John Mathrursse traveled to Hawaii for the event from Mountain View, Calif. He was an 18-year-old seaman second class walking out of the chow hall on Ford Island to see a friend on the battleship West Virginia when the bombing began.
He carried injured people to the mess hall and set them on mattresses grabbed from the barracks above.
The youngest of the survivors are now in their mid-90s. Still, most stood to salute for the national anthem.
This year, no survivor from the battleship Arizona attended the ceremony as none of the men were able to make the trip to Hawaii.
In 2015, 388 sets of remains were exhumed from the battleship Oklahoma and buried in a national cemetery in Honolulu. The Oklahoma had the second-highest number of dead after the Arizona at 429, though only 35 were identified in the immediate years after the attack.
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency has identified 168 sailors and Marines from the Oklahoma since the exhumations three years ago. It has said it expects to identify about 80% of the 388 by 2020.
Several families were scheduled to rebury their newly identified loved ones on Friday, including Navy Seaman 1st Class William Bruesewitz of Appleton, Wis.


Pope John Pau I, who died barely a month after his election in 1978, predicted his own death, according to his former secretary.
Bishop John Magee, the Irish prelate who served as personal secretary to Pope John Paul I and later to Pope John Paul II, told the Italian weekly Gente that the newly elected Pontiff considered himself too fragile to last in office. He was to die in bed, apparently of a heart attack, in less than 5 weeks.
Shortly after his election, Bishop Magee reported, the new Pope told him: "I'll never leave Rome. I'll be going soon."
Cardinal Albino Luciani was surprised by his election in the first conclave of 1978, and during his 34 days as Roman Pontiff he never ceased to wonder at the cardinals' choice, his former secretary reported. He once told Bishop Magee that there were better candidates, including "that cardinal who was sitting facing me" at the August 1978 conclave.
Bishop Magee learned that the prelate sitting opposite Cardinal Luciani at that time was Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, the future Pope John Paul II.


Stephen Paddock opened fire on hundreds of innocent people in Las Vegas on Oct. 1, killing 59 people and wounding 527. It was an absolute travesty. It is difficult to put into words the enormous sense of loss people have felt across the nation. Tragedies like the Route 91 Harvest Festival shooting should not happen—ever.
Following the shooting, calls have once again gone out for new gun control measures as a solution to mass shootings, especially among those leaning left. Late night TV host Jimmy Kimmel was prominent in this outcry.
“It’s too much to even process — all these devastated families who now have to live with this pain forever because one person with a violent and insane voice in his head managed to stockpile a collection of high-powered rifles and use them to shoot people,” Kimmel said.
Whether it be universal background checks, banning “assault” rifles or creating a national gun registry, anti-gun advocates are looking for anything to limit the Second Amendment.
However, reality is quite clear. The NRA has near 5 million paying members, but has donated just $4 million to congressional races since 1998 — a tear drop compared to many other large interest groups and the NRA’s own available funds.
Almost none of the proposed solutions like an increase in gun regulations or creating a national gun registry would have any actual effect on what happened in Las Vegas or most gun violence. Automatic rifles are not legal — possession of new automatic rifles has been banned since 1986.
Paddock went through background checks to obtain his firearms. Perhaps the only small fix, banning the bump-stock Paddock used, has been embraced by the NRA. Many manufacturers are considering pausing their production.
“The case for the (gun control) policies I’d lobbied for crumbled when I examined the evidence.” said Leah Libresco, a writer at FiveThirtyEight.
Libresco is right. Popular gun control arguments continuously come up short when put to the test. Although gun violence was already low in Australia and the U.K., the gun buyback programs in both countries brought no significant change to their gun violence rates.
At the same time, mass shootings almost always occur in gun-free zones. According to the Center for Disease Control, from 1993-2003 while gun ownership increased 56 percent, gun violence decreased by 50 percent.
According to the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. gun-related homicides dropped 39 percent from 1993 to 2011. Over the same time, non-fatal firearm crimes decreased by 69 percent. Further, a 2013 Pew Research Center study found gun-homicides have decreased nearly 49 percent since 1993.
These studies only focus on the negative aspect of firearms. As Florida State criminology professor Gary Kleck has found, there are over 760,000 defensive gun uses annually. Just take Spokane, Washington’s 17-year-old Kimber Wood’s story: in July, Wood used the family gun to drive away a home invader in the middle of the night. Without that firearm, she would have had no avenue for self-defense.
These are the facts. Gun control advocates, while most certainly well-meaning, are choosing to ignore them.
Americans have a unique affinity for firearms. We are the only country in the world that has anything remotely approaching a Second Amendment; the right to keep and bear arms is at the very fabric of our society. It is not a tool of racism, as some would have you believe, but a fundamental, institutional right.
Samuel Adams, who was no friend of slavery, once called the practice a “total extension of morals” that would threaten the very fabric of liberty. Adams believed the Second Amendment ensured “the Constitution shall never be construed to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms.” The Founding Fathers, slave-owners and not, were united in the belief the Second Amendment ensured the people’s ability to maintain their freedom. Their experience, our revolution, makes that clear.
Ultimately, gun control is not stopped because of money, or disorganization or corruption. It’s stopped because Americans do not want gun control. Based on the truth, they shouldn’t.
What drove Paddock to commit the unspeakable acts he did is not something that can be solved by gun control legislation. It’s probably not something that can be solved by any legislation. It’s something deeper, more at the core of who we are as human beings.
Uprooting fundamental American institutions, the ones that have made us the greatest country in the history of the world, will not solve that problem, no matter how much some may want it to.


Gilbert graduates and big question: What to do with lives?
Congratulations, Class of 2014! Here's a look at the Gilbert and Higley districts' high-school graduation ceremonies. Information provided by the districts.
Graduation ceremony: 7 p.m. Thursday, May 22.
High-school students face myriad choices, but perhaps none more important than the one facing hundreds of seniors throughout Gilbert: what to do after graduation.
At Williams Field High School in Higley Unified School District, about 91 percent of graduates expect to head to college in the fall, according to district officials. An additional 7 percent will join the military and a far-smaller percentage, less than 2 percent, plan to immediately enter an apprenticeship or the workforce.
The percentage of college-bound students at the Gilbert school is substantially higher than the national average. Nearly 66 percent of 2013 high-school graduates nationwide were in a college or university the fall after graduation, according the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
For some, such as senior Luke Petruzzi, college was the natural choice. Paul Stumbaugh is following the family tradition by joining the military. Brent Crissinger spent time during high school jump-starting his automotive career.
Going to college was a given for Petruzzi, a Williams Field High School senior.
"I'd always planned on going to college and both my parents went to college, so there was kind of a precedent," Petruzzi said.
Petruzzi will head to Princeton University this fall.
"I just always grew up listening to teachers and parents that always said that so many more doors are open to you if you go to college than if you don't have that education behind you," he said.
Petruzzi maintained a 3.98 grade-point average throughout high school while playing football.
"I was always told by coaches and counselors how many more opportunities are open to you if you have all A's," Petruzzi said.
Petruzzi's future looks bright. He plans to study engineering and wants to research alternative-fuel methods.
About $14,000 in several merit-based scholarships based on his grades, volunteerism and athletic ability have helped offset the costs of college, Petruzzi said.
"I've always known I wanted to be a Marine," Higley High senior Paul Stumbaugh said.
Eighteen days after he graduates high school, Stumbaugh will ship off to boot camp in San Diego. Like many teens graduating high school and leaving for college or elsewhere, it will be his first time away from home.
Stumbaugh said he has known since age 14 that he wanted to join the military. After joining with other Marine hopefuls for a year of weekly workouts at the recruiter's office "to show how dedicated we are," Stumbaugh enlisted in his junior year of high school.
Joining the military is "the family trade," said Stumbaugh, whose father, uncles and stepfather all were in the military.
He plans to eventually get an associate degree in criminal science. But for now, "I can't take another four years of school," he said.
Stumbaugh said he joined the Marines to "fight for God and country" and hopes through it he'll learn to "be a better person, be a better team player and be more confident about everything."
He hopes to become a tank crewman.
"Another reason I joined was to have fun and blow things up," Stumbaugh said. "I definitely want to go see combat."
After the Marines, he hopes to become a police officer.
After graduation, Higley High School senior Brent Crissinger is taking a semester or two off to work full time at the car dealership where he has been training to be a mechanic.
Crissinger has worked at Henry Brown Buick GMC dealership in Gilbert since February, changing oil, topping off fluids and repairing tires.
For two years, he has attended the East Valley Institute of Technology at night after high school to take automotive classes.
Partly because of financial constraints, Crissinger said he has put off attending a four-year college.
Crissinger said his first priority is to save money for a car, then he plans to save for college.
Although he was accepted at Northern Arizona University, he plans to enroll in an automotive program at a community college to save money.
He hopes to work for a diesel automotive shop rebuilding motors or specialize working on imported cars.
"I want to eventually work my way up to a service technician by becoming educated in the field," Crissinger said.


Culture critic Peter Biskind argues extremes have now become mainstream in movies and TV — and they've helped lay the ground for extremes in politics, too.
With its rogue agents, use of torture and constant threats of terrorist violence or nuclear annihilation, the TV series 24 and its hero Jack Bauer (played by Kiefer Sutherland) packed a lot of shock into each episode when it first hit the screens in 2001.
But cultural critic Peter Biskind argues since then, television and movies have headed further to the extremes — and the move away from the centre that we've seen on screen has helped pave the way for extreme politics in real life.
"If you watch enough shows that heroize vigilantes and vigilante violence and breaking the law, when a [Donald] Trump comes along, it's not a surprise and it's not that unusual," Biskind told The Current's Anna Maria Tremonti.
He explores how the proliferation of apocalyptic scenarios — whether the threat is from zombies, vampires, supervillains or other humans — allows heroes to behave in ways that blur the lines between good and evil in his book The Sky is Falling: How Vampires, Zombies, Androids and Superheroes Made America Great for Extremism.
According to Biskind, what has pushed screen culture more to the extreme involves the collapse of the centre politically but it doesn't end there.
"I think it's a kind of a chicken and egg problem — screen culture changed, the politics changed and which one influenced the other is sort of hard to untangle," he said.
"I like to use the phrase culture insights enhances what's going on in the political or social realm."
While mainstream shows portray the protagonist as aiming to make the world a better place — even if they are flawed characters themselves — in so-called "extreme shows," they are either corrupt or missing in action, Biskind said.
Extreme shows can land on either the right or left side of the spectrum, Biskind said, and called 24 an example of an extreme-right show.
"The politics are really on its sleeve," said Biskind. "[Jack Bauer] is working for a government agency but he's willing to break the law whenever he needs to."
Biskind said former U.S. president George W. Bush's administration loved the show, even holding seminars with its producers early on in the War on Terror.
On the left side of the political spectrum, Biskind points to James Cameron's Avatar, where a corporation mining "unobtanium" on a distant moon called Pandora tries to get rid of the Na'vi, the Indigenous population standing in its way.
The hero, marine Jake Sully (played by Sam Worhtington), starts on the side of the humans, but ends up fighting with the Na'vi, and eventually transforming into one.
"He not only betrays, in some sense, his country — he betrays the human race," said Biskind.
According to Biskind, extreme movies on both the right and the left have a dim view of human behaviour.
"If you look at sort of where the crux of the evil comes from, they seem to be saying that humans are innately bad news," he said.
Biskind doesn't necessarily see this move to the extremes as all bad — at least when it comes to North American popular media.
"It was, in certain ways, a phony centrism," he said.
"In terms of the kinds of culture it produced, it was just boring and bland because it excluded so much of the reality of living in America."
But some of the shows that seem most extreme on the surface end up falling into centrism, said Biskind.
The Walking Dead is full of gore, with some 300 bodies on view in the first eight episodes of the third season. And yet, said Biskind, it comes down on the side of authority and order.
Biskind points to the show as mainstream because even in extreme situations, protagonist Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) questions if any kind of extreme behaviour is justified during a zombie apocalypse.
"Invariably, he comes to the conclusion that no, extreme behaviour is not viable," he said.
"There's still standards of behaviour that you have to abide by."
Written and produced by The Current's Karin Marley.


Who Does One Direction Want To Meet At Tonight's VMAs?
'We're excited to see Green Day 'cause growing up [they] were one of the big bands of our generation,' Niall Horan tells MTV News.
One Direction are set to have a big night at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards Thursday. Not only will they take the stage for the first time ever at the VMAs, but they are also up for a handful of Moonmen, including Best New Artist, Best Pop Video and Most Share-Worthy Video.
And when MTV News caught up with One Direction while they were chilling in L.A., they revealed just who they want to meet at the show when it goes live at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
"We're excited to see Green Day 'cause growing up Green Day were like one of the big bands around of our generation," Niall Horan said. "So it'd be exciting to meet them. Obviously Pink. Yeah, Frank Ocean. Pink, Taylor Swift, Rihanna."
Horan then explained why he wants to meet Pink so badly. "I think it'd be nice to meet Pink [because] she kind of does her own thing," he said. "It's going to be nerve-racking, but we're trying to do our best."
Liam Payne added, "I want to meet Jay-Z."
Zayn Malik still had Frank Ocean on the brain when he shared he's looking forward to meeting him. "Frank Ocean's performing. I'm excited to see that," he said.
Louis Tomlinson had one woman in mind when he answered. He shared.
"All the single ladies? I think it'd be nice to see Katy Perry again.
We've seen her a few times now."
The VMAs will air live from Staples Center in Los Angeles at 8 p.m., with our pre-show at 7 p.m. and the "Jersey Shore" special "Gym, Tan, Look Back" at 6 p.m.


Image caption William Alldis runs a restaurant in Epping which champions "wild and locally produced food"
A chef has denied a firearms charge after he allegedly killed a deer with a rifle in a public park.
William Alldis, 40, is accused of shooting the animal with a Sako .243 rifle in Dagnam Park, Romford, north-east London, on 6 November last year.
The owner of the Cart Shed restaurant in Epping, Essex, denied possessing a firearm and suitable ammunition in a public place at Snaresbrook Crown Court.
He will face trial in September.
At a previous hearing, magistrates were told Mr Alldis had been reported to the police by a member of the public who claimed to have seen him shoot the deer.
Peter Glenser QC said the case was "having a serious effect on Mr Alldis' ability to earn a living".
The Cart Shed states on its website it champions "wild and locally produced food".
Judge Neil Sanders granted the defendant unconditional bail until the three-day trial, which is listed to start on 16 September.


Highland Park girls basketball coach Mike Calhoun obviously is chomping at the bit to get his Lady Scots back at full strength.
But the fact that Highland Park is off to a 3-0 start without standouts Dariauna Carter and Jae'Mya Lyons could bode well for the Scots later in the season.
With Carter and Lyons, both second-team All-City picks a year ago, on the sidelines while recovering from ACL injuries, several Scot newcomers have been thrust into varsity playing time while other returners have stepped up to take on more prominent roles as team leaders.
Calhoun believes both of those things will make Highland Park stronger when Lyons and Carter are ready to return.
Despite being short-handed, the Scots have dominated their first three games, including a 61-42 win over city rival Shawnee Heights on Wednesday night.
Junior Cierra Sherman scored a game-high 23 points with five 3-pointers against the T-Birds while junior Ariyana Grassity added 11 points.
The Scots could face their biggest test thus far on Friday when Topeka West visits Highland Park for a 6 p.m. contest.
Friday's game will be the season opener for David Meseke's Chargers and it will be the Centennial League opener for both schools.
Topeka West junior Miyah Larson was a second-team All-City pick a year ago while senior Gabby Rivera was third-team All-City for the Chargers, who were 4-17.
The girls game will be followed by a 7:45 p.m. boys league game between the 0-2 Scots and Topeka West, which will be playing its first game of the year.
Highland Park is coming off a 55-53 road loss to Ottawa, with sophomore CJ Powell scoring 17 points and senior Jai'Shaun Spicer adding 11 points.
Rick Bloomquist's West team was 15-7 last season, but the Chargers graduated four senior starters off that team. Senior Korbin Kido is West's lone returning starter, but the Chargers look to reload from freshman and junior varsity teams that were a combined 34-6.
Washburn Rural improved to 2-0 with a 52-38 win over Shawnee Mission Northwest on Tuesday while Hayden opened its season with a 56-35 loss to Lawrence. Senior Carly Bachelor led Rural with 17 points and 10 rebounds while junior Kasey Hamilton added 16 points and freshman Emma Krueger 10. Junior Sophia Purcell led Hayden with 11 points against Lawrence while sophomore Rhen Calhoon added 10 points. Friday’s game will be the Centennial League opener for both schools. Game time: 6:15 p.m.
Shawnee Heights is coming off a 61-42 loss to Highland Park on Wednesday, with sophomore Adysen Burghart leading the T-Birds with 11 points. Sophomore Tatum Brown added eight points and junior Kam Wells seven. Ottawa dropped a 55-26 decision to Highland Park on Tuesday. Game time: 5:30 p.m.
Topeka High improved to 2-0 with a 72-59 non-league Tuesday night win over Kansas City-Schlagle, a Class 5A state tournament participant last season. Freshman NiJaree led the Trojans with 27 points while senior Jaryn Benning added 18 points. Junction City is coming off a 60-25 loss to Great Bend on Tuesday night. Both teams will be opening Centennial League competition. Game time: 6 p.m.
Seaman dropped a 56-54 road decision to Lansing on Tuesday in the Vikings’ season opener, with junior Chloe Carter leading the Vikings with 18 points while senior Megan Skoch added 11 points with three 3-pointers. Manhattan went 2-1 in last week’s Hays Shootout, with the Indians dropping a 48-36 decision to 5A power Aquinas on Saturday. Friday’s game will open Centennial League play for both teams. Game time: 6 p.m.
Washburn Rural posted its second straight decisive non-league victory, taking a 67-44 home decision over SM Northwest on Tuesday. Seniors Jordan White and Savian Edwards scored 15 and 12 points for the Junior Blues while junior Drew Bortz scored a career-high 11 points. Hayden, last year’s 4A Division II state champion, will be opening its season. Senior Levi Braun leads the Wildcats as Hayden’s lone returning starter. Friday will be a Centennial League game for both schools. Game time: 7:45 p.m.
Shawnee Heights was off Tuesday after romping past United Kansas Conference foe DeSoto in the T-Birds’ season opener last Friday. Sophomore Harvey Davis Jr. and senior Isaiah Bonjour both scored 14 points for Heights against DeSoto while junior Marquez Barksdale added 12 points. Ottawa beat Highland Park 55-53 on Tuesday, with Kobe Johnson scoring 18 points and Jayson Brown adding 12 points with three 3-pointers. Game time: 7:45 p.m.
Seaman opened its season Tuesday with a 68-47 non-league win at Lansing, with seniors Kobe Bonner and Trey Duffey scoring 27 and 15 points for the Vikings. Manhattan went 2-1 in last week’s Hays Shootout, winning its first two games before dropping a 60-55 decision on Saturday to Millwood, Okla. Both the Indians and Vikings will be opening their Centennial League schedule on Friday. Game time: 7:45 p.m.
Note: Topeka High will continue play in the Leavenworth tournament, facing Raytown South (Mo.) at 4 p.m.


Promotions for 'Catching Fire' have included a fake website which features glamorous shots of the movie's main characters.
The 'Hunger Games' films star Jennifer Lawrence.
The fake publication is in line with the high priority placed on fashion in the superficial Capitol in Collins’s world and the way that the tributes who are chosen for the Games instantly become celebrities.
Cover Girl is also promoting products in tandem with “Catching Fire,” allowing consumers to “choose their district” and creating makeup looks based on the main products of each district. (A customer choosing district four, for example, would be offered blue and green products based on the fact that the district is responsible for much of the fishing done by the country).
Fans can also buy Capitol-inspired looks designed by the movies’ costume designer Trish Summerville through retailer Net-A-Porter.
According to Variety, Lionsgate marketing chief Tim Palen has spearheaded this effort.
Collins told Variety she is impressed by the marketing campaign.
Lionsgate marketing chief Tim Palen told Variety that he thinks placing the movie tie-ins in Collins’ universe will appeal to “Hunger Games” fans who might be leery of overt product placement.


Join Willamette Valley Vineyards for wine tasting, live music, lawn games and non-stop grape stomping action. Cost to attend is $15 (includes a wine tasting). There is an additional $10 fee per team to stomp.


Join an international military community in the heart of the Bavarian Alps and become one of 200 personnel from more than 20 nations, military and civilian, working at the NATO SCHOOL Oberammergau (NSO)!
The NSO is a recognised NATO military body framed on a bi-national agreement between the Federal Republic of Germany and the United States of America. Together with our partners, we offer training and education to members of the Alliance, NATO partner nations and other nations around the globe.
The NSO is structured into three key areas where personnel with different backgrounds and experiences work together towards a common effort.
The Commandant, his Deputy and the Command Senior Enlisted Leader are surrounded by a group of special staff such as a Protocol, Legal and Public Affairs.
This is the heart of NSO. More than 80 course directors and course assistants ensure that 10,000 students receive relevant and stimulating training in a conducive and enriching learning environment. Browse the Academic pages to learn more about the NSO courses and the breadth of the curriculum.
It requires robust and capable support staff to enable the conduct of 250 course iterations and NATO led conferences per year. Personnel work in the fields of logistics and engineering, communication and information services as well as finance and security.
As everyone has their own career goal, the NSO offers a staff development programme which provides access to a range of courses and subsidized professional development opportunities.
The CJ-1 Personnel and Administration Department at the NSO looks forward to any job related questions. Please contact them for further information about job opportunities at the NSO.
To find out more about Oberammergau and the surrounding area, visit our newcomers section.
The NSO is often looking for talented and motivated civilian personnel who want to contribute to a vibrant multinational work environment. Various job positions are offered to local national civilians. Open positions are advertised and managed solely through the US Army web pages.
Military applicants should approach their national personnel office to discuss job opportunities at NSO.
The NATO School Oberammergau offers interns the opportunity to work and learn in a multi-national academic facility located in the Bavarian Alps. Interns have the opportunity to assist in the academic programme and, when available, participate in specific lectures and courses.
The internship is prior to higher education - time limit of three months or less.
The Intern is at least 18 years old.
Interns are citizens of NATO Nations.
Proof of nationality, e.g. photo of your passport.
A reference from the sponsor/organization.
Military interns are to provide a valid security clearance, preferably NATO SECRET.
Interns (military or civilian), without a valid security clearance but in possession of a valid reference and Criminal Record Check, are to be restricted to employment with access up to and including NATO RESTRICTED information.
A Criminal Record Check or character reference from a Local Government Authority (must be current and within 3 months of the application date).
A valid certificate of medical insurance (not required if a military intern).
The Dean of Academics will determine whether an intern is permitted to facilitate and/or attend courses and be credited with attendance and/or completion of the course.


A total of 34 needy kids will get new bicycles and helmets courtesy of the annual Bikes for Kids drive organized by the Capitol Police.
Cpl. Randal Smith said seven of the bikes will go to the Eagle Valley Children’s Home, primarily to siblings of the patients there. He said the remaining bikes were turned over to the Salvation Army, which will distribute them.
Smith said he wanted to thank Wal-Mart for giving them a discount on the bikes. He said special thanks go to “Rich the bike builder” at the Douglas County Wal-Mart, who put them all together, and his supervisor Angie.
In addition, Trooper Cindy Campbell of the Nevada State Law Enforcement Officers Association presented Donna Clark of the children’s home and Salvation Army Captain Erica Helton each with $500 checks from the association’s members, which include the Nevada Highway Patrol.
Smith said those weren’t the only gifts they handed out Wednesday. He said also donated by groups of state workers were numerous teddy bears and other stuffed animals, blankets, hand crocheted hats, scarves and gloves.
This is the sixth year the Capitol Police have bought bikes and helmets for the needy. Smith said this is the largest number of bikes they have had yet.
It’s the first year the officer’s association has participated, but he said he hopes they join in next year again.


Throughout the first season of Hulu’s “Castle Rock,” Ruth Deaver has struggled to deal with her life as an Alzheimer’s patient — but the show has teased that something more might be going on with her.
The finale episode seems to finally come down on the truth, one way or the other. And it seems that the condition Ruth (Sissy Spacek) has been grappling with all season is more than Alzheimer’s disease.
The suggestion that more was going on started back in Episode 7, “The Queen,” when we spent a whole episode seeing everything Ruth was experiencing from her perspective. Her life with her condition means she experiences time out of order and out of sync — sometimes she’s in the present with other people, and other times, she’s reliving events from her past.
Ruth places chess pieces around her house in the present, which she explains help her maintain her grip on where and when she is; if she finds a chess piece, she knows it’s “now,” essentially, and finding a chess piece helps bring her back to the present.
“Romans,” the last episode of the season, though, finds Ruth standing on the edge of a bridge in the middle of Castle Rock, as we’ve seen her do before (and the one time that she actually jumped). She’s discovered by Molly (Melanie Lynskey), and Ruth says that she and Molly have had this conversation many times before. Every time, nothing Molly says is enough to dissuade Ruth from choosing to jump rather than live with the knowledge that she killed Alan Pangborn (Scott Glenn).
This time, though, Molly intuits what’s been happening to Ruth, and asks her a question based on her conversations with the Kid (Bill Skarsgard). She asks her one question: do her memories include her leaving her husband, and she and Henry (Andre Holland) leaving Castle Rock behind with Alan?
It seems that what Ruth is actually experiencing is that she’s briefly bouncing between the different realities that converge on Castle Rock, known as “the schisma,” as Odin Branch (Charles Jones) explained in Episode 6, “Filter.” That would track with some of the things we saw in “The Queen,” like Alan coming to investigate the gunshot that seemed to be the one fired when Ruth killed him, and the fact that she seemed to find herself holding the queen chess piece somewhere other than the present.
Ruth’s conversation with Molly on the bridge suggests that Molly has experienced the bridge situation many times before in many other realities, but this is the first time that Molly has had this conversation with Ruth and given her an idea that the other realities she’s seeing are real. And that’s enough to stop Ruth from stepping off the bridge.
Between “The Queen” and that final revelation in “Romans,” it seems clear that Ruth’s condition goes beyond simple confusion about her own memories. She might not have traveled between the two worlds, like the Kid claims he and Henry have done, but it seems the schisma affects more than those few people who can hear it.


But the Putin regime’s true nature can be demonstrated, and the Russian information offensive can be blunted, with a commitment to establishing the truth in important Russian cases.
Russian politician and Putin critics Boris Nemtsov was assassinated in 2015. Emerging evidence points to the Kremlin.
The CIA should release its evaluation of who was responsible for the 1999 apartment bombings in Russia. Was it Putin?
The intelligence report on Russia and Trump serves Russia’s propaganda aim to disrupt U.S. politics and institutions.
Ignoring the fact that Vladimir Putin came to power through an act of terror is highly dangerous in itself.
Did an act of terrorism carry Putin to power?
Donald Trump has shown dangerous naiveté in his friendliness toward Vladimir Putin’s Russia.
Donald Trump shrugs off charges that Vladimir Putin murdered journalists. He shouldn't.


SOUTHAMPTON’s Jack Stephens was the hero in front of his home supporters with a last-gasp strike to seal a 3-2 win for England Under-21s against Italy.
Having took the lead early doors, the Young Lions then fell behind before the defender grabbed the winner deep into injury time.
The result made it nine consecutive victories for England as they continued building momentum ahead of next summer's European Championship.
Keep up to date with ALL the PREMIER LEAGUE news, gossip, transfers and goals on our club page plus fixtures, results and live match commentary.
Demarai Gray gave Aidy Boothroyd’s side a deserved lead after they shot out of the blocks at St Mary’s.
After a neat build-up, John Swift’s cross-box pass caused all sorts of problems for the defence, and it fell nicely for the Leicester winger to fire home from ten yards.
Any hopes of an England onslaught were quickly ended as the Azzurri awoke from their slumber to turn the game on its head.
The equaliser arrived in fortuitous circumstances. Italian full-back Andrea Conti’s whipped in a cross from the right that deflected off West Brom’s on loan Everton defender Brendan Galloway and over the head of goalkeeper Angus Gunn.
The game was turned on its head moments before the half hour point as Italy took the lead when Bologna’s Federico Di Francesco prodded home from close-range.
England had not suffered defeat at this level since losing to Italy at the Euros in June 2015, and their determination to continue that run paid off in a much-improved second half display.
Gray was denied by the crossbar with a fabulous curling effort from the corner of the box before substitute Will Hughes was denied by the post as the pressure began the mount.
Finally, with 60 minutes on the clock, England drew level through Lewis Baker.
The Chelsea youngster, currently on loan at Vitesse Arnhem, notched his sixth goal for the U21s with a fine left-footed drive after a one-two with Hughes.
🎥 @lew_baker levels for the #YoungLions!
🎥 The #YoungLions nick it at the death thanks to @jackstephens_18's goal!
The clocked had ticked into the final thirty seconds of the four minutes injury time when the dramatic climax arrived.
James Ward-Prowse whipped in a corner towards the head of Calum Chambers. The defender's header was saved, but Stephens pounced to stab home from a yard out to seal the dramatic victory.
England now travel to Paris to challenge France next Monday as they continue to prepare for next summer’s European Championship.


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SINGAPORE, Oct 25 (Reuters) - The Japanese yen rose against the dollar on Thursday as a rout on Wall Street and weak European and U.S. economic data dented global risk sentiment, sending investors scurrying to safe-haven assets including government bonds.
The yen, seen as a safety-bet during times of market turmoil and economic stress, advanced 0.35 percent at 111.87 on the dollar.
Over the past week, nervousness around U.S. corporate earnings and geopolitical uncertainty added to heightened worries about global growth, Italy’s free spending budget and Sino-U.S. trade tensions.
On Wall Street, the S&P 500 declined for a sixth day in a row as weak forecasts from chipmakers added to concerns about the impact on earnings from tariffs and a slowdown in China’s economy.
The grim U.S. session rippled through to Asia with stock markets from Japan to Australia sinking deep into the red.
“I won’t be surprised to see the dollar/yen fall below 112 as U.S. yields have cooled off to 3.1 percent from their recent peak and volatility in developed markets has picked up,” said Rodrigo Cartel, senior currency strategist at NAB.
The dollar, also considered a safe-haven, was on reasonably solid ground against most of its other major rivals.
The euro remained tentative, after giving up almost 0.7 percent on Wednesday - its steepest fall in percentage terms since Sept. 27 on concerns over the pace of economic growth in Europe.
Euro zone business growth slowed more than expected this month, a widely watched Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) survey showed on Wednesday. German private-sector growth fell to its lowest in more than three years, and manufacturing in France hit a 25-month low, according to other surveys.
The European Central Bank (ECB)holds its monetary policy meeting later today, and investors will be looking for any new guidance from the ECB acknowledging the recent slowdown in growth as well as the political stand-off between Brussels and Rome over Italy’s free spending budget.
“Euro has limited upside given risk factors such as the Italian budget, brexit and more recently the softening economic activity,” said Catril.
“Mario Draghi will have to acknowledge weakness in the data and reaffirm that the ECB monetary tightening path is data dependent...risk is that he sounds dovish,” added Catril.
U.S. 10 year treasury yields also fell to 3.1 percent on Thursday as traders started to question the strong cyclical economic growth story of the U.S and rushed to the safety of sovereign bonds.
U.S. 10 year yields have been on an uptrend thanks to a hawkish U.S. Federal Reserve as it looks to raise interest rates by another 25 basis points in December.
The British pound traded marginally higher versus the dollar at $1.2891, after losing 0.78 percent of its value on Wednesday and hitting a six-week low of 1.2865.
British Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit plans have stoked uncertainty over recent weeks, especially on the terms of Britain’s exit from the EU.
But May received a show of support from her Conservative Party on Wednesday at a meeting in parliament, shifting the focus away from talk of an imminent leadership challenge over her Brexit strategy.


Forest Park hires Human Resources Director Tye Smith to replace City Manager Ray Hodges, who will retire at year's end.
Forest Park has chosen a new city manager.
Tye Smith, who has served as Forest Park’s human resources director since 1996, was selected to replace City Manager Ray Hodges, who will retire at the end of the year. Smith also fills in for Hodges as acting city manager, as needed.
Smith’s career in human resources dates to 1993. He was public relations director, human resources director and assistant to the city manager of Trotwood, Ohio, from 1993 to 1995. Smith served as human resources director for the Montgomery County, Ohio, Park District from 1995 to 1996. Before working in human resources, Smith was a career adviser and college program recruiter for Wright State University.
Smith’s appointment was supported by a 5-1 vote of City Council, with Councilwoman Regina Collins voting against the resolution on June 5. Councilman Charles Southall was absent.
Collins opposed the vote because the hiring committee had interviewed only three of the four candidates.
Council member Wynndel Burns said the fourth candidate was not a mandatory part of the selection process.
Councilwoman Denise Holt said only three candidates had remained for consideration.
“We decided that the fourth person decided they were no longer interested in being interviewed,” Holt said.
A vote followed the discussion, and Smith was chosen by a vote of 5-1.
Passage of the resolution cleared the way for the city to negotiate a contract with Smith. He will begin as city manager on Jan. 1, 2018, after Hodges retires Dec. 31.


Bluesfest, probably the most prominent of Ottawa’s music festivals, has found itself at the centre of the discussion around race and racism – and not for the first time.
Last year, Bluesfest welcomed a diverse line of artists, with Kanye West as its headliner. Yet, some attendees complained of feeling uneasy on Bluesfest grounds, as a man was seen in the crowd wearing the Confederate flag on his shorts, a mere month after nine people were shot dead in a Charleston church, during a prayer service. Dylann Roof, who’s accused of the killings, reportedly wanted to start “a race war.” Pictures were found of him hailing the Confederate flag – the same banner used by a well known hate group, the KKK.
At the time, Bluesfest was criticized for allowing the man on their grounds, creating an unsafe space for their attendees, and not releasing a proper public apology.
Fast forward to this past weekend, Bluesfest has returned and at it, perceived anti-black sentiments. On July 9, the British rock band, Official Cult, said to a large crowd of attendees that “all lives matter.” It was uttered by the band’s frontman, Ian Astbury, as he went on to say, “It ain’t a race thing, it’s a people thing.” Official Cult has since apologized for their insensitive (and factually incorrect) statement, but the damage is done.
The damage was done last year at Bluesfest, but its been made permanent this year.
Why do Black Lives Matter? Why not all lives matter? The appropriation of “black lives matter” – as we’ve seen following the attacks in Dallas that left five police officers dead and eight injured (plus two non-police hurt) with the use of “blue lives matter” – is a trivialization of a significant issue with deep historical roots.
Every last life on this earth matters – not one life is more valuable than the other. But for hundreds of years, black lives have been the target.
In 1799, Charles White’s An Account of the Regular Gradation in Man, and in Different Animals and Vegetables, arranged the Chain Of Being as God first, white people, non-white people, with blacks at the bottom. This was accepted as the leading colonial theory of race as it was believed human races could be lined up from most superior to most inferior.
Anti-blackness is in how black people are both misrepresented in media – TV, film, advertisements – and how they are not represented. It’s in how non-black people have no problem stealing or appropriating black culture, misnaming hairstyles, stealing musical sounds, but then deeming it too controversial when we simply stand up for our human rights.
It’s in how Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has not one black individual in his cabinet, and in how Sophie Grégoire Trudeau felt it appropriate to sing a song to her daughter on Martin Luther King Day. It’s in how when black people speak on race and racism, an issue known and experienced first-hand, others tell them they know it better.
Chain of Being, or not, black people know their place in society because it is consistently illustrated.
Priding itself on diversity and multiculturalism, Canada has to do better. Being the nation’s capital, racism, and anti-black sentiments, have no room in our strides to progress.
Bluesfest, it has no room in yours either.
Annette Ejiofor is a local journalist, advocating for the importance of those voices marginalized and oppressed, to be heard.


August 12, 2011 (San Diego) – U.S. Southern District Judge Roger Benitez has cancelled today’s hearing on local plaintiffs who seek an injunction to stop Sunrise Powerlink construction on federal lands. He will issue a ruling without hearing arguments, based solely on the written record.
Benitez had previously ruled in favor of SDG&E on a procedural technicality, finding plaintiffs lacked standing, but did not rule on the merits of the injunction itself. Three local groups that had filed the suit (Protect Our Communities Foundation, Backcountry Against Dumps, and East County Community Action Coalition) appealed to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. The 9th Circuit instructed plaintiffs to ask Judge Benitez to rule directly on the injunction.
Plaintiffs have indicated that if Judge Benitez fails to grant the injunction, they will appeal to the 9th Circuit, a court with a reputation for being less corporate-friendly than some lower courts. It is unclear how long Judge Benitez will take to issue his decision.
News of the hearing cancellation sparked comments voicing frustration and outrage on a Facebook page that invited people to the court proceeding.
“You have got to be kidding me,” Myles Thurman wrote.
“Uphill all the way,” observed William Ortiz.
Another poster, Tricia Digenan, pledged to “keep a note of all judges that have ruled against us as I will make sure not to vote for them again,” also vowing to work against such judges in the next election.
Voting out Judge Benitez is not an option, however, since federal judges are appointed for life and cannot be removed except through impeachment, an action that requires a two-thirds vote by Congress.


Feb. 27, 2016, 10:33 a.m.
The California Democratic Party is holding its convention in San Jose this weekend.
Local activists will be considering endorsements in the competitive Senate race and a host of congressional battles, but the main attractions today will be speeches from Vice President Biden and former Labor Secretary Robert Reich.
Biden speaks at 3 p.m. Pacific time. Reich speaks in the evening.


AMMAN, March 14 (Reuters) - Heavily armed forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad battled rebels in the southern city of Deraa on Wednesday, while U.N. envoy Kofi Annan considered Syria’s response to plans aimed at ending the violence.
Around 20 tanks and armoured vehicles surrounded the al-Balad district of Deraa, on the border with Jordan, and fired anti-aircraft guns into buildings, activist Rami Abdelhaq said from Deraa, where the revolt against Assad began a year ago.
Annan visited Damascus at the weekend and gave the Syrian president what he termed “concrete proposals” aimed at restoring peace. Assad’s response had been received and Annan was studying it, his spokesman Ahmad Fawzi said.
“The envoy has received a reply from President Assad. He will have more to say later today,” Fawzi said from Geneva.
Since the former U.N. chief’s visit, the violence has continued unabated, with Syrian forces pounding built-up areas around the northern city of Idlib, in the central city of Homs and in the south, around Deraa.
“The attack began early this morning. The rebels are firing back, but they are outgunned,” said Abdelhaq, speaking by phone, with the sound of heavy gunfire echoing in the background.
A U.N. official has said more than 8,000 people have died in the uprising and the U.N. refugee agency said on Tuesday that some 230,000 Syrians had fled their homes during the past 12 months, of whom around 30,000 have sought safety abroad.
In an apparent bid to deter the exodus, Syrian forces have laid landmines near its borders with Lebanon and Turkey along routes used by refugees to escape the mayhem, advocacy group Human Rights Watch said.
Looking to show the world that it was pressing ahead with a reform programme, the Syrian parliament said on Tuesday that Assad had ordered a legislative election for May 7.
It will be held under a new constitution, approved by a referendum last month which the opposition and their Western and Arab backers dismissed as a sham.
Russia and China have welcomed Assad’s reform pledges, including the promised election, and have blocked moves in the United Nations to censure the Syrian leader.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said on Wednesday that Beijing was taking no sides in the crisis, and that he was “deeply pained” by the suffering of the Syrian people, though his remarks did not suggest China’s diplomatic position will change.
Earlier, state media said China will offer $2 million in humanitarian aid through the Red Cross.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that Syrian government forces would not stop fighting or withdraw from their positions unless rebel forces instantly mirrored their move.
The U.S. State Department was dismissive of Assad’s election plan: “Parliamentary elections for a rubber-stamp parliament in the middle of the kind of violence that we’re seeing across the country? It’s ridiculous,” spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.
After a crackdown in the central city of Homs, the army has intensified its operations in the north and has been shelling the town of Idlib for the past three days.
An activist in the town, speaking by telephone, said on Tuesday security forces had killed more than 20 people trying to leave the area in the past two days and dumped their bodies in al-Bilal mosque. When locals went to inspect the corpses, they too came under fire, pushing the death toll above 50, he said.
Another activist gave a slightly lower death toll.
“When people came from the neighbourhood early this morning, the security forces also started firing at them. In total, about 45 people were massacred,” said the man, who like many in Syria gave only his first name, Mohammed, for fear of reprisals.
Reports from Syria cannot be independently verified as the authorities deny access to rights groups and journalists.
The United Nations said on Tuesday that it would soon deploy human rights monitors in countries bordering Syria to collect eyewitness testimony on atrocities committed in the country.
Syria lies in a pivotal position, bordering Turkey, Jordan, Israel, Iraq and Lebanon. Its 23-million population comprises a mix of faiths, sects and ethnic groups, and analysts say the gathering conflict could destabilise the entire region.


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Here at ST Towers we like when commentators put their supposed neutrality to one side and show their true allegiances.
There's no doubting whose side this broadcaster was on during Liverpool's match with Stoke. You might want to turn down your volume a little, as the commentator pumps his up, after Rickie Lambert's header hits the bar and Glen Johnson scores the winning goal.


I play Aubrey, who is a very famous radio actor - one of the great stars of radio. Famously, in our story, Aubrey introduces ghost stories and our drama starts on one of such occasions - but then it all turns rather ghostly itself.
The script is excellent. It’s a really clever, witty, dark and quite a political story. Mark is also a very old and very dear friend - we’ve wanted to work together on something like this for a long time. The reason we know each other is from Doctor Who - he wrote an episode of Doctor Who in which I played Charles Dickens. That was a brilliant piece of writing and a lot of people liked that very much - it helped to humanise Dickens in some people’s minds. Not everybody knows about the man… most people know about the books, whether they have read them or not, but Mark’s episode was a rare example of showing the man in a human and vulnerable, yet crazy Doctor Who way.
Have you worked with any other cast members before?
I’ve met Susan many times at parties and things like that. We have friends in common. But I’ve never worked with Susan or Anjli before.
On television yes - but not from personal experience. Some people are susceptible to these things and I am not. I’ve got no ghost story to tell.
Why do you think ghost stories work so well at Christmas time?
It’s a very old tradition. It’s true - it goes back to Dickens. In The Pickwick Papers, when they are all having their Christmas knees up they sit around and tell ghost stories. I think it’s pre-Christian really, it’s probably quite pagan. Christmas is very connected to the winter solstice, driving away the darkness and bringing the light back again. Ghost stories represent the dark - but most, not all, have a relatively happy ending. I think we like to scare ourselves we like to tell each other scary stories. Unfortunately sometimes some scary stories - like Brexit - turn into a reality.
How was shooting at Maida Vale?
It was great. It’s a wonderful place. It’s miraculous. It hadn’t been in use for some time and Mark had always set his heart on shooting there - it brought a lot of atmosphere. It was a little bit spooky in itself as we were the only people working in a studio there. There were all these empty rooms - very occasionally somebody else would come in but it felt very different to working in a thriving studio.
Have you worked in a radio drama before?
I’ve done a lot of radio. I did my first radio in 1975. I’ve recorded some of the great ghost stories - M. R. James and Dickens and so on. They are very enjoyable to do - because you sense the reader getting more and more spooked as you go on.
It’s very clever of Mark to have used The Dead Room as the title - because of course a ‘dead room’ is the name for a soundproofed room for recording radio. I’ve always thought there was something poetic about that idea - a dead room. The room itself is dead? Or maybe it’s the room of the dead?
I would like a few ten day weeks. I’d like to extend the year a little bit. If Santa could bring me some time, I’d be very grateful. Money is always nice, but time is better.


In 'Black Mirror: Bandersnatch,' Should You Pick Tangerine Dream Or Tomita?
Barely a day has passed since the arrival of Bandersnatch, the latest iteration of the popular Black Mirror series. From the moment it arrived simultaneously worldwide on Netflix, subscribers and fans of Charlie Brooker's oft-dystopian sci-fi series dove into the choose-your-own-adventure style movie, directing its various options and exploring its twisty plot.
At first recalling series favorite San Junipero for its apparent throwback 1980s setting, the UK-set story follows an aspiring young programmer named Stefan in his attempt to create a video game based on a complex book written by a mysterious novelist. But what makes Bandersnatch different essentially from the start is its interactivity, presenting the viewer with options that direct where the narrative leads. Some of the choices appear benign, such as the selection of the protagonist's sugary breakfast cereal, while others prove anxiety-inducing and grave. Warning: some spoilers follow below.
One such decision--and, indeed, where one of the most innovative aspects of Bandersnatch lies--comes from the selection of music. This occurs at two points in the story, the first coming early on during a double-decker bus ride to a business meeting with video game company Tuckersoft. Looking at his walkman, Stefan holds two cassette tapes, one by the Thompson Twins and the other a Now That's What I Call Music compilation. If the viewer selects the former, they are treated to the new wave ballad "Hold Me Now," which reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 4 on the UK Singles Charts. If they instead choose the latter, it plays The Eurythmics' "Here Comes The Rain Again," a synthpop classic which peaked at No. 4 in the US and No. 8 in the UK.
In execution, picking which tape Stefan listens to in his headphones feels gimmicky at best, a slight diversion that provides a brief bit of enjoyment while hinting at the power the viewer may wield not long thereafter. Yet the second musical choice given to the viewer does far more than press play. Instead, their decision resonates more-or-less throughout the remainder of the film.
Following the Tuckersoft meeting, Stefan receives a list of music recommendations from the company's top games designer, which he then takes with him to a WH Smith location. Intended to inspire him as he writes his own game, the listing features artists like Bauhaus and The Cure. After thumbing through the vinyl bins, ultimately Stefan holds two records out for purchase consideration: Tangerine Dream's Phaedra and Isao Tomita's The Bermuda Triangle.
For those unfamiliar with the options, here's a little bit of background. Both albums are from 1970s electronic music pioneers whose works have galvanized generations of composers and producers. Founded in Germany by Edgar Froese in 1967, Tangerine Dream recorded dozens of synthesizer-driven records, including scores for movies like William Friedkin's Sorcerer and Michael Mann's Thief. Japanese composer Isao Tomita put out numerous albums of electronic music, some of which featured radical reinterpretations of classical favorites.
Both Phaedra and The Bermuda Triangle rank among the highlights of the respective artists' careers, though the former did exceptionally better in the UK and charted there for 15 weeks with a No. 15 peak. Either one of these instrumental outings would arguably make a fine purchase, in real life or in Bandersnatch. Yet whichever one the viewer chooses takes on a near-ubiquitous role from that point on, soundtracking most of the movie's remaining scenes. Rather than simply playing out cutely in a scene like the Thompson Twins vs. Eurythmics decision, this divergence point determines many of the musical cues and motifs behind the rest of Stefan's story.
From Hollywood blockbusters and awards season fare to indie flicks and low-budget romps, scores matter a great deal in cinema. The soundtracks and sounds that populate a movie contribute to its overall narrative, amplifying characters' actions and prompting emotional responses in watchers. Some cinephiles say that swapping out the music for a film with an entirely different one makes for a decidedly different viewing experience. The YouTube era brought us an example of this with the recut trailer phenomenon, where new content creators repurposed existing movie preview clips to change the context and even the genre of the originals, often with humorous results.
Thus, a Bandersnatch viewer's in-movie perspective, along with their memories afterwards, hinges on whether they pick Tangerine Dream or Tomita. Though both albums reside in the same broad genre category, their respective characters are quite different. Largely heavy handed with analog electronics, 1974's Phaedra follows a certain structural framework based in no small way on the Moog synthesizer at its core. Conversely, 1978's The Bermuda Triangle boasts a more orchestral approach, rising and falling with classical dramatic flair and enchanting ambient passages.
Knowing this, and keeping in mind that choices in Bandersnatch can sometimes have deadly consequences, many may be wondering if or how their soundtrack choice impacts the pathways or the range of outcomes. Over quite a few hours hunched over a laptop in an otherwise darkened room last night, I explored both musical pathways, starting with Phaedra and then, upon reaching a hard ending with credits sequences, began the movie all over again and chose The Bermuda Triangle instead. In both instances, I arrived at the same choice points and witnessed same possible endings.
While open to the idea that there may be other very subtle or as yet unseen consequences of choosing Phaedra over The Bermuda Triangle (and vice-versa) during subsequent viewings, it seems safe to say that the Bandersnatch story and its narrative paths aren't affected by Stefan's vinyl purchase. Beyond its truly novel approach of letting viewers decide what the movie sounds like, it won't block any of the subsequent outcomes--so choose however you see fit.
One last thing: on the Easter Egg front, there's at least one decision in the game that reveals a new song and another ending that calls back to a familiar scene with a new musical twist. But like so much of what makes Bandersnatch so entertaining, it's a lot more fun to experience than to be told.


Days after three separate suicides in Parkland, Fla., and Newtown, Conn. left those communities reeling, the Senate is doing something rare for a GOP-led chamber: holding a hearing on gun control. In the previously scheduled hearing, the full Senate Judiciary Committee will bring experts to Capitol Hill Tuesday on extreme risk protection orders, commonly referred to as red flag laws.
These laws allow law enforcement, and in some states, relatives and other concerned parties, to petition judges in order to temporarily restrict access to firearms from people who may present a harm to themselves or others.
Supporters of the laws say they can save lives by removing guns from individuals who should not have them. Some states have used the laws to successfully protect individuals from suicide, at least one study shows.
Opponents of such laws say they violate the second amendment and say they do nothing to thwart the underlying issues causing the threat.
The Senate hearing Tuesday will focus on guidelines that a handful of states have used to implement red flag laws, something that Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., has signaled he would support on the federal level.
Graham told CNN earlier this month that he saw red flag measures as "prevention," adding that he and President Trump have "definitely" spoken about it.
Last year Graham, along with Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., began working on legislation, but their efforts never became law.
Since the deadly shooting in Parkland, Fla., last year, eight states have enacted their own extreme risk laws. In all, 14 states have them on the books. Colorado, where the bill is backed by a lawmaker who lost his son in the 2012 Aurora movie theater shooting, appears to be on the verge of passing one of its own.
The hearing comes at a time when there may be renewed national interest in red flag laws. In recent days, two survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas school shooting died by apparent suicide.
On Monday, Jeremy Richman, whose daughter was killed in the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., was found dead in an apparent suicide.
Since taking control of the U.S. House, Democrats have sought to make gun control a major platform in their governing agenda.
At the start of the 2019 Congress, a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators led by Marco Rubio, R-Fla., re-introduced a bill that was first unveiled in the weeks following the Parkland shooting.
The alleged Parkland gunman, a former student who had received treatment for mental health, legally purchased the firearm used in the attack.
Last month the Democrat-led House approved a pair of bills aimed at broadening the federal background check system. The bills face long odds getting approval in the Republican-controlled Senate.
Activists led by the March For Our Lives pro-gun control group, plan to hold demonstrations on Capitol Hill much of Tuesday to urge the Senate lawmakers to take up a the Background Check Expansion Act.
The legislation, introduced by Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., has 41 co-sponsors. None of them are Republicans.


Beyonce ran the Superdome stage last night (Feb. 3) during the Super Bowl halftime show, and afterwards, announced her plans to run the world ... on a world tour, of course!
Bey confirmed news that she was embarking on The Mrs. Carter Show and announced the tour dates on her website.
She'll kick off in Belgrade, Serbia on April 15 and will do 24 stops in Europe before taking a month-long break in June. She'll then tour North America, starting June 28 in Los Angeles and ending August 3 at husband Jay-Z's Barclay's Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Beyonce hinted to a tour during a Super Bowl press conference, saying, "I may have an announcement after the performance. Fans should just stay tuned to see."
The Mrs. Carter Show tour will be Beyoncé's first major tour since 2009's I AM ... World Tour.


In a big win for the Internet, the new version of the TPP suspends many of the controversial provisions included in previous versions.
It will be a big weekend in Canadian federal politics. The Conservatives will get a new leader, while the NDP leadership candidates will debate each other in Sudbury.
Corporate greed has insatiable thirst and so, lobbyists are gathering in Toronto to try and resurrect the infamous TPP. But we are not going to let that happen, so here's the plan.
The Liberal government finally introduced its pot legalization legislation, which contains many law-and-order measures to placate the many who are concerned about the impact of legal dope.
During the last election campaign, the Trudeau Liberals promised an ombudsperson to keep tabs on Canadian extractive industry companies operating abroad. They have not yet acted on that promise.


Giorgio Ghiglione is an Italian freelance journalist and video journalist, whose short docs and video work have appeared on Al Jazeera Plus and “la 7” (Italy’s main independent TV station). His print work has been published by The Christian Science Monitor, Vice Italy, Vocativ, In These Times, Il Manifesto and Pagina99, an Italian weekly magazine. His work focuses on grassroots movements and social issues including environmental issues, migrant workers' civil and human rights, and the LGBT community.


The Dodgers, though, needed a throwing error on Kinsler with two outs in the 13th to forge a 2-2 tie. That came three innings after Kinsler was thrown out at home plate trying to score on an Eduardo Nunez flyball to center field.
The out at home shouldn’t be held against Kinsler, though Red Sox fans were perturbed by his entire trip around the bases. He was nearly picked off at first base as a pinch runner, and he slid past third base after a single by Brock Holt of Stephenville.
Kinsler, though, would have been better off holding onto the ball after stumbling while fielding a Yasiel Puig grounder rather than attempting to a throw.
It was well wide of first baseman Christian Vazquez, who had replaced former Ranger Mitch Moreland, allowing the tying run to score and turning one of the longest games in World Series history into the longest at 7 hours, 20 minutes.
“I’m just trying to do whatever I can to help this team win,” Kinsler told reporters. “I feel terrible. I feel like I let the team down right there.
Muncy, who went to Baylor, ended it with an opposite-field shot off hard-throwing right-hander Nathan Eovaldi. It was the latest big moment in an out-of-nowhere season for Muncy, who opened 2018 at Triple A.
The 28-year-old was promoted in mid-April and by the All-Star break was so indispensable to the Dodgers and was hitting homers at such a high rate that he participated in the Home Run Derby during All-Star festivities.
He finished the season with 35 homers and a .973 OPS over 395 at-bats. His 11.3 at-bats per homer rate led MLB.
Rangers still searching for manager, but do they know what they’re searching for?
Rangers add more candidates to managerial search. Who are their latest targets?


What ever happened to all that money Trump raised for the veterans?
In January, Donald Trump skipped a televised Republican debate in Iowa and held his own event instead — a rally to raise money for veterans. Trump said it was a huge success.
More than a month later, about half of the money, roughly $3 million, has been donated to veterans’ charities, according to a summary released Thursday by the Trump campaign in response to inquiries from The Washington Post.
In recent days, after the campaign initially did not provide details of where the money had gone, The Post had undertaken its own accounting. After contacting each of the 24 charities that Trump had previously listed as his beneficiaries, The Post had accounted for less than half of the $6 million.
Hope Hicks, a spokeswoman for Trump’s campaign, said Trump still intended to give the rest of the money away to veterans groups. She also criticized the news media for repeated inquiries into what became of the funds.
“If the media spent half as much time highlighting the work of these groups and how our veterans have been so mistreated, rather than trying to disparage Mr. Trump’s generosity for a totally unsolicited gesture for which he had no obligation, we would all be better for it,” Hicks wrote in an email.
Trump’s fundraiser highlighted the billionaire presidential candidate’s remarkable ability to draw people, attention and money to any cause he chooses. Trump enticed enormous gifts from wealthy friends, including Stewart Rahr, a colorful New York philanthropist who calls himself “Stewie Rah Rah, the Number One King of All Fun.” Their money became life-altering gifts for some small charities, which received $50,000 or $100,000 each.
But the aftermath of that event showed another side of Trump’s campaign: its tendency to focus on front-end spectacle over back-end details. The rollout of contributions has raised questions about how long Trump would keep donated funds within the Donald J. Trump Foundation, a personal charity whose gifts can boost his political brand.
“Where’s the rest of the money going?” said Keith David at the Task Force Dagger Foundation, which offers support to Special Operations personnel and their families.
David’s group typifies the confusion over Trump’s money. It was listed by Trump as a group that would benefit from his fundraising. And soon after the Iowa fundraising event, the group got a check for $50,000. It came from Rahr’s foundation, with a note that mentioned Trump.
But was that it? The group’s board — noting the huge amount of money that Trump raised and the lesser amount of money Trump seemed to have given out — decided it could not be.
The list, as given out by Trump’s campaign Thursday, does not show any more donations going for David’s group.
Trump’s veterans fundraiser was, if nothing else, a smart bit of political theater.
It allowed Trump, who was feuding with Fox News Channel at the time, to boycott a GOP debate that Fox was hosting — and, at the same time, claim both the moral high ground and a prime-time TV spotlight for himself that competed directly with the debate he was skipping.
“We set up the website. I called some friends. And the sign was just given: We just cracked $6 million,” Trump said, savoring the moment at the end. He announced that the money would be divided among more than 20 veterans’ groups: “They’re going to get a lot of money. Everybody is going to get a lot of money,” he said.
Some of that money was raised from small donors online, at the website donaldtrumpforvets.
com. That site now says it has raised $1.67 million.
But the bulk of the $6 milllion was raised from a small group of Trump’s very wealthy friends.
Not all of them gave in the same way.
Billionaire investor Carl Icahn gave $500,000 and sent it directly to two groups: a charity to help Army Green Berets and another for Navy SEALs. Another $1 million came from Rahr.
Trump offered Rahr a menu of veterans’ charities, Rahr associate Steve Burns said in an email. Rahr chose 11, based on a review of “missions and financials. We felt they were the best ones in helping the vets,” Burns said.
The $1.5 million in donations from Icahn and Rahr, which bypassed the Trump Foundation, are easy to track. Associates of the two men said they have given the money directly to the charities, and multiple charities said they had received it.
But other benefactors gave their money to the Trump Foundation, so Trump could divvy it up himself. One was Phil Ruffin, a Las Vegas casino mogul, who gave $1 million. “He trusts Mr. Trump to make that decision,” a spokeswoman said.
In all, Trump’s campaign said the Trump Foundation had given out about $1.1 million so far. Hicks, Trump’s campaign spokeswoman, did not immediately respond to a question about how much of the money raised for veterans remains in the accounts of the Trump Foundation.
In the days that followed the Iowa fundraiser, the donations — ostensibly, apolitical gifts to needy veterans — became a centerpiece of Trump’s campaign rallies. He would frequently call the leaders of local charities up onstage and hand them a huge check in front of the cameras and the crowds.
“I thought I was going to faint, because we had no idea — until that check came up on the stage — we had no idea what we were getting,” said Cindy Brodie of Partners for Patriots, which trains service dogs to help veterans with disabilities.
At the time of Trump’s fundraiser, Brodie and her husband had been struggling to keep themselves and the charity afloat. But then a veteran whom they had helped met Trump at a campaign event elsewhere in Iowa.
And then Brodie was being called up onstage by the billionaire and handed an oversized $100,000 check.
But — after the campaign moved on from Iowa — Trump’s donations seemed to lag behind his promises. In early February, the Wall Street Journal reported that many groups began to get their checks only after the Journal asked the Trump campaign why they had not.
Trump’s figures show the biggest beneficiary was the Navy SEAL Foundation, a Virginia-based group that helps Navy Special Operations forces and their families. It received $450,000, according to Trump’s campaign. The Green Beret Foundation, which helps Army Special Forces soldiers and their families, got $350,000. Two other groups got $200,000. Fourteen charities got $100,000 each. Six got $50,000 each, and two others got less.
Hicks, the spokeswoman for Trump’s campaign, declined to give details about how the rest of the money would be handed out.
Hicks could only name one: a Queens-based nonprofit called Veterans-in-Command, which provides housing, food and job counseling to veterans. In that case, the Trump Foundation dipped into its veterans funds to present a donation.
Which happened to solve a political headache for Trump himself.
At the time of the donation, the New York media was mocking Trump for mishandling a past request the group had made for a donation. Instead of money, the Trump campaign had sent them Trump bumper stickers.
“He called us, and he apologized, and he did the right thing by us,” said Larry Robertson, the Queens group’s president. Trump paid off some old debts and paid for one year’s rent on a new office, a total gift worth about $26,200.
That was 0.4 percent of the money Trump said he’d raised for veterans. The Queens group is hoping it is the beginning, not the end, of a relationship.


TORONTO — A decline in U.S. crude stockpiles helped push oil prices and energy stocks higher as North American markets rallied at the close on Wednesday.
Energy stocks were among the biggest gainers as the May contract for North American benchmark crude rose US$1.86 to US$37.75 a barrel.
The S&P/TSX composite index ran up 42.80 points to 13,347.46 to end four straight days of losses, while the loonie gained 0.36 of a cent to 76.37 cents US.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration said oil inventories fell by 4.9 million barrels last week. Analysts had been expecting a rise in inventory.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average jumped 112.73 points at 17,716.05, while the broader S&P 500 climbed 21.49 points to 2,066.66. The Nasdaq gained 76.79 points at 4,920.72.
Elsewhere in commodities, the June gold contract lost $5.80 to US$1,223.80 a troy ounce, while the May copper contract was unchanged at US$2.14 a pound and the May natural gas contract lost four cents at US$1.91 per mmBTU.


The paper’s weekly magazine was accused of being reminiscent of the Nazi leader.
French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb will face questions from parliament next week.
He is suspected of unlawfully receiving police surveillance footage in a bid to clear his name.
The French president has been in power for a year, but not everyone is happy with his sweeping social reforms.
World leaders are dealing with the fallout of airstrikes ordered following an alleged chemical attack.
Hundreds attended the ceremony for Arnaud Beltrame today.
Irish uilleann piping was granted the same status last year.
The wife of the French president has historically always played a public role at official functions.
They didn’t even stop when Trump embraced the French First Lady.
Not a fan at all, so he wasn’t.
Turnout has been low across France as the country deals with its fourth national vote in less than two months.
Macron’s aides accused the Kremlin of mounting a “smear campaign” against Macron.
After defeating the far-right, the fight is just beginning for France’s youngest leader since Napoleon Bonaparte.
Down but not out, Le Pen is hoping to use this election as a building block for the National Front party.


At Israel’s 16th annual Herzliya Conference, Khairat’s speech stressed that a two-state solution represented the only hope for ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, while also addressing a series of issues which he identified as roadblocks to peace, Ma’an reported.
Khairat insisted that despite the “tremendous challenges and crises” engulfing the region, the Palestinian issue should not be ignored.
Ma’an reported Khairat saying, “The current state of affairs represents only an example of tragic developments taking place in the last few years: The tension in Jerusalem, the deteriorating situation in the West Bank, including the settlements that are expanding in Area C, eroding the land of the future of the State of Palestine as well as the incursion in Area A and B”.
European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Federica Mogherini, echoed Khairat’s sentiments. “The possibility of a secure state of Israel and a viable state of Palestine living side by side is fading away,” Mogherini said.
All past efforts towards peace negotiations have failed to end the decades-long Israeli military occupation or bring Palestinians closer to an independent contiguous state, including the most recent spate of negotiations led by the US collapsed in April 2014.


RUTHERFORDTON � Shelby�s 48-12 win Friday night at Hilltopper Stadium should do a few things in the confidence department for the Golden Lions.
Beside collecting their fourth straight win and moving to 5-4 on the season (3-1 South Mountain Athletic Conference), Shelby displayed a consistent effort in several phases of the game against R-S Central (1-8).
The Golden Lions mixed the run and pass effectively, piling up more than 500 yards of total offense on the night.
In addition, Shelby was able to slow down the Hilltopper running game. Only a big play � an 81-yard scoring pass late in the third quarter � plus a fumble R-S recovered in the end zone in the final period allowed the opposition to score.
Shelby was able to build a 21-0 lead by halftime with Spencer Clark running for a score, Raekwon Washington broke free on a 73-yard touchdown romp, then Clark hooked up with Cedric Cannon for a 21-yard scoring pass in the final 30 seconds of the half.
Shelby continued its assault in the second half with Clark throwing for one score to Dontavis Pressley and running for another, with Markise Walton and Antwan Wright finding the end zone as well.
Ware liked the way Washington (165 yards) and Jaquavis Brooks (115) ran hard.
R-S Central had a screen pass from Elric Ruff to Devante Austin break for an 81-yard scoring play to get on the board. Tyler Lowery recovered a fumble in the end zone for the Hilltoppers� other score.
Shelby will return home to face East Rutherford next Friday. The Golden Lions will be trying to nail down a No. 1 seed in the SMAC for the playoffs.
Doubling up � Shelby had its offense clicking on all cylinders Friday night, especially with the running game.
Raekwon Washington picked up 165 yards on the night, with only one carry in the second half. Jaquavis Brooks came on and also topped the 100-yard barrier, finishing with 115 yards.
Spreading the wealth � Spencer Clark threw for 178 yards on the night for Shelby with three receivers � Dontavius Presley, Cedric Cannon and Kylon Ross with multiple catches led by Ross with five catches on the night.
Defensive menace -- Golden Lion senior defensive end Kris Evans made himself a nuisance to the R-S Central offense in his time on the field. In the first half alone he was in on two sacks, forced two hurried throws, and had another tackle for loss. He added a fumble recovery early in the third period that led to a Shelby score.


TACLOBAN CITY – Producing wing blister oyster pearls is a promising undertaking for Leyte fishermen.
Gov. Leopoldo Dominico L. Petilla said the provincial government had made initial field trials and research on wing oyster pearl production in coordination with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources’ (BFAR ) Eastern Visayas, and has determined it to be highly feasible and profitable.
Petilla said fishermen who will go into oyster pearl production will receive training and support from the provincial government.
The venture is already being tried out Petilla said. Initial harvests were conducted in Barangay Pinarigusan, San Miguel, and the towns of Capoocan, Carigara, Barugo, and Babatngon.
Experts from BFAR interviewed by Manila Bulletin agreed that pearl oyster farming is highly feasible and profitable not only in Leyte but in the other provinces in Eastern Visayas.
The experts said among the advantages of pearl oyster farming is its low material inputs. The fishermen do not need helpers since the oysters are left to grow underwater and produce pearls.
The pearl and the oyster’s meat are in high demand and command high prices, while the shells can be sold to shellcraft industry.


Online language learning is a multi million dollar industry that has it’s well established players from the US to China, but have gotten one more addition from the Middle East to give those interested in learning Arabic a tutor from the region at the luxury of their homes.
ArabicCoach won as the second runner up in 2009’s MIT Arab Business Plan Competition which landed its team a $5000 cash prize and immediate regional recognition from a very rich panel of judges which consisted of successful regional entrepreneurs.
Developed by SamaPlus, the same guys who brought you Aqarmap.com and Ras2Ras.com. Unveiled during the launch of this years MIT Arab Business Plan Competition it appears ArabicCoach founder Amad Almsaodi still has some tricks up his sleeves.
The website acts as a tutoring facilitator tutors present their Arabic tutoring services through at any hourly price they choose to learners willing to dish out some money to learn from Arabs as if they had traveled to whatever country the tutor resides in.
The website which is still in testing gets you up and learning in 3 simple steps: 1. Find a Teacher according to your native language from a gallery displaying teachers according to language skills, hourly rates, experience, and even country of origin in addition to an eBay style star rating system learners rate them by.
Teachers also get a profile page to add their information and a video displaying their linguistic skills in whatever language they choose. This profile page leads you to the next step in learning which is choosing a schedule.
Using an intuitive chart, although not the prettiest, users can book sessions which in turn deducts the appropriate amount from their learning credit. Users can purchase credit using Google Checkout or Paypal that remain reserved on the site until the session is successfully completed providing feedback for tutor rating.
So if you’re not the kind of person that can afford traveling to the Middle East to learn Arabic first hand, you can try out the some online tutoring from the same people who live there.


Avoid taking antacids at the same time as meals.
Antacids are drugs that neutralize stomach acidity, usually sold over the counter for short-term relief of pain caused by heartburn and indigestion. Antacids may also be used to relieve symptoms of stomach ulcers, gastritis, duodenal ulcers, esophagitis and gastroesophageal reflux disease. B-complex vitamins include thiamin, folate, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, riboflavin and vitamin B-12. Prolonged use of antacids can cause folate and B-12 to be depleted from the body.
Folate, also known as vitamin B-9 is a water-soluble vitamin that helps your body produce energy and healthy red blood cells. Antacids may bind to folate and reduce its absorption, according to New York University's Langone Medical Center. You are more likely to suffer from folate deficiency if you take antacids on a regular basis and have an existing medical condition that affects nutrients absorption. However, if you are healthy, taking antacids on a short-term basis is not likely to have an adverse effect on folate levels in your body.
Vitamin B-12 is necessary for the maintenance of healthy nerves, formation of blood cells and energy production. Antacids are more likely to cause a depletion of vitamin B-12 in older adults, according to University of Florida. Older adults produce less stomach acid due to age-related changes in the stomach. The body requires stomach acid to absorb vitamin B-12. Taking antacids neutralizes stomach acid and this affects vitamin B-12 absorption.
During antacid therapy, you can prevent vitamin B-12 and folate deficiency by increasing your consumption of vitamin B-complex-rich foods. Examples of foods rich in B vitamins include fortified cereals, enriched whole grain breads, milk, dairy products, meat, fish, seafood, poultry, beans, legumes and green leafy vegetables.Take antacids two hours before or after meals to ensure the drugs do not interfere with nutrients absorption, advises Langone Medical Center.
Avoid taking antacids for more than two weeks. Consult your doctor if you need to use antacids for more than 14 days; you may have stomach ulcers, which can be treated with stronger acid-lowering drugs. Avoid relying on antacids for symptom relief because they only work on a short-term basis. Antacids may help relieve pain caused by stomach ulcers but the pain usually returns after the antacid wears out.
Warren,, Maria. "Do Antacids Deplete Vitamin B?" Healthy Eating | SF Gate, http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/antacids-deplete-vitamin-b-7009.html. Accessed 22 April 2019.


Apply for a business license to operate a tree cutting business in your area.
3 " Become Licensed, Bonded and Insured"
Tree cutting businesses provide a variety of services, including tree branch trimming, cutting and stump removal. Developing professional knowledge of tree care is a crucial first step in beginning a successful business. This knowledge, plus excellent customer service, will help you to develop a strong, profitable business. This is particularly true if you live in an area where there is a year-round need for tree-cutting services.
Look into the proper training and certification. While in many cases, training tends to come in the form of on-the-job training, it is possible to be certified through the International Society of Arboriculture's (ISA) training programs.
Apply for a business license to legally operate a tree cutting business. Contact the county clerk's office or small administration office in your area to learn more about business licensing procedures. Apply for an Employer Identification Number through the Internal Revenue Service. Use this number on business documents such as tax forms, business registration applications or to open a business bank account.
Register your tree cutting business with your state's secretary of state's office to form a limited liability company, corporation or partnership. Purchase business insurance, such as general liability, worker's compensation, property and auto, from a licensed insurance provider.
Lease storage space or create a space in your home for tree cutting equipment. Contact a property storage company to inquire about storage space sizes and monthly rates or convert your garage or basement into a storage space. Create a home office to store computer equipment, client files, bookkeeping and invoicing software.
Purchase tree cutting equipment. Equipment may include chainsaws, pruning shears, ladders, climbing safety equipment, stump removal equipment and safety gear such as safety glasses, gloves and work boots. Purchase a company vehicle to transport equipment and employees from job site to job site. If providing mulching or tree removal services, purchase or lease an industrial mulching machine and a truck large enough to haul tree branches and trunks.
Secure a domain name and web hosting for your business. You can either design your own website or hire someone else to do it for you. Once your site is operational, choose several social media platforms on which to become active. By posting relevant content, you can begin to form relationships with potential customers.
Advertise your tree cutting business by creating promotional fliers that include a list of tree cutting and removal services and business contact information. Create business cards to hand out to potential clients. List your services in local business directories. Attend local home improvement trades shows and small business events to meet potential clients.
Contact local government agencies, such as the parks department, to bid on government contracts that request tree cutting services.
Contact local nurseries, parks departments and other agencies that regularly use mulch to dispose of leftover mulch your clients don't want. Donate or sell mulch or tree parts.
Assess each tree cutting job before agreeing to providing your services as you may need additional equipment and employees to complete the job.
Jones, Jessica. "How to Start a Tree Cutting Business." Small Business - Chron.com, http://smallbusiness.chron.com/start-tree-cutting-business-2172.html. 16 March 2019.
How Do I Get My Arborist License?


LONDON (Reuters) - BP (BP.L) will cut around 275 staff and contractor jobs in its Alaska operations in early 2015 following the sale of its interests in four oil fields in the North Slope area, it said on Tuesday.
BP, one of the largest oil producers in Alaska, last April announced the sale of the fields to privately held Hilcorp, though it remains committed to developing Alaska’s Prudhoe Bay, the largest oil field in North America.
BP has a total of 8,300 employees and contractors in Alaska, according to its website.
Its plans for expansion in Alaska include an additional investment of $1 billion over five years, including two additional drilling rigs, one in 2015 and a second in 2016. “The Alaska business is still very important to BP. It’s just a smaller business than it was before,” a BP spokesman said.
BP is also considering production of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from reserves in Alaska, the company has said.
The latest cuts are evidence of BP making divestments to simplify its business globally, analysts at Barclays said, though it has further to go.
“What it has not done is simplify the cost base ... This is set to be the next focus for the group and supports our view that material efficiency gains can be made,” Barclays said.
BP shares have come under pressure in recent months due to uncertainties over the size of the fine the company faces over the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill as well as over the impact of Western sanctions on its operations in Russia.
By 6:40 a.m. EDT, BP shares were trading 0.6 percent lower at 466 pence.


JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. -- Madigan Army Medical Center earned high marks for surgical and post-surgical care in a recent report from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program.
The semi-annual NSQIP report, from the American College of Surgeons, highlighted Madigan's consistently high quality in reducing overall surgical complications and surgical site infections along with other indicators of excellent care. Madigan's Department of Surgery began participating in the voluntary program in 2010.
"It is a way for hospitals to get high-quality, validated data that helps them identify strengths and weaknesses and identify where they could be taking better care of patients," said Lt. Col. Peter Kreishman, Madigan's deputy chief of surgery and a NSQIP surgeon champion for both Madigan and for the Army at large. "The reason this is beneficial is because it allows hospitals to have a real measure of how they stack up against other institutions, both locally and nationally, and it helps identify specific areas where improvement can be done."
Madigan earned 23 exemplary ratings for surgical services by being in the top 10 percent of quality for the more than 800 hospitals who participate in NSQIP. In addition to reduced infections for procedures ranging from colorectal surgery to plastic surgery to ears, nose and throat procedures, Madigan also was noted for its low gynecology complication rates, sepsis rates and urinary tract infections.
Neuro and orthopedic surgeries were especially noted for a lack of UTI complications; in fact, 762 procedures over 12 months resulted in exactly zero UTIs. Kreishman called this achievement "remarkable," as catheters are often used with surgeries, leaving patients at greater risk for this type of infection.
The NSQIP even measures how long patients stay in the hospital as an inpatient; Madigan again ranked in the top 10 percent for their endovascular surgeries of abdominally aortic aneurysms.
"These are patients who get fairly complex aneurysms repaired, and they are usually going home before lunchtime the next day, so we're really proud of that one," Kreishman said.
While NSQIP reports come out every six months, Madigan can pull data from the system whenever needed. Every surgical service chief receives this data and sits with a multidisciplinary team to review both strengths and areas to more finely hone quality.
These improvements in care come about because of a continuous combing over of data from medical chart reviews and phone calls with patients by Madigan's NSQIP surgical clinical reviewer Geri Hough.
Although Hough and Kreishman spearhead the hospital's NSQIP efforts, the key behind the quality improvements are the teams of surgical staff.
"That is 100 percent a testament to the dedication and patient-focus of the staff here at Madigan, because participation in NSQIP alone does not improve your outcomes; you have to use the data and the team here at Madigan from the commander on down are so dedicated to working to improve the outcomes for our patients, and that really shows in these reports," Kreishman said.


You wouldn't expect Luis Perez to be an amateur photographer.
Perez, a higher education learning consultant in Florida, has retinitis pigmentosa, a condition that essentially gives him tunnel vision. He only has about seven degrees of total vision, and his condition could progress to the point where he's completely blind. Even with his limited vision, Perez is already considered legally blind.
Perez makes this happen with a setting called VoiceOver, a setting built into all Apple devices that makes Perez's iPhone almost as functional for him as it is for a sighted person.
Apple first introduced VoiceOver in the Mac operating system OS X Tiger about 10 years ago. Back then, it would have cost a visually impaired user hundreds of dollars to bring similar accessibility settings to a PC. But it's been a standard, free feature in Macs ever since, even if the majority of Mac users never use it or know it exists.
In 2009, VoiceOver came to the iPhone for the first time in the iPhone 3GS and has been included in all Apple products — even the Apple Watch — ever since.
The concept behind VoiceOver is pretty simple: Make it so visually impaired users can do everything on Apple devices that a sighted person can do. That may not sound like a big deal on a traditional desktop or laptop where you can feel your way around with a mouse and keyboard. But iPhones and iPads are controlled almost entirely through a touchscreen, which is nearly impossible to use if you're visually impaired.
In June, The American Foundation for the Blind gave Apple a Helen Keller Achievement Award for its work including VoiceOver in all of its products.
VoiceOver settings on the iPhone.
With VoiceOver enabled on an iPhone and iPad, a digital voice narrates almost every move you make. You can swipe around the home screen to highlight certain apps, and then tap anywhere on the screen when the voice says you've highlighted the app, menu item, etc. you want.
VoiceOver has helped Perez discover his calling as an amateur iPhone photographer. VoiceOver can use facial recognition to let him know who's in the frame and give cues like how many people are in the shot. With stills and landscapes, Perez told Tech Insider he likes taking lots of shots so he can go back to his Mac or iPad later and pick the best photo of the bunch.
It's not just Apple apps and software that work with VoiceOver and all the other accessibility options in iOS devices. When developers get the software from Apple that lets them make iPhone and iPad apps, they also get tools to add similar options to their own apps.
The developers behind the productivity app Workflow did just that. When the app first launched, Workflow didn't have any accessibility options. But after listening to user feedback following the launch, the developers decided to add VoiceOver and Apple's other accessibility settings in a new version that launched a few months later, Ari Weinstein, one of the app's developers, told Tech Insider.
In June, the development team behind Workflow won an Apple Design Award at Apple's annual developers conference because of how it used accessibility options in the app. Workflow requires a lot of dragging and dropping, something that's easy enough for sighted users but can be especially challenging for the visually impaired. Now Weinstein says there's nothing visually impaired Workflow users can't do in the app thanks to VoiceOver.
"For the vast majority of apps, a visually impaired person can do basically anything other users can," Weinstein said, referring to VoiceOver controls. "And if they can't, then there's a way [for developers] to reimagine how to get it done."
There are several other apps that take advantage of the accessibility features, and Apple has many of them highlighted in a new section of the App Store.
That's the same concept behind Perez's iPhone photography. Even though he might not be able to see all his photos as well as others can, he said he does it to prove a point. It's unexpected for someone with his condition to be a photographer, and publishing his photos on Instagram helps raise awareness. It's something he couldn't do until the iPhone came around.
"A lot assume if you have a visual impairment you don't want to take photos," Perez said. "Nothing could be further from the truth. We want to capture memories just like anyone else."