wednesday night. • Local officials in Texas said at least 30 deaths were believed to have been caused by the storm through Tuesday, up from eight a day earlier. The dead included a Houston police officer, Sgt. Steve Perez, 60, who was caught in flooding on Sunday while trying to report for duty. “I expect that number to be significantly higher once the roads become passable,” said Erin Barnhart, the chief medical examiner for Galveston County. • The city of Houston imposed a curfew from midnight to 5 a.m., starting Tuesday night and continuing until further notice. The curfew was requested by the Houston Police Department, partly in response to reports of “small-scale looting” and other crimes, Chief Art Acevedo said at a news conference Tuesday evening. He added that the curfew would help search and rescue teams get around without interference. • Parts of the Houston area broke the record for rainfall from a single storm anywhere in the continental United States, with a top reading on Tuesday afternoon, since the storm began, of 51.88 inches in Cedar Bayou, east of Houston, the National Weather Service reported. The previous record was 48 inches in Medina, Tex., from Tropical Storm Amelia in 1978, and with the rain still falling along the Gulf Coast, Harvey could top the 52 inches recorded in Kauai, Hawaii in 1950 from Hurricane Hiki. • Houston officials had at first limited the city’s main shelter, the George R. Brown Convention Center, to 5,000 evacuees, but by Tuesday morning it had swelled to more than 9,000, with more arriving by the hour, Mayor Sylvester Turner said. By the evening, evacuated residents were setting up cots in corridors because they said the main dormitories were uncomfortably crowded. One of the people bunking at the convention center, Keimaine Percel, a mechanic, had not seen his home since it flooded, but he was trying not to think about it. “I heard it was real bad,” said Mr. Percel, 35. “I don’t know unless I get back.” The Red Cross said that in Houston alone, 17,000 people began their day Tuesday in shelters, and the numbers were rising there and in inland cities that had taken evacuees such as Dallas, San Antonio and Austin. Mr. Turner said Houston would create new shelters, Dallas opened its convention center on Tuesday as a shelter for 5,000 people, and Fort Worth said it would open shelters, as well. In the Kingwood neighborhood of Houston, people waved towels from apartment windows and yelled “we’re here” and “family of three needs help,” hoping to draw one of the volunteers piloting fishing boats, inflatable rafts and kayaks. ||||| (CNN) With countless Houstonians still awaiting rescue, Tropical Depression Harvey devoured another Texas city. The unrelenting storm unleashed its wrath on a wide swath east of Houston, leaving thousands stranded in flooded homes and forcing the evacuation of a nursing facility and even an emergency shelter where residents had sought refuge. "Our whole city is underwater right now but we are coming!" Port Arthur Mayor Derrick Freeman posted Wednesday on Facebook. "If you called, we are coming. Please get to higher ground if you can, but please try (to) stay out of attics." My uncles have been rescuing people in Port Arthur for 24hrs! So blessed to have such a helpful family who help others in times like this! pic.twitter.com/O2qIVGHqxR At least 37 deaths related to Hurricane Harvey and its aftermath have been reported in Texas. One of them, Houston police Sgt. Steve Perez , drowned while trying to get to work. "To those Americans who have lost loved ones, all of America is grieving with you and our hearts are joined with yours forever," President Donald Trump said in Springfield, Missouri. The storm left record-setting rain in Harris County -- which saw 19 deaths -- before unleashing 15 inches in the Beaumont area, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said. "While there may still be flooding, the good news is there shouldn't be any rain in the region for the next several days," said CNN Meteorologist Taylor Ward. Evacuees at the Bob Bowers Civic Center in Port Arthur face flooding again as waters rise at the shelter. Misery in Houston While heavy rains have ended in the Houston area, more danger looms. Emergency workers and throngs of volunteers went door to door for a fifth day Wednesday, trying to rescue victims of the flood. Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said authorities have received 60,000 to 70,000 calls for help. "We just pray that the body count ... won't rise significantly." Acevedo said. The US Coast Guard is searching for two civilian rescuers who were swept away after their boat capsized Tuesday night, the Harris County Sheriff's Office tweeted Wednesday. Three volunteers were trying to cross Cypress Creek when their boat crashed and capsized, sending all three under a bridge. One of the volunteers was found clinging to a tree. JUST WATCHED Torrential downpour submerges parts of Houston Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Torrential downpour submerges parts of Houston 01:06 About one-third of the Houston area is covered in water. And it's unclear exactly how many people still need to be rescued, Texas Military Department spokesman Lt. Col. Travis Walters said. For the first time since the weekend, authorities said, the flooding in Houston is slowly receding in some areas. The Houston Astros announced they will play a doubleheader at home on Saturday against the New York Mets. The team played the Texas Rangers in St. Petersburg, Florida, earlier this week because of the hurricane. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said the home game will provide "a much needed boost for our city" and offer residents "some aspect of normal life." But dangerous flooding will continue from Houston all the way into southwestern Louisiana for the rest of the week, the National Weather Service said. Houses built 'inside a lake' could degrade Controversy has surrounded the placement of houses near Houston's Barker and Addicks reservoirs, especially since floodwater overflowed the latter. Residents evacuate their homes Tuesday near the Addicks Reservoir in Houston. "They allowed them to build homes inside the reservoir. And these homes are flooded -- 2,500 homes are flooded, some of them up to 5 feet deep," CNN meteorologist Chad Myers said Wednesday. "They built homes inside a lake." And those homes "will be inundated for several weeks," said Jeff Lindner with Harris County Flood Control. "The closest comparison that I can draw to those homes ... is Hurricane Katrina," Lindner said. "When water sits in a house for several weeks, the house begins to degrade." Lindner said those residents will be able to return after several weeks, but "we are not sure what the condition of those homes are going to be." He also said it's unclear whether rebuilding homes in the same area will be allowed. Louisiana weathers Harvey, Texas 'taking it on the chin' Louisiana was largely spared from Harvey's wrath on Wednesday. "While things are still serious and there is a long way to go, we ... have fared much better than we'd feared might be the case, but our neighbors are still taking it on the chin," Gov. John Bel Edwards said. "In Texas, we're going to do everything we can do to be good neighbors to them." Edwards requested a federal disaster declaration be extended to seven additional Louisiana parishes. Harvey is still threatening to dump an additional 3 to 6 inches of rain from northern Louisiana into western Kentucky, forecasters said. It weakened over land and fizzled to a tropical depression Wednesday night, with winds of 35 mph. New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu said volunteers helped New Orleans recover after Katrina and they will do the same for Texas residents affected by Harvey. New Orleans officials announced a fundraiser to help the residents of Houston and other flooded Texas cities recover from Harvey. "No city was more welcoming for the citizens of New Orleans than the people of Houston," Landrieu said. "And our heart breaks for them as they go through their trying to times." More rescues, mother dies In Beaumont, rescuers Tuesday afternoon came upon a toddler in a pink backpack clinging to her mother's body in floodwaters about a half mile from their car. The mother was getting out of her car when she stepped into a canal, Mayor Becky Ames said. The girl was in stable condition with hypothermia. "Had we been a few moments later, they would have been swept underneath (a trestle) and our boats wouldn't have been able to get them," Haley Morrow, spokeswoman for the Beaumont Emergency Management Office, told CNN on Wednesday. "A true testament of a mother who put her own life at risk and sacrificed her life to save her child. That was devastating." In Port Arthur, about 90 miles east of the devastated Houston area, the deluge was so severe that floodwaters overwhelmed the Bob Bowers Civic Center, which was serving as a shelter. It was evacuated Wednesday after taking on water overnight, according to volunteer Ana Platero. Cots where people slept the night before floated on 2 feet of water on Wednesday as people waited on tables or sat on elevated bleachers to be evacuated to a nearby middle school. At Lake Arthur Place, a nursing home in Port Arthur, rescue workers evacuated up to 74 bedridden patients after an altercation involving relatives who tried to take out loved ones on their own, CNN affiliate KTRK reported. All residents were taken to local hospitals in Beaumont, the nursing home operator said. Some Port Arthur residents sought shelter in a bowling alley. Cynthia Harmon told CNN by phone that she was trapped with her two sons and two grandsons in the attic of her Port Arthur home. They began waiting for rescuers at midnight Tuesday and had run out of food and water by Wednesday afternoon. "I didn't think the water was going to rise like that," she said. "I've never been in anything like this." The family was rescued later on Wednesday. Police made an appeal for volunteers to bring boats and help. "Rescue boats welcome in Port Arthur to assist emergency personnel," the police department posted on Facebook. The city asked anyone trapped to hang a white towel, sheet or shirt outside to alert rescuers. Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Downtown Houston is reflected in the flooded Buffalo Bayou on Wednesday, August 30, five days after Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas. The Category 4 storm came ashore late Friday, August 25, just north of Port Aransas, and has caused historic flooding. Correction: Previous versions of this gallery incorrectly reported that Hurricane Harvey is the strongest storm to make landfall in the United States since Wilma in 2005. Harvey is actually the strongest storm to make landfall in the United States since Charley in 2004. Hide Caption 1 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Members of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Louisiana National Guard help rescue elderly people from a flooded assisted living home in Orange, Texas, on August 30. Hide Caption 2 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas A baby sits with family belongings at a Gallery Furniture store in Houston being used as a temporary shelter on August 30. Hide Caption 3 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Floodwaters engulf homes in Port Arthur on August 30. Hide Caption 4 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Janice Forse cries at an emergency shelter in Beaumont on August 30. Her home in Beaumont was flooded Wednesday morning. "Even Katrina wasn't this bad," Forse told the Austin American-Statesman. Hide Caption 5 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Tammy Dominguez, left, and her husband, Christopher Dominguez, sleep on cots at the George R. Brown Convention Center, where nearly 10,000 people are taking shelter in Houston, on August 30. Hide Caption 6 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas A cat tries to find dry ground around a flooded apartment complex on August 30 in Houston. Hide Caption 7 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Volunteer rescue workers help a woman from her flooded home in Port Arthur on August 30. Hide Caption 8 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas The Florida Air Force Reserve Pararescue team from the 308th Rescue Squadron helps evacuees board a helicopter in Port Arthur on August 30. Hide Caption 9 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Water from the Addicks Reservoir flows into neighborhoods in Houston as floodwaters rise Tuesday, August 29. Hide Caption 10 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Chris Gutierrez, second from right, helps his grandmother, Edelmira Gutierrez, down the stairs of their flooded house and into a waiting firetruck in the Concord Bridge neighborhood of Houston on August 29. Hide Caption 11 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Members of the National Guard rest at a furniture store in Richmond, Texas, on August 29. Hide Caption 12 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Alexis Hernandez holds her daughter Faith at the George R. Brown Convention Center, which is serving as a shelter in Houston. Hide Caption 13 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Evacuees make their way though floodwaters in Houston on August 29. Hide Caption 14 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas President Donald Trump takes part in a briefing on Harvey as he visits Corpus Christi on August 29. In a stop in Austin, Trump spoke of the long-term effort and stiff costs that will be needed to rebuild the region. "Nobody's seen this kind of water," he said. "Probably, there's never been something so expensive in our country's history." While talking about recovery and relief efforts, Trump said, "We want to do it better than ever before." Hide Caption 15 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Civilian rescuers put a boat into a flooded road to search for people in Cypress on August 29. Hide Caption 16 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Volunteers organize items donated for Hurricane Harvey victims in Dallas on August 29. Hide Caption 17 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas An overview of downtown Houston on August 29 shows the scale of the catastrophic flooding. Hide Caption 18 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Matthew Koser searches for important papers and heirlooms inside his grandfather's house in Houston's Bear Creek neighborhood on August 29. The neighborhood flooded after water was released from nearby Addicks Reservoir. Hide Caption 19 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Shane Johnson removes items from a family home in Rockport, Texas, on August 29. Hide Caption 20 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Airplanes sit at a flooded airport in Houston on August 29. Hide Caption 21 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas People set up a shelter for volunteer rescue workers at Fairfield Baptist Church in Cypress, Texas, on August 29. Hide Caption 22 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Shardea Harrison looks at her 3-week-old baby, Sarai, as Dean Mize, right, and Jason Legnon use an airboat to rescue them from their home in Houston on Monday, August 28. Hide Caption 23 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Thousands take shelter at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston on August 28. Hide Caption 24 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Rescue boats fill Tidwell Road in Houston as they help flood victims evacuate the area on August 28. Hide Caption 25 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas People wait to be rescued from their flooded home in Houston on August 28. Hide Caption 26 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas A firefighter helps Sara Golden and her daughters Paisley, Poppy and Piper board a Texas Air National Guard C-130 at Scholes International Airport in Galveston, Texas, on August 28. Hide Caption 27 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas People make their way out of a flooded neighborhood in Houston on August 28. Hide Caption 28 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Sam Speights removes possessions from his damaged home in Rockport on August 28. Hide Caption 29 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Flood victims wait to unload from the back of a heavy-duty truck after being evacuated from their homes in Houston on August 28. Hide Caption 30 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas People leave a flooded area of Houston on August 28. Hide Caption 31 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas People are rescued in Houston on August 28. Hide Caption 32 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Bridget Brundrett presents an American flag to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott while he was in Rockport on August 28. The flag had been recovered from city hall after flying during the hurricane. Hide Caption 33 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas A Coast Guard helicopter hoists a wheelchair on board after lifting a person to safety from a flooded area of Houston on August 28. Hide Caption 34 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Houston flood victims eat and rest at the George R. Brown Convention Center on August 28. Hide Caption 35 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Belinda Penn holds her dogs Winston and Baxter after being rescued from their home in Spring, Texas, on August 28. Hide Caption 36 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas A firefighter is wheeled to a waiting ambulance after he became fatigued while fighting an office-building fire in downtown Houston on August 28. Hide Caption 37 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas People evacuate a neighborhood in west Houston on August 28. Hide Caption 38 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Julie Martinez, right, hugs her daughter, Gabrielle Jackson, in front of a relative's damaged apartment in Rockport on August 28. Hide Caption 39 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Cattle are stranded in a flooded pasture in La Grange, Texas, on August 28. Hide Caption 40 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Volunteer rescue boats make their way into a flooded subdivision in Spring, Texas, on August 28. Hide Caption 41 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Houston police officer Daryl Hudeck carries Catherine Pham and her 13-month-old son, Aiden, after rescuing them from floodwaters on Sunday, August 27. Hide Caption 42 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas People push a stalled pickup through a flooded street in Houston on August 27. Hide Caption 43 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Residents of Rockport return to their destroyed home on August 27. Hide Caption 44 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas The Buffalo Bayou floods parts of Houston on August 27. Hide Caption 45 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Two men try to beat the current that was pushing them down an overflowing Brays Bayou in Houston on August 27. Hide Caption 46 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Jane Rhodes is rescued by neighbors in Friendswood, Texas, on August 27. Hide Caption 47 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Volunteers at Sacred Heart Catholic Church prepare cots for evacuees in Elgin, Texas, on August 27. Hide Caption 48 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Damage to a home is seen in the Key Allegro neighborhood of Rockport on August 27. Hide Caption 49 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Melani Zurawski cries while inspecting her home in Port Aransas on August 27. Hide Caption 50 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Wilford Martinez, right, is rescued from his flooded car along Interstate 610 in Houston on August 27. Assisting him here is Richard Wagner of the Harris County Sheriff's Department. Hide Caption 51 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas A car is submerged by floodwaters on a freeway near downtown Houston on August 27. Hide Caption 52 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas A resident of the Bayou on the Bend apartment complex watches its first floor flood in Houston on August 27. Hide Caption 53 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas A city flag, tattered by the effects of Hurricane Harvey, flaps in the wind over the police station in Rockport on August 27. Hide Caption 54 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls and Lucas Wu lift Ethan Wu into an airboat as they evacuate the Orchard Lakes subdivision in Fort Bend County, Texas, on August 27. Hide Caption 55 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Damage is seen at a boat storage building in Rockport on August 27. Hide Caption 56 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Water rushes from a large sinkhole along a highway in Rosenberg, Texas, on August 27. Hide Caption 57 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Evacuees wade through a flooded section of Interstate 610 in Houston on August 27. Hide Caption 58 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Evacuees are loaded onto a truck on an Interstate 610 overpass in Houston on August 27. Hide Caption 59 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas A graveyard is flooded in Pearland, Texas, on August 27. Hide Caption 60 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas A driver works his way through a maze of fallen utility poles in Taft, Texas, on Saturday, August 26. Hide Caption 61 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Steve Culver comforts his dog Otis on August 26 as he talks about what he said was the "most terrifying event in his life." Hurricane Harvey destroyed most of his home in Rockport while he and his wife were there. Hide Caption 62 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas People walk through flooded streets in Galveston on August 26. Hide Caption 63 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Aaron Tobias stands in what is left of his Rockport home on August 26. Tobias said he was able to get his wife and kids out before the storm arrived, but he stayed there and rode it out. Hide Caption 64 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Brad Matheney offers help to a man in a wheelchair in Galveston on August 26. Hide Caption 65 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Jessica Campbell hugs Jonathan Fitzgerald after riding out Hurricane Harvey in an apartment in Rockport. Hide Caption 66 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Boats are damaged in Rockport on August 26. Hide Caption 67 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas A damaged home in Rockport on August 26. Hide Caption 68 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Donna Raney makes her way out of the wreckage of her home as Daisy Graham assists her in Rockport on August 26. Raney was hiding in the shower after the roof blew off and the walls of her home caved in. Hide Caption 69 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas A laundromat's machines are exposed to the elements in Rockport on August 26. Hide Caption 70 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas A semi-truck is overturned on a highway south of Houston on August 26. Hide Caption 71 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas An American flag flies in front of a damaged mobile-home park in Rockport on August 26. Hide Caption 72 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas NASA astronaut Jack Fischer photographed Hurricane Harvey from the International Space Station on Friday, August 25. Hide Caption 73 of 74 Photos: Hurricane Harvey slams Texas Waves pound the shore as Harvey approaches Corpus Christi, Texas, on August 25. Hide Caption 74 of 74 The disaster in Port Arthur is part of Tropical Storm Harvey's devastating encore. Harvey made landfall once again Wednesday morning, slamming into the Louisiana coast near the Texas border. 26 inches in 24 hours Harvey has broken the US record for rainfall from a single storm, CNN senior meteorologist Dave Hennen said. It has dumped almost 52 inches of rain in parts of Texas. The coastal cities of Beaumont and Port Arthur got pummeled with 26 inches of rain in 24 hours. "Life-threatening flash flooding continues in far east Texas around Beaumont and Port Arthur," Hennen said. Port Arthur, a city of about 55,000, is in exceptional danger because water from Beaumont is expected to flow toward it. In Beaumont, a man who accidentally drove a truck into a flooded ravine that looked like a street was rescued by CNN correspondent Drew Griffin, producer Brian Rokus and photographer Scott Pisczek on Wednesday. "I want to thank these guys for saving my life," said the driver, Jerry Sumrall. In Woodville, a town north of Beaumont, US Rep. Brian Babin was trapped for part of Wednesday at home with members of his family after a creek overflowed. "I'm in my home in Tyler County, and we could not get out unless a helicopter plucks me out or I get my boat and launch it," the Texas Republican told CNN by phone early in the day. "We're fine. These waters are going to recede hopefully sometime this evening." On Wednesday afternoon, a US Navy helicopter plucked seven people from floodwaters. 'We help each other out' Strangers from across the country descended on Texas and braved treacherous floodwater to evacuate victims. JUST WATCHED CNN crew helps rescue man from truck Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH CNN crew helps rescue man from truck 02:05 Tom Dickers is among those who came hauling boats from Dallas and San Antonio. "This is what Texans would do. We help each other out," Dickers said. At least 9,000 to 10,000 people have been rescued in the Houston region by first responders. Volunteers said they have helped as many as 400 in one day. Some would just "come crying, just wanting help," volunteer Bobba Bedri said. "I just felt like I had to get more people out, keep going and keep going." CLARIFICATION: Harvey made its first landfall at 10 p.m. local time Friday, initially striking a barrier island near Port Aransas, Texas, before moving onto the US mainland two hours later near Copano Bay, Texas. After re-emerging into the Gulf of Mexico on Monday, it made another landfall Wednesday in Louisiana. ||||| The catastrophic flooding from Hurricane Harvey is not limited to Texas, it's also affecting parts of southwest Louisiana where preparations are underway to evacuate some areas. Interested in Hurricane Harvey? Add Hurricane Harvey as an interest to stay up to date on the latest Hurricane Harvey news, video, and analysis from ABC News. Add Interest As the heavy band of rain stretches over southwest Louisiana, residents in the Lake Charles region are once again bracing for impact like they did for Hurricane Katrina 12 years ago. According to the National Weather Service, Harvey will make landfall again later early Wednesday morning as a tropical storm. Dick Gremillion, director of homeland security and preparedness, said Tuesday, "We are not going to escape this, we are going to get more rain." Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said 671 members of the National Guard have been activated. The 15 soldiers who are stationed in New Orleans are reporting on the status of the city's drainage pumps, Edwards said. First responders have rescued about 500 people so far, and there are currently 269 people in shelters in southwest Louisiana, 200 of whom were rescued, Edwards said. While the department is not enforcing mandatory evacuations, "we strongly suggest it," especially for areas "prone to flooding," Gremillion said. Surrounding areas in southwest Louisiana have already received 10 to 20 inches of rain and another 10 to 15 inches of rain is still possible. The NWS expects major flooding in Calcasieu River, winds of 45 miles-per-hour and falling trees due to heavy rain and tornadoes. Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter warned residents on Tuesday that if they were concerned about homes flooding last night they should "pull the trigger today and let us help you get out." The storm could leave the area as early as Wednesday night, but extended rain bands may continue into Thursday. On Monday night, water rose to chest-high in some areas, flooding homes and forcing hundreds of evacuations in one neighborhood, according to Lake Charles Fire Department Division Chief Lennie LaFleur. Among the nearly 500 rescued, one family displaced by the rising water said they were forced to move quickly in the middle of the night to flee their flooded home. When the water rose to four feet high, a single father's four children began to blow up inflatable boats using their own breath to help their dad and grandma. The father pulled his family atop the inflatables for nearly half a mile from their home to an evacuation center. Local authorities are concerned the floodwater surrounding the shelter could continue to rise as the rain picks back up Tuesday evening. As storm forecasts show further movement into the state, Louisiana's governor is warning that "the worst is likely to come for us here." Heavy rain is developing along the south LA coast & expected to expand inland through predawn hours. Flash Flood Watch continues #LAwx #MSwx pic.twitter.com/6SJcuhqyQO — NWS New Orleans (@NWSNewOrleans) August 29, 2017 Harvey "does remain a named tropical storm and it's going to drop an awful lot of rain," Edwards said at a news conference Monday. "We do have a long way to go with this particular storm." Flash flood warnings and watches are in effect as the outer bands that have done the most damage in Houston are expected to move further inland into Louisiana by Wednesday, ABC News meteorologists said. Officials are monitoring storm surge and high tides, which could increase flooding. The storm will make landfall again the day after the 12-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. In a press conference, New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu said the memories from Hurricane Katrina are "flashing back to us as the images from Houston rain down on us." "If that storm came our way, we would likely experience the same thing as Houston, if not worse," Landrieu said. Landrieu said the city of New Orleans will "never forget the incredible compassion" it received from the people of Houston. On Monday, he reactivated the NOLA Pay It Forward Fund, which raised $250,000 last year when the city of Baton Rouge was affected by widespread flooding. New Orleans public schools will be open Thursday, Landrieu said, but he asked residents to "stay alert and stay vigilant tonight" in case the storm deviates. City workers are continuing to man pump stations to get all pumps and power back, Landrieu said. The mayor asked residents to prepare to stay off the streets in the event of flash flooding. ||||| Lauren Durst holds onto her ten-month-old son, Wyatt Durst, as they evacuate from the Savannah Estates neighborhood as Addicks Reservoir nears capacity during Tropical Storm Harvey, Tuesday, Aug. 29,... (Associated Press) HOUSTON (AP) — The latest weather forecast delivered hope to Houston after five days of torrential rain submerged the nation's fourth-largest city: Less than an inch of rain and perhaps even sunshine. But the dangers remain far from over Wednesday. With at least 18 dead and 13,000 people rescued in the Houston area and surrounding cities and counties in Southeast Texas, others were still trying to escape from their inundated homes. Weakened levees were in danger of failing and a less-ferocious but still potent Harvey returned to shore, making landfall in southwestern Louisiana. The situation was dire early Wednesday in Port Arthur, Texas, near the Louisiana border, where homes were starting to fill with rising floodwaters and residents were unsure of how to evacuate the city, KFDM-TV reported. Jefferson County Sheriff Zena Stephens said county resources could not get to Port Arthur because of the flooding. Port Arthur Mayor Derrick Freeman said on his Facebook page that the "city is underwater right now but we are coming!" He also urged residents to get to higher ground and to avoid becoming trapped in attics. Authorities expected the human toll to continue to mount, both in deaths and in the tens of thousands of people made homeless by the catastrophic storm that is now the heaviest tropical downpour in U.S. history. In all, more than 17,000 people have sought refuge in Texas shelters, and that number seemed certain to increase, the American Red Cross said. Houston's largest shelter housed 10,000 of the displaced — twice its initial intended capacity — as two additional mega-shelters opened Tuesday for the overflow. Louisiana's governor offered to take in Harvey victims from Texas, and televangelist Joel Osteen opened his Houston megachurch, a 16,000-seat former arena, after critics blasted him on social media for not acting to help families displaced by the storm. In an apparent response to scattered reports of looting, a curfew was put into effect from midnight to 5 a.m., with police saying violators would be questioned, searched and arrested. A much-weakened Tropical Storm Harvey steered into new territory, coming ashore again early Wednesday just west of Cameron, Louisiana, with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (72 kph), the National Hurricane Center said. Harvey is expected to weaken, but will slog through Louisiana for much of the day before taking its downpours north. Arkansas, Tennessee and parts of Missouri are on alert for Harvey flooding in the next couple of days. "Once we get this thing inland during the day, it's the end of the beginning," said National Hurricane Center meteorologist Dennis Feltgen. "Texas is going to get a chance to finally dry out as this system pulls out." But Feltgen cautioned: "We're not done with this. There's still an awful lot of real estate and a lot of people who are going to feel the impacts of the storm." Still, the reprieve from the rain in Houston was welcome. Eugene Rideaux, a 42-year-old mechanic who showed up at Osteen's Lakewood Church to sort donations for evacuees, said he had not been able to work or do much since the storm first hit, so he was eager to get out of his dark house and help. "It's been so dark for days now, I'm just ready to see some light. Some sunshine. I'm tired of the darkness," Rideaux said. "But it's a tough city, and we're going to make this into a positive and come together." The city has asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency for more supplies, including cots and food, for an additional 10,000 people, said Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, who hoped to get the supplies no later than Wednesday. Four days after the storm ravaged the Texas coastline as a Category 4 hurricane, authorities and family members reported at least 18 deaths from Harvey. They include a former football and track coach in suburban Houston and a woman who died after she and her young daughter were swept into a rain-swollen drainage canal. Two Beaumont, Texas, police officers and two fire-rescue divers spotted the woman floating with the child, who was holding onto her mother. Authorities acknowledge that fatalities from Harvey could soar once the floodwaters start to recede from one of America's largest metropolitan centers. A pair of 70-year-old reservoir dams that protect downtown Houston and a levee in a suburban subdivision began overflowing Tuesday, adding to the rising floodwaters. Engineers began releasing water from the Addicks and Barker reservoirs Monday to ease the strain on the dams. But the releases were not enough to relieve the pressure after the relentless downpours, Army Corps of Engineers officials said. Both reservoirs are at record highs. The release of the water means that more homes and streets will flood, and some homes will be inundated for up to a month, said Jeff Linder of the Harris County Flood Control District. Officials in Houston were also keeping an eye on infrastructure such as bridges, roads and pipelines that are in the path of the floodwaters. Water in the Houston Ship Channel, which serves the Port of Houston and Houston's petrochemical complex, is at levels never seen before, Linder said. The San Jacinto River, which empties into the channel, has pipelines, roads and bridges not designed for the current deluge, Linder said, and the chance of infrastructure failures will increase the "longer we keep the water in place." Among the worries is debris coming down the river and crashing into structures and the possibility that pipelines in the riverbed will be scoured by swift currents. In 1994, a pipeline ruptured on the river near Interstate 10 and caught fire. After five consecutive days of rain, Harvey set a new continental U.S. record for rainfall for a tropical system. The rains in Cedar Bayou, near Mont Belvieu, Texas, totaled 51.88 inches (132 centimeters) as of Tuesday afternoon. That's a record for both Texas and the continental United States, but it does not quite surpass the 52 inches (133 centimeters) from Tropical Cyclone Hiki in Kauai, Hawaii, in 1950, before Hawaii became a state. ___ Associated Press writers Frank Bajak and Michael Graczyk in Houston, Diana Heidgerd and David Warren in Dallas, Seth Borenstein in Washington and Tammy Webber in Chicago contributed to this report. ___ Sign up for AP's daily newsletter showcasing our best all-formats reporting on Harvey and its aftermath: http://apne.ws/ahYQGtb . ||||| The ExxonMobil refinery in Baytown, Tex., in 2008. (Jessica Rinaldi/Reuters) ExxonMobil acknowledged Tuesday that Hurricane Harvey damaged two of its refineries, causing the release of hazardous pollutants. The acknowledgment, in a regulatory filing with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, follows repeated complaints on Twitter of an “unbearable” chemical smell over parts of Houston. However, it was not immediately clear what caused the smell. ExxonMobil said in the filings that a floating roof covering a tank at the company’s Baytown oil refinery sank in heavy rains, dipping below the surface of oil or other material stored there and causing unusually high emissions, especially of volatile organic compounds, a category of regulated chemicals. [Houston dam spills over while police say more than 3,500 rescued during Harvey flooding] The Baytown refinery is the second-largest in the country. The company said in its filing that it would need to empty the tank to make repairs, though it wasn’t clear when the weather would permit that. An ExxonMobil spokeswoman said the company would “conduct an assessment to determine the impact of the storm once it is safe to do so.” It would not say what was in the tank. At the company’s Beaumont petrochemical refinery, Harvey damaged a sulfur thermal oxidizer, a piece of equipment that captures and burns sulfur dioxide. As a result, the plant released 1,312.84 pounds of sulfur dioxide, well in excess of the amounts allowed by the company’s permits. “The unit was stabilized. No impact to the community has been reported,” the company said in its filing. “Actions were taken to minimize emissions and to restore the refinery to normal operations.” A variety of other chemicals was emitted during the shutdown of the plants. Amy Graham, a spokeswoman for the Environmental Protection Agency, said that ExxonMobil had filed a report at the National Response Center operated by the U.S. Coast Guard saying the Baytown refinery would release about 15 pounds of benzene into the air. “Most of the unauthorized emissions come from the process of shutting down, and then starting up, the various units of the plant, when pollution control devices can’t be operated properly and there’s lots of flaring,” said Luke Metzger, director of the group Environment Texas. Flaring is generally done when releasing chemicals without burning them is more hazardous for people and the environment. ExxonMobil said it had flared hazardous materials at its Baytown refinery Sunday and Monday. Most of the other facilities belonging to major companies also filed notices with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Chevron Phillips, for example, said that it expected its Cedar Bayou chemical plant to exceed permitted limits for several hazardous pollutants, such as 1,3-butadiene, benzene and ethylene, during shutdown procedures. Environment Texas and the Sierra Club sued ExxonMobil in 2010 alleging that the company’s Baytown complex had emitted 8 million pounds of hazardous chemicals over a five-year period. A federal judge imposed a $20 million penalty on the company. “Any release of carcinogens (like benzene, 1,3-butadiene) adds to the increased cancer risk for those living near these plants,” Metzger said in an email. He said that large releases of nitrogen oxides or sulfur dioxide “and other respiratory irritants adds to the respiratory problems people in the area suffer from at high rates.” Separately, the Houston Chronicle reported that there was a chemical leak from a pipeline that ruptured in La Porte, Texas on Monday. Local authorities urged residents to stay inside. The warning applied to people living as far away as Shoreacres and Baytown. The warning was later lifted. The Energy Department said that all six oil refineries in the Corpus Christi area, seven oil refineries in the Houston and Galveston area, and one refinery in the Beaumont/Port Arthur area were shut down or in the process of shutting down. The idle refineries have a capacity of 3.2 million barrels a day, equal to a third of Gulf coast capacity and 17.6 percent of total U.S. refining capacity. Further closures are likely as the storm moves east into Louisiana, where there is another 1.65 million barrels a day of oil refining capacity. The logjam of tankers and trucks was adding to woes. Valero, which had closed its two refineries in the Corpus Christi area, said it was looking to reopen the facilities but that damaged pipeline, port and transportation infrastructure could delay re-openings. Bloomberg News reported that Marathon said it was closing its Galveston Bay refinery because it was running out of crude, which could not be delivered because of port closures. Gasoline prices for September delivery also rose amid signs that the Gulf’s woes could spread. The Colonial Pipeline, the main link between the heart of the nation’s oil and gas industry and consumers in the northeast, said that supplies of refined petroleum products from the Houston area had been disrupted. Read more about Hurricane Harvey: Where Harvey is hitting hardest, 80 percent lack flood insurance Houston is experiencing its third ‘500-year’ flood in 3 years. How is that possible? Hurricane Harvey shows how we underestimate flooding risks in coastal cities, scientists say

– Harvey has made landfall again, this time as a tropical storm near the Louisiana-Texas border on the day after the 12th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. ABC News reports the storm came ashore just west of Cameron, La., around 5am ET, with CNN noting that winds of roughly 40mph and a storm surge of 2 to 4 feet are expected. NOAA's public advisory now predicts another 3 to 6 inches of rain in southwestern Louisiana, the eastern Texas border area, and western Kentucky through Friday, with some areas getting as many as 10 inches. But as one National Hurricane Center meteorologist puts it, it's not the end, but the "end of the beginning": Per NOAA, "While the threat of heavy rains has ended in the Houston/Galveston area, catastrophic and life-threatening flooding will continue in and around Houston eastward into southwest Louisiana for the rest of the week." More: The AP describes things as "dire" in Port Arthur, Texas, near the Louisiana border, on Wednesday morning, as rising floodwaters inundated homes. Port Arthur Mayor Derrick Freeman said on his Facebook page that the "city is underwater right now but we are coming!" The AP also suggests some potential relief, at least from the rain, for Houston, with expected rainfall for Wednesday at less than an inch. People reports on one of Harvey's victims: a 41-year-old mother from Beaumont, Texas, who police say "absolutely" saved the life of her 3-year-old daughter; the child was found floating in a canal with her mother after the two became stuck while driving. "The baby also had a backpack that was helping her float on her back and she was holding on to her mom," says an officer. Add this to Harvey's toll: two ExxonMobil refineries, which sustained storm-related damage that facilitated the release of pollutants. The Washington Post has the details on the damage at the Baytown oil refinery, America's second-biggest, and the Beaumont petrochemical refinery. NPR explains that the cleanup bill for Harvey could be as much as $100 billion, and while Congress will likely approve the funding needed, "it probably won't be easy." It explains why, and the waves in which the funding would be issued. The New York Times reports that a 12am to 5am curfew is now in place in Houston, and came partly in response to reports of "small-scale looting." The Times puts the death toll at no less than 30. A longtime Houston cop is among the dead.

Published on Mar 31, 2015 Have you ever wondered what would happen if something that sounded too good to be true actually turned out to be real - especially on April 1? For one New Zealander, daring to dream big on April Fool’s Day paid off handsomely this morning. #nofool #nzbmw ||||| Have you ever wondered what would happen if something that sounded too good to be true actually turned out to be real – especially on April 1? For one New Zealander, daring to dream big on April Fool’s Day paid off handsomely this morning, when Tianna Marsh swapped her 15-year old Nissan Avenir for a brand new BMW 1 Series worth almost $50,000. “BMW is world-renowned as being the maker of the Ultimate Driving Machine, but also as the creator of many memorable April Fool’s Day pranks,” said the Managing Director of BMW Group New Zealand, Nina Englert. if (pl_is_mobile()) { ? } ? “Here in New Zealand we created a real stir last year when we released details of the BMW ZZZ Series Cot, a fictitious baby sleeping capsule which simulated the noises and g-forces of a road journey, to help lull a baby to sleep. This year’s effort, our most audacious and elaborate yet, is one we’re particularly proud of as we believe this reverse April 1 joke to be a world first, especially giving away a brand new car.” if (pl_is_mobile()) { ? } ? More than 145,000 copies of the NZ Herald rolled off the press early this morning with what appeared to be a bogus ad printed on the front page, inviting people to bring their car to the Newmarket dealership and swap it for a brand new BMW 1 Series. The first person to do so, having fulfilled terms and conditions, would be rewarded with the new car.

– We've become an increasingly savvy society, not as prone to fall for the hoaxes and phony ads that proliferate on April 1. Not Tianna Marsh, whose apparent naivete won her a $37,000 BMW 1 Series ride after she saw an ad in the New Zealand Herald. The front-page "April Fools' Day special" guaranteed a new Beemer to the first lucky taker who brought the ad and their own car as a trade-in to the Newmarket dealership today and asked for "Tom," per the video BMW NZ posted on YouTube. So Marsh showed up with her 15-year-old Nissan Avenir at 5:30 this morning, ready to claim her prize—which the dealership gladly handed over in a reverse-psychology move that may go down as the greatest April Fools' Day prank ever. "The ad was intentionally vague and definitely appeared too good to be true, but in this case we wanted to turn the tables and reward the first person who was willing to take the chance," a BMW spokesman tells the Herald. The dealership had even hired extra security in case people flooded the place, but when Tianna walked in, the streets and dealership appeared virtually empty. Confetti flew as the manager handed her the keys to the black car with the license plate "NOF00L" (pics are shown on the BMW Blog). As for Marsh's former clunker, the dealership says money raised by auctioning it off would go to a charity that provides souped-up ride-on cars for disabled kids to help them move about. (Google's April Fools' Day fun was no prank, either.)

President Donald Trump meets with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in the Oval Office of the White House on Wednesday. President Donald Trump meets with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in the Oval Office of the White House on Wednesday. Photo: Evan Vucci/Associated Press Breaking News... WASHINGTON—The European Union delegation meeting with President Donald Trump Wednesday agreed to some concessions in an effort to avoid a trade war with the U.S., according to a European official in the room. The official said European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and his top trade official Cecilia Malmström agreed to work with the U.S. administration to lower industrial tariffs on both sides, increase LNG exports and soy beans to Europe, and align regulatory standards to allow for medical devices to have better market access in Europe, the official said. Both delegations were still fine tuning language in a common statement on car tariffs, the official said. A joint news conference between Mr. Trump and Mr. Juncker was hastily being organized as the meeting was coming to an end. (more to come) Previously... WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump slammed critics of his trade policies on Wednesday, warning they are undermining his negotiating position while American farmers are being “ripped off.” Mr. Trump’s remarks, aimed at critics he didn’t name, came hours ahead of a meeting with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in which trade tensions between the U.S. and the European bloc are expected to dominate. The Europeans come to Washington with potential auto tariffs weighing heavily on their minds. Last week, Mr. Trump threatened “tremendous retribution” if his meeting with the EU officials doesn’t lead to what he considers to be a fair auto-trade deal. In the Oval Office Wednesday, Mr. Trump leaned over and tapped Mr. Juncker’s hand while describing him as a “very smart and a very tough man” who represents the European member states well. “Over the years, the United States has lost hundreds of billions of dollars to the European Union and we just want it to be a level playing field for our farmers, our manufacturers, for everybody,” Mr. Trump added. “We are close partners, allies, not enemies, we have to work together,” Mr. Juncker said. Mr. Trump didn’t respond to questions on whether he will impose auto tariffs but said that “the United States would be very pleased” to create a trade partnership where there are no tariffs, no barriers and no subsidies. Mr. Trump is also scheduled to meet with lawmakers on Wednesday to discuss his administration’s proposed plan to offer $12 billion in aid to farmers hardest hit by retaliatory tariffs imposed by U.S. trading partners. Many lawmakers expressed skepticism that the plan would yield long-term prosperity for American farmers. Mr. Trump insisted on Wednesday that the domestic political pushback accomplishes nothing but delays and hinders his ability to negotiate a deal. “When you have people snipping at your heels during a negotiation, it will only take longer to make a deal, and the deal will never be as good as it could have been with unity,” he said. “Negotiations are going really well, be cool. The end result will be worth it!” Related Video WSJ's Gerald F. Seib looks at the trade deal between Japan and the EU, and explains how President Trump’s trade policy might drive other countries to form their own agreements. Photo: Martin Bureau/Press Pool He wrote, “Are we just going to continue and let our farmers and country get ripped off?” U.S. trading partners are retaliating against Mr. Trump’s decision to order tariffs on imports including metals, clothing and electronics from a broad range of countries, including China, Mexico, Canada and European Union member states. The retaliatory tariffs have already been felt across America’s Farm Belt. China, a huge market for U.S. agricultural exports, has applied tariffs on $34 billion worth of U.S. goods, including soybeans and pork. Canada, Mexico and the EU have also hit back with tariffs of their own. “China is targeting our farmers, who they know I love & respect, as a way of getting me to continue allowing them to take advantage of the U.S.,” Mr. Trump wrote on Twitter Wednesday. “They are being vicious in what will be their failed attempt. We were being nice - until now!” Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue wrote on Twitter late Tuesday that the farm aid package “is clear statement that other nations can’t bully our agricultural producers to force the U.S. to cave in to unfair trade practices & retaliatory tactics.” On Tuesday, many lawmakers from Mr. Trump’s own Republican party criticized the announcement that his administration would offer farmers a one-time aid package, describing it as a bailout lacking any long-term solutions. Republican lawmakers from farm states said they expected to meet Wednesday with Mr. Trump to discuss a pending farm bill and farm aid. Some Republicans are jittery about the potential for political repercussions heading into the November midterm elections. “The action that I’d like to see is resolving this tariff fight and moving forward with trade opportunities, ” said Sen. Cory Gardner (R., Colo.), who chairs the Senate Republican campaign arm for the Senate Republicans. Mr. Trump’s top economic adviser Lawrence Kudlow said Wednesday morning on CBS, “Nobody is really thrilled about this. We’re just trying to protect American agriculture from some of the unfair trading practices.” Ahead of Mr. Trump’s meeting, EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem met with lawmakers, seeking insights about how to approach Mr. Trump. Republican lawmakers, who have been hoping to persuade Mr. Trump to step back from the brink, said they urged her to reach an agreement to lower tariffs. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) said he and the trade commissioner discussed “how we can come to an agreement to lower tariffs and trade barriers, avoiding the escalation of trade tensions.” Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R., Utah) encouraged her to work with the president to strengthen the trans-Atlantic partnership, including through the reduction of tariffs, a spokeswoman said. While Mr. Trump’s aggressive trade policies with China have been celebrated by members of both the major political parties, his decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from the EU, Canada and Mexico have been met with more skepticism. The Trump administration justifies the move on the grounds of national security and a growing trade deficit—arguments those countries dismiss as farcical. Mr. Trump repeatedly complains that the EU imposes 10% tariffs on auto imports, compared with 2.5% imposed by the U.S. He declines to mention the 25% tariffs the U.S. imposes on light trucks, versus the 10% rate in Europe. Mr. Trump recently described the EU as “a foe” on trade. —Siobhan Hughes contributed to this article. ||||| Traders Michael Milano, center, and Robert Oswald, right, work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Wednesday, July 25, 2018. Investors had their eye on Washington ahead of trade talks between... (Associated Press) Traders Michael Milano, center, and Robert Oswald, right, work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Wednesday, July 25, 2018. Investors had their eye on Washington ahead of trade talks between the U.S. and European Union officials. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) (Associated Press) Traders Michael Milano, center, and Robert Oswald, right, work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Wednesday, July 25, 2018. Investors had their eye on Washington ahead of trade talks between the U.S. and European Union officials. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) (Associated Press) Traders Michael Milano, center, and Robert Oswald, right, work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Wednesday, July 25, 2018. Investors had their eye on Washington ahead of trade talks between... (Associated Press) NEW YORK (AP) — The latest on developments in financial markets (all times local): 4 p.m. Stocks snapped higher in late trading following a report that a European delegation had offered some concessions on trade. Major indexes jumped in the last half-hour of trading Wednesday after a mostly listless day of trading. The late surge came after the Wall Street Journal reported that the European delegation agreed to work with the U.S. on lowering industrial tariffs on both sides. Investors were focused on company earnings for most of the day. Hospital operator HCA Healthcare jumped 9.2 percent. General Motors dropped 4.6 percent after lowering its outlook. The S&P 500 index rose 25 points, or 0.9 percent, to 2,846. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 172 points, or 0.7 percent, to 25,414. The Nasdaq composite climbed 91 points, or 1.2 percent, to 7,932, another all-time high. ___ 11:45 a.m. Stocks are edging mostly higher on Wall Street as several big U.S. companies turn in solid earnings reports. Coca-Cola rose 2.1 percent Wednesday, and hospital operator HCA Healthcare jumped 8.2 percent. General Motors dropped 7.1 percent after lowering its profit outlook, mostly due to tariffs on imported steel and aluminum. Tupperware plunged 16 percent after its revenue came up short of estimates. The S&P 500 index rose 5 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,825. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 41 points, or 0.2 percent, to 25,197. The Nasdaq composite climbed 31 points, or 0.4 percent, to 7,871. Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.94 percent. ___ 9:35 a.m. Stocks indexes are little changed in early trading on Wall Street, but several companies were making big moves after releasing their quarterly earnings reports. General Motors slumped 6.1 percent early Wednesday after lowering its profit outlook, mostly due to tariffs on imported steel and aluminum. Hospital operator HCA Healthcare jumped 5.6 percent after turning in results that were better than analysts were expecting. Tupperware plunged 13.4 percent after its revenue came up short of estimates. The S&P 500 index slipped 1 point to 2,819. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 80 points, or 0.3 percent, to 25,161. The Nasdaq composite climbed 16 points, or 0.2 percent, to 7,857. Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.95 percent.

– Stocks snapped higher in late trading following a report that a European delegation had offered some concessions on trade, the AP reports. Major indexes jumped in the last half-hour of trading Wednesday after a mostly listless day of trading. The late surge came after the Wall Street Journal reported that the European delegation agreed to work with the US on lowering industrial tariffs on both sides. Investors were focused on company earnings for most of the day. Hospital operator HCA Healthcare jumped 9.2%. General Motors dropped 4.6% after lowering its outlook. The S&P 500 index rose 25 points, or 0.9%, to 2,846. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 172 points, or 0.7%, to 25,414. The Nasdaq composite climbed 91 points, or 1.2%, to 7,932, another all-time high.

Close Get email notifications on Christine Byers daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. Whenever Christine Byers posts new content, you'll get an email delivered to your inbox with a link. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. ||||| This photo released the St. Louis County Police Department shows Henry Stokes, who was charged Monday, March 13, 2017, with attempting to cause a catastrophe. Stokes is accused of trying to blow up a... (Associated Press) FERGUSON, Mo. (AP) — A prosecutor was critical Monday of store surveillance footage from a new documentary about the Michael Brown shooting in Ferguson, calling it a heavily edited attempt to distort an incident that occurred several hours before Brown died in an encounter with a police officer. Filmmaker Jason Pollock responded by calling St. Louis County prosecutor Robert McCulloch a "master of deception" and standing by the video shown in his documentary "Stranger Fruit." McCulloch released five surveillance videos from the early hours of Aug. 9, 2014, at Ferguson Market & Liquor that he said are unedited and tell a different story than filmmakers suggest. The footage as it appears in the documentary "was clearly an attempt to distort this and turn it into something it isn't," McCulloch said at a news conference. He added that it was potentially dangerous, setting off a Sunday night protest of about 100 people that included reports of shots fired and the arrest of a man accused of trying to blow up a police car by putting a napkin in the gas tank and trying to light it. Henry Stokes, 44, was charged Monday with attempting to cause a catastrophe. On Monday night, a few dozen protesters gathered peacefully outside Ferguson Market while police officers guarded the store. Pollock said there was no deceptive editing. "He's trying to make it seem like I did something that I didn't," Pollock said of McCulloch on Monday in a phone interview. "He's a master at deception, I'll give him that, and he tricked the world for a long time, but he can't trick us now. Because anybody who sees that video knows exactly what they see." Brown, a black, unarmed 18-year-old, was fatally shot by a white officer, Darren Wilson, shortly after noon on Aug. 9, 2014. The shooting set off months of sometimes violent protests. Wilson was eventually cleared of wrongdoing by both a St. Louis County grand jury and the U.S. Department of Justice. Within days of Brown's death, Ferguson police released surveillance video from Ferguson Market purporting to show Brown stealing cigarillos from the store shortly before noon. He left the store and was walking on Canfield Drive when Wilson told him to get on the sidewalk and off the street — the beginning of their fatal confrontation. The documentary, which premiered Saturday, includes earlier and previously unseen surveillance footage showing Brown inside the store at 1:14 a.m. getting what appears to be two drinks from a cooler, then going to the counter and requesting cigarillos. The clerk puts the drinks and cigarillos in a bag. Brown gives something to a clerk, who appears to sniff it. A second clerk also sniffs what appears to be a small bag. Brown starts to leave but then returns to the counter, talks to the clerks and leaves without the bag containing the drinks and cigarillos. Pollock said he believes the footage shows Brown trading a small amount of marijuana in exchange for the cigarillos. Pollock reasons Brown returned 10 hours later to pick up the bag of cigarillos that he simply had set aside earlier — not to steal cigarillos as police claimed. Jay Kanzler, an attorney for Ferguson Market, said there was no bartered deal between Brown and the market workers. Kanzler said Brown offered marijuana for cigarillos, but the workers refused. McCulloch agreed "there was no transaction between Mr. Brown and the store employees." "And the suggestion that he's coming back to pick up what he bartered for is just stupid," McCulloch said. The grainy unedited footage, which has no sound and also was released by Kanzler, shows a clerk pulling both boxes of cigarillos from the bag after Brown leaves and putting them back on a shelf. Another worker takes the drinks back toward the cooler. Pollock said those actions are not relevant. "I didn't edit the exchange," Pollock said. "I decided to end my scene after Michael left the store because after that it is irrelevant what happened to the (cigarillos) and it is irrelevant what they (the clerks) did with them. The exchange is over, they had the weed, and then he decided to leave the store. He did not rob the store." Pollock said the clerks lied because they didn't want to admit to involvement in a drug deal. But McCulloch said there was no evidence the workers did anything wrong. The newly released footage also raised questions about how forthcoming police and prosecutors were about evidence. McCulloch said the earlier store encounter involving Brown was noted in a police report released on the night in November 2014 when he announced the grand jury had decided not to indict Wilson, who later resigned. The prosecutor said that video was never released because the incident did not result in any charges and the footage was "immaterial" to what happened later that day. St. Louis County's NAACP chapter said it's "deeply concerned" about the footage that's now surfacing. "Regardless of what was revealed in the video, Michael Brown should have never lost his life," board member John Gaskin III said in a statement. "If the (documentary) video is accurate and valid, it is unfortunate that Brown was portrayed internationally as a 'thief' and 'criminal.' It remains injudicious that so many men of color are racially profiled on an ongoing basis and far too frequently guilty until proven innocent in the United States' criminal justice system." ||||| Breaking News Emails Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings. / Updated By Jon Schuppe A video that shows Michael Brown hours before he was shot to death by police in Ferguson, Missouri has sparked a new wave of anger ─ but no more clarity ─ about a 2014 killing that prompted a national debate on race and policing. A crowd of protesters gathered outside Ferguson Market & Liquor Sunday night, calling for a boycott of the store where the footage was shot. Three people were arrested, two for assaulting a police officer and another for allegedly stuffing a rag into a police car's exhaust pipe and trying to light it, authorities said. Also during the protests, someone from a dark-colored car fired six or seven shots toward the protest, striking a police cruiser but injuring no one, police said. The car got away. St. Louis County's top prosecutor on Monday mocked the filmmaker behind the footage's release, calling his work "pathetic" and an "attempt to distort and turn this into something it wasn't." The documentary, "Stranger Fruit," debuted at South By Southwest in Austin, Texas on Saturday. It includes parts of a previously unreleased surveillance video inside Ferguson Market & Liquor early on Aug. 9, 2014, several hours before Brown's fatal confrontation with police. It shows Brown place an object on the counter, which the clerk smells. Brown is then given a box of cigarillos and begins to leave but returns and hands the cigarillos back to the clerk. The film's director, Jason Pollock, has said the footage shows Brown trading marijuana for the cigarillos and leaving the boxes at the store for safekeeping. That, Pollack has said, raises questions about police assertions that Brown had been suspected of robbing the store of cigarillos later that day ─ an encounter that was also caught on surveillance footage but was released by police a few days after Brown's death in an attempt to explain why he was stopped soon afterward by the officer who shot him. In the documentary, Brown's mother, Lesley McSpadden, says in the film that "there was some type of exchange." Brown's family, which has sued Ferguson for Michael Brown's death, declined to comment this week on the video, a spokesman for the family's lawyer said. But the market and chief prosecutor dispute the filmmaker's interpretation. "There was no transaction, no deal made for what he [Michael Brown] had in that bag, "Jay Kanzler, a lawyer who represents the store's owners and workers, told NBC News. Kanzler said no one from the film interviewed him or his clients about the footage. Police line up in front of the Ferguson Market & Liquor during a protest, following a release of previously undisclosed video of Michael Brown, on March 12. Lawrence Bryant / Reuters Robert McCulloch, the St. Louis County prosecuting attorney, called a Monday afternoon press conference where he called Pollack's film "poorly edited" and "an attempt to generate his 15 minutes, which he got." McCulloch released unedited copies of the surveillance footage, which he said shows a failed attempt to barter cigarillos for something that might have been drugs. After Brown returned the cigarillos, and some cold drinks, to the clerks, they put the items back on the shelves, McColloch said. That encounter, McCulloch said, had nothing to do with the later alleged robbery, and had no bearing on the shooting ─ which is why authorities never presented it to a grand jury, and never released it publicly. The grand jury declined to indict the officer who shot Brown, Darren Wilson. The assertion that Brown returned to the store just before his death to pick up something he'd bartered for "is just stupid," McColloch said. The footage, culled from a single camera, does not shed new light on the shooting itself. Protest outside the Ferguson Market in Ferguson, Missouri, March 12, 2017. @search4swag Critics of the police's handling of the shooting and its aftermath have accused authorities of maligning Brown's character by releasing the earlier video, which shows Brown pushing a worker and taking cigarillos. To those critics, the emergence of the new video helps prove their point. "We are interpreting a video. It can be interpreted in multiple ways, that’s true. But it's also likely true that police know about this and decided to run with a story that was likely inaccurate," said Brendan Roediger, a professor at St. Louis University School of Law. Kanzler said the newly released video was handed over to authorities at the same time as the footage showing Brown forcing his way out of the store. "I'm not sure why it has not been talked about before," Kanzler said.

– Protesters have returned to the streets of Ferguson, Mo., in the wake of a new documentary's claim that Michael Brown didn't rob a store before he was shot dead by police in 2014. On Sunday night, three people were arrested outside Ferguson Market & Liquor for assaulting police officers or trying to light a police car on fire, and shots were fired at a police cruiser, NBC News reports. Monday's protests were peaceful, however, with the dozens of activists gathered outside Ferguson Market offering free candy and cigarettes to try to keep people out of the store. Jason Pollock's documentary Stranger Fruit features previously unseen surveillance footage from hours before the alleged theft and shooting and claims that the 18-year-old Brown didn't steal boxes of cigarillos in a strong-arm robbery but traded them for marijuana in a previously agreed deal. The store's owners and St. Louis County Prosecutor Robert P. McCulloch have rejected the documentary's claim, with the prosecutor calling the video "pathetic" and "poorly edited," the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. McCulloch released five surveillance videos from the wee hours of Aug. 9, 2014, and told reporters Monday that the full version of the footage shows "there was certainly an attempt to barter for these goods" on Brown's behalf, but "the store employees had no involvement at all in that. To suggest he’s coming back to get what he bartered for is just stupid.” Pollock's response to the AP: McCulloch is "a master at deception, I'll give him that, and he tricked the world for a long time, but he can't trick us now. Because anybody who sees that video knows exactly what they see."

Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ) plans to eliminate the $30 per month unlimited data plan that it still provides to 3G customers who were "grandfathered" into the plan because they were data customers prior to the company's switch to tiered data pricing last July. Speaking at the 40th Annual J.P. Morgan Technology, Media and Telecom conference, Verizon Communications CFO Fran Shammo said that as these 3G unlimited data plan customers migrate to 4G LTE, they will have to purchase the company's data-share plan (which Verizon plans to launch in mid-summer) and move off the $30 per month unlimited data plan. "Everyone will be on data share," Shammo said. Shammo Verizon's data share plan is scheduled to launch in mid-summer but no pricing details have been announced. Shammo said that he believes this new plan will make it easier for families and small businesses to connect multiple devices. The industry, Shammo said, has constrained the market around connected devices because people think they need an additional data plan. "If I can add as many devices as I want, that is more efficient from a family perspective and a small business perspective," he said. However, Shammo said that with the launch of this new data share plan, the industry will have to change a key metric--average revenue per user. Shammo said that Verizon will move to a "revenue per account" metric that will more accurately measure the company's business. When asked how Verizon will drive customers to this new data share plan, Shammo said that LTE will be the anchor for the new plan and that as customers upgrade from 3G to LTE, they will have to be on a data share plan, allowing the company to sunset its unlimited 3G data plan. "So as you come through an upgrade cycle and you upgrade in the future, you will have to go onto the data share plan," Shammo said, according to a transcript of his remarks. "And moving away from, if you will, the unlimited world and moving everybody into a tiered structure data share-type plan." "So when you think about our 3G base, a lot of our 3G base is unlimited," he added. "As they start to migrate into 4G, they will have to come off of unlimited and go into the data share plan. And that is beneficial for us for many reasons, obviously." Verizon later issued a statement clarifying Shammo's remarks, as there was some confusion about when the unlimited data plan would sunset. Specifically, the company said that customers with unlimited plans will get to keep their unlimited plans. However, when shared data plans become available, the unlimited option will no longer be available to customers when they buy a new device at a subsidized price, which usually happens with a two-year service contract. In an unrelated note, Shammo also said that the company will launch Voice over LTE technology at year end, but will not push the technology until mid-2013 when it has a bigger LTE footprint. In fact, Shammo noted that by the end of 2013 Verizon's LTE footprint will be equal to or even bigger than its existing 3G footprint. For more: - see this webcast - see this Verizon transcript - see this New York Times article Related Articles: Verizon to launch family data plan by mid-year Verizon revives double LTE smartphone data promotion Verizon LTE subscribers climb to 8M in Q1, iPhone activations decline to 3.2M Verizon's McAdam: Family data plans coming in 2012 This article was updated May 17 to include the statement from Verizon providing more details about what happens to unlimited data plans when consumers upgrade their devices. ||||| Verizon Wireless said today that users grandfathered into unlimited data plans will soon have to switch to tiered pricing if they upgrade their devices. "As you come through an upgrade cycle and you upgrade in the future, you will have to go onto the data-share plan and mov[e] away from, if you will, the unlimited world," Verizon Communications CFO Fran Shammo said during an appearance at a J.P. Morgan technology conference. Over the summer, Verizon plans to introduce data share plans, which will allow for multiple devices to be connected to the same account - whether that be families or small businesses. Pricing details have not been released, but when that happens, those upgrading to a newer gadget will have to bid adieu to unlimited data consumption. "A lot of our [90 million] 3G base is unlimited," Shammo said. "As they start to migrate into 4G, they will have to come off unlimited and go onto the data share plan. And that's beneficial for us for many reasons." The news was first reported by Fierce Wireless. Verizon dropped unlimited smartphone data plans for new customers in July 2011 in favor of several tiered options. Existing unlimited data customers could keep their plans, but earlier that year, Verizon had already started throttling those who consumed an "extraordinary" amount of data. Other carriers, with the exception of Sprint, have also moved to a tiered pricing/throttling combination to offset the influx of data customers. The idea behind the data share plans, meanwhile, is partly to encourage users to adopt more devices. "We've kind of constrained the marketplace now around connecting more devices because everyone thinks, 'Well, if I connect that device, I now have to buy an additional data plan,'" Shammo said. "If I can add as many devices as I want and share that data plan, that's ... much more efficient from a family share perspective [and] from a small business perspective." "It's a win for the consumer, but it's also a win for us that we're not going to take a huge revenue dilution here when we launch this plan," Shammo continued. Given that 4G LTE devices tend to consume data at a more rapid clip than 3G, "we are fairly confident that we will see people start to uptake in the tiers, which is really where we'll get the revenue accretion in the future," Shammo said. In April, Verizon Wireless announced that it would start charging a $30 upgrade fee for those who want to trade in their old phone for a newer model. Shammo said today that Verizon is "not seeing any impact from a customer base from that fee, so that was the right thing to do." When asked about the FCC's review of Verizon's effort to purchase $3.6 billion worth of spectrum from several cable firms, meanwhile, Shammo said Verizon is "still extremely confident that the deal will get approved." Update: Verizon issued an official statement on the matter Wednesday evening. "As we have stated publicly, Verizon Wireless has been evaluating its data pricing structure for some time. Customers have told us that they want to share data, similar to how they share minutes today. We are working on plans to provide customers with that option later this year. We will share specific details of the plans and any related policy changes well in advance of their introduction, so customers will have time to evaluate their choices and make the best decisions for their wireless service. It is our goal and commitment to continue to provide customers with the same high value service they have come to expect from Verizon Wireless." For more from Chloe, follow her on Twitter @ChloeAlbanesius. For the top stories in tech, follow us on Twitter at @PCMag.

– Verizon is scrapping the $30-a-month unlimited data plan that it still gives to 3G customers who signed up for it before the company switched to a tiered system, reports FierceWireless. When the "grandfathered" customers upgrade their devices, they will be shifted over to Verizon's new data-share plan that is launching mid-summer. "A lot of our [90 million] 3G base is unlimited. As they start to migrate into 4G, they will have to come off unlimited and go onto the data-share plan," Verizon's CFO said at a tech conference, reports PCMag. Verizon stopped offering new customers unlimited plans for their smartphones in July 2011. Its upcoming data-share plans will allow users to connect multiple devices to one account.

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The U.S. Coast Guard in Alaska is searching for a fishing boat with six people that has been missing in the Bering Sea for more than a day. Ships and aircraft have looked through the night for the 98-foot-long F/V Destination, according to a news release from the agency on Sunday afternoon. The boat had six people on it and is owned by a company based in Seattle, Petty Officer 3rd Class Lauren Steenson said. Brent Paine, executive director of the Seattle-based United Catcher Boats, said there are two vessels that fish off Alaska called the F/V Destination. One of them is a trawler that belongs to his association, and is not the one that went missing. Paine said the other vessel - the target of the Coast Guard search - is a smaller vessel that has harvested crab. That vessel but it had been moored in Sand Point, Alaska, he said. Paine said he does not know anyone on the boat. The vessel's electronic locating device was recovered Saturday morning in a debris field containing buoys, a life ring and an oil sheen. The Coast Guard doesn't yet know the cause of the boat's disappearance or whether anyone survived, Steenson said. Coast Guard crews helping in the search include two HC-130 Hercules airplane crews, two MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crews, an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew and the Coast Guard Cutter Morgenthau, the agency said. People on the small island of St. George are looking along the shore for any signs of the crew. The Coast Guard didn't say how many members were aboard or immediately respond to a call seeking more information. The agency says the water temperature is 38 degrees. ___ Associated Press writer Phuong Le contributed to this report. ||||| Coast Guard crews are searching for the Seattle-based boat Destination in the Bering Sea in Alaska. (Photo: KING) SEATTLE – The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for a Seattle-based fishing vessel that went missing in the Bering Sea Saturday. According to Chief Petty Officer Shawn Eggert, the Coast Guard responded to a radio beacon signal from the 98-foot crab boat Destination on Saturday morning near St. George, Alaska. Search crews arrived shortly after 10 a.m. to begin searching. It’s unknown if the vessel sank or if the crew was lost, but a debris field was located with a buoy, life ring with the vessel's name on it, and a small oil sheen in the area. The Coast Guard says that six crew members were believed to be on board at the time it went missing. The following are the latest updates on the search: Monday 11:30 a.m. A Coast Guard officer on a high-endurance cutter says Bering Sea fishing vessels at this time of year face hazards from large waves to icing that can upset a boat's balance. Lt. Brenden Kelley is operations officer and navigator on the 378-foot cutter Monroe. A sister vessel, the cutter Morgenthau, is also searching for a 98-foot crab boat, the Destination. The Coast Guard received an emergency positioning signal Saturday from the Destination. Searchers found the signal device and buoys in a debris field, but no signs of its six crew members. Kelley says by phone from Kodiak that weather is the biggest hazard at this time of year. He says mariners pay close attention to wind and waves and can use sophisticated tools to determine how much ice may be accumulating on their boats. Ice can make the vessels top-heavy. Monday 10 a.m. A C-130 transport plane is rejoining the search for a 98-foot crab boat with six people on board missing off a remote Alaska island in the Bering Sea. Speaking from Kodiak, Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Lauren Steenson said Monday the aircraft could reach the scene near the island of St. George after a flight of about two and a half hours. She also said the cutter Morgenthau was continuing its search. The Coast Guard received an emergency electronic signal on Saturday from the Destination. Searchers spotted a debris field containing buoys, life ring and oil sheen. St. George is 650 miles west of Kodiak. Sunday 2/13 The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Morgenthau, a 378-foot high endurance cutter homeported in Honolulu, Hawaii, arrived Sunday morning to assist in the search for the crew of F/V Destination, along with an Air Station Kodiak HC-130 Hercules airplane crew and two MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crews. St. George residents were also searching the shore for any crew members. A Coast Guard spokesman said the agency doesn't yet know the cause of the boat's disappearance or whether anyone survived. KING 5 has heard from members of Seattle’s fishing community who say the Destination is a locally-based vessel. Follow comments and updates on the KING 5 Facebook page : Copyright 2017 KING ||||| Update, 11 a.m. Monday: The U.S. Coast Guard continued to search the area around St. George for any sign of the missing fishing vessel Destination and its six-man crew Monday, said U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Lauren Steenson. The cutter Morgenthau was still on scene as of 11 a.m. Monday, and there were plans to launch a HC-130 Hercules plane by afternoon, Steenson said. No additional debris has been seen, she said. Original story: Despite two days of searching, there was still no sign Sunday night of the Bering Sea crab boat or its six crew members that went missing just off St. George Island Saturday. The Destination, a 95-foot fishing vessel based in Seattle but operated mostly out of Sand Point, was on its way from Dutch Harbor to St. Paul Island for the start of the opilio crab fishery when the ship's emergency beacon activated at 6:11 a.m. Saturday, said Michael Barcott, an Anchorage maritime attorney who is acting as a spokesperson for the ship's ownership group. On Saturday, a Coast Guard search and rescue crew found the emergency beacon, a life ring, buoys and tarps in a small oil sheen on the water about 2 miles northwest of St. George Island. "The crew had sailed right by St. George within a half-hour of when the beacon activated," Barcott said. An aerial search involving two HC-130 Hercules planes and two MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crews went on through the night, said U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Lauren Steenson. By Sunday morning, the 378-foot Coast Guard cutter Morgenthau had arrived from Dutch Harbor, where it was being used for law enforcement during the winter commercial fishing season. The ship will offer "a view from the water rather than up above" during the search effort, Steenson said. The Morgenthau also brought with it another helicopter to help in the search. On St. George, people were also "patrolling the shoreline for any signs of the crew or vessel," Steenson wrote. There have been no other sightings of debris connected with the vessel, she said. The Destination was built in the 1980s and is owned by a corporation, with David R. Wilson as the principal shareholder, Barcott said. A 1987 New York Times article referred to Wilson as a lifelong fisherman and co-owner of the Destination with his half-brother. It said both were born in Unga, just west of Sand Point. The ship has primarily been a crabber in the winter and a tender during the summer salmon season in Alaska, Barcott said. Dylan Hatfield, a fisherman from Petersburg who has been working out of Dutch Harbor this winter, said his brother was aboard the Destination when it went missing. Hatfield did not want to identify his brother or any of the other crew members on the Destination by name on Sunday. Officials have not released the identities of the men, who are considered missing. But Hatfield said he had worked with every member of the six-man crew and knew them to have deep experience — some had been crabbing in the Bering Sea for 20 or 30 years. They were professionals who did not take unnecessary risks, Hatfield said. The ship itself was a meticulously maintained "battle ax," said Hatfield, who worked for six years aboard the Destination himself. "Everybody I've talked to, nobody can believe of all the boats that this one went down," Hatfield said. Hatfield says he thinks the boat may have rolled. What may have caused that — flooding, icing conditions or something else — may never be known, he said. "Whatever happened, it happened fast, to not get a mayday out," Hatfield said. Sea spray icing is a serious danger for fishing boats, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: Too much ice can lead to "capsizing, extreme rolling and/or pitching, and topside flooding can occur as a result of the loss of stability and extra weight from the ice burden." The Coast Guard has not said what they believe happened to the ship. Casey McManus, known as the captain of the Cornelia Marie fishing vessel made famous by the Discovery reality show "Deadliest Catch," was aboard his own ship about 80 miles northwest of St. George on Saturday. McManus said in a phone interview from his ship Sunday that he heard no mayday call from the Destination, which he described as a "well-maintained, class-A operation." It was cold on the night before the Destination's emergency beacon was activated, with choppy seas, McManus said. "We built ice on the bow that night. About 3 inches of ice," he said. "It wasn't the biggest seas ever, but they were steep and close together. You get a lot of spray." There was a heavy freezing spray warning active on Friday and Saturday for the nearshore waters of the Pribilof Islands, including St. George, according to the National Weather Service. When heavy winds and below-freezing temperatures combine, "anything that blows off the ocean is going to freeze instantly onto the boats," said meteorologist Rebecca Duell with the service's Anchorage forecasting office. The condition is common in the Bering Sea during the winter months. The Destination is part of the Bering Sea fleet — much of it based in Washington state — that pursues king and snow crab with baited steel traps known as pots that are set along the bottom. The fleet's safety record has improved dramatically from decades past, when crews competed in derby-style harvests where they rushed to claim as much crab as possible before an overall quota was reached. During the 1990s, 73 crew members died in the Bering Sea crab harvests, according to research by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health. Crews in that era carried as many pots as possible to quickly trap the crab, and vessel overloading was a significant cause of disaster, according to federal research by the institute. But the fishery underwent a major change in 2005 as the derbies were replaced with a new system that divided up the harvests among crab-boat owners' quotas between vessels. The fleet size shrank, and the crews who continued to crab work through longer seasons in which they are not in competition with one another. A NIOSH study that tracked crab harvests from 2005 through 2013 found that 65 injuries were reported through those years. But only one was fatal; it occurred in 2009 when a crew member was pulled overboard by a line that tightened around his lower leg. On Sunday night, the search for the Destination and its crew was still underway. Hatfield, the fisherman and brother of one of the crew members, said he would be taking a break from working on the Bering Sea. "It's something that gets in your blood, you know," he said. "We all know the consequences. It's in the back of everybody's mind. You never think it's gonna happen to you."

– The Coast Guard is searching the Bering Sea and people on the tiny Alaskan island of St. George are searching the shore for any sign of six crew members from a missing crab boat. The 95-foot F/V Destination was on its way to begin fishing for snow crab when an emergency was activated Saturday evening, Alaska Dispatch News reports. A Coast Guard crew found the ship's electronic locating device, buoys, a life ring, and an oil sheen amid other debris around 2 miles away from St. George later Saturday, reports the AP. It's not clear what happened to the ship, though the seas were choppy on Saturday and there was a heavy freezing spray warning in effect. The Coast Guard says it believe six people were on board the Seattle-based boat when it vanished, KING 5 reports. The search and rescue effort has included HC-130 Hercules planes and two MH-60 Jayhawk helicopters. Fisherman Dylan Hatfield tells the Dispatch News that his brother is one of the missing crew members. He says he spent six years working on the Destination himself, and describes the vessel as a well-maintained "work horse." "Everybody I've talked to, nobody can believe of all the boats that this one went down," he says. Hatfield says he now plans to take a break from the Bering Sea fishing made famous by the Deadliest Catch show. "We all know the consequences. It's in the back of everybody's mind," he says. "You never think it's gonna happen to you."

Unexpectedly, cycling speed actually increased during dual tasks, leading to dual task benefits rather than the expected dual task costs for both populations. Further, DTEs of the PD group were less than those of the HOAs, rather than greater. Simultaneously, performance in cognitive tasks in the dual task condition did not differ from single task performance with three exceptions, performance in two cognitive tasks improved (although the difference was not significant when age was covaried) and performance in one cognitive task declined in both groups. These findings cannot be explained by current theories in which dual task effects are attributed to the cognitive demands of the two concurrent tasks exceeding available cognitive resources. We conclude that additional factors must be playing a role in dual task situations. Accounting for Dual Task Benefits Research on acute exercise, which examines cognitive performance during dual tasks when exercise levels are held constant, offers a partial explanation. The acute exercise literature posits that exercise-related arousal increases the amount of processing resources available for the concomitant, “secondary” cognitive task, sometimes leading to improved cognitive performance during exercise relative to performance with no exercise task [32]. However, because the intensity of the exercise is always controlled in acute exercise research, their findings cannot address the improvements in cycling performance found in the current study. To account for the findings of the current study and unify the findings of the acute exercise and the dual task research, these data suggest that a model of dual task performance should incorporate the arousing effects of the cognitive tasks on motor performance as well as physiological arousal due to the exercise itself [33,34]. Specifically, the perception that performing motor and cognitive tasks concurrently will be challenging could increase overall arousal [35]. Crucially, both cognitive and exercise-related arousal have been associated with increases in cognitive resources, improvements in speed, and greater efficiency of cognitive and motor responses [32,33,36]. Moreover, both physiological and cognitive arousal have been attributed to increased release of catecholamines, particularly epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine [33–36]. Specifically, we hypothesize that when faced with dual tasks, the perception that performing the tasks concurrently will be novel and challenging could increase cognitive arousal [36], triggering the release of dopamine and norepinephrine. This increased production of catecholamines would increase the availability of supplementary cognitive resources that, in turn, facilitates performance in both the cognitive and motor task. Consequently, dual task performance will be based on this increased level of cognitive resources, as modulated by the attentional demands of the concurrent tasks. Based on this reasoning, we posit an expansion of Kahneman’s account of dual task performance [9] and the exercise-related arousal model discussed in the acute exercise literature [10,34], which we call the Arousal and Attentional Demands (AAD) model of dual task performance. According to the AAD model, when the increase in attentional resources due to cognitive and physiological arousal matches the actual demands of the combined dual tasks, performance on both tasks can be maintained with no observable dual task cost. Dual task costs only appear when the additional arousal due to the dual tasks does not provide adequate cognitive resources to maintain performance levels in both tasks. Conversely, according to the AAD model, when the cognitive demands of the combined dual tasks are less than anticipated, the increased arousal can result in dual task benefits on performance rather than dual task costs, as found in the current study. The catecholamine-dependent arousal hypothesized by the AAD predicts that people with low levels of dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine will show significant differences in dual task effects from control subjects. PD leads to deterioration of dopaminergic input to frontal and subcortical regions [37,38] which would necessarily affect levels of norepinephrine and epinephrine [39]. Therefore, people with PD might be expected to demonstrate limited catecholamine-dependent arousal when challenged with a dual task. This reasoning is consistent with the findings of the current study. The PD group exhibited DTEs below those of HOAs in all 12 tasks in the current study (mean difference 8.1%, range 3.9%–13.5%). In studies with more difficult motor tasks such as walking or maintaining balance, the AAD model would predict that participants with PD would benefit less from dopamine-dependent arousal and, consequently, evince greater dual task impairments than HOAs, which is indeed the typical finding in the literature [13]. Interestingly, the mechanism that we hypothesize is responsible for our findings, the release of dopamine and/or norepinephrine due to challenging, exogenous stimuli, is a similar mechanism to that postulated to underlie kinesia paradoxica in PD [40,41]. Kinesia paradoxica is the phenomenon in which motor performance is facilitated by a threatening event, such as moving to avoid an approaching object. Kinesia paradoxica effects are believed to be due to arousal mediated primarily by stress, leading to increased production of noradrenaline and epinephrine [34]. Alternatively, contextual or psychological factors may also trigger a release of striatal or mesolimbic dopamine that facilitates motor performance [40,42]. Importantly, these accounts are not mutually exclusive; both may play a role in the phenomenon [35]. It is possible that kinesia paradoxica and dual task performance may represent different instances of similar arousal-related, catecholamine-dependent, physiological phenomena that differ primarily in magnitude. While we have adopted Kahneman’s approach to dual task performance, in which processing resources are shared between the ongoing motor and cognitive tasks [9, 10], as the foundation for the AAD, other explanations for dual task effects have been offered. In particular, it has been suggested dual task performance involves switching attention between tasks [43], so dual task costs actually represent switch costs in this explanation. To account for the current findings, this conceptualization of dual task performance would also need to invoke the effects of cognitive and exercise-related arousal; however, it would have more difficulty accounting for the changes in cycling performance with increasing task difficulty. Thus, accounting for the findings of the current study, as well as findings from the acute exercise and dual literatures, would be a significant challenge for the task-switching account of dual task performance. ||||| Who says you can't do two things at once and do them both well? A new University of Florida study challenges the notion that multi-tasking causes one or both activities to suffer. In a study of older adults who completed cognitive tasks while cycling on a stationary bike, UF researchers found that participants' cycling speed improved while multi-tasking with no cost to their cognitive performance. Results of the study, which was supported by a grant from the National Institute on Aging, were published May 13 in the journal PLOS ONE. The discovery was a surprise finding for investigators Lori Altmann, an associate professor of speech, language and hearing sciences at the College of Public Health and Health Professions, and Chris Hass, an associate professor of applied physiology and kinesiology in the College of Health and Human Performance. They originally set out to determine the degree to which dual task performance suffers in patients with Parkinson's disease. To do this, the researchers had a group of patients with Parkinson's and a group of healthy older adults complete a series of increasingly difficult cognitive tests while cycling. "Every dual-task study that I'm aware of shows when people are doing two things at once they get worse," Altmann said. "Everybody has experienced walking somewhere in a hurry when the person in front of them pulls out a phone, and that person just slows to a crawl. Frankly, that's what we were expecting." Participants' cycling speed was about 25 percent faster while doing the easiest cognitive tasks but became slower as the cognitive tasks became more difficult. Yet, the hardest tasks only brought participants back to the speeds at which they were cycling before beginning the cognitive tasks. The findings suggest that combining the easier cognitive tasks with physical activity may be a way to get people to exercise more vigorously. The researchers plan to make this a topic for future research. "As participants were doing the easy tasks, they were really going to town on the bikes, and they didn't even realize it," Altmann said. "It was as if the cognitive tasks took their minds off the fact that they were pedaling." During the study, 28 participants with Parkinson's disease and 20 healthy older adults completed 12 cognitive tasks while sitting in a quiet room and again while cycling. Tasks ranged in difficulty from saying the word 'go' when a blue star was shown on a projection screen to repeating increasingly long lists of numbers in reverse order of presentation. A video motion capture system recorded participants' cycling speed. Their cycling speed was faster while performing the cognitive tasks, with the most improvement during the six easiest cognitive tasks. Cognitive performance while cycling was similar to baseline across all tasks. The reasons for participants' multi-tasking success most likely include multiple factors, the researchers say, but they hypothesize that one explanation could be the cognitive arousal that happens when people anticipate completing a difficult cognitive task. Similarly, exercise increases arousal in regions of the brain that control movement. Arousal increases the release of neurotransmitters that improve speed and efficiency of the brain, particularly the frontal lobes, thus improving performance in motor and cognitive tasks. "What arousal does is give you more attention to focus on a task," Altmann said. "When the tasks were really easy, we saw the effect of that attention as people cycled very fast. As the cognitive tasks got harder, they started impinging on the amount of attention available to perform both tasks, so participants didn't cycle quite so fast." Study participants with Parkinson's disease cycled slower overall and didn't speed up as much as the healthy older adults. That could be because arousal that stems from cognitive and physical exercise is dependent on dopamine and other neurotransmitters, which are impaired in people with Parkinson's. Altmann and Hass are currently studying whether multi-tasking benefits will extend to other types of exercise, including use of an elliptical trainer. They hope to eventually examine whether pairing mental tasks with exercise can lead to both cognitive and fitness improvements in older adults. ### ||||| Trying to do multiple things at once can have mixed results; you may accomplish more, or you may not get anything done. When it comes to exercising, though, multitasking may be a good idea, a new study suggests. In the study of older adults, researchers found that, when people completed easy cognitive tasks while they were cycling on a stationary bike, their cycling speed increased. The investigators said the results surprised them. "Every dual-task study that I'm aware of shows that, when people are doing two things at once, they get worse" at those tasks, study author Lori Altmann, an associate professor of speech, language and hearing sciences at the University of Florida, said in a statement. "Everybody has experienced walking somewhere in a hurry when the person in front of them pulls out a phone, and that person just slows to a crawl." In the study, the researchers looked at 20 healthy adults whose average age was 73, and 28 people with Parkinson's disease, whose average age was 66. The participants completed 12 cognitive tasks while they were sitting in a quiet room, and then they did the tasks again as they were cycling. The easiest tasks included saying the word "go" whenever a blue star appeared on a projection screen, and the most difficult tasks involved repeating long lists of numbers in the reverse order in which they were given. The researchers recorded the people's cycling speed using a video motion-capture system. In the healthy group, the participants sped up by about 25 percent on average when they were doing the easiest tasks. "Some of the people in that group actually doubled their speed during that task," Altmann told Live Science. The people with Parkinson's disease also sped up while performing the easiest tasks, but not as much as the people in the healthy group, the study found. [10 Ways to Keep Your Mind Sharp ] However, all of the participants decreased their speed as the tasks became more difficult. Still, the speeds at which the people cycled while doing the most difficult cognitive tasks were about the same as the speeds at which they cycled before they began the tasks, the researchers said. It is not exactly clear why doing an easy task appeared to help people cycle faster, but the explanation may have something to with the release of certain neurotransmitters in the brain, the researchers said. During exercise, the brain releases two such neurotransmitters, dopamine and noradrenaline, which speed up people's thinking and reaction times, Altmann said. Research also has shown that those same neurotransmitters are released when a person is exposed to novel and challenging tasks. The researchers think that these two venues of neurotransmitter release may improve the efficiency of the brain, and thus boost both motor and cognitive performance, they said. In the future, the researchers would like to see if they could use their findings to get older adults to exercise more intensely, Altmann said. A lot of older adults have started exercising in recent years, and some may be encouraged by research showing that exercise may improve people's thinking skills. But some people do not exercise intensely enough to gain health benefits from aerobic exercise because they don't like to get sweaty, Altmann said. The people in the study did not even realize they were cycling faster, and therefore exercising more intensely, when they were doing the cognitive tasks, she said. If researchers could figure out a way to convert the concept of the study into a game format, they could perhaps get older people to increase the intensity of their workouts, Altmann said. The study was published May 13 in the journal PLOS ONE. Follow Agata Blaszczak-Boxe on Twitter. Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Originally published on Live Science.

– That person reading a book on the treadmill may be on to something. A University of Florida study published last month in PLOS ONE showed that older people may be able to exercise more intensely—and gain the benefits associated with that—by doing two things at once. The scientists examined 20 healthy people with an average age of 73, and 28 people with Parkinson's disease who were 7 years younger on average, per LiveScience. The participants completed a dozen cognitive tasks while sitting in a room and while pedaling a stationary bike. They healthy participants sped up their pedaling an average of 25% (some hit 50%) when they were completing the simplest tasks, like saying "pa" as many times as they could in 10 seconds, or saying the word "go" when a blue star flashed on a projection screen. (Never mind that the word "go" might prod one to do anything faster...) When the tasks became more difficult, the participants slowed—but in healthy adults, their speeds were, on average, never less than 2.6% faster than their baseline speed. The researchers propose that cognitive tasks release the neurotransmitters dopamine and noradrenaline, which can make the brain's frontal lobes speedier and more efficient; in turn, motor and cognitive performance improve. Those with Parkinson’s disease pedaled slower than the healthy adults (but still faster, on average, than their baseline speed while completing 9 of the tasks), which researchers believe is due to deficits in their neurotransmitters. Researcher Lori Altmann was surprised by the findings: "Every dual-task study that I'm aware of shows when people are doing two things at once they get worse," she says in a press release. (Could the "thunder god vine" end obesity?)

England's Dele Alli, right, reacts to flies during the anthem prior the group G match between Tunisia and England at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the Volgograd Arena in Volgograd, Russia, Monday, June... (Associated Press) England's Dele Alli, right, reacts to flies during the anthem prior the group G match between Tunisia and England at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the Volgograd Arena in Volgograd, Russia, Monday, June 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein) (Associated Press) VOLGOGRAD, Russia (AP) — Little bugs were a big annoyance at the World Cup on Monday. During England's 2-1 victory over Tunisia, midges descended on the Volgograd Arena. Players from both sides, but particularly those from England, spent an undue amount of time trying to ward them off during the match. In Volgograd at this time of the year, midges are not uncommon. Set on the banks of the mighty Volga River, the seasonal change in weather unleashes millions of the little bugs. Although the insects are harmless enough, the swarms can be a distraction. For Harry Kane, who scored both of England's goals, they clearly were. "We got told before that there was going to be quite a lot of flies and when we went out for the warm-up it was a lot more than we all kind of thought," Kane said. "We had a lot of bug spray on before the game, halftime, which was important because there was some of them in your eyes, some of them in your mouth, but I guess that's part of just dealing whatever comes your way and the team coped with it well." England teammate Ashley Young was also a tad distracted by the flying insects. "Fairly annoying, but it's the same for both teams so you've got to get on with it," Young said. Not everyone was bothered, though. Tunisia coach Nabil Maaloul said he didn't feel them because he was "so focused on the team, on the game." ___ More AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/WorldCup ||||| Tunisia's Syam Ben Youssef, right, jumps as he fights for the ball with England's Harry Kane during the group G match between Tunisia and England at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the Volgograd Arena in... (Associated Press) Tunisia's Syam Ben Youssef, right, jumps as he fights for the ball with England's Harry Kane during the group G match between Tunisia and England at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the Volgograd Arena in Volgograd, Russia, Monday, June 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits) (Associated Press) VOLGOGRAD, Russia (AP) — Twice wrestled to the ground during the match, England captain Harry Kane finally evaded the Tunisian defense just as time was running out. Kane found an open area of space at the far post and used his head to meet Harry Maguire's flick-on, scoring the winning goal Monday in a 2-1 victory at the World Cup. It was relief for Kane and Gareth Southgate, who leapt into the air in delight as his World Cup debut as a coach got off to a winning start. "The best teams in the world keep that belief in what they're doing," Southgate said, "and in the end they break the opposition down." England shouldn't have found it so tough in its Group G opener against such opposition. Not after Kane got England off to a perfect start with an 11th-minute tap in. But after Kyle Walker softly conceded a penalty that Ferjani Sassi converted in the 35th, many of the fouls went against England. "Maybe there was a bit of justice at the end," Kane said. Finally, Kane showcased on the international stage the predatory instinct in front of goal that has served Tottenham so well. Only two years ago, the striker failed to find the net at the 2016 European Championship, which ended in humiliation with a loss to Iceland in the last 16. The team has been transformed by Southgate since then. For all the placidness and togetherness within the group, Southgate has added persistence and doggedness. "It shows the work we have put in these last few weeks," Walker said. "Togetherness and believing in ourselves." At the last World Cup, England couldn't even win a game. Low expectations for this year's overhauled team were dispelled early in Russia when Kane reacted quickly to score after John Stones' header was saved. But England struggled to finish it off. When Walker's flailing arm caught Fakhreddine Ben Youssef, a penalty was awarded and Sassi slotted it in to equalize. England's players later thought they deserved the same verdict when Kane was grappled to the ground twice by Tunisians on either side of the halftime break. Both times, the referee decided against punishing the culprits. Despite it all, Kane remained patient and delivered in the first minute of stoppage time. "You go until the last second," Kane said, "and I'm absolutely buzzing." NEAR MISSES England seemed destined for a familiar hard-luck story — dominance with little to show for it. Before Kane's opener, Jesse Lingard had a shot saved on the line before setting up Raheem Sterling, who fluffed his chance while staring at an unprotected part of the net. Chances to regain the advantage were squandered. When Dele Alli's header was turned onto the crossbar, Stones messed up the follow-up. Lingard later hit the post after breaking past goalkeeper Farouk Ben Mustapha. "The pleasing thing was the movement, the pace, the interchange," Southgate said. "The control from the back with the ball." STATISTICS However hard it was to break through, the English attack achieved its most shots on target in the first half at a World Cup since 1966 — the only time the team won the trophy. For Kane, wearing the captain's armband is only making him more prolific. He now has eight goals in six games as captain. INJURY WATCH Tunisia was forced into an early goalkeeping change. Mouez Hassen was caught by Lingard in the fifth minute but remained on the field and even pulled off a fine save — clawing away Stones' header from Ashley Young's corner — before Kane scored. Hassen, though, was forced off in the 15th and replaced by Ben Mustapha. GROUP DYNAMICS England and Belgium are the early front-runners as expected. But while England passed the sterner test, Belgium had the most comfortable start in its 3-0 victory over Panama. England will hope the World Cup newcomers roll over as easily when they meet on Sunday. BUGGING The late priority in the warm-up for England was needing insect repellent. Mosquitoes and little bugs have been swarming across the city, creating an annoyance for players. ___ Rob Harris is at https://twitter.com/RobHarris and https://facebook.com/RobHarrisReports ___ More AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/WorldCup

– Little bugs were a big annoyance at the World Cup on Monday. During England's 2-1 victory over Tunisia, midges descended on the Volgograd Arena. Players from both sides, but particularly those from England, spent an undue amount of time trying to ward them off during the match per the AP. In Volgograd at this time of the year, midges are not uncommon. Set on the banks of the mighty Volga River, the seasonal change in weather unleashes millions of the little bugs. Although the insects are harmless enough, the swarms can be a distraction. For Harry Kane, who scored both of England's goals, they clearly were. "We got told before that there was going to be quite a lot of flies and when we went out for the warm-up it was a lot more than we all kind of thought," Kane said. "We had a lot of bug spray on before the game, halftime, which was important because there was some of them in your eyes, some of them in your mouth, but I guess that's part of just dealing whatever comes your way and the team coped with it well." England teammate Ashley Young was also a tad distracted by the flying insects. "Fairly annoying, but it's the same for both teams so you've got to get on with it," Young said. Not everyone was bothered, though. Tunisia coach Nabil Maaloul said he didn't feel them because he was "so focused on the team, on the game."

Did just a few feet mean the difference between life and death for Paul Walker and Roger Rodas? After the two died in a fiery wreck on Saturday afternoon, some fans claimed that the explosion that killed the pair was caused by an exposed gas line at the site — which they could have missed if the crash had only occurred a few feet in either direction. Speculation about the true cause of the fireball explosion following the crash first surfaced on auto enthusiast forums, RadarOnline.com has learned. “Check out this gas line that’s right where they crashed,” one commenter on Worldcarfans.com wrote. “If this exploded, it explains the mangled car … the little tree doesn’t make sense for all the damage to the car.” Some commenters responded that they believed the pipe to be a water line, while others insisted it was gas. PHOTOS: Paul Walker And Friend Roger Rodas Are Killed In Tragic Car Crash However, a rep for SoCal Gas tells Radar exclusively that despite maps showing gas lines in the area, the apparatus is simply a water line. The rep insisted, “It’s a water line. It’s not one of ours.” Insiders previously told Radar that Walker and the car’s driver, Rodas, both died on impact. A case insider said, “Both men were [wearing] seat belts … [but] if the Porsche hadn’t have hit the pole, Paul and Roger would likely still be alive today.” Cops believe that the crash occurred with significant speed because the Porsche was split in half after hitting the pole. But it was the fireball explosion following that impact that reportedly left Walker’s body unrecognizable. ||||| Four days after the crash that killed actor Paul Walker and his friend and financial manager Roger Rodas , big questions remain unanswered, including: Did anything go wrong with the vehicle? The Porsche Carrera GT the two men were in has three times the horsepower of the average car. It's powered by a V-10, 610-horsepower engine. At $450,000 new, it flies down the road and is notoriously difficult to handle. A top driver has called the car "scary," Autoweek magazine reported Rodas was the sixth owner of this one, the magazine said. Rodas was driving Saturday, according to autopsy results released Wednesday by the Los Angeles County coroner's office. Authorities say speed was a factor in the crash. Still, Walker and Rodas were both experienced drivers, leading many to question whether something went wrong with the vehicle. Jim Torp, a car enthusiast who was at the charity event where Rodas and Walker had been just before the crash, said he thought he heard some kind of blast before the car slammed into a light pole. "What the first explosion was -- I don't know if their tire blew up, because it sounded like a tire blew on the car," Torp told CNN on Monday How fast were they going? The area where the crash took place -- a wide business park road in Valencia, California -- has a reputation for being popular with drivers who like the thrill of going fast. In recent years, authorities have tried to stop the speeding in the area. A 45-mph speed limit sign was on the light pole knocked down by the Porsche. A security camera video, which does not show the car itself, suggests that black smoke started to rise from the vehicle about a minute after the light pole and tree fell. A Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department investigation is focused on how fast the 2005 vehicle was going. Skid marks on the asphalt near the crash site, which indicate a car had done doughnut spins, also are being examined, but Torp told CNN that he looked closely at the skid marks and believes they were left by a car with smaller tires. Was anyone else in danger? Amid the outpouring of grief for the deaths of Walker and Rodas, many people are also asking whether the ride had endangered pedestrians or other drivers. It took place at 3:30 p.m. Saturday. Online stories about the crash are filled with comments from readers saying it's fortunate that no one else was killed or injured. In 2001, when the first "Fast & Furious" movie was released, Walker talked about the dangers of drag racing. "Nothing would be worse than a 120-mile-an-hour blowout, on a surface street, you know, with pedestrians lining up and down. You know, it's just common sense, it's just not worth the risk factor," he said. Authorities have ruled out drag racing in this accident, and those who knew Walker and Rodas say they were not the sort of people who would risk their lives and others' in a race. ||||| Santa Clarita, California (CNN) -- The fire that engulfed the Porsche carrying actor Paul Walker apparently did not erupt until a minute after the car clipped a light pole Saturday. That conclusion is based on security camera video obtained by CNN that shows black smoke starting to rise from the crash scene 60 seconds after it shows the light pole and a tree falling. Could Walker and the other occupant in the car have made it out in those 60 seconds? That's hard to tell. The two may have died on impact when the car struck the light pole. The answer might be clearer when the coroner's office releases its preliminary findings of the autopsies of the remains of two men -- presumed to be Walker and friend Roger Rodas, a coroner's officer said. The autopsies were completed Tuesday, Los Angeles County Coroner Lt. Fred Corral said. But investigators have placed a "security hold" on it for now. The coroner will not even disclose if the identities have been confirmed using dental X-rays. Officially, the dead are only identified as case numbers. Corral did not give a reason for the secrecy, which can be requested by law enforcement agencies during an investigation. It is often done in cases involving criminal probes, but there has been no indication this is anything more than a traffic accident investigation. The autopsies should be able to confirm whether Rodas, as witnesses reported, was behind the wheel with Walker in the passenger seat. Video obtained by CNN Tuesday from a security camera posted on a building on the opposite side of the street from the crash does not show the Porsche Carerra GT crashing along a business park street in Valencia, California, Saturday afternoon. It does show the light pole and tree falling. Smoke is faintly visible above the scene 60 seconds later, followed by a heavy plume of black smoke after two minutes. As investigators searched for more information about the accident that killed the popular "Fast & Furious" actor on Saturday, one of his co-stars dramatically addressed grieving fans. Using a police car's loudspeaker, actor Vin Diesel thanked a crowd of mourning fans, calling Walker an "angel up in Heaven." Every night since the crash fans have gathered and left mementos near the spot on a wide business park road in Valencia, California, about 30 miles north of Hollywood, according to Walker's publicist and CNN affiliate KCAL. Rodas, owner of a high-performance car shop, is believed to have been driving. Both Rodas and Walker were drivers for Rodas' Always Evolving racing team, according to the team's website. By Tuesday Diesel had posted several pictures of his friend on his Facebook page. And earlier this week, another co-star, Tyrese Gibson, broke down sobbing as he laid a yellow flower at the site. "My heart is hurting so bad no one can make me believe this is real," the singer and actor posted on Instagram. He also shared the duo's last text exchange. Walker's father, Paul Walker Sr., choked back tears Monday. "His heart was so big," he told CNN affiliate KCAL. "I was proud of him every day of his life." The actor had told his father that he wanted to take a hiatus from acting to spend more time with his 15-year-old daughter, Meadow, the elder Walker said. "And then boom, he got another movie. He would say, 'I don't know what to do.'" He said the actor's siblings are having an especially hard time grappling with the death. "I'm just ... glad that every time I saw him, I told him I loved him," the father said. "And he would say the same thing to me." The Walker family issued a statement expressing thanks for "the outpouring of love and goodwill from his many fans and friends." They asked that instead of flowers, people make donations to his charity, Reach Out Worldwide. The actor was at a benefit for the charity just before he died. "It's comforting for them to know that the son, brother, and father they love so much is equally adored, respected, and appreciated by so many," the statement said. "Paul founded the organization with the genuine desire to help others, and it's important to his family to keep his memory alive through ROWW." No memorial service plans have been made, Walker's publicist has said. How fast? Meanwhile a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office probe is focused on the speed of the 2005 Porsche Carrera GT, the spokesman told CNN. Sheriff's Sgt. Richard Cohen told CNN that authorities received a tip Sunday suggesting that another car was at the scene racing the Porsche when it slammed into a light pole and burst into flames. But investigators have since ruled out the presence of a second vehicle and the theory that the Porsche was drag racing, a spokesman said Monday afternoon. But speed was a factor in the crash, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office said. A 45-mph speed limit sign was attached to the light pole knocked down by the Porsche. The car, which sold for $450,000 when new, is a notoriously difficult vehicle to handle, even for professional drivers, according to Autoweek magazine. A top driver called it "scary," the magazine reported Sunday. It is powered by a V-10, 610-hp engine. The wreck took place about 3:30 p.m. Saturday. Antonio Holmes told the Santa Clarita Valley Signal newspaper that he was at the charity event when Walker and Rodas left for a ride in the Porsche. "We all heard from our location," Holmes told the Signal. "It's a little difficult to know what it was. Someone called it in and said it was a vehicle fire. We all ran around and jumped in cars and grabbed fire extinguishers and immediately went to the vehicle. It was engulfed in flames. There was nothing. They were trapped. Employees, friends of the shop. We tried. We tried. We went through fire extinguishers." 5 reasons the car Walker died in is different Jim Torp, a car enthusiast who was at the charity event, said Walker was smiling as he got into the Porsche minutes earlier. Torp thought he heard a blast in the distance before the car slammed into a light pole, he said. "What the first explosion was -- I don't know if their tire blew up, because it sounded like a tire blew on the car," Torp told CNN Monday. Skid marks on the asphalt near the crash site, which indicate a car was doing doughnut spins, also are being examined, Cohen said. It's not uncommon for people to speed down that street, and two years ago deputies tried to crack down on that, he said. Torp told CNN that he looked closely at the skid marks and concluded they were left by a car with smaller tires. Remarkable generosity There are tales of Walker's incredible generosity. CNN confirmed one story from a decade ago when Walker noticed a young U.S. soldier shopping with his fiancee for a wedding ring in a Santa Barbara jewelry store. "The groom was just back from duty in Iraq, and he was going to be deployed again soon and wanted to buy a wedding ring, but he said he just could not afford it," saleswoman Irene King told CNN. "I don't think the soldier realized how expensive those rings are, about $10,000." The couple apparently did not know who Walker was, King said. "Walker called the manager over and said, 'Put that girl's ring on my tab,'" she said. "Walker left all his billing info, and it was a done deal. The couple was stunned. She was thrilled and could not believe someone did this." King called it "the most generous thing I have ever seen." The day Walker died he was at a holiday toy drive for Walker's charity hosted by the store that Rodas owned. Walker and Rodas had planned Saturday as a day to help survivors of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. The car shop website invited customers to a "Charity Toy Drive & Automotive Social Gathering." "During the holiday season, many economically disadvantaged children from around the world are faced with the same dilemma year after year; the lacking of joy and cheer," the invitation read. "Our goal here is to be able to provide aid to these less fortunate children in hopes of helping them grow up to become confident, responsible and productive young adults." Box office success Walker's career began on the small screen, first with a commercial for Pampers when he was 2, and then with parts in shows such as "Highway to Heaven" and "Touched by an Angel." His first few movie roles were as supporting characters in teen flicks, most notably in "Varsity Blues." But his career really took off when he was cast as undercover cop Brian O'Conner infiltrating a street-racing gang in 2001's "The Fast and the Furious." The box-office success of the surprise summer hit yielded numerous sequels. And along with Vin Diesel, Walker was one of the franchise stalwarts. The six "Fast & Furious" films sold a total of $2.6 billion in tickets worldwide, according to BoxOfficeMojo. Walker wasn't just a car enthusiast on the silver screen; off screen, the actor competed in the Redline Time Attack racing series. On his verified Twitter account, Walker described himself as an "outdoorsman, ocean addict, adrenaline junkie ... and I do some acting on the side." Walker also is the star of "Hours," an independent film scheduled to be released December 13 about a father struggling to keep his newborn infant alive in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. People we lost in 2013 Future of franchise Walker was in the middle of the seventh film in the "Fast & Furious" franchise. The film was due out next year. It's unclear how the movie's production might proceed. When Oliver Reed died in the middle of the production of "Gladiator," the rest of his scenes included a digitally produced image of his face on another actor's body, Tom O'Neil, editor of the show business website Goldderby.com, told CNN. In some cases, other actors have filled in for co-stars who have passed away. "We don't know what they'll do here, or even if they'll just say, "It may be tasteless to proceed at all because we can't be showing Paul Walker in a speeding car, defying death in a movie that ended up being the way he died,'" O'Neil said. Walker and other stars who died during production CNN's Alan Duke reported from Santa Clarita, and Ashley Fantz from Atlanta. CNN's Holly Yan contributed to this report.

– Autopsy results are in for Paul Walker and Roger Rodas, showing that Walker died of traumatic and thermal injuries, while Rodas died of traumatic injuries. But many questions still surround the fatal car accident, CNN reports: Did something go wrong with the car? The Porsche Carrera GT has been called "the most dangerous car on the road." And one friend tells CNN he heard a blast before the car hit the light pole, speculating that it sounded a bit like a tire blowing. Was driver error to blame? Police are still trying to determine the speed the car was going at the time, and toxicology results for Walker and Rodas are also pending. Skid marks near the crash site indicate a car that was in the area was doing "donut spins," but a friend who examined them closely says he believes they are from a car with smaller tires. Could Walker have gotten out? Security video from the site shows a light pole and a tree falling—and no smoke starts to rise until a full minute later, indicating that the fire didn't start right away. Did an exposed gas line make things worse? Some are speculating that a gas line was exposed at the site, and that could be why the car exploded, Radar reports. But a rep for SoCal Gas insists that what people are seeing in pictures of the site is actually a water line.

CHICAGO--A new study lends further evidence to a suspected link between abnormal breast growth in young boys--called prepubertal gynecomastia--and regular exposure to lavender or tea tree oil, by finding that key chemicals in these common plant-derived oils act as endocrine-disrupting chemicals. The study results will be presented Monday at ENDO 2018, the Endocrine Society's 100th annual meeting in Chicago. Lavender and tea tree oil are among the so-called essential oils that have become popular in the United States as alternatives for medical treatment, personal hygiene and cleaning products, and aromatherapy. Various consumer products contain lavender and tea tree oil, including some soaps, lotions, shampoos, hair-styling products, cologne and laundry detergents. "Our society deems essential oils as safe," said study lead investigator J. Tyler Ramsey, a postbaccalaureate research fellow at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the National Institutes of Health. "However, they possess a diverse amount of chemicals and should be used with caution because some of these chemicals are potential endocrine disruptors." An endocrine-disrupting chemical is a chemical in the environment that interferes with hormones and their actions in the body. Male gynecomastia occurring before puberty is relatively rare, but a growing amount of cases have been reported to coincide with topical exposure to lavender and tea tree oil, and the condition went away after the boys stopped using the oil-containing products, Ramsey said. Researchers at the NIEHS, including Kenneth Korach, Ph.D., a co-investigator for the new study, previously found laboratory evidence that lavender and tea tree oil have estrogenic (estrogen-like) properties and anti-androgenic (testosterone inhibiting-like) activities, meaning they compete or hinder the hormones that control male characteristics, which could affect puberty and growth. Under Korach's direction, Ramsey and his NIEHS colleagues went a step further. From the hundreds of chemicals that comprise lavender and tea tree oil, they selected for analysis eight components that are common and mandated for inclusion in the oils. Four of the tested chemicals appear in both oils: eucalyptol, 4-terpineol, dipentene/limonene and alpha-terpineol. The others were in either oil: linalyl acetate, linalool, alpha-terpinene and gamma-terpinene. Using in vitro, or test tube, experiments, the researchers applied these chemicals to human cancer cells to measure changes of estrogen receptor- and androgen receptor-target genes and transcriptional activity. All eight chemicals demonstrated varying estrogenic and/or anti-androgenic properties, with some showing high or little to no activity, the investigators reported. Ramsey said these changes were consistent with endogenous, or bodily, hormonal conditions that stimulate gynecomastia in prepubescent boys. "Lavender oil and tea tree oil pose potential environmental health concerns and should be investigated further," he said. Of further concern, according to Ramsey, is that many of the chemicals they tested appear in at least 65 other essential oils. Essential oils are available without a prescription and are not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Thus, the public should be aware of these findings and consider all evidence before deciding to use essential oils. The NIEHS Division of Intramural Research funded this study through its support of Korach. The researchers will present their findings during a press conference at 10 a.m. Central on Saturday, March 17. Register to view the live webcast at endowebcasting.com. ### Endocrinologists are at the core of solving the most pressing health problems of our time, from diabetes and obesity to infertility, bone health, and hormone-related cancers. The Endocrine Society is the world's oldest and largest organization of scientists devoted to hormone research and physicians who care for people with hormone-related conditions. ||||| Young boys receiving regular exposure to essential oils such as lavender or tea tree oil could be at risk of a rare condition that makes their breast tissue swell abnormally, a new study suggests. The findings, being presented this week, add further evidence that certain plant-derived oils contain chemicals capable of disrupting human hormones – a stark reminder that just because these extracts come from nature, they aren't necessarily good for us. "Our society deems essential oils as safe," says developmental biologist J. Tyler Ramsey from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). "However, they possess a diverse amount of chemicals and should be used with caution because some of these chemicals are potential endocrine disruptors." Essential oils – meaning they contain the chemical 'essence' of plants, as opposed to being indispensable – are found in all sorts of consumer products, from soaps and lotions through to alternative medical treatments, aromatherapy oils, and cleaning products. While they might be ubiquitous, there is concern in the research community that certain chemical components in these oils may be dangerous to human health, whether by being toxic, or by affecting how our bodies work. NIEHS developmental biologist Kenneth Korach worked on a study that raised these fears a decade ago, finding that lavender and tea tree oil contain chemicals that mimic oestrogen and inhibit testosterone. Those findings were the result of analysis of human cells exposed to the oils, but the research wasn't just conducted in the lab. It also considered the experience of three young boys aged four, seven, and ten, who all exhibited signs of prepubertal gynecomastia – a rare condition where males develop enlarged breast tissue. In those cases, the swelling coincided with topical application of products that contained lavender and tea tree oils, but the effects went away after use of the essential oils ended. Subsequent research on rats has cast doubt on this seeming oestrogenic potential of lavender oil, but now Korach and Ramsey have new evidence of why these essential oils could be harmful to boys after all. In a new analysis, the researchers tested eight specific chemicals of the hundreds that appear in lavender or tea tree oil, testing them in the lab against human breast cancer cells. The experiments revealed all eight of the chemicals tested classify as endocrine disruptor chemicals (EDCs), displaying varying levels of oestrogenic and/or anti-androgenic (testosterone-inhibiting) properties. While some of the chemicals tested didn't actually have much of an effect, others did, and all were technically EDCs capable of contributing to the stimulation of mammary gland conditions in boys' bodies, the researchers say. Even more alarmingly, the EDCs the team tested aren't contained to just lavender and tea tree oil – they're also present in at least 65 other essential oils currently on the market. All up, these 67 extracts are contained in a huge range of products that don't require a prescription to buy, and which aren't regulated by the FDA, and the researchers warn it's important we learn more about the potential risks these oils may present. But others explain that because of the limited amount of data we have so far on this rare phenomenon, we shouldn't jump to conclusions about the dangers of essential oils – especially since the latest findings haven't yet had a chance to be peer-reviewed by other experts. While acknowledging that the new evidence seems to confirm why lavender and tea tree oil have this effect on young boys, paediatrician Ieuan Hughes from the University of Cambridge, who wasn't involved in the study, says there's still a lot we don't know. "Not everyone exposing themselves to such oils has adverse effects, so it is possible there are particular individuals who may be more sensitive to the effects of the chemicals, or perhaps are using the products in excess," Hughes told the BBC. "There is a complex relationship between oestrogen, testosterone and other hormones in the body, that cannot be replicated in these experiments," he added. "Clearly, the longer-term effects of such exposure are unknown." The findings are being presented at the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in Chicago, Illinois, on Monday.

– Wait a minute before dabbing lavender essential oil on your male child: A new study finds that regular exposure to certain plant-derived oils puts boys at risk of prepubertal gynecomastia—or, as Science Alert bluntly puts it, "man boobs." "Our society deems essential oils as safe," says the developmental biologist who led the study. "However, they possess a diverse amount of chemicals and should be used with caution because some of these chemicals are potential endocrine disruptors." That essentially means they can mess with hormones, and there have been a number of cases of young boys developing breasts after topical exposure to lavender and tea tree essential oils, per a press release. (In those cases, symptoms subsided after exposure was halted.) The new study analyzed eight common chemicals out of the hundreds found in those two oils. Scientists tested the chemicals against human breast cancer cells and found that all eight of them were indeed endocrine disruptor chemicals (EDCs) and displayed levels of estrogen-like properties and/or testosterone-inhibiting properties—meaning they could play a part in stimulating mammary gland conditions in a prepubescent male body. And many of those chemicals are also in at least 65 other essential oils, the lead author says, which is particularly concerning since the FDA does not regulate essential oils and no prescription is required to buy them. They're currently popular for use in everything from cleaning products to toiletries to alternative health treatments. The study authors say essential oils should be used with caution, but Science Alert notes that there is, so far, limited research on these effects and the latest findings have not yet been peer-reviewed. (The fervor for essential oils is bad news for frankincense forests.)

Tesla Motors C.E.O. Elon Musk’s dream of uniting two of his businesses into a single clean energy company just became a reality. More than a month after Tesla made an all-stock offer to merge with SolarCity, the solar-energy company Musk co-founded with his cousins, C.E.O. Lyndon and C.T.O. Peter Rive, the two family companies are officially combining. According to a post Monday on SolarCity’s blog announcing the news, the deal will be worth $2.6 billion—$300 million less than Tesla’s initial bid—valuing SolarCity shares at $25.37 and creating “the world's only vertically integrated sustainable energy company.” The deal must still be approved by shareholders. The merger could be the Hail Mary that saves SolarCity and helps Musk move Tesla closer to his “master plan” for the company, which involves integrating solar energy into some of Tesla’s batteries. Both companies have faced challenges: Tesla has had difficulty expanding its production capacity and has had problems delivering its products to customers; it also faces formidable competition from traditional automakers, which are expanding into autonomous-driving technology and electric-vehicle manufacturing—the very things that previously made Tesla unique. Meanwhile, short sellers like Jim Chanos have been criticizing SolarCity all year, comparing the company’s leasing model to subprime lending. SolarCity, the biggest U.S. installer of rooftop solar systems, lowered its earning outlook earlier in the year, and shares have fallen 52 percent in 2016 as sales have slowed. Musk, the largest single shareholder in SolarCity, has said that combining the companies will “remove conflicts of interest” and create more opportunities for both. “We expect to achieve cost synergies of $150 million in the first full year after closing [the deal],” Tesla said in its own blog post Monday. “We also expect to save customers money by lowering hardware costs, reducing installation costs, improving our manufacturing efficiency and reducing our customer acquisition costs. We will also be able to leverage Tesla’s 190-store retail network and international presence to extend our combined reach.” “Synergies” could also euphemistically mean that layoffs are eventually coming to the companies. At the end of 2015, SolarCity had 15,273 employees, and Tesla had 13,058—but in the interim, Musk seems optimistic about the merger. "When I think of a combined automotive and power-storage and power-generation company and the potential for Tesla to be a $1 trillion company in market cap,” he said in June. In the meantime, Wall Street shouldn’t expect any further consolidation of Musk’s companies. “Never,” he said on Twitter when a follower asked when one could expect a SpaceX/Tesla merger. “There is no product rationale for doing so.” ||||| FILE - In a Sept. 29, 2015 file photo, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors Inc., talks about the Model X car at the company's headquarters, in Fremont, Calif. On Monday, Aug. 1, 2016, Tesla and SolarCity announced... (Associated Press) FILE - In a Sept. 29, 2015 file photo, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors Inc., talks about the Model X car at the company's headquarters, in Fremont, Calif. On Monday, Aug. 1, 2016, Tesla and SolarCity announced they have entered into an agreement under which Tesla will acquire SolarCity. Tesla will pay... (Associated Press) FILE - In a Sept. 29, 2015 file photo, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors Inc., talks about the Model X car at the company's headquarters, in Fremont, Calif. On Monday, Aug. 1, 2016, Tesla and SolarCity announced they have entered into an agreement under which Tesla will acquire SolarCity. Tesla will pay... (Associated Press) FILE - In a Sept. 29, 2015 file photo, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors Inc., talks about the Model X car at the company's headquarters, in Fremont, Calif. On Monday, Aug. 1, 2016, Tesla and SolarCity announced... (Associated Press) DETROIT (AP) — Tesla wants to put its car and energy storage businesses under one solar-powered roof. Tesla said Monday it will buy solar panel maker SolarCity Corp. in an all-stock deal worth $2.6 billion. The deal must still be approved by the government and shareholders at both companies. It's expected to close in the fourth quarter if it goes through. Thirteen-year-old Tesla currently makes two luxury vehicles — the Model S sedan and Model X SUV— as well as Powerwall and Powerpack energy storage units for homes and businesses. The company said Monday that a tie-up with SolarCity would create a one-stop shop for cleaner energy. With one service call, customers could get their solar panels installed and connected to a Powerwall, which preserves energy for later use. Users could also get the system hooked up to chargers for one of Tesla's vehicles. "This is really all part of solving the sustainable energy problem," said Elon Musk, the chairman and biggest shareholder of both companies, during a conference call. But some have questioned the wisdom of the deal, which combines two money-losing companies that already have a lot on their plates. Tesla is working feverishly on its new, lower-cost Model 3 sedan, which is due out by the end of next year, as well as pickups, electric buses and semi-trucks. It's in the midst of building one of the world's largest factories in Nevada to make batteries. And it's under investigation by the government after the semi-autonomous Autopilot system in its Model S failed to prevent a fatal crash in Florida. Ten-year-old SolarCity is the top provider of residential solar panels in the U.S., and installs about one-fifth of all commercial solar panels. But the company said Monday that it experienced lower-than-expected residential bookings in the first half of the year, so it's reducing its full-year guidance for megawatts installed. Others have questioned the conflicts of interest in the deal. Musk owns a 26 percent stake in Tesla Motors Inc., based in Palo Alto, California, and a 22.5 percent stake in SolarCity Corp., which is based in nearby San Mateo, California. Musk's cousins, Lyndon Rive and Peter Rive, run SolarCity. But Musk said the companies have synergies they can't take advantage of unless they're combined. "The point of the merger is to get rid of the conflicts," he said. "Until then it's very limited what we can do unless we are one company." Musk said he believes the companies could save $150 million to $200 million in the first year alone by streamlining manufacturing, sales and service. Customers could learn about SolarCity products at Tesla's 190 stores, for example, and save on installation costs because they'd be done more efficiently. Tesla also would give SolarCity access to international customers. SolarCity's stock slid more than 8 percent to $24.56 in afternoon trading Monday. Tesla's shares fell 1.3 percent to $231.71. Tesla's current offer values SolarCity's shares at $25.37. That's less than the $26.50 to $28.50 value it placed on them in June, when it made its initial overture to SolarCity. Musk said he had no role in establishing the value of the deal. "I know about as much as you do about how this price was obtained," he said. S&P Global raised its target price for SolarCity shares to $26 but reiterated its "sell" opinion on Tesla shares Monday, saying the deal benefits SolarCity more than Tesla. "We see benefits from a combined solar/storage offering and manufacturing efficiencies, but remain concerned about cash flow and capital needs," S&P analyst Efraim Levy said in a research note to investors. The deal may draw more attention to the financial position of both companies. Tesla has lost $1.2 billion in the past two years alone while SolarCity has suffered losses exceeding $1.1 billion during the same span. Analysts surveyed by FactSet are predicting a $416 million loss from Tesla this year while they believe SolarCity will lose $851 million. Rebecca Lindland, a senior analyst with Kelley Blue Book, said the deal addresses a tiny market for now. About 1 percent of the 17 million cars sold in the U.S. are electric and only 1.4 percent of single family homes have solar power. Those markets are expected to grow over time, she said, but in the meantime, both businesses are capital intensive and propped up by government incentives. Electric car buyers can currently get a $7,500 federal tax credit, for example, while solar panel buyers can deduct 30 percent of the cost of their installation from their federal taxes. "If anything happens with incentives or the economy in general, this could come crashing down even faster than others are projecting," Lindland said. SolarCity has a 45-day "go-shop" period in which it can solicit alternative acquisition proposals. It will have to pay Tesla a $78.2 million termination fee unless it ends the deal with Tesla in order to enter an agreement with a third party that initially made an alternative offer before the "go-shop" period ended. If that happens, SolarCity would pay a $26.1 million termination fee, according to a regulatory filing. Musk said if someone makes a better offer for SolarCity, he has committed to vote his shares with that offer. ||||| These crawls are part of an effort to archive pages as they are created and archive the pages that they refer to. That way, as the pages that are referenced are changed or taken from the web, a link to the version that was live when the page was written will be preserved.Then the Internet Archive hopes that references to these archived pages will be put in place of a link that would be otherwise be broken, or a companion link to allow people to see what was originally intended by a page's authors.The goal is to fix all broken links on the web . Crawls of supported "No More 404" sites.

– Tesla wants to put its car and energy storage businesses under one solar-powered roof. Tesla said Monday it will buy solar panel maker SolarCity Corp. in an all-stock deal worth $2.6 billion, the AP reports. The deal must still be approved by the government and shareholders at both companies. It's expected to close in the fourth quarter if it goes through. Thirteen-year-old Tesla currently makes two luxury vehicles—the Model S sedan and Model X SU—as well as Powerwall and Powerpack energy storage units for homes and businesses. Musk owns a 26% stake in Tesla Motors Inc., based in Palo Alto, California, and a 22.5% stake in SolarCity Corp., which is based in nearby San Mateo, California. Musk's cousins, Lyndon Rive and Peter Rive, run SolarCity, which Musk helped to found. Tesla said Monday that a tie-up with SolarCity would create a one-stop shop for cleaner energy. With one service call, customers could get their solar panels installed and connected to a Powerwall, which preserves energy for later use. Users could also get the system hooked up to chargers for one of Tesla's vehicles. "This is really all part of solving the sustainable energy problem," said Elon Musk, the chairman and biggest shareholder of both companies, during a conference call. Vanity Fair is painting the deal as "a major step toward completing [Musk's] master plan," while the Los Angeles Times lays out the basics of that master plan: The merger "aims to create a vertically integrated company with a nationwide network of retail stores that sell electric automobiles, rooftop solar systems, wall-mounted storage units for backup power in the home and electric charging stations that channel energy from the sun to the car—most of it manufactured by Tesla itself."

A Korean Air executive had a flight attendant kicked off a plane after an improper pre-flight snack procedure, but now the airline vice president could be facing much more serious charges herself. Heather Cho reportedly reprimanded a junior crew member for not following the correct procedure for asking passengers about macadamia nuts before the plane took off, and then serving the nuts in a bag instead of on a plate, according to the Korea Times. Then, Ms. Cho demanded the chief flight attendant produce the flight service manual, and when he failed to find it, she ordered him off the plane. The plane had already left the gate, so it returned for the chief attendant to disembark, and the flight departed 20 minutes late. "The chief flight attendant failed to get the right manual, and this led Cho to believe he was not qualified for that job," a Korean Air official told the Times. The nutty incident on the tarmac at John F. Kennedy International Airport has critics in South Korea angry over what they see as pompous behavior from monied elite, and aviation officials are now investigating for possible breaches of safety regulations. Cho, whose father is chairman at Korean Air – which excused her behavior while apologizing to inconvenienced passengers – has now resigned amid the surge in public criticism. Cho is the oldest child in a tycoon family and her siblings are also executives at South Korea's largest airline. The incident drew wide and deep criticism in South Korea where the economy is dominated by family-controlled conglomerates known as chaebol, according to the Associated Press. Family members often wield greater influence over major companies than shareholders and executives with no blood ties to the founding family. The Cho family owns about 10 percent of Korean Air Lines Co., part of a business empire that spans the travel, logistics, hotel and leisure industries. Korean Air said the flight's captain made the decision to turn the plane around and dispense the crew member, and that it was "natural" to fault the attendant's procedural ignorance, according to the Associated Press. But South Korea's government said it is probing whether Cho violated aviation safety law. Cho could have legal trouble if the investigation turns out evidence she interrupted the flight or endangered safety by using threats, her status, or violence. Cabin crew members are only to take orders from the captain during a flight, the Guardian noted. A ministry official told reporters inspectors were investigating whether her behavior was in violation of the law, noting the incident is "unprecedented," a ministry official told reporters. “Even if she is the vice-president of the airline, she was one of [many] passengers and should have been treated as such,” he said. He said Cho should have waited for landing to lecture the attendant. According to Korea's Aviation Safety and Security Law, only the pilot is in charge of the management of flight attendants during flights. It also bars passengers from causing disturbances, including violent language or yelling. The Korea Times reported "those disturbing flight crew's service through violence or threats, and threatening the safety of passengers and the flight, are subject to up to 5 million won in fine." Civic group People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy said it would file a complaint against Cho, the Associated Press reported. "The anger and the concern from the public were so big because safety and procedures related to important services were simply ignored" due to Cho's status, the group said. Get the Monitor Stories you care about delivered to your inbox. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Korean Air maintained Cho is in charge of in-flight service for the carrier and that checking the quality of service was one of her jobs. The flight from New York arrived in Incheon, South Korea, 11 minutes behind schedule. ||||| Story highlights Heather Cho asks for forgiveness, says she takes full responsibility, airline says Korean Air says Cho has resigned from some roles but is keeping VP title Airline says ordering a flight assistant to get off the plane was excessive Cho ordered a plane back to the gate after a flight attendant served nuts in a bag (CNN) A Korean Air executive has resigned from some of her duties after she ordered a flight to be turned around to the gate and a flight attendant off the plane because she was served nuts in a bag instead of on a plate. Heather Cho, whose Korean name is Cho Hyun-ah, resigned Tuesday from the airline's catering and in-flight sales business, and its cabin service and hotel business divisions, an airline spokesman said. But she is keeping her title as a vice president of the national carrier, he said. As for the next steps, the spokesman told CNN there is an investigation going on, so "we will have to see." The incident occurred Friday at New York's JFK airport on a flight due to take off for the South Korean city of Incheon. Read More

– A Korean Air exec whose temper tantrum about macadamia nuts has become an international story resigned from some of her duties today, reports CNN. Heather Cho, daughter of the airline's CEO, will still be a VP of some sort, but she'll no longer oversee operations including cabin service. That's what got her in trouble: When a flight attendant offered her macadamia nuts in a bag instead of on a plate, Cho reportedly berated the chief flight attendant for failing to have his crew follow protocol for first-class passengers, then ordered the pilot to return to the gate at JFK so the chief attendant could be removed from the plane. As a result, the plane took off about 20 minutes late. “I am sorry for causing trouble to the passengers and the people,” said Cho in a statement. “I seek forgiveness from those who were hurt by what I did.” The 40-year-old's apology and partial resignation might not be the end of it, however. Authorities are investigating whether forcing the plane back to the gate when there was no emergency subjects Cho to fines or worse for violating air-safety regulations, reports the Christian Science Monitor. A South Korean civic group plans to file a complaint with prosecutors.

The Gwinnett County Police Department has released dramatic 911 calls in the case of two brothers who are accused of trying to kill their parents. Police say Yvonne Ervin called 911 on Sept. 5 around 7:49 a.m. and told emergency dispatchers her sons Cameron, 17, and Christopher Ervin, 22, were trying to kill her and her husband Zachary Ervin. In the newly released 911 calls, Yvonne is heard telling the dispatcher that her sons drugged her and Zachary's food. As they were waking up, Yvonne said the couple was beaten and strangled by their sons. RAW AUDIO: 911 calls released in attack on Gwinnett Co. parents "My sons are trying to kill me," Yvonne told the dispatcher. "They attacked me and my husband. They drugged us with Xanax, and they attacked us. They are trying to kill us." For five minutes, Yvonne talked with the dispatcher, saying she was hiding in her bedroom as her husband Zach distracted their two sons downstairs. “He's in the garage and he was screaming. He was trying to blow the horn just to get attention of our neighbors,” Yvonne said. In the call, Yvonne also told the dispatcher that her sons may have wanted insurance money. Toward the end of the call, you can hear Yvonne scream and the line goes silent. When officers arrived, they found Zachary and one of the sons outside the home. Zachary was severely injured and bleeding heavily from a stab wound. Officers found Yvonne with the other son inside the home. Police say she was also severely injured. Police say they noticed the gas line had been tampered with and suspect the sons tried to burn the house down. Both parents were transported to a hospital, and both sons were transported to police headquarters. While in a police cruiser, Cameron allgedely said "Just kill me now" and when asked why he said, "I tried to f****** kill my parents. Who does that?" Cameron and Christopher Ervin are charged with two counts of aggravated assault and two counts of first-degree arson. Monday, Channel 2’s Tony Thomas saw Yvonne leave the home with relatives. According to Thomas, she had at least one black eye and didn't respond to questions. Police and neighbors struggle to figure out what led up to the violent attack. " I won't say a perfect family, but as close as you could get," neighbor Sylvia Johnson said. In a police report Thomas obtained, Zachary, who is still hopsitalized, told officers his son Cameron beat him. The dad suffered stab wounds and severe head injuries. Both sons remain in jail. ||||| Just One More Thing... We have sent you a verification email. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your profile. If you do not receive the verification message within a few minutes of signing up, please check your Spam or Junk folder. Close ||||| New information is released concerning two men who are in police custody, accused of trying to kill their parents at their Snellville home. Police said Yvonne Ervin called 911 at 7:49 a.m. Sept. 5 and told emergency dispatchers that her sons Cameron, 17, and Christopher Ervin, 22, were trying to kill her and her husband, Zachary Ervin. Channel 2’s Tony Thomas learned exclusive details about the case. A detective writes in the search warrant affidavit,"One of the sons also stated that he had been planning this since he was eleven years old." The parents told police "their sons used plastic wrap and plastic bags to try to asphyxiate them" and gave them drugs in cocktails the night before. Over the past week, Thomas detailed how police say Chris and Cameron Ervin tried to blow up their Forbes Trail home earlier this month and, when that didn't work, attacked their parents, Both survived. “This is something that no one that would look at this family would expect this would happen,” Derrick Butts said. Police also believe the sons tried to burn their parents. Police say Yvonne Ervin told them that "during the attack the sons poured an unknown substance on her and then she felt heat on the back of her leg and she believed this was an attempt to set her on fire." "A lot of times, my clients do horrible things and I meet them and I say 'yeah I can see why,'” attorney Tom Clegg said. “If in fact my client did what is alleged, it is impossible to figure that out from talking to the young man, because he is just a really quality kid.” The brothers remain held in jail without bond.

– "I'm sure they didn't just wake up and decide to kill their parents yesterday." That was a Gwinnett County police officer's speculation after two Georgia brothers allegedly drugged and attacked their parents earlier this month. It appears that conjecture may have been spot-on: A search warrant revealed yesterday states that Cameron Ervin, 17, and Christopher Ervin, 22—both being held at the Gwinnett County jail without bond on charges of aggravated assault and first-degree arson—admitted to police "attempting to set the residence on fire, [attempting to strangle] their parents with a pillow and/or plastic bag, and stabbing the father," the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. And while the Gwinnett County DA told the paper last week that both young men had hinted at a "bad home life," an unspecified brother reportedly mentioned something even more chilling: that he had been planning this attack since he was 11. The brothers reportedly offered to make dinner for their parents the night before the attack, the warrant notes—a meal at which Yvonne and Zachary Ervin both apparently ingested Xanax-spiked drinks, police say. The parents revealed to cops that "their sons used plastic wrap and plastic bags to try to asphyxiate them," per WSB-TV, and Yvonne said "the sons poured an unknown substance on her and then she felt heat on the back of her leg and she believed this was ... to set her on fire." The case has baffled those who know the foursome. "If you call a troubled home life having everything you ever wanted, then I'll take that trouble any day," a family friend tells the Journal Constitution, while a neighbor tells WXIA, "Very nice kids ... I can't stress that enough." (A new study reveals the type of man most likely to murder his partner.)

FILE - This Dec. 21, 2016, file photo shows the New York Stock Exchange. Stock indexes are mostly lower in early trading on Wall Street as investors weigh the latest batch of corporate quarterly earnings... (Associated Press) FILE - This Dec. 21, 2016, file photo shows the New York Stock Exchange. Stock indexes are mostly lower in early trading on Wall Street as investors weigh the latest batch of corporate quarterly earnings reports. Losses in technology companies outweighed gains in banks and other sectors early Thursday,... (Associated Press) FILE - This Dec. 21, 2016, file photo shows the New York Stock Exchange. Stock indexes are mostly lower in early trading on Wall Street as investors weigh the latest batch of corporate quarterly earnings reports. Losses in technology companies outweighed gains in banks and other sectors early Thursday,... (Associated Press) FILE - This Dec. 21, 2016, file photo shows the New York Stock Exchange. Stock indexes are mostly lower in early trading on Wall Street as investors weigh the latest batch of corporate quarterly earnings... (Associated Press) NEW YORK (AP) — The latest on developments in financial markets (all times local): 4 p.m. A steep drop in Facebook pulled technology stocks lower on Wall Street, even as other sectors climbed. Facebook plummeted 19 percent Thursday after warning of slower growth ahead, erasing more than $100 billion in value. Renewed optimism that the U.S. and Europe might make progress on easing trade tensions helped send several companies higher on Thursday. Caterpillar rose 1.5 percent. Strong earnings reports also helped send stocks higher. Airlines, energy companies and consumer goods stocks rose. Small-company stocks did better than the rest of the market. The S&P 500 index slipped 8 points, or 0.3 percent, to 2,837. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 112 points, or 0.4 percent, to 25,527. The Nasdaq composite slid 80 points, or 1 percent, to 7,852. ___ 11:45 a.m. A steep drop in Facebook is pulling technology stocks lower, but other sectors are rising as investors hope for progress on trade talks. Facebook plummeted 17.8 percent Thursday after warning of slower revenue growth. Ford fell 5 percent after announcing a big restructuring. Qualcomm, Comcast and D.R. Horton rose after turning in solid results. Gains in Boeing, 3M and Caterpillar helped lift the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Those companies would benefit if the U.S. and Europe make progress in defusing their trade fight. The S&P 500 index slipped 1 point to 2,844. The Dow gained 154 points, or 0.6 percent, to 25,569. The Nasdaq composite slid 54 points, or 0.7 percent, to 7,877. Small-company stocks rose. More stocks rose than fell on the New York Stock Exchange. ___ 9:35 a.m. Stock indexes are mixed in early trading on Wall Street as investors weigh the latest batch of corporate quarterly earnings reports. Losses in technology companies mostly outweighed gains in banks and other sectors early Thursday. Facebook plunged 17.8 percent after the company reported that its user base and revenue grew more slowly than expected in the second quarter as the company grappled with privacy issues. Homebuilder D.R. Horton jumped 6.9 percent after reporting solid quarterly results. The S&P 500 index fell 5 points to 2,840. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 128 points, or 0.5 percent, to 25,543. The Nasdaq composite slid 75 points to 7,857. Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.96 percent. ||||| Facebook just had the biggest wipeout in stock market history. Shares plunged 19% on Thursday after executives warned that revenue growth would slow as the company focuses on user privacy. The sell-off vaporized about $119 billion in market value — the biggest single-day loss for any public company in history, according to Thomson Reuters. For founder Mark Zuckerberg, the loss came to almost $16 billion, according to Forbes, which tracks billionaire wealth in real time. That dropped him from fourth to sixth on the list of richest people in the world. Facebook (FB) Chief Financial Officer David Wehner said on a conference call with investors that Facebook is "putting privacy first" after the Cambridge Analytica scandal triggered a wave of horrible press, customer angst and regulatory scrutiny around the world. Related: Facebook 'puts privacy first' and stock plunges As an example of its new strategy, Wehner said Facebook will put more development muscle behind the company's Stories feature. That will put a drag on sales because Facebook makes more money on its core News Feed than its other products. Facebook says it will spend a lot of money to accomplish its goals. Wehner said the company will invest billions of dollars per year improving safety and security after a bruising period of headlines about Facebook's role in enabling fake news and election meddling. "We think that's the right thing to do for the business," he said. Related: Facebook investors shouldn't panic The company's previous worst single-day performance was July 27, 2012, when the stock fell 11.7%. The stock tanked that day after the company failed to convince investors that it could sell mobile advertising. Mobile now makes up 91% of the company's advertising revenue.

– A steep drop in Facebook pulled technology stocks lower on Wall Street, even as other sectors climbed, the AP reports. Facebook plummeted 19% Thursday after warning of slower growth ahead, erasing about $119 billion in value. It was the worst single-day loss for any public company in stock market history, CNN reports, and it cost founder Mark Zuckerberg nearly $16 billion, dropping him from fourth to sixth on Forbes' list of richest people in the world. Meanwhile, renewed optimism that the US and Europe might make progress on easing trade tensions helped send several companies higher on Thursday. Caterpillar rose 1.5%. Strong earnings reports also helped send stocks higher. Airlines, energy companies and consumer goods stocks rose. Small-company stocks did better than the rest of the market. The S&P 500 index slipped 8 points, or 0.3%, to 2,837. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 112 points, or 0.4%, to 25,527. The Nasdaq composite slid 80 points, or 1%, to 7,852.

Jon Stewart destroys ‘disingenuous’ Dick Cheney: It was you that propped Iran up at our expense ‘Hunger Games’ star’s stunning critique: What if America loved black people as much as black culture? monkey [Shutterstock] http://tinyurl.com/o9joghv A wealthy Indian couple has made a pet monkey their sole heir, saying their lives became more prosperous after they adopted the animal and they want to ensure he is looked after. Brajesh Srivastava and his wife Shabista have no children, but they view their pet monkey Chunmun as a son and have set up a trust to ensure the animal is looked after if it outlives them. “People might say we are mad, they might even ridicule us. But we know how valuable Chunmun is to us,” Shabista, 45, told AFP. “We are childless and Chunmun is a son to me. We want to ensure that even when we are not alive, Chunmun’s life is not affected and he continues to live the way he does.” The couple, who were cast out after marrying against their family’s wishes, say they were poor when they adopted their monkey in 2004 but have since prospered. They own the house where they live in Uttar Pradesh state in northern India, and they also have land and savings. Shabista is a successful lawyer and her 48-year-old husband owns several businesses including a cable TV network and a flour mill — all named after Chunmun. The monkey has his own air-conditioned room in the couple’s house, which he shares with his ‘wife’ — a female simian named Bitti who the couple has also taken in. The two monkeys like to eat Chinese food and drink tea and mango juice according to Shabista, who even hosts an annual “wedding anniversary” party for the pair, inviting hundreds of friends to celebrate. At 10, Chunmun may well outlive the couple — monkeys can live for between 35 and 40 years. After his death, the money will go towards ensuring the welfare of monkeys in India, where the animals are frequently abused. ||||| Image copyright Sandeep Kumar Image caption Shabista feeds Chunmun a diet of milk, fruit and home-cooked meals An Indian couple who were ostracised after their families disapproved of their wedding have decided to leave all their property to their pet monkey. Brajesh Srivastava and wife Shabista told BBC Hindi they were "lonely for many years" before they bought Chunmun the monkey in 2005 for 500 rupees ($8). The couple, who have no children, say they have raised him like a son. Mr Srivastava is Hindu and his wife is Muslim, and inter-faith marriages are still controversial in parts of India. Mrs Srivastava says both their families shunned them after their marriage and that they were lonely until they bought Chunmun. "He was a baby then, less than a month old, and his mother had died after being electrocuted," she says. She feeds Chunmun a diet of milk, fruit and home-cooked meals. His room has an air-conditioner to keep it cool in the summer and a heater to warm it in the winters. Image copyright Sandeep Kumar Image caption The couple say they were "lonely for many years" until "Chunmun came into our lives" In 2010, the couple arranged a lavish wedding for Chunmun to a female monkey named Bitti Yadav. The two monkeys live together at the couple's home, and have a party for their wedding anniversary every year. Mr Srivastava said his business has improved and the family has seen prosperity ever since they adopted Chunmun. The house in Raebareli town in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh where the Srivastavas live is named Chunmun and the couple talk about the simian with the indulgence of fond parents. "For breakfast he has pomegranate and a glass of milk. At 10am, he has a home-cooked meal of lentils, bread, vegetables and chutney," Mrs Srivastava says. She says Chunmun went through a phase where he would bite people. "A doctor we consulted said it was illegal to keep a wild animal as pet," she says. "When we heard that we started crying and told him that Chunmun was like our son. He felt sorry for us and spoke to some officials on our behalf. He also levelled Chunmun's teeth so that he won't be able to bite people," she says. Although some street performers train the simians to entertain people and earn a living through them, correspondents say not many Indians are known to keep monkeys as pets. In a rare case, a woman in the north-eastern state of Tripura was known to have adopted a monkey whom she used to breastfeed.

– Indian couple Brajesh and Shabista Srivastava consider their pet monkey to be the son they never had. Purchased as a baby for $8 roughly a decade ago, Chunmun the monkey has helped erase the loneliness the childless couple felt after being shunned by their families over their inter-faith marriage, the BBC reports; Brajesh, 48, is Hindu, while his 45-year-old wife is Muslim. So, like any son might, Chunmun will be recognized in the couple's will following their deaths. In fact, the monkey, expected to live another 25 to 30 years, is their sole heir, and will get everything from the couple's home to their land and savings, reports the AFP. "We want to ensure that even when we are not alive, Chunmun's life is not affected and he continues to live the way he does," Shabista says. It turns out the monkey leads a fairly charmed life. He lives in an air-conditioned room with his "wife," a female monkey named Bitti Yadav. The pair dine on Chinese food, fruit, and home-cooked meals; drink tea, milk, and mango juice; and have hundreds of human friends invited to their annual wedding anniversary party. "People might say we are mad," says Shabista, a lawyer. "But we know how valuable Chunmun is to us." After he dies, any remaining assets will go toward caring for monkeys in India.

Russell Simmons was hit with a $5 million lawsuit Wednesday from a woman alleging he raped her in 2016. (Photo: Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images) An 11th woman has come forward with allegations against hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons, and this time there's a $5 million lawsuit attached. In a lawsuit obtained by USA TODAY, Jennifer Jarosik, 37, says Simmons preyed upon her and ultimately raped her after agreeing to help finance and produce her documentary. The Blast first published news of the lawsuit. "This allegation is absolutely untrue," said Simmons in a statement sent by his representative, Eric Rose. The mogul called the allegations horrific, saying: "I look forward to having my day in court — where, unlike the court of public opinion, I will have the ability to make use of fair processes that ensure that justice will be done and that the full truth will be known." According to the lawsuit, the two met in 2006, with Simmons befriending Jarosik "as they shared a love and passion for meditation, yoga and a vegan diet." Ten years later, the suit alleges, she was invited by Simmons to his home in Los Angeles. Upon arrival, he asked her to have sex. She said no. "Simmons got aggressive," the suit states, and, in a struggle, ultimately knocked her off his bed. Jarosik "hit her head and then (Simmons) pounced on her while she was still in shock and fear, and proceeded to rape her." Jarosik, whose website credits her as a published poet, a children’s book author and a documentary producer, has subsequently suffered "severe and permanent emotional and mental distress and anguish, humiliation, embarrassment, fright, discomfort, anxiety and depression." She seeks a jury trial and is asking for $5 million in damages. The lawsuit repeatedly references the Time's Up initiative. "It’s time that the hip hop industry face the music and recognize that the deep rooted history of misogyny and discrimination against women in the music industry has to come to an end," said Jarosik's lawyer, Perry C. Wander, in a statement. He added: "It’s not enough to apologize and step away from your business, convert a yoga studio to a nonprofit and still draw a salary and be worth $500 million and do nothing but apologize." The lawsuit comes as allegations against Simmons have been snowballing in recent months. In November, screenwriter Jenny Lumet, daughter of director Sidney Lumet, publicly accused Simmons in a guest column for The Hollywood Reporter, alleging the mogul sexually assaulted her in 1991 when she was 24. Simmons apologized to Lumet for being “thoughtless and insensitive” and announced he was stepping down from his companies so as not to be "a distraction." Two new reports followed in December, from The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times, which both published accounts from women accusing Simmons of sexual misconduct over three decades. Simmons vehemently denied the accusations and attempted to launch a #NotMe campaign in response, vowing to "relentlessly fight against any untruthful character assassination that paints me as a man of violence." Citing disgust at Simmons' attempt to change the narrative, fashion PR powerhouse Kelly Cutrone went public with her own accusation against Simmons, stating that he had attempted to rape her in 1991. “The #NotMe thing?" she said. "I’m going to do a #YeahYou." On Wednesday, Jarosik's lawyer slammed Simmons for espousing a lifestyle far removed from his alleged wrongdoing. "Mr. Simmons practices meditation, yoga and is a long time vegan practicing non violence against animals," said Wander. "So basically he treats animals better than women. The hypocrisy has to stop now." Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2Fc98uo ||||| After the assault, Ms. Baker remained tethered to Mr. Simmons professionally, she said. She returned to his apartment for a meeting; Mr. Simmons liked to conduct business while working out in his penthouse. But as soon as he stopped exercising, she said, he pulled out his penis and moved toward her. She fled. Image The cover of “January February,” a dance track Ms. Baker released under the name Tina B in the mid-80s. Amid strife with her label, she tried to extricate herself from her contract with Mr. Simmons, she said, but he ignored her. Her music — two years’ worth of songwriting and recording — languished. “I went into a deep depression,” she said, and her recording career foundered. Mr. Simmons said he “did everything he could to professionally promote her career” while Ms. Baker was signed to a label, and then stopped representing her, according to his lawyer. The events took a heavy toll on her romantic relationships. “I didn’t have sex with a man for almost nine years,” said Ms. Baker, now a lawyer. “I went into a cocoon.” ‘I Was Cornered’ Drew Dixon left Stanford University in 1992 to join the hip-hop revolution. After about two years on the fringes of the business, Ms. Dixon — whose mother, Sharon Pratt, was mayor of Washington, D.C., from 1991 until 1995 — had a professional breakthrough: Russell Simmons, whom she had met through friends, was looking for a new A&R executive at Def Jam to scout talent and coordinate hit records. She said he was a decadent figure, complete with a Rolls-Royce — the “living, breathing personification of hip-hop and glamour mixed up” — and his sexual advances started right away and became relentless. At a restaurant, Mr. Simmons pushed Ms. Dixon into a broom closet, she said, and tried to kiss her. At work, he would close the door to her office and expose himself, leading her to give a copy of her key to a male co-worker. “I was like: ‘If I ever buzz you, don’t pick up, don’t call me back — just open my door. That means Russell is in here and he whipped his’” penis out, she said. Through his lawyer, Mr. Simmons acknowledged that he engaged in “inappropriate conduct” with Ms. Dixon while she worked at Def Jam. Fending him off “was a full-time job,” Ms. Dixon said. “It was exhausting. It was like making a record while swimming in rough seas.” At the same time, Ms. Dixon knew Mr. Simmons valued her expertise. She had an ear for emerging talent, even bringing a rising Notorious B.I.G. to the office. “I didn’t want to cut off my one conduit to having any hope of a career,” she said. “I thought if I could survive long enough to have a hit — a real bona fide hit with my name on it — I would move categories,” from sexual object to respected colleague. In 1995, Ms. Dixon thought she had found her lifeline. Her first major project — a soundtrack for the music documentary “The Show,” featuring Tupac and A Tribe Called Quest — went platinum. She and Mr. Simmons were listed as executive producers. Image Ms. Dixon when she was an executive at Arista. One night, as she left the Bowery Bar near Mr. Simmons’s apartment to get cab money from an A.T.M., she ran into him. “You have the No. 1 record in the country; I’ll order you a car,” she recalled him saying. Waiting for the ride, she let her guard down and entered his apartment. “I remember realizing I was cornered,” said Ms. Dixon, who said she rejected Mr. Simmons’s sexual advances that night directly — “many ways to say no” — as well as explaining that she had just had a gynecological procedure and could not have sex. He told her he didn’t care, she said, “and I just blacked out.” “The last thing I remember was him pinning me down to kiss me on the bed,” she said. The next thing she recalled was being in Mr. Simmons’s hot tub, both of them naked and Mr. Simmons gleeful. (Ms. Dixon said she had not been drinking and did not think she had been drugged; rather, she said, she had disassociated from the experience.) Denise Gayle, a friend who was then staying with Ms. Dixon, recalled her coming home in a daze. “She pretty much told me right away that he had sexually assaulted her, that she had told him no, cried and that he didn’t seem to be interested in stopping,” Ms. Gayle said. “She mentally deteriorated instantly.” Three others confirmed that Ms. Dixon told them about the assault and harassment around that time. Mr. Simmons “emphatically states that he did not have sex with her,” his lawyer said. Soon after, Ms. Dixon said she composed her resignation letter to Def Jam by hand, humiliated and in a panic, crossing out her mistakes rather than starting again. “I was going to give up,” she said. Ms. Dixon considered escaping to graduate school. But the success of “The Show” soundtrack had made her taste a commodity, and she started at Arista Records, as an A&R executive under Clive Davis, in 1996. She enjoyed more success, helping to orchestrate smash singles like Whitney Houston’s “My Love Is Your Love,” Aretha Franklin’s “A Rose Is Still a Rose,” and Santana’s “Maria Maria.” But even at Arista, the long shadow of Def Jam remained, partly over a dispute about what she said were unpaid business expenses. Ms. Dixon hired a lawyer and threatened to sue Mr. Simmons for sexual harassment, as well as outstanding bills from the label. In 1997, the parties settled out of court. Mr. Rose, Mr. Simmons’s lawyer, confirmed the settlement. ||||| Russell Simmons is accused of inviting an aspiring filmmaker to his house under the guise of financing her project, only to allegedly “pounce” and rape her, and now she’s suing for $5 million. According to documents, obtained by The Blast, Russell Simmons has “historically thrived on the sexual exploitation of young women trying to break into the entertainment and music industry, in which young female artists are falsely promised opportunities and advancement by experienced and well-established men in power in the industry.” Jennifer Jarosik alleges she first met the Def Jam founder in 2006 in NYC after they connected over a mutual “love and passion for meditation, yoga and a vegan diet.” Jarosik claims that Simmons agreed to be interviewed for a documentary she was working on. She says Simmons agreed to co-produce, finance and assist on the documentary, which was titled “Goddesses” and focused on empowering women. Jarosik says she later moved to Los Angeles, and in August 2016 was invited by Simmons to come to his Beverly Hills home. She says upon arriving, Simmons bluntly asked if they could have sex, to which she says she replied “no.” Jarosik says Simmons “got aggressive” and pushed her onto his bed. She claims while trying to keep Simmons away from her, he knocked her off his bed and she hit her head. While still in “shock and fear,” Jarosik claims Simmons “pounced on her” and “proceeded to rape her.” Jarosik claims to have disclosed the incident to a few friends, but “felt somehow it was partially her fault since she was not strong enough to resist.” She says that after other women began coming forward with similar stories of assault and harassment by the mogul, she contacted him. Simmons allegedly “pretended it never happened” when contacted by Jarosik. In the documents, Simmons is also accused of contributing to the “sexual exploitation of women” in hip-hop, and states that Jarosik hopes the “Hip Hop industry faces the music and recognizes that the deep-rooted history of misogyny and discrimination against women in the music industry has come to an end, now.” Jarosik is seeking $5,000,000 in damages. Her formidable attorney, Perry Wander, says “Mr. Simmons practices meditation, yoga and is a long time vegan practicing non violence against animals. So basically he treats animals better than women. The hypocrisy has to stop now.” As if to add one more dig against Simmons … “#TimesUp” is written in bold at the end of several pages of the lawsuit. Simmons, who has denied all allegations of sexual assault and rape, has now been accused of sexual misconduct by 8 different women. ||||| Breaking News Emails Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings. / Updated By Richie Duchon LOS ANGELES — A woman accused hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons of rape in a civil lawsuit filed Wednesday in federal court, amid allegations of rape or sexual assault made by at least five other women against the Def Jam Recordings co-founder. Simmons denied the allegation in a statement, saying he looks forward to having his day in court "to make use of fair processes that ensure that justice will be done and that the full truth will be known." Music industry titan Russell Simmons emphatically denied a sixth sexual assault allegation against him, this one in the form of a $5 million lawsuit by a filmmaker alleging he raped her at his L.A. home in 2016. Michael Loccisano / Getty Images In the complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, documentary filmmaker Jennifer Jarosik says the alleged sexual assault took place at an August 2016 meeting at Simmons' home to discuss a film he had agreed to finance and co-produce. Jarosik, who is seeking $5 million in damages, alleges Simmons propositioned her for sex upon her arrival at his L.A. home. After she said no, the suit alleges, Simmons got aggressive and pushed her onto his bed. In his pursuit, the complaint says, Simmons knocked Jarosik off his bed, causing her to hit her head "and then [Simmons] pounced on her while she was still in shock and fear, and proceeded to rape her." According to the lawsuit, Jarosik told several friends about the incident at the time, including Martin Dunkerton, her film director, and Gene Lo, her editor. Jarosik's attorney, Perry Wander, said she would also file a criminal complaint in Los Angeles against Simmons over the alleged incident, and a second complaint with police in New York over another alleged sexual assault in 2011. In a statement issued through publicist Eric Rose, Simmons called Jarosik's claim and other allegations against him "horrific accusations" that "shocked me to my core and all of my relations have been consensual." "I have enormous respect for the women's movement worldwide and their struggle for respect, dignity, equality and power," the statement said. "I am devastated by any reason I may have given to anyone to say or think of me in the ways that are currently being described." "What I will not accept is responsibility for what I have not done," Simmons said in the statement. "Although I have been candid about how I have lived in books and interviews detailing my flaws, I will relentlessly fight against any untruthful character assassination that paints me as a man of violence." Simmons, who spun his New York-based record label into an entertainment empire, stepped down from his companies last month following allegations of sexual misconduct from screenwriter Jenny Lumet and model Keri Claussen Khalighi. Three other women told The New York Times that Simmons raped them in the 1980s and ’90s. New York City police opened a preliminary investigation into sexual assault allegations against Simmons, two sources familiar with the matter told NBC News last month.

– At least a dozen women have already lobbed sexual harassment and rape allegations against music mogul Russell Simmons, and now another has come forward with her own sexual assault story—and she's suing. NBC News reports documentary filmmaker Jennifer Jarosik is seeking $5 million in damages from an assault she says happened during an August 2016 meeting at Simmons' LA home meant to discuss one of her films. Jarosik, 37, says when she got to his home, Simmons asked her to have sex, and when she refused, he pushed her down on a bed, then knocked her off of it and "pounced on her while she was still in shock and fear, and proceeded to rape her," per the complaint. The Blast, which first reported the lawsuit, notes Jarosik says she told some friends about what had happened, but she "felt somehow it was partially her fault since she was not strong enough to resist." The complaint says Jarosik and Simmons met in 2006 and bonded over a shared "love and passion for meditation, yoga, and a vegan diet," per USA Today. Jarosik's lawyer calls out the "hypocrisy" of Simmons, who has stepped down from his businesses, for his peace-promoting lifestyle. "Mr. Simmons … is a longtime vegan practicing nonviolence against animals. So basically he treats animals better than women," Perry Wander said in a statement; the lawsuit references the "#TimesUp" movement several times. In a statement, Simmons says the "horrific accusations" have "shocked me to my core and all of my relations have been consensual"—words he's echoed in a previous statement refuting assault allegations against him. "I have enormous respect for the women's movement worldwide," he adds. (The NYPD said last month it was looking into some of the allegations against Simmons.)

Sophia celebrates her ninth consecutive year as the top choice for girls, while Jackson remains the most popular name for boys for six years running. Oliver and Layla both jumped into the top 10, pushing out Logan and Zoe. The fastest climbers of 2018 include Everly, Isla, Leo, and Carson. Click on a name below to find its popularity over time, common sibling names, and more. Plus, get ideas from this year's list of alternatives to popular baby names, discover the hottest baby-naming trends, and see our predictions for up-and-coming names. Note: To capture true popularity, our exclusive baby names list combines names that sound the same but have multiple spellings (like Sophia and Sofia, or Jackson and Jaxon). Our data comes from more than 742,000 parents who shared their baby's name with us in 2018. ||||| Parents are naming their kids after Instagram filters! Credit: 20th Century Fox/Courtesy Everett Collection Color Us surprised! Instagram has inspired parents to name their children after the popular platform’s filters, according to the annual BabyCenter Baby Names Survey released on Tuesday, Dec. 1. For boys, the names Lux and Ludwig — two filters that have increased in popularity by 75 percent and 42 percent, respectively, since last year — were the most popular. Other filters that parents chose for their boys’ names included Amaro, Reyes, Hudson, and Kelvin. For girls, the names Valencia, Juno, and Willow were the most popular this year. “We were a little surprised by this,” Linda Murray, editor-in-chief of BabyCenter, told TODAY Parents. “But there’s this beautiful thing that happens with an Instagram filter. You take these precious moments in your life and it makes them even more beautiful, it enhances them. I think people just have really warm feelings about that and these names come into their consciousness.” Still, not every Instagram filter is translating to a child’s name. “No one’s naming their baby X-Pro II,” Murray joked. “They’re looking for something unique, but not unheard of.” According to BabyCenter, almost 75 percent of new moms use their phones to share photos of their children, with 30 percent sharing pics daily. Tell Us: What do you think of this trend? Sign up now for the Us Weekly newsletter to get breaking celebrity news, hot pics, and more delivered straight to your inbox!

– In news sure to provoke heavy sighing and eye-rolling from people who like to complain about kids today: Kids today are now being named after Instagram filters, Us Weekly reports. In fact, Today calls it "one of the hottest baby name trends of 2015." So who are these new Insta-children? According to BabyCenter's list of top baby names released Tuesday, the name Lux is 75% more popular for boys than last year, while Ludwig is 42% more popular. Other filter names—Amaro (26%), Reyes (10%), Hudson (4%), and Kelvin (3%)—are also rising in popularity for boys. Meanwhile on the girls' side, Juno ("makes outdoor photos especially gorgeous") is up 30% in popularity, Valencia ("gives pictures a soft, warm glow") is up 26%, and Willow is up 13%. BabyCenter reports one of the reasons for the increase in filter-inspired names is the amount of time new parents spend on social media. According to Us Weekly, 75% of new moms use their phones to share baby photos, with 30% doing so daily. "There’s this beautiful thing that happens with an Instagram filter," BabyCenter's editor-in-chief tells Today. "You take these precious moments in your life and it makes them even more beautiful, it enhances them. I think people just have really warm feelings about that." However that doesn't hold true for every filter. BabyCenter reports Sierra, Walden, and Lark—all names of Instagram filters—are becoming less popular human names.

The Montgomery County shooting spree that left a woman and five family members dead was fueled by a custody battle between the woman and her ex-husband Brad Stone, according to police. NBC10's Lu Ann Cahn has the story. (Published Monday, Dec. 15, 2014) Update: Brad Stone's body found in field near his home and military acquaintances recount odd reputation and issues with ex-wife. A manhunt is underway for a former Marine reservist who prosecutors say went on a shooting spree early Monday killing six family members, including his ex-wife, and wounding a teen in three towns across Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Bradley William Stone, 35 of Pennsburg, is considered armed and dangerous. Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman said police are actively searching for him and residents of one town are being asked to lock themselves indoors. Bradley Stone (pictured left) is suspected in the shooting deaths of six people, including his ex-wife Nicole Hill (pictured right), the Montgomery County District Attorney said. He was found dead on Tuesday. Photo credit: NBC10 Stone stands 5-feet-10-inches tall and weighs 195 lbs. He is believed to be clean-shaven, but earlier officials said he could have a red beard and close-cropped hair. He is known to use a cane or walker to assist in moving, Vetri Ferman said. He may also be wearing military fatigues — either green or brown. The man served more than eight years in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and was deployed to Iraq, according to a Marine Corps spokesman. During his time, he earned several medals and his specialty was Artillery Meteorological Man — effectively a meteorologist that monitors weather conditions to ensure military fire accuracy. Family friends and neighbors who know Stone said he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and was discharged from the military because of it. Exclusive Former Girlfriend Feared Officer Before Deadly Shooting SWAT officers used military-grade vehicles and equipment to search Stone's home in the town of Pennsburg and the surrounding area. But so far have no definitive idea of where he may be. "We actually recovered his vehicle and his personal cell phone so we do not have information about how he might be traveling," Vetri Ferman said. She asked for the public to keep an eye out for Stone and call 911 right away if they spot him. A man, wearing fatigues and fitting Stone's description, attempted to carjack a driver at knifepoint in the Doylestown, Bucks County area shortly before 8 p.m., county dispatchers tell NBC10. The carjacking victim then fired shots at the man as he fled into the woods, officials said. Man Matching Stone's Description Tries to Carjack Bucks Co. Resident A man wearing fatigues and matching the description of Brad Stone approached another man walking his dog and used a knife to demand keys. The targeted victim had a gun and turned the tables on the suspect, said police. NBC10's Denise Nakano has the details. (Published Monday, Dec. 15, 2014) Police spent four hours searching the area -- locking down the Central Bucks YMCA and Stonington Farms Apartments. Philadelphia Police sent one of their tatical helicopters, equipped with an infrared camera, to the area to help, officials said. Having turned up nothing, the search was suspended around midnight, but officials asked residents to remain vigilent. Among Stone's seven victims is his former wife, Nicole Hill Stone. She was shot inside her apartment in the Harleysville section of Lower Salford Township, just feet from their kids, around 4:55 a.m., police sources, prosecutors and neighbors tell NBC10. “I heard the kids say, ‘Mommy no. We need my mom. I want my mom.’ And I heard [the suspect] say ‘Let’s go. We have to go now. We’re leaving,’” the woman’s next-door neighbor, at the Pheasant Run Apartments along 150 Main Street, said. Moments after being jolted awake by the gunshots and hearing the yelling, the woman saw the children, believed to be 8-and 5-years-old, and a man running to a car parked outside. “I opened the window and I asked him ‘Is everything OK?’ He just looked at me and said ‘She’s hurt pretty bad. We have to leave. She’s hurt.’ And he just got in the car and just left," she said. Police investigated four scenes in Montgomery County as part of the shooting spree involving suspected gunman Bradley Stone. Officials said shootings took place at three of the locations -- Harleysville, Lansdale and Souderton. The fourth location, in Pennsburg, is where SWAT officers searched for Stone, near his home. They found his body not far from his home on Tuesday. When police arrived, they found the mother dead inside the second-floor apartment, police sources tell NBC10. Two bullet holes dotted the apartment's outer wall. The children were located safe at the home of Stone's neighbor in Pennsburg, Vetri Ferman said. Hill Stone was last on her ex-husband's hit list, the prosecutor said. Manhunt for Montgomery County Shooter Stone shot the woman's mother, Jo Anne Koder, and her 75-year-old grandmother, Patricia Hill, inside their home along W. Fifth and Pierce Streets in Lansdale around 4:25 a.m., Vetri Ferman said. The county's 911 call center received a hang up call shortly before the shooting, she said. Police spent three hours searching the area following the shooting, but turned up nothing. A check shortly before 8 a.m. at the Souderton home of Hill Stone's sister, Trish Flick, turned up another gruesome scene. Montco DA Details Deadly Shooting Spree About 12 hours after a deadly shooting spree began in Montgomery County Monday morning, District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman addressed the public, confirming that Brad Stone is the man they are actively pursuing in connection with the deaths of six people. (Published Monday, Dec. 15, 2014) Stone barged into Flick's Penn Avenue home around 3:30 a.m. and shot her, her husband Aaron, their 14-year-old daughter Nina and 17-year-old son Anthony, according to prosecutors. SWAT officers surrounded the home after arriving and spent hours trying to make contact with a person they could see moving inside. Around 11 a.m., officers fired a diversionary device into the home and, following the resulting boom, entered. They found all, but Anthony Flick dead. He was rushed to a waiting medical helicopter and flown to Thomas Jefferson Hospital's trauma center in Philadelphia, officials said. Neighbor: Stone Said Ex-Wife Was 'Hurt Pretty Bad' NBC10's Tim Furlong is in Harleysville, Pa. where a man allegedly killed his ex-wife and then left the house with their two children, telling a neighbor "she [his ex-wife] is hurt pretty bad." (Published Monday, Dec. 15, 2014) Still, Stone was nowhere to be found. The situation prompted homes to be evacuated and a shelter in place order to be activated in the town's school district. That was lifted around noon as SWAT officers left the Penn Avenue scene. That house remains under investigation as an active crime scene, Towamencin Township Police Chief Paul Dickinson said. Those officers, driving a mine-resistant vehicle, then made their way to a fourth home, a duplex owned by Stone, along Main and W. 4th streets in Pennsburg. That home is about 20 miles from Souderton and is where additional SWAT officers had been stationed for hours. Police Search for Alleged Spree Shooter NBC10's Lu Ann Cahn is at the police station in Harleysville where new information is expected soon. Bradley Stone allegedly killed his ex-wife and then members of her family, traveling from town to town in Montgomery County. (Published Monday, Dec. 15, 2014) Police broke down a garage door and the front door, fired several gas canisters inside and used a megaphone to say "Bradley, this is the police. Come out now." After getting no response for hours, SWAT officers moved inside and found nothing. They then expanded their search to areas nearby. Sources said officials have asked other county law enforcement agencies to send two-men patrol cars to assist in the search. Officials in neighboring Bucks County and the FBI confirmed they are also supporting the effort. Keep Your Doors Locked: Police SWAT teams are on alert and the police have told neighbors to keep their doors locked as the search for Bradley Stone continues. NBC10's Doug Shimell has the latest on the alleged killing spree in Montgomery County. (Published Monday, Dec. 15, 2014) Because of the manhunt, the Upper Perkiomen School District, which serves Stone's town, announced its schools will be closed on Tuesday. Officials have not released a motive for the shooting, but several of Nicole Hill's neighbors and friends said the woman feared for her life as the two went through a bitter custody dispute. "She knew and [Bradley] would tell her that he was going to kill her," said friend Evan Weron. "She would go around to all the ladies in the neighborhood 'This man's going to kill me.' She felt threatened." Man Kills Ex-Wife, 6 Confirmed Dead Investigators from Montgomery County are searching for the man they say killed his ex-wife and then went on to kill her family members. NBC10's Tim Furlong is in Harleysville, Pa. with more. (Published Monday, Dec. 15, 2014) Contact Vince Lattanzio at 610.668.5532, vince.lattanzio@nbcuni.com or follow @VinceLattanzio on Twitter. ||||| Police say 33-year-old Nicole Hill was one of the six people killed by Bradley Stone in Montgomery County. Police say 17-year-old Anthony Flick was seriously injured by Bradley Stone in Montgomery County. Investigators are releasing new details about the murder spree in Montgomery County that left six people dead, one person wounded, and the suspect dead.The victims were found with either gunshot wounds, cutting injuries, or both, District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman said at a news conference.The body of the suspect, Bradley Stone, was discovered by police along a stream bed in a wooded area about 200 yards from Stone's home in Pennsburg, Pa. on Tuesday afternoon.While it was previously announced by the DA that Stone died of self-inflicted stab wounds, there are now questions over his cause of death Police felt he must not have gone far, because they found his car and cell phone near his home.His body was removed from the wooded area late Tuesday.The victims of the murder spree included Stone's ex-wife, 33-year-old Nicole Hill.While no motive has been given, Ferman confirmed what neighbors had previously told Action News, that there was an ongoing custody dispute between Stone and his ex-wife over their two daughters.Stone and Hill had fighting over their children's custody since she filed for divorce in 2009. He filed an emergency request for custody this month and was denied Dec. 9, Ferman said."There's no reason, no valid excuse, no justification for snuffing out these six innocent lives and injuring another child," Ferman said. "This is just a horrific tragedy that our community has had to endure. We're really numb from what we've had to go through over the past two days."The other victims were identified as Hill's sister, Patricia Flick, her husband, Aaron, and their 14-year-old daughter, Nina; Hill's mother, 57-year-old Joanne Hill and her 75-year-old grandmother, Patricia Hill.There was one survivor of the rampage, 17-year-old Anthony Flick, the son of Patricia and Aaron Flick. He suffered a number of cutting wounds to the hands and head, Ferman said.The wounds appeared to be "defensive in nature," according to Ferman, adding he remains hospitalized in "very serious condition."The manhunt for Stone, a former Marine, began early Monday morning after authorities began following a trail of death that eventually led them to six bodies in three different locations.Nicole Hill was found shot inside the Pheasant Run Apartments in the 100 block of Main Street in Lower Salford Twp. after a 911 call around 4:55 a.m.A neighbor there, who did not want to be identified, told Action News, "I heard 3 or 4 gunshots. I heard the kids yelling, saying 'Mommy no! mommy no!'" He kept saying, 'We gotta go, we gotta go."The neighbor continued, "I asked him if everything was okay, and I saw the kids and the kids' father exiting the house, and they didn't have any coats on or anything. They just had their pajamas on.""He was like, 'She's hurt pretty bad. We gotta leave,'" the neighbor continued.Stone then took their two daughters from the home, Ferman said, and dropped them off at a neighbor's house in Pennsburg shortly after 5:00 a.m.Stone's daughters are safe.Several hours later, Patricia, Aaron and Nina Flick were found dead inside a home in Souderton, Pa. That is also where Anthony Flick was found injured.Investigators believe the victims in Souderton were Stone's first alleged victims, who were shot around 3:30 a.m.The bodies of Joanne and Patricia Hill were also found early Monday morning in the 100 block of West 5th Street in Lansdale.People who live nearby say they often saw Stone confronting his ex-wife outside."They weren't getting along," said Corlie Stills. "They started arguing with one another: 'I don't want you to have her. I don't want you to see her.' You know...."There was a false alarm in Doylestown late Monday night after a reported carjacking attempt. The suspect description matched that of Stone, but police called off that search by Tuesday morning.Meanwhile, neighbors have said Stone had issues stemming from his time in the military.According to a Marine spokesperson, Stone is a former Marine reservist who served from 2002 to 2011, with one deployment to Iraq, leaving with the rank of sergeant. He was deployed to Iraq from April, 2008 until July, 2008.Stone and Hill married in 2004 and filed for divorce in 2009, the Associated Press reports, citing court records.He had faced several driving-under-the-influence charges, one of which was handled in veterans' court and led to a three- to 23-month sentence, the AP reports.Brad Stone remarried last year, according to his Facebook page and court records, and has an infant son. Neither his wife nor the son were injured. His wife's Facebook page shows their son and Stone's daughters having their picture taken with Santa on Saturday. ||||| (CNN) -- Police in Pennsylvania mounted an intense search Monday in the Philadelphia suburbs for a man suspected of killing his ex-wife and five former in-laws, the district attorney for Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, said at a Monday night press conference. Bradley William Stone of Pennsburg killed his ex-wife and her mother, grandmother and sister, as well as the sister's husband and 14-year-old daughter, said District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman. But Stone didn't harm his two daughters, who were living with his ex-wife. He took them to a neighbor's residence in Pennsburg, the last place he was seen, Ferman said. "We do not know where he is," Ferman said. "We do not have vehicle information. We actually recovered his vehicle and his personal cellphone so we do not have information how he might be traveling." She didn't provide a motive for the slayings. Stone was described as armed and dangerous. Late Monday night, police agencies descended on Doylestown, Pennsylvania, to investigate a possible sighting of Stone, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation. Doylestown is about 25 miles from Pennsburg. A "shelter in place" had been ordered in the surrounding area where the sighting occurred, according to the source, and K-9 units have been asked to respond to the area as well. Suspect led American Legion post The killings broke the calm in several small towns in Montgomery County, the second wealthiest county in Pennsylvania and the 51st wealthiest in the United States, according to the county government web page. Stone served as a reservist in the U.S. Marines until 2011, mainly as a meteorologist, according to the Marines. He spent a few months in Iraq in 2008. William Schafte of Harleysville, who described himself as a friend, said Stone was a "good guy" who helped people who needed money or a hand, according to the Morning Call newspaper of Allentown, Pennsylvania. Stone served as president of the American Legion William E. Hare Post 206 in Lansdale about a decade ago, said the current post commander John Gillmer, the Morning Call reported. "He was always on the honor guard and stuff like that for parades," Gillmer told the Morning Call. "I was shocked, I couldn't believe it. ... I never would have thought it was one of our guys." 911 hangup call started investigation Ferman said the investigation started at 4:25 a.m. with a 911 hangup call directing police to the town of Lansdale, 28 miles northwest of Philadelphia. When police arrived, they found two slain women: Stone's former mother-in-law and former grandmother-in-law, Ferman said. At 4:55 a.m. a neighbor of Stone's ex-wife called 911, Ferman said. Police went to an apartment in Lower Salford and found Nicole Stone, 33, dead. Another neighbor, Michele Brewster said she heard a loud crash and shattering glass. "Thought I heard a gunshot, but wasn't sure," she said. "A few minutes later I saw flashlights -- it was the cops putting up police tape so I went outside." Brewster said she asked an officer if gunshots had been fired. He said yes. "I asked him if she was dead," Brewster said, "but he said he couldn't tell me that." At 5:30 a.m. Stone delivered his two daughters to a neighbor in Pennsburg, Ferman said. "That was the last time he was seen by anyone," she said. "I think it's of great significance the children are safe right now." About 8 a.m., police went to the home of Nicole Stone's sister, Patricia Flick, in Souderton. Officers found Flick, her husband and the couple's 14-year-old daughter dead, Ferman said. The sister's 17-year-old son was wounded and was being treated at a Philadelphia hospital, Ferman said. Suspect may be wearing fatigues Though last discovered, it appears the killings in Souderton took place first, the district attorney said. Ferman's office said Stone may be wearing military fatigues, in either sand or green color. According to Montgomery County court documents found online, the Stones divorced in 2009. In family court papers, Stone's ex-wife said he claimed in a 2011 hearing that he was "permanently disabled," according to the Veterans Administration, but that he had not applied for Social Security disability benefits. The Marine Corps told CNN it has no record of Stone being injured. "Earlier today we indicated that he does on occasion use a cane or a walker, but he may or may not be using those devices," Ferman said at the press conference. "It's been indicated to us it may not have been necessary. ... If he has escaped he might be seen using a device or not." CNN affiliate WPVI said police originally thought Stone was holed up inside the house in Lansdale, so officers surrounded the residence. Heavily armed SWAT teams tossed flash-bang devices into the house and stormed the residence, but police said Stone was not inside. Fast Facts: Rampage killings in the United States CNN's Kristina Sgueglia and Lawrence Crook contributed to this article.

– At least four people are dead and a suspect is barricaded in a home near Philadelphia after shootings in three different Pennsylvania communities today, according to law enforcement sources cited by WPVI. A call about the first shooting took place at 3:55am ET in Lower Salford, where a woman who was reportedly the suspect's ex-wife was found shot to death. At least three other people were subsequently found dead in Lansdale and in Souderton, the same town where the suspect is now reportedly holed up, CNN reports. All victims were said to have been shot at close range, and while the suspect hasn't been publicly ID'd, police are saying he's a male military veteran, WPVI notes. Two children were said to have been taken from the Lower Salford incident unharmed, and the Souderton Area School District was placed on lockdown, though WPVI says that order has now been lifted. SWAT officers have reportedly seen activity inside the Souderton house they're surrounding but haven't made contact with anyone inside, NBC Philadelphia reports. The WPVI helicopter has also reported police cordoning streets in Pennsburg, Pa., though no news about how that town may be involved has emerged.

Ready for a shocker? Justin Bieber, 17, is already a baby daddy ... or so says a lawsuit filed by a 20-year-old California woman who claims he's the father of her 3-month-old baby. Star magazine has supposedly acquired the court documents in which the woman alleges -- under penalty of perjury -- that she had sex backstage with J.B. at a concert in Los Angeles when she was 19. She wants him to take a paternity test, and, of course, she wants child support. Normally, I would dismiss this as just another one of those crazy Hollywood rumors perpetuated by gossip rags, but the crazy thing is that those rumors are often right. Stranger things have been proven true lately -- Arnold Schwarzenegger's love child and Kim Kardashian's 72-day marriage to name a couple. And in The Biebs' own words, "never say never." So I think it's best that we at least consider that a little Bieber baby may really be out there. Because oh boy, if it's true, it's going to be a life-changer. Here are five shocking ramifications if news that Justin Bieber has fathered a baby is true: 1. Selena Gomez will be bereft. Does she really want to be a stepmother (or "bonus mom" if she wants to borrow some vocab from LeAnn Rimes) at her age? Their young love may get old to her real quick if that's the case. Maybe that's why he's been shelling out the big bucks on romantic gestures -- to ease the blow of what he knew was coming? 2. Baylor! You know, Selena and Justin's new puppy they adopted TOGETHER. Now all of a sudden, he's got a sibling to contend with when he thought he was going to be top dog for a long time. And what if the news causes a split, then he's suddenly the product of a broken home, poor pup. 3. Any belief that Justin was still a virgin would be blown out of the water. The abstinence crowd would be left reeling, and have to find a new poster child ... somewhere. 4. His mother would be so disappointed. It was just last summer that Bieber's mother, Pattie Mallette, was so proudly talking about her son's desire to "stay pure." Last July she said: "[Justin] has expressed his desire to stay pure and honor women and treat women with respect so hopefully that stays that way." If this is true, then it obviously didn't stay that way, and she's a grandma. 5. His concerts will just never be the same. The thought of J.B. back there behind the curtains getting it on is beyond disconcerting. Do you think Justin Bieber really will turn out to be the father of this woman's baby? Image via iloveJB123/Flickr ||||| Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window) Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A 20-year-old California woman says pop star Justin Bieber is the father of her baby boy, according to a new report. The woman, Mariah Yeater, claims that she and Bieber, 17, had sex backstage at one of his concerts when she was 19, according to Star magazine. BIEBER LEGAL TEAM DISMISSES REPORT AS ‘FALSE’ Yeater wants Bieber to take a paternity test, according to court papers obtained by .the magazine. She also wants him to “provide adequate support for my baby,” the papers say. Bieber’s reps told Star that the allegation is false. A court hearing is set for later this year, Star reported. Bieber dates 19-year-old Selena Gomez. The two recently even adopted a puppy together. His Christmas album, “Under the Mistletoe,” dropped today and was quickly rising in the iTunes charts. Bieber has described the release, featuring duets with Boyz II Men and Mariah Carey, as “my best album to date.” ||||| Teen idol Justin Bieber accused of fathering a child with fan after backstage liaison He is currently dating pop sweetheart Selena Gomez, but the 19-year-old might not be happy with recent reports about her beau Justin Bieber. A 20-year-old woman is said to have filed a lawsuit against the teen pop sensation alleging he is the father of her three-month-old baby, Radaronline.com have reported. According to reports the California woman named as Mariah Yeater is asking the Baby singer to take a paternity test. Baby daddy? The singer performed on Dancing With The Stars on Tuesday night The website reports that Star magazine have obtained the court papers, which are said to have be filed late October, making the request. According to the website Ms Yeater asks for Bieber ‘to provide adequate support for my baby.’ It has been reported the woman claims she had sex with the underage star on October 25 last year when she was aged 19-years-old, he was aged 16-years-old out the time. That would mean under California law that he was underage and if the claims turn out to be true Ms Yeater would be guilty of statutory rape of a minor. Getting prepared: Justin is seen ahead of his Dancing With The Star performance According to the website a hand-signed affidavit has been reviewed and claiming that Yeater was invited backstage by bodyguards after Bieber's performance at the L.A. Staples centre. It reports that after describing meeting the singer Yeater wrote in the affidavit: 'Immediately, it was obvious that we were mutually attracted to one another, and we began to kiss. Shortly thereafter, Justin Bieber suggested that I go with him to a private place where we could be alone. 'I agreed to go with him and on the walk to a private area, he told me he wanted to make love to me and this was going to be his first time. Post show: It has been reported the woman claims she had sex with the underage star when she was aged 19-years-old, backstage after one of his concerts in Los Angeles 'We went inside and immediately his personality changed drastically. He began touching me and repeatedly said he wanted to f*** the s*** out of me. At the time I asked him to put a condom for protection, but he insisted that he did not want to.' 'In his own words, he said that because it was his first time he wanted to feel everything.' She is said to have described the intercourse as 'brief'. A court hearing is said to have been set for December 15. A spokesperson for the star could not be contacted by MailOnline earlier today. However according to TMZ a spokesperson for the star said: 'While we haven't yet seen the lawsuit, it's sad that someone would fabricate malicious, defamatory, and demonstrably false claims.' Justin has been dating girlfriend Selena Gomez since the end of last year but the couple waited until the Oscars in March to make their first public debut together. What will Selena say? Justin has been dating his girlfriend for the past ten months Out and about: Selena Gomez also stepped out tonight despite the rumours and attended a charity event in L.A. Last month when the couple were both in Winnipeg and they spent an amorous evening watching the basketball together and were seen smooching from a private box. While Selena has been looking after Baylor, the dog is said to be both Selena and Justin’s and the couple are thought to have adopted the pup from an animal rescue centre in Winnipeg on October 14. In February this year Justin, who is a Christian, spoke out about per-marital sex in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine and said: 'I don't think you should have sex with anyone unless you love them.' ||||| Justin Bieber I Didn't Knock Up That Woman Justin Bieber -- I Didn't Knock Up That Woman 's legal team is ready to strike over allegations the singer impregnated a 20-year-old woman ... allegations that Team Bieber claims are "malicious, defamatory, and demonstrably false."The woman in question reportedly filed a paternity suit against Justin, claiming she boned the underage singer backstage at one of his L.A. concerts ... and left with an embryonic party favor.But a rep for Justin tells TMZ, "While we haven't yet seen the lawsuit, it's sad that someone would fabricate malicious, defamatory, and demonstrably false claims."The rep adds, "We will vigorously pursue all available legal remedies to defend and protect Justin against these allegations."

– The Biebs recently said he wants to be a dad, and that might already be the case. A woman who boasts of a backstage quickie with Justin Bieber has filed a paternity suit against the singer. Californian Mariah Yeater, 20, claims that she and Bieber, then a jailbait 16, had sex at the LA Staples Center after one of his concerts a year ago when she was 19. It was a "brief" coupling, Bieber's first time, and he refused to wear a condom, Yeater said in an affidavit. She now has a three-month-old baby boy, and is asking a court to order Bieber to take a paternity test and financially support her son, reports the New York Post. Bieber's legal team is attacking the claim. "While we haven't yet seen the lawsuit, it's sad that someone would fabricate malicious, defamatory, and demonstrably false claims," a representative told TMZ. "We will vigorously pursue all available legal remedies to defend and protect Justin against these allegations." (Click for 5 unfortunate things that could happen to Bieber if the claims are true.)

From declaring "the beast is alive" to being "free at last," a recap of the actor's response to getting the axe from "Two and a Half Men." Charlie Sheen reacted to getting fired from Two and a Half Men by Warner Bros. with a number of bizarre statements, including: - An interview with TMZ.com after he climbed on the roof of Live Nation and waved around a machete and drank from a bottle labeled "Tiger Blood." When asked if he was excited about being released from his Two and a Half Men contract, he said, "Let me just say, free at last, free at last." His next plan: "I ain't gonna go to f---ing Disneyland, I'll tell you that much." - A statement to NBC's Jeff Rossen: "I didn’t like that show anyway or those dumb bowling shirts they made me wear. Now I’m free.” - Another 'Sheen's Korner' episode, in which he smoked a cigarette from his nose and drank: "We are in the middle of a movement here, an odyssey of epic proportions… My goal is the best one in the room, and people are starting to realize that. My plan is gold, theirs is s--t. And with my plan you're going to win, win, win." - An interview with Access Hollywood's Billy Bush in which he claimed he was notified of being fired via text message: "I got a text or something. Here’s another thing -- these guys are such yellow cockroaches that they didn’t even have the decency to call me. I put 5 bill[ion] in their cheap suit pockets and another half a bil’ in what’s-his-cheese’s pockets and this is the f***ing respect I get?It’s just deplorable and they should be ashamed of themselves!” - A statement to TMZ: "This is very good news. They continue to be in breach, like so many whales. It is a big day of gladness at the Sober Valley Lodge because now I can take all of the bazillions, never have to look at whatshiscock again and I never have to put on those silly shirts for as long as this warlock exists in the terrestrial dimension." - A text to People.com: "Put yourself in my shoes for one warlock nanosecond. At some point there is nothing to say. Only war to wage … The winds are howling tonight. The gods are hungry. The beast is alive. And awake. And deadly." ||||| Just hours ago, Warner Bros. Television officially fired Charlie Sheen from Two and a Half Men, and TMZ has obtained the barnburner of a letter that WB sent to Sheen’s lawyer Marty Singer to justify his termination. “At the outset, let us state the obvious: Your client has been engaged in dangerously self-destructive conduct and appears to be very ill,” the eleven-page letter begins before recounting Sheen’s outlandish public behavior from the past two weeks (there’s even a ten-page addendum filled with links to the negative online coverage the actor has received). Still, it isn’t all rehashed information; here are four new details we learned from a close read of the letter. There were disastrous sitcom tapings Though Sheen claims he was ready for work even when he missed rehearsals, the letter cites his “inability to deliver lines” as a reason for the Two and a Half Men shutdown, and takes issue with how Singer portrayed the period leading up to it: “You claim that Mr. Sheen was turning in ‘brilliant’ performances during this time. Not true. As outtakes of the filming show, Mr. Sheen had difficulty remembering his lines and hitting his marks. His conduct and condition created substantial tensions on the set. Mr. Sheen conceded in one or more of his numerous recent interviews that he sometimes showed up to work after not having slept and needed to move his mark to accommodate his need to ‘lean’ on something, for balance.” Sheen may have had vanity-card approval Maybe Sheen was okay with Lorre’s vanity cards after all? Despite the fact that he’s since sniped at Lorre for tweaking him with statements like “If Charlie Sheen outlives me, I’m gonna be really pissed,” the WB letter says that “Mr. Sheen himself approved” several of the vanity cards cited by Singer. WB chartered a plane for rehab On January 28, Sheen told CBS president Les Moonves that he would go to rehab the next day, so WB “had an airplane waiting to take him to such a facility.” Instead, Sheen refused to leave his home, which he then christened the “Sober Valley Lodge.” Sheen violated a morals clause Both Sheen and Singer have argued that there was no morals clause in the actor’s contract, but WB says that one section of the document allows the studio to refuse payment “if Producer in its reasonable but good faith opinion believes Performer has committed an act which constitutes a felony offense involving moral turpitude under federal, state or local laws, or is indicted or convicted of any such offense.” The example of moral turpitude cited here is “furnishing of cocaine to others,” but one imagines the WB wouldn’t have to think very long to come up with at least a few more. Related: Charlie Sheen Fired From Two and a Half Men Sheen’s Korner Is Not a Winner The Argument You’re Having With Yourself About Charlie Sheen The 15 Funniest Charlie Sheen Clickables: Laugh While You Still Can! The Media Betting on Charlie Sheen Dying Soon The Charlie Sheen Glossary: ‘Winning,’ Warlocks, and More ||||| New Charlie Sheen Texts: 'The Beast Is Alive' Now officially fired from Two and a Half Men as of Monday, Charlie Sheen is gearing up for his confrontation with Warner Bros.In a text to PEOPLE, Sheen writes: "Put yourself in my shoes for one warlock nanosecond. At some point there is nothing to say. Only war to wage … The winds are howling tonight. The gods are hungry. The beast is alive. And awake. And deadly."He's also reaching for a new weapon – a machete.After encountering paparazzi after a business meeting to discuss merchandising with Live Nation in Beverly Hills Monday, Sheen – accompanied by one of his so-called "Goddesses," Natalie Kenley – made his way to the roof of the building, reached into his suit jacket, whipped out his large, shiny blade and frantically waved it in the air. (See video clip below.)In a message, Sheen, 45, added that his machete would be used to destroy anyone who messed with his family.While Sheen has threatened to sue Warner Bros., which produces Two and a Half Men, the studio stated it intends to make Sheen pay for all of the show's lost revenue since it's been placed on hiatus . Sheen manager Mark Burg tells PEOPLE exclusively: "It's sad for the fans that enjoyed the show for the last eight years. I'm sorry it's come to this. I guess a judge and jury will decide the final outcome ... The show might not be coming back, but the final chapter has yet to be written."Please note: Comments have been suspended temporarily as we explore better ways to serve you. Your opinion is important to us; you can find current discussions at facebook.com/peoplemag. ||||| If it were even possible to be more frightened for Charlie Sheen , now would be the time. The recently unemployed Sheen headed to the rooftop of the Live Nation building with "goddess" Natalie Kenly yesterday after he reportedly had a meeting there.Sheen waved his machete over the crowd below while smoking cigarettes and drinking out of a bottle full of red liquor labeled tiger blood.The photos pretty much speak for themselves so check out Charlie's escapade after the jump and a see the video here.

– If you were hoping that Charlie Sheen’s long overdue firing might get the tiger-blood-drinking star off your television set and computer screen for a while … no such luck. Sheen reacted to his ouster in plenty of predictably bizarre ways, which the Hollywood Reporter helpfully rounds up: He drank out of a bottle labeled “Tiger Blood” while waving around a machete on the roof of Live Nation. He released another episode of Sheen’s Korner, which involved him smoking a cigarette out of his nose. He texted People the following: There is “war to wage … The winds are howling tonight. The gods are hungry. The beast is alive. And awake. And deadly.” Meanwhile, TMZ snagged a copy of the letter Warner Brothers sent to Sheen’s lawyer justifying his firing, and New York actually read all 11 pages. Buried amidst the obvious (“Your client … appears to be very ill”), the magazine found some new details. Though Sheen claims he was always ready for work, the letter says he frequently “had difficulty remembering his lines and hitting his marks.” Perhaps even more damning, the letter claims there actually was—despite what Sheen has said—a morals clause in his contract, which he violated by “furnishing cocaine to others.” Click for photos of Sheen waving his machete.

A former NFL cheerleader’s split from her state attorney husband is described as the “Trump Divorce,” according to an unusual press release from the woman’s PR firm. The release notes that Dave Aronberg, the state attorney for Palm Beach County in Florida, is a Democrat, and describes his wife, Lynn Aronberg, a fomer Miami Dolphins cheerleader, as “a staunch Republican and supporter of President Donald Trump” who “said she felt increasingly isolated in the marriage.” The statement, released Thursday, describes the split as the “Trump Divorce” and also cites personal and financial details of the divorce settlement. The statement notes that, “according to a source familiar with the negotiations, the former Lynn Lewis, who spun her old Dolphins gig into a successful PR firm, is receiving about $100,000 worth of benefits in exchange for her signature on the dotted line. The deal calls for Aronberg, 46, to pay for half of Lynn’s rent in a luxury condo in tony Boca Raton until next summer. She’s also reportedly getting a brand new BMW and $40,000 cash.” Lynn Aronberg said she does not know how the press release came to include the settlement’s financial details, which she described as confidential, even though she works for the public relations firm, TransMedia Group, that issued the press statement on her behalf. “Whatever’s been put out there, I haven’t gotten to the bottom of it,” Lynn Aronberg told The Palm Beach Post on Thursday. Adrienne Mazzone, president of TransMedia, said her client announced the divorce settlement to satisfy a curious public. The photo of Lynn Aronberg included on the TransMedia press release announcing details of her divorce settlement with Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg. (supplied by Jake Mazzone Photography) (Palm Beach Post Staff Writer) “Lynn is certainly a media maven,” Mazzone said. “The public has been asking a lot of questions, and we’re simply accommodating that.” Aronberg not only is a client, but an executive vice president of TransMedia, whose website says she has recently returned to the firm where she worked “before launching her own PR firm, Lynn Aronberg Public Relations, which she will maintain to serve a select group of private clients.” Lynn Aronberg said she and her ex-husband agreed to release a single joint paragraph, which reads: “After much consideration over the past few months, we’ve decided to respectfully and amicably part ways and end our marriage. We are, however, dedicated to remaining close friends. We kindly ask for your supporting in preserving our privacy as we start to navigate this new chapter in our lives.” Beyond that paragraph, however, the release includes eight other paragraphs with personal information not typically made public and sent to the press. Dave Aronberg proposed at the Eiffel Tower, according to the statement. In addition to their different political views, children were also an issue in the marriage, according to the statement. “They have no children, which was a problem for Lynn,” the statement reads. “She said she wanted children, but Aronberg was in no hurry.” Efforts to reach Dave Aronberg Thursday were unsuccessful. Lynn Aronberg said the information about her disagreement with Dave Aronberg on the subject of children was not a secret. “I told people a long time ago that I wanted a baby and that he wasn’t moving quickly enough,” she said. The statement notes that Dave Aronberg is considering a run for the U.S. House of Representatives. At one point, Lynn Aronberg was about to dip into the GOP legal ranks for help with the divorce, according to the statement. “When the divorce seemed to be stalling last month, Lynn started interviewing nationally famous divorce lawyers and one, Larry Klayman, the right wing founder of Freedom Watch and Judicial Watch, was ready to pounce until the former lovebirds settled,” the statement reads. Lynn Aronberg said she does not believe the release of personal and financial information from the divorce will have any political impact on her ex-husband. “Do you?” she asked. “I think he looks great. He makes for a great ex-husband. I don’t wish him anything but goodwill. I want the best for him.” ||||| Dave and Lynn Aronberg were married on St. Pete Beach in May 2015. In announcing that her divorce was settled this week, Lynn Aronberg said the reason for the split in part was because she supports President Donald Trump and her Democratic husband does not. In a press release Thursday, Lynn Aronberg said she is a "staunch Republican and supporter of President Trump," while her husband, Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg, is not. She said that fact led her to feel "increasingly isolated in the marriage." The 37-year-old former Miami Dolphins cheerleader and public relations consultant said she is getting a $100,000 settlement, including a new BMW and $40,000 in cash. Jose Lambiet’s Gossip Extra website says the couple signed the divorce settlement this week over drinks at The Breakers in Palm Beach. Dave Aronberg is a former state senator who was elected to his current office in 2012. Before that, he worked for Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi. A spokesman for the 46-year-old prosecutor said Aronberg had no comment. The couple got engaged in December 2014 in Paris, and they were married in May 2015 on St. Pete Beach. Lynn Aronberg first filed for divorce in March.

– Interesting: sending out a press release about your divorce. More interesting: deeming it a "Trump divorce." The Palm Beach Post reports on the demise of the marriage of ex-Miami Dolphins cheerleader Lynn Aronberg and Florida state attorney Dave Aronberg, with the two announcing their split via a statement from the TransMedia Group PR firm. And the stated reason for their divorce lends new meaning to the phrase "politics is local": Lynn Aronberg, in her mid-30s, is a "staunch Republican and supporter of President Donald Trump" who says she felt "increasingly isolated in the marriage," which lasted just over two years, per the Tampa Bay Times; her 46-year-old ex is a Democrat. The statement also outlines the $100,000 or so settlement Lynn Aronberg is getting, including a new BMW, $40,000 in cash, and half her rent paid at her Boca Raton condo through next year. Oddly, however, in addition to owning her own media firm, Lynn Aronberg is also an executive VP for TransMedia—but she says she has no idea how all of the financial concessions snuck into the press release, nor other intimate info, such as Dave Aronberg allegedly not wanting to have kids with the same eagerness as she did. She says she and her ex agreed to put out a three-sentence paragraph together that mainly just said they were "respectfully and amicably" parting ways as "close friends," followed by a request for privacy. "Whatever's been put out there, I haven't gotten to the bottom of it," were her words to the Palm Beach Post on Thursday. No comment from Dave Aronberg, about whom his ex-wife says: "He makes for a great ex-husband. I don't wish him anything but goodwill."

A school year just isn’t complete without a senior class prank. A group of Santa Barbara High School seniors decided to take their prank to another level, hiring a mariachi band to follow their principal around campus. Principal John Becchio got a surprise when he walked into his office about 7:15 a.m. Tuesday and saw the four-piece band inside. "What are you doing here?" he asked them. They responded with music — and continued to play for about an hour and a half as he walked around the school's hallways, he said. A YouTube video of the prank has gone viral, and was even featured on the "Today" show. Becchio's mother, who lives in Oregon, immediately called him after seeing the TV show clip. "I didn't think it would take off the way it did," he said. "It's kind of clever." The mariachi prank came after Becchio had endured another hoax from the senior class. On Monday he walked into his office to discover all of his belongings shrink-wrapped. Becchio said he doesn't mind being the center of the pranks, as long as the seniors are making good choices. "It was kind of a special send-off," he said. ||||| share tweet pin email The students at Santa Barbara High School wanted to make some noise with their senior prank this year. So the southern California seniors hired a mariachi band to follow principal John Becchio around school for an hour. From when Becchio walked into his office at 7:30 a.m., four musicians trailed him around the hallways, drawing smiles from students and faculty. Video of the prank was posted to YouTube by Barbara Keyani, the administrative services and communications coordinator for the school district. The Santa Barbara students are not the first to employ the mariachi band prank, as a group of seniors at West Linn High School in Oregon did the same musical trickery in 2013, when nearly 90 students pooled their money to get a mariachi band to follow principal Lou Bailey around for three hours. Follow TODAY.com writer Scott Stump on Twitter and Google+.

– When Santa Barbara High School principal John Becchio stepped into his office Tuesday morning, he was greeted by a strange sight: a four-piece mariachi band. "What are you doing here?" he asked, but by way of explanation, he had to endure an hour-plus of music as he walked the school's halls—the butt of a senior class joke, the Los Angeles Times reports. A video of the hoopla—uploaded to YouTube by a school district staffer—has now gone viral, with more than half a million views in two days. "I didn't think it would take off the way it did," said Becchio, who arrived to school the day before to find his possessions had been shrink-wrapped. "It was kind of a special send-off." The school district added, per KLTV, "It was a senior prank that delighted students and staff." Apparently Becchio should be thankful the entertainment lasted only a short time. Last year, students of West Linn High School in Oregon pulled the same trick on their principal, only the music lasted three hours, Today reports. (Officials at this New Jersey high school weren't as impressed with their school's senior prank, which ended in 62 arrests.)

Women might say “not tonight, dear” a lot more often in the year and a half before their final period, a new study finds. Sexual decline typically starts 20 months before a woman’s final period and continues for several years after menstruation ends, the study authors reported. The researchers analyzed data from nearly 1,400 U.S. women at midlife, and also found that menopause-related declines in sexual function can vary according to race and ethnicity. A diminishing sex life is a serious issue, the researchers said, noting three-quarters of study participants said sex was moderately to extremely important to them. “This study highlights the need for health-care providers to have open conversations with their patients about their sexual issues, because there are many options for women to help maintain or improve their sexual lives as they transition to and beyond menopause,” said Dr. JoAnn Pinkerton. She’s executive director of the North American Menopause Society. The women in the study had either undergone natural menopause or had a hysterectomy -- removal of the uterus. No declines in sexual function occurred in the women until 20 months before their final menstrual period, the study found. From that point until one year after the final period, overall sexual function scores fell 0.35 percent a year. Sexual activity continued to decline for more than a year afterward, but at a slower rate. Compared to white women, black women had a smaller decline in sexual function. The decline was twice as high in Japanese-American women than white women, the researchers found. Also, women who had a hysterectomy before the end of menstruation did not have a decline in sexual function before their surgery -- but they did have a decline afterward. Overall, sexual decline continued for five years after the final period, the researchers said. Although menopause is often accompanied by problems such as vaginal dryness, depression and anxiety, these issues did not explain the impact menopause or surgery had on sexual function, the researchers said. The research was led by Nancy Avis, a professor of social sciences and health policy at Wake Forest School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C. Medications exist that can help some women dealing with menopause-related issues, Pinkerton said. “Low-dose vaginal estrogen, for example, which has minimal risks for most women, is an effective and safe treatment for painful intercourse, as is a non-estrogen therapy called ospemifene,” she said in a menopause society news release. The study findings were published online Nov. 2 in the journal Menopause. ||||| Women experience a notable decline in sexual function approximately 20 months before and one year after their last menstrual period, and that decrease continues, though at a somewhat slower rate, over the following five years, according to a study led by a researcher at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. The study, published ahead of print in the online issue of Menopause: The Journal of the North American Menopause Society, also found that various factors that frequently co-occur with menopause have less direct influence on declining sexual function than menopause itself. "Sexual functioning in women declines with age, and there has been much debate about how much this is due to menopause, aging or other physical, psychological or social factors," said the study's lead author, Nancy Avis, Ph.D., professor of public health sciences at Wake Forest School of Medicine, part of Wake Forest Baptist. "Our findings support that menopause has a negative effect on sexual functioning in many women." Additionally, the study found that women who have a hysterectomy before the onset of menopause do not experience a marked decline in sexual function immediately before undergoing the procedure but do so afterward, for as long as five years. The researchers based their findings on information collected from 1,390 participants in the federally funded Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN), which began in 1996. These women, who were between the ages of 42 and 52 at the time of enrollment in the study and who had a known date of final menstrual period during their participation, responded to questionnaires dealing with various aspects of sexual function -- including desire, arousal, satisfaction and pain -- between one and seven times over the course of the study. The researchers analyzed 5,798 of these self-assessments (4,932 from the 1,164 women in the natural menopause group and 866 from the 226 women in the hysterectomy group) and tracked the changes in the respondents' scores on the sexual-function questionnaires relative to either their final menstrual period among women who experienced a natural menopause or the hysterectomy. Of note, in the natural menopause group the researchers found that race/ethnicity played a major role in the decline of sexual function, with African-American women experiencing a significantly smaller decline and women of Japanese descent experiencing a much greater decline when compared with white women. "Sexual functioning is an important component of women's lives. More than 75 percent of the middle-aged women in the SWAN study reported that sex was moderately to extremely important to them when the study began," Avis said. "It is important for women and their health care providers to understand all the factors that may impact women's experience of sex in relation to both the natural menopausal transition and hysterectomy, and we hope our findings will contribute to better understanding in this area." ||||| New research suggests that menopause is linked to a reduction in sexual function for most women, although race/ethnicity does play a factor in the magnitude of the decline. Investigators from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center discovered women experience a notable decline in sexual function about 20 months before and one year after their last menstrual period, and that decrease continues, though at a somewhat slower rate, over the following five years. The study, published ahead of print in the online issue of Menopause: The Journal of the North American Menopause Society, also found that various factors that frequently co-occur with menopause have less direct influence on declining sexual function than menopause itself. “Sexual functioning in women declines with age, and there has been much debate about how much this is due to menopause, aging, or other physical, psychological or social factors,” said the study’s lead author, Nancy Avis, Ph.D. “Our findings support that menopause has a negative effect on sexual functioning in many women.” Additionally, the study found that women who have a hysterectomy before the onset of menopause do not experience a marked decline in sexual function immediately before undergoing the procedure but do so afterward, for as long as five years. The researchers based their findings on information collected from 1,390 participants in the federally funded Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN), which began in 1996. These women, who were between the ages of 42 and 52 at the time of enrollment in the study and who had a known date of final menstrual period during their participation, responded to questionnaires dealing with various aspects of sexual function — including desire, arousal, satisfaction, and pain — between one and seven times over the course of the study. The researchers analyzed 5,798 of these self-assessments (4,932 from the 1,164 women in the natural menopause group and 866 from the 226 women in the hysterectomy group) and tracked the changes in the respondents’ scores on the sexual-function questionnaires. They correlated the scores relative to either their final menstrual period among women who experienced a natural menopause or the hysterectomy. Notably, in the natural menopause group, the researchers found that race/ethnicity played a major role in the decline of sexual function. They discovered African-American women experiencing a significantly smaller decline and women of Japanese descent experiencing a much greater decline when compared with white women. “Sexual functioning is an important component of women’s lives. More than 75 percent of the middle-aged women in the SWAN study reported that sex was moderately to extremely important to them when the study began,” Avis said. “It is important for women and their health care providers to understand all the factors that may impact women’s experience of sex in relation to both the natural menopausal transition and hysterectomy, and we hope our findings will contribute to better understanding in this area.” Source: Wake Forest University

– Sex is important to most middle-aged women, a fact established by a new study in the journal Menopause, which found that 75% of 1,390 middle-aged women reported sexual functioning to be moderately to extremely important. But roughly 20 months before menopause hit, these women reported a "notable decline in sexual function"; that decline continued for a full year after their final period and then persisted at a more gradual rate over the next five years, reports Psych Central. The same turned out to be true for women following (but not leading up to) a hysterectomy. "There has been much debate" on the topic of decline due to menopause and aging, the study's lead author says. "Our findings support that menopause has a negative effect." It's worth noting that the study relies on self-reporting, but the researchers say they found that race/ethnicity appears to play a role. Compared to white women, African-American women noted a significantly smaller decline, while women of Japanese descent noted a much greater decline. "This study highlights the need for health-care providers to have open conversations with their patients about their sexual issues, because there are many options for women to help maintain or improve their sexual lives as they transition to and beyond menopause," one expert tells HealthDay. Common issues known to accompany menopause, such as vaginal dryness, depression, and anxiety, didn't explain the impact on drive, the researchers say. (Is menopause reversible?)

A pair of visitors to Hawaii from Ft. Worth, Texas made an incredible discovery while strolling along Oahu's Leeward coast. They found several Hawaiian petroglyphs, believed to be more than 400 years old. Lonnie Watson and Mark Louviere found at least ten figures in the sand late in July, stretching over nearly 60 percent of the Waianae beach. It's very likely that this is not the first time these particular petroglyphs have been exposed, but the DLNR State Historic Preservation Division says this is the first they've learned of them. They're working with the U.S. Army to record and document the findings. After the initial discovery, a total of 17 were identified in the sand. One petroglyph measured roughly five feet from head to toe. “What’s interesting is the Army in Hawaii manages several thousand archaeological sites, but this is the first one with petroglyphs directly on the shoreline," said Army archaeologist Alton Exzabe. The sand has washed up over the petroglyphs once again, but the Army and DLNR will continue to work to preserve them. “They are an important part of Hawaii’s culture," said Dr. Alan Downer, the administrator for DLNR's State Historic Preservation Division. "In time they will reappear and we want to make sure people know that they are fragile and culturally sensitive and should only be viewed; not touched.” Mobile users, click here to see more photos. Copyright 2016 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved. ||||| 08/08/16 – Hawaiian Petroglyphs Revealed By Shifting Sands On Waianae Coast; Experts Believe Rarely Seen Panels Are 400+ Years Old slider, State Historic Preservation Division Posted on Aug 8, 2016 in News Releases DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES Joint News Release DAVID Y. IGE GOVERNOR SUZANNE D. CASE CHAIRPERSON For Immediate News Release August 8, 2016 HAWAIIAN PETROGLYPHS REVEALED BY SHIFTING SANDS ON WAIANAE COAST Experts Believe Rarely Seen Panels Are 400+ Years Old (HONOLULU) – On a warm July evening, visitors Lonnie Watson and Mark Louviere from the Ft. Worth, Texas metro area did what they normally do during their frequent visits to Hawaii. They wandered out to the coastline to watch the setting sun. On this particular day they spotted something that they say has humbled and blessed them. Watson explained, “For some reason there was a beam of light…just a beam…it landed right on one of them and for some reason I just turned my head. I said, look, it was just a stroke of luck.” What they saw was a large petroglyph, etched into the sandstone. Upon further investigation, they discovered at least 10 figures, stretching over roughly 60 feet of beach. While it’s likely this series of petroglyphs, created by aboriginal inhabitants of the Waianae coast, have revealed themselves in the past, this is the first time they’ve come to the attention of the DLNR State Historic Preservation Division (SHPD) and the U.S. Army. Both agencies have been working together to record and document the petroglyphs; which now number at least 17 figures. Army archaeologist and Waianae native Alton Exzabe was one of the first officials to arrive at the site. He said, “What’s interesting is the Army in Hawaiʻi manages several thousand archaeological sites, but this is the first one with petroglyphs directly on the shoreline. What’s exciting for me, is I grew up coming to this beach and now as an archaeologist working for the Army, helping to manage this site, we discovered these petroglyphs that have never been recorded. Some people have said they’ve seen them before, but this is quite a significant find.” Glen Kila is a lineal descendent of the aboriginal families who first settled in Nene’u on the Waianae Coast. His family home is a short ways from the petroglyph field, and he says until now he was unaware of these particular figures. “They record our genealogy and religion. It’s very important to know about the lineal descendants of the area and their understanding of these petroglyphs. The interpretation of these petroglyphs can only be interpreted by the lineal descendants who are familiar with its history and culture,” Kila said. Several days after the Texas families first saw the petroglyphs, a small group of people stood atop the rocks as sand was washing back in to recover them. Exzabe and fellow archaeologists from the SHPD encourage people to look and not touch. Even the process of scraping sand away by hand or with brushes can damage the integrity of the figures. Exzabe added, “We can now come up with a plan to further protect and preserve this site. The ones with the fingers, for me, are pretty unique. I believe there are some elsewhere with fingers, but fingers and hands are pretty distinct, as well as the size of them. We find a lot of petroglyphs that are a foot or so tall, but this one measures 4-5 feet from head to toe. It’s pretty impressive.” The petroglyphs were only viewable for a short time. Since the Texans’ initial reporting, the sand has moved back in to cover them; however, the Army and SHPD are committed to protecting the “new” discovery whether visible or not. Dr. Alan Downer, the administrator for the SHPD said, “We’re eager to join the Army in developing a protection and preservation plan for these petroglyphs. They are an important part of Hawaii’s culture and while sands have covered them again, in time they will reappear and we want to make sure people know that they are fragile and culturally sensitive and should only be viewed; not touched.” # # # MEDIA CONTACTS: Dan Dennison Senior Communications Manager Hawaii Dept. of Land & Natural Resources (808) 587-0407 Stefanie Gutierrez Public Affairs Office U.S. Army Garrison-Hawaii(808) 656-3160

– Countless tourists have watched beautiful Hawaiian sunsets—but not many have made important archeological finds in the process. Lonnie Watson and Mark Louviere, visitors from Texas, discovered petroglyphs believed to be at least 400 years old during a stroll along Oahu's Leeward coast last month, Hawaii News Now reports. "For some reason there was a beam of light—just a beam," Watson says, per the state Department of Land and Natural Resources. "It landed right on one of them and for some reason I just turned my head." They ended up finding 10 of the images carved into the sandstone, stretching over more than 60 feet of beach, and researchers have now found 17. The find was soon covered once again by shifting sands, but the DLNR State Historic Preservation Division and the US Army are working to document and protect the site. They say others may have seen the figures first, but it is new to them and represents a significant and possibly unique find. "What's interesting is the Army in Hawaii manages several thousand archaeological sites, but this is the first one with petroglyphs directly on the shoreline," says Army archaeologist Alton Exzabe, who grew up in the area. He notes that many petroglyphs are about a foot tall, but these are a "pretty impressive" 4 to 5 feet. (These Norwegian kids tried to improve a 5,000-year-old rock carving.)

Plattsburgh, New York (CNN) A corrections officer from the Clinton Correctional Facility in upstate New York has been charged with three felonies and a misdemeanor in connection with the escape of two convicted killers earlier this month, the prison guard's lawyer said Wednesday. Officer Gene Palmer, 57, faces one count of promoting dangerous prison contraband, two counts of destroying evidence and one count of official misconduct, a misdemeanor, attorney Andrew Brockway said. The contraband charge carries the heaviest possible punishment, up to seven years in prison. The longtime guard gave at least one of the prison escapees a screwdriver and a wrench to help fix electrical breakers in the catwalk area behind their cells, an official familiar with the investigation told CNN. Palmer told investigators he supervised Richard Matt and David Sweat doing the work and took the tools back before the end of his shift, the official said. Authorities have said Matt and Sweat used the catwalks during their June 6 escape. The tools were found at Palmer's home after police executed a search warrant, the official added. "I won't comment specifically on whether or not my client did that," Brockway told CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360˚." Investigators also believe Palmer destroyed some of the paintings Richard Matt made for him, the official said. "Mr. Palmer has been completely cooperative with the investigation," Brockway said from outside Plattsburgh Town Court, where his client was arraigned Wednesday night. "He will continue to cooperate. He's a man of integrity who made some mistakes." The state police said Palmer pleaded not guilty on all the charges. He will spend the night in the Clinton County Jail and is due back in court on Thursday. Brockway said he intends to get his client out on bail as soon as possible so he can "take care of his ailing wife." Palmer, who has worked at the prison for 27 years, allegedly took frozen meat embedded with smuggled tools to the inmates' cell area in the now-closed honor block, Clinton County District Attorney Andrew Wylie said Wednesday. Brockway said Tuesday his client was unaware there was contraband in the meat. "He understands that he made a mistake with the whole meat fiasco," Brockway said. Palmer's arrest comes as more than a dozen investigators from the New York State Inspector General's office arrived at the prison to investigate possible breaches of security protocols that allowed Matt and Sweat to escape, a state law enforcement official said. The investigators are going through visitor logs and documents related to prisoner and employee movements at the jail, the official said. Hacksaw blades in hamburger meat Earlier Wednesday, Wylie said Joyce Mitchell, a supervisor in the prison's tailor shop, smuggled tools embedded in meat through the main gate at the prison. She placed the meat in a freezer in the tailor shop, according to Wylie, and then she asked Palmer to take the meat to the inmates' cell area in the honor block. Photos: Manhunt for escaped New York prisoners Photos: Manhunt for escaped New York prisoners Richard Matt, left, and David Sweat were on the run after they escaped from the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, New York, on Saturday, June 6. Matt was killed by police on Friday, June 26. Sweat was captured two days later and is now in police custody. Hide Caption 1 of 34 Photos: Manhunt for escaped New York prisoners Hide Caption 2 of 34 Photos: Manhunt for escaped New York prisoners Matt's body lies on the ground after he was killed by police on June 26. Hide Caption 3 of 34 Photos: Manhunt for escaped New York prisoners Sweat was captured on June 28, multiple law enforcement sources briefed on the investigation told CNN. He was shot twice in a field by a New York state trooper and taken into custody in upstate New York, close to the Canadian border. Hide Caption 4 of 34 Photos: Manhunt for escaped New York prisoners Sweat is bloodied, shirtless and cuffed at the ankles, and he appears to be breathing into an oxygen mask after his capture on June 28. Hide Caption 5 of 34 Photos: Manhunt for escaped New York prisoners Police escort ambulances from an area where law enforcement officers were searching for Sweat on June 28. Hide Caption 6 of 34 Photos: Manhunt for escaped New York prisoners Law enforcement officials are seen in the side-view mirror of a car as they stand guard June 28 in Duane, New York. Hide Caption 7 of 34 Photos: Manhunt for escaped New York prisoners FBI agents conduct a search for Sweat near Duane on June 28. Hide Caption 8 of 34 Photos: Manhunt for escaped New York prisoners An FBI agent searches for Sweat on June 28. Hide Caption 9 of 34 Photos: Manhunt for escaped New York prisoners Department of Corrections officers man a roadblock in Malone, New York, on Saturday, June 27. Hide Caption 10 of 34 Photos: Manhunt for escaped New York prisoners New York State Police officers talk to motorists at a roadblock near Malone on June 27. Hide Caption 11 of 34 Photos: Manhunt for escaped New York prisoners New York State Police officers stand guard near the site where Matt was shot and killed in Malone on June 26. Hide Caption 12 of 34 Photos: Manhunt for escaped New York prisoners A New York State Police officer stands guard near the shooting scene in Malone on June 26. Hide Caption 13 of 34 Photos: Manhunt for escaped New York prisoners Department of Corrections officers and a forest ranger, back, search a barn in Owls Head, New York, on June 26. Hide Caption 14 of 34 Photos: Manhunt for escaped New York prisoners Corrections officers stop a vehicle Monday, June 22, in Owls Head, about 20 to 25 miles west of the prison where Matt and Sweat escaped. The discovery of the escapees' DNA in a cabin re-energized the search for the fugitives. Hide Caption 15 of 34 Photos: Manhunt for escaped New York prisoners A bus transports corrections officers to a search area in Mountain View, New York, on June 22. Hide Caption 16 of 34 Photos: Manhunt for escaped New York prisoners Law enforcement officers use all-terrain vehicles in Mountain View on June 22. Hide Caption 17 of 34 Photos: Manhunt for escaped New York prisoners Corrections officers search railroad tracks near Friendship, New York, on Sunday, June 21, after a possible sighting of the fugitives. Hide Caption 18 of 34 Photos: Manhunt for escaped New York prisoners New York State Police officers gather along Route 20 near Friendship on June 21. Hide Caption 19 of 34 Photos: Manhunt for escaped New York prisoners A task force of U.S. Marshals and police officers go door to door near Dannemora, New York, searching for the two escaped murderers on Tuesday, June 16. Hide Caption 20 of 34 Photos: Manhunt for escaped New York prisoners New York State Troopers stop civilian cars at a checkpoint outside Dannemora on Monday, June 15. Hide Caption 21 of 34 Photos: Manhunt for escaped New York prisoners Prison tailor Joyce Mitchell, charged with aiding the escape, appeared in court on Monday, June 15. Hide Caption 22 of 34 Photos: Manhunt for escaped New York prisoners Department of Corrections officers work a roadblock in Saranac, New York, on Saturday, June 13. Hide Caption 23 of 34 Photos: Manhunt for escaped New York prisoners Law enforcement personnel line the roadside on June 13 as they search an area in Cadyville, New York. Hide Caption 24 of 34 Photos: Manhunt for escaped New York prisoners New York State Police prepare equipment during the search on Thursday, June 11. Hide Caption 25 of 34 Photos: Manhunt for escaped New York prisoners Authorities block a road in Cadyville during the manhunt on June 11. Hide Caption 26 of 34 Photos: Manhunt for escaped New York prisoners A Vermont state trooper heads out on Lake Champlain in Burlington, Vermont, on June 11. Hide Caption 27 of 34 Photos: Manhunt for escaped New York prisoners Law enforcement officers question a woman who lives near the Dannemora prison on Wednesday, June 10. Hide Caption 28 of 34 Photos: Manhunt for escaped New York prisoners An employee stands guard at the Clinton Correctional Facility on June 10. Hide Caption 29 of 34 Photos: Manhunt for escaped New York prisoners An officer checks the trunk of a car at a checkpoint near the Dannemora border on June 10. Hide Caption 30 of 34 Photos: Manhunt for escaped New York prisoners Officers continue their search in Essex, New York, on Tuesday, June 9. Hide Caption 31 of 34 Photos: Manhunt for escaped New York prisoners An officer walks through a swampy area near Essex on June 9. Hide Caption 32 of 34 Photos: Manhunt for escaped New York prisoners Law enforcement officers search a wooded area in Dannemora on Monday, June 8. Hide Caption 33 of 34 Photos: Manhunt for escaped New York prisoners State corrections officers monitor traffic June 8 at the Clinton Correctional Facility. See photos of the route the escaped prisoners took Hide Caption 34 of 34 Mitchell, who has been charged with aiding the escapees, admitted to putting hacksaw blades and drill bits into a hunk of hamburger meat, according to the prosecutor. Palmer could have put it through a metal detector but he didn't, which was a violation of prison policy, Wylie said. Mitchell did not have access to the cells, which is why she needed Palmer to hand it off, according to the prosecutor. CNN first broke the news Tuesday of the tools frozen in meat. "Before he handed off the meat, he asked if there was anything wrong with it and she said no," Brockway told Cooper. Palmer did not know what was inside the package, Brockway said, adding, "The only mistake he made was trusting Joyce Mitchell." Former inmate: Sweat and prison tailor were close A former inmate who served time with two New York prison escapees told CNN on Wednesday that he saw what appeared to be a relationship between one of the escapees and a prison worker who is now charged with helping the convicted killers break out. While at Clinton Correctional Facility, Eric Jensen said he knew Richard Matt and David Sweat, and the latter may have had sex with Mitchell Mitchell's lawyer said that was not possible and his client has denied it. Sweat and Mitchell often flirted, Jensen told CNN. "It would be (like) when the cute guy at the high school asks the girl to prom and the look on her face every day when they would get together," Jensen said. "They would laugh, giggle -- conversations all day long." Mitchell and Sweat would go to the back of the tailor room to count garments, he said, adding that inmates could get bonuses for producing more than a quota required. "It was a running joke inside the tailor shop that (Mitchell) was his 'boo,'" Jensen said. She sometimes brought him tattoo or art supplies and food that inmates couldn't get inside the prison, Jensen said. She often mingled with the other inmates and sometimes brought doughnuts. Some viewed her as a grandmother figure, he said. Mitchell "used to always treat" Sweat well, Jensen added, saying that inmates believed they were having sex. Sweat wouldn't join other inmates when they went to eat, he said. "He'd stay back with her in the tailor shop." The inmates asked Sweat if anything was going on between him and Mitchell. "He used to laugh," Jensen recalled. "He would never confirm or deny it." Sweat didn't have much to say, Jensen said. "He never was a very outspoken person. The reason me and him bonded so well is because I'm an artist. He's an artist. We shared our artwork. He was very intricate with his details." Jensen was in Clinton from June 2011 to March 2012 for possession of stolen property. He finished his term at Attica Correctional Facility. Mitchell's attorney, Steve Johnston, said that while he hadn't spoken with his client about this allegation, she has told investigators and him that she did not have sex with Sweat. "Furthermore, it would seem that such an allegation defies credibility since it is my understanding that there is always at least one corrections officer within the tailor/sewing shop at all times when any inmate is in the shop," Johnson told CNN's Brian Todd. Mitchell was investigated in the past for an inappropriate relationship with Sweat that led corrections officials to move him out of the tailor shop in 2013 and keep them separated, Wylie has said. The corrections department found there wasn't enough evidence to punish her. A source close to the investigation told CNN that 2013 was the year when Mitchell started having a sexual relationship with Matt. Could inmates be armed? The search for Matt, 48, and Sweat, 35, continued Wednesday for the 19th day. Officials expressed concerned that the escapees may have acquired long guns from one of the seasonal cabins in the area. When asked during a midday news conference if a shotgun was missing, Maj. Charles Guess of the New York State Police said he doesn't have information about a specific shotgun. "I would point out to you that, those of you who are not familiar with the area, just about every cabin or out building in the North Country has one or more shotguns or weapons, and we have since Day 1 operated under the belief that these men are armed," he said. Law enforcement officials noted the tough terrain searchers have struggled to traverse in the search for clues. The focus in recent days has centered on a cabin in which a law enforcement official told CNN the inmates' DNA was found. The cabin had been burglarized. Responding to a question from a reporter about whether a bloody sock had been found, New York State Police Trooper Maj. Charles Guess said he could not confirm or deny that. "We have no definitive information to reveal that someone was injured," Guess said. "Let's face it, a bloody sock could mean somebody had a blister or it could mean a lot worse," he added. ||||| A veteran New York state corrections officer rolled out the red carpet for two convicted murderers who have made a spectacular prison break -- giving them art supplies, tools and access to the catwalks behind the walls of their cell to do electrical work, stunning court documents say. Interested in ? Add as an interest to stay up to date on the latest news, video, and analysis from ABC News. Add Interest Gene Palmer, 57, of Dannemora, was arrested Wednesday and hit with promoting prison contraband and tampering with physical evidence, both felonies, and official misconduct, a misdemeanor in connection with the "Shawshank Redemption"-style June 6 escape of Richard Matt and David Sweat from Clinton Correctional Facility. Keshia Clukey/Times Union The veteran officer, who also allegedly inadvertently passed the inmates tools in frozen hamburger meat, appeared at Plattsburgh Town Court Wednesday and did not enter a plea. He was later released from Clinton County Jail after posting $25,000 bail, the jail confirmed. He was set to be arraigned Thursday. According to the court documents, Palmer went shopping for art supplies at Michaels in exchange for "elaborate paintings" done by Matt -- which he burned or buried after their escape -- in addition to information about misconduct for other prisoners. He also allegedly let Sweat alter the electrical box in his cell and provided him access to the catwalk behind it. According to one of the criminal complaints, Palmer, who has 27 years on the force, gave the inmates a flathead screwdriver and needlenose pliers on four occasions between November 2014 to June 6, 2015. New York State Police He allegedly gave the inmates the tools in exchange for paintings. Matt, who reportedly painted stunning portraits of celebs, and Sweat were housed in the prison's "Honor Block," which gave well-behaved inmates privileges such as laundry and cooking as well as working as assistants to plumbers and electricians, a source told ABC News. "I purchased and then provided paint and paint brushes for Richard Matt on two separate occasions," Palmer allegedly told investigators in a statement date June 20. He also described shopping at Michael's in Plattsburgh approximately two years ago for "white zinc paint" and "white titanium paint" as well as "one large tube of acrylic paint" for Sweat, the statement says. Then on May 29, he said that he received a package from prison worker Joyce Mitchell, who is also accused of helping the inmates, to give to Matt, the statement said. According to the documents, the package was a "green-colored, woven cloth bag" approximately 12 inches by 5 inches containing more than a pound of frozen hamburger meat. The beef was packaged in styrofoam with plastic wrap but no price sticker on it, the statements said. There were also allegedly two tubes of paint and a "small, green cloth item." The next day, he took the package and delivered it to Matt through his cell. "I cannot remember providing him with anything else," he allegedly said. Palmer also admitted to allowing Sweat to work on the electrical boxes of the cell by accessing the catwalk behind them "because inmate Matt asked me and I was doing him a favor," he allegedly said. But he denied knowing the men would escape. "I did not realize at the time, that the assistance provided to Matt or Sweat made their escape easier," he allegedly told investigators. He said the electrical work was done "to enhance their ability to cook in their cells," according to the statement. "Matt provided me with elaborate paintings and information on the illegal acts that inmates were committing within the facility," the statement said. "In turn, I provided him with benefits such as paint, paintbrushes, movement of inmates, hamburger meat, altering of electrical boxes in the catwalk areas." In the wake of the escape, Palmer allegedly burned some of the paintings in a fire pit at his residence and buried others in the woods. In an interview, Clinton County DA told ABC News that the pliers were used for the inmates' paintings. "I'm not attributing those pliers in any manner to the escape," Wylie said. He also added that bringing Matt and Sweat to the catwalk was "totally inappropriate" unless it was authorized. Joyce Mitchell, who worked in the prison tailor shop, was accused of putting hacksaw blades, other tools and a screwdriver bit into the meat and then placing it into the shop's freezer, where Palmer would allegedly retrieve it, according to Wylie. Palmer had been placed on leave, said he didn't know the tools were inside, the DA told ABC News. Mitchell echoed the sentiments, but bringing prisoners food is considered contraband, the DA said. Matt was serving 25 years to life for kidnapping and beating a man to death in 1997. Sweat was serving life for killing a Broome County Sheriff's deputy. The men escaped from Clinton Correctional facility, in upstate Dannemora, near the Canadian border, on June 6 in a spectacular breakout akin to that in "Shawshank Redemption." Sweat and Matt allegedly used power tools to cut through pipes and made their way through a series of catwalks and walls to make it through to the outside where they emerged from a manhole. They have been on the lam ever since, and despite a series of sightings, police have not been able to catch them. This week, investigators found prison-issued underwear at a hunting cabin in Owls Head, NY. They also found food and positive DNA samples were confirmed from both suspects. The time frame was not immediately clear. Mitchell faces a felony charge of promoting prison contraband and a misdemeanor charge of criminal facilitation. She has pleaded not guilty. Before the escape she was investigated for having a suspected relationship with Sweat over the course of the past year but not enough evidence was found to take action. Investigators were also checking Wednesday whether Mitchell may have had sex with other inmates besides Sweat. Her lawyer, Steve Johnston, denied the allegations. "On her behalf all I can say is that she has consistently denied having any sexual relationship with inmate Sweat," her attorney Steve Johnston said today in a statement to ABC News. ||||| The paintings come alive inside John Mulligan's Syracuse, New York home. Interested in ? Add as an interest to stay up to date on the latest news, video, and analysis from ABC News. Add Interest Marilyn Monroe. Oprah Winfrey. Julia Roberts. Hillary Clinton. Martin Luther King, Jr. The artist of the pieces is Richard Matt, one of the men who escaped last week from a maximum-security prison in upstate New York. According to a report by CNYCentral.com, Mulligan befriended Matt when the men were serving time together. Matt later sent Mulligan about 10 pieces, from celebrity pieces to a painting showing Mulligan’s deceased sister, her smile warm and bright. WTVH For Mulligan, the artwork represents wasted talent – reflecting what might have been in Matt’s life, if he had taken another path. “I’m sure for people who don’t know him, [the artwork is] exceptionally disturbing, but this is a piece of his life,” Mulligan told CNYCentral.com. “There’s some humanity in him,” Mulligan told CNYCentral.com. “There’s a dark side. Sure, there’s a dark side. That’s what the public is portraying. But there’s also a very human side to Richard Matt.” Matt and another fellow inmate, David Sweat, escaped from Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, New York on June 6. As authorities continue to search for the men, a prison tailoring shop instructor, Joyce Mitchell, appeared in court Monday, charged with helping them flee. Mitchell, 51, is charged with promoting prison contraband and criminal facilitation. According to Clinton County District Attorney Andrew Wylie, Mitchell had planned to meet Matt, 48, and Sweat, 35, at a power plant near the prison the night of their escape and expected to drive them to a wooded area about seven hours away. Instead of driving the getaway car, Mitchell checked herself into a hospital, complaining of a panic attack, Wylie said. "She realized what this was going to do to her family,” Wiley said. “She realized that she loved her husband, Lyle, and she did not want to leave him at the end.” New York State Police Mitchell has pleaded not guilty. Her lawyer, Stephen Johnston, told Judge Mark Rodgers Monday in Plattsburgh City Court that he and his client were waiving a preliminary felony hearing. Mitchell is “distraught” and “probably” shocked to be in the limelight, Johnston said Monday. Authorities say the escape was being planned for five weeks. According to prosecutors, Mitchell smuggled speed-bag boxing gloves and lighted glasses, along with blades, chisels and cutting tools into the facility. The convicts used power tools to cut through the back of their adjacent cells, broke through a brick wall, then cut into a steam pipe and slithered through it, finally emerging outside the prison walls through a manhole, authorities said. Matt was serving 25 years to life in prison after he kidnapped and beat a man to death in 1997. Sweat was serving a life sentence after he was convicted of killing a Broome County sheriff's deputy in 2002. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a formal investigation Monday "to determine all factors potentially involved in the escape," according to a press release. New York Inspector General Catherine Leahy Scott is tasked with conducting the investigation. "Capturing these killers and returning them to state custody remains our top priority – however, it's critically important to examine the circumstances that enabled these inmates to escape in the first place," Cuomo said in the press release. Get real-time updates as this story unfolds. To start, just "star" this story in ABC News' phone app. Download ABC News for iPhone here or ABC News for Android here.

– A prison guard has now been charged in connection with the great escape from a New York prison. The accused is Gene Palmer, whose name surfaced Tuesday in reports that he delivered hacksaw blades hidden inside frozen hamburger meat to escapee Richard Matt. Palmer, 57, who has been on paid leave since the escape, is charged with promoting dangerous prison contraband, destroying evidence, and misconduct, reports CNN. His lawyer continues to insist that Palmer knew nothing of the escape plans or those blades. Authorities say that prison tailor shop worker Joyce Mitchell hid the blades and drill bits in the meat, froze it, and asked Palmer to deliver the hamburger to Matt, reports ABC News. More: "Before he handed off the meat, he asked if there was anything wrong with it and she said no," says attorney Andrew Brockway. Because of that assurance, Palmer didn't put it through a metal detector, says Brockway. No matter what, though, the latter lapse is a violation of prison rules, says Clinton County DA Andrew Wylie. So why would incarcerated inmates want frozen hamburger anyway? They had a hot plate for cooking. A source tells CNN that Palmer allegedly provided a screwdriver and needle-nose pliers that David Sweat used to repair electrical breakers in a catwalk behind his cell. The men apparently used the catwalk as part of their escape route. CNN further cites a document that states Matt, who painted celebrity portraits, gave paintings to Palmer, which he tried to get rid of by burning and burying them after the men escaped. ABC News has this from a statement Palmer made to investigators: "Matt provided me with elaborate paintings and information on the illegal acts that inmates were committing within the facility. In turn, I provided him with benefits such as paint, paintbrushes, movement of inmates, hamburger meat, altering of electrical boxes in the catwalk areas."

For many years Norma and Leo would listen to Paul Harvey’s “The Rest of the Story” at lunch time in their humble home in northern Michigan—now, she has crafted an ending for the rest of her story… Norma’s husband of 67 years, Leo, was dying in a hospice center when another medical crisis suddenly arose. Some blood was detected in Norma’s urine during a routine exam and she was sent for an ultrasound–then, another. She learned that she had a large, likely-cancerous mass on her uterus. Two days after Leo died she found herself sitting in a doctor’s office hearing about treatment options. WANT MORE INSPIRING STORIES? …GET OUR GOOD NEWS APP—> Download FREE for Android and iOS You know the drill: surgery, then radiation and chemo in some order. When the doctor was finished he asked her how she would like to proceed. A tiny woman at 101 pounds and under five-feet tall, an exhausted Norma looked the young doctor dead in the eye and with the strongest voice she could muster, said, “I’m 90-years-old, I’m hitting the road.” The gynecologist, and the confused first-day medical student who was observing, looked to her son and daughter-in-law for some clarification. Having had time to talk to Norma beforehand about the likelihood that there would be some bad news coming from the doctor. She made it VERY clear that she had no interest in any treatment. Her kids “got it” and were in complete support of her decision. But what next? They couldn’t imagine leaving her in a nursing home, especially after she’d just walked down the long halls of the local Tender Care Hospice to visit Leo in the last room on the right, reserved for the dying. No way. There was also no way she could live at home alone without Leo—they were a well-oiled interdependent team for more than six decades. Having recently read Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande (put this on your reading list), the best option was to take her traveling. Norma was not in pain, her mind was sharp, and she loves adventure. She is also remarkably easy to be around. They explained to the well-meaning doctor and his student that they live in a mobile RV home and would be taking her wherever she wants to go. He didn’t hesitate to say, “RIGHT ON!” When asked if he considered this an irresponsible approach, his reply was telling: “As doctors,” he said, “we see what cancer treatment looks like everyday. ICU, nursing homes, awful side effects and honestly, there is no guarantee she will survive the initial surgery to remove the mass. You are doing exactly what I would want to do in this situation. Have a fantastic trip!” MORE: 100-Year-olds Say a Positive Attitude is the Secret to Longevity The medical student, who was working her first day and stood discreetly near the door taking it all in, had until that point spent every moment working with pregnant women— the waiting room was filled with them— all thinking about the beginning of life, rather than the end. The look on her face during our conversation indicated she had just received the education of a lifetime. Norma has now been on the road for 6 months and is thriving! Signs of cancer have reduced and she is in no pain. She and her family have explored several National Parks, participated in a Native American ceremony, traveled to 12,000-ft above sea level in the Rocky Mountains and to below sea level in New Orleans. A recent highlight was a hot air balloon ride over central Florida (top photo). LOOK: Biodegradable Urns Will Turn You Into A Tree After You Die On dealing with loss, Norma told Good News Network, “Keep praying every day and God will take care of you, even when it feels like you can’t care for yourself.” After losing the love of her life, her advice is to talk about the good times: “Storytelling is really, really helpful.” RELATED: Love Never Dies for Widow Touring Country in Pink Armor and RV When asked about how to stay positive, Norma simply said “Just keep on going everyday, that’s about it.” And, have fun. Norma has a hard time believing so many people are interested in “little ol’ me” after her Facebook page started blowing up from Good News Network readers. “I’m pleased to know that I can be an inspiration to so many.” You can follow her adventurous antics and send her some love at the Driving Miss Norma on Facebook. SHARE Her Inspiring Story Now, Before the End of Yours… ||||| share tweet pin email She’s 91 and enjoying the road trip of a lifetime. Two days after her husband of 67 years died in July, a woman from Michigan named Norma was diagnosed with uterine cancer. While doctors recommended surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, Norma was having none of it. “I’m 90 years old,” she said, according her daughter-in-law, Ramie. “I’m not doing that.” As Ramie and her husband, Tim, saw it, Norma had two choices. They would find an assisted living facility for her, or she could join them in their retired life on the road and travel the country together. RELATED: Trio of women celebrates 100th birthdays, and a century of friendship “She knows our lifestyle,” said Ramie, who spoke for the family and asked that their last names be withheld. “She said, ‘Yep. I think I’d like to go along.’” Not knowing how much time Norma had, the couple closed up Norma’s house and upgraded to a 36-foot motor home. In late August, the threesome and their standard poodle hit the road on an indefinite trip across the United States. ​Norma waves hello from the J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel Island, Florida They have documented their fun adventures on their Driving Miss Norma Facebook page. Through the trip, the couple is happy to see a twinkle in Norma that shows just “how alive she is” after suffering "deep grief" after losing her husband, Leo, and earlier, her brother, her daughter-in-law says. “We see a spark in her eye that we haven’t seen in a very long time,” Ramie says. “She’s up for most anything.” It’s powerful, she says, to think about what Norma’s life would be like in a facility compared to the sightseeing and other experiences she is having on the road. “She’s living life and not in an end-of-life mentality,” Ramie says. “She’s in the present moment.” From Michigan, the group traveled to Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, saw the bison in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming and they took in the vast Grand Canyon. In New Orleans, they visited The National World War II Museum, where Norma, who served in the Navy as a nurse in the WAVES unit, was treated like a queen. In Florida, they saw the space shuttle at Kennedy Space Center and collected shells on the beach. Norma, who turns 91 next month, is a petite, quiet woman who’s easy to be around and is not in pain or suffering any symptoms of cancer, Ramie says. RELATED: These grandmothers are the world's most adorable flower girls As they looked through comments on their Facebook page last night, Norma expressed gratitude. “She said, ‘I could have never done this without the two of you,’” Ramie recalled. Ramie, 50, and her husband, 58, are also thankful, for the gift of touring the nation with Norma. “We love traveling with her,” Ramie says. “We’ve been to a lot of these places, but we’re seeing them through fresh new eyes and it’s fun to see her reactions and meet people on the road. Jeff A. Thompson Norma enjoys a hot air balloon ride with her son and daughter-in-law last month in Orlando, Florida. “We go out of our way to make her smile,” she said, “and it becomes this ripple effect that’s powerful for all of us.” Norma has a little fun while shopping in Cape Canaveral, Florida. TODAY.com contributor Lisa A. Flam is a news and lifestyles reporter in New York. Follow her on Twitter: @lisaflam ||||| A 90-year old widow who was diagnosed with cancer in her uterus chose to spend the remainder of her life traveling the world instead of fighting the fatal disease. Two days after Norma’s husband, Leo, died from cancer, a urine sample at the doctor’s office found evidence of a tumor in Norma’s uterus. The doctor discussed the surgical treatments, as well as radiation and chemo, but Norma would have none of it. I’m 90-years-old, I’m hitting the road. — Norma I’m 90-years-old, I’m hitting the road. “I’m 90-years-old, I’m hitting the road,” she told her doctor. Since August, she’s been traveling in an RV, touring the world, being driven by her son Tim and her daughter in law, Ramie. Surprisingly, the doctor cheered her on. “As doctors,” he said, “we see what cancer treatment looks like everyday. ICU, nursing homes, awful side effects and honestly, there is no guarantee she will survive the initial surgery to remove the mass. You are doing exactly what I would want to do in this situation. Have a fantastic trip!” Since August, Norma has hit vacation spots from around the country, from taking hot air balloon rides in Palm Springs, California, to exploring Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Norma keeps regular updates of her journey on her Facebook page, which has attracted a diverse groups of fans, among them cancers survivors, children whose parents died of cancer, and just ordinary folks who found her story inspirational. “Miss Norma and family you are an inspiration – a lesson to us all -our time is precious we all need to share it with those we love,” wrote Sandra Thompson, from County Durham, England. The Facebook page has already received more than 50,000 “likes” and 100,000 page views. “Our hearts and minds have been blown! The love that the Driving Miss Norma Team has received from around the world has been astounding,” reads a recent Facebook update. Norma will turn 91 years old in March. The full photographic archive of her travels can be found here. ||||| At 90 years old, a woman from Michigan named Norma is living life to the fullest on a road trip across the United States. Just two days after Norma’s husband of 67 years passed away, she was diagnosed with uterine cancer. Doctors gave her the options of surgery, radiation or chemotherapy. She decided she would forgo any treatment, telling the doctors, “I’m 90 years old, I’m hitting the road.” Norma’s son, Tim, and daughter-in-law, Ramie, are full-time RVers. Since Norma couldn’t live at home alone without her husband, they invited her to join them on the road. Six months later, the three of them, along with their poodle Ringo, are enjoying the trip of a lifetime. Ramie, who spoke for the family, said that Norma is a set of fresh eyes on this indefinite road trip. “She’s very quiet and humble, and then she has this streak of adventure that surprises us.” Adventure is right. After leaving Northern Michigan in August, their first big stop was Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota. From there, they traveled to Yellowstone National Park and then onto the Rocky Mountains. All the while, they've been documenting their adventure on the Driving Miss Norma Facebook page. They’ve experienced the amazing views at the Grand Canyon, they’ve run around Disney World, and they’ve gone whale watching in Florida. Norma’s favorite activity was riding in a hot air balloon in Florida, a Christmas gift from Tim and Ramie. Ramie told ABC News that Norma is feeling better than ever. “She continues to surprise us on this trip," she said. "She’s getting healthier, I think, from eating well and being outside a lot. She’s breathing fresh air and getting to see new things all the time. “She’s with her loved ones and that’s really important,” she added. The trio hopes that Norma’s story will help other families to start conversations about end-of-life plans. “Everyone has different ideas about how they want the end of their life to work," Ramie said. "As a planet, we need to have this conversation.” Norma, Tim, Ramie, and Ringo are currently exploring the state of Florida. Where to next? That’s up to Norma.

– Norma had two choices. She could get treatment for uterine cancer, or she could go on the trip of a lifetime across the US. "I'm 90 years old, I'm hitting the road," she told her doctor in July, opting to skip surgery, radiation, and chemo. Diagnosed two days after the death of her husband of 67 years, Norma is now six months into an epic adventure with her son, Tim; daughter-in-law, Ramie; and the couple's poodle, Ringo, reports ABC News. They left Michigan in August in an RV and have since visited Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone, the Rocky Mountains, Kennedy Space Center, Disney World, Roswell, and the Grand Canyon. The entire trip—with no set end date, per Today.com—is being documented on Facebook via Driving Miss Norma, which has received more than 63,000 likes and 100,000 page views, per the Epoch Times. "Miss Norma and family you are an inspiration—a lesson to us all—our time is precious we all need to share it with those we love," writes one fan in England. Norma tells Good News Network that she's surprised so many people are interested in "little ol' me," but "I'm pleased to know that I can be an inspiration to so many." Her doctor supported her decision, Ramie writes, saying, "You are doing exactly what I would want to do in this situation." "She's getting healthier, I think, from eating well and being outside a lot," Ramie adds. But what is Norma like on the road? "She's very quiet and humble, and then she has this streak of adventure that surprises us," Ramie says. "We see a spark in her eye that we haven't seen in a very long time. She's up for most anything." (A 93-year-old traveled 10,000 miles to be with his lost love.)

Congresswoman Ellmers believes that all Americans have the Constitutional right to bear arms. The Second Amendment clearly reads: “the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” Our founders certainly believed, as we do, that the right to have and use a gun is an individual right that should not be imposed upon by overly intrusive government regulation. Although she believes that gun owners must be responsible for the use and care of their guns, she does not want to see law-abiding gun owners penalized for the actions of criminals. It has become far too easy to place blame on guns, and their accessibility, rather than the criminals themselves. Currently, there are nineteen laws on the books regulating gun purchases and use but more legislation will not result in safer streets, offices or schoolyards. To that end, she is opposed to any measures that would impose further limitations on the right to bear arms. She stands behind our Constitution and the fundamental rights that the Second Amendment affords to all Americans. She will continue to vote to safeguard the liberties of gun owners and to stand up for your freedom to own and purchase firearms. Congresswoman Ellmers' work in the House related to this issue includes the following: A letter to President Obama led by Representative Dan Benishek (R-MI) cautioning him to not circumvent congress to implement gun control. H.Con.Res. 23 -Sponsored by Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA) a resolution opposing the UN Arms Trade Treaty. H.R. 1290 - "To address the interstate transportation of firearms or ammunition" led by Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA)requires a firearm and ammunition to be locked in a container or secured by a gun storage or safety device. This bill also prohibits the arrest or detention of a person for a violation of any state or local law or regulation related to the possession, transportation, or carrying of firearms unless there is probable cause to believe that the person is not acting under federal law. H.R. 2541, sponsored by Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO), Police Officers Protecting Children Act. The bill would amend the Gun Free School Zones Act to allow certain qualified off-duty and retired law enforcement officers to carry within a school zone. The bill is supported by the NRA, Fraternal Order of Police, and the National Sheriffs’ Association. ||||| — U.S. Rep. Renee Ellmers’ husband reported an AR-15 rifle stolen from the family’s home in Dunn last week, according to a police report. The weapon had been left leaning against a gun locker in an unlocked garage on Kingsway Drive, the report said. The rifle, a gun case and a GPS, with a cumulative value of $1,100, were reported stolen, according to Chief J.D. Pope. Police think the theft happened on the night of Oct. 15. “According to the report, they had been out target shooting and brought the gun back and leaned it against the gun safe,” Pope said. “ The garage door was left unsecured, according to the report.” The case remains under investigation and likely will be treated as a burglary, he said. Ellmers’ husband, Brent Ellmers, was listed as the victim, Pope said. The family was unharmed but shaken, said Thomas Doheny, communications director for Ellmers. Doheny confirmed that “several items were stolen” from the congresswoman’s home but said in an email that he couldn’t disclose further information yet. The weapon belonged to Ellmers’ college-aged son, he confirmed. Ellmers was in Washington, D.C., at the time of the theft. “Gun safety is of the utmost importance in their household, which is exactly why she’s so upset and doesn't understand how this happened,” Doheny said. The police report did not indicate whether there was any ammunition in or near the gun or whether there was a lock on it. And unless the gun has been stolen by a minor, it appears unlikely that the reportedly unsecured status of the gun would open its owners to any charge under state or federal gun laws. “Our investigator has probably looked into that, but we’ve not discussed that yet,” Pope said. North Carolina’s gun-storage laws apply only when a minor gains unlawful access to a gun and discharges it, according to Charlotte attorney Thomas Faulk. There are no federal laws requiring gun owners to lock or to prevent minors access to their weapons, according to the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, which advocates for gun-control measures. “A lot of people think there should be a particular statute on the subject, simply saying failure to secure a weapon is in itself a crime, regardless of whether anything bad happens,” said Faulk, who wrote the book Firearms Law of North Carolina. “Having a firearm is a right, but it comes with a responsibility,” he said, speaking of the law in general. However, Mitch Hyatt, a manager of Hyatt Gun Shop in Charlotte, noted that there was room for interpretation. “Maybe there was a gun lock (typically a steel cable) on it that locked the gun from use but didn’t prevent it from being stolen,” he said. “If someone had it, they wouldn’t be able to operate it without cutting the lock off.” Ellmers is a political conservative aligned with the tea party. In the 2012 election, she was endorsed by the National Rifle Association and other pro-gun groups. The police report says there had been no other break-ins in the residential subdivision where Ellmers and her family live, according to The Associated Press. The serial number of the stolen rifle has been added to a national database used by law enforcement to track firearms. Dunn police have named no suspects, Pope said. Kenney: 919-829-4870; Twitter: @KenneyNC

– Pro-gun lawmaker Rep. Renee Ellmers might need to introduce some tough new gun control measures in her own home: An AR-15 rifle was stolen from the congresswoman's home last week after it was left leaning against a gun locker in an unlocked garage, the Raleigh News & Observer reports. The North Carolina Republican was away in Washington, DC, at the time, and police say the weapon belonged to her college-age son, who had left it there after going target shooting with his father. The gun locker and a GPS unit were also stolen, police say. Under state gun-storage laws, charges could be filed if it turns out the gun was stolen by a minor. Ellmers—whose website says she "believes that gun owners must be responsible for the use and care of their guns"—is upset by the theft and the fact that the gun was left unsecured, a spokesman says. "Her family is very big on gun safety and she wants to get to the bottom of this herself," he tells ABC11.

The McMurdo Dry Valleys form the largest ice-free region in Antarctica. They also make up the coldest and driest environments on the planet. Yet, despite these extreme conditions, the valleys' surface is home to a large diversity of microbial life. Now, new evidence suggests that a vast network of salty liquid water exists 1,000 feet below the surface — a finding that lends support to the idea that microbial life may exist beneath Antarctica's surface as well. The finding isn't just exciting for Earth ecologists, however; planetary scientists are intrigued as well. Indeed, finding salty liquid water below Antarctica provides strong support for the idea that Mars, an environment that resembles Antarctic summers, may have similar aquifers beneath its surface — aquifers that could support microscopic life. "We didn't know to what extent life could exist beneath the glaciers." "[Before this study], we didn't know to what extent life could exist beneath the glaciers, beneath hundreds of meters of ice, beneath ice covered lakes and deep into the soil," says Ross Virginia, an ecosystem environmentalist at Dartmouth College and a co-author of the study, published in Nature Communications today. This study opens up "possibilities for better understanding the combinations of factors that might be found on other planets and bodies outside of the Earth" — including Mars. Approximately 4.5 billion years ago, 20 percent of the Martian surface was likely covered in water. Today, Mars may still be home to small amounts of salty liquid water, which would exist on the planet's soil at night before evaporating during the daytime. Taken together, these findings are pretty exciting for those who hope to discover life on Mars — water, after all, is a requirement for life. Unfortunately, researchers have also pointed out that the Martian surface is far too cold for the survival of any known forms of life. That's why some scientists have started to wonder about what may lie beneath the Martian surface. If the extreme environment conditions found in Antarctica's subsurface contains all the elements necessary for life, it's possible that the Martian subsurface might as well. J. Mikucki In the study, researchers flew a helicopter more than 114 square miles over Taylor Valley — the southernmost of the three dry valleys. Below the helicopter, researchers suspended a large antenna. The technology, called SkyTem, acted as an airborne electromagnetic sensor that generated an electromagnetic field capable of penetrating through ice or into the soil in the dry valley. As the antenna surveyed the valley, the electromagnetic field reflected back information that was altered from the original signal depending on whether it encountered a brine or frozen soil or ice, Virginia explains. "So basically we're inferring the distribution of those types of materials based on what is reflected back to these helicopters flying over the surface of Antarctica." "probably much more extensive subsurface environments in Antarctica where life might exist." The results of this study indicate that unfrozen brines — salty and slightly thick water solutions — form an extensive system of interconnected aquifers beneath frozen soils, lakes, and glaciers. The brines may be the result of ancient ocean deposits. They may also be the remnants of an evaporated or frozen ancient lake. "By flying this technology for the first time in Antarctica, we were able to determine that there is this extensive subsurface environment that isn't frozen that contains water and salt at temperatures at which microbial life is expected to exist," Virginia says. And that means that "there are probably much more extensive subsurface environments in Antarctica where life might exist." an extensive system of interconnected aquifers beneath frozen soils The idea that life may exist in unfrozen brines below Antarctica didn't pop out of nowhere. Jill Mikucki, a microbiologist at University of Tennessee and a co-author of this study, has spent some time analyzing brines samples in Blood Falls — an area in the Antarctic that exudes red-colored subglacial brines that are pushed to the surface. "Without drilling, this is our own natural portal for looking at what these brines might be about," Virginia says. Thanks to this work, Mikucki found that the brines are about twice as salty as ocean water. "They also contain densities of microbial cells that are similar to groundwater found in other areas," he says. Moreover, the researchers confirmed their findings regarding the composition of the subsurface by comparing their results to those obtained by researchers who were allowed to drill boreholes into the soil in a small area of the Antarctic in the 1970s. "We took the instrument and flew it over the same zones, and found very similar patterns and results," Virginia says. Now that this initial study is complete, Virginia and his team are hoping to return to survey a larger area using more recent technology. This kind of research is important because it provides an opportunity to ask a set of new questions about what the limits to life are, where life exists on Earth, and how widespread these ecosystems might be, Virginia says. "I think that habitats suitable for life are just about everywhere on this planet, and learning about these environments is important not only for understanding life on Earth but also for understanding life on other planets," he says. "Fundamentally this type of work just tells us more about ourselves." Besides, "we need to understand Earth, to understand Mars." ||||| Although it's often thought of as a vast space of nothing but ice, Jill Mikucki found Antarctica to be a place of overwhelming beauty. Mikucki, an assistant professor of microbiology at the University of Tennessee, said she's led to research there by the many unanswered questions. "Antarctica is still one of those places where you can still ask, ‘Is there life here?' " Mikucki said. Although life on the frozen continent has long been studied, Mikucki was lead author for a research team that looked for life beneath the surface. Their research included time spent in Antarctica during 2011. The continent's glaciers conceal a whole subsurface ecosystem. What Mikucki and the international team of researchers found shows the impact of ancient climate change and points to life that could survive extreme conditions, including on other planets. The team found areas beneath the surface of the ice that can sustain life, and they believe microbes live in the newly found areas. The team used an electromagnetic mapping sensor system called SkyTEM that was mounted to a helicopter and flew over several glaciers to find brines, or water saturated with salt, which formed waterways beneath glaciers. The sensor was developed at the University of Aarhus in Denmark, one of the institutions with participating researchers in the study, and was used for the first time for the study. Brine can also reflect previous climate change and have an imprint that's still left today, Mikucki said. She said what's below the surface could be entering the ocean, and that affects what's available in those waters, changing the ocean food webs. One of the areas the team studied was the Taylor Glacier and a part of the glacier called Blood Falls, the water of which has a red coloring. The coloring comes from iron in the water that surfaces and oxidizes like rust, Mikucki said. Potential life in the brine at Blood Falls is a sign that life can survive in extreme conditions. Mikucki said those organisms would be capable of living in freezing temperatures, in salty liquid and in the dark beneath the glacier. So knowing organisms can live in those conditions shows what types of organisms could be on such other planets as Mars, Mikucki said. She said the research, a collaborative effort by scientists from various disciplines, sets the stage for more research to be done about where organisms live in Antarctica. "Where next?" she said. ||||| Antarctica's Dry Valleys are the most arid places on Earth, but underneath their icy soils lies a vast and ancient network of salty, liquid water filled with life, a new study finds. The Dry Valleys are almost entirely ice-free, except for a few isolated glaciers. The only surface water is a handful of small lakes. Inside the canyons, the climate is extremely dry, cold and windy; researchers have stumbled upon mummified seals in these gorges that are thousands of years old. Yet there is life in this extreme landscape. For instance, bacteria living under Taylor Glacier stain its snout a deep blood red. The rust-colored brine, called Blood Falls, pours into Lake Bonney in the southernmost of the three largest Dry Valleys. The dramatic colors offer shocking relief to senses overwhelmed by the glaring white ice and dull brown rocks. [The 10 Driest Places on Earth] Now, for the first time, scientists have traced the water underneath Taylor Glacier to learn more about the mysterious Blood Falls. In the process, the researchers discovered that briny water underlies much of Taylor Valley. The subsurface network connects the valley's scattered lakes, revealing that they're not as isolated as scientists once thought. The findings were published today (April 28) in the journal Nature Communications. "We've learned so much about the dry valleys in Antarctica just by looking at this curiosity," said lead study author Jill Mikucki, a microbiologist at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. "Blood Falls is not just an anomaly, it's a portal to this subglacial world." Mikucki led an international research team that tested a newly developed airborne electromagnetic sensor in Taylor Valley. The flying contraption is a large, six-sided transmitter suspended beneath a helicopter. The instrument creates a magnetic field that picks up conductivity differences in the ground to a depth of about 1,000 feet (300 meters). "Salty water shone like a beacon," Mikucki said. A helicopter flies a transmitter across Lake Frxyell, Antarctica. Credit: L. Jansan The researchers found liquid water underneath the icy soil in Taylor Valley, stretching from the coast to at least 7.5 miles (12 kilometers) inland. The water is twice as salty as seawater, the scientists reported. There is also briny water underneath Taylor Glacier as far back as the instrument could detect, about 3 miles (5 km) up the glacier, the researchers said. Eventually, the ice was too thick for the magnetic field to penetrate. "This study shows Blood Falls isn't just a weird little seep," Mikucki told Live Science. "It may be representative of a much larger hydrologic network." Water underneath Taylor Valley could have turned extremely salty in two ways: The brines could be due to freezing and evaporation of larger lakes that once filled the valley. Or, ocean water may have once flooded the canyons, leaving remnants behind as it retreated. The new findings will help researchers pin down the valley's aquatic history. "I find it a very interesting and exciting study because the hydrology of the Dry Valleys has a complicated history and there's been very little data abut what's happening in the subsurface," said Dawn Sumner, a geobiologist at the University of California, Davis, who was not involved in the study. Scientists are also intrigued by the new results because the Dry Valleys are considered one of the closest analogs to Mars that are located on Earth. Similar briny groundwater could have formed on Mars when the planet transitioned from having liquid water to a dry environment, Sumner said. Finally, the findings may change views of Antarctica's coastal margins, Mikucki said. Now that scientists know Taylor Valley's groundwater seeps into the ocean, further research may reveal that coastal regions are important nutrient sources for Antarctica's iron-depleted seas, she said. Follow Becky Oskin @beckyoskin. Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Originally published on Live Science. ||||| The McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica are some of the most extreme desert regions on the planet. But new research indicates that the region may actually be full of salty, extremely cold groundwater. The water may even connect surrounding lakes into a massive network, and it probably hosts extreme microbial life. The findings were reported Tuesday in Nature Communications. Despite McMurdo's apparent dryness on the surface, it's always hinted at something more: The region is home to the magnificently creepy Blood Falls, a red ooze that shines bright against the otherwise desolate surface. For a while scientists believed that red algae gave this mysterious, bloody ooze its vibrant color. But even though iron oxide is responsible for the hue, analysis has shown that the feature does contain strange bacterial life. Blood Falls seeps from the end of the Taylor Glacier into Lake Bonney. The tent at theleft provides a sense of scale for just how big the phenomenon is. (Peter Rejcek, National Science Foundation) Scientists knew that ooze had to be coming up from somewhere, but were surprised to find just how extensive the valley's briny waterways might be. "I’ve been studying Blood Falls for quite some time, and it’s always been a mystery," said lead study author Jill Mikucki of the University of Tennessee. As a microbiologist, she's long been interested in the communities that live in the oozy brine. [Critters found in Antarctic ice show how tenacious life is] A helicopter flies the AEM sensor over Lake Frxyell in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica. (L. Jansan) She and her colleagues used an electromagnetic sensor mounted on a helicopter to scope out the area, testing the conductivity of the ground below. Water increases its resistivity as it freezes, meaning that it's less conductive of electrical currents. But salty water -- which can stay liquid at lower temperatures -- have very low resistivity. "We found, as expected, that there was something sourcing Blood Falls," Mikucki said, "and we found that these brines were more widespread than previously thought. They appear to connect these surface lakes that appear separated on the ground. That means there's the potential for a much more extensive subsurface ecosystem, which I'm pretty jazzed about." It's possible that this extensive brine isn't unique to the valley, Mikucki explained, and that subsurface ecosystems of extreme microbes might be connected to visible lakes, and perhaps even interact with the ocean. "It turns out that as beautiful and visceral as Blood Falls is in these valleys, it's actually just a blip. It's a little defect in this much more exciting feature," she said. [This tiny animal can survive basically anything, including the vacuum of space] She hopes that the team will be able to go back and survey more areas to see just how connected the lakes of Antarctica are, and how much these subsurface brines interact with oceans at the coast. As with all work in the Dry Valleys, everything her team does is as useful for space exploration as it is for research on Earth. "Scientists have been using the Dry Valleys to test instruments since the Viking missions," Mikucki said. "So how we detect the brines and access them is relevant to work on places like Mars." [Why NASA’s top scientist is sure that we’ll find signs of alien life in the next decade] And if we find life on another planet, it's most likely going to look like the life we find in Antarctica. The subsurface lake Vostok, which is now thought to contain extensive (and quite alien) life, is often cited as an example of what might be found on Europa, Jupiter's ice-and-ocean covered moon. Recent studies on Mars found evidence of brines on that planet, which could presumably have supported life once as well. On our planet, these subsurface waters host only the most extreme forms of life. But elsewhere in the universe, the same conditions might be as hospitable as a planet gets. "The subsurface is actually pretty attractive when you think about life on other planets. It’s cold and dark and has all these strikes against it, but it’s protected from the harsh environment on the surface," Mikucki said. Want more science? Give these a click: Two new exoplanets are more Earth-like than any we’ve found before New NASA research says Mars once had a large ocean 150,000 of these bacteria could fit on the tip of a hair (and that’s about as small as life can get)

– The chillingly named Blood Falls is a fascinating feature of Antarctica's landscape: Interrupting the blanket of frozen white, the falls is a liquid, rusty red. (It's no coincidence that the falls looks rusty: The water gets its color from oxidized iron it carries.) And, as a researcher tells LiveScience, it also provides a gateway to a "subglacial world." Under Taylor Glacier, home to the falls, is briny water: In fact, the area under what's known as Taylor Valley contains salty water that links lakes around the region. "This study shows Blood Falls isn't just a weird little seep," researcher Jill Mikucki says. "It may be representative of a much larger hydrologic network." There appears to be a whole ecosystem down there, suggests Mikucki, per the Knoxville News Sentinel. Her team says it probably hosts microbes, and experts believe conditions in the area are among the most similar on Earth to conditions on Mars. So microbes that live there could offer "possibilities for better understanding the combinations of factors that might be found on other planets," co-author Ross Virginia tells the Verge. Mikucki's team made its findings using an electromagnetic sensor that dangled from a helicopter. It was able to detect salty water, scanning for conductivity as deep as 1,000 feet. Salt water has relatively high conductivity, the Washington Post reports, and Mikucki tells LiveScience it "shone like a beacon." (Remarkable technology has also recently been used to study the thickness of Antarctic ice.)

Walk into a college lecture these days and you'll see legions of students sitting behind glowing screens, pecking away at keyboards. Presumably, they're using the computers to take notes, so they better remember the course material. But new research shows that if learning is their goal, using a laptop during class is a terrible idea. taking notes by hand forces you to actively listen and decide what's important It's not just because internet-connected laptops are so distracting. It's because even if students aren't distracted, the act of taking notes on a computer actually seems to interfere with their ability to remember information. Pam Mueller and Daniel Oppenheimer, the psychologists who conducted the new research, believe it's because students on laptops usually just mindlessly type everything a professor says. Those taking notes by hand, though, have to actively listen and decide what's important — because they generally can't write fast enough to get everything down — which ultimately helps them learn. Laptop users remember less information later on The psychologists' new paper involved three different studies comparing students' recall after taking notes on a (non-internet connected) laptop versus by hand, with 327 undergraduates from UCLA and Princeton in total. For the first study, the students watched a 15-minute TED talk and took notes on it, then took a test on it half an hour afterward. Some of the test questions were straightforward, asking for a particular figure or fact, while others were conceptual, and asked students to compare or analyze ideas. The two groups of students — laptop users and hand-writers — did pretty similarly on the factual questions. But the laptop users did significantly worse on the conceptual ones: The researchers also noticed that the laptop users took down many more words, and were more likely to take down speech from the video verbatim. To see if this rote note-taking was part of the problem, for the second study, they explicitly instructed some of the laptop users to do otherwise: "Take notes in your own words and don’t just write down word-for-word what the speaker is saying," they said. The overachieving college students, though, were a heedlessly diligent bunch. Even in this study, the laptop users were once again much more likely to take down notes from the videos verbatim, and once again performed more poorly on the conceptual questions — whether they'd gotten the instructions to avoid word-for-word notes or not. the laptop users performed similarly on factual questions, but significantly worse on conceptual ones Both of these studies, though, eliminated a key benefit of laptop note-taking: the ability to look over a much more complete set of notes while studying. So as a final test, the researchers had students watch a seven-minute lecture (taking notes either on a laptop or by hand), let a week pass, then gave some of the students ten minutes to study their notes before taking a test. Having time to study mattered — but only for students who'd taken notes by hand. These students did significantly better on both conceptual and factual questions. But studying didn't help laptop users at all, and even made them perform slightly worse on the test. The researchers explain this by noting previous research showing the act of note-taking can be just as important as a later study of notes in helping students learn. When done with pen and paper, that act involves active listening, trying to figure out what information is most important, and putting it down. When done on a laptop, it generally involves robotically taking in spoken words and converting them into typed text. Laptops are also incredibly distracting This new research suggests that even when students aren't doing anything else, taking notes on a laptop hinders their ability to learn. This is something of a surprise. What isn't a surprise, though, is that real-life students that use laptops seldom focus on the lecture. research shows students who use laptops perform more poorly in classes You probably know this if you've looked across a lecture hall recently. But in case you want confirmation from professionals, research on both undergrads and law students has shown that those who use laptops have something unrelated to class up on their screens around 40 percent of the time. Ultimately, they perform more poorly in classes and rate themselves as less satisfied with their college educations. None of this is rocket science. You're on the internet right now, and there's a good chance you're reading this article while distracted from work you're supposed to be doing. I work on the internet all day and still find it immensely distracting — and at times, I turn it off to focus on something. But the crazy thing is that the many college students being distracted by their laptops are simultaneously paying tens of thousands of dollars for the privilege of doing so. Science and common sense are both pretty clear here. If you want to learn something from a class or lecture — or, from that matter, a meeting, conference, or any other situation where you're basically sitting and listening — you're best off taking notes with pen and paper. Read more: Re-reading is inefficient. Here are 8 tips for studying smarter. ||||| Abstract Taking notes on laptops rather than in longhand is increasingly common. Many researchers have suggested that laptop note taking is less effective than longhand note taking for learning. Prior studies have primarily focused on students’ capacity for multitasking and distraction when using laptops. The present research suggests that even when laptops are used solely to take notes, they may still be impairing learning because their use results in shallower processing. In three studies, we found that students who took notes on laptops performed worse on conceptual questions than students who took notes longhand. We show that whereas taking more notes can be beneficial, laptop note takers’ tendency to transcribe lectures verbatim rather than processing information and reframing it in their own words is detrimental to learning. ||||| Our brain must understand that each possible iteration of, say, an “a” is the same, no matter how we see it written. Being able to decipher the messiness of each “a” may be more helpful in establishing that eventual representation than seeing the same result repeatedly. “This is one of the first demonstrations of the brain being changed because of that practice,” Dr. James said. In another study, Dr. James is comparing children who physically form letters with those who only watch others doing it. Her observations suggest that it is only the actual effort that engages the brain’s motor pathways and delivers the learning benefits of handwriting. The effect goes well beyond letter recognition. In a study that followed children in grades two through five, Virginia Berninger, a psychologist at the University of Washington, demonstrated that printing, cursive writing, and typing on a keyboard are all associated with distinct and separate brain patterns — and each results in a distinct end product. When the children composed text by hand, they not only consistently produced more words more quickly than they did on a keyboard, but expressed more ideas. And brain imaging in the oldest subjects suggested that the connection between writing and idea generation went even further. When these children were asked to come up with ideas for a composition, the ones with better handwriting exhibited greater neural activation in areas associated with working memory — and increased overall activation in the reading and writing networks. It now appears that there may even be a difference between printing and cursive writing — a distinction of particular importance as the teaching of cursive disappears in curriculum after curriculum. In dysgraphia, a condition where the ability to write is impaired, sometimes after brain injury, the deficit can take on a curious form: In some people, cursive writing remains relatively unimpaired, while in others, printing does.

– It might be tempting to haul your laptop into class, but in terms of learning, you may not be doing yourself a favor. A set of studies suggests that students learn better when they take notes by hand, Vox reports. Researchers reached their conclusions after studying test results by a total of 327 students at Princeton and UCLA. In the first study, students watched a TED Talk; some took notes by hand, others by computer. Then they took a test on the talk, and while both groups were comparable in their ability to answer factual questions, those who hand-wrote their notes beat those who typed on conceptual questions, Vox notes. Two other studies in the same series showed similar results. In the journal Psychological Science, researchers offer a possible reason for the difference: "Laptop note takers’ tendency to transcribe lectures verbatim rather than processing information and reframing it in their own words is detrimental to learning." Indeed, as an expert told the New York Times last year: "When we write, a unique neural circuit is automatically activated," said psychologist Stanislas Dehaene. "There is a core recognition of the gesture in the written word, a sort of recognition by mental simulation in your brain." So next time you're looking to learn, maybe leave the laptop at home. (Are Tennessee lawmakers onto something?)

Mohammed al-Nimr, the father of Ali al-Nimr, appealed this week to Saudi King Salman to spare the life of his son. ( STR / AFP/GETTY IMAGES ) Ali Mohammed al-Nimr’s crucifixion is imminent. Rights groups and UN experts are demanding Saudi Arabia immediately halt the execution of the pro-democracy protester, who was arrested when he was a child. “It’s a rare sentence. This is not something they do every day,” Catherine Higham, a researcher at Reprieve, a U.K.-based human rights group, said about the sentence of death by crucifixion. “The person is beheaded, normally by sword, and then their body is displayed in a public place on a jibbet. The reason the sentence is quite unusual is that it is used to make an example of people,” Higham told the Star. Nimr was a 17-year-old high school student when he was arrested in 2012 for participating in pro-democracy protests in Saudi Arabia’s eastern province during the wider Arab Spring movement. Article Continued Below His confession was allegedly obtained through torture and ill-treatment during interrogation, and Nimr did not have a lawyer or a fair trial, a group of UN experts said this week. Nimr was sentenced to death by crucifixion last year; the punishment was upheld this month. The young man can be executed as soon as Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud ratifies the order, Amnesty International said. “We call upon the Saudi authorities to ensure a fair retrial of Ali Mohammed al-Nimr, and to immediately halt the scheduled execution,” the UN experts said. Nimr’s uncle is also a prominent Shia cleric in Saudi Arabia. Nimr al-Nimr has advocated for an end to government corruption and discrimination against the country’s Shia minority. He was sentenced to death in 2014 for “inciting sectarian strife” and disobeying the Saudi ruler after a trial Amnesty International called “deeply flawed.” Higham said the younger Nimr’s sentence is meant to send a message. “He was arrested because of a perceived role in protests in 2012, which was part of the Arab Spring movement for a more democratic voice in the Middle East, for more self-determination, more political participation,” she said. “I think the sentence against Ali is very much designed as a warning to others to dissuade them from taking these kinds of political stances.” Meanwhile, Reporters Without Borders revealed on Monday that a Saudi official has been appointed to head a five-member panel that advises the UN Human Rights Council. “The appointment is grotesque,” RWB’s Alexandra El Khazen said in a statement. Canada, which recently signed a $15-billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia, has also not addressed Nimr’s case. A spokesperson for Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada did not address Nimr’s case specifically when asked to comment by the Star. “The promotion and protection of human rights is an integral part of Canada’s foreign policy. We maintain an ongoing dialogue with Saudi Arabia on a number of issues, including human rights,” John Babcock said in an e-mailed statement. “The Government of Canada regularly makes its views on human rights known to Saudi authorities and the international community. Canadian officials continue to engage Saudi authorities and encourage them to respect their country’s obligations under international human rights legislation.” Saudi Arabia executed more than 100 people in the first half of this year — that amounts to one person killed every two days, Amnesty said in an August report. The report found that foreign nationals are especially vulnerable to being sentenced to death, and that the country continues to execute individuals under the age of 18 and those with mental disabilities. In a recent interview with Agence France-Presse, Nimr’s father, Mohammed, said his son participated in the protests but was innocent of other related charges, including throwing a Molotov cocktail, attacking police and burglary. He called on King Salman to intervene. “We hope that the king will not sign” the execution order, Mohammed told AFP. Read more about: ||||| These crawls are part of an effort to archive pages as they are created and archive the pages that they refer to. That way, as the pages that are referenced are changed or taken from the web, a link to the version that was live when the page was written will be preserved.Then the Internet Archive hopes that references to these archived pages will be put in place of a link that would be otherwise be broken, or a companion link to allow people to see what was originally intended by a page's authors.The goal is to fix all broken links on the web . Crawls of supported "No More 404" sites. ||||| GENEVA (22 September 2015) – A group of United Nations human rights experts* today urged the Government of Saudi Arabia to halt the execution of Ali Mohammed al-Nimr, who was convicted for a crime reportedly committed as a child. He may be executed at any time. “Saudi Arabia may so far this year have executed at least 134 people, which already represents 44 more than the total for the whole of last year,” they noted. “Such a surge in executions in the country makes Saudi Arabia a sad exception in a world where States are increasingly moving away from the death penalty.” Ali Mohammed al-Nimr, a high school student, was arrested in 2012 by the Saudi authorities when he was 17 for his participation in Arab Spring protests in Qatif, Eastern Province. During his arrest and detention, he was reportedly subjected to torture and ill treatment by the General Investigation Directorate, which coerced him to confess the charges against him. “Confessions obtained under torture are unacceptable and cannot be used as evidence before court,” the experts stressed. “Any judgment imposing the death penalty upon persons who were children at the time of the offence , and their execution, are incompatible with Saudi Arabia’s international obligations,” they said, while recalling the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Saudi Arabia is a party. In May 2015, the Specialized Criminal Court (SCC) sentenced Mr. al-Nimr to death, for, inter alia, joining a criminal group and attacking police forces, after proceedings which fell short of international standards, and confirmed its sentence in September. “Mr. al-Nimr did not receive a fair trial and his lawyer was not allowed to properly assist him and was prevented from accessing the case file,” the independent experts said. Reliable information indicates that even the appeal undertaken by his lawyer was heard without any prior notification and treated with a complete disregard for international standards. “International law, accepted as binding by Saudi Arabia, provides that capital punishment may only be imposed following trials that comply with the most stringent requirements of fair trial and due process, or could otherwise be considered an arbitrary execution,” they stated. “In light of reports that the trial against Mr. al-Nimr fell short of such standards, we call upon the Saudi authorities to ensure a fair retrial of Ali Mohammed al-Nimr, and to immediately halt the scheduled execution,” the experts added. It is reported that at least two other individuals who were children at the time they were arrested for their participation in the protests in Qatif in 2012 were also sentenced to death. They are at risk of an imminent execution. “We urge the Saudi authorities to establish a moratorium on the use of the death penalty, halt executions of persons convicted who were children at the time of the offence, and ensure a prompt and impartial investigation into all alleged acts of torture,” the experts underscored. (*) The experts: Christof Heyns, UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; Juan E. Méndez, UN Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; and Benyam Mezmur, current Chairperson of the UN Committee on the Rights of Child. The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity. Learn more, log on to: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/SP/Pages/Welcomepage.aspx The Committee on the Rights of the Child is the body of 18 independent experts that monitors implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by its State parties. It also monitors the Optional Protocols to the Convention, on involvement of children in armed conflict and on sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography; as well as a third Optional Protocol which will allow individual children to submit complaints regarding specific violations of their rights. Learn more: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/CRC/Pages/CRCIndex.aspx Check the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/CCPR.aspx And the Convention on the Rights of the Child: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/CRC.aspx UN Human Rights, Country Page – Saudi Arabia: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Countries/MENARegion/Pages/SAIndex.aspx For more information and media requests please contact Johel Dominique (+41 22 928 93 98 / jdominique@ohchr.org) or write to eje@ohchr.org For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts: Xabier Celaya, UN Human Rights – Media Unit (+ 41 22 917 9383 / xcelaya@ohchr.org) UN Human Rights, follow us on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/unitednationshumanrights Twitter: http://twitter.com/UNrightswire Google+ gplus.to/unitednationshumanrights YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/UNOHCHR Check the Universal Human Rights Index: http://uhri.ohchr.org/en ||||| Dubai (AFP) - The father of a Shiite youth facing execution for taking part in pro-reform protests appealed to Saudi Arabia's King Salman on Wednesday to spare his life. The sentence against Ali al-Nimr, only 17 when he was arrested in February 2012, has drawn international condemnation over his young age at the time and allegations that he was tortured into making a confession. It is the latest case to highlight use of the death penalty and human rights in the Islamic kingdom, which Amnesty International says is one of the world's most prolific executioners. In an interview with AFP, Mohammed al-Nimr said he hoped the king would save his son. "We hope that the king will not sign" the execution order, Nimr said, after Saudi Arabia's highest court confirmed the death sentence, leaving his son's fate in the monarch's hands. Nimr warned that if his son is put to death the minority Shiite community could react violently, something he does not want to happen. "We don't need that; we don't need even one drop of blood," he said. The youth is a nephew of Nimr al-Nimr, a Shiite religious leader who is also on death row. Mohammed al-Nimr, a businessman from Dammam in eastern Saudi Arabia, was in Riyadh to visit his jailed brother for the Muslim feast of sacrifice, Eid al-Adha, which falls on Thursday. View gallery Saudi youth Ali al-Nimr is facing the death penalty for taking part in pro-reform rally in 2012 (AFP … Nimr al-Nimr was a driving force behind demonstrations that began four years ago in Eastern Province. Most of Sunni-dominated Saudi Arabia's Shiites live in the east, and have complained of marginalisation. Ali al-Nimr's father admitted that his son, then a high school student, had joined thousands of other people in protest. But he insisted that Ali was innocent on numerous other charges including burglary, attacking police and using a Molotov cocktail. The court sentenced Ali al-Nimr to death but gave no further details. Execution in the kingdom is usually carried out by the sword, sometimes in public. - 'High morale' - France's foreign ministry appealed on Wednesday for a stay of execution, voicing concern that the youth had been "condemned to death even though he was a minor at the time of the incident". View gallery Shiite cleric and goverment critic Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr lies wounded in the back of a police car, fol … France opposes the death penalty in all circumstances, a foreign ministry spokesman added. On Tuesday, UN rights experts also called for Ali al-Nimr's life to be spared. They said in a statement that the youth was reportedly tortured, coerced into a confession and denied adequate access to a lawyer before and during a trial that did not meet international standards. "Any judgement imposing the death penalty upon persons who were children at the time of the offence, and their execution, are incompatible with Saudi Arabia’s international obligations," the experts said. Mohammed al-Nimr said his last monthly visit with his son in Dammam jail came three weeks ago, and he expects to see him again this week. "I am sure that his morale is very high, and he is strong," the father said, adding that the family is buoyed by the outpouring of global support on social media. But not everyone is calling for clemency. Many online commentators said the death sentence should be carried out. "Very soon we will rejoice with the execution of this terrorist," said one tweet. Ali al-Nimr is one of six sons and daughters in his family. Mohammed al-Nimr said his son and Nimr al-Nimr, are among eight Shiites who have exhausted all court appeals against death sentences imposed after the protests. Ali al-Nimr is the youngest of those eight, he said. Saudi Arabia has executed 133 locals and foreigners this year, according to an AFP tally, compared with 87 last year. "Saudi Arabia has been on an execution spree in 2015, but beheading a child offender whose trial was unfair would be an appalling new low," Joe Stork, the deputy Middle East director of Human Rights Watch, said last week. Local activists are also worried about the threat to Ali al-Nimr's life. "It's a very painful story," said one Eastern Province activist, asking for anonymity.

– Ali Mohammed al-Nimr, a Saudi pro-democracy protester arrested when he was 17, has been sentenced to a grisly death, and activists fear his crucifixion could take place any day unless authorities step in. Activists say al-Nimr, who is now 21, was tortured into confessing, and United Nations human rights experts have issued a statement urging Saudi Arabia to give him a fair trial. Pope Francis has asked the Saudis to call it off, too, reports Reuters. The UN officials warn that executing people who were children at the time of the offense is "incompatible" with the kingdom's international obligations. A spokeswoman for the human rights group Reprieve tells NBC that the case is an "outrage" and the US and other Saudi allies should not be staying silent over the "utterly unjustified sentence." Crucifixion is an unusual sentence in Saudi Arabia and activists say the kingdom appears to be trying to send a message to other protesters. "This is not something they do every day," a Reprieve researcher tells the Toronto Star. "The person is beheaded, normally by sword, and then their body is displayed in a public place" on some kind of gallows or cross. "The reason the sentence is quite unusual is that it is used to make an example of people." Al-Nimr is a member of the country's Shiite minority, and his father, who has urged King Salman not to sign the execution order, tells AFP that he fears the sentence could provoke violent clashes. (Saudi Arabia has dramatically stepped up its execution rate this year and is hiring more executioners.)

It’s too bad there isn’t more of him in “Molly’s Game,” because, despite Ms. Chastain’s charisma and gift for delivering Mr. Sorkin’s fast talk, Molly isn’t interesting. Things happen to her, but most of the action and fun is at the table. Mr. Sorkin has written some sharp characters and cast them accordingly, tapping actors like Mr. Strong, Chris O’Dowd and a terrific Bill Camp, the protagonist in an affecting mini-tragedy in three acts (stoicism, disintegration and heartbreak). All the while, Molly smiles on the side, suffers a setback, moves to New York and racks up big money from card games that, at their best, turn into condensed pocket-size dramas, by turns triumphant and catastrophic. Mr. Sorkin tries to deepen Molly’s story and the stakes in several ways, partly through her legal troubles. Soon after the movie opens, the F.B.I. busts her, which leads her to Charlie Jaffey (Idris Elba), an expensive lawyer who becomes her passionate champion. This gives Mr. Sorkin a second line of action (and an office for discussions), allowing him to switch between Molly’s high-flying past (shuffle, deal, play) and her present-day troubles. As the story unfolds, the past catches up to the present and Mr. Sorkin keeps trying to invest Molly’s story with meaning, mostly through a little family psychodrama and some deeply unpersuasive feminism, including by casting her as a victim of men. It’s hard not to guffaw when, after Molly loses one game, she speaks of her “powerlessness over the unfair whims of men.” But while it’s silly it’s also patronizing, because by attempting to portray Molly as any kind of female victim — and by glossing over her culpability — Mr. Sorkin only ends up denying this character her agency. Just as dubiously, when Molly is at her most vulnerable, he trots out a series of male authority figures, including her estranged father (Kevin Costner), who speak at and for her, who excuse her past, vouch for her character and enthuse about her future. They replace all the slick bros at the poker table and, taken together, make quite a paternal choir. It’s a striking progression for a movie that tries, altogether too feebly, to put a feminist spin on a woman who made bank through an illegal gambling ring. Empowerment is one way to look at this story, though only if you sentimentalize its main character. It is hard not to wonder how this movie might have turned out if Mr. Sorkin had decided his protagonist was as much a weasel as the one he wrote for “The Social Network,” another story of an American striver. It’s hard not to wonder, too, how this story might play if its protagonist wasn’t a woman who, as this movie sees it, needed so much male defending. ||||| Close Get email notifications on Calvin Wilson daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. Whenever Calvin Wilson posts new content, you'll get an email delivered to your inbox with a link. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. ||||| Published on Oct 5, 2017 Molly's Game Trailer #2 (2017): Check out the new trailer starring Idris Elba, Jessica Chastain, and Chris O'Dowd! Be the first to watch, comment, and share trailers and movie teasers/clips dropping soon @MovieclipsTrailers. ► Buy Tickets: https://www.fandango.com/molly'sgame_... Watch more Trailers: ► HOT New Trailers Playlist: http://bit.ly/2hp08G1 ► What to Watch Playlist: http://bit.ly/2ieyw8G ► Even More on COMING SOON: http://bit.ly/H2vZUn Molly Bloom, a young skier and former Olympic hopeful becomes a successful entrepreneur (and a target of an FBI investigation) when she establishes a high-stakes, international poker game. About Movieclips Trailers: ► Subscribe to TRAILERS:http://bit.ly/sxaw6h ► We’re on SNAPCHAT: http://bit.ly/2cOzfcy ► Like us on FACEBOOK: http://bit.ly/1QyRMsE ► Follow us on TWITTER:http://bit.ly/1ghOWmt The Fandango MOVIECLIPS Trailers channel is your destination for hot new trailers the second they drop. The Fandango MOVIECLIPS Trailers team is here day and night to make sure all the hottest new movie trailers are available whenever, wherever you want them. ||||| Molly Bloom’s 2014 memoir “Molly’s Game” was more of a tell-some than a tell-all. In the book, the former freestyle skiing Olympic hopeful discussed the accident that derailed her athletic career. Mainly, she wrote about her improbable career running a pricey, underground poker game in Los Angeles and, later, in New York City, where she ran afoul of mobsters, drugs and the feds, who arrested Bloom as part of a mafia investigation. Her book named names, up to a point. Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Affleck and Tobey Maguire were among her A-list regulars, blowing through cash like Kleenex. But her memoir left a lot out, and that’s where writer-director Aaron Sorkin’s movie “Molly’s Game,” taking place before and after the publication of her book, comes in. It’s a good, brash biopic. For the first hour it’s very nearly terrific. Jessica Chastain plays Molly, driven hard by her taskmaster father (Kevin Costner), growing up in a fiercely competitive family. Years later in LA, Molly gets a job working for an industry bottom-feeder (Jeremy Strong, clearly fresh off a Giovanni Ribisi weasel workshop) who hosts a weekly poker game. Molly’s duties include recruiting high-rollers who might want to pal around with movie stars over huge, steaming piles of chips. Michael Cera plays one such star, euphemized in Sorkin’s script as “Player X.” The names of the real-life gamblers in Bloom’s book have been changed, presumably, to protect the litigious. Like Sorkin’s Oscar-winning “Social Network” screenplay, this one’s a shrewd welter of flashbacks and present-day scenes. Everything builds to the moment when Molly determines whether to plead guilty to the feds’ charges. Along the way she locks horns and trades high-speed banter with her silky-smooth attorney. Idris Elba is a godsend in this role, one that requires a fast mouth (it’s Sorkin), a lively wit and fire in the eyes. That last quality’s particularly helpful when there’s a ton of legalese to carve up and serve to the audience. Chastain’s aces in “Molly’s Game,” capturing both the Colorado free spirit and, as Elba’s character says, “the Cinemax version” of herself once she establishes a reputation as the notorious “poker princess” riding for a fall. “I’d always figured sophistication would be easy to learn if I ever needed it,” Molly reckons in voice-over. The “fall” part rarely is as easy, or as fun, as the “rise” in a fact-based chronicle of ambition, greed and moral compromise. In the second half of this longish film (140 minutes with credits), Sorkin struggles to accommodate Molly wrestling with her father issues, and her mission to have “power over powerful men.” Here the writing gets blunt and a little less artful. These later scenes hark back to some of the lesser sequences in Sorkin’s “Steve Jobs” script. The best of “Molly’s Game,” however, is more on the “Social Network” level, edgy and rhythmic. This is Sorkin’s feature directorial debut, and I’m happy to say it doesn’t look that way. Michael Phillips is the Chicago Tribune film critic. "Molly's Game" -- 3 stars MPAA rating: R (for language, drug content and some violence) Running time: 2:20 Opens: Monday (Dec. 25) RELATED: Michael Phillips review of 'The Social Network,' Aaron Sorkin's Oscar-winning docudrama » Aaron Sorkin's portrait of a belligerent titan: 'Steve Jobs' » Aaron Sorkin talks about 'Molly's Game,' his directorial debut » Check out the latest movie reviews from Michael Phillips and the Chicago Tribune. ||||| 'Molly's Game' Is Aces Enlarge this image toggle caption Michael Gibson/STXfilms Michael Gibson/STXfilms Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain) is a fighter. When a freak accident on the slopes sidelines her bid to become an Olympic skier — an accident from which she insists upon walking away — she moves to Los Angeles and gets a job as a cocktail waitress. The entire arc of her brief skiing career is established in the film's snappily paced, frenetically edited opening sequence. I counted more than a hundred shots in 90 seconds; director Aaron Sorkin is letting us know that he knows what he's doing. (Sorkin, of course, has created many fast-talking characters on The West Wing and in movies like A Few Good Men and The Social Network; this is his first time sitting in the director's chair — though given the breakneck pacing of Molly's Game, it's hard to believe there was a lot of sitting involved.) Molly meets Dean (Jeremy Strong) while working at the bar, and gets hired as his office assistant. He's got rich friends — famous actors and international businessmen — for whom he organizes a regular high-stakes poker game. Molly's great at running the game for Dean, but when they part company, she starts her own game, with even higher stakes, taking his movie stars and high rollers with her. She gets so successful that she's soon running a game in New York, writing a book ... and getting shut down by the FBI. She finds a lawyer (Idris Elba) who can keep up with her, and their trademark, Sorkinian back-and-forth dialogue is exhilarating, even if it doesn't reveal a lot about their interior lives. If Molly has a boyfriend, or a sweet tooth, or a cat, you won't find out from what's onscreen. But Sorkin makes the finer points of poker — and legal maneuvering — crystal clear. Some of the clarity comes from that snappy dialogue, some from voiceovers that fill in when the folks onscreen have to catch their breath. And even though this is Sorkin's directing debut, quite a bit of the clarity comes from the visuals, annotated when necessary, precisely shot and edited with nearly every trick known to contemporary filmmaking. It doesn't hurt that Sorkin's cast is as whip-smart as the lines they're delivering. Molly's Game is a dense, complicated movie, made by a guy who excels at — who positively glories in — making the dense and complicated enormously entertaining.

– Aaron Sorkin makes his directorial debut in Molly's Game, derived from Molly Bloom's tell-all book of the same name. It chronicles the real-life events surrounding Bloom's weekly high-stakes poker game frequented by celebrities before it was busted by the FBI. Critics give the film starring Jessica Chastain an 82% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Here's what they're saying: "This is a 'Game' that couldn't be more fun to watch," writes Calvin Wilson at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "Sorkin crafts a fast-moving tale of risky business, crammed with the kind of snappy dialogue for which he's famous" in a "stylish and absorbing" debut. "But the film wouldn't work quite as well without Chastain," who "gets deep inside Molly's skin," he writes. It's "an Oscar-worthy performance." "Despite Ms. Chastain's charisma and gift for delivering Mr. Sorkin's fast talk, Molly isn't interesting," writes Manohla Dargis at the New York Times, detecting a "patronizing" air in the way the protagonist receives "so much male defending." "By attempting to portray Molly as any kind of female victim—and by glossing over her culpability—Mr. Sorkin only ends up denying this character her agency," Dargis writes. Michael Phillips, however, thinks Molly's Game is "a good, brash biopic" and "very nearly terrific" through the first hour. Moving between the past and present, it sees Chastain nail the role of Bloom, while Idris Elba is "a godsend" as her attorney with "a lively wit and fire in the eyes," Phillips writes at the Chicago Tribune. He argues the film falters in the second half when "the writing gets blunt and a little less artful." Bob Mondello was impressed throughout. Thanks to a "whip-smart" cast, the "Sorkinian back-and-forth dialogue is exhilarating" and helps make "the finer points of poker—and legal maneuvering—crystal clear," a necessity in such a "dense, complicated movie," he writes at NPR. The visuals, "precisely shot and edited with nearly every trick known to contemporary filmmaking," are just as good, he adds.

Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas is offering any health care workers who cared for Thomas Eric Duncan rooms to stay in so they can avoid exposing their family and friends and the public to the virus. Employees will be housed in rooms in a separate part of the hospital throughout the monitoring period, spokesman Wendell Watson said in a statement. The precaution is not a medical recommendation but is for employees’ peace of mind. “We want to remind potentially affected employees that they are not contagious unless and until they demonstrate any symptoms, yet we understand this is a frightening situation for them and their families,” Watson said. “We will be coordinating this effort with the county monitors who are already regularly checking on their temperatures for any sign of infection. The hospital will contact directly those being monitored to make arrangements.” The hospital also asked that anyone who may be affected to be “good citizens” and avoid using public transportation or engaging in any other activities that could put others at risk. Amber Joy Vinson arrives at Emory The second Dallas nurse to be infected with Ebola after treating a Liberian man who died from the virus last week has arrived at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, the hospital said Wednesday. Amber Joy Vinson, 29, arrived about 7:30 p.m. after being transported by air ambulance from Dallas Love Field. She will be treated in the special isolation unit. The move came amid rising criticism for the federal government’s response to the first three cases of deadly virus in the U.S. “We know there are opportunities to do more and better,” Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell said, “and we’re doing that.” Vinson was being transferred this afternoon to the university in Atlanta, where two American health-care workers who contracted the disease in West Africa were treated successfully earlier this year. Mayor Mike Rawlings told CNN this afternoon that Vinson was in worse shape than fellow nurse Nina Pham. Pham was listed in good condition Wednesday after being hospitalized over the weekend. “We know Nina’s in good condition,” the mayor said. “Folks have told me, second hand, that Nina’s doing better than our second patient.” About 4 p.m. Wednesday, Vinson was taken by ground ambulance from Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital to a hangar at Love Field where a specially equipped jet waited to fly her to Atlanta. Wearing a head-to-toe yellow hazmat suit, Vinson was wheeled out of the ambulance on a gurney but then walked up the stairs of the jet with help from four health-care workers in full-body protective suits. The gray State Department jet, reportedly the same one that flew other health-care workers to Emory, then took off for Atlanta, where it was to be met by another special ambulance that will drive her to an isolation unit at the hospital. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requested that Vinson be transferred to Emory, where three patients have already been treated, the hospital said in a statement. Vinson will be treated in the same isolation unit as the other three patients. The first two were discharged in late August and a third patient is still being treated. President Barack Obama assured the public that the situation was contained and asked Americans to keep the two nurses battling the disease in mind. “I want everyone to be thinking of and praying for the two health-care workers,” the president said. Obama said he understands that health-care workers and others in Dallas are scared, “and we’re going to make sure we’re on the ground 24/7″ to help them through this. “We are reviewing every step of what’s happened,” he added. “We want a SWAT team, essentially, from CDC to be on the ground as soon as possible” when someone is diagnosed with Ebola. The latest health-care worker to contract the virus at Presbyterian had direct contact with three people after becoming symptomatic before she was isolated, said Tom Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those people are being closely monitored. Ebola does not spread until a patient develops a fever or other symptoms, such as vomiting or diarrhea. Vinson didn’t develop a “low-grade fever” until Tuesday, a day after she flew back from her native Ohio to Dallas. Because of that, Frieden said passengers on Frontier Airlines Flight 1143 were at “extremely low risk” of being exposed. Even so, he said, the nurse should have been limited in her travel because she treated Thomas Eric Duncan, the Liberian man who became the nation’s first person diagnosed with the deadly virus. “She should not have been on that plane,” Frieden said. “We will from this moment forward ensure that no other individual with exposure travels in anything other than a controlled manner.” He also said that officials will be contacting all passengers and crew members on Monday’s flight from Cleveland to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport as a precaution. “We encourage people to come forward at the slightest concern,” he said. White House press secretary Josh Earnest said officials are “eager to know” how Vinson was allowed to get on a plane despite the obvious risks. But he reiterated that the risks are “quite low” that anyone on the plane with the Dallas nurse was in danger. He also said a ban on travel from West Africa is still “not on the table.” Obama and Earnest took pains to say this is no “outbreak” and not likely to become one, but said it was “unacceptable that even one health-care worker was exposed to this virus.” Earnest said the White House shared Frieden’s regrets that the federal government didn’t send more experts to Dallas sooner but that President Barack Obama remains confident in the CDC director. Vinson was put into isolation within 90 minutes of reporting she had a fever. The CDC director said the nurse’s blood tested positive for the virus overnight in a state lab and should be confirmed today by the CDC. No one else had developed symptoms, he said, so no other blood tests were being performed. Nina Pham, one of Duncan’s caregivers, was diagnosed with the disease Sunday. Duncan died Oct. 8; he was first admitted to the hospital on Sept. 28. Both Vinson and Pham had contact with Duncan when he was most contagious, suffering from extensive vomiting and diarrhea. Medical records show that health care workers treating Duncan didn’t wear protective suits for the first two days of Duncan’s care – until tests confirmed he had Ebola. Frieden said Pham’s condition was improving, so there was no plan Wednesday to move her from the North Dallas hospital where she contracted the virus. But he noted that could change should her condition worsen or others fall ill. “This situation can change from minute to minute and hour to hour,” he said. New patient handling diagnosis Vinson is handling the situation with “grit, grace and determination,” said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins at a press conference Wednesday morning. “Like Nina Pham, she is a heroic person – a person who has dedicated her life to helping others,” said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins at a press conference Wednesday morning. Vinson traveled to Cleveland on Friday to visit her mother and fiance in preparation for her wedding. She returned to Dallas on Monday. Vinson’s father, Ronald Shuler, declined to comment Wednesday morning about her diagnosis but said they will make a statement later in the day. Cleaning crews have decontaminated the plane Vinson took back to Dallas twice, and it will return to service today. The nurse’s family is also being monitored, though it was unclear whether they were among her three contacts that the CDC was most concerned about. In Cleveland, officials held a news conference to assure the public there that no suspicious cases have been reported. “There have been no cases identified in the city of Cleveland,” Mayor Frank Jackson said. But the city’s public health director, Toinette Parrilla, said an emergency command center was activated to educate the public about the disease and how it’s spread. “We’re making sure our public is safe.” Vinson graduated from Firestone High School in Akron in 2003, according to Akron Public Schools. She received a bachelor’s degree in science from Kent State University in 2006. She received another degree from the college’s nursing school in 2008, according to online records. Kent State officials confirmed that Vinson is related to three university employees. They have been asked to stay off campus for 21 days and monitor for symptoms. Vinson visited over the weekend but didn’t go onto the university campus. “She stayed with her family at their home in Summit County and did not step foot on our campus. We want to assure our university community that we are taking this information seriously, taking steps to communicate what we know,” said Kent State President Beverly Warren in a written statement. Vinson has been a registered nurse in Texas since 2012. While Vinson was caring for Duncan in the days before his death, she inserted catheters, drew blood and dealt with Duncan’s bodily fluids, according to medical records provided to The Associated Press by Thomas Eric Duncan’s family. City officials said Vinson lives alone and has no pets. Her apartment and car will be decontaminated. Dallas ISD officials have confirmed that the new patient does not have any children who attend schools in the district. Other healthcare workers monitored In addition to Vinson and Pham, there are 75 other hospital workers being monitored for symptoms of Ebola. Officials said they expect to see more Ebola cases. “It may get worse before it gets better, but it will get better,” said Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings at an early morning press conference. Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas is equipped to care for three Ebola patients in isolation, said Dr. Daniel Varga, chief clinical officer and senior vice president of the hospital’s parent company, Texas Health Resources. He called the second Ebola infection of a hospital worker “an unprecedented crisis.” “The health and safety of our employees remain a high priority,” he said. He declined to comment on allegations by a nurse’s union that Presbyterian was unprepared for the first Ebola patient, which put nurses at risk of infection. Hospital officials still don’t know how the two hospital workers contracted the virus. “There was an exposure somewhere, some time during the treatment of Mr. Duncan,” Varga said. “I don’t think we have a symptomatic, institutional problem.” Officials are working to identify anyone who might have come into contact with Vinson. “Health officials have interviewed the latest patient to quickly identify any contacts or potential exposures, and those people will be monitored,” health department spokeswoman Carrie Williams said in a written statement. “The type of monitoring depends on the nature of their interactions and the potential they were exposed to the virus.” Officials continue to monitor family members and friends who came into contact with Duncan before he was admitted to the hospital last month. None of those people, including five DISD students, have exhibited any signs or symptoms of the Ebola virus. Symptoms are typically seen within 21 days of exposure. That period of time ends Sunday. Nurse’s apartment decontaminated Dallas police and Dallas Fire-Rescue personnel were distributing fliers to residents of the Bend East section of The Village apartment complex to alert them to the latest Ebola case. A hazardous-materials team worked to decontaminate common areas of the apartment complex early Wednesday. Protect Environmental, a North Texas-based business specializing in decontamination, is cleaning Vinson’s apartment. A woman who picked up the company’s phone said the company has been contracted by the state to decontaminate Vinson’s apartment. The employee declined to give details on the clean up, saying the company has been told to direct media inquiries to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Workers wearing hazardous materials suits were cleaning Vinson’s apartment much of the day. They put up a black tarp near the apartment and appeared to be using barrels to contain the waste. Officials have also made reverse 911 calls to residents in the area and knocked on doors to alert them to the case. “The only way we are going to beat this is person by person, moment by moment, detail by detail,” Rawlings said. Officials reiterated during an early morning press conference that people cannot contract Ebola unless they come into direct contact with someone who is experiencing Ebola symptoms. “We want to deal with facts and not fear,” Rawlings said. Residents at The Village apartments expressed concern for Vinson after hearing the news. Lindsay London, who has lived at The Village apartments for four years, woke up around 5 a.m. to Dallas police officers knocking on her door. She said she realized that one of her neighbors had been diagnosed with Ebola and initially worried about how close the case is to her home. “But after that initial panic, it was like all right. This isn’t a crazy outbreak yet. It’s close to home, so I need to be careful. But it’s not going to prevent me from going to work or anything like that,” London said. One resident who lives near the apartment says he received a text from his complex that said, “A healthcare worker who lives at The Bend East in The Village has been diagnosed with Ebola. The resident is now under care offsite, and the apartment where she lived will be processed and cleaned. There are no immediate issues for residents. We’ll keep you informed of future developments.” Though many residents told reporters Wednesday morning that they weren’t afraid they would contract the Ebola virus in the apartment complex, some said they were concerned about community areas. “I’m afraid, to be honest,” said Fred Lane. He said if someone who works at the hospital has been using the apartment gym, he won’t use it. Gov. Rick Perry called the Ebola virus “a formidable foe” Wednesday after news broke that a second nurse has been diagnosed with the disease. “This is the first time that our nation has had to deal with a threat such as this,” Perry said in a written statement. “Everyone working on this challenge – from the medical professionals at the bedside to the public health officials addressing containment of the infection – is working to end the threat posed by this disease. These individuals are keeping the health and safety of Texans and the needs of the patients as their most critical tasks. Every relevant agency at the local, state and national levels is working to support these individuals.” Statement from Emory patient The hospital in Atlanta is currently treating a patient who arrived there Sept. 9. The patient, who has not been publicly identified, released a statement Wednesday afternoon. “Given the national focus on Ebola, particularly with the diagnosis in two health care workers, I want to share the news that I am recovering from this disease, and that I anticipate being discharged very soon, free from the Ebola virus and able to return safely to my family and to my community,” the patient said. “As a result of the virus, my condition worsened and I became critically ill soon after I arrived at Emory. Through rigorous medical treatment, skillful nursing, and the full support of a healthcare team, I am well on the way to a full recovery. I want the public to know that although Ebola is a serious, complex disease, it is possible to recover and return to a healthy life. I wish to retain my anonymity for now, but I anticipate sharing more information in future weeks as I complete my recovery.” Staff writers Sherry Jacobson, Claire Z. Cardona, Tristan Hallman, Tasha Tsiaperas, Naheed Rajwani, Matt Peterson, Robert Wilonsky, Matthew Haag and Taylor Danser contributed to this report. U.S. public health response to Ebola ||||| These crawls are part of an effort to archive pages as they are created and archive the pages that they refer to. That way, as the pages that are referenced are changed or taken from the web, a link to the version that was live when the page was written will be preserved.Then the Internet Archive hopes that references to these archived pages will be put in place of a link that would be otherwise be broken, or a companion link to allow people to see what was originally intended by a page's authors.The goal is to fix all broken links on the web . Crawls of supported "No More 404" sites. ||||| Dallas County authorities are preparing for more possible Ebola cases, as a second nurse who had treated the first victim of Ebola diagnosed on U.S. soil was infected with the virus. (Reuters) Dallas County authorities are preparing for more possible Ebola cases, as a second nurse who had treated the first victim of Ebola diagnosed on U.S. soil was infected with the virus. (Reuters) The hospital that treated Ebola victim Thomas Eric Duncan had to learn on the fly how to control the deadly virus, adding new layers of protective gear for workers in what became a losing battle to keep the contagion from spreading, a top official with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday. “They kept adding more protective equipment as the patient [Duncan] deteriorated. They had masks first, then face shields, then the positive-pressure respirator. They added a second pair of gloves,” said Pierre Rollin, a CDC epidemiologist. Despite the infection-control efforts, a nurse, Nina Pham, 26, somehow contracted Ebola at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas while caring for Duncan, a Liberian man who flew to the United States last month. Pham is being treated at the same hospital, and Tuesday she was reported to be in good condition. (On Wednesday, state officials announced that a second worker who cared for Duncan had also tested positive for the virus.) CDC Director Thomas Frieden expressed regret Tuesday that his agency had not done more to help the hospital control the infection. He said that, from now on, “Ebola response teams” will travel within hours to any hospital in the United States with a confirmed Ebola case. Already, one of those teams is in Texas and has put in place a site-manager system, requiring that someone monitor the use of personal protective equipment. “I wish we had put a team like this on the ground the day the first patient was diagnosed,” he said. “That might have prevented this infection.” View Graphic Widespread concerns for Ebola epidemic in the United States In the Duncan case, the CDC sent disease detectives to help track down people who might have been exposed, but the agency largely let the hospital handle its own infection control. At least 76 workers were potentially exposed to Duncan in the hospital before he died Oct. 8, and they are being monitored daily for any signs of fever or other symptoms. In one positive development, the 48 people who were potentially exposed to the virus by coming into contact with Duncan before his Sept. 28 hospitalization — including his fiancee — have remained symptom-free for more than two weeks and are close to being in the clear. The incubation period can in theory last as long as 21 days, but usually the symptoms flare within the first two weeks. From the beginning of the Ebola crisis, disease experts and Frieden in particular have insisted that U.S. hospitals have the training and equipment to handle a highly contagious patient. On July 21, Frieden said that “Ebola poses little risk to the U.S. general population.” Any advanced hospital in the country has the capacity to isolate a patient, he said. “There is nothing particularly special about the isolation of an Ebola patient other than it’s really important to do it right,” he said at the time. But the revelations this week suggest that Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital was not fully prepared for the unfamiliar virus and had to adjust its protocols as Duncan’s illness progressed. The hospital did not respond to a request for comment. The CDC’s Rollin, who spent nearly three months in West Africa fighting the Ebola outbreak, and who has studied Ebola for three decades, flew to Dallas on Sunday and held intensive discussions with doctors and nurses at the hospital about how they had handled the Duncan case. He said the hospital originally had no full-body biohazard suits equipped with respirators but now has about a dozen. Protocols evolved at the hospital while Duncan was being treated, he said: “Collecting samples, with needles, then you have to have two people, one to watch. I think when the patient arrived they didn’t have someone to watch.” He said CDC specialists, along with two nurses from Emory University Hospital, are training health-care workers at the hospital. Rollin described the elaborate methods for removing waste from a room: Bag the trash and disinfect with bleach wipes. Put it in another bag and disinfect that bag. Then a buddy outside comes to the door with another bag into which the waste is deposited. That third bag is also disinfected. Then the trash is put in a cardboard container lined with a heavy-duty plastic bag, and that is taken outside of the unit by a contracted biosafety company that transports it to an incinerator. “It’s a race between you and the virus, but the virus has a head start,” Rollin said. How the nurse contracted Ebola remains a mystery. “I’m doing well and want to thank everyone for their kind wishes and prayers,” Pham said in a statement released by the hospital. In a conference call with journalists late Tuesday, the labor organization National Nurses United read a statement that it said came from nurses at the hospital who “strongly feel unsupported, unprepared, lied to and deserted to handle their own situation.” The statement alleged that guidelines for handling the Ebola patient were constantly changing, and that for two days after Duncan was admitted to isolation the nurses were given personal protective equipment that left their necks exposed. The organization did not name the nurses or say how many contributed to the statement. Only four facilities in the country are specially designed for Ebola-type cases, including one at Nebraska Medical Center, where two people who contracted Ebola in West Africa have been treated. Mark Rupp, chief doctor for the center’s infectious-diseases division, said Tuesday he has received “countless” calls from health professionals worldwide who want to replicate Nebraska’s infection control procedures. According to Rupp, the secret is simple: meticulous attention to detail. First, health-care workers enter the “clean” locker room with scrubs, a mask and a pair of gloves. When they enter the “hot zone,” they don more protective gear: shoe covers, a second pair of gloves, an impenetrable full-body gown, a hood that covers the head and neck, a fitted respirator with a transparent shield. An observer with a checklist monitors how workers put on and take off their equipment. “It’s easy to make mistakes when you take off your gear,” Rupp said. The Ebola news in the United States came amid warnings from the World Health Organization that the disease is spreading to new areas in West Africa and is still rampant in the capital cities of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. Without a strong response, the virus could be infecting as many as 10,000 people a week in West Africa by Dec. 1, said Bruce Aylward, the WHO assistant director general who is overseeing the organization’s response to the epidemic. He noted some signs of progress. Several of the original centers of the outbreak in Liberia and Sierra Leone have seen a drop in new cases, and this is the result of a “real change in behavior,” including changes in burial practices, Aylward said. But the nature of Ebola requires that officials track down everyone who might potentially have been exposed. That’s the only way to keep it from flaring up again. It is not good enough, he said, to have just a little bit of Ebola. “That’s like saying you’re only a little bit pregnant. This is Ebola. This is a horrible, unforgiving disease. You’ve got to get down to a level of zero,” Aylward said. The latest WHO numbers show 8,914 suspected or confirmed cases of Ebola and 4,447 deaths. At a glance, such numbers might seem to suggest that half the people stricken with Ebola will survive the disease, but Aylward said that underestimates the true mortality rate, which is actually 70 percent. Many of the people who have Ebola, and are still fighting it, will yet succumb to the disease. “We have had to carefully identify those individual patients for whom we could follow their entire course — when we do that carefully we find that 70% are dying and that this number is pretty robust across the 3 worst-affected countries,” Aylward wrote in an e-mail. The trend in caseloads is “relatively flat,” with about 1,000 new cases a week for the past three or four weeks, he said. But the collection of data has been difficult in a region overwhelmed by the outbreak, and Aylward cautioned against drawing any conclusion from the numbers. Phillip and Achenbach reported from Washington. Mark Berman, Brady Dennis and Lena Sun in Washington contributed to this report. ||||| Sign up and get access to special features Connect to your Facebook or Twitter account and we'll fill in your registration information. Or simply fill in the form and Continue This will appear next to all of your comments This will NOT appear anywhere on Newser I am at least 13 years of age, and have read and agree to the terms of use. Already have an account? Login here

– Nurse Nina Pham is no longer the only American to contract Ebola while caring for Thomas Duncan. A second health care worker at Dallas' Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital has tested positive for the virus. The Texas Department of State Health Services says the worker reported a fever yesterday and was immediately isolated at the hospital. A preliminary Ebola test conducted last night came back positive; confirmatory testing will be conducted at the CDC in Atlanta, reports the AP. The Dallas Morning News adds that the new patient's apartment will soon be dealt with by a hazardous-materials team; it's apparently located in an apartment complex whose residents are being given fliers alerting them to the situation. The news comes as nurses allege the hospital was woefully unprepared to deal with Ebola. The latest: Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital nurses anonymously released a slew of allegations yesterday by way of Oakland-based union National Nurses United; the Dallas nurses aren't unionized. They took this approach in hopes of safeguarding their jobs while also being critical of their employer. Among their allegations, which the Los Angeles Times notes are unconfirmed: that Duncan initially spent hours in an area that contained as many as seven other patients. A nurse supervisor who later insisted he be put in isolation "faced stiff resistance from other hospital authorities," they write. They also allege lab samples were mishandled in that they were processed "without being specifically sealed and hand-delivered. The result is that the entire tube system … was potentially contaminated." The nurses also say that after tending to Duncan, they were permitted to "continue normal patient-care duties." They further allege an absence of protocol and say they were instructed to call the infectious disease department with questions—which they say that department couldn't answer. As for protective gear, they say they were given gowns that left their necks exposed. Per the Washington Post, a CDC official did say the hospital's approach to such gear evolved: "They had masks first, then face shields, then the positive-pressure respirator. They added a second pair of gloves."

Texas Women Fight Rule for Burial of Miscarriages AUSTIN, Texas (CN) — As Hillary Clinton gave her concession speech Wednesday, women in Texas pleaded with state officials to stop proposed rules that would require embryonic and fetal tissue to be buried or cremated after an abortion, miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy. Women said Texas' proposed rules would restrict access to abortion and inflict further pain and suffering on women who have lost a baby during pregnancy. It was the Texas Department of Health Services' second public hearing on rules that would require embryonic and fetal tissue to be buried or cremated after an abortion, miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy. Texas officials say that all fetal remains, regardless of the period of gestation, deserve "a dignified interment," while opponents say the measure is just another in a series of unconstitutional attempts to restrict abortion access in Texas. "These proposed rules are not meant to protect people's health and safety," said Yvonne Gutierrez, executive director of Planned Parenthood Texas Votes. "They are just another attempt to restrict access to care that's deeply needed and shame and hurt women in the process. "The department has not provided any shred of evidence that Texas's current rules have not protected health and safety." Some spoke on behalf of groups such as the National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) or Jane's Due Process, some on their own behalf. Many shared painful stories of their miscarriages or abortions, and said that having arrange a funeral for fetal remains would have made these experiences even worse. There also are concerns about how the rules will be implemented. The Texas Medical Association asked the Department of Health Services in August whether a death certificate will be required all fetal tissues interred, which raises privacy issues. The Medical Association also expressed concerns about the costs of this, echoing concerns the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Texas raised in July. Ashley Blinkhorn, who cried as she testified about the two miscarriages she suffered before she was 25, said the rules would affect "so many people in so many ways that people aren't considering." "You're monkeying around with people's lives here," Blinkhorn said. Texas Health Commission spokesman Bryan Black told the Texas Tribune in July, after the new rules were quietly published in the Texas Register, that they were developed to "ensure Texas law maintains the highest standards of human dignity." Gov. Greg Abbott asked the department and the Texas Health and Human Services Commission in January to review the rules on disposition of "special waste" from healthcare facilities. The rules today still allow for fetal tissue to be incinerated or ground and flushed or disposed of at a sanitary landfill. Abbott wrote in a July fund-raising letter for his anti-abortion initiative that the rule changes were designed to "reflect our respect for the sanctity of life" and that the groups protesting the rules "simply refuse to acknowledge any rights of the unborn." Representatives from the Texas Alliance for Life and Texas Right to Life made similar arguments at the Wednesday hearing. "It is unconscionable that anyone would defend the grinding and flushing of the bodies of unborn babies who are victims of abortion down the drain and into a city sewer system as if they were mere medical waste," said John Pojman, executive director of Texas Alliance for Life. "That method of the disposition of the remains should be banned, as the proposed rules do." Blake Rocap, legislative director for NARAL Pro-Choice Texas, said the state should concentrate on ensuring that patients are "supported and respected and empowered in their health care decision," instead of "passing laws that force government intrusion on a patient's access to health care." "This rule provides no public health benefit, just like the state's abortion restrictions that the U.S. Supreme Court struck down in June," Rocap said in a statement Wednesday. He referred to Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt, in which the court rejected by 5-3 vote a 2013 Texas law that required abortion providers to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles, and required the clinics to meet the same minimum standards as ambulatory surgical centers. The court found that neither provision provided any medical benefits that would justify the undue burdens imposed upon women seeking abortions. Opponents to the new fetal burial rules believe that even if they do go into effect, they will be struck down by the courts on the basis of Hellerstedt. However, they also are concerned that president-elect Donald Trump may appoint a justice to the truncated court that may help overturn Hellerstedt, and even Roe v. Wade. The Center for Reproductive Rights said in a statement Wednesday that the country "strands perilously close to a return to the dark days when women were forced to put their own lives at risk to get safe and legal abortion care." "It is 2016, and our leaders should build on the historic advancements we've made for women's health and rights, not threaten to undo them," the center said. It's clear that a fight is coming in Texas. "I'm sure that after last night's results many people feel emboldened to continue their attacks on women," said Sheila Sorvari, who testified Wednesday. "But if you thought we were going to pull up the covers and cry and go away, you're wrong." The Texas Department of Health Services will incorporate comments from the hearing with previous comments from the public consultation period in August. It is unclear whether any changes will be made to the proposed rules. No date has been set for the rules to go into effect. ||||| Wednesday’s public hearing was the second on a proposed rule change. About 30 people testified at the hearing Wednesday at state health agency’s offices in Central Austin. In a last-ditch effort, abortion rights advocates urged state officials Wednesday to reconsider a proposal that would require cremation or burial of miscarried and aborted fetuses. The Texas Department of State Health Services held a second public hearing about the rule, which was first proposed in July. Armed with a few new arguments, critics said the rule not only discourages women from abortion and retraumatizes them after a miscarriage, but it doesn’t necessarily further “uphold the dignity of life” as some proponents have argued because mass cremation and burial would still be allowed. “This is not about children. … This is not about dignity. … This is not about health,” said Gordon Vincent, who was among 30 or so people who testified Wednesday. Abortion opponents have argued that the proposed rule would give fetuses the respect that they deserve. They said that women are often appalled by the current rules for fetal tissue disposal. + Jay Janner Ashley Blinkhorn cries in the hallway after she testified Wednesday against a proposal that would require cremation or burial of miscarried ... read more Jay Janner × Current rules allow fetal remains, as with other medical tissue, to be ground and discharged into a sewer system, incinerated or disinfected followed by disposal in a landfill. “It is unconscionable that anyone would defend the grinding and flushing of bodies of unborn babies who are victims of abortions down the drain into a city sewer system as if they were mere medical waste,” Joe Pojman with the Texas Alliance for Life testified Wednesday. Agency officials have argued that the rule would protect the public from communicable diseases. The proposal is a part of Gov. Greg Abbott’s Life Initiative, meant to “protect the unborn and prevent the sale of baby body parts,” according to a statement on his website. After holding a public comment period and a hearing in August about the proposal, the state agency in September published an analysis that concluded the rule wouldn’t fiscally burden medical facilities. Blake Rocap, with the abortion rights group NARAL-Pro Choice, testified Wednesday that the state agency had an opportunity to consider thousands of comments from the public over the last few months and change the rule but failed to compromise. “Instead, you mashed together things that are not part of modern medical practice and imposed this mandate on every family,” Rocap said. Some women were in tears as they shared stories about their traumatic miscarriages and abortions. They said they would have suffered more had they been required to bury or cremate the fetus. Nakia Winfield, a mental health fellow with the National Association of Social Workers, said that many women who choose to have an abortion can barely afford it. Adding burial requirements would cost up to $2,000, she said. Chris Williston, with nonprofit The Mary Claire Project which provides low-cost burials, echoed state officials’ assertions that public-private partnerships would help defray costs. John Seago with Texas Right to Life said that he would like the rule clarified to exclude the requirement from women who miscarry at home. Rebecca Teng, an obstetrician/gynecologist in Central Texas, said the rule is an unfunded mandate for providers. Providers already treat fetal tissue with respect, rendering the rule pointless, she said. “Let’s dedicate these resources to help women, infants, children and families instead,” Teng said. State officials said that they will take all comments into consideration and decide on an implementation date, if any. ||||| Through tears, Austin resident Ashley Blinkhorn said she had undergone two miscarriages by age 25. If a proposed rule that forces women to bury or cremate their aborted or miscarried fetal tissue (rather than deposit in sanitary sewers and medical-waste landfills) had been in effect, Blinkhorn wouldn't have sought medical care because the costs associated with the regulation would've been too high, she told the Department of State Health Services during a hearing on the new rule earlier this week. "There's no health reason that we should do this," said an emotional Blinkhorn. "Health clinics are already following state standards, there's no reason to change the rule for this kind of waste. It's not reasonable and not necessary. This is targeted at [women], and this is not something we need to stand for." The Health Department held its second public hearing (see "Fetal Burial Saga Continues," Aug. 5) on the anti-abortion rule on Wednesday, Nov. 9, the morning after an unexpected victory for anti-abortion and sexist President-elect Donald Trump, casting an additional pall on an already somber hearing. The rule could be a harbinger of what's to come nationally under a Trump presidency: Vice President-elect Mike Pence signed a similar law in Indiana (temporarily blocked by a federal judge in June) even harsher than the one proposed today in Texas. Both men have vowed to ensure Supreme Court appointments that would undo abortion rights, including Roe v. Wade and the historic victory of Texas' Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt. At the hearing, a stream of anti-choice speakers with Texas Alliance for Life, the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops, and Texas Right to Life applauded the measure as a move toward "dignity" and "respect," and used graphic language to describe fetal disposal. "It is unconscionable to grind and flush an unborn child ... like they're mere medical waste," said TAL's Joe Pojman. John Seago with TRL noted their group wanted a clarification showing that women who experience miscarriages at home would not be subject to the rule. On the other end, pro-choice advocates with Planned Parenthood Texas Votes, Jane's Due Process, NARAL Pro-Choice Texas, and individual citizens criticized the regulation as another attempt to shame, stigmatize, and restrict women's access to abortion care. "Legally, practically, and morally, these rules are unnecessary," said Tina Hester of Jane's Due Process in testimony read aloud by proxy. Since the state will not shoulder the price tag of burials and cremation, the cost burden falls on abortion providers and patients, already straining from a trail of anti-choice laws, said pro-choice speakers. The Funeral Consumers Alliance of Texas estimates the rule could add $2,000 to the cost of abortion care. The Texas Medical Association, the Texas Hospital Association, and health professionals have expressed deep concern over how to implement the rules. "The significant financial burden, the invasion of privacy, and intrusion of government will only hurt women," said Round Rock OB-GYN Rebecca Teng, echoing some of the overall worry from the medical community. Advocates also stressed that the state has shown no medical evidence the rule would actually promote the health and safety of women – a requirement mandated by the SCOTUS Whole Woman's decision. The Center for Reproductive Rights and the ACLU of Texas have both warned the rule is unconstitutional and will likely spark a legal challenge ("Fetal Burial Rule May Flout Constitutional Limits," Aug. 12). The proposed regulation still needs to be approved by the Health and Human Services Commission executive commissioner and posted in the Texas Register. It would then take effect 20 days later. DSHS spokesperson Carrie Williams said the Health Department will offer additional information on next steps after reviewing the thousands of comments it received. But with the blessing and encouragement from conservative anti-choice Gov. Greg Abbott, it's hard to imagine the department turning back without yet another lawsuit to stop them.

– If proposed new rules are put into place in Texas, all embryonic and fetal tissue will need to be buried or cremated—whether after an abortion, miscarriage, or ectopic pregnancy. On Wednesday, during the Texas Department of Health Services' second public hearing on the proposed rules, women came forward to share their stories of miscarriages or abortions and to tell officials that putting the rules into effect would make an already painful experience much worse. Officials say they're trying to ensure all fetal remains are put to rest in a "dignified" fashion, but opponents say the proposal is just another way to restrict access to abortion in the state, Courthouse News reports. Officials have also said the rules would protect the public from communicable diseases, the Austin American-Statesman reports. There are potential privacy concerns—it's not clear how the rules would be implemented, such as whether a death certificate will be required to inter fetal remains—as well as concerns about costs. The Funeral Consumers Alliance of Texas estimates $2,000 could be added to the cost of each abortion, per the Austin Chronicle. "You're monkeying around with people's lives here," said a tearful Ashley Blinkhorn, who testified about having two miscarriages. The rules would affect "so many people in so many ways that people aren't considering." The Department of Health Services could make changes to the proposed rules based on public comments. At that point, they would need to be approved by the Health and Human Services Commission executive commissioner and posted in the Texas Register 20 days before taking effect.

Sorry, we're having problems with our video player at the moment, but are working to fix it as soon as we can HOPES are high that the UK’s first panda baby could be born at Edinburgh Zoo, after signs from female Tian Tian indicated she could be pregnant. The zoo said changes to her hormone levels as well as differences in her behaviour meant she could be ready to give birth within weeks. Tian Tian was artificially inseminated in April. Picture: Phil Wilkinson But it won’t be known for definite whether she is pregnant until shortly before she is due to give birth. It is quite common for pandas to have phantom or pseudo pregnancies, and Tian Tian had one last year. However, experts say the indications this time are more encouraging. Key changes in her protein and hormone levels suggest the artificial insemination she underwent on 21 April was successful. Senior keepers have also noted restlessness, a lack of appetite and nesting behaviour such as making a bed of straw. The zoo said a spike in her level of the hormone progesterone, which is measured by sending urine samples to the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research in Berlin, was among the key indicators. The spike was first detected on 15 July and confirmed on Wednesday. At five months, the gestation period is relatively short and if Tian Tian is pregnant, the cub will by born in late August or early September. If so, it would first be displayed to the public on 1 January, 2014. Iain Valentine, director of the zoo’s giant panda programme, said: “Tian Tian had a pseudo-pregnancy last year but the behaviour wasn’t as pronounced, so when you compare last year to this year, you start to think something is a bit different. “It’s hugely exciting. There’s never been a baby panda born in the UK.” He said keepers were more hopeful than last year due to the greater change in hormone levels. “Now that progesterone levels are rising, she is going off her food, spending less time interacting with the keepers and becoming more sleepy,” he said. Determining if a panda is expecting a baby is notoriously difficult as cubs can weigh as little as 100 grams (3.5oz) and there are few physical changes in the mother-to-be. Further hormone results will be available by mid-August and if the Tian Tian is not pregnant, her hormone levels will have reduced to zero. She and male panda Yang Guang were not able to mate naturally in April, so she was artificially inseminated with sperm from him and from Bao Bao, who died at Berlin Zoo last year at the age of 34. Dr Martin Dehnhard, from the Leibniz Institute, said: “The hormone concentrations we measured in the urine sample from the panda increased. “That tells me that she is pregnant or pseudo-pregnant.” Chris West, chief executive of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland – the charity that runs Edinburgh Zoo – said: “Results so far are very encouraging. But we don’t want to count our pandas until they are born.” Pandas often have twins which Mr Valentine said would present a unique problem. Tian Tian can raise only one cub and zoo staff would have to raise the other. The first would remain in Edinburgh for two years – and be displayed to the public for about 18 months – before going to China as part of the agreement with the authorities there. The second, raised by staff, is likely to be sent to China sooner to live in a “panda crèche”. Some 24 hours before giving birth, Tian Tian would be expected to become restless and start to bleat. Two incubators will be on standby in the zoo’s panda nursery in case of twins. Mr Valentine said: “You could say there’s a 50 per cent chance there could be twins. When we did the artificial insemination, we could only see one follicle, but there were other follicles in development. “Now whether they fully developed and ovulated since that scan we don’t know, so we have to plan for twins. Basically we don’t know until the birth. “We are planning for one of our Chinese colleagues to come over to help, and our staff have been to China to work with pregnant pandas, so we’ll be as prepared as we can be.” News of the possible panda pregnancy sparked a surge in visitor numbers at the zoo, with families travelling from across Scotland and south of the border to catch a glimpse of the animals yesterday. Staff estimated that between 4,000 and 5,000 flocked there, and the panda enclosure’s daily capacity of 2,100 was reached. They were all eager to catch a glimpse of Tian Tian, who after sleeping for the morning, awoke early in the afternoon and hung off the edge of her bench, to the delight of visitors. Zoo guide Cheryl-Ann Beattie, 26, said there was huge excitement among visitors and staff. “We arrived at work and the press were already here,” she said. “People had heard the news at 7am and visitors were lined up outside before we opened. We told the visitors they had come on a very exciting day. It’s going to be mayhem for the next few weeks but very exciting.” Even bookies are getting in on the act, offering 10/1 odds on a cub being called Wang Lei if male or Zhang Lei if female. They are among the most popular names in China and translate as “rock pile” in English. Other local-themed favourites include Choi (mountain) at 14/1, Bao Bao (castle) at 25/1 and Adingbao Xiongmao (a literal translation of Edinburgh Panda) at 33/1. Science Giant pandas are renowned for having a very low birth rate, and artificial insemination is the most common method of breeding them in captivity, as they often lose interest in mating once taken from the wild. Tian Tian seemed ready to mate in spring, but the decision was taken to intervene after attempts at a natural coupling with Yang Guang failed. Pandas in the wild usually mate with more than one partner, so Tian Tian was inseminated three times with samples from both Yang Guang and Berlin Zoo’s Bao Bao, whose sperm was frozen before he died last year. This means a twin pregnancy could produce cubs with different fathers. Identifying whether or not conception has occurred is difficult in pandas, which often experience a pseudo-pregnancy, where they display all the behavioural and hormonal changes seen in a real pregnancy. Even an ultrasound scan may not determine whether a female is pregnant, since a foetus is so small and late in developing that it can be impossible to detect. The gestation period for a panda ranges from 95 to 160 days, and successfully predicting the due date of a successful conception is further complicated by a phenomenon known as delayed implantation. This means a fertilised egg can float about in the uterus for months before attaching to the womb lining and beginning to develop into a foetus. Hormone tests have shown encouraging results for Tian Tian. Rises in progesterone occur in females at the time of breeding and again when the embryo implants in the uterus, with experts putting the birth at 40 to 55 days after the second rise. This suggests the pitter patter of tiny panda feet may be expected in Edinburgh between 24 August and 10 September. If it turns out Tian Tian is experiencing a phantom pregnancy, progesterone levels will drop in the next few weeks. Results from Tian Tian’s urine tests, which were carried out in Berlin, indicate that she is pregnant and will carry to term, but it won’t be known for certain until a few days before the birth. Signs that she may be about to go into labour include restlessness and bleating. Twins If Tian Tian gives birth, her cub, or cubs, will be the first born in the UK. But twins will bring added complications for Edinburgh Zoo. When twin cubs are born in the wild, usually only one will survive, as panda mothers seem unable to produce enough milk for two. She will select the stronger of the two, leaving the other to die. In the event of twins for Tian Tian, it is expected one will be hand-reared, though innovative techniques have been developed in China to “trick” mothers into rearing two cubs. This involves switching the twins between their mother and an incubator to ensure they are properly fed, kept warm and receive equal maternal nurturing. Newborns are blind, toothless and tiny, weighing only 90 to 150 grams. They are completely helpless and dependent on their mothers for survival. They are born pink, but a week or two later, the skin will turn grey in the areas where the hair will eventually be black. Cubs should start to crawl after 75 to 80 days. They usually stay with their mothers until they are one and a half to two years old. Read more on Edinburgh’s giant pandas • Edinburgh Zoo panda set for ultrasound test • Hope for Edinburgh pandas after Taipei birth • Edinburgh zoo pandas to celebrate first anniversary with early night in bid to boost breeding ||||| The problem with panda pregnancies If all goes to plan Tian Tian could give birth to a cub later this month Predicting a panda pregnancy is problematic. For decades scientists have been searching for a sure-fire way of determining whether a giant panda is going to give birth. The biggest problem is the bears' tendency to have a pseudo - or phantom - pregnancy. That means indicators such as changes in behaviour and hormones are not definitive. Even an ultrasound scan is not guaranteed to help as a panda foetus is tiny, difficult to detect and develops late. At Edinburgh Zoo they are well aware of the problem as they try to assess whether Tian Tian, the UK's only female panda, is pregnant following an attempt in April at artificial insemination. Biological marker "They have a complicated biology," explains Iain Valentine, director of the zoo's giant panda programme. "You've got this pseudo-pregnancy factor so using hormones as a biomarker for pregnancy in pandas just doesn't work. You have to use other tests." The search for this biomarker, or biological marker, has been going on for decades. Recent advances in the US have given hope to panda breeders around the world, including the team in Scotland. Researchers from Memphis Zoo in Tennessee have developed a test for an "acute phase protein" - a protein which is affected by inflammation. Continue reading the main story “ Start Quote The profile for a panda that will get pregnant and carry full term is different from one that will get pregnant and lose the pregnancy or one that is not pregnant at all” End Quote Iain Valentine Edinburgh Zoo An initial paper on the subject published in the journal PLOS ONE in 2011 suggested that a urinary protein called ceruloplasmin increased in pregnant pandas. "The thought is that (the fertilised egg) causes an inflammation reaction within the uterus and then this causes this acute protein to appear and you then pick up the traces of this in the urine," said Mr Valentine. Researchers have been refining the technique, he added, with a further paper due soon. Helpfully ceruloplasmin also appears to predict whether or not the pregnancy will be successful. "What seems to be the case is that the profile for a panda that will get pregnant and carry full term is different from one that will get pregnant and lose the pregnancy or one that is not pregnant at all," Mr Valentine added In Tian Tian's case the test suggested that she is pregnant and is likely to carry to term. Her urine is being analysed in Berlin: American research assessed in Germany to help the breeding of a Chinese panda which lives in Scotland. It is "the proving of collaborative international science," according to Professor Chris West, chief executive of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, the charity which runs Edinburgh Zoo. He believes such international co-operation is "hugely important" for the survival of the species. Tian Tian's keepers will not know for sure that she is pregnant until shortly before she gives birth "We aim to breed them as a genetic reservoir in case they go extinct in the wild," he says. "All of the organisations that care for pandas including the Chinese share information and expertise very generously so we're not working on this alone." Ceruloplasmin analysis sounds extremely promising but assessing a panda's hormone levels is not a waste of time. Tian Tian's urinary progesterone showed a sharp jump on 15 July, a result which was confirmed this week by the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research in Berlin. Although this could suggest either a pregnancy or a pseudo-pregnancy, it does enable keepers to narrow down the window when the panda might give birth. The gestation period is difficult to assess since giant pandas exhibit what is called "delayed implantation." A study by Hemin Zhang and colleagues published by the journal Reproduction in 2009 describes the phenomenon thus: "...the embryo floats in the womb and arrests development until it attaches to the uterus months later." There is an initial rise in progesterone when the animal breeds and research suggests that a secondary rise occurs around the time that the embryo is implanted in the wall of the uterus. Scientists estimate that a panda will give birth between 40-55 days after the second rise in her progesterone. In Tian Tian's case that means the possibility of a cub between 24 August and 10 September. If she is not pregnant her progesterone levels will begin to drop sharply in mid-August. If she is, they will remain high and the hope of a cub will increase by the day. "There is a sense of pressure. There is a sense of expectation," says Prof West, adding "we want to deliver." So, presumably, does Tian Tian.

– UK newspapers are filled with headlines of another high-profile pregnancy, or at least a suspected pregnancy. This time it's Tian Tian, a giant panda at the Edinburgh Zoo, reports the Scotsman. Tian Tian seems like she's pregnant—her hormone levels have changed, and she's showing signs of nesting—but zoo keepers probably won't know for certain until shortly before a baby arrives, possibly as early as next month, reports AFP. It would be the first panda born in the UK, but, alas, this royal baby would have to return to China in about a year. (The zoo pays China $1 million a year to keep Tian Tian and male companion Yang Guang.) The zoo used artificial insemination in April, and things are looking "quite promising," says the leader of its panda project. The tricky part is that panda are notorious for having "pseudo pregnancies," says the BBC in a primer on the topic. (The National Zoo in DC just got some new arrivals of its own—rare tiger cubs.)

Jordan Linn Graham, the Montana newlywed who pushed her husband of eight days to his death from a cliff, is appealing her own guilty plea and 30-year prison sentence. In documents filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Missoula, attorneys for Graham indicated that they believe prosecutors and U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy reneged on a plea deal in which Graham, 22, agreed to plead guilty to second-degree murder in December. Graham's prosecution and trial were front-page news around the world last year, even landing on the cover of People magazine. Jordan Linn Graham leaves U.S. District Court in Missoula, Mont., after a hearing in March. Arthur Mouratidis / REUTERS file Graham unsuccessfully sought to withdraw her guilty plea after Molloy sentenced her last month to the maximum 30 years in prison even though her attorneys asked for a 10-year sentence in return for the change of plea, which came after the start of her trial. The filing alleges that in calculating Graham's sentence, Molloy improperly added irrelevant obstruction of justice adjustments and failed to consider that her acceptance of the plea implied that she hadn't premeditated the death of Cody Johnson on July 7. All of that adds up to "breach of the plea agreement," they charged. Graham admitted killing Johnson — whom she'd married just eight days before — by pushing him off a 300-foot cliff in Glacier National Park. For days afterward, she insisted that she shoved Johnson in self-defense during an argument. But prosecutors introduced evidence showing that she'd confided to a friend that she was unhappy in the brand-new marriage, had made up a false story to account for Johnson's disappearance and concocted the scenario in which she eventually led investigators to his body. Specifics of the calculations that went into Graham's sentence weren't immediately available Thursday night, as her court presentencing report remains under seal. ||||| The Kalispell bride who pleaded guilty to pushing her husband off a cliff in Glacier National Park eight days after their marriage filed a last-minute appeal of her 30-year, no-parole federal prison sentence. Thursday marked Jordan Linn Graham’s deadline to file the appeal in U.S. District Court. Graham’s attorneys, Michael Donahoe and Andrew Nelson, argued in the appeal that District Judge Donald Molloy failed to resolve the issue of premeditation that prosecutors brought forth in their sentencing arguments. Graham was originally charged with both first- and second-degree murder, but accepted a plea agreement near the end of her December trial. Prosecutors agreed to drop the first-degree murder charge, and she pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. In order to gain a first-degree murder conviction, prosecutors must prove the act was premeditated. Second-degree murder charge doesn’t include premeditation. In their appeal, Graham’s attorneys argue that Molloy didn’t actually dismiss the first-degree murder charge when he sentenced Graham and that prosecutors breached the plea agreement when they suggested premeditation in their sentencing recommendations. Prior to the March 27 sentencing, federal prosecutors Kris McLean and Zeno Baucus sought 50 years to life in prison for the 22-year-old woman. Her attorneys argued for a significantly lesser sentence of 10 years followed by supervised release. Graham killed her husband, Cody Johnson, on July 7 during a heated argument about their young marriage. She said he grabbed her arm and she withdrew his hand, but then pushed him to his death off a 300-foot cliff in Glacier National Park. Graham then drove home to Kalispell in her husband’s car. She eventually led a group of friends and family to his body on July 11, but concocted a story, alleging Johnson had driven off with friends from Washington on July 7 and didn’t return home that night. After intentionally misleading law enforcement for nine days, she confessed to Johnson’s murder on July 16.

– Jordan Linn Graham pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in December after pushing her new husband off a cliff to his death, but now she's appealing her own guilty plea and the 30-year prison sentence she received. In the documents filed yesterday, the deadline for appealing the sentence, her lawyers accuse the prosecutors and the judge of breaching the plea agreement and say the judge made improper calculations when handing down the sentence on March 27, NBC News reports. For example, the Missoulian reports that prosecutors dropped the first-degree murder charge when Graham accepted the plea, and the remaining second-degree murder charge doesn't include premeditation. But Graham's lawyers argue the judge still considered premeditation during the sentencing phase and the prosecution suggested premeditation in its own sentencing recommendations; her lawyers had pushed for a 10-year sentence. (Graham actually tried, unsuccessfully, to withdraw her guilty plea on the morning she was sentenced after prosecutors pushed for a 50-year sentence.)

CLOSE Comcast is in talks to buy DreamWorks Animation in a multi-billion-dollar deal, The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg are reporting. USA TODAY Shrek character. (Photo: DreamWorksTV) DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg has finally found a new home for Shrek at Comcast-owned NBCUniversal. NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, announced its acquisition of DreamWorks Animation on Thursday in a deal valued at about $3.8 billion. DreamWorks Animation stockholders will get $41 for each share of common stock. Comcast expects to close the deal by the end of 2016. The studio's shares (DWA) rocked up 24% to close at $39.96 Thursday, while Comcast (CMCSA) shares edged 0.2% lower to close at $61.15. Katzenberg has been seeking a buyer for his studio in recent years — a move that would help it remain competitive against bigger studios, such as Disney and Fox. In the past, SoftBank and Hasbro had expressed interest. S&P Global Market Intelligence equity analyst Tuna Amobi said the acquisition could be "the richest ever premium for a studio deal," because Comcast paid more than 50% above DreamWorks Animation's closing price in recent days. Amobi also issued "buy" opinions on both companies' stocks in the note to investors Thursday. When the deal is completed, Katzenberg will step down as CEO of the studio to become chairman of DreamWorks New Media, made up of the company’s ownership interests in video company AwesomenessTV and its tech company, Nova. He will also be a consultant to NBCUniversal. Katzenberg co-founded DreamWorks in 1994 with Steven Spielberg and David Geffen. DreamWorks Animation spun off as a public company in 2004. “Having spent the past two decades working together with our team to build DreamWorks Animation into one of the world’s most beloved brands, I am proud to say that NBCUniversal is the perfect home for our company; a home that will embrace the legacy of our storytelling and grow our businesses to their fullest potential,” said Katzenberg in a statement. “This agreement not only delivers significant value for our shareholders, but also supports NBCUniversal’s growing family entertainment business. As for my role, I am incredibly excited to continue exploring the potential of AwesomenessTV, NOVA and other new media opportunities, and can’t wait to get started.” DWA acquired AwesomenessTV in 2013. Earlier this month, Verizon acquired a 24.5% stake in the Generation Z-oriented online video maker; Hearst has a 25% stake, too. Comcast will fold the studio into NBCUniversal's Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, which includes Universal Pictures, Fandango, and NBCUniversal Brand Development. The deal bolsters the cable and Internet provider's already expansive catalog of content from NBCUniversal at a time when pay-TV licensing costs for programming continue to rise. Included in DreamWorks Animation's rich animation library are film franchises such as Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda and How to Train Your Dragon. "From consumer products and TV/film to digital media and theme parks, the deal could portend a sizable long-term term upside," Amobi said. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Comcast said that the acquisition would not only strengthen its film animation portfolio, but also "build its consumer products business, expand its theme park attractions, and enhance its position in the kids TV space." Also in the filing, Comcast valued DreamWorks Animation as a $4.1 billion enterprise, including the assumption of debt. “DreamWorks Animation is a great addition to NBCUniversal,” said NBCUniversal CEO Steve Burke. “Jeffrey Katzenberg and the DreamWorks organization have created a dynamic film brand and a deep library of intellectual property. DreamWorks will help us grow our film, television, theme parks and consumer products businesses for years to come.” Follow Mike Snider on Twitter: @MikeSnider Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1TyoThq ||||| NEW YORK (AP) — Comcast is buying DreamWorks Animation, the film company behind the Shrek, Madagascar and Kung Fu Panda franchises, for approximately $3.55 billion. DreamWorks stockholders will receive $41 for each share they own. That's a 24 percent premium to the company's Wednesday closing price of $32.20. The companies put the deal's value at about $3.8 billion. DreamWorks will become part of the Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, which includes Universal Pictures. Once the deal closes, DreamWorks co-founder and CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg will become chairman of DreamWorks New Media. He'll also serve as a consultant to NBCUniversal, a unit of Comcast Corp. Both companies' boards have approved the transaction, which is targeted to close by year's end. ||||| "Having spent the past two decades working together with our team to build DreamWorks Animation into one of the world's most beloved brands, I am proud to say that NBCUniversal is the perfect home for our company; a home that will embrace the legacy of our storytelling and grow our businesses to their fullest potential," Katzenberg said.

– In animating news for DreamWorks, Comcast's NBCUniversal will scoop up the studio, behind such films as Kung Fu Panda and Shrek, in a deal worth $3.8 billion, the AP reports. The acquisition, which the Los Angeles Times says came together with "breathtaking speed," will result in DreamWorks Animation being absorbed into the Universal Filmed Entertainment group, with DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg taking on the role of chairman of DreamWorks New Media, as well as serving as a consultant to NBCUniversal. "DreamWorks Animation is a great addition to NBCUniversal," Steve Burke, NBCUniversal's CEO, says. "[Katzenberg] and the DreamWorks organization have created a dynamic film brand and a deep library of intellectual property … [and] will help us grow our film, television, theme parks, and consumer products businesses for years to come." CNNMoney notes the deal, though smaller, is akin to Disney's ambitions when it bought Pixar for $7.4 billion in 2006, with theme park and merchandising elements being key to the buy. Although Comcast has put out successful animated films, including Despicable Me and Minions, joining forces with DW could help it compete with Disney, the Wall Street Journal notes. Katzenberg launched DreamWorks with Steven Spielberg and David Geffen in 1994, per USA Today, and the animation studio branched off as a public company in 2004. "I am proud to say that NBCUniversal is the perfect home for our company; a home that will embrace the legacy of our storytelling and grow our businesses to their fullest potential," Katzenberg said. The deal, which will pay DreamWorks investors $41 per share, is to close by year's end. (Katzenberg was so addicted to Breaking Bad he once offered to pay $75 million for three extra episodes.)

Taylor Swift has spotted a serious error in an SAT prep book question featuring one of her song lyrics. Adults are so lame. Just the lamest! Especially when they’re trying to relate to kids, clumsily trying to get on their level and have a rap session with them. It almost never works. Look at this latest example of adults making a huge boner while trying to dialogue with kids. It comes from maybe the lamest sector of adulthood, the Princeton Review, those nagging nerds who are always on about studying for the SATs and stuff. They’re adults who are thrilled that kids have to take a big, long, dumb test. Really lame. And now they’ve gone and bungled badly while writing a test prep question featuring Taylor Swift, breathy voice of a generation. How embarrassing! What happened was this: some teen, whose handle is myswiftlifee, so is presumably a Taylor Swift fan, was studying for the SATs, as so many teens must do (some teens study for the ACTs, other teens study for nothing), using a Princeton Review prep book. He or she arrived at a grammar section that attempted to use pop song lyrics as examples of improper pronoun usage. They cited Katy Perry lyrics, Whitney Houston (so hip, so now), Lady Gaga, and of course Taylor Swift. The Tumblr user screenshotted the questions and made a little comment, which Taylor Swift herself, also a Tumblr user, then reblogged, pointing out the Princeton Review’s big dumb error: They got the lyrics wrong. Oh for heaven’s sake! Come on, Princeton Review. “You had one job, test people,” Swift says in her Tumblr post. And she’s right. They had one job: to get these dang lyrics right so they could properly teach kids how to ace the SATs. And they didn’t freaking do it. The lyric they quoted is: “Somebody tells you they love you, you got to believe ‘em.” Which, presumably, is meant to be a lyric from Swift’s smash-hit, early career-defining jam “Fifteen.” (I think the improper grammar there is that it should be “you’ve got to believe ‘em”? Is that right? I don’t know, I took the SATs well over a hundred years ago.) (Update: As a few very kind people on Twitter have pointed out, the actual grammatical error is a disagreement between "somebody" and "they." Which, yes, is technically grammatically incorrect, but maybe not for long. I regret the error, as do my English teachers and probably my editors.) The problem is, the actual lyric is, as Swift points out in the tags to the Tumblr post, “Somebody tells you they love you, you’re gonna believe them.” She then adds the tag “#ACCUSE ME OF ANYTHING BUT DO NOT ATTACK MY GRAMMAR.” Boom. Ya burnt, Princeton Review test prep. Ya got burnt by Taylor Swift. What do we think happened here? Do we think someone deliberately changed the lyrics so they could introduce a grammatical error (beyond a deliberate one like “gonna”) that would fit the question? Did someone at the Princeton Review just remember their Taylor Swift incorrectly? It’s a mystery. But I’m so happy that Swift caught the error and schooled the schoolers. Turns out she was paying attention in high school, not just writing dreamy songs about it. I’m curious what the other acts whose lyrics are quoted in the question think about this whole thing. If you asked Lady Gaga, she’d probably say, “Of course I’ll sing a song for you” and then launch into an hour-long set of old standards. Katy Perry, meanwhile, is probably furrowed of brow, earnestly trying to figure out what’s wrong with her grammar, mouthing the words to herself as she reads, having dim memories of taking her own SATs, poor thing. Poor, poor thing. But Taylor Swift? She nailed it. She really did. She’s just so good at so many things, isn’t she? She can write the heck out of a pop tune, usually with correct grammar. She tends to handle press attention with a disarming goofiness that belies a calculated aloofness. And, as evidenced here, she engages with her fans, many of them adolescents who flail around her doing mad, hormonal fever dances, with a particular kind of dexterity. She’s connected to them, speaks their language, makes a happy meme of herself without really doing much of the faux self-deprecating, “I’m such a mess!” stuff that, say, the kids at Thought Catalog have done to engage with their similarly aged fans. Good for her. Taylor Swift knows exactly what she’s doing. Or, I dunno, maybe she’s just a weirdo, another lame adult, who likes talking to teens on the Internet. Either way, we’re glad she’s doing it. ||||| Starting in 1996, Alexa Internet has been donating their crawl data to the Internet Archive. Flowing in every day, these data are added to the Wayback Machine after an embargo period.

– In the world of standardized testing, it's probably safe to assume that Taylor Swift knows a little something about Taylor Swift. Apparently more than standardized testing knows about Taylor Swift: Vanity Fair spots a Tumblr exchange in which a Swift fan studying for the SATs stumbled across a grammar question having to do with a subject near to her heart. "Pop lyrics are a great source of bad grammar," the Princeton Review prep book intoned, prompting the student to spot the error in a series of pop lyrics, one of which was Swift's. Sort of: "Somebody tells you they love you, you got to believe 'em." Problem being, of course, the correct lyric (from "Fifteen") is: "Somebody tells you they love you, you’re gonna believe them." Swift wasted little time in pointing out the discrepancy, intoning, "You had one job, test people. One job." She helpfully added this hashtag: "#ACCUSE ME OF ANYTHING BUT DO NOT ATTACK MY GRAMMAR." Or, as Richard Lawson puts it, "Boom. Ya burnt, Princeton Review test prep. Ya got burnt by Taylor Swift." (Swift has been having more than a little fun on social media of late.)

But at every turn of his address, Mr. Obama projected a more conciliatory America, which is trying to break from the past. On Myanmar, for example, he pledged that he would “be the first American leader to meet with all 10 Asean leaders.” Mr. Obama will be at the table in Singapore on Sunday with the leaders of Myanmar and the other countries that make up the Association of Southeast Asian Nations , an economic group. Photo And while Mr. Obama spoke at length about human rights, he never connected the pursuit of such rights specifically to China and Tibet , where Beijing-backed authorities have clamped down on religious freedom. Instead, Mr. Obama, clearly seeking to avoid alienating Beijing on the eve of his inaugural visit to China, struck broader themes, saying that “supporting human rights provides lasting security that cannot be purchased any other way.” As he has on many of his trips abroad, Mr. Obama painted a picture of an America willing to learn from its mistakes. In particular, he said, the United States and Asia must grow out of the imbalance of American consumerism and Asian reliance on the United States as an export market, a cycle he called imbalanced. “One of the important lessons this recession has taught us is the limits of depending primarily on American consumers and Asian exports to drive growth,” he said. “We have now reached one of those rare inflection points in history where we have the opportunity to take a different path.” Photo Mr. Obama seemed to speak directly to the new Japanese government’s efforts to build a tighter Asian economic sphere, and used his own history to deliver the message: Don’t exclude the United States. “My own life is part of that story,” he said. “I am an American president who was born in Hawaii and lived in Indonesia as a boy. My sister Maya was born in Jakarta and later married a Chinese-Canadian. My mother spent nearly a decade working in the villages of Southeast Asia, helping women buy a sewing machine or an education that might give them a foothold in the world economy.” “So,” he added, “the Pacific rim has helped shape my view of the world.” He even spoke of his first trip to Japan as a boy—“As a child, I was more focused on the matcha ice cream ,” he said. That drew laughs from the audience, which gave him a standing ovation both before and after his speech. ||||| Japan's Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama says a civilian contribution to security in Afghanistan would be more appropriate for his country than continuing its role in providing Indian Ocean refueling assistance to the United States. Speaking at a joint news conference Friday with President Barack Obama, Hatoyama said, "I think we have to consider the meaning of this logistical support and we've come to think there's another type of assistance that is more appropriate for Afghanistan." One area of involvement that Hatoyama cited was possible vocational training for Afghan soldiers "so they do not have to rely on their guns" and can "seek a more fulfilling life." He said the time had come to provide "an alternative package" to replace the refueling mission.

– President Obama arrived in Japan today to open his weeklong summit in Asia. At a news conference with Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, Obama acknowledged that relations with Tokyo have been strained and agreed that it's time to modernize the nations' 50-year-old treaty. "Our effort will be focused on revitalizing that friendship,” he said. The newly elected Democratic Party has sought a more "equal" partnership with the US, notes the New York Times. Hatoyama confirmed that Japan will no longer refuel supply ships for Afghanistan in the Indian Ocean, but he said the nation would help with noncombat operations such as rebuilding schools, notes AP. He also pledged cooperation on issues such as climate change and nuclear proliferation. Obama will give a major address on US-Asia relations tomorrow.

Newt Gingrich’s campaign declined to purchase a lot today to participate in the Ames straw poll, a national spokesman confirmed in an interview with The Des Moines Register. The decision is not a reflection of a troubled campaign but rather an effort to run a more focused grassroots organization, said spokesman R.C. Hammond. The campaign is still assessing whether it will participate, Hammond said. “We’re not going to have the type of financial resources some others will have,” Hammond said. “That’s not the type of campaign we will run. We will work to turn people out, not because we have an air conditioned tent but because we have good ideas.” The Ames Straw Poll on Aug. 13th is a major event for presidential candidates and a well-known fundraiser for the Republican Party of Iowa. The location of the candidates is considered critically important. Today’s bidding briefly took an emotional turn with several campaigns walked out in protest when a representative for U.S. Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, R-Mich., initially asked to bid without naming the congressman. Gingrich’s campaign sent an Iowa State student as its representative at the auction, Hammond said. The campaign may participate in the event but wasn’t interested in spending money for a premium spot, he said. After today, candidates can no longer purchase lots but may still participate in the straw poll, according to current rules. Gingrich’s campaign has gone through a number of recent transitions that fueled national speculation that his campaign is on the rocks. Within a span of about 1½ weeks ending June 9, all seven of Gingrich’s Iowa staff resigned, and so did several top national aides, some speaking publicly about what they described as a lackadaisical approach to fundraising and campaigning. And earlier this week the campaign announced that two key fundraising staff members had also resigned. The most paid for a straw poll spot came from Texas congressman Ron Paul. He spent $31,000 on a spot occupied by by the Mitt Romney campaign at the 2007 straw pol, said A.J. Spiker, vice chairman of Paul’s Iowa campaign. Bidding started at $15,000. “The congressman is interested in getting in front of Iowans,” Spiker said. “He realizes Iowa is extremely important to the presidential cycle and that Iowans have a very special position to the presidential process.” In addition to McCotter and Paul, the four others buying today include: former Godfather’s Pizza CEO Herman Cain; former Minnesota Gov.Tim Pawlenty; Rick Santorum and Minnesota congresswoman Michele Bachmann.. Minnesota Sen. Michele Bachmann. ||||| 5 years ago Washington (CNN) - Six Republican presidential campaigns secured spots Thursday to participate in the high stakes Ames Straw Poll in Iowa. Multiple GOP sources told CNN that the former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, businessman Herman Cain, former Sen. Rick Santorum, Texas Rep. Ron Paul and, surprisingly, Michigan Rep. Thaddeus McCotter each paid a minimum of $15,000 to rent space outside the arena where the August 13 straw poll will take place. Newt Gingrich’s reportedly cash-strapped campaign, which had long-planned to run a robust Iowa effort, did not bid on a spot. Gingrich spokesman Joe DeSantis confirmed the decision, but said the candidate is “committed to the caucuses” and plans to return to the state several times in the coming weeks. McCotter, a guitar-playing conservative with a quirky reputation on Capitol Hill, has not made an official decision about running for president. But his investment in Ames is the most serious sign to date that he plans to join the ever-widening Republican field. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman are each keeping their sights on New Hampshire rather than Iowa and have already announced plans to skip the straw poll. The contest, a fundraiser for the Iowa Republican Party that is traditionally seen as a test of each campaign’s organizational strength in the state, is hardly predictive. In 2007, Romney spent heavily to win the straw poll only to come up short in the caucuses to the Republican who finished second in the straw poll, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. Expectations are key: A strong showing can do wonders for lesser-known candidates, as it did for Huckabee in 2008. Conversely, an underwhelming performance can unravel a campaign hoping to do well in the caucuses. Iowa GOP officials ran a bidding process Thursday to auction off lots closest to arena, where each campaign will set up tents and stages to rally their supporters with food, music and swag before the vote. Positions closer to the Hilton Coliseum at Iowa State University, where the straw poll balloting occurs, are most expensive. Sources told CNN that Paul’s campaign outbid the competition and landed the premier location at the event site. Bachmann’s team is also said to have secured a first-rate spot. Bachmann spokesman Alice Stewart said her campaign is “pleased” with the space they landed. “It’s a pretty good spot,” she said. But in a sign that the Bachmann team views Pawlenty as one of their main rivals in the caucuses, Stewart immediately sought to raise expectations for the former governor in the straw poll. “Pawlenty has made a big investment there for two years,” Stewart told CNN. “He will be tough to be beat but we will be ready to spend a lot of time in Iowa. We are looking forward to it.”

– Newt Gingrich has opted not to pony up the $15,000 necessary to be a main competitor in August's Ames Straw Poll in Iowa, reports the Des Moines Register. The poll doubles as a GOP fundraiser, and candidates can essentially rent space for their supporters. Gingrich's tottering campaign is reportedly strapped for cash, and his rep did not bid at yesterday's auction. The top bidder was Ron Paul, who paid $31,000 for prime real estate. The big surprise was the No. 2 bid, which went to conservative Congressman Thaddeus McCotter of Michigan for $18,000. McCotter has not formally announced he is joining the GOP field and tried to make his auction bid anonymously, but his representative was outed. The other four who paid to participate: Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Rick Santorum, and Tim Pawlenty. Meanwhile, Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman skipped for strategic reasons, notes CNN; they're focusing on New Hampshire.

MOBILE, Alabama – Author Harper Lee's trademark lawsuit against a Monroeville museum officially is back on. Chief U.S. District Judge William Steele, in a one-sentence order Thursday, reinstated Lee's civil case against the Monroe County Heritage Museum. Attorneys in the case had announced an out-of-court settlement in February, and the judge gave them 60 days to work out a written agreement. But this week, Lee's lawyers indicated that the deal had fallen apart because the museum was insisting on additional terms that were not part of the original agreement. The ailing author, whose only work was the Pulitzer Prize winning "To Kill a Mockingbird," accused the museum of illegally profiting off the characters she created. The museum has denied the claims. Steele ruled that the original scheduling order remains in effect. That calls for a pretrial conference on Oct. 14, with a two- to three-day nonjury trial in November. Attorneys have until the end of next month to complete evidence-gathering work, including questioning witnesses under oath. ||||| Drink coasters for sale in the gift shop of the Monroe County Heritage Museum in Monroeville, Ala. (REUTERS/Verna Gates) Monroeville, Ala., is the sort of tiny Southern town where it’s actually possible for everyone to know everyone else’s business. The sort of town where only about 6,300 people live. The sort of town whose most notable resident is suing the local museum that celebrates her. On Thursday, a federal judge reinstated a trademark lawsuit by Harper Lee, author of “To Kill a Mockingbird,” who sued the Monroe County Heritage Museum for profiting from her name and work. Lee alleged the museum was seeking to take advantage of her ailing health — she had a stroke in 2007 — and that the sale of “Mockingbird” tchotchkes netted the museum more than $500,000 in 2011. Harper Lee in 2007. (AP Photo/Rob Carr) A settlement had been reached in the case, which was originally filed last year, but Lee, 88, claimed the museum was trying to change it and asked the judge to go ahead with a trial. According to her original complaint: The town’s desire to capitalize upon the fame of “To Kill a Mockingbird” is unmistakable: Monroeville’s town logo features an image of a mockingbird and the cupola of the Old County Courthouse, which was the setting for the dramatic trial in “To Kill a Mockingbird.” … Its actual work does not touch upon history. Rather, its primary mission is to trade upon the fictional story, settings and characters that Harper Lee created in “To Kill a Mockingbird,” and Harper Lee’s own renown as one of the nation’s most celebrated authors. The Old Monroeville Courthouse is home to the museum. It’s where Gregory Peck’s famous courthouse scenes as Atticus Finch were filmed for the 1962 movie. Peck won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Finch. The museum recently changed its Web address from tokillamockingbird.com to monroecountymuseum.org. Lee is 88, and her penchant for reclusiveness rivals that of her character Boo Radley. She won a Pulitzer Prize for “Mockingbird,” the only book she ever published. The museum responded in 2013 with a statement from its lawyer, released to ABC News: Every single statement in the lawsuit is either false, meritless, or both. It is sad that Harper Lee’s greedy handlers have seen fit to attack the non-profit museum in her hometown that has been honoring her legacy and the town’s rich history associated with that legacy for over 20 years. Unfortunately for Harper Lee, those handlers are doing nothing but squandering her money with this lawsuit. The museum is squarely within its rights to carry out its mission as it always has. The Birmingham News reports that Chief U.S. District Judge William Steele has scheduled a pretrial conference for Oct. 14 and a non-jury trial in November that’s expected to last two or three days. Last year, Lee also sued her former literary agent, claiming she was duped into signing over the copyright to “Mockingbird” to him and his company. They also settled out of court.

– The author of one of the most respected courtroom dramas of all time will get her day in court after all. A federal judge has reinstated Harper Lee's lawsuit against the museum in her hometown that she contends illegally profits off To Kill a Mockingbird, the Washington Post reports. The Monroe County Heritage Museum in Monroeville, Alabama, made more than half a million dollars in 2011 selling Mockingbird-related merchandise, the lawsuit alleges. The 88-year-old and the museum originally reached a settlement in February. But Lee asked a judge to reinstate the case this week, saying the museum was trying to change the deal. The judge agreed yesterday, putting the case back on its original schedule, with a trial set for November, Al.com reports. Last year, the museum said that "every single statement in the lawsuit is either false, meritless, or both," and that it had the right to honor Lee's legacy. The museum is located in the former courthouse where the film version of Mockingbird was shot, and until recently its web address was tokillamockingbird.com. (Lee has also been in a legal fight with a former literary agent.)

Last month, several Tea Party activists formed a right-wing coalition to oust Rep. Joe Straus (R) as Texas House Speaker. They began circulating emails with anti-Semitic messages against Straus, who is Jewish. The groups ran robo-calls and sent out e-mails demanding a “true Christian leader,” and calling Straus’ opponent, Rep. Ken Paxton (R), “a Christian Conservative who decided not to be pushed around by the Joe Straus thugs.” Last week, the Texas Observer’s Abby Rapoport reported that she had obtained an email exchange between two members of the Texas State Republican Executive Committee (SREC) — Rebecca Williamson and John Cook. “We elected a house with Christian, conservative values. We now want a true Christian, conservative running it,” Cook said in one of the emails. “Since the SREC governs state Republican Party affairs,” Rapoport wrote, “this marked the first time an elected party leader had semi-openly called for a ‘Christian conservative’ Speaker.” Cook then explained his views to Rapoport in a subsequent telephone interview: “When I got involved in politics, I told people I wanted to put Christian conservatives in leadership positions,” he told me, explaining that he only supports Christian conservative candidates in Republican primary races. “I want to make sure that a person I’m supporting is going to have my values. It’s not anything about Jews and whether I think their religion is right or Muslims and whether I think their religion is right. … I got into politics to put Christian conservatives into office. They’re the people that do the best jobs over all.” Cook insisted he is not prejudiced against Jews: “They’re some of my best friends,” he said of Jews, naming two friends of his. “I’m not bigoted at all; I’m not racist.” [...] “My favorite person that’s ever been on this earth is a Jew,” he said. “How can they possibly think that if Jesus Christ is a Jew, and he’s my favorite person that’s ever been on this earth?” “Ah, I see,” the Washington Monthly’s Steve Benen observed, “It’s not ‘about Jews,’ it’s just that Cook doesn’t think Jews can do the job well because they’re Jews.” Benen addded, “Someday, folks will have to understand that ‘some of my best friends are [fill in the blank with a minority group]‘ is a cliche repeated by bigots. I would have hoped that was obvious by now.” ||||| ANOTHER SETBACK IN THE GOP OUTREACH TO MINORITY COMMUNITIES.... Ordinarily, who gets elected Speaker of the Texas state House would only be of interest to those in Texas. But the current dispute in Austin has a larger significance. The current state House Speaker is Joe Straus, a conservative Republican leading a conservative Republican majority. He's currently facing a challenge from state Rep. Ken Paxton, who appears to agree with Straus on nearly everything. So what makes this noteworthy? Straus is Jewish, and some far-right activists in Texas have a problem with that. A few weeks ago, a coalition of Tea Party and right-wing Republican groups began lobbying for Paxton to replace Straus, with coalition activists circulating anti-Semitic emails. The message from conservatives was that the GOP state House needed a "Christian conservative" leader. This week, the Texas Observer reported on an email exchange between two members of the State Republican Executive Committee, which governs state GOP affairs. One of the two party leaders, John Cook, insisted in a message, "We elected a house with Christian, conservative values. We now want a true Christian, conservative running it." The Observer's Abby Rapoport connected with Cook to ask about his efforts to replace the current state House Speaker. "When I got involved in politics, I told people I wanted to put Christian conservatives in leadership positions," he told me, explaining that he only supports Christian conservative candidates in Republican primary races. "I want to make sure that a person I'm supporting is going to have my values. It's not anything about Jews and whether I think their religion is right or Muslims and whether I think their religion is right. ... I got into politics to put Christian conservatives into office. They're the people that do the best jobs over all." Ah, I see. It's not "about Jews," it's just that Cook doesn't think Jews can do the job well because they're Jews. He added that he prefers Christian candidates, but isn't anti-Semitic. "They're some of my best friends," he said of Jews, naming two friends of his. Someday, folks will have to understand that "some of my best friends are [fill in the blank with a minority group]" is a cliche repeated by bigots. I would have hoped that was obvious by now. As for the bigger picture, I'm inclined to consider this yet another setback in the Republican Party's minority outreach efforts.

– A story about internal Texas politics (and religion) is percolating up to the national wires: A member of the state's Republican Executive Committee defends the movement to dump current state House speaker Joe Straus and says it's largely because of his pro-choice politics. But it apparently doesn't help that Straus is Jewish: "I got into politics to put Christian conservatives into office," John Cook tells the Texas Observer. "They're the people that do the best jobs over all." And the line everyone's been waiting for: "They're some of my best friends," he says of Jews. "I'm not bigoted at all." Think Progress has picked up on the story, noting emails calling for a "true Christian leader" in the position, as has Steve Benen in the Washington Monthly: "Ah, I see. It's not 'about Jews,'" he writes. "It's just that Cook doesn't think Jews can do the job well because they're Jews."

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — An Australian cookbook author who falsely said she beat cancer through healthy eating has been fined by a court for misleading consumers by lying about her charitable donations. The judge had ruled in March that Belle Gibson's deceptive claims of donating the proceeds from the sales of "The Whole Pantry" and a related app constituted unconscionable conduct under Australian consumer law. Federal Court Justice Debra Mortimer on Thursday ordered Gibson to pay a total of 410,000 Australian dollars ($320,000) for five contraventions of the law relating to false claims that the proceeds would go to various charities. Gibson did not attend court in Melbourne. She was advised of the fine Wednesday night and responded in an email: "Thank you for the update. Much appreciated." The book and app were withdrawn. ||||| Gibson, who built a wellness empire on the back of claims she cured terminal brain cancer through diet and lifestyle, has admitted deceiving her followers 'None of it’s true': wellness blogger Belle Gibson admits she never had cancer Disgraced wellness blogger Belle Gibson, who built an online community and sold a recipe book off the back of claims she cured terminal brain cancer through diet and lifestyle alone, has admitted she never had cancer. “None of it’s true,” Gibson told the Australian Women’s Weekly in an interview to be published on Thursday. “I don’t want forgiveness. I just think [speaking out] was the responsible thing to do. Above anything, I would like people to say, ‘OK, she’s human.’” Gibson’s wellness empire, which included a mobile phone app called The Whole Pantry and a website and recipe book of the same name, began to fall apart in March when it was revealed she never made thousands of dollars in charity donations she promised off the back of money raised through her success. Pseudoscience and strawberries: ‘wellness’ gurus should carry a health warning | Hadley Freeman Read more Later that month, Gibson said she had been “wrongly” diagnosed with cancers she claimed to have in her blood, spleen, uterus and liver by a German magnetic therapist, but maintained her terminal brain cancer was real. She refused to show journalists medical records or any proof to back her claims that by shunning conventional medicine, her brain cancer had been kept in check. The Women’s Weekly interview is the first time Gibson has spoken to the media following questions being raised about her cancer claims. “During the interviews, whenever challenged, Belle cried easily and muddled her words,” the Women’s Weekly reports. “She says she is passionate about avoiding gluten, dairy and coffee, but doesn’t really understand how cancer works.” When questions began to be asked about Gibson’s story last month, she experienced a swift backlash on social media, with many people who followed her saying they felt betrayed. She began deleting her social media accounts and blogposts about her various illnesses. Many criticised Gibson for putting cancer sufferers in danger by suggesting dietary approaches alone could successfully treat them. Consumer Affairs Victoria is now investigating Gibson, while Penguin has ceased publishing her recipe book and the Apple store no longer offers her app for download. In the interview, Gibson says she has an upcoming meeting with Penguin. However, Penguin communications manager Camilla Subeather told Guardian Australia on Thursday no such meeting had been arranged. “We are disappointed that, despite several requests for clarification regarding recent allegations made against her, Belle is yet to respond to us directly,” she said. “We have read with interest her recent interview and are considering our rights and options as set out in our agreement with her. We have no knowledge of the forthcoming meeting she refers to.” News Ltd, which appears to have obtained a full copy of the Women’s Weekly interview ahead of publication, reports Gibson fails to explain fully why she lied, saying only that she had a difficult childhood. Her false illness claims date back to 2009, when she claimed on an internet forum to have undergone multiple heart surgeries and to have died on the operating table. In the days following the allegations against her, Gibson posted on social media that she was being bullied and had changed “thousands of lives for the better”. Meanwhile, the media was criticised for running glowing articles about Gibson prior to the allegations coming to light without properly checking the facts of her story. ||||| Image copyright 9 News / 60 Minutes Image caption Belle Gibson falsely claimed alternative therapies helped her beat cancer after conventional medicine failed An Australian wellness blogger who falsely claimed to have cancer has been fined A$410,000 (£240,000, $322,000) for misleading her readers. Belle Gibson, 25, gained fame in Australia after she claimed to have beaten brain cancer using natural remedies and nutrition. She launched a successful app and cookbook, but later admitted the diagnosis was made up. Ms Gibson was found guilty of five breaches of consumer law in March. A judge at the time said Ms Gibson may have "genuinely" believed what she was saying, and might have suffered from "delusions" about her health. She did not attend the Federal Court of Australia in Melbourne on Thursday to hear the penalty handed down. 'Pitching' for sympathy Ms Gibson built a social media empire off claims she had cured her cancer with Ayurvedic medicine, oxygen therapy and a gluten and refined sugar-free diet. "Her 'pitch' overwhelmingly used groups likely to evoke sympathy because of their vulnerabilities - young girls, asylum seekers, sick children," Justice Debbie Mortimer said in March. Ms Gibson's app and cookbook, both called The Whole Pantry, made A$420,000, and she had promised to deliver a share of the profits to several charities. But the money allegedly never reached the charities and cracks began to appear in Ms Gibson's story, leading her to admit her claims were untrue. ||||| The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. ||||| Federal court orders disgraced wellness blogger to pay penalty after she sold a cookbook and app after claiming to have cured cancer naturally The disgraced wellness blogger Belle Gibson has been ordered by the federal court in Melbourne to repay $410,000 to the state of Victoria. For the past few months the court had been struggling to decide on an appropriate penalty for Gibson, after she sold thousands of copies of her cookbook and wellness app off the back of false claims she cured numerous cancers through following a healthy lifestyle. 'None of it’s true': wellness blogger Belle Gibson admits she never had cancer Read more The 25-year-old has failed to show up to court since proceedings brought against her by Consumer Affairs Victoria began last year and has also not responded to evidence before the court or submitted her own. Consumer Affairs Victoria brought the case, and its legal counsel told federal court justice Debra Mortimer on Thursday morning that Gibson could face a maximum penalty of $1.1m for contravening five consumer laws. But in June Mortimer said there was no point in issuing a significant fine against a person or company if they had no means of paying that penalty. In making her order on Thursday, Mortimer said Gibson would be able to pay the penalty in instalments. Gibson’s product, The Whole Pantry, included a website, mobile phone app and recipe book of the same name. Her story of shunning conventional medicine and curing herself with food began to fall apart in 2015 when it was revealed she had not made thousands of dollars in charity donations she promised off the back of money raised through her success. In an interview with the Australian Women’s Weekly in 2016, Gibson admitted she never had cancer at all, saying: “None of it’s true.” On Monday night Mortimer said her executive assistant had received an email from Gibson in response to notification that the penalty would be handed down on Thursday. Gibson simply responded: “Thank you for your update. Confirming receipt of your email. Much appreciated, Belle.” She was not present in court for the judgment. Belle Gibson mimicked countless fake healers. They aren't delusional | Ranjana Srivastava Read more Mortimer ordered Gibson to pay a penalty of $90,000 for her false claims that she would make donations for the sale of her app; $90,000 for false claims her company would make charity donations; $50,000 for false claims that following her app launch she would donate to charity; $150,000 for false claims that she would make donations to the Schwartz family, whose son suffered brain cancer; and $30,000 for false claims that she would donate to charity off the back of a Mother’s Day event. “I note also that Ms Gibson has already been ordered to pay a percentage of the director’s [of Consumer Affairs Victoria] legal costs of this proceeding, fixed at $30,000,” Mortimer’s judgment read. “If Ms Gibson were to actually pay the pecuniary penalties imposed (whether by instalments or otherwise), in the court’s respectful opinion … it may be appropriate for consideration to be given to whether there is a mechanism by which some or all of the funds can be donated to some or all of the organisations, and people, Ms Gibson had promised would receive donations. “In that way, some good might still come for the vulnerable people, and the organisations supporting them, which were indirectly drawn into this unconscionable sequence of events.”

– In March, Belle Gibson was found guilty of breaching consumer law with her false claims on how she'd beaten her supposed brain cancer. On Thursday, Melbourne's Federal Court of Australia handed down the fine the Aussie blogger will pay as a consequence: around $320,000, the BBC reports. The 25-year-old had made a name for herself in her home country when she claimed she'd beaten her cancer through a regimen of healthy living and eating, which she monetized via an app and cookbook she created, both called The Whole Pantry. Per the AP, the fine was handed down due to Gibson's claims that proceeds from the app and cookbook would go to different charities. But the charities never got those funds, and that's when questions started to pop up about Gibson herself. It was in mid-2015 when Gibson finally admitted she'd never had brain cancer, or other cancers she'd also initially said she had (she later called those misdiagnoses). Gibson's "pitch" for people to throw money her way "overwhelmingly used groups likely to evoke sympathy because of their vulnerabilities—young girls, asylum seekers, sick children," federal judge Debra Mortimer said in March. The Guardian notes the court had spent months trying to figure out a penalty for Gibson, and Consumer Affairs Victoria, which brought the case against Gibson, said she could've faced a fine of up to $860,000. But Mortimer had previously said it was pointless to issue a fine that Gibson would be unable to pay. Gibson wasn't in court to hear Mortimer's decision, instead sending an email response to the AP that said, "Thank you for the update. Much appreciated."

Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading. Thank you for reading your allotted free articles on our site. If you would like to continue to read ... Please sign in or create an account using the button below. Follow the instructions to create an online subscription. If you are already a print subscriber, an online subscription is FREE. If you need help, please contact our office at 308 382-1000. ||||| BREWTON -- A small-town pharmacist intrigued by the government's economic stimulus plan decided to launch his own version with $16,000 in $2 bills, and area stores have already felt the impact. Danny Cottrell gave each of his full-time employees $700 and part-timers $300. He asked them to donate 15 percent to charity and spend the rest locally, particularly downtown, where store owners say that business has been lean. "I wanted to do something for my employees, let them know our business is not in jeopardy, and for the local merchants," said Danny Cottrell, owner of The Medical Center Pharmacy with its main store in Brewton and a second in Atmore. "This seemed like a good way to do it." Cottrell said he paid his employees with $2 bills so he and the rest of the Escambia County business community could see how the money circulates. Before he explained the plan to his employees last week, Cottrell said, he couldn't resist creating a little suspense. "Times are hard," he said, "and the downturn has hit us some. Employees start to worry if they will even have a job. So I called a meeting of the staff. One employee broke out in hives from the nerves. My partner, Tom Henderson, said he heard some employees talking about the meeting. They were scared to death." Cottrell said he began the meeting as usual, encouraging workers to answer phones faster and serve customers better. Then he began passing out envelopes. When workers saw the cash, some were so excited that they wept, he said. "I was so worried, I made myself physically sick," said Lana Jackson. "But spending it has been fun. It feels like you are doing a good deed." Carolyn Kennedy said she was so shocked she couldn't speak at first. Workers are keeping a log of the stores that they visit, more than 65 at last count. Some have stopped in at stores they never tried before. From the Winn-Dixie to the Peebles department store, merchants said the $2 bills have been noticed. "I've had three customers this week come in and pay with $2 bills," said Candy Smith, owner of a clothing boutique downtown. Sammy Weaver, owner of Weaver's in Brewton, said he appreciates Cottrell and his commitment to the town. "The $2 bills make it easy to see where it's going, see how it turns over and generates tax revenue that helps our town and schools," said Weaver, whose store sells jewelry and clothing. "I plan to save up the bills that come in here and pay Danny my bill with them." Some of the $2 bills have even circulated back to the pharmacy. "It's not a huge amount of money," Cottrell said of his hometown stimulus package. "It would have a more noticeable impact if someone with more resources came up with a huge amount of money, but the times are tough." Still, for the workers with the windfall, this is just more of their boss' big heart shining through, they said. "I tell you, I love him like cooked food," said Bobbie Edwards.

– A Nebraska bullet-manufacturing company likes to make its bonuses memorable. A few years ago, a portion was distributed in $1 coins, but they were a bit heavy to haul around—so this year, Hornady Manufacturing opted for $2 bills. Bosses handed out $61,000 worth of the rare bills, an increase on last year's $48,000, they tell the Grand Island Independent. Why the odd system? "Two years ago, we caught a lot of flack from the city council and some people in the city of Grand Island for how we don’t support the community ... which we disagreed with," explains VP Jason Hornady. To prove the complaints weren't true, the company chose to make its contribution clear by paying $2-bill bonuses. "(We) asked our employees to spend that money in town, and if people look at you funny, tell them where you work, and we think that they will notice," Hornady says. The company orders the bills about a month in advance, he notes. Fortunately, the 300 workers don't have to deal entirely in $2 bills: "They also receive a nice check and a deposit into their 401(k)s," he adds. Hornady isn't the first company to use the tactic: In 2009, a pharmacist made a similar move in Alabama, the Press-Register reported. (Of course, not everyone welcomes pay in small denominations.)

These crawls are part of an effort to archive pages as they are created and archive the pages that they refer to. That way, as the pages that are referenced are changed or taken from the web, a link to the version that was live when the page was written will be preserved.Then the Internet Archive hopes that references to these archived pages will be put in place of a link that would be otherwise be broken, or a companion link to allow people to see what was originally intended by a page's authors.The goal is to fix all broken links on the web . Crawls of supported "No More 404" sites. ||||| If you want to know why mass transit is doomed in the United States, look at the place where it is undoubtedly more successful -- and more widely used -- than anywhere else in the country: New York. In 2008, Michael Bloomberg proposed congestion pricing for Manhattan's inner core, proposing an $8 charge for most passenger cars, to be charged only once a day. The money would've gone to the MTA, to fix up subway stations, improve bus and subway service, and help pay for extensions to the system. Naturally, it died in Albany without even coming up for a vote. Now, famous transportation expert "Gridlock" Sam Schwartz is trying to sell a new congestion pricing proposal, one that simply adds tolls to bridges entering Manhattan, and that also lowers already existing tolls on other area bridges. The proposal is designed to alleviate the (misleading) class-based argument against Bloomberg's plan, which was said to benefit rich Manhattanites at the expense of the blue-collar outer boroughs. The proposal briefly seemed like it might actually have a shot at passing, until New York's Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo effectively killed it by declaring that it wouldn't pass. (It would, needless to say, have a better chance of passing if the state's powerful governor exerted any effort at all toward passing it.) Richard Brodsky, a former assemblyman and a regularly quoted opponent of congestion pricing, summed up the argument against charging drivers a bit more to help maintain the transit system: Richard L. Brodsky, a former Democratic assemblyman and a senior fellow at the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University, said Mr. Schwartz’s plan was “a fundamentally regressive tax,” even if equity problems among the boroughs were “addressed to an extent,” at least compared with the 2008 plan. “It will modify the behavior of the guy driving the ’97 Chevy,” Mr. Brodsky said, “but will do nothing to modify the behavior of the guy driving the 2013 Mercedes.” As StreetsBlog explains, this is a very silly argument. Drivers are, on average, richer than non-drivers. Owning cars is expensive, even without East River bridge tolls. There are more car-less New Yorkers than drivers. But the drivers earn more, and we all remember how American politicians only respond to the desires and preferences of the wealthy, right? The congestion pricing argument has always taken place, rhetorically, in a bizarre alternate universe where everyone drives, and where every citizen deserves to be able to drive without bearing anything close to the cost of that driving on the city's infrastructure and atmosphere. In 2008, politician after politician cried that it was unfair to ask anyone to pay money to go from one of the city's boroughs into another, and no one reminded them that every single subway rider has always been forced to pay to do that very thing. The sad thing is that Cuomo's refusal to support the proposal wasn't remotely surprising. Cuomo has never evinced any concern at all about his state's mass transit system. Indeed, he has sometimes seemed actively hostile to the idea of adequately funding, let alone expanding it. He has blocked efforts to even study transit options on the replacement Tappan Zee Bridge over the Hudson River. He vetoed a bill that would've discouraged the state Legislature from diverting transit money to other things -- which Cuomo did in his 2013 budget. Cuomo isn't at all unusual. In New York state, as in the country as a whole, more resources continue to be spent on drivers and roads than buses and trains. One transit blogger has calculated that, according to how Albany allocates transportation money, "every driver is worth as much as 4.5 transit riders." And while Mayor Bloomberg's administration has a generally very good record on transit, there's always been a strange tension between Bloomberg's pedestrian and bicycle-friendly Department of Transportation and his NYPD, which has a bizarrely antagonistic relationship with bicyclists and which rarely -- as in almost never -- prosecutes reckless driving, speeding, or accidents leading to the death of pedestrians. This should be the most transit-friendly government in the country. A majority of New York citizens rely on public transit for their livelihoods. The city and state are run by Democrats, many of them among the most liberal in the nation. Our incoming mayor, Bill de Blasio, ran as a left-wing populist. But incoming Mayor Bill de Blasio is a driver. Andrew Cuomo has been a driver, or had drivers, his entire life. There are certain richer Manhattanites, accustomed to walking, for whom anti-car policies improve their quality of life, but for most of the political class, everyone they know and interact with owns a car. Finding a steady and sufficient revenue source for the local transit system, one that can't be raided for other purposes and that doesn't rely too heavily on burdening its users with hefty fare increases, should be an urgent priority for local politicians, but most of them simply don't care. We already have a political system in this country that, nationally, heavily favors the interests of the rural and the suburban over the urban. Many state legislatures have similar biases. But when, even in New York, politicians ignore transit, because they don't know or interact with or receive checks from people who rely on it every day, there's almost no hope for cheap, efficient mass transit options anywhere. Take Minneapolis, a decently dense city that could, and ought to, support a much more extensive mass transit system. The existing system, mainly buses and a light rail line, with more lines planned, is operated by a division of the Metropolitan Council, and, predictably, the council designs transit in a way that reflects the ostensible needs of the entire metro area, including suburbs that sprawl out miles beyond the city center. The result is a series of ambitious plans to build rail lines traveling from outside the city to downtown, while the urban bus system is unreliable, neglected and nearly impossible to navigate without extensive prior knowledge. Meanwhile, the light rail lines the council and the state are pressing forward with have been designed in a bizarre fashion, along low-traffic, low-density routes and ignoring the most dense and highly trafficked corridors in the city. The city government is now fighting with the council over its plan to put a streetcar line on one major urban avenue. The streetcar is probably not as good a solution as either improving bus service, on the cheap side, or creating a real subway or light rail line, on the more expensive, but it's the only proposed transit expansion right now in the area designed to serve people who actually live in the city. Here, again, politicians don't ride the bus, and likely know hardly anyone who does regularly. If this very liberal town, in a liberal state, run entirely by Democrats, has so much trouble creating and maintaining a decent mass transit system, what hope is there for the rest of America's cities? Especially the ones in states, and metro areas, that aren't so liberal. Take poor Atlanta, where the baseball team is in the process of becoming the only MLB team to move farther away from the city core in decades. The Braves will be going to suburban Cobb County, a rich, white, conservative county that has always rejected the expansion of the local rail line into its community, citing fears of unnamed "people" from Atlanta. The current stadium is a 25-minute walk from mass transit. The new one will be essentially unreachable -- by design, because sometimes transit expansion is blocked not just because of neglect, but also to enforce racial segregation. Just about the only place where there seems to be hope for mass transit in America is, bizarrely enough, Los Angeles, where the system is currently in the process of growing and improving. Why there, of all places? Maybe because while Los Angeles politicians are as unlikely to ride buses and trains as politicians anywhere else, they do have a personal stake in seeing other drivers get the hell off the road.

– In the wake of the train disaster in the Bronx, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood took to MSNBC and called on lawmakers to invest in America's "50-year-old transit systems." But when it comes to public transit, that plea will probably fall on deaf ears. "Mass transit is doomed in the United States," writes Alex Pareene at Salon. Across the country, far more is spent on roads and drivers than trains and buses. Why? Because driving is the province of the wealthy. "For most of the political class, everyone they know and interact with owns a car." America's political system inherently "heavily favors the interests of the rural and the suburban over the urban," Pareene writes. But even in subway-loving New York City, public transit-friendly policies are dead-on-arrival; not coincidentally, the state's governor drives. Minneapolis ought to have a great public transit system. Instead, its suburban system is ambitious, while the urban system "is unreliable, neglected, and nearly impossible to navigate." If these dense, liberal cities have "so much trouble creating and maintaining a decent mass transit system," Pareene wonders, "what hope is there for the rest of America's cities?" Click for his full column.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Subway restaurant chain said Friday it received a "serious" complaint about Jared Fogle when he was the company's spokesman but that the complaint did not imply any criminal sexual activity. The company announced in a statement that it has completed an internal investigation into whether it was alerted to concerns about Fogle, who agreed last month to plead guilty to allegations he paid for sex acts with girls as young as 16 and had received child pornography. The company has severed its ties to him. Subway's investigation included a review of more than a million online comments and interviews with past and present employees and managers with both the company and an advertising fund, the statement said. Subway spokeswoman Kristen McMahon said the company received the "serious" complaint in 2011 from former Florida journalist Rochelle Herman-Walrond, who says she worked with the FBI to record Fogle expressing interest in sex with minors. The company's statement said that while the complaint "expressed concerns about Mr. Fogle," it included "nothing that implied anything about sexual behavior or criminal activity involving Mr. Fogle." McMahon would not elaborate on the nature of the complaint. Nevertheless, the company said it regrets the complaint was "not properly escalated or acted upon," according to the statement. "It is important to note that the investigation found no further evidence of any other complaints of any kind regarding Mr. Fogle that were submitted to or shared with SUBWAY," the statement said. Telephone calls by The Associated Press to Herman-Walrond seeking comment on Subway's statement were not immediately returned Friday night. Fogle's lawyers also did not respond to requests for comment. It's unclear how Herman-Walrond knew Fogle, who lives in suburban Indianapolis. Authorities in Indiana would not say whether she was part of their investigation into him. But Fogle's plea agreement mentions that witnesses in Florida, Georgia and Washington state provided recordings and information it says show Fogle "repeatedly discussed with them his interest in engaging in commercial sex acts with minors or stated that he has done so in the past." Separately, a lawyer for former Subway franchisee Cindy Mills said she alerted an executive in charge of the company's advertising in 2008 after Fogle began talking to her about paying for sex with minors. The attorney said Mills also shared her concerns with a regional Subway contact in Florida, where she is based. The executive, Jeff Moody, has denied being aware of Fogle's criminal sexual conduct. The company has said it does not have a record of any complaints by the former franchisee. Attempts to reach Mills' attorney on Friday were unsuccessful. ||||| Subway Says They Received Only One 'Serious' Complaint as Jared Fogle Investigation Concludes After the completion of their investigation into convicted sex offender Jared Fogle Subway announced that they found only one "serious" complaint against the former company spokesman, PEOPLE can confirm.According to a statement from Subway, their investigation included an "extensive review" of over a million comments sent to the customer relations team. They also reviewed "all available documents, and interviews with past and present Company and Franchisee Advertising Fund employees and management.""The investigation identified one complaint that was submitted via Subway's website in 2011 that exposed concerns about Mr. Fogle," the statement reads. "Although the complaint was serious, there was nothing that implied anything about sexual behavior or criminal activity involving Mr. Fogle."We regret that this comment was not properly escalated or acted upon. When we first learned of the investigation into Mr. Fogle, we immediately suspended and subsequently ended out relationship with him."The statement continued, wishing victims and their families the company's "deepest sympathies".While Subway reports only one complaint, a former company franchisee claimed that she told the company about Fogle's sexual interest in children as early as 2008, but officials did nothing.The chain restaurant has denied being aware of the claims.Since allegations against Fogle surfaced, the 38-year-old has accepted a plea deal and will serve at least five years in prison, as well as paying $1.4 million in restitution and registering as a sex offender.

– Subway says it received a "serious" complaint about Jared Fogle years ago and failed to do much about it—but it didn't involve "anything about sexual behavior or criminal activity." A company spokeswoman says the complaint was received in 2011 from Rochelle Herman-Walrond, the informant who provided the FBI with evidence that will send Fogle to prison for years on child porn and underage sex charges, the AP reports. It's not clear what the complaint involved but in a statement, Subway said the company regrets that it was "not properly escalated or acted upon." Subway says the 2011 complaint was the only complaint it found about its former pitchman in a thorough review of more than a million customer comments, as well as "all available documents, and interviews with past and present Company and Franchisee Advertising Fund employees and management," People reports. A former franchisee in Florida, however, says she made a complaint to the executive in charge of Subway's advertising in 2008 when Fogle started telling her about his sexual interest in minors. Her lawyer says she also spoke to a regional Subway exec about Fogle after the inappropriate comments began, reports the AP. (A rare sniffer dog helped build the case against Fogle.)

Does Hillary Clinton want a piece of Does Hillary Clinton want a piece of Britney Spears While campaigning in Nevada for the upcoming Democratic caucus, Hillary Clinton met up with the singer. Britney Spears Is '80 Percent Done' With Her Next Album Spears, of course, is stationed in Las Vegas for her Piece of Me residency show at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. The two met up for a quick photo opportunity. "Being in Vegas for #PieceOfMe is amazing for so many reasons...; Especially today...; because I had the incredible opportunity to meet @HillaryClinton!!" Spears captioned the photo on Instagram. "Such an inspiration and beautiful voice for women around the world!!! This woman had an intense presence and I felt very honored to meet her!!!" Britney Spears Shares Rehearsal Footage From Revamped 'Piece of Me' Las Vegas Show Check out the photos below. See Britney Spears through the years: ||||| Neither the conservators nor her managers or lawyers will discuss her status, and Ms. Spears did not respond to multiple requests seeking an interview. While it is not possible to get an accurate sense of someone’s mental state from afar, Ms. Spears’s friends and former associates said in interviews that, for her, the conservatorship has become an accepted fact of life — not a cage but a protective bubble that allows her to worry about her true passions: music and her children. “If anyone knew the real Britney, they would know that she would rather be remembered for being the great mother she is rather than the artist she is,” said David Lucado, a former boyfriend whose relationship with Ms. Spears foundered in 2014 amid charges of infidelity that Mr. Lucado denies. “And if anyone could see her interactions with her kids, they would know that there is no need for a conservatorship over Britney’s personal life.” Since the conservatorship began, some restrictions have been eased. More far-reaching rollbacks were discussed several years ago but never occurred, according to a person who has been involved in Ms. Spears’s care who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Ultimately some of the people who would help to decide whether to end it are the conservators and doctors who now help oversee it, many of whom receive fees from Ms. Spears’s estate for their work on her behalf. Ms. Spears’s status and progress are measured by a court investigator for her case, who is assigned to file reports on her progress once every other year. (Those under conservatorship are not required to regularly appear in front of a judge after their conservators are appointed.)

– The Britney Spears of today is so different from the head-shaving, window-smashing Britney Spears of 2008 that she's almost unrecognizable—yet she's still under a conservatorship. In an extensive piece, the New York Times traces Spears' journey over the past eight years, noting that today, the 34-year-old has a wildly successful Las Vegas residency and a new album coming out this year, and is now the kind of person who says things like "I’m in a real good place in my life" in interviews. So, is she ready for the conservatorship to be lifted? Spears hasn't said much of anything publicly about the conservatorship since it was first put in place, at which point she compared it to something even worse than a jail sentence. But there are signs it could be time for it to come to an end. For one thing, her conservators (her father and a lawyer) used to work hard to protect her from having to testify in lawsuits against her, but on Monday, they allowed her to testify against Sam Lutfi, who says she owes him money after agreeing to let him act as her manager in 2007. The Times notes that the experience went "without incident." But the newspaper also looks at all the money that changes hands as part of the conservatorship—her estate has paid $6.9 million to the conservators and other lawyers helping to manage her affairs; her court-appointed lawyer has been awarded more than $2 million in fees since 2008 for his work with her; her dad takes in more than $130,000 per year. "As long as she is bringing in so much money and as long as the lawyers and conservators are getting paid, there is little incentive to end it," notes one expert. Click for the full piece (or check out pictures of Britney with Hillary).

Now that Paul Ryan, the author of a major proposal to overhaul Medicare, is going to be on the Republican ticket, the fall presidential campaign shapes up as a battle over the federal government’s obligations to senior citizens. Before it begins, I hereby declare that I admire and like the elderly. My parents are elderly. I myself hope to be elderly someday, and to remain that way for a long time. Charles Lane is a Post editorial writer, specializing in economic policy, federal fiscal issues and business, and a contributor to the PostPartisan blog. View Archive But I do not feel sorry for the elderly as a group, and neither should you. In particular, you should not let an exaggerated portrayal of their economic vulnerability — the “Mediscare” campaign that Democrats have run in the past and are dusting off again — unduly affect your thinking about entitlement policy. The fact is that older Americans are doing pretty well financially — by some measures, better than the rest of us. Only 9 percent of Americans older than 65 had incomes below the poverty line in 2010, according to a Census Bureau report in November. By contrast, 13.7 percent of the general population was living in poverty — including 22 percent of children younger than 18. The elderly poverty rate is higher under a different statistical definition designed to reflect seniors’ greater out-of-pocket medical costs, but it still remains slightly below that of the general population. So the elderly are holding their own with respect to income. When it comes to household wealth, too, they are doing fine. Last year, the Pew Charitable Trusts reported that the median net worth of households headed by an adult 65 or older rose 42 percent in real terms between 1984 and 2009, to $170,494. During the same period, median net worth for households headed by an adult younger than 35 shrank 68 percent, to $3,662. Seniors built this advantage partly because they had more time to amass equity in their homes. Even the real estate downturn that began in the middle of the last decade has not wiped out the older generation’s wealth advantage. In June, when noting changes in Americans’ net worth between 2005 and 2010, the Census Bureau reported that the median elderly-headed households lost 13 percent of their net worth — easily the smallest decrease of any age group. In fact, old age is now correlated with strong personal finances. The Federal Reserve Board reports that households headed by someone 75 or older have the highest median net worth — $216,800 — of any population cohort. This helps explain the findings of a recent USA Today-sponsored poll: that more than three-quarters of Americans older than 60 expect their quality of life to stay the same or improve over the next five to 10 years. Only a minority report any economic anxiety; indeed, 60 percent say it is “easy” to pay their monthly bills. The contentment that reigns across Older America is a tribute to Social Security, Medicare and the rest of the safety net — federal and state — for the elderly. The near-abolition of old-age destitution ranks among the great achievements of the New Deal and Great Society. We must never go back to the days when old age was a time of privation for the relative few who reached it. But as nightmare scenarios go, that one seems more remote than entitlement-driven national bankruptcy, given the stubborn and expensive fact that the over-65 population is on track to double in the next 40 years. Yes, today’s seniors paid into the systems from which they are now getting benefits. But they are getting much more out: The average pre-2010 retiree got more in benefits than he or she paid in taxes. Taxes on current workers made up the difference. There is no shortage of plausible alternatives or fixes to today’s Medicare program. I’m not necessarily sold on Ryan’s proposal, which would offer future seniors a subsidy to buy private insurance, instead of today’s fee-for-service program. It’s embedded in a budget that also imposes sweeping and unnecessary tax cuts. But Ryan’s plan is a lot more comprehensive than anything President Obama has proposed. And it’s no mystery why Obama, and most other politicians, avoid specifics: Senior citizens vote at a higher rate than any other population group — 74 percent in the 2008 election. Florida is chock full of them. Politically, you can’t argue with Mediscare. Sooner or later, politicians are going to have to treat older voters not as potential victims but as secure and fortunate citizens, who can and should contribute their fair share to resolving the country’s fiscal predicament. In other words, to treat them as what they are. lanec@washpost.com ||||| This crawl of online resources of the 115th US Congress was performed on behalf of The United States National Archives & Records

– Paul Ryan's plan to reform Medicare has Democrats itching to resurrect their "Mediscare" campaign, depicting the elderly as victims. "I admire and like the elderly," writes Charles Lane of the Washington Post, playfully noting that "I myself hope to be elderly someday." But "I do not feel sorry for the elderly as a group, and neither should you." The truth is the elderly are doing better than the rest of us. As of 2010, households headed by people 75 or older had the highest median net worth—$216,800—of any demographic. That same report found that households headed by someone under 35, by contrast, had a median net worth of $9,300. "We must never go back to the days when old age was a time of privation," Lane writes. "But as nightmare scenarios go, that one seems more remote than entitlement-driven national bankruptcy." Paul Ryan's plan isn't necessarily good, but it's more than Democrats, terrified of notoriously high senior voter turnout, have proposed. It's time politicians treated seniors as what they are: "secure and fortunate citizens, who can and should contribute their fair share." Click for his full column.

Image copyright AFP Image caption Grégory Villemin was found drowned in a river a few kilometres from his home A couple in their 70s and a woman have been detained for questioning by police, 32 years after a crime that horrified France. Grégory Villemin was four when his body was found in the Vologne river. His killer has never been found. All three held by police were described as relatives of the boy's father. The murder has continued to haunt France ever since, but advances in DNA technology have helped police shed further light on the case. Years of mistakes It was on 16 October 1984 that Grégory Villemin's body was found and a magistrate opened what became one of the biggest mysteries in French criminal history. Hours before the boy was discovered, his hands and feet tied, his uncle said he had received a phone call from someone claiming to have kidnapped him. The following day, the child's parents received a letter that said: "Your son is dead, I have been avenged." Image copyright AFP Image caption Christine Villemin (third from left) was for years wrongly blamed for the murder The next month, a cousin of the boy's father, Bernard Laroche, was arrested when his sister-in-law, Muriel Bolle, testified against him. He was released in 1985 when she retracted her statement, but shot dead by Jean-Marie Villemin, the boy's father, weeks later. The father went to jail for Laroche's murder for several years. The boy's mother, Christine Villemin, was also jailed for her son's murder but later cleared. Both were later given compensation by the state for miscarriage of justice. The anonymous phone-calls and poison-pen letters continued over the years, and the case was reopened first in 2000 and then again in 2008 in an attempt to identify the DNA on the letters. Three separate traces of DNA were found but not identified. Three in police custody Image copyright AFP Image caption Both of the boy's parents spent years in jail and later received compensation for a miscarriage of justice Little news has been heard in the "Grégory affair" since police said in 2013 that DNA tests had brought the investigation no further. That was until about 08:00 (06:00 GMT) on Wednesday, when investigators from Dijon detained a couple in their 70s in the village of Aumontzey, in the Vologne river valley. Sources told French media that they were the father's uncle and aunt. They were placed in police custody on suspicion of complicity in the murder, failing to report a crime or helping a person at risk, according to L'Est Républicain website. A third person reported to be the father's half-sister was also being held. A fourth, said to be the victim's grandmother, was taken in as a witness. Her husband was also questioned. Prosecutor Jean-Jacques Bosc said investigators had targeted "people very close to the heart of this case" and hoped to provide answers to the questions they had. Local reporters covering the case pointed out that none of those held on Wednesday was suspected of the boy's murder. They also said that Muriel Bolle, who as a teenager had initially blamed the killing on Bernard Laroche, had been asked to provide a DNA sample on Wednesday before later being released. ||||| Grégory Villemin. Photo: AFP The 33 years since four-year-old French boy Grégory Villemin was drowned have been marked by revenge, dashed hopes, anonymous taunting phone calls, and mystery. The case, which has gripped France, once again dominated the headlines in June. Who's Grégory Villemin? He was a four-year-old boy found drowned in the Vologne river near Docelles, in eastern France in October 1984. His unsolved death is the country's most high-profile unsolved murder cases. Why has he been in the news recently? French police arrested three of his relatives raising hopes of a breakthrough. The development immediately thrust the boy's murder back into the spotlight and to the top of news sites, with the smiling face of Gregory once again omnipresent. The police arrested Marcel Jacob, an uncle of Gregory's father, and Jacob's wife in the Vosges mountains. Ginette Villemin, half-sister to Gregory's father Jean-Marie Villemin, was also detained in the same region, police sources told AFP. Gregory's grandparents were also questioned but were later released. The arrests "target people very close to the heart of this case and aim to clarify certain points and to provide answers to questions we have," local prosecutor Jean-Jacques Bosc said in a statement. "This is a giant step on the path to the truth," said Thierry Moser, the lawyer acting for the dead boy's parents. The arrests on Wednesday were on charges of being an accomplice to murder, failing to denounce a crime and failing to help someone in danger, said local newspaper l'Est Republicain, which broke the story. In the course of this latest probe into the case, investigators questioned around a hundred witnesses, some for the first time, prosecutor Bosc said in his statement. They also analysed more than 2,000 anonymous letters received by those involved in the affair, including some to magistrates working on the case. (AFP) Tell me more about the case The “Affaire de Grégory”, as it's become known, has fascinated and horrified the French public for over three decades, and inspired at least seven books on the subject of his murder. Here's what we do know. On the evening of October 16th, 1984 Grégory's parents – Christine and Jean-Marie Villemin (pictured below just weeks after the murder) – received a chilling, taunting phone call from an unidentified person, informing them “I have taken the boy.” After a massive police search, Grégory's body was found in the Vologne river, about 7 km from the family home in Lépanges-sur-Vologne. The day after, the couple received an anonymous letter addressed to Jean-Marie. “I hope you die of grief, boss. Your money can't give you back your son. Here is my revenge, you stupid bastard.” We don't know who sent the letter. But for four years before the murder, the Villemins had been plagued by anonymous phone calls, some of which they managed to record. However, voice experts still haven't been able to identify the caller. Years later, DNA tests, (of which there have been many) on saliva traces under the letter's stamp were also inconclusive. Are there any suspects (apart from those arrested this week)? Yes, quite a few. Initially the main suspect was Bernard Laroche, the first cousin of Jean-Marie Villemin, but that lead reached a brutal end. Laroche's 15-year-old sister-in-law had denounced him to police, claiming to have circumstantial proof he had murdered Grégory. Furthermore, handwriting analysis suggested Laroche had a strikingly similar signature to that found at the bottom of the letter sent on October 17th. However, Laroche's accuser later recanted and in February 1985, a judge freed Laroche from suspicion. But the same day, a furious Jean-Marie Villemin vowed, in front of journalists, that he would kill his cousin. Incredibly, police refused to offer Laroche protection and, true to his word, Villemin shot dead his cousin on March 29th, as he left work. Villemin was sentenced to five years imprisonment in 1993 for the killing, and Laroche's widow, Marie-Ange, successfully sued the French state in 2002, for their failure to prevent Bernard's death. Does it get any worse? I'm afraid so. In 1985, local suspicions began to turn to Christine Villemin, Grégory's mother. She had been seen in a post office on the day of the murder, and cords identical to the ones used to tie up Grégory were found in the basement of the family home. Further handwriting analysis also seemed to implicate her, and she was held under suspicion in July of that year, before being released. A judge eventually took the rare decision to issue an order forbidding her prosecution, which largely served to clear her name. What's happened since then? There have been several rounds of DNA testing and voice analysis checks, all of which have promised to reveal the identity of Grégory's killer, but all of which have disappointed. On April 16th 2013, French daily Le Parisien revealed that traces from the cords used to bind Grégory would be tested and compared with DNA samples from 10 individuals interviewed over the years, as "persons of interest" in the case. Then it was revealed that the tests had shed no further light on the killer's identity. But this week's arrests are a new twist. There may be more twists and turns to come, however unlikely, as Gregory's parents live in hope of police one day finding their son's killer.

– A convoluted cold case that has fascinated France for decades may have taken a big step toward resolution. Authorities say three family members have been detained for questioning in the 32-year-old murder of 4-year-old Gregory Villemin. Gregory's body was found tied up in the Vologne River in eastern France in October of 1984, and from the start, the case was full of twists. Hours before Gregory was found dead, the boy's uncle said he'd received a call from a person claiming to be his kidnapper, reports the BBC. A day later, Gregory's parents said they received a letter reading, "Your son is dead, I have been avenged." A month after that, Bernard Laroche, a cousin of Gregory's dad, was arrested when his sister-in-law told police she'd seen Lorache with Gregory on the banks of the Vologne, reports Le Parisien. When the 15-year-old retracted her statement months later, Laroche was released. But Gregory's father, Jean-Marie Villemin, then killed Laroche. While Villemin was in jail, his wife, Christine Villemin, was imprisoned for Gregory's killing after cords similar to those used to tie him up were found in the family home, but she, too, was later cleared, per the Local in a 2013 story. On Wednesday, however, authorities announced they'd detained three people on suspicion of complicity in the murder, failing to report a crime, and failing to helping a person at risk. All three are members of the Villemin family, per Le Parisien and Le Monde. The BBC describes them only as a couple in their 70s, along with a woman. Gregory's grandmother was reportedly brought in as a witness. (This 47-year-old cold case may be solved.)

Published on Dec 20, 2013 n a time when beauty is defined by supermodels, success is defined by wealth, and fame is deified by how many followers you have on social media, Lizzie Velasquez asks the question how do you define yourself? Once labeled, "The Worlds Ugliest Woman," Lizzie decided to turn things around and create her own definitions of what she defines as beauty and happiness. In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in local community. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I Choose To Be Happy Lizzie Velasquez at TEDxYouth@Austin http://youtu.be/sohGDfNQV7M ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tweet Me: https://twitter.com/littlelizziev Instagram: @littlelizziev Subscribe: http://www.youtube.com/user/lizzitach... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fan Mail P.O Box 150096 Austin, TX 78715-0096 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Royalty Free Music by http://audiomicro.com/royalty-free-music Sound Effects by http://audiomicro.com/sound-effects ||||| A woman who was bullied for the way she looks is the focus of a new film that premieres at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas on Saturday. What started as a search for music online - purely homework procrastination - would change Lizzie Velasquez's life. She was 17 when she stumbled across a YouTube video entitled "The World's Ugliest Woman". What she didn't expect was that the woman featured in the video would be her. It was an eight-second clip and had been watched over four million times. She didn't realise it was her until it started playing. "I was shocked," Velasquez recalls, "but it wasn't until I started to read the comments that my stomach really sank." "Why would her parents keep her?!" read one of the comments, "kill it with fire" said another. And they continued on and on. Some commentators said she should kill herself, and one said people would go blind if they saw her on the street. Velasquez couldn't help but read every comment, and she says there were thousands. "I cried for many nights - as a teenager I thought my life was over," she says. "I couldn't bring myself to talk to anybody about it, I didn't tell any of my friends, I was just so shocked that it had happened." Velasquez was already used to being bullied daily for the way she looks. Born with two rare conditions - Marfan and lipodystrophy - she is unable to gain weight, no matter how much she eats. When she started kindergarten she remembers how classmates recoiled from her, afraid. Now 26 she is 5ft 2in and weighs about 60lbs (27kg). She is totally blind in her right eye and visually impaired in the other, and was in and out of hospital growing up with a number of health problems - eye surgery, ear surgery, complete foot reconstruction, bone density tests, and a number of blood tests as doctors tried to decipher what her condition was. It wasn't until last year that they managed to put a name to it. She lacks energy at times because of her conditions, and takes a long time to fight off infections such as bronchitis. She is currently undergoing heart scans to determine whether or not Marfan syndrome has caused any defects, and she was admitted to hospital in November unable to keep down food due to a problem with her oesophagus. She also has a recurring problem with her right foot which easily fractures due to a lack of fat on the sole, but is adamant she doesn't let it get her down. "When I was a teenager I would look in the mirror and wish I could wash away my syndrome," she says. "I hated it because it caused so much pain in my life. Being a 13-year-old girl who is constantly picked on is unbearable." When she was born, Velasquez, from Texas, weighed just 2lb 10oz (1.2kg) and doctors told her parents that, in all probability, they would have to take care of her for the rest of her life and didn't know what her life expectancy was. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption A woman who was bullied for the way she looks becomes an online celebrity Full of instant love for their daughter, Velasquez's parents, Rita and Lupe, say they never thought "why is this happening to us", and just wanted to get her home, to start her life. It's because of this attitude that Velasquez credits her parents entirely for her ability to think positively when she was being bullied at school or stared at and mocked in the streets. As a child they told her to go to school with her head held high, smile, and be nice to everyone, no matter how they treated her. It's a message that has stuck and she says now that she happily forgives the person who posted that YouTube video nine years ago. "I don't know what they're going through," she says. "While my life may be hard at times, they could be going through something much worse." Velasquez decided she could try to make a change. She started her own YouTube channel to let people know who the person behind the "World's Ugliest Woman" video really was, and to teach others they, too, could be confident in their own skin. Image copyright James Ambler/Barcroft USA Image caption Doctors didn't know what Lizzie Velasquez's condition was when she was born She currently has about 240,000 subscribers to her channel and a TED talk she was subsequently asked to give in Austin in 2013 entitled "How do you define yourself?" has over seven million views on YouTube. She says that the community that has built up around her online presence has been amazing, and she sees people posting comments who have been bullied saying she makes them feel able to seek help, speak to somebody, or stand up to the bullies. Going further, she has teamed up with Tina Meier whose daughter Megan took her own life after being bullied online, and together they are campaigning US Representatives of Congress to vote for the first federal anti-bullying bill. It would mean that all schools would have to start recording every instance of bullying and would be provided with funds to put towards anti-bullying efforts. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Lizzie received positive praise for her TED talk And now Velasquez's life and anti-bullying work is the focus of a new documentary due to premiere at SXSW. Sara Hirsh Bordo, the director of the film, says that it is not just about Velasquez's story but is a universal story, for everybody who has been bullied. "Her experience of triumphing adversity and making it to the other side of a painful experience is universal," she says. "As soon as Lizzie became more open and honest - whether it was her TED talk or her YouTube videos - it was clear that people were thirsty for a story where somebody stands up and says I'm not going to be a victim, I'm going to make a change." A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story premieres at SXSW on 14 March. Follow @BBCOuch on Twitter and on Facebook, and listen to our monthly talk show ||||| Clear all videos from this list

– "I thought everyone looked like me." That's how Lizzie Velasquez viewed herself growing up—until she was 17 and accidentally found a terrible video on YouTube. It was an eight-second clip of her entitled "The World's Ugliest Woman," and to her horror it had more than 4 million views and what she says were thousands of nasty comments, the BBC notes. "Why would her parents keep her?!" one reportedly read. "Kill it with fire," another commenter posted. It was in that moment that Velasquez, who has two rare conditions known as Marfan syndrome and lipodystrophy, realized how different she was perceived to be. "I cried for many nights," she says, per the BBC. "As a teenager, I thought my life was over." Far from it: Today, at the age of 26, Velasquez is an anti-bullying advocate and the subject of A Brave Heart, a documentary that debuted over the weekend at the SXSW festival. Velasquez's conditions have caused physical problems throughout her life, including an inability to gain weight (she's now 5 feet 2 inches tall and weighs 60 pounds or so), blindness in one eye and limited vision in the other, fatigue, and difficulty getting over sickness, the BBC reports. And the discovery of the YouTube video was painful—but the positive attitude her parents instilled in her helped her move past the hurt and even forgive the person who put the video up. Now Velasquez has her own YouTube channel with close to a quarter-million subscribers, has given a TED talk on defining your own beauty, and has joined with the mom of Megan Meier—a teen who killed herself after being bullied online—to lobby Congress for a federal anti-bullying bill. "Her experience of triumphing adversity and making it to the other side of a painful experience is universal," the director of A Brave Heart tells the broadcaster.

These crawls are part of an effort to archive pages as they are created and archive the pages that they refer to. That way, as the pages that are referenced are changed or taken from the web, a link to the version that was live when the page was written will be preserved.Then the Internet Archive hopes that references to these archived pages will be put in place of a link that would be otherwise be broken, or a companion link to allow people to see what was originally intended by a page's authors.The goal is to fix all broken links on the web . Crawls of supported "No More 404" sites. ||||| THE CONTENDERS | Ben Carson struggled to sound like a convincing commander-in-chief with an answer to how he would deal with the war on terrorism. After using most of his time to talk about how the U.S. military has been decimated by cuts, particularly in recent years because of sequestration, he said simply: “I would shore up our military first because if you don’t get the military right nothing else is going to work.” He didn’t sound like a politician used to responding to tough questions with time-limited responses. Twitter took notice: Ben Carson sounds like that guy at a wedding who wasn't expecting to be asked to make a speech and mumbles into his napkin — nicky (@wetherelln) August 7, 2015 Carson seemed on firmer footing when he was able to do freestyle criticism of Hillary Clinton. He called her “the epitome of the secular progressive movement, and she counts on the fact that the people are not informed.” That’s a line that hits all the right notes with the base. He also was comfortable responding when asked how he would improve race relations. (He was the only African American on the stage, and was the only candidate asked that question.) Instead of laying out a path to racial harmony, he tossed out feel-good slogans such as, “We are the United States of America, not the divided states.” He used his closing statement to talk about what makes him unique among a stage full of politicians. “I’m the only one to separate Siamese twins. I’m the only one to operate on babies while they were still in their mother’s womb. The only one to take out half a brain, although you would think if you got to Washington that some else had beaten me to it,” he said, joining the audience and the stage in laughter. Those qualities have nothing to do with being president, but at least one Carson fan was impressed: ||||| Republicans are taking the stage in Cleveland for the first candidates’ debates of the 2016 election cycle. The main primetime debate is at 9 p.m. ET, featuring the top 10 candidates — as judged by poll averages. Ahead of that, at 5 p.m., is a debate for the seven candidates who didn’t make the cut. Here is our live blog. ||||| The seed for Wide00014 was: - Slash pages from every domain on the web: -- a ranking of all URLs that have more than one incoming inter-domain link (rank was determined by number of incoming links using Wide00012 inter domain links) -- up to a maximum of 100 most highly ranked URLs per domain - Top ranked pages (up to a max of 100) from every linked-to domain using the Wide00012 inter-domain navigational link graph ||||| The Republican candidates repeated their opposition to the nuclear agreement reached with Iran by President Obama and other world leaders in part on the concern that Iran would profit from the lifting of sanctions. “We’re giving them $150 billion plus,” Donald J. Trump said. The world powers are not giving Iran money, but by easing or terminating sanctions they would allow Iran to have access to many billions of dollars of its own money that have been frozen in overseas accounts. Much of the money came from Iranian sales of oil and other goods and has been frozen in China, India, South Korea and other countries for years. Whether it would be as high as $150 billion is unknown. As Rick Gladstone reported in The Times, the Treasury Department has estimated that Iran has between $100 billion and $125 billion in foreign exchange assets worldwide, but that its usable liquid assets after sanctions relief would be much lower, more like $50 billion. Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew told Congress that after Iran’s financial obligations, it would have roughly $56 billion left. The governor of Iran’s central bank said last week that of roughly $77 billion held abroad, only $29 billion would be usable because the rest had already been committed to petrochemical investments or as collateral for Chinese-financed development projects. But critics said those estimates are too low and an attempt to shape the political debate.

– The GOP debate on Fox News tonight proved to be Trump-centric as he and his nine rivals—Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, Mike Huckabee, Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, Chris Christie, and John Kasich—tried to emerge from the pack. (As Carly Fiorina did in the early debate.) In fact, Trump fielded the very first question, and it was a doozy. When all the candidates were asked if anyone was unwilling to pledge support to the eventual nominee and to rule out a run as an independent, only Trump raised his hand. “I will not make the pledge at this time,” he said. Other highlights, via CNN, the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post: Christie vs Paul: After Paul said, “I want to collect more records from terrorists, but less records from innocent Americans. ... I’m proud of standing for the Bill of Rights, and I will continue to," Christie responded, "That's a completely ridiculous answer. ... How are you supposed to know? ... When you’re sitting in a subcommittee blowing hot air, then you can say things like that.” Bush on political dynasties: "I'm going to have to earn this." And on the Iraq war: “Knowing what we know now with faulty intelligence … it was a mistake. I wouldn’t have gone in.” CNN's David Chalian: "Nothing about tonight's debate indicated that Jeb Bush is in the driver's seat of this campaign. He seemed much more like a passenger—and at times a nervous and unsure one at that." Paul vs Trump: "He buys and sells politicians of all stripes. He’s already hedging his bet on the Clintons," said Paul. Trump responded that he's given money to Paul, too. Kasich: “Donald Trump's hitting a nerve in this country, he really is. ... For people to want to just tune him out, they’re making a mistake." He also gave an impassioned answer about his support of gay marriage, here. Writes Nicholas Confessore at the New York Times: "I think Kasich has been extremely effective up there. Lots of confidence, talks like a real person, and so far has successfully defended his biggest vulnerability--the Medicaid expansion under Obamacare." Rubio: “How is Hillary going to lecture me about living paycheck to paycheck? I was raised paycheck to paycheck." Rubio generally won praise tonight for his answers. Trump on political correctness: "I think the big problem this country has is being politically correct. I’ve been challenged by so many people and I don’t, frankly, have time for total political correctness. And to be honest with you, this country doesn’t have time, either." Carson: He said Hillary Clinton "counts on the fact that people are uninformed." At another point, he thanked the moderator for a question and added, "I wasn't sure I was going to get to talk again." Cruz: “It’s not a question of stupidity. It’s that they don’t want to enforce the immigration laws,” he said of unnamed GOP colleagues. Mostly though, Cruz had a surprisingly quiet night. Walker: “Every section of the world that Hillary Clinton touched is more messed up today than it was." He also said Iran and ISIS were "tied together." Huckabee: "The military is not a social experiment," he said in discussing gender diversity and LGBT benefits. "The purpose of the military is to kill people and break things." Christie on New Jersey's financial trouble: "If you think it’s bad now, you should’ve seen it when I got there."

To answer or not to answer? The decision was torture every time the phone rang at the home of Marisol and Marisa Serrato. Now the terrible wait is over. Marisa's family confirmed Friday night to NBC Los Angeles that she was killed when a FedEx truck plowed into a bus carrying high school students on a college tour to Northern California. Marisol and Marisa — 17-year-old twin sisters from Riverside — were among the dozens of Los Angeles-area high school students on three buses when the collision occurred Thursday, killing at least 10 people. The girls were nearly inseparable, but this time took different buses. Marisol's bus wasn't involved in the wreck. Facebook Twitter Google Plus Embed 1:27 autoplay autoplay Copy this code to your website or blog "You want to answer it to see if it's good news, but you're terrified that it could be bad news," their younger sister Christina told NBC News on Friday. Whenever the phone rings, "it's horrible," she said. Both sisters had been accepted to numerous colleges, but they wanted to go to the same school. So they decided to skip their prom Friday night at Norte Vista High School and make the trip to check out Humboldt State University, 525 miles north in Arcata, where Marisol had been accepted and Marisa was on a waiting list. Marisol Serrato, left, and Marisa Serrato, right, both 17 (with their sister-in-law Ivette Serrato at a wedding in 2013), were part of the group of high school students on the bus trip Thursday. Marisol wasn't in the accident, but Marisa remains unaccounted for. Miguel Serrato via AP Authorities said Friday that five students were killed in the fiery crash — but four of them remained unidentified, and wherever they call, no one can tell the family where Marisa is or whether she's even alive. The family has been frantic since they learned about the crash while they were celebrating their father's 65th birthday — especially after the coroner's office called Friday to ask for Marisa's medical and dental records. The Serratos are trying to stay positive. But it has been especially hard for Marisol, who "believes that it's her fault because it was her idea to go check out that university," her brother, Miguel, 23, told The Associated Press. "She's devastated right now," he said. "I told her to keep her head up and have faith in God." I just know that God has them safe. We love them a lot and we're waiting for them to come back," the twins' younger sister Clara Serrato told NBC4. ||||| The morning after the accident, Caltrans workers begin clearing the charred remains of the charter bus. Flames engulf the FedEx truck and tour bus just after the collision Thursday on Interstate 5 near Orland. At least 10 people died in the crash, authorities said. Onlookers watch Friday as Caltrans workers begin clearing the charred remains of the charter bus, which was carrying students from the Los Angeles area to a tour of Humboldt State University. A row of candles, in foreground, was set on a dirt road near the crash site Thursday night, according to an area resident. A body is removed early Friday morning from the charred remains of the bus. Jazmine Villalobos, left, and Michelle Lopez, both 14, react after learning of the death of classmate Adrian Castro at El Monte High School on Friday. Castro, a senior, was on the bus that crashed in Orland, a school official said. One victim was a 26-year-old recruiter for Humboldt State University, an energetic leader who was devoted to helping ensure more Latino students made it through high school and got a chance at college. Two others were chaperones who became engaged in December after the would-be groom planned an elaborate trip to Paris that ended with him proposing to his stunned girlfriend in front of the Louvre. Another may have been a high school football player feared killed but still missing, a painful ordeal that saw one of his parents traveling north from Los Angeles with the young man’s dental records for possible identification. Bit by bit Friday, names and backgrounds began to emerge of some of the 10 people killed in Thursday’s horrific crash between a FedEx tractor-trailer truck and a bus full of high school students on Interstate 5 north of Sacramento. The Los Angeles-area high-schoolers were headed to a preview weekend for admitted students on the Humboldt State campus near Arcata. They rode on a bus chartered by Humboldt State as part of the school’s effort to reach out to Latino students from low-income families. Authorities released only one name of a victim officially Friday, that of Arthur Arzola, 26, a Humboldt State recruiter who died at the UC Davis Medical Center early that day. But other names began to surface as friends, family members and co-workers came forward to talk about their losses. Michael Myvett was one of them, a 29-year-old 2007 graduate of Humboldt State who was a chaperone on the bus with his fiancée, Mattison Haywood. Both were addicted to Disneyland trips, and Myvett loved comic books and the reward he felt teaching children at the Center for Autism and Related Disorders, or CARD, in Torrance. “Michael is just an extremely positive person, he really did positively impact the lives of the kids he worked with here at CARDS,” said Marina Bulkin, his supervisor. Myvett, who was on the trip because he loved the university and someday wanted to teach there, lived with Haywood, 25, and planned to get married in the next year or two, Bulkin said. Myvett planned his proposal down to the smallest detail, secretly buying the ring and purchasing airline tickets, then whisking Haywood off to Paris, where they went to morning Mass at Notre Dame Cathedral, then walked to the Louvre, where he asked her to marry him. Arzola was another of the adults on the bus, a young man who lived in Southern California and recruited students to come to Humboldt State. Dr. Tom Rivera, emeritus associate dean of undergraduate students at CSU San Bernardino, said he first met Arzola as an eighth-grader participating in the Inland Empire Future Leaders program, which Rivera helped start. As an adult, Arzola returned annually to mentor youths in the program. “I think Art was a very dedicated person,” Rivera said. “When he participated in our program, we couldn’t get rid of him. “He was just actively involved in making a difference in kids’ lives …” As a student at CSU San Bernardino, Arzola was involved in several activities, including a club for Latino business students and student government, Rivera said. Upon graduation, Arzola went on to get his master’s degree in counseling at the University of La Verne. He was then hired by Humboldt State. Arzola married within the last year or two, Rivera said. He described Arzola as “very outgoing, very warm, very personable.” “He just made a wonderful first impression the first time you met him,” he said. ‘Cold shivers’ About 7:30 a.m., Rivera received a call from another of his Future Leaders director, who delivered the news about Arzola. “I got cold shivers throughout my body,” Rivera said. “It was hard to believe it. He contributed so much, and he had much more to contribute to our community.” Phone calls like that were taking place all over Southern California on Friday as friends and family members searched for information about their loved ones. Adrian Castro, an El Monte High School football player, was on the bus but has not been accounted for yet, said Nick Salerno, superintendent for the El Monte Union High School District. Salerno said Adrian’s parents had been asked by authorities to travel to the Orland area with his dental records, a grim task that authorities said Friday might be necessary to identify some victims because of the fireball that engulfed the bus and the FedEx truck. “We’re still hoping for a miracle and praying and hoping for the best,” Salerno said, “But we’re concerned and worried.” At Norte Vista High School, Principal Susan Boyd said in an email to The Sacramento Bee that “our school community is grieving” over reports that one 17-year-old student is unaccounted for while her twin sister was safely on another bus. A third student from the school was listed in stable condition after the crash, she wrote. Investigators for the California Highway Patrol and other agencies cautioned that discovering the cause of the crash will be a lengthy process, possibly taking between three to six months. In a news conference at the CHP office in Willows, officials also said positively identifying the victims may be difficult and will rely in part on dental records and the use of DNA. The CHP said five students, three chaperones and the drivers of the truck and bus were killed. The bus and FedEx truck were consumed in a massive fireball after the 5:40 p.m. crash, which occurred when the southbound FedEx truck swerved across the Interstate 5 median near Orland and smashed head-on into the bus, which carried 48 high school students and chaperones. Nine people were dead at the scene, with the last of the bodies removed from the site at 1:40 a.m. Friday. The bodies of three of the victims were taken to a facility in Orland and six to Willows. They will be moved to Butte County for autopsy and identification. Arzola, the 10th victim, died at the UC Davis Medical Center after being flown there. Crash cause a mystery The CHP said it has no idea yet what caused the crash, whether the FedEx driver fell asleep, had a mechanical issue with the truck or had some type of accident that diverted the vehicle across the median, where it clipped a Nissan Altima carrying two people, then smashed into the bus, the last of three buses in a caravan of students heading to the college. The victims in the Altima suffered minor injuries, and a total of 31 people were taken to area hospitals with injuries ranging from minor to critical, officials said. The northbound lanes of I-5 at the crash site near Orland did not reopen until about noon, and by midafternoon only three survivors of the crash remained at Veterans’ Memorial Hall in Orland, where a shelter and command center had been set up. Outside the building, Scott Gruendl, health and human services director for Glenn County, talked about the unprecedented emergency response. “This just morphed into an operations center,” Gruendl said, pointing to the hall behind him. Twelve ambulances and four helicopters were drafted to transport the wounded. The helicopters took off from a field directly across from the center. At its highest point, 40 county personnel and 60 Red Cross members staffed the center, working through the night to connect victims with family members. The response was complicated by the fact that students came from different school districts and schools, Gruendl said, making coordination difficult. County officials had initially drawn up a plan to drive the survivors back in vans. Later, that was changed to rental cars. But now, some school officials are evaluating flying the kids home via a chartered 737 plane in Chico, Gruendl said. “They wouldn’t want to get in a bus,” he said. “They have been through so much trauma.” The students were taking part in an annual trek to Humboldt for a Spring Preview day for Southern California high school students aimed at giving them a glimpse of the campus and attracting applicants. About 900 students were expected, but Humboldt State President Rollin Richmond was absent from campus. He spent much of Friday touring hospitals throughout the north state to console the victims. Natalie Hernandez graduated from Humboldt State in 2011 with a degree in sociology, a product of the school’s Spring Preview. Three years later and now a youth counselor at Pico Youth and Family Center in Santa Monica, she was back at her alma mater trying to make sense of Thursday night’s tragedy and the loss of two friends, Myvett and Haywood. “This would’ve been the weekend we were going to catch up, just like we used to,” she said. Call The Bee’s Sam Stanton, (916) 321-1091. Bill Lindelof, Stephen Magagnini and Ben Mullin contributed to this report. ||||| LOS ANGELES (AP) — One of two identical twins who was on a bus that was involved in an explosive freeway collision Northern California was among the 10 dead, a family member said Friday. This 2013 photo provided by Miguel Serrato shows twin sisters Marisol Serrato, 17, left, and Marisa Serrato, right, with their sister-in-law Ivette Serrato during a wedding in Riverside, Caif. The twins... (Associated Press) Marisa Serrato, 17, has been missing since Thursday evening after a FedEx tractor-trailer slammed into the bus carrying 44 high school students headed to tour Humboldt State University, said her brother Miguel Serrato, 23. The other twin, Marisol Serrato, was on a different bus that wasn't involved in the crash and made it safely to the school. The family had no word on Marisa for nearly 24 hours before dental records confirmed she was among the dead. Miguel Serrato said Marisol called their father Friday evening after going to see her sister's badly burned body. "Marisol is devastated," the tearful brother said. "She thinks it's her fault, that it was her idea to go look at the university." The crash happened near Orland, a small city about 100 miles north of Sacramento. Marisol was accepted to Humboldt State University, while Marisa was waitlisted there. The two seniors from Norte Vista High School in Riverside decided to check out the campus. "My sisters are real religious, smart, A students," Miguel Serrato said. "They were going to get their high school diploma; they were looking toward the future." Serrato said his family learned about the crash while celebrating their father's 65th birthday. They spent a sleepless, agonizing night trying to learn the fate of Marisa, or "Marisita" as the family calls her. He said she was the baby of the family because she was born five minutes after her identical twin. Another Norte Vista student also was on the bus that crashed and was in stable condition at a hospital. ___ Tami Abdollah can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/latams

– Marisol and Marisa Serrato were identical 17-year-old twins who rarely spent time apart and planned to attend college together. That's why the two of them skipped their prom to join a group visiting Humboldt State University this week, reports NBC News. Marisol's bus arrived at the school without a problem. Marisa, however, was aboard the one that got struck by a FedEx truck on a California highway Thursday afternoon. After an agonizing 24 hours, dental records have confirmed that Marisa was among the 10 fatalities, reports AP. Marisol had already been accepted to the school, and Marisa was on a wait list. "Marisol is devastated," says her brother. "She thinks it's her fault, that it was her idea to go look at the university." Also among the victims were two adult chaperones who had recently gotten engaged. The Sacramento Bee has more details about the victims, five of whom were teenagers.

Tens of thousands of Coptic Christians have lined up outside a cathedral in the Egyptian capital to pay their final respects to the spiritual leader of their ancient church, whose body was seated inside on an ornate throne. Egyptian Coptic mourners kiss a picture of the late Pope Shenouda III while gathering outside the Coptic Orthodox Church for the viewing of the body of Pope Shenouda III in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, March... (Associated Press) Egyptian Coptic mourners gather outside the Coptic Orthodox Church for the viewing of the body of Pope Shenouda III in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, March 18, 2012. Pope Shenouda III, the patriarch of the Coptic... (Associated Press) Egyptian Coptic mourners kiss a picture of the late Pope Shenouda III while gathering outside the Coptic Orthodox Church for the viewing of Shenouda III's body in Cairo, Sunday, March 18, 2012. Pope... (Associated Press) Egyptian Coptic mourners carry a picture of the late Pope Shenouda III while gathering outside the Coptic Orthodox Church for the viewing of the body of Pope Shenouda III in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, March... (Associated Press) Egyptian Coptic mourners gather outside the Coptic Orthodox Church for the viewing of the body of Pope Shenouda III in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, March 18, 2012. Pope Shenouda III, the patriarch of the Coptic... (Associated Press) Egyptian Coptic mourners make their way toward the Coptic Orthodox Church for the viewing of the body of Pope Shenouda III in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, March 18, 2012. Pope Shenouda III, the patriarch of... (Associated Press) The body of Pope Shenouda III seated on the throne of Mar Morqos, or St. Mark, is seen during his funeral at the Coptic Orthodox Church in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, March 18, 2012. Pope Shenouda III, the... (Associated Press) The body of Pope Shenouda III seated on the throne of Mar Morqos or St. Mark, is seen during his funeral at the Coptic Orthodox Church in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, March 18, 2012. Pope Shenouda III, the... (Associated Press) Coptic Christians wait in line to pay respects to the body of Pope Shenouda III at the Coptic Orthodox Church in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, March 18, 2012. Pope Shenouda III, the patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox... (Associated Press) The body of Pope Shenouda III seated on the throne of Mar Morqos, or St. Mark, is seen during his funeral at the Coptic Orthodox Church in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, March 18, 2012. Pope Shenouda III, the... (Associated Press) A picture of Pope Shenouda III, the patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church is seen during a Sunday mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, traditionally believed by many Christians to be the site... (Associated Press) A woman reacts during the funeral of Pope Shenouda III at the Coptic Orthodox Church in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, March 18, 2012. Pope Shenouda III, the patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church who led Egypt's... (Associated Press) A man tries to calm people down during the funeral of Pope Shenouda III at the Coptic Orthodox Church in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, March 18, 2012. Pope Shenouda III, the patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church... (Associated Press) The body of Pope Shenouda III seated on the throne of Mar Morqos, or St. Mark is seen during his funeral at the Coptic Orthodox Church in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, March 18, 2012. Pope Shenouda III, the patriarch... (Associated Press) Egyptian security stand guard in front of the Coptic Orthodox Church where the funeral of Pope Shenouda III is held in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, March 18, 2012. Pope Shenouda III, the patriarch of the Coptic... (Associated Press) A woman reacts during the funeral of Pope Shenouda III at the Coptic Orthodox Church in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, March 18, 2012. Pope Shenouda III, the patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church who led Egypt's... (Associated Press) The grief of the faithful filing past Pope Shenouda, who died Saturday at 88, may also reflect the uncertainty felt by the country's Christian minority following the recent rise of Islamists to power. In his death, Egypt's 10 million Christians have lost a seasoned protector at a bad time. "He has been our protector since the day I was born," said a tearful Antonios Lateef as he waited in line Sunday to take one last look at the pope, who spent 40 years at the helm of the Coptic Orthodox Church. The crowds outside the cathedral in central Cairo carried crosses and portraits of Shenouda. "Ya Allah!" or "Oh God!," they chanted in unison. Tragedy struck during the sorrowful day. Three mourners suffocated to death in the crowded church, said Church official Anba Younnes. Soldiers backed by armored personnel carriers deployed outside the cathedral, possibly as a deterrent to possible attacks by militant Muslims targeting the large number of Christians gathered or angry over the traffic disruptions they caused. Shenouda, seated on the throne of St. Mark, or Mar Morkos, was clad in the elaborate regalia he traditionally wore to oversee services. His head slightly tilting to the right, he held a scepter. "Please, let me come a little bit closer," one woman pleaded with a tearful voice to guards surrounding the body to keep the mourners away. "I am so sad. It's a massive shock to all of us," said Eileen Naguib, dressed in mourning black, as she wiped tears from her face outside the cathedral. Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, who heads Egypt's ruling military council, visited the church with other generals and consoled Coptic leaders. Shenouda's death could lead to a long power vacuum. It could take months before a successor is found, according to Fuad Girgis, a prominent Christian from the Mediterranean city of Alexandria and a member of the Church's local layman council, known as el-Maglis el-Melly. "Pope Shenouda assumed the throne of St. Mark eight months after the death of his predecessor," he noted. Shenouda will be buried on Tuesday. During his 40 years as patriarch, Shenouda strove to ensure his place among the main players in this mainly Muslim nation, pressing demands behind the scenes while keeping Christians' anger over violence and discrimination in check. It was a delicate balancing act undertaken for years by a man who kept a relatively high media profile during most of the past four decades, giving interviews, speaking on key domestic and regional developments and never allowing himself to show anger at times of crisis. Authorities deny discriminating against them, but the Christians say discrimination is practiced in numerous and subtle ways. Christians, for example, rarely assume leadership jobs on the police force, particularly the security agencies. The Islamist-dominated parliament only has a handful of Christians, and there are never more than one or two Christians among 30-plus Cabinet ministers. As Egypt grew more religiously conservative over the past 40 years, the discrimination became more manifest in everyday life, particularly when Christians are in direct contact with government departments or for their children at state schools, where Islamists often dominate teaching staff. The pope, accustomed to the monastic traditions of Egypt's unforgiving desert, had on occasion protested what he perceived to be gross injustices to his flock by living in seclusion for days or even weeks in remote monasteries. Although he had publicly acknowledged that Christians were discriminated against, he never accepted that they be referred to as a minority, insisting that Copts were an integral part of the nation's fabric. Shenouda supported President Hosni Mubarak during the 29 years ruled, until his ouster 13 months ago in a popular uprising. In return, Mubarak gave him and his church wide powers in the Christian community. "Baba Shenouda," or Father Shenouda, as he was known, came to be viewed by many Copts as their guardian. A charismatic leader, his sense of humor belied a deeply conservative doctrine that angered liberals within the church as well as young secular-minded Copts seeking a more assertive role and inclusive identity in society. More recently, Christians' worries have deepened with the rise of Islamic movements to political power in parliamentary elections, a string of deadly attacks on their community and places of worship and heightened anti-Christian rhetoric by ultraconservative Muslims, or Salafis. "The nation that does not protect its own sons strangles them," Girgis Atef, a 26-year-old Christian activist, said of the perceived failure by authorities to protect Christians. Atef, an insurance executive, participated in last year's uprising and then witnessed the death in October of at least 27 people, mostly Christians, when soldiers crushed a Christian protest. "I rose up a year ago to restore the rights of the nation, and I am still not given my rights," he complained. The Islamists who now dominate parliament's two chambers routinely pay lip service to the rights of Christians and their equality with Muslims, but there is no doubt in the mind of most Christians that a more Islamic Egypt would inevitably deal a setback to their slow and tortuous drive to win their rights. In a move harshly criticized by liberal politicians, the two chambers adopted a motion on Saturday that would allow lawmakers to make up half of a 100-member panel that will write a new constitution. The move will give Islamists a big say in the process, meaning that the next constitution will have an Islamist slant, piling up on the worries of Christians. Sameh Fawzi, a Christian political analyst who closely monitors the church, said even so, there is potential for an accommodation between the church and the Islamists. "The Islamists will be looking for a counterpart among Christians, and that is the church," he said. "The church will continue to be a key part of the political formula." ||||| Three crushed to death as tens of thousands turn out to see DEAD Coptic Pope sit on throne for one last time A memorial service for Egypt's late Pope Shenouda III plunged into chaos when mourners trying to catch a glimpse of his embalmed corpse were crushed to death. Tens of thousands visited Cairo's main Abbasiya cathedral as the body of the 88-year-old leader of the nation's Orthodox Church sat on an ornate throne. But the desire to see the spiritual leader of the Coptic Christians soon turned to tragedy - as three devotees suffocated to death and dozens were injured in the crowded church. Scroll down for video... Crush: Tens of thousands of Egyptian Coptics turned up to Cairo's main cathedral to see the body of Pope Shenouda III Tearful crowds: But three mourners were crushed to death in the rush to see the body The body of Pope Shenouda III, the head of Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Church, is viewed by the congregation It came as soldiers and armoured tanks stood outside to deter possible attacks by militant Muslims. The grief of the faithful filing past Pope Shenouda may also reflect the uncertainty felt by the country's Christian minority following the recent rise of Islamists to power. Shenouda, who died on Saturday, often called for harmony and regularly met Muslim leaders to ease tensions. In his death, Egypt's 10 million Christians have lost a seasoned protector at a bad time. Security: Egyptian military police stood guard outside the cathedral to make sure the tends of thousands of Christians were not targeted by militants Scramble: Men are seen climbing trees onto a rooftop as they try to avoid the crush outside the cathedral 'He has been our protector since the day I was born,' said a tearful Antonios Lateef as he waited in line yesterday to take one last look at the pope, who spent 40 years at the helm of the Coptic Orthodox Church. WHAT IS THE COPTIC CHURCH? The majority of Christians in Egypt are Copts – Christians descended from the ancient Egyptians. They make up roughly 10 per cent of Egypt's 84.5million population - the largest Christian community in the Middle East and North Africa. The main church is the Coptic Orthodox, which split from the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches in 451AD. In recent years, Christian-Muslim relations have declined dramatically. Violent outbreaks from radical Islamists against Christians and their places of worship are one of the biggest factors in the deteriorating relationship between the two dominant religious groups. Egyptian Christians have accused the post-Mubarak governing military council of being too lenient on the perpetrators of the attacks. The main issues for Christians in Egypt are anti-Christian attacks and political instability. Historically Copts used Coptic language, which derives from the ancient Egyptian language written mainly in the Greek alphabet, which is still used for small parts of Christian services. In addition to violent outbreaks, Copts complain of discrimination. In Egypt, there is a law that requires the president's permission for church construction. According to a U.S. State Department report on religious freedom published last year, Mubarak’s government had encouraged discrimination against Copts. Some Christians said this policy has continued under the military council that took power after Mubarak was ousted in February. The crowds outside the cathedral in central Cairo carried crosses and portraits of Shenouda. 'Ya Allah!' or 'Oh God!', they chanted in unison. Shenouda, seated on the throne of St. Mark, or Mar Morkos, was clad in the elaborate regalia he traditionally wore to oversee services. His head slightly tilting to the right and he held a scepter. 'Please, let me come a little bit closer,' one woman pleaded with a tearful voice to guards surrounding the body to keep the mourners away. 'I am so sad. It's a massive shock to all of us,' said Eileen Naguib, dressed in mourning black, as she wiped tears from her face outside the cathedral. Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, who heads Egypt's ruling military council, visited the church with other generals and consoled Coptic leaders. Shenouda's death could lead to a long power vacuum. It could take months before a successor is found, according to Fuad Girgis, a prominent Christian from the Mediterranean city of Alexandria and a member of the Church's local layman council, known as el-Maglis el-Melly. 'Pope Shenouda assumed the throne of St. Mark eight months after the death of his predecessor,' he noted. Shenouda will be buried tomorrow. During his 40 years as patriarch, Shenouda strove to ensure his place among the main players in this mainly Muslim nation, pressing demands behind the scenes while keeping Christians' anger over violence and discrimination in check. It was a delicate balancing act undertaken for years by a man who kept a relatively high media profile during most of the past four decades, giving interviews, speaking on key domestic and regional developments and never allowing himself to show anger at times of crisis. Authorities deny discriminating against them, but the Christians say discrimination is practised in numerous and subtle ways. Christians, for example, rarely assume leadership jobs on the police force, particularly the security agencies. Standing room only: Pope Shenouda III was the patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church who led Egypt's Christian minority for 40 years during a time of increasing tensions with Muslims Tensions: A member of the Church's security team urges mourners to stop pushing to avoid harming fellow elderly mourners The Islamist-dominated parliament only has a handful of Christians, and there are never more than one or two Christians among 30-plus Cabinet ministers. As Egypt grew more religiously conservative over the past 40 years, the discrimination became more manifest in everyday life, particularly when Christians are in direct contact with government departments or for their children at state schools, where Islamists often dominate teaching staff. The pope, accustomed to the monastic traditions of Egypt's unforgiving desert, had on occasion protested what he perceived to be gross injustices to his flock by living in seclusion for days or even weeks in remote monasteries. Although he had publicly acknowledged that Christians were discriminated against, he never accepted that they be referred to as a minority, insisting that Copts were an integral part of the nation's fabric. The Christians show their respect as they gather inside the Abassiva Cathedral to say their final goodbyes Thousands of people mourn the death of the 117th Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria and Patriachof Shenouda supported President Hosni Mubarak during the 29 years ruled, until his ouster 13 months ago in a popular uprising. In return, Mubarak gave him and his church wide powers in the Christian community. 'Baba Shenouda', or Father Shenouda, as he was known, came to be viewed by many Copts as their guardian. A charismatic leader, his sense of humour belied a deeply conservative doctrine that angered liberals within the church as well as young secular-minded Copts seeking a more assertive role and inclusive identity in society. More recently, Christians' worries have deepened with the rise of Islamic movements to political power in parliamentary elections, a string of deadly attacks on their community and places of worship and heightened anti-Christian rhetoric by ultraconservative Muslims, or Salafis. 'The nation that does not protect its own sons strangles them,' Girgis Atef, a 26-year-old Christian activist, said of the perceived failure by authorities to protect Christians. Atef, an insurance executive, participated in last year's uprising and then witnessed the death in October of at least 27 people, mostly Christians, when soldiers crushed a Christian protest. Shenouda's burial is expected to take place at the Wadi el Natrun monastery in the desert northwest of Cairo, where the late pope requested he be buried People gather at the cathedral in Cairo's Abbasiya district to pay their final respects to the church leader Shenouda was popular among many of Egypt's Christians even outside the Orthodox Church, as well as among many Muslims 'I rose up a year ago to restore the rights of the nation, and I am still not given my rights,' he complained. The Islamists who now dominate parliament's two chambers routinely pay lip service to the rights of Christians and their equality with Muslims. But there is no doubt in the mind of most Christians that a more Islamic Egypt would inevitably deal a setback to their slow and tortuous drive to win their rights. In a move harshly criticised by liberal politicians, the two chambers adopted a motion on Saturday that would allow lawmakers to make up half of a 100-member panel that will write a new constitution. The move will give Islamists a big say in the process, meaning that the next constitution will have an Islamist slant, piling up on the worries of Christians. Sameh Fawzi, a Christian political analyst who closely monitors the church, said even so, there is potential for an accommodation between the church and the Islamists.

– Tens of thousands of mourners turned out for Pope Shenouda III's memorial service, which turned tragic when three were crushed to death in the crowd. The leader of Egypt's Coptic Christians was seated on the throne of St. Mark, and dozens of devotees were injured as they crowded into Cairo's Abbasiya cathedral to see his embalmed corpse. Meanwhile, armored tanks lurked outside in case of an attack by militant Muslims, the Daily Mail reports. The 88-year-old Orthodox Church leader died Saturday, and the outpouring of grief may reflect the Christian minority's uncertainty as Islamists in Egypt have come to power, the AP notes. Shenouda often met with Muslim leaders and called for harmony between Egypt's Muslims and its 10 million Christians. "He has been our protector since the day I was born," said one tearful follower. It could be months before a successor is determined.

Duke is in an uproar about a highly detailed "fuck list" that a recent female graduate made — in PowerPoint, complete with penis-size evaluations and dirty talk transcripts. We've got that document, and spoke exclusively to the now-contrite author. The full document begins at the bottom of the page. Upon graduating, the author decided to pass on the wisdom she had learned, in thesis format. The subject: "An education beyond the classroom: excelling in the realm of horizontal academics." The thirteen subjects are each preceded by a tableau of photos of the men, most of which seem to be pulled from Facebook and athletic action shots. (There are lots of athletes on the list, including many players from Duke's lacrosse team, whose behavior has come under scrutiny in the past, though they were cleared of wrongdoing.) Advertisement Each man is graded using the following criteria: The author told us this morning that she never intended for the presentation to go beyond the three friends she sent it to in May, but that recently one friend (who has since admitted to it) forwarded it to another, and it went viral. It has since been sent to multiple listservs, including fraternity listservs. Advertisement She pointed out, as did our original tipster, that frats make lists like this all the time. Still, she said repeatedly, "I regret it with all my heart. I would never intentionally hurt the people that are mentioned on that." She has since deleted or blocked all her social media profiles — the latter-day equivalent of going into hiding. Duke's Dean of Students called her recently, the author told us, to check in. We contacted the Dean of Students, who declined to comment. The subjects' social prominence as students has helped make this an even bigger deal. "The people that are named in it are the kinds of people that everyone wants to be or be with," the author said. "The top dogs, or whatever." Advertisement We're not condoning putting any of these sorts of things in writing or within range of the Internet, especially when using the real names of your partners. But you know what? Here's another reminder that women can be as flip, aggressive, or acquisitive about sex as men can. And there's nothing wrong with that, as long as all parties are consenting. (Of course, these guys didn't consent to have their performances publicly evaluated, but there you go. Again, people, do not put it in writing.) So what does she say? Well, there were significant ups and downs in the author's experience, but she remained upbeat throughout. A low point: Advertisement And when it was good, it was really, really good. Some of it is downright hilarious: It was on the cab ride back that I discovered he was rude, Canadian, and spoke mostly in French. Needless to say, the warning flags were waving furiously, yet, in the interest of my research and out of a perverse curiosity, I decided to continue towards his apartments [sic]. Advertisement And some of it is rather self-aware: Not only was he incredibly attractive, but at that point in my academic career I was quite insecure, and while I never reached the point of engaging in physical activity with people I found unattractive, I still was more susceptible to compliments than I currently am. Alcohol is usually involved ("My second hookup with Subject 7 was an entirely new experience for me: a 100% sober booty call"). With one subject, the author blacked out and doesn't remember having sex, but doesn't seem troubled, by her own account. There is some porn-watching, one incident of fucking in a library, and sexting is also a major feature: Advertisement Overall, very little regret and lots of good humor. Now that she's apologized, we suggest that she keeps on owning it and then move on, because the fickle Internet surely will. And to anyone else tempted to chronicle their sexual exploits in an easily-reproducible format just... don't do it. The document in full: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement UPDATES: ||||| Sponsored Links (Oct. 7) -- It's Internet 101: Don't e-mail while drunk, sex-texting is never private and everything on the Internet never really dies. Before you hit that send button, remember you can't take it back.But it appears people still don't get it. Latest case in point: a 2010 Duke University graduate who wrote a 42-page fake thesis, complete with PowerPoint, bar graphs and photographs, detailing her sexual adventures with 13 male athletes, whom she names. She called it "excelling in the art of horizontal academics" and sent it to three friends. One posted it on the Internet.Now it's gone viral, embroiling the prestigious North Carolina college in another sex scandal involving members of the lacrosse team.So why, despite seemingly nonstop headlines about Internet behavior gone wrong and college seminars on the importance of thinking before sending, does such behavior persist? Especially when it can have grave circumstances, such as the recent case of a Tyler Clementi, a Rutgers University freshman who jumped to his death after his roommate and a friend streamed video of him having a homosexual encounter."I talk with students all over the country, and I feel like I'm a broken record," Justin Patchin, a criminal justice professor at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Center , told AOL News. "They think of it as some high-profile media thing that couldn't happen to them. Most of us would say, 'Come on, you should have known that this would blow up.' They just don't get it."Part of the reason they don't get it is because they're young, immature and feel invincible, experts say. Another factor is the immediate gratification of sending something online, and the mistaken belief that no one outside of the recipient will ever see it."People are not using the part of the brain that requires judgment," Seattle-area psychologist Linda Young told AOL News. "They're using the part of the brain that accesses immediate gratification ... things that provide 15 minutes of fame, or a sense of power or says 'go ahead and put it out there.' Then, with a click of the send button, it's out there, never to be retrieved."Duke graduate Karen Owen compiled a list of 13 young men she slept with -- most from the lacrosse team, which is still tainted by a 2006 scandal that saw a stripper falsely accuse team members of raping her -- and created a bar graph ranking their sexual prowess (or lack thereof). She detailed sex in the university library during finals week, sex in cars and sex while drunk."In my blackout state, still managed to crawl into bed with a Duke athlete," she wrote of one encounter.After her "thesis" went viral, appearing on scores of websites, she told Jezebel.com she was horrified. "I regret it with all my heart," she said. "I would never intentionally hurt the people that are mentioned on that."The sports site Deadspin said last week that it had redacted the athletes' names after receiving e-mails from those on the list. The site also posted an e-mail it said was authored by Owen, who wrote: "Your inclusion of the real names are causing this awful situation to escalate even further and is actually starting to affect peoples' lives in ways that go far beyond mere embarrassment. Remove the names immediately, or I will be adding your blog post to the list of things I discuss with my attorney when we meet."Too late, Owen tried to restrict access to social-networking site LinkedIn, according to Forbes.com , but a cached version is still available."There is so much regret involved," Young said. She hears it all the time when dealing with young people. "At that moment, the student isn't thinking about the consequences or what will happen down the road." Even though students see news reports about cyberbullying and suicides, including Clementi's."They will think about it for a short time with the horrible atrocity of the [Rutgers] student who jumped off the bridge, then in the privacy of their dorm room, they'll go ahead and hit the send button," Young said.So what's to be done?Education, education and more education, experts say. Even if it's repetitive. The phenomenon of instant access, paired with the age-old battle to think before one speaks, makes for a huge social problem."They don't have the same sense of privacy as we did growing up," Patchin said. "They think they can put a finger in the dike by deleting it or taking it offline. They don't realize it's there forever."Still, he notes, a recent study he did with Sameer Hinduja of Florida Atlantic University shows that "most kids are getting it."In 2006, only 39 percent of young people surveyed said they restricted access to their MySpace profiles. Three years later, Patchin said, that figure was 85 percent."So they're learning," he said. "It's just taking a while." ||||| Duke is in an uproar about a highly detailed "fuck list" that a recent female graduate made — in PowerPoint, complete with penis-size evaluations and dirty talk transcripts. We've got that document, and spoke exclusively to the now-contrite author. The full document begins at the bottom of the page. Upon graduating, the author decided to pass on the wisdom she had learned, in thesis format. The subject: "An education beyond the classroom: excelling in the realm of horizontal academics." The thirteen subjects are each preceded by a tableau of photos of the men, most of which seem to be pulled from Facebook and athletic action shots. (There are lots of athletes on the list, including many players from Duke's lacrosse team, whose behavior has come under scrutiny in the past, though they were cleared of wrongdoing.) Each man is graded using the following criteria: The author told us this morning that she never intended for the presentation to go beyond the three friends she sent it to in May, but that recently one friend (who has since admitted to it) forwarded it to another, and it went viral. It has since been sent to multiple listservs, including fraternity listservs. She pointed out, as did our original tipster, that frats make lists like this all the time. Still, she said repeatedly, "I regret it with all my heart. I would never intentionally hurt the people that are mentioned on that." She has since deleted or blocked all her social media profiles — the latter-day equivalent of going into hiding. Duke's Dean of Students called her recently, the author told us, to check in. We contacted the Dean of Students, who declined to comment. The subjects' social prominence as students has helped make this an even bigger deal. "The people that are named in it are the kinds of people that everyone wants to be or be with," the author said. "The top dogs, or whatever." We're not condoning putting any of these sorts of things in writing or within range of the Internet, especially when using the real names of your partners. But you know what? Here's another reminder that women can be as flip, aggressive, or acquisitive about sex as men can. And there's nothing wrong with that, as long as all parties are consenting. (Of course, these guys didn't consent to have their performances publicly evaluated, but there you go. Again, people, do not put it in writing.) So what does she say? Well, there were significant ups and downs in the author's experience, but she remained upbeat throughout. A low point: And when it was good, it was really, really good. Some of it is downright hilarious: It was on the cab ride back that I discovered he was rude, Canadian, and spoke mostly in French. Needless to say, the warning flags were waving furiously, yet, in the interest of my research and out of a perverse curiosity, I decided to continue towards his apartments [sic]. And some of it is rather self-aware: Not only was he incredibly attractive, but at that point in my academic career I was quite insecure, and while I never reached the point of engaging in physical activity with people I found unattractive, I still was more susceptible to compliments than I currently am. Alcohol is usually involved ("My second hookup with Subject 7 was an entirely new experience for me: a 100% sober booty call"). With one subject, the author blacked out and doesn't remember having sex, but doesn't seem troubled, by her own account. There is some porn-watching, one incident of fucking in a library, and sexting is also a major feature: Overall, very little regret and lots of good humor. Now that she's apologized, we suggest that she keeps on owning it and then move on, because the fickle Internet surely will. And to anyone else tempted to chronicle their sexual exploits in an easily-reproducible format just... don't do it. The document in full: UPDATES:

– College kids, take note: In today's world, nothing is private. Especially not former Duke student Karen Owen's mock senior thesis about her sexual exploits while on campus. The 22-year-old, who graduated this year, prepared a 42-page PowerPoint presentation that analyzed and rated her sexual liaisons with 13 student-athletes to share with friends. You know where this is going ... viral. Owen's "thesis" in "horizontal academics"—complete with photos of the men, graphs, and lengthy paragraphs on the pros and cons of each hook-up—was shared furiously, with Jezebel publishing it in its entirety. A sampling: "It was on the cab ride back that I discovered he was rude, Canadian, and spoke mostly in French. Needless to say, the warning flags were waving furiously, yet, in the interest of my research and out of a perverse curiosity, I decided to continue towards his apartments [sic]." Owen told Jezebel, "I regret it with all my heart. I would never intentionally hurt the people that are mentioned on that." Go to Jezebel for the full document, or click here for more.

Please enable Javascript to watch this video JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colorado - Can you imagine a gunman's surprise when his pistol suddenly becomes jammed by a deputy's bullet? Two men tried to rob off-duty Jefferson County Deputy Jose Marquez at gunpoint at a Colorado apartment complex. Deputy Marquez was shot in the stomach and shoulder, triggering his adrenaline to not only fight back, but to make the shot of a lifetime. His bullet made a beeline for the alleged robber's gun, lodged inside the bad guy's barrel, jamming the weapon, and possibly saving his own life. "I'd say that's probably one in a million shot," said Jimmy Graham, Director of the Active Shooter Response Training Center in Centennial, Colorado. "I've never seen an instance where the bullet actually traveled backwards back down and contacted the bullet," Graham told KUSA. "I don't know that that can be done again." Deputy Marquez has recovered and the routine investigation into firing his weapon toward the suspect was deemed justified. ||||| The shot is being called “one in a billion.” “I don’t know that that can be done again,” said Jimmy Graham, director and lead instructor of the Active Shooter Response Training Center in Centennial. Graham is talking about the shot fired from the gun of an off-duty Jefferson County Sheriff’s deputy in January that lodged in the barrel of a suspect’s gun. “I’ve never seen an instance where the bullet actually traveled backwards back down and contacted the bullet,” Graham said. On Jan. 26, Deputy Jose Marquez was visiting his girlfriend’s apartment in Aurora when he was approached by two men in the parking lot who tried to rob him. The men started shooting and Marquez fired back. One of the bullets Marquez fired traveled down the barrel of the suspect’s gun, disabling it. So, was the miraculous shot luck or skill? Jimmy Graham said good training likely improved Marquez’s chances of hitting such a small target. “He presented and he aimed for center of mass and he just happened to hit down the barrel of the gun which was effective,” Graham said. Graham did his best to recreate the shot at the Centennial Gun Club Thursday afternoon. He set up a target depicting a man with a gun about 10 feet away, drew his handgun from his hip and fired three shots in rapid succession. “Got one, two, three,” Graham said inspecting his target. “We were able to put in there three rounds.” Graham managed to hit the barrel of the gun on the target, but he doesn’t compare the demonstration to the life or death situation Deputy Marquez faced in January. “I consider myself a decent shot, but under those conditions, I don’t know that that can be done again,” Graham said. The Aurora Sentinel reported Wednesday that Arapahoe County prosecutors determined Deputy Jose Marquez acted appropriately when he exchanged gunfire with the attempted robbery suspects in January. Copyright 2016 KUSA ||||| A Jefferson County sheriff’s deputy drew his gun in an Aurora apartment complex parking lot with one thought on his mind. “I’m not dying today. Not today. Another day, maybe. It’s not my time yet,” Deputy Jose Ramon Marquez told investigators about a Jan. 26 shooting in which two masked men attacked him. On Wednesday, Rich Orman, the chief deputy district attorney for the 18th Judicial District, cleared Marquez in the shooting. Marquez was off duty at the time and visiting his girlfriend. He was cooking dinner for her and her children. In an exchange of gunfire that left him seriously wounded, Marquez hit one suspect in the leg, and another of his .45-caliber bullets made a “one in a billion” shot, according to a letter Orman wrote to Jefferson County Sheriff Jeff Shrader and Aurora Police Chief Nick Metz. That round traveled up the barrel of the attacker’s gun, colliding with a cartridge in the chamber and rendering the .40-caliber pistol inoperable, the letter said. Marquez, a 10-year veteran of the department, was shot twice in the abdomen and once in the shoulder. The bullets damaged his intestines, colon and liver. He also suffered fractured ribs, Orman’s letter said. Marquez is still recovering from the wounds and has not returned to work at the sheriff’s department, said Mark Techmeyer, a sheriff’s spokesman. “We’re still hopeful for a full recovery,” he said. Related Articles September 13, 2018 Aurora police name suspect in officer-involved shooting September 13, 2018 Officer shot during Cherry Hills Village home invasion to leave hospital September 12, 2018 Denver officer won’t be charged in fatal shooting of 7-Eleven robbery suspect September 11, 2018 Man faces 8 murder charges in connection to Aurora shootout that killed two, wounded police officer September 6, 2018 Man fatally shot by Westminster police identified. Police said he charged them with a knife. Investigators have not determined whether the attack was an attempt on the deputy’s life or an attempted robbery, the letter said. Marquez did not identify himself as law enforcement before firing. One 17-year-old suspect has been charged with eight crimes in connection with the felony, including attempted murder, assault and felony menacing. He was shot in the leg. Aurora police found the teen after he called Aurora 911 to report that he had been shot. In a nearby yard, investigators found a gun with bullets that matched rounds fired at Marquez and black gloves. A dark face mask was found in the seat of a stolen Chevrolet Equinox that was connected to the teen, Orman’s letter said. The second suspect remains at large. Marquez told investigators that two young men dressed in black and with masks covering their faces approached Marquez as he was walking the apartment complex parking lot. One of the young men first said, “Hello, brother,” as he approached Marquez, who was dressed in plain clothes. As they passed each other, one of the men turned and said, “Give it up,” the letter said. Marquez said that is when he knew something bad was about to happen, Orman’s letter said. The young man pulled out a pistol and racked the slide to get a bullet in the chamber. As Marquez drew his .45-caliber service weapon, the man fired at him, the letter said. Marquez fired four times. The gunman fired 12 times, the letter said. Marquez said he told himself during the shooting, “You’re the bad guy. I’m the good guy.” The chief deputy district attorney’s letter said investigators looked into whether someone could have ordered a hit on Marquez but found nothing to substantiate that was the case. “He has received no threats from anyone and has had no recent issues with anyone, personally or professionally, that (could) be linked to this shooting,” the letter said. “He had no road rage incidents and had never seen the two males before.”

– In what a Colorado district attorney calls a "one in a billion shot," a Jefferson County deputy successfully disabled a robber's gun by firing a bullet down its barrel, the Denver Post reports. According to KUSA, the shooting happened in January, but authorities released their report on it this week. On Jan. 26, Jose Marquez was off duty and visiting his girlfriend at her apartment in Aurora when he was confronted by two masked men, KFOR reports. One of the men pulled a gun, so Marquez went for his. The robber shot Marquez twice in the stomach and once in the shoulder. Miraculously, Marquez was able to return fire. Even more miraculous was where one of his four shots ended up. Marquez's bullet traveled up the barrel of the robber's gun, hit a cartridge in the chamber, and disabled the weapon. It may have saved his life. “I don’t know that that can be done again,” the director of Colorado's Active Shooter Response Training Center tells KUSA. He says he's certainly never seen it. In their report released Wednesday, investigators found Marquez, who is still recovering from his injuries, was justified in his shooting. “I’m not dying today. Not today. Another day, maybe. It’s not my time yet,” the Post reports Marquez told investigators regarding the shooting. A 17-year-old, who was shot in the leg by Marquez, has been charged in connection with the shooting. The second suspect has never been caught.

5 HAPPY JUNETEENTH! 5 5 Briefly describe photo including (city, state) along with any other relevant details. 5 5 5 5 Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Join Yard Sign Campaign From its Galveston, Texas origin in 1865, the observance of June 19th as the African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States and beyond. Today Juneteenth commemorates African American freedom and emphasizes education and achievement. It is a day, a week, and in some areas a month marked with celebrations, guest speakers, picnics and family gatherings. It is a time for reflection and rejoicing. It is a time for assessment, self-improvement and for planning the future. Its growing popularity signifies a level of maturity and dignity in America long over due. In cities across the country, people of all races, nationalities and religions are joining hands to truthfully acknowledge a period in our history that shaped and continues to influence our society today. Sensitized to the conditions and experiences of others, only then can we make significant and lasting improvements in our society. The celebrations that followed the reading of the proclamation by General Gordon Granger began a tradition that has lasted for one hundred and forty four years, and today is hosted in cities across America and beyond. The JUNETEENTH.com website is dedicated to this celebration and to those who tirelessly contribute to its continued existence and growth. For information regarding this website, contact us via email or call: 504 242-4691 © JUNETEENTH.com Dedicated to the memory of Tom Feelings and his extraordinary work "The Middle Passage" 5 Let's make Juneteenth a commemorative, not of the horrific institution our country embraced, but rather as a showcase of the strength in the American spirit to recognize wrong and set about making it right. In this same spirit America moves ahead today in leveling playing fields and achieivng ever greater equality. Let us celebrate all that Juneteenth teaches us about our country's greatness in ouruse of the heart to hear and to learn and to work together for all that is good and just. John Albuquerque Almost 7 years ago, on June 21, 2008, my grandmother was laid to rest. As our funeral procession passed near Wichita State University in Wichita, KS, a parade was taking place. The parade stopped to let us pass, and the men and women on horseback removed their cowboy hats and placed them over their hearts. It was the first time that day we laughed - Grams would have loved that she stopped a parade. What those men and women did not know is my Grams was a First Lieutenant in the Army - she served during WWII as a psychiatric nurse. She lived an amazing life after that, with God at the helm. I learned today that the parade that day by WSU was the Juneteenth Parade. That the men and women so selflessly stopped to allow our funeral procession to move past has remained in our family's hearts and minds all these years. We cannot thank you enough for your kindness. You are forever a part of our family's history. Angie Kansas L ook for the Juneteenth World Wide Celebration emblem at Juneteenth events across America and beyond! 5 Please support our efforts. Help us expand the JUNETEENTH.com Website. 5 This site is very inspiring. I am starting my annual tradition . God Bless! Isabel Portugal I cannot say thank you enough. This website has done what word of mouth could never hope to accomplish. It has reached all walks of life. It gives hope, rekindles memories, makes others aware, it is a tool that can be used to complete a job that is still in finishing stages. We should never forget those who gave so much and received so little to make this day possible. C. Harris California Your website has awakened in me wonderful memories of my families celebration of Juneteenth. We celebrated with music, food, sharing of our blessings, and ended by the entire congregation dancing the Grand March on the lawn of the church. Nia Florida " The praise and celebration of Juneteenth has been a long time in coming. We thank the people of Galveston, Texas for patience and endurance. God Bless! " Cheryl D This is a great site. I hope all Americans will embrace the spirit of Juneteenth as one of freedom and culture, and take time to reflect on the great mosaic of America. When we see ourselves as one people, with our differences adding flavor to our similarities, America becomes a truly great nation and people in the eyes of history. Jack New Mexico Read more 2018 Featured Writers Do you recognize the name "Kristina Kay"? She is the author of the poetry in our Juneteenth Poetry section. What you probably don't know is that she was only 9 years old when she wrote those poems. Well, fast forward a few years, and she's all grown up and still utilizing her talents as an international writer and traveler. Read more about Kristina Kay Point Being: Seek out your God-given talents and you will move mountains. On that same point, here is another future great writer and motivator. Jared Green has a story to tell about turning one's life around - even at an early age. Contact him on Instagram and stay tuned for his new book. ||||| For a better experience, we recommend that you enable JavaScript. Go to https://www.whatismybrowser.com/guides/how-to-enable-javascript/ to learn more. ||||| In New York’s busy Financial District, money trades hands day in and day out, and fortunes are made. It was that way in the 1700s, too—but the trade included human cargo. Now, a new marker will commemorate the New York slave market and the city’s role in the brutal trafficking and enslavement of thousands. It will be the first time the city has posted a sign acknowledging its role in the 1700s slave trade, Jim O’Grady reports for WNYC. The marker, which will be posted at the corner of Wall and Water Streets, will acknowledge a slave market that was the city’s “official location for buying, selling, and renting human beings.” O’Grady writes that at least 750 of the city’s 5,000 residents in 1700 were slaves—and that number grew along with the city. By 1711, at least 40 percent of white households included a slave, and that year the city passed a charter establishing “a place for the more convenient hiring of slaves.” The market traded slaves who literally helped build Manhattan, constructing the wall that would give Wall Street its name, clearing land and even building the port and New York’s first City Hall. The city is in the final stages of preparing the marker for its likely June 19, unveiling. O’Grady reports that it will be located about a block from where the original market stood. “The…plaque will bear witness to the reality of those lives,” testified Judy Tate, co-founder of the American Slavery Project, at a hearing about the proposed marker last year. “People are surprised to learn that there were enslaved people in New York…It is only fitting that we have a plaque that recognizes the origins of Wall Street and denotes exactly what the most important commodity being traded there was; human beings.”

– One tends to think of slavery as an evil that gripped the American South, but New York City is getting ready to acknowledge its own past in the human trade: For more than half of the 18th century, the Big Apple was home to a slave market, a fact the city will mark with a sign in a small park just a block from where the market once stood at Wall and Pearl streets, reports WNYC. The freestanding marker is expected to be unveiled on Juneteenth. "The slaves of that time and place helped build City Hall," one city councilman says. "Their lives should be celebrated and their deaths should be mourned." New York Life and JPMorgan Chase are among the many companies that profited from the city's slave trade, which dates back to 1626—two years after Dutch settlers first arrived. When the city's population reached 5,000 in 1700, roughly 750 were slaves, and over the next 50 years thousands of slaves helped build the port, major roads, and even the wall after which Wall Street is named. One estimate suggests there was a slave in at least 40% of the city's white households, reports Smithsonian. The slave market itself opened in 1711 and ran for 51 years; it's believed that thousands of men, women, and children passed through, with the market able to hold roughly 50 men at a time. It was an "ugly experience," according to one historian: "Some of the male slaves were asked to flex in various ways to show how sturdy they were. And the females were touched in private places." The slave market dissolved before the abolition of slavery; by blocking river views it was bringing down local real-estate values. (Think slavery is a relic of a bygone era? Think again.)

HI TEAM CHRIS HANSEN, Have a seat for an update... PRODUCTION UPDATE : The HANSEN VS. PREDATOR team is assembled and already conducting a preliminary investigation. We are finding that predators are more active than ever, seeking to meet young teens on many different social platforms, many of which didn't exist during our earlier investigations. We have secured a strategic alliance with both a law enforcement agency and the associated prosecutor's office. IMPORTANT REWARDS UPDATE : REWARDS can only be shipped out, once we have received all of your surveys with sizing info for t-shirts, names for custom mugs, scripts for the video and voicemails and some backers have unresolved payment issues. Please check your email for correspondence from our Campaign Manager, Alexandria, and for Backer Kit survey emails. You must click through the whole survey to lock down your information. About 65 of you are in the hot seat, so let's get those surveys in and we all win! If you ordered an Add-On, make sure we have your sizing info, custom mug info and address and phone number. If the survey doesn't allow you to enter some information please email chrishansencampaign@gmail.com with questions and details. If you were one of the first 100 backers, we need your address. If you followed through the survey and did not see the sticker in your cart, that is because it is being gifted to you and has been added manually on the back end by the campaign manager. If we have your address, you will be sent your sticker. The latest possible date for the delivery of all rewards is on track to be December 30th, 2015. That means the new episodes will not be available until then. The sooner we receive all of the backer surveys, the sooner that tees, stickers and mugs will be sent out. Please bear with us as we work hard to produce this new series and we can ensure you, you will not be disappointed. Predator. Is. Back. Thank you for being a valuable member of this effort to stop online predators. We cannot wait to share this new investigation with all of you who have helped to make this a reality. Best, Chris and Team Chris Hansen ||||| During and after the filming of Predator, Hansen also hosted a variety of less salacious operations on NBC in which—with equal vigor that he applied to suspected pedophiles—he chided petty bicycle thieves, pimps, and Nigerian scammers. Yet this apparently didn’t do it for his fans, who have frequently demanded the return of To Catch A Predator. “There was a pent up demand,” Hansen told me. “The most-asked question on Twitter or Facebook or any other social media that I participate in was: ‘When are you going to do another one?’” Finally, Hansen decided to give them what they wanted. In crafting the Kickstarter campaign, Hansen enlisted the help of a crowd-funding expert at his talent agency, William Morris Endeavor, and put together a pitch that centered on, and almost fetishized, the intense first moments of confrontation with the men who wandered into his set houses: Funders chipping in as little as $50 could receive coffee mugs, signed photographs, and t-shirts showing Hansen’s scowling face and his famous catchphrase: “Have a seat.” Those who chipped in at least $1,200 would get to “have a seat with Chris Hansen, literally”—a lunch with the host in New York City. The campaign exceeded its initial $80,000 funding goal, bringing in $89,068. Hansen told me that he plans to at least initially release the new show as an online series, perhaps on a subscription model, but that he is currently in talks with multiple broadcast networks and digital platforms interested in picking up Hansen vs. Predator. Many of the ingredients that make To Catch A Predator irresistible to its fans—Hansen’s raw face-to-faces, the vigilantism, and the voyeurism of public shame—have generated significant scrutiny of the show. Critics have accused Hansen of taking men who might not be dangerous predators and facing them with a moral obstacle course that could land them in prison. Others have expressed concern that by subjecting the merely accused to the potential of mass public humiliation, the show neglects the common notion of innocent until proven guilty. And then there’s the sheer emotional charge of Hansen’s confrontations: It might be downright dangerous. “We see situations that in a second turn volatile,” said James Drylie, a professor of criminal justice at Kean University, who has studied the ways in which arrests lead to suspects becoming violent and suicidal. “Imagine hearing: ‘lights, camera, action, you’re on TV.’ A person can just explode — they’re looking to escape and they’ll use any means.” Drylie asserts that, for these reasons, it would be necessary for a television crew to work with trained law enforcement personnel when conducting undercover sex stings. “As Fairfield demonstrated, this is still very much a huge issue,” Hansen told me. “We just made that the safest neighborhood in America.” And Hansen agrees—almost. “I think it would be socially irresponsible, and, from a production standpoint, unsatisfying to the viewer to conduct an investigation like this without the police,” Hansen said. But when I asked him whether he would move forward with a sting in a town without the involvement of a police force, he stopped short of ruling out the possibility. (His first two episodes of Predator were filmed without police.) “We would take a look at it certainly,” Hansen said, “depending on what kind of investigation it was, and how urgent it was.” Sally Berenzweig, co-founder of the Boca Raton-based KidSafe Foundation, which teaches and promotes child safety, says that although the vast majority of child sexual abuse is perpetrated by family members and other acquaintances, Hansen’s show exposed what she believes to be the new hazards of strangers taking to the internet to finding children to exploit in real life. “Technology is a wonderful thing: It brings our children to the world but it also brings the world to our children.” In March, Berenzweig’s organization will honor Hansen with its “Child Advocate of The Year” award. She says Hansen was a key figure not only in spreading the word about the dangers of online pedophiles but his show also likely played an important role in deterring would-be online predators. “He was the one that raised awareness,” Berenzweig said, “and I’m very appreciative for what he's done.” Before Hansen set up shop in Fairfield, it had been nearly a decade since he had confronted an alleged pedophile. Yet in his absence, the influence of To Catch A Predator had only expanded, and not just in its seemingly interminable off-hour NBC reruns. The show found new life in myriad small towns and mid-sized cities where copycat stings have become wildly popular among local law enforcement. The police frequently film the stings, footage of which they distribute to local news. Even now, regional media coverage still attributes the local sex stings’ inspiration to Hansen’s former show. Hansen vs. Predator’s Facebook page in particular praises an operation spearheaded by Grady Judd, Sheriff of Polk County, Florida, who has become the figurehead of the national trend of pedophile stings. In the years after Hansen’s show was cancelled, Judd—an evangelical Christian who routinely preaches in uniform—has built a cult of personality around conducting massive undercover sex crime operations that can net more than 100 people at a time. “We were going after predators, pedophiles, people who were trying to attack your children online,” Judd said during a 2013 press conference about an underage sex sting that concluded on Father’s day and that he described as “our gift to not only to fathers but to all of those that have children.” Judd’s stings themselves have courted controversy. Critics characterize them as ploys for elected sheriffs to get easy press attention. The Florida stings have also been lucrative for departments around the state: The police can sell the suspected predator’s car, which deputies frequently seize after making arrests at decoy houses. “They target military men, they target gay men, and they target young, stupid men,” says Peter Aiken, a Florida defense attorney who represents alleged sex criminals. “Most of these guys can’t afford a good lawyer and they plead to four, five, or six years in prison,” Aiken said. “Then they get out and they’re on a sex offender registry and their lives are over.” Hansen, who has no involvement with the Florida stings, says that his team follows strict protocols to avoid luring non-predators into making bad decisions. “The online decoy can never make the first approach,” Hansen says, adding that the online personality must be “unmistakably” underage. Hansen also says that, as a policy, his team reminds the target of the decoy’s age multiple times “so that there’s no question” as to the predator’s intent. “We approach this with integrity, Hansen said, “we’re completely transparent about our methodology and that’s the key to it.” Hansen says that his Fairfield sting used 12- and 13-year-old decoys “so that there’s no grey area.” One of the men arrested in Hansen’s Fairfield sting was a teenager himself: a 19-year-old from upstate New York who had allegedly planned to meet a 12-year-old for sex. When I asked Hansen whether he would air the footage of the young suspect, he said: “that editorial decision hasn’t been made yet.” But it is the editorial—or perhaps entrepreneurial—forces behind the stings that worry Drylie, the criminology professor. Drylie fears that television programs might have incentives that clash with norms of law enforcement. “What about ratings?” Drylie said. “Viewers generate shows right? So is something being done for a commercial purpose?” Drylie says he’s not worried about entrapment in the legal sense, but his concern lies rather in the ethical hazards of a television show “generating an incident” that would not otherwise occur. “You can have fantasies all day long,” Drylie said, giving the hypothetical example of a reformed sex offender, “so what if you ignite a spark in a person that otherwise would not have been reignited?” “So I wonder sometimes: is art imitating life?” Drylie said, “or is art directing life?” “People can say: Okay, it’s not the old-fashioned traditional journalism that took place in the Houston Chronicle in 1975—it’s different,” Hansen said. “But that’s also why newspapers are having a hard time staying relevant, you know? You have to reassess the way you do things and be creative and enterprising about it, and this is a perfect example of that.” Hansen considers what he does to be investigative journalism, and asserts that he got into the sex sting business primarily out of an interest in exposé storytelling, rather than an urge to deter criminal activity through public shame. Hansen told me that, initially, his primary motivation was to examine the psychology “of these guys, to figure out what they were thinking.” And he believes that the dozens upon dozens of men successfully prosecuted as a consequence his investigations represent results that speak for themselves. “When you put it all together,” Hansen said, discussing the sting in Fairfield, “not only does it take you inside the minds of one of these guys, it’s very dramatic television.”

– For four days earlier this month, a temporary tenant took up residence in Fairfield, Conn., someone who probably would have been familiar to many of the locals if he weren't holed up in a house with police, waiting for potential sex offenders. It was Chris Hansen, ex-host of NBC's To Catch a Predator series, rebooting his famous show as Hansen vs. Predator—but this time without the support of any TV network in what the New Republic calls "America's first-ever Kickstarter-funded sex sting." Hansen's original show ended in 2013 when his contract wasn't renewed shortly after rumors of a renewed extramarital affair emerged, but he's been trying to crowdfund his way back into the land of sweet tea and decoys for some time. The result: a Kickstarter campaign that raised nearly $90,000, enough to pull off the initial Fairfield operation and give Hansen enough material to either show it as an online series or pitch to broadcast networks or digital platforms. Not that Fairfield law enforcement was champing at the bit to serve as a sexual-predator stomping ground: Online sex solicitation wasn't exactly plaguing Fairfield, and Deputy Chief of Police Christopher Lyddy didn't want to bring in that undesirable faction, per the New Republic. "At the end of the day we completely understood ... that we really had a responsibility to become involved and to ensure this neighborhood was safe," Lyddy says. By the end of the sting, Lyddy's department nabbed 10 men on a variety of sex-related charges. He says Hansen and his team were professional and that his force couldn't have pulled off the arrests so well without the show's technological help. Meanwhile, Hansen tells the magazine, "We just made that the safest neighborhood in America." (Read how the first installment went down, as well as about the show's critics and advocates.)

A filmmaker has gone into hiding after his movie attacking Islam's Prophet Muhammad sparked assaults on U.S. missions in Egypt and Libya, where an American State Department officer was killed. Writer and director Sam Bacile spoke on the phone Tuesday from an unidentified location. He remained defiant, saying Islam is "a cancer" and he wanted his film to make a political statement. The 56-year-old identifies himself as an Israeli Jew and says he believes his video will help his native land by exposing Islam's flaws to the world. Excerpts dubbed into Arabic were posted on YouTube. Among other claims that have caused outrage, the film claims Muhammad was a philanderer who approved of child sexual abuse. Bacile says he's sorry for the person who died, but blames lax embassy security. ||||| Read this story in Arabic. Cairo (CNN) -- The United States said it was taking measures to protect its citizens worldwide after protesters angry about an online film considered offensive to Islam attacked U.S. diplomatic compounds in Libya and Egypt on Tuesday, killing an American. In Cairo, several men scaled the walls of the U.S. Embassy and tore down its American flag, according to CNN producer Mohamed Fadel Fahmy, who was on the scene. In Libya, witnesses say members of a radical Islamist group called Ansar al-Sharia protested near the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, where NATO jets established no-fly zones last year to blunt ground attacks from then Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi. The group then clashed with security forces in the city, blocking roads leading to the consulate, witnesses said. A U.S. State Department officer was killed in the violence in Benghazi, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a statement late Tuesday. "We are heartbroken by this terrible loss," Clinton said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and those who have suffered in this attack." Clinton said that she condemned the attack on the U.S. facilities "in the strongest terms" and that following Tuesday's events, the U.S. government was "working with partner countries around the world to protect our personnel, our missions and American citizens worldwide." Libya's General National Congress also condemned the attack, saying it "led to the regrettable injury and death of a number of individuals." Lawmakers said in a statement Tuesday night that they were investigating. It was unclear whether the two attacks were coordinated, CNN national security contributor Fran Townsend said Tuesday night. "One such breach of an embassy or consulate's walls or security on any given day would be tremendous news. ... The fact that two of them happened on the same day that is the 9/11 anniversary where Americans are remembering those that we lost, you have to ask yourself, what are American officials trying to understand about this and whether or not these two are related?" she asked. In Egypt, police and army personnel formed defensive lines around the U.S. Embassy in an effort to prevent demonstrators from advancing, but not before the protesters affixed a black flag atop a ladder in the American compound. The black flag, which hangs in full view from inside the complex, is adorned with white characters that read, "There is no God but Allah and Mohammed is his messenger," an emblem often used by Islamic radicals. A volley of warning shots were fired, as a large crowd gathered around the compound, although it is not clear who fired the shots. Are you there? Share your images and videos. Egyptian groups point to U.S. websites, including YouTube, that have scenes from the film. Some anti-Muslim blogs also have flagged the movie. In a series of disjointed scenes, the film depicts Prophet Mohammed as a child molester, womanizer and ruthless killer. The movie was made by Sam Bacile, an Israeli-American real-estate developer, according to the Wall Street Journal. Bacile -- who wrote, directed and produced the film -- said he wanted to showcase his view of Islam as a hateful religion, the Journal reported, citing a telephone interview with him. Bacile, 52, told the newspaper that to make the film, he had raised $5 million from about 100 Jewish donors, who he declined to identify. He said he made the two-hour movie over a three-month period last year in California, using about 60 actors and 45 crew members, the Journal reported. Most of the Muslim world considers depictions of Mohammed to be blasphemous and deeply offensive. "Some have sought to justify this vicious behavior as a response to inflammatory material posted on the Internet," Clinton said. "The United States deplores any intentional effort to denigrate the religious beliefs of others. Our commitment to religious tolerance goes back to the very beginning of our nation." But she stressed that "there is never any justification for violent acts of this kind." Embassy officials issued a warning to Americans in Egypt, telling them to avoid the demonstrations which "may gather in front of the U.S. Embassy, or Egyptian government buildings such as the People's Assembly and Ministry of Interior." "It is unclear if large numbers will take to the streets, but clashes may occur should two opposing groups come into contact with one another," the U.S. Embassy said in a statement. "Large gatherings and non-essential travel in and around downtown and Garden City should be avoided this afternoon." Frenzied protesters could been seen Tuesday afternoon holding up bits of a shredded American flag to television camera crews while chanting anti-U.S. slogans. An embassy phone operator told CNN that the compound had been cleared of diplomatic personnel earlier in the day ahead of the apparent threat, while Egyptian riot police and the army were called in. "This is an expression of a feeling that is thought to be an insult," said Nizih El Naggary, a spokesman for the Egyptian Foreign Ministry. "But events like this are extremely deplorable. And we have to work to get things under control." The Foreign Ministry issued a statement Tuesday, pledging to protect embassies and warning of the protests' potentially debilitating effects on the Egyptian economy. "There are police forces at the demonstrations," El Naggary said. "They should be protecting the embassy and asking people to leave." Several individuals claimed responsibility for organizing the demonstrations Tuesday, including Salafist leader Wesam Abdel-Wareth, who is president of Egypt's conservative Hekma television channel. Mohamed al-Zawahiri -- the brother of al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri -- added, "We called for the peaceful protest joined by different Islamic factions including the Islamicc Jihad (and the) Hazem Abu Ismael movement." "We were surprised to see the big numbers show up, including the soccer Ultra fans," he said. "I just want to say, how would the Americans feel if films insulting leading Christian figures like the pope or historical figures like Abraham Lincoln were produced?" He added that "the film portrays the prophet in a very ugly manner, alluding to topics like sex, which is not acceptable." The U.S. Embassy in Cairo announced that it had canceled visa services for Wednesday. It also said in a statement that it "condemns the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims -- as we condemn efforts to offend believers of all religions." "Respect for religious beliefs is a cornerstone of American democracy," the statement said. "We firmly reject the actions by those who abuse the universal right of free speech to hurt the religious beliefs of others." The embassy statement set off a political spat back in the United States after the Republican presidential nominee, Mitt Romney, criticized its message and linked it to his opponent for the White House. "It's disgraceful that the Obama Administration's first response was not to condemn attacks on our diplomatic missions, but to sympathize with those who waged the attacks," Romney said in a statement released late Tuesday. He said he was "outraged" by the attacks in Libya and Egypt. The Obama campaign quickly responded to Romney's comments. "We are shocked that, at a time when the United States of America is confronting the tragic death of one of our diplomatic officers in Libya, Governor Romney would choose to launch a political attack," Ben LaBolt, an Obama campaign spokesman said in an email. Demonstrations elicited a mixture of reactions from the Egyptian street, where last year tens of thousands turned out in opposition to former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. This summer, Egypt's first Islamist president, Mohamed Morsy, was sworn into power at Tahrir Square, the scene of the nation's revolution in 2011. Though Tuesday's embassy protests are the first that Morsy has dealt with, Egypt recently produced similar scenarios when protesters attacked the Israeli and Syrian embassies in unrelated episodes. "These protests are a bad image for Egypt," said a Cairo street vendor named Ahmed. "Of course I'm against insulting Islam, but it's the undereducated, poor people who are out here causing problems." "All I want for Egypt is security and stability," he said. "And as you can see this isn't it." The incident occurred on the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks as crowds gathered across the United States in somber remembrance of a day that left nearly 3,000 people dead. Tuesday's focus on the controversial film also drew comparisons to outcry generated from a 2008 movie produced by an anti-Muslim Dutch lawmaker to portray Islam as a violent religion. Geert Wilders' film "Fitna," which he released online, featured images of terrorist acts superimposed over verses from the Quran. Report: Egypt's ex-PM Ahmed Shafik faces arrest, extradition order Egypt kills militants, seizes weapons in Sinai offensive U.S. companies eye Egypt for investment CNN's Ian Lee in Cairo, Jomana Karadsheh, Matt Smith, Brian Walker, Elise Labott, Paul Cruickshank and Tracy Doueiry contributed to this report

– Moving quickly to make a political point following yesterday's attacks on the US diplomatic missions in Egypt and Libya, Mitt Romney called an early US statement "disgraceful" for "sympathizing" with protesters. A statement released in Cairo shortly after angry demonstrators began to gather at the embassies referred to an anti-Muslim film posted online that triggered the protests, and said that the US condemns "the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims." The statement was posted hours before an American State Department officer was shot to death as suspected members of the radical Islamist group Ansar al-Sharia torched and looted the US consulate in Benghazi. "It's disgraceful that the Obama administration's first response was not to condemn attacks on our diplomatic missions, but to sympathize with those who waged the attacks," said Romney. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in a statement released about the same time as Romney's, condemned the attack in Libya "in the strongest terms." Some have "sought to justify this vicious behavior as a response to inflammatory material posted on the Internet," Clinton said. "The US deplores any intentional effort to denigrate the religious beliefs of others. But let me be clear: There is never any justification for violent acts of this kind." The White House condemned Romney for launching a political attack in the wake of tragedy. Americans worldwide are being warned by the State Department to take extra precautions in the wake of the violence, reports CNN. The filmmaker of the controversial anti-Islam movie, 56-year-old Israeli Sam Bacile, is in hiding, AP reports. The film reportedly depicts the Prophet Mohammed as a child molester, womanizer, and killer.

Chris Christie's biggest fight may be weight as job strains willpower TRENTON, N.J. — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, R, has won concessions from the state's public-employee unions. He's stopped the Democratic-controlled Legislature from raising taxes. He's put hecklers in their place. The first-term Republican has yet to win one of his biggest battles: shedding weight. Christie, who turns 50 on Sept. 6 and will give the keynote speech at this week's Republican National Convention, told Oprah Winfrey in January that he was working with a dietitian and exercising four days a week. Since that interview, he shows no signs of slimming down. "He's gotten a bit heavier," said John Catsimatidis, the billionaire supermarket tycoon who has raised tens of thousands of dollars for Christie. About a year after spurning a run for president -- and being hospitalized for asthma that he said was aggravated by his size -- Christie will take on a political role that in 2004 set Barack Obama on a path to the White House. Christie contrasts with presidents, vice presidents and White House candidates who have sought to convey an image of health and fitness in a nation where two-thirds of the population are overweight. Obama plays basketball and Vice President Joe Biden works out regularly. Mitt Romney, the presumptive Republican presidential candidate, uses an elliptical machine, and his running mate, Paul Ryan, follows the grueling P90x fitness routine. Former President George W. Bush, who nicknamed Christie "Big Boy," ran the 1993 Houston Marathon in three hours and 44 minutes. "We live in a media age in which there are these conventional expectations of what a successful individual looks like," said Russell Riley, chairman of the Miller Center's Presidential Oral History Program at the University of Virginia. "The closer you comport with those kind of cultural ideas about how someone on television looks, the better you do." As Christie's national profile grows, his weight has become fodder for late-night comedians and social media users. It also was addressed by "his personal advisers," said Catsimatidis, 63, who wouldn't specify further. "Remember: I have the same problem," said Catsimatidis, who is 5 feet, 11 inches tall and weighs 275 pounds. The governor, who is the same height, declined to be interviewed or to answer questions about his weight. Photographs and video taken when he was a U.S. prosecutor five years ago and this week show that he has become larger. Michael Drewniak, a spokesman for the governor, declined to comment on whether Christie is following any weight-loss regimen, saying the matter is personal. During a radio interview last year, Christie said that he doesn't like talking about his weight because "you're setting yourself up for failure." His most candid discussions of the topic were during nationally televised interviews with Winfrey and CNN's Piers Morgan. "I don't like being overweight," Christie told Winfrey. "I know I'd be healthier and better off if I weren't." Christie has said his struggle with weight began 30 years ago when he stopped playing organized school sports. During a February 2011 radio interview, the married father of four said he was trying to lose weight "so I can watch my two daughters get married, so that I can see grandchildren when I get older." In July 2011, Christie's shortness of breath related to chronic asthma forced a detour to a hospital emergency room on the way to a news conference. When he was released after eight hours, he faced a barrage of questions from the national media about his health. He said his weight "exacerbates everything" and that he was working with a personal trainer. "I'm sure it frustrates the heck out of him" that he hasn't been able to slim down, Katherine Tallmadge, a dietitian and weight-loss counselor who has worked with members of Congress and White House staffers, said. "These really successful people, it drives them crazy — there's one thing they haven't been able to overcome." Ed Rendell, the Pennsylvania Democrat whose taste for a high-calorie Philadelphia specialty sandwich earned him the nickname "Governor Cheesesteak," said the job comes with long hours and exercise-disrupting travel. "There's all this free food, and food that gets passed right in front of you," said Rendell, 68. When he reached 260 pounds, his son Jesse suggested that he get healthy. He said he lost 60 pounds mostly by reducing portions. "Is it harder for politicians who live that type of schedule than the ordinary person to lose weight? Yes," he said. "Is it an excuse and a justification if they want to? No." Former President Bill Clinton, 66, was once a fan of fast food. After he underwent quadruple cardiac bypass surgery in 2004 and had two stents placed in a clogged artery in 2010, he adopted a vegan diet. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, R, who ran for president in 2008, lost 110 pounds through diet and exercise after being diagnosed with diabetes. He went on to complete marathons and champion wellness programs, including taking junk food out of schools. Christie has shown a willingness to joke at his own expense, exaggerating to radio host Don Imus that he weighed 550 pounds and referring to "my big, fat rear end." It was a strategy once used by Rep. Gary Ackerman, D-N.Y., who has maintained a weight loss of more than 100 pounds since the 1990s. "It bothers you until it makes your feelings numb — you just block it out," said Ackerman, who admires Christie for exposing himself "to greater observation and more criticism than people in other fields would get, and put up with it." Christie told Winfrey that the weight issue hurt him more when he was younger and that he has "developed a bit of a shell" about it in public life. His official website includes the line "David Letterman Fat Jokes — 327,832" in a post that also tallies bills signed and letters received. The first Republican elected New Jersey governor since 1997, Christie became a national political figure for raising public employee contributions to pensions and benefits, vetoing tax increases against millionaires and leveling insults at critics during "Jersey-style" confrontations. In July, gossip website TMZ.com showed video of him shouting at a detractor who used profanity as Christie was buying an ice cream cone on the Seaside Heights boardwalk with his kids and their friends. Letterman, who has made Christie the topic of monologues and "Top 10" lists, set the confrontation to "fat guy music" and said that angering Christie is like "crossing a rhino." "My kids think it's incredibly cool that, like, David Letterman even knows who I am," Christie said during a January press conference. "I don't really let it bother me all that much if at all." Christie has campaigned across the nation for Romney and other Republican candidates. More than half of all registered voters in his home state, where Democrats outnumber Republicans, approve of the job he is doing as governor. The focus on Christie's weight "is an asset," said Mark McKinnon, an adviser to Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., during his 2008 run for president. "Voters today find so little they can believe, they put a real premium on anything they perceive as authentic," McKinnon said. "Governor Christie's weight just makes him more human, more real, and, therefore, more credible." Christie has "enormous energy and discipline," said his friend state Sen. Joe Kyrillos, R, chairman of Christie's 2009 gubernatorial campaign. "He runs circles around almost everyone else I know, me included," Kyrillos said. "That's the way he produces so much and that's why he's so successful." ||||| N.J. Gov. Chris Christie gave the keynote address at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla. Tuesday. TAMPA, Fla. — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie may quickly win over many in the national television audience with his gruff, everyman persona and sharp critiques of a staggering economy when he delivers the keynote speech at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday night. But it is Christie’s other profile — his substantial physical one — that undoubtedly will make the first major impression on millions of television viewers. Christie is bigger than any other major national political figure in recent memory. He is heavier than any president — an office many Republicans dearly hope he will one day hold — in 100 years. Though he hasn’t disclosed his exact weight, it seems apparent that only William Howard Taft (the Republican president from 1909 to 1913) can come close to matching his girth. PHOTOS: Scenes from the GOP convention Does it matter? It didn’t hurt Christie, who will turn 50 on Sept. 6, as he pushed past Democrat Jon Corzine in 2009 to become governor in a heavily Democratic state that is the 11th most populous in America. He has overhauled teacher tenure and helped rein in state employee pensions, but has not been able to do much to alleviate persistent unemployment. Those getting their first impression of Christie will be comparing him to a battalion of toned and tanned politicians. The ascendance of one with (in Christie’s own words) a “big, fat rear end” may come as a relief. This leader must have his eye on something more important than his scale and his Q score. Christie does not shrink from his substantial mass. He once joked to Don Imus that he weighed 550. Introduced to the Michigan delegation at the convention Tuesday morning by a woman from a restaurant trade group, Christie could not resist. “Did she just ask if I’m aware of the restaurant industry? Seriously?” Christie deadpanned. “Yes, I am mildly aware of the restaurant industry, in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Connecticut. Yeah, the entire region!” The Michiganders roared. Christie supporters conceded that in recent months the already sizable governor has layered even more bulk on his 5-foot-11-inch frame. His weighty challenge turned serious in July 2011 when the governor had to visit the emergency room for chronic asthma, a condition he conceded had been exacerbated by his weight. He acknowledged to Oprah Winfrey , “I don't like being overweight.” Others have been less sensitive. When Christie shouted down a profanity-spewing heckler this year, David Letterman put the confrontation to music. The late-night comedian said inciting Christie amounted to “crossing a rhino.” But fat jokes may not have political traction. Corzine aired an ad that used super-slow-motion video of Christie stepping from a car as a voice-over taunted that he “threw his weight around” to avoid traffic tickets. The Democrat lost by 4 percentage points. PHOTOS: The protests of the GOP convention With mountain-biking George W. Bush and basketball-playing Barack Obama the most recent models, the presidency has become the home of determined mesomorphs. Mitt Romney works out daily on an elliptical machine and vice presidential candidate Paul D. Ryan has led exhausting P90X fitness regimes for fellow members of the House of Representatives. Speaking on ABC’s “Good Morning America” about his aspirations for the keynote speech, Christie set a relatively modest goal. “I think if the American people watch tonight, leave the speech by saying, ‘Yep, that's him, that's who I heard about, seems genuine to me,’ then I think I will have done my job for me,” he said. The governor will be putting considerable weight behind those words. And every pound will be proof to his backers that he, indeed, is the genuine article. and james.rainey@latimes.com Twitter: @latimesrainey Michael Memoli contributed to this report.

– GOP conventioneers might have been transfixed by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's hard-hitting speech last night, but there was something else they couldn't help noticing: He seemed larger than ever. The portly politician has said in the past he needs to do something about his weight, but he's apparently losing the battle. It's not only a health problem for the governor. Fat can also be a career-ender for politicians because the public doesn't tend to favor overweight leaders. Even several Newser readers attacked the 50-year-old governor by focusing on his weight following his speech last night. Christie is far bigger than any other major politician in recent years, and, if he were ever elected president as supporters would like, he'd be the heaviest commander-in-chief in 100 years, reports the Los Angeles Times. The Times speculates that the public may be in the mood for a change, and finally willing to swap (in Christie's words) a "big, fat rear end" for the endless parade of tanned, toned politicians we've grown used to. But the 5-foot-11 governor has packed on even more weight in recent months, raising even more concerns about his health and longevity, an important consideration for a national leader. Last year Christie had to be rushed to an emergency room for treatment of his asthma, a condition often exacerbated by weight.

Police in Sweden are hunting for jewel thieves who stole two priceless royal crowns and an orb from a cathedral before making their escape in a motorboat. The audacious heist at the historic, hilltop Strängnäs Cathedral took place at about midday on Tuesday. The cathedral was open to visitors at the time and a lunch fair was being held in a side chapel. The crowns and orb were used by the 17th-century King Karl IX and Queen Kristina. They are made of gold and enamel and encrusted with beads, crystals and pearls. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Crown jewels from the Swedish royal family’s collection. Photograph: Reuters They were stolen from a locked and alarmed display cabinet in the Gothic-style cathedral, which lies 60 miles west of the capital, Stockholm. There has been no confirmation from police, but the assumption is that the thieves could have got to the items only by smashing the glass, which would have triggered the alarm. Tom Rowsell, who is getting married in the cathedral next week, told Aftonbladet he saw two men run from the building, jump into a small white motorboat and speed away. “We contacted the police and told them and they told us that something had been taken from the cathedral,” he said. “I knew immediately they were burglars because of the way they were behaving. It’s despicable that people would steal from a holy building and a historical building.” There were no threats by the thieves or any acts of violence and no one was injured, Aftonbladet reported. The motorboat was waiting at the foot of the hill on Lake Mälaren, police said. It is believed the thieves fled via the vast system of lakes west of Stockholm. Police mobilised a huge search operation with a helicopter and boats to try to find the men and recover the items, but they have so far been unsuccessful. The thieves, who have not been identified, and the jewels are being sought internationally via Interpol. A Swedish police spokesman, Stefan Dangardt, said the objects were national treasures and would probably be very difficult to sell. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Aerial view of the cathedral, with the river nearby. Photograph: Alamy Thomas Agnevik, another police spokesman, told Aftonbladet: “It’s 1-0 to them right now. We want to spread information and pictures of these items so that they can be identified as stolen objects. “It’s too difficult to translate these things into some kind of value. They are such unique objects. What usually happens with this type of object is that they are recovered sooner or later, because there are very few people who are prepared to handle them. We have high hopes of getting them back.” Maria Ellior, from the Swedish police’s national operations department, told Sweden’s TT news agency the items would be impossible to sell. Catharina Fröjd, who works at Strängnäs Cathedral, called the theft “an enormous loss in cultural value and economic value”. In 2013, a crown and sceptre used in the funeral of Sweden’s 16th-century King Johan III were stolen from Västerås, another city on the shore of Lake Mälaren. They turned up a few days later in two large rubbish bags at the side of a highway after a tip-off to police. The perpetrators of Tuesday’s heist risk up to six years in prison for aggravated theft. ||||| The Swedish royal family is no doubt glamorous, and so is the crime that left them—and their subjects—short two priceless historical crowns and a royal orb. On July 30, in broad daylight, two thieves jumped into a speedboat moored below the Strängnäs Cathedral in southeastern Sweden and escaped with these 17th-century accessories. “One of my friends saw two people running,” says Tom Rowsell, who called police after witnessing the escape, reports the Daily Mail. “I saw the boat just there, a white little boat with a motor on the back. The two men hurriedly jumped on board. I knew immediately they were burglars because of the way they were behaving..the fact that the boat was waiting, it was obvious to me that they were burglars.” Swedish police press release/with permission The stolen items. Police pursued the perpetrators by land, sea, and air—in boats, planes, helicopters, and cars heading in all directions—to no avail. Authorities say they still have no notion where the thieves disappeared to. “It’s 1-0 to them right now,” police spokesman Thomas Agnevik told reporters. “By boat you can reach Mälaren, Köping or Arboga in the west, or Västerås, Eskilstuna or Stockholm if you drive east.” He said the search continues. Authorities seek observations from any witnesses willing to come forward. “Let the police determine what is interesting information,” advises a press release (in Swedish). They have not put a price on the centuries-old crown jewels. One of the missing crowns belonged to Karl IX, who reigned from 1604-1611, and the other to his wife, Kristina. The royals were buried with the headgear, which was later exhumed and put on public display. The stolen items had been locked in glass boxes and were on view to the public when the audacious heist occurred in the open church, where staff were working. No one was physically injured during the crime, though the pride of the royals and people was perhaps slightly bruised. “This is part of the national cultural heritage—this is a theft from Swedish society,” Christofer Lundgren, dean of the cathedral, told reporters. As mastermind heists go, though, there’s a key missing piece even if the thieves continue to elude police. A great getaway is exciting but the criminals have to offload their loot to make the crime worth the time and risk—anyone who’s seen a heist movie knows this. But that seems difficult to do with the Swedish royal family’s crown jewels. ||||| Swedish police said Tuesday they were hunting for suspects who broke into Strängnäs Cathedral and stole two crowns and an orb, a symbol of royal authority. The theft took place around lunchtime Tuesday, while the 13th century cathedral was open to visitors. The two men smashed the protective cases, grabbed the loot, and fled towards the shore of a nearby lake. "I saw a white little boat and the men jumped in the boat and sped away," a witness told the Swedish daily Aftonbladet. In a press statement, police said they then launched a manhunt by land, sea and air but by the evening had not been able to catch the robbers. Police spokesman Thomas Agnevik refrained from describing them as professional thieves, saying it was possible that they had left traces at the scene. "The score is 1-0 for them right now, but we don't know what it would be like tomorrow," Agnevik said. Read more: Swedish monarchy 'aren't special at all,' says author One of the stolen crowns belonged to Queen Christina, the second wife of King Charles IX of Sweden The stolen items, made of gold, pearls and other precious materials, once belonged to Charles IX and his wife Christina, who ruled Sweden in the 17th century. They were buried in the cathedral which is located some 58 kilometers (37 miles) west of the capital Stockholm. Talking to Sydsvenskan newspaper, church dean Christofer Lundgren said the items were insured, but stressed that the cultural value of the treasures is bigger than their material value. "These are items that are completely unique, well-known ... in Sweden and probably even internationally," he said. ||||| Image copyright Alamy Image caption The stolen jewels belonged to the Swedish monarchs who lived in the early 1600s Police in Sweden have launched a manhunt after thieves swiped some of the country's crown jewels from a cathedral and escaped by speedboat. Two priceless crowns and an orb belonging to a 17th Century king and queen were taken at around midday on Tuesday in Strängnäs, near Stockholm. Witnesses said they saw two men running from the cathedral, which was open to the public and hosting a lunch fair. They were seen motoring off into Lake Malaren, and have not been seen since. Police have launched a huge search operation, but currently have no suspects. "It's 1-0 to them right now," police spokesperson Thomas Agnevik told Swedish media. "It is not possible to put an economic value on this, it is invaluable items of national interest." The royal jewels are adorned with gold, precious stones and pearls, and come from the 1611 funeral regalia of Sweden's Charles IX and Kristina the Elder. A witness, who is getting married in the Strängnäs Cathedral next week, told local news channel Aftonbladet he contacted the police. "I knew immediately they were burglars because of the way they were behaving," Tom Rowell said. "It's despicable that people would steal from a holy building and a historical building." Mr Agnevik said that the crown jewels would have been kept in locked and alarmed glass displays that the thieves would have had to break into. No one was hurt during the burglary but church staff were shaken, local media reported. Timeline: More major jewel heists February 2003 - Robbers steal jewels, then worth €100m (now $117m; £89m), from the Antwerp Diamond Centre in Belgium February 2005 - An armed gang disguised as airport workers hijack a lorry carrying €75m ($88m; £67m) of diamonds and other jewels at Amsterdam airport December 2008 - A group of men steal over €85m ($99m; £76m) of watches and jewels in two Paris heists - one in 2007 and the other a year later August 2009 - Armed men take jewellery worth £40m ($61m; €45m) in a raid on the Graff Diamonds shop in central London July 2013 - An armed man takes jewels worth about €40m ($47m; £36m) from a hotel jewellery exhibition in the French Riviera resort of Cannes April 2015 - A group of men - mostly in their 60s and 70s - drill into a safety deposit vault in London's Hatton Garden, taking £13.7m ($18m;€15.4m) in gold, cash and gems ||||| The two crowns – worn by King Charles IX and his wife Queen Christina – as well as an orb and cross were stolen from a display cabinet in Strängnäs Cathedral on Tuesday. The thieves escaped on a boat moored in the nearby lake Mälaren and have not yet been traced. Officers worked throughout the night but it “did not result in any significant breakthroughs in the form of suspects or detentions,” police explained on Wednesday morning, appealing to the public for any information they may have. READ ALSO: Thieves steal 1600s Swedish royal crowns from cathedral The theft will now be registered in Interpol's system in an effort to make the objects impossible to sell. “Images are being shown in the media. It's simply not possible to sell these kind of items. So you can only wonder what their intentions are, and how much they know about these crowns," Maria Ellior from the Swedish Police National Operations Department (Noa) told news agency TT. Registering the theft with Interpol means "even international police will be on their toes," she added, noting that the theft was likely well planned. Charles IX's crown is made of gold and decorated with jewels, silver and pearls, while the queen's is also made of gold. Queen Christina's crown. Photo: Strängnäs domkyroförsamling/TT The theft took place while the cathedral was open for visitors, and the robbers had already fled in their boat by the time police arrived at the scene, Aftonbladet reports. If caught they face up to six years in prison. In 2013, a crown and sceptre used in the funeral of Sweden's King Johan III were stolen from Västerås. They subsequently turned up in two large rubbish bags at the side of a highway following a tip-off to police. READ ALSO: Swedish royal regalia found in rubbish bags

– It was a daring daytime heist involving crown jewels, a cathedral, a speedboat, and little in the way of clues, at least so far. "It's 1-0 to them right now," the BBC quotes police rep Thomas Agnevik as saying about the men behind the theft of some of Sweden's royal jewels. They were taken Tuesday from Strängnäs Cathedral, in the town of the same name near Stockholm. Police say two crowns made of gold, pearls, and jewels and an orb that were part of the 17th-century funeral regalia of Sweden's Charles IX and Kristina the Elder were lifted around noon, with witnesses describing two men fleeing and then taking off in a speedboat on Lake Malaren. The Guardian reports that's the country's third largest lake and sits "a couple hundred meters" from the cathedral. "It's simply not possible to sell these kind of items. So you can only wonder what their intentions are, and how much they know about these crowns," a rep with the Swedish Police National Operations Department says, per the Local. Agnevik echoes that: "What usually happens with this type of object is that they are recovered sooner or later, because there are very few people who are prepared to handle such items. We have high hopes of getting them back." King Charles IX died in 1611; his wife died in 1625. The two are buried in the cathedral, per Deutsche Welle, and Quartz adds that they were interred wearing the crowns, which were later exhumed and displayed in the glass cases broken by the thieves. (An arrest was made earlier this year in England's biggest burglary ever.)

Connie Gelber watched as a woman sitting in front of her was violently thrown out of her seat and tossed into the aisle, hours into what was scheduled to be a 14-hour flight from Shanghai to Toronto. A terrified Gelber heard cries and saw phones, purses and anything that wasn’t anchored down hit the ceiling when rough turbulence shook the Boeing 777 and injured nearly two dozen passengers as the plane flew over Alaska. “It was the flight from hell,” Gelber said. “It was frightening. Honestly, we didn’t know if we were going to live or die.” Gelber was one of 332 passengers on the flight bound for Toronto that made an emergency landing in Calgary around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday due to extreme turbulence. When authorities got word the plane was diverted to Calgary, a mass casualty protocol was enacted. Paramedics from outside of Calgary were enlisted at the same time that fire trucks, police cruisers and 15 ambulances rushed to the airport to greet the plane. Paramedics pushed at least 10 stretchers carrying injured patients wrapped in blankets through the busy departure level of the airport to ambulances that lined the second-level concourse late Wednesday afternoon. EMS spokesman Stuart Brideaux said emergency responders assessed 25 passengers from the aircraft and ambulances transported 21 people — including three children — to hospitals across the city with a variety of injuries. “Approximately seven of the patients, all adults, did sustain possible neck and back injuries, but at this time (all injuries) are believed to be non life-threatening,” he said, noting none of the injured were crew members. On Wednesday evening, Air Canada said some of the hurt passengers had already been released from hospital. Share Tumblr Pinterest Google Plus Reddit LinkedIn Email GALLERY: A fire engine follows behind an Air Canada Boeing 777 that was enroute from Shanghai to Toronto but was diverted to Calgary International Airport after several passengers were injured in severe turbulence. (Gavin Young/Calgary Herald) /Calgary Herald An Air Canada Boeing 777 en route from Shanghai to Toronto lands at Calgary International Airport after several passengers were injured in severe turbulence. Gavin Young/Calgary Herald Injured passengers from an Air Canada Boeing 777 are transported by Calgary EMS crews after the Shanghai to Toronto flight experienced severe turbulence. Gavin Young/Calgary Herald Patients are transported to hospital from the Calgary International Airport in Calgary on Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2015. Aryn Toombs/Calgary Herald Patients are transported to hospital from the Calgary International Airport in Calgary on Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2015. Aryn Toombs/Calgary Herald Patients are transported to hospital from the Calgary International Airport in Calgary on Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2015. Aryn Toombs/Calgary Herald Injured passengers from an Air Canada Boeing 777 are transported by Calgary EMS crews after the Shanghai to Toronto flight experienced severe turbulence. Gavin Young/Calgary Herald Patients are transported to hospital from the Calgary International Airport in Calgary on Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2015. (Aryn Toombs/Calgary Herald) /Calgary Herald Patients are transported to hospital from the Calgary International Airport in Calgary on Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2015. (Aryn Toombs/Calgary Herald) /Calgary Herald Patients are transported to hospital from the Calgary International Airport in Calgary on Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2015. Aryn Toombs/Calgary Herald An injured passengers with their head covered is transported by Calgary EMS crews after the Shanghai to Toronto Air Canada flight experienced severe turbulence. Gavin Young/Calgary Herald Patients are transported to hospital from the Calgary International Airport in Calgary on Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2015. Aryn Toombs/Calgary Herald Patients are transported to hospital from the Calgary International Airport in Calgary on Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2015. Aryn Toombs/Calgary Herald Patients are transported to hospital from the Calgary International Airport in Calgary on Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2015. Aryn Toombs/Calgary Herald Rui Jhao shows his badly bruised head after he was slammed into a wall while on an Air Canada Boeing 777 from Shanghai to Toronto which experienced severe turbulence. The plane was diverted to Calgary. Gavin Young/Calgary Herald Passenger Gord Murray describes what it was like while on an Air Canada Boeing 777 from Shanghai to Toronto which experienced severe turbulence. The plane was diverted to Calgary to help several injured passengers. Gavin Young/Calgary Herald Linda He describes what it was like while on an Air Canada Boeing 777 from Shanghai to Toronto which experienced severe turbulence. The plane was diverted to Calgary to help several injured passengers. Gavin Young/Calgary Herald Passenger Helen Zhang describes what it was like while on an Air Canada Boeing 777 from Shanghai to Toronto which experienced severe turbulence. The plane was diverted to Calgary to help several injured passengers. (Gavin Young/Calgary Herald The passengers who weren’t taken to hospital were eventually booked onto other flights. Rui Jhao, who suffered minor injuries, caught an 8 p.m. flight to Toronto. He waited in line to check in with large red scrapes above and below his left eye — a visual record of what he experienced during the memorable flight from China. “I hit the wall and got damaged,” Jhao said. Speaking at South Health Campus, where his 11-year-old daughter Grace was being treated, Chang Wang said the girl received bruises to her head and was suffering back pain after she was thrown into the next row of seats during the journey. “There was terrible turbulence … some vibration and then suddenly a huge drop,” Wang said. “Things were flying through the air everywhere.” While there was an on-board announcement of heavy weather prior to the incident and a reminder to buckle up, Wang said he understands that his daughter, who was seated with others elsewhere in the cabin, was sleeping and did not hear the warning. The girl was among several patients being assessed and treated at South Health Campus for their injuries Wednesday evening. A member of the Air Canada special assistance team was at the hospital to assist passengers and their families. Several passengers praised the 19 crew members’ professionalism throughout the incident. They warned passengers in advance, said Toronto resident Gord Murray. “The pilot said, ‘this is going to be a very turbulent area,’ ” he noted. Murray said that when the rough turbulence was over, medical professionals who were on the flight jumped in to help the injured passengers. “We’re all happy to be back on the ground safe and sound,” he said after departing the plane in Calgary. In a statement released Wednesday evening, the executive vice-president and chief operating officer at Air Canada acknowledged the experience was “very unsettling” for many aboard the aircraft. “Safety is always our first priority and so any incident involving the safety of our passengers and crew is of utmost concern,” said Klaus Goersch. Several passengers recalled hearing cries and watching people who weren’t wearing seatbelts get thrust out of their seats when the plane began to shake. “Some guys just flew,” said Liu Pinzhou. “It was crazy.” Yi Re, one of the first passengers to exit the plane, said passengers didn’t know if the aircraft would survive the turbulence. (The plane was) moving sideways, up and down … very violently,” he said. Like many on the flight, passenger Linea He said the experience was something she never wants to repeat. “I was scared, really scared,” she said. “It was like suddenly the plane was going down.” The Transportation Safety Board of Canada sent two investigators to the Calgary airport to find out what led to the incident. The investigators will request the aircraft’s black box and will interview Air Canada employees. “They will see if they can gather enough evidence to understand what happened,” said Julie Leroux, spokeswoman with the investigative agency. With files from Reid Southwick, Matt McClure and Katie Burley, Calgary Herald AKlingbeil@Calgaryherald.com ||||| Twenty one passengers — including three children — on an Air Canada flight from China have been taken to a Calgary hospital after turbulence caused multiple injuries Wednesday. Flight 88 was en route to Toronto from Shanghai when the airplane encountered violent turbulence and was forced to stop in Calgary to treat the injured. Fifteen ambulances were dispatched to the scene as Emergency Medical Services enacted its mass casualty protocol. 21 passengers were taken to a Calgary hospital after a flight from Shanghai experienced violent turbulence 2:20 Passengers were taken through the terminal on stretchers and wheelchairs to waiting ambulances, but EMS officials said all of the injuries were non-life-threatening. Passengers who were not injured described a frightening scene during the turbulence. EMS spokesman Stuart Brideaux says 'mass casualty protocol' was enacted as 15 ambulances were dispatched to treat passengers of Air Canada Flight 88. (CBC) An artist who goes by the name Zarum said the turbulence began when the plane was roughly over Dawson City. "I was laying flat in a business class seat, I had my seatbelt on and suddenly I saw the passenger in front of me go flying up in the air, literally to the ceiling, and then hitting the ground again," Zarum said. "And then passengers started screaming and objects started flying. It last maybe half an hour." One passenger, Bing Feng, said she was thinking about her parents and siblings. Passenger from Air Canada flight AC88, Wednesday afternoon (Meghan Grant/CBC) "I heard lots of people screaming, like what you would hear on a roller-coaster," she said. "When you are in the situation, of course [you fear the worst]. You saw all the oxygen masks drop." Another passenger said it was terrifying. "I was scared, really scared," Linda He said. Passenger Bing Feng says she feared the worst following the turbulence on Air Canada Flight 88. (CBC) Passenger Gord Murray said the crew handled it professionally. "It was a little scary, but all the crew were professional, handled themselves well, people had minor injuries a little bit shaken up," he said. "It could have been much worse." 'I was scared, really scared,' said passenger Linda He. (CBC) A Toronto-based periodontist, in the absence of a medical doctor, assessed roughly 25 injured passengers for head and neck injuries. "We had certainly been warned to put our seatbelts on numerous times," Dr. Suzanne Caudry told CBC News. Two people went flying to the ceiling "literally a couple of feet away from me either side. That is because they did not have their seatbelts on," she said. "Their heads had literally hit the ceiling and actually gone through the plastic ... The fact that nobody was seriously injured is a miracle," Caudry said. Passenger Gord Murray says the crew handled the situation professionally. (CBC) The Transportation Safety Board said an investigation will be conducted focusing on the digital flight recorder and the cockpit voice recorder, as well as by interviewing the crew. John Lee, western regional manager for the safety board, said it hopes to determine "how big a bounce" the plane encountered and whether the turbulence was a surprise event or occurred over a period of time during the flight. "A full investigation of the incident is being undertaken," Air Canada said in a statement. The airline said the passenger list indicated there were 332 passengers and 19 crew aboard the Boeing 777-300ER. Air Canada later moved the passengers from Flight 88 on another Toronto-bound flight, which arrived at Pearson International Airport at 2:48 a.m. ET, according to the website FlightAware.

– Air Canada says a flight en route from Shanghai to Toronto was diverted to Calgary on Wednesday after heavy turbulence injured 21 passengers, including three children. An Emergency Medical Services spokesman says that those transported to Calgary-area hospitals are in stable condition with non-life-threatening neck and back injuries. An Air Canada spokeswoman says Air Canada Flight AC088 was carrying 332 passengers and 19 crew members. She says the aircraft landed without incident. One passenger tells the Calgary Herald that when extreme turbulence shook the Boeing 777 as it flew over Alaska, a woman in front of her was tossed out of her seat and unsecured items hit the ceiling. "It was the flight from hell," she says. "It was frightening. Honestly, we didn't know if we were going to live or die." Another passenger tells the CBC that he was lying down in business class—with his seat belt on—when the passenger in front of him was suddenly slammed to the ceiling. Then "passengers started screaming and objects started flying" during an ordeal that lasted around 30 minutes, he says. It's not clear whether the turbulence was linked to the storm system causing alarmingly warm temperatures at the North Pole.

A coalition of more than 60 organizations affiliated with the Black Lives Matter movement called for policing and criminal justice reforms in a list of demands released ahead of the second anniversary of the fatal shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. The agenda was released Monday by the Movement for Black Lives after both the Republican and Democratic conventions, during which Black Lives Matter activists were noticeably absent from protest lines. "We seek radical transformation, not reactionary reform," Michaela Brown, a spokeswoman for Baltimore Bloc, one of the group's partner organizations, said in a statement. "As the 2016 election continues, this platform provides us with a way to intervene with an agenda that resists state and corporate power, an opportunity to implement policies that truly value the safety and humanity of black lives, and an overall means to hold elected leaders accountable." The agenda outlines six demands and offers 40 recommendations on how to address them. To address criminal justice reform, for example, organizers are calling for an end to the type of militarized police presence seen at protests in cities like Ferguson, and the retroactive decriminalization and immediate release of all people convicted of drug offenses, sex work related offense and youth offenses. The group also is calling for the passage of federal legislation, already proposed in Congress, that would create a commission to study reparations for descendants of slaves. The platform also touches on economic justice, saying, "We demand economic justice for all and a reconstruction of the economy to ensure Black communities have collective ownership, not merely access." Among the economic demands are: A progressive restructuring of tax codes, federal and state job programs that specifically target the most economically marginalized black people, and the right for workers to organize in public and private sectors. This is the first time Black Lives Matter has articulated its demands. A year ago, groups held a two-day meeting in Cleveland in the wake of several high-profile killings of black men and boys by police. The shootings sparked racial tensions and protests that evolved into a national conversation about disparities in policing. Since then, the groups met to come up with the final agenda. Fueled largely by social media, the Black Lives Matter movement has grabbed the attention of elected officials, including President Barack Obama -- who has invited activists to the White House to discuss their grievances and possible solutions. Several police departments are currently under Justice Department review or reform. Their efforts also have forced criminal justice reform and policing disparities to become election issues, and were credited, in part, with the ouster of district attorneys in Illinois and Ohio earlier this year. Black Lives Matter also has drawn criticism and faced backlash from groups who say the organization is unfairly critical of -- and even endangers -- law enforcement. The counter slogan Blue Lives Matter has become a rallying cry, and even led to the passage of legislation in Louisiana to include the targeting of police officers in the state's hate crime law, which was passed this spring and took effect Monday. The Black Lives Matter movement dates to 2012, but ignited two years later when 18-year-old Michael Brown was fatally shot by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson, who is white, on August 9, 2014. Releasing the platform near the anniversary of the Ferguson shooting is a powerful statement, said Dara Cooper, an organizer with the National Black Food & Justice Alliance, one of the partner groups. "It's us saying that we're not backing down," she said. "In the tradition of our ancestors and elders who have been in this very long struggle, we're going to keep working toward what we deserve." The platform represents an articulation of the collective state of black people that goes beyond policing, presented by the people who are being directly impacted in communities, Cooper said. "Black life is undervalued and assaulted in myriad ways," Cooper said. "Policing and mass incarceration has so much to do with it, but it's also the education we receive, the type of food we have access to, the ability to be self-determining through land ownership. ... We fight against things, but we also need to be fighting for something." ||||| Platform Black humanity and dignity requires Black political will and power. Despite constant exploitation and perpetual oppression, Black people have bravely and brilliantly been the driving force pushing the U.S. towards the ideals it articulates but has never achieved. In recent years we have taken to the streets, launched massive campaigns, and impacted elections, but our elected leaders have failed to address the legitimate demands of our Movement. We can no longer wait. In response to the sustained and increasingly visible violence against Black communities in the U.S. and globally, a collective of more than 50 organizations representing thousands of Black people from across the country have come together with renewed energy and purpose to articulate a common vision and agenda. We are a collective that centers and is rooted in Black communities, but we recognize we have a shared struggle with all oppressed people; collective liberation will be a product of all of our work. We believe in elevating the experiences and leadership of the most marginalized Black people, including but not limited to those who are women, queer, trans, femmes, gender nonconforming, Muslim, formerly and currently incarcerated, cash poor and working class, disabled, undocumented, and immigrant. We are intentional about amplifying the particular experience of state and gendered violence that Black queer, trans, gender nonconforming, women and intersex people face. There can be no liberation for all Black people if we do not center and fight for those who have been marginalized. It is our hope that by working together to create and amplify a shared agenda, we can continue to move towards a world in which the full humanity and dignity of all people is recognized. While this platform is focused on domestic policies, we know that patriarchy, exploitative capitalism, militarism, and white supremacy know no borders. We stand in solidarity with our international family against the ravages of global capitalism and anti-Black racism, human-made climate change, war, and exploitation. We also stand with descendants of African people all over the world in an ongoing call and struggle for reparations for the historic and continuing harms of colonialism and slavery. We also recognize and honor the rights and struggle of our Indigenous family for land and self-determination. We have created this platform to articulate and support the ambitions and work of Black people. We also seek to intervene in the current political climate and assert a clear vision, particularly for those who claim to be our allies, of the world we want them to help us create. We reject false solutions and believe we can achieve a complete transformation of the current systems, which place profit over people and make it impossible for many of us to breathe. Together, we demand an end to the wars against Black people. We demand that the government repair the harms that have been done to Black communities in the form of reparations and targeted long-term investments. We also demand a defunding of the systems and institutions that criminalize and cage us. This document articulates our vision of a fundamentally different world. However, we recognize the need to include policies that address the immediate suffering of Black people. These policies, while less transformational, are necessary to address the current material conditions of our people and will better equip us to win the world we demand and deserve. We recognize that not all of our collective needs and visions can be translated into policy, but we understand that policy change is one of many tactics necessary to move us towards the world we envision. We have come together now because we believe it is time to forge a new covenant. We are dreamers and doers and this platform is meant to articulate some of our vision. The links throughout the document provide the stepping-stones and roadmaps of how to get there. The policy briefs also elevate the brave and transformative work our people are already engaged in, and build on some of the best thinking in our history of struggle. This agenda continues the legacy of our ancestors who pushed for reparations, Black self-determination and community control; and also propels new iterations of movements such as efforts for reproductive justice, holistic healing and reconciliation, and ending violence against Black cis, queer, and trans people. ||||| "We recognize that not all of our collective needs and visions can be translated into policy, but we understand that policy change is one of many tactics necessary to move us towards the world we envision, a world where freedom and justice is the reality," said another platform writer, M Adams, who is co-executive director of Madison, Wis.-based Freedom, Inc. The nonprofit works with poor minorities and youth. ||||| SEATTLE (Reuters) - A coalition affiliated with the anti-racism Black Lives Matter movement called for criminal justice reforms and reparations for slavery in the United States among other demands in its first policy platform released on Monday. Policemen walk on the sidelines as protesters hold a sign which states "Black Lives Matter," during a march against police brutality in Manhattan, New York, U.S., July 9, 2016. REUTERS/Bria Webb The six demands and roughly 40 policy recommendations touch on topics ranging from reducing U.S. military spending to safe drinking water. The groups aim to halt the “increasingly visible violence against Black communities,” the Movement for Black Lives said in a statement. MORE FROM REUTERS: Republican lawmaker to back Clinton Obama to Republican leaders: Why are you still endorsing Trump? U.S. Air Force says first squadron of F-35 jets combat-ready The agenda was released days before the second anniversary of the slaying of unarmed black teen Michael Brown by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. Brown’s death, along with other fatal police shootings of unarmed black men over the past two years, fueled a national debate about racial discrimination in the U.S. criminal justice system. Issues related to race and violence took center stage at the Democratic National Convention last week, though the coalition did not endorse the party’s platform or White House candidate, Hillary Clinton. “We seek radical transformation, not reactionary reform,” Michaela Brown, a spokeswoman for Baltimore Bloc, one of the organizations that worked on the platform, said in a statement. “As the 2016 election continues, this platform provides us with a way to intervene with an agenda that resists state and corporate power, an opportunity to implement policies that truly value the safety and humanity of black lives, and an overall means to hold elected leaders accountable,” Brown said. Baltimore Bloc is among more than 50 organizations that developed the platform over the past year, including Black Alliance for Just Immigration, the Black Youth Project 100 and the Black Leadership Organizing Collaborative. This is the first time these black-led organizations linked to the decentralized Black Lives Matter movement have banded together to write a comprehensive foundational policy platform. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization, was not listed among them. The agenda calls for an end to the death penalty, decriminalization of drug-related offenses and prostitution, and the “demilitarization” of police departments. It seeks reparations for lasting harms caused to African-Americans of slavery and investment in education and jobs. The Movement for Black Lives said in a statement that “neither mainstream political party has our interests at heart.” “By every metric – from the hue of its prison population to its investment choices – the U.S. is a country that does not support, protect or preserve Black life,” the statement said.

– A coalition of more than 60 groups, including Black Lives Matter, is demanding slavery reparations—encompassing free tuition to public universities, among other things—in its first policy platform released Monday, reports the Los Angeles Times. The platform is the result of a year’s work and touches on everything from safe drinking water to military spending. It also calls for criminal justice reforms, the "demilitarization" of police, decriminalization of drug offenses and prostitution, the release of individuals convicted of those crimes, an end to capital punishment, investments in education and jobs for black Americans, and “a reconstruction of the economy to ensure Black communities have collective ownership, not merely access,” report Reuters and CBS News. "We seek radical transformation, not reactionary reform," says an activist. The goal is to stop "increasingly visible violence against Black communities," the Movement for Black Lives adds in a statement. "Neither mainstream political party has our interests at heart." the coalition says. Even some of the most progressive politicians are against slavery reparations, for example. But the platform is seen as a response to the racial justice movement's lack of specific policy proposals, for which it had been criticized by the likes of Hillary Clinton, who last year said "I don't believe you change hearts. I believe you change laws." While "we recognize that not all of our collective needs and visions can be translated into policy," says one activist, "we understand that policy change is one of many tactics necessary to move us towards the world we envision, a world where freedom and justice is the reality."

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– John McCain is leading the charge of tweeting lawmakers, with 46 times more Twitter followers—a cool 1.7 million—than his nearest competitor, Missouri Democrat Sen. Claire McCaskill. McCain’s popularity also illustrates Republicans’ quick embrace of the social network; twice as many of them tweet, compared to Democrats. “I love it; it’s so interactive,” McCain tells Bloomberg. To be fair, McCain has a little help: He often has a staffer draft his pithy dispatches. “She’s so much faster than I am,” he reasons, though he does “scan all the time and compose tweets.” GOP Rep. Darrell Issa appears to take the Capitol Hill record for loquaciousness, with around 4 tweets a day.

This article is about the 2016 railway tunnel. For other, see Gotthard Tunnel (disambiguation) The Gotthard Base Tunnel (GBT; German: Gotthard-Basistunnel, Italian: Galleria di base del San Gottardo, Romansh: Tunnel da basa dal Son Gottard) is a railway tunnel through the Alps in Switzerland. It opened on 1 June 2016, and full service began on 11 December 2016.[6][7] With a route length of 57.09 km (35.5 mi),[4] it is the world's longest railway and deepest traffic tunnel[8][9][10][note 1] and the first flat, low-level route through the Alps.[11] It lies at the heart of the Gotthard axis and constitutes the third tunnel connecting the cantons of Uri and Ticino, after the Gotthard Tunnel and the Gotthard Road Tunnel. The link consists of two single-track tunnels connecting Erstfeld (Uri) with Bodio (Ticino) and passing below Sedrun (Graubünden). It is part of the New Railway Link through the Alps (NRLA) project, which also includes the Ceneri Base Tunnel further south (scheduled to open late 2020) and the Lötschberg Base Tunnel on the other main north-south axis. It is referred to as a "base tunnel" since it bypasses most of the existing Gotthard railway line, a winding mountain route opened in 1882 across the Saint-Gotthard Massif, which was operating at its capacity before the opening of the GBT. The new base tunnel establishes a direct route usable by high-speed rail and heavy freight trains.[12] The main purpose of the Gotthard Base Tunnel is to increase local transport capacity through the Alpine barrier, especially for freight, notably on the Rotterdam–Basel–Genoa corridor, and more specifically to shift freight volumes from trucks to freight trains. This both significantly reduces the danger of fatal road crashes involving trucks, and reduces the environmental damage caused by heavy trucks. The tunnel provides a faster connection between the canton of Ticino and the rest of Switzerland, as well as between northern and southern Europe, cutting the Basel/Zürich–Lugano–Milan journey time for passenger trains by one hour (and from Lucerne to Bellinzona by 45 minutes).[13] After 64 percent of Swiss voters accepted the NRLA project in a 1992 referendum, first preparatory and exploratory work began in 1996. The official start of construction began on 4 November 1999 at Amsteg.[14] Drilling operations in the eastern tunnel were completed on 15 October 2010 in a breakthrough ceremony broadcast live on Swiss TV,[15] and in the western tunnel on 23 March 2011. The tunnel's constructor, AlpTransit Gotthard AG, originally planned to hand over the tunnel to Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS) in operating condition in December 2016[16] but, on 4 February 2014, the handover date was changed to 5 June 2016 with the start of an 850-day opening countdown calendar on the AlpTransit homepage.[3] As of 1998, the total projected cost of the project was CHF 6.323 billion; as of December 2015, the final cost is projected as CHF 9.560 billion.[17] Nine people died during construction.[18] Description [ edit ] The Gotthard Base Tunnel, with a length of 57.09 kilometres (35.47 mi) and a total of 151.84 km (94.3 mi) of tunnels, shafts and passages, is the longest railway tunnel in the world,[note 2] with a geodetic distance of 55.782 kilometres (34.661 mi) between the two portals.[4][9] It is also the first flat route through the Alps or any other major mountain range, with a maximum height of 549 metres (1,801 ft) above sea level,[4] corresponding to that of Berne. It is the deepest railway tunnel in the world, with a maximum depth of 2,450 metres (8,040 ft),[4] comparable to that of the deepest mines on Earth. Without ventilation, the temperature inside the mountain reaches 46 °C (115 °F).[4] Like the two other tunnels passing below the Gotthard, the Gotthard Base Tunnel connects two Alpine valleys across the Saint-Gotthard Massif: the Urner Reusstal in the canton of Uri, in which flows the river Reuss, and the Valle Leventina, the largest valley in the canton of Ticino, in which the river Ticino flows. Unlike most other tunnels, the Gotthard Base Tunnel passes under several distinct mountain massifs, two of them being major subranges of the Alps, the Glarus Alps and the Saint-Gotthard Massif, with the valley of the Anterior Rhine, the Surselva in the canton of Graubünden, between them. The tunnel passes under these two ranges more than 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) below the Chrüzlistock (2,709 m (8,888 ft)) and the Piz Vatgira (2,983 m (9,787 ft), near the Lukmanier Pass). While the cantons of Uri and Ticino are part of the German- and Italian-speaking areas of Switzerland respectively, the Surselva is mainly Romansh-speaking. The north and south portals on the same spring day. Note the prevalence of coniferous trees and snow at the north portal and the absence of them at the south portal. The Alps strongly influence the European climate – and that of Switzerland in particular – and there can be substantially different weather conditions at each end of the GBT, described by the Ticinese architect Mario Botta: "The light changes at the Gotthard: that of the Mediterranean Sea is not the same as that of the continent, that of the central lands, that of Europe far away from the sea."[19] On average, the temperature is 2 to 3 °C (4–5 °F) higher on the south side than the north side, but on some days, temperature differences are well over 10 °C (18 °F).[note 3] The north portal lies in the north of the municipality of Erstfeld at an elevation of 460 metres (1,510 ft), east of the Reuss. There, the tunnel penetrates the western slopes of the Bälmeten and Chli Windgällen (although only marginally) before passing below the valley of the Chärstelenbach, a creek in the Maderanertal. From there, the tunnel runs parallel to the small valley of Etzli, below the Witenalpstock. The main crest of the Glarus Alps, which is the watershed between the Reuss and the Anterior Rhine, is crossed below the Chrüzlistock, the crest having an elevation of about 2,700 metres (8,900 ft) at this point. From the crest and border, the tunnel runs parallel to the small valley of the river Strem (Val Strem) before passing below Sedrun and the Anterior Rhine. From the bottom of the valley, the tunnel proceeds towards the valley of the Rein da Nalps (Val Nalps) and passes east of Lai da Nalps, before crossing the Gannaretsch range below the western summit of Piz Vatgira (2,981 metres (9,780 ft)). This is the deepest point of the tunnel, with a rock layer of 2,450 metres (8,040 ft) above it. The tunnel then passes below the valley of the Rein da Medel (Val Medel) and west of Lai da Sontga Maria. After a few kilometres the tunnel crosses the watershed between the Anterior Rhine and the Ticino, just north of Pizzo dell'Uomo (2,525 metres (8,284 ft)). This point corresponds to the main chain of the Alps, and is the main drainage divide between the Rhine and the Po. For a few kilometres, the tunnel passes below two western tributaries of the Brenno in the Valle Santa Maria before crossing the last range, west of the Passo Predèlp (about 2,500 metres (8,200 ft)) and east of Faido. It then follows the eastern slopes of the large Valle Leventina, the valley of the Ticino, for about 18 kilometres (11 mi) to the south portal at Bodio, at an elevation of 312 metres (1,024 ft), just 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) before Biasca, where the Brenno converges with the Ticino.[note 4] The closest railway stations to the portals are Altdorf and Biasca. The first regularly served railway stations on the base line (as of 2016/17) are those of Arth-Goldau (Schwyz), a railway node with links to Lucerne and Zürich, and Bellinzona (the "Gate of Ticino"), with links to Locarno, Luino and Lugano (via the Monte Ceneri Rail Tunnel). The journey from Arth-Goldau to Bellinzona takes not more than an hour. The station of Altdorf is planned to be served by 2021. There also have been talks of using that of Biasca. The travel between Altdorf and Biasca would last less than 25 minutes. Accesses to the GBT complex Erstfeld, north portal, 460 m a.s.l. Amsteg portal (maintenance access), 507 m a.s.l. Sedrun portal (maintenance access, bridge over the Anterior Rhine), 1334 m a.s.l. Faido portal (maintenance access), 757 m a.s.l. Biasca, south portal, 312 m a.s.l. History [ edit ] Background [ edit ] Since the 13th century, the 2,106 metre-high Gotthard Pass has been an important trade route from northern to southern Europe. Control of its access routes led to the birth of the Swiss Confederacy. The Gotthard Pass is located halfway between Lake Lucerne and Lake Maggiore. It is the shortest link between the navigable Rhine and the Po. The traverse of the pass took days.[20] Quite late, compared to other pass routes through the Alps on a north-south axis (e.g. Simplon, San Bernardino, Brenner), namely in 1822, the first Saint-Gotthard Pass road was established after centuries-long usage of a bridle path. From 1842 onwards, a daily course by the Gotthard Post, a stagecoach drawn by five horses with ten seats, still took about 23 hours from Como to Flüelen. In 1882, with the inauguration of the Gotthard Railway Tunnel, the travel time between Altdorf and Biasca was reduced dramatically to only hours, though often accompanied with overnight stays in huge Fin de siècle-hotels, for example in Biasca. In those days, it was still an adventure and it was only affordable to the very rich. In the autumn of 1921, the final stagecoach traversed the pass. Electrification of the railway line in 1922 significally reduced travel time even more. Refilling water boilers of steam locomotives was no longer necessary. There were also the technical advantages of electrical engines and future technical improvements. It is said that the first car traversed the pass in 1895. The first reported surmounting of the pass in 1901 still took more than a day. From 1924, car transport on trains through the railway tunnel began. The sections between Göschenen and Andermatt, the Schöllenen ravine, and especially the Tremola, had countless hairpin turns and serpentine curves from the peak of the pass to Airolo on the southern side of the pass, dropping 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) in altitude, posing a huge challenge for automobiles. Cars transport on trains in the 1930s From 1953 onwards, the pass road was sequentially improved and expanded at several sections along the Gotthard route, finally ending in 1977 with the opening of an expressway fully circumventing the Tremola. Tremola The old pass road, the Transit time was further dramatically reduced with the opening of the Gotthard Road Tunnel and the finalization of the northern part of A2 motorway through the Urner Reusstal, with many additional tunnels (then leading from Basel to the Gotthard Road Tunnel), in 1980. With the completion in 1986 of the A2 motorway in the Valle Leventina, the huge valley leading from Airolo down to Bellinzona, and the surmounting of the Monte Ceneri between Bellinzona and Lugano in 1983, finally a continuous motorway was established from the northern border of Switzerland in Basel to the southern border in Chiasso, or the shortest motorway route from North-German Hamburg as far as South-Italian Sicilly, bringing down the competitiveness of the railway line.[21] Today, both the rail and the road routes are among the most important passages through the Alps on the north-south axis. After the opening of the auto tunnel, in 1980, traffic increased more than tenfold. The existing tunnel was at its capacity by 2013.[22] A second tunnel will be built next to the first, following a national referendum.[23][24] Construction is to start in 2020 and finish in 2027. Relative location and size of Gotthard Tunnel (1882) and Gotthard Base Tunnel (2016) both yellow. Red: open-air rail As early as 1947, engineer Eduard Gruner imagined a two-story base tunnel from Amsteg to Biasca, both rail and road, with a stop at Sedrun, to provide a faster and flatter passage through the Swiss Alps. Similarly to Gruner's idea, the GBT cuts through the Gotthard Massif some 600 m (2,000 ft) below the older tunnel. On the historic track the Gotthard Railway only trains up to 1,300 t (1,400 short tons; 1,300 long tons)[25] when using two locomotives or up to 1,500 t (1,700 short tons; 1,500 long tons) with an additional bank engine at the end of the train are able to pass through the narrow mountain valleys and through spiral tunnels climbing up to the portals of the old tunnel at a height of 1,151 m (3,776 ft) above sea level. Since the GBT is in full service, standard freight trains of up to 3,600 t (4,000 short tons; 3,500 long tons) are able to pass this natural barrier. Because of ever-increasing international truck traffic, Swiss voters chose a shift in transportation policy in September 1992 by accepting the NRLA proposal. A second law, the Alpine Protection Act of February 1994,[26] requires a shift of as much tonnage as possible from truck transport to train transport. The goal of both the laws is to transport trucks, trailers and freight containers through Switzerland, from Basel to Chiasso, and beyond by rail to relieve the overused roads, and that of the Gotthard in particular, by using intermodal freight transport and rolling highways (where the entire truck is transported). The GBT substantially contributes to the requirements of both laws and enables a direct flat route from the ports of the North Sea (notably Rotterdam) to those of the Mediterranean Sea (notably Genoa), via the Rhine corridor. Passenger trains can travel up to 250 km/h (155 mph) through the GBT, currently reducing travel times for trans-Alpine train journeys by about 40 minutes, and by one hour once the adjacent Zimmerberg and Ceneri Base Tunnels are completed. This is viewed as a revolution, especially in the isolated region of Ticino, which is separated from the rest of the country by the Alps and the Gotthard. The two stations of Bellinzona and Lugano (respectively named "Gate of Ticino" and "Terrace of Ticino") were entirely renovated for the opening of the GBT, among other improvements. As of 2016, the Gotthard Base Tunnel is the longest railway tunnel in the world. It is the third Swiss tunnel to bear this title, after the Gotthard Tunnel (15 km, 1882) and the Simplon Tunnel (19.8 km, 1905).[27] It is the third tunnel built under the Gotthard, after the Gotthard Tunnel and the Gotthard Road Tunnel. Construction [ edit ] 2004–2011 tunnel excavation[28][29] Year Month Total excavated (kilometres) (miles) Of planned (%) 2004 July 52.34 32.52 34.1 2005 June 74.59 46.35 48.6 2006 June 94.10 58.47 61.3 2007 June 103.67 64.42 67.6 2008 March 108.02 67.12 70.4 April 109.00 67.73 71.0 July 113.20 70.34 73.8 August 115.20 71.58 75.1 October 118.40 73.57 77.2 2009 January 124.00 77.05 81.6 March 127.30 79.10 83.9 May 131.00 81.40 86.3 June 133.00 82.64 87.6 July 134.80 83.76 87.9 August 136.60 84.88 90.0 September 137.30 85.31 90.4 October 138.60 86.12 91.3 November 140.00 86.99 92.2 December 141.38 87.85 93.0 2010 January 141.82 88.12 93.4 February 142.48 88.53 93.8 March 143.80 89.35 94.7 April 144.80 89.97 95.4 May 145.40 90.35 95.8 June 146.10 90.78 96.2 July 146.60 91.09 96.6 August 147.33 91.55 97.0 September 147.98 91.95 97.5 October 149.10 92.65 98.2 November 149.90 93.14 98.7 December 150.40 93.45 99.0 2011 January 150.49 93.51 99.1 February 150.77 93.68 99.3 March 151.26 93.99 99.6 April 151.70 94.26 99.91 May 151.75 94.29 99.94 June 151.82 94.34 99.99 July 151.82 94.34 100[30] AlpTransit Gotthard AG was responsible for construction. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS). To cut construction time in half, four access tunnels were built so that construction could start at four different sites simultaneously: Erstfeld, Amsteg, Sedrun, and Faido. A fifth at Bodio was added later. The two tunnels are joined approximately every 325 m (1,066 ft) by connecting galleries. Trains can move between the tunnels in the two multifunction stations at Sedrun and Faido. These stations house ventilation equipment and technical infrastructure and serve as emergency stops and evacuation routes.[12] Access to the Sedrun station site is by a level access tunnel 1 km (0.6 mi) long from the valley floor near Sedrun. At the end of the access tunnel, two vertical shafts lead 800 m (2,625 ft) down to the base tunnel level. A proposal to construct a functioning railway station, called Porta Alpina (from Romansh, "Alpine Gate"), at this site was evaluated, but the project was put on hold in 2007 and definitively cancelled by the federal authorities in 2012 as uneconomical.[31] The final breakthrough in the east tube occurred on 15 October 2010 at 14:17 +02:00.[32] The final breakthrough in the west tube occurred on 23 March 2011 at 12:20.[33][34] On 30 August 2013, the tunnel was entirely traversed for the first time from Bodio to Erstfeld in six hours, by diesel train, buses and by foot.[35] On 16 December 2013, the operational test phase started on a 13-kilometre (8.1 mi) stretch in the southern section of the west tube between Faido and Bodio. Its purpose was to test the infrastructure and any ancillary systems.[36] On 31 October 2014, the railway track installation was completed. A gold sleeper on the very last part of the track was installed during the event to mark this milestone of progress.[37][38] On 1 October 2015, following the permission by the Federal Office of Transport, the first tests on the entire length of the GBT were performed, with steadily increasing speed. On 8 November, a train reached the top speed of 275 km/h.[39] → excavation direction). Gotthard Base Tunnel diagram, the new railway link through the Alps NRLA (green:excavation direction). Allocation of work [ edit ] Aerial view of the Erstfeld area (north portal) in 2009 The contracts were awarded in sections: Erstfeld (the 7.7 km (4.8 mi) section from Erstfeld to Amsteg), with two tunnel boring machines (TBM) boring the two tubes. The break-through of the east tube between Erstfeld and Amsteg took place on 15 June 2009. The portal area was surface-mined. Amsteg (the 11.3 km (7.0 mi) section from Amsteg to north of Sedrun), ARGE AGN (Strabag and Züblin Murer) received the contract for work in this sector. [40] On 9 December 2009, the Amsteg section was officially delivered to the owner for fitting-out, [41] with civil engineering, construction, concrete and lining work completed in early 2010. [42] On 9 December 2009, the Amsteg section was officially delivered to the owner for fitting-out, with civil engineering, construction, concrete and lining work completed in early 2010. Sedrun (the 8.6 km (5.3 mi) East tube and 8.7 km (5.4 mi) West tube in the section immediately north and south of Sedrun), along with work performed by Transco (Bilfinger SE, Implenia, Frutiger and Impresa Pizzarotti). [43] [44] The final breakthrough in the west tube occurred in March 2011. [45] The northbound tubes from Amsteg to the Sedrun multifunction station (north) were handed over to the railway systems contractor Transtec Gotthard on 15 September 2011, the date specified in the construction schedule. [46] The final breakthrough in the west tube occurred in March 2011. The northbound tubes from Amsteg to the Sedrun multifunction station (north) were handed over to the railway systems contractor Transtec Gotthard on 15 September 2011, the date specified in the construction schedule. Faido (13.4 km (8.3 mi) East tube and 13.6 km (8.5 mi) West tube in the section from south of Sedrun to Faido), with Consorzio TAT (Alpine Mayreder Bau, CSC Impresa costruzioni, Hochtief and Implenia and Impregilo). [47] Bodio (15.9 km (9.9 mi) East tube and 15.6 km (9.7 mi) West tube in the section from Faido to Bodio), with work performed by Consorzio TAT (Alpine Mayreder Bau, CSC Impresa costruzioni, Hochtief, Implenia and Impregilo).[47] Civil engineering construction, concrete and lining works were completed in early 2010.[42] Deaths during construction [ edit ] Nine workers lost their lives during construction; one in the Amsteg section, two in the Sedrun section, and three each in the southernmost Faido and Bodio sections.[18] They were: Date Nationality Details 8 June 2000 German Hit by a boring bar that fell 700 metres (2,300 ft).[48] 12 March 2002 South African Buried by excavation material.[49] 3 April 2003 German Hit by a rock.[50] 11 September 2003 Austrian Crushed by a toppling cable drum.[51][52] 21 January 2005 Italian (1) Swiss (1) Hit in a mine train collision.[53][54] 23 November 2006 German Crushed by a mine train.[55] 24 June 2010 German Catapulted from an inspection train.[56] 16 July 2012 Italian Fell from a scaffold.[57] Inauguration and commissioning [ edit ] Inauguration days, where the public was allowed to experience high-speed travel below the Alps for the first time, and to move quickly between the exhibitions held in Erstfeld and Bodio. In 2016, several events, including festivities and special exhibitions, were held around the Gotthard, culminating in the inaugurations in early June, dubbed Gottardo 2016. Public institutions joined the celebrations: Swiss Post issued a special stamp commemorating the Gotthard Base Tunnel,[58][59] and Swissmint issued gold and silver coins dedicated to the opening. On 31 May 2016, a day before the inauguration, the nine people who died during construction were commemorated in a ceremony at the north portal in Erstfeld that was led by a Catholic vicar general, a vicar of the Evangelical-Reformed Church of Uri, a Jewish rabbi, and a Muslim imam. A bronze memorial plaque with their names — four coming from Germany, three from Italy, and one from each of South Africa and Austria – was unveiled by AlpTransit Gotthard AG CEO Renzo Simoni.[18] A Catholic shrine to Saint Barbara, the patron of miners, stands inside the tunnel as a memorial.[60] Sedrun multifunction station viewed from the control cab of a Gottardino train. The tunnel was officially inaugurated on 1 June 2016.[60] At the northern entrance in Erstfeld, President of the Confederation Johann Schneider-Ammann spoke of a "giant step for Switzerland but equally for our neighbours and the rest of the continent", while a live relay carried a speech given by Transport Minister Doris Leuthard at the southern entrance in Bodio. The first journey carried hundreds of Swiss citizens who had won tickets in a draw, while the assembled guests in Erstfeld, including the Federal Council in corpore, heads of state and government from neighbouring countries and transport ministers from European countries, attended the opening show Sacre del Gottardo by Volker Hesse featuring 600 dancers, acrobats, singers and musicians celebrating Alpine culture and myths around the Gotthard.[60] On the following weekend, popular festivities and special exhibitions, attended by more than 100,000 visitors, were held. From 2 August to 27 November 2016, the Swiss Federal Railways ran a special train service through the tunnel called "Gottardino" which was open to the public. It was a once-daily service from Flüelen railway station to Biasca railway station and in reverse. The trains made a stop inside the tunnel, to allow passengers to visit an exhibition inside the underground multifunction station in Sedrun which would normally be used in emergency only.[61] Regular services [ edit ] During 2016, the GBT was tested extensively[62][63] before its integration into the regular schedule on 11 December.[64] On 5 December, the Swiss Federal Railways were granted permission from the Federal Transport Office to use the new base line. While the base tunnel is used for InterCity trains (ICN) and EuroCity trains (EC), the summit line remains in use for regional trains.[62] From 2019 onwards, the Gotthard axis will be served by the Stadler EC250 (Giruno), high-speed train and future flagship of the SBB fleet. From the Amsteg portal, guided tours are organised inside the Gotthard Base Tunnel complex. A window allows visitors to watch the trains running in the tunnel. Politics [ edit ] [65] The Porta Alpina project, of which a window remains in sight in the Sedrun station, was largely accepted in a referendum, despite being later abandoned. The realization of the GBT, as the centrepiece of the NRLA, is also a prototypical example of direct democracy in Switzerland. In order to accomplish this mega-project the political institutions also had to overcome many parliamentary sessions and several major popular votes, including the following:[66] 27 September 1992, NRLA proposal (mandatory referendum): The final proposal by the Federal Council was accepted by 63.6% yes votes (declined by 1+2/2 cantons, turnout 45.9%) [67] [68] (mandatory referendum): The final proposal by the Federal Council was accepted by 63.6% yes votes (declined by 1+2/2 cantons, turnout 45.9%) 20 February 1994, Alps Initiative (federal popular initiative): Initiated by a few private people with the goal to protect the Alpine environment from the negative impact of traffic was accepted [69] by 51.9% yes votes (declined by 7 cantons, turnout 41%). [70] [71] The initiative was accepted despite the recommendation by the Federal Council from 12 February 1992 to decline the initiative without any counterproposal, [71] [72] and despite the parliamentary recommendation (both chambers) from 18 June 1993 to decline the initiative. [71] [73] (federal popular initiative): Initiated by a few private people with the goal to protect the Alpine environment from the negative impact of traffic was accepted by 51.9% yes votes (declined by 7 cantons, turnout 41%). The initiative was accepted despite the recommendation by the Federal Council from 12 February 1992 to decline the initiative without any counterproposal, and despite the parliamentary recommendation (both chambers) from 18 June 1993 to decline the initiative. 29 November 1998, Public Transport Funding (mandatory referendum): A total budget of CHF 30 billion for several public transport projects was accepted by 63.5% yes votes (declined by 1+3/2 cantons, turnout 38.3%); "the NRLA is to receive CHF 13.6 billion" [74] [75] (mandatory referendum): A total budget of CHF 30 billion for several public transport projects was accepted by 63.5% yes votes (declined by 1+3/2 cantons, turnout 38.3%); "the NRLA is to receive CHF 13.6 billion" 21 May 2000, Bilateral EU Agreements / 40-tonne Trucks / Heavy Traffic Fee (optional referendum): As part of a whole package of several bilateral agreements with the EU the Swiss also accepted by 67.2% yes votes (declined by 2 cantons, turnout 48.3%) the shift of an upper limit for trucks from 28 tonnes to 40 tonnes, but at the same time the EU agreed to a new heavy-traffic fee, which will also be used to finance the NRLA [76] [77] (optional referendum): As part of a whole package of several bilateral agreements with the EU the Swiss also accepted by 67.2% yes votes (declined by 2 cantons, turnout 48.3%) the shift of an upper limit for trucks from 28 tonnes to 40 tonnes, but at the same time the EU agreed to a new heavy-traffic fee, which will also be used to finance the NRLA 17 December 2003, Ceneri Base Tunnel (parliamentary session): The controversial funding of the Ceneri Base Tunnel was finally passed by parliamentary approval only; the possibility for an optional referendum was not raised by any political groups, nor by the public. The then-in-charge transport minister, Federal Councilor Moritz Leuenberger, was quoted as saying "This is the only way to make the railway [the Gotthard axis] a flat line between Basel and Chiasso."[78] Figures [ edit ] Route overview Legend km to Luzern, Zürich & northern Europe 0 Altdorf 4.4 North portal Erstfeld Gotthard railway 12.2 Erstfeld section 23.5 Amsteg section Sedrun (MGB) 32 .0 Sedrun multifunction station 45.5 Faido multifunction station Gotthard railway Bodio 61.4 South portal Biasca 69.2 to Italy (Bellinzona, Locarno & Lugano) Integration of the portals into the landscape. The new 4 km long open-air section from Rynächt to the north portal. Start of the new 7 km long open-air section from Giustizia to the south portal. The Pollegio Control Centre (near the south portal) with one of the four used TBM cutter heads on display Operation [ edit ] Reduced travel times [ edit ] Reduced travel times by train through the tunnel[81] Shortest journey time by train Approx. time saved (minutes) before after Milan-Zurich 4:03 3:26 35 Lugano-Zurich 2:41 2:08 30 Safety [ edit ] The safety requirements on the rolling stock will be similar to those of other long Swiss tunnels, including the ability for the emergency brake to be overridden. Traffic [ edit ] Projections [ edit ] The number of projected trains per day were 180–260 freight trains and 50 (65 from 2020) passenger trains[5] Passengers [ edit ] After the opening of the tunnel there was an increase of passenger crossing the trans-alpine line, with 2.3 million passengers in the first 8 months, an increase of 30% over the previous year.[82] As of August 2017, an average of 10,400 people cross the tunnel daily. Train services from Italy to Switzerland through the line are expected to become faster from 2020, with the opening of the Ceneri Base Tunnel, with an expected further increase in passenger numbers.[83] There are plans for a train service between Zurich and Milan with a journey time of 2:45 hours, down from 3:50 hours.[82] Freight [ edit ] 67,000 tons on 120 trains crossed the tunnel each day during the first half year of operation.[84] See also [ edit ] Notes [ edit ] References [ edit ] ||||| If you stand in what will be the longest and deepest railway tunnel in the world – the new Gotthard Base Tunnel under the Swiss Alps – you feel a current of air on your cheek and a hum in your ears. Peer down the dimly lit hole into the distant future, and for a moment you think a train is coming. But the thought does not last long; after all, with trains scheduled to rocket through at 150mph, how could it? In fact, you won’t be able to catch a train through the tunnel for another three-and-a-half years. “That sound is the air conditioning,” my guide, Maurus, said. “Swiss labour law says that the temperature must not exceed 28 degrees [82F]. Without the air con, it would be as hot as 45 degrees [113F] down here.” Once work on the 35-mile tunnel is complete, you will be able to hurtle in air-conditioned comfort from Zürich to Milan in just two hours 50 minutes – a saving of 50 minutes on the current travel time. Along the way, you can enjoy the novelty of burrowing 8,000 feet, or one-and-a-half vertical miles, below the surface of the earth – at double motorway speed limits. For now you can join a group tour of the tunnels. These are organised by the visitor centres, where you can see a model of the machine that did most of the work: a mechanical mole nearly 500 yards long, weighing more than 300 tons, and guzzling as much electricity as 4,000 family homes. In good conditions, it chewed through more than 125ft of rock a day. The tunnelling machines finished their work in March 2011, but engineers still have to complete installation of the track, power supply, and telecommunications equipment. The first trains are expected to thunder through towards the end of 2016 – 20 years after engineers dug the first shafts, and a year ahead of schedule. More remarkable still is the effect the project will have on the emotional map of the continent. The new railway route will be 25 miles shorter than the existing one, as well as much faster. Not only will the Alps shrink in significance as a barrier, but the Latin and Teutonic realms will find themselves within commuting distance of each other. Europe is being redefined. Which is why I had embarked on my journey. I wanted to explore a mountain barrier that has also been gateway between north and south for nearly a millennium. Starting deep underground and years in the future, I wanted to travel up and over this mass of rock as well as through the various tunnels that pierce it, threading backwards and forwards through a century and a half of railway history. The Gotthard massif has an additional resonance for me. When I was a child, we would cross it every summer on our way to visit family in the Italian-speaking south of Switzerland, where my mother grew up. We would drive over in our 1961 Volkswagen Caravette, and as we climbed over Gotthard, I imagined our dormobile had shrunk to take on a guest role in a giant train set. I had a similar sensation as I set off from the visitor centre at Erstfeld at the northern end of the Gotthard Base Tunnel, heading south on the existing railway route. At first the line climbs gently along the banks of the River Reuss. Soon the valley steepens, and to gain height the train throws a couple of balletic tricks. Beyond Gurtnellen, it disappears into the mountain to perform a dainty underground pirouette before re-emerging higher up; and near Wassen, it spirals into the mountain, and re-emerges pointing in the opposite direction, back down the valley – before repeating the move, tracing an elegant zig-zag up the mountainside. From our family Caravette, I would watch the trains as they played hide-and-seek with us. Now, from the vantage point of my train seat, I felt as though the whole outdoor train set were laying on a show. Three times the whitewashed, onion-domed church of Wassen glided past on its craggy outcrop: once high above, then level with us, heading in the opposite direction, and a third time far below. It was as if the scenery were giving encores – including once backwards, just to show off. The train finished its climb at Göschenen, where I alighted, before watching it vanish into the funereal gloom of the first Gotthard railway tunnel. This, too, was a pioneering feat of engineering in its time: drilled, dynamited and dug between 1872 and 1882, the nine-mile tunnel provided the first modern link between northern and southern Europe – and cost the lives of 199 labourers. To continue my climb on to the massif, I switched platform and boarded a train of the Matterhorn Gotthard Railway. The narrow-gauge cog train grinds up the wild and rocky Schöllenen Gorge, passing the giddying stone “Devil’s Bridge” atmospherically painted by JMW Turner 200 years ago. It was the construction of the first bridge here eight centuries ago that first made the Gotthard into an important Alpine crossing. Suddenly the walls of the gorge recede, and you emerge in a long, wide valley lined with high peaks, popular with hikers and cross-country skiers: the Urseren valley. Seconds later you pull into a small station, Andermatt, at the junction with another line running east-west. This historic town, with its pretty shingled houses and converted coaching inns, is a good place to get your bearings. Leading away from Andermatt are four great river valleys, echoing the cross on the Swiss flag. Follow the Rhône to the west, and you eventually reach Marseille and the Mediterranean; hike to the source of the Rhine just to the east and head downstream, and you would reach Rotterdam. Leading north is the valley of the Reuss, which empties into the Rhine; flowing south is the Ticino – which gives its name to Switzerland’s only Italian-speaking canton – into the Po and finally the Adriatic. In each valley, a different language predominates. The Swiss to the west speak French, those to the south, Italian, and those to the north, German; while to the east live the 35,000-odd souls for whom Romansh, Switzerland’s fourth national language, is their first. The Gotthard massif is not just a barrier and a junction, then, but a watershed, physical and linguistic, at the heart of Europe: a manifestation in rock of the divisions that lie at the core of this continent, as well as a meeting-point of peoples, and the centre of gravity of this curious little country of four languages and cultures. It is also an intriguingly three-dimensional crossroads. Lowest of all is the new railway tunnel, at an altitude of about 1,800ft above sea level. The existing rail link is about 2,000ft higher – roughly level with the 10.5-mile motorway tunnel which, when it opened in 1980, was the longest road tunnel in the world. Another 1,000ft up floats the town of Andermatt, while the original road over the St. Gotthard Pass lies another 2,000ft higher still: a millennium of transport routes, laid under, through and over roughly a vertical mile of mountain that is as perforated as an Emmental cheese. Some of the tunnels in the massif were excavated by Switzerland’s army, for whom this was both a stronghold and line of defence. A former subterranean fortress has been restored and reopened last summer – home to the new Sasso San Gottardo exhibition, devoted to environmental, strategic and other themes relating to the Gotthard. My railway journey, by contrast, took me west up the Urseren Valley to Realp. A tunnel leading from here to the Rhone valley opened in 1981, providing the first year-round link between the two valleys. However, its opening spelt the death of the Furka line that from June to October every year carried passengers over the pass, 2,000 vertical feet higher up. Just two years after the new tunnel opened, railway enthusiasts formed an association dedicated to the resurrection of the summit line. Nine years later they reopened the first stretch, and 18 years after that – in August 2010 – they completed the final link, and were able to run trains on the full 11-mile route for the first time in a quarter of a century. At Realp I met one of the thousands of volunteers who have helped restore the line: Paul Güdel, retired owner of an electrical goods business in Lucerne. He showed me the railway’s workshops, and the line’s two prize steam locos, built in 1913 and sold to Vietnam in 1947 after the line was electrified. Enthusiasts traced them to a jungle depot where they had stood rusting since 1975, and in 1990 shipped them home and restored them. We boarded a waiting train and within seconds were puffing up towards the pass. As we climbed, Paul told me about some of the challenges the restoration team had faced. We soon reached one of them: the Steffenbach Bridge, which spans a ravine scoured every winter by avalanches powerful enough to sweep away everything in their path. The solution devised by the engineers who created the line was ingenious, and remains unique worldwide: a folding bridge that can be dismantled every autumn. The restorers retained the original design – but whereas in former days a team of 20 men needed eight hours to erect or fold away the 32-ton bridge, now a team of 10 can do the job in six hours, with the help of hydraulic winches. After about 45 minutes of climbing through the thin Alpine air, the wheezing loco had reached the highest point of the line: the Furka station, 7,100ft above sea level. We shut the windows for the smoky ride through the one-mile summit tunnel, before a long glide down into the Rhone valley – starting with a glimpse of the glacier that is the river’s source. At the village of Gletsch we embarked on the last sector to be reopened, with a renovated spiral tunnel through the rock and a steep descent through fragrant glades of pine. Just before we pulled in to the little station of Oberwald, where the old and new lines rejoin, Paul pointed out the ingenious new level crossing – automated so that the toothed rack disappears below the tarmac as soon as the train has passed. Not for the first time on this trip I had the impression that there’s nothing the Swiss like better than solving a challenge – especially if it involves mountains and trains. This seems equally true whether they are working with steam locos designed to crawl up mountains at 15mph or their electrically driven descendants hurtling underneath the Alps 10 times faster. I wondered what my great-grandfather would have made of all this. He, too, was a railway man, who helped build a branch running from the main Gotthard line to Locarno. He used to tell how the construction workers, when they were laying track through the marshes north of Lake Maggiore, would receive a daily tot of rum to ward off malaria. Three generations on, his successors are once again redefining the way the country sees itself. But by tunnelling under the great physical barrier at the heart of Europe, are they not undermining Switzerland’s raison d’être? After all, without the Alps, this quirky little country would not make sense. Perhaps. But I am more than happy for busy folk to rocket underneath the mountains, clear of the spectacular scenery that is the best reason for lingering in this part of the world. And I am delighted that the line will divert much of the freight that currently crosses the Alps at higher altitude, and so reduce pollution – the main reason for building the line in the first place. The mountains will be fresher and quieter as a result. I shall continue to catch the clanky old trains to get there, travelling at speeds with which my great-grandfather would have been familiar. And I like to think that, however far I travel from the childhood in which I first fell in love with this part of the world, I will never tire of playing with the world’s best train set. Rail Europe (0844 848 4070; www.raileurope.co.uk) sells through tickets to major Swiss cities. For travel within the country, the Swiss Travel System (www.swisstravelsystem.co.uk) offers a range of rail passes. For timetables – including connections with boats, buses, cable cars, etc. – see www.sbb.ch. For general tourist information, contact the Switzerland Travel Centre (00800 100 200 30; www.MySwitzerland.com). Admission to the three visitor centres of the Gotthard Base Tunnel (www.alptransit.ch) is free. A charge is made for site tours; reservations essential. Furka Cogwheel Steam Railway: www.dfb.ch; Sasso San Gottardo: www.sasso-sangottardo.ch. Favourite Swiss train trips A combination of glorious scenery and a faultless railway system ensures that train journeys in Switzerland are invariably a pleasure. Here are some of my favourites: Full prices and timetable information – complete with details of connections with boats, buses and cog railways – can be found at www.sbb.ch. Prices given are for second class. Lausanne to Martigny The whole ride from Geneva airport towards the mountain resorts of the Valais fills me with happy anticipation. The most scenic stretch, perhaps, leads from Lausanne through the terraced vineyards of the Lavaux with their pretty winemaking villages – a World Heritage Site. The line then passes the medieval Château de Chillon, on the shores of Lake Geneva, before climbing up the Rhone valley, with ever more impressive Alpine views along the way. CHF 24 single, approx. 50 minutes (www.sbb.ch). Golden Pass Line – Montreux to Lucerne The train climbs steeply from the palm-lined shores of Lake Geneva up to the chic mountain resorts of Chateau d’Oex and, across the border in German-speaking Switzerland, Gstaad. The route then leads down the lush valley of the Simmental before threading along the shores of six mountain lakes to historic Lucerne. CHF 73 single, approx. 5 hrs 20 min (www.goldenpass.ch). Bernina Express – St. Moritz to Tirano Less famous than the Glacier Express to Zermatt (www.glacierexpress.ch), this ride is nonetheless spectacular, incorporating the highest railway crossing in the Alps, at the foot of the glaciers of the Bernina massif. With the Albula Line from Chur to St. Moritz, all soaring viaducts and twisting tunnels, the Bernina line was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2008. CHF 30 single, approx. 2 hours 30 min (www.rhb.ch). Pilatus cog railway The steepest rack railway in the world carries you from the shores of Lake Lucerne up a vertical mile to the summit of Mt. Pilatus, and spectacular views, in just 30 minutes. But it’s worth spending at least half a day on the trip – and heading down the mountain on the other side, via a cable car and then a gondola. CHF 68 return, or CHF 97.20 for the “Golden Round Trip”, which completes the circuit with a boat ride on Lake Lucerne (www.pilatus.ch). Follow your nose A series of rail passes, available to non-residents only, offers total freedom – and good value. The Swiss Pass enables free travel on 12,500 miles of rail, boat and bus routes, as well as admission to 400 museums; from £194 for four days to £434 for one month. The Swiss Flexi Pass grants the same benefits on freely chosen days within a calendar month: from £186 for three days to £296 for six days. Two or more people travelling together at all times get a 15 per cent discount; children under 16 travel free when accompanied by at least one parent (020 7420 4900; www.stc.co.uk). ||||| Arnd Wiegmann/Reuters The Swiss Alps are an unforgiving landscape of rugged, rocky peaks and lush, green valleys. Connecting communities that would be otherwise isolated by the vast mountain range — including cultural and economic hubs such as Zurich, Milan, and Turin — is no easy task. Tunneling and track-laying for the 35-mile NEAT Gotthard Base Tunnel has been completed, making it officially the longest tunnel in the world, surpassing Japan's 14-1/2-mile Seikan Tunnel. Swiss authorities held a media day inside the tunnel on Monday to announce that most of the technical work for the tunnel had been completed, the Swiss newspaper TDG reports. Testing will begin October 1 in anticipation of the first passenger and freight trains in June 2016. ||||| Workers in the Gotthard Base Tunnel install steel to stabilize the tunnel walls, in Sedrun, Switzerland, July 26, 2007. Crossing the Alps, the world's longest train tunnel should become operational at the end of 2016, consisting of two parallel single track tunnels, each of... Reuters/Siggi Bucher

– Switzerland is now officially home to the longest railway tunnel in the world: the 35-mile-long NEAT Gotthard Base Tunnel, Business Insider reports. Construction has wrapped up, and passengers will soon be able to travel from Zurich to Milan in just under three hours—an hour less than the previous travel time, according to a previous feature in the Telegraph. They'll do so while riding at 150mph under the Swiss Alps. The tunnel is more than twice the length of the world's previous longest tunnel: the 14.5-mile Seikan Tunnel in Japan, Business Insider notes. Construction on the $10.3 billion project started in 1996, according to the tunnel's Wikipedia page. In addition to more than 2,000 workers, drilling machines named "Gaby" and "Sissy" churned through the earth while a statue of Saint Barbara, patron saint of miners, watched over all, according to Reuters (which presents a photo gallery). Safety testing is scheduled to start Oct. 1, with passenger and freight trains beginning operations in June. Authorities will pick 1,000 people for the maiden voyage, reports the French-language Tribune de Genève. Let's hope none of them try to hold their breath.

A Virginia man pleaded guilty Wednesday to wounding a security guard at the headquarters of a conservative Christian lobbying group, a shooting that made headlines in part because the man was carrying 15 Chick-fil-A sandwiches. Floyd Corkins II, 28, acknowledged in a plea agreement that he intended to shoot and kill as many people as possible at the Family Research Council headquarters and then target other advocacy groups that oppose gay marriage if he wasn't stopped. Corkins intended to smear the sandwiches in the faces of his victims to make a statement about gay rights opponents, a prosecutor said during a hearing in the case Wednesday. Chick-fil-A was making headlines at the time because of its president's opposition to gay marriage. When asked by the judge if he intended to make a statement against people who opposed gay rights Corkins answered "yes." Prosecutors said Corkins was allowed to enter the downtown headquarters of the Family Research Council on Aug. 15 after he said he was interviewing for an internship. After approaching a security guard and being asked for identification, he took a pistol from a backpack he was carrying. He fired three shots, and one of them struck the security guard in the arm. But the guard, Leonardo Johnson, managed to wrestle away the gun. Corkins pleaded guilty to three charges: interstate transportation of a firearm and ammunition, assault with intent to kill while armed and act of terrorism while armed. Sentencing guidelines recommend a maximum of 10 years on the first count and up to 15 years on the two other counts. The judge in the case, Richard W. Roberts, set sentencing for April 29. ||||| Story highlights The president of the FRC accuses the Southern Poverty Law Center of "inciting violence" Floyd Corkins, pleads guilty, says he wanted to intimidate those who oppose gay rights He faces up to 70 years in prison when sentenced April 29 Building manager wrestled with Corkins and disarmed him after being shot in August incident After years of thinking it over, Floyd Corkins finally had a plan. He'd bought a gun and learned how to use it. He'd loaded three magazines. And he had stopped by Chick-fil-A to pick up 15 sandwiches, which he planned to smear in the dying faces of staffers he expected to kill at the Family Research Council in Washington. It would be a statement, he said, "against the people who work in that building," according to documents filed in U.S. District Court, where Corkins pleaded guilty on Wednesday to three charges related to the August shooting at the conservative policy group. Corkins told Judge Richard Roberts that he hoped to intimidate gay rights opponents. support for groups considered hostile to gay rights. The shooting came amid intense debate over remarks against gay marriage by an executive with the Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A restaurant chain and the company'ssupport for groups considered hostile to gay rights. The research council, a Christian group that focuses on family, anti-abortion and religious liberty issues and views homosexuality as harmful, backed Chick-fil-A in the ensuing controversy. "They endorse Chick-fil-A and also Chick-fil-A came out against gay marriage, so I was going to use that as a statement ," prosecutors quoted Corkins as telling investigators. Corkins, 28, pleaded guilty to committing an act of terrorism while armed, interstate transportation of a firearm and ammunition, and assault with intent to kill while armed. JUST WATCHED Blame game grows in FRC shooting Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Blame game grows in FRC shooting 03:27 JUST WATCHED FRC shooting victim: Instincts took over Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH FRC shooting victim: Instincts took over 02:16 Prosecutors dropped seven other charges. The charges carry sentences of up to 70 years in prison. However, the sentence could be shorter because Corkins has no prior criminal record. Corkins will be sentenced April 29, prosecutors said. The act of terrorism charge alleges that Corkins wanted to kill building manager Leo Johnson and other Family Research Council employees "with the intent to intimidate and coerce a significant portion of the civilian population of the District of Columbia and the United States." It is a District of Columbia law passed in 2002 but never before used. According to prosecutors' account of the attack filed on Wednesday, Corkins got into the Family Research Council's building by telling Johnson that he was there to interview for an internship. After Johnson asked for identification, prosecutors say, Corkins reached into his backpack, retrieved a handgun and leveled it at Johnson's head. Johnson ducked and lunged at Corkins before he could fire a shot, according to prosecutors. As the two struggled, Corkins fired three times, hitting Johnson once in the arm, before the building manager was able to wrestle him to the ground, disarm him and hold him at gunpoint until police arrived. As he lay on the ground, Corkins said something to the effect, "'It's not about you.' It's about the FRC and its policies," according to the prosecution account. Corkins -- who had chosen the research council as his target after finding it listed as an anti-gay group on the website of the Southern Poverty Law Center -- had planned to stride into the building and open fire on the people inside in an effort to kill as many as possible, he told investigators, according to the court documents. If he'd been successful and escaped, his plan was to go to another conservative group to continue the attack, prosecutors said. A handwritten list naming three other groups he planned to attack was found among his belongings, prosecutors said. According to the documents, Corkins had thought about such an attack for years but "just never went through with it." He purchased the gun used in the attack a week before at a Virginia gun store, where a French television crew taped him while doing a story about the widespread availability of guns in America, according to prosecutors. He also went to the store the day before the attack for two hours of training. U.S. Attorney Ronald Machen said Corkins' guilty plea "makes clear that using violence to terrorize political opponents will not be tolerated." At the time of the shooting, Corkins lived with his parents in Herndon, Virginia, and volunteered at a Washington center for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. In August, FBI investigators said in an affidavit that investigators had interviewed Corkins' parents after the shooting, and they said their son "has strong opinions with respect to those he believes do not treat homosexuals in a fair manner." The Southern Poverty Law Center has listed the Family Research Council as a hate group since 2010, pointing to what it describes as its anti-gay propaganda and legislative agenda. On his nightly radio show on Wednesday, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins mentioned the plea deal and accused the Southern Poverty Law Center of playing a role in the shooting by inciting hatred and violence rather than fighting it -- a claim he has repeatedly made since the shooting. "The Southern Poverty Law Center is dangerous. They are inciting hatred, and in this case a clear connection to violence," he said on the radio broadcast. "They need to be held accountable, and they need to be stopped before people are killed because of their reckless labeling and advocacy for homosexuality and their anti-Christian stance." A spokeswoman for the center declined to comment on the plea deal or the research council's comments, but referred to a statement from the organization last year, standing by its designation of the Family Research Council as a "hate group." "As people who care about human dignity, we have a moral obligation to call out the FRC for its demonizing lies and incendiary rhetoric about the LGBT community," the statement said. "The fact that we list the FRC as a hate group because of its demonizing propaganda does not make us the hateful one. Spreading demonizing lies is what is dangerous, not exposing them."

– A Virginia man who shot and wounded a security guard at the conservative Family Research Council has pleaded guilty to three felony charges—including committing an act of terrorism, reports CNN. Floyd Corkins, 28, still faces up to 45 years in jail for the assault in DC last August. If it rings a bell, it's because Corkins was carrying more than a dozen bags of sandwiches from Chick-Fil-A, whose president had made headlines around the same time for anti-gay statements. Prosecutors say Corkins, 28, planned to shoot as many people as he could at the council, then smear their faces with the sandwiches, reports the AP. He told the judge today that he hoped his assault would intimidate opponents of gay rights. Luckily, the security guard who stopped Corkins managed to wrestle away his 9mm handgun even after getting shot. Corkins pleaded guilty to interstate transportation of a firearm and ammunition, assault with intent to kill while armed, and committing an act of terrorism while armed.

A Samut Prakan man has been arrested for "liking" a doctored photo of HM the King and sharing an infographic on Facebook about the Rajabhakti Park scandal, the military said Thursday Auto-parts factory worker Thanakorn Siripaiboon, 27, was arrested at his home in Samut Prakan province and charged with sedition, lese majeste and computer crimes, said Col Burin Thongprapai, legal officer for the National Council for Peace and Order. "On December 2, he clicked 'Like' link on a doctored photo of the King and shared it with 608 friends," Col Burin told AFP, adding that he had confessed to the charges and faced up to 32 years in jail. Under Thai law anyone convicted of insulting the King, Queen, heir or regent can face up to 15 years in jail on each count. Mr Thanakorn, who belonged to an opposition red-shirt Facebook group, also shared an infographic about Rajabhakti Park, the billion-baht tourist attraction built by the army under construction contracts allegedly riddled with kickbacks and inflated costs. "He admitted that he posted the infographic of Rajabhakti Park to incite members of the group," to oppose the military, Col Burin said. Last month, a woman handed herself in to police and was charged with sedition for sharing the same Facebook infographic about the park scandal. Police said she was still under investigation. Two prominent opposition figures and dozens of students were detained in separate incidents earlier this month while trying to visit the park and draw attention to the graft scandal. ||||| A worker at Samut Prakan's Bang Pu Industrial Estate has been arrested for allegedly disseminating online a diagram accusing government figures of irregularities in Rajabhakti Park and lese majeste offences. The National Council for Peace and Order's legal chief on Wednesday said soldiers arrested Thanakorn Siripaiboon, 27, at a company where he worked in tambon Praksa in Muang district on Tuesday afternoon, using special powers under Section 44 of the interim charter. Officers searched his home and seized his computer and his mobile phone. Mr Thanakorn was initially taken to the Technology Crime Suppression Division before being held in custody at an undisclosed military camp for further inquiry, Maj Gen Wicharn Jodtaeng, chief of the NCPO's legal office, said. Maj Gen Wicharn filed a complaint with the Crime Suppression Division on Wednesday accusing Mr Thanakorn of posting the diagram which circulated on the social media a few days ago. It was seen on a political red-shirt Facebook page named “สถาบันคนเสื้อแดงแห่งชาติ ” (The national red shirts institute) at 7.45pm on Tuesday. The diagram suggested corruption in the Rajabhakti Park project and implicated key cabinet and government figures including Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and his wife. Maj Gen Wicharn said Mr Thanakorn allegedly confessed that he saw the diagram on Facebook and saved it on his mobile phone before posting it on the Facebook Page of “สถาบันคนเสื้อแดงแห่งชาติ ”. He said he posted the diagram because he wanted anti-government people to gather and oppose the junta. Mr Thanakorn was also accused of giving a “like” to an inappropriate image on Facebook which insulted the monarchy on Dec 2. Maj Gen Wicharn said an investigation found the people behind the Facebook page was an anti-monarchy group and had disseminated inappropriate content regarding the royal institution, and authorities are investigating further to identify more people involved. He faces charges of breaching Section 112 of the Criminal Code, known as the lese majeste law, Section 116 — the equivalent of sedition, and violating the Computer Crime Act. ||||| Thai factory worker Thanakorn Siripaiboon, 27, was arrested at his workplace near Bangkok for reposting an infographic accusing authorities of corruption and "liking" a photo from an anti-monarchy group on Facebook, according to the Bangkok Post. He was charged under the country's lèse-majesté law for hitting "like" on a photo which was doctored to portray the country's monarch in a negative light, said local reports. See also: Thai Police Want to Mine Popular Japanese App for Chat Records The lèse-majesté law in Thailand stipulates that those convicted of insulting the king, queen, heir or regent can face up to 15 years in jail for each count of the offense. The sentence is handed down by Thai military courts, and does not allow for appeals. The police told the press that Thanakorn first posted an infographic accusing authorities of accepting kickbacks from the multi-million-dollar Rajabhakti Park project. They said Thanakorn confessed to seeing the picture on Facebook and reshared it on Facebook. Worker faces charges over Rajabhakti and lese majeste https://t.co/RnD63aMAsD pic.twitter.com/jHUy8eNgza — Bangkok Post (@BangkokPostNews) December 9, 2015 The police said they discovered these activities after raiding Thanakorn's home and confiscating his computer. The authorities did not disclose more details on the offending pictures. This case comes soon after news broke of authorities investigating U.S. ambassador to Thailand Glyn Davies, who allegedly broke those lèse-majesté laws himself. Davies is being taken to task for a speech he made in November, where he expressed concern about the heavy penalties handed down in lèse-majesté cases, and said the U.S. felt no one should be jailed for peacefully expressing their views. His speech attracted a crowd of nationalist protesters who held up banners outside the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok. In August another man, Pongsak Sriboonpeng, was found guilty of defaming the Thai monarchy on Facebook and was sentenced to 30 years in jail — the heaviest term so far for a lèse-majesté case.

– A simple thumbs up could send a Thai man to prison for the next 32 years. Thai police arrested 27-year-old factory worker Thanakorn Siripaiboon near Bangkok on Tuesday after he liked a doctored image of 88-year-old King Bhumibol Adulyadej showing the leader in a negative light, reports the Bangkok Post. Siripaiboon then "shared it with 608 friends," a military official tells AFP. Insulting the king, queen, heir, or regent is a prisonable offense in Thailand under the country's lèse-majesté law, with each offense carrying a maximum sentence of 15 years; there is no possibility for an appeal, reports Mashable. Siripaiboon—a member of an alleged anti-monarchy group on Facebook—also shared an infographic accusing officials of corruption linked to the construction of a multi-million dollar tourist attraction, Rajabhakti Park, officials say. The infographic implicated several government figures including Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha and his wife, reports the Post. An official says Siripaiboon—who is officially charged with sedition and computer crimes—admitted he "posted the infographic of Rajabhakti Park to incite members of the group" to oppose the military. Siripaiboon faces up to 32 years in jail. His case, however, is hardly unique. Another man was sentenced to 30 years in prison in August for defaming the Thai monarchy on Facebook. His sentence is the longest term handed down to date. Quartz reports the US ambassador to Thailand, Glyn Davies, is also under investigation for violating Thailand's lèse-majesté law in a speech last month, during which he criticized the heavy penalties military courts deliver in lèse-majesté cases. (Comparing Turkey's president to Gollum might also be a crime.)

Kevin Millwood and five relievers combined on the third no-hitter in Seattle Mariners history, a 1-0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night. The no-hitter was the fourth in the majors this season, joining gems pitched by the Angels' Jered Weaver, the Mets' Johan Santana and White Sox right-hander Philip Humber, who threw a perfect game at Seattle in April. But this one was the least conventional, tying the record for most pitchers in a no-hitter. "Those guys got all the tough outs," Millwood said. "First six, it is what it is. I've seen a lot of people do that. From seven, eight, nine — those guys got all those outs and that was special to see." Exactly a week after Santana pitched the first no-hitter in Mets history, Millwood cruised through six innings, giving up only a walk. But after throwing his first warmup pitch for the seventh he felt a twinge in his groin and was pulled. Seattle's bullpen never wavered, finishing the no-hitter when Tom Wilhelmsen retired Andre Ethier on a routine grounder to second base that ended a 1-2-3 ninth inning. "That was unbelievable. I've never been a part of anything like that with that many guys coming in and keeping the no-hitter intact," said Kyle Seager, who drove in Ichiro Suzuki with a two-out single in the seventh. The Dodgers nearly got a hit when speedy Dee Gordon led off the ninth with a slow roller to shortstop. Brendan Ryan, who had just entered as a defensive replacement, charged in and fired to first, where umpire Ted Barrett called Gordon out on a bang-bang play. Gordon and manager Don Mattingly argued. Replays were inconclusive. Elian Herrera then lined out to Ryan before Ethier's grounder ended the first no-hitter for the Mariners since Chris Bosio pitched one against Boston on April 22, 1993. Seattle's other no-hitter was thrown by Randy Johnson against Detroit on June 2, 1990. "I just tried to block it out, stay within myself and execute pitches," Wilhelmsen said after earning his third save. "How tremendous was that, man?" It was the 10th combined no-hitter in big league history and the first since six Astros accomplished the feat at Yankee Stadium on June 11, 2003. Roy Oswalt started that interleague game for Houston but left two pitches into the second inning with a strained right groin. The 37-year-old Millwood, who spent much of last season in the minors, threw a no-hitter all his own for the Philadelphia Phillies against San Francisco on April 27, 2003. After the final out of this one, catcher Jesus Montero ran around with his arms in the air and jumped into Wilhelmsen's arms for a somewhat-awkward celebration. But this was no ordinary feat: The Dodgers entered with the best record in the majors and the second-highest batting average in the National League. "This was a lot better than having it against you, that's for sure," said Seager, whose brother Corey was selected by the Dodgers in the first round of Monday's amateur draft. Millwood came out to warm up before the seventh when the game took an odd turn. He threw one warmup pitch and stopped himself from throwing a second as he felt something wrong. Mariners manager Eric Wedge and trainer Rick Griffin came out to check on Millwood, who was replaced by Charlie Furbush. It was later announced that Millwood had a mild right groin strain. The right-hander, who struck out six and threw 68 of Seattle's 114 pitches, said he actually felt it on the next-to-last pitch of the sixth. Furbush retired Gordon to start the seventh, but committed a two-base throwing error on Herrera's grounder, giving the Dodgers their first scoring chance. Furbush struck out Ethier, and Wedge went to hard-throwing rookie Stephen Pryor (1-0) to face Juan Rivera. Rivera went down on strikes but Pryor started the eighth by walking Bobby Abreu and Jerry Hairston Jr. on nine pitches. Lucas Luetge was next in line and got the first out of the inning on James Loney's sacrifice bunt. That brought up A.J. Ellis and Seattle turned to one-time closer Brandon League, recently demoted from that role. League got Ellis to hit a sinking liner to left and defensive replacement Chone Figgins made a running catch. His strong throw home kept pinch-runner Alex Castellanos at third base. League then struck out Tony Gwynn Jr. to end the inning. "Really, I had visions of winning that game without a hit," Mattingly said. "First and second, I'm thinking wild pitch, sac fly. With League in the game, that split, you never know." The previous no-hitter against the Dodgers was thrown by Atlanta's Kent Mercker on April 8, 1994. Weaver and Jose Arredondo combined to hold the Dodgers hitless for eight innings in a 1-0 Dodgers win in 2008, but that game doesn't count as a no-hitter under the rules baseball adopted in 1991 because the Angels only had to pitch eight innings. Seattle's run came in the seventh inning thanks to a two-out rally started by Suzuki's infield single. He stole second, Dustin Ackley walked and Seager came through with his 23rd two-out RBI of the season. His line-drive single off reliever Scott Elbert (0-1) glanced off the glove of a leaping Gordon and dropped in left field. Millwood also took a no-hitter into the sixth inning May 18 at Colorado and finished with a two-hitter. He retired his first 12 batters Friday before a leadoff walk to Rivera in the fifth. The closest the Dodgers came to a hit off Millwood was Gordon's bunt leading off the fourth. Seager ran in from third for a fine barehanded pickup and threw out Gordon by a half-step. "At that point of the game, it was still so early," Seager said. NOTES: Seattle ace Felix Hernandez has been pushed back and will start Tuesday against San Diego. Hernandez has been bothered by a sore back. ... It was the Dodgers' fourth game in Seattle and first since 2000. ... It was Pryor's first major league win. ||||| SEATTLE -- For the briefest moment Friday night, Tom Wilhelmsen did not realize just how great the greatest moment in his career was. It didn't really sink in until catcher Jesus Montero was leaping into his arms. "I told him, 'Man, you threw a no-hitter!'" Montero said. "And he didn't know! Unbelievable." Well, in WIlhelmsen's defense, he was the sixth pitcher of the night for the Mariners. "Well, I mean, I knew what was going on. But no, I have a brain fart every so often and just focused so hard on getting one thing done," Wilhelmsen said. "It's not like you forget, but it's like you put it off to the side. And then it's like, 'Holy cow, we just did it,' and Montero is in my arms. And then it's, 'Holy Cow, we just did it!' 'HOLY COW, WE JUST DID IT!' Something like that. "It's there; it just takes a minute to get it, pick it out and place it in." Wilhelmsen wasn't the only one who needed time to take everything in. Brendan Ryan, a ninth-inning replacement at shortstop, said it took awhile for the rest of the Mariners to realize six Seattle pitchers had just combined to throw a 1-0 no-hitter against the Dodgers, the team with the best record in baseball. "Coming into the ninth, it wasn't really on my mind. What was on my mind was preserving that 1-0 lead we fought so hard to get," said Ryan, who helped preserve both with a slick fielding play on Dee Gordon's grounder in the ninth. "We were just trying to get the W. It kind of took five seconds or so to sink in. 'Wait a minute. Wait a minute. There were no hits. That's a no-hitter!'" Kevin Millwood (six innings) and five Mariners relievers combined to throw the fourth no-hitter of the season. Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images Well, it's not surprising this combined six-pitcher no-hitter took so long to sink in. After all, it was as delightfully unrealistic and unpredictable as baseball gets. Consider this: The man who started it (Kevin Millwood) is a 37-year-old journeyman who watched the final three innings on TV in the clubhouse while undergoing treatment for a sore groin. He didn't even get the win because the game was still tied at 0 when he left. The winning pitcher (Stephen Pryor) is a 22-year-old rookie who was in Triple-A Tacoma the last time the Mariners played a game in Seattle. And the reliever on the mound at the end (Wilhelmsen) is a former bartender. Man, baseball is great, isn't it? Millwood threw a 1-0 no-hitter with the Phillies in 2003, but he is with his ninth organization in the past decade and spent four months of last season pitching in the minors for two different teams. He took a no-hitter into the sixth inning against Colorado on May 18, then allowed only a walk in the first six innings Friday. But he left the game with a sore groin while warming up for the seventh inning and spent the last part of the no-hitter wearing an ice pack. "In the seventh and part of the eighth, I still wasn't having much fun," he said. "But to see it just continue and continue, and Brandon League got a couple of big outs for us, and when Tom came in, I think we were all pretty excited in here." After Charlie Furbush recorded the first two outs, Pryor earned his first major league win in a no-hitter -- how many people can say that? -- by retiring one batter in the top of the seventh. After Seattle took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the seventh, Pryor promptly walked the first two batters in the eighth. Out went Pryor, and in came rookie Lucas Luetge, who retired the only batter he faced on a sacrifice bunt. That brought in League, who has pitched so poorly this year that he lost the closer role last week. This time, he bailed his team out of a second-and-third, one-out mess. Then Wilhelmsen came in to pitch the ninth. Three years ago, Wilhelmsen was a bartender in Tucson, Ariz., who had been out of baseball for five seasons. He was moved into the closer role so recently that he earned his first save last week and still hasn't asked for special walk-up music. But he pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to complete the second six-pitcher no-hitter in major league history. Of course, the no-hitter didn't register for Wilhelmsen until Montero took a running start to leap into his arms. "I was so just in tune to getting the out and getting the W that for a moment I forgot to relax and accept this no-hitter," Wilhelmsen said. "Once he was up and excited, it turned my buttons a little bit." Defense is not considered Montero's strong suit -- he has been a designated hitter more often than he has been behind the plate this year -- but the rookie can boast that he helped guide six pitchers to a no-hitter. "At my age, 22 years old, that was my dream, to catch a no-hitter," Montero said. "Thank God I had it. I was praying. I was praying behind the plate. I wanted those guys to hit a ground ball so we could have a no-hitter. And then we got it." And now that they had it, the question was what to do. After all, how do you divide up a game ball for six pitchers? "I don't know the protocol on that," Wilhelmsen said. "Do I keep it? Do I give it to Millwood? Do I give it to the team? Does it belong in the clubhouse?" "I hope we've got a bunch of them so we can all have at least one," Millwood said. "I don't know who gets it, but it's not going to be me. One of those guys deserves it more than me. Like I said, the first six [innings], we've seen that done a lot of times, but getting those last nine outs is a lot tougher."

– Nine pitchers can now say they've thrown no-hitters this year, and six of them joined the club in one game last night. A half-dozen pitchers for the Seattle Mariners tied a league record by combining on a 1-0 win over the Dodgers, reports the Post-Intelligencer. Kevin Millwood threw the first six innings but had to leave with a groin injury. Relievers Charlie Furbush, Stephen Pryor, Lucas Luetge, Brandon League, and Tom Wilhelmsen took over. As Jim Caple of ESPN notes, the fact that it was a no-hitter didn't immediately register with Wilhelmsen after the final out.

This artist’s view shows the planet orbiting the young star Beta Pictoris. This exoplanet is the first to have its rotation rate measured. Its eight-hour day corresponds to an equatorial rotation speed of 100,000 kilometers/hour — much faster than any planet in the Solar System. Astronomers have measured the rotation rate of an alien planet for the first time ever, finding that a huge Jupiter-like world called Beta Pictoris b has a day lasting just eight hours. The equator of Beta Pictoris b, a gas giant about 10 times more massive than Jupiter, is moving at about 62,000 mph (100,000 km/h), researchers said — far faster than that of any planet in our solar system. In fact, Beta Pictoris b is the fastest-spinning planet yet seen. In comparison, Jupiter's equator is traveling at about 29,000 mph (47,000 km/h), while Earth's is moving at just 1,060 mph (1,700 km/h). Days on these two familiar planets last about 10 hours and 24 hours, respectively. [The Strangest Alien Planets (Gallery)] On Beta Pictoris b, a planet still forming nearly 64 light-years away, a day lasts only 8.1 hours. See how Beta Pictoris b spins so fast in this Space.com infographic Credit: By Karl Tate, Infographics Artist "It is not known why some planets spin fast and others more slowly, but this first measurement of an exoplanet’s rotation shows that the trend seen in the solar system, where the more massive planets spin faster, also holds true for exoplanets," study co-author Remco de Kok, of Leiden Observatory and the Netherlands Institute for Space Research, said in a statement. "This must be some universal consequence of the way planets form." The researchers used the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile to study Beta Pictoris b, which lies 63 light-years from Earth in the constellation Pictor (The Painter's Easel). You can zoom in on Beta Pictoris b's parent star in this video. The VLT spotted the molecular fingerprint of carbon monoxide in the giant planet's atmosphere. Further, this carbon monoxide signal was shifted and broadened considerably as a result of Beta Pictoris b's rotation, much as the sound waves emitted by a police car's siren shift as the vehicle approaches and passes a stationary observer. The nature of this signal shift is consistent with a superfast spin that results in an 8-hour day for the huge exoplanet. (Interestingly, that day will likely get shorter in the future. Beta Pictoris b is an extremely young world — just 20 million years old, compared to 4.5 billion years for the Earth — that should shrink and cool as it ages, ramping up its spin rate considerably, researchers said.) This graphic shows the rotation speeds of several of the planets in the Solar System along with the recently measured spin rate of the planet Beta Pictoris b. Credit: ESO/I. Snellen (Leiden University) The new study could help astronomers get a better handle on how planets take shape and evolve. "What this tells us about planet formation is not clear to me, but the accretion of angular momentum is definitely an important factor during formation," study lead author Ignas Snellen of Leiden Observatory told Space.com via email. "Planet formation models will have to be able to reproduce this behavior." Snellen and his team needed just one hour of VLT observing time to pin down Beta Pictoris b's rotation rate, suggesting that the planet won't be in a class by itself for long. "I think that maybe the most exciting aspect of this paper is the relative ease with which we performed these observations," Snellen said. "It means that in the coming years we will be able to measure the spin velocity of a whole sample of young gas giant planets." The technique should also allow astronomers to make detailed global maps of exoplanets using giant future instruments such as the European Extremely Large Telescope, which is slated to come online in the early 2020s, researchers said. Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com. Astronomers have confirmed more than 800 planets beyond our own solar system, and the discoveries keep rolling in. How much do you know about these exotic worlds? Start the Quiz 0 of 10 questions complete ||||| If you think 24 hours isn't enough time to get everything done, here's a little perspective: You could be living on a world with an eight-hour day. For the first time, scientists have directly observed the spin of a planet outside our solar system, and determined it is spinning at the rate of 62,000 miles per hour. That's about twice as fast as Jupiter, and more than 50 times as fast as Earth. (A day is still only 8 hours long because the planet is much bigger than Earth.) ESO Graphic ESO/I. Snellen (Leiden University) This graphic shows the rotational speeds of several of the planets along with the recently measured spin rate of the planet Beta Pictoris b. This graphic shows the rotational speeds of several of the planets along with the recently measured spin rate of the planet Beta Pictoris b. (ESO/I. Snellen (Leiden University)) The findings were published Wednesday in the journal Nature. The fast-spinning planet is known as Beta Pictoris b. It is young -- just 20 million years old. (The Earth by comparison is 4.5 billion years old). It is also hot, shining 10,000 times brighter than Jupiter. It was a good candidate for this study because it is just 65 light years from Earth, and because it orbits its host star at about two times the distance between our sun and Jupiter, light from the star does not completely drown out the measurable light from the planet. To determine how quickly the planet was spinning, a team of Dutch astronomers from Leiden University and the Netherlands Institute for Space Research looked for blue and red shift caused by the Doppler effect in near-infrared spectroscopic observations made using the ESO's Very Large Telescope. "Using this technique we find that different parts of the planet's surface are moving towards or away from us at different speeds, which can only mean that the planet is rotating around its axis," explained lead author Ignas Snellen in a statement. In a News and Views article that accompanied the study, Travis Barman of the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory at the University of Arizona, said it was not so shocking that this large planet would spin so fast. "Generally speaking, the Solar System planets show a trend with spin increasing with increasing mass," he wrote. He added that one day, this fast-spinning planet may spin even faster. "...Beta Pictoris b is still contracting as it cools and will eventually shrink to a radius comparable to that of Jupiter, leading to an even faster spin when it reaches the age of the Sun," he wrote. ALSO: Teenage pregnancy, birth, abortion rates all falling, report says Climate change could worsen ozone levels across the U.S., study says Study examines achievement gap between Asian American, white students ||||| Photo processing by Christian Marois, NRC Canada For the first time, astronomers have determined how fast an exoplanet is spinning. To save you the dramatic tension, I’ll tell you right off the bat: 25 kilometers per second, or about 28,000 mph. That’s fast. With some reasonable assumptions, that means the planet has a day that’s about eight hours long, a third of an Earth day, which is pretty amazing given that the planet is 10 times the mass of Jupiter! Phil Plait Phil Plait writes Slate’s Bad Astronomy blog and is an astronomer, public speaker, science evangelizer, and author of Death From the Skies! The planet in question is Beta Pic b, a massive gas giant orbiting a star about 63 light years away. The planet was discovered in 2003, and its existence confirmed in 2009. This planet has been a boon to astronomers; it was one of the very first to have been directly imaged by telescopes, meaning we can actually see it in pictures. The image above shows it clearly near its parent star, Beta Pic. Not only that, but over time we’ve seen it physically move around its star. That tells us its orbital period (its year) is 17-20 Earth years long. While getting the year of the planet was quite a treat, getting the length of its day is substantially harder. To do this, astronomers took advantage of the Doppler shift, the same effect that changes the pitch (the wavelength of the sound) of a motorcycle as it passes you (the familiar “EEEEEEEE-yowwwwwww” sound). When the motorcycle approaches you, the pitch is higher, and when it moves away the pitch drops. Advertisement The same thing happens with light: If a source approaches you the wavelength changes, shifting toward shorter wavelengths (what astronomers call the blue end of the spectrum, so we call this blueshifting). If it’s heading away, the wavelength of light gets longer (redshifting). If the source is moving quickly enough, this can be measured. The astronomers used a spectrograph, a device that breaks up light into thousands of individual colors (called a spectrum), to observe Beta Pic b. The atmosphere of the planet has some carbon monoxide in it, and that molecule absorbs light at a very specific wavelength. It’s like a filter that blocks the light at a narrowly defined color, making a dark line in the spectrum. This is useful, because as the planet moves, the wavelength of the absorption line in the spectrum changes due to the Doppler shift. That’s what astronomers used to tag the velocity of the planet. Photo by N.A.Sharp, NOAO/NSO/Kitt Peak FTS/AURA/NSF The CO absorption dip they found for Beta Pic b was blueshifted by about -15 km/sec (the minus sign indicates velocity toward us). That’s just what you’d expect for a planet at that distance from its parent star in a circular orbit. So right away, they could measure the orbital speed of the planet. But there’s more. Since CO absorbs light at a specific color, you’d expect to see a sharp drop in the spectrum. But that’s not what they saw! Instead, the dip is broadened, smeared out. That, it turns out, is the key to its rotation. Advertisement Imagine a spinning ball. When you look at it, the left side (say) is spinning toward you, and the right side spinning away. If you could very carefully measure the light from it, the left side would be blueshifted, and the right side redshifted. The light from the middle wouldn’t be shifted at all. So you’d see velocities ranging from the maximum blueshift, through zero, out to the maximum redshift. The profile you’d see would be smeared out … just like that of Beta Pic b. When they measured how broad the absorption profile of CO was, they found it must be spinning with a velocity of about 25 km/sec. If you were standing (or really, floating) on the planet’s equator, you’d be moving at 90,000 kph (56,000 mph)! To get the length of the day you have to figure out how big the planet is. For example, the Earth spins at 1,700 kph, and has a radius of 6,371 km. That means its day is 24 hours long, give or take (I’ll leave that math as an exercise for the reader, but remember the circumference of a circle is twice the radius times pi). We don’t really know how big Beta Pic b is, but theoretical models give it a radius of about 1.65 times that of Jupiter, or 115,000 km. Given the velocity measured, that means its day would last a mere eight hours. Imagine: This is a planet 18 times wider than Earth, yet spinning so rapidly its day is a third as long! Advertisement Actually, this fits with what we know: In our solar system, the bigger the planet, the faster it spins. We think that’s left over from when the planets formed billions of years ago from the disk of material around the Sun. As bits and pieces coalesced to form the planets, their rate of spin increased, just like water in a sink speeds up as it approaches and spins down the drain. Planets that are bigger had more material fall in, so they sped up more then smaller planets. And Beta Pic b isn’t done yet. It’s very young, only a dozen or so million years old, and young planets are hot. Since it’s mostly gas, that means as it ages it will cool and shrink. That will spin it up even faster, like an ice skater spins faster when she brings her arms in. In a few hundred million years, Beta Pic b may have a day only three hours long. You think there’s not enough time in a day now to get anything done. It could be way worse. Imagine a three-hour day! Drawing by ESO L. Calçada/N. Risinger If it’s spinning that rapidly, Beta Pic b must be really oblate, oval shaped (Saturn and Jupiter are noticeably noncircular due to their rapid spins). And it’ll get even wider at its equator as it ages. Hmmm … if there’s a metaphor there I may be missing it. All of this is astonishing to me. Twenty years ago we didn’t even know if there were planets orbiting Sun-like stars at all. Now we know of 1,700 and counting. We’ve directly photographed a dozen or so of them. And this one, Beta Pic b, we’ve seen moving around its star. We know a bit about what’s in its atmosphere (carbon monoxide), we know its orbital speed, and have now measured its spin and inferred the length of its day! And mind you, we’ve learned all that from more than 600 trillion kilometers away.

– If the 9-to-5 grind leaves you feeling like your day is shot, be thankful you're not living on the planet Beta Pictoris b. Scientists have calculated that its entire day is only eight hours long, reports the Los Angeles Times. The reason is that the gas giant's equator is spinning at about 62,000mph, reports Space.com, compared with 29,000mph for Jupiter and our own pokey 1,060mph. Beta Pictoris b is spinning much faster than any planet in our solar system and is the fastest spotted to date anywhere. The discovery is a milestone in that it's the first time astronomers have figured out the rotation rate of an alien planet, reports Red Orbit. Beta Pictoris b is relatively young at 20 million years old, relatively mammoth with 10 times the mass of Jupiter, and relatively close at about 63 light-years away. The exoplanet is also really hot, and the Bad Astronomy blog at Slate notes that it will cool and shrink as it ages. "That will spin it up even faster, like an ice skater spins faster when she brings her arms in," writes Phil Plait. "In a few hundred million years, Beta Pic b may have a day only three hours long." (Click to read about another space milestone, the discovery of a new Saturn moon.)

Story highlights Boko Haram overruns a Nigerian village in pickup trucks, shooting at men The insurgents douse houses with gasoline and set them on fire They round up women, girls and boys and kidnap them News takes days to get out, since telecommunications towers had been destroyed Boko Haram insurgents kidnapped at least 185 women and children, and killed 32 people in a raid in northeastern Nigeria this week, local officials and residents said. Gunmen in pickup trucks attacked the village of Gumsuri, just north of Chibok, on Sunday, shooting down men before herding women and children together. "They gathered the women and children and took them away in trucks after burning most of the village with petrol bombs," a local government official said on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal. News of the attack took four days to emerge because of a lack of communication. Telecommunications towers in the region had been disabled in previous attacks. Local officials learned of the attack from residents who fled to Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, where the officials had moved a year ago to escape Boko Haram attacks. The militants stormed the village from two directions, overwhelming local vigilantes who had repelled Boko Haram attacks over the course of the year, said Gumsuri resident Umar Ari, who trekked for four days to Maiduguri. ‎"They destroyed almost half the village and took away 185 women, girls and boys," Ari said.‎ Resident Modu Kalli said the militants fired heavy machine guns on the village and poured canisters of gasoline on houses before setting them on fire. "We lost everything in the attack. I escaped with nothing, save the clothes I have on me," Kalli said. Hundreds of residents of Gumsuri continue to arrive in Maiduguri, which has been struggling to accommodate thousands of residents fleeing towns and villages overrun by Boko Haram. Cameroon: At least 116 Boko Haram fighters killed Meanwhile, the Cameroon military says that it killed at least 116 Boko Haram fighters during a fight in northern Cameroon on Wednesday, near the border with northeastern Nigeria. The incident began when the militant group tried to attack the Cameroonian town of Amchide, military spokesman Lt. Col. Didier Badjeck said. One Cameroonian soldier was killed, and another was missing after the attack, according to a statement released by Badjeck. Boko Haram destroyed two trucks and stole a third, Badjeck said. Badjeck said the military believes its artillery also inflicted unspecified damage to Boko Haram on the Nigerian side of the border during the fight. "Our defense forces rigorously fought back this barbaric attack, and forced the enemy to retreat," Cameroonian government spokesman Issa Tchiroma Bakary said. "This terrorist group has only one objective: to spread fear and uncertainty amongst our population. But I can assure you that they will be defeated," Bakary said. Two months ago, the nearby area of Limani, Cameroon, was the site of a deadly clash between Boko Haram and Cameroonian forces. Eight Cameroonian soldiers and 107 Boko Haram fighters were killed during an attack by the militants that month, Cameroon state-run broadcaster CRTV reported, citing the Cameroonian defense ministry. Campaign of violence Boko Haram has terrorized northern Nigeria regularly since 2009, attacking police, schools, churches and civilians, and bombing government buildings. This month, at least one female Boko Haram suicide bomber killed five people in Maiduguri. Last month, suicide bombings killed nearly 180 people. More than half of the victims died in an attack on a mosque that many suspect Boko Haram was behind. The group has targeted mainstream Islam, saying that it does not represent the interests of Nigeria's 80 million Muslims and that it perverts Islam. In April, Boko Haram militants drew international condemnation when they kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls, many of whom they later said they sold into slavery. At least 5,000 people have died at Boko Haram's hands, according to a U.S. Congressional Research Service report, making it one of the world's deadliest terrorist organizations. ||||| Boko Haram fighters have killed 32 people and kidnapped scores of others in a northeastern Nigerian village, local officials and a witness said, as a court-martial sentenced 54 soldiers to death for mutiny. Neighbouring Cameroon also said that its troops had killed 116 Boko Haram fighters in a far north region. The Nigerian officials, who requested anonymity, said locals in the village of Gumsuri were still counting those abducted in the attack on Sunday in a remote, isolated area in the Borno state, adding that the figure, which included women and children, could pass 100. "After killing our youths, the fighters have taken away our wives and daughters," Mukhtar Buba said on Thursday, after fleeing Gumsuri to Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state. There are 116 of the assailants dead on Cameroonian territory and undetermined casualties on the Nigerian territory from our artillery fire Cameroonian Army Statement Details took four days to emerge because the mobile phone network has largely collapsed in the area roughly 70km south of Maiduguri, and many of the roads are impassable. Gamsuri is located on the road that leads to Chibok, where Boko Haram abducted more than 200 girls from a school in April. Speaking about soldiers sentenced to death by firing squad, lawyer Femi Falana, who represents the condemned men, said another 43 soldiers accused of refusing to fight Boko Haram would be tried by a military court. Falana said five men had been acquitted. Nigerian troops regularly complain that they are outgunned by Boko Haram and are not supported with enough ammunition or food. Meanwhile in Cameroon, the fighters attacked an army base in Amchide on the border with Nigeria on Wednesday, but soldiers repelled them, inflicting heavy losses, the Cameroon defence ministry said. "A column made up of a military truck and four pick-ups from the BIR [elite Rapid Intervention Battalion] were caught in an ambush that began with an explosion of a roadside bomb," the army said. "There are 116 of the assailants dead on Cameroonian territory and undetermined casualties on the Nigerian territory from our artillery fire," the statement said. "There is one dead on the Cameroonian side and one officer missing." According to the army, the Boko Haram fighters destroyed a pick-up and a troop truck, as well as managing to capture another military truck. Boko Haram, which opposes Western education and has been waging an armed campaign against the government since 2009, has grown in power in the area, where Cameroon and Nigeria are linked by a bridge. One of the local Nigerian officials said the Gumsuri had previously been protected against Boko Haram violence by a strong vigilante force, but that they were overpowered in Sunday's attack. Vigilante attacks "For the past one year, the fighters have made several attempts to attack Gumsuri but were resisted by the gallant youths of the village," he told AFP news agency. "It is sad that on Sunday, the village was subdued," he added. The military and police were not immediately available for comment. Boko Haram has repeatedly attacked the vigilante forces which have formed across the northeast, describing them as legitimate targets for siding with Nigeria's military. The other local official said fighters "stormed the village in a convoy of vehicles [armed] with petrol bombs" and heavy weapons. Buba, the resident, said more than half the village had been destroyed. "The terrorists mercilessly attacked us and killed at will," he told AFP. Borno is the epicentre of Boko Haram's five-year uprising aimed at creating a strict Islamic state in northern Nigeria.

– Boko Haram's latest raid in Nigeria has killed 32 people, and the militants have reportedly taken as many as 185 women and children hostage, CNN reports. News of the Sunday attack in Gumsuri, in the country's northeast, is coming out days later because of communication issues—the mobile network has "largely collapsed," Al Jazeera reports, and many roads are impassable. Telecommunications towers were taken out in past attacks. This time around, residents who fled to Borno State's capital, Maiduguri, told local officials what had happened. "They gathered the women and children and took them away in trucks after burning most of the village with petrol bombs," says one official. "They destroyed almost half the village," adds a resident. Another, describing the machine guns they fired and the gasoline they used to set houses on fire, says, "We lost everything in the attack. I escaped with nothing, save the clothes I have on me." Hundreds of residents are fleeing to Maiduguri, which has been nearly overrun with thousands of others who have fled other villages after attacks. Nigeria has also sentenced 54 soldiers to death for refusing to fight Boko Haram. Meanwhile, neighboring Cameroon says its troops repelled Boko Haram fighters who attacked an army base, killing 116 of the insurgents in its far north.

If you can't make it to SXSW, here's the next best thing: The Texas Nationalist Movement, which is exactly what it sounds like, will be holding a rally tomorrow in front of the state capitiol in Austin to push for a referendum on secession from the United States. As with any half-decent declaration of independence, the group's resolution has a list of grievances: Specifically, the federal government has failed the protect its borders, and "implemented thousands of laws, mandates and agencies in violation of the United States Constitution that have invaded the sovereignty of the State of Texas." But wait: This story actually gets stranger. As the Houston Press reported, the Texas Nationalist Movement's secession rally is being sponsored by none other than state Rep. Leo Berman. You may remember Berman as the man who introduced a bill to force the President of the United States to prove his citizenship (again), and, when asked for proof, cited YouTube videos he'd seen because, "YouTubes are infallible." He's also sponsoring a bill to save state courts from the scourge of Islamic Sharia law. So why is a state legislator promoting a secession rally? The Press caught up with Berman, who explained that while he "very strongly" does not support secession (statehouse rallies need a legislative sponsor), he doesn't think it's such a terrible idea either: He says he has "no qualms" about supporting a secession rally. Is there any group out there whose message is so far out, so radical and dangerous that he would refuse to be a legislative sponsor for them? "I'm very, very, very strongly pro-life," he says. "So I would not support an abortion-type rally." Man's got to stand for something. Support for secession has a long and rich history in the Lone Star State. According to a 2009 poll, 48 percent of Texas Republicans agreed that the state "would be better off as an independent nation." That came after GOP Governor Rick Perry told reporters at a tea party in Austin that if the federal government didn't change its ways, secession might be an option. And in 2009, a Kerr County resident was arrested for claiming to be a sheriff's deputy for the "Republic of Texas." For more, check out our interactive map on US secession movements. Also of note: Although the group's poster features a severely mutton-chopped Sam Houston calling for Texas independence, the real Sam Houston famously took an unpopular stand against Texas secession on the eve of the Civil War. As he put it: "The Union is worth more than Mr. Lincoln. I was denounced then. I am denounced now. Be it so!" ||||| AUSTIN — The Texas Nationalist Movement marked Texas Independence Day with a rally on Saturday at the Capitol urging Texans to save the state by seceding from the United States. A small but enthusiastic group of Texans gathered on the steps of the Capitol, as an assortment of massive Texas flags blew above them in the chilly afternoon breeze. Outrage was spread evenly toward Democrats and Republicans as leaders of the movement expressed their disgust for the growing national debt and the federal government's treatment of Texas. "Texas can take better care of itself than Washington," said Lauren Savage, vice president of the movement. "We are here to raise interest in the Legislature of the possibility of secession to cure the ills of America." Members are demanding that state lawmakers introduce a bill that would allow Texans to vote on whether to declare independence. Fed up with federal mandates, the burden of unsustainable taxes and disregarded votes, members say secession has been a long time coming. "This is a cake that's been baking for 85 years," said Cary Wise, membership director of the Texas Nationalist Movement. "All this administration has done is light the candles." Demonstrators said they have had enough of state leaders who are conservative in rhetoric but big government proponents in reality, calling out GOP Gov. Rick Perry as one of the biggest frauds. "I would love to debate Rick Perry live because we could once and for all show that the guy is a big government fraud who claims to be conservative," said Eric Kirkland, member of the Constitution Party of Texas. Among shouts of agreement from the crowd, Kirkland added that he would love for Perry to walk out of the Capitol at that moment to engage in a debate. Demonstrators said taxes are weighing down Texans and are ultimately unsustainable. Gerry Donaldson, host of Our Constitution: Foundation and Principles Radio Show, used bricks to demonstrate the burden dozens of taxes place on Texans throughout their lives. "Washington is encroaching on us in greater levels day by day," Donaldson said, as he piled bricks one by one into a bucket held by a fellow member. "So, what do we do?" Secessionists stressed accountability for a government they say has become corrupted by power and distorted from the framers' original intent. Donaldson said he is getting a committee together that will review every bill proposed by state lawmakers and determine if it is constitutional by the people. Drawing largely from the Texas Bill of Rights, demonstrators said Texans have the responsibility to take power from the hands of a federal government that has gotten out of control. "The only way is to secede and wipe the slate clean," Donaldson said. "We secede, and then we reform this government based on an absolute return back to basic principles."

– Yesterday was Texas Independence Day, and one group of Texans celebrated it by rallying on the steps of the state Capitol, urging secession from the US. The Texas Nationalist Movement is unhappy with both Democrats and Republicans, and is especially concerned with the growing national debt and rising taxes, reports the AP via the Houston Chronicle. "Texas can take better care of itself than Washington," says the group’s VP. "We are here to raise interest in the Legislature of the possibility of secession to cure the ills of America." The small but passionate group want state lawmakers to allow Texans to vote on whether or not to declare independence. "The only way is to secede and wipe the slate clean," says a radio show host. "We secede, and then we reform this government based on an absolute return back to basic principles." Adds the group’s membership director, “This is a cake that’s been baking for 85 years.” The demonstrators are no fans of Gov. Rick Perry; one calls him “a big government fraud who claims to be conservative.” Mother Jones notes that State Rep. Leo Berman, a birther, sponsored the rally.

Jenny Sanford wants us to know she's doing fine after divorcing her cheating hubby, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, and that she might trust a man enough to fall in love again."I just have to make sure I pick someone who maybe loves me back," she tells Dr. Phil, the TV therapist, in a show airing Thursday.Actually, the former first lady has already found a new beau, and went very public with him in Washington on May 1. Meanwhile, her ex spent the May 8 weekend in the Florida Keys with his "Argentine Soulmate" mistress , reports the Associated Press. It was that affair, including Mark Sanford's secret tryst with Maria Belen Chapur in Buenos Aires last summer, his subsequent declarations of love and refusal to give her up, that wrecked the Sanfords' 20-year marriage.Jenny Sanford became something of a heroine when the affair became public, and she chose not to appear with him at his too-much-information news conference. She moved out of the governor's mansion with their four sons and worked to save the marriage. "I did the best I could in the marriage and he didn't really pull his part," she told Dr. Phil.And might she be able to trust another man in the future? asked the shrink. "I can't predict anything, but I think you have to choose to be open to it again. I've chosen to move on, and I've chosen to be happy about it. I loved, and I gave fully in that marriage. There's no reason in the world why I can't do it again. I just have to make sure I pick someone who maybe loves me back."Perhaps she's already found him, because it's clear she's dipped her toes into the bay of bliss with Georgia businessman Clay Boardman, whom she met at a speech she gave in Charleston two months ago. They were much in evidence at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner and at the exclusive Bloomberg/Vanity Fair after-party at the French ambassador's home."We're happy to be here, and we're happy to be together," Sanford, in a slinky blue frock with a plunging neckline, told The Washington Post, which reported in detail on their body language: "His arms were around her waist as they talked with another couple. And then they were holding hands. And then his arm was draped the length of her back, his hand gently grazing her behind... If you assumed this sudden relationship was a rebound/revenge charade -- well, half of the professional thespians in that room would not be capable of such a good acting job. We're totally buying it."Sanford, who achieved a measure of fame, fortune and revenge writing and promoting "Staying True," her post-separation memoir, appears on Dr. Phil with another betrayed wife, Cindy Shackelford. In March, Shackelford won a $9 million alienation of affection judgment against her husband's lover in North Carolina, after 33 years of marriage and two children.When Dr. Phil asked Sanford if she still loved her ex, she said, "I love the Mark Sanford I knew, the one I fell in love with when we married. Can I ever be married to him again? Absolutely not." But she concedes he's a much better father to their sons, now 17, 16, 14 and 11. "He sees the children more now than he ever, ever has."And what about his relationship to Chapur, the Argentine mistress?"Frankly, I make a point of not asking. I have no idea," said Sanford, who may have taped the Dr. Phil show before the recent reunion with his lover. "I've not heard that he's with her. And like I said, he's with the boys almost every weekend.""Almost" may be the operative word here. The Associated Press is reporting that the governor revealed during a press conference on an unrelated matter that he spent last weekend with Maria Belen Chapur, leading to speculation that their private time in the Florida Keys may be evidence of rekindled romance now that he's single.Both Shackelford and Sanford tell Dr. Phil they would have preferred the truth from their philandering husbands."I would have respected him more if he had just said, 'I don't love you any more, and I want a divorce,'" said Shackelford, who earlier in the show joked, "I would much rather he buy a red Corvette or something."Added Sanford: "Listening to the press conference, and the stuff he said, I think he might have been respected more if he had come home and said, 'Well, I fell in love with a lady over here,' but he never said that." ||||| By FITSNews || When S.C. First Lady Jenny Sanford struck a pose for Vogue last August (less than two months after her husband’s rambling confession of infidelity), it was obvious to anyone reading between the stems … err lines … that she was “single and looking to mingle.” And as you read first here on FITS, it didn’t take long after her divorce from the governor this March to land a new man – Augusta, Georgia businessman Clay Boardman. Apparently, Sanford and Boardman have been “making the scene” too, first at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner last week (where sources say they “needed to get a room”) and more recently at a concert where we’re told Jenny had more than her fair share of adult beverages. In fact, Jenny and Boardman have been much more public about their canoodling than the governor has been about his ongoing romance with Maria Belen Chapur, although things are obviously starting to even out on that front. Anyway, Jenny will be taking a break from all the “hot and heaviness” over the next few days to campaign with S.C. Rep. Nikki Haley, who she has already endorsed in the 2010 GOP gubernatorial primary in South Carolina. “Jenny and Nikki will make stops along the South Carolina coast – Charleston, Beaufort County, and Myrtle Beach – and (will) hold free, open-to-the-public town hall events in both Charleston and Myrtle Beach,” says Haley spokesman Tim Pearson. The pair will also hold two “private” (translation: $$$) events in Charleston and Beaufort, Pearson says. For details on where you can catch up with the Jenny-Nikki Tour, click here.

– Jenny Sanford is open to dating again. “I just have to make sure I pick someone who maybe loves me back,” she told Dr. Phil in an interview airing today, reports Politics Daily. “I've chosen to move on, and I've chosen to be happy about it.” But gossip has it that she's already found someone. She's been spotted at least twice now canoodling with new boyfriend Clay Boardman, a businessman, Fitsnews.com reports. The two made quite a show in particular at the White House Correspondents Dinner, where one observer said they “needed a room.” As for the ex-hubby, Jenny told Phil that Mark was now a better father than he'd been pre-divorce, and that she had “no idea” if he was still seeing Maria Belen Chapur. Hint: He is. He's admitted that he'd spent last weekend with Chapur in the Florida Keys.

Description A previously well 30-year-old woman re-presented to the emergency department complaining of worsening central abdominal pain initially colicky at first presentation 2 days earlier. She was tachycardic at 105 and other vital signs were normal. Her abdomen was peritonitic. At initial presentation, she was thought to have biliary colic, even though ultrasound and hepatobiliary iminodiacetic acid scans were normal. She did not have plain abdominal films. Laboratory studies were normal. CT of the abdomen revealed a metallic wire-shaped foreign body at the mesenteric root of a small bowel volvulus (figure 1). The patient underwent an emergency laparotomy which discovered mid–small bowel ischaemia from a band adhesion related to the perforation of a 7 cm piece of orthodontic wire (figure 2). The wire penetrated through the small bowel and the small bowel mesentery and to another loop of the mid–small bowel. This had formed an axis around which the volvulus developed. Adhesiolysis was performed but no bowel resected. The patient had not worn orthodontic braces for 10 years and did not recall ingesting the wire or having her braces wire go missing. View larger version: Download as PowerPoint Slide Figure 1 CT image (coronal) of orthodontic wire at the root of the small bowel volvulus. View larger version: Download as PowerPoint Slide Figure 2 Intraoperative photograph of the orthodontic wire embedded in the small bowel mesentery after the ischaemic bowel was released. Most inert ingested objects, if they pass the cricopharyngeal sphincter, will pass spontaneously.1 The most common site for perforation or obstruction is the ileocaecal valve.1 The case we describe here is therefore novel in the decade delay in presentation and the clinical sequelae. ||||| Ordinarily, when we eat something harmful, we get sick fairly quickly, or the item passes through our bowels in a normal fashion. Neither happened in this woman's case. But the woman hadn’t had surgery. Still, a CT scan—a type of x-ray—did reveal that an object was behind the woman’s woes. A thin metallic wire was poking at her intestines. The woman hadn’t recently had surgery which ruled out the likelihood that a surgeon had accidentally left something behind—something that happens surprisingly often. A 2013 inquiry, by the healthcare nonprofit The Joint Commission found that over a seven-year period in the United States, surgeons left behind 770 objects—ranging from gauze and towels to broken parts of instrument—in patients. Objects left behind can often cause a range of health issues and even death. “Then we looked at kidney function and liver function as well to tell if there was some kind of larger problem affecting other organs” Dr. Talia Shepherd told Popular Science. Shepherd was one of the physicians handling the woman’s case and wrote about the experience in a case study recently published in the journal BMJ Case Reports Blood tests that look for inflammatory markers in white blood cells—the cells of the immune system—were normal. This suggested that her woes weren’t caused by an infection. When a thirty-year-old woman turned up to the Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, in Western Australia complaining about an incredible amount of stomach pain, the cause of her suffering initially eluded the physicians trying to treat her. The area circled in blue highlights the braces wire they saw on the CT scan. “We were all a bit dumfounded,” says Shepherd. “It wasn't what I was expecting to find at all.” “The other thing that we see not infrequently are fish bones,” added Shepherd. “So, people swallow fish bones and then perforate through the bowel and I thought possible that's what it was. But looking at the density on the CT scan the radiologist said it was something metallic.” Ten years earlier, the patient had worn braces. And somehow—it’s not clear how—she swallowed one of the wires used to straighten her teeth. The filament clocked in at just under three inches. This isn’t the weirdest thing Dr. Shepherd has seen someone swallow, “In terms of objects that people have swallowed, I've seen some pretty weird things,” she says, “But we'll it to leave to people's imaginations.” A quick google search turns up cases of people swallowing a Sponge Bob Square Pants keychain, an LED light and so on. But what makes this case so strange is that the item stuck around for so long without causing any problems. “The case is so unique is because normally if you swallow something like that it presents earlier,” says Shepherd. The digestive tract, from your mouth all the way to your bowels has plenty of twists and turns where that braces wire could have gotten stuck and started causing problems. There were plenty of opportunities along that particular digestive path during the decade that the patient carried the wire inside of her body. “People normally present much earlier,” says Shepherd, “kind of right after they’ve swallowed it or when it’s in the stomach really, because that’s obviously where it has a high risk of causing a perforation.” But it didn’t. Instead it just sat somewhere in her digestive system silently for a decade, until one day it shifted, leaving her with an intense pain, eventually bringing her to the hospital and Shepherd. The doctors surgically removed the wire and now, says Shepherd, “She's totally well and kind of taken it in her stride and moving on with her life. She recovered well.” ||||| Most people who get their braces off are happy to forget about their years of dental "train tracks." But one woman in Australia had her braces come back to haunt her when doctors discovered a piece of dental wire tearing through her abdomen, according to a new report. The wire had been in her digestive tract for 10 years before she started showing symptoms, the report said. The woman, who was 30 when the report was written, went to the emergency room after experiencing worsening abdominal pain for two days. At first, doctors thought the pain might be due to a gallstone, but a computed tomography (CT) scan revealed a wire-shaped object in her small intestine. The woman underwent emergency surgery, and doctors found a 2.8-inch-long (7 centimeters) piece of orthodontic wire in her intestine. The wire had pierced through several parts of her small intestine, which caused the intestine to twist around itself, the report said. [11 Weird Things People Have Swallowed] The woman said it had been a decade since she had worn braces, and she didn't remember ever swallowing a piece of wire or having a wire go missing, the report said. The wire was removed, and the woman recovered completely with no further complications. The report shows that doctors should consider "foreign body ingestion" as a possible cause of abdominal pain if the patient does not have a medical or surgical history that might explain the pain, the authors said. The report was published today (Aug. 7) in the journal BMJ Case Reports.. Original article on Live Science. ||||| Wire from dental braces worn 10 years ago removed from woman's bowel in emergency surgery Posted Surgeons have removed a piece of orthodontic wire from a Perth woman's abdomen, 10 years after she stopped wearing braces and who had no memory of ever swallowing it. WARNING: This story contains surgical images The 30-year-old went to the emergency department at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Nedlands several months ago complaining of severe abdominal pain. A CT scan revealed the seven-centimetre piece of wire had punctured her small bowel in several places. The case was published in BMJ Case Studies this week. General surgery registrar Talia Shepherd told ABC Radio Perth that when the woman came to the hospital complaining of upper abdominal cramping, it was attributed to her gall bladder and she was sent home after pain abated. "But she presented two days later with very severe abdominal pain that led us to put her into a CT scanner straight away and then take her to theatre based on what we found," Dr Shepherd said. "We saw that in the middle quite a large loop of dilated, unhappy bowel with this foreign body that could possibly have been a fish bone, because that is what we see more commonly. "The woman could not remember swallowing anything recently. "She was so unwell that we had to take her to theatre straight away to extract whatever it was, and it turned out to be a seven-centimetre piece of orthodontic wire from braces she had 10 years earlier. "When we extracted it we could still see the actual indent of the braces on the wire." After the surgery the woman said she had no recollection of swallowing a wire or that a piece of her braces had ever been missing. "That's what makes the case so unusual," Dr Shepherd said. "She certainly cannot give us any further information about how the wire got down there." Thankfully, after 10 years in her abdomen, the wire has not done any lasting damage. "She is now well and carrying on with her life," Dr Shepherd said. Topics: offbeat, medical-procedures, dental, human-interest, perth-6000

– If you've worn braces, you know it's a pain when orthopedic wires poke into your gums. As an Australian woman can attest, it's no fun when they pierce the small intestine, either. Doctors initially cited a gallbladder issue when the 30-year-old arrived at a hospital in Western Australia complaining of stomach pain. But when she returned two days later with worsening pain, a CT scan revealed "something metallic" was poking into "quite a large loop of dilated, unhappy bowel," Dr. Talia Shepherd tells ABC Radio Perth and Popular Science. "Something metallic" turned out to be a nearly 3-inch-long wire from the patient's braces, which had been removed a decade earlier. "We were all a bit dumbfounded," says Shepherd. "It wasn't what I was expecting to find at all." The woman "did not recall ingesting the wire or having her braces wire go missing," reads a description of the "unique" case in BMJ Case Reports. Shepherd describes the case as especially rare given that the wire must have been lodged in the digestive system for years. Normally, an item presents itself in the stomach soon after it's been swallowed because that's where "it has a high risk of causing a perforation," Shepherd says. In this case, doctors found the wire had punctured several spots in the small intestine, causing it to twist into what is known medically as a volvulus, reports Live Science. The wire was removed in an emergency surgery and the woman has since recovered, Shepherd says. (A 10-year-old girl swallowed part of a fidget spinner.)

The parents of two-year-old twin boys who drowned after falling into a fish pond at their home have paid tribute to their “miracle babies” as it emerged the children were conceived using IVF. Sarah Aitken, 32, and Mervyn Scott said their “long-awaited little soldiers” had been “full of love, happiness, fun and cheek” and they had been left devastated by the “freak” accident. In a statement issued by Police Scotland, they said their sons, Shaun and Rhys Scott, had been “taken from us far too early and will be forever missed and loved.” Senior sources confirmed the “miracle babies” description was a reference to them having been conceived using IVF. Around one in six IVF pregnancies result in a multiple birth, whereas natural conceptions of twins occur in about one in 80 cases. Officers are continuing to support the family and enquiries are being carried out to establish the full circumstances in which they boys died. Emergency services were called to the scene in Dalgety Bay, Fife, at around 8.20am on Saturday after the boys were found. They were taken to Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy where they were pronounced dead. The twins’ parents said: “We would like to thank everyone for their support at this unfortunate and difficult time. We have special thanks to all the medical staff, family, friends, neighbours and the police for their efforts, hard work and time spent helping and trying to revive our miracle babies. “Both boys were long awaited little soldiers who were full of love, happiness, fun and cheek. Individually and together they have touched the lives of everyone they met. “We along with our family and friends are still in shock and devastated at such a tragic loss from such a ‘freak’ accident. They have been taken from us far too early and will be forever missed and loved. We wish to be left alone and be given the privacy needed to grieve.” Photo: David Cheskin for the Telegraph It is understood the family only recently moved into the rented home and the previous resident, Keith Henderson, ran a koi supply business from the property that required the installation of a fish tank at the side of the property. The ornamental fish are collected by enthusiasts and tend to require large, deep ponds. Devastated friends placed flowers outside the family home in a quiet cul-de-sac. One said: "Rest in peace little ones. Hold each other's hands and stay close." Another said: "Rest in peace lovely ones." "I know she wanted children and that she was chuffed when she found out they were expecting twins. Why take it away from her? It’s just so unfair." Keith McKinlay, friend of the family Keith McKinlay, 50, a Gulf War veteran who used to live beside the couple said: "Merv worked at the industrial estate in Dalgety Bay and so did Sarah. They are just laid back and a lovely couple and so easy to talk to. They were easy going and pleasant and did so much for me. “I’m still in shock. You can’t put that into words. Sarah must be devastated because she is quite a sensitive person. It must be devastating for the both of them. “I know she wanted children and that she was chuffed when she found out they were expecting twins. Why take it away from her? It’s just so unfair. “I know they were trying hard to get the kids. I know she wanted kids but that there was some problem." He added: “They will both be devastated. It’s so unfair. It should not happen to anybody. My heart goes out to them." Officers are supporting the family and working to establish the full circumstances of the incident. Photo: Google A force spokesman said: "We received a call around 8.20am on Saturday following a report of concern for two children at an address in Dalgety Bay, Fife. "Two male twins, aged two-years-old, had reportedly drowned in a fish pond and officers attended with the Scottish Ambulance Service. "The children were taken to the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy where they sadly died. "Officers are supporting the family at this time. Inquiries to establish the full circumstances are ongoing." Local MSP Alex Rowley said: "This is awful news and is every parent's worst nightmare. "The loss of two young lives from the same family is just heartbreaking. My thoughts and prayers, and those of the whole community, are with the family." Photo: David Cheskin for the Telegraph Images on social media showed the a cul-de-sac at the scene cordoned off with police tape and officers standing guard at the front of the home. It is understood the pond is in the back garden of the house. Dalgety Bay councillor Dave Dempsey said the whole community is shocked. He told the Daily Record: "It is enormously sad and my heart goes out to the family. "I cannot begin to imagine what the family are going through – it is everyone's worst nightmare. "The whole community is shocked. "As local councillors, we were all notified that two young children had fallen into a pond and died. "To think it is twin boys is heartbreaking." ||||| The parents of two-year-old twin boys who drowned in a fish tank at their home in Fife have described their sons as “full of love, happiness, fun and cheek”. Sarah Aitken, 32, and Mervyn Scott, 30, from Dalgety Bay, said Shaun and Rhys Scott were “miracle babies” who had “touched the lives of everyone they met”. The couple said they were devastated by their deaths. The twins were rushed to the Victoria hospital in Kirkcaldy on Saturday morning after they were discovered together in a large commercial fish tank fitted to the outside of their detached villa. Their mother is understood to have raised the alarm at 8.20am, but medical staff were unable to revive them. Police Scotland are now investigating the cause of the tragedy, which is thought to have occurred in a deep, low-level fish tank and enclosure built at the property by a previous owner, who ran a koi carp import business from there. In a statement, Aitken and Scott thanked medical staff, police and neighbours “for their efforts, hard work and time spent helping and trying to revive our miracle babies”. “Both boys were long-awaited little soldiers who were full of love, happiness, fun and cheek. Individually and together they have touched the lives of everyone they met,” the couple said. “We along with our family and friends are still in shock and devastated at such a tragic loss from such a freak accident. They have been taken from us far too early and will be forever missed and loved.” The two-storey, mock Tudor house sits in a quiet cul-de-sac, on a recently built estate overlooking the Firth of Forth, the Forth rail and road bridges and South Queensferry. It was reported that the family had only recently moved into the rented home. Floral tributes were left on the driveway behind a police cordon. The boys’ great aunt, a former actor called Elizabeth Scott, said on Facebook that the twins had been born prematurely. “Have a heart for the two drowned twins found in Dalgety Bay and their parents and grandparents, because these wee boys were my nephew’s sons. I am completely devastated tonight,” she wrote. In a reply to commiserations from a well-wisher, Scott said: “Thanks, it is my nephew, it was his two twin sons, they were born so premature and they survived, to die like this after is terrible.” Colin McPhail, a member of Dalgety Bay community council, said: “We’re all in shock over this tragic news. “Sarah has lived in this area all her life. She’s a lovely lady and our hearts go out to her and her family at this awful time. All we’ve heard at the moment is that the two boys appear to have drowned. “It’s a shocking thing to have happened and, of course, there will need to be an inquiry. I’m sure members of the community will do what they can to support the family at this awful time.” Cllr Gavin Yates, who lives in the town, told the Mail on Sunday: “Dalgety Bay is a town in mourning. As a dad of twins myself, I was numb after being told of this. The community here is strong and resilient, but this news is a huge shock to us all. My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the boys.” ||||| TWIN brothers have died after drowning in a giant fish tank yesterday. Parents Mervyn Scott and Sarah Aitken were last night being comforted by relatives following the deaths of two-year-olds Rhys and Shaun. The brothers were found in the deep fish pond at the side of their luxury detached home in Dalgety Bay, Fife. Emergency services raced to the address after receiving a 999 call. It was unclear last night how the tragedy unfolded or how the children ended up in the tank. Police have launched an investigation into the incident, which happened in upmarket Breakers Way. Police outside the twins' home The boys lived in the quiet cul-de-sac with Sarah, 32, and Mervyn, 30. Specially trained officers were last night supporting the couple. Colin McPhail, of Dalgety Bay Community Council, said: “We’re all in shock over this tragic news. “Sarah has lived in this area all her life. She’s a lovely lady and our hearts go out to her and her family at this awful time. Tragic: Shaun and Rhys “All we’ve heard at the moment is that the two boys appear to have drowned. “It’s a shocking thing to have happened and, of course, there will need to be an inquiry. “I’m sure members of the community will do what they can to support the family at this awful time.” A neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: “Everyone is in a complete state of shock.” It’s believed Sarah raised the alarm at around 8.20am. Police and ambulance crews were dispatched to the address and the twins were taken to Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy. But doctors were unable to save them. The family only recently moved into the rented home. Shaun and Rhys with their parents The previous resident, Keith Henderson, ran Okayama Koi Ltd from the property. The firm’s Facebook page says they are a “supplier of high-quality koi from Momotaro koi farm in Japan”. It’s understood the firm installed the indoor fish tank at the side of the property to keep their stock. The ornamental fish are collected by enthusiasts and tend to require large, deep ponds. A police cordon last night surrounded the quiet cul-de-sac where the tragedy happened. A uniformed police officer stood outside the house and a single floral tribute lay on the driveway One man in the cul-de-sac said: “We are so terribly sorry for the family.” Another woman said: “My heart goes out to anyone who has to deal with something like that.” Mervyn’s aunt, actress Elizabeth Scott, from Dunfermline, said in a post on Facebook: “Have a heart for the two drowned twins found in Dalgety Bay and their parents and grandparents because those wee boys were my nephew’s sons. I’m completely devastated.” Neighbour Dr Poonam Malik, 44, a mum-of-two young boys, said: “We just feel great sympathy to the family – I cannot imagine what they must be going through. Okayama Koi, which was ran from the property, had this picture online “We have stayed here about 10 years and it’s such a nice area. “It’s so sad and my heart goes out to them as a family. “The entire community will feel their pain and I am sure they will offer any support they can.” Chris Duke, who also lives in the street, said: “I was walking my dog early this morning and saw there had been some kind of incident. “My heart goes out to the family. It’s a very quiet area – what has happened is absolutely dreadful.” Mid Scotland and Fife Labour MSP Alex Rowley said: “This is awful news and is every parent’s worst nightmare. Happy: Twins Shaun and Rhys “The loss of two young lives from the same family is just heartbreaking. My thoughts and prayers and those of the whole community, are with the family.” A Police Scotland spokesman said: “We received a call around 8:20am on Saturday following a report of concern for two children at an address in Dalgety Bay, Fife. “Two male twins, aged two, had reportedly drowned in a fish pond and officers attended with the Scottish Ambulance Service. “The children were taken to the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy where they sadly died. Officers are supporting the family at this time. Inquiries to establish the full circumstances are ongoing.” David Walker, the leisure safety manager of the Royal Society For The Prevention of Accidents, said around five children between the age of two and six die every year in the United Kingdom from drowning in homes and ponds. He added: “We don’t usually call for things but we feel ponds should be covered over or temporarily removed if there are toddlers around.”

– Two-year-old twins Shaun and Rhys Scott were "full of love, happiness, fun, and cheek," their parents say. The boys died Saturday morning when they fell into a koi fish pond that was on the property where they lived in Dalgety Bay, Fife, in Scotland, the Telegraph reports. Parents Sarah Aitken and Mervyn Scott, "still in shock and devastated," released a statement thanking all the people who tried "to revive our miracle babies," a reference to the twins being conceived using in vitro fertilization. The boys "touched the lives of everyone they met," the parents say. "They have been taken from us far too early and will be forever missed and loved." The family, according to reports, had recently moved into the rented house in the Scottish coastal town. The previous resident, who ran a koi supply business, installed the pond, according to the Guardian. The details of the tragedy are unclear. Police responded to an emergency call Saturday morning and the boys were later pronounced dead at a hospital. One expert told the Daily Record that about five kids in the UK between two and six drown in homes and ponds each year. A family friend tells the Telegraph that the couple had a difficult time getting pregnant, and they were overjoyed to find out they were having twins. "Why take it away from her?" the friend says. "It’s just so unfair." In their statement, the parents write, "Both boys were long awaited little soldiers." The investigation is ongoing.

Correction: Due to an editing error, an earlier version of this article mistakenly characterized this sailor’s protest as intending to disrespect her fellow troops. In the video, the unidentified sailor says her protest was not intended to disrespect fellow service members. Navy Times regrets the oversight. A sailor who posted a Facebook video of her sitting down during the national anthem is in trouble but won't be discharged, Navy Times has learned. The sailor, who is in training at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, posted a video of her sitting during during the anthem at a colors ceremony, saying she won't stand until the U.S. proves "that they've got my back as a black woman." The sailor's action, which sparked a firestorm online, was in solidarity with NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who said he'll continue taking a knee during "The Star-Spangled Banner" until people of color are treated more fairly. The controversy highlights the limits placed on troops' free speech rights, a freedom enshrined in the Bill of Rights that is limited for those to protect the cohesion of military commands and to bar the military hierarchy from political partisanship. "We have identified the Sailor and her chain of command was made aware of the video," said Lt. Cmdr. Kate Meadows, a spokeswoman for Naval Education and Training Command. "Appropriate administrative actions are pending." "She is not being discharged or separated," Meadows added. "She will be able to move on to her next duty station as planned." This sailor posted a Facebook video of herself sitting during the national anthem, arguing that "The Star-Spangled Banner" contains a verse with racist lyrics. Photo Credit: via Facebook During the video, the sailor, who is black, is seated near the flag pole at NAS Pensacola in her civilian clothes. The sailor said she was protesting the rarely heard third stanza of the National Anthem that appears to reference killing slaves hired by the British Army during the War of 1812 in exchange for their freedom; Historians disagree on the Francis Scott Key’s original meaning. "It basically says, ‘land of the free and home of the brave' except for hirelings [and slaves], and I just can't support anything like that," the sailor says in the video. "And also I think Colin had a really good point when he said that, 'We've got bodies in the street.'" The sailor goes on to say that she did not intend to disrespect her fellow service members. "People always say, men and women have died for this flag. No, correction, men and women have died for my right, and Colin Kaepernick’s rights, to determine whether or not we want to stand or sit. And that’s the thing that people really don't understand. "I don't not respect the men and women who serve — who I serve alongside," she continued. "It's just, until this country shows that they've got my back as a black woman, that they've got my people's back — not even just being black but people of color — I can't. And I won't." The video caused an uproar online when it was posted on a Facebook page that caters to military members. The case highlights the restrictions on basic American freedoms that service members submit to when they volunteer to serve: Colin Kaepernick has the right to sit through the anthem. Service members do not. Navy regulations are clear on standing during the anthem, in or out of uniform: "Whenever the National Anthem is played, all naval service personnel not in formation shall stand at attention and face the national ensign," the regulations state. "In the event that the national ensign is not displayed, they shall face the source of the music. … Sailors not in uniform will face the flag, stand at attention, and place the right hand over the heart." However, troops have the right to protest off base and out of uniform, Meadows added. "If a Sailor is not in uniform they can participate in a protest out in town — if they are not in violation of a law, riot, etc.," Meadows said. A leading military justice expert said that the sailor's legal defense was minimal since she had clearly broken the rules. "Military personnel have First Amendment, but they are different from the rest of us," said Eugene Fidell, a former Coast Guard judge advocate who teaches military law at Yale Law School. "For example officers can’t speak contemptuously of the president. You and I can. You and I have the right to give our boss a piece of our mind. A military member does not have the right to say that to the admiral." At the same time, First Amendment issues in the military are almost always taken on a case-by-case basis. "There is no cookbook for this because people are wonderfully unpredictable and can dream up all kinds of ways to be a nuisance to their commanders," Fidell said. ||||| PENSACOLA, Fla. (WEAR) -- A Facebook post by a sailor assigned at NAS Pensacola is creating a social media firestorm after she tried to mimic San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. The woman, who has not been identified, shared a live video on her Facebook page of her appearing to protest by sitting down during the National Anthem while on the base. In the Facebook video, the woman shows viewers her sitting on a bench as the National Anthem is played reportedly on base. She then holds up her left fist in protest. "The U.S. Military Police WTF Moments" Facebook page referred to the U.S. sailors actions as a "disrespect at flag call". The video had been seen more than 44,000 times as of Thursday night. Lt. Commander Kate Meadows said the Navy became aware of the video last week and disciplinary action is pending. "We're required to stand for colors, for the National Anthem, in and out of uniform," Meadows said. According to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, Naval service personnel are required to stand and face the flag whenever the National Anthem is played. Meadows adds that they routinely teach sailors appropriate use of social media. The sailor will not be discharged from the Navy, though many online and on our Facebook poll expressed she should. Others think that some sort of punishment is necessary. "She has to face the consequences, she should face the consequences," John Likens said. Likens agrees that she has a right to Freedom of Speech, but rules are rules in the military. Ashley Rietz agrees and added that the protest is counterproductive and only furthers a divide. "Sitting during the National Anthem or posting something to social media isn't actually making a difference," Rietz said. "It's a lot of hot air compared to the actions you could take to help people." The U.S. sailor is heard on the Facebook saying she is "proud of herself". She goes on to say what she did was "small but significant for her". At the end of the nearly nine minute video, the sailor explained her stance about not being forced to stand during the National Anthem. "I don't not respect the men and women that serve, who I serve alongside. It's just until this country shows that they got my back as a black woman. They have my people's back and not even just being black I mean people of color, I can't and I won't. I won't be forced to." She called it the hardest 45 seconds of her life. Warning: The video contains adult language. Do you think her actions were disrespectful or understandable? Voice your opinion in our poll: ||||| Story highlights A sailor at a naval base in Florida is facing possible punishment The Navy requires service members to stand during the anthem Washington (CNN) A US Navy sailor who posted a video of herself sitting in protest during the national anthem at a Florida military base could face punishment after her post went viral this week. The unidentified African-American sailor said in the video that she was sitting in support of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, whose kneeling protests of the anthem have sparked a national uproar. "I am sitting down. My butt is on the chair. I'm really scared, y'all. I'm really scared, I'm not gonna lie," the sailor says in the video. The Navy has identified the sailor, who is training at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida, but will not publicly identify her, a spokeswoman said Friday. Read More

– A sailor in the US Navy appears likely to face punishment after protesting the national anthem while on base in Florida, CNN reports. The sailor, who the Navy isn't identifying, filmed herself sitting during the anthem—all service members are required to stand and face the flag—and the video somehow ended up on a Facebook page called US Army Military Police WTF Moments. It came to the attention of the Navy Aug. 31. According to Navy Times, the sailor, who's currently in training, won't be discharged, but a Navy spokesperson says "appropriate administrative actions are pending." While sailors do have restricted freedom of speech, they are allowed to protest as long as they are out of uniform and off base. The sailor says she's "proud" of her decision to protest the national anthem, an action she calls "small but significant" for her, WEAR reports. In the video, the sailor says she's sitting in support of Colin Kaepernick and will continue to sit for the national anthem until the US proves "they've got my back as a black woman." In addition to protesting the unfair treatment of people of color, the sailor says she's protesting the third stanza of The Star-Spangled Banner, which some historians say alludes to the killing of slaves. The sailor says it's important to note that the men and women of the military aren't fighting and dying to protect the flag but the rights it represents, including the right to protest.

Warning: This story contains graphic details The intense manhunt for Luka Rocco Magnotta, wanted in the gruesome Montreal killing of a university student from China, has come to an end at an Internet café in Berlin. Clean-shaven and wearing jeans, sunglasses and a black jacket with a hood, Mr. Magnotta, 29, walked into the Internet Spaetkauf Helin in a working-class neighbourhood of Berlin around 11:45 a.m. Monday and asked to use a computer. He looked familiar to café owner Ulku Sungur and worker Kader Anlayisli. The Canadian murder suspect’s pictures had been plastered on newspapers, television screens and websites around the globe since body parts of Lin Jun, a 33-year-old Chinese national who was studying at Concordia University, were found in Montreal and mailed to political parties in Ottawa last week. Staff at the café noticed Mr. Magnotta was looking at porn. He also appeared to be checking out articles about himself and the international manhunt underway to find him. “We thought he looked familiar, but we couldn’t be sure,” Mr. Sungur said. “In person, he looked a little different.” Mr. Sungur and his worker took to the Internet themselves to check. Once they were fairly certain of his identity, Mr. Anlayisli ran outside to flag down the police, which often patrol Berlin’s Neukoelln district, a neighbourhood with high unemployment and a lot of crime. Around 1:30 p.m., with Mr. Magnotta still surfing online, seven police officers stormed into the café and quickly overpowered the slender Mr. Magnotta. He tried to give police a false name, but the officers weren’t buying it, Captain Guido Busch of the Berlin police said. (You can watch surveillance footage of the arrest here) Mr. Magnotta then gave up the ruse: “You got me,” he said. His arrest drew expressions of relief in Europe, China and here at home. In Montreal, police Commander Ian Lafrenière said investigators “are extremely relieved and happy” about Mr. Magnotta’s arrest. He is expected to appear before a judge in Germany on Tuesday. It’s unclear how long extradition to Canada will take. Mr. Magnotta is facing five charges in Montreal, including first-degree murder, causing an indignity to a body, corrupting morals, using the mail system to deliver “obscene, indecent, immoral or scurrilous” material, and harassing Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Mr. Harper commended police Monday for catching Mr. Magnotta. “Well, I’m obviously pleased that the suspect has been arrested, and I just want to congratulate the police forces on their good work,” the Prime Minister said in London, where he is attending the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Mr. Lin, who was enrolled in computer science and worked part-time at a convenience store, had been in Canada for about a year. Police say his killing and dismemberment was filmed and posted on Internet gore sites. Web viewers mused for days about whether the film was real or not before Mr. Lin’s dismembered body was found and Montreal police began an investigation. The scene of the crime, a second-floor studio apartment overlooking an expressway in Montreal, still contained the marks of violence days after the killing. A double mattress and a crumpled pink sheet were stained with dried blood. Splotches of blood also covered the floor of the fridge. The rental apartment had been the home of Mr. Magnotta. He had moved in three to four months ago, the building’s superintendent said. Mr. Magnotta and the victim knew each other, crossing paths at some point this spring. Acquaintances of Mr. Lin recalled he was looking for love. The last entry on his Facebook page was dated May 11. It included a photo of a park on which he wrote: "It's too, too, too, beautiful." The murder of Mr. Lin has provoked widespread shock and anger in China, where many believe the crime was racially motivated. The Chinese embassy in Ottawa has warned citizens living or travelling in Canada to "strengthen their personal security" in the wake of the deadly attack. Mr. Lin’s death is the second killing of a Chinese student in Canada in just over a year, following last April's murder of York University student Liu Qian, part of which was watched on Skype by her boyfriend back in China. Huang Kankan, Mr. Lin’s former boss at a convenience store in the working-class Montreal neighbourhood of Verdun, said he looks forward to Mr. Magnotta’s trial, and the possibility that justice will be served. Mr. Huang described Mr. Lin as a reliable worker who was usually in good humour. ||||| MANHUNT Luka Rocco Magnotta, the Canadian porn star accused in a gruesome killing and dismemberment, knew how to live underground—so why was he found undisguised, reading stories about himself in a Berlin Internet café? Winston Ross reports. Canada’s so-called Cannibal Killer could have remained on the lam for a long time. Luka Rocco Magnotta successfully fled Montreal—by plane, no less—in advance of a nationwide arrest warrant issued after the one-time male model and low-budget gay porn star allegedly killed his lover, 33-year-old Chinese national Jun Lin. Magnotta made it to Paris, then slipped into Berlin, despite an international manhunt. As far as the authorities knew, he was lurking in the alleyways of France, not Germany. He apparently knew how to cut ties with his family and friends, how to steal identities, how to disguise himself. And it seems that as a resident of the seedy underworld of male prostitution, he could easily finance his flight by selling himself in an industry that doesn’t require much in the way of passports. But in the end, the 29-year-old who is accused of carrying out one of the most barbaric killings in Canada’s history was brought down by his own worst nemesis: Luka Rocco Magnotta. Magnotta’s first problem was that he’d made himself famous long before allegedly dismembering Lin and mailing his body parts to Canada’s highest political offices. Magnotta plastered pictures of his own half-naked body all over the Internet. He may have spread rumors in an attempt to connect himself to child-killer Karla Homolka so that he could come out and publicly denounce them later. He reportedly posted videos of himself killing kittens on the Internet, then boasted to British newspapers that they hadn’t seen anything yet and that humans would be his next victims. By the time Magnotta allegedly carried out that threat, he was already famous, already a household name in Canada. It’s not easy to hide when everyone knows what you look like. “He was using the web to glorify himself,” Montreal Police Cmdr. Ian LaFreniere told The Daily Beast. “This is the same web that brought him down.” The crime itself only magnified his notoriety. Montreal police say Magnotta filmed himself doing all kinds of dastardly things to his victim: slitting his throat, decapitating him, slicing off his arms and legs with a kitchen knife, feeding the flesh to a dog, having sex with the limbless corpse. That alone would warrant the kind of front-page media attention Magnotta seems to crave; allegations that he mailed the body parts to political offices garnered the suspect instant international notoriety. Somehow, he made it to Berlin undetected. And that’s where Luka Rocco Magnotta all but strolled into Potsdamer Platz with the words “Arrest me: I’m an international fugitive” scrawled in blood on his bare chest. When the cops found him, Magnotta was wearing no wig, no skirt—he’s been known to pose as a woman—no disguise of any kind. And if you thought that stupidity couldn’t be topped, consider where the police picked him up: in a bustling Internet cafe. Reading articles about himself. “You got me,” he reportedly told the cops who arrested him. “His biggest problem is that he’s an attention whore,” Washington, D.C., criminal profiler Pat Brown told The Daily Beast. “He’s in these Internet cafes because he’s so excited about what he’s done.” To Brown, that’s one of the more interesting facets of a guy who’s already proved himself to be plenty bizarre. Magnotta’s alleged past as an animal abuser fits the profile of a serial killer, a genre of psychopath that tends to derive the most satisfaction from the murders themselves, not the attention they get as a result. It’s the plotting, the choosing of victims, the technique of the murder that gets a typical serial killer off. And because they enjoy that so much, they take meticulous steps to avoid getting caught, so as to keep killing, to experience that thrill again and again. Montreal police are now reviewing cold cases to see if any could be linked to Magnotta, LaFreniere said. A mass murderer, on the other hand, is all about the notoriety. He plans to make a huge splash with the killing, to take out as many people as possible, to go down in history and probably die in the process. Avoiding prosecution is an afterthought. Get The Beast In Your Inbox! Daily Digest Start and finish your day with the top stories from The Daily Beast. Cheat Sheet A speedy, smart summary of all the news you need to know (and nothing you don't). By clicking "Subscribe," you agree to have read the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Subscribe Thank You! You are now subscribed to the Daily Digest and Cheat Sheet. We will not share your email with anyone for any reason It seems that Magnotta blends the two stereotypes, Brown said. The video, if it is really him, seems to make clear he thoroughly enjoyed himself and drew it out as long as possible. That’s serial-killer stuff. But the self-aggrandizing, the need to get online and read news stories about yourself—that fits the mass-murder profile better. “It’s an odd crossover,” Brown said. “The serial killer enjoys the act of killing, one on one. He doesn’t care whether anybody else knows. He wants you to think he’s Clark Kent, but he’s really Superman.” Another problem for Magnotta, said former FBI profiler Clint Van Zandt, is that the fantasy he appears to have built up about himself—glamorous porn star, gruesome killer, cunning fugitive—doesn’t exactly track with reality. The killing part Magnotta accomplished well, according to police. But what he didn’t seem to account for, Van Zandt told The Daily Beast, is that the crime police say he committed would result in a real international manhunt. “Real cops with real guns were going to find him, real quick,” Van Zandt said. “He had no experience in running or hiding. He finally got to the point where he could act out this fantasy, but with no game plan about how to escape.” Magnotta’s short-lived career at a fugitive was so poorly executed it makes you wonder if he was trying to get caught. Van Zandt wouldn’t go that far, though.

– Luka Rocco Magnotta once published an online guide to disappearing, but he wasn't such a cunning fugitive in real life. The Canadian, who is accused of murdering a man and sending his body parts to political offices, was arrested at an Internet cafe in Berlin yesterday, and police say he was reading online news stories about himself when he was caught, the Globe and Mail reports. The cafe's owner ran outside to flag down police after he recognized Magnotta, who was quickly overpowered by seven cops. "You got me," said the alleged killer. "He was using the web to glorify himself," a Montreal police spokesman says. "This is the same web that brought him down." Magnotta's case is a strange one, and not just because of the gore, a criminal profiler tells the Daily Beast. Magnotta's torture of animals fits the profile of a serial killer, but his quest for notoriety resembles the profile of mass murderers who plan to make a huge splash and don't care if they die in the process. Magnotta is an "attention whore" who thought of himself as a criminal genius, but proved completely unable to stay ahead of a real-life international manhunt, the profiler says. "What happened here is that fantasy met reality; reality won."

Sign in using your kiro profile By submitting your registration information, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . Already have an account? We have sent a confirmation email to {* data_emailAddress *}. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. Thank you for registering! Thank you for registering! We look forward to seeing you on [website] frequently. Visit us and sign in to update your profile, receive the latest news and keep up to date with mobile alerts. Click here to return to the page you were visiting. ||||| A 14-year-old high school football player helped police near Seattle nab an alleged shoplifter in an Old Navy store by tackling him to the ground as he fled, police said. On Tuesday, a suspect inside a Target store in the Factoria Mall was seen removing tags from more than $900 worth of merchandise, Bellevue Police Department Public Information Officer Seth Tyler told ABC News. When an officer waiting at the exit ordered him to stop, he dropped his bags and took off running, Tyler said. After running through a cosmetic store, the suspect ended up in a crowded Old Navy store, where he was apprehended by an officer in the back of the store, Tyler said. When she tried to handcuff him, he was able to slip out and ran toward the front of the store, where another officer was waiting for him outside. Once the suspect saw the other officer, he ran back into the store, knocking down store displays behind him as an attempt to escape them, police said. That's when Seattle Prep freshman Kevin Merz stepped in, using his football skills to tackle the suspect to the ground. Merz, a 6-foot-1, 206-pound left tackle, was shopping with his parents and two brothers when he saw the suspect running from police. He stopped the suspect because he was worried for the safety of the people around him, he told ABC News. "I decided that I have to protect my family," he said. "So, I straight-on football tackled him." Bellevue Police Department After the essential tackle, Merz's shocked father quickly pulled him off the suspect, he said. "My dad got kind of scared because he thought he might have a weapon," Merz said, adding that he is the only member of his family to play football. He said Bellevue Police Department Chief Steve Mylett later thanked him for his efforts. In the surveillance video, the suspect, dressed in a red, long-sleeved shirt and dark-colored vest, is seen entering the Old Navy store in a hurry. More than a minute later, he tries to sprint out, only to be thwarted by an officer waiting outside. As he runs back inside, he appears to slip out of a female officer's grasp as Merz delivers the final blow. While Tyler does not recommend witnesses to intervene in a police chase due to possible danger, he commended Merz for his actions, saying he "definitely prevented us from having to chase [the suspect] more." “I think in seven years he needs to apply to be a police officer, because he’d make a great officer," Tyler said. The 33-year-old suspect, who has a long history of felony theft, was booked into jail, according to police. He was charged with third-degree theft, resisting arrest and making or having burglary tools. The Bellevue Police Department did not release his name.

– Police pursuing a shoplifter through a Bellevue, Wash., mall got a little help from a high school football player. Kevin Merz, 14, was at Old Navy at the Factoria Mall with his parents and two brothers on Tuesday when he saw the suspect trying to give officers the slip. "I decided that I have to protect my family. So I straight-on football tackled him," the 6-foot-1, 206-pound left tackle tells ABC News. After the takedown, Merz's dad quickly pulled his son off of the suspect, worried that he might have a weapon.The 33-year-old suspect, who has not been named, has a history of felony theft. The incident began in a Target store, where police say the suspect was seen taking the tags off of some $900 worth of merchandise. An officer was waiting for him at the door. When ordered to stop, the suspect dropped the goods and took off through a cosmetics store and ended up in the Old Navy, where, according to KIRO 7, he tried to knock a ladder down to stop the pursuing officers. Eventually, with an officer closing in on the man, Merz executed his tackle. "I'm just trying to be a good citizen," he tells KIRO. A police spokesman advises citizens against intervening in a police chase, but adds, "I think in seven years he needs to apply to be a police officer, because he’d make a great officer." (This shoplifting story had a surprisingly sweet ending.)

MARIETTA, Ga. (AP) — A police lieutenant in Georgia has been moved to administrative duty after being heard on video during a traffic stop saying "we only shoot black people." News outlets report dash-cam video from July 2016 shows a white female driver telling Cobb County police Lt. Greg Abbott she was scared to move her hands in order to get her cellphone. Abbott interrupts her and says, "But you're not black. Remember, we only shoot black people." Police Chief Mike Register says Abbott will remain on administrative duty pending an investigation, and that "no matter what context it was said, it shouldn't have been said." Abbott's attorney, Lance LoRusso, said in a statement Abbott is cooperating with the investigation, and that his comments were meant to "de-escalate a situation involving an uncooperative passenger." ||||| Just One More Thing... We have sent you a verification email. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your AJC.com profile. If you do not receive the verification message within a few minutes of signing up, please check your Spam or Junk folder. Close

– A police lieutenant in Georgia has been moved to administrative duty after being heard on video during a traffic stop saying "we only shoot black people." News outlets report dash-cam video from July 2016 shows a white female driver telling Cobb County police Lt. Greg Abbott she was scared to move her hands in order to get her cellphone, reports the AP. Abbott interrupts her and says, "But you're not black. Remember, we only shoot black people." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that he continued, "Yeah. We only kill black people, right? All the videos you’ve seen, have you seen the black people get killed?" Channel 2 Action News reports that after it submitted an open-records request to obtain the video (see it here), Cobb County Police Chief Mike Register took a look at the footage, which was taken during a DUI stop. Abbott will remain on administrative duty pending an investigation, says Register, adding that "no matter what context it was said, it shouldn't have been said." Abbott's attorney, Lance LoRusso, said in a statement Abbott is cooperating with the investigation, and that his comments were meant to "de-escalate a situation involving an uncooperative passenger." LoRusso says Abbott has been on the force for 28 years.

Please enable Javascript to watch this video KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A Maryville Mo., teenager, who has been at the center of a rape case which made national headlines, was in a Kansas City hospital on Monday night after attempting to take her own life. Daisy Coleman is the teen who claimed to have been raped by a high school student when she was 14 years old. Her family has accused prosecutors of dismissing her claims. The rape accusations made by Daisy and her family subjected them to harassment from several Maryville community members, including both parents and students. The case eventually caught national attention. RELATED: Sexual assault case casts national spotlight on Maryville Melinda Coleman, who is the mother of Daisy Coleman, told FOX 4 that her daughter tried to take her own life Sunday evening. According to Melinda, Daisy had attended a party for about an hour Saturday night and had been attacked immediately afterward on a number of Twitter accounts. Melinda said her daughter is in stable condition at a children’s psychiatric hospital in Kansas City as of Monday night. A special prosecutor has been appointed to handle the new investigation. CLICK HERE to read related articles on Daisy Coleman. ||||| A Missouri teen at the center of a controversial rape investigation was rushed to a hospital after trying to kill herself on Sunday, according to her mother and a local report. Daisy Coleman, who accused an older boy in Maryville of raping her when she was 14, was at a Kansas City psychiatric hospital on Monday after the suicide attempt, local FOX 4 News reported. Her mother, Melinda Coleman, told the station Daisy was distraught after being bullied by teens on social media following a party she attended Saturday night. Her condition wasn't available Tuesday. Daisy, above, has been at the center of a heated rape investigation after she claimed a 17-year-old boy got her drunk and then raped her in 2012, when she was 14. (daisy.a.coleman/via Facebook) Writing on Facebook on Monday, Melinda Coleman said her daughter "had been terrorized to the point she tried to kill herself last night." "She may never be ok," the heartbroken mom wrote. A few hours later, another commenter who claimed to have seen the popular young cheerleader said she was "alive" and "out of physical danger." Melinda Coleman said Daisy tried to kill herself after she was tormented by bullies online following a party she attended over the weekend. (daisy.a.coleman via Facebook) News of the alleged suicide was another grim turn in a case that has cast a long shadow over Maryville, a quiet, tightknit town in rural northwest Missouri about 100 miles from Kansas City. In January 2012, Daisy accused a 17-year-old senior from a prominent local family of raping her while she was drunk and then leaving her on her family’s doorstep in the freezing cold. Her hair was frozen by the time she was discovered. Matthew Barnett, then 17, was arrested and charged with raping Daisy, but prosecutors later dropped the charges, citing a lack of evidence. Barnett has said the two had consensual sex. The story became national news in October after the Kansas City Star published a bombshell report about the alleged rape and a prosecutor's subsequent decision to drop the charges, citing a lack of evidence. Muddying the waters was the fact that the accused teen, Matthew Barnett, was the grandson of a former Missouri state representative. A special prosecutor was appointed in October to investigate allegations. Supporters attend a ‘Justice for Daisy’ rally in Maryville in October. The case has divided the tightknit town, which lies in rural northwest Missouri about 100 miles from Kansas City. (Sait Serkan Gurbuz/AP) Amid a series of nasty exchanges on Facebook on Monday, Melinda Coleman fumed about her daughter's bullying and struck out at her alleged tormenters. She also made a plea to the "hacktavist" organization Anonymous, whose members pledged support for Daisy after the case began making headlines. "Where are you and your super hacking skills and internet help now.......we really need them," she wrote. In October, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker, who has been appointed to look into the case, promised to review the allegations "without fear and without favor." "Politics, connections, or any other reason you can think of, will not play a role in our review of this case. It will be the evidence," Baker said.

– A Missouri teenager whose allegations of rape against a popular football player and subsequent bullying became a national story is in the hospital after a suicide attempt, reports Fox4KC. Daisy Coleman, who says she was raped in 2012 at age 14 by a 17-year-old boy who got her drunk at a party, tried to take her own life on Sunday, her mother tells the local station. "She may never be OK," wrote Melinda Coleman on Facebook. She also implored Anonymous to take up her daughter's case again. Prosecutors in tiny Maryville dropped charges against the 17-year-old boy, citing a lack of evidence, recounts the Daily News. When the Kansas City Star wrote about the case, it became national news, and Daisy did TV interviews about the allegations. She says her friend was raped by another boy at the same party. After the story came to light, Daisy and her family were subjected to harassment and bullying from others in the community, reports the Fox station. Daisy attended a party briefly on Saturday, then was "terrorized" online about it, says her mother.

LOS ANGELES – Nintendo's new 3DS hardware is, in a word, unbelievable. The company didn't talk about how its stunning technology works during Tuesday's brief demo for members of the press. But work it does: Without using special glasses, you can see a deep, rich 3-D display on the top screen of the new Nintendo 3DS portable. __NINTENDO 3DS FEATURES:__Twin screens Top is 3.5-inch 3-D display; bottom is touch panel. Technology Possibly parallel barrier LCD. Cameras Twin cameras on back for 3-D photography. Gyro and motion sensors Should introduce new types of movement-based gameplay. The short, interactive demos Nintendo showed after its conference Monday morning included peeks at new Metal Gear Solid and Resident Evil games. A slider on the right-hand side of the screen lets you adjust how "deep" the 3-D effect looks. You can take it all the way down to zero and see the games in 2-D, or you can crank it up. I found about 80 percent intensity was just right for my eyes. When I had the 3-D effect all the way up, I couldn't quite focus on the scene in front of me. (It'll likely be different depending on the individual player.) Konami is producing a version of its hit PlayStation 3 game Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater for the Nintendo 3DS. The demo showed a first-person sequence in which all sorts of crazy things happened to hero Solid Snake, all playing with the 3-D effect: Knives flew at the camera, and a massive alligator snapped its long jaws. In the second half of the demo, Snake walked across a bridge and avoided enemies in his usual style. While we couldn't control him, we could use the analog stick on the 3DS to adjust the camera and see the 3-D scene from many different angles. That analog stick on the side of the unit, by the way, is pretty fantastic. In sharp contrast to the Sony PSP's tiny analog nub, it's a wide, convex pad that lets your thumb sit comfortably inside as you control the game. A standard digital control pad sits below it. The back of the Nintendo 3DS looks ordinary enough. Photo: Jim Merithew/Wired.com Capcom's Resident Evil demo was a bit less involved. It was just a brief cinematic scene showing a few characters talking about something. (Probably zombies: I was too busy checking out the 3-D effects to pay attention to what they were saying.) The graphics, which are much more advanced than you'd expect from Nintendo, left me pretty much in disbelief. They're on a level with Sony's PSP, probably even a little better than that. But the eye-popping 3-D effect makes everything that much richer. The other demo Nintendo showed wasn't a game at all. It was a collection of 3-D scenes from various Nintendo games. Each tableau, like a shoebox diorama, was animated, and we could move the camera around to better see how the 3-D effect made the characters pop. Familiar faces from Mario, Zelda and Pikmin danced and played onscreen while we tilted the camera around. You can only see the 3-D effect if you're looking at the 3DS screen straight on, although there's a good amount of fudge factor there – you can move the unit around quite a bit and still get the effect. It's not as if you have to hold your hands in the exact perfect place. If you tilt the unit away from your face so it's almost at a 180-degree angle, you can still see the 3-D effect. If you tilt it left and right, you'll lose the effect and the picture will go smudgy, like what happens when you remove your glasses during a 3-D movie. Nintendo will surely have actual games on the show floor when the E3 Expo opens later Tuesday. But this quick look made it easy to understand that the new 3DS really does do full-on 3-D without glasses. See Also: ||||| LOS ANGELES — With Microsoft and Sony looking to leap ahead of Nintendo’s Wii motion-control video game technology, Nintendo took off in another direction on Tuesday with a 3-D portable game device. The Nintendo 3DS hand-held device gives the perception of depth in its 3.53-inch screen. But the real selling point is that the device provides three-dimensional images without the need for special viewing glasses or on a specially equipped 3-D television. The device, which was demonstrated here at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3, also blurs the lines dividing portable game devices, smartphones and digital cameras. Gamers will be able to shoot 3-D photos and insert them into games. The 3DS will also include a motion sensor and a gyro sensor, similar to technologies included in the Apple iPhone 4 announced last week. Nintendo, which is relying on developers to create games that use those new technologies, did not announce a price or release date for the 3DS. The company also said the 3DS would be capable of playing 3-D movies. It demonstrated several feature films from Disney, DreamWorks and Warner Brothers. To create the 3-D effect, a slightly different image is sent to each eye. The effect works as long as the device is placed directly in front of the eyes, but disappears as soon as the viewer moves to either side. Sony also featured 3-D games at its news conference on Tuesday, but not on its portable PSP device. Rather, the company hopes to exploit its 3-D television business by introducing a wide range of video games developed specifically for 3-D. The games will play on the PlayStation 3 console. “This will be the year of 3-D,” said Jack Tretton, president of Sony Computer Entertainment America, who said 20 3-D game titles would be available for the PS3 by March, including Killzone 3, The Sly Collection, Gran Turismo 5 and MotorStorm: Apocalypse. Sony’s new motion-sensing technology for its game consoles, the PlayStation Move controller, uses a camera, a motion controller and a navigation controller to allow a game player to manipulate both characters and objects without a traditional joystick, similar to the method employed by the Wii. As shown in several demonstrations, players need to make realistic movements — sword swipes or golf swings, for example — to move game play forward. PlayStation Move is to be available Sept. 19. A $100 bundle will include a controller, camera, video game and demonstration disc. The stand-alone controller will be available for $50. Sony expects to have more than 50 games for the PlayStation Move available by Christmas, including EyePet, Sports Champions and LittleBigPlanet 2. On Monday, Microsoft introduced its own motion-control technology at E3, called Kinect. It is to be available Nov. 4. Microsoft has not announced the price.

– Nintendo made a deep splash at E3 last night with the 3DS, a 3D version of its portable system. The device doesn’t require any glasses to produce the illusion of 3D, and can turn the effect off if your eyes ever get tired. It can also play 3D movies and, maybe most impressive of all, take 3D pictures with its built-in camera, the New York Times reports. It also boasts an analogue stick (finally), and iPhone-esque motion controls. Wired is wowed, calling the roll-out stunning. Sony is on the 3D bandwagon, too, but it’s focusing on producing games for 3D televisions. “This will be the year of 3D,” promised the president of Sony America, boasting that the PS3 would have 20 3D titles by March. Sony also unveiled its own movement control scheme—simply called Playstation Move—which uses both Wii-mote-esque controllers, and a camera that the company says will combine to accurately capture players' moves.

WWE Superstar ... I'm Gay WWE Superstar Darren Young Comes Out -- I'm Gay EXCLUSIVE superstarjust dropped a bombshell, telling TMZ, he's gay ... and no, this isn't part of the act.Darren was at LAX Wednesday when we asked whether a gay wrestler could succeed in WWE, and Darren laughed, saying, "Absolutely. Look at me. I'm a WWE superstar and to be honest with you, I'll tell you right now, I'm gay. And I'm happy. I'm very happy."For the record, Darren is now the first openly gay wrestler ever at WWE ... and the first headlining wrestler ever to come out while still signed to a major promotion.Other pro wrestlers have been rumored to be gay, but that's it ... just rumors.Bottom line: this is big, big news. For all its chauvinism and testosterone-driven bravado, coming out in WWE is tantamount to coming out in the NFL.Of course, wrestling is a little different, particularly because of how physical it is, and how little clothing is involved -- but Darren is completely unfazed. Watch the video to hear why. Current WWE Champ John Cena is already weighing in on Darren coming out. Check out his reaction here Young is also receiving full support from the WWE ... which says it's "proud of Darren Young for being open about his sexuality."A rep for the organization adds, "We will continue to support him as a WWE Superstar. Today, in fact, Darren will be participating in one of our Be A Star anti-bullying rallies in Los Angeles to teach children how to create positive environments for everyone regardless of age, race, religion or sexual orientation." ||||| All of Anton Krasovsky’s friends and colleagues knew he was gay. But when he announced it on live television, it caused a sensation. The presenter, who had made a successful career on state television channels before being appointed editor-in-chief of a new Kremlin-funded internet broadcaster, was no marginalised liberal; he was very much part of the system. But with his words, he had crossed a red line. “I am gay, and I am a human being just like Putin and Medvedev,” he said to the cameras, referring to Russia’s President and Prime Minister. In the context of Russian public life, it was a revolutionary statement. He was fired immediately, and all references to him were removed from the channel’s website. “I have made a lot of money in television and I understood that I’d lose everything,” he recalls over coffee, months later. He is currently unemployed. “But I also understood that I couldn’t do anything else. I didn’t do it so that I would get hundreds of likes on my Facebook page. I did it because I wanted them to hear it in the Kremlin. And they heard it, and were surprised.” The Russian parliament is preparing to pass a bill that would outlaw “homosexual propaganda”, which has prompted fears of a rise in homophobic violence, in a society that already has little tolerance of gay people. Last week, a 23-year-old man was found dead in Volgograd, apparently attacked by two men he had told he was gay. He had been beaten up, sodomised with bottles, and had his genitals mutilated. In this climate, the lack of gay people in public life is becoming more acutely felt. There are almost no openly gay figures in the worlds of entertainment, sport and politics. Many popular singers and entertainers make little effort to hide their sexuality from friends and colleagues but “coming out” to the broader Russian population would be unthinkable. Surveys show that 80 per cent of Russians believe homosexuals should hide their true sexual orientation, and many Russian gays are used to living a double life, sometimes for decades. But according to some activists, the controversial “homosexual propaganda” law – which has already been passed in 10 Russian regions and looks likely to be implemented nationwide by Russia’s parliament this spring – may not have the effect intended by its conservative backers. “The law has had an interesting effect on the gay community,” says Igor Kochetkov, one of the country’s leading gay-rights activists. “On the one hand it has made a lot of people scared, and more inclined to hide. But on the other hand, it is so absurd it has forced a lot of people to become more active in defending their rights.” According to Mr Kochetkov, there is a chance the law could prompt a whole wave of well-known Russians to come out and declare their sexuality. Mr Krasovsky claims there is very little “real homophobia” in Russia, and suggests his dismissal was as much to do with his words about Vladimir Putin as it was about coming out. He says the reason more gay public figures are not open about their sexuality is that they are “idiots” and “cowards”, though he does admit that many are scared. “Look at most Jews in the Soviet Union, they entered in the ethnicity field on their passports that they were Russians,” he says. “But in the field of entertainment, would singers really lose popularity if they came out and said they were gay? They would only gain more respect.” Surveys do not necessarily back his argument. While Mr Krasovsky’s world of television in Moscow is fairly tolerant, Russia at large remains extremely homophobic, as attacks such as the recent case in Volgograd illustrate all too gruesomely. A recent poll found that only 16 per cent of Russians thought homosexuality was “natural”. More than half think gays need “treatment”. Peter Tatchell, a veteran British rights campaigner, suffered brain and eye damage when he was beaten up at a banned Moscow Gay Pride march in 2007. He says current levels of homophobia in Russia make life a living nightmare for many gay people, who are terrified of coming out for fear of losing their jobs or being attacked. “For people in Britain it is difficult to imagine how homophobic Russian society really is,” says Mr Tatchell. “It’s even worse than Britain in the 1950s.” However, Mr Tatchell agrees that if well-known Russians begin to come out, there could be a serious change in attitudes. “Experience all over the world is that coming out has a huge positive impact on public perceptions of homosexuality,” he says. “People who know a gay person are much more likely to support gay equality.” Mr Kochetkov’s theory that the law could trigger a more mature public discussion appears to have been borne out by recent features in Russian magazines focusing on the issue. The Moscow weekly Afisha devoted an issue to 27 people in different walks of life, all of whom are gay, and many of whom were coming out for the first time. Perhaps the most striking story was that of Alexander Smirnov, an official in the Moscow city government. He said he had been hiding his sexuality for years, but had decided enough was enough. “If someone at work makes jokes about faggots, I smile like an idiot,” he told the magazine. “I even make an effort not to look at good-looking men for too long. I’m used to this self-control since my childhood, but it means a permanent internal stress, and a double life that can send you crazy.” His story contained details of a horrific encounter. A man who posed as an interested suitor on a dating website brutally beat up Mr Smirnov in his home and robbed him. The man, apparently, was taking revenge for the fact his brother was gay. Mr Smirnov was too ashamed to call the police. He said he was aware his public “coming out” in a magazine could mean losing friends or being fired, but he was willing to do it anyway. “I’m 39 and society is still telling me my place. I don’t like it when people tell me how to live, or accuse me of being guilty of something,” he says. “I want to stand up and say this won’t happen anymore.” For a public official, Mr Smirnov’s public declaration of his homosexuality is unprecedented. Gossip is rife about gay intrigue even at the top levels of Mr Putin’s government, but no official has ever come out. Russia, by the law of averages, is likely to have more than 10 million gays and lesbians, and yet almost no public figures have come out. Mr Kochetkov admits that the way Mr Putin’s government is run, and in the current ideological climate, the chances of a minister coming out are almost zero. But, he says, if even a few celebrities came out, it could have a huge effect on Russian society. “For the majority of Russians, ‘gay’ and ‘lesbian’ are abstract concepts that have been imbued with a number of negative connotations through media and public rhetoric,” he says. “If people associate them with real people, then attitudes change quickly. People who actually know gay people are much less likely to be homophobic.”

– Two gay men came out publicly this week and received totally different reactions. With Russia's anti-gay law making headlines, Russian TV personality Anton Krasovsky made his declaration on air, the Independent reports. "I’m gay, and I’m just the same person as you, my dear audience, as President Putin, as Prime Minister Medvedev and the deputies of our Duma," he said. Krasovsky was promptly fired via text message. But "somebody should do it," he said later. "I decided it was time to be open, for me. That’s it." WWE wrestler Darren Young made his statement during an impromptu TMZ video interview at LAX. Asked whether a gay wrestler can succeed, he said, "Absolutely. Look at me. I'm a WWE superstar and to be honest with you, I'll tell you right now, I'm gay. And I'm happy. I'm very happy." At least so far, public reaction has been friendly: WWE champ John Cena told TMZ that Young is "a great guy" and "congratulations," while the WWE said it's "proud of Darren Young for being open about his sexuality."

Major insurer Cigna — which is engaged in an effort to reduce abuse of prescription painkillers — announced Wednesday that it will effectively stop covering the cost of use of the opioid OxyContin by customers of its employer-based health plans beginning in January. At the same time, Cigna announced a contract to continue covering a competing oxycodone alternative to OxyContin, which will impose a financial penalty on that drug's maker if too much of the drug ends up being used by the insurer's customers. Oxycodone is used to treat moderate to severe pain. Cigna's moves come more than a year after the insurer said it intended to cut opioid use among its customers by 25 percent by 2019. The announcement also comes two months after President Donald Trump said the opioid-abuse crisis is a "national emergency." There were more than 33,000 opioid-related deaths in 2015, the highest tally on record, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than half of those deaths were linked to prescription opioids such as OxyContin. The rest were related to heroin or to fentanyl, a synthetic opioid. "Our focus is on helping customers get the most value from their medications — this means obtaining effective pain relief while also guarding against opioid misuse," said Jon Maesner, Cigna's chief pharmacy officer on Wednesday. OxyContin is the only opioid-based prescription painkiller that Cigna is removing in 2018 as "a preferred option" from its formulary, or list of medications that its health plans will pay for. While Maesner said that Cigna would review individual prescriptions for OxyContin that are deemed "medically necessary" by a physician, the drug essentially is "being removed" from coverage by the insurer. Cigna said that people who have already started using OxyContin for hospice care or cancer treatments will continue to have that medication covered next year. Cigna said it has begun notifying customers who currently have OxyContin prescriptions, as well as their doctors, of the decision to stop covering the opioid "so that they have time to discuss treatment options and covered oxycodone clinical alternatives. Maesner, who would not identify how many Cigna customers currently use OxyContin, said the insurer is "not specifically singling out Oxycontin." But, he added, "we found a strong sense of commitment" to reducing opioid overuse from Collegium Pharmaceuticals, the maker of the oxycodone alternative that Cigna will continue to cover. However, a spokesman for Purdue Pharma, the privately held Connecticut company that makes OxyContin, suggested there is little, if any, difference in between the two opioids in how they affect patients. The spokesman, Robert Josephson, said OxyContin and Xtampza ER, the opioid that Cigna is continuing to cover, are both long-acting oxycodones. Josephson also noted that both OxyContin and Xtampa ER are formulated in a way to deter abuse. "We believe that patients should have access to FDA [Food and Drug Administration]-approved products with abuse deterrent properties," Josephson said. "Unfortunately, Cigna's decision limits the tools prescribers can use to help address the opioid crisis as both products are formulated with properties designed to deter abuse." Xtampza ER is made by Collegium Pharmaceutical. Cigna said that under the terms of the contract the insurer signed with Collegium that kicks in Jan. 1, "Collegium is financially accountable if the average daily dosage strengths of Xtampza ER prescribed for Cigna customers exceed a specific threshold." "If the threshold is exceeded, Collegium will reduce the cost of the medication for many of Cigna's benefit plans," Cigna said. Purdue Pharma has been sued by a number of states and cities in the past year for alleged deceptive marketing of its opioids. "I don't know how executives at Purdue sleep at night," State of Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson said last week as he announced one of those lawsuits accusing the drugmaker of downplaying the addictiveness OxyContin. Purdue Pharma, which has declined the suits' claims, has noted that its products account for only 2 percent of all opioid prescriptions. In 2007, the company and three Purdue Pharma executives pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges related to misbranding of OxyContin. Purdue Pharma agreed to pay $600 million in fines and other payments, while the executives agreed to pay $34.5 million in fines. Cigna in 2016 announced a goal of slashing use of opioids among its customers by 25 percent over the next three years. Cigna said that as part of that initiative it would encourage doctors to prescribe the drugs in lesser quantities and for lesser amounts of time. Last April, the insurer said opioid use among Cigna customers had already declined by 12 percent. ||||| (CNN) In an attempt to reduce opioid use amid a nationwide abuse epidemic , insurance giant Cigna will no longer cover most OxyContin prescriptions in its group plans beginning January 1. "Our focus is on helping customers get the most value from their medications -- this means obtaining effective pain relief while also guarding against opioid misuse," Cigna Chief Pharmacy Officer Jon Maesner said in a statement Wednesday. OxyContin is a brand name for an extended-release version of oxycodone, a commonly prescribed opioid painkiller. Long-acting or extended-release medications like OxyContin contain a higher dosage of the active ingredients in the pill itself, which is chemically released over a long period of time. The advantage for patients is that they don't have to take pills as frequently. However, the higher dosage of long-acting pills can make them more attractive for abuse. Crushing or melting some versions of extended-release pills, a user can get a day's dosage in just one pill. According to Cigna, "Xtampza ER's abuse-deterrent platform allows the product to maintain its extended release profile even when cut, crushed, chewed or otherwise manipulated." OxyContin likewise has some abuse-deterrent properties, such as being more difficult to crush. And although one study appeared to find that Xtampza was harder to abuse than OxyContin, it was conducted by the medication's manufacturer, Collegium. The difficulty of abuse shouldn't be confused with how addictive a drug may be, said Dr. Caleb Alexander, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Drug Safety and Effectiveness. "People don't recognize that just because they are harder to tamper with doesn't make them any less addictive or any more effective in chronic non-cancer pain," he said. Despite any advantages Xtampza may have, "people still get addicted to oral pills. They can still take too much. They can still overdose," said Dr. Walid Gellad , co-director of the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Pharmaceutical Policy and Prescribing. Purdue Pharma, maker of OxyContin, said in a statement Thursday that "Cigna's decision limits the tools prescribers can use to help address the opioid crisis as both products are formulated with properties designed to deter abuse. Unfortunately, this decision appears to be more about pharmaceutical rebates." Gellad and Alexander also believe that there was more to Cigna's decision than a desire to combat the opioid crisis. "I think it's important to recognize that insurers are trying to find the sweet spot between finding the right spot clinically and the right thing to do for their business," Alexander said. In its statement, the insurance company said that "Collegium is financially accountable if the average daily dosage strengths of Xtampza ER prescribed for Cigna customers exceed a specific threshold. If the threshold is exceeded, Collegium will reduce the cost of the medication for many of Cigna's benefit plans." When asked for further details of the financial agreement, including what the threshold was and the how cost reduction would be distributed, Cigna said that "specific terms of the contract are proprietary." Dr. Charles E. Argoff, president of the American Academy of Pain Medicine Foundation, said "we are going down a very bad slippery slope if we allow payers to only make decisions solely on financial grounds and don't have any checks and balances on the insurance world's ability to basically dictate what happens to them medically." Cigna said OxyContin will still be considered for patients if a doctor believes it medically necessary. Join the conversation See the latest news and share your comments with CNN Health on Facebook and Twitter. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , over 90 Americans die every day from opioid overdoses, including legally prescribed drugs like oxycodone as well as illicit drugs like heroin. Since 1999, the number of opioid overdose deaths has quadrupled, as has the number of opioid prescriptions. However, there hasn't been a change in the amount of pain reported by Americans. Drug overdoses overall are killing more Americans than guns or car accidents. But Gellad said that targeting prescriptions alone will not be enough to help turn the tide on the opioid overdose epidemic. "If you really want to address the opioid epidemic, it's about about increasing access to non-opioid treament for chronic pain patients."

– A big change for a huge insurance company: Starting Jan. 1, Cigna will stop covering most OxyContin prescriptions in its group plans. OxyContin, an opioid painkiller, is an extended-release version of oxycodone; extended-release versions contain a higher dose of the active ingredients, which can make them ripe for abuse as some versions can be crushed or melted in order to get the full dose immediately. "Our focus is on helping customers get the most value from their medications—this means obtaining effective pain relief while also guarding against opioid misuse," Cigna's chief pharmacy officer said in a statement Wednesday. He said that Cigna would review individual prescriptions deemed "medically necessary" by doctors, CNBC reports. The insurance giant has a goal of reducing its customers' opioid use by 25% over the next three years, CNN reports. Instead of OxyContin, Cigna has signed a contract with Collegium Pharmaceutical for the drug Xtampza ER, which is equivalent to oxycodone but is able to "maintain its extended release profile even when cut, crushed, chewed, or otherwise manipulated," Cigna says. However, it's not clear whether Xtampza ER is meaningfully more difficult to abuse than OxyContin (one study says yes, but it was conducted by the drug's manufacturer) and experts say even if a drug is hard to abuse, it can still be quite addictive. "People still get addicted to oral pills. They can still take too much. They can still overdose," says one doctor. Some are also raising questions about the financial agreement between Cigna and Collegium, and in its response to the news, the maker of OxyContin claimed Cigna's move is "more about pharmaceutical rebates" than keeping customers safe.

Police eyeing link to South Park in Times Square car bomb Giancarli for News A car was found Saturday night in Times Square, which later proved to contain cans of flammable liquid and other explosive devices. Police hunting the man who parked a crude but powerful car bomb in Times Square Saturday night are looking into a possible link to a South Park cartoon lampooning censorship about Mohammed. No link has been established, but threats against the Comedy Central animators were made by a New York Islamist Web site last month and police are aggressively looking for connections, sources told the Daily News. The dark-colored Nissan SUV, its engine running and hazard lights flashing, was parked on W. 45th St. right next to the Broadway headquarters of Viacom, which owns Comedy Central. The Pathfinder was packed with propane, gasoline and fireworks and a rudimentary fuse had already been ignited. A vendor saved the day when he saw smoke curling from the car at about 6:30 p.m. and alerted Officer Wayne Rhatigan. The materials were primitive, but if the SUV had blown, officials said the inferno would have eclipsed the blazing lights of the Crossroads of the World. "I think the intent was to cause a significant ball of fire," said Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly. "We are very, very lucky," said a police source. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said the feds were taking it very seriously, treating it as "a potential terrorist attack." "Right now, we have no information other than it is a one-off," she told ABC. "Nonetheless, we are alerting state and local law enforcement - everybody - to be on their toes." A Taliban official in Pakistan took credit in an audio tape posted to YouTube, but officials were hesitant to link the failed attack to international terrorist groups, calling it more likely a "one-off" or "lone wolf." Preliminary signs suggest "that this was not part of any plot by al Qaeda or another known terrorist organization," said Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY). He said the feds picked up no overseas "chatter" before Saturday night's attempted attack. CBS reported that Pakistani intelligence officials were discounting the Taliban claim, saying the group does not have the global reach of al Qaeda. The same group claimed credit for last year's Binghamton massacre of 13 people carried out by laid-off Vietnamese immigrant Jiverly Wong, who had no ties to militant Islam. Last month, RevolutionMuslim.com posted a graphic photo of Theo van Gogh, a Dutch filmmaker murdered in 2004 for making documentary on violence against Muslim women. It warned animators Trey Parker and Matt Stone - who had just shown Mohammed hidden in a bear suit - that "they will probably wind up like Theo Van Gogh for airing this show." ||||| These are the chilling first moments when firefighters approached a burning car packed with propane tanks and gasoline, that was intended to deal death and mayhem to the packed crowds of Times Square. A Chicago college student filmed the scene as firefighters yelled “Back up!” to bystanders as the car bomb smoldered near Broadway yesterday evening, an attack that could have been devastating if the explosives had detonated. “That thing blew up … right in front of me,” one man is heard saying, apparently referring to several loud bangs witnesses reported hearing before police evacuated the tourist mecca and sent in the Bomb Squad. Police said the gasoline-and-propane bomb was crude but could have sprayed shrapnel and metal parts with enough force to kill pedestrians and knock out windows on one of America’s busiest streets, full of Broadway theaters and restaurants on a Saturday night. A large amount of fertilizer rigged with wires and fireworks were found with the bomb, but police said it was not the ammonium nitrate grade that can explode. The surveillance video shows an unidentified white man in his 40s slipping down an alley and taking off a shirt, revealing another underneath. In the same clip, he’s seen looking back in the direction of the smoking vehicle and furtively putting the first shirt in a bag, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said. The homemade bomb was made largely with ordinary items, including three barbecue grill-size propane tanks, two 5-gallon gasoline containers, store-bought fireworks and cheap alarm clocks attached to wires. “The intent of whoever did this to cause mayhem, create casualties,” Kelly said. Authorities didn’t know how deadly the bomb could have been, how it failed or who was responsible. PHOTOS: TIMES SQUARE BOMB SCARE VIDEO: TIMES SCARE Police had already identified the registered owner of the 1993 Nissan Pathfinder — which didn’t have an easily visible vehicle identification number and had license plates from another car — and were looking to interview him. Police also were searching more video, believed to be in the possession of a Pennsylvania tourist, of the man in the alley. The bomb at Times Square, one of the flashiest and best-known places on Earth, was found at the height of dinner hour before theatergoers headed to Saturday night shows. Timers were connected to a 16-ounce can filled with fireworks, which were apparently intended to set the gas cans and propane afire, Kelly said. He said the bomb “looks like it would have caused a significant fireball” had it fully detonated. He said the vehicle would have been “cut in half” by an explosion and people nearby could have been sprayed by shrapnel and killed. Police had feared that another component — a metal rifle cabinet packed a fertilizer-like substance and rigged with wires and more fireworks — could have made the device even more devastating. Test results late Sunday showed that it was indeed fertilizer — but the New York Police Department’s bomb experts believe it was not a type volatile enough to explode like the ammonium nitrate grade fertilizer used in previous terror attacks, said police spokesman Paul Browne. The exact amount of fertilizer was unknown. Police estimated the cabinet — with a manufacturer-listed weight of 78 pounds — weighed 200 to 250 pounds when they pulled it from the vehicle. New York’s busiest streets, choked with taxis and people on one of the first summer-like days of the year, were shut down for 10 hours, unnerving thousands of tourists attending Broadway show, museums and other city sights. Detectives took the stage at the end of some of shows to announce to theatergoers that they were looking for witnesses in a bombing attempt. “No more New York,” said Crysta Salinas. The 28-year-old Houston woman was stuck waiting in a deli until 2 a.m. because part of a Marriott hotel was evacuated because of the bomb. A Pakistani Taliban group claimed responsibility for the failed attack in a 1-minute video. Kelly, however, said police have no evidence to support the claims, and noted that the same group had falsely taken credit for previous attacks on U.S. soil. The commissioner also cast doubt on an e-mail to a news outlet claiming responsibility. The NYPD and FBI were also examining “hundreds of hours” of security videotape from around Times Square, Kelly said. Police released a photograph of the SUV, a dark-colored Nissan Pathfinder, as it crossed an intersection at 6:28 p.m. Saturday. A vendor pointed the SUV out to an officer about two minutes later. The license plate found on the vehicle did not belong to the SUV; police said it came from a car found in a repair shop in Connecticut. Duane Jackson, a 58-year-old handbag vendor from Buchanan, N.Y., said he noticed the car and wondered who had left it there in a no-standing zone. Jackson said he looked in the car and saw keys in the ignition with 19 or 20 keys on a ring. He said he alerted a passing mounted police officer. They were looking in the car “when the smoke started coming out and then we heard the little pop-pop-pop like firecrackers going out and that’s when everybody scattered and ran back,” he said. “Now that I saw the propane tanks and the gasoline, what if that would have ignited?” Jackson said. “I’m less than 8 feet away from the car.” Times Square lies about four miles north of where terrorists bombed the World Trade Center in 1993, then destroyed it on Sept. 11, 2001. Top federal law enforcement and intelligence officials — President Barack Obama’s national security adviser James Jones, national intelligence director Dennis Blair, CIA chief Leon Panetta, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Attorney General Eric Holder — planned to participate in a meeting later Sunday on the bomb. The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility in a video posted on the Internet on Sunday, according to the SITE Intelligence Group. SITE, a U.S.-based terrorist tracking organization, first uncovered the video on YouTube; it later appeared to have been removed from the website. In a copy of the video provided by SITE, an unidentified voice speaking in Urdu, the primary language in Pakistan, says the group takes “full responsibility for the recent attack in the USA.” The video does not mention any details about Saturday’s attack. The militant group said the attack was revenge for the death of its leader, Baitullah Mehsud, and the recent slaying of al-Qaida in Iraq leaders Abu Omar al-Baghdadi and Abu Ayyub al-Masri, who were killed by U.S. and Iraqi troops last month north of Baghdad. The video also mentioned Aafia Siddiqui, a 37-year-old Pakistani scientist who was convicted in a U.S. court in New York in February of trying to kill American service personnel after her arrest in Afghanistan in 2008. If the claim is genuine, it would be the first time the Pakistani Taliban has struck outside of South Asia. It has no known global infrastructure like al-Qaida. In at least one past instance, the Pakistani Taliban has claimed responsibility for an attack it played no role in. Mehsud reportedly said his men were behind a mass shooting in March 2009 at the American Civic Association in Binghamton, N.Y., in April 2009. That claim turned out to be false. The last terror threat in New York came last fall when air shuttle driver Najibullah Zazi admitted to a foiled homemade bomb plot aimed at the city subway system. The theater district in London was the target of a propane bomb attack in 2007. No one was injured when police discovered two Mercedes loaded with nails packed around canisters of propane and gasoline.

– The Pakistani Taliban says the failed Times Square car bomb was the work of its operatives, but officials investigating the incident are dubious, reports the Daily News. The terrorist group has a history of claiming credit for incidents it had nothing to do with, and initial investigation results suggest "this was not part of any plot by al Qaeda or another known terrorist organization," said Sen. Chuck Schumer. Another possibility is a link to the recent South Park episode about Mohammed, the New York Post reports. Rep. Peter King floated the theory on CNN, quickly calling it "one possibility out of a hundred."

Hunter Gandee, 14, big man on campus and big brother to Braden, 7, will piggyback his brother for 40 miles to raise awareness about cerebral palsy. Hunter, the president of his junior high's student council and captain of his school's wrestling team wants to raise awareness of the challenges his little brother faces in everyday life. Braden was born with cerebral palsy, a movement disorder that causes physical disability. Hunter and Braden Gandee, the dynamic duo that inspires each other to push to the next level. Hunter has been carrying Braden around on his back since the two were young. It's Braden's favorite form of transportation. "It's how he gets around," mom Danielle told ABC News. But this 40 mile hike won't be like a trip to the grocery store. Hunter will carry nearly 60 pound Braden from the Bedford Junior High wrestling room to the University of Michigan Wrestling room. The duo will leave 8 a.m. June 7, walk for about 25 miles, stay overnight in Milan and finish the last 15 miles the next day. Community members, wrestlers from all over, and veterans of the Disabled Veterans of America are expected to join the cause. Hunter wanted to make clear that this walk was strictly to raise awareness. Those who have wanted to donate have been pointed to the University of Michigan's Cerebral Palsy Research Consortium. Big brother Hunter Gandee wants to raise awareness through "Cerebal Palsy Swagger." Hunter told ABC News he is "very protective" of his little brother. "If he has any problems, I'm right there by his side," Hunter said. Braden told ABC News he was "very, very excited" for the walk. Through "Cerebral Palsy Swagger," the Gandee family hopes research and technology will follow so new equipment to aid Braden and others with cerebral palsy will help them rather than hold them back. "You can't go on the baseball field with a walker," Danielle Gandee said. Mrs. Gandee and her husband hold their children to the same standard, modifying expectations when necessary, but "we're pretty strict," the mom said. "They are expected to do well in school, get good grades." "We don't treat him any different. We push him like we push our other kids," Danielle Gandee said. "Only motor challenges hold him back. We don't let cerebral palsy be an excuse." The mom attributes Braden's happy life, despite his physical struggle, to the strong community they are surrounded with and the closeness of their family. "He's kind of like everybody's little brother," she said. "Everyone looks out for him and plays with him, I don't think we've ever had a situation where a kid has been mean to him." Braden Gandee, 7, standing in front of his locker before class. Braden is also Hunter's number one cheerleader and Hunter's greatest inspiration. Braden is always front row and center at his big brother's wrestling matches. "It gives me that extra boost, whenever I'm in the middle of a match, it just makes me want to try harder to pull out the win. It's a confidence thing for me," Hunter said. "Whenever there is a real emotional, close match, Hunter jumps up, slaps the mat, and says 'I did that for you buddy!'" Mrs. Gandee said. "Their connection, they really are that close," Danielle Gandee explained, "It's not an act. Hunter knows that Braden's got to work very hard, he's the kind of person that is always thinking about other people." There have been quite a few kids with cerebral palsy that have or currently are wrestling. Braden hopes to wrestle in junior high. ||||| Hunter Gandee, 14, has been carrying his 7-year-old brother Braden for years. They've walked around the home, on mountains during family camping trips, and just around the grocery store. But this weekend, the two are embarking on a much longer journey. Hunter will carry Braden for 40 miles, from the gym at Bedford Junior High (where Hunter regularly wrestles) all the way to the gym at the University of Michigan. It's all to raise awareness for cerebral palsy and to broadcast the brothers' Cerebral Palsy Swagger awareness project. The cause has been near and dear to the family's hearts since Braden was diagnosed with cerebral palsy back when he was 3 months old. The condition, which directly affects Braden's brain, impairs his walking, mobility, and general movement. But he has Hunter there to help. "I've been carrying him ever since he got too heavy for my mom," says Hunter. And nothing has separated them since. Their two-day journey, which will start with 25 miles on Saturday, June 7, and end with the final 15 on Sunday, will bring them even closer. More from The Stir: Mom Talks Raising a Son With Cerebral Palsy & Making a Film About It The Stir recently caught up with Hunter to hear all about the brothers' journey ... When did you first notice that Braden was unique? I remember when he was little hearing that my brother was going to have difficulty walking and that he’d be different from most kids. He was happy as a baby, but a lot of kids are. Probably around the time he started going to preschool, when he was 3, I really began to see how different he was from the other kids, not only in his physical differences, but also his attitude and how positive he was. What's your favorite thing about your brother? I think a lot of kids who are not able to walk would sort of give up and not try to pursue their goals in life as much as he has. But for him, it hasn't stopped him. How did Cerebral Palsy Swagger come to be? It started out as a dream my mom had. She dreamed I was carrying him. We went from there. Braden has been using a walker, and it’s one of the nicer walkers out there, but he still has trouble going through gravel, grass, or mulch. I wanted to raise awareness and just show people all the difficulties he has to deal with. What does it mean to you to be able to do this for him and with him? It means a lot to me. Really, Braden’s my inspiration. He’s helped me through tough times. He’s always there for me. It means a lot to be able to give back to him and to give back to other people who have cerebral palsy. You obviously walk a lot together, but what's your favorite way to spend time with Braden? We both really love wrestling. [Hunter is the captain of his wrestling team.] Braden's at every one of my matches, and whenever I need support, I can just look over at him sitting on the mat and I know I can do it. Soon, he'll even be able to start wrestling too, so it'll be something we do together. So what do you most look forward to about the walk? I’m really looking forward to the beginning because it’s going to be pretty exciting seeing how many people are out there to support us. And then the arrival, because we’re arriving at the University of Michigan directly. The wrestling team is going to be there, so I’m pretty hyped for that. What are you doing to prepare? I'm lifting weights at the high school and carrying him as much as I can. Braden weights 52 pounds, and I'm 153, but we've been walking around the house and around our town to get ready. You'll be walking for two days. How will you pass the time? We'll have a lot of people with us, but for me and Braden, we'll just talk. Talk about wrestling, sing to each other, or just talk. I'm excited for the one-on-one time. How is the rest of the family participating? My sister is running our blog, my mom was helping out with the Facebook page, and my dad is doing a little bit of everything. They're going to be there on the weekend too. It looks like we're getting an RV and they're going to drive about a mile ahead and we're going to walk to them. What's next for you? What do you hope to do after this? I'm going to keep raising awareness for as long as I can after this. I probably won't do anything like this anytime again because Braden's going to continue growing and I won't be able to do it. I want to be a biomedical engineer. I want to build a suit that's like a brace that will allow him to move and lift his muscles slightly for him and show him correct movements. No matter what, I'm definitely going to raise awareness for the rest of my life. Has your family ever pulled together like the Gandee family to do something so heartwarming? UPDATE: Hunter and Braden walked this weekend and completed their 40-mile journey in 30 hours, and were joined by over 300 supporters. The Gandee family is not accepting donations, but for anyone interested, donations can be made to the University of Michigan's Cerebral Palsy Research Fund. Image via Cerebral Palsy Swagger/Facebook

– Hunter Gandee has been carrying around his little brother Braden "ever since he got too heavy for my mom," the 14-year-old says. That's meant heaving the now-7-year-old piggyback-style around the house and even on mountains during camping trips, The Stir reports. But this weekend, he'll go a bit further. In what he's calling his Cerebral Palsy Swagger project, Hunter, an avid wrestler, will walk 40 miles, carrying his brother in a special sling, ABC News reported last month. He's doing it to raise awareness about the condition Braden was diagnosed with at 3 months old, Hunter tells The Stir in a new interview. "Braden’s my inspiration," Hunter says. "He's helped me through tough times. He's always there for me. It means a lot to be able to give back to him and to give back to other people who have cerebral palsy." His campaign won't end with the walk. "I want to be a biomedical engineer. I want to build a suit that's like a brace that will allow him to move and lift his muscles slightly for him and show him correct movements," Hunter says. "No matter what, I'm definitely going to raise awareness for the rest of my life." Click for the full interview.

As Catholic cardinals meet to select a new pope in Vatican City, President Barack Obama said in an interview that an American pope would rule just as effectively as a pope from another country. ”It seems to me that an American pope would preside just as effectively as a Polish pope or an Italian pope or a Guatemalan pope,” Obama told ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos in an interview recorded Tuesday and portions of which aired Wednesday on “Good Morning America.” Text Size - + reset But would an American pope take orders from him? “I don’t know if you’ve checked lately, but the Conference of Catholic Bishops here in the United States don’t seem to be takin’ orders from me,” Obama said with a laugh. Obama added: “My hope is — based on what I know about the Catholic Church and the terrific work that they’ve done around the world and certainly in this country, and, you know helping those who are less fortunate — is that you have a pope who sustains and maintains what I consider the central message of the gospel. And that is that we treat everybody as children of God and that we love them the way Jesus Christ taught us to love ’em.” ||||| Cardinal Roger Mahony of the U.S. gestures as he arrives for a meeting at the Synod Hall at the Vatican on March 8, 2013. LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, its former leader Cardinal Roger Mahony and an ex-priest have agreed to pay a total of nearly $10 million to settle four child sex abuse cases brought against them, lawyers for the victims said on Tuesday. Mahony, who retired in 2011 as head of the largest U.S. archdiocese and is now in Rome taking part in choosing a new pope, was accused of helping a confessed pedophile priest evade law enforcement by sending him out of state to a Church-run treatment center, then placing the priest back in the Los Angeles ministry. The defrocked priest named in all four cases is Michael Baker, who ultimately was convicted in 2007 and sent to prison on 12 criminal counts of felony oral copulation with a minor involving two boys who reached a previous settlement with the Church. The latest agreement came four weeks before civil suits brought by two men, now in their 20s, who claimed they were molested as 12-year-olds in the late 1990s, were scheduled to go to trial, plaintiff's attorney Vince Finaldi said. The two other newly settled cases are less recent. One dates to the late 1970s, before Mahony was archbishop, and the other to 1986, not long after he assumed the post, Finaldi said. As part of the settlement, approved by a Los Angeles judge earlier this month, none of the parties admitted wrongdoing. Finaldi said the settlement, together with the recent release of internal Church records documenting the role of Mahony and others in covering up child sexual abuse by the clergy, comes "as close to an admission of guilt as you're going to get from the archdiocese." A lawyer for the archdiocese, Michael Hennigan, confirmed a settlement in the amount of $9.99 million was reached. He added that the archdiocese "has always taken the position that we were responsible for the conduct of Michael Baker." Mahony has "admitted that he made serious mistakes in putting Michael Baker back in the ministry," Hennigan said, but he denied that archdiocese officials were involved in a coverup. Clergy were not legally required under California law to report suspected child abuse to authorities until 1997. Prior to that, Hennigan said, the policy of the archdiocese was to urge families of victims to go to law enforcement on their own. 'NO REASONABLE EXCUSE' Finaldi, however, disputed the notion that Mahony should be absolved of any obligation to alert authorities. "You have a priest who is confessing that he sexually molested two kids, and you don't pick up the phone and call police? There's no reasonable excuse for not doing that," he said. Scandals over sex abuse in the U.S. Catholic Church, which erupted in 1992 with a series of molestation cases uncovered in Boston, have cost the Church billions of dollars in settlements and driven prominent dioceses into bankruptcy. The Los Angeles Archdiocese, which serves 4 million Catholics, reached a $660 million civil settlement in 2007 with more than 500 victims of child molestation, marking the biggest such agreement of its kind in the nation. Mahony at that time called the abuse "a terrible sin and crime." The archdiocese has reached a handful of settlements in other cases since then, but the one announced on Tuesday was by far the biggest, Finaldi added. In a rare Church rebuke of a cardinal, Mahony was censured in late January by his successor, Archbishop Jose Gomez, and stripped of all public and administrative duties, as punishment for his role in the sex abuse scandal. The censure followed the public release of over 12,000 pages of confidential files unsealed as part of previous civil suits, revealing how numerous known or suspected pedophiles in the clergy were shielded from law enforcement scrutiny by Mahony and other Church officials. But Mahony retained his title as cardinal and his right to take part in the Vatican conclave that selects a new pontiff to replace retired Pope Benedict XVI, an authority he chose to exercise. The resignation of one of Mahony's former top advisers, Thomas Curry, from his post as bishop of Santa Barbara was announced by the archdiocese in conjunction with the censure. The Church personnel files released earlier this year revealed that in addition to sending abusive priests to a Church-run pedophile treatment center in New Mexico, Mahony and Curry sought to keep priests from later revealing their misconduct to private therapists who would have been obligated to report molestation to police. In one such memo about Baker's return to Los Angeles, Curry wrote to Mahony suggesting Baker avoid any mention of "his past problem" to a therapist after release from the Church treatment program, to which Mahony responded with the handwritten note: "Sounds good -- please proceed!!" Baker confessed his molestation of two boys to Mahony in 1986, early in Mahony's tenure as archbishop. After six months in treatment, he was placed back in the ministry in the Los Angeles area, supposedly in a job precluding any contact with children, Finaldi said. But according to Finaldi, Baker was assigned to a residence attached to a church that also operated a school. (Reporting by Steve Gorman; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Eric Beech) ||||| Cardinals remained divided over who should be pope on Wednesday after three rounds of voting, an indication of disagreements about the direction of the Catholic church following the upheaval unleashed by Pope Benedict XVI's surprise resignation. A woman prays in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. Cardinals are returning to the Sistine Chapel for a second day of voting to choose a new pope after their first ballot yielded... (Associated Press) A woman holds a cross as she waits in St. Peter's Square on the second day of the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. Black smoke again billowed from the chimney of... (Associated Press) A nun watches the rain in St. Peter's Square during the second day of the conclave to elect a new pope at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn) (Associated Press) Visitors wait for the chimney smoke in St. Peter's Square during the second day of the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. Black smoke again billowed from the chimney... (Associated Press) A visitor reads while waiting for smoke to emerge from the chimney on the Sistine Chapel during the second day of the conclave to elect a new pope in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, March... (Associated Press) Nuns wait for the chimney smoke in St. Peter's Square during the second day of the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. Black smoke again billowed from the chimney... (Associated Press) In the second day of the conclave, thick black smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, prompting sighs of disappointment from the thousands of people gathered in a rain-soaked and chilly St. Peter's Square. "I'm not happy to see black smoke. We all want white," said the Rev. ThankGod Okoroafor, a Nigerian priest studying theology at Holy Cross University in Rome. "But maybe it means that the cardinals need to take time, not to make a mistake in the choice." Cardinals voted twice Wednesday morning in the Vatican's famed frescoed Sistine Chapel following an inaugural vote Tuesday to elect a successor to Benedict XVI, who stunned the Catholic world last month by becoming the first pope in 600 years to resign. The cardinals broke for lunch at the Vatican hotel and planned another two rounds of voting Wednesday afternoon. The drama _ with stage sets by Michelangelo and an outcome that is anyone's guess _ is playing out against the backdrop of the church's need both for a manager who can clean up a corrupt Vatican bureaucracy and a pastor who can revive Catholicism in a time of growing secularism. The difficulty in finding both attributes in one man, some analysts say, means that the world should brace for a long conclave _ or at least one longer than the four ballots it took to elect Benedict in 2005. "We have not had a conclave over five days since 1831," noted the Rev. Thomas Reese, author of "Inside the Vatican," a bible of sorts for understanding the Vatican bureaucracy. "So if they are in there over five days, we know they are in trouble; they are having a hard time forming consensus around a particular person." The names mentioned most often as "papabile" _ a cardinal who has the stuff of a pope _ include Cardinal Angelo Scola, the archbishop of Milan, an intellect in the vein of Benedict but with a more outgoing personality, and Cardinal Marc Ouellet, the Canadian head of the Vatican's important bishops' office who is also scholarly but reserved like Benedict. Brazilian Cardinal Odilo Scherer is liked by the Vatican bureaucracy but not by all of his countrymen. And Cardinal Peter Erdo of Hungary has the backing of European cardinals who have twice elected him as head of the European bishops' conference. On the more pastoral side is Cardinal Sean O'Malley of Boston, the favorite of the Italian press, and Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the back-slapping, outgoing archbishop of New York who has admitted himself that his Italian is pretty bad _ a drawback for a job that is conducted almost exclusively in the language. Thousands of people braved a chilly rain on Wednesday morning to watch the 6-foot- (2-meter-) high copper chimney on the chapel roof for the smoke signals telling them whether the cardinals had settled on a choice. Nuns recited the rosary, while children splashed in puddles. After the smoke poured out, the crowds began to dissipate, though a few hangers-on appeared ready to wait out the afternoon balloting. "The more we wait, the better chance we have of having a surprise," said Ludovic de Vernejouls, a 21-year-old Parisian studying architecture in Rome. Unlike the confusion that reigned during the 2005 conclave, the smoke this time around has been clearly black _ thanks to special smoke flares akin to those used in soccer matches or protests that were lit in the chapel ovens to make the burned ballots black. The cardinals spent the night sequestered in the Vatican's Santa Marta hotel, an impersonal modern hotel on the edge of the Vatican gardens. They have no access to television, newspapers, cellphones or computers, and the hotel staff has taken an oath of secrecy to not reveal anything they see or hear. The actual vote takes place in far more evocative surroundings: the Sistine Chapel frescoed by Michelangelo in the 16th century with scenes of "Creation" and "The Last Judgment." ___ Follow Nicole Winfield at www.twitter.com/nwinfield

– Black smoke poured from the Sistine Chapel's vaunted chimney again this morning, signalling that the second and third rounds of voting from the 115 cardinals gathered inside had failed to yield a pope. Two more rounds await the cardinals this afternoon, reports the AP, and voting will resume after lunch. The votes take place in silence, adds the BBC, with no debate allowed; if there's no consensus after three days, however, the cardinals may take a daylong break for prayer and informal discussion. The continued stalemate comes amid another black eye for the Church, and a reminder of the deep challenges the next pope will face, adds Reuters. The Los Angeles Archdiocese yesterday settled four sex-abuse lawsuits involving a single pedophile priest for $10 million; named in the suit was Cardinal Roger Mahony, who is alleged to have covered the priest's abuse. Mahony, who retired from leading the LA diocese in 2011, is currently in the Sistine Chapel voting on the new pontiff. Meanwhile, President Obama weighed in on the conclave in an interview airing this morning, reports Politico. "It seems to me that an American pope would preside just as effectively as a Polish pope or an Italian pope or a Guatemalan pope," he said. Asked about perceptions that an American pontiff might be beholden to the Oval Office, Obama wryly responded, “I don't know if you’ve checked lately, but the Conference of Catholic Bishops here in the United States don't seem to be takin' orders from me."

When Lisa Morrise gave birth to her youngest daughter Kirsten, doctors told her the baby was experiencing serious respiratory problems but they weren't sure why. "She just wasn't getting enough oxygen," Morrise told CBS News. "She had a purple and bluish tinge to her color." Morrise later learned that Kirsten was born with Pierre Robin Sequence, a rare set of abnormalities affecting the head and face, consisting of a small lower jaw, a tongue placed further back than normal, and cleft palate which obstructs breathing and swallowing. The condition affects an estimated one in every 8,500 to 20,000 babies and requires immediate resuscitation at birth. Kirsten Morrise was born Feb. 15, 1993, bluish in color and retracting at the sternum, making an extra effort to move air. Lisa Morrise But since Kirsten's condition wasn't immediately diagnosed, she did not get the treatment she needed. Once doctors determined she was breathing, they sent her to the normal nursery, but two hours later a nurse noticed Kirsten was still under distress and rushed her to the NICU. There, she was diagnosed and treated correctly, but Morrise believes that the two hours in which Kirsten did not have sufficient oxygen was a factor in her developing mild cerebral palsy. Kirsten's story is just one of many who have suffered as a result of a diagnostic error. Such inaccurate or delayed diagnoses are far from uncommon and urgently need to be addressed by the medical community, according to a new report released today by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. In fact, most people will experience at least one diagnostic error -- an inaccurate or delayed diagnosis -- in their lifetime, sometimes with devastating consequences, the authors report. The paper is a continuation of the Institute of Medicine's Quality Chasm Series. The committee that wrote the study found that data on diagnostic errors are sparse, there are few measures to accurately track them and most errors are found only in retrospect. "Despite the pervasiveness of diagnostic error and the risk for patient harm, they have been largely unappreciated within the quality safety movement in health care and this cannot and must not continue," Dr. Victor Dzau, the president of the National Academy of Medicine, said in a press conference this morning. "The time has come to address diagnostic errors," Dr. Mark Graber, founder and president of the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine, told CBS News. His organization petitioned the IOM to undertake an investigation of diagnostic errors. "Diagnostic errors are nothing new, they've been happening all along and this report emphasizes how significant they are," he said The report identified several common causes for diagnostic errors, including: Inadequate collaboration and communication among clinicians, patients, and their families Limited feedback to doctors about the accuracy of diagnoses A culture that discourages transparency and disclosure of diagnostic errors, which impedes attempts to learn and improve in the medical community As health care continues to grow more complex, experts say the problem of diagnostic errors will likely worsen unless steps are taken to address it. The committee makes several recommendations, but admits it's a complicated problem to solve. "Diagnosis is a collective effort that often involves a team of health care professionals -- from primary care physicians, to nurses, to pathologists and radiologists," Dr. John R. Ball, committee chair and executive vice president emeritus of the American College of Physicians, said in a statement. "The stereotype of a single physician contemplating a patient case and discerning a diagnosis is not always accurate, and a diagnostic error is not always due to human error. Therefore, to make the changes necessary to reduce diagnostic errors in our health care system, we have to look more broadly at improving the entire process of how a diagnosis made." The committee first calls for patients and their families to be more involved in the diagnostic process. To help them do so, they say doctors and health care organizations should provide patients with greater opportunities to learn about diagnosis. They should also get improved access to electronic health records, including clinical notes and test results. The report says it's important to create an environment where patients and their family can share feedback and concerns about possible diagnostic errors. Currently, most health care organizations do not have systems in place to identify diagnostic errors, and the culture of many of these organizations discourages such identification, the authors say. They recommend reforms to the medical liability system, to help encourage transparency and disclosure of diagnostic errors in an effort to learn from them and prevent them from happening again. Currently, fear of lawsuits often has the effect of discouraging doctors or health care organizations from admitting problems to patients. In Morrise's case, she never received confirmation from the hospital that Kirsten's delayed diagnosis was the cause of further health problems. But years later, she learned from the nurses who had cared for her daughter that after the incident, yearly training was implemented in identifying the signs of Pierre Robin Sequence and how to administer appropriate treatment. "That was difficult for me to process because I realized in that moment that the hospital had known that they had made a mistake, and what took years for me to figure out what the impact had been, they had known and never said anything," Morrise said. Kirsten Morrise during a hike in Brighton, Utah in August 2015. Lisa Morrise Kirsten, now 22 and a student at Utah State studying social work, has undergone a total of 44 surgeries and spent a large part of her life with a tracheotomy tube. After three major procedures, she can now breathe fairly well. Both she and her mother have become patient advocates, giving regular talks on the subject and working with local hospitals to provide the patients' perspective on improving care. The authors of the report also highlight the importance of medical education reform in preventing diagnostic errors. They call for changes to the curriculum emphasizing clinical reasoning, teamwork, communication and diagnostic testing. Additionally, they say it's important to improve health information technology and support for both health care professionals and patients. "In the end improving the diagnostic process is not only possible, but it does represent a moral professional public health imperative," Ball said. "Achieving the goal will require a significant re-envisioning of the diagnostic process and widespread commitment to change." ||||| A daily crawl of more than 200,000 home pages of news sites, including the pages linked from those home pages. Site list provided by The GDELT Project These crawls are part of an effort to archive pages as they are created and archive the pages that they refer to. That way, as the pages that are referenced are changed or taken from the web, a link to the version that was live when the page was written will be preserved.Then the Internet Archive hopes that references to these archived pages will be put in place of a link that would be otherwise be broken, or a companion link to allow people to see what was originally intended by a page's authors.The goal is to fix all broken links on the web . Crawls of supported "No More 404" sites. Date: Sept. 22, 2015 prefix = "o" ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" / Urgent Change Needed to Improve Diagnosis in Health Care or Diagnostic Errors Will Likely Worsen, Says New Report WASHINGTON – Most people will experience at least one diagnostic error -- an inaccurate or delayed diagnosis -- in their lifetime, sometimes with devastating consequences, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The committee that conducted the study and wrote the report found that although getting the right diagnosis is a key aspect of health care, efforts to improve diagnosis and reduce diagnostic errors have been quite limited. Improving diagnosis is a complex challenge, partly because making a diagnosis is a collaborative and inherently inexact process that may unfold over time and across different health care settings. To improve diagnosis and reduce errors, the committee called for more effective teamwork among health care professionals, patients, and families; enhanced training for health care professionals; more emphasis on identifying and learning from diagnostic errors and near misses in clinical practice; a payment and care delivery environment that supports the diagnostic process; and a dedicated focus on new research. This report is a continuation of the Institute of Medicine’s Quality Chasm Series , which includes reports such as To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System , Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century , and Preventing Medication Errors . “These landmark IOM reports reverberated throughout the health care community and were the impetus for system-wide improvements in patient safety and quality care,” said Victor J. Dzau, president of the National Academy of Medicine. “But this latest report is a serious wake-up call that we still have a long way to go. Diagnostic errors are a significant contributor to patient harm that has received far too little attention until now. I am confident that Improving Diagnosis in Health Care, like the earlier reports in the IOM series, will have a profound effect not only on the way our health care system operates but also on the lives of patients.” Data on diagnostic errors are sparse, few reliable measures exist, and errors are often found in retrospect, the committee found. However, from the available evidence, the committee determined that diagnostic errors stem from a wide variety of causes that include inadequate collaboration and communication among clinicians, patients, and their families; a health care work system ill-designed to support the diagnostic process; limited feedback to clinicians about the accuracy of diagnoses; and a culture that discourages transparency and disclosure of diagnostic errors, which impedes attempts to learn and improve. Errors will likely worsen as the delivery of health care and the diagnostic process continue to increase in complexity, the committee concluded. To improve diagnosis, a significant re-envisioning of the diagnostic process and a widespread commitment to change from a variety of stakeholders will be required. “Diagnosis is a collective effort that often involves a team of health care professionals -- from primary care physicians, to nurses, to pathologists and radiologists,” said John R. Ball, chair of the committee and executive vice president emeritus, American College of Physicians. “The stereotype of a single physician contemplating a patient case and discerning a diagnosis is not always accurate, and a diagnostic error is not always due to human error. Therefore, to make the changes necessary to reduce diagnostic errors in our health care system, we have to look more broadly at improving the entire process of how a diagnosis made.” Critical partners in improving the diagnostic process are patients and their families, because they contribute valuable input that informs diagnosis and decisions about their care. To help them actively engage in the process, the committee recommended that health care organizations and professionals provide patients with opportunities to learn about diagnosis, as well as improved access to electronic health records, including clinical notes and test results. In addition, health care organizations and professionals should create environments in which patients and families are comfortable sharing feedback and concerns about possible diagnostic errors. Few health care organizations have processes in place to identify diagnostic errors and near misses in clinical practice. However, collecting this information, learning from these experiences, and implementing changes are critical for achieving progress. The culture of health care organizations can also discourage identification and learning. Therefore, the committee called for these institutions to promote a non-punitive culture that values open discussions and feedback on diagnostic performance. Reforms to the medical liability system are needed to make health care safer by encouraging transparency and disclosure of diagnostic errors. States, in collaboration with other stakeholders, should promote a legal environment that facilitates the timely identification, disclosure, and learning from diagnostic errors. Voluntary reporting efforts should also be encouraged and evaluated for their effectiveness. Payment and care delivery models also likely influence the diagnostic process and the occurrence of diagnostic errors, but information about their impact is limited and this is an important area for research, the committee said. It recommended changes to fee-for-service payment to improve collaboration and emphasize important tasks in the diagnostic process. For example, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and other payers should create codes and provide coverage for evaluation and management activities, such as time spent by pathologists and radiologists in advising treating physicians on testing for specific patients. Moreover, payers should reduce distortions in the fee schedule that place greater emphasis on procedure-oriented care than on cognitive-oriented care, because they may be diverting attention from important tasks in diagnosis, such as preforming a thorough clinical history, interview, and physical exam, or decision making in the diagnostic process. Additionally, the committee recommended that health care professional education and training emphasize clinical reasoning, teamwork, communication, and diagnostic testing. The committee also urged better alignment of health information technology with the diagnostic process. Furthermore, federal agencies should develop a coordinated research agenda on the diagnostic process and diagnostic errors by the end of 2016. The report presents resources to help patients better engage in the diagnostic process. One resource, a checklist for getting the right diagnosis, advises patients about how to effectively tell their story, be a good historian, keep good records, be an informed consumer, take charge of managing their health care, follow up with their clinicians, and encourage clinicians to think about other potential explanations for their illness. The study was sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American College of Radiology, American Society for Clinical Pathology, Cautious Patient Foundation, College of American Pathologists, The Doctors Company Foundation, Janet and Barry Lang, Kaiser Permanente National Community Benefit Fund at the East Bay Community Foundation, and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are private, nonprofit institutions that provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions related to science, technology, and medicine. The Academies operate under an 1863 congressional charter to the National Academy of Sciences, signed by President Lincoln. For more information, visit http://national-academies.org . A committee roster follows. Social Media: #improvingdiagnosis http://nas.edu/improvingdiagnosis Resources: Report in Brief List of Recommendations Select Figures Resources for Improving Communications PDF of Communication Resources Video Contacts: Jennifer Walsh, Senior Media Relations Officer Chelsea Dickson, Media Relations Associate Office of News and Public Information 202-334-2138; e-mail news@nas.edu http://www.nas.edu/newsroom/index.html Twitter: @NASciences RSS feed: http://www.nationalacademies.org/rss/index.html Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nationalacademyofsciences/sets Pre-publication copies of Improving Diagnosis in Health Care are available from the National Academies Press on the Internet at http://www.nap.edu or by calling 202-334-3313 or 1-800-624-6242. Reporters may obtain a copy from the Office of News and Public Information (contacts listed above). THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES, ENGINEERING, AND MEDICINE Institute of Medicine Board on Health Care Services Committee on Diagnostic Error in Medicine John R. Ball, M.D., J.D.* (chair) Executive Vice President Emeritus American College of Physicians Asheville, N.C. Elisabeth Belmont, J.D. Corporate Counsel MaineHealth Portland Robert A. Berenson, M.D. Institute Fellow The Urban Institute Washington, D.C. Pascale Carayon, Ph.D. Proctor & Gamble Bascom Professor in Total Quality Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, and Director Center for Quality and Productivity Improvement University of Wisconsin Madison Christine K. Cassel, M.D.* President and CEO National Quality Forum Washington, D.C. Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D.* Chief Medical Officer Veterans Health Administration Washington, D.C. Michael B. Cohen, M.D. Medical Director Anatomic Pathology and Oncology Division ARUP Laboratories, Professor and Vice Chair for Faculty Development and Ombudperson, Health Sciences Center University of Utah Salt Lake City Patrick Croskerry, M.D., Ph.D., FRCP(Edin) Professor of Emergency Medicine Director, Critical Thinking Program Dalhousie University Medical School Dalhousie University Nova Scotia, Canada Thomas H. Gallagher, M.D. Professor and Associate Chair, Department of Medicine Director, Hospital Medicine Program and Center for Scholarship in Patient Care Quality Improvement, Safety and Value University of Washington Seattle Christine A. Goeschel, Sc.D., M.P.A., M.P.S., R.N., F.A.A.N. Assistant Vice President for Quality Medstar Health Columbia, Md. Mark L. Graber, M.D. Senior Fellow RTI International Plymouth, Mass. Hedvig Hricak, M.D., Ph.D.* Chair Department of Radiology Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center New York City Anupam B. Jena, M.D., Ph.D. Associate Professor Health Care Policy and Medicine Harvard Medical School; and Assistant Physician Massachusetts General Hospital Boston Ashish K. Jha, M.D., M.P.H.* K.T. Li Professor of International Health, and Director Harvard Global Health Institute Department of Health Policy and Management Harvard School of Public Health Boston Michael Laposata, M.D., Ph.D. Professor and Chair Department of Pathology University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston Kathryn M. McDonald, M.M. Executive Director and Senior Scholar Center for Health Policy and Center for Primary Care and Outcomes Research Stanford University Stanford, Calif. Elizabeth A. McGlynn, Ph.D.* Director Center for Effectiveness and Safety Research Kaiser Permanente Pasadena, Calif. Michelle Rogers, Ph.D. Associate Professor College of Computing and Informatics Drexel University Philadelphia Urmimala Sarkar, M.D., M.P.H. Associate Professor Division of General Internal Medicine University of California, and Primary Care Physician San Francisco General Hospital San Francisco George E. Thibault, M.D.* President Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation, and Daniel D. Federman Professor of Medicine and Medical Education Emeritus Harvard Medical School New York City John B. Wong, M.D. Chief Division of Clinical Decision Making Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies School of Medicine Tufts University Boston STAFF Erin Balogh Study Director _________________________ *Member, National Academy of Medicine # # # ||||| Breaking News Emails Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings. Most Americans will get a wrong or late diagnosis in their lifetimes, a new report finds — often with devastating effects. It’s almost impossible to quantify, but the problem is serious, and the lack of a coherent medical system helps keep it under the radar, the National Academy of Medicine finds in a new report. The solution involves getting pathologists and radiologists more actively involved in a patient’s diagnosis, the Academy, formerly the Institute of Medicine, recommends. It's also calling for changes to medical malpractice laws so professionals aren’t afraid to own up to mistakes, and going back to doing autopsies, culture changes at hospitals, clinics and institutions and better use of technology. “Everyone will experience one meaningful diagnostic error in their lifetime,” Dr. John Ball, chairman of the Committee on Diagnostic Error in Medicine, which wrote the report, told NBC News. “Everyone will experience one meaningful diagnostic error in their lifetime." “We simply don’t know what the incidence of it is. We need to study it more to be able to do anything about it. It’s an under-represented, understudied area in medicine and we need to shine a light on it.” According to the report: At least 5 percent of U.S. adults who seek outpatient care each year experience a diagnostic error. Postmortem exams suggest diagnostic errors contribute to 10 percent of patient deaths. Medical records suggest diagnostic errors account for 6 to 17 percent of adverse events in hospitals. Sometimes people suffer from more than one error. Susan Sheridan of Boise, Idaho, lost her husband to a late cancer diagnosis and has a permanently disabled son because no one noticed his serious jaundice as a newborn. She knew something was badly wrong soon after her son Cal, who is now 20, was born. He was a little jaundiced, which is normal for a newborn, but Sheridan noticed more alarming symptoms. “When he was about three or four days old, he began to show signs of being super sleepy,” Sheridan said. He’d been a strong feeder, but was weak and floppy. Sheridan called St. Luke’s Hospital in Boise, where Cal had been born, for advice. “They said, ‘Are you a first time mom?’ I said yeah. They said, ‘Don’t worry — this is normal’,” Sheridan said. She remained worried and her pediatrician reluctantly told her to bring Cal in. “He was so yellow he was turning a kind of orange color. The receptionist called him the pumpkin baby because he was so yellow orange,” Sheridan said. These are all classic signs of too-high bilirubin. Newborns have tiny livers that cannot easily process this compound. When levels get too high, bilirubin can damage the brain. Many hospitals now routinely test for it, but in 1995, when Cal was born, it had fallen out of fashion. Cal was given an antibiotic for an ear infection and sent home. His bilirubin continued to soar, damaging his brain. A level of 20 is considered dangerous. Cal’s was 34. It’s easy to treat by putting the baby under special lights for a few days or, if it gets worse, with a blood transfusion. Time after time Sheridan’s worries were dismissed, even as she begged for help. Cal developed kernicterus, the brain damage caused by bilirubin. His body arched backwards and he wailed and trembled. Sheridan demanded that a neurologist examine Cal. But the neurologist, too, failed to see the danger. Sheridan and her husband Pat did not give up. They eventually got Cal diagnosed and treated at the University of Washington. But it was too late. “Cal has really significant cerebral palsy,” Sheridan, who is now 55, said. “He can walk with a walker. He is very speech impaired, hearing impaired. His eyes kind of shoot all over the place.” He will require lifetime care. The Sheridans settled with St. Luke. “What happened to Cal is unacceptable,” Sheridan said. Sheridan became a patient activist and testified in Washington about the need for better diagnosis of jaundice, and some guidelines to prevent such errors from happening again. She works with the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine, which pressed for Tuesday's report. The report calls for guidelines, too, and better training. Hospitals, healthcare systems, organizations and others should “develop and deploy approaches to identify, learn from, and reduce diagnostic errors and near misses in clinical practice,” the report recommends. “If people are afraid to speak up, then bad things can continue to happen." Ball says it’s important to create a culture where hospitals and doctors should feel free to admit their mistakes. “If people are afraid to speak up, then bad things can continue to happen,” he said. The Institute of Medicine called for this same culture of confession in its landmark 1998 report on medical errors that found tens of thousands of Americans die from medical mistakes such as botched surgery or infections acquired in the hospital. Almost unbelievably, the country’s disjointed medical system struck the Sheridan family again. As Susan embarked on a new career advocating for better patient involvement, Patrick developed a pain in his neck. Doctors prescribed physical therapy, offered pain pills, tried acupuncture. Nothing helped. An orthopedic specialist ordered an MRI scan and found a mass on his spine. “We went to a very well-known hospital in Arizona,” Sheridan said. A surgeon got the tumor out and told the Sheridans it was benign. But Susan didn’t trust this, not after what she went through with Cal. “I asked for the surgical report and pathology and got (a frozen section of tissue from the tumor),” she said. She took everything to their own general practitioner. “What we didn’t know is that the pathologist had ordered additional stains, that he was doing additional testing on my husband’s tumor,” she said. “It was a significant, aggressive tumor.” The pathologist faxed his report to Sheridan’s doctor 23 days later. “It got put into my husband’s chart without the doctor ever seeing it,” Sheridan said. Her family celebrated what they thought was Patrick’s recovery, little suspecting that malignant tumor cells were spreading in his body. Six months later, the pain was back. It was sarcoma. “During the six months of non-treatment, the tumor metastasized and penetrated his spinal cord,” Sheridan said. Patrick went to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston for round after round of surgery and chemotherapy. “He didn’t make it,” she said. “That diagnostic error ended his life.” Patrick died in 2002, at 45. “He said he knew it was cancer and he thought everyone else did. I guess that he trusted the system would close the loop somehow." Why didn’t the pathologist make sure the neurosurgeon saw the report about the tumor? “What if he had picked up the phone and called the doctor and say, ‘We have got something bad on our hands’?” Sheridan asked. She even asked the pathologist directly. “He said he knew it was cancer and he thought everyone else did. I guess that he trusted the system would close the loop somehow,” she said. “I learned that doctors don’t get reimbursed or paid for talking to each other. Our system prevents the doctors from talking to each other." Tuesday’s report addresses this issue directly. Right now, they’re not encouraged or paid to do so. But they should be, Ball says. The report calls for this type of consultation to be paid for, and given its own medical code for billing the insurance company. “Radiologists and pathologists need to be much more involved in clinical care,” Ball said. “There are 30,000 diagnostic tests (and) 10,000 of those are molecular tests. No single physician can figure out which tests do I use on this particular patient.” The report also calls for a return to the lost art of the autopsy, another procedure that doctors and hospitals have dropped. Patients are almost certainly dying of missed diagnoses, and no one knows, the report says. “The incidence of autopsies is falling off tremendously, in part because it’s not paid for and in large part because people think that the diagnostic technologies that we have now have supplanted the autopsy, that we should know ahead of time what the patient had,” Ball said. Electronic medical records will help, if and when they ever become widely used, the report says. But there’s still not a system that ensures one hospital’s system can talk to another’s, and many doctors are reluctant to use even basic electronic tools. "Our system prevents the doctors from talking to each other." The Affordable Care Act’s provisions to encourage teams to get paid for caring for patients, instead of getting reimbursed piecemeal for each test, each visit and each diagnosis, should also help, Ball says. Sheridan, who is now director of patient engagement for the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), wants more. “Our healthcare system…I have no clue who is in charge,” she said. “I assumed somebody was in charge of keeping us safe.” And there needs to be a body keeping tabs on errors. “There is no place for us to report when things go wrong,” Sheridan said. “The first thing I wanted to do was tell somebody, so they could make sure that will never happen again.”

– Virtually all Americans will at some point receive a wrong diagnosis or a delayed one, a new report from the National Academy of Medicine finds. "Everyone will experience one meaningful diagnostic error in their lifetime," the chairman of the committee that wrote the report tells NBC News. The stats are troubling: At least 5% of US adults in outpatient care each year are victims of a diagnostic error, with 6% to 17% of "adverse events" in hospitals and 10% of patient deaths occurring due to these mistakes, per medical and postmortem records. The solution, according to the report, includes embracing more communication with pathologists and radiologists, better harnessing of technology, and bringing back autopsies. There should also be more transparency and encouragement of disclosure, the report notes, so doctors won't be hesitant to reveal errors because they're afraid of malpractice suits, per CBS News. No one knows this better than Susan Sheridan, a patient-involvement advocate from Idaho whose 20-year-old son is permanently disabled because of a jaundice misdiagnosis when he was an infant, and whose husband died of cancer because of a diagnosis received too late. "Our healthcare system … I have no clue who is in charge," she tells NBC. "I assumed somebody was in charge of keeping us safe." The president of the National Academy of Medicine says in a release that this report "is a serious wake-up call" and that "diagnostic errors are a significant contributor to patient harm that has received far too little attention until now." (A mistaken brain surgery, unnecessary chemo, and erroneous mastectomies all had devastating consequences.)

Flash flooding plagues Houston after heavy storms Photo: HC Image 1 of / 48 Caption Close Image 1 of 48 Fences damaged by a possible tornado on Gaines Road near Bissonnet Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Sugar Land. ( James Nielsen / Chronicle ) Fences damaged by a possible tornado on Gaines Road near Bissonnet Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Sugar Land. ( James Nielsen / Chronicle ) Photo: HC Image 2 of 48 A house near Sugar Land after it was hit by a tornado on Monday, Jan. 9, 2011. A house near Sugar Land after it was hit by a tornado on Monday, Jan. 9, 2011. Photo: (James Nielsen / Chronicle) Image 3 of 48 A home damaged by a possible tornado in the 15000 block of Turphin Way Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Sugar Land. ( James Nielsen / Chronicle ) A home damaged by a possible tornado in the 15000 block of Turphin Way Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Sugar Land. ( James Nielsen / Chronicle ) Photo: HC Image 4 of 48 Umair Sayyed looks over damage by a possible tornado inside the home where his he lives with his family in the 15000 block of Turphin Way Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, near Sugar Land. Umair Sayyed looks over damage by a possible tornado inside the home where his he lives with his family in the 15000 block of Turphin Way Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, near Sugar Land. Photo: (James Nielsen / Chronicle) Image 5 of 48 A home damaged by a possible tornado in the 15000 block of Turphin Way Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Sugar Land. ( James Nielsen / Chronicle ) A home damaged by a possible tornado in the 15000 block of Turphin Way Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Sugar Land. ( James Nielsen / Chronicle ) Photo: HC Image 6 of 48 Fences near Sugar Land were hit by a tornado on Monday, Jan. 9, 2011. Fences near Sugar Land were hit by a tornado on Monday, Jan. 9, 2011. Photo: (James Nielsen / Chronicle) Image 7 of 48 A house near Sugar Land after it was hit by a tornado on Monday, Jan. 9, 2011. A house near Sugar Land after it was hit by a tornado on Monday, Jan. 9, 2011. Photo: (James Nielsen / Chronicle) Image 8 of 48 Umair Sayyed looks over damage by a possible tornado inside the home where his he lives with his family in the 15000 block of Turphin Way Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, near Sugar Land. Umair Sayyed looks over damage by a possible tornado inside the home where his he lives with his family in the 15000 block of Turphin Way Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, near Sugar Land. Photo: (James Nielsen / Chronicle) Image 9 of 48 Cars try to turn onto the Highway 59 feeder lane at the Weslayan Street intersection as rain pours Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. ( Nick de la Torre / Houston Chronicle ) Cars try to turn onto the Highway 59 feeder lane at the Weslayan Street intersection as rain pours Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. ( Nick de la Torre / Houston Chronicle ) Photo: HC Image 10 of 48 Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. ( Nick de la Torre / Houston Chronicle ) Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. ( Nick de la Torre / Houston Chronicle ) Photo: HC Image 11 of 48 Cars stall Richmond Avenue near Buffalo Speedway as rain pours Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. ( Nick de la Torre / Houston Chronicle ) Cars stall Richmond Avenue near Buffalo Speedway as rain pours Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. ( Nick de la Torre / Houston Chronicle ) Photo: HC Image 12 of 48 Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. ( Nick de la Torre / Houston Chronicle ) Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. ( Nick de la Torre / Houston Chronicle ) Photo: HC Image 13 of 48 Metro Busses stay put as high water inundate the Richmond Avenue and Buffalo Speedway intersection as rain pours Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. ( Nick de la Torre / Houston Chronicle ) Metro Busses stay put as high water inundate the Richmond Avenue and Buffalo Speedway intersection as rain pours Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. ( Nick de la Torre / Houston Chronicle ) Photo: HC Image 14 of 48 Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. ( Nick de la Torre / Houston Chronicle ) Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. ( Nick de la Torre / Houston Chronicle ) Photo: HC Image 15 of 48 A pedestrian tries to navigte water as he crosses Buffalo Speedway at Richmond Avenue as rain pours Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. ( Nick de la Torre / Houston Chronicle ) A pedestrian tries to navigte water as he crosses Buffalo Speedway at Richmond Avenue as rain pours Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. ( Nick de la Torre / Houston Chronicle ) Photo: HC Image 16 of 48 A SUV tries to get on Highway 59 near Weslayan Street as rain pours Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. ( Nick de la Torre / Houston Chronicle ) A SUV tries to get on Highway 59 near Weslayan Street as rain pours Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. ( Nick de la Torre / Houston Chronicle ) Photo: HC Image 17 of 48 High water was reported in the Cimarron section of Katy. (Reader photo) High water was reported in the Cimarron section of Katy. (Reader photo) Image 18 of 48 A motorist walks through the median after she was stranded in the Southbound lane of Loop 288 north of the I-610 exit Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. (Cody Duty / Houston Chronicle) A motorist walks through the median after she was stranded in the Southbound lane of Loop 288 north of the I-610 exit Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. (Cody Duty / Houston Chronicle) Photo: HC Image 19 of 48 Stranded motorists who wish not to give their names talk beside the Southbound lane of Loop 288 north of the I-610 exit Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. (Cody Duty / Houston Chronicle) Stranded motorists who wish not to give their names talk beside the Southbound lane of Loop 288 north of the I-610 exit Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. (Cody Duty / Houston Chronicle) Photo: HC Image 20 of 48 A motorist walks through the median after she was stranded in the Southbound lane of Loop 288 north of the I-610 exit Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. (Cody Duty / Houston Chronicle) A motorist walks through the median after she was stranded in the Southbound lane of Loop 288 north of the I-610 exit Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. (Cody Duty / Houston Chronicle) Photo: HC Image 21 of 48 A car is seen submersed in water Northbound lane of Loop 288 north of the I-610 exit Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. (Cody Duty / Houston Chronicle) A car is seen submersed in water Northbound lane of Loop 288 north of the I-610 exit Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. (Cody Duty / Houston Chronicle) Photo: HC Image 22 of 48 A motorist makes her way to the service road after she was stranded in the Southbound lane of Loop 288 north of the I-610 exit Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. (Cody Duty / Houston Chronicle) A motorist makes her way to the service road after she was stranded in the Southbound lane of Loop 288 north of the I-610 exit Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. (Cody Duty / Houston Chronicle) Photo: HC Image 23 of 48 A motorist makes her way to the service road after she was stranded in the Southbound lane of Loop 288 north of the I-610 exit Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. (Cody Duty / Houston Chronicle) A motorist makes her way to the service road after she was stranded in the Southbound lane of Loop 288 north of the I-610 exit Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. (Cody Duty / Houston Chronicle) Photo: HC Image 24 of 48 High-water traffic jam at Westpark and Fondren around noon. High-water traffic jam at Westpark and Fondren around noon. Photo: (Houston TranStar) Image 25 of 48 A motorist makes her way to the service road after she was stranded in the Southbound lane of Loop 288 north of the I-610 exit Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. (Cody Duty / Houston Chronicle) A motorist makes her way to the service road after she was stranded in the Southbound lane of Loop 288 north of the I-610 exit Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. (Cody Duty / Houston Chronicle) Photo: HC Image 26 of 48 A stranded motorist sits in the median of the Southbound lane of Loop 288 north of the I-610 exit Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. (Cody Duty / Houston Chronicle) A stranded motorist sits in the median of the Southbound lane of Loop 288 north of the I-610 exit Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. (Cody Duty / Houston Chronicle) Photo: HC Image 27 of 48 Street flooding on Washington near Thompson streets. Street flooding on Washington near Thompson streets. Photo: (Cody Duty / Chronicle) Image 28 of 48 Rainy Monday, Jan. 9, 2012. (Anonymous reader photo) Rainy Monday, Jan. 9, 2012. (Anonymous reader photo) Photo: HC Image 29 of 48 Flooding on Westpark at Tanglewilde about 10:30 a.m. Flooding on Westpark at Tanglewilde about 10:30 a.m. Photo: (Houston TranStar) Image 30 of 48 Flooding at Highway 288 at the South Loop 610 around 10:30 a.m. Flooding at Highway 288 at the South Loop 610 around 10:30 a.m. Photo: (Houston TranStar) Image 31 of 48 Flights being rerouted around Bush Intercontinental Airport to avoid the storm. Click here to see it in real time. Flights being rerouted around Bush Intercontinental Airport to avoid the storm. Click here to see it in real time. Photo: (flightaware.com) Image 32 of 48 Power outage map at 10:30 a.m. Click here to see it in real time. Power outage map at 10:30 a.m. Click here to see it in real time. Photo: (CenterPoint) Image 33 of 48 A car, one of six, sits stalled in the intersection of Richmond Avenue and Eastside Street after drenching thunderstorms dumped several inches of rain early on Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston, which caused countless commuters to end up stranded in the high water. ( Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle ) less A car, one of six, sits stalled in the intersection of Richmond Avenue and Eastside Street after drenching thunderstorms dumped several inches of rain early on Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston, which caused ... more Photo: HC Image 34 of 48 A woman sits as she watches Houston firefighters try to free her car on Richmond Avenue and Wakeforest after her car got stuck in the mud as drenching thunderstorms dumped several inches of rain early on Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. ( Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle ) less A woman sits as she watches Houston firefighters try to free her car on Richmond Avenue and Wakeforest after her car got stuck in the mud as drenching thunderstorms dumped several inches of rain early on ... more Photo: HC Image 35 of 48 Motorists splash through high water at Alabama and Shepherd after drenching thunderstorms dumped several inches of rain early on Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. ( Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle ) Motorists splash through high water at Alabama and Shepherd after drenching thunderstorms dumped several inches of rain early on Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. ( Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle ) Photo: HC Image 36 of 48 Spotts Park off of Waugh and Memorial Drive sits in several feet of water after drenching thunderstorms dumped several inches of rain early on Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. ( Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle ) less Spotts Park off of Waugh and Memorial Drive sits in several feet of water after drenching thunderstorms dumped several inches of rain early on Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. ( Karen Warren / Houston ... more Photo: HC Image 37 of 48 With briefcase and a empty baby car seat in hand Alexander Veksler abandons his car at South Brasewood and Braewick Dr. in Houston, Tx. Heavy rains hit the Houston area , causing streets to flood Monday January 9, 2010. ( BILLY SMITH II / Houston Chronicle) less With briefcase and a empty baby car seat in hand Alexander Veksler abandons his car at South Brasewood and Braewick Dr. in Houston, Tx. Heavy rains hit the Houston area , causing streets to flood Monday January ... more Photo: HC Image 38 of 48 In a failed attempt to unclog a storm drain, Jack Peery wades into flood waters at South Brasewood and Braewick Dr. in Houston, Tx. Heavy rains hit the Houston area,causing streets to flood Monday January 9, 2010. ( BILLY SMITH II / Houston Chronicle) less In a failed attempt to unclog a storm drain, Jack Peery wades into flood waters at South Brasewood and Braewick Dr. in Houston, Tx. Heavy rains hit the Houston area,causing streets to flood Monday January 9, ... more Photo: HC Image 39 of 48 Luis Rodriguez and other friends help a stranded motorist out of high water in the intersection of Fondren and Harwin Drive as a heavy storm continues to move through the Houston area on Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. less Luis Rodriguez and other friends help a stranded motorist out of high water in the intersection of Fondren and Harwin Drive as a heavy storm continues to move through the Houston area on Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, ... more Photo: Mayra Beltran, Houston Chronicle Image 40 of 48 A motorist stands in water near a stalled car on Washington Avenue during a heavy rain storm Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. ( Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle ) A motorist stands in water near a stalled car on Washington Avenue during a heavy rain storm Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. ( Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle ) Photo: HC Image 41 of 48 A Houston fire truck sits stalled under a bridge on Houston Avenue during a heavy rain storm Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. ( Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle ) A Houston fire truck sits stalled under a bridge on Houston Avenue during a heavy rain storm Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. ( Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle ) Photo: HC Image 42 of 48 A motorist drives through high water on S. Braeswood during a heavy rain storm Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. ( Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle ) A motorist drives through high water on S. Braeswood during a heavy rain storm Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. ( Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle ) Photo: HC Image 43 of 48 An SUV sits in a flooded ditch during a heavy rain storm Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. ( Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle ) An SUV sits in a flooded ditch during a heavy rain storm Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. ( Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle ) Photo: HC Image 44 of 48 Ana Rivers walks along the overflowing banks of Braes Bayou during a heavy rain storm Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. ( Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle ) Ana Rivers walks along the overflowing banks of Braes Bayou during a heavy rain storm Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. ( Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle ) Photo: HC Image 45 of 48 A motorist drives through high water along the feeder road of Southwest Freeway (59) and Stella Link Road as a heavy thunderstorm moves through the Houston area on Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. A motorist drives through high water along the feeder road of Southwest Freeway (59) and Stella Link Road as a heavy thunderstorm moves through the Houston area on Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. Photo: Mayra Beltran, Houston Chronicle Image 46 of 48 Motorist park on the pedestrian curb on the feeder road of Southwest Freeway (59) on the exit ramp of Stella Link Road to avoid getting stranded on Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. Motorist park on the pedestrian curb on the feeder road of Southwest Freeway (59) on the exit ramp of Stella Link Road to avoid getting stranded on Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. Photo: Mayra Beltran, Houston Chronicle Image 47 of 48 Cesareo Benitez looks below at the water level along the feeder of Southwest Freeway and Hillcroft exit where motorist have been stranded for two hours on the exit ramp as the storm moves through the Houston area on Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Houston. less Cesareo Benitez looks below at the water level along the feeder of Southwest Freeway and Hillcroft exit where motorist have been stranded for two hours on the exit ramp as the storm moves through the Houston ... more Photo: Mayra Beltran, Houston Chronicle Image 48 of 48 Flash flooding plagues Houston after heavy storms 1 / 48 Back to Gallery A strong storm front with heavy rain raced through the Houston region today, leaving behind so much water, it's completely shut down Texas 288 at the South Loop. Much of the heaviest rainfall occurred before noon as the fast-moving storm pushed east quickly, according to the National Weather Service. Forecasters said as much as 4.5 inches of rainfall was recorded in some areas, especially south and southwest of the metropolitan area. A tornado and hail were reported out in the Katy area, plus one wind gust of 60 mph was recorded near Highway 290 and the West Loop. An apparent tornado tore portions of roofs off garages and homes as well as toppled wooden fences in a residential area near Bissonnet and Gaines near Sugar Land. One resident of a damaged home, 21-year-old Umair Sayyed, said he hid in a closet with his mother and 4-year-old sister as the storm rumbled through the area. Another tornado reportedly touched down near FM 1093 at FM 723, near the Grand Parkway and Mason Road earlier this morning. Nickel-sized hail has been reported at Highway 99 and Fry Road, and bigger hail was seen in Wharton County earlier this morning. More than a dozen freeway intersections were flooded this morning. People in cars stalled in high water on roadways called 911 for rescue, said Houston Fire Department Assistant Chief Lisa Campbell. Firefighters helped people get out of their cars and take them to safer areas. No injuries were reported. Also, HFD had no reports of swift-water rescues. Campbell said HFD ambulances and engines had trouble making emergency calls because of the high water and have been rerouted around flooded areas. One engine stalled in high water on Houston near Washington in a low area. CenterPoint Energy reported power outages affecting about 19,600 customers earlier today. FuelFix.com is reporting that areas inside Loop 610 were hardest hit, particularly between Texas 288 and I-45, according to an outage-tracking map updated by CenterPoint every 15 minutes. There was a cluster of outages in South Houston as well. A flash flood warning was in effect for Brazoria, Chambers, Galveston, Fort Bend and Harris counties until 2 p.m. In Richmond, people were evacuated by boat from areas near downtown, according to the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office. The Richmond Police Department could not be reached for comment. Flooded streets forced Metro to reroute some buses and the Metro Rail service in downtown is limited because of water on the tracks. Light rail service is limited to the Downtown Transit Center and the Preston Station on Main Street. The Harris County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management has upgraded his readiness level in response to the severe weather. The Methodist Hospital in the Texas Medical Center activated the first stage of its flood response plan late Monday morning after monitoring bayou levels. Spokeswoman Stephanie Asin said the loading docks and the valet parking station at the neurosensory center have been closed. Several parking garages in the Texas Medical Center have been closed because of high water. Alexa Enriquez, a spokeswoman for the medical center, said Parking Garage 1, 7 and 15 have been closed. Entrances to those garages were closed when water in the Box Culvert off Braes Bayou reached 10 feet earlier Monday morning; Enriquez said the exits were closed when the water level reached 14 feet. They will reopen when the water recedes, she said. The forecast After today's storms, the area is expected to dry out quickly and a cold front is expected to hit later this week, dropping temperatures to near freezing. At least four inches of rain has been recorded in Livingston since midnight Sunday. Monday in the Houston area the heaviest downpours and thunderstorms are expected in the afternoon as the storm moves through the region. Forecasters said some spots could record up to about three inches of rainfall but most areas will receive about one inch. The high temperature will top out at 71 under cloudy skies. The overnight low will be about 51. South winds will be between 5 mph and 15 mph. A 100 percent chance of rain is likely. The area dries out and cools down slightly Tuesday, when rain chances drop to 20 percent. The high will be about 59 degrees under partly sunny skies. The low will be about 42. West winds will be about 15 mph with gusts up to 20 mph. Sunny skies are expected Wednesday as the Norther, packed with Canadian air, approaches the region. The high will be about 67 degrees before the front arrives, but drops to 44 at night as the front moves closer. The high will struggle to about 55 degrees Thursday under cloudy skies after the front hits. The overnight low will be about 33 when the cold air settles in the region. Some spots north of Houston near Huntsville and Conroe could see the mercury dip to freezing. Friday is likely to be sunny with a high near 54 degrees. The low will be near 39. Temperatures climb on the weekend. The high Saturday will be about 59 under mostly sunny skies. The low will be near 45. Clouds build above the region Sunday as another storm system approaches the area. The high will be about 63. Forecasters said it to early to determine if the storm will bring rain. dale.lezon@chron.com Chronicle photographer James Nielsen, reporter Jeannie Kever, web producer Laura Weisman, and The Associated Press contributed to this report ||||| Richard Carson / Reuters This vehicle was among the dozens stranded in high water across Houston on Monday. Torrential rain, flooding that cut off highways and even suspected tornadoes gave the Houston area major weather headaches on Monday. The Mall of the Mainland in Texas City had to close after damage from a suspected twister Monday afternoon. It was unclear if there were any injuries. "The structural integrity of the building has been compromised," Texas City Fire Chief Joe Gorman was quoted by the Houston Chronicle as saying. Several homes closer to Houston were damaged by another suspected twister. "All the doors in the house were trying to open and shut. It sounded like a train going through, so we hid in the closet," Beverly Moore was quoted by KPRC TV as saying. "It was definitely a tornado. We hid for about 15 minutes." Nick de la Torre / Houston Chronicle via AP This intersection in Houston, at Buffalo Speedway and Richmond Avenue, saw plenty of heavy rain Monday. The deluge from the system closed down a stretch of Texas State Highway 288 for most of the day. A dozen other freeway intersections in the Houston area also saw flooding and rainfall of more than four inches in just a few hours. "Between 9 a.m. and about noon today the Houston police department had 51 active flood locations with flooding reports and that’s all over the city in city streets,” the Chronicle quoted city spokesman Michael Walter as saying. The suburb of Sugar Land got more than six inches of rain. The storm cut power to nearly 20,000 utility customers at its peak, and officials reported numerous water rescues of people stranded in homes or cars. Houston, like most of Texas, has seen drought conditions for most of the last year and Monday's storm isn't expect to help much on its own. Any sustained recovery will require a long stretch of rain, forecasters say. More content from msnbc.com and NBC News:

– A deluge of heavy rain, wind, tornadoes, and nickel-sized hail is giving Houston-area residents a major headache today, the Houston Chronicle reports. A fast-moving storm front pummeled the city with winds reaching 60mph and up to 4.5 inches of rain, shutting part of Highway 288 and flooding a dozen other freeway intersections. Apparent twisters ripped roofs off of houses and garages in one residential area and damaged a mall in nearby Texas City, MSNBC reports. No injuries have been reported, but firefighters struggled to rescue people trapped inside cars on flooded roadways, and several Richmond residents were evacuated by boat. About 19,600 Houston-area residents are without power. The area forecast offers a mixed bag, with dry weather rolling in and near-freezing temperatures descending later this week.