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SHANGHAI & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 24, 2018--NYU Shanghai and the NYU Stern School of Business are partnering to deliver two new one-year Master of Science programs to prepare new and recent college graduates for successful careers in the rapidly evolving marketplaces of analytics and finance in China and Asia. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424006060/en/ The jointly offered programs, an MS in Quantitative Finance and an MS in Data Analytics & Business Computing, will entail 12 months of full-time study over three semesters in two global hubs, starting with a summer semester at NYU Stern in New York City followed by fall and spring semesters in China at NYU Shanghai. The first classes will enroll in June 2019. Graduates will join an NYU alumni network of more than 500,000 worldwide in over 180 countries, including more than 17,000 alumni in Asia. NYU Shanghai Chancellor Yu Lizhong said the launch of the two joint programs marks a new phase of development for NYU Shanghai. “The University will focus on introducing more graduate programs in the future, on the basis of exploring and innovating its undergraduate education model. We hope to cultivate more high-level talents that can contribute to the socio-economic development of Shanghai.” “This new collaboration with NYU Stern fits right within NYU Shanghai’s philosophy of offering innovative graduate programs that are tailored to meet societal needs,” said Jeffrey Lehman, Vice Chancellor, NYU Shanghai. “The programs are designed to combine the best of both schools and place students at the forefront of business education in China and Asia.” “We are excited to partner with NYU Shanghai and bring to bear our best finance and data science scholars to prepare the next generation of young minds to excel in two high-growth markets in Asia,” said Raghu Sundaram, Dean, NYU Stern. “These new MS programs represent the latest in a line of new education models designed to give students global exposure in the course of their studies, and to support students and future employers in a rapidly evolving global marketplace.” NYU Stern is home to one of the largest faculty of computer and data scientists at any business school and is consistently top ranked in the world for finance. Stern has offered an MS in Business Analytics for senior executives since 2013 with an annual waitlist for enrollment due to demand. With its unique platform for study and research that bridges the New York University global network with China, NYU Shanghai has been pioneering new models of international higher education since its founding in 2012. NYU Shanghai’s business faculty features more than 30 distinguished scholars with vast academic and industry experience. The MS in Data Analytics & Business Computing will teach students to use a data-driven approach to solve business challenges in today’s era of big data through an interdisciplinary curriculum in business, data science and management science. Through the MS in Quantitative Finance, students will focus on the modern financial architecture and its functions, including the range of technical innovations that have given rise to Fintech. Each program also features an affiliated advisory board of senior industry leaders from companies around China and Asia, such as Chailease Group, Ctrip, Dangdang, Didi, IBM, Jinde Fund, KKR, Ping An, Publicis Media, Tencent, Xin Tian Fund Management, XY Investments and ZhenFund, among others. Both programs will culminate with a capstone project to solve a real case situation presented by a corporate client, including projects sourced from the advisory boards. For more information on the programs and admissions process, visit the website. About NYU Shanghai NYU Shanghai is the third degree-granting campus of NYU and the first Sino-U.S. joint university in China. With an enrollment of 1,600 students and a distinguished multinational faculty of 250, NYU Shanghai exemplifies the highest ideals of contemporary higher education. At the undergraduate and postgraduate level, NYU Shanghai’s programs prepare graduates to be creative leaders with global vision. About New York University Stern School of Business New York University Stern School of Business, located in the heart of Greenwich Village, is one of the nation’s premier management education schools and research centers. NYU Stern, whose faculty includes three Nobel Laureates in Economics, offers a broad portfolio of programs at the graduate and undergraduate levels, all of them enriched by the dynamism, energy and deep resources of one of the world’s business capitals. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424006060/en/ CONTACT: For NYU Shanghai Jake Pu zp5@nyu.edu or For NYU Stern Jessica Neville jneville@stern.nyu.edu KEYWORD: UNITED STATES ASIA PACIFIC NORTH AMERICA CHINA NEW YORK INDUSTRY KEYWORD: EDUCATION UNIVERSITY OTHER EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY OTHER TECHNOLOGY PROFESSIONAL SERVICES BANKING FINANCE OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES SOURCE: NYU Stern School of Business Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/24/2018 10:58 AM/DISC: 04/24/2018 10:58 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424006060/en

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. businesses stockpiled more goods in December and posted the biggest sales increase in nearly six years. The Commerce Department says business inventories rose a seasonally adjusted 0.4 percent in December, led by an increase in stockpiles at stores that sell food and beverages. Auto and auto parts dealers reduced inventories 0.6 percent. Furniture and appliance stores also cut back. Companies also reported a 2 percent monthly sales increase, the best since March 2011. Manufacturers reported that sales rose 2.2 percent in December. Retailers posted a 1.2 percent gain. U.S. economic growth was hobbled much of last year by inventory cutbacks. But businesses rebuilt stockpiles in the October-December period, accounting for more than half of fourth-quarter economic growth.

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 23, 2018--Glowforge launched its much-anticipated line of 3D laser printers today, giving creators, families, and small businesses the ability to bring their ideas to life at the push of a button. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005466/en/ Glowforge Pro 3D Laser Printer (Photo: Business Wire) In 2015, Seattle-based Glowforge made a staggering introduction when it set a 30-day crowdfunding record of more than $27,900,000. Now that pre-orders have been completed, Glowforge is launching its long-awaited product to the general public. The 3D laser printer has already been used to print everything from personalized leather pet collars to coffee makers to outdoor business signs – even a pediatric surgical training tool. For the first time ever, laser cutting and engraving technology has been freed from the factory and made easy and affordable for home and small business use. “From the very start, we designed the Glowforge 3D laser printer to unlock people’s creativity,” said Dan Shapiro, CEO of Glowforge. “We set out to re-invent the idea of ‘homemade.’ What if you could print what you wanted, when you needed it? What if you could sketch a design, then turn it into something real you could use, without complicated software? What if your gifts were personal instead of purchased? What if it was easy to print your ideas a hundred times, so you could launch a business?” Glowforge sets up in just minutes and works via Wi-Fi. No software is required, as it uses the web browser or app on any Mac, PC, tablet, and smartphone. Users can create and print from software including Adobe Illustrator, Inkscape, CorelDraw, Adobe Photoshop, GIMP, Autodesk 360, and Sketchup. They can also bypass software altogether – the onboard cameras can scan a drawing and transform it directly into a beautiful print on almost any material. Glowforge prints on an enormous variety of materials: leather, wood, acrylic, paper, fabric, cardboard, metal, glass, ceramic, stone, laptops and even chocolate. To make things even easier, Glowforge offers a line of Proofgrade™ materials digitally encoded so Glowforge printers can recognize them and auto-adjust to print perfectly each time. The Glowforge Basic, Plus, and Pro are now available for purchase at Glowforge.com: Glowforge Basic ($2,495) is perfect for home, hobby, and craft use, and can print beautiful products on dozens of materials. Glowforge Plus ($3,995) offers upgraded components and a more powerful laser to print up to 20% faster, plus a double warranty. Glowforge Pro ($5,995) is for serious makers, home entrepreneurs, and small businesses. It is designed for all-day use. The Pro Passthrough allows printing large projects, including home décor and furniture. Customers that have received their Glowforge are already raving about the experience. “I am having the time of my life using Glowforge to make things I never would have thought possible. I now make gifts for friends and family for Christmas, Valentine’s Day and soon all the other holidays,” said Rodney Maker of Downey, CA. “The excitement that surrounds us when we see the expression from friends and family and the big question they ask us ‘did you make this?’ Wow! and ‘can we watch you make something?’ I anticipate we will be making things with our Glowforge until the end of time.” To learn more, visit glowforge.com or click here to watch a video. To see what customers are making with Glowforge, search #Glowforge on Instagram or click here. ABOUT GLOWFORGE Glowforge is a Seattle-based startup that created the 3D laser printer. Glowforge’s wireless desktop laser makes it simple for designers, artists, and makers to take products directly from digital design to reality. Unlike 3D printers that use additive technology to build objects out of plastic, Glowforge uses subtractive technology to cut and engrave products from durable and beautiful materials like wood, leather, acrylic, paper, fabric – even chocolate. A sleek and efficient design makes this industrial-grade technology beautiful and affordable, and a friendly cloud-based app makes it easy to create amazing things with Glowforge. For more information, please visit Glowforge.com. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005466/en/ CONTACT: Type A Marketing Glenn Mandel / Alex Skillman 760-798-1563 / 415-342-6425 glenn@typeamarketing.com/alex@typeamarketing.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA WASHINGTON INDUSTRY KEYWORD: OTHER CONSUMER TECHNOLOGY CONSUMER ELECTRONICS ELECTRONIC DESIGN AUTOMATION HARDWARE MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING CONSUMER SOURCE: Glowforge Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/23/2018 09:00 AM/DISC: 04/23/2018 09:01 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005466/en

ITALY, Texas (AP) — Officials say a 15-year-old girl shot at a North Texas high school is out of the hospital and back with her family a week after the shooting. In social media postings, the Italy (IT'-lee) Independent School District says its students were told Monday that the girl is continuing her recovery with her family at an undisclosed location. The district says the family is optimistic about the girl's recovery but asks for continued prayers for her. Authorities have not released her name. She was shot multiple times Jan. 22 in the Italy High School cafeteria. A 16-year-old boy who attended the school has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He remains in juvenile custody. Italy is 42 miles (68 kilometers) south of Dallas and has about 1,900 residents.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Longtime Philadelphia Democratic party leader won't seek re-election to U.S. House after allies indicted in payoff plot.

AMERICAN LEAGUE Toronto 000 002 002—4 6 1 Boston 001 012 02x—6 11 1 Gaviglio, Oh (7), Tepera (8) and Maile; Rodriguez, Barnes (7), B.Johnson (9), Kimbrel (9) and C.Vazquez. W_Rodriguez 6-1. L_Gaviglio 2-1. Sv_Kimbrel (18). HRs_Toronto, Hernandez (8). Boston, Nunez (4), Martinez (18). ___ Chicago 000 000 001—1 5 2 Cleveland 205 200 00x—9 13 0 Lopez, Volstad (3), Avilan (4), Rondon (5), Fry (6), N.Jones (7), Soria (8) and Narvaez; Kluber, Beliveau (7), Marshall (8), B.Taylor (9) and Gomes. W_Kluber 8-2. L_Lopez 1-4. HRs_Chicago, Sanchez (3). Cleveland, Ramirez (17), Encarnacion (13). ___ Houston 000 020 001—3 7 0 New York 100 022 00x—5 8 1 Keuchel, McHugh (6) and Stassi; L.Severino, Robertson (8), Chapman (9) and Romine. W_L.Severino 8-1. L_Keuchel 3-7. Sv_Chapman (12). HRs_Houston, Stassi (5). ___ Los Angeles 001 000 000—1 7 0 Detroit 100 005 00x—6 9 0 Ohtani, Bedrosian (6), J.Johnson (6), Morris (8) and Maldonado; Fiers, Jimenez (8), Greene (9) and Greiner. W_Coleman 2-0. L_Bedrosian 1-1. ___ Minnesota 001 124 000— 8 11 0 Kansas City 270 000 11x—11 16 0 Romero, Slegers (2), Pressly (8) and B.Wilson; Keller, Oaks (4), Smith (5), Flynn (6), McCarthy (7), Hill (8), Herrera (9) and S.Perez. W_McCarthy 4-2. L_Romero 2-2. Sv_Herrera (12). HRs_Minnesota, Dozier (8), Adrianza (1). Kansas City, Moustakas (12), Soler (8), Dozier (1). ___ INTERLEAGUE Washington 001 000 100—2 7 0 Baltimore 000 000 000—0 4 0 Scherzer, Doolittle (9) and P.Severino; Hess, M.Castro (7), Hart (8), Wright Jr. (9) and Sisco. W_Scherzer 9-1. L_Hess 2-2. Sv_Doolittle (13). HRs_Washington, Harper (18). ___ NATIONAL LEAGUE St. Louis 000 000 200—2 8 1 Milwaukee 000 010 20x—3 10 1 Reyes, Gant (5), Lyons (7), Tuivailala (7) and Kelly; Guerra, Jeffress (7), Hader (8), Knebel (9) and Kratz, Pina. W_Jeffress 5-0. L_Tuivailala 1-1. Sv_Knebel (5). HRs_St. Louis, Bader (5). Milwaukee, Yelich (7). ___ Cincinnati 000 402 001—7 12 0 Arizona 301 000 000—4 13 1 Romano, W.Peralta (6), Hughes (7), Garrett (7), R.Iglesias (8) and Barnhart; Corbin, Salas (7), Chafin (8), McFarland (9) and Murphy. W_Romano 3-6. L_Corbin 5-2. Sv_R.Iglesias (9). HRs_Cincinnati, Schebler (6), Duvall (10). Arizona, Goldschmidt (7), Murphy (7). ___ Chicago 100 000 000—1 9 1 Pittsburgh 110 000 00x—2 9 0 Hendricks, R.Rosario (6), Mazzoni (7), J.Wilson (7) and Contreras; Musgrove, Crick (8), F.Vazquez (9) and Cervelli. W_Musgrove 2-0. L_Hendricks 4-4. Sv_F.Vazquez (10). HRs_Pittsburgh, Harrison (2). ___ New York 000 100 111—4 9 1 Atlanta 000 000 100—1 5 0 Vargas, T.Peterson (6), Familia (8), Gsellman (9) and Plawecki; Teheran, Carle (8), S.Freeman (8), Socolovich (9) and Suzuki. W_Vargas 2-3. L_Teheran 4-3. Sv_Gsellman (2). HRs_Atlanta, Camargo (4). ___ San Francisco 020 220 010—7 11 0 Colorado 310 000 000—4 11 0 Holland, Moronta (6), Watson (7), S.Dyson (8), Strickland (9) and Posey; Gray, Musgrave (4), Oberg (6), McGee (8), Rusin (9) and Wolters. W_Holland 3-6. L_Musgrave 0-1. Sv_Strickland (11). HRs_Colorado, Arenado (11).

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 24, 2018-- market research analysts forecast the to grow at a CAGR of close to 8% during the period 2018-2022, according to their latest report. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424006432/en/ Technavio has published a new market research report on the global metal forming and press tending robots market from 2018-2022. (Graphic: Business Wire) In this report, Technavio highlights the improvement in robotic system integration services as one of the key emerging trends in the . By capitalizing on technological improvements such as the Internet of Things and software platforms, system integrators are taking initiatives to innovate the delivery of services. Software solutions are increasingly being incorporated for the improvement in commissioning and programming of industrial robots, along with trends such as virtual commissioning and offline programming expected to gain traction over the forecast period. These include solutions offered by key players to improve the efficiency of press tending robots. This report is available at a USD 1,000 discount for a limited time only: Save more with Technavio. Buy2 reports and get the third for FREE: In this report, Technavio analysts highlight the advantages over automated equipment as a key factor contributing to the growth of the global metal forming and press tending robots market: Advantages over automated equipment Over the past few years, there has been an increase in the adoption of metal forming and press tending robots owing to their ability to work under extreme conditions and give relatively better results than automated equipment used for metal forming and press tending applications. Players in the market have introduced robots that can be easily synchronized with industrial stamping presses and are increasingly being adopted for material handling processes that require parts to be tilted, rotated, and flipped. According to a senior analyst at Technavio for , “Robots have a better ability than conventional automated equipment to handle metal and alloys that are hard and have high tensile strength and are challenging to deform by denting, perforation, or shearing.” 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. Global metal forming and press tending robots market – segmentation analysis This market research report segments the global metal forming and press tending robots market into the following end-users, including metal industry, automotive industry, and aerospace and defense industries and key regions, including the Americas, APAC, and EMEA. APAC was the leading region for the in 2017, accounting for a market share of nearly 55%. In APAC, the accelerated growth in the automotive industry and increased automation for metal fabrication and foundry applications is driving growth. Technologies such as metal forming and press tending robots are expected to be adopted in this region due to their ability to deliver smooth and continuous production of high-quality metal parts with minimal material wastage. By 2022, APAC is expected to continue dominating the market and register the highest growth rate. 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/20180424006432/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: MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING STEEL SOURCE: Technavio Research Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/24/2018 03:01 PM/DISC: 04/24/2018 03:01 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424006432/en

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks that moved substantially or traded heavily Monday: Bluebird Bio Inc., up $30.65 to $201.80 Bluebird and Celgene reported positive results from an early clinical trial of a multiple myeloma treatment. Apple Inc., up $3.30 to $172.67 The website Apple Insider said the company is delivering new iPhones to customers at a faster pace. Spark Therapeutics Inc., down $25.66 to $47.72 Spark plunged and competitor BioMarin climbed after both reported data on experimental treatments for hemophilia A. HSBC Holdings PLC, up 83 cents to $50.20 The bank said the Justice Department will ask a court to dismiss deferred criminal charges after it strengthened safeguards against money laundering. Scana Corp., down $2.79 to $42.38 The company offered to give the site of a failed nuclear reactor project to a South Carolina utility. Chesapeake Energy Corp., up 15 cents to $3.83 Oil and gas prices rose as a major North Sea pipeline will be shut down to fix a crack. Overstock.com, up $9.93 to $55 The online discount retailer accepts payment in bitcoin, and rose as trading in bitcoin futures started. Canadian Solar Inc., up 54 cents to $17.79 The company said Chairman and CEO Shawn Qu offered to take the company private for $18.47 a share.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley is drawing attention after a report that he told a gathering of pastors last month that sex trafficking is linked to the sexual revolution of the 1960s. The Kansas City Star reported Wednesday that it had obtained audio from a speech Hawley gave in December at a "Pastors and Pews" event in Kansas City hosted by the Missouri Renewal Project. The Missouri group is an affiliate of the American Renewal Project that works to politically engage conservative Christians. "The 1960s, 1970s, it became commonplace in our culture among our cultural elites, Hollywood, and the media, to talk about, to denigrate the biblical truth about husband and wife, man and woman," Hawley is recorded telling the pastors. Hawley is seeking the Republican nomination to challenge Democratic incumbent Sen. Claire McCaskill in November. His campaign spokeswoman, Kelli Ford, said in an email to The Associated Press that Hawley believes putting criminals behind bars is not enough to end sex trafficking because the "culture of male exploitation of women" must also change. Hawley said on the audio that human trafficking exists because "our culture has completely lost its way." "The sexual revolution has led to exploitation of women on a scale that we would never have imagined, never have imagined," Hawley told the crowd. "We must ... deliver a message to our culture that the false gospel of 'anything goes' ends in this road of slavery. It ends in the slavery and the exploitation of the most vulnerable among us. It ends in the slavery and exploitation of young women." The "sexual revolution" of the 1960s and 1970s was a period when society became more permissive of pre-marital sex, use of birth control pills, and non-married couples living together, signaling a shift from the more conservative 1950s. Austin Petersen of Kansas City, another Republican running for the Senate, said Hawley's comments "do nothing but foster a Todd Akin-style culture war that the GOP will lose to a formidable female incumbent." Akin, a former Republican congressman from suburban St. Louis, lost to McCaskill in 2012 after comments about what he called "legitimate rape." Ford said Hawley's comments need no clarification. "Let's get serious: sex trafficking is driven by male demand and the subjugation of women. In the 1960's and '70's, it became okay for Hollywood and the media to treat women as objects for male gratification. And that demeaning view of women has helped fuel harassment, inequality, and yes, sex trafficking," Ford said in the email. Kimberly Mehlman-Orozco, an expert on human trafficking who has advised law enforcement and testified in criminal cases across the country, told The Star there is no empirical evidence or research to suggest an increase in trafficking during the 1960s or 70s. She said sex trafficking has been a problem since the nation's founding.

Size matters. Especially when it's 15 feet. If an Olympic hockey coach coming from North America tried to imitate Gene Hackman in "Hoosiers" and took a tape measure to the rinks in South Korea, it wouldn't add up. International-sized ice is 15 feet wider than rinks used in the NHL, American Hockey League and NCAA —100 feet compared to 85 — and that's more than enough to change everything. "It's totally different: two different sports," said Henrik Sedin, who won the 2006 Olympic gold medal with Sweden on the larger ice. "You can have players that are good in the NHL but they can't play on the bigger ice, and then you have guys the other way around where they really succeed on the big ice but when they come over here, they can't play. It's a different sport." Big ice makes a big difference where goals are at a premium and five-man defensive units can make the outer edges of the rink feel like a distant planet. Going to the 200-by-100 international ice is a (far-fetched) idea some have suggested might increase scoring in the NHL, but Slovak Olympic coach Craig Ramsay recalls playing for the Buffalo Sabres against the New York Rangers on the big sheet in Lake Placid, New York, and the quality of play and offense did not match everyone's expectations. "It was a hard game because people would be more than willing to beat you (wide) but now they're 50 feet from the net instead of 40 and there's a big difference," Ramsay said. "The (defensemen) are smart and can push you a little bit wider (and) your angles are not nearly as good and the goaltender now can cut down that angle and it's not as easy to score as people think." Canada scored just six goals in its three medal-round games in winning gold in Sochi in 2014, one of four Olympics featuring NHL players on international ice. Canada also won in 2002 on big ice and in 2010 when the International Ice Hockey Federation allowed for NHL-sized rinks to use the ones already in place in Vancouver. In Sochi, Canada coach Mike Babcock employed Ralph Krueger as his big-ice consultant, and it paid off with North American NHL players tailoring their game to the style of play. "You kind of just have to shrink the ice down a little bit," said Jamie Benn, who won gold with Canada in Sochi. "We were changing little things on the ice to try and get an advantage with the big ice. You definitely have more time and more space, but in the end it'll always come back to the middle of the ice." The fear for NHL players from the U.S. and Canada has always been getting caught on the outside on the big ice. That should be less of a concern this time around with rosters largely made up of players currently skating on international-size ice in Europe. The U.S. has 15 players and Canada has 20 who are based in European professional leagues, which was very much by design. "That is an advantage from a standpoint that they know the angles," U.S. coach Tony Granato said. "The big sheet, there are different styles that we're going to play against so internationally you're going to see a lot of teams that sit back in a 1-4 to clog the neutral zone. Lots of countries use that style of play. We're going to have to, obviously, prepare our guys to be ready for seeing things differently than you see in North America." Several European-born NHL players said there is less hitting, more trapping and the overall pace is slower on the bigger ice. European teams have the advantage of players who learned to play on the big ice, even though many excelled in the NHL. Someone like 17-year-old Sweden defenseman Rasmus Dahlin could be a perfect fit for this style of play, along with Russian playmakers Ilya Kovalchuk and Pavel Datsyuk who can take advantage of the extra room. "It's a lot more of a puck-possession game, definitely, when you play on the bigger ice," Canada assistant general manager and gold-medal-winning goalie Martin Brodeur said. "I think the fact that you're going to play against European guys that are used to playing on that ice surface, it was the big difference. I think now having most of our players playing in Europe, I don't think it's going to be that big of adjustment for these guys to play in these games." ___ Follow Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SWhyno ___ More AP Olympic coverage: https://wintergames.ap.org

HONG KONG--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 23, 2018--MobiWeb was awarded for Excellence of the Year Innovation & Leadership SMS Messaging Provider at the 40th edition of the Le Fonti Awards. The Awards ceremony was held at the Sheraton Hotel & Towers in downtown Hong Kong on March 23rd 2018, recognizing leaders from around the world for their achievements in a wide range of industries. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005086/en/ Peter Kappos, CEO of MobiWeb, awarded Excellence of the Year at the Le Fonti Awards Ceremony in Hong Kong (Photo: Business Wire) «MobiWeb has been recognized because is one of the leading global A2P end-to-end SMS messaging providers», said Mr. Guido Giommi, Le Fonti President and Founder, who added: «Through one connection, enterprises connect to MobiWeb's carrier-grade platforms and unlock enterprise messaging delivery to 6+ billion subscribers of 1000+ mobile operators. With an international presence with offices located in three continents, MobiWeb provides high quality telecommunication solutions to more than 2500 enterprises globally». «I am honored to win this award. This achievement is the result of our hard work and our focus on growth and innovation in the enterprise messaging market», declared Mr. Peter Kappos, CEO of MobiWeb, who added that «successful management is more than growth. Vision, leadership, inspiring and motivating others, are even more important. It takes a lot of teamwork, inspiration, and good old-fashioned hard work to bring a company to global excellence. This award is an inspiration to continue progressing and disrupting the enterprise messaging industry with new innovative products». Click below to view the entire video interview with Mr. Peter Kappos: http://www.lefonti.tv/peter-kappos-ceo-of-mobiweb-179.html About MobiWeb MobiWeb is a global A2P SMS messaging provider and the ideal partner for companies that require high quality SMS messaging services, meeting the most demanding enterprise requirements. Through MobiWeb’s omni-channel platform, enterprises are able to reach their customers through SMS, Voice, Push Notifications, Social Media and Chat Messengers among others, delivering improved user experiences. MobiWeb actively participates in the development of the mobile ecosystem as a GSMA associate member. www.solutions4mobiles.com About Le Fonti Le Fonti is a media company and an independent source of analysis on international business, finance, technology and world affairs, with editorial offices in London, New York, Dubai and Hong Kong. We deliver our information through a range of formats, including monthly and quarterly magazines, conferences, television, C-level summits, international fairs and awards ceremonies. www.lefonti.com View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005086/en/ CONTACT: MobiWeb Alexander Spirotis, +852 580 84070 aspirotis@solutions4mobiles.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES ASIA PACIFIC NORTH AMERICA NEW YORK HONG KONG INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY NETWORKS SOFTWARE TELECOMMUNICATIONS MOBILE/WIRELESS SOURCE: MobiWeb Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/23/2018 03:30 AM/DISC: 04/23/2018 03:30 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005086/en

LONDON (AP) — Bournemouth sprung a huge surprise by beating Chelsea 3-0 away in the Premier League on Wednesday thanks to three goals in a 16-minute spell in the second half. Callum Wilson, Junior Stanislas and former Chelsea player Nathan Ake scored the goals to condemn the hosts to a first loss at Stamford Bridge in all competitions since September. Chelsea dropped to fourth place, behind Liverpool on goal difference, and is in a real fight to qualify for the Champions League a season after winning the Premier League by seven points. Just a week ago, Chelsea was also eliminated from the League Cup by Arsenal in the semifinals and Antonio Conte's second season in charge is proving much tougher than his first. After Tiemoue Bakayoko lost possession, Wilson exchanged a one-two and swept home his finish for the opening goal in the 51st minute. Wilson set up Stanislas for the second goal in the 64th, and Ake scored from close range three minutes later.

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenya's president says his government will spare no effort to recover all of the millions of dollars lost to a corruption scandal as diplomats representing 18 Western countries including the United States urge strong action against graft. President Uhuru Kenyatta says "there will be no mercy for the thieves." Kenyatta spoke a day after 24 officials were charged with corruption-related offenses in a probe linked to the alleged diversion of nearly $80 million. The president, who won a second term last year, has been criticized for not acting against corrupt officials despite numerous vows to crack down. In a statement, the diplomats urge strong political leadership and zero tolerance of corruption. Kenya is ranked 143th out of 180 states by Transparency International

Global Forecast - Asia as of 13:30 GMT Wednesday, July 4, 2018 Minimum and maximum temperatures in Celsius, precipitation in centimeters and weather conditions as recorded for the previous day (Jul 3 except Asia and Australia where data is for Jul 4) 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;24;29;c;1.4;24;29;pc;24;28;rn Abu Dhabi;32;44;pc;0;34;46;clr;34;46;clr Aleppo;22;38;clr;0;22;37;clr;21;37;clr Algiers;19;27;clr;0;18;27;clr;20;27;c Amsterdam;14;25;clr;0;15;23;pc;14;24;pc Anchorage;13;22;pc;0;13;22;c;14;24;pc Ashgabat;24;40;clr;0;25;39;clr;26;41;clr Astana;11;24;clr;0.38;15;28;clr;19;32;c Asuncion;14;22;rn;32.13;16;27;clr;19;30;c Athens;23;34;clr;0;22;35;clr;22;34;clr Auckland;9;14;clr;0;6;13;pc;7;13;pc Baghdad;31;48;clr;0;30;47;clr;30;47;clr Bahrain;32;41;pc;0;31;39;clr;32;40;clr Banda Aceh;23;35;pc;0;23;34;c;23;34;pc Bangalore;20;28;c;2.79;21;29;c;20;27;c Bangkok;27;33;rn;3.96;28;33;rn;27;33;rn Barcelona;22;28;clr;0;22;27;clr;21;26;clr Beijing;25;36;pc;1.27;24;37;pc;23;33;rn Belgrade;17;29;pc;0;18;31;pc;18;30;rn Berlin;16;31;clr;0;15;30;pc;14;26;clr Bogota;8;18;c;0.03;9;17;c;9;17;c Brasilia;9;28;clr;0;7;26;clr;8;26;clr Bratislava;17;30;pc;0;19;30;rn;17;29;rn Brisbane;16;23;pc;0;17;24;pc;17;24;rn Brussels;15;28;rn;0;13;27;pc;13;27;pc Bucharest;19;30;pc;0;17;27;pc;19;30;pc Budapest;16;27;pc;0;17;31;rn;18;29;rn Buenos Aires;7;10;c;0;8;12;c;11;14;rn Bujumbura;16;28;pc;0;15;27;clr;15;28;clr Busan;23;28;pc;76.68;22;26;rn;20;24;pc Cairo;25;39;clr;0;25;39;clr;25;39;clr Cape Town;9;18;clr;0;7;18;clr;9;21;clr Caracas;20;27;rn;1.32;19;28;clr;19;28;pc Chennai;27;35;pc;6.65;26;38;pc;28;36;c Chicago;25;31;rn;0;20;31;rn;18;25;clr Colombo;26;31;rn;5.92;26;31;pc;27;30;rn Copenhagen;13;24;clr;0;13;20;clr;13;23;pc Dakar;24;28;pc;0;25;28;pc;25;28;clr Dallas;24;35;rn;0;26;35;pc;25;36;rn Dar es Salaam;21;29;pc;0;22;28;pc;21;27;rn Denver;16;31;pc;0.25;16;28;rn;17;32;rn Dhahran;29;46;pc;0;30;44;clr;29;44;clr Dhaka;26;32;rn;24.05;27;33;rn;28;34;rn Dili;23;34;pc;0.61;22;31;pc;23;31;pc Dubai;35;44;clr;0;35;45;clr;34;44;clr Dublin;11;24;pc;0;11;21;pc;13;23;pc Dushanbe;19;36;pc;0;19;33;pc;21;36;clr Gibraltar;19;27;clr;0;20;28;clr;19;28;clr Hanoi;30;39;pc;0;29;39;pc;28;38;pc Harare;8;20;pc;0;7;18;pc;9;17;pc Havana;23;31;pc;2.36;25;32;pc;24;31;pc Helsinki;12;19;rn;17.75;13;20;rn;14;21;pc Ho Chi Minh City;26;33;rn;7.01;25;32;rn;25;31;rn Hong Kong;29;33;c;9.78;28;33;rn;28;33;rn Honolulu;23;31;rn;0.63;24;31;pc;24;30;pc Hyderabad;23;33;rn;3.25;22;31;c;22;28;rn Islamabad;22;30;pc;21.79;24;34;pc;26;37;pc Istanbul;22;32;clr;0;20;29;clr;21;29;clr Jakarta;24;32;c;0;22;33;pc;21;33;clr Jeddah;29;40;pc;0;28;36;pc;29;37;clr Jerusalem;20;32;clr;0;20;31;clr;20;31;clr Johannesburg;3;15;clr;0;2;16;clr;4;14;clr Kabul;16;36;clr;0;16;31;clr;17;33;clr Karachi;30;33;pc;0.79;29;34;pc;29;34;pc Kathmandu;20;27;rn;10.01;21;28;rn;21;27;rn Khartoum;28;41;clr;0;28;39;c;28;39;pc Kiev;13;25;pc;0;16;26;pc;15;28;rn Kingston;27;33;pc;0.23;27;33;pc;26;33;pc Kinshasa;21;31;c;0;21;31;pc;21;32;pc Kolkata;26;33;rn;17.5;26;31;rn;26;33;rn Kuala Lumpur;23;32;rn;2.64;23;33;pc;23;32;rn Kuwait;34;47;clr;0;33;46;clr;33;46;clr La Paz;-2;15;pc;0;-3;16;pc;-3;16;pc Lagos;23;30;pc;5.72;23;29;rn;24;29;rn Lima;16;19;pc;0;16;19;c;16;19;c Lisbon;16;24;pc;0;17;25;clr;17;26;clr London;16;26;c;5.03;17;27;pc;17;28;pc Los Angeles;18;26;pc;0;21;31;pc;25;40;clr Luanda;20;26;clr;0;21;27;c;21;27;pc Madrid;15;29;clr;0;18;30;clr;19;32;clr Male;26;31;pc;0.23;27;31;pc;27;31;rn Manaus;25;33;pc;0;23;33;clr;24;31;pc Manila;25;30;rn;3.56;25;30;rn;25;29;rn Mecca;30;43;c;0;30;42;pc;32;44;clr Melbourne;11;15;pc;0;11;15;rn;9;14;clr Mexico City;13;23;rn;8.64;12;23;rn;12;22;rn Miami;26;31;pc;5.74;27;32;rn;24;32;rn Minsk;11;20;rn;5.54;11;22;pc;14;22;rn Mogadishu;24;28;pc;0.41;24;28;c;24;28;c Montevideo;5;10;pc;0;8;11;c;11;15;rn Montreal;23;35;clr;0;23;33;rn;13;24;pc Moscow;11;18;c;0;12;22;pc;14;22;rn Mumbai;26;30;rn;41.48;27;30;rn;26;30;rn Nairobi;12;18;rn;1.5;11;22;c;11;23;c New Delhi;28;36;rn;0.99;30;37;pc;30;37;pc New York;23;30;rn;3.84;24;31;pc;18;28;rn Nicosia;24;38;clr;0;25;38;clr;24;38;clr Novosibirsk;10;20;pc;9.5;10;19;pc;11;20;pc Osaka-shi;24;29;rn;3.91;22;26;rn;22;25;rn Oslo;13;28;clr;0;13;25;clr;13;30;pc Ottawa;21;35;clr;0;21;34;rn;10;24;pc Pago Pago;24;26;rn;68.86;24;27;rn;23;27;rn Panama City;24;31;rn;3.81;25;31;rn;24;30;rn Paramaribo;23;30;rn;1.78;23;29;rn;23;30;pc Paris;18;30;rn;1.98;15;27;rn;17;29;pc Perth;11;18;rn;2.31;7;16;rn;10;17;pc Phnom Penh;25;33;rn;8.76;25;33;rn;25;32;c Port Moresby;23;30;pc;0;24;32;pc;23;30;c Port-au-prince;24;36;pc;2.26;22;36;clr;23;35;pc Prague;16;30;clr;0;17;30;rn;14;25;pc Pyongyang;21;33;rn;1.98;19;30;rn;15;26;pc Quito;10;23;pc;0;8;23;c;10;23;c Rabat;15;24;clr;0;15;25;clr;17;26;clr Recife;22;28;pc;0.99;23;28;rn;23;28;rn Reykjavik;7;11;rn;4.11;5;11;c;7;11;pc Riga;10;20;rn;4.85;12;20;pc;13;21;rn Rio de Janeiro;19;25;rn;4.45;20;28;clr;20;27;clr Riyadh;30;42;pc;0;29;45;clr;30;44;clr Rome;19;31;clr;0;19;31;clr;19;31;clr Saint Petersburg;12;20;c;0.25;13;18;rn;15;20;rn San Francisco;13;19;pc;0;14;20;pc;13;21;pc San Jose;18;25;rn;10.46;18;26;rn;19;26;rn San Juan;26;31;pc;0;25;30;pc;26;30;pc San Salvador;19;25;rn;2.54;19;25;rn;18;25;rn Sana'a;15;28;pc;0.81;15;28;pc;14;29;clr Santiago;6;12;rn;1.02;6;12;rn;1;12;rn Santo Domingo;24;31;pc;2.97;23;31;clr;23;31;pc Sao Paulo;15;22;pc;0;14;24;pc;14;25;clr Seattle;16;28;pc;0;16;28;pc;15;25;pc Seoul;23;32;pc;1.78;21;29;rn;17;27;pc Shanghai;25;32;rn;2.26;24;29;rn;24;28;rn Singapore;26;32;c;8.84;26;31;c;26;30;pc Sofia;17;28;rn;0.25;15;27;rn;16;27;rn St. John's;25;30;pc;0;25;30;pc;25;30;pc Stockholm;10;23;clr;0;13;23;clr;13;26;pc Sydney;11;20;clr;0;16;23;clr;9;25;clr Taipei City;28;35;c;0;28;36;pc;27;36;pc Tallinn;11;19;pc;9.91;13;20;rn;14;19;rn Tashkent;23;35;clr;0;24;37;clr;26;39;clr Tbilisi;20;39;clr;0;20;37;clr;20;34;clr Tehran;25;41;clr;0;25;37;clr;26;38;clr Tel Aviv;24;32;clr;0;24;32;clr;25;32;clr Tirana;20;31;clr;0;20;33;clr;21;34;pc Tokyo;25;29;c;0;24;30;rn;24;28;rn Toronto;21;28;clr;0;18;29;rn;15;24;pc Tripoli;24;30;clr;0;25;33;clr;24;31;clr Tunis;24;34;clr;0;23;37;clr;21;33;clr Ulan Bator;12;28;pc;0.76;15;25;c;9;22;pc Vancouver;19;28;c;0;16;27;clr;14;23;rn Vienna;17;30;pc;0;19;31;rn;17;28;rn Vientiane;25;35;pc;0;24;35;pc;25;34;pc Vilnius;11;20;rn;5.49;12;23;pc;13;22;rn Warsaw;14;28;pc;0;16;30;pc;15;26;pc Wellington;5;11;clr;0.25;8;12;c;11;13;pc Yangon;25;33;rn;7.98;25;31;rn;25;31;rn Yerevan;20;39;clr;0;23;37;clr;19;35;clr Legend: clr...clear;pc...partly cloudy;c...cloudy;rn...rain;sn...snow _____ Copyright 2018 AccuWeather

LONDON (AP) — London fire investigators are painstakingly searching for more victims of an inferno that engulfed a high-rise apartment building and killed at least 12 residents. Authorities say the death toll is expected to rise as emergency workers sift through more of the wreckage on Thursday. The fire early Wednesday in the 24-story building in west London's North Kensington district also injured dozens, 18 of them critically, and left an unknown number missing. The cause of the blaze is under investigation, but a tenants' group had complained for years about the risk of a fire. More than 1 million pounds ($1.27 million) has been raised to help victims of the tragedy as volunteers and charities worked through the night to find shelter and food for people who lost their homes.

LONDON (AP) — In a twist straight out of a spy thriller, Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko showed up at a news conference in Kiev on Wednesday — a day after he was reportedly shot dead in the Ukrainian capital. Babchenko explained that his death had been faked as part of sting by Ukrainian security services to catch his would-be assassin. It's an astonishing saga, but not the first time people under stress or duress have gone to the extreme of faking their own deaths. Here are a few cases: JUAN PUJOL Spanish chicken farmer Juan Pujol, codenamed Agent Garbo, played a key role in the Allied invasion of Normandy during World War II. He pretended to be an agent of Germany, but was really working for Britain's MI5, feeding the Nazis misleading information about Allied war efforts. His greatest success was persuading German commanders that the Allied invasion would come in France's Pas de Calais region, far north of the real Normandy landing beaches. After the war, fearing revenge from surviving Nazis, he traveled with MI5 help to Angola where in 1949 he faked his death from malaria. Pujol, very much alive, moved to Venezuela, where he ran a bookshop. He died in 1988. ____ KEN KESEY Ken Kesey — ringmaster of acid-tripping band of 1960s jesters the Merry Pranksters — had published the acclaimed novel "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" when he was arrested in 1965 for marijuana possession. Fearing prison, he left his truck parked on a cliff-side road in California with an apparent suicide note reading "Ocean, Ocean, I'll beat you in the end" and was smuggled into Mexico in the trunk of a friend's car. He returned to the United States several months later, was arrested and served several months in prison. Kesey spent the rest of his life in Oregon and died in 2001 at the age of 66. ___ JOHN STONEHOUSE John Stonehouse was a British Labour lawmaker with financial troubles. With his business ventures crumbling, Stonehouse went to Florida in 1974 and faked his own death by leaving his clothes in a bundle on a Miami beach. He was arrested a month later in Australia where he was living under an alias taken from a dead former constituent. Extradited to Britain, he was sentenced to seven years for theft, fraud and deception. After being released, Stonehouse reinvented himself as the author of several thrillers. He died in 1988, aged 62. Two decades after his death, it was revealed that Stonehouse had been a Czech spy throughout the 1960s. Papers released by Britain's National Archives revealed that the British government had found out about Stonehouse's spying while he was still alive, but covered it up as there was too little evidence to put him on trial. ___ DAVID FRIEDLAND New Jersey state senator Friedland was a rising star in political circles until he was caught taking $300,000 in kickbacks in 1980. He was sentenced to seven years in jail, but avoided prison by agreeing to help the government catch other thieves. Friedland resumed his fraud, looting the pension funds of the Teamsters Union of more than $1 million. In 1985, when he learned an indictment was imminent, he traveled to the Bahamas and faked his death in a scuba-diving accident. Friedland eluded authorities until 1987, when he was captured in the Maldives, where he was running a scuba-diving business. On his release from prison in 1997, he had few regrets about his years on the run. "It would play better to say I had a miserable time, but that isn't true," he told the Asbury Park Press. "It was fun." ___ PHILIP SESSAREGO Tom Carew was the best-selling author of "Jihad!" — an account of special forces operations in Afghanistan written by a former member of Britain's elite Special Air Service. In the weeks after the Sept, 11 attacks, Carew appeared on television as an expert on the Taliban. But Carew was really Philip Sessarego, who had served in the regular British army, not the SAS. In 1993, Sessarego had faked his death in a car bombing in Croatia and reinvented himself as the dashing Carew. After the ruse was exposed by the BBC in November 2001, Sessarego moved to Belgium. His decomposed body was found in a garage in Antwerp in 2008. Police said he had likely died of carbon monoxide poisoning.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Generators are still humming. Candles are still flickering. Homes are still being repaired. Puerto Rico was hit by Hurricane Maria exactly six months ago, and the U.S. territory is still struggling to recover from the strongest storm to hit the island in nearly a century. "There are a lot of people with needs," said Levid Ortiz, operating director of PR4PR, a local nonprofit that helps impoverished communities across the island. "It shouldn't be like this. We should already be back on our feet." Some 250 Puerto Ricans formed a line around him on a recent weekday, standing for more than two hours to receive bottles of water and a box of food at a public basketball court in the mountain town of Corozal. Many of those waiting were still without power, including 23-year-old Keishla Quiles, a single mother with a 4-year-old son who still buys ice every day to fill a cooler to keep milk and other goods cold amid rising temperatures. "Since we're a family of few resources, we have not been able to afford a generator," she said. "It's been hard living like this." Crews already have restored water to 99 percent of clients and power to 93 percent of customers, but more than 100,000 of them still remain in the dark. Justo Gonzalez, interim director for Puerto Rico's Electric Power Authority, said he expects the entire island to have power by May, eight months after the Category 4 storm destroyed two-thirds of the island's power distribution system — and just as the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season is about to start. Gonzalez also pledged to inspect dozens of wooden and cement poles still leaning haphazardly across the island after a wooden telephone pole fell on a car. It killed an elderly couple on Sunday as they returned from a town fair in the mountains of western Puerto Rico. The deaths of Luis Beltran, 62, and Rosa Bosque, 60, have angered Puerto Ricans and raised concerns about the safety of people as they recover from the hurricane. "It worries me because ... it can happen anywhere," Mayor Edwin Soto told The Associated Press, adding that crews were going to inspect poles across the mountain town of Las Marias to ensure they are in good condition. Beltran's youngest sister, Migdalia Beltran, said her brother was living in New Jersey when Hurricane Maria hit, but that he moved back three months ago to be with family. "He was No. 1," she said as her voice cracked and she began to cry. "He was the one who gave me support to keep going." The storm caused an estimated $100 billion in damage, killed dozens of people and damaged or destroyed nearly 400,000 homes, according to Puerto Rico's government. In the six months since the hurricane, more than 135,000 people have fled to the U.S. mainland, according to a recent estimate by the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College in New York. More than 40 percent of them settled in Florida, followed by Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York and Pennsylvania, the study found. Meanwhile, those who stayed behind say they need more help. The AP recently found that of the $23 billion pledged for Puerto Rico, only $1.27 billion for a nutritional assistance program has been disbursed, along with more than $430 million to repair public infrastructure. The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Administration also has spent more than $6 billion from its standing emergency fund. Meanwhile, the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources issued a letter on Friday demanding that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers explain why it is reducing the number of crews helping restore power when there are still people who remain in the dark. "While we recognize that much progress has been made in restoring power to the majority of customers, the job is not done," the letter stated.

BRUSSELS (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Wednesday made clear that the United States was committed to NATO while also reinforcing the Trump administration's demand that allies pay their fair share. Speaking at his first NATO defense minister's meeting, Mattis called the alliance "a fundamental bedrock for the United States and for all the trans-Atlantic community." That message, delivered as Mattis stood alongside NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, comes amid mixed signals from President Donald Trump and as chaos swirls in Washington. The Pentagon chief made no references to the abrupt forced resignation Monday of Michael Flynn, the U.S. national security adviser, over his pre-inauguration discussions with Russia, and what the change may mean for U.S. policy toward Moscow. "I haven't changed what I'm heading there for," Mattis told reporters traveling with him to the NATO gathering. "It doesn't change my message at all." The allies' interest and concern about the latest furor in Washington was evident early on as officials crowded around televisions at the NATO meeting to watch Mattis' initial appearance with Stoltenberg. Ministers immediately clustered around the retired Marine general as he entered the meeting room. In public statements, however, NATO leaders brushed aside questions about the turmoil in Washington. Stoltenberg said he has spoken to Trump twice on the phone, and has gotten the same reassurance from Mattis and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. "They have all conveyed the same message to me as they have conveyed to other leaders in NATO countries, and that is that the United States will stay committed to the trans-Atlantic partnership," Stoltenberg said. Mattis also urged that "all who benefit from the best defense in the world carry their proportionate share of the necessary cost to defend freedom." The U.S. wants allies to increase their military funding to the benchmark goal of 2 percent of gross domestic product. Some NATO members have been slowly moving toward that. He also was expected to press for greater assistance, including additional trainers, in the military campaigns in Afghanistan and elsewhere. During his Senate confirmation hearing last month, Mattis said he wanted the U.S. to "maintain the strongest possible relationship with NATO." Trump has criticized NATO as "obsolete," repeatedly praised Russian President Vladimir Putin and threatened that the U.S. might not defend allies that don't fulfill their financial obligations as NATO members. It's all rattled European leaders, who are looking for some clarity from Mattis. Such comments are playing into fears that Trump will ease U.S. sanctions imposed on Moscow after it annexed Ukraine's Crimea region in 2014 and supported an insurgency in eastern Ukraine. Another concern is lessened U.S. military support for Eastern European allies near Russia's border who worry about being the next target. In recent weeks, Trump's public statements on NATO have softened somewhat. After meeting Trump, British Prime Minister Theresa May told reporters that he assured her he was "100 percent" behind NATO. A joint statement issued after Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke by telephone said the two agreed on the "fundamental importance that the NATO alliance has for trans-Atlantic relations" and the need for all members to pay their fair share. Trump made similar comments in a call with French President Francois Hollande. Only four countries other than the U.S. — Britain, Estonia, Greece and Poland — are meeting NATO's 2 percent spending target. Many are increasing their budgets in response to Russia's actions. Still, the U.S. spends more on its armed forces than all the others combined. Washington also pays more than 22 percent of NATO's commonly funded budget. The U.S. also would like to see an increased NATO commitment in Afghanistan, where forces have been fighting the Taliban since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Washington wants more trainers in Afghanistan, where about 8,400 American troops are still deployed. There also will be discussions about how to accelerate the newer, U.S.-led campaign to defeat the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.

MILWAUKEE (AP) — It was a memorable return for Alex Reyes. Same for Orlando Arcia, albeit for much different reasons. Reyes pitched four scoreless innings for St. Louis in his return from Tommy John surgery, but Arcia hit a tiebreaking RBI single in Milwaukee's two-run seventh and the Brewers held off the Cardinals for a 3-2 win on Wednesday. "It was fun. It was fun knowing that I had the ball today," Reyes said. "Being able to go out there that first inning and execute pitches pretty quickly and strike out two. It was huge." Making his first major league appearance since Sept. 29, 2016, the 23-year-old right-hander allowed three hits, struck out two and walked two. He worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the second. "My job is to get outs," Reyes said. "That's what I was trying to do." Fatigue was a bit of a factor for the rookie. "Not necessarily in the second, more in the third," he said. "I felt a little fatigue. I try not to think about it much when I'm out there." Cardinals manager Mike Matheny noticed a change and went out to check on Reyes in the fourth. "Saw a drop in velocity," Matheny said. "Needed to go out check out, see what was going on. He said it was nothing that he didn't normally feel. It was just something that got us concerned." Reyes was done after throwing 73 pitches, 42 for strikes. "Obviously, we're going to be extra cautious with him," Matheny said. Reyes was 4-1 with a 1.57 ERA two years ago, striking out 52 in 46 innings. He felt pain during a pre-spring training bullpen session in February 2017 and was operated on by Cardinals physician Dr. George Paletta. Reyes went 3-0 in four minor league injury rehabilitation starts this month at Class A Palm Beach and Peoria, Double-A Springfield and Triple-A Memphis. He struck out 44 in 23 innings. "This was the first time he's had to work," Matheny said. "All those minor league rehab starts he had barely had anybody on base. So, he had to bear down. Didn't give up any runs. His stuff looked right. His stuff looked good." Arcia was recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs. He was sent down to work on his batting and was surprised at being recalled so soon. "Things weren't going my way and they wanted me to go down there to work on my hitting and reset everything." Arcia said through a translator. "Thankfully, things were starting to go a lot better." He looked pretty good in the seventh. With two out and runners on first and second, Arcia stopped a 0-for-15 slide with a base hit against Sam Tuivailala (1-1). Jeremy Jeffress (5-0) got the win despite allowing two runs in the top of the seventh. Josh Hader struck out the side in the eighth and got two outs in the ninth, and Corey Knebel struck out Jose Martinez for his fifth save in seven chances. Milwaukee went 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position, but the NL Central leaders still improved to 19-8 in May, setting a team record for wins in the month. Christian Yelich homered for the Brewers, and Erik Kratz had two hits and scored a run. Harrison Bader homered for St. Louis, and Dexter Fowler had three singles. MAKING MOVES Reyes was reinstated from the 60-day disabled list. Right-hander Mike Mayers was optioned to Memphis, and right-hander Dominic Leone was transferred to the 60-day DL. Leone has been out since May 5 with right upper arm nerve irritation. TRAINER'S ROOM Cardinals: Fowler returned to the starting lineup after missing three games with a bruised right knee. He was hit by a pitch Saturday at Pittsburgh. ... LF Marcell Ozuna was a late scratch and replaced by Tyler O'Neill. Ozuna pinch-hit in the ninth and walked. Brewers: SS Tyler Saladino (left ankle sprain) was placed on the 10-day DL. He got hurt Tuesday night. Eric Sogard started in his place, and Arcia took over in the seventh. UP NEXT Cardinals: RHP Jack Flaherty (2-1, 2.15 ERA) is scheduled to make his third career start against Pittsburgh on Friday. RHP Trevor Williams (5-3, 3.43 ERA) starts for the visiting Pirates. Brewers: RHP Chase Anderson (4-3, 4.42 ERA) faces the Chicago White Sox on Friday night in the opener of an eight-game trip. He beat the White Sox 5-1 for Arizona in his major league debut on May 11, 2014. ___ More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

NEW YORK (AP) — Super fan Leslie Jones is returning to the Olympics. The "Saturday Night Live" comedian is joining NBC's coverage of the Pyeongchang Olympics as a contributor, reprising her role from the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games. The network said Tuesday that Jones will attend Olympic events, meet athletes and spread her enthusiasm for the games on television and online. The games run Feb. 9-25. Jones posted a photo on Twitter of her dressed in red, white and blue gear while working out on an exercise machine with the caption, "Guess What Time It is Y'all!!!!! And Guess Where I'm Going!!!!! Slay All Day USA!!!!!!!" During the Rio Games, Jones had been live-tweeting while watching the games in the U.S. and posted a video of herself decked out in the American flag and wearing plastic gold medals. Upon seeing it, NBC Olympics president Jim Bell invited her to Rio. Bell says: "Experiencing the Olympics through the lens of Leslie is unlike anything else. Her passion for Team USA is contagious, and her adventures in South Korea should be fascinating." Jones was an Emmy nominee for "SNL" and hosted last year's BET Awards. ___ More AP Olympic coverage: https://wintergames.ap.org

ATLANTA (AP) — Kemba Walker sank a career-high nine 3-pointers and scored 38 points, leading the Charlotte Hornets to a dominant 123-110 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night. Charlotte never trailed while building double-digit leads in each half. Dwight Howard had 20 points and 12 rebounds in his first return to Atlanta after his one season with his hometown Hawks. It was Howard's second double-double in less than a week against the Hawks. He had 18 points and 15 rebounds in Charlotte's 121-110 win over the Hawks on Friday. Nicolas Batum had 10 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for Charlotte. Walker had 18 points in the third quarter as the Hornets withstood the Hawks' rally. Charlotte's biggest lead in the first half was 15 points, last held at 62-47. Kent Bazemore had 12 of his 25 points in the third quarter to help Atlanta cut into the deficit. Dennis Schroder's basket shrunk the Hornets' lead to 77-76. Walker answered with a 3-pointer that started his scoring streak that carried through the end of the third period. The Hornets' lead was back to 13 points entering the fourth. The win was already decided when Howard added powerful jams over Ersan Ilyasova and Mike Muscala in the fourth. Official Eric Lewis called an unusual technical foul on Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer in the second quarter. Budenholzer complained when no foul was called as Bazemore had his shot denied. Budenholzer had no more to say when the action moved to the other end of the floor, where Batum scored. Lewis then called the technical foul on Budenholzer, who reacted with shock, and another technical foul on Bazemore. TIP-INS Hornets: F Marvin Williams (left ankle sprain) was held out. X-rays were negative after he left the fourth quarter of Monday night's loss to Indiana. Frank Kaminsky started for Williams, who may miss another game. ... The Hornets wore their black "Buzz City" alternate uniforms. ... Charlotte has won the first three games of the four-game season series. Hawks: Schroder had his right shoulder wrapped as he sat on the bench at the end of the third quarter, but he returned about four minutes into the final period and had 13 points and nine assists. ... Budenholzer said F DeAndre Bembry (left abductor strain) was making progress but there was no change in his status. ... Muscala started the second half instead of Miles Plumlee and hit a 3-pointer on the team's first possession following the break. ... Marco Belinelli, who had 22 points, made his first four 3-pointers before three misses. HOWARD'S HOMECOMING During the first timeout, fans had a mixed reaction to a tribute to Howard. There were boos and some cheers when the Hawks posted an image of Howard on the video board with the message "Thanks for being true to Atlanta." There was another mixed reaction when the PA announcer urged fans to "give it up for Dwight Howard." There were a few boos during Howard's pregame introduction. UP NEXT Hornets: Host Indiana on Friday night. Hawks: Visit Boston on Friday night. ___ For more NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

All Times EST EASTERN CONFERENCE GP W L OT Pts GF GA Home Away Div Tampa Bay 49 34 12 3 71 175 125 17-5-1 17-7-2 9-3-1 Boston 48 29 11 8 66 157 119 16-6-4 13-5-4 10-1-2 Washington 49 29 15 5 63 150 138 18-7-1 11-8-4 8-4-3 Toronto 51 28 18 5 61 162 146 13-8-2 15-10-3 6-4-1 New Jersey 49 25 16 8 58 147 147 13-8-3 12-8-5 5-6-1 Columbus 49 27 19 3 57 131 137 16-8-0 11-11-3 8-5-2 Pittsburgh 51 27 21 3 57 151 153 17-7-1 10-14-2 10-4-0 Philadelphia 49 24 17 8 56 141 141 13-9-4 11-8-4 5-2-4 N.Y. Rangers 50 25 20 5 55 153 151 17-8-3 8-12-2 7-6-3 N.Y. Islanders 51 25 21 5 55 173 184 13-8-3 12-13-2 7-7-1 Carolina 50 23 19 8 54 139 155 11-7-4 12-12-4 6-5-3 Florida 48 20 22 6 46 136 159 11-8-3 9-14-3 6-4-1 Detroit 48 19 21 8 46 126 146 10-10-7 9-11-1 6-9-2 Montreal 49 20 23 6 46 129 156 12-10-5 8-13-1 9-6-2 Ottawa 48 15 24 9 39 125 168 9-11-5 6-13-4 5-8-3 Buffalo 50 14 27 9 37 115 166 6-13-3 8-14-6 3-5-2 WESTERN CONFERENCE GP W L OT Pts GF GA Home Away Div Vegas 48 32 12 4 68 164 128 19-3-2 13-9-2 11-1-1 Winnipeg 50 29 13 8 66 164 136 17-3-1 12-10-7 7-5-2 Nashville 47 29 11 7 65 145 123 16-4-3 13-7-4 10-3-2 St. Louis 51 30 18 3 63 148 130 17-10-0 13-8-3 7-4-1 Dallas 50 28 18 4 60 155 134 17-7-1 11-11-3 7-10-0 San Jose 48 26 15 7 59 143 133 14-7-3 12-8-4 12-2-3 Anaheim 51 25 17 9 59 144 142 14-9-3 11-8-6 8-5-5 Calgary 49 25 16 8 58 137 135 12-11-3 13-5-5 8-5-3 Colorado 48 27 18 3 57 157 139 18-7-1 9-11-2 7-6-1 Los Angeles 49 26 18 5 57 139 121 12-9-3 14-9-2 6-9-3 Minnesota 49 26 18 5 57 144 140 17-4-4 9-14-1 8-8-0 Chicago 49 23 19 7 53 146 136 12-10-3 11-9-4 5-7-2 Edmonton 49 22 24 3 47 135 157 11-13-1 11-11-2 10-2-0 Vancouver 49 19 24 6 44 127 159 8-13-3 11-11-3 5-9-1 Arizona 50 12 29 9 33 118 172 6-15-3 6-14-6 1-7-5 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. Monday's Games No games scheduled Tuesday's Games Florida 4, N.Y. Islanders 1 Anaheim 3, Boston 1 Carolina 2, Ottawa 1 New Jersey 3, Buffalo 1 Minnesota at Columbus, 7 p.m. San Jose at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. Tampa Bay at Winnipeg, 8 p.m. Montreal at St. Louis, 8 p.m. Chicago at Nashville, 8 p.m. Los Angeles at Dallas, 8:30 p.m. Vegas at Calgary, 9 p.m. Colorado at Vancouver, 10 p.m. Wednesday's Games N.Y. Islanders at Toronto, 7:30 p.m. San Jose at Detroit, 8 p.m. Philadelphia at Washington, 8 p.m. Thursday's Games Toronto at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m. Montreal at Carolina, 7 p.m. St. Louis at Boston, 7 p.m. Florida at Buffalo, 7 p.m. Anaheim at Ottawa, 7 p.m. Philadelphia at New Jersey, 7 p.m. Vegas at Winnipeg, 8 p.m. Los Angeles at Nashville, 8:30 p.m. Tampa Bay at Calgary, 9 p.m. Dallas at Arizona, 9 p.m. Colorado at Edmonton, 9 p.m. Chicago at Vancouver, 10 p.m. Friday's Games Washington at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. Detroit at Carolina, 7 p.m. San Jose at Columbus, 7 p.m. Vegas at Minnesota, 8 p.m.

MADRID (AP) — Palma on the island of Mallorca plans to become the first Spanish city to prohibit the rental of apartments to tourists. Palma mayor Antoni Noguera says Tuesday that his government will vote for the ban in a city council because "there is nothing worse than having residents who can't live in their city nor afford a rent." Rents in Mallorca and in most Spanish cities have increased in recent years. Many residents and local lawmakers blame the price rise on internet sites and apps that allow travelers to rent apartments short-term directly from homeowners. Noguera says that houses will be excluded from the ban, unless they are in protected areas, near airports or in industrial areas.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 24, 2018--The Worldcom Public Relations Group, the world’s leading partnership of independently owned public relations firms, announced today the release of the Worldcom Confidence Index (CI) – the first annual report of the issues global CEOs and CMOs believe will most influence business success. The comprehensive survey of business leaders uncovered what they see as the biggest threats to achieving their plans. It also revealed a 43% increase in the number of business leaders planning to give employees the most attention in 2018 than did so in 2017. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005435/en/ This leap in attention for employees – the only audience to see an increase – seems to be driven by concerns over three main threats: government or legislative changes (#1 threat), lack of available talent (#2 threat) and cyber crime (#3 threat). It may also be a response to very low confidence levels when it comes to their ability to attract (2 nd lowest CI Score) and retain (4 th lowest CI Score) the best talent. Employees have a crucial role in ensuring compliance with regulations and essential cyber protection practices. As a result, the Report’s findings are a clear signal that leaders see employees as a vital ingredient for success. In fact, attracting the best talent ranked highest as the criteria that will have the most influence on success in 2018 – just ahead of the strength of the global economy. It was three times higher than disruptive competition, which declined to almost half its 2017 score. Despite a lower than average confidence in ability to attract and retain the best talent, business leaders remain surprisingly optimistic about their ability to satisfy customers, rating it as their top source of optimism for 2018. However, leaders indicate only moderate confidence (CI Score of 26.4, 1.1 points above average) in ability to increase productivity by energizing and engaging employees. “When you look at the data, you start to see some very interesting contradictions and inconsistencies which highlight global uncertainty,” said Todd Lynch, Managing Director Worldcom Public Relations Group. “As engaged employees are fundamental to delivering a great customer experience, the report suggests that leaders’ confidence in the ability to satisfy customers might be misplaced if they struggle to retain their best talent. The combination of issues uncovered places the employee front and center for global businesses like never before. It is for this reason we believe 2018 will be the year of the employee.” Available in its entirety at https://worldcomgroup.com/confidence-index., the Worldcom Confidence Index also highlights key issues and trends, and uncovers interesting differences in the confidence levels of respondents across 18 demographic categories, including business roles, ages, gender, business size, geographic presence and more. Highlights of the 2018 Confidence Index include: Cyber Crime Concerns: Overall, business leaders are least confident in their ability to protect their organization from cyber crime, and at least 50% more American companies than those in the other regions see cyber crime as the biggest threat. American Confidence: Organizations headquartered in America sit atop the Confidence Index with an overall score of 34.9/100, nearly nine points above the average and almost two and a half times the confidence score for Japan. Asian Hesitation: Organizations headquartered in Asia are at the bottom of the Confidence Index with an overall score of 19.1. Generation Gap: Confidence in the ability to both attract and keep the best talent declines significantly as leaders age. Brand Power: When compared to larger organizations, 71% more of smaller organizations think the ability to attract talent with the quality of their Employer Brand will have the most influence on business success in 2018. Unknown Course: Nearly one in 12 of all business leaders see global instability as the biggest threat to achieving their plans. Political Positivity: More than double the number of organizations from America (28%) than EMEA (13%) think the style of political leader communications positively impacts their optimism about growth potential. Mid-Market Squeeze: Midsize organizations are the least confident (along with smaller sized organizations) about their ability to protect their brand in the event of a crisis. “The high-level challenges and opportunities identified in Worldcom’s first global confidence survey provide the insights and knowledge necessary to help CMOs and CEOs make informed and knowledgeable decisions,” said Patrik Schober, Group Chair of the Global Board, Worldcom Public Relations Group. “We believe this report highlights what’s on the C-suite’s mind and focuses on the challenges and opportunities impacting their future actions and outcomes.” The global report was conducted by two independent research companies, Research Now and 3Gem, and gathered responses via an online survey in six of the G7 countries (France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom and the United States) as well as China. The methodology resulted in a total of 585 responses (167 America; 106 Asia; 312 EMEA) from leaders of all ages and business sizes. The report concludes with an analysis of the issues and key recommendations that business leaders can implement to increase their probability of success in 2018. About The Worldcom Public Relations Group The Worldcom Public Relations Group is the world’s leading partnership of independently owned public relations firms, with 143 offices employing some 2,000 staff in 115 cities across six continents. In total, Worldcom partners reported combined revenue of US$288 million last year from 3,034 clients. Established in 1988, the group was formed so that the strongest, most capable independent firms could deliver immediate impact and sustained value through the intelligent use of communications – wherever in the world a client needs support. Partners serve national, international and multinational clients, while retaining the flexibility and client-service focus inherent in independent agencies. Through Worldcom, clients have on-demand access to in-depth communications expertise from professionals who understand the language, culture and customs of the geographic areas in which they operate. www.worldcomgroup.com Connect with Worldcom PR Group on Facebook and LinkedIn. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005435/en/ CONTACT: McGrath/Power Public Relations & Communications Allyson Scott, 408-727-0351 AllysonScott@mcgrathpower.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA NEW YORK INDUSTRY KEYWORD: COMMUNICATIONS ADVERTISING MARKETING PUBLIC RELATIONS/INVESTOR RELATIONS SOURCE: Worldcom Public Relations Group Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/24/2018 08:00 AM/DISC: 04/24/2018 08:01 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005435/en

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. human rights chief told an informal meeting of the Security Council Monday that the Syrian government's five-year siege of the Damascus suburbs of eastern Ghouta has involved "pervasive war crimes," use of chemical weapons and starvation as a weapon of war. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein was blocked from addressing a formal council meeting by a Russian procedural maneuver, but he delivered his hard-hitting speech to an open meeting anyway, decrying "mind-numbing crimes" committed by all parties in Syria using "unlawful methods of warfare." He said multiple parties to the conflict, now in its eighth year, "claim to justify their military offensives based on their struggle against terrorism." But Zeid said "never before have the campaigns against terrorism been used more often to justify the unconscionable use of force against civilians than in the last few months in Syria." He was especially critical of Syria, singling out President Bashar Assad's claim that his government makes every effort to protect civilians. The U.N.'s top human rights official dismissed it, saying: "When you are capable of torturing and indiscriminately killing your own people, you have long forfeited your own credibility." Zeid pointed to eastern Ghouta as an example. "The siege of eastern Ghouta by the Syrian government forces, half a decade long, has involved pervasive war crimes, the use of chemical weaponry, enforced starvation as a weapon of warfare, and the denial of essential and life-saving aid," he said. Zeid said this has culminated "in the current relentless, month-long bombardment of hundreds of thousands of terrified trapped civilians." "Families are now streaming out of the area," he said, "but many civilians fear reprisals will be taken against them for their perceived support for opposition groups." Zeid stressed that "those who have perpetrated and are still perpetrating these mind-numbing crimes committed in Syria must be made to answer before a properly constituted court of law." "This must be assured and made non-negotiable — for the victims," he said, but also for the legitimacy of the U.N. and the Security Council, and to prevent future violations and advance human rights around the world. He again urged the council to refer Syria to the International Criminal Court. That remains highly unlikely, however, since both Russia and China vetoed a resolution backed by more than 60 countries in May 2014 that would have referred the Syrian conflict to the ICC. Zeid also said justice and respect for human rights must be at the center of any peace talks. "No settlement which shields the perpetrators from prosecution is worth discussing, simply because such a settlement would be utterly empty," he said. "For peace in Syria to be meaningful and lasting, a guarantee of justice for the Syrian people must be assured." Zeid had been scheduled to speak at an open council meeting Monday afternoon, but when it started, Russian Deputy Ambassador Gennady Kuzmin protested that it was a question for the Human Rights Council in Geneva, not the Security Council, which is charged with ensuring international peace and security. He demanded a procedural vote on whether the meeting should be held. To proceed, at least nine of the 15 council members had to vote "yes," but only eight did so. Four countries voted "no" — Russia, China, Bolivia and Kazakhstan — while the three African countries, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast and Equitorial Guinea abstained. Longtime U.N. observers said it was exceedingly rare for a scheduled council meeting to be halted by a procedural vote. France's U.N. Ambassador Francois Delattre criticized Russia for refusing any discussion of human rights in the Security Council, when rights violations in Syria "are at their very peak." Britain's deputy U.N. ambassador Jonathan Allen said Russia "doesn't want the truth of ... the appalling human rights abuses taking place." But he said: "We mustn't let them silence us."

SCHAUMBURG, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 24, 2018--EtherNet/IP™ encoders from Leine & Linde are available for oil and gas equipment applications, as they are certified for use in ATEX/IECEx zone 1/21 - areas where a high level of protection is needed such as in atmospheres with gas and dust. These encoders will be on exhibit at the upcoming Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) held April 30 – May 3 in Houston, Texas ( Booth #1705 ) . This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005237/en/ Leine & Linde EtherNet/IP™ encoders are available for oil and gas equipment applications (Photo: Business Wire) Useful in all hazardous or explosive environments, the Leine & Linde singleturn rotaryEx 647 encoder and the multiturn Ex 648 are both available with solid shaft or hollow-shaft mounting to fit well into the oil and gas industry applications. The reliability of Leine & Linde encoders is well established and appreciated, especially among the most physically demanding industry applications. Leine & Linde is a pre-qualified supplier for oil and gas industries, listed on the Achilles FPAL and JQS supplier lists. EtherNet/IP™ is one of the most widespread communication protocols for industry solutions where accuracy, flexibility, and high-speed performance are vital factors. EtherNet/IP is a trademark of ODVA, Inc. Leine & Linde’s EtherNet/IP™encoder functionality: Encoder device profile 0x22 Cycle time can be as low as 1 ms Supports up to 64-bit data Ready-to-use assemblies Position Scaling: free, binary and non-binary Preset functionality Speed limits: low and high Acceleration limits: low and high Position limits: low and high Boot loader for firmware upgrade and IP search included More information on these encoders is available online here. Leine & Linde is based in Sweden with exclusive North American distribution through HEIDENHAIN CORPORATION in Schaumburg, IL. Leine & Linde is well known for offering high quality, heavy duty encoders of both the incremental and absolute type, are noted for their product robustness and design to cope with the harshest of environments, such as those with high vibration, dirt and cold temperatures. These heavy, severe duty encoders are suited for drive and measurement applications and are often found in industries such as pulp and paper, forest and wood processing, agriculture, aggregate and mining equipment. More information is available from North American Product Specialist Jonathan Dougherty at 847-519-4218 or . Image Available for Download here: View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005237/en/ CONTACT: HEIDENHAIN CORPORATION Jonathan Dougherty, 847-519-4218 North American Product Specialist jdougherty@heidenhain.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA ILLINOIS TEXAS INDUSTRY KEYWORD: ENERGY OIL/GAS TECHNOLOGY HARDWARE INTERNET MANUFACTURING OTHER MANUFACTURING SOURCE: HEIDENHAIN CORPORATION Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/24/2018 08:34 AM/DISC: 04/24/2018 08:34 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005237/en

WASHINGTON (AP) — Every morning, 92-year-old Sidney Kramer wraps a blood pressure cuff around his arm and steps on a scale, and readings of his heart health beam to a team of nurses — and to his daughter's smartphone — miles from his Maryland home. Red flags? A nurse immediately calls, a form of telemedicine that is helping Kramer live independently by keeping his congestive heart failure under tight control. "It's reassuring both psychologically and physically. The way he's put it to me, it's like having a doctor appointment every morning," said Miriam Dubin, Kramer's daughter. The vast majority of older Americans and their caregivers are ready to give virtual health care a try: Nearly 9 in 10 adults age 40 and over would be comfortable using at least one type of telemedicine for themselves or an aging loved one, says a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. But they want to make sure that an e-visit or other remote care is just as good as they'd get in person, and that their health information stays private, according to the survey released Thursday. Long considered an option mainly for improving access to health care in rural areas with few doctors, telemedicine is gaining ground with tech-savvy younger consumers — they text their physician with questions or Skype with a mild complaint. For seniors with chronic illnesses or mobility problems that make simply reaching a doctor's office an ordeal, telehealth could be more than a convenience. The graying population is raising serious questions about how the nation will provide enough quality long-term care. But while private insurance often covers a video visit or other digital health care, seniors have had a harder time because Medicare tightly restricts what it will pay for. That's starting to change, with a law Congress passed last winter that expands Medicare coverage for such options as video visits to diagnose stroke symptoms or check on home dialysis patients. Also, Medicare Advantage programs used by a third of beneficiaries can start offering additional telehealth options. "While the interest is huge, one of the big barriers remains reimbursement," said Johns Hopkins University telemedicine chief Dr. Ingrid Zimmer-Galler, who has turned to grants to help fund such services as telepsychiatry for dementia patients. The new law "is really a huge step in the right direction. It certainly doesn't cover everything." Costs are a major issue for people who need ongoing living assistance. Less than a third of adults age 40 and over have set aside any money for their future long term care needs, the AP-NORC survey shows, and more than half mistakenly think they'll be able to rely on Medicare to help cover nursing care or home health aides. Telemedicine will have to replace in-person care, not add to it, to help with those costs, cautioned Zimmer-Galler. As access for seniors promises to grow, the AP-NORC Center poll shows widespread interest in telehealth. More than half of adults of all ages would be comfortable with a video visit via Skype or FaceTime to discuss medications, for ongoing care of a chronic illness or even for an urgent health concern. In fact, adults 40 and older are just as open to at least some forms of telemedicine as those under 40, with one exception: The older crowd is slightly less comfortable discussing health care by text. Among caregivers, 87 percent say they'd be interested in using at least one form of telemedicine for that person's medical needs. "I think the parents would be happier at home instead of being in the doctor's office waiting an hour to see a doctor for 15 minutes," said Don Withey of Courtland, New York, who helps his 92-year-old father and 89-year-old mother get to their appointments. But, "we don't know much more about it other than the fact you can talk to a doctor over the computer or smartphone." Just 12 percent of adults say they wouldn't use any form of telemedicine. There are concerns. More than 30 percent of people worry about privacy or the security or health information. About half fear that telemedicine could lead to lower-quality care, the poll found. "It's not about having a video screen or Skype in the home or even a blood pressure cuff in the home. It's about the team that's behind it and the clinicians who are supporting the care of that patient," said Rachel DeSantis, chief of staff at Johns Hopkins Home Care Group, which provides the 92-year-old Kramer's remote monitoring. The Hopkins program provides no-cost monitoring for a month or two to select high-risk patients after a hospitalization because research found it reduces their chances of readmission. When the monitor recorded Kramer's weight creeping up one week, nurses immediately knew it was fluid build-up, a heart failure symptom that needed quick treatment. The machine is programmed for some educational feedback, too. Dubin says her dad learned quickly when to cut back. "If he enjoys a pastrami sandwich one day, he can see his numbers may be higher the next day." Dubin says the reassurance was worth privately paying, about $250 a month, to keep the monitoring once Kramer's initial time in the program ended. ___ The survey was conducted March 13 to April 5 by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, with funding from the SCAN Foundation. It involved interviews in English and Spanish with 1,945 adults, including 1,522 adults age 40 and over, who are members of NORC's probability-based AmeriSpeak panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. Results from the full survey have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points. ___ Online: AP-NORC long term care polls: http://www.longtermcarepoll.org/

All Times EST EASTERN CONFERENCE GP W L OT Pts GF GA Tampa Bay 50 34 13 3 71 176 128 Boston 48 29 11 8 66 157 119 Washington 50 30 15 5 65 155 141 Toronto 52 29 18 5 63 167 146 Pittsburgh 52 28 21 3 59 156 155 New Jersey 49 25 16 8 58 147 147 Columbus 50 27 19 4 58 133 140 Philadelphia 50 24 18 8 56 144 146 N.Y. Rangers 50 25 20 5 55 153 151 N.Y. Islanders 52 25 22 5 55 173 189 Carolina 50 23 19 8 54 139 155 Detroit 49 20 21 8 48 128 147 Florida 48 20 22 6 46 136 159 Montreal 50 20 24 6 46 130 159 Ottawa 48 15 24 9 39 125 168 Buffalo 50 14 27 9 37 115 166 WESTERN CONFERENCE GP W L OT Pts GF GA Vegas 49 33 12 4 70 168 130 Winnipeg 51 30 13 8 68 167 137 Nashville 48 29 12 7 65 146 125 St. Louis 52 31 18 3 65 151 131 San Jose 50 26 16 8 60 146 140 Dallas 51 28 19 4 60 155 137 Los Angeles 50 27 18 5 59 142 121 Minnesota 50 27 18 5 59 147 142 Anaheim 51 25 17 9 59 144 142 Colorado 49 27 18 4 58 160 143 Calgary 50 25 17 8 58 139 139 Chicago 50 24 19 7 55 148 137 Edmonton 49 22 24 3 47 135 157 Vancouver 50 20 24 6 46 131 162 Arizona 50 12 29 9 33 118 172 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. Tuesday's Games Minnesota 3, Columbus 2, SO Pittsburgh 5, San Jose 2 Florida 4, N.Y. Islanders 1 Anaheim 3, Boston 1 Carolina 2, Ottawa 1 New Jersey 3, Buffalo 1 Winnipeg 3, Tampa Bay 1 St. Louis 3, Montreal 1 Chicago 2, Nashville 1 Los Angeles 3, Dallas 0 Vegas 4, Calgary 2 Vancouver 4, Colorado 3, OT Wednesday's Games Toronto 5, N.Y. Islanders 0 Detroit 2, San Jose 1, SO Washington 5, Philadelphia 3 Thursday's Games Toronto at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m. Montreal at Carolina, 7 p.m. St. Louis at Boston, 7 p.m. Florida at Buffalo, 7 p.m. Anaheim at Ottawa, 7 p.m. Philadelphia at New Jersey, 7 p.m. Vegas at Winnipeg, 8 p.m. Los Angeles at Nashville, 8:30 p.m. Tampa Bay at Calgary, 9 p.m. Dallas at Arizona, 9 p.m. Colorado at Edmonton, 9 p.m. Chicago at Vancouver, 10 p.m. Friday's Games Washington at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. Detroit at Carolina, 7 p.m. San Jose at Columbus, 7 p.m. Vegas at Minnesota, 8 p.m. Saturday's Games Ottawa at Philadelphia, 1 p.m. Anaheim at Montreal, 1 p.m. Detroit at Florida, 7 p.m. Pittsburgh at New Jersey, 7 p.m. St. Louis at Buffalo, 7 p.m. Columbus at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m. Colorado at Winnipeg, 7 p.m. Toronto at Boston, 7 p.m. N.Y. Rangers at Nashville, 8 p.m. Minnesota at Dallas, 8 p.m. Tampa Bay at Vancouver, 10 p.m. Chicago at Calgary, 10 p.m. Arizona at Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m.

CHARLOTTE, Mich. (AP) — More women and girls are giving victim statements or having them read in a Michigan courtroom in a third sentencing hearing for Larry Nassar, the disgraced former gymnastics doctor who has been convicted of molesting people under the guise of medical treatment. Nassar, 54, worked at Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics, the governing body that also trains Olympians. He was sentenced last week to 40 to 175 years in prison for assaulting seven people in the Lansing area; more than 150 statements were given in that seven-day hearing. He was sentenced in December to 60 years in federal prison for possessing thousands of images of child pornography. Here are excerpts of some victims' statements from the hearing that started Wednesday in Charlotte, Michigan, where Nassar pleaded guilty to molesting three gymnasts at an elite club run by an Olympic coach: ___ Jessica Thomashow, 17, said Nassar molested her at ages 9 and 12 when she had rib displacement and a stress fracture in her ankle. "You took advantage of my innocence and trust. You were my doctor. Why? I ask myself that question all the time. What you did to me was twisted. You manipulated me and my entire family. How dare you?" She said at Twistars, injured gymnasts were instructed to see Nassar, not their family doctor. She said she wanted to be a sports doctor, but the dream "died" after Nassar's abuse. Thomashow also testified in the first day of the earlier sentencing hearing. She is a victim in both the Eaton County and Ingham County criminal complaints. ___ Michigan State University student Katherine Ebert said she was a gymnast since the age of 5 and began seeing Nassar when she was 15. "You are most vile, disgusting creature I have ever met," she told him in court. "There are black holes in my memory that come back as nightmares or flashbacks, not wanting to believe they're true." ___ Annie Labrie was a full-time gymnast through adolescence. She traveled to Twistars gymnastics club, spending 25 hours a week there, not including the hour-and-a-half drive each way. Nassar was her doctor for five years. Said she saw him for a back injury and was treated at Twistars, Michigan State and the basement of his home. She said his treatments "made my skin crawl. I rejected my intuition anyway because every adult and authority figure around me assured me that this, that competing was the only option." Labrie said she hid it from her parents, "because in Larry's words, 'They wouldn't understand.'" "A pedophile cannot flourish in the way Larry did and in an environment that is not conducive to his behavior. ... It is imperative we as society do not view this as an isolated incident." ___ Tiffany Dutton said she was a competitive gymnast from a young age. She suffered back pain around age 12 or 13 and was referred to Nassar by coaches at age 14. She said she was inspired to come forward publicly by the people who appeared at the earlier hearing where Nassar was sentenced last week. "On this day, I've decided to fully relinquish my anonymity as a symbol to myself that there is absolutely nothing I have to be ashamed or afraid of," she said. "Due to the bravery and courage of the many women who appeared in Ingham County to face our predator, I am no longer fearful. To all of them I will be ever grateful." "It takes a monster to sexually assault a child. But it takes a monster backed by ego, experience and power — fueled by multiple institutions — to sexually assault a child in front of their own mother. It was uncomfortable and terrifying. But who was I to question the treatment that was supposed to heal me?" Nassar's accusers have said that he would sometimes molest them even with their parents in the room and would use his body or a sheet to block their view.

LONDON (AP) — London fire commissioner says it's still too early to speculate on cause of blaze at apartment building.

LIMA, Peru (AP) — Authorities in Peru have detained a truck driver accused of damaging part of the world-renowned Nazca lines. The nation's Ministry of Culture says Jainer Flores drove into an unauthorized section of the U.N. World Heritage site on Saturday, leaving tracks and damaging part of three lines. The Nazca lines are huge etchings depicting imaginary figures, creatures and plants that were scratched on the surface of a coastal desert between 1,500 and 2,000 years ago. They are believed to have had ritual astronomical purposes. Greenpeace activists damaged the lines by leaving footprints in the adjacent desert during an event in 2014.

HUNTINGTON STATION, N.Y. (AP) — The last living member of a pioneering unit that paved the way for the U.S. military's first black paratroopers has died. Clarence Beavers was 96. The A.L. Jacobsen Funeral Home in Huntington Station, New York, says Beavers died Dec. 4. Newsday reports the Harlem-born Beavers joined the segregated U.S. Army in 1941 and rose to the rank of sergeant. In 1944, he and 19 other black soldiers became part of a test platoon for airborne training. Beavers and 16 others passed, setting the foundation for what became the all-black 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion, known as the Triple Nickels. Beavers, who lived in Huntington Station on Long Island, was the last of the original 17. The 555th spent the last year of the war fighting forest fires set in the Pacific Northwest by Japanese balloon-transported bombs. ___ Information from: Newsday, http://www.newsday.com

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The Senate's top leader says it's "premature" to tout President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize in pursuing a peace deal with North Korea. But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell chuckled as he mentioned the "chagrin" it would cause the Nobel committee to award Trump the world's most coveted diplomatic prize. The Republican senator made the comments this week to WHAS-AM in his home state of Kentucky. U.S. and North Korean officials are continuing talks aimed at salvaging a summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. McConnell says the U.S. should always be "skeptical" when dealing with North Korea, but says it's good that Trump and Kim could meet.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia & STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 23, 2018--A sold-out crowd will witness history as the Saudi General Sports Authority in partnership with WWE presents the first-ever Greatest Royal Rumble at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia this Friday, April 27 at 7:00 p.m. AST. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423006630/en/ (Photo: Business Wire) The Greatest Royal Rumble event will stream live on WWE Network and be available on pay-per-view outside of the Middle East. The event will air live in the Middle East on MBC Action, KSA Sports 1, Abu Dhabi Sports 1 and Abu Dhabi Sports 6, as well as stream live on Dawri Plus. General Sports Authority of Saudi Arabia Chairman His Excellency Turki Al Sheikh, WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, invite the world to celebrate this signature event. It is the first event as part of a long-term partnership between WWE and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Greatest Royal Rumble card includes the first-ever 50-man Greatest Royal Rumble match, John Cena™ vs. Triple H™, The Undertaker™ vs. Rusev™ in a Casket match, Brock Lesnar™ vs. Roman Reigns™ in a Steel Cage Universal Championship match, WWE Championship match: AJ Styles™ vs. Shinsuke Nakamura™, Intercontinental Championship Ladder match: Seth Rollins™ vs. The Miz™ vs. Samoa Joe™ vs. Finn Bálor™, United States Championship match: Jeff Hardy™ vs. Jinder Mahal™ with Sunil Singh, Raw Tag Team Championship match: Matt Hardy™ and Bray Wyatt™ vs. Sheamus™ and Cesaro™, SmackDown Tag Team Championship match: The Bludgeon Brothers™ vs. The Usos™ and the Cruiserweight Championship. About WWE WWE, a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family friendly entertainment on its television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing platforms. WWE’s TV-PG, family-friendly programming can be seen in more than 800 million homes worldwide in 20 languages. WWE Network, the first-ever 24/7 over-the-top premium network that includes all live pay-per-views, scheduled programming and a massive video-on-demand library, is currently available in more than 180 countries. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Mexico City, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, Dubai, Munich and Tokyo. Additional information on WWE (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide/. Trademarks: All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks, logos and copyrights are the exclusive property of WWE and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks relating to: WWE Network; major distribution agreements; our need to continue to develop creative and entertaining programs and events; a decline in the popularity of our brand of sports entertainment; the continued importance of key performers and the services of Vincent K. McMahon; possible adverse changes in the regulatory atmosphere and related private sector initiatives; the highly competitive, rapidly changing and increasingly fragmented nature of the markets in which we operate and greater financial resources or marketplace presence of many of our competitors; uncertainties associated with international markets; our difficulty or inability to promote and conduct our live events and/or other businesses if we do not comply with applicable regulations; our dependence on our intellectual property rights, our need to protect those rights, and the risks of our infringement of others’ intellectual property rights; the complexity of our rights agreements across distribution mechanisms and geographical areas; potential substantial liability in the event of accidents or injuries occurring during our physically demanding events including, without limitation, claims relating to CTE; large public events as well as travel to and from such events; our feature film business; our expansion into new or complementary businesses and/or strategic investments; our computer systems and online operations; a possible decline in general economic conditions and disruption in financial markets; our accounts receivable; our revolving credit facility; litigation; our potential failure to meet market expectations for our financial performance, which could adversely affect our stock; Vincent K. McMahon exercising control over our affairs, and his interests may conflict with the holders of our Class A common stock; a substantial number of shares which are eligible for sale by the McMahons and the sale, or the perception of possible sales, of those shares could lower our stock price; and the relatively small public “float” of our Class A common stock. In addition, our dividend is dependent on a number of factors, including, among other things, our liquidity and cash flow, strategic plan (including alternative uses of capital), our financial results and condition, contractual and legal restrictions on the payment of dividends (including under our revolving credit facility), general economic and competitive conditions and such other factors as our Board of Directors may consider relevant. Forward-looking statements made by the Company speak only as of the date made, are subject to change without any obligation on the part of the Company to update or revise them, and undue reliance should not be placed on these statements. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423006630/en/ CONTACT: WWE Media: Matthew Altman, 203-352-1177 Matthew.Altman@wwecorp.com or Investor: Michael Weitz, 203-352-8642 Michael.Weitz@wwecorp.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA CONNECTICUT SAUDI ARABIA MIDDLE EAST INDUSTRY KEYWORD: ENTERTAINMENT WRESTLING TV AND RADIO CELEBRITY EVENTS/CONCERTS SPORTS SOURCE: WWE Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/23/2018 09:43 PM/DISC: 04/23/2018 09:43 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423006630/en

LOS ANGELES (AP) — An eye-catching Los Angeles hot dog stand designed in the 1940s to look like a giant wiener on a bun has found a home a decade after closing. The Tail o' the Pup, which fed working people and Hollywood stars for 60 years, will be moved Thursday for permanent display at Valley Relics Museum, home to many pop culture items. The unique structure, which appeared in TV shows and movies and was named a Los Angeles cultural landmark, has been in a storage yard since its walk-up window shut for the final time in 2005. Nicole Miller, whose husband Jay's family has owned the Pup since the 1970s, said they'd hoped to find a new location to serve its famous all-beef franks once again, but couldn't secure permits. The family is glad the museum "is willing to take it, restore it, and put it on display," she told the Los Angeles Daily News (http://bit.ly/2saLuci ). The chicken wire and stucco dog measured 18 feet from nose to tail with a line of mustard running across its service window. Designed by architect Milton Black and opened in 1946, the Tail o' the Pup was built to catch the attention of passing motorists during an era when cars were king. It's a rare surviving example of when giant doughnuts, chili bowls and coffee cups dotted Los Angeles curbs from the 1920s to after World War II, the newspaper said. "The Tail o' the Pup was clearly among the best known of the 'programmatic' buildings — buildings that often looked like products sold inside," said Cindy Olnick of the Los Angeles Conservancy, a preservation group. "The whole building, besides the sign, was an advertisement." ___ Information from: (Los Angeles) Daily News, http://www.dailynews.com

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — An Iranian opposition figure under house arrest has voiced rare criticism of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, blaming him for the "disastrous results" of the Revolutionary Guard's vast political and economic influence. In a rare letter published Tuesday, Mahdi Karroubi says Khamenei violated the constitution, and called on him to order the Guard to loosen its grip on the economy. The letter was published on a website affiliated with Karroubi. Karroubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi both lost in the 2009 presidential election, which sparked mass protests and allegations of vote-rigging. They were placed under house arrest two years later. Under Iran's political system, Khamenei is considered the representative of God on earth, with the final say on all major policies. Iranians can go to jail for publicly criticizing him.

LONDON (AP) — The degenerative damage potentially caused by repeated blows to the head in soccer has been highlighted by a rare study of brains of a small number of retired players who developed dementia. Fourteen former players were part of the research that began around 40 years ago and six brains, which underwent post-mortem examinations, had signs of Alzheimer's disease. Four brains were found to have chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) pathology, a possible consequence of repeated impacts to the brain, including heading the ball. A previous study of 268 brains from the general population in Britain found a far lower CTE detection rate of 12 percent. The small sample size of former footballers prevented researchers from University College London and Britain's National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery from drawing any conclusions about the dangers posed by playing soccer as they released their research. But researchers hope the findings provide the impetus for more substantial studies in conjunction with soccer authorities. The researchers require current or retired players to be willing to take part of investigations that could take decades to produce conclusions. "Our findings show there is a potential link between repetitive head impacts from playing football and the later development of CTE," lead author Dr. Helen Ling of the UCL Institute of Neurology told The Associated Press. "This will support the need for larger scale studies of a larger number of footballers who need to be followed long term, looking at various aspects in terms of their mental functions, imaging of the brain and also markers that might identify neurological damage." England's Football Association said it is committed to "independent, robust and thorough" research, which it is jointly funding with the players' union. The Alzheimer's Society maintained that the latest "results do not provide proof that heading a football, or sustaining a head injury by any other means during the sport, is linked to developing dementia." "Exercise is one of the best ways to reduce your risk of dementia and it's important to ensure that people playing any kind of sport are able to do so safely," Dr. James Pickett, research head at the Alzheimer's Society, said. Concerns have grown in Britain about the impact of head injuries after campaigning by the family of former England striker Jeff Astle, whose death at age 59 in 2002 was attributed to repeatedly heading heavy, leather balls. Astle's daughter, Dawn, is urging "current footballers or families of footballers to pledge the brain" for medical research. "If we hadn't donated dad's brain, we wouldn't know what we know now — we wouldn't know what had killed him," Dawn Astle said. "It's too late for dad. The research is so important for current players and for future players. That's why we need it. "I think that's what is so very frustrating — the fact that it's nearly 15 years since my dad died. And the fact that nothing from any footballing authorities has been done. It is really indefensible and disgraceful." At least four members of England's 1966 World Cup-winning squad have developed dementia or memory loss. In the United States, there has been a $1 billion settlement between the NFL and thousands of its former American football players who have been diagnosed with brain injuries linked to repeated concussions. The British soccer research was instigated by consultant psychiatrist Dr. Don Williams, who started to monitor former players who were diagnosed with dementia from 1980. From Swansea in south Wales, Williams monitored the retired players and collected data on their playing and concussion history. "In 1980 the son of a man with advanced dementia asked me if his father's condition had been caused by heading the ball for many years as a powerful center half," Williams said. "As the brain is a very fragile organ, well protected within the skull, this was a constructive suggestion. As a result I looked out for men with dementia and a significant history of playing soccer, followed them up and where possible arranged for post-mortem studies to be carried out. "The results suggest that heading the ball over many years, a form of repetitive sub-concussive head injury, can result in the development of CTE and dementia. Thus the original suggestion has been shown to be of merit and worthy of further investigation." ___ Rob Harris is at www.twitter.com/RobHarris

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jeff Sessions was in his office, looking unusually deflated. He had just received another public lashing from President Donald Trump. Trump had browbeaten his attorney general for months after Sessions' decision to step aside from the intensifying Russia investigation. Never mind that Sessions has proved fiercely devoted to his boss, carrying out Trump's agenda while giving him credit every step of the way. Trump was unforgiving. This attack came on an autumn day, and Sessions discussed it with a longtime friend and adviser who had stopped by to chat. Sessions shrugged. "I do the best I can," he said. Then he got back to work. And, somewhat surprisingly, he's still working. Sessions will soon mark his first year on the job, having survived a barrage of insults from Trump, antipathy from some Justice Department employees and even calls from some fellow Republicans for him to resign. Last week, America's top law enforcement officer was himself questioned as part of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into possible obstruction of justice and Trump campaign ties to Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Trump's relentless attacks have been a wearing distraction, say friends and associates of the former Alabama senator. The Associated Press interviewed more than a dozen of them, many of whom spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private interactions. What keeps him going, friends say, is his Methodist faith, support from his wife and his awareness that, at age 71, leading the Justice Department is his best and perhaps final chance to carry out the policy changes he long has sought. Sessions, the first senator to endorse Trump's candidacy, declined to be interviewed for this story but did agree to respond to written questions. He did not directly address his personal relationship with Trump but said his first year was marked by progress on a number of Trump's priorities: fighting crime, combating gangs and helping police. "We are doing what the people sent us here to do," he said. While Sessions is proud of his first year, friends see signs of stress. At an annual Justice Department Christmas party, one friend noted, the usually upbeat attorney general looked sullen and tired. "We have talked about some of the difficult times he's had since he has been attorney general," said the Senate's second-ranking Republican, John Cornyn of Texas, a Sessions' confidant. "My comment to him was, as long as you're doing the right thing, I don't think you have anything to apologize for." What Sessions sees as doing the right thing, though, often appears to others as doing Trump's bidding. Critics say Sessions is too loyal, dangerously politicizing his department in an effort to appease Trump. Sessions told senior prosecutors to look into Hillary Clinton's activities after Trump demanded investigations of his 2016 Democratic rival, and he has been eager to pursue investigations into Trump grievances, such as media leaks. Lawmakers accuse Sessions of stonewalling congressional committees investigating the Trump campaign by repeatedly saying he doesn't recall key events. Some say Sessions' public silence in the face of Trump's assaults on the department is demoralizing to employees and threatens its independence from the White House. Sessions said Friday that it's the department's responsibility to identify past mistakes and that a "culture of defensiveness is not acceptable." "It seems he recognizes he is in such a weakened position, if he wants to stay in Trump's good graces he has to at least make a show of responding to Trump's demands, and that's extremely dangerous," said William Yeomans, who spent nearly 30 years at the department under Democratic and Republican administrations. One example that raised eyebrows: Sessions' plan to confront the opioid crisis hews so closely to Trump's that White House aide Kellyanne Conway was on hand in the Justice Department's seventh-floor conference room when he announced it. Sessions declined to address specific actions by his department but said it carries out "the law without regard to the political consequences or to poll numbers or who benefits and who doesn't," and Trump supports that. Even if Sessions is complying with Trump's demands and pursuing his agenda, the attorney general has yet to find himself back in favor with the president. Before Sessions' decision to withdraw from the Russia investigation, Trump used to call Sessions periodically and seek his counsel. Now the two men rarely speak, and Sessions at times has resorted to asking West Wing aides to pass messages to Trump. The rupture stems from Sessions' move on March 2 to step aside from that investigation after acknowledging he had had two previously undisclosed encounters with the Russian ambassador in Washington during Trump's campaign. Sessions said it would be improper for him to oversee an investigation into a campaign in which he played a prominent role. Trump was furious. Sessions had disregarded a plea from Trump's White House lawyer, Don McGahn, who, at Trump's request, had urged the attorney general to retain oversight of the investigation. But by then, Sessions had already consulted with ethics officials and had made up his mind. Sessions' action left Trump without a close political appointee keeping a hand in the investigation of his campaign, Sessions offered to resign. Trump declined to accept it. Sacking Sessions would have been politically perilous for the president. But the barrage of tweets and public and private comments from Trump haven't ended. He disparaged Sessions in comparisons with Eric Holder, whom Trump says he respects for protecting President Barack Obama while serving as attorney general. Sessions has endured with a courtly stoicism. If he's frustrated, friends said, he mostly keeps it to himself. At a recent get-together with Terry Lathan, a friend and chairwoman of the Alabama Republican Party, Sessions seemed more interested in what was going on back home than in complaining about job pressures. "He's not going to sit around and yank the president's tie in private conversation with a group of his buddies," said Ken Blackwell, a domestic policy adviser to Trump's transition team who has known Sessions for years. "He's more like, this is what we need to get done, how do we get it done?" Trump's antagonism has distressed Sessions' friends and supporters because they don't believe Sessions' stepping aside from the Russia investigation was a close call. One Sessions' ally said the attorney general's attitude remains that he is going to work 18-hour days to promote the administration's agenda. Trump's priorities reflect the interests Sessions long has advocated, first as a federal prosecutor and then as a senator: illegal immigration, violent crime, illegal drugs, defending the rights of those who say they've been discriminated against based on religion. "President Trump knows how to give clear orders, and he told us to reduce crime, take on the gangs and cartels, and back the men and women in blue," Sessions said. "The good news for us is that these directives are exactly what I want to do." That agenda has unsettled liberals who say Sessions' focus on tough prosecutions marks a return to failed tactics that unduly hurt minorities and the poor. They say his rollbacks of protections for gay and transgender people amount to discrimination. For Sessions, there's satisfaction in being able to reverse Obama-era policies that he and other conservatives say flouted the will of Congress. "The progress he has made has been very gratifying to him," said former Attorney General Ed Meese, who sees Sessions periodically. Sessions takes pride in his many visits to U.S. attorney offices, where he speaks with local authorities, some of his most ardent fans, about how the federal government can help them. During a particularly tense stretch in November, when Sessions faced attacks from Trump and members of Congress, department officials held a call urging law enforcement groups to be vocally supportive of him, a person familiar with the call said. Jonathan Thompson, executive director of the National Sheriffs' Association, recalled a December meeting when Sessions said he had to cut his appearance short. His voice was hoarse and he lamented his full schedule. "He said, 'I wish I could sit here and talk with you all day,'" before his staff moved him along, said Thompson. ___ Associated Press writers Eric Tucker, Jonathan Lemire, Mary Clare Jalonick and Bill Barrow contributed to this report.

HELSINKI (AP) — Finland's foreign minister says representatives from North and South Korea are holding diplomatic talks in the Nordic country and describes Finland's role as a "facilitator." Foreign Minister Timo Soini told the Finnish news agency STT on Monday that Finland "is making this meeting possible" by helping arrange it but wouldn't mediate in the actual negotiations. He gave no other details. Senior North Korean diplomat Choe Kang Il, who handles North American affairs in Pyongyang, arrived in Helsinki on Sunday for talks with South Korean security experts and allegedly also with former U.S. diplomats, including the former U.S. Ambassador to South Korea, Kathleen Stephens. The meeting comes just two days after North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho held days of diplomatic talks in neighboring Sweden.

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 24, 2018-- market research analysts forecast the to grow at a CAGR of above 4% during the period 2018-2022, according to their latest report. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424006460/en/ Technavio has published a new market research report on the global smart ceiling fans market from 2018-2022. (Graphic: Business Wire) In this report, Technavio highlights the innovation in product features and user interfaces as one of the key emerging trends driving the . One of the key trends in the market is the development of innovative features and user interfaces. Smart ceiling fans are integrated with easy-to-use digital control panels and built-in energy-saving functionalities. Lately, they are being incorporated with remote control, Wi-Fi, and 3G or 4G connectivity. They can be controlled using mobile apps and be connected to mobile devices using Bluetooth. Smart ceiling fans use Wi-Fi and can rebroadcast both IR and RF signals from remote controls, which has the capacity to manage up to six ceiling fans. Innovation in terms of features and user interface will augment demand for smart ceiling fans during the forecast period. This report is available at a USD 1,000 discount for a limited time only: Save more with Technavio. Buy2 reports and get the third for FREE: In this report, Technavio analysts highlight the increased adoption of smart products as a key factor contributing to the growth of the global smart ceiling fans market: Increased adoption of smart products The fast-changing lifestyles and preference for convenience are driving consumers to adopt the latest technologies quickly. In recent times, the concept of controlling a household appliance through the Internet and smartphones is attracting considerable attention. Smart ceiling fans are designed precisely to provide convenience by offering the feature of unique remote location operability (using wireless connecting devices). According to a senior analyst at Technavio for , “Consumers can easily operate and monitor the process by downloading the relevant app on their mobile devices and connecting the ceiling fans through Wi-Fi. Consumers can turn the ceiling fan on, before getting home from work or any place and turn it off from outside after forgetting to shut it down before leaving the house. Such features enhance consumer comfort and overall experience and attract them to networked lifestyles.” 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. Global smart ceiling fans market segmentation This market research report segments the into the following end-users, including residential and commercial and key regions, including the Americas, APAC, and EMEA. Of the two major end-users, the residential segment held the largest market share in 2017, accounting for nearly 84% of the market. The market share for this end-user is expected to decrease by 2022. The fastest growing end-user is commercial, which will account for nearly 16% of the total market share by 2022. APAC was the leading region for the global smart ceiling fans market in 2017, accounting for a market share of nearly 61%. However, by 2022, APAC is expected to continue dominating the market and register the highest growth rate. 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/20180424006460/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: TECHNOLOGY INTERNET SOFTWARE HOME GOODS RETAIL SOURCE: Technavio Research Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/24/2018 03:16 PM/DISC: 04/24/2018 03:16 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424006460/en

DALLAS (AP) — In just 24 hours, her face and name have become world famous for what's seen as a supreme act of sportsmanship. Dallas-area high school student Ariana Luterman was finishing the anchor leg of a girls' relay in Sunday's Dallas Marathon when she saw the legs of the women's marathon leader, Dr. Chandler Self, start to buckle from exhaustion yards from the finish line. Acting apparently instinctively, Luterman helped Self to her feet and half-carried her to the finish line, giving the New York City psychiatrist the women's championship. Self's family later told her she'd been credited with the win Self said Luterman came alongside her two miles from the finish and encouraged her to finish the race. Video of the finish has gone viral.

MOSCOW (AP) — A committee of the Russian parliament has recommended the adoption of a proposed law that would require journalists working for media outlets designated as foreign agents to register as agents themselves. The measure, which the lower parliament's information committee recommended on Tuesday, follows a law adopted last year under which Russia can designate media outlets receiving foreign government funding as foreign agents. Naming an outlet as a foreign agent does not block its work but casts aspersions on its credibility. Demanding that individual journalists register as agents could produce a chilling effect. The proposed law "is the latest step in the Russian authorities' systematic policy towards obstructing the free flow of news," said Gulonoza Said of the Committee to Protect Journalists in a statement Tuesday.

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 23, 2018--Cypress Semiconductor Corp. (NASDAQ: CY), the embedded solutions leader, today unveiled the PSoC ® 4700 series of microcontrollers (MCUs) that uses inductive sensing to detect touch inputs for products using metal surfaces. Consumer, industrial, and automotive products are using metallic materials to differentiate with their customers through improved aesthetics. The new series frees developers to incorporate these metals by making inductive sensing as easy to use as Cypress’ industry-leading CapSense ® solutions for capacitive-sensing. By empowering developers to solve their capacitive and inductive sensing problems, the PSoC 4700 series is the ideal choice for modern, state-of-the-art industrial design. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005487/en/ Pictured is Cypress' PSoC 4700 series of microcontrollers that uses inductive sensing to detect touch inputs for products using metal surfaces, enabling designers to create more sleek and durable user interfaces. (Graphic: Business Wire) The PSoC 4700 inductive sensing solution is supported in Cypress’ PSoC Creator™ Integrated Design Environment (IDE), which allows users to drag and drop production-ready hardware blocks, including the new inductive sensing capability, into a design and easily configure them via a simple graphical user interface. More information on the PSoC 4700 series, the inductive sensing solution and registration for the early access program for kits and collateral is available at www.cypress.com/PSoC4700. “Customers want to improve the aesthetics and reliability of their products with high-quality metallic user interfaces,” said John Weil, vice president of the MCU business unit at Cypress. “Inductive-sensing technology is ideal for these applications, however, it has been difficult for customers to implement due to manufacturing variability. The PSoC 4700 MCU series overcomes this problem by leveraging our 15 years of experience with CapSense and SmartSense™ Autotuning to offer an easy-to-use, tunable inductive-sensing solution.” The PSoC 4700 MCUs are based on a 32-bit Arm ® Cortex ® -M0+ core and integrate programmable analog and digital blocks. The devices can support up to 16 sensors to implement digital functions or custom algorithms for interfaces in various form-factors, including buttons, linear and rotary encoders, proximity sensing or free-form. The PSoC 4700 inductive-sensing solution provides superior noise immunity for reliable operation, even in extreme environmental conditions. The highly integrated solution enables cost-efficient system designs by reducing bill-of-material costs. Cypress’ free PSoC Creator IDE simplifies system design by enabling concurrent hardware and firmware development using PSoC Components—embedded ICs represented by an icon in the IDE. Engineers can easily configure the programmable analog and digital blocks in PSoC by dragging and dropping components on the PSoC Creator schematic and customizing them with graphical component configuration tools. The tool features auto-calibration that automatically compensates for manufacturing variations. Availability The PSoC 4700 series is sampling now to lead customers with production expected in the third quarter of 2018. Early adopters are invited to register for more information at www.cypress.com/PSoC4700Registration. Follow Cypress Online Join the Cypress Developer Community, read our blog, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, and watch Cypress videos on our Video Library or YouTube. About Cypress Cypress is the leader in advanced embedded solutions for the world’s most innovative automotive, industrial, smart home appliances, consumer electronics and medical products. Cypress’ microcontrollers, analog ICs, wireless and USB-based connectivity solutions and reliable, high-performance memories help engineers design differentiated products and get them to market first. Cypress is committed to providing customers with the best support and development resources on the planet enabling them to disrupt markets by creating new product categories in record time. To learn more, go to www.cypress.com. Cypress, the Cypress logo, PSoC and CapSense are registered trademarks and PSoC Creator is a trademark of Cypress Semiconductor Corp. All other trademarks are property of their owners. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005487/en/ CONTACT: Cypress PR Samer Bahou, 408-232-4552 samer.bahou@cypress.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA CALIFORNIA MINNESOTA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY CONSUMER ELECTRONICS DATA MANAGEMENT ELECTRONIC DESIGN AUTOMATION HARDWARE INTERNET SOFTWARE AUDIO/VIDEO TELECOMMUNICATIONS OTHER TECHNOLOGY SECURITY SEMICONDUCTOR MOBILE/WIRELESS MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING AUTOMOTIVE GENERAL AUTOMOTIVE SOURCE: Cypress Semiconductor Corp. Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/23/2018 08:00 AM/DISC: 04/23/2018 08:01 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005487/en

PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona policymakers have yet to agree how to increase teacher pay or education funding ahead of a first-ever statewide walkout this week, prompting calls from Democrats and even one Republican to generate new tax revenue in the conservative state. Republicans who control the state Legislature have yet to fully back Gov. Doug Ducey's plan for a 20 percent teacher raise, which would cost $650 million by 2020. Many have shared concerns about the rosy revenue projections Ducey is using to cover the increase. Teachers have protested for weeks and took a vote on whether to launch the first statewide strike after Ducey unveiled his plan, saying they're concerned it doesn't increase funding for classrooms and students. With Ducey and legislative leaders meeting behind closed doors to negotiate a deal, Republican state Rep. Noel Campbell offered a plan for a sales tax increase. He said the three-year boost of 1 percent would generate $1 billion annually. Campbell said he's concerned the governor's proposal is too optimistic and believed the hike would bring in money to support all-day kindergarten, technical training and lower in-state tuition at public universities. Most lawmakers agree higher pay and school funding is a good idea — the issue is how to fund them, he said. The governor and many Republicans have taken pledges against tax hikes. "There's no way that we're going to get an income tax increase through this body, it's not gonna happen," he said. "You have to make a choice here. Do you want to have a perfect bill that doesn't pass or do you want to have a good bill that might have some chance?" The relative novelty of a Republican calling for a sales tax increase contrasts with Democrats warning against any such hike. They raised concerns about rural towns that already have 10 percent sales tax rates. "Another increase would unfairly put the burden on the poor and working class, who pay an inordinately larger share of their income on sales tax," Senate Minority Leader Katie Hobbs said. Instead, Democrats called for funding from new revenue streams, such as taxing new products or reversing income tax cuts on wealthy residents. New dollars are necessary to meet a key demand: $1 billion to return school funding to levels seen before the Great Recession, said Joe Thomas, president of the Arizona Educators Association, the largest teacher membership group. Ducey spokesman Daniel Scarpinato said the governor's plan goes a long way toward addressing classroom funding concerns. It includes $371 million phased in over five years that districts can decide where to direct — that money could be used for support staff raises or other needs, Scarpinato said. "The only way to get back to 2008 levels is to continue driving up the dollars we put into education," he said. "This is a big, sustained step toward the overall goal." The political dealing comes as some of the state's largest school districts plan to close Thursday and Friday due to striking teachers, who are among the lowest-paid in the U.S. Over a dozen of Colorado school districts, including the 10 largest, also will shut down both days because of teacher protests. The two states are part of a movement that started in West Virginia, where a strike garnered a raise, and spread to Oklahoma, Kentucky and beyond. In the run-up to Arizona's statewide strike, parents and community members have been supportive, said Melissa Girmscheid, a science teacher at Centennial High School in suburban Phoenix. They're giving gift cards for support staffers who may not be paid, and some teens are volunteering to watch teachers' children so they can go to a rally Thursday, she said. "We've had a lot of parents who've stepped up to the plate," Girmscheid said. Thomas, with the teachers association, said teachers were pushed to the drastic step. "Every educator wishes this didn't have to happen," Thomas said. "But nothing has worked. Phone calls, emails, letters, many rallies, days at the Capitol where we go down and bring 100 people. Nothing has worked. We have been absolutely ignored, and they're not going to be able to ignore us Thursday."

CAIRO (AP) — Relations between Russia and Egypt have rapidly grown over the past three years, with Presidents Vladimir Putin and Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi forging a multi-faceted relationship that features economic, military and political cooperation. Here is a look at the history of this relationship and where it might be headed, as Putin pays his latest visit to Cairo. ____ COLD WAR TIES The young Egyptian officers who seized power in Egypt in 1952 and later toppled the monarchy initially flirted with the United States through various channels. But vociferous, anti-Israel rhetoric from Egypt's Arab nationalist leader Gamal Abdel-Nasser, coupled with Cold War realities, doomed any hope that Washington could become Cairo's superpower patron. A 1955 deal to buy Soviet weapons through Czechoslovakia brought Egypt into the Soviet camp despite Cairo's efforts to remain non-aligned. Moscow later agreed to build a massive hydroelectric dam on the Nile in southern Egypt after the World Bank, reportedly at Washington's behest, declined to finance the project. Relations plunged deeper when Egypt accused the United States of colluding with Israel in the 1967 Six Day War, in which Israeli troops seized the Sinai Peninsula. Following that war, Egypt's ties with Russia became much closer, with thousands of Russian military advisers stationed in Egypt, some with their families. Soviet-made military hardware poured into Egypt, from tanks and fighter-jets to helicopters and artillery pieces. Russian pilots even flew reconnaissance flights for the Egyptians over Israeli installations. ____ SWITCHING CAMPS The United States began to reassert its influence over Egypt when Washington brokered a 1970 cease-fire that ended months of intensive fighting between Egypt and Israel in the Suez Canal region and along the Red Sea coastline. In a surprise move, President Anwar Sadat in 1972 expelled the Soviet military advisers, arguing that Moscow was not doing enough to help the Egyptians match Israel's military might. A year later, Egypt and Israel fought the last of their four wars and the road was paved for Washington to replace Moscow as the most dominant foreign power in the Middle East. The U.S.-brokered Camp David peace accords between Egypt and Israel cemented the new American-Egyptian alliance, transforming Egypt into a key U.S. ally and the recipient of $1.3 billion in annual foreign aid, which continues to this day. ___ RENEWING TIES Egyptian-American relations took a plunge after the military overthrew Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, the country's first freely elected leader, amid mass protests against his divisive rule in 2013. President Barack Obama's administration criticized the move, which effectively ended Egypt's troubled transition to democracy, angering the country's new leaders. Since then, pro-government media have regularly accused Obama of siding with Morsi's now-banned Muslim Brotherhood group. El-Sissi, who as defense minister led the overthrow of Morsi and was elected president the following year, was quick to pivot toward Moscow. He has visited Russia twice since assuming office, and has struck deals to buy billions of dollars' worth of military hardware, including helicopter gunships and fighter jets. An agreement to have a Russian company build a nuclear reactor was signed in Cairo on Monday. Late last month, Russia said it approved a draft agreement with Egypt to allow its warplanes to use Egyptian bases. El-Sissi has also cultivated close ties with U.S. President Donald Trump, however, and relations with Moscow have not been problem-free. The bombing of a Russian airliner over Egypt's Sinai Peninsula in October 2015, which killed all 224 people on board, prompted Moscow to suspend all flights to Egypt. More than two years later, the suspension remains in force and Egyptian tourism, heavily dependent on Russian tourists, is suffering. Egypt has spent millions of dollars to upgrade security at its airports, but the Russians remain reluctant to resume flights.

Banks and energy companies surged Wednesday and smaller companies made huge gains as stocks got back almost all the ground they lost the day before. Investors reversed course as they hoped Italy would be able to avoid a new round of elections after all. On Wednesday: The S&P 500 index advanced 34.15 points, or 1.3 percent, to 2,724.01. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 306.33 points, or 1.3 percent, to 24,667.78. The Nasdaq composite added 65.86 points, or 0.9 percent, to 7,462.45. The Russell 2000 index soared 24.34 points, or 1.5 percent, to 1,647.99. For the week: The S&P 500 is up 2.68 points, or 0.1 percent. The Dow is down 85.31 points, or 0.3 percent. The Nasdaq is up 28.60 points, or 0.4 percent. The Russell 2000 is up 21.06 points, or 1.3 percent. For the year: The S&P 500 is up 50.40 points, or 1.9 percent. The Dow is down 51.44 points, or 0.2 percent. The Nasdaq is up 559.06 points, or 8.1 percent. The Russell 2000 is up 112.48 points, or 7.3 percent.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on Kim Kardashian West at the White House (all times local): 5:05 p.m. Reality television star Kim Kardashian West has arrived at the White House for a meeting with presidential senior adviser Jared Kushner. Kardashian West was seen posing for photos in front of the West Wing before entering to discuss criminal justice reform with Kushner, the president's son-in-law. Kardashian West has urged the president to pardon Alice Marie Johnson, who is serving a life sentence without parole for a nonviolent drug offense. Attorney Brittany K. Barnett, who says she's part of Johnson's legal team, says Kardashian West also hopes to meet with President Donald Trump to discuss the case. Kardashian West's husband, rapper Kanye West, sparked a social media maelstrom earlier this month with his support for Trump. __ 4:10 p.m. Reality TV star Kim Kardashian West was heading to the White House to make a star-powered case for prison reform and advocate on behalf of a woman serving a life sentence. Kardashian West has urged the president to pardon Alice Marie Johnson, 63, who is serving a life sentence without parole for a nonviolent drug offense. In an interview with Mic, Kardashian West said she'd been moved by Johnson's story after seeing a video by the news outlet. "I think that she really deserves a second chance at life," Kardashian told Mic. "I'll do whatever it takes to get her out."

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minnesota woman who led authorities on a weekslong manhunt after she allegedly killed her husband, then went to Florida and befriended — then killed — a woman who resembled her, is now facing charges in two states. Lois Riess is in custody in Texas, awaiting transfer to Florida or Minnesota for trial. If the Florida charges against Riess are elevated to first-degree murder, she could face the death penalty. Here are some details about how this case might unfold: 'COLD-BLOODED MURDERER' Riess, 56, killed her husband, 54-year-old David Riess, in late March, then forged checks to steal $11,000 from his account, according to authorities. David Riess's body was found on March 23 at the couple's home in Blooming Prairie, Minnesota, with multiple gunshot wounds. Lois Riess was gone. The search for Riess began and seemed to intensify after another woman, Pamela Hutchinson, 59, of Bradenton, Florida, was found dead in Fort Myers Beach on April 9. Authorities said at the time that Riess targeted Hutchinson because they looked alike, then killed her to assume her identity. Lee County Undersheriff Carmine Marceno said Riess was armed and dangerous and her mode of operation was to befriend women who resembled her, then steal their identity. He called her a "cold-blooded murderer." A national manhunt for Riess continued until she was arrested Thursday in the South Texas beach resort town of South Padre Island after someone recognized her at a restaurant. ___ WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? Riess is charged in Florida with one count each of second-degree murder, grand theft, grand theft of a motor vehicle and criminal use of personal identification information. In Minnesota, Riess is charged with one count of felony theft. Authorities have said a second-degree murder charge is pending, but they are taking time to build the strongest possible case. A judge in Brownsville, Texas, ruled that Riess could be extradited to either state for trial, and whomever picked her up first could take custody. David Weinstein, a former federal and state prosecutor in Florida, said the Florida case seems to be farther along so it's likely that Riess will head there first. In addition, the second-degree murder charge filed by way of an arrest warrant in Florida is going to weigh heavier than the theft charge in Minnesota. Weinstein said authorities in both states have to discuss the next steps together. ___ THE DEATH PENALTY Florida is a death penalty state, while Minnesota is not. The death penalty is currently not a factor with the charges Riess faces, but that could change. In order to seek the death penalty, Florida prosecutors must charge Riess with first-degree murder and that can only be done through a grand jury indictment. State Attorney's Office spokeswoman Samantha Syoen said the office doesn't discuss such matters. Weinstein, who is not part of the case, said that from what he's seen about Riess's alleged plan to befriend Hutchinson, steal her identity and then escape, it seems authorities will move forward with a first-degree, premeditated, murder charge. But that charge doesn't automatically mean prosecutors will seek the death penalty, or that it would be imposed if she's convicted. Prosecutors have to evaluate aggravating and mitigating factors. Some aggravating factors for the death penalty include how a murder was planned and carried out, the manner of death, and whether the death was heinous, atrocious and cruel. Some mitigating factors that might weigh against the death penalty include the defendant's age or mental health, Weinstein said. ___ SOME WRINKLES The death penalty issue could be a factor as authorities discuss where Riess should face trial first. One aggravating factor for the death penalty is a prior crime of violence. So, Florida prosecutors could theoretically opt to let Minnesota try its case first, get a murder conviction, and then use that conviction to bolster their argument for the death penalty, Weinstein said. Pete Mills, chairman of the Florida Public Defenders Association Death Penalty Steering Committee, said prosecutors in Minnesota also might feel that the death penalty shouldn't be an option, so they might seek to try Riess first for that reason. They also might seek to bring her to Minnesota first so they can seek justice for family members there. ___ HISTORY OF THEFT AND GAMBLING Riess has a history of stealing money and gambling, and authorities dubbed her "Losing Streak Lois" for her habit of frequenting casinos. In 2012, Riess was appointed conservator and guardian for her disabled sister, who has the cognitive level of a 10-year-old, according to court records. In a September 2015 affidavit, a social worker said she received a report that Riess transferred funds from the guardianship account to Riess' own account, then spent some of the funds at a casino. Riess was never charged, but was directed to repay her sister, court records show. An attorney on the case said she has not. During her time on the run, authorities said Riess gambled at casinos in Iowa and Louisiana, where she won a $1,500 jackpot on slot machines and used her own identification to claim the prize. ___ Associated Press writer Jeff Baenen contributed to this report from Minneapolis. ___ Follow Amy Forliti on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/amyforliti . More of her work at: https://apnews.com/search/amy%20forliti

Some Republicans in Congress are donating their contributions from Las Vegas billionaire Steve Wynn to charity in light of sexual misconduct allegations against the former Republican National Committee finance chairman. The announcements come in light of a Wall Street Journal report Friday that Wynn, a casino mogul and prolific Republican donor, sexually harassed several women. Wynn, chairman and CEO of Wynn Resorts, has denied the allegations Wynn's home-state senator Dean Heller, who is running for re-election this year, is donating the $5,400 his campaign received last year from the casino mogul to a yet-determined charity, campaign aides said Monday. A spokeswoman for Sen. Rob Portman said the Ohio Republican would donate the $5,400 his campaign received from Wynn for his 2016 campaign to charities aimed at stemming human sex-trafficking. Likewise, an aide to Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson said he was giving the $5,400 he got in 2016 from Wynn to a domestic abuse victims service in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The Republican Governors Association, the chief campaign fundraising group for GOP governor candidates, was returning $100,000 from Wynn's company. It also canceled a contract to hold its 2020 annual convention at the Wynn Las Vegas resort, and said it will not accept contributions from Wynn or his company unless the claims against him are proven false. Aides to House Speaker Paul Ryan confirmed he would donate $1,000 from a Wynn-related business group to a Wisconsin homelessness charity. Rep. Karen Handel of Georgia, who won a special election last year, was giving the $2,700 her campaign received from Wynn to a Georgia charity for sexual and domestic abuse victims. The announcements by Heller, Portman and Johnson follow calls Sunday by Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina to return the money. "I don't even think it's a close call to return the money," Collins said on CNN's "State of the Union." RNC Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel told committee members Saturday she had accepted Wynn's resignation as finance committee chairman. The committee convenes in Washington this week for its annual winter meeting. The allegations against Wynn are part of a wave of sexual misconduct claims against prominent media, entertainment and political figures that gained momentum last fall after the emergence of detailed allegations of rape and harassment involving movie producer Harvey Weinstein. During the fall, RNC officials, including McDaniel, noted that Weinstein had been a top donor for Democrats, including 2016 presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. In October, McDaniel tweeted that if the Democratic National Committee "truly stands up for women like they say they do, then returning Weinstein's dirty money should be a no-brainer." The RNC has not yet said whether it will return any money donated by Wynn. Heller and Portman and are part of a long list of mainly Republican lawmakers, candidates and party organizations Wynn has contributed to in recent years, though he has also previously backed Democrats. Wynn contributed $5,400 to the 2016 campaigns of Sens. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Marco Rubio of Florida and Tim Scott of South Carolina. That year, Wynn also contributed $167,000 to the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Since 2013, Wynn has contributed nearly $2.4 million to GOP candidates and party organizations around the country, including 2017 special election winners. The fallout to Wynn's business interests continued Monday. Shares of Wynn Resorts had falling about 18 percent since first allegations were reported. Though the company and Wynn have vehemently denied the allegations, the company's board said a committee of independent directors would investigate the allegations. It will be headed by Patricia Mulroy, a board member and former member of the Nevada Gaming Commission. _ Associated Press reporters Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin, and Damian Troise in New York contributed to this report. ___ This story has been corrected to show Wynn contribution to Heller was $5,400, not $10,800.

All Times EDT EASTERN CONFERENCE GP W L OT Pts GF GA Tampa Bay 72 49 19 4 102 260 202 Boston 71 45 17 9 99 239 184 Toronto 72 43 22 7 93 243 204 Washington 72 41 24 7 89 225 214 Pittsburgh 72 41 26 5 87 237 218 Columbus 73 40 28 5 85 205 203 Philadelphia 73 37 25 11 85 218 215 New Jersey 72 37 27 8 82 217 215 Florida 69 35 27 7 77 210 216 Carolina 72 31 30 11 73 194 225 N.Y. Rangers 72 32 32 8 72 208 231 N.Y. Islanders 72 30 32 10 70 231 262 Montreal 72 26 34 12 64 182 230 Ottawa 71 26 34 11 63 197 244 Detroit 72 26 35 11 63 184 224 Buffalo 72 23 37 12 58 172 236 WESTERN CONFERENCE GP W L OT Pts GF GA Nashville 72 48 14 10 106 236 178 Vegas 72 46 21 5 97 244 199 Winnipeg 72 43 19 10 96 240 189 Minnesota 72 41 24 7 89 224 206 San Jose 72 40 23 9 89 219 199 Colorado 72 39 25 8 86 231 209 Anaheim 73 37 24 12 86 206 197 Los Angeles 72 39 27 6 84 207 181 Dallas 73 38 27 8 84 209 197 St. Louis 72 39 28 5 83 201 193 Calgary 73 35 28 10 80 202 217 Chicago 73 30 34 9 69 208 223 Edmonton 72 31 36 5 67 201 231 Vancouver 72 25 38 9 59 186 236 Arizona 71 23 37 11 57 170 228 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.

MOSCOW (AP) — The Latest on Russia's response to the satirical film "The Death of Stalin" (all times local): 11:30 p.m. A Moscow movie theater that had been showing a satirical film about Soviet leader Josef Stalin in defiance of an official Russian government ban has canceled further screenings. The announcement came several hours after Moscow police visited the Pioner theater on Friday. Police didn't declare the purpose of their visit, but it followed the Russian Culture Ministry's warning that the theater could face sanctions that included fines. The ministry this week rescinded the permit allowing Scottish writer-director Armando Iannucci's "The Death of Stalin" to be shown in theaters after communists and others criticized the movie as a mockery of Russian history. The Pioner theater said on its Facebook page that pre-purchased tickets would be refunded and "for all further questions, we ask you to turn to the Ministry of Culture." ___ 5:10 p.m. Police officers have shown up at a Moscow movie theater that screened a satirical film about Soviet leader Josef Stalin in defiance of an official Russian government ban. Moscow police didn't immediately declare the purpose of their visit to Pioner theater on Friday, but it followed the Russian Culture Ministry's warning that the theater could face sanctions in line with the law. The ministry this week rescinded the permit allowing Scottish writer-director Armando Iannucci's "The Death of Stalin" to be shown in theaters after communists and others criticized the movie as a mockery of Russian history. Pioner ignored the decision and has been screening the film since Thursday. Showing an unlicensed movie is punishable by a fine. Stalin remains widely admired in Russia, despite his brutal purges that killed millions.

NEW YORK (AP) — "Roseanne" has finished its final episode in the same way the rebooted series began — as the top-watched television comedy. The series reached 10.58 million last Tuesday, second only to the CBS drama "NCIS" in the weekly Nielsen rankings. Last week's season finale turned out to be the series final episode. "Roseanne" was expected to come back next year, but ABC canceled the series on Tuesday following a racist tweet sent out by star Roseanne Barr. The show's revival lasted three months. Another ABC comedy that had its last episode last week, "The Middle," was seen by 7.09 million. That last episode was planned.

CAIRO (AP) — Egypt's chief-of-staff has mediated between two Libyan rivals who refused to meet face to face in Cairo but later agreed to form a committee to renegotiate a U.N. peace deal. Col. Tamer el-Rifai, an Egyptian army spokesman, says the two — the head of Libya's U.N.-backed government, Fayez Serraj, and Khalifa Hifter, the country's most powerful army commander — met separately with Egypt's chief-of-staff, Lt. Gen. Mahmoud Hegazy late on Tuesday. He says they agreed to form a joint committee that would make key changes to the 2015 U.N.-brokered peace deal. Once the parliament, based in eastern Libya, endorses the changes, it would pave the way for parliamentary and presidential elections next year. Libya's east-based parliament does not recognize the U.N.-backed government set up in the country's capital, Tripoli.

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 24, 2018--Fans asked, and QDOBA ® delivers! QDOBA Mexican Eats ® announces the return of fan favorite – Mango Salsa – for a limited time this summer. Offering a refreshing flavor, QDOBA’s Mango Salsa combines mangoes, red bell peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, jalapeños, cilantro and lime juice. The perfect tropical topping to burritos, burrito bowls, salads or tacos, Mango Salsa can be added to any QDOBA entrée for free. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005501/en/ QDOBA's Chicken Mango Salad (Photo: Business Wire) “Our Mango Salsa is made with real ingredients and is prepared in our restaurants’ kitchens every day,” said Jill Adams, vice president of marketing at QDOBA. “Sure, it would be easier for our restaurant teams to get all the ingredients for Mango Salsa pre-chopped and from a can, but that would mean compromising freshness and flavor – two components we’ll never sacrifice when it comes to our food.” Mango Salsa can also be enjoyed on QDOBA’s latest chef-inspired dish – the new Chicken Mango Salad. Served in a crispy flour tortilla shell that’s fried in-restaurant, this salad is made with hand-chopped Romaine lettuce, grilled adobo chicken, tropical Mango Salsa and a drizzle of homemade cilantro-lime dressing. “Our culinary team handcrafts our chef-inspired dishes based on what ingredients they think will offer the best flavor combinations,” continued Adams. “For example, when they were developing Chicken Mango Salad, the team liked how the sweetness of the mangoes and bold flavor of the bell peppers paired with the subtle heat of our grilled adobo chicken. With the addition of the crisp cucumbers and the cilantro-lime dressing, this salad balances a range of fresh flavors and textures. We can’t wait for our guests to try it.” Like summer, guests are encouraged to enjoy Mango Salsa and the Chicken Mango Salad at participating locations, before it says adios. QDOBA has more than 740 restaurants across the United States and in Canada. Guests can find their nearest QDOBA by visiting QDOBA.com/locations or on the QDOBA app available for download on the iTunes App Store or Google Play. About QDOBA At QDOBA, everyone is invited to live a more flavorful life. The QDOBA experience comes to life through its multi-dimensional approach to flavor, which encompasses its people, its restaurants and, of course, its fresh, craveable food. Through the Brand’s vision, guests and team members alike are encouraged to celebrate individuality and boldly craft a meal that’s packed full of flavors like 3-Cheese Queso and hand-smashed guacamole. Getting its start in 1995, QDOBA now has more than 740 restaurants in 47 states, the District of Columbia and Canada. Discover more at QDOBA.com and connect with QDOBA on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005501/en/ CONTACT: Bolt Public Relations Mackenzie Martin, (949) 218-5454 mmartin@boltpr.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA CANADA CALIFORNIA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: WOMEN RESTAURANT/BAR TEENS RETAIL FOOD/BEVERAGE CONSUMER MEN SOURCE: QDOBA Mexican Eats Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/24/2018 06:00 AM/DISC: 04/24/2018 06:01 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005501/en

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A lawyer for Harvey Weinstein says actress Rose McGowan's claims of rape against the former Hollywood producer are "a bold lie." Attorney Ben Brafman says in a statement Tuesday that McGowan is trying to "smear" Weinstein to promote her new book "Brave." McGowan details her allegations against Weinstein in the memoir released Tuesday. Scores of women have publicly accused Weinstein of sexual harassment or assault. Brafman says Weinstein denies McGowan's claims. The attorney also cites correspondence from "two witnesses" to corroborate his client's position: Entertainment manager Jill Messick and Oscar winner Ben Affleck. The statement released through crisis management firm Sitrick & Co. also included several photos of McGowan looking cordial with Weinstein at an industry event years ago. Representatives for McGowan and Affleck did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

SEATTLE (AP) — A Seattle-area man who was brought to the U.S. illegally as a child but was protected from deportation under a policy by President Barack Obama is suing the federal government over his arrest and detention last week. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested 23-year-old Daniel Ramirez Medina on Friday at his father's home. Agents were there to arrest his father and took Ramirez into custody even though he has a work permit under Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, court documents said. ICE spokeswoman Rose Richeson said in a statement that Ramirez told agents he was a gang member and based on those statements and being a "risk to public safety," he was taken into custody. Mark Rosenbaum, one of Ramirez's lawyers, responded that Ramirez "unequivocally denies being in a gang" and that the statement from Richeson is inaccurate. "While in custody, he was repeatedly pressured by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to falsely admit affiliation," Rosenbaum said. Northwest Immigrants Rights Project Legal Director Matt Adams told The Associated Press that Ramirez — who was brought to the U.S. from Mexico when he was 7 — has a job, a young son and no criminal record. Ramirez is being held in Tacoma, Washington. Adams said Ramirez is the first person he knows of with DACA status who has been detained. "This appears to be a complete one-off," Adams said. "We certainly haven't seen this with our other hundreds of clients who have DACA status as well." Attorneys for Ramirez argue the arrest violates his constitutional rights to live and work in this country without the fear of arrest and deportation so long as he satisfies DACA requirements. "Trust in our government depends upon the Executive Branch keeping its word," Rosenbaum, director of Public Counsel's Opportunity Under Law Project, said in a statement. "Bait and switch sullies the integrity of our nation's core values." Emily Langlie, a spokeswoman for the US attorney's office in Seattle, said Tuesday afternoon it would be premature to comment on the lawsuit. A hearing in the case has been scheduled for Friday in federal court in Seattle. Recent sweeps by U.S. immigration agents across multiple states have netted some immigrants with no criminal records, a departure from enforcement actions in the last decade. Under the Obama administration, agents focused more narrowly on individuals who posed a security or public safety threat. President Donald Trump made illegal immigration a cornerstone of his campaign, saying he will build a wall along the Mexican border and deport millions of people, although actual plans have yet to be revealed. He has said he wants to focus on people who have committed crimes. During an interview with Time magazine late last year, Trump expressed sympathy for the more than 740,000 people in the DACA program, which started in 2012. "We're going to work something out that's going to make people happy and proud," he told the magazine. Trump can withdraw the promised protection right away through an "operational memo" because Obama implemented it through one, William Stock, president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said previously. Adams said he believes Ramirez was apprehended by mistake. "I don't think this has to do with any change in policy; I just think it was an enforcement procedure gone wrong," Adams said. "Hopefully they're going to come to their senses."

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health regulators want makers of popular anti-diarrhea drugs to sell their tablets in smaller amounts to make them harder to abuse. The request comes amid a spike in overdoses from large doses of the over-the-counter drugs, which contain a small amount of an opioid. The Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday it is asking manufacturers to package their medications in smaller quantities, such as eight tablets per package. Currently, some generic versions are sold in boxes of up to 200 tablets. The key ingredient in anti-diarrhea medications like Imodium is part of the opioid family, an addictive drug class that includes morphine and oxycodone. At low doses, the medicine helps control diarrhea. But recent statistics show a rise in abuse of massive doses to try and get high.

BEIJING (AP) — Premier Li Keqiang has promised China "will open even wider" to imports and investment and will fully open manufacturing industries to foreign competitors. Li, the country's No. 2 leader, said Tuesday at a news conference that Beijing plans to eliminate import tariffs on drugs and reduce tariffs on other goods. He said the country will "fully open the manufacturing sector," with better protection for intellectual property. Li said, "If there is one thing that will be different from the past, that will be that China will open even wider." Chinese leaders are under pressure to make their slowing, state-dominated economy more productive. They have promised to open more industries to private and foreign competition, but business groups complain they are moving too slowly.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A Rhode Island company is going to build a wind farm that will be 10 times the size of the nation's first offshore wind farm. Deepwater Wind says the new 400-megawatt wind farm will also create more than 800 jobs in Rhode Island. Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo and other officials visited the Port of Providence on Wednesday for the announcement. Massachusetts and Rhode Island announced offshore wind projects last week aimed at delivering 1,200 megawatts of energy, enough to power about 600,000 homes. The company also built the nation's first offshore wind farm off Block Island, Rhode Island. It has five turbines. This latest project will have up to 50 turbines south of Martha's Vineyard. Deepwater Wind's CEO says it will be "an enormous clean energy machine."

NEW YORK (AP) — Scandal-plagued Weinstein Co. files for bankruptcy protection with buyout offer in hand.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Scenes from the Capitol on a night of pomp, pageantry and politics for the State of the Union address: ___ It wasn't the longest State of the Union address. That designation still goes to former President Bill Clinton. But an hour and 20 minutes of President Donald Trump talking Tuesday was plenty long enough for House Democrats. Just before Trump finished, their leader, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, made eye contact with Rep. Joe Crowley of New York and pointed toward the back of the House chamber. Democrats followed their lead and made an unusually quick beeline for the exits. Earlier, Pelosi had warned House Democrats not to leave the chamber mid-speech. Trump's first State of the Union address clocked in at about eight minutes shorter than the final such address by Clinton. ___ They could all agree to support 12-year-old Preston Sharp and his project to plant flags on the graves of veterans. But it was a different story when President Donald Trump used that good deed to scold athletes, ahead of the Super Bowl, who kneel during the national anthem. Members of Congress, the Cabinet, the Supreme Court and assorted guests applauded Trump's shout-out to Preston, who noticed that not every grave was decorated with a flag at the California veterans' cemetery where his grandfather was buried. He started collecting donations and, two years later, had decorated 23,000 graves. "Preston's reverence for those who have served our nation reminds us why we salute our flag, why we put our hands on our hearts for the pledge of allegiance," Trump said during his speech, drawing applause. But the mood changed when the president added: "... and why we proudly stand for the national anthem." GOP lawmakers erupted in applause. Democrats were far more muted. Trump was a leading critic of NFL players, predominantly African-American, during last fall's protests. Vice President Mike Pence abruptly left an Indianapolis Colts game after almost two dozen members of the San Francisco 49ers knelt during "The Star-Spangled Banner." ___ Their leader, Nancy Pelosi, warned Democrats to behave during Trump's address and "let the attention be on his slobbering self." The president didn't slobber. Some Democrats couldn't hold back, especially when Trump mentioned immigration issues. "Oh, c'mon," Rep. Joe Crowley, D-N.Y., audibly enough to be heard in the gallery overhead, as Trump mentioned open borders, letting in drugs and gangs. They laughed out loud when Trump cast his immigration proposal as a down-the-middle compromise. And they groaned when Trump spoke of ending "chain migration." Pelosi extended her hands to try to quiet her colleagues. ___ With all eyes on her, a poised Melania Trump took her seat in the gallery above the packed House moments before her husband delivered his State of the Union speech. Mrs. Trump, sheathed in an all-white Dior pantsuit, had traveled to the Capitol separately from President Donald Trump after holding White House and Capitol receptions for her guests. A White House aide said the couple was expected to return together to the White House after the speech. First ladies typically get everyone's attention when they enter the chamber for their husbands' addresses. But Mrs. Trump had not been seen in public with her husband since The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month that in 2016, Trump's lawyer paid porn star Stormy Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet about an affair she said she had with the future president. Daniels on Tuesday issued a statement denying the affair happened. After the report, the couple's anniversary passed without public comment. Mrs. Trump abruptly canceled plans to accompany her husband to Davos, Switzerland. Last year, President and Mrs. Trump traveled to the speech together. Mrs. Trump did not react as Trump began his speech with an acknowledgement of "the first lady." ___ Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Ill., strolled through the Capitol before the speech with a guest who was attracting more attention than he was. Tall and sporting a ponytail was Jayson Werth, an outfielder who played the last several years for the local Washington Nationals. Werth said he has an organic farm in Davis' district. Asked if he was a Trump supporter, Werth said he was a moderate. "I'm just spreading my wings a little bit," he said. ___ Associated Press writers Matthew Daly and Alan Fram contributed to this report. ___ Follow Kellman on Twitter at www.twitter.com/APLaurieKellman

TOKYO (AP) — The $3.3 billion acquisition by SoftBank Group Corp., the Japanese telecommunications, internet and solar energy giant, of Fortress Investment Group marks tycoon Masayoshi Son's latest step in building a technology investment empire. Son said the deal, announced by both sides Wednesday, will immediately contribute to his strategy for growth and complement his Softbank Vision Fund plan for investing in leading technologies including artificial intelligence and the "internet of Things," which links devices through the Internet. "Fortress' excellent track record speaks for itself, and we look forward to benefiting from its leadership, broad-based expertise and world-class investment platform," Son said in a statement. Tokyo-based Softbank has been aggressive in global acquisitions and has been seeking partners for the billion private fund for technology investments that it says may grow to $100 billion. Its shares jumped 1.6 percent Wednesday in Tokyo trading. Those ambitions dovetail with Son's promise to President Donald Trump to invest $50 billion in U.S. startups to create 50,000 jobs. Softbank also owns the U.S. wireless company Sprint Corp. and Britain's ARM Holdings, which is known as an innovator in the "internet of things," and in technology used in smartphones. New York-based Fortress, which manages global investments, said its senior professionals will stay to keep up its fund performance. Fortress co-chairmen Pete Briger and Wes Edens praised Son as "visionary." They said the companies have much in common, and the deal will benefit shareholders. "We join a company with tremendous scale and resources, and a culture completely aligned with our focus on performance, service and innovation," they said in a joint statement. SoftBank, the first carrier to offer the iPhone in Japan, also sells the Pepper human-shaped companion robot. The company, founded in 1981, has within its investment empire financial technology and ride-booking services. Last week, the company reported its October-December profit soared to about 40 times what it was a year ago. ___ Follow Yuri Kageyama on Twitter at https://twitter.com/yurikageyama Her work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/yuri-kageyama

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Former Vice President Joe Biden has been elected chair of the board of trustees at Philadelphia's National Constitution Center. The center made the announcement Wednesday that Biden will succeed former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, whose term ended in January. Jeffrey Rosen, President and CEO of the center, says Biden's "love for the constitution, and passion for teaching all Americans about its enduring principles, have inspired people around the world." Biden says he's honored to succeed former presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush at the head of such a "national treasure." Biden will also be splitting his time between programs at the University of Delaware and the University of Pennsylvania as part of his post-White House life.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Anthem is countering Cigna a day after its smaller rival sued to terminate a $48 billion buyout agreement. Anthem on Wednesday sought a restraining order to block that maneuver and force it to comply with the deal, which has already been blocked by a federal judge. The rapid-fire consolidation in the health care industry appears to be hitting a wall. On Tuesday, Aetna said it was abandoning its $34 billion acquisition of Humana. That was followed by the Cigna lawsuit. Both deals drew in the Justice Department and separate federal courts ruled the deals could hurt consumers. Cigna Corp. is seeking a $1.85 billion termination fee from Anthem and more than $13 billion in damages. Anthem Inc. said Wednesday that Cigna doesn't have a right to terminate the agreement.

TORONTO (AP) — Prince Harry says his late mother drew a spotlight to causes and issues that didn't get attention. Now he's following in her footsteps as he promotes the Invictus Games for wounded veterans. The 32-year-old prince said in an excerpt of an interview with Canada's CTV television network that Diana would put everybody before herself. He says she was very good at inviting and taking the cameras to causes and areas where they had never been before. Diana's handshake in the late 1980s with a man with AIDS amid the fears of that era is an example. The Invictus Games were created by Prince Harry as a way to inspire and motivate wounded soldiers on their path to recovery. The 2017 Games will be held in Toronto this September.

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Authorities in Tanzania plan an auction of 3.5 tons of hippo teeth next week, drawing criticism from conservation groups who say the sale could encourage increased killing of the vulnerable species for its body parts. Licensed dealers on Monday can bid for the 12,500 pieces of hippo teeth at the tourism and natural resources ministry in the East African nation's commercial hub of Dar es Salaam, according to Tanzanian wildlife authorities. Buyers will receive documents confirming ownership. Many hippo populations across Africa face intense pressure from hunting for their ivory and meat, the WWF conservation group said. "Therefore, even though some countries still have healthy populations, WWF discourages the consumption of hippopotamus ivory and are disappointed to see auctions such as this taking place," said Colman O'Criodain, a WWF expert in wildlife trade. Another conservation group, Born Free, said it was concerned there could be more demand for hippo ivory as efforts to end the trafficking of elephant ivory intensify. China, long the world's largest consumer of elephant ivory, announced a ban on its trade that took effect at the beginning of this year. An international "red list" of endangered species classifies the hippo as vulnerable and estimates there are up to 130,000 hippos in sub-Saharan Africa. Hippo teeth are carved into ornaments for sale in parts of Asia. A regulated trade in hippo parts is allowed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES. ___ Follow Christopher Torchia on Twitter at www.twitter.com/torchiachris

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Latest on nominations for the 75th annual Golden Globe Awards (all times local): 5 a.m. Decked in a large cozy sweater, actress Kristen Bell is sipping coffee and staying warm before she takes the stage to announce the nominees for the 75th Golden Globe Awards. Journalists gathered early Monday at the Beverly Hilton Hotel for the reading of the nominations, which honor acting and other work in film and television. The hotel is a flurry of activity in these early hours with publicists and members of the press chatting and grabbing a little bite of fruit, bagels and croissants before the nominations announcement begins. Photographers and camera crews took test shots of the stage where Bell, Alfre Woodard, Garrett Hedlund, and Sharon Stone will read the nominations in 25 categories beginning at 5:15 a.m. The Golden Globe will be hosted Jan. 7 by Seth Meyers and broadcast by NBC from the Beverly Hilton. ___ 12 a.m. Nominations for the 75th annual Golden Globe Awards will be announced Monday morning from Beverly Hills, California. The nominations will begin at 8:15 a.m. Eastern, with a second batch of nominees announced live on NBC's "Today" show. Among the favorites are Steven Spielberg's "The Post" and Christopher Nolan's "Dunkirk." In the television categories "The Handmaid's Tale" and "Big Little Lies" could be in for a big morning. The Golden Globe will be hosted Jan. 7 by Seth Meyers and broadcast by NBC from the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The series of bombings this month in the Texas capital city of Austin has generated a vast response by state and federal law enforcement agencies that are sifting through hundreds of tips to find what Austin Police Chief Brian Manley has described as a serial bomber. Here's a look at the investigation so far, by the numbers: — 2, 4: Number of people killed and the number wounded. The first explosion occurred March 2, killing a 39-year-old man. The latest happened Sunday evening, injuring 22- and 23-year-old men. — 500: The number of leads that have been closed since the bombings began, according to Fred Milanowski, special agent in charge of the Houston division of the ATF. — $115,000: Amount of reward being offered for a tip leading to a conviction. — 350: Number of FBI agents currently involved in the investigation, according to FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs. Hundreds of other law enforcement personnel also are involved, including those with Austin police and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. — 240: Approximate number of interviews conducted with witnesses, people calling in tips and others since the first explosion. — 600: Calls that Austin police have responded to for suspicious packages since the second and third blasts happened March 12.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Latest in the manslaughter trial of a Minnesota police officer who fatally shot a black motorist during a traffic stop (all times local): 12:30 p.m. There's no verdict yet in a Minnesota trial for a police officer charged with manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a motorist. The jury hearing the case has broken for lunch on their third day of deliberations. Officer Jeronimo (yeh-RON'-ih-moh) Yanez shot driver Philando Castile five times just seconds after Castile told him he was carrying a handgun. Yanez had pulled Castile's car over in a St. Paul suburb last July 6. Yanez testified last week that Castile was pulling out his gun despite his commands and he feared for his life. Prosecutors question whether Yanez ever actually saw a gun and say he overreacted. ___ 12:08 a.m. It's day three of deliberations for a Minnesota jury in the case of a police officer charged with manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a black motorist. Officer Jeronimo (yeh-RON'-ih-moh) Yanez shot 32-year-old cafeteria worker Philando Castile during a traffic stop in a St. Paul suburb last July 6. Castile had just informed the officer that he was carrying a gun. Yanez testified that Castile was drawing the gun against his orders. Prosecutors say he overreacted. The jury surfaced briefly Tuesday with a request for another look at two key videos in the case. One video was captured by the officer's squad car. It shows a wide view of the traffic stop and the shooting. The other video was made by Castile's girlfriend. It starts moments after the shooting.

BELLEVUE, Wash. (AP) — A Seattle-area company has removed a school shooting video game off of its online platform following widespread backlash. The "Active Shooter" video game was pulled days before it was to be released on the video-game marketplace Steam. Valve Corp. as Steam's parent company said Tuesday that it was removing the computer video game because the developer was a "troll with a history of customer abuse." The game was developed by Revived Games, published by Acid and lead by a person named Ata Berdiyev, who had previously been kicked off of the platform under a different business name. The game allows players to re-create school shootings by stalking school hallways and racking up kills. It was condemned by the parents of students killed during a Florida school shooting in February.

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Taliban are assailing President Donald Trump's rejection of peace talks, interpreting his assertion that "there's no talking to the Taliban" as a dictate to the Afghan government. The English-language statement released Tuesday, says: "The true authority of war and peace is not with the Kabul regime, but with the American invaders." Trump on Monday railed against "atrocities" in Afghanistan, ruling out talks with the Taliban after earlier indicating negotiations could be a way out of America's longest war. While saying talks remained an option to peace, the Taliban warned Trump's talks veto would most certainly result in more war and bloodshed. The Taliban took responsibility for a brutal bombing last week that used an ambulance to evade detection, killing more than 100 people.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Melania Trump is hosting executives from major online and social media companies to discuss cyberbullying and internet safety, more than a year after saying that would be her issue as first lady. The meeting Tuesday marks her first public event on the topic, a choice some observers have questioned given that her husband often berates people on Twitter. Amazon, Snap, Facebook, Google and Twitter are among the companies that are expected to attend the meeting. The Internet Association said it will also be represented. All the major technology companies have strict policies prohibiting harassment and other bullying behavior on their services, but primarily rely on users to report abuses and weed them out. They try to clearly spell out the kinds of remarks and other posts that won't be tolerated in special sections such as one Facebook, the largest online social network, has set up. Instagram, a popular service among kids and young adults for sharing photos and videos, provides links to the U.S. government's anti-bullying site and tips from a cyberbullying research center on one of its help pages. But the efforts so far have fallen short, leading to rampant abuses that even some of the companies acknowledge have driven away or tormented portions of their audience. It got so bad on Twitter, which has 68 million U.S. users, that the San Francisco company vowed last fall to crack down on hateful tweets. Among other things, Twitter adopted new policies aimed at protecting women who unknowingly or unwillingly had nude pictures of themselves distributed online — a common bullying tactic. Yik Yak, another messaging app once popular among high school and college students, shut down last year partly because schools banned it following complaints about bullying and harassment. Online bullying takes many shapes, but some of the most common tactics include posting embarrassing or salacious photos, making demeaning or cruel remarks under a photo or in a general post about someone, and sharing screenshots of what at least one person thought was a private text. Harassment is widespread and extends beyond teenagers. A Pew Research Center poll last year found 41 percent of U.S. adults believed they had been harassed online. The popularity of and volume of content on major social media sites presents a huge challenge in policing what is being shared. Facebook, for instance, has 2.1 billion worldwide users who collectively share billions of posts on their pages daily. More than 300 hours of video is uploaded to Google's YouTube site every minute. The companies are also constantly struggling to balance the desire to prevent harassment and other abuses and maintain a commitment to freedom of expression. In some cases, they see harassment and still look the other way. For instance, some of President Trump's more vitriolic tweets have openly mocked and denigrated people, prompting calls for Twitter to shut down his account and ban him from its service. But Twitter has declined, maintaining the news value of the president's tweets eclipse complaints about him being a bully. There is no federal law that applies to bullying. State laws vary, ranging from requiring public schools to have a bullying policy to requiring anonymous reporting systems, said Sameer Hinduja, co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Center and professor of criminology at Florida Atlantic University. The federal government can best help by giving schools more tools and money to provide programs, Hinduja said. Mrs. Trump announced in a speech near the end of the 2016 presidential campaign that her priority as first lady would be to fight cyberbullying. A native of Slovenia, she at the time lamented a U.S. culture that she said had grown "too mean and too rough." It was a curious speech for a woman whose husband uses Twitter to dismiss people as losers and taunt them with unflattering nicknames. The mother of a 12-year-old son, the first lady has made child well-being her focus in the White House, including an unexpected interest in how the opioid crisis is affecting youngsters. She has visited hospitals and care centers to see the effects first hand, and has embraced parents whose children died from drug overdoses. She accompanied the president to New Hampshire on Monday as he discussed a three-pronged effort to combat drug addiction, including applying the death penalty against those caught trafficking highly addictive substances. Mrs. Trump recently asked the spouses of U.S. governors to help promote values such as encouragement, kindness, compassion and respect in children. She has also spoken about limiting the amount of time children spend online, and helping them understand the content they are exposed to. ___ AP Business Writer Michael Liedtke in San Francisco contributed to this report. ___ Follow Darlene Superville on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dsupervilleap

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Latest on Game 2 of the Stanley Cup final between the Washington Capitals and Vegas Golden Knights (all times local): 6:25 p.m. Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final is under way in Las Vegas. Imagine Dragons kicked up the pregame festivities a notch, playing its hit "Whatever It Takes," following the Vegas Golden Knights' elaborate show that precedes each game. The Washington Capitals trail Vegas 1-0 but are used to playing from behind. Washington fell behind in each of the first three rounds and rallied to win. The Capitals opened the playoffs with two losses to Columbus before roaring back to win four straight. They lost Game 1 in the second round against Pittsburgh before bouncing back with a win in Game 2 and eliminating the two-time defending champion Penguins in Game 6. Washington won its first two games against Tampa Bay in the Eastern Conference finals, but then lost three straight, forcing the franchise to win two decisive games to advance. If the Capitals end up winning the Final, they will join the 1991 Pittsburgh Penguins as the only Stanley Cup champions to trail in every series. ___ 4:20 p.m. Hours before Vegas hosted Washington in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, fans filed in the plaza outside T-Mobile Arena on a 98-degree day in the desert. Some of those gathered were holding the hottest ticket in town. Many planned to simply soak up the atmosphere while watching the game on big screens outside the arena with thousands of new friends. The Golden Knights' logo was worked into hairdos of fans willing to make the commitment while others opted to have their face painted in black and gold. ___ 2:15 p.m. The Strip has hosted countless events over the years, featuring stars on stage and in the ring. Las Vegas can now add a championship game in a major professional sports league to its list. And, Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final has a tough act to follow. The Vegas Golden Knights opened with a 6-4 win over the Washington Capitals, co-starring teams that combined for a Final-record four lead changes. There also were big hits, some which might have lingering effects Wednesday night. Washington's Tom Wilson was penalized for blindsiding Vegas' Jonathan Marchessault after he passed the puck in Game 1. Ryan Reaves scored a tying goal Monday night after appearing to get away with cross-checking Capitals defenseman John Carlson. ___ More Stanley Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/StanleyCupFinals

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Mathieu Perreault scored two goals and added an assist to help the Winnipeg Jets halt a three-game losing streak with a 5-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Monday night. The win was the Jets' seventh straight victory at home and they have points in their last 11 games (10-0-1) at Bell MTS Place. The Canucks have lost three straight in regulation for the first time this season. Dmitry Kulikov, Josh Morrissey and Nikolaj Ehlers also scored for Winnipeg (18-8-5). Ehlers' 14th of the season was on the power play and gave him goals in three straight games. Brock Boeser scored his team-leading 16th goal for the Canucks. He also extended his goal-scoring streak to three games. Connor Hellebuyck made 25 saves for Winnipeg. Jacob Markstrom stopped 19 shots for Vancouver (14-13-4). The teams were tied 1-1 after the first period and Winnipeg led 3-1 after two. Markstrom let in a surprising goal 88 seconds into the first, squeezing his pads on Kulikov's point shot, but the puck slid into the net behind him. Boeser tied it up at 6:53 after Henrik Sedin took the puck around the back of Winnipeg's net and fed a pass to Boeser in the slot. The Canucks outshot the Jets 10-4 in the opening frame. Winnipeg carried a late man advantage into the second, but Markstrom made a quick save on Kyle Connor's deflection right in front of him and a glove grab on an Ehlers' shot to help kill the penalty. Winnipeg got another power play at 2:55 when Sam Gagner was called for holding and Perreault fired in his goal from the slot exactly two minutes later. The Jets capitalized on their next power play when, 37 seconds after Nic Dowd went off for hooking, Tyler Myers' blast produced a long rebound to Ehlers at the top of the circle that made it 3-1 at 14:09. The Canucks' shot advantage after two periods was 17-15. Morrissey scored his fourth goal of the season with a redirection on a 3-on-1 with Adam Lowry and Andrew Copp at 11:38. Christopher Tanev was the lone defender. Perreault netted an unassisted goal with 44 seconds left. Vancouver was 0 for 2 on the power play and Winnipeg 1 for 3. Notes: Winnipeg was without defenseman Dustin Byfuglien, who was put on injured reserve with a lower-body injury suffered in last Saturday's 4-3 overtime loss to Tampa Bay. Head coach Paul Maurice said he didn't expect him back on the ice until after Christmas. Rookie Tucker Poolman took his roster spot ... Vancouver was missing top-line forwards Bo Horvat (broken foot) and Sven Baertschi (fractured jaw). UP NEXT: Canucks: host Nashville on Wednesday night. Jets: host Chicago on Thursday.

BOSTON (AP) — The Latest on Massachusetts Gaming Commission review of Wynn casino license (all times local): 3:45 p.m. A Massachusetts Gaming Commission investigator says information about a $7.5 million settlement was kept from Massachusetts officials when they were reviewing the suitability of casino magnate Steve Wynn in 2013 as his company sought a casino license in the state. Karen Wells made the statement Wednesday as the commission opened its investigation into a report by The Wall Street Journal that a number of women said they were harassed or assaulted by Wynn. One case led to a $7.5 million settlement. Wynn, whose company is building a $2.4 billion casino outside Boston, has denied the allegations. Commission Chairman Stephen Crosby said that any decision, including possibly revoking the license, will be based on facts gleaned during the commission's ongoing probe. Gambling regulators in Nevada said Tuesday they are also investigating Wynn. ___ 8:53 Massachusetts gambling regulators are holding a special meeting to discuss sexual misconduct allegations against casino magnate Steve Wynn, whose company is building a $2.4 billion casino outside Boston. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission will receive an update on an investigation Wednesday. Republican Gov. Charlie Baker says if the allegations are true, Wynn would "fail to meet the suitability standard under the state gaming law." Gambling regulators in Nevada said Tuesday they are also investigating Wynn. The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that a number of women said they were harassed or assaulted by Wynn, and that one case led to a $7.5 million settlement. Wynn has denied the allegations. Under the 2011 Massachusetts casino law, a license can be suspended or revoked if a licensee is found "unsuitable to operate a gaming establishment."

Police on Monday were focusing on phone records to try to piece together how a group of friends wound up at a Pennsylvania self-serve car wash, where a gunman lying in wait in the early morning hours killed four of them and injured one who managed to hide. The suspected shooter, 28-year-old Timothy Smith, suffered a gunshot wound to the head in the Sunday shooting at Ed's Car Wash in Melcroft, a rural town about 55 miles (89 kilometers) southeast of Pittsburgh. He's on life support and isn't expected to survive what authorities believe may be a self-inflicted injury. Smith was a jealous ex-boyfriend of 25-year-old victim Chelsie Cline, according to family members of some of the victims. Also killed were William Porterfield, 27; Courtney Snyder, 23; and Seth Cline, 21. Another woman was able to hide in the back seat of a truck and only suffered minor injuries from broken glass, police said. Chelsie Cline and Seth Cline were half-siblings. Four days before the shooting, Chelsie Cline had shared a meme on Facebook reading "After this week, I rlly need to get taken out ... on a date or by a sniper either one is fine w me at this point." A Facebook friend, Tim Smith, replied: "I could do both." Timothy Smith was obsessed with Cline after they dated, leaving beer for her on her car and sending her flowers and other presents, said Chelsie Cline's half-sister, Sierra Kolarik, in an interview with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Kolarik said Smith "came off as the most kind-hearted person" but that his interests were "guns and guns and guns and shooting and beer and rolling cigarettes." Porterfield and Chelsie Cline spent time together in the days before the shooting after Cline broke off a relationship with Smith, Porterfield's widow, Jenna Porterfield, 24, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. She said a state police investigator told her Smith was Cline's jealous former boyfriend. "I was told my husband was cheating on me with (one of the victims), and that she had broken up with her previous boyfriend two days ago, and he went crazy and shot them all," she said. State police said Smith was the first person to arrive at the car wash and parked his pickup truck on the side of the two-bay car wash. They said he shot Porterfield and Chelsie Cline when they got out of their car and walked to the side of the car wash. Snyder and Seth Cline arrived in a pickup truck and were both shot and killed in their vehicle, state police said. A man who lives nearby said he heard about 30 gunshots over a span of several minutes. Vicki Snyder lives down the road from Smith's family and said her children were in school with the Smith children. Smith's brother was the best man in her son's wedding. "He seemed like a normal kid," she said of Smith, who was in the same grade as her daughter. "He seemed kind of quiet, but he was the youngest and he was always polite and very nice." She said Smith lived at home and helped out his older sister who uses a wheelchair after injuring her spine in a car accident a few years ago. "They are just a typical family that had some tragedy and dealt with it," Snyder said. "They're down-to-earth, nice, regular people."

TOKYO (AP) — The men's and women's marathon for Tokyo's Olympics in 2020 will start and finish in the new Olympic stadium, which organizers say last happened in the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. The organizing committee announced the course layout on Thursday. It's a flat route with an uphill finish leading to the new stadium that is still under construction. Organizers said the original bid had the marathon scheduled to start at 7:30 am to avoid Tokyo's summer heat and humidity. Tokyo spokesman Masa Takaya said a confirmed starting time was expected to be announced in July at a meeting of the International Olympic Committee's executive board.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The U.N. special envoy on human rights in Myanmar says the military's violent operations against Rohingya Muslims bear "the hallmarks of a genocide." Yanghee Lee told reporters Thursday in Seoul, where she is based, that she couldn't make a definitive declaration about genocide until a credible international tribunal or court had weighed the evidence but "we are seeing signs and it is building up to that." Responding to a question about an Associated Press report that details a massacre and at least five mass graves in the Myanmar village of Gu Dar Pyin, Lee said that while she didn't have specific details on the village, "you can see it's a pattern" that has emerged in the Rohingya persecution. Nearly 700,000 Rohingya have fled their villages into Bangladesh since August.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A red wagon decorated as a shrimp boat with nets extending out from either side carried a waving 2-year-old dressed as a shellfish being pulled by his parents who wore white rubber shrimping boots. The family was among more than 100 revelers marching through the streets of New Orleans on Jan. 20 in the Krewe of Confetti Kids parade — one of the many kid-centered events held during the Carnival season leading up to Fat Tuesday on Feb. 13. Other children dressed as princesses, mermaids, and firefighters while a brass band serenaded the crowd. "I love Mardi Gras," said 7-year-old Virginia Strong, who wore a 1950's style polka dot dress with a string of pearl beads around her neck. "It's fun to dress up and have fun with your friends." The weeks-long celebration leading up to Fat Tuesday is often perceived as an adults-only holiday with drunken roguishness and women flashing their breasts for beads. And to be fair, that's certainly a factor in the French Quarter's famed Bourbon Street festivities. But elsewhere, children and families are as much a part of the revelry as anyone — many say they're the heart and soul of the holiday. Children can be seen lining the parade routes, families spend weeks making costumes together and there's even kid-centered parades. "This is the best quality family time we get all year, because we spend more weekends together costuming and going to parades together, and it's just wonderful," said Ariana Maria Ybarra, a married mother with two young girls. Ybarra said her family has been spending recent weeks preparing for Chewbacchus, the Star Wars-themed walking parade in the city's Marigny neighborhood slated for Feb. 3: "We're going as a family of Martians." The largest of the kid parades is Little Rascals, which has floats, marching bands, dancing groups, Mardi Gras Indians in full feathered headdresses, Cajun Indians on horseback, and kids tossing cups, beads, toys, pralines, moon pies and other snacks. "There's something for everyone, and the great thing about it is that the kids are just kids," said Maureen Spittler, who co-founded the parade in 1983 with her husband, Jack. Launched 35 years ago with about 50 kids and three floats, the parade now has nearly 20 floats and nearly 300 kids. There's even a Little Rascals ball — the only formal ball children are allowed to attend. The more than 200 kids riding in Sunday's parade danced the night away Thursday at a glitzy ball held in their honor. On Sunday, even a drizzly rain didn't stop thousands of people from lining the parade route in Metairie to see the Little Rascals parade. "This parade is great because it's all kids," said Angie Eymard, who arrived at the route hours ahead of the parade with cousins and friends donning Mardi Gras colors of purple, green and gold. "It's all kids throwing stuff, and it's nice to see their smiling faces. And I don't have to worry about people getting too rowdy. It's very family-oriented." Families and kids are a fixture at all the parades rolling along the oak tree-lined St. Charles Ave. Families camp out early, often setting up specially-designed ladders with a seat on top for kids. The seat gives kids a special vantage point to catch beads or other items given out by people on the floats. The ladders are usually artfully painted and equipped with wheels on them to make it easier for the families to roll home at the end of the day. On the weekends, families usually spend the day camped out on the parade route, often with a picnic, watching parade after parade go by. The New Orleans suburb of Metairie hosts an annual "Family Gras" celebration with live music. This year's celebration is Feb. 2-3. Parades like Little Rascals are one-day events but preparations happen year-round. "It is hard, hectic work all year long, and then you see the kids, and you see those smiles, and you see how beautifully they do with their costumes, and it's all worth it," she said. Joshua Maurice, the Spittlers' 18-year-old great-grandson, has — like his mother before him — ridden in every Little Rascals parade since birth. He said he takes pride in helping to carry on his family's legacy of community and Carnival fun. "I play with all the little kids, make them feel like they're a part of something," he said. "So that ... it's something that they're going to want to come back and do every year."

CHISINAU, Moldova (AP) — Moldova's intelligence agency says it has broken up a suspected extremist Islamic group that was spreading propaganda online and whose members had illegal weapons. The Intelligence and Security Service said Wednesday that agents had searched the homes of a number of Moldovan citizens in the northeastern town of Soroca, and found pistols, semi-automatic rifles and other weapons. It says members are accused of "propagating radical Islamic ideology," on social media and elsewhere and illegally possessing firearms. The agency did not provide details about the number of suspects or whether they had been detained. If found guilty, suspects face up to seven years in prison.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Authorities say two children and two adults are unaccounted for after an overnight house fire in Cleveland. Firefighters say a woman believed to be the children's mother escaped the fire early Tuesday morning by jumping from the home on the city's east side. She was taken to a hospital, and information about her condition wasn't immediately released. Investigators say a 4-year-old boy, an 8-year-old girl, their father and another man are missing. Firefighters say the blaze caused severe damage, hindering their ability to search the charred home. There was no immediate word on what caused the fire. The state fire marshal's office will help investigate.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The security chief for the head of the Environmental Protection Agency has been operating an outside consulting firm without proper approval from ethics officials, Democratic lawmakers said Tuesday. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt last year tapped EPA special agent Pasquale "Nino" Perrotta to be his security chief and lead his 20-member personal protective detail. Perrota also is the top executive at Sequoia Security Group, a Maryland-based security firm. Perrotta received clearance in March 2013 for limited non-government consulting work, but was required to get updated approval if his job duties changed. Perrotta received a significant promotion and pay raise last year. The 2013 approval, which was in effect for a five-year period that expired last month, also barred Perrotta from using his government position to advance his personal interests. The Associated Press reported in December that EPA paid $3,000 to contractor Edwin Steinmetz Associates last year to search Pruitt's office for secret listening devices. Steinmetz is also listed as a vice president at Perrotta's security firm. Emails obtained by congressional Democrats showed that Perrotta played a role in the decision to conduct the bug sweep, the contract for which the lawmakers allege he improperly steered to Steinmetz. Tuesday's letter was signed by Democratic Sens. Tom Carper of Delaware and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, who serve on a committee with oversight of EPA. They ask an agency ethics official to re-examine whether Perrotta's outside employment violated agency rules. Steinmetz found no listening devices. EPA's Office of Homeland Security later determined the sweep was "very basic and cursory" and "did not employ the equipment, proper certification, or necessary processes" to be approved by the U.S. government for sensitive facilities, according to internal EPA documents. In an interview with AP on Monday, Steinmetz defended the quality of his work. The bug sweep was part of a larger push by Pruitt to enhance his personal security that included spending on first-class airfare he claims was justified after unpleasant interactions with other travelers. The Government Accountability Office found earlier this month that a $43,000 privacy booth bought for Pruitt to make private phone calls violated federal purchasing laws. ___ Follow Associated Press environmental reporter Michael Biesecker at http://twitter.com/mbieseck

Prominent Russia critic and financier Bill Browder was temporarily detained by Spanish police on Wednesday over a Russian arrest warrant. There was conflicting information over whether the tax evasion warrant was valid. "Just was arrested by Spanish police in Madrid on a Russian Interpol arrest warrant. Going to the police station right now," Browder wrote in his Twitter account of the incident, delivered almost in real time. The US-born British hedge fund manager has a tense history with the administration of Russian President Vladimir Putin. At one point his firm, Hermitage Capital Management, was the largest foreign portfolio investor in Russia. However, beginning in 2005, Browder was barred from entering Russia – according to Moscow, because he was a threat to national security, but according to Browder, because he exposed corruption. Things took a turn for the worse in 2009, when Browder's employee Sergei Magnitsky died in prison after accusing a number of Russian officials of involvement in a tax fraud scheme. In 2012 Browder successfully lobbied the US Congress to pass the Magnitsky Act, which officially held the Kremlin responsible for Magnitsky's death. In retaliation, Moscow barred US adoptions of Russian children. Since then, Russian courts have convicted Browder of tax evasion in absentia multiple times. Browder in Madrid to present Magnitsky evidence Browder said he was in Spain "to give evidence to senior Spanish anti-Russian mafia prosecutor Jose Grinda about the huge amount of money from the Magnitsky case that flowed to Spain." Spain is one of 15 countries allegedly used to launder 30 million euros ($35 million) connected to Magnitsky's death. Browder later said he was able to meet with Grinda after his release from Spanish custody. Spanish authorities said that he was arrested in error and released when they found the Interpol warrant against him to be outdated and therefore invalid, details Browder disputed: "Just to be clear, my arrest this morning in Madrid was the result of a SIXTH Russian arrest warrant using Interpol channels. It was NOT an expired warrant, but a live one. Interpol is incapable of stopping Russian abuse of their systems. Global criminal justice watchdog Fair Trials also criticized Russia's abuse of the Interpol warrant system, but said that "Interpol should scrutinize alerts before it puts them out through its international networks… Spain should also exercise sense and discretion before arresting people. The result could have been very different if it weren't for Browder's high profile." es/msh (AP, Reuters)

PAYSON, Utah (AP) — The father of a boy who has Down syndrome is suing the Boys Scouts of America for blocking his son from becoming an Eagle scout and revoking his merit badges. Logan Blythe has been a scout through the National Parks Council in Utah. His father, Chad, says the 15-year-old has advanced because the council has made accommodations when necessary. He had planned to create kits for special-needs babies for his Eagle project when the family learned the national organization voided every merit badge he obtained. The family sued the Boy Scouts and the Utah National Parks Council for "outrageous and reckless conduct." The organization says it worked with the committee and the Blythe family to offer "alternative merit badges" and a path to becoming an Eagle.

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — A suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden vehicle at the gate of a popular restaurant in Somalia's capital, and gunmen were fighting their way inside, police said Wednesday night. A hostage situation was under way at the Pizza House restaurant, said Capt. Mohamed Hussein. Many of the restaurant's workers are foreigners, mostly from Ethiopia. Hussein had no immediate information about any casualties. The Somalia-based extremist group al-Shabab often targets high-profile areas of Mogadishu, including hotels, military checkpoints and areas near the presidential palace. It has vowed to step up attacks after the recently elected government launched a new military offensive against it. Al-Shabab last year became the deadliest Islamic extremist group in Africa, with more than 4,200 people killed in 2016, according to the Washington-based Africa Center for Strategic Studies. ___ This version corrects the name of the restaurant to Pizza House.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The St. Louis Fire Department says a paramedic training officer falsely claimed he ran to the aid victims at the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. Shawn Daniel was honored at a St. Louis Blues hockey game in January. A posting on the Fire Department's Facebook page on Jan. 18 said he was among the emergency workers who hurried to help those injured in the bombing. Daniel was working at the time for a private ambulance company near Boston. But the Fire Department says in a statement Tuesday that Daniel was never on the scene of the bombing and did not provide medical assistance. The Fire Department apologized. The statement does not say what discipline Daniel might face. A message left with a department spokesman Wednesday wasn't immediately returned.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The rival Koreas began two days of friendly basketball games in Pyongyang in their latest goodwill gesture amid a diplomatic push to resolve the nuclear standoff with North Korea. Women from North and South Korea were mixed into two teams that competed against each other Wednesday at Pyongyang's Ryugyong Jong Ju Yong Gymnasium. A game between the men's mixed teams will be held later in the day. The South Koreans will play against the North Korean men's and women's teams on Thursday before returning home on Friday. The games will precede a planned three-day visit to North Korea by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for meetings over the future of the North's nuclear program.

NEW YORK (AP) — Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has made fixing Facebook his personal challenge this year, and the company has already announced several changes to that end. For example, it's showing users more posts from friends and family instead of businesses and publishers. But it's far from clear if these tweaks will produce lasting change, or if they're merely cosmetic adjustments designed to generate goodwill while keeping people glued to Facebook. Critics such as Roger McNamee, a venture capitalist and early Facebook investor, say the recent changes don't address the threats to elections or public health that Facebook needs to address. Zuckerberg says it will take some time — "months," perhaps — for its changes to make their way to users.

NEW YORK (AP) — Kenneth Chenault, wearing no sport coat and no tie, with a large cup of tea in front of him, fits an image of a man ready for retirement. Chenault is days away from stepping down as the chief executive officer and chairman of American Express, the credit card giant and one of the most iconic brands in the country. He will have run American Express for 17 years, guiding the company through the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, the global financial crisis and numerous challenges to its position as the go-to payment option for the wealthy and well-traveled. The son of a dentist from Long Island, New York, who grew up as a black man during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, Chenault never expected to be CEO of a major company, let alone work 37 years at the same one. "I can honestly say I was approached by bigger companies, moments where people would say 'wow, that's a great opportunity.' But this has been my dream job," Chenault said. He sat down with The Associated Press for his last interview before leaving the company. Who can blame Chenault, 66, for moving on? His successor as CEO and chairman, Steve Squeri, is well on his way to be trained for the job. Any problems that happened under Chenault's watch, like the loss of a lucrative Costco partnership, have been neatly cleaned up. Since Chenault became CEO in 2001, American Express' annual profits have risen from $1.31 billion to an adjusted $5.3 billion, excluding the impact of the new tax law. Sales rose from $17.71 billion to $35.58 billion and the stock has more than doubled and is trading at record highs. That said, AmEx shares did underperform the overall S&P 500 index, but outperformed other banks. "I hate to see Ken leave. I mean, he's done a terrific job. His record is really hard to match in corporate America," said Warren Buffett, the billionaire investor, in an interview with the AP. Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway is the largest shareholder of American Express, owning 17.5 percent of the company. Under Chenault, American Express has expanded from its well-to-do and corporate expense account customers into more consumer products. AmEx now markets toward families buying groceries and gasoline an American Express Everyday Card, just as much it markets the Platinum Card toward the jet set who charge six figures a year. But at the same time, AmEx has faced increased competition while Chenault has been CEO. The company once stood alone in the high-end credit card market. Now there's the Sapphire Reserve Card by JPMorgan Chase, and Prestige by Citigroup, each with its own points program designed by former AmEx executives. That competition forced AmEx to respond with increased benefits on its premium cards to either keep up with or outsmart its rivals. Last year, AmEx raised the annual fee by $100 to $550, but added new benefits like a $200 a year credit on Uber. The company said it ended 2017 with the most Platinum Card users ever, despite the fee increase. "Ken and his management team have built a terrific business even through a tough competitive environment," said Gordon Smith, who runs the consumer banking division at JPMorgan Chase. He used to run the U.S. cards business at AmEx before going off to compete directly with Chenault. The biggest threat to Chenault's legacy came not from a competitor, but from a customer: Costco. The warehouse chain and American Express had a business partnership that stretched back to 1999, where Costco would only accept AmEx credit cards. There was also a co-brand credit card program between the two companies. But that business relationship came to an abrupt halt in 2015, when Costco announced it was changing its credit card payment network to Visa Inc. and that Citigroup would take over the co-brand card. At the time of the announcement, the retailer represented 8 percent of all spending on the American Express payment network and 20 percent of all loans. "If Chenault had left two years ago, we would be having a different conversation," said Sanjay Sakhrani, an analyst with Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, who covers American Express. American Express is both a payment processing company as well as a credit card issuer. Unlike Visa, which acts as a middle man between the bank that issues a debit or credit card and the merchant that accepts it, AmEx operates what it calls a "closed loop" business where it does both. AmEx makes most of its money off its so-called "discount rate." While the rate varies from business to business, and industry to industry, typically AmEx charges the merchant a small percentage of each transaction. The company's average discount rate was 2.41 percent in the fourth quarter last year. Chenault remained an adamant defender of AmEx's traditional business model, and urged patience from investors. He also argued at the time that the discount rate that Costco wanted for its new contract with AmEx "didn't make economic sense." To make up for the Costco loss, the company successfully pumped billions into increased marketing to existing Costco card users to get them to switch to new AmEx card before handing over the portfolio to Citigroup. And the company is now trying to grow loans on its own products by allowing customers to carry a balance instead of paying the full amount at the end of the month, as was traditional with AmEx's charge cards. "When the Costco deal came along, I'll bet 90 percent of the analysts on Wall Street were all questioning 'how can you give up Costco?' But he was perfectly willing to take some sticks and stones for a couple years and he knew he was doing the right thing," Buffett said. American Express still faces threats to its business. It is still typically the most expensive card for merchants to accept and some merchants have concluded they can do without the access to AmEx's high-spending card members. Its recent choice to expand into lending could put the company more at risk if a deep recession comes again. Along with increased competition, Chenault faced two other crises under his watch. Chenault was less than a year into his role as CEO when the September 11th attacks happened. American Express's headquarters, located at 200 Vesey Street in Manhattan, was, and still is, directly across the street from the World Trade Center site. The building was heavily damaged and unusable for months. American Express lost 11 employees in the attack. With no headquarters, American Express had to improvise and move its operations to New Jersey and office parks around New York, Connecticut and New Jersey for months after the attacks. The 2008 financial crisis also fundamentally changed AmEx. While AmEx never held any toxic mortgages or complicated financial products, it did have a direct exposure to the U.S. consumer through its credit cards. Losses skyrocketed as people and businesses failed to pay their bills. AmEx received $3.4 billion in funds from the $700 billion bank bailout program in late 2008, which it then repaid less than a year later. The company came under more regulatory oversight, and now has to participate in the Federal Reserve's "stress tests." "Whether it was the tragedy of 9/11, the financial crisis, or the reordering of our co-brand partnerships (like Costco), we've emerged stronger," Chenault said. Chenault is a reserved person. He doesn't weigh in on big public issues, do interviews often, or carry that big public persona that colleagues like JPMorgan Chase's Jamie Dimon or Goldman Sachs' Lloyd Blankfein have. He does have one role that he's keenly aware of, however. When Chenault became CEO, he was only the third black CEO of a Fortune 500 company ever. And for several years after his appointment, other black men and women were hired as CEOs, at companies such as McDonald's, Xerox and Merrill Lynch. But that trend has reversed. With Chenault retiring, there will be only three black CEOs at Fortune 500 companies: drug company Pfizer, financial company TIAA and retail chain JCPenney. "It's embarrassing. There are thousands of people who are just as qualified or more qualified than I am who deserve this opportunity, but haven't been given the opportunity. You need a pipeline of people coming in. You need to create an environment where people are embraced and engaged rather than just tolerated." Chenault has been well paid for his work at AmEx. He owns 1.26 million shares of American Express, a stake worth more than $120 million, which does not include the options and unvested stock awards he will get when he retires, potentially worth hundreds of millions of dollars. He has used his wealth and position to promote African-American causes as well as education and finding treatments for drug addiction. He is chairman of the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., and helped raise the money needed to complete the building. In his next chapter, Chenault isn't entirely leaving the corporate world. He will be joining the corporate boards of Facebook and Airbnb, on top of the boards of IBM and Proctor & Gamble that he current sits on. Chenault said he's excited about joining Facebook, particularly at a time when the social media giant's role in modern culture is under scrutiny. He will be the first black person to join the company's board. "I think (Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg) recognizes Facebook's importance in developing communities, but also understands the responsibilities that come with that," Chenault said. "I'm excited . about the opportunity to help him achieve that vision." ___ Ken Sweet covers banks and financial issues for The Associated Press. Follow him on Twitter at @kensweet.

NEW DELHI (AP) — A media watch group has expressed serious concern at "an alarming deterioration in the working environment of journalists in India" and demanded that the government ensure the safety of journalists who are feeling threatened. Reporters Without Borders said in a report Wednesday that that at least three journalists were killed in India in 2017 and that a fourth case is still under investigation. In 2018, the situation appears to have worsened significantly, with four journalists killed in the first six months of the year. The report said, "The hate speech directed toward journalists has increased massively, causing serious concern for their safety." There was no immediate reaction from the Indian government. The group demanded a swift and independent investigation of cases in which journalists have been targeted.

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 85 343 47 106 .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.

BAGHDAD (AP) — The United Nations says it will not be "engaged in any way or form" in the process surrounding the independence referendum in Iraq's northern semi-autonomous Kurdish region that's planned for September. The statement by the U.N. special mission to Iraq, or UNAMI, could cast doubts on the credibility of the vote, which has already sparked wide criticism from the central government in Baghdad and several Western nations. UNAMI's statement was released late on Wednesday. The president of the Kurdish region, Masoud Barzani, last week said the vote will determine whether the Kurdish region would secede from Iraq. The vote is to be held in three governorates that make up the Kurdish region and also in areas that are contested by both the Kurds and the central government.

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine officials say the government is considering adding airports to serve the capital Manila and nearby areas, including a sprawling airport city complex that could handle 100 million passengers a year. Manila's congested international airport once was dubbed the world's worst airport in surveys by travel website The Guide to Sleeping in Airports. Improvements have allowed it to escape that listing since 2015, but it remains overly congested. Transport Undersecretary Roberto Lim said a multi-airport system could include the present airport in Manila, an expanded Clark airport northwest of the capital that could handle 8 million passengers per year, another 2,500-hectare (6,177.5 acre) airport in Bulacan, also north of Manila, and possibly yet another airport and seaport in the former U.S. naval station in Cavite province adjacent to Manila.

All Times EST EASTERN CONFERENCE GP W L OT Pts GF GA Home Away Div Tampa Bay 49 34 12 3 71 175 125 17-5-1 17-7-2 9-3-1 Boston 47 29 10 8 66 156 116 16-5-4 13-5-4 10-1-2 Washington 49 29 15 5 63 150 138 18-7-1 11-8-4 8-4-3 Toronto 51 28 18 5 61 162 146 13-8-2 15-10-3 6-4-1 Columbus 49 27 19 3 57 131 137 16-8-0 11-11-3 8-5-2 Pittsburgh 51 27 21 3 57 151 153 17-7-1 10-14-2 10-4-0 New Jersey 48 24 16 8 56 144 146 13-8-3 11-8-5 5-6-1 Philadelphia 49 24 17 8 56 141 141 13-9-4 11-8-4 5-2-4 N.Y. Rangers 50 25 20 5 55 153 151 17-8-3 8-12-2 7-6-3 N.Y. Islanders 50 25 20 5 55 172 180 13-7-3 12-13-2 7-7-1 Carolina 49 22 19 8 52 137 154 10-7-4 12-12-4 6-5-3 Detroit 48 19 21 8 46 126 146 10-10-7 9-11-1 6-9-2 Montreal 49 20 23 6 46 129 156 12-10-5 8-13-1 9-6-2 Florida 47 19 22 6 44 132 158 11-8-3 8-14-3 6-4-1 Ottawa 47 15 23 9 39 124 166 9-11-5 6-12-4 5-8-3 Buffalo 49 14 26 9 37 114 163 6-12-3 8-14-6 3-5-2 WESTERN CONFERENCE GP W L OT Pts GF GA Home Away Div Vegas 48 32 12 4 68 164 128 19-3-2 13-9-2 11-1-1 Winnipeg 50 29 13 8 66 164 136 17-3-1 12-10-7 7-5-2 Nashville 47 29 11 7 65 145 123 16-4-3 13-7-4 10-3-2 St. Louis 51 30 18 3 63 148 130 17-10-0 13-8-3 7-4-1 Dallas 50 28 18 4 60 155 134 17-7-1 11-11-3 7-10-0 San Jose 48 26 15 7 59 143 133 14-7-3 12-8-4 12-2-3 Calgary 49 25 16 8 58 137 135 12-11-3 13-5-5 8-5-3 Colorado 48 27 18 3 57 157 139 18-7-1 9-11-2 7-6-1 Los Angeles 49 26 18 5 57 139 121 12-9-3 14-9-2 6-9-3 Minnesota 49 26 18 5 57 144 140 17-4-4 9-14-1 8-8-0 Anaheim 50 24 17 9 57 141 141 14-9-3 10-8-6 8-5-5 Chicago 49 23 19 7 53 146 136 12-10-3 11-9-4 5-7-2 Edmonton 49 22 24 3 47 135 157 11-13-1 11-11-2 10-2-0 Vancouver 49 19 24 6 44 127 159 8-13-3 11-11-3 5-9-1 Arizona 50 12 29 9 33 118 172 6-15-3 6-14-6 1-7-5 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 Central All-Stars vs Pacific All-Stars: Pacific 5, Central 2 Metropolitan All-Stars vs Atlantic All-Stars: Atlantic 7, Metropolitan 4 All-Star Game Final: Pacific 5, Atlantic 2 Monday's Games No games scheduled Tuesday's Games Minnesota at Columbus, 7 p.m. San Jose at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. Florida at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m. Anaheim at Boston, 7 p.m. Ottawa at Carolina, 7 p.m. New Jersey at Buffalo, 7 p.m. Tampa Bay at Winnipeg, 8 p.m. Montreal at St. Louis, 8 p.m. Chicago at Nashville, 8 p.m. Los Angeles at Dallas, 8:30 p.m. Vegas at Calgary, 9 p.m. Colorado at Vancouver, 10 p.m. Wednesday's Games N.Y. Islanders at Toronto, 7:30 p.m. San Jose at Detroit, 8 p.m. Philadelphia at Washington, 8 p.m. Thursday's Games Toronto at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m. Montreal at Carolina, 7 p.m. St. Louis at Boston, 7 p.m. Florida at Buffalo, 7 p.m. Anaheim at Ottawa, 7 p.m. Philadelphia at New Jersey, 7 p.m. Vegas at Winnipeg, 8 p.m. Los Angeles at Nashville, 8:30 p.m. Tampa Bay at Calgary, 9 p.m. Dallas at Arizona, 9 p.m. Colorado at Edmonton, 9 p.m. Chicago at Vancouver, 10 p.m.

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 24, 2018--SeniorWell, a mobile healthcare company delivering on-site podiatry, optometry, dentistry, and audiology services to seniors residing in long-term nursing facilities across the Midwest, today announced the hiring of Sherri Peavy, MBA, BSN, RN as Chief Operating Officer. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424006409/en/ Sherri Peavy Hired as SeniorWell's New Chief Operating Officer (Photo: Business Wire) As SeniorWell’s new Chief Operating Officer, Peavy will increase operational efficiencies to better serve SeniorWell’s employees and patients. Peavy is a lifelong native of Chicago and has more than 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry. She will bring to SeniorWell an extensive expertise in business development, patient program development, physician relations, professional and technical staffing, clinical operations and strategic planning. “My goal is to strengthen an already wonderful culture at SeniorWell, by developing strong teams that work efficiently together to deliver the best service to our clients,” said Sherri Peavy, SeniorWell COO. “Hiring top talent, rewarding strong performers, and developing organizational discipline throughout departments are all priorities.” “We are thrilled to add Sherri Peavy to our growing executive team,” said John Moroney, SeniorWell CEO. “Her breadth of experience working with nationally ranked academic medical centers and interacting regularly with physicians and senior leadership to drive significant operational-focused results and enhancements are few of the many reasons she’s a great fit for this role.” About SeniorWell SeniorWell is a mobile healthcare company delivering on-site podiatry, optometry, dentistry, and audiology services to seniors residing in long-term nursing facilities. Through its relationships with nursing facilities across the Midwest, SeniorWell sees a significant amount of patients per year. In addition to providing on-site care, SeniorWell also manufactures and fabricates custom hearing aids, dentures, and eyeglasses in its FDA approved lab for patients in need. For more information about SeniorWell and how it improves quality of life for seniors, visit http://www.SeniorWellGroup.com. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424006409/en/ CONTACT: For SeniorWell Kristen King, 914-393-5472 KristenKing@a-capholdings.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA ILLINOIS INDUSTRY KEYWORD: SENIORS WOMEN HEALTH DENTAL OPTICAL OTHER HEALTH CONSUMER MEN SOURCE: SeniorWell Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/24/2018 02:48 PM/DISC: 04/24/2018 02:48 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424006409/en

NEW YORK (AP) — The latest on developments in financial markets (all times local): 9:35 a.m. Stocks are opening broadly higher on Wall Street as a handful of solid company earnings reports put investors in a buying mood. Verizon, Harley-Davidson and Fifth Third Bancorp all rose sharply in early trading Tuesday after reporting results that came in ahead of analysts' forecasts. Google parent Alphabet also reported surging earnings, but its stock fell 2.2 percent as the company said spending rose sharply. Drugmaker Shire rose 3.3 percent after saying it had received another takeover offer from Japanese rival Takeda. The S&P 500 index rose 9 points, or 0.4 percent, to 2,680. The Dow Jones industrial average climbed 71 points, or 0.3 percent, to 24,523. The Nasdaq increased 34 points, or 0.5 percent, to 7,162. Bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 2.99 percent.

BEIRUT (AP) — Turkey's seizure of the town of Afrin in northern Syria is a significant military achievement for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that gives him control over a large chunk of Syrian territory but also entrenches his troops as an occupying force in a crowded terrain packed with adversaries. Ignoring criticism by the United States and Europe of his eight-week military offensive, Turkish forces and allied Syrian militiamen swept into Afrin on Sunday, marching victoriously into the town's center and shooting in the air in celebration. And it doesn't stop there, Erdogan says. Emboldened, he vowed on Monday to expand military operations into other Kurdish-held areas in Syria and even into neighboring Iraq — a move that would potentially put his troops in direct confrontation with U.S. troops stationed nearby. The main Kurdish militia, acknowledging defeat in Afrin, has vowed to turn to guerrilla warfare to confront Turkish troops. Here's a look at Turkey's seizure of Afrin, and what lies ahead: ___ WHAT DOES ERDOGAN REALLY WANT? At this point, that question is anyone's guess. Turkey has long backed rebels fighting to oust President Bashar Assad from power, opening its borders to foreign fighters to join the war in Syria. But the war has greatly empowered Erdogan's No. 1 enemy, the Kurds, whose rag-tag fighters Turkey considers to be "terrorists" and an extension of its own Kurdish insurgency. In the chaos of war, the Kurdish fighters have partnered with the United States to fight the Islamic State group and carved out a huge autonomous region along the border with Turkey, amounting to a quarter of Syria's entire territory. That has led Ankara to recalibrate its focus toward halting Kurdish expansionism. Erdogan, who first launched military operations in Syria in 2016, has repeatedly said Turkey will not allow a "terror corridor" along its border and has vowed to push eastward in Syria after Afrin, to prevent the Kurdish militia from linking up territories it controls in eastern and western Syria. Turkey is home to some 3 million Syrian refugees, and Turkey has also said Afrin could be a place where those refugees would return to. Afrin, a separate Kurkish-run canton cut off from the rest of Kurdish-held territory by a Turkish-held enclave, was an easy target. But by pushing eastward as he is threatening to do, Erdogan risks overplaying his hand and getting bogged down in a fight bigger than Turkey can handle. ___ WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR THE KURDS? It's a huge setback. Until a few months ago, Syria's long-marginalized Kurds were described as the biggest winners in Syria's civil war. They bragged of being the main ground force that ousted the Islamic State group out of its strongholds in Syria, including Raqqa, the extremist group's de facto capital. But the Kurds' dream of self-rule is looking increasingly fragile. They have been historically used and cast aside, and may once again become the losers in the big powers' play over influence in Syria. The Turkish offensive on Afrin, which began Jan. 20, has put the U.S. in a tough spot, juggling between the interests of the Kurds, its only ally in war-torn Syria, and its relations with Turkey, a key NATO ally. It did not move a finger to help the Kurds fight for Afrin. The Kurds vowed to defend the enclave until the end, describing it as an existential fight to preserve their territory. They relocated hundreds of fighters from front lines with the Islamic State group to bolster the defense of Afrin. In the end, they were no match for Turkey's NATO army's overwhelming firepower. The Kurds lost more than 800 fighters in the 58 days of fighting for Afrin. An estimated 500 civilians were killed, and tens of thousands of Afrin residents streamed out of the town before the Turkish troops entered. The Kurdish fighters also withdrew, ostensibly, to spare the remaining civilians. ___ WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? A lot hinges on whether Erdogan goes ahead with his threat to expand military operations eastward, toward the town of Manbij and other areas east of the Euphrates River controlled by U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish forces, and where U.S. bases are also housed. While the U.S. was able to distance itself from the fighting in Afrin, it can't sit by silently if Turkey expands the fight to Manbij. Kurdish guerrilla-type attacks against Turkey and its Syrian allies could also jeopardize the U.S.-led mission to stabilize areas that have been captured from IS. President Bashar Assad's response is also an open question. His forces are now preoccupied with recapturing eastern Ghouta, near Damascus, and other areas deemed more essential. But he has condemned Turkish "occupation" of parts of northern Syria and vowed to eventually recapture the region. Another major question is whether the takeover would lead to ethnic cleansing of the Kurdish majority there. Images that emerged Sunday following Afrin's takeover bode ill for the future of the ethnically-mixed region. Afrin residents reported widespread looting and pillaging soon after Turkish troops and allied Syrian fighters marched into the town center Sunday. Turkey, along with its Syrian allies, already controls large chunks of territory east of Afrin. But its presence there was more accepted than in Afrin because it chased IS militants from those areas. Some 200,000 people fled Afrin over the past few days, and whether they will be permitted to return remains an open question.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A poised and productive Ricky Rubio has been smiling and laughing, masterfully running Utah's offense in his matchup with Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook. Meanwhile, the reigning league MVP has been scowling, shoving, fouling, complaining and most of all — losing. It's fair to say Rubio has been more effective for the Jazz. The Rubio-Westbrook matchup mirrors what is happening throughout the NBA playoffs: The team that gets the best point guard play usually wins. Rubio's all-around success has the Jazz on the brink of advancing. Utah has a 3-1 lead on the Thunder and can finish the series Wednesday night in Oklahoma City. He summed up his play after Game 2, saying "I did my job, looking for my teammates, and looking for my shot too when it was open. I just took what the game gave me and watched film and got better and we played as a team." Maybe it is just that simple. Rubio is averaging 18.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8 assists per game against Oklahoma City, all well above his regular season numbers. The 27-year-old is in the first playoff series of his seven-year career, yet he is playing like a seasoned veteran. Westbrook and the Thunder have tried to throw Rubio off his game, maybe to a fault. Westbrook has lost his focus at times. He is averaging 21.3 points, 11.8 rebounds and 8.3 assists in the series, but he's shooting just 37 percent from the field and 21 percent from 3-point range. Rubio went for a triple-double in a Game 3 victory , the first playoff triple-double for the franchise since John Stockton had one in 2001. Westbrook said he'd shut down Rubio in Game 4. His efforts backfired — Rubio got more of Westbrook's attention, and the Thunder weren't as effective helping on Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, Utah's two best players. Westbrook was overly aggressive and had four fouls at halftime. The Jazz rolled 113-96 . Westbrook toned it down after the game. "It wasn't about me or him," he said. "Let's get past that. We're done with that." Looking around the playoffs, that's probably a good thing. How goes a team's point guard, so goes the team. New Orleans' Rajon Rondo and Philadelphia's Ben Simmons are among the point guards whose play has lifted their teams. That has been true in the matchup between Toronto's Kyle Lowry and Washington's John Wall. In Toronto's two wins, Lowry averaged 10.5 assists, but 6.5 in two losses. Wall averaged 27.5 points and 14 assists as Washington won two games to even the series. The 32-year-old Rondo appeared to be overmatched heading into the matchup with Portland's Damian Lillard but showed he is not past his prime. Rondo averaged 11.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 13.3 assists to help the New Orleans sweep the Trail Blazers. Lillard averaged just 18.5 points in the series, eight below his regular-season average, and shot just 35 percent from the field. Philadelphia's Simmons has averaged 19.3 points, 10.8 rebounds and 9.8 assists t help the 76ers take a 3-1 lead in their series against the Miami Heat. In Game 4, he had the first triple-double for a rookie in a playoff game since Magic Johnson in 1980. Miami's Goran Dragic is playing well, too — he's averaging 19.5 points and shooting 49 percent. But when Simmons has been special, the 76ers have won. Milwaukee's Eric Bledsoe and Boston's Terry Rozier have gone back and forth on the court and in the media. Rozier dominated the first two games — both Boston wins — averaging 23 points on 47 percent shooting while Bledsoe averaged 10.5 points and shot 36 percent. Bledsoe won the next two matchups, and so did the Bucks. Bledsoe averaged 13 points on 50 percent shooting while Rozier averaged 9.5 points on 26 percent shooting. Rubio doesn't have to statistically out-perform Westbrook, who has averaged a triple-double the past two seasons. For Rubio, the key has been not trying to do too much. Just be the team's floor general. On offense, he takes open shots and finds his teammates. On defense, he can take chances because the 7-foot-1 Gobert can erase most mistakes. "That is our strength," Rubio said. "Play as a team and get a win." One more Utah win and Oklahoma City's season is done. ___ Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/CliffBruntAP ___ Freelancer John Coon in Salt Lake City, Utah, contributed to this report. ___ For more AP NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

TOKYO (AP) — The price tag for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics keeps going up despite attempts to rein in the spending. Over the last year, organizers have shifted several venues away from central Tokyo and have looked for existing facilities instead of building new ones. However, in the last week Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike has explained that the city will need to more than double the billions it is already budgeting to stage the games. The International Olympic Committee and Tokyo organizers contest this, saying the city's added costs are for many projects that would have been done — with or without the Olympics. In late December, Tokyo Olympic organizers said the games would cost 1.35 trillion yen, which is about $12.4 billion at the present exchange rate of 109 yen to the dollar. But at a news conference last Friday, Koike said the city would spend an added 810 billion yen ($7.5 billion), bringing total games-related spending to 2.16 trillion yen (roughly $20 billion). Tokyo organizers and the International Olympic Committee have talked openly about the need to cut rising costs, which have plagued recent Olympics and driven away possible bidding cities. In emails to The Associated Press, the IOC and organizers said the new spending should not be viewed as part of the Olympic costs. The IOC called the expenses "regular administrative costs" for the city that fall "outside the overall games budget." Local organizers said the same thing. Koike contradicted their position. She said the new costs were for "projects directly and indirectly related to the games." She included building barrier-free facilities for Paralympic athletes, training programs for volunteers, and advertising and tourism plans. She said the budget numbers still needed to be studied, and city's legislature still needed to approve the spending. "We just presented the rough scale of the costs," she said. "Tokyo will be the one to cover it, so I presented it because I wanted the Tokyo residents to be aware of it." Asked about further cost-cutting sought by the IOC, Kioke said "it's not a task only for Tokyo, but the effort should be made as a whole." She also played up the decades-long impact of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, which showed the world a modern, fast-moving and rebuilt country following World War II. "Think about all that still remains as legacies from the 1964 Tokyo Olympics — the metropolitan expressway and the bullet-train system, for instance," she said. Tokyo's 2020 Olympics are being funded largely by public money. The 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics were billed as a split between public and private money. The eventual price tag was about $13 billion — and some estimates put it at $20 billion. Under Koike's plan, the Tokyo city government will now chip in 1.41 trillion yen ($13 billion), and the national government will spend 150 billion yen ($1.4 billion). This represents 72 percent of spending to prepare the Olympics. The remaining part comes from the local organizing committee, which will add 600 billion yen ($5.5 billion) in private money. Tokyo's winning bid in 2013 was listed at 730 billion yen, about one-third of the list price now. Bent Flyvberg, in a 2016 study at Oxford University, found the Olympics "have the highest average cost overrun of any type of megaproject. Moreover, cost overrun is found in all games, without exception." Flyvberg added in his study that "for a city and nation to decide to stage the Olympic Games is to decide to take on one of the most costly and financially most risky type of megaproject that exists, something that many cities and nations have learned to their peril."

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 24, 2018--Splunk Inc. (NASDAQ: SPLK), first in delivering “aha” moments from machine data, today announced new and expanded artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities across its product portfolio. With the power of AI, Splunk customers can use Splunk solutions to help boost their profitability, performance and security. Splunk also expanded integration capabilities with open source software and cloud-native technologies as part of its ongoing commitment to provide a true, open machine data platform for customers. To learn more and experience Splunk ® Enterprise and Splunk Cloud™, visit the Splunk website. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005597/en/ “Organizations frequently consume high amounts of staff time and resources to monitor, analyze and respond to IT operational alerts. Splunk’s new AI enhancements, including the ability to correlate metrics and activity data, enable customers to get answers from their machine data more efficiently,” said Tim Tully, chief technology officer, Splunk. “Our latest wave of innovation is intended to arm customers with the tools needed to translate AI into actionable intelligence. While AI and machine learning often seem like unattainable and expensive pipe dreams, Splunk Cloud and Splunk Enterprise now make it easier and more affordable to monitor, analyze and visualize machine data in real time.” Splunk Platform Helps Accelerate Customers’ Digital Transformation Through AI and an Expansive and Open Ecosystem Splunk Cloud and Splunk Enterprise 7.1 deliver AI through machine learning to help customers monitor, search and alert on the critical information organizations need to accelerate their business. These latest releases include an updated metrics engine to power customers’ ability to monitor and alert on numeric data points - from CPU speeds and available hard disk space in a complex IT environment, to temperature readings in Internet of Things (IoT) devices and sensors. The latest versions are also the only enterprise-class data analytics solutions that can ingest petabytes of data per day, as well as search, monitor and alert on that data in real time. With these enhancements, users are better positioned to make sense of their machine data to predict future IT, security and business outcomes. Splunk Cloud offers customers maximum control and real-time access to their data. This Splunk Cloud release features Dynamic Data: Self-Storage, arming customers with the flexibility to move data from Splunk to their own Amazon S3 storage environment. “At T-Mobile we’re all about putting customers first, and with Splunk Enterprise we can ensure our customers get the best experience possible when they’re activating a phone, making a call or paying a bill,” said Jonathan Silberlicht, senior director, network service management, T-Mobile. “For example, with the new Splunk Connect for Kafka, we are expanding our real-time analytics capabilities, in turn empowering our front line to make better informed decisions when serving customers. We plan to continue to rely on Splunk Enterprise, Splunk IT Service Intelligence and Splunk Machine Learning to help us scale at Un-carrier speed.” To expand its open technology ecosystem, Splunk introduced new data integrations with open source software projects and cloud-native technologies including: Splunk Connect for Kafka integrates the Splunk platform with Apache Kafka, a highly scalable and reliable method for handling real-time streaming data. Splunk Connect for Kubernetes and Splunk Connect for Docker unify the Splunk platform with the leading solutions for automating deployment, scaling and management of containerized applications. “Splunk Connect for Kafka will improve our investigation of web activity, performance and security use cases,” said John Swanson, security incident response manager, GitHub. “We're now able to ingest large, near-real-time data streams and are consuming terabytes of logs from our Kafka cluster into Splunk Enterprise every day.” Splunk Machine Learning Toolkit Adds Experiment Management Interface and New Algorithms for Pattern Prediction Splunk is also announcing a new Experiment Management Interface for its Machine Learning Toolkit (MLTK). This interface makes it easier to view, control, evaluate and monitor the status of machine learning experiments. The latest Splunk MLTK also includes new algorithms for identifying patterns and determining the best predictors for training machine learning models. “Hyatt uses machine learning in Splunk Enterprise to predict when and where we should act fast or plan differently to best serve our customers,” said Cesar Mendoza, application development manager, strategic systems and innovation, Hyatt. “We used the free Splunk Machine Learning Toolkit to benchmark typical Wi-Fi usage from customers across hotel sites, and used that baseline to spot low traffic. We immediately contacted our wireless service provider to correct connection issues before our customers had to call us. We’re using artificial intelligence through Splunk to more proactively serve our customers in this way every day.” Splunk IT Service Intelligence (ITSI) Predicts Outages and Service Health and Splunk User Behavior Analytics (UBA) Accelerates Threat Identification via Machine Learning In the latest release of monitoring and analytics solution Splunk ITSI, customers can leverage AI to help predict imminent outages and how their service health could be impacted by these outages before they occur, reducing the risk of negative impact to end-customer experience and revenue. Splunk ITSI also applies machine learning to help reduce event noise and automatically identify the events that are most business critical, so that customers can resolve those first. Similarly, the Splunk UBA updates include new machine learning models and enhancements to existing models to help customers identify and address time-sensitive security problems and insider threats more quickly. Prescriptive Solutions Help Customers Solve Unique Challenges New solutions focused on the IoT and other use cases are helping Splunk customers solve defined challenges. Splunk recently announced the limited availability release of Splunk Industrial Asset Intelligence, which helps manufacturers monitor and analyze industrial IoT data in real time. Continuing this prescriptive approach, the Splunk Essentials series are free, easy-to-install applications that show users exactly how to use Splunk Enterprise and Splunk Cloud to address mission critical use cases. Splunk Security Essentials covers use cases such as brute force detection, malware and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliance while Splunk Security Essentials for Fraud Detection covers use cases such as healthcare insurance billing and wire transfer fraud. Both applications and forthcoming Splunk Essentials are available for free at https://splunkbase.splunk.com/. About Splunk Inc. Splunk Inc. (NASDAQ: SPLK) turns machine data into answers. Organizations use market-leading Splunk solutions with machine learning to solve their toughest IT, Internet of Things and security challenges. Join millions of passionate users and discover your “aha” moment with Splunk today: http://www.splunk.com. Social Media: Twitter | LinkedIn | YouTube | Facebook Splunk, Splunk>, Listen to Your Data, The Engine for Machine Data, Splunk Cloud, Splunk Light and SPL are trademarks and registered trademarks of Splunk Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective owners. © 2018 Splunk Inc. All rights reserved. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005597/en/ CONTACT: Splunk Inc. Media Contact Melanie Duzyj, 415-510-7808 mduzyj@splunk.com or Investor Contact Ken Tinsley, 415-848-8476 ktinsley@splunk.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA CALIFORNIA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY DATA MANAGEMENT INTERNET SOFTWARE SECURITY SOURCE: Splunk Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/24/2018 08:00 AM/DISC: 04/24/2018 08:01 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005597/en