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ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — DarkMatter, a growing cybersecurity company in the United Arab Emirates that's recruited Western intelligence analysts, is stepping out of the shadows amid concerns by activists about its power and potential targets.
The company's founder and CEO, Faisal al-Bannai, says DarkMatter takes part in no hacking, although he acknowledges the firm's close business ties to the Emirati government, as well as its hiring of former CIA and National Security Agency analysts.
Activists warn such expertise could be used to target human rights campaigners, some of whom already have been jailed in the UAE, a major U.S. ally in the Mideast.
Al-Bannai told The Associated Press his company carefully chooses its clients, while leaving the ethical decisions about privacy and surveillance in wielding its powerful technology to its governmental customers, which include the Dubai police.
"Ignoring that use, in my view, would be silly," he said. "I think tackling that issue and saying, 'What is the right balance,' is the right question and the one I think everyone is trying to figure out."
Surveillance is prolific across the UAE, a federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula. Flashing cameras capture license plates of vehicles pulling into gas stations. At Dubai's Mall of the Emirates, home to an indoor ski slope, shoppers can use a kiosk to find their cars via the mall's surveillance system.
Authorities say surveillance keeps the UAE safe. Surveillance footage helped authorities quickly identify the woman who stabbed an American school teacher to death at an Abu Dhabi mall in 2014.
It also aided Dubai police in identifying members of what it described as an Israeli hit squad that killed an operative with the Palestinian militant Hamas group in 2010, an attack never acknowledged by Israel.
For al-Bannai, whose father is a retired major general with the Dubai police, cybersecurity seemed like a good bet after he found success with his mobile phone reselling firm Axiom Telecom. He formed DarkMatter in 2015 and today, he said the company has some 650 employees. Most work out of its headquarters in the disc-shaped Aldar building along a major highway connecting Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The firm also has research-and-development centers in China, Finland and Toronto, he said.
"The only country in the region that's strong in cybersecurity is Israel," al-Bannai told foreign journalists who visited DarkMatter on Tuesday. "Other than that, it's blank."
He described DarkMatter as entirely privately held, with a customer base that is 80 percent government agencies and 20 percent commercial. He declined to name specific clients, but many suspect they include the Signals Intelligence Agency, the Emirati version of the NSA. The agency is also registered as having offices in the Aldar building.
"Frankly, it's an alignment of the stars," al-Bannai said of DarkMatter's government contracts. "It is a pure commercial transaction with them."
Since its inception, rumors have swirled around DarkMatter.
Some hackers described receiving aggressive, repeated job offers by the firm. An Italian hacker wrote a blog post in 2016 alleging that DarkMatter tried to hire him through a third-party recruiter who described the company as setting up a vast domestic spying infrastructure, something denied by al-Bannai.
However, human rights activists and others have been targeted by hacks suspected to be directed, if not carried out, by the Emirati government.
Emirati activist Ahmed Mansoor became famous in August 2016 when he worked with security experts to reveal three previously undisclosed weaknesses in Apple's mobile operating system after he was allegedly targeted with a phishing text message he didn't open.
Mansoor and others believed the United Arab Emirates was behind the attack, as it involved so-called "zero day" exploits — flaws in programming that hackers can use to potentially install spyware or gain control of a system — that can be worth over a million dollars each. Mansoor was arrested by UAE authorities last March for his online posts. Authorities later said he was being held at Abu Dhabi's central prison and had "the freedom to hire a lawyer" and receive family visits.
Another hacking campaign targeting Mansoor and others, dubbed "Stealth Falcon," also appeared to be coordinated by the government, said Bill Marczak, a research fellow at Citizen Lab. DarkMatter's close work with the Emirati government, and the experience of its staff, raised flags about the company, Marczak said.
"When you're talking about human rights activists like Ahmed Mansoor ... there's nothing he can do and the government gets access to him and his contacts and then can take further actions against his contacts," he said. "It's one thing to use them against people you may think are committing terrorist acts or criminal acts, but using them against someone who is just kind of sitting around their living room tweeting, it seems kind of disproportionate."
Al-Bannai said DarkMatter had no depository of "zero day" exploits, nor did it take part in so-called "offensive hacking." He pointed to one of the company's signature products, a secure mobile phone called "Katim," or "silence" in Arabic, as showing the firm's interest in defensive technology.
He added that DarkMatter hired CIA, NSA and other ex-government employees for their experience.
"If you think an NSA guy is a spooky guy, the NSA guy is the one protecting you in the U.S.," al-Bannai said. "These are not the bad guys."
He did, however, acknowledge that questions remain about how much information authorities should have and be able to use.
Pegasus, a DarkMatter subsidiary, now has a "big data" contract with Dubai police. An example offered by al-Bannai suggested police could be able to pool hours of surveillance video to track anyone in the emirate.
"My team knows what they're building," he said. "If they thought they were building funny stuff, they wouldn't be here."
___
Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellap. His work can be found at http://apne.ws/2galNpz. |
Cleveland native Josh Hunt is not a fan of baseball. But he's showed up at Progressive Field where the Indians play for the past couple of years to protest the team name and its mascot, Chief Wahoo — confronted with fans in headdresses and face paint, some playing small drums.
"Being Native American myself, it's a reminder that our city and our society doesn't see me as a human being," he said. "It would prefer to portray me as a racist stereotype, a bloodthirsty savage."
The protests have been happening since at least the 1970s, and this week marked what American Indians say is a small but substantial change in professional sports. The players won't don Chief Wahoo on their uniforms starting in the 2019 season, when Cleveland will host the All-Star game, though the red-faced cartoon with a big-toothed grin and feather headband won't disappear from merchandise.
Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred and team owner Paul Dolan said the change was about diversity and inclusion. Manfred met with the National Congress of American Indians last April, after the club already reduced Wahoo's visibility and introduced a block "C'' as the club's primary insignia. The NCAI's executive director, Jacqueline Pata, said she knew the All-Star game was putting pressure on the team, and she further impressed in the meeting that change would equate respect.
"Once you make this big step and the public understands, it makes a statement in itself," said Pata, of the Tlingit Tribe of Alaska. "I continue to say an informed public will make decisions about what they buy and how they want to be associated with the sports teams."
The group has kept a list of schools and sports teams that use indigenous imagery, mascots and names generally associated with Native Americans, once a common tradition throughout the U.S. Change has come: Savages to Blue Hawks at Dickson State University. Indians to Big Green at Dartmouth College. Warriors to Golden Eagles at Marquette University. Minnesota and Wisconsin have banned Native American mascots at school districts for decades.
Pata said about 1,000 names still are targeted, including the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs, the MLB's Atlanta Braves and the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks.
The issue stretches beyond the United States.
Brazil's Chapecoense, a soccer team that lost 19 of its players in a November 2016 air crash, has a mascot named for a 19th century leader of the Kaingang Tribe. Locals in Chapeco, a majority white city, say using the mascot is hypocritical and racist considering the last surviving Kaingangs have been pushed to the edges of the city and beyond.
Most of the efforts for change in the United States are at the high school level. But the biggest push nationally is against the NFL's Washington Redskins, a name team owner Dan Synder is intent on keeping. The U.S. Justice Department recently gave up a legal fight over the name it said is disparaging because of a Supreme Court decision that favored an Asian-American band calling itself the Slants. Justice officials said that means the Redskins would prevail in a legal battle to cancel the team's trademarks.
Pata sees public sentiment being the main tool in challenging the names and logos. Activists have used the courts, protested, burned mascots in effigy, advertised and had forums on imagery in sports to explain the disparities it creates for Native youth and the misconceptions about contemporary Native Americans.
Hunt said those discussions are most productive when he meets people one on one, away from the Cleveland stadium he calls "regressive field," and is hopeful enough momentum has been built for further change.
"While it seems bleak, it really has shocked people into at least waking up a little and paying attention to things like this, racist imagery, to our country's history, how we've treated Native Americans and African Americans," said Hunt, an enrolled member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma.
Charlene Teters was among a group of people arrested in 1998 outside the Cleveland stadium for burning an effigy of Chief Wahoo she likened to Little Black Sambo — a character from an 1899 children's book widely considered to be racist. It was a way for Native Americans, who make up about 2 percent of the U.S. population, to be heard after years of holding signs, she said. The movement now is being led by a younger generation of Native Americans who see how imagery affects them, she said.
"That says to me it's over because our young people get it, and they're taking up that challenge and doing it their own way," said Teters, a Spokane tribal member and academic dean at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
For some Cleveland fans, Chief Wahoo has been a beloved part of the team since 1947 and they don't want to see the players without him. They've seen Wahoo as a sign of hope, as a symbol of Cleveland's renaissance in the 1990s when the team's fortunes turned on the field — urging through signs and T-shirts to keep him.
"That's the way it is, I guess," said Jeremiah Baker of North Ridgeville, Ohio, wearing one of the team's blue caps with a red "C." ''I know people get offended about just about everything nowadays. It's disappointing."
___
Associated Press writers Tom Withers in Cleveland and Mauricio Savarese in Rio de Janeiro contributed to this report. |
GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Mark Warburton has asked Rangers to explain why it said he resigned as manager of the Glasgow club.
Rangers announced last week that it had accepted the resignation of Warburton and two of his backroom staff, but they say "at no stage did we resign from our positions."
They added in a statement that "despite its detailed public statements, the club has not answered key questions put to it by the LMA (League Managers Association) ... requesting an explanation of why it suggested that we resigned."
Rangers is third in the Scottish league — 27 points behind leader Celtic — in its first season back in the top division after being forced to start again in the bottom tier in 2012 after a financial meltdown. |
WASHINGTON (AP) — The company formerly known as Yahoo is paying a $35 million fine to resolve federal regulators' charges that the online pioneer deceived investors by failing to disclose one of the biggest data breaches in internet history.
The Securities and Exchange Commission announced the action Tuesday against the company, which is now called Altaba after its most valuable parts were sold to Verizon Communications for $4.48 billion last year. The Sunnyvale, California-based company neither admitted nor denied the allegations but did agree to refrain from further violations of securities laws.
Personal data was stolen from hundreds of millions of Yahoo users in the December 2014 breach attributed to Russian hackers. The SEC alleged that, although Yahoo senior managers and attorneys were told about the breach, the company failed to fully investigate. |
NEW YORK (AP) — The Latest on Roseanne Barr (all times local):
11:50 a.m.
President Donald Trump has broken his silence on the cancellation of "Roseanne."
In a tweet, Trump noted that Robert Iger, who is chief executive of ABC's parent Walt Disney Co., called Valerie Jarrett to say the network wouldn't tolerate Roseanne Barr's racist tweet about the former Obama adviser.
Trump wrote that Iger never called him to apologize for "the HORRIBLE statements" that have been said about him on ABC. Tweeted Trump: "Maybe I just didn't get the call."
The president reveled in the show's success this spring, especially after Barr's character came out as a supporter of his policies.
2 a.m.
Roseanne Barr shows no signs she will remain quiet about her firing from her popular ABC series and has highlighted supporters' tweets criticizing the network.
Barr engaged in a series of tweets Tuesday night, hours after ABC announced it was canceling the rebooted "Roseanne" over a racist tweet by the comedian attacking Valerie Jarrett, an adviser to former President Barack Obama.
Barr's post-firing tweets included an apology to those who lost their jobs because of her words, but her choice of retweets struck a defiant tone. They included one post that juxtaposed an image of Jarrett with an image of a "Planet of the Apes" actor — a comparison that led to her firing.
She later tweeted that people should not defend her. |
DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistani intelligence officials say a suspected U.S. drone strike killed a militant commander and his associate near the Afghan border.
Two intelligence officials say the drone targeted the commander, Qari Abdullah Dawar, as he was walking with his associate near their mountain hideout in the Tor Tangai area of North Waziristan on Wednesday.
North Waziristan has long been a sanctuary for Pakistani Taliban and other militant groups. Pakistan's military says it has eradicated most militant safe havens in operations there.
They say the slain militants were from the Gul Bahadur group, which has carried out attacks inside Afghanistan. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Pakistani Taliban leader Mullah Fazlullah was killed in a drone strike in Afghanistan last month. |
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. (AP) — Vice President Mike Pence has paid a visit to a truck dealership in southern West Virginia, touting the tax cuts enacted by the Republican-controlled Congress while slamming the state's Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, who voted against the plan.
Manchin faces re-election this year.
Pence says Manchin "has voted 'no' time and again on the policies that West Virginia needs."
Manchin has responded with a statement saying, "The Vice President's comments are exactly why Washington Sucks."
Pence, speaking at Worldwide Equipment Inc., says cuts in taxes and federal regulations prompted CEO Terry Dotson to give bonuses to all the company's 1,100 employees and move ahead with a new dealership in Charleston, South Carolina.
The $300 bonuses were paid in December when the tax bill was signed. |
LAS VEGAS (AP) — A month after speaking at the March for Our Lives in his hometown of Austin, Texas, Matthew McConaughey says he supports some gun control but fears the youth-led movement could be "hijacked" by those hoping to eliminate all guns in the United States.
McConaughey spoke about his support for the marchers in Las Vegas on Monday, where he was promoting his upcoming film, "White Boy Rick," at the CinemaCon theater-owners convention.
He called gun violence "an epidemic in our country." But he says there are responsible gun owners and some want to ban all guns, and he worries the March for Our Lives will be overtaken by that faction.
He says he hopes there's room for agreement between anti-gun activists and the National Rifle Association. |
LONDON (AP) — A forecast prepared for the British government reportedly says the economy will be worse off after the country leaves the European Union whatever trade deal is struck with the bloc.
The leaked assessment published Monday by news website BuzzFeed says if Britain reaches a free trade deal with the EU, growth will be 5 percent lower than current forecasts over 15 years.
The document, dated this month, says if there is no deal and Britain resorts to World Trade Organization terms, growth will fall 8 percent. If Britain remains in the EU single market but as a non-bloc member, the decline will be 2 percent.
The government maintains that Britain will be able to strike new trade deals around the world after Brexit to replace any decline with the EU.
The leaked analysis says new trade deals with the U.S., China, India and other countries would boost growth, but not enough to make up for the lost revenue from the EU, currently Britain's biggest trading partner.
The government did not challenge the authenticity of the document, but said Monday it would not comment on its internal Brexit analysis.
The report is the latest in a string of economists' predictions that leaving the EU will harm the U.K. economy. Supporters of Brexit point out that many such forecasts have so far not come to pass.
The document is likely to further inflame feuding within Britain's Conservative government, between those who back a clean break with the bloc and those who want to keep Britain's economy as closely aligned with the EU's as possible after Brexit in March 2019. |
MAHWAH, N.J. (AP) — A New Jersey town accused of discriminating against Orthodox Jews from nearby New York state approved a settlement Tuesday with a group that sued over a religious boundary built with white plastic piping on utility poles.
Mahwah Township's council voted 5-2 Tuesday to settle the suit from the Bergen Rockland Eruv Association after two hours of private legal discussion, the Record reports . The settlement will remain confidential pending approval from the group, says Mahwah Township Attorney Brian Chewcaskie.
The lawsuit was sparked by a now-reversed township ordinance that would have effectively banned the building of an eruv, a religious boundary that some Orthodox Jews rely on to perform tasks on the Sabbath including carrying bags and pushing strollers.
The eruv ban and a separate ordinance that would have restricted parks and playgrounds to local residents were reversed in December after Mahwah was sued by the state attorney general.
The ban was prompted by some town residents' complaints about overcrowding at the parks and their use by Orthodox Jewish families coming from towns across the nearby New York border.
The Bergen Rockland Eruv Association alleged the ban was an attempt to keep Orthodox Jews from New York out of Mahwah. The eruv association received licenses from the utility company Orange & Rockland before installing the pipes, according to group's attorneys.
Many Mahwah residents voiced concerns during the legal fight that the expanded eruv meant an influx of Orthodox Jews along with overcrowding and a stressed school system similar to Lakewood. Democratic U.S. Sen. Cory Booker labeled the opposition as anti-Semitic.
Council President Robert Hermansen, who has denied the measures were motivated by anti-Semitism, said that the settlement was the best option for the township.
"This is a good town with good people, and we're making this decision for good people," said Hermansen.
Council members Janet Ariemma and James Wysocki voted against the settlement. Some residents who attended Tuesday's meeting called on the council members to fight against the eruv all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court if needed.
"I know the judge and the New Jersey attorney general are trying to force you to resolve this matter immediately. Do not bow to their attempts to coerce action," said resident Ralph Fusco. "You have an army of people ready to support you."
___
Information from: The Record (Woodland Park, N.J.), http://www.northjersey.com |
CHICAGO (AP) — An appeals court has refused to toss corruption charges against former U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock, saying it can't assess whether his prosecution violated constitutional separation-of-powers clauses until after he goes to trial.
The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago says in its unanimous ruling Wednesday that it doesn't believe appellate courts have the authority to address such questions until after a verdict. No date has been set for the 36-year-old Schock's trial on 22 corruption counts.
The Republican from the central Illinois city of Peoria was indicted in 2016 on charges of misusing funds. He resigned in 2015 amid scrutiny of his spending, including to redecorate his Capitol Hill office in the style of the TV show "Downton Abbey."
A Schock spokesman didn't have an immediate comment. |
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Hundreds of homes in the New Zealand city of Christchurch have been evacuated as wildfires threaten some suburbs.
Selwyn Mayor Sam Broughton tells The Associated Press he's planning to declare a state of emergency, as was the mayor of adjacent Christchurch. He says changing winds have made the fires unpredictable.
Displaced residents are staying at evacuation centers or with relatives.
A helicopter pilot died in a crash Tuesday while fighting the blaze.
The New Zealand military on Wednesday revealed the pilot, Corporal David Steven Askin, was a soldier who had won one of the country's top awards for bravery in Afghanistan. A member of the elite Special Air Service, Askin's identity was kept secret at the time he won the Gallantry Star medal. |
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A former professional BMX rider from who set a world record for the longest power-assisted bicycle backflip has died.
The wife of Rhode Island native Kevin "K-Rob" Robinson tells The Providence Journal her husband suffered an apparent stroke Saturday. He was 45.
Robin Adams Robinson says the death was unexpected.
Kevin Robinson earned gold medals in the X Games and retired from competition in 2013.
He jumped 84 feet in Providence last year, setting a world record.
The East Providence native created the nonprofit K-Rob Foundation to improve children's lives in his hometown and surrounding communities. He built East Providence's first free public skate park.
Robinson visited schools to talk about perseverance and created a protective clothing line for children.
He lived in Barrington with his wife and three children. |
NEW YORK (AP) — The actors from HBO's limited series "Big Little Lies" will have quite an internal competition at the Golden Globes next month.
Powerhouse actresses Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon are both nominated for best actress for a limited TV series, while colleagues Laura Dern, Shailene Woodley and Alexander Skarsgard are up for supporting awards. The Globes announced their television nominations on Monday, and the HBO series led the way with six nods.
The Globes offered 32 nominations for programs from cable networks, led by HBO's dozen. Streaming services had 15 nominations, with Netflix on top with nine. The only broadcast networks with nominations were NBC, with five, and ABC, with three.
CBS, the most-watched network on television, was shut out.
While the Fox network also came up empty, its cable cousin FX was second only to HBO among the cable networks with eight nominations. They include Jessica Lange and Susan Sarandon, stars of "Feud: Bette and Joan."
Netflix's "The Crown" and "Stranger Things" are both up for best drama series. HBO's "Game of Thrones" and Hulu's "The Handmaid's Tale" are also up for best drama, with NBC's "This is Us" carrying the flag for broadcast television.
"The Good Doctor," ABC's series about an autistic doctor and the biggest new broadcast hit, didn't land in the top five, although lead actor Freddie Highmore will compete for best drama actor.
"Veep" and star Julia Louis-Dreyfus are used to picking up fistfuls of Emmy awards, but they can stay home on Golden Globes night — one of the most notable snubs in the comedy category.
In a retro touch, NBC's reboot of "Will & Grace" was nominated for best comedy or musical, with star Eric McCormack earning a nod for best actor. ABC's "black-ish" and star Anthony Anderson will be among the competition.
Netflix's "Master of None" and Showtime's "Smilf" will also compete for best comedy, along with one relative surprise contender in Amazon's "The Amazing Mrs. Maisel," about a housewife turned comic from "Gilmore Girls" creator Amy Sherman-Palladino. Globe voters may be looking to lift the series from obscurity, since "Maisel" star Rachel Brosnahan was also nominated.
Along with Highmore, best drama actor nominees include Jason Bateman of "Ozark," Sterling K. Brown of "This is Us," Bob Odenkirk of "Better Call Saul" and Liev Schreiber of "Ray Donovan."
New series are emphasized in the best actress category, where the nominees include Caitriona Balfe of "Outlander," Claire Foy of "The Crown," Maggie Gyllenhaal of "The Deuce," Katherine Langford of "13 Reasons Why" and Elisabeth Moss of "The Handmaid's Tale."
Two prominent shows where actors were recently written out due to sexual misconduct allegations — "House of Cards" (Kevin Spacey) and "Transparent" (Jeffrey Tambor) — were both shut out of nominations. It's unknown whether the controversy had any impact; the Globes tend to favor new work and both these series are no longer novelties. |
New York (AP) — Sugar futures trading on the IntercontinentalExchange (ICE) Monday:
(112,000 lbs.; cents per lb.) |
MOSCOW (AP) — After a decade of duopoly, the FIFA-run vote to crown soccer's best player finally seems open to third parties after Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo left the World Cup early.
Neymar must help Brazil lift the trophy next week if he wants to join the greats, according to the World Cup winner who first took home FIFA's top individual award.
Cutting out the play-acting would also help Neymar win votes, 1990 World Cup winner Lothar Matthaeus said Wednesday.
"We need players like Neymar," said the former West Germany captain, who won the inaugural FIFA world player award in 1991. "But not with this acting what he was doing now in each game."
A debate about Neymar faking injury and overreacting to tackles is polarizing opinion between European outrage and Brazilian defense.
Former England forward Alan Shearer called Neymar's behavior "absolutely pathetic" in a British broadcast Monday. Neymar's theatrics distracted from Brazil's 2-0 win over Mexico that took the five-time champion into the quarterfinals.
"The criticism is nonsense," Brazil great Ronaldo told reporters Wednesday. "I am against all these opinions you mentioned. I don't think referees have been protecting him enough."
Ronaldo, a three-time winner of FIFA's best player award, and Matthaeus spoke at a briefing about the individual accolade that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have won five times each in the past decade.
With Portugal and Argentina both leaving Russia in the round of 16, the award seems open for a new winner to emerge.
"Sure, Neymar — when he will win the World Cup," said Matthaeus. "You have to win titles with your team."
Ronaldo and Messi arrived in Russia after Real Madrid won a third straight Champions League title and Barcelona won La Liga. Neymar's absence since February with a foot injury was barely a blip for Paris Saint-Germain's procession to win the French league.
"It's easy to win the title in France," Matthaeus said. "For me, Neymar this season, he did not show until now he can be the best."
The German great picked out another PSG star, Kylian Mbappe of France, England captain Harry Kane and Croatia captain Luka Modric as potential candidates for the FIFA award when voting opens July 23.
The winner announced in London on Sept. 24 is judged by a vote by national team coaches and captains, plus media from FIFA's 211 member countries, and fans voting online. It is separate from the Golden Ball given to the World Cup's best player.
Ronaldo singled out Neymar as a potential winner — noting that he himself won the FIFA award after an injury-hit season that peaked with Brazil's World Cup title. Ronaldo's eight goals in Japan and South Korea included both in the final, a 2-0 win over Germany.
"The results for Neymar with the national team are incredible and he's still not at his best," Ronaldo said.
Matthaeus suggested an 11th year of Messi-Ronaldo dominance is likely.
"I give them maybe one or two years more," he said, "then there will come a change for this award."
___
More AP World Cup coverage: www.apnews.com/tag/WorldCup |
LONDON (AP) — This is not a metaphor: Britain's Parliament is a mess.
The 19th-century London building is crumbling, leaky, infested with vermin and riddled with asbestos. Fixing it will take years and cost billions, but experts say the alternative could be catastrophic.
After years of dithering, lawmakers are set to vote Wednesday on what to do — but there's a good chance they will opt for more delay.
Experts warn the Victorian Gothic building is at risk of a flood or fire that could leave it uninhabitable. A 2016 report urged politicians to move out for six years for renovations costing 3.5 billion pounds ($5 billion).
On Wednesday lawmakers will vote on several options, from agreeing to leave the building so work can begin to deferring a decision for several more years. |
CASCO, Maine (AP) — Lawyers for two men facing arson charges in a fire that destroyed a historic Maine schoolhouse say the men are intellectually disabled.
The Portland Press Herald reports an attorney for 22-year-old Devin Richardson-Gurney told a judge Monday that the man has autism. An attorney for 20-year-old Edward Scott says the man receives services from an organization that helps the intellectually disabled.
Prosecutors say the two men set the Friends School House in Casco on fire Sunday.
Members of the Raymond-Casco Historical Society say they may never recover from the loss. The school house was built in 1849, and the historical society says they've lost historic books and maps dating to the 1700s.
The judge set bail for Richardson-Gurney and Scott at $1,500 each.
___
Information from: Portland Press Herald, http://www.pressherald.com |
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The Netherlands' main intelligence service says it is treating a small group of Dutch children in conflict zones in Iraq and Syria as "Jihadist travelers" since they may have received military training.
In a report published Wednesday, the General Intelligence and Security Service says at least 80 Dutch children are in those areas, either having been born there or taken there by one or both parents. It says fewer than 20 percent of the children are age 9 or older.
The report says that because children in territory controlled by the so-called Islamic State group "sometimes receive weapons and combat training from as young as nine years old," intelligence officials consider them jihadi travelers.
Dutch authorities routinely detain people caught returning from Syria if they are suspected of extremist links. |
BERLIN (AP) — Lawyers for the main defendant in a high-profile neo-Nazi murder trial in Germany have begun their closing arguments — five years after proceedings opened.
Beate Zschaepe, the only known survivor of the far-right National Socialist Underground group, is accused of taking part in 10 killings, two bomb attacks and several bank robberies.
The 43-year-old's lawyers told the Munich regional court Tuesday that their client didn't have an equal role in the killings committed by two deceased members of the group.
Prosecutors want life imprisonment for Zschaepe and lesser sentences for four defendants accused of helping the group. They, and lawyers representing some of the victims, finished their closing arguments in February.
The trial, which was drawn out by regular delaying motions by the defendants, is expected to conclude within weeks. |
New York (AP) — Cotton No. 2 Futures on the IntercontinentalExchange (ICE) Monday:
(50,000 lbs.; cents per lb.) |
WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers spend their careers eying coveted committee chairmanships, angling for the chance at the perks and power that came with the top spot.
New Jersey Republican Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen is bowing out after one term.
Frelinghuysen's announcement Monday that he would not seek re-election, giving up the chairmanship of the House Appropriations Committee, punctuated the dwindling prestige and influence of the positions once consider an apex of power on Capitol Hill. Term limits, legislative dysfunction and gridlock-inducing polarization have gradually tarnished the very chairmanships that are so prized.
"Before the farm bill and my tenure as chairman, I had neither grey hair nor did I take hypertension medicine. I now have both for the rest of my life," said former House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas, R-Okla. "Right now you have to deal with a situation where you have the extreme demands of the left on one side of the room and the extreme demands of the right on the other side."
Frelinghuysen is the eighth House committee chair to head for the exits, and a striking case study for the dynamics at play.
The New Jersey Republican became chairman of the Appropriations Committee last year after serving for several years as chairman of its defense subcommittee.
But Frelinghuysen's year in charge of the panel has been frustrating. In theory, he manages the process of doling out one-third the federal budget. But he's had scant success on that front. Although he helped successfully negotiate a catchall spending bill last spring, the appropriations process for the ongoing budget year has been hamstrung by delays in the Senate and faces the very real danger of running aground completely amid an unrelated months-long battle over immigration.
"Serving as chairman of the Appropriations Committee is a difficult and sometimes thankless job," said Rep. Nita Lowey of New York, the panel's top Democrat.
There have been fewer thank-yous since a series of GOP reforms changed the rules. In a push to curb corruption in 2010, Republicans officially banned "earmarks," severally limiting lawmakers' capacity to direct tens or even hundreds of millions to one's district or state for "earmarked" pet projects. The earmarks were a prerogative of the chairman, both to bolster his political standing at home and to court votes with fellow lawmakers of either party.
House GOP rules mean chairmen cycle through six-year terms, which also counts time as ranking minority member. Chairmen are selected by a leadership panel that takes factors such as fundraising and conservative litmus tests into consideration.
Old-timers such as former Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga., say the system centralizes legislative authority with party leaders, who are often less versed in the nuts and bolts of legislation and have little appreciation for the committee's bipartisan traditions.
"I often would laugh, express frustration together with Rosa DeLauro, who's as liberal as she can be," Kingston recalled of one of his Democratic counterparts on Appropriations until he left Congress in 2015. "We said if leadership of both parties would get the heck out of the way, we could get something done."
Other chairmen, such as Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, of Financial Services and Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., of Judiciary are leaving after being forced to yield their gavels next year under term limit rules. They were denied signature wins under President Barack Obama — but they have not managed such wins under President Donald Trump, at least so far. They'd rather leave Congress than return to the rank and file.
A moderate Republican in both his politics and temperament, Frelinghuysen was first elected in the 1994 GOP wave that put Republicans in control of both chambers. He hails from a New Jersey political dynasty that dates to the late 1700s. His father, Peter Frelinghuysen, served in the House for two decades.
Unlike several other GOP chairmen to announce their retirements after running up against GOP term limit rules for panel heads, Frelinghuysen had years to go as Appropriations chair — assuming Republicans retain control of the House in the 2018 midterm elections. But he angered some conservative lawmakers over votes against the GOP tax overhaul measure last year and his opposition to an initial version of the party's effort to repeal Obama's health care law.
Trump's sagging popularity is weighing on once-safe Republicans in educated, wealthier suburban districts such as Frelinghuysen's, where some residents could be negatively affected by provisions in the new tax law that went into effect this year.
Still, Frelinghuysen's vote against the GOP's tax law was highly unusual and was seen as a signal of his political vulnerability. And it was unheard of for such a high-ranking chairman to buck the leadership line on such a major vote.
Among the leading Democrats for Frelinghuysen's seat is former federal prosecutor and former Navy helicopter pilot Mikie Sherrill. She raised more than $1.2 million through Dec. 31 and has the backing of local party leaders.
Republican insiders say Frelinghuysen's decision wasn't entirely a surprise. They say several potential candidates could build viable campaigns quickly.
Among the possible GOP candidates are three state lawmakers: Assemblyman Jay Webber, Assemblyman Anthony M. Bucco and Sen. Joe Pennacchio. Another prominent name mentioned is attorney Rosemary Becchi.
Frelinghuysen's district had long leaned Republican but was carried only narrowly by Trump in 2016. Nonpartisan analysts say Democrats have a good chance to grab it in this year's midterms.
Frelinghuysen took the lead in the House in a difficult 2013 effort to provide about $60 billion to help New Jersey and other northeastern states recovery from Superstorm Sandy.
"Public service is an incredible way to turn your convictions into something that serves the greater good and to do it alongside people from every walk of life and background," Frelinghuysen said.
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Associated Press writer Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report. |
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas lawmakers said Tuesday they're working on a "bathroom bill" targeting transgender people, despite warnings from the Republican governor that such a measure isn't needed and could harm the state.
A one-sentence bill was filed by two GOP state senators stating only that it addresses "gender identity and bathroom privileges" without any specifics. But co-sponsor Republican Sen. Gary Stubblefield said it'll require people to use public bathrooms that correspond to the sex on their birth certificate.
"If they were born a male, that's where they've got to use the bathroom," Stubblefield said.
A similar law in North Carolina has drawn widespread criticism and boycotts from businesses, and prompted the NBA to pull this weekend's All-Star Game out of Charlotte. The state's Democratic governor on Tuesday proposed a compromise to repeal the measure. A bathroom bill being considered in Texas has also prompted a backlash, with the NFL suggesting that Texas could be passed over for future Super Bowl sites if the proposal becomes law.
Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson repeated his opposition to pursuing a similar measure in Arkansas.
"I have consistently said that there is no need for a North Carolina type bathroom bill in Arkansas," Hutchinson said in a statement. "It is unclear as to the specifics of the proposed legislation but if it similar to North Carolina's, I view the bill as unnecessary and potentially harmful."
The nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights group also urged lawmakers to drop the proposal.
"Proponents of anti-trans legislation are invoking a boogeyman that simply does not exist - the reality is that transgender people just want to simply live their everyday lives," Kendra Johnson, Arkansas director for the Human Rights Campaign. "Arkansas should not make the mistake North Carolina made."
Stubblefield and GOP Sen. Greg Standridge, who also sponsored the measure, said they weren't concerned about a backlash from businesses. They also said they expect more proposals from other lawmakers in the majority-Republican Legislature.
"It's a definite thing that there's going to be a bathroom bill pursued," Standridge said. "We just don't know if it's going to be our bill or someone else's bill."
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Follow Andrew DeMillo on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ademillo |
AMESBURY, England (AP) — The Latest on the major incident near Salisbury, England, in which two people have been left in a critical condition (all times local):
12:20 p.m.
British police say counterterrorism officers are working with local detectives after two people were sickened by an unknown substance in southwest England.
The Metropolitan Police says "officers from the counter terrorism network are working jointly with colleagues from Wiltshire Police" on the incident in Amesbury.
Police say a man and a woman in their 40s were hospitalized after being found unconscious at a residential building in Amesbury. The town is eight miles (13 kilometers) from Salisbury, where ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned with a nerve agent on March 4.
Police say they are keeping an open mind and do not yet know whether a crime has been committed.
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6 a.m.
British police declared a "major incident" Wednesday after two people were left in critical condition from exposure to an unknown substance a few miles from where a former Russian spy and his daughter were poisoned with a nerve agent.
The Wiltshire Police force said a man and a woman in their 40s were hospitalized after being found unconscious at a residential building in Amesbury, eight miles (13 kilometers) from Salisbury, where Sergei and Yulia Skripal were poisoned on March 4.
Police cordoned off the building and other places the two people visited before falling ill, but health officials said there was not believed to be a wider risk.
The man and woman were hospitalized Saturday at Salisbury District Hospital, where authorities initially believed they might have taken a contaminated batch of heroin or crack cocaine.
"However, further testing is now ongoing to establish the substance which led to these patients becoming ill and we are keeping an open mind as to the circumstances surrounding this incident," police said. "At this stage, it is not yet clear if a crime has been committed." |
FREMONT, Ohio (AP) — U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan says he never knew of sexual abuse by a now-dead doctor who examined wrestlers Jordan helped coach decades ago at Ohio State University.
Ex-wrestlers Mike DiSabato and Dunyasha Yetts say the powerful Republican congressman from Ohio knew back then that Richard Strauss was groping male wrestlers.
Jordan spoke to reporters at a July Fourth rally in Fremont and said he knew Strauss but wasn't aware of abuse by him. Jordan says if he'd learned of such allegations he would have reported them.
Ohio State male athletes from 14 sports have alleged sexual misconduct by Strauss, who was on the faculty and medical staff. An independent investigation is underway.
Jordan says he's willing to talk with investigators. He says if abuse occurred victims deserve justice. |
Veteran coach Ken Hitchcock struck a nerve earlier this season when he decried the longstanding NHL practice of describing injuries in the vaguest terms possible.
An injury can be upper-body, lower-body or undisclosed, except Hitchcock and the Dallas Stars prefer to be more forthright. Defenseman Marc Methot had a knee injury, Martin Hanzal had a hamstring injury and Stephen Johns was dealing with concussion symptoms.
"Rather than go through the dance and play the big game, we just decided let's get it out there so they can print it, move on and let's get on with the subject of what's going on on the team," Hitchcock said.
This is a far cry from the world of the NFL, where teams must reveal specific injuries. Coaches and NHL officials point to gambling and fantasy football as driving forces behind those detailed NFL injury reports, noting hockey has far less of that; one NHL player even joked that it would be foolish for anyone to bet on the sport.
Yet more people are. Westgate sports book vice president Jay Kornegay said the addition and success of the Vegas Golden Knights has at least tripled the amount of bets placed on NHL games this season. He said the gambling public isn't affected much by the information or lack thereof about injuries.
"There's information out there if you really want to dissect the injury," Kornegay said. "There's only maybe a handful of guys that might make a major impact, like (Connor) McDavid or (Auston) Matthews or someone like that. Could make maybe a 15-cent impact in the line, which is very minimal. Almost everybody else is like zero impact or maybe five cents impact. ... It wouldn't be like (Tom) Brady being out."
The NHL represents less than 5 percent of the total amount bet at the Westgate, and less than 6 percent for online sports book Bovada.
League executives and coaches have little to no appetite to change things.
"I would ask the question, 'Why is it important that you know everything?'" Los Angeles Kings coach John Stevens said. "I think sometimes it protects the player. Sometimes a player's working through an injury. If he's coming back, opponents might know. If it's a knee injury, they might try to take advantage of it."
The collective bargaining agreement doesn't require any specificity be included in injury announcements. And that means they vary dramatically among the 31 teams.
NHL Injury Viz , which tracks information about player injuries and illnesses, ranks teams on an "evasiveness index" based on how many injuries are called upper- or lower-body, undisclosed or soreness. Through Jan. 20 games, the Winnipeg Jets, Nashville Predators and Philadelphia Flyers were labeled the most evasive, while the New York Rangers, Vancouver Canucks and Minnesota Wild were the most open.
When Washington Capitals winger Andre Burakovsky underwent surgery to repair a broken left thumb in October, the team announced it as such. Upon his return, Burakovsky wore extra padding and worried little about opponents hacking at his thumb to try to reinjure it.
"When I'm playing, I'm playing," Burakovsky said. "I don't really focus on if they're going to go after my thumb or whatever it is."
The central debate over disclosure comes down to whether revealing specific injuries puts players in danger of being targeted. Hitchcock said "there's too much respect in the league" for that, but Capitals defenseman Brooks Orpik disagreed.
"I wouldn't say there's a lot of guys, but there's definitely more than a handful of (players) in the league that would target guys if they knew where they were hurt," Orpik said. "I don't really see what you gain by releasing it."
Hitchcock's comments generated chatter around the league and a variety of opinions, but don't expect the current system to change any time soon.
"At the end of the day, I'm not sure it's really anybody's right to know exactly what's ailing a player," deputy commissioner Bill Daly said. "Perhaps there's kind of fan interest in how long he'll be gone, when he can be back to the lineup, etc., etc., but what the precise nature of the injury is I'm not sure is really appropriate for public consumption."
Toronto Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock said he generally agrees with Hitchcock and doesn't mind disclosing injuries, except he doesn't like talking about head injuries. Jets coach Paul Maurice went the other way, saying teams have a "responsibility" to show the NHL is handling concussions the right way but cited privacy concerns in the larger discussion about revealing specific injuries.
Then there's Carolina Hurricanes coach Bill Peters, who wouldn't mind an NFL-like policy.
"It'd be nice if the NHL just said, hey, make it full disclosure. I'd have no problem with that — as long as it's consistent across the board," Peters said.
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Follow Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SWhyno
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For more NHL coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/NHLhockey |
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel has summoned Ireland's ambassador over a bill seeking to ban the import of West Bank settlement products.
The bill must pass several hurdles to become law. If it does, Ireland would become the first European country to ban settlement goods.
Israel's Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that the ambassador noted the Irish government opposes the bill, as well as an international movement known as BDS, which advocates boycotts against Israel.
The European Union in 2015 approved guidelines to label settlement products. It said the move was meant to differentiate between Israel, a close trade partner, and the settlements, which it considers illegal.
The Irish bill also makes a distinction between Israel and the settlements. Israel opposes boycotts of any territories it controls, saying they bolster the BDS movement. |
BC-BBA--Top Ten
BASEBALL'S TOP TEN By The Associated Press AMERICAN LEAGUE G AB R H Pct. Betts Bos 68 260 66 88 .338 Segura Sea 79 329 60 110 .334 Altuve Hou 87 341 55 114 .334 JMartinez Bos 83 318 60 104 .327 Simmons LAA 75 277 42 88 .318 MDuffy TB 70 277 26 87 .314 Rosario Min 81 324 57 101 .312 MMachado Bal 83 322 42 100 .311 Trout LAA 86 297 66 92 .310 Castellanos Det 84 340 46 105 .309 Home Runs
JMartinez, Boston, 26; Trout, Los Angeles, 24; JoRamirez, Cleveland, 24; Judge, New York, 24; Lindor, Cleveland, 23; Cruz, Seattle, 22; Stanton, New York, 21; Betts, Boston, 21; MMachado, Baltimore, 21; 3 tied at 20.
Runs Batted In
JMartinez, Boston, 71; Haniger, Seattle, 62; Lowrie, Oakland, 59; MMachado, Baltimore, 59; Encarnacion, Cleveland, 57; Judge, New York, 57; Gattis, Houston, 56; KDavis, Oakland, 56; JoRamirez, Cleveland, 56; 2 tied at 55.
Pitching
Severino, New York, 13-2; Kluber, Cleveland, 12-4; Snell, Tampa Bay, 11-4; Morton, Houston, 10-2; Porcello, Boston, 10-3; Rodriguez, Boston, 10-3; Happ, Toronto, 10-4; GCole, Houston, 9-2; McCullers, Houston, 9-3; Verlander, Houston, 9-4. |
BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union on Monday warned Britain that it cannot expect to have a say in EU decision-making once it leaves, including during a transition period from next year meant to help smooth the departure.
The warning came as European affairs ministers adopted — in a matter of minutes — new orders for the bloc's Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, laying out the terms of the transition, which would run from the end of March 2019 until Dec. 31, 2020, when the bloc's current long-term budget ends.
Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva, who chaired the meeting, said the ministers gave "a clear mandate" on their requirements for the transition period. She said EU law would apply in Britain during that time and that the country would have "no participation in the EU institutions and decision-making."
Barnier's deputy tweeted that the negotiating guidelines were endorsed in Brussels within two minutes, although ambassadors had spent weeks drafting them. Zaharieva said: "We hope an agreement on this with the U.K. can also be closed swiftly."
In London, Brexit Secretary David Davis played down the impact on Britain's status during the 21-month transition, saying that it's "not exactly the same as membership — but it's very, very similar."
"The existing regulatory structure will exist, the existing court structure will exist," Davis told a British parliamentary committee.
He underlined that Britain would, however, be free during the bridging period to negotiate new trade deals with the wider world, which it is barred from doing while it is an EU member.
Barnier noted that "no accord with third countries engaging the United Kingdom can enter force without the agreement of the 27" EU countries. In a sign of potential tension over the issue, Davis warned that "there will be an argument about the right to negotiate free trade arrangements."
In the orders, the EU insists that Britain should also abide by any new rules that are introduced during the transition.
This has already raised concern in Britain, and Davis demanded last week "a way of resolving concerns if laws are deemed to run contrary to our interests and we have not had our say."
"It's very, very important," he said, that "if there are new laws that affect us, we have the means to resolve any issues during that period."
But Irish European Affairs Minister Helen McEntee said Monday that "what we cannot have is a position where the integrity of the single market, the customs union, is in any way undermined."
"When the U.K. leave the European Union they will not be a voice around the table," she said.
Swedish EU Affairs and Trade Minister Ann Linde agreed.
"When you have left the European Union, you have left, and this is just a transition to a new arrangement," she said.
Any disputes would be handled by the European Court of Justice. This, too, will not sit well with Brexit supporters, who want to escape the grip they say Europe's top court has on British sovereignty.
Britain is impatient to launch talks on future ties with the EU and in particular on trade, but more guidelines will have to be adopted at a summit of European leaders in March for that to happen, based on progress made by then.
Monday's guidelines include a demand for clarity on what future relations should look like.
"The sooner the Brits are clear about the future, the better for everybody," said Italy's EU affairs representative Sandro Gozi. "We have to use our time and energy not in shaping the transition, but in shaping the future relationship."
Barnier also underlined that all elements of any Brexit deal, including the divorce bill and citizens' rights, must be translated into a legally binding text. Separate talks on the thorny issue of keeping open the border between Northern Ireland, which is part of the U.K., and EU member state Ireland will continue this year.
"Without an agreement on all parts of the withdrawal there can be no transition," Barnier told reporters after the meeting.
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Lawless reported from London. Raf Casert in Brussels also contributed. |
CAIRO (AP) — A little-known Egyptian politician who is a staunch supporter of President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi submitted his candidacy documents to the election commission on Monday, becoming a last-minute challenger to the incumbent.
El-Sissi is virtually certain of winning a second, four-year term in the March 26-28 vote. But after a string of would-be challengers were arrested, forced out or quit the race, the prospect of a one-candidate election has proven embarrassing for the government.
Pro-government media and public figures loyal to el-Sissi had pressured one of Egypt's oldest political parties, the Wafd, to field a candidate. But after two days of marathon deliberations, the party decided Saturday not to field a candidate and instead to renew its support for a second term for the president.
El-Sissi's campaign said the president should not be blamed for the withdrawal of candidates or the reluctance of others to enter the race.
"The presidential hopeful (el-Sissi) is not responsible for the reluctance of politicians to effectively participate in politics," campaign spokesman Mohammed Abu Shaqah told a news conference on Monday. He also said el-Sissi should not be blamed for the failure of would-be candidates to secure one of the key constitutional requirements to run: Support of 20 elected lawmakers or "recommendations" from 25,000 voters.
Moussa Mustafa Moussa of the Ghad, or Tomorrow, party, was the subject of intense speculation over the weekend, with many predicting he would step forward as a face-saving candidate. On Monday, one of his top aides submitted documents to the election commission on his behalf.
Monday at 2 p.m. (1200 GMT) was the deadline for submitting candidacy documents.
Moussa, whose party does not have a single member in parliament, insisted his candidacy was serious. He argued that his party, which supports el-Sissi, had long prepared to field a challenger, but changed its mind when former prime minister and air force general Ahmed Shafiq said he would run.
Addressing a news conference Monday at the party's headquarters in downtown Cairo, Moussa said Shafiq's withdrawal from the race changed that.
"A very large question mark loomed over the whole affair," he said, alluding to the absence of challengers. "But we are not running as a courtesy to anyone and we don't expect anyone to do us any favors. We are in this for a real competition."
Besides Shafiq, would-be challengers who are no longer in the race include a former military chief of staff, a prominent rights lawyer and a former lawmaker. They were unlikely to win the race, but their participation would have attracted protest votes against el-Sissi, including from Egyptians hit hard by the president's austerity measures and other economic reforms.
A previous leader of the Ghad Party, Ayman Nour, ran against Egypt's long-ruling President Hosni Mubarak in 2005, in the country's first multi-candidate election. Nour lost by a huge margin amid widespread allegations of vote-rigging and was jailed in December of that year.
Nour had fired Moussa before he was jailed, but Moussa returned and defeated him in a leadership battle in 2011, the same year Mubarak was overthrown in a popular uprising. Nour is now a harsh critic of el-Sissi's rule and lives in exile abroad.
El-Sissi led the 2013 ouster of a freely elected but divisive president, the Islamist Mohammed Morsi, and has since overseen what is perhaps the largest crackdown on dissent in the country's living memory. Thousands of Morsi supporters have been jailed, along with secular activists. Most critics in the media have been silenced, human rights groups have been heavily restricted and scores of online news sites have been blocked.
Five opposition figures, including a 2012 presidential candidate and two top campaign aides for now-arrested presidential hopeful Sami Annan, called for a boycott of the vote, saying it has lost all credibility.
In a statement Sunday, they also called on Egyptians not to recognize the presidential vote's outcome if it goes ahead.
The statement was a bold move that could be perceived as an attempt to derail the electoral process by authorities that have shown little tolerance for dissent. It is also likely to encourage more expressions of discontent over what critics see as the president's increasingly authoritarian traits.
Earlier on Monday, prosecutors said they have detained three men over the assault on the country's former top auditor, Hesham Genena. Sacked by el-Sissi after alleging widespread corruption, Genena had come out in support of Anan, a former military chief of staff who was seen as a potentially strong challenger before his arrest. The prosecutors said the suspects were ordered detained for four days, pending investigation. They face charges of armed robbery.
Annan was arrested by the military last Tuesday on several charges, including incitement against the armed forces and forgery. |
BREWSTER, Mass. (AP) — Fire officials in Massachusetts have rescued three people from freezing waters off of Breakwater Beach.
The Cape Cod Times reports that a dive team responded to an emergency call in Brewster around 6:40 p.m. Sunday. Brewster Fire Chief Robert Moran says two staff members at the Latham School went after a female student who had swam away from shore.
Moran says the dive team and firefighters worked together to rescue all three individuals. They were all taken to Cape Cod Hospital with unspecified injuries.
The Latham School treats children and young adults with developmental disorders.
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Information from: Cape Cod (Mass.) Times, http://www.capecodtimes.com |
All Times EDT EASTERN CONFERENCE GP W L OT Pts GF GA Home Away Div Tampa Bay 72 49 19 4 102 260 202 26-8-2 23-11-2 15-7-2 Boston 71 45 17 9 99 239 184 25-7-5 20-10-4 15-5-2 Toronto 72 43 22 7 93 243 204 25-8-2 18-14-5 13-6-3 Washington 72 41 24 7 89 225 214 25-9-2 16-15-5 13-7-3 Pittsburgh 72 41 26 5 87 237 218 26-8-1 15-18-4 15-6-1 Columbus 73 40 28 5 85 205 203 24-11-2 16-17-3 13-10-3 Philadelphia 73 37 25 11 85 218 215 18-13-6 19-12-5 11-7-5 New Jersey 72 37 27 8 82 217 215 18-14-3 19-13-5 12-9-1 Florida 69 35 27 7 77 210 216 22-11-3 13-16-4 12-6-2 Carolina 72 31 30 11 73 194 225 16-14-6 15-16-5 9-10-5 N.Y. Rangers 72 32 32 8 72 208 231 20-13-4 12-19-4 9-8-3 N.Y. Islanders 72 30 32 10 70 231 262 16-14-4 14-18-6 10-12-2 Montreal 72 26 34 12 64 182 230 17-11-8 9-23-4 10-8-5 Ottawa 71 26 34 11 63 197 244 15-14-6 11-20-5 8-11-4 Detroit 72 26 35 11 63 184 224 13-14-8 13-21-3 6-13-4 Buffalo 72 23 37 12 58 172 236 11-21-5 12-16-7 10-8-3 WESTERN CONFERENCE GP W L OT Pts GF GA Home Away Div Nashville 72 48 14 10 106 236 178 25-7-4 23-7-6 17-4-2 Vegas 72 46 21 5 97 244 199 25-9-2 21-12-3 17-3-2 Winnipeg 72 43 19 10 96 240 189 26-7-2 17-12-8 13-8-2 Minnesota 72 41 24 7 89 224 206 24-6-6 17-18-1 11-11-0 San Jose 72 40 23 9 89 219 199 21-11-3 19-12-6 19-4-3 Colorado 72 39 25 8 86 231 209 25-9-2 14-16-6 10-10-3 Anaheim 73 37 24 12 86 206 197 22-10-5 15-14-7 11-6-7 Los Angeles 72 39 27 6 84 207 181 19-14-3 20-13-3 11-10-4 Dallas 73 38 27 8 84 209 197 24-10-3 14-17-5 11-13-0 St. Louis 72 39 28 5 83 201 193 21-15-0 18-13-5 10-10-3 Calgary 73 35 28 10 80 202 217 15-17-4 20-11-6 10-9-3 Chicago 73 30 34 9 69 208 223 17-15-4 13-19-5 7-10-3 Edmonton 72 31 36 5 67 201 231 16-17-3 15-19-2 13-9-1 Vancouver 72 25 38 9 59 186 236 12-18-6 13-20-3 6-16-1 Arizona 71 23 37 11 57 170 228 14-20-4 9-17-7 7-10-6
NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. Top three teams in each division and two wild cards per conference advance to playoffs.
Sunday's Games
Colorado 5, Detroit 1
Vegas 4, Calgary 0
Tampa Bay 3, Edmonton 1
Carolina 4, N.Y. Islanders 3
Philadelphia 6, Washington 3
Winnipeg 4, Dallas 2
St. Louis 5, Chicago 4, OT
Anaheim 4, New Jersey 2
Monday's Games
Columbus 5, Boston 4, OT
Nashville 4, Buffalo 0
Florida at Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
Los Angeles at Minnesota, 8 p.m.
Calgary at Arizona, 10 p.m.
Tuesday's Games
Columbus at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m.
Dallas at Washington, 7 p.m.
Pittsburgh at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m.
Edmonton at Carolina, 7 p.m.
Florida at Ottawa, 7:30 p.m.
Philadelphia at Detroit, 7:30 p.m.
Toronto at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m.
Los Angeles at Winnipeg, 8 p.m.
Colorado at Chicago, 8:30 p.m.
Vancouver at Vegas, 10 p.m.
New Jersey at San Jose, 10:30 p.m.
Wednesday's Games
Montreal at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.
Arizona at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Boston at St. Louis, 8 p.m.
Anaheim at Calgary, 9:30 p.m.
Thursday's Games
N.Y. Rangers at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
Arizona at Carolina, 7 p.m.
Florida at Columbus, 7 p.m.
Tampa Bay at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m.
Washington at Detroit, 7:30 p.m.
Edmonton at Ottawa, 7:30 p.m.
Toronto at Nashville, 8 p.m.
Vancouver at Chicago, 8:30 p.m.
Los Angeles at Colorado, 9 p.m.
Vegas at San Jose, 10 p.m. |
NEWBERRY, S.C. (AP) — South Korean-based appliance manufacturer Samsung announced the expansion of its production footprint in South Carolina on Monday, making progress on a plan to create nearly 1,000 jobs in the state by 2020.
The company officially launched a new line of top-loading washing machines at its facility in Newberry. That's in addition to a line of front-loading washing machines that the South Korean electronics company began making at the plant earlier this year.
The expansion comes less than a year after Samsung's June announcement that it would invest $380 million in South Carolina to manufacture home appliances, creating an estimated 950 jobs by 2020. So far, company officials say that they've hired about 650 employees who are now working on the two washing machine lines at a 450,000-square-foot plant.
Samsung took over property that had belonged to Caterpillar, which announced in April 2016 that it was closing its electric generator packaging facility. The closure left more 300 people out of work, but Samsung said that about 10 percent of the 650 full-time employees currently working at the Newberry plant are former Caterpillar employees.
Samsung has also hired some of the 6,000 workers left jobless following the scuttling of a reactor construction project at the V.C. Summer Nuclear Station in Jenkinsville, about 21 miles (34 km) away.
Some retrofitting was needed to get Caterpillar's existing buildings in line with Samsung's designs, but Samsung plant manager Tony Fraley said that not having to start from scratch enabled Samsung to get two lines up and running in under a year. Much of the plant's production is focused on robotics, with robots ferrying specially designed trays of parts around the green- and orange-colored plant, and other robots retrieving the pieces and putting them together.
The process can be slower than at other manufacturing facilities, Fraley said, but more mechanization means higher productivity and also fewer scratches that can come along with human handling.
"Everything has automation built into it," Fraley told The Associated Press during a recent tour of the manufacturing plant and new production line.
About 100 Samsung employees from South Korea are currently on-site helping get the new facility up and running, even able to write computer codes on the spot to help the plant run more smoothly. Eventually, Fraley said they will return to the company's headquarters, after training South Carolina employees on all of the technology needed to run the facility's high-tech machines.
"If something goes awry, they show us how to fix it," Fraley said. "They show us how to troubleshoot it."
By this summer, Fraley said he expected the plant to be running at full capacity. Last year, Samsung announced a collaboration with the University of South Carolina and Clemson University in an effort to make the plant a center for customer service and research and development.
Without giving specifics, Samsung Electronics North America's President and CEO Tim Baxter told AP that the company hopes to add more production lines in the future, as well as establish a supply chain in the state so that Samsung doesn't have to import as many supplies.
"Clearly the plan is to build an eco-system," Baxter said in a recent interview. "Obviously that doesn't happen overnight."
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Follow Meg Kinnard on Twitter and see more of her work on apnews.com. |
WASHINGTON (AP) — A government watchdog is urging the Education Department to resume the process of forgiving student loans for tens of thousands Americans who were defrauded by for-profit colleges.
In a report published Monday, the Office of Inspector General, an independent body within the education agency, recommends that the department restart "review, approval, and discharge process" for defrauded students.
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has come under criticism for stalling the review of over 95,000 claims for loan cancellations. The agency has not approved a single claim during her time in office and DeVos' critics charge that she is looking out for industry interests.
The AP reported in October that the department is considering abandoning the Obama-era practice of full loan forgiveness in favor of partial relief.
The department did not immediately comment. |
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — The owner of a seaplane that crashed near Sydney during a New Year's Eve joy flight, killing the Canadian pilot and his five British passengers, says that flight path was not authorized.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau on Wednesday released a preliminary report on its investigation into the cause of the de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver crash into the Hawkesbury River.
Sydney Seaplanes chief executive Aaron Shaw said in response to the report that its key question was why the plane was flying in a bay surrounded by steep terrain that had no exit.
Shaw said in a statement Sydney Seaplanes had not authorized the route and "the plane simply should not have been where it was."
The report rules out potential causes but does not suggest any likely cause. |
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Sabres have signed Victor Olofsson to a two-year contract after he scored a Swedish Hockey League-leading 27 goals last season.
Olofsson was selected by the Sabres in the seventh round of the 2014 draft. The forward has spent the past three seasons in the SHL, collecting 50 goals and 49 assists in 150 regular-season games. Overall, Olofsson had 60 goals and 117 points in 200 games.
He is coming off a career-best season in which he finished with 43 points in 50 games during his second year with Frolunda HC.
The 22-year-old is listed at 5-foot-11 and 173 pounds.
The Sabres announced the agreement on Tuesday.
___
More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/tag/NHLhockey |
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — A rescue ship carrying 60 migrants has arrived in a Spanish port after being refused entry by Italy and Malta, the second time in a month that a humanitarian group has been forced to travel for days to unload people rescued in the central Mediterranean.
The Open Arms ship docked Wednesday in the northeastern port of Barcelona, where the group — including 5 women, a 9-year-old toddler and four teenagers — will be going through health checks and identification procedures.
The Spanish aid group Proactiva Open Arms said the migrants come from 14 countries and are in good health.
Doctors Without Borders says more than 500 people have died in the Mediterranean since the Aquarius, another rescue ship, was blocked from ports in Italy and Malta in June. |
HOUSTON (AP) — Advocates for a Mexican journalist detained in a remote West Texas facility asked the U.S. government on Monday to grant him asylum instead of deporting him to a country where he believes he'll be killed.
Emilio Gutierrez Soto fled to the United States a decade ago after articles he wrote alleging corruption in the Mexican military caused his name to end up on a hit list. Mexico is one of the world's most dangerous places for journalism, likened to countries such as Syria and Iraq. At least 11 journalists have been killed in Mexico this year.
After coming within hours of possible deportation, Gutierrez, 54, is now appealing that denial. The National Press Club and other press freedom advocates held an event Monday highlighting Gutierrez's case and those of other reporters whose lives were in danger.
Speaking by phone from a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Sierra Blanca, Texas, Gutierrez accused Mexican leaders of being complicit in the violence of drug cartels and the murders of journalists, though he did not make specific allegations.
"The biggest criminal organization is the government," Gutierrez said. "I'm afraid to take one step into Mexico."
The U.S. government historically rejects most asylum claims. Over a five-year period ending in September 2016, the U.S. received about 267,000 asylum claims and granted 46,000.
It has granted asylum in recent years to a number of Mexican journalists. But Eduardo Beckett, Gutierrez's lawyer, accused the U.S. of turning a blind eye to corruption and violence in Mexico, and blamed the Trump administration for changing how it deals with asylum seekers.
"There is no more humanity," Beckett said. "The new tactic is, we'll pressure you, we'll keep you detained, in hopes you'll give up."
Another Mexican journalist did just that earlier this year. After spending nearly four months in an immigration facility, reporter Martin Mendez Pineda returned to Mexico and went into hiding.
Mexico has created a federal protection program for journalists, with about 600 enrollees nationwide. But one reporter in the program was killed earlier this year, and others question whether the federal government has the power or the will to protect them. Meanwhile, high-profile killings have continued, including the death of Javier Valdez, a legendary reporter who covered drug trafficking in Sinaloa state.
Gutierrez worked for El Diario del Noroeste, a newspaper in the state of Chihuahua. He said his problems began after he wrote articles that alleged military forces were robbing and extorting local people in Chihuahua, which borders New Mexico and part of West Texas.
After receiving what his advocates called veiled threats, Gutierrez discovered his name had been placed on a hit list. So he fled north with his teenage son and entered the U.S. in 2008, seeking asylum.
He spent seven months in detention before his release in January 2009, while his application for asylum remained pending.
Beckett said that Gutierrez was no longer working in journalism while living in the West Texas border city of El Paso. Instead, he supported himself by operating a food truck, Beckett said. His son, now 24, works in a restaurant. But while in the United States, Gutierrez heard from people back in Mexico that if he returned, he would end up like other journalists who were killed.
After nine years, a judge denied his asylum request in July, and the U.S. Board of Immigration Appeals dismissed his appeal in November.
His advocates say he came close to being sent back to Mexico before the appeals board on Thursday issued a stay of his deportation.
The U.S. Department of Justice and the Mexican foreign affairs ministry did not return messages seeking comment Monday. ICE said in a statement that Gutierrez remains in the agency's custody "pending disposition of his immigration case."
___
Follow Nomaan Merchant on Twitter at @nomaanmerchant. Associated Press reporter Christopher Sherman in Mexico City contributed to this report.
___
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FRAMINGHAM, Mass. & WAYNE, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 23, 2018--Ameresco, Inc. (NYSE:AMRC), a leading energy efficiency and renewable energy company, today announced that the landfill gas to renewable natural gas facility at Waste Management’s, Woodland Meadows Landfill has achieved EPA approval and is now in operation.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005931/en/
Ameresco designed, built, owns and operates the biogas-to-renewable natural gas (RNG) facility that converts approximately 6,600 SCFM of landfill gas to approximately 3,500 dekatherms of RNG every day. The state-of-the-art facility was commissioned in November 2017.
“The project, one of the largest of its kind in the US, is unique both technically and commercially,” said Michael T. Bakas, Executive Vice President of Ameresco. “We are very proud of the focus and hard work our staff invested to bring this renewable energy project to fruition. Working with Waste Management and GAIN Clean Fuel to develop this facility has been a very rewarding experience. We look forward to a long-term partnership on this flagship project with these two incredible organizations.”
“Waste Management is proud to partner with Ameresco to recover valuable resources and create clean, renewable energy from the landfill,” said John Myers, Director, Operations, Waste Management. “It is gratifying to be involved in using disposed materials and transitioning them into tremendous environmental benefits.”
The renewable natural gas facility operates continuously. Blower stations draw the gas from the raw landfill gas to produce pipeline-quality gas for distribution in the local gas distribution system. Gas is then injected into the natural gas pipeline, where it is eventually utilized in the vehicle fuel market.
GAIN Clean Fuel, in partnership with Ameresco, takes ownership of the RNG upon delivery to the natural gas distribution system and transports it for use within the transportation sector.
“RNG is one of the few alternative fuels that creates air quality improvements during the fuel production process and when used for actual transportation,” said Bryan Nudelbacher, Director of Business Development, GAIN Clean Fuel. “This truly positions companies using renewable natural gas for sustainability success.”
Traditionally, landfill gas is flared onsite, but current technologies allow for the harnessing of this gas and its conversion into a cleaner renewable transportation fuel.
About Waste Management Waste Management partners with customers and communities to manage and reduce waste from collection to disposal while recovering valuable resources and creating clean, renewable energy. Their Woodland Meadows Recycling and Disposal Facility (RDF) in Wayne, MI is a regional facility that provides safe and convenient disposal services for communities, businesses and industries serving the Detroit Metro and surrounding areas.
About U.S. Gain U.S. Gain, a division of U.S. Venture, Inc., is a leading supplier of renewable (RNG) and compressed (CNG) natural gas—environmentally-friendly and cost-effective alternatives to diesel. GAIN Clean Fuel stations strategically located throughout the United States and Canada feature easy-access for all-natural gas vehicles, 99% site uptime, fast-fill capabilities and premium fuel quality.
About U.S. Venture For more than 65 years, U.S. Venture, Inc. has been recognized as an innovative leader in the distribution of petroleum and renewable energy products, lubricants, and tires and parts for the automotive aftermarket. Guided by its company vision, “To be the very best value-adding distributor of products that vehicles consume in North America,” they deliver unconventional, creative solutions that give their customers a competitive edge. Headquartered in Appleton, Wisconsin, the company’s business divisions are U.S. Oil, U.S. AutoForce®, U.S. Lubricants and U.S. Gain.
About Ameresco, Inc. Founded in 2000, Ameresco, Inc. (NYSE:AMRC) is a leading independent provider of comprehensive services, energy efficiency, infrastructure upgrades, asset sustainability and renewable energy solutions for businesses and organizations throughout North America and Europe. Ameresco’s sustainability services include upgrades to a facility’s energy infrastructure and the development, construction and operation of renewable energy plants. Ameresco has successfully completed energy saving, environmentally responsible projects with Federal, state and local governments, healthcare and educational institutions, housing authorities, and commercial and industrial customers. With its corporate headquarters in Framingham, MA, Ameresco has more than 1,000 employees providing local expertise in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit www.ameresco.com.
The announcement of our entry into a renewable natural gas purchase and sale agreement is not necessarily indicative of the timing or amount of revenue from such contract, of the company’s overall revenue for any particular period or of trends in the company’s overall total assets in development and operation. This project was reported in assets in development as of December 31, 2017.
View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005931/en/
CONTACT: Ameresco:
CarolAnn Hibbard, 508-661-2264
news@ameresco.com
or
U.S. Venture, Inc.:
Alison Mayer, 920-915-4389
amayer@usventure.com
or
GAIN Clean Fuel:
Stephanie Lowney, 920-730-7134
slowney@usgain.com
or
Waste Management:
Tanisha A. Sanders, 248-596-3519
tsander4@wm.com
KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA MASSACHUSETTS MICHIGAN
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: ENERGY ALTERNATIVE ENERGY OIL/GAS UTILITIES ENVIRONMENT
SOURCE: Ameresco, Inc.
Copyright Business Wire 2018.
PUB: 04/23/2018 11:07 AM/DISC: 04/23/2018 11:07 AM
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005931/en |
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. military is reiterating a promise to keep Persian Gulf waterways open to oil tankers as Iran renewed threats to close off the region.
Capt. Bill Urban, a spokesman for the U.S. military's Central Command, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that American sailors and its regional allies "stand ready to ensure the freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce wherever international law allows."
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday suggested Iran could halt regional exports if it is stopped from exporting oil after America pulled out of the nuclear deal with world powers.
Meanwhile, Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani reportedly sent a letter to Rouhani applauding his stance.
Soleimani, the head of the Revolutionary Guard's expeditionary Quds Force, said his forces were "ready for any policy." |
Lindsey Vonn couldn't wiggle her fingers or move her wrist. Understandably, she wanted to be reassured everything would be OK.
A crash during training had left her screaming, then passing out from the pain, on the side of a Colorado mountain, 15 months ahead of the Pyeongchang Olympics. Just one of a series of serious injuries that has interrupted the American's illustrious ski career, this required delicate surgery to insert a plate and more than a dozen screws into her broken right arm while trying to avoid nerve damage.
"She looked up at me: 'Buddy, you're going to fix this, right? You've got this?'" her longtime sports physical therapist, Lindsay Winninger, recalled in a recent telephone interview with The Associated Press. "I confidently said, 'Yes.' But at that point in time, I didn't know if I (could). That was hard from Day One. ... We were putting in almost eight hours a day on that arm, to try and revive the nerve a little bit and get things done as fast as possible. That was a big one."
There have been several big ones for Vonn along the way, no real surprise given that she spends day after day hurtling herself down icy slopes at speeds that can top 75 mph.
"The thing is, everyone asks me if I'm afraid after so many crashes. Do I take my foot off the gas pedal? ... You try to manage risk as much as you want," she said. "But at the end of the day, it's a dangerous sport."
Concussions. Broken fingers. Torn ligaments. A fractured ankle.
The lengthy list includes the ripped-up right knee that held her out of the 2014 Sochi Games and prevented her from defending her downhill gold medal from four years earlier, when she also collected a bronze in the super-G.
"Eight years has been a very long time. Obviously, I was very ... disappointed and devastated and frustrated that I missed Sochi," the 33-year-old Vonn said. "I've been waiting for this for a long time. I'm ready."
So it's only natural that as she looked ahead to the 2018 Winter Games, which open in South Korea on Feb. 9, Vonn voiced one primary concern — and it was not related to making sure her racing would be at its best.
In sum: To get a chance to add to her medal collection, she'll need to be in the starting hut.
"I don't really think about peaking, so much as staying healthy. As long as I'm healthy and confident, then I'll be in a great position when I get to Pyeongchang," Vonn said.
"Getting to February healthy," she said, "is the only thing I should focus on."
As much as she's already done — and won — in a sport she has dominated for stretches, including four World Cup overall titles and seven world championships medals, Vonn still has plenty of unfinished business on her agenda.
There's her lingering bid to break Ingemar Stenmark's career record for most World Cup wins, the most celebrated mark in ski racing. Vonn's count is up to 79, the most for a woman, and only seven behind Stenmark, a Swede who competed in the 1970s and '80s.
It's that chase that prompted Vonn to declare already that she has decided to return to the World Cup circuit next season, saying, "I already put enough pressure on myself to reach that goal, anyway. I want to make sure I give myself a little more time, so I'm not stressed about it."
Then there's her ongoing pursuit of barrier-breaking competition against men, something Vonn has spoken about pursuing for years.
She views it as something that could be as significant as Billie Jean King's exhibition tennis match against Bobby Riggs in 1973, chronicled in last year's "Battle of the Sexes."
"I want to see what I'm capable of. It would be really great exposure for the sport," Vonn said. "My personal ambitions aside, I think you have to look at it from a broader perspective. What Billie Jean King did all those years ago made a huge and lasting impact. We have to continue to push the envelope and push women forward in sports."
U.S. Ski and Snowboard formally petitioned the International Ski Federation's Alpine executive board in October on behalf of Vonn, with a goal of being allowed to race against men sometime next season.
The proposal was put on hold; it is expected to be considered in May.
"Why not? We train with her," said Vonn's U.S. teammate, Ted Ligety, a two-time Olympic gold medalist. "I'd fully be psyched to see her race against guys."
In case you hadn't noticed, Vonn is not deterred easily.
It's why she never allowed any of those injuries to derail her career for good.
It's why she owned remarks made in an interview with CNN , in which she said she would "absolutely not" visit the White House if the U.S. Olympic team is invited after Pyeongchang and, "I want to represent our country well. I don't think that there are a lot of people currently in our government that do that."
Vonn took some heat on social media after that aired in December, then defended herself by saying at a subsequent World Cup race: "I was asked my opinion and I gave it. I mean, it's not necessarily my place to be sticking my nose in politics, but as an athlete, I do have a voice."
Whatever might get in her way, Vonn presses ahead.
That's why she will be back at the Olympics next month.
And back on World Cup courses next year.
Maybe even racing against men.
"I love going fast. That's why I haven't stopped skiing. I'm 33. I've been injured quite a few times, but my passion for the sport has never changed since I started racing when I was 8 years old," Vonn said. "As long as I'm still enjoying it, and I don't have to use too much duct tape to hold my body together, I'm good. I'm set."
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More AP Olympic coverage: https://wintergames.ap.org/ |
DUBLIN (AP) — An Irish citizen recently acquitted after four years' imprisonment in Egypt says he saw dozens of cellmates become radicalized and adopt views of the Islamic State group during his brutal captivity in overcrowded jails.
Ibrahim Halawa was arrested after security forces broke up a 2013 sit-in protesting the army's overthrow of an elected Islamist president. The 21-year-old was released in October after being held in a half-dozen detention centers.
His experience provides a unique perspective on how conditions inside Egypt's notorious prisons have degenerated during an unprecedented crackdown on dissent.
Halawa, who is of Egyptian descent, had faced death by hanging on charges that ranged from inciting violence to murder. He says regular beatings with bars and metal chains during captivity led him and others to the brink of despair. |
FARGO, N.D. (AP) — The Latest on one of two suspects pleading guilty in the killing of a pregnant North Dakota woman. (all times local):
11:40 a.m.
A North Dakota woman has pleaded guilty in the killing of a pregnant neighbor so she and her boyfriend could keep the baby.
Thirty-eight-year-old Brooke Crews could face life in prison after pleading guilty Monday to conspiracy to commit kidnapping and murder, and lying to law officers in the death of 22-year-old Savanna Greywind, of Fargo.
Crews' attorney said she wanted to take responsibility for her actions, but Crews didn't offer details on how Greywind was killed. Authorities haven't said either.
Greywind was eight months pregnant when she disappeared in August. Kayakers found her body wrapped in plastic in a river. The baby was found alive in the apartment Crews shared with her 32-year-old boyfriend, William Hoehn. He's scheduled for trial in March.
Cass County prosecutor Birch Burdick didn't comment on Crews' plea.
___
10:15 a.m.
A North Dakota woman accused of killing a pregnant neighbor so she and her boyfriend could keep the baby is set to change her plea.
Thirty-eight-year-old Brooke Crews is scheduled to appear in Cass County Court in Fargo on Monday. She and her boyfriend, 32-year-old William Hoehn, have pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit murder and kidnapping in the death of 22-year-old Savanna Greywind.
Investigators haven't said how Greywind was killed, but Fargo's police chief has called it a "cruel and vicious act of depravity."
The baby was found alive in Crews and Hoehn's apartment in Fargo. Greywind's boyfriend says DNA tests confirmed he and Greywind are the girl's parents.
Greywind was eight months pregnant when she disappeared in August. Kayakers found her body wrapped in plastic in a river. |
CAIRO (AP) — A civil war within a civil war has broken out in Yemen.
Rifts exploded within the U.S.-backed alliance joining Yemen's president and the Saudi-led coalition fighting Shiite rebels, as forces loyal to each side turned on each other in fierce fighting this week. As a result, the southern city of Aden has become a war zone. The airport has been shut down, schools and shops closed, and families fled districts with the most intense battles.
The new split brings more uncertainty and violence in a nearly 3-year-old conflict that has created the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Here a look at what's happening:
WHO IS FIGHTING WHOM?
Forces loyal to the Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi have largely been defeated in Aden by a separatist group calling itself the Transitional Southern Council and its forces known as the Security Belt, which was formed, financed and armed by the United Arab Emirates, a key member of the Saudi-led coalition that ostensibly backs Hadi.
The council is led by Aidarous al-Zubaidi, once the governor of Aden who was forced out of his post by Hadi last year. Al-Zubaidi joined forces with southern separatist factions fighting for the coalition. The council advocates secession and a return to the pre-1990 situation when there were two Yemeni states.
Last week, the council gave an ultimatum to Hadi to fire his government over allegations of corruption and incompetence. As the deadline was expiring, the separatists and Hadi's forces pounded each other using tanks, artillery and machine guns. In less than three days, the council forces seized control of most of Aden, including the district where the president's Mashiq Palace is located. Members of Hadi's government are preparing to flee.
WHY DID THEY TURN AGAINST EACH OTHER?
Hadi has been at odds with the UAE for most of the past two years. The Emirates has taken advantage of the war to seal domination over southern Yemen, taking over oil and gas facilities and ports, setting up militias and creating a network of secret prisons. Hadi and his aides have complained publicly and privately that the UAE is acting like an occupier. The UAE considers Hadi and his circle as corrupt and incompetent and is angered by Hadi's alliance with the Emirates' nemesis, the Muslim Brotherhood's branch in Yemen, known as the Islah Party.
The AP has reported earlier that Hadi, his sons, and a number of his aides and commanders, now in Riyadh, were banned from returning to Yemen as Saudis put them under virtual house arrest to appease the UAE.
WHAT ABOUT THE BROADER CIVIL WAR?
The fight between the Hadi-coalition alliance and the Shiite rebels known as Houthis has been largely stalemated, with some see-sawing of control on the edges of territory but no major breakthroughs. The Houthis control the north, the capital Sanaa and most of the western Red Sea coast. The coalition and Hadi's forces hold Aden, most of the south and the east (which in the past was part of the separate nation of South Yemen.)
Last month, the alliance on the rebel side fell apart as well when fighting erupted between the Houthis and their partner throughout the war, former president Ali Abdullah Saleh. Saleh was fed up with Houthi monopolizing of the north and reached out to ally with Hadi and the coalition. But the Houthis attacked his forces in the capital, defeated them, killed Saleh and arrested hundreds of his loyalists and relatives, leaving the rebels as the sole power.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
If the power struggle within the coalition drags on with fighting in Aden or spreads to other cities, the vacuum could allow extremists like al-Qaida and the Islamic State group to surge and allow the Houthis to advance. One likely scenario is that Hadi will succumb to UAE pressure, toss out his current government, dump his Islamist allies and create a new administration filled with UAE-approved figures. That would solidify the Emirates' power but keep Hadi in place.
What Saudi Arabic does next could be decisive, and so far its stance is unclear. The kingdom says restoring Hadi is its main objective in Yemen but then, the Saudi coalition spokesman avoided condemning the separatists and called on Hadi to "fix flaws" in his government, implying Saudi consent.
Yemen's civil war, meanwhile, shows no sign of ending. It has left more than 10,000 people dead, displaced 2 million people and pushed the impoverished nation of some 28 million people to the verge of famine. A proposal for a long-term solution came from a well-known former Saudi general Anwar Eshki, known to be close to Saudi Arabia's crown prince. On Twitter, Eshki recently called for the formation of self-rule entities in the north and south under federation headed by Hadi. |
Global Forecast - Asia as of 13:30 GMT Monday, December 11, 2017
Minimum and maximum temperatures in Celsius, precipitation in centimeters and weather conditions as recorded for the previous day (Dec 10 except Asia and Australia where data is for Dec 11) and forecast for the current and following day in each city as of 1330 GMT:
_____
CITY;MIN;MAX;COND;PRECIP;MIN;MAX;COND;MIN;MAX;COND
Abidjan;25;33;pc;1.07;25;31;rn;25;31;pc
Abu Dhabi;19;25;pc;0;17;25;pc;16;26;clr
Aleppo;3;14;clr;0;4;16;clr;3;16;clr
Algiers;10;20;c;0;8;13;c;7;14;pc
Amsterdam;-1;2;sn;25.15;-1;3;pc;2;5;rn
Anchorage;0;6;c;10.34;0;4;c;-1;4;rn
Ashgabat;-2;10;clr;0;-2;7;clr;-1;6;pc
Astana;-14;-10;sn;4.17;-19;-11;pc;-24;-13;clr
Asuncion;20;35;clr;0;21;35;clr;23;37;clr
Athens;8;15;clr;1.22;9;18;clr;10;19;clr
Auckland;18;23;rn;6.45;17;24;pc;16;23;pc
Baghdad;6;19;clr;0;6;19;clr;5;20;pc
Bahrain;16;20;clr;0;16;21;clr;17;21;clr
Banda Aceh;23;34;rn;2.46;22;31;pc;23;32;pc
Bangalore;17;29;clr;0;18;29;pc;18;28;pc
Bangkok;25;34;pc;0;26;33;pc;25;33;pc
Barcelona;5;16;rn;0;3;12;pc;7;13;pc
Beijing;-7;2;clr;0;-8;-1;pc;-7;1;pc
Belgrade;8;12;pc;0.53;7;16;pc;3;9;rn
Berlin;3;4;c;7.34;-1;6;c;2;4;c
Bogota;8;19;rn;3.2;7;19;c;8;20;pc
Brasilia;18;23;rn;18.8;18;25;c;17;23;rn
Bratislava;9;13;c;1.02;2;11;rn;0;4;pc
Brisbane;18;27;pc;0.74;19;28;clr;20;29;clr
Brussels;0;4;sn;3.68;0;3;pc;3;7;rn
Bucharest;0;5;pc;3.56;4;11;clr;5;12;pc
Budapest;8;12;c;1.37;3;15;rn;-1;5;rn
Buenos Aires;17;23;clr;0;20;29;pc;20;32;pc
Bujumbura;18;29;rn;15.62;17;33;pc;18;33;pc
Busan;-5;4;pc;0.58;-2;2;clr;-4;4;clr
Cairo;13;23;pc;0;14;25;clr;13;23;clr
Cape Town;15;25;pc;0;15;21;clr;16;19;c
Caracas;16;27;pc;2.97;18;27;pc;19;25;pc
Chennai;24;32;pc;0.23;23;32;pc;24;31;pc
Chicago;-7;5;sn;0;-9;-3;pc;-2;0;sn
Colombo;24;32;pc;0;24;30;rn;24;30;rn
Copenhagen;1;2;pc;3.2;0;2;sn;2;3;rn
Dakar;21;28;pc;0;21;26;pc;20;27;pc
Dallas;5;24;clr;0;3;14;clr;5;21;clr
Dar es Salaam;24;31;c;0.99;25;31;pc;25;32;pc
Denver;0;15;clr;0;2;18;clr;-1;14;pc
Dhahran;10;22;clr;0;11;22;clr;12;22;clr
Dhaka;21;30;c;27.38;19;30;c;17;29;pc
Dili;23;35;pc;14.35;23;33;clr;24;33;c
Dubai;21;26;clr;0;18;26;clr;18;27;clr
Dublin;-1;4;pc;11.43;3;6;rn;2;6;rn
Dushanbe;-1;8;clr;0;-2;7;pc;-3;6;pc
Gibraltar;8;18;rn;1.52;9;14;clr;11;15;pc
Hanoi;16;19;c;0.05;17;19;rn;17;19;rn
Harare;16;25;c;5.38;17;25;rn;17;26;pc
Havana;14;22;clr;0;19;23;clr;15;24;pc
Helsinki;-1;1;c;0.91;-2;4;sn;0;2;pc
Ho Chi Minh City;23;32;clr;0;23;32;pc;24;32;pc
Hong Kong;16;23;clr;0;16;20;pc;18;21;c
Honolulu;21;28;pc;1.68;20;27;rn;20;27;pc
Hyderabad;15;30;clr;0;17;31;clr;19;31;clr
Islamabad;8;17;rn;0;6;17;rn;4;17;c
Istanbul;11;14;clr;4.37;11;16;pc;10;16;clr
Jakarta;24;32;rn;2.03;24;32;rn;24;32;rn
Jeddah;22;31;clr;0.69;22;30;pc;22;30;pc
Jerusalem;8;20;pc;0;8;21;c;8;18;clr
Johannesburg;14;23;c;2.84;15;28;pc;13;26;rn
Kabul;-3;10;pc;0;-4;8;clr;-4;5;pc
Karachi;12;26;clr;0;12;26;pc;10;25;pc
Kathmandu;8;23;clr;0;6;23;pc;6;23;clr
Khartoum;20;35;clr;0;20;36;clr;20;34;clr
Kiev;2;3;pc;0;4;10;pc;1;8;rn
Kingston;25;28;rn;2.79;24;29;rn;24;27;rn
Kinshasa;23;31;rn;5.61;23;32;c;23;29;rn
Kolkata;19;30;c;7.19;18;30;pc;17;30;pc
Kuala Lumpur;25;30;rn;4.9;25;31;rn;24;32;rn
Kuwait;6;20;clr;0;7;21;clr;8;21;clr
La Paz;3;16;c;0;3;16;pc;2;16;pc
Lagos;24;32;pc;0.99;25;30;pc;26;31;pc
Lima;18;23;c;0;18;23;c;19;23;pc
Lisbon;8;14;pc;16.48;8;14;clr;12;14;pc
London;-4;3;rn;17.42;0;2;pc;3;7;rn
Los Angeles;12;28;clr;0;13;28;clr;11;27;clr
Luanda;24;30;pc;0;24;30;pc;24;30;c
Madrid;0;11;c;3.12;-1;10;clr;4;11;pc
Male;26;31;clr;0;25;31;pc;26;31;pc
Manaus;24;31;rn;6.1;23;29;rn;24;30;rn
Manila;25;30;pc;0.3;25;32;pc;24;30;pc
Mecca;21;35;clr;1.24;21;34;pc;21;34;pc
Melbourne;13;24;pc;0;14;27;clr;19;35;pc
Mexico City;4;20;clr;0;3;21;clr;7;23;pc
Miami;9;21;clr;0;12;23;clr;8;20;clr
Minsk;-1;1;sn;0.71;1;6;pc;-5;3;pc
Mogadishu;24;31;clr;0;24;31;clr;24;31;clr
Montevideo;13;20;pc;0;17;27;pc;20;30;pc
Montreal;-11;-9;sn;2.72;-9;-3;sn;-15;-8;sn
Moscow;-5;2;sn;1.96;0;1;sn;-2;3;c
Mumbai;21;29;clr;0;21;28;pc;20;28;pc
Nairobi;12;23;pc;0;12;26;pc;13;27;clr
New Delhi;14;26;pc;0;13;23;pc;11;22;pc
New York;1;5;pc;0;-4;10;c;-5;0;pc
Nicosia;9;19;pc;0;9;21;clr;7;21;clr
Novosibirsk;-13;-5;pc;0.25;-16;-11;sn;-16;-11;c
Osaka-shi;1;9;pc;0.89;1;6;pc;1;7;pc
Oslo;-8;-1;sn;1.02;-10;-5;sn;-2;-1;sn
Ottawa;-11;-8;pc;3.23;-12;-5;sn;-18;-11;sn
Pago Pago;25;28;rn;38.84;25;29;rn;25;29;rn
Panama City;22;28;rn;0.51;23;29;rn;23;30;pc
Paramaribo;24;31;c;2.03;24;30;c;24;31;c
Paris;0;10;rn;12.19;2;5;pc;5;9;rn
Perth;19;36;clr;0;16;27;clr;17;25;clr
Phnom Penh;23;33;pc;0;24;32;pc;23;32;pc
Port Moresby;23;29;rn;5.08;23;29;rn;24;31;rn
Port-au-prince;21;31;pc;2.34;22;30;rn;22;30;rn
Prague;4;6;c;3.56;-1;6;c;0;3;pc
Pyongyang;-15;-8;clr;3.43;-16;-7;clr;-19;-6;clr
Quito;10;18;rn;23.24;11;18;rn;11;21;c
Rabat;7;16;rn;0;4;15;rn;5;16;clr
Recife;26;31;pc;1.45;25;31;pc;25;31;pc
Reykjavik;0;2;pc;0;-1;3;sn;-2;0;clr
Riga;0;1;sn;0.25;2;7;sn;-3;3;pc
Rio de Janeiro;22;31;pc;0.48;21;24;rn;20;26;c
Riyadh;6;22;clr;0;5;24;clr;8;23;clr
Rome;14;17;rn;3.45;10;17;rn;5;14;rn
Saint Petersburg;-5;1;c;9.3;0;3;sn;-1;4;sn
San Francisco;9;18;clr;0;8;18;clr;9;17;clr
San Jose;17;20;rn;9.78;17;22;pc;18;23;pc
San Juan;22;29;pc;0;22;30;pc;24;30;pc
San Salvador;15;22;pc;0;15;23;pc;15;23;pc
Sana'a;0;26;clr;0;1;24;clr;2;24;clr
Santiago;12;28;clr;0;11;25;pc;13;28;clr
Santo Domingo;20;29;pc;0;21;28;pc;22;29;pc
Sao Paulo;2;10;rn;21.54;4;13;clr;10;13;pc
Seattle;2;9;clr;0;4;9;clr;3;10;pc
Seoul;-12;-5;clr;4.78;-11;-4;clr;-12;-2;clr
Shanghai;6;10;clr;0;6;10;pc;7;11;c
Singapore;25;32;rn;7.62;25;31;rn;25;30;rn
Sofia;-5;2;pc;8.38;-1;10;pc;4;12;pc
St. John's;24;28;rn;1.02;24;29;pc;23;29;pc
Stockholm;0;1;sn;0.25;-5;2;sn;1;2;c
Sydney;20;27;clr;0;20;27;clr;22;31;c
Taipei City;16;19;c;0.23;17;19;rn;17;20;rn
Tallinn;-3;-2;clr;1.52;0;5;sn;-1;2;sn
Tashkent;-5;5;pc;2.03;-5;2;clr;-5;3;clr
Tbilisi;-1;10;pc;0;0;9;pc;0;9;clr
Tehran;1;12;clr;0;0;10;clr;2;11;clr
Tel Aviv;14;26;pc;0;14;26;c;15;23;pc
Tirana;11;15;c;1.02;10;18;pc;9;19;rn
Tokyo;2;16;clr;0;1;10;clr;2;9;clr
Toronto;-4;-2;sn;3.07;-9;0;sn;-10;-5;pc
Tripoli;10;21;clr;0;11;22;clr;11;22;clr
Tunis;10;22;clr;0;9;20;pc;8;18;pc
Ulan Bator;-24;-17;pc;0;-24;-16;pc;-27;-16;pc
Vancouver;4;10;clr;0;4;10;c;4;10;c
Vienna;7;13;c;0;1;10;rn;-1;5;pc
Vientiane;22;27;c;0;21;27;pc;21;29;c
Vilnius;1;2;sn;0;1;9;pc;-3;2;pc
Warsaw;5;6;pc;3.05;0;11;c;-1;3;pc
Wellington;17;21;clr;0;15;23;pc;14;20;pc
Yangon;23;32;clr;0;22;33;clr;22;33;clr
Yerevan;-7;4;clr;0;-6;5;clr;-5;5;clr
Legend: clr...clear;pc...partly cloudy;c...cloudy;rn...rain;sn...snow
_____
Copyright 2017 AccuWeather
_____
Keywords: Forecast, Global, Asia |
BOSTON (AP) — The Latest on sentencing in the 2012 meningitis outbreak (all times local):
12:20 a.m.
The pharmacist convicted in connection with a deadly meningitis outbreak has tearfully apologized to the victims for the pain and suffering they endured.
Glenn Chin sobbed as he struggled through his statement during his sentencing hearing in Boston's federal courthouse on Wednesday.
Chin said he has prayed every day for the people who were impacted by the outbreak. Chin says he understands that many of the victims will never forgive him, but said he will continue to pray that they will "find some sort of peace."
Chin was convicted in October of fraud and racketeering, but cleared of second-degree murder. Prosecutors are seeking 35 years behind bars, while the defense is urging the judge for a three-year sentence.
___
11:45 a.m.
Victims of the 2012 meningitis outbreak and their family members are describing the pain and suffering they experienced because of the contaminated drugs.
The victims spoke Wednesday during the sentencing hearing in federal court in Boston for pharmacist Glenn Chin, who was convicted of racketeering and mail fraud for his role in the nationwide outbreak.
The Massachusetts man was cleared in October of second-degree murder under federal racketeering law.
Colette Rybinski choked back tears as she described watching her 55-year-old husband deteriorate mentally and physically after being injected with a mold-tainted steroid.
She urged the judge to punish Chin severely, saying he ignored plenty of warning signs that the drugs were unsafe.
Prosecutors are seeking a 35-year-sentence for Chin. Chin's lawyers are asking for about three years behind bars.
___
12 a.m.
A Massachusetts pharmacist convicted of mail fraud and racketeering in connection with a deadly meningitis outbreak is set to be sentenced.
Prosecutors in Boston's federal court will ask a judge Wednesday to sentence Glenn Chin to 35 years in prison for his role in the 2012 outbreak that killed 76 people and sickened hundreds.
Chin was cleared in October of second-degree murder charges, but convicted on dozens of other counts. Chin ran the now-closed New England Compounding Center's clean rooms, where the drugs were made.
The outbreak was traced to mold-contaminated steroid injections.
Chin's attorneys are asking for about three years behind bars. They say there's no evidence Chin caused the drugs to become contaminated and have blamed the pharmacy's co-founder, Barry Cadden.
Cadden is serving a nine-year prison sentence. |
LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 4, 2018--The global offshore patrol vessel market is expected to post a CAGR of close to 4% during the period 2018-2022, according to the latest market research report by .
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180704005215/en/
Technavio has published a new market research report on the global offshore patrol vessel market from 2018-2022. (Photo: Business Wire)
A key factor driving the growth of the global offshore patrol vessel market is China’s aggressive expansion into the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean. China has built more than 3,200 acres of land on islands in the South China Sea. The country is also strategizing to expand naval operations into the Indian Ocean. Therefore, many nations, including Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and India are taking measures in terms of increasing their naval strength in both the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean.
This market research report on the provides an analysis of the most important trends expected to impact the market outlook during the forecast period. Technavio classifies an emerging trend as a major factor that has the potential to significantly impact the market and contribute to its growth or decline.
This report is available at a USD 1,000 discount for a limited time only:
In this report, Technavio highlights active procurement programs across the world as one of the key emerging trends in the global offshore patrol vessel (OPV) market:
Global offshore patrol vessel market: Active procurement programs across the world
OPVs are versatile and can be used for a range of purposes. They cost less than frigates and corvettes but can be deployed. Therefore, various nations across the world are expanding their fleet of OPVs. A few of them that did not own an OPV before are also ordering OPVs. For instance, countries such as Poland and Qatar are introducing OPVs into their fleets.
“Besides procuring new vessels, a few nations are also upgrading their existing fleet of OPVs as well as other sea vessels to be a patrol vessel. For instance, the Royal Australian Navy has planned for upgrading its survey vessels to patrol vessels, retrofitting them with the necessary equipment. These factors are expected to drive the growth of the global OPV market during the forecast period,” says a senior market research analyst at Technavio for transportation and distribution.
Global offshore patrol vessel market: Segmentation analysis
This market research report segments the global offshore patrol vessel market by product (high-end OPVs and basic OPVs) and geographical regions (APAC, EMEA, and the Americas).
The high-end OPVs segment held a smaller share of the market in 2017, owing to the higher cost of procurement as compared to the basic OPVs, which are more affordable. The market share of the basic OPVs is expected to increase further over the forecast period.
APAC led the market in 2017 with over 45% of the market share, followed by EMEA and the Americas respectively. The market share of APAC is expected to witness a further increase of more than 2% over the forecast period, while EMEA and the Americas will see a decline in their market shares.
Looking for more information on this market?
Technavio’s sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report such as the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more.
Some of the key topics covered in the report include:
Market Landscape
Market ecosystem Market characteristics Market segmentation analysis
Market Sizing
Market sizing Market size and forecast
Five Forces Analysis
Market Segmentation
Geographical Segmentation
Regional comparison Key leading countries
Market Drivers
Market Challenges
Market Trends
Vendor Landscape
Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors Competitive scenario
About Technavio
is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions.
With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio’s report library consists of more than 10,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio’s comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.
If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at .
View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180704005215/en/
CONTACT: Technavio Research
Jesse Maida
Media & Marketing Executive
US: +1 844 364 1100
UK: +44 203 893 3200
www.technavio.com
KEYWORD:
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TRANSPORT MARITIME OTHER TRANSPORT MANUFACTURING OTHER MANUFACTURING DEFENSE OTHER DEFENSE
SOURCE: Technavio Research
Copyright Business Wire 2018.
PUB: 07/04/2018 10:46 AM/DISC: 07/04/2018 10:45 AM
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180704005215/en |
ZUG, Switzerland & RESTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 23, 2018--Luxoft Holding Inc. (NYSE:LXFT), a global IT service provider, today announces it has built a blockchain adapter for Appian’s (NASDAQ:APPN) rapid application development platform. It is now available exclusively to businesses using Appian’s Business Process Management (BPM) tool and will allow its users to integrate a blockchain network into their day-to-day business processes creating a secure, digital environment that facilitates data sharing.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005657/en/
“The launch of this adapter is about helping businesses realise the huge potential of blockchain by making it easier to use,” “Problems integrating blockchain into existing in-house systems are often the biggest obstacles to its adoption. Now, by integrating blockchain into a BPM, a business can leverage the benefits of a decentralised model whilst retaining its existing IT architecture. This means business don’t have to rip out their old IT systems to use blockchain.”
Luxoft will demonstrate how the adapter can be used to benefit the healthcare sector for the first time at Appian World in Miami, FL, US at the Luxoft booth (#16). In particular, Luxoft will show how the blockchain adapter can reduce claims processing errors and inaccurate medical bills. The blockchain creates a secure, reliable and auditable way for medical and pharmacy systems to share and update real-time accumulators, meaning medical insurers, healthcare providers and pharmacies using the Appian Platform instantly have access to the same claim data.
“The disparate systems used by pharmacies, healthcare providers and insurers to manage medical information are extremely complex. They are not designed for the smooth exchange of data,” . “The Appian blockchain adapter will be a step towards seamless integration across the healthcare ecosystem enabling payers, providers and patients to exchange and verify data in a safe and compliant way.”
“At Appian we value our partner ecosystem and are committed to supporting them as we grow in the key Healthcare market,” said Marc Wilson, SVP Global Partnerships & Industries at Appian. “Blockchain impacts organizations across all industries, but it is an especially difficult challenge within the Healthcare industry given the complexities they face. Through our partnership with Luxoft, our customers now have a solution specifically designed to address these needs within the Appian platform.”
Luxoft built the Adapter on Appian’s Platform, as it’s used extensively across a variety of industries, from financial services to healthcare, in areas such as provider data management, medical management and clinical trials. The move is part of a push to commercialise Distributed Ledger Technologies and accelerate its deployment in established business processes.
About Luxoft
Luxoft (NYSE:LXFT) is a global IT service provider of innovative technology solutions that delivers measurable business outcomes to multinational companies. Its offerings encompass strategic consulting, custom software development services, and digital solution engineering. Luxoft enables companies to compete by leveraging its multi-industry expertise in the financial services, automotive, communications, and healthcare & life sciences sectors. Its managed delivery model is underpinned by a highly-educated workforce, allowing the Company to continuously innovate upwards on the technology stack to meet evolving digital challenges.
Luxoft has more than 13,100 employees across 41 cities in 20 countries within five continents, with its operating headquarters office in Zug, Switzerland. For more information, please visit the .
About Appian
Appian provides a leading low-code software development platform that enables organizations to rapidly develop powerful and unique applications. The applications created on Appian’s platform help companies drive digital transformation and competitive differentiation. For more information, visit www.appian.com.
Luxoft Forward-Looking Statements
This news release of Luxoft Holding, Inc (“Luxoft”) contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements include information about possible or assumed future results of our business and financial condition, as well as the results of operations, liquidity, plans and objectives. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “believe,” “may,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “should,” “plan,” “expect,” “predict,” “potential,” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions. These statements are subject to, without limitation, the risk factors discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in Luxoft’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended March 31, 2017 and other documents filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission by Luxoft. Except as required by law, Luxoft undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements for any reason after the date of this news release whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Appian Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes forward-looking statements. All statements contained in this press release other than statements of historical facts, including, without limitation, statements regarding the security of the digital market to be created by Appian users integrating a blockchain network into their day-to-day business processes and Appian’s commitment to and support of its partner ecosystem, are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate,” believe,” “continue,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “will” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Appian has based these forward-looking statements largely on its current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that Appian believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy, short-term and long-term business operations and objectives and financial needs. Those forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, risks related to potential breach of Appian’s security measures or unauthorized access to the Appian platform or customer data, risks related to the success of Appian’s strategic relationships with third parties and the risks and uncertainties set forth in the “Risk Factors” section of Appian’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 23, 2018, and subsequent reports that Appian has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Moreover, Appian operates in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time. It is not possible for Appian’s management to predict all risks, nor can Appian assess the impact of all factors on its business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements Appian may make. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, Appian cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance, achievements or events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements will occur. Appian is under no duty to update any of these forward-looking statements after the date of this press release to conform these statements to actual results or revised expectations, except as required by law.
All trademarks are recognized and are the property of their respective companies.
View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005657/en/
CONTACT: Media Inquiries
Luxoft Holding Inc.
Patrick R. Corcoran, 212-964-9900 ext. 2453
Global Director, External Relations
Press@luxoft.com
@Luxoft
or
Appian
Nicole Greggs, +1 703-260-7868
Director of Media Relations,
Nicole.Greggs@appian.com
KEYWORD: UNITED STATES EUROPE NORTH AMERICA FLORIDA SWITZERLAND VIRGINIA
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY SOFTWARE OTHER TECHNOLOGY HEALTH OTHER HEALTH
SOURCE: Luxoft Holding Inc.
Copyright Business Wire 2018.
PUB: 04/23/2018 08:00 AM/DISC: 04/23/2018 08:01 AM
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005657/en |
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A judge has scheduled a spring sentencing for a Denver woman who pleaded guilty in a shooting during protests in North Dakota against the Dakota Access oil pipeline, but he's still weighing whether to let her out of jail in the meantime.
Attorneys for Red Fawn Fallis argue in recent court documents that aside from one slip-up, she's been an "exemplary" resident at a Fargo halfway house for three months and should be allowed to return there until her punishment is handed down.
Fallis, 38, was accused of firing a handgun at officers three times during her October 2016 arrest. No one was hurt. She pleaded guilty Jan. 22 to civil disorder and gun possession by a convicted felon. Prosecutors agreed to drop at sentencing a more serious count of discharge of a firearm during a felony crime of violence.
U.S. District Judge Daniel Hovland has scheduled sentencing for May 31 in Bismarck.
Fallis was moved from jail to the halfway house in October, but she was arrested this month for violating conditions of her release when she signed out of the facility to attend adult learning classes but never showed up. She apologized during her plea hearing.
Prosecutors aren't objecting to returning Fallis to the halfway house provided she's placed on electronic monitoring, which her attorneys say would be an acceptable requirement.
Her attorneys also note that Fallis has been granted furloughs three times in the past year for various reasons; that she voluntarily returned to the halfway house the day she disappeared; and that she has taken steps to better herself. including working toward a high school equivalency diploma and working at a food bank.
Prosecutors have agreed to recommend a prison sentence of no more than seven years, though Hovland could go as high as 15 years.
Fallis' arrest was among 761 that authorities made in southern North Dakota during the height of protests in 2016 and 2017. At times thousands of pipeline opponents gathered in the region to protest the $3.8 billion project to move North Dakota oil to Illinois.
The pipeline has been operating since June. Opponents fear environmental harm, and four Native American tribes in the Dakotas are still fighting it in court. Texas-based developer Energy Transfer Partners says it's safe.
___
Follow Blake Nicholson on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/NicholsonBlake |
HONG KONG (AP) — A British banker sentenced to life in prison for the gruesome slayings of two Indonesian women has appeared in a Hong Kong court in a bid to appeal his conviction.
Lawyers for Rurik Jutting presented their arguments Tuesday in the semiautonomous Chinese city's Court of Appeal.
They were requesting the court's permission for an appeal, on the basis that the trial judge gave incorrect instructions to the jury on deciding their verdict.
The nine-person jury last year convicted the Cambridge University-educated Jutting of the 2014 killings of Seneng Mujiasih and Sumarti Ningsih.
The case shocked residents of Hong Kong, while also highlighting wide inequality and seedy aspects usually hidden below the surface.
Jutting watched the proceedings from the dock Tuesday, often leafing through a bundle of court documents. |
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester United handed Juan Mata a one-year contract extension on Tuesday, tying the playmaker to the club until June 2019.
Mata joined from Chelsea in 2014 and has established himself as a key member of the squad under Jose Mourinho, who sold the Spaniard to United when Chelsea manager.
"When I arrived one-and-a-half years ago, (they said), 'Mata is in trouble, in trouble, in trouble,' and now he's getting an extension of one more year," Mourinho said. "An important player for me. Important player for the club. Important player for the other players." |
iTunes Movies U.S. charts for week ending April 22, 2018:
iTunes Movies US Charts:
1. The Post
2. The Greatest Showman
3. The Commuter
4. Molly's Game
5. Justice League
6. Baby Driver
7. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
8. Peter Rabbit
9. Hostiles
10. Super Troopers
iTunes Movies US Charts - Independent:
1. Super Troopers
2. Borg vs McEnroe
3. Phantom Thread
4. Lady Bird
5. Darkest Hour
6. Wildling
7. Outside In
8. In the Fade
9. The Disaster Artist
10. 10X10
__
(copyright) 2018 Apple Inc. |
JERUSALEM (AP) — A former Mossad chief has told an Israeli television program that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave the order in 2011 for the military to prepare to attack Iran within 15 days.
Tamir Pardo told Keshet TV's show Uvda in an interview that aired Thursday that the order was not given "for the sake of a drill."
There was no immediate comment from Netanyahu's office.
Ex-premier Ehud Barak, who was Netanyahu's defense minister in 2011, previously claimed Netanyahu sought to bomb Iran in 2010 and 2011, but was opposed by senior Israeli officials.
Pardo says he consulted the Mossad's legal advisers following the order but didn't explain what happened after that.
The Israeli leader has been a strident critic of Iran, and has accused Tehran of attempting to develop nuclear weapons. |
NEW YORK (AP) — After they lost their home in Puerto Rico to flooding during Hurricane Maria, Enghie Melendez fled with her family to the U.S. mainland with three suitcases and the hope it wouldn't take long to rebuild their lives. It hasn't worked out that way.
More than four months later, the family of five is squeezed into two rooms in a hotel in Brooklyn. While her husband looks for work, they are stuck in limbo, eating off paper plates and stepping over clothes in cramped quarters as they try to get settled in an unfamiliar city.
"After the hurricane hit we told the kids that every day was going to be an adventure, but not like this," said the 43-year-old Melendez. "This is turning out to be really hard."
Around the U.S., many Puerto Ricans are similarly adrift in hotels because of the Sept. 20 hurricane. The move north spared them from the misery of the storm's aftermath on the island. But the transition has often proved to be difficult, disruptive and expensive as people try to find housing, jobs, schools and even furniture and clothes to start fresh on the mainland.
Melendez and her family shuffled between staying with relatives to a homeless shelter to a small hotel in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, forcing her to change schools for her three daughters in the middle of the semester.
"The instability is terrible," she said as her husband, who worked as a cook at an Army base near San Juan, used a glass bottle to mash plantains to make a traditional Puerto Rican dish.
Adding to the worries for large numbers of Puerto Ricans is that hotel reimbursements from the Federal Emergency Management Agency have started to run out and many say they can't afford temporary housing without assistance.
"It's stressful," said Yalitza Rodriguez, a 35-year-old from the southern Puerto Rico town of Yauco who has been staying at a hotel in Queens with her elderly mother and husband while he looks for work. "If we don't get an extension we will have nowhere to live."
Maria destroyed between 70,000 and 75,000 homes and damaged an additional 300,000, said Leticia Jover, a spokeswoman for Puerto Rico's Housing Department. The effects of the storm included the widespread loss of power, which is still not restored in some places. Many businesses closed. The result has been an exodus to the mainland.
The Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College estimated in an October study that between 114,000 and 213,000 Puerto Ricans would move to the U.S. mainland over the next 12 months. Most were expected to settle in Florida, followed by Pennsylvania, Texas and New York.
FEMA says there are nearly 4,000 families, more than 10,000 people, receiving hotel assistance from the agency in 42 states because their homes in Puerto Rico are too damaged to occupy. The agency extended the expiration for the program from Jan. 13 to March 20 at the request of the island's governor, but all cases are reviewed for eligibility every 30 days and the payments could end for some people sooner. It's impossible to know how many are in temporary housing without any aid or staying with families.
Leslie Rivera, from the central town of Caguas, has been shuffling among hotels in Tampa, Florida, since December with her three kids, ages 13, 10 and 2. She was approved for subsidized housing and expects to be settled soon but it has been difficult.
"I feel like I am on the streets because I have no clothes. I have nothing for my kids," the 35-year-old said with tears in her eyes.
Marytza Sanz, president of Latino Leadership Orlando, which has been helping displaced families, said many don't know where they will go after FEMA stops paying for their rooms.
"There are people with five dollars in their pockets," she said. "They can't buy detergent, deodorant, medicine."
In Kissimmee, in central Florida, Desiree Torres feels nervous. She has spent more than two months in a hotel with her three children. She says she can't find a job and several local shelters have told her there is no space for her and her children.
"I can't sleep at night," said the 30-year-old Torres, who lost her home in Las Piedras, a southeastern town near where the eye of the storm first crossed the island. "I'm worried about my kids."
After the hurricane, Melendez and her family were forced to sleep for more than three weeks in their garage because of flooding and sewage that entered the home. They left their four dogs with a friend and managed to get on a humanitarian flight. They spent 10 days at Melendez's father-in-law's Manhattan apartment and a month and a half in a Brooklyn shelter. A Puerto Rican activist helped them enter the hotel.
"My kids were in a Manhattan school. We would wake up before 5 a.m. at the shelter to take them there. Now they are in a Brooklyn school," she said. "Where will they be tomorrow?"
For now, they survive on a $1,700 monthly disability payment that Melendez receives along with about $300 a month in food stamps.
Her 16-year-old daughter, Enghiemar, does her homework on the floor of the hotel room and tries to keep in touch with friends back home by text.
"I always wanted to come and live here," she said. "But not like this."
___
Associated Press writers Gisela Salomon in Miami and Tamara Lush in Tampa, Florida, contributed to this report. |
New York (AP) — Cotton No. 2 Futures on the IntercontinentalExchange (ICE) Wednesday:
(50,000 lbs.; cents per lb.) |
CINCINNATI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 23, 2018--ProAmpac, the fast-growing flexible packaging leader, today offers the latest innovations in the company’s flexible packaging products for the pet food industry.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005145/en/
ProAmpac Pet Food Portfolio (Photo: Business Wire)
“From retort pouches and roll stock to quad-seal and woven polypropylene bags, ProAmpac has a ‘petfolio’ of products that deliver high performance and value to the pet food market,” said Market Manager Julie Conklin, at the April 23-25 Petfood Forum 2018 in the Kansas City Convention Center.
Visit Booth 835
“We invite conference goers to visit us at Booth 835 and meet our team to learn about ProAmpac’s approach to the pet food market,” said Julie Conklin.
“Pet Food is itself a growing and dynamic industry. It has been exhibiting strong rates of growth, attracting significant new investment, and meeting the demands of new, more engaged and demanding consumers who increasingly relate to their pets as members of the family,” said Adam Grose, Chief Commercial Officer.
For pet food manufacturers and processors, ProAmpac is a major —and growing—resource for:
Capabilities that include advanced extrusion and adhesive lamination, pouch and bag converting, award-winning graphics and printing, innovative package design and leading-edge materials science and technology. Rapid product development through Collaborative Innovation. “We are driving collaboration internally, by drawing on our product development teams, our corporate innovation team and our technical service engineers, and externally by partnering our development people with their counterparts in customer organizations,” said Grose. Full suite of flexible-packaging products.
Products
ProAmpac’s portfolio of pet products offers speed to market, durability and flexibility:
PRO-DURA® CLASSIC dry food packaging (11-50 lb. capacity) in classic, woven polypropylene bags offering excellent durability and flexibility with award-winning HD Flexo graphics; PRO DURA PREMIUM adding a premium feel, smooth exterior finish similar to laminate bags (also 11-50 lb.); and new PRO DURA MINI, the first woven bag for smaller portions and portability (3 -10 lb.). QUADFLEX TM (3-40 lb. capacity), premium pet food solution for dry food, treats and more, providing seals on four sides, with exceptional shape, strength and shelf presence. It has options for a flat bottom, pinch bottom, fold-over bottom; HD Flexo printing, with a soft matte, matte and gloss finishes; and easy-open and re-close options. PRO-POUCH ® for wet or dry food (3 oz.+ capacity), offers flat or stand-up pouches; pre-made or form, fill and seal; multiple customization options, easy-open or linear tear; high-performance retort; handles; shaped; various finishes; clear or foil. NO. 2 POUCH ® , a PRO-POUCH product made of recyclable HDPE (3 oz.+), qualified to SPI number 2 classification; approved for post-consumer recycling; clear or white opaque; three side seal options; flat or stand-up with bottom gusset; reclose zipper options.
Trend Agility
“In pet food packaging, rapid innovation means having the agility to move ahead in response to change,” Grose said.
For example, he noted that Packaged Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com, recently announced a report on Trust and Transparency it will present at Petfood Forum. Concluding the consumer transparency trend will affect pet food, the researchers suggest that pet food brands “could benefit from an image refresh that reflects the visual conventions of clean label products,” itself an extension of the clean eating trend.
“We have been able to help customers sharpen their labeling through package design. ProAmpac’s award-winning printing, multiple graphic design centers, our LEAD Academy and the DASL, Design and Sample Lab, help customers to address the clean label trend and other changes in consumer preference,” Grose said.
“We are paying close attention to trends,” Grose continued. “We are meeting rising consumer demand for smaller packages; preferences for premium and super-premium pet food and the packaging that goes along with this; the Millennial Generation’s affinity for pet ownership—76 percent of them— expressing a ‘pets over people’ attitude; as well as the march for e-commerce purchasing which creates demand for lighter, stronger packaging that minimizes material usage.”
About ProAmpac
ProAmpac is a leading global flexible packaging company with a comprehensive product offering unparalleled in the industry. We provide creative packaging solutions, industry-leading customer service and award-winning innovation to a diverse global marketplace. We are guided in our work by four core values that are the basis for our success: Integrity, Intensity, Innovation and Involvement. For more information, visit proampac.com.
Cincinnati-based ProAmpac is owned by PPC Partners along with management and co-investors.
About PPC Partners
PPC Partners acquires and operates North America-based middle-market companies with leading positions in the manufactured products, services and healthcare sectors. Led by Tony Pritzker and the former investment and operating professionals of Pritzker Group Private Capital, the firm’s differentiated, long-duration capital base allows for efficient decision-making, broad flexibility with transaction structure and investment horizon, and alignment with all stakeholders. PPC Partners builds businesses for the long-term and is an ideal partner for entrepreneur- and family-owned companies. For more information, visit PPCPartners.com.
View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005145/en/
CONTACT: ProAmpac
Molly Speer, 513-671-1777
molly.speer@proampac.com
KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA KANSAS MISSOURI OHIO
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: MANUFACTURING CHEMICALS/PLASTICS PACKAGING COMMUNICATIONS ADVERTISING CONSUMER PETS
SOURCE: ProAmpac
Copyright Business Wire 2018.
PUB: 04/23/2018 06:00 AM/DISC: 04/23/2018 06:01 AM
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005145/en |
BEIJING (AP) — Prominent legal activist Yu Wensheng has been charged with inciting subversion of state power after writing a letter calling for democratic reforms, his lawyer said Monday.
Police informed Yu's wife of the charge on Saturday, lawyer Huang Hanzhong said. Inciting subversion is a vaguely worded charge often used to muzzle dissent.
Earlier this month, more than a dozen police officers grabbed Yu, a lawyer in Beijing, while he was waiting in his car to take his 13-year-old son to school. The seizure came a day after he posted a letter online calling on the ruling Communist Party to reform the Chinese Constitution and allow open presidential elections.
"The president, the head of state, is basically appointed without any meaningful election. It has no credibility for the country, for civil society and for countries across the world," Yu said in the letter.
Huang said police also took Yu's wife, Xu Yan, to the Shijingshan police station in Beijing on Saturday on the same charge, though they released her the next day.
Police searched Yu's home and office and seized computers, USB drives, cellphones and various files documenting cases that Yu had handled in recent years, Huang said.
Reached by phone, an official at the Shijingshan police station directed queries on Yu to its Xingucheng branch. An official at Xingucheng in turn referred questions back to the Shijingshan station.
Xu was told her husband's case would be handed over to a police bureau in the eastern city of Xuzhou in Jiangsu province for further investigation though no reason was provided, the lawyer said. Chinese authorities sometimes transfer politically sensitive cases to courts and prosecutors far from where the alleged offenses took place, moves activists say are intended to make it difficult for supporters to pressure the authorities.
Yu gained widespread attention after being detained for three months in 2014, during which he says he was tortured and questioned. He was detained again in 2015 but released after a day when his case received wide publicity. |
MADRID (AP) — The Latest on the political crisis in Catalonia (all times local):
10:30 a.m.
The speaker of Catalonia's parliament has postponed a session intended to re-elect the Spanish region's fugitive ex-president.
Roger Torrent announced the decision Tuesday, hours before the session he had called to hold a vote authorizing separatist leader Carles Puigdemont to form a government.
The decision comes after Spain's top court had ruled Puigdemont, who faces arrest in Spain, would have to return from Belgium and ask a judge permission to attend the session.
Torrent says he will reconvene the session once Spanish authorities guarantee they "won't interfere" in the election of Puigdemont.
Puigdemont is the focus of an investigation into October's illegal— and unsuccessful— declaration of independence.
___
10:15 a.m.
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is urging the Catalan parliament not to press ahead with the candidacy of fugitive leader Carles Puigdemont for regional president and instead to opt for a lawmaker free of legal proceedings.
Speaking Tuesday on Spanish National Television hours before the parliament is scheduled to hold an investiture vote for Puigdemont, Rajoy said the parliament speaker will face legal consequences if he disobeys a Constitutional Court order saying Puigdemont can only be voted on if he is physically present and has previously obtained court permission.
Puigdemont faces arrest if he returns to Spain.
Rajoy said the "most sensible" thing for the parliament speaker would be to propose a "clean candidate" who is willing to obey the law and work for the return of normality in Catalonia. |
JERUSALEM (AP) — An Israeli government plan to deport tens of thousands of African migrants has sparked an unexpected backlash from liberal Israelis and their American Jewish allies who say Israel — established in the wake of the Holocaust — should never be turning away those in need.
The showdown could come to a head on April 1, when the state plans to start expelling Africans, some of whom have been in Israel for years, to an uncertain fate.
The government insists all but a select few are economic migrants. But critics charge they are mostly bona fide refugees fleeing persecution and that kicking them out would threaten their lives.
In recent weeks, Israeli pilots, doctors, writers, former ambassadors and Holocaust survivors have all urged the government to halt the deportation plan. |
All Times EST EASTERN CONFERENCE GP W L OT Pts GF GA Tampa Bay 29 21 6 2 44 110 74 Toronto 31 20 10 1 41 106 88 Columbus 30 19 10 1 39 86 73 N.Y. Islanders 30 17 10 3 37 108 100 Washington 31 18 12 1 37 95 91 New Jersey 29 16 9 4 36 89 91 Pittsburgh 32 16 13 3 35 94 104 N.Y. Rangers 29 16 11 2 34 98 87 Boston 27 14 9 4 32 78 75 Montreal 31 13 14 4 30 85 99 Carolina 28 11 10 7 29 78 88 Philadelphia 29 11 11 7 29 83 86 Detroit 29 11 13 5 27 80 97 Florida 29 11 14 4 26 88 104 Ottawa 28 9 12 7 25 77 98 Buffalo 30 7 17 6 20 64 102 WESTERN CONFERENCE GP W L OT Pts GF GA St. Louis 31 21 8 2 44 104 78 Los Angeles 31 20 8 3 43 97 68 Nashville 29 18 7 4 40 95 84 Vegas 29 19 9 1 39 103 91 Winnipeg 30 17 8 5 39 102 86 San Jose 29 16 10 3 35 79 69 Calgary 30 16 12 2 34 88 94 Minnesota 29 15 11 3 33 87 87 Dallas 30 16 13 1 33 89 89 Chicago 30 14 11 5 33 90 82 Vancouver 30 14 12 4 32 81 85 Anaheim 30 12 11 7 31 80 89 Colorado 29 14 13 2 30 92 95 Edmonton 30 12 16 2 26 86 99 Arizona 33 7 21 5 19 75 114
NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. Top three teams in each division and two wild cards per conference advance to playoffs.
Sunday's Games
Chicago 3, Arizona 1
St. Louis 3, Buffalo 2, OT
Toronto 1, Edmonton 0
Minnesota 4, San Jose 3, OT
Monday's Games
Colorado 2, Pittsburgh 1
N.Y. Islanders 3, Washington 1
Dallas at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m.
Florida at Detroit, 7:30 p.m.
Vancouver at Winnipeg, 8 p.m.
Carolina at Anaheim, 10 p.m.
Tuesday's Games
Edmonton at Columbus, 7 p.m.
Ottawa at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Toronto at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
Colorado at Washington, 7 p.m.
Los Angeles at New Jersey, 7 p.m.
Calgary at Minnesota, 8 p.m.
Tampa Bay at St. Louis, 8 p.m.
Florida at Chicago, 8:30 p.m.
Carolina at Vegas, 10 p.m.
Wednesday's Games
Dallas at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m.
N.Y. Rangers at Ottawa, 7 p.m.
Boston at Detroit, 8 p.m.
Nashville at Vancouver, 10 p.m.
Thursday's Games
Buffalo at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
Washington at Boston, 7 p.m.
N.Y. Islanders at Columbus, 7 p.m.
New Jersey at Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
Chicago at Winnipeg, 8 p.m.
Anaheim at St. Louis, 8 p.m.
Toronto at Minnesota, 8 p.m.
Florida at Colorado, 9 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Arizona, 9 p.m.
Nashville at Edmonton, 9 p.m.
San Jose at Calgary, 9 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Vegas, 10 p.m. |
NEW YORK (AP) — Standard and Poor's Stock Indexes for Wednesday
Close Change MidCap 400 1953.97 Down 3.49 500 Stocks 2823.81 Up 1.38 100 Stocks 1251.42 Down .51 |
NIZHNY NOVGOROD, Russia (AP) — France picked up two trophies in 1998: One, of course, was the country's only World Cup title, won on home soil. It was also the birth year of Kylian Mbappe, the 19-year-old who's emerging as one of the biggest stars of the World Cup.
"Well, that was a good year for him to be born, even if he didn't see much of the 1998 World Cup," joked French coach Didier Deschamps, who was the captain in '98. "I'm very happy that Mbappe is a French citizen."
?It will be France's searing speed led by Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann against Uruguay's defense anchored by Diego Godin on Friday in Nizhny Novgorod in the World Cup quarterfinals. The winner will face Brazil or Belgium.
Uruguay has given up only one goal in four World Cup matches, and France has scored seven — most in the 4-3 victory over Argentina in the round of 16.
In scoring twice against Argentina , Mbappe became the first teenager with multiple goals in a World Cup knockout game since a 17-year-old Pele did it twice (including a hat trick against France) in 1958.
It's a big stage with inevitable comparisons that Mbappe smiled about and then batted away.
"It's flattering to be the second one since Pele," said Mbappe, born in France to a father from Cameroon and a mother from Algeria. "But let's put things in perspective. Pele's another category."
This is France's seventh quarterfinal and its fourth in the last six World Cups dating back to 1998 and the famous side led by Deschamps, Patrick Vieira, Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry — the so-called "Rainbow Team" from a multicultural France.
"In a World Cup you have the top-level players," said Mbappe, who plays for Paris Saint-Germain. "So it's an opportunity to show what you can do and what your abilities are. There is no better place than a World Cup."
After three lackluster games in group play, France was electric in its most recent match, particularly in the second half when it cut up Argentina's plodding defense. Five of France's starters in the first group match had never played in the World Cup, including Mbappe.
"You need some patience," Deschamps said.
Deschamps has compared playing Uruguay to facing Peru, which narrowly lost to France 1-0 in group play on a goal by Mbappe.
He termed Uruguay "solid and aggressive" in a French television interview, adding: "These are not qualities displayed by Argentina."
The match will showcase several cross-border friendships.
Griezmann plays at Atletico Madrid where his teammates are Uruguayan defenders Godin and Jose Maria Gimenez. Godin is the godfather of Griezmann's daughter.
While Godin and Gimenez will try to stop Griezmann, Uruguay striker Luis Suarez will be opposing Barcelona teammate Samuel Umtiti.
"I've always joked ... that I wanted to face Umtiti at a World Cup," Suarez said. "And it came true."
Suarez's running mate, Edinson Cavani, scored both goals in the knockout win over Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal but is nursing a hamstring injury, and it' unclear if he will play.
His absence would be a blow to the South Americans, but defense is the real key with coach Oscar Tabarez expecting to see less of the ball.
"I think very often there's the mistaken belief that ball possession leads to scoring opportunities," said Tabarez, who took over in 2006.
"If you don't have ball possession, you can still inflict pain." |
SAINT-MARS-LA-REORTHE, France (AP) — Chris Froome has asked Tour de France fans to let him race in peace, even if they doubt the recent ruling that cleared him of doping allegations.
The British cyclist has been targeted by spectators in the past. During the 2015 Tour, he said a man threw a cup of urine at him while yelling "doper".
With the latest edition beginning on Saturday, five days after the International Cycling Union finally ruled Froome had won last year's Spanish Vuelta cleanly, the four-time Tour winner offered an alternative way for skeptical fans to show their distrust.
"Support the race in a positive way, don't bring negativity," he said on Wednesday in western France. "In terms of safety I obviously would encourage fans of the sport to come watch the race, and if you are not necessarily a Chris Froome fan or a Sky fan, come to the race and put a jersey on of another team you do support. That would be my advice."
A cloud hung over Froome after a urine sample taken during the Vuelta in September showed a concentration of the asthma drug salbutamol that was twice the permitted level.
After months of silence, the UCI said Froome's result did not represent an adverse finding, which could have led him to be stripped of his Vuelta victory, and a suspension.
The UCI's ruling ensured he could compete at the Tour after race organizer ASO had informed Team Sky it would forbid Froome from entering until the doping case was decided.
His use of asthma medication has been well documented and he often uses inhalers during races. World Anti-Doping Agency rules state an athlete can be cleared for excessive salbutamol use if he proves it was due to an appropriate therapeutic dosage.
Froome said he understands it may take time for fans to believe he is not a cheat.
"But that data is available, and I would like to think that as people understand that more, they will understand my decision to keep on racing knowing I have certainly done nothing wrong," Froome said. "Of course it has been damaging. As it is right now I'm just happy to draw a line in the sand and move on and focus on bike racing."
UCI president David Lappartient has also issued a call for calm.
"(Froome) has the right to operate in a safe environment. I have heard calls, sometimes completely irrational, to violence on the Tour de France," Lappartient said. "I cannot accept that and I call on all spectators to protect all the athletes and to respect the judicial decision so that Chris Froome can compete in a safe and serene environment."
Teammate Geraint Thomas said Froome has shown poise even when fans are at their worst.
"I've always been impressed by the way he is off the bike," Thomas said. "But the last nine months have been the most impressive, really, how he was able to still perform and train and commit to all that while everything else was going on."
Thomas, however, said possible run-ins with the public are part of riding down roads lined by people, most of who are there to cheer on the athletes.
"It's not like football — it's not in just a closed stadium when you can check everyone," he said. "So there is that element of risk so to speak."
Froome is aiming to join Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain as the only riders to win the Tour five times.
___
More Tour de France coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/TourdeFrance
___
AP Sports Writer Andrew Dampf contributed to this report. |
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) — The Latest on an effort to collect money from O.J. Simpson to satisfy a multimillion-dollar civil judgment for the deaths of Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson (all times local):
9:24 a.m.
A judge in Los Angeles has rejected a request to have O.J. Simpson sign over profits from autographs to satisfy a civil judgment for the deaths of Ron Goldman and Simpson's ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson.
Superior Court Judge Gerald Rosenberg ruled Tuesday after the request was made by an attorney for Fred Goldman, father of Ron Goldman.
The judge denied it on grounds that Goldman can't identify who is paying Simpson.
Simpson was acquitted of murder in the 1994 killings, but a civil court jury found him liable and ordered him to pay $33.5 million, which has more than doubled over two decades.
A lawyer for the former football star says Simpson signed autographs after his release from a Nevada prison to pay legal bills.
___
11:14 p.m.
O.J. Simpson owes the family of Fred Goldman more than $70 million from a 1997 wrongful death judgment and a lawyer for the Goldmans says the former football star should use his profits from autographs to settle his debt.
Attorney David Cook plans to ask a Los Angeles Superior Court judge Tuesday to order Simpson to hand over future money he makes autographing sports memorabilia to satisfy the judgment in the wrongful deaths of Ron Goldman and Simpson's ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson.
Simpson was acquitted of murder in the 1994 killings, but a civil court jury found him liable and ordered him to pay $33.5 million, which has more than doubled over two decades.
A lawyer for the former football star says Simpson signed autographs after his release from a Nevada prison to pay legal bills. |
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland's Senate has backed legislation regulating Holocaust speech that has sparked a diplomatic dispute with Israel and calls from the United States for a reconsideration of a bill seen as threatening freedom of speech.
The bill proposed by Poland's ruling conservative party calls for up to three years in prison for any intentional attempt to falsely attribute the crimes of Nazi Germany to the Polish state or people. It exempts artistic and research work.
Saying the bill defends Poland's good name, the senators voted early Thursday 57-23 to back the bill with two abstentions.
To become law, the bill requires approval from the president, who supports it.
Israel sees the move as an attempt to whitewash the role some Poles played in the killing of Jews during World War II. |
New York (AP) — Silver futures trading on the NY Merc Tuesday:
(5,000 troy oz.; cents per troy oz.) |
SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 30, 2018--AWE 2018 Booth #525– Toshiba’s Client Solutions Division (CSD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today announced a strategic relationship with Ubimax as well as the full integration of the Ubimax Frontline application suite on Toshiba’s dynaEdge TM AR Smart Glasses. Toshiba plans to demonstrate the Ubimax Frontline applications on its AR smart glasses during AWE 2018 this week in Santa Clara, Calif.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180530006108/en/
Toshiba announces a strategic relationship with Ubimax for the full integration of the Ubimax Frontline application suite on Toshiba’s dynaEdge AR Smart Glasses. (Photo: Business Wire)
“We are excited to work with Ubimax and its industry-leading expertise in wearable computing and augmented reality which will benefit our customers and increase the mainstream adoption of the category,” said Carl Pinto, vice president, marketing and engineering, Client Solutions Division, Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. “The combination of our dynaEdge AR Smart Glasses and the Ubimax Frontline applications create an AR solution capable of improving productivity for the logistics, manufacturing and maintenance sectors.”
The two organizations collaborated to ensure their solutions functioned and integrated seamlessly into an enterprise’s existing Windows-based work environment. The Ubimax applications are the company’s first applications to be ported over to a Microsoft Windows environment.
“We are delighted to be chosen as a global strategic partner for Toshiba,” said Percy Stocker, President, Ubimax, Inc. “We strongly believe in the combination of Toshiba’s longstanding technical and B2B customer support expertise and our own market leading wearable computing solution experience to jointly increase acceptance and focus on the uptake of wearables in the industry.”
Toshiba’s dynaEdge AR Smart Glasses is the company’s first completely wearable AR solution to combine the power of a Windows 10 Pro PC with the performance-based feature set of industrial-grade smart glasses. Toshiba’s new AR solution includes the dynaEdge DE-100 Mobile Mini PC, dynaEdge AR100 Head Mounted Display (HMD), Lens-Less Frame, USB-C™ Cable with Cable Clip and carrying case. Toshiba AR solution has a starting price point of $1,899.99.
Toshiba developed its dynaEdge AR Smart Glasses solutions to meet the performance demands of enterprise workplaces through the adoption of 6 th Generation Intel® Core™ M Processors, Intel® HD Graphics and Intel® Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260 802.11ac Wi-Fi®. These technologies allow enterprises to integrate the Toshiba AR solution into their existing infrastructure.
Designed for enterprise customers, Toshiba’s new AR solution provides Document Viewing, Live Video Calls, See-What-I-See, Photo/Video Capture, Alerts/Messaging, making it ideal for a variety of uses cases, including Maintenance, Remote Expert, Manufacturing, QA Inspection & Audit, Logistics, Training and Knowledge Transfer.
Toshiba also recently announced the availability of its Developer’s Kits for customers or application developers looking to design specialized software for the smart glasses. Toshiba will offer Developer’s Kits with two different configurations – Basic and Performance to best meet a variety of industrial applications with pricing starting at $2,399.99. Customers interested in purchasing the dynaEdge AR Smart Glasses or Developer’s Kits should contact their Toshiba sales representative or email the company at smartglasses@toshiba.com.
About Ubimax
Ubimax is the global market leader for industrial Wearable Computing and Augmented Reality solutions, creating full, end to end, integrated solutions that incorporate the latest Wearable Computing technologies to improve business operations. Ubimax Frontline solutions have received numerous awards, including: Auggie Award for “Best Enterprise Solution”, MHI Innovation Award for “Best IT Innovation”, and winner of the SAP & Google Glass Challenge. Ubimax has been recognized as the leader in Enterprise Wearables and Augmented Reality Solutions by ABI Research.
With offices in the U.S., Mexico and Germany, Ubimax today serves more than 200 customers globally. Leveraging over 10 years of experience as well as an extensive track-record in the fields of Wearable Computing, Augmented Reality, Mixed Reality and Sensor Systems, Ubimax’s technological innovations continue to be at the very forefront of Wearable Computing solutions.
www.ubimax.com
About Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. (TAIS)
Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., TAIS is comprised of three business units: Client Solutions Division, Imaging Systems Division and Industrial Solutions & Services Division. Together, these divisions provide digital products as well as services and solutions, including award-winning mobile computing devices, security solutions and cloud services; imaging products for the security, medical and manufacturing markets; and IoT solutions development, data analytics and IT services. TAIS provides sales, marketing and services for its wide range of products in the United States and Latin America. TAIS is an independent operating company owned by Toshiba America, Inc., a subsidiary of Toshiba Corporation. For more information on TAIS visit us.toshiba.com.
About Toshiba Corporation
For over 140 years, Toshiba Corporation has contributed to a sustainable future by applying innovative technologies to value creation. Today, our business domains are centered on the essential infrastructure that supports modern life and society. Guided by the principles of The Basic Commitment of the Toshiba Group, “Committed to People, Committed to the Future”, Toshiba promotes global operations that contribute to realization of a world where generations to come can live better lives. To find out more about Toshiba, visit www.toshiba.co.jp/worldwide/about/index.html.
© 2018 Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. dynaEdge is a trademark of Toshiba Client Solutions, Co. Ltd. Intel, Intel Core, Intel vPro and Pentium are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and/or other countries. Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved. While Toshiba has made every effort at the time of publication to ensure the accuracy of the information provided herein, product specifications, configurations, prices, system/component/options availability are all subject to change without notice. Some features and specifications may be limited to certain models only. Some features may require certain software and/or service activation. *For the complete Toshiba Memory (Main System) and Toshiba Storage Drive Capacity legal disclaimer visit us.toshiba.com/info.
View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180530006108/en/
CONTACT: Media Contact:
Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc.
Eric Paulsen, 949-583-3541
eric.paulsen@toshiba.com
or
Media Assets:
Photos, Spec Sheets and Videos
KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA CALIFORNIA
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY CONSUMER ELECTRONICS ELECTRONIC DESIGN AUTOMATION HARDWARE SOFTWARE AUDIO/VIDEO TRANSPORT MOBILE/WIRELESS MANUFACTURING LOGISTICS/SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT OTHER MANUFACTURING
SOURCE: Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc.
Copyright Business Wire 2018.
PUB: 05/30/2018 12:31 PM/DISC: 05/30/2018 12:31 PM
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180530006108/en |
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A 22-year-old man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to the drive-by shooting death of a 2-year-old girl in Little Rock.
Deshaun Rushing was charged with capital murder in the 2016 killing of 2-year-old Ramiya Reed. But on Monday, Rushing pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of first-degree murder and avoided a potential life sentence.
Prosecutors say Ramiya's mother identified Rushing as a suspect, and another defendant still awaits trial.
According to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette , Rushing will be eligible for parole after 21 years.
A month after Ramiya's killing, 3-year-old Acen King was killed in an apparent road-rage case in Little Rock. The alleged shooter in that case awaits trial.
___
Information from: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, http://www.arkansasonline.com |
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Jurors in North Carolina are getting a round-up of testimony in a lawsuit filed by more than 500 neighbors of an industrial-scale swine operation.
The plaintiffs contend that open-air cesspools inflict them with intense, putrid smells that can't be removed from clothing or household fabrics for years.
Lawyers for Virginia-based Smithfield Foods maintain that the smells, traffic and noise don't hurt the neighbors' ability to enjoy their own property.
The jury has heard three weeks of testimony. This is the first of a series of test cases against the low-cost, high-volume methods of hog-production division used by the Chinese-owned company.
Lawyers for the neighbors say alternative methods don't cause such a nuisance, but the company uses open-air cesspools because they're cheap. |
WASHINGTON (AP) — US businesses increase inventories 0.4 percent in December, biggest sales gain since 2011. |
WASHINGTON (AP) — Outgoing Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is meeting with CIA Director Mike Pompeo, the man President Donald Trump has chosen to replace him.
A State Department official says that Tillerson and Pompeo were sitting down at the department's headquarters in Foggy Bottom. The official wasn't authorized to comment by name and demanded anonymity.
It's the first known meeting between the two men since Trump fired Tillerson on Twitter and announced he was nominating Pompeo to replace him.
Pompeo also plans to meet Monday with Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker of Tennessee. Corker's committee will eventually vote on whether to confirm Pompeo before his nomination goes to the full Senate.
Tillerson has already handed over all authorities to his deputy but remains secretary in name only until March 31. |
JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli military says it has struck Hamas military positions in the Gaza Strip after Palestinian militants fired a rocket toward southern Israel.
Israeli planes and tanks shelled the Palestinian territory on Monday after the rocket strike, in what was the latest in a series of cross-border exchanges that have left at least four Palestinians dead. No injuries were reported Monday.
Monday's strikes came a day after Israel said it destroyed a tunnel built by Hamas that ran several hundred meters (yards) into Israeli territory. Hamas threatened Israel with a "heavy price" for demolishing the tunnel.
Palestinians and Israeli forces have clashed across the West Bank and along the Gaza border following President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. |
LONDON (AP) — Britain's Supreme Court has ruled against protesters who were arrested and searched by police when Prince William married Kate Middleton more than five years ago.
The country's highest court Wednesday upheld lower court rulings that the Metropolitan Police had acted lawfully when they took some protesters into custody.
The protesters had argued that police violated their human rights and took steps to suppress "anti-monarchist sentiment."
The court found that detaining people for up to five-and-a-half hours had been reasonable in order to prevent possible breaches of the peace.
It said police could be "severely hampered if they were not able to detain somebody for a short period of time."
The case was brought by 20 individuals who were among many arrested the day of the royal wedding in April 2011. |
WASHINGTON (AP) — Start the countdown clock on a momentous two weeks for President Donald Trump and the GOP-run Congress.
Republicans are determined to deliver the first revamp of the nation's tax code in three decades and prove they can govern after their failure to dismantle Barack Obama's health care law this past summer. Voters who will decide which party holds the majority in next year's midterms elections are watching.
Republicans are negotiating with Democrats on the contentious issue of how much the government should spend on the military and domestic agencies to avert a holiday shutdown. An extension of the program that provides low-cost health care to more than 8 million children and aid to hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico, Texas and Florida need to be addressed. And further complicating the end-of-year talks is the fate of some 800,000 young immigrants here illegally.
Lawmakers are trying to get it all done by Dec. 22.
A look at the crowded agenda:
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TAXES
Republicans are upbeat about finalizing a tax bill from the House and Senate versions for Trump's first major legislative accomplishment in nearly 11 months in office.
"I feel very confident we're going to get this done ... at the end of the day we're going to get this to the president's desk and he's going to sign it," House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said Sunday in an interview on Fox News Channel.
The House and Senate bills would cut taxes by about $1.5 trillion over the next decade while adding billions to the $20 trillion deficit. They combine steep tax cuts for corporations with more modest reductions for most individuals.
Republican leaders have struggled to placate GOP lawmakers from high-tax states like California, New York and New Jersey whose constituents would be hit hard by the elimination of the prized federal deduction for state and local taxes. Repeal of the deduction added up to $1.3 trillion in revenue over a decade that could be used for deep tax cuts.
Lawmakers finally settled on a compromise in both bills — full repeal of the state and local deductions for income and sales taxes, but homeowners would be able to deduct up to $10,000 in local property taxes.
And yet it's still not a done deal.
"There's a lot of conversation around the fact that in some of the blue states where the taxes are high, the property tax alone, they will not be able to use the $10,000 possible deductions," Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., said on NBC's "Meet the Press with Chuck Todd" on Sunday. "So allowing for income and property taxes, which would cost another $100 billion by the way, to be options for folks in those states would be a better solution. And we're looking at ways to make that happen."
Just a few weeks ago, lawmakers were unyielding on their insistence that the corporate tax rate be slashed from 35 percent to 20 percent. Now, one way to finance the changes on state and local taxes would be to cut the corporate tax rate to 21 or 22 percent instead.
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GOVERNMENT SPENDING
Republicans and Democrats are trying to work out a sweeping budget deal. They got a temporary reprieve from a partial government shutdown when they passed a stopgap, two-week bill last Thursday.
Republicans want a major boost in defense spending. Democrats want a similar increase for domestic agencies.
Congress also has to figure out how much disaster aid should be directed to Puerto Rico, Texas and Florida. The Trump administration requested $44 billion last month, an amount lawmakers from hurricane-slammed regions say is insufficient. The latest request would bring the total appropriated for disaster relief this fall to close to $100 billion — and the government still must calculate how much it will cost to rebuild Puerto Rico's devastated housing stock and electric grid.
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CHILDREN'S HEALTH
Fresh federal money for the Children's Health Insurance Program, known as CHIP, ran out on Oct. 1, a blow to the widely popular program that provides low-cost medical care to more than 8 million children. Some states have relied on unspent funds, while others that were running out of money got a short-term reprieve in the two-week spending bill.
Lawmakers hope to agree on a long-term budget solution for a program that's about $14 billion a year.
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IMMIGRATION
Democrats want to act now to protect young immigrants who came to the United States illegally as children, with demands that a solution is included in any year-end spending deal.
"We will not leave here without a DACA fix," said Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., referring to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
These young immigrants, often referred to as Dreamers, face deportation in a few months after Trump reversed administrative protections established by President Barack Obama.
Republicans say it can wait till next year and shouldn't bog down the broad budget agreement. However, House GOP leaders likely will require Democratic votes for the spending bill and they have to work out a deal with Pelosi.
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Associated Press writers Marcy Gordon and Andrew Taylor contributed to this report. |
All Times EST EASTERN CONFERENCE GP W L OT Pts GF GA Tampa Bay 29 21 6 2 44 110 74 Toronto 31 20 10 1 41 106 88 Columbus 30 19 10 1 39 86 73 N.Y. Islanders 30 17 10 3 37 108 100 Washington 31 18 12 1 37 95 91 New Jersey 29 16 9 4 36 89 91 N.Y. Rangers 30 16 11 3 35 99 89 Pittsburgh 32 16 13 3 35 94 104 Boston 27 14 9 4 32 78 75 Montreal 31 13 14 4 30 85 99 Carolina 28 11 10 7 29 78 88 Philadelphia 29 11 11 7 29 83 86 Florida 30 12 14 4 28 90 105 Detroit 30 11 13 6 28 81 99 Ottawa 28 9 12 7 25 77 98 Buffalo 30 7 17 6 20 64 102 WESTERN CONFERENCE GP W L OT Pts GF GA St. Louis 31 21 8 2 44 104 78 Los Angeles 31 20 8 3 43 97 68 Winnipeg 31 18 8 5 41 107 87 Nashville 29 18 7 4 40 95 84 Vegas 29 19 9 1 39 103 91 San Jose 29 16 10 3 35 79 69 Dallas 31 17 13 1 35 91 90 Calgary 30 16 12 2 34 88 94 Minnesota 29 15 11 3 33 87 87 Chicago 30 14 11 5 33 90 82 Vancouver 31 14 13 4 32 82 90 Anaheim 30 12 11 7 31 80 89 Colorado 29 14 13 2 30 92 95 Edmonton 30 12 16 2 26 86 99 Arizona 33 7 21 5 19 75 114
NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. Top three teams in each division and two wild cards per conference advance to playoffs.
Sunday's Games
Chicago 3, Arizona 1
St. Louis 3, Buffalo 2, OT
Toronto 1, Edmonton 0
Minnesota 4, San Jose 3, OT
Monday's Games
Colorado 2, Pittsburgh 1
Dallas 2, N.Y. Rangers 1, SO
N.Y. Islanders 3, Washington 1
Florida 2, Detroit 1, OT
Winnipeg 5, Vancouver 1
Carolina at Anaheim, 10 p.m.
Tuesday's Games
Edmonton at Columbus, 7 p.m.
Ottawa at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Toronto at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
Colorado at Washington, 7 p.m.
Los Angeles at New Jersey, 7 p.m.
Calgary at Minnesota, 8 p.m.
Tampa Bay at St. Louis, 8 p.m.
Florida at Chicago, 8:30 p.m.
Carolina at Vegas, 10 p.m.
Wednesday's Games
Dallas at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m.
N.Y. Rangers at Ottawa, 7 p.m.
Boston at Detroit, 8 p.m.
Nashville at Vancouver, 10 p.m.
Thursday's Games
Buffalo at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
Washington at Boston, 7 p.m.
N.Y. Islanders at Columbus, 7 p.m.
New Jersey at Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
Chicago at Winnipeg, 8 p.m.
Anaheim at St. Louis, 8 p.m.
Toronto at Minnesota, 8 p.m.
Florida at Colorado, 9 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Arizona, 9 p.m.
Nashville at Edmonton, 9 p.m.
San Jose at Calgary, 9 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Vegas, 10 p.m. |
HAMILTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand beat the West Indies by 240 runs Tuesday in the second cricket test to win the two-test series 2-0:
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New Zealand 286-7 (Jeet Raval 84, Colin de Grandhomme 58, Kane Williamson 43, Trent Boult 37 not out; Shannon Gabriel 4-119, Kemar Roach 3-58, Miguel Cummins 2-57) and 291-8 decl. (Ross Taylor 107 not out, Kane Williamson 54; Miguel Cummins 3-69, Rohan Chase 2-51, Shannon Gabriel 2-52) def, West Indies 221 (Kraigg Brathwaite 66, Shane Dowrich 35; Trent Boult 4-73, Tim Southee 2-34, Colin de Grandhomme 2-40, Neil Wagner 2-73) and 203 (Roston Chase 64, Kemar Roach 32, Raymon Reifer 29; Neil Wagner 3-42, Mitchell Santner 2-13, Trent Boult 2-52, Tim Southee 2-72). |
ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 24, 2018--The Jersey Tomato Co., maker of premium New Jersey tomato sauces and salsas, today announced that three flavors of its tomato sauces are now available at all 245 Harris Teeter Neighborhood & Pharmacy stores. The three SKUs available at Harris Teeter are Marinara, Tomato Basil and Spicy. The Jersey Tomato Co. can also be found at Kroger and its family of stores nationwide, including Fred Myer and Ralph’s, bringing the Company’s products to thousands of points of distribution nationally.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005132/en/
Three tomato sauces from The Jersey Tomato Co., now available at all Harris Teeter stores. (Photo: Business Wire)
“Harris Teeter is an admired grocery partner who recognizes the premium, better-for-you qualities of our products and the world-renowned attributes of the New Jersey tomato,” said Dave Stoff, Founder and CEO of The Jersey Tomato Co. “Thanks to Harris Teeter, shoppers from the District of Columbia to Florida are able to enjoy the naturally lower sodium and farm fresh flavor of sauces from The Jersey Tomato Co. Our sauces can now be found coast to coast, from California to Florida, demonstrating nationwide appreciation for the New Jersey tomato’s extraordinary flavor.”
The Extraordinary New Jersey Tomato
All products from The Jersey Tomato Co., including salsas and pizza sauces, are made with 100% New Jersey tomatoes. The New Jersey tomato has been recognized around the world as the best since 1934. The New Jersey tomato is celebrated like the great Italian San Marzano tomato for their outstanding flavor. All products from The Jersey Tomato Co. are marked with the “Made Jersey Fresh” logo, indicating certification from the New Jersey Department of Agriculture that every tomato was grown and harvested in New Jersey.
Better-For-You Tomato Sauces Made From World-Renown Tomatoes
The New Jersey tomato has distinct attributes such as unmatched sweetness, tartness and epic taste. This premium tomato is the result of the New Jersey soil composition, which has an acidic pH balance, combined with the ideal summer climate, which produces a delicious, better-for-you tomato. Because of the New Jersey tomato’s inherent qualities, the Jersey Tomato Co. sauces have 60% lower sodium than the other leading tomato sauce brands. Bursting with farm fresh flavor, tomato sauces from The Jersey Tomato Co. are lower in calories and fat, naturally lower in sodium and have no added sugar. No added preservatives allow the naturally occurring flavor to shine through – along with antioxidants and vitamins - making these sauces a healthier than most leading tomato sauce brands.
The Jersey Tomato Co. is a portfolio company of KEEN Growth Capital, a venture fund that invests in and develops early-stage food and wellness companies.
About The Jersey Tomato Co.
All Natural. All Jersey. All Good. The Jersey Tomato Co. sauces and salsas are made with 100% premium New Jersey tomatoes and healthy, fresh ingredients. Five delicious flavors of tomato sauce, two salsas and a pizza sauce, are all bursting with farm fresh flavor and naturally lower sodium - 60% lower sodium than other leading brands. Follow The Jersey Tomato Co. in social media and visit JerseyTomatoCo.com for more.
About KEEN Growth Capital
KEEN Growth Capital invests in early stage food-related companies that generate meaningful social impact in addition to above market financial returns. KEEN has particular focus on healthy snacking, functional foods and patented, science backed companies that positively impact consumer health, environmental and community wellness, and long term disease mitigation. Keen’s infusion of intellectual and financial capital delivers enriched outcomes for all stakeholders while creating a healthier world. KEEN is based in Orlando. Ideas welcome everywhere. Visit KEENGrowthCaptial.com for more.
View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005132/en/
CONTACT: The Jersey Tomato Co. & KEEN Growth Capital
Addison Ames, 917-721-2961
Addison@KEENGrowthCapital.com
KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA FLORIDA NEW JERSEY
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: CONVENIENCE STORE WOMEN OTHER CONSUMER DISCOUNT/VARIETY ONLINE RETAIL RESTAURANT/BAR NATURAL RESOURCES AGRICULTURE ENVIRONMENT RETAIL FOOD/BEVERAGE SPECIALTY SUPERMARKET CONSUMER MEN
SOURCE: KEEN Growth Capital
Copyright Business Wire 2018.
PUB: 04/24/2018 09:00 AM/DISC: 04/24/2018 09:01 AM
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005132/en |
RAYMONDVILLE, Texas (AP) — Officials in a remote South Texas county have approved a contract to open a privately run, 1,000-bed immigration lockup on the site of a tent city prison that was destroyed during a 2015 riot.
The Valley Morning Star of Harlingen reports that Willacy County commissioners on Monday agreed to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center outside Raymondville, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from the U.S.-Mexico border city of Brownsville.
County Judge Aurelio Guerra says the new lockup will boost the local economy.
The prison that housed 3,000 inmates in tent-like domes closed after the 2015 uprising. A county lawsuit blamed the riot on "abysmal mismanagement" by Utah-based Management & Training Corp.
Management & Training, which bought the site last year, will operate the new immigrant facility.
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Information from: Valley Morning Star, http://www.valleystar.com |
HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii emergency management officials knew for years that an employee had problems performing his job. Then, he sent a false alert warning of an imminent missile attack earlier this month.
The worker had mistakenly believed drills for tsunami and fire warnings were actual events, and colleagues were not comfortable working with him, the state said Tuesday. His supervisors counseled him but kept him for a decade in a position that had to be renewed each year.
The problems in the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency went beyond one troubled employee. The agency had a vague checklist for missile alerts, allowing workers to interpret the steps they should follow differently. Managers didn't require a second person to sign off on alerts before they were sent, and the agency lacked any preparation on how to correct a false warning.
Those details emerged Tuesday in federal and state reports investigating how the agency mistakenly blasted cellphones and broadcast stations Jan. 13 with a warning that led hundreds of thousands of people to believe they were about to die in a nuclear attack. It took nearly 40 minutes to retract it.
Hawaii Emergency Management Agency Administrator Vern Miyagi resigned as the reports were released. Officials revealed that the employee who sent the alert was fired Friday. His name has not been revealed. A second worker quit before disciplinary action was taken, and another was being suspended without pay, officials said.
"The protocols were not in place. It was a sense of urgency to put it in place as soon as possible. But those protocols were not developed to the point they should have," retired Brig. Gen. Bruce Oliveira, who wrote the report on Hawaii's internal investigation, said at a news conference.
A Federal Communications Commission report revealed Tuesday that the worker who pushed out the alert thought an actual attack was imminent. It was the first indication the alert was purposely sent, adding another level of confusion to the misstep that created panic at a time of fear over the threat of North Korean missiles.
The worker believed there was a real attack because of a mistake in how the drill was initiated during a shift change, according to the FCC, which regulates the nation's airwaves and sets standards for such emergency alerts. The employee said he didn't hear the word "exercise" repeated six times, though others clearly heard it.
There was no requirement to double-check with a colleague or get a supervisor's approval before sending the warning statewide, the federal agency said.
"There were no procedures in place to prevent a single person from mistakenly sending a missile alert" in Hawaii, said James Wiley, a cybersecurity and communications reliability staffer at the FCC.
Compounding the issue was that the state Emergency Management Agency had no prepared message for a false alarm. The FCC criticized the state's 38-minute delay in correcting it.
In addition, software at the Hawaii agency used the same prompts for both test and actual alerts, and it generally used prepared text that made it easy for a staffer to click through the alerting process without focusing enough on the text of the warning that would be sent.
"The reports from the FCC and the state of Hawaii demonstrate systems and judgment failures on multiple levels, and they reinforce my belief that missile alerts should be handled by the federal government," said U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, a Democrat from Hawaii, who plans legislation to give federal officials that sole responsibility.
The FCC said the state emergency agency has taken steps to try to avoid a repeat of the false alert, requiring more supervision of drills and alert and test-alert transmissions. It has created a correction template for false alerts and has stopped ballistic missile defense drills for now.
Earlier this month, the worker who sent the alert heard a recorded message that began by saying "exercise, exercise, exercise" — the script for a drill, the FCC said. Then the recording used language that is typically used for a real threat, not a drill: "This is not a drill." The recording ended by saying "exercise, exercise, exercise."
Once the employee sent the false alert, he was directed to send a cancel message but instead "just sat there and didn't respond," the state report said. Later, another employee took over the computer and sent the correction because the worker "seemed confused."
Gov. David Ige was asked why Hawaii didn't reveal details about the employee earlier, and he said it would have been irresponsible to release statements before the investigation was complete.
Ige has asked the Hawaii National Guard's deputy commander to prepare another report on what needs to be changed in the emergency management system overall. The first version of that report is due in two weeks, with a final version due in six weeks.
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Associated Press Technology Writer Tali Arbel contributed to this report from New York. |
SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — A Chilean judge has sentenced eight retired military officers to 18 years in prison for the kidnapping and murder of folk singer Victor Jara and a government official at the start of the country's military dictatorship.
The office of the court system says a ninth veteran was sentenced to five years for cover-up.
The Marxist folk singer was seized in the hours after Gen. Augusto Pinochet overthrew socialist President Salvador Allende on Sept. 11, 1973. He was taken the country's main soccer stadium where he was tortured and killed.
Allende's prisons chief Littre Quiroga also was killed.
The ruling announced Tuesday can be appealed.
More than 3,000 people were slain during the 1973-90 dictatorship of Gen. Augusto Pinochet, and most of those crimes remain unsolved. |
PALM COAST, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 24, 2018--Matthews Real Estate Investment Services™ , the nation’s fastest growing commercial real estate company, announces the $10.55 million sale of Old Kings Commons. The 84,759 square foot multi-anchor community shopping center, sold by Regency Centers, is located in Florida’s Atlantic coastal city of Palm Coast and just an hour south of Jacksonville. The buyer was a private family office based in South Florida. The transaction was spearheaded by Jordan Powell and Scott Henard, SVP and Regional Director of the Matthews™ Shopping Center Division.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424006663/en/
Matthews™ closes Old Kings Commons, an 84,759 square foot multi-anchor shopping center in Palm Coast, FL. (Photo: Business Wire)
Matthews™ was able to source the buyer through its relationship and cooperation with a broker in South Florida. “This was a strong, fully stabilized center located in a market of Florida with extremely low vacancy. The buyers are very happy with their purchase and look forward to the long-term cash flow it will provide,” said Powell.
The Matthews™ Shopping Center Division prides themselves on their unwavering commitment to serving their clients’ best interest. With Matthews™ competitive marketing technology and expansive national database, the division has earned a reputation for excellence in execution. For more information regarding this sale, or to discuss available shopping center inventory, please reach out to Scott Henard or Jordan Powell.
About Matthews Real Estate Investment Services:
MATTHEWS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT SERVICES™ is recognized as an industry leader in shopping center, STNL, Multifamily, Management, Leasing, portfolio disposition and 1031 Exchange programs. The firm is headquartered in El Segundo, CA, and serves clients throughout the United States and Canada. For more information, please visit WWW.MATTHEWS.COM.
View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424006663/en/
CONTACT: Matthews Real Estate Investment Services
Cat Ray, (310) 955-1776
CAT.RAY@MATTHEWS.COM
KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA CALIFORNIA FLORIDA
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: PROFESSIONAL SERVICES REIT CONSULTING FINANCE RETAIL CONSTRUCTION & PROPERTY COMMERCIAL BUILDING & REAL ESTATE OTHER RETAIL
SOURCE: Matthews Real Estate Investment Services
Copyright Business Wire 2018.
PUB: 04/24/2018 05:51 PM/DISC: 04/24/2018 05:51 PM
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424006663/en |
ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) — Ariya Jutanugarn is resigned to the fact that 2017 couldn't possibly be better than her breakout year in 2016. A day ahead of the start of the Women's Australian Open at Royal Adelaide, the 21-year-old Thai golfer also says she's not putting pressure on herself to overtake Lydia Ko for the No. 1 ranking.
After winning five tournaments last year, Jutanugarn captured the LPGA Tour's player of the year award, the money title and the season-long points competition that came with a $1 million bonus.
"I'm not going to try to compare myself this year with last year, because this year, it's not going to be like 2016," Jutanugarn said Wednesday. "I'm just going to try my best with everything and try to be more happy on the course and try to have fun."
Jutanugarn made her comments not long after Ko said she wasn't concerned about being on the radar of other golfers wishing to overtake her for the top ranking. And Jutanugarn also played down the importance of her ranking.
"This year, my target, I won't worry about the ranking at all," she said. "I mean, there's going to be a lot of expectation from other people, so I want to play with my own expectations."
Jutanugarn will tee off in the first round on Thursday afternoon with defending champion Haru Nomura of Japan and England's Charley Hull.
Here are some other things to know about the LPGA tournament which will help Royal Adelaide celebrate its 125th anniversary.
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THE FIELD: Ko is among four of the top 10-ranked players entered. As well, 10 major champions, including three from 2016, are in a field that includes Brooke Henderson and Michelle Wie and Australian veteran Karrie Webb.
Ko, a South Korean-born New Zealander, has been a pro golfer since October 2013, and she's been No. 1 for roughly half of that time. She's held the top ranking for the past 68 weeks, after a previous stint in 2015. "I have been fortunate enough to be in this position for so long and obviously it takes a lot of hard work and, I think, luck at the same time," Ko said Wednesday. "But when we're out there, we're not thinking about what ranked player she is to me, or what I am. That is the mindset I have been trying to take. I feel more self-pressure rather than pressure from others."
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CONSISTENT HENDERSON: No. 8-ranked Henderson had the second-most top-10 finishes on the LPGA Tour in 2016 behind Jutanugarn (16) with 15 in her 31 starts. Between February and April, the 19-year-old Canadian had eight straight top-10 finishes, and later captured two wins in June including her first major at the Women's PGA Championship. "2016 was really incredible, having my first major win ... a top 10 at the Olympics, incredible experience and I feel like I learned a lot about myself on and off the course."
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GETTING A (NEW) GRIP: Wie is back for the first time since 2012 at the Women's Australian Open, where she missed her cut in her only previous appearance in this event. She has five top-10 finishes since her last LPGA victory at the 2014 U.S. Women's Open and had just one top-10 all of last season, after having none in 2015. After missing the cut at the season-opening Bahamas LPGA Classic, Wie said she plans a new style on the greens in Adelaide— the "claw" putting grip made popular by Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia. Wie will also shelve her "table-top" stance, where her body is at a 90-degree angle over the ball, to a regular position over the putter.
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GALLERIES NOTE: Ko has been paired with Jang Ha-na of South Korea and Henderson for a morning start Thursday. Five-time champion Webb will play alongside American major champion Mo Martin and Sweden's Pernilla Lindberg. Wie has an afternoon start with fellow Americans Angel Yin and Mariah Stackhouse. |
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The federal government says there will be an investigation into a spate of deaths of a whale species along the East Coast last year.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the deaths of minke whales will be investigated. The minkes is a widely distributed species of baleen whale, which is a group of large whales that also includes the blue whale and right whale.
NOAA will discuss the deaths of the whales at an afternoon news conference Wednesday. The agency is treating it as an "unusual mortality event." The agency has also investigated multiple deaths of humpback and right whales recently.
The minke is more abundant than some other whale species that have been threatened by die-offs. They are a favorite of whale watchers. |
HEBRON, West Bank (AP) — For Palestinians, the new mayor of Hebron is a hero who they hope will improve their city. But to Israelis, the new leader of the divided West Bank city is an unrepentant murderer.
Weeks after the former PLO fighter took office, Tayseer Abu Sneineh is a contentious figure in the West Bank's most volatile city, showing no remorse for his role in an attack 37 years ago but saying he is now committed to pursuing a peace agreement with Israel.
He sports a short gray beard today, but as a 26-year-old math teacher he took part in an attack in Hebron on Israeli settlers returning home from Friday night Sabbath prayers on May 2, 1980. Six people were killed and 16 wounded.
Abu Sneineh was convicted as one of the gunmen and sentenced to life in prison. But he was released three years later in a prisoner swap between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization and deported to Algeria. He returned to the West Bank, along with other exiled PLO figures, after the Oslo interim peace agreement was signed in 1993.
Abu Sneineh says the attack, one of the deadliest on West Bank settlers, was justified.
"They all were armed settlers and soldiers, no women or children," he recalled. "We attacked them with guns and hand grenades."
"We wanted to send a message to the settlers that this is our city and they have to leave," Abu Sneineh added.
Hebron is the West Bank's most populous city, holy to Muslims and Jews, where several hundred nationalist Israeli settlers live in fortified compounds in the midst of 170,000 Palestinian inhabitants.
Palestinians must frequently cross through military checkpoints to get around the area, and the close proximity of the two populations has turned the city into a flashpoint of violence. Hebron has been the epicenter of many of the Palestinian attacks targeting Israelis in the past year and a half.
The Palestinians seek the West Bank, captured by Israel in 1967, as the heartland of a future independent state and say the Jewish settlements there are illegal — a position that has wide international backing.
Israel says the presence of its settlers is justified by an ancient Jewish connection to Hebron going back to the days of the biblical patriarch Abraham.
Noam Arnon, a spokesman for the Jewish community of Hebron, called Abu Sneineh "a despicable and cowardly murderer" who killed civilians in their white Sabbath shirts.
"It was a terror attack of the type that took place recently in Paris and London," Arnon charged. "The fact that he boasts about it proves what a despicable murderer he is."
Abu Sneineh shrugged off criticism, saying that many Israeli officials served in the military and were involved in the deaths of numerous Palestinians in decades of fighting.
"They killed children, women, the elderly; they bombed schools, residential buildings and killed thousands of Palestinians since the establishment of the state of Israel," he said.
Now 63, Abu Sneineh said he has put his life as a militant behind him and is focused on the tough reality of governing in a divided city.
Abu Sneineh lives in Hebron's Old City, an area under tight Israeli military control. Passing recently through an Israeli checkpoint on his way to the Ibrahimi Mosque, a site revered by Jews as the Tomb of the Patriarchs, he was cheered as a native son capable of solving the city's problems.
His priority these days, Abu Sneineh said, is to improve municipal services for Palestinian residents, including water, electricity and roads. Most of these services are controlled by Israeli authorities.
"We need to double the amount of water, and increase the electricity and expand the boundaries of the city and this needs Israel approval," he said.
The new mayor's first challenge in office involved a burst sewage pipe in the Old City. He said it took a week of negotiating with Israeli authorities to obtain a permit for municipal workers to enter the area and fix the pipe.
On his way to the mosque, Abu Sneineh stood in line at a checkpoint with a dozen others waiting for an Israeli soldier behind bulletproof glass to open a revolving gate before they passed through a metal detector. Soldiers prevented an AP team from filming the checkpoint and threatened to arrest a photographer.
"We elected him because he is our son, the son of the old city, and he knows our suffering and we are confident he is going to solve our problems," said Mohammed Jabir, a 64-year-old barber.
The Palestinians hope to one day establish an independent state that will also include east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip — areas also captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war. That dream is far off after two decades of failed peace talks and the rival Hamas militant group controlling Gaza.
Abu Sneineh said he's committed to the peace accords with Israel, but warns that if they don't result in the establishment of a Palestinian state, "the Palestinians will have the right to return to armed struggle."
He believes the only solution would be for the settlers to leave.
"They are occupiers," Abu Sneineh said. "They occupy our homes by force. They killed many people in the city in cold blood, and one day they have to leave." |
NEW YORK (AP) — In the search for answers to a series of explosions in Texas, authorities have come ahead with a simple plea to whoever's behind the blasts: Talk to us.
The Austin police chief's direct appeal, complete with promises to listen to the bomber and try to understand the reasons, reflects the stubborn progress of the investigation in which there's no known motivation and the ties between the victims are opaque at best. It may also represent a ploy to coax a response that could give clues or help police prepare for what might come next.
"It puts law enforcement and police in a down power dynamic and instills power on the person," said Randall Rogan, a Wake Forest University professor who is an expert on forensic linguistic analysis and worked with the FBI on the Unabomber case. "It gives (perpetrators) a sense of satisfaction, of pride, of accomplishment, that they are in charge."
An explosion on Sunday night was the fourth in Austin this month, and represented a stepped-up level of sophistication in the attack. Unlike the previous bombings, which involved packages left on doorsteps, the latest one was placed near a hiking trail and had a thin translucent tripwire like fishing line. Two people have died in the explosions and four others have been injured.
Hundreds of officers from multiple law enforcement agencies are on the case.
Rogan said as time passes, it's likely the person or people behind the explosions will seek more than just the thrill of the crimes themselves and will desire more recognition, something that could drive them to make contact with police or release some sort of communiqué or manifesto. He said the new complexity of the fourth bombing might suggest it was a test for something even bigger.
"This is an increase and expansion of sophistication and most likely a trial run for something to come in the future," Rogan said.
Robert Taylor, a former police detective who is now a criminologist at the University of Texas at Dallas, said eventually there will be a break in the case, but how long it will take remains to be seen.
"Something will come up somewhere. It will be a fingerprint on an envelope or DNA from saliva or a unique kind of detonator, or someone will just blab in a bar," he said.
For now, though, the police chief's plea suggests they haven't reached that point.
"It's a sign there's probably not a lot of physical evidence in these kind of crimes that lead and point to a specific person," Taylor said.
Every tiny piece of the bombs' remnants, though, holds the potential to unlock the mystery.
Mary Ellen O'Toole, a retired FBI agent and profiler who worked on numerous bombing cases, including the Unabomber, and now heads the forensic science program at George Mason University, said because bombs require so many components, they increase the chance that whoever built it could leave a trace of themselves behind.
"They're looking to see if they can determine a signature for the bomber," she said of investigators.
Scouring the areas where the bombs went off could uncover something — a hair, a skin fragment, a part of a fingerprint — that might lead to the perpetrator. Police will analyze every part of the devices they can recover to see what clues come from wires, tape, the skill and neatness in which they were constructed, and any other detail that might help decode who the bomber is.
"Even the way they bend or roll the wire," said Michael Bussell, a former Army ordnance disposal technician who now teaches classes on the subject for the online American Military University.
The Unabomber case, which launched with its first blast in 1978, provides both reasons to be hopeful and concerned about the Texas explosions.
While the FBI was able to build a correct profile of the bomber as having been raised in Chicago with ties to Salt Lake City and San Francisco, the big break in the case didn't come for 17 years, when he sent a 35,000-word manifesto. Even then, Ted Kaczynski was identified as the Unabomber only after his brother came forward to help authorities.
O'Toole said it's impossible to build a nuanced profile of the killer without all the evidence, but that bombers share some characteristics. They are willing to forsake some control in their mayhem since they are leaving a device that might not reach its intended target. They enjoy the risk of it — not just the danger of building a bomb, but also of transporting it to neighborhoods where people live and they could easily be caught. And because the bombings have continued, they likely feel no remorse and are prepared to do it again.
"If this bomber is being motivated, in part, by the sense of power and control that he has holding the city of Austin in a state of fear, and depending how addictive that feeling is," she said, "that can be a strong contributor to his doing it again and not waiting a long period of time."
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Sedensky can be reached at msedensky@ap.org or https://twitter.com/sedensky |
CHICAGO (AP) — Nikola Mirotic scored 24 points, Bobby Portis added a career-high 23 and the Chicago Bulls blew out Boston 108-85 on Monday night with Celtics star Kyrie Irving sidelined because of a bruised left quadriceps.
Owners of the NBA's worst record, the Bulls built an 18-point lead in the second quarter against the Eastern Conference leaders. And when Boston cut it to 12 in the fourth, the Bulls simply pulled away for their third straight win.
Mirotic made his first start of the season with leading scorer Lauri Markkanen sidelined because of back spasms. The 6-foot-10 forward hit 9 of 14 shots and grabbed eight rebounds in his third appearance.
Portis shot 10 of 15 and nailed all three 3-pointers.
Before Monday night, Mirotic and Portis had only made headlines together this season for the wrong reasons. Mirotic missed the first 23 games with facial fractures he suffered in a fight at practice with Portis.
Al Horford scored 15 for Boston. Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier added 13 points apiece in the Celtics' most lopsided loss of the season.
Boston got within 12 in the fourth quarter when Portis hit a jumper and Mirotic made a 3 to make it 90-73 with just under eight minutes left. The Bulls remained in control the rest of the way.
Mirotic came through with 16 points as Chicago grabbed a 56-42 halftime lead. Portis scored 15 in the first half.
The Bulls wiped out a four-point deficit and led 52-34 after a 24-2 run in the second quarter. Portis scored 10 during that stretch, nailing two 3s, and Mirotic finished it with a short hook.
TIP-INS
Celtics: Coach Brad Stevens said he doesn't expect Irving to be out long, though he added: "Who knows with muscular injuries." ... Stevens also said doctors will re-evaluate F Marcus Morris' ailing left knee on Tuesday. Morris sat out for the second straight night and the third time in four games. He also missed the first eight games of the season.
Bulls: Markkanen participated in the morning shootaround and got treatment afterward. But coach Fred Hoiberg said the prized rookie's back continued to tighten.
UP NEXT
Celtics: Host Denver on Wednesday.
Bulls: Host Utah on Wednesday.
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More NBA basketball: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball |
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on charges filed against Turkish security agents in Washington, D.C. (all times EDT):
6:35 p.m.
A U.S. official says police in Washington will announce charges against 12 Turkish security agents related to violence that happened when Turkey's president visited last month.
The official says seven will be charged with felonies. D.C. police will announce charges against five for misdemeanors.
The official wasn't authorized to speak publicly on the matter ahead of Thursday's announcement and demanded anonymity.
Washington's mayor and police chief have scheduled a news conference to provide an update on arrests.
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3:10 p.m.
Police say two men have been arrested for their role in a violent altercation outside the Turkish ambassador's residence during a visit to Washington by Turkey's president last month.
The Metropolitan Police Department said in a brief statement that Sinan Narin had been arrested in Virginia on an aggravated assault charge.
It said Eyup Yildirim had been arrested in New Jersey on charges of assault with significant bodily injury and aggravated assault.
The department released no further details about the suspects but said additional information would be available Wednesday.
U.S. officials had strongly criticized the Turkish government after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's security forces pushed past police and violently broke up a protest outside the residence on May 16. |
The 2019 model year marks the start of a new cycle for some of America's top trucks, led by redesigned pickups from Chevrolet and Ram. Ford's top-selling F-150 had updates in 2018, and more may be in the offing for 2019. Typically, Japanese truckmakers Nissan and Toyota aren't far behind with their own updates. Edmunds breaks down what you need to know about today's crop of full-size pickups.
2019 CHEVROLET SILVERADO
Arriving at dealers in the fall, the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado features a ground-up redesign that results in a longer, lighter pickup. Weight savings of around 450 pounds should pay dividends for fuel economy and acceleration.
The new Silverado offers a taller driving position and more room in crew-cab models. It also has the largest cargo box in its class and a power-lowering and -raising tailgate that's exclusive to the class.
The Silverado offers a variety of engines: a V6 (285 horsepower), a V8 (355 horsepower), a larger and stronger V8 (420 horsepower), and a turbocharged four-cylinder (310 horsepower). A six-cylinder diesel arrives in early 2019.
The Silverado's mechanical twin, the GMC Sierra, is also new and goes on sale in the fall. The 2019 Sierra will offer a more upscale interior than the Chevy, along with other exclusive features such as a carbon-fiber cargo box and enhanced technology. The MSRP for a 2019 Silverado crew cab ranges from $34,600 to $53,000.
2018 FORD F-150
Perennially the top-selling vehicle in America, the F-150 reigns supreme among full-size trucks. Multiple trims and configurations, four engine options, and remarkable capabilities make the F-150 a benchmark. Engines include a new base-level 3.3-liter V6 (290 horsepower), along with two turbo V6 options (325 horsepower or 375 horsepower), a V8 (395 horsepower) and a new diesel V6 (250 horsepower).
With towing capacity of up to 13,200 pounds and up to 25 mpg combined city/highway fuel economy, there's not much the F-150 can't do. There's even the bonkers 450-horsepower Raptor edition that can traverse broad swaths of off-road terrain without breaking a sweat. The MSRP for a 2018 F-150 crew cab ranges from $34,245 to $60,850. The 2019 F-150 is expected to be released later this summer.
2018 NISSAN TITAN
Built in Mississippi, the Titan is nearly as American as its domestic rivals despite its Japanese origins. The current Titan was redesigned for 2017 with a bold new look and a new XD model that splits the difference between the capabilities of regular half-ton and heavy-duty pickups. The Titan offers a single 390-horsepower V8 engine and can tow up to 9,740 pounds. The XD version comes with the same V8 or an optional diesel V8 that helps the truck tow up to 12,640 pounds.
The Titan's not our first choice among full-size pickups, but it's roomy and comfortable and it delivers legitimate capability at an attractive price. The MSRP for a 2018 Nissan Titan crew cab ranges from $35,930 to $56,800. The 2019 Nissan Titan arrives this fall.
2019 RAM 1500
Ram shook up the truck world a decade ago with a new rear suspension design that delivered sedan-like ride comfort without sacrificing capability. A refined, comfortable cabin and advanced tech features made its rivals look like archaic work trucks almost overnight. The rivals have since caught up, but the new Ram, thoroughly overhauled for 2019 and now on sale, continues to innovate.
A new frame and body design yield more room for rear passengers and reduce weight by about 200 pounds. The Ram's V8 engine (395 horsepower) returns with a revamped eight-speed transmission that makes more timely shifts. There's also a 3.6-liter V6 base engine that will be paired up with an electric-assist system for smoother power and acceleration and a maximum tow capacity of 12,750 pounds. Redesigned front seats, new technology features and an optional 12-inch infotainment display add to the Ram's winning streak of refinement. The MSRP for a 2019 Ram 1500 crew cab ranges from $34,495 to $56,495.
2018 TOYOTA TUNDRA
The Tundra has gone the longest of any in this group without a full redesign. It's still plenty capable, offering two V8 engines (310 horsepower and 381 horsepower), two body styles and three bed lengths. It can tow up to 10,200 pounds, carry a 1,730-pound payload and handle itself well off-road. The Tundra also is built in the U.S.
The aging Tundra could benefit from a diesel engine (increased towing strength), a smaller turbocharged V6 (better fuel economy) and a thorough technology update. Still, the Tundra has a charm for certain truck buyers. The MSRP for a 2018 Toyota Tundra crew cab ranges from $35,450 to $50,330. The 2019 model arrives in the fall.
EDMUNDS SAYS: With new designs from Chevrolet and Ram and further refinements to the venerable F-150, it's a great time for full-size truck shoppers. Most pickups offer similar capabilities, so look for such qualities as comfort and innovative technology to make a difference.
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This story was provided to The Associated Press by the automotive website Edmunds. Dan Frio is a staff writer at Edmunds. Twitter: @danfrio; Instagram: danfrio
Related links:
— Video: 2019 Ram 1500 First Drive https://bit.ly/2N6jlxm
— Video: Diesel or Gas? Two F-150s Face Off https://bit.ly/2KteVid
— Video: 2019 Chevrolet Silverado Unveil https://bit.ly/2KgcIe0
— Truck Tech: A Look at the Coolest Newest Pickup Truck Technology https://edmu.in/2MtRupB |
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — A top Palestinian official says India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi will make what is described as a historic visit to the West Bank next month.
Majdi Khaldi, an adviser to President Mahmoud Abbas told the Voice of Palestine on Monday that the visit will take place on Feb. 10, with Modi coming to Ramallah. He says it's the first time an Indian prime minister will visit the Palestinian territories.
Modi's visit would come just weeks after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was warmly welcomed during a six-day trip to India.
India, for decades a leading country in the nonaligned movement, has developed warm relations with Israel in recent years.
Khaldi says "this is the first Indian PM to visit the Palestinian territories and it is going to be historical." |
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — The U.S government has provided more than $55,000 to Cambodia for the preserving of personal items belonging to prisoners at a Khmer Rouge prison and torture center in the 1970s.
The project agreement was signed Monday by U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia William Heidt and Cambodian Secretary of State for Ministry of Culture and Fine Art Chuch Phoeurn. The funding aims to preserve and maintain 3,000 to 5,000 items of clothing, shoes, hats and belts belonging to prisoners who were detained at the Khmer Rouge's main Tuol Sleng prison facility.
Under the 1975-79 Khmer Rouge regime, an estimated 17,000 Cambodians were tortured at the center, known as S-21 prison, and then killed. An estimated 1.7 million Cambodians died from execution, starvation and inadequate medical care under the rule of the ultra-communist group.
Heidt said the timing of the project is critical since the items are slowly deteriorating. The prisoners' belongings tell the extremely personal and heartbreaking stories of the victims of the Khmer Rouge and include clothing, hats and other items from both adults and children.
"If you look closely, you even can see that some items still show blood and sweat stains," Heidt said. "The conservation work will carefully preserve the textiles without removing this historical evidence. Each piece carries its own history and we recognize how important it is to preserve this story for future generations."
Chuch Phoeurn welcomed the U.S. funding and said the preservation of the belongings is important because they can help educate young Cambodians. He said some of the items will be displayed at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. |
MOSCOW (AP) — The Latest on the reported slaying in Ukraine of a Russian journalist: (all times local):
5:25 p.m.
Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko, who had been reported shot and killed in the Ukrainian capital Tuesday, has shown up at a news conference very much alive.
Vasily Gritsak, head of the Ukrainian Security Service, told a news conference on Wednesday the agency faked Babchenko's death to catch those who were trying to kill him.
Kiev and national police had said Babchenko, a strong critic of the Kremlin, was shot multiple times in the back at his apartment building and found bleeding by his wife.
He showed up at Gritsak's new conference on Wednesday and thanked everyone who was mourning his death.
Babchenko, 41, one of Russia's best-known war reporters, spoke and wrote year about leaving the country because of repeated threats that he and his family would be harmed.
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2:35 p.m.
A top lawmaker says Russia is willing to help Ukraine investigate the murder of a Russian journalist.
Arkady Babchenko, who was scathingly critical of the Kremlin, was gunned down in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, on Tuesday.
Babchenko fled Russia last year, fearing for his life, and settled in Ukraine. He had served in the Russian army during the two wars in Chechnya in 1990s and became one of Russia's best-known war reporters.
Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of the State Duma, told Russian news agencies Wednesday that Russia would be happy to help with the investigation if Ukrainian authorities requested it.
Ukrainian authorities have said they think Babchenko was killed because of his work. Several Ukrainian politicians blamed the Kremlin for the killing. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed those comments as cynical. |
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Federal legislation to expand the Amber Alert child abduction emergency notification system in Native American communities across the country has cleared its last hurdle before heading to the full U.S. Senate for consideration.
The legislation is in response to the 2016 deadly abduction of 11-year-old Ashlynne Mike on the Navajo Nation, the largest American Indian reservation in the U.S.
The high profile case raised questions about gaps in communication and coordination between tribal and local law enforcement.
Sponsor John McCain, R-Arizona, said authorities did not issue an Amber Alert for Ashlynne until the morning after family members reported her abduction.
The girl was found dead in a remote area near the New Mexico-Arizona border after police have said she was abducted by a stranger in a case that McCain described as devastating. FBI data shows 7,724 Native American children listed as missing in the U.S., McCain said.
The measure was endorsed this week by the Senate Indian Affairs Committee and has bipartisan support from lawmakers from Montana, New Mexico and North Dakota.
The measure would make permanent and expand the tribal Amber Alert pilot program, which provides training for tribes to operate their own alert systems. Grant funding would be available, and the U.S. Justice Department would be required to assess the capabilities of tribal Amber Alert systems.
Amber Alerts are triggered when authorities notify broadcasters and transportation officials about abductions — resulting in a barrage of public messages via the media, cellphones and alerts on highway electronic signs.
After years of struggling to develop an emergency notification system, the Navajo Nation — which spans parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah — is now implementing a new system and training officers.
Ashlynne was lured into a van near her school bus stop on a Monday afternoon in May 2016.
Tom Begaye Jr. of Waterflow, New Mexico, has pleaded not guilty to murder and other charges in Ashlynne's death.
He told investigators he sexually assaulted the girl and struck her twice in the head with a crowbar and that she was still moving when he left her in the desert, according to court documents.
An Amber Alert was not issued in New Mexico until around 2 a.m. the morning after Ashlynne's disappearance, leading to outcry that the public did not get information about a child in danger during crucial hours of the search for her. |
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says the people of Iran will continue supporting the Islamic Republic despite foreign pressure.
His comments came Wednesday, just hours after President Donald Trump said the U.S. stands with the people of Iran against the country's ruling establishment. Rouhani spoke during a visit to the mausoleum of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic.
Rouhani said in remarks broadcast by state TV: "The Iranian nation will never give up Imam Khomeini's legacy; Islamism and Republicanism. Return is impossible."
During his State of the Union address, Trump called the Islamic Republic a "corrupt dictatorship" and said "America stands with the people of Iran in their courageous struggle for freedom." |
PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas (AP) — Brittany Lincicome beat darkness — with help from floodlights Sunday on the Ocean Club's 18th green — to win the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic for the second straight year.
Lincicome birdied the final two holes and four of the last five for a 7-under 65 and a two-stroke victory over Wei-Ling Hsu in the event cut to 54 holes after wind wiped out play most of Friday.
"I try not to look at the leaderboard, so I was just hoping whatever was happening was in my group," Lincicome said. "I was just trying to keep up with those girls (Shanshan Feng and Amy Yang). I played with two great girls today. I knew it was going to be tough and my putter really saved me all day. I made a lot of great par saves and birdies coming in."
Lincicome completed a second-round 67 in the morning, playing nine holes in 3 under, to begin the final round two strokes behind the top-ranked Feng.
"It is grinding, but luckily I was playing well today, so to play 27 holes it wasn't as bad," Lincicome said. "It is definitely a grind. I felt we had the better draw because I got to sleep in most mornings and not get up at 5 a.m. every day, but it's definitely draining a little bit."
The 32-year-old Lincicome won her eighth career title. She finished at 12-under 207. Last year, she beat Lexi Thompson in a playoff.
Hsu closed with a 68. She worked during the winter to improve her low-ball play in wind.
"It looks pretty good this week," Hsu said. "Got to play a lot of low shots and playing into the wind, so very happy for me."
Feng had a 71 to tie for third with Yang (70) at 9 under. Thompson (71) was 7 under with Danielle Kang (68), Nelly Korda (69) and Bronte Law (69). Brooke Henderson, the leader Saturday night when play was suspended because of darkness, shot a 72 to finish ninth at 6 under.
Lincicome birdied the par-5 11th, par-4 14th and par-5 15th, chipping to 4 feet on 15 to tie Hsu at 11 under. Hsu holed a chip to save par on the par-4 16th, and Lincicome made an easier par save in the group behind with a blast to 4 feet from the right bunker.
Hsu bogeyed the par-3 17th when her putt horseshoed out and closed with a birdie on the par-5 18th.
"Probably not my time," Hsu said.
Lincicome made 15-foot birdie putts on the final two holes to wrap it up.
"My putter has been phenomenal these last three days," Lincicome said. "I don't think I've putted that well for a long time."
Fellow players celebrated by spraying and smearing the Pure Silk ambassador with the title sponsor's shaving cream.
"To have Pure Silk shaving cream all over me, that's amazing," Lincicome said. |
PRAGUE (AP) — Czech Prime Minister Boshuslav Sobotka says he is resigning as chairman of his leftist Social Democrats amid falling popularity for the party ahead of parliamentary elections.
Sobotka's deputy, Interior Minister Milan Chovanec, known for his strong anti-migrant stance, will take over the party. Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek will take responsibility for the Social Democrats' campaign in October's elections.
The Centrist ANO movement led by billionaire Andrej Babis that is part of the current coalition government is heavy favored to win the ballot.
Babis called Sobotka's decision Wednesday a "desperate" move.
Sobotka will keep his post of prime minister until the election. His center-left coalition government was sworn in in early 2014. |
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Rugby's world governing body has intervened after Zimbabwe's national team was forced to sleep on the street in Tunisia after problems with accommodation and visas.
World Rugby tweeted that "we are aware of an issue regarding the Zimbabwe team ahead of their Rugby Africa Gold Cup match on Saturday. We have received firm assurances from Rugby Africa that the issue has been quickly and effectively resolved."
Zimbabwe's rugby team, nicknamed the Sables, is in Tunisia for a test match in Beja that forms part of the 2019 World Cup qualifying campaign.
The Sables had landed in the North African country on Monday night directly from Kenya, where it narrowly lost 45-36.
The team was initially delayed for hours at the airport in Tunis because it did not have the required 600 euros to pay for visas, then later declined to check into a hotel the squad deemed substandard. Players then slept outside the same hotel. |
Villanova is the new No. 1 in the AP Top 25 while Arizona State made a big leap after a tumultuous week in which half of the top 10 lost.
The Wildcats (10-0) were fourth but earned 41 of 65 first-place votes to hop over Michigan State, which earned 19 first-place votes to climb from third to second. They were the favorites to take over at the top following unanimous No. 1 Duke's weekend loss at Boston College.
Wichita State climbed three spots to No. 3, followed by Duke and Arizona State. The Sun Devils (9-0) jumped 11 spots and earned the other five first-place votes after winning at then-No. 2 Kansas to extend their best start since the 1974-75 season.
The Jayhawks fell to No. 13 after two losses.
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More AP college basketball: http://collegebasketball.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP_Top25
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Follow Aaron Beard on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/aaronbeardap |
BOSTON (AP) — Students who survived last month's shooting at a Florida high school that left 17 people dead are set to participate in a panel discussion at Harvard about guns.
The event Tuesday evening at Harvard Kennedy School's Institute of Politics will feature six students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.
The students have become vocal advocates for stricter gun laws.
They say they're expecting more than 1 million people to participate in marches on Saturday in Washington and in other parts of the country calling for tougher firearms regulations.
They've already helped lead rallies and lobbied lawmakers in Washington and Florida.
Tuesday's event will be streamed live on the institute's website . |
LAKE MARY, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 24, 2018--For a second time, Jeunesse was named as one of the Best Places to Work in Direct Selling by “Direct Selling News . ” Jeunesse is one of just 13 companies to be honored in the 2018 competition.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424006546/en/
Global direct selling company Jeunesse has been selected as a 2018 Best Places to Work company by Direct Selling News. (Photo: Business Wire)
Direct Selling News partnered with Quantum Workplace to implement a confidential and anonymous employee engagement survey whose results determine the industry’s Best Places to Work. To be honored in the competition, companies had to meet minimum participation requirements and select survey results targets.
To earn this distinction, the Jeunesse survey was measured against the results of all Best Places to Work surveys, then compared to the top three overall survey results. The company’s strong corporate culture, recognition programs, career growth opportunities and benefits program all factored into its favorable employee engagement.
“We are so honored and humbled to be named among the Direct Selling News ‘Best Places to Work in Direct Selling’ for a second time,” said Jeunesse Chief Visionary Officer Scott Lewis. “To watch our global corporate family grow from a few dozen to more than 800 while maintaining an inspiring culture has been extraordinary. We are profoundly grateful to our global team and their unrelenting passion for Jeunesse. Without their consistent dedication to our family of Jeunesse Distributors around the world, we could not fulfill our mission to have positive impact in the world.”
For nearly 15 years, Quantum Workplace has worked with more than 88,000 organizations to implement more than six million engagement surveys through 47 state and national competitions.
As a Best Places to Work in Direct Selling honoree, Jeunesse was profiled in the April edition of Direct Selling News.
About Jeunesse
Jeunesse is a global direct selling company with a mission to positively impact the world by helping people look and feel young, while empowering them to unleash their potential. The company’s exclusive skin care and nutritional products form a comprehensive Youth Enhancement System. With multilingual customer service, back office support and a global enrollment system, Jeunesse utilizes a cutting-edge platform to share innovative products, training and support through 32 fully operational offices to markets in over 140 countries. Learn more at .
View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424006546/en/
CONTACT: Jeunesse
Lynn McGovern, 623-363-6925
lynn.mcgovern@jeunessehq.com
KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA FLORIDA
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: ONLINE RETAIL HEALTH FITNESS & NUTRITION RETAIL COSMETICS SPECIALTY
SOURCE: Jeunesse
Copyright Business Wire 2018.
PUB: 04/24/2018 04:03 PM/DISC: 04/24/2018 04:03 PM
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424006546/en |
NEW YORK (AP) — Jaroslav Halak made 31 saves after getting a vote of confidence from his coach, and the New York Islanders beat the Washington Capitals 3-1 on Monday night to snap a five-game winless streak.
Brock Nelson, Andrew Ladd and John Tavares scored goals for the Islanders, who built a 3-0 lead early in the second period and ended Washington's four-game winning streak.
It was the second time this season that Halak held an opponent to a single goal and the third time New York has allowed one goal as a team. Halak's strong performance came after coach Doug Weight sternly defended his goaltenders following the team's skate Monday morning. New York was 0-3-2 over its last five games.
Braden Holtby made nine saves for the Capitals before being pulled after the Islanders scored their third goal 1:34 into the second period. Philipp Grubauer made 17 saves in relief, and Dmitry Orlov scored Washington's only goal.
Nelson scored his ninth goal of the season 2:36 into the first period. Jason Chimera passed to Cal Clutterbuck to set up the initial shot, and Nelson picked up the rebound and banked the puck off the inside of Holtby's pad.
The Islanders appeared to score again when Anders Lee pushed the puck over the goal line, but officials waved off the goal, and a challenge by Weight was unsuccessful.
New York went ahead 2-0 36 seconds into the second period when Calvin de Haan slid the puck toward center ice and Ladd tapped it in.
Tavares scored 58 seconds later, taking advantage when Holtby got out of position.
Orlov scored with 11:37 left in the game. He capitalized on a 2-on-1 rush and fired a one-timer past Halak.
NOTES: Capitals RW T.J. Oshie missed his third consecutive game with an upper-body injury. Oshie skated at the Capitals' practice facility in Arlington, Virginia, on Monday for the second straight day. ... Islanders D Johnny Boychuk sat out his third straight game with an undisclosed injury. Boychuk participated in the team's morning skate and was labeled a game-time decision. ... Forwards Alan Quine and Shane Prince were scratches for the Islanders. ... D Taylor Chorney was a healthy scratch for the Capitals.
UP NEXT
The Capitals host the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday night.
The Islanders stay home to play the Dallas Stars on Wednesday night.
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More NHL hockey: https://apnews.com/tag/NHLhockey |