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GRETNA, La. (AP) — The Latest on a Louisiana man whose conviction in a 1979 rape case was thrown out after he spent close to four decades behind bars (all times local): 2:35 p.m. A Louisiana man imprisoned for nearly four decades is free after being cleared in a 1979 rape. Fifty-eight-year-old Malcolm Alexander's conviction and life sentence were thrown out Tuesday by a state judge in Gretna, a New Orleans suburb. Prosecutors moved to dismiss the charge and, hours later, Alexander was released from the Jefferson Parish jail. Judge June Darensburg threw out the conviction after defense attorneys argued Alexander's trial lawyer had failed to point out that the victim had been doubtful when she identified Alexander as her attacker. According to lawyers with the New York-based Innocence Project, DNA evidence also bolstered the argument that Alexander was not the attacker. Alexander's relatives wept and applauded in the courtroom when Darensburg ordered his release. ___ 11:30 a.m. A Louisiana man imprisoned for nearly four decades has been cleared in a 1979 rape and is preparing to walk free. Fifty-eight-year-old Malcolm Alexander's conviction was thrown out Tuesday by a state judge in Jefferson Parish. Prosecutors moved to dismiss the charge. Alexander was expected to walk free after clearing paper work Tuesday afternoon. Judge June Darensburg threw out the conviction after defense attorneys argued Alexander's trial lawyer had failed to point out that the victim had been doubtful when she identified Alexander as her attacker. DNA evidence also played a role in the reversal. Lawyers from the New York-based Innocence Project handled the case. They thanked Jefferson Parish authorities for their cooperation. Alexander's relatives — including his 82-year-old mother — applauded and broke into tears in court.

All Times EST EASTERN CONFERENCE GP W L OT Pts GF GA Home Away Div Tampa Bay 50 34 13 3 71 176 128 17-5-1 17-8-2 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 Pittsburgh 52 28 21 3 59 156 155 18-7-1 10-14-2 10-4-0 New Jersey 49 25 16 8 58 147 147 13-8-3 12-8-5 5-6-1 Columbus 50 27 19 4 58 133 140 16-8-1 11-11-3 8-5-2 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 50 20 24 6 46 130 159 12-10-5 8-14-1 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 49 33 12 4 70 168 130 19-3-2 14-9-2 12-1-1 Winnipeg 51 30 13 8 68 167 137 18-3-1 12-10-7 7-5-2 Nashville 48 29 12 7 65 146 125 16-5-3 13-7-4 10-4-2 St. Louis 52 31 18 3 65 151 131 18-10-0 13-8-3 7-4-1 Dallas 51 28 19 4 60 155 137 17-8-1 11-11-3 7-10-0 San Jose 49 26 16 7 59 145 138 14-7-3 12-9-4 12-2-3 Los Angeles 50 27 18 5 59 142 121 12-9-3 15-9-2 6-9-3 Minnesota 50 27 18 5 59 147 142 17-4-4 10-14-1 8-8-0 Anaheim 51 25 17 9 59 144 142 14-9-3 11-8-6 8-5-5 Colorado 49 27 18 4 58 160 143 18-7-1 9-11-3 7-6-1 Calgary 50 25 17 8 58 139 139 12-12-3 13-5-5 8-6-3 Chicago 50 24 19 7 55 148 137 12-10-3 12-9-4 6-7-2 Edmonton 49 22 24 3 47 135 157 11-13-1 11-11-2 10-2-0 Vancouver 50 20 24 6 46 131 162 9-13-3 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 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 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.

HURON, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 23, 2018--Ohio-based edtech company, n2y, won two categories at the OHTec 12th annual Best of Tech Awards. n2y, a pioneer in effective special education, was named the “Best Use of Tech for Social Good” and the “Best Tech Team.” These awards add to a stream of industry recognition that n2y has received over the past quarter, including EdTech Digest and a BESSIE that showcase the most effective and innovative technology offerings. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423006473/en/ Ohio-based n2y - pioneer in special education - wins 2 "Best of" Awards by OHTec (Photo: Business Wire) “n2y was founded on a social mission: to serve the needs of students that are often overlooked,” explained company CEO Chrissy Wostmann. “Winning the ‘best of social good’ category is particularly rewarding since it recognizes the success we have had in serving n2y’s end-user, the students with special learning needs. The ‘best tech team’ award shows that our innovation in special education and our commitment to our customers continue to advance in both efficacies and in deployment. This is the winning combination that propels our growth and our work.” “n2y’s highly talented tech department designs and builds creative and innovative solutions for both its external and internal customers. The team is grateful for the recognition that comes with OHTec's ‘Tech Department of the Year’ award,” stated Steve Lubowicz, n2y’s Chief Technology Officer. OHTec is a technology industry advocate and support resource within the Greater Cleveland Partnership, that focuses on building relationships and a strong technology industry within Northeast Ohio. As a voice for the technology community, OHTec’s goal is to ensure a high level of engagement among the companies and individuals in the industry. “Being honored by our peer companies at OHTec with two ‘best of’ awards is a high point for n2y’s ongoing stream of recognition and awards,” CEO Wostmann continued. “The best reward for n2y and its nearly 100 employees is knowing that the student population we serve is successfully learning with our breakthrough product solutions.” More than 220 tech leaders from across Northeast Ohio gathered last week to celebrate the highest performing and most innovative technology companies in Greater Cleveland. About n2y n2y® is changing the way special education is taught by enabling students with special needs access to the general education curriculum through its award-winning curriculum, Unique Learning System® and with News-2-You®, a weekly current events newspaper where students are engaged with current and relevant news. SymbolStix PRIME®, a symbol database and creation platform, and newly-launched L3 Skills™ deliver resources specifically designed for learners outside the general education spectrum. With age-appropriate learning solutions, n2y is committed to impacting and advancing the lives of individuals with special needs. With n2y solutions, everyone can learn. For more information, visit n2y.com. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423006473/en/ CONTACT: n2y Margaret deBoer, 419-616-5228 VP, Marketing MDEBOER@N2Y.COM KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA OHIO INDUSTRY KEYWORD: EDUCATION PRIMARY/SECONDARY OTHER EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOFTWARE PRESCHOOL SOURCE: n2y Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/23/2018 04:31 PM/DISC: 04/23/2018 04:31 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423006473/en

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Sebastian Aho and Victor Rask scored in the third period, helping the Carolina Hurricanes top the slumping Ottawa Senators 2-1 on Tuesday night. Cam Ward made 29 saves for Carolina in the opener of a season-long eight-game homestand. The Hurricanes returned from the All-Star break with their second straight win after dropping six of eight. Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored and Craig Anderson made 37 saves for the Senators, who have lost six in a row.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Thousands of Armenian-Americans took to the streets of Los Angeles on Tuesday to commemorate the deaths of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians under the Ottoman Empire a century ago. The demonstrations came hours after Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan resigned following 10 days of large anti-government protests in that country. Marchers in Los Angeles are demanding that the 1.5 million deaths starting in 1915 be recognized by Turkey as genocide. A separate protest was planned outside the Turkish Consulate in Los Angeles. Although Armenians and many historians consider it to be genocide, Turkey — successor of the Ottoman Empire — contends those who died were victims of civil war and unrest. Los Angeles demonstrators waving Armenian and American flags carried signs that read "1915 never again" and "Turkish denial must end." "We're here to commemorate what happened and remember the victims but also to send a message to the Turkish government," said Dickran Khodanian, an organizer with the Armenian National Committee of America. Marie Keshishian, an 18-year-old student at Glendale College, said all four of her great-great grandparents were killed in the genocide and that she was marching in their honor. "I'm out here today to march for justice, to march for recognition, to march for the people — my ancestors, my great-great grandparents who lost their lives ... to hopefully get more people to recognize and accept that there was a genocide," Keshishian said. Andrew Antaramian, a 32-year-old Pasadena attorney, said his ancestors were able to flee Armenia safely and that he joins in the marches every year. "It's important to always commemorate what our ancestors have gone through because if this is not going to occur again, we have to remind the world what our people went through," he said. Kim Kardashian West, one of the most famous Armenian-Americans in the U.S., tweeted an old photo of herself in Armenia and praised global demonstrations calling for the genocide to be recognized. "It's so inspiring to see all Armenians united in peaceful protests making a difference," she said. "It's a historic day for Armenia."

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The mother of Utah man imprisoned in Venezuela for nearly 1½ years is circulating a new audio recording of her son talking about how he's suffering without medical care. Laurie Holt said Monday that she's sharing the recording Joshua Holt sent by cellphone so people can hear how dire the situation is. She's calling on Venezuela to release him on humanitarian grounds. In the short recording, he talks about throwing up all night, feeling dizzy and struggling to think. The 25-year-old traveled to Venezuela in June 2016 to marry a woman. The couple was arrested at her family's Caracas apartment by police who alleged Holt was stockpiling weapons. Their families say they're innocent. Joshua Holt has a hearing scheduled Tuesday in Caracas, but most of his previous hearings have been canceled.

Facebook plunged to its worst loss in four years Monday and led a rout in technology companies. The social media company's stock fell following reports that a data mining firm working for the Trump campaign improperly obtained data on 50 million Facebook users. On Monday: The S&P 500 index lost 39.09 points, or 1.4 percent, to 2,712.92. The Dow Jones industrial average slid 335.60 points, or 1.3 percent, to 24,610.91. The Nasdaq composite retreated 137.74 points, or 1.8 percent, to 7,344.24. The Russell 2000 index of smaller-company stocks skidded 15.49 points, or 1 percent, to 1,570.56. For the year: The S&P 500 is up 39.31 points, or 1.5 percent. The Dow is down 108.31 points, or 0.4 percent. The Nasdaq is up 440.85 points, or 6.4 percent. The Russell 2000 is up 35.05 points, or 2.3 percent.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Trump: 'The state of our union is strong because our people are strong.'

LOS ANGELES (AP) — An appeals court says Los Angeles police violated the rights of a man arrested inside Sandra Bullock's home when they obtained his consent to search his home and recovered illegal automatic firearms. The 2nd District Court of Appeal ruled Tuesday that police detectives violated Joshua James Corbett's rights to remain silent during a police interrogation, and his right against an unlawful search of his home. Corbett was arrested in June 2014 inside Bullock's home, and he has been charged with felony stalking. Corbett was unarmed at the Oscar winner's home, but police later found several automatic weapons and illegal tracer ammunition in his home. A Los Angeles Superior Court judge threw out evidence supporting the weapons charges last year after determining Corbett didn't give officers permission to search his home.

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks that moved substantially or traded heavily Monday: Facebook Inc., down $12.53 to $172.56 The social media company faced new criticism after reports a data mining firm working for the Trump campaign improperly obtained and then kept data on tens of millions of users. CACI International Inc., down $11.85 to $145.60 The defense contractor offered to buy CSRA for $7.2 billion, challenging a deal between CSRA and General Dynamics. Orbotech Ltd., up $4.09 to $63.99 KLA-Tencor agreed to buy the company, which makes equipment for electronics manufacturers, for about $1.88 billion. Stewart Information Services Corp., up $1.89 to $42.61 The title insurance and real estate services company said it will be bought by Fidelity National Financial for about $1.2 billion. GGP Inc., down 20 cents to $21.52 Reuters reported that Brookfield Property Partners made a new offer for the shopping mall operator. Universal Display Corp., down $15 to $109 Bloomberg News reported that Apple is designing and making display screens and may stop buying them from other companies. Newell Brands Inc., down $1.87 to $26.79 The consumer products company announced a deal with activist investor Carl Icahn, who will nominate four directors to its board. Alphabet Inc., down $34.35 to $1,100.07 Technology companies fared worse than the rest of the market Monday.

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A Maine high school student who fled his native Zambia says the experience of participating in a national spoken poetry competition was "heaven" even though he didn't advance. Deering High School junior Allan Monga had to go to court to become one of 53 participants Tuesday in the national Poetry Out Loud competition in Washington, D.C. U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, who championed his cause, said the asylum seeker learned about "persisting through challenges to chase your dreams." A federal judge allowed the 19-year-old Monga to participate in the competition hosted by the National Endowment for the Arts. The NEA originally prohibited Monga from competing because he hasn't been granted legal asylum. Monga told the Portland Press Herald that, "Just being here and experiencing this was like heaven."

NEW YORK (AP) — Sick with the flu? You've got a lot of company. The flu blanketed the U.S. again last week for the third straight week. Only Hawaii has been spared. The government doesn't track every flu case but comes up with estimates. One measure is how many people seek medical care. Last week, 1 in 15 doctor visits were for symptoms of the flu. That's the highest level since the swine flu pandemic in 2009. Thirty-nine states reported high flu traffic last week, up from 32 the week before. Some good news, at least so far: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday that hospital stays and deaths from the flu among the elderly so far haven't been as high as in some other recent flu seasons. However, hospitalization rates for people 50 to 64 — Baby Boomers, mostly — has been unusually high, CDC officials said. The CDC reported what was seen across the nation for the week ending January 20. Flu is a contagious respiratory illness, spread by a virus. It can cause a miserable but relatively mild illness in many people, but more a more severe illness in others. Young children and the elderly are at greatest risk from flu and its complications. In a bad season, there are as many as 56,000 deaths connected to the flu. In the U.S., annual flu shots are recommended for everyone age 6 months or older. Health officials say this year's correctly shot targets the strains that are making Americans sick, including one causing most of the illness, a Type A H3N2 flu virus. But exactly well it is working won't be known until next month. The same virus was the dominant flu bug last winter, when the flu season wasn't so bad. It's not clear why this season — led by the same bug — is so much more intense, some experts said. "That's the kicker. This virus really doesn't look that different from what we saw last year," said Richard Webby, a flu researcher at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis. It may be that many of the people getting sick this year managed to avoid infection last year. Or there may be some degree of mutation in the virus that hasn't been detected yet, said the CDC's Dr. Dan Jernigan, in a call with reporters Friday. Based on patterns from past seasons, it's likely flu season will start to wane soon, experts say. There are some places, like California, where flu season already seems to be easing, CDC officials said. "If I was a betting man, I'd put money on it going down," Webby said. "But I've lost money on bets before." Jennifer Manton got sick with the flu about two weeks ago, hit by high fever and body aches. She missed two days of work, and felt bad for about 10 days. "I had not had the flu since 1996," said Manton, 48, a chief marketing officer for a law firm in New York City. "It's been 22 years since I felt that badly."

NEW DELHI (AP) — The leaders of India and Cambodia on Saturday agreed to work toward a bilateral investment treaty that could see tens of millions of dollars pour into the Southeast Asian nation. The meeting between Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi saw Cambodia invite Indian investment in information technology, pharmaceuticals, agriculture and horticulture, infrastructure and small and medium enterprises. A broader treaty will take time but India agreed to provide lines of credit, including nearly $37 million to finance a Cambodian water project. India also offered lines of credit for setting up specialty hospitals, expanding road, rail and digital connectivity and construction of a high-powered electric line. A joint statement said Modi also offered to train Cambodian youth in information technology. The leaders held talks in New Delhi at the end of a summit attended by 10 Southeast Asian leaders commemorating the 25th anniversary of ASEAN-India ties. India is seeking to deepen bonds with Southeast Asia amid wariness over China's growing influence in the region. Modi also reaffirmed India's commitment to undertake restoration and conservation work at the ancient temple of Lord Shiva at Preah Vihear in Cambodia. The two sides expressed satisfaction over the ongoing restoration work at Ta Prohm temple being carried out by the Archaeological Survey of India. The Cambodian prime minister will conclude his visit to India on Sunday.

HANNOVER, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 23, 2018--The two leaders, along with ABB CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer, were shown a demonstration of the company’s new high power fast charging solution: the Terra HP EV charging station with a power output of up to 350 kW recharges a car battery in just eight minutes for 200 km reach. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005618/en/ From left to right: German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, ABB CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer, First Lady Mrs. Angélica Rivera, Managing Director of ABB Germany Hans-Georg Krabbe, Managing Director of ABB Mexico Vicente Magana (Photo: Business Wire) “This high-power fast charger provides electric vehicles with up to seven times more range in the same charging time than with previous models,” Spiesshofer said. “Together with our comprehensive ABB Ability TM digital offering, we easily connect chargers to back offices, payment platforms or smart grid systems and offer our customers leading functionality.” As a technology leader in sustainable electric mobility, ABB’s product portfolio includes charging technologies for electric cars, buses and trucks, as well as solutions for the electrification of ships, railways and cable ways. With more than 6,500 DC fast charging stations installed in 60 countries, ABB is a global leader in DC fast charging. ABB’s e-mobility leadership is also demonstrated by its partnership with Formula E, the world’s first fully electric international FIA motorsport series. ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a pioneering technology leader in electrification products, robotics and motion, industrial automation and power grids, serving customers in utilities, industry and transport & infrastructure globally. Continuing a history of innovation spanning more than 130 years, ABB today is writing the future of industrial digitalization with two clear value propositions: bringing electricity from any power plant to any plug and automating industries from natural resources to finished products. As title partner of Formula E, the fully electric international FIA motorsport class, ABB is pushing the boundaries of e-mobility to contribute to a sustainable future. ABB operates in more than 100 countries with about 135,000 employees. www.abb.com View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005618/en/ CONTACT: ABB Ltd Media Relations Phone: +41 43 317 71 11 Email:media.relations@ch.abb.com KEYWORD: MEXICO EUROPE NORTH AMERICA CENTRAL AMERICA CANADA GERMANY SWITZERLAND INDUSTRY KEYWORD: MOTOR SPORTS ENERGY ALTERNATIVE ENERGY TECHNOLOGY HARDWARE TRANSPORT SEMICONDUCTOR OTHER TRANSPORT MANUFACTURING AUTOMOTIVE MANUFACTURING AUTOMOTIVE OTHER AUTOMOTIVE SPORTS SOURCE: ABB Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/23/2018 07:06 AM/DISC: 04/23/2018 07:06 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005618/en

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 24, 2018--(NASDAQ:AMZN) – Amazon today announced that Amazon Key, the service that already enables in-home delivery and keyless guest access, now gives customers an option to receive deliveries inside their vehicle. With Amazon Key In-Car, Prime members with compatible vehicles now have the convenience of having packages delivered inside their cars when parked in a publicly accessible area, typically at their home or workplace. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005509/en/ In-car delivery is available at no extra cost for Prime members and is available today in 37 cities and surrounding areas across the U.S. with more cities rolling out over time. Delivery is available on tens of millions of items sold on Amazon.com and works with Same Day, Two-Day and Standard Shipping. Amazon gave a select number of customers from across the country early access to Amazon Key In-Car; view a video of them sharing their experience here: https://youtu.be/w4akHn0jQCc “The in-car delivery option is another way Amazon helps ensure that my order is delivered safely and conveniently. Setup was super easy for my OnStar-equipped car—I granted Amazon Key permission to open my car’s trunk and the ability to relock my car when done, and that was it,” said Scott L. from Miami, one of the Amazon Prime members who received early access to the service. “I can’t wait to check my car’s trunk to see what’s delivered next!” To get started, customers download the Amazon Key App and then link their Amazon account with their connected car service account. Once setup is complete and the delivery location has been registered, customers can shop on Amazon.com and select the “In-Car” delivery option at checkout. On delivery day, the Amazon Key App lets customers check if they’ve parked within range of the delivery location, and provides notifications with the expected 4-hour delivery time window. The App also notifies customers when the delivery is on its way, and the package has been delivered. Customers can track when their car was unlocked and relocked in the App’s activity feed, and rate their in-car delivery. “Since launching Amazon Key last November, we’ve safely delivered everything from cameras to collectable coins inside the home. Customers have also told us they love features like keyless guest access and being able to monitor their front door from anywhere with the Amazon Key App,” said Peter Larsen, Vice President of Delivery Technology, Amazon. “In-car delivery gives customers that same peace of mind and allows them to take the Amazon experience with them. And, with no additional hardware or devices required, customers can start ordering in-car delivery today.” In-car delivery is available to customers with a compatible 2015 or newer Chevrolet, Buick, GMC or Cadillac vehicle with an active OnStar account, and customers with a 2015 or newer Volvo vehicle with an active Volvo On Call account. Support for even more vehicle makes and models will be added over time. “Unlocking Amazon Key In-Car delivery for more than 7 million Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac owners is another great example of how we are leveraging the embedded connectivity in our vehicles to provide our customers with services that make their ownership experience more valuable,” said Alan Batey, president, General Motors North America. Amazon uses multiple layers of verification to ensure the security of in-car deliveries. Each time a delivery driver requests access to a customer’s vehicle, Amazon verifies that an authorized driver is at the right location with the right package, through an encrypted authentication process. Once this process is successfully completed, the car is then unlocked. Customers receive a notification via the Amazon Key App after the delivery is completed and the vehicle is relocked. No special codes or keys are ever provided to delivery drivers. For added peace of mind, in-car delivery is backed by Amazon’s Happiness Guarantee. “Simplification of experience for our consumers is central to Volvo’s digital vision. Receiving a package securely and reliably in your car, without you having to be there, is something we think many people will appreciate. Our partnership with Amazon now makes this possible for a majority of our customers in the US,” said Atif Rafiq, Chief Digital Officer at Volvo Cars. “This intersection between transportation and commerce could very well be the next wave of innovation, and we intend to be at the forefront.” In addition to enabling in-car delivery, Amazon Key is a smart entry solution that offers customers keyless entry, remote lock and unlock, and guest access, as well as the option to have packages delivered inside the home. To check eligibility and to sign up for Amazon Key In-Car, visit www.amazon.com/keyincar. About Amazon Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005509/en/ CONTACT: Amazon.com, Inc. Media Hotline Amazon-pr@amazon.com www.amazon.com/pr KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA WASHINGTON INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY ONLINE RETAIL TRANSPORT MOBILE/WIRELESS LOGISTICS/SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT AUTOMOTIVE RETAIL GENERAL AUTOMOTIVE SOURCE: Amazon.com, Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/24/2018 07:00 AM/DISC: 04/24/2018 07:01 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005509/en

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Pakistan beat Zimbabwe by seven wickets in the Twenty20 tri-series match at Harare Sports Club on Wednesday: ___ Pakistan 163-3 in 19.1 overs (Fakhar Zaman 47, Hussain Talat 44) def. Zimbabwe 162-4 (Solomon Mire 94, Tarisai Musakanda 33) by 7 wickets.

ERIN, Wis. (AP) — Dustin Johnson wrapped up his final day practice round for the U.S. Open just as the sky began to rumble and the horn sounded to stop play at Erin Hills. The timing couldn't have been better for the world's No. 1 player, as it has been the past two weeks. As much as he hates missing cuts, the Memorial two weeks ago was a good time for Johnson to have a weekend off. It allowed him to spend two days in Wisconsin getting to know the longest course in U.S. Open history, realizing that he would be a late arrival to Erin Hills because of some important family matters. River Jones Johnson, his second son, was born on Monday. He finds out Thursday whether his game is in shape for Johnson to become the first back-to-back U.S. Open champion in 28 years, but his mood couldn't be better. About the only thing to fear, outside of the thick fescue that frames the fairways at Erin Hills, is the house where he is staying. It has a double-spiral staircase. "I sit down when I go down the stairs now," Johnson said with a smile. "I slide down on my butt." Stairs were the only thing that could stop him earlier this year. A winner of three straight tournaments — against the strongest fields of the year — Johnson slipped in his socks going downstairs to move his car in the rain on the eve of the Masters and bruised his back so badly that he had to withdraw the next day. He hasn't won in four starts since then, and his game hasn't looked as sharp as it once did. He concedes he lost some momentum. Even so, he is the betting favorite at the 117th U.S. Open on a course that would appear to suit his game perfectly, especially with more rain Wednesday afternoon and a forecast for occasional storms on Friday and Saturday. The greens are soft enough that Johnson is getting yardages to the hole, knowing his shots won't bounce away too far. "I hope they play it all the way back on every hole," he said. "Why not? It's going to be soft. I hope it's windy. I hope it's long, but it doesn't matter." Johnson isn't one to feel much pressure — he doesn't show much, anyway — even playing his first major as the No. 1 player in the world. If anything, the pressure is on the USGA in how they set up the golf course, and the meteorologist to give an accurate forecast of the wind. There are a few holes at Erin Hills where if the tees are all the way back and the wind shifts into the players, some won't be able to reach the fairway or will face blind shots. "It's nerve-wracking, honestly, more than most Open sites," USGA executive director Mike Davis said. Johnson isn't the only long hitter whom Erin Hills favors. Rory McIlroy, who crushed U.S. Open scoring records on a rain-softened course at Congressional in 2011, was delighted to feel the soft turf under his feet. Jason Day is starting to turn his game around, finally. Along with his power, Day is an expert with the short game, which should come in handy around the greens that feature shaved slopes instead of dense rough. Johnson, however, is such an intimidating figure that even Curtis Strange is a little nervous. Strange, who now works for Fox Sports as the on-course analyst, won the 1989 U.S. Open at Oak Hill to become the first player since Ben Hogan (1950-51) to win the U.S. Open in consecutive years. "Move over, Ben," Strange famously said after his second title. "I've got to tell you, it's tailor-made for Dustin Johnson," Strange said after his first look at the course. The Masters (three times) and the PGA Championship in stroke play (twice, by Tiger Woods) have fewer back-to-back winners than the U.S. Open, but it's the major that has gone the longest without a repeat winner. The closest call for Strange was in 2005 when defending champion Retief Goosen had a three-shot lead at Pinehurst No. 2. He shot 81 in the final round. Four-time champion Jack Nicklaus never went back-to-back. Neither did Woods. "You've got to be lucky, have it be the right time," Strange said. "Dustin is more dominant than anybody who has ever done it back-to-back because of his length and the whole bit. But you still have to do it." Johnson starts out Thursday morning with the last two U.S. Open champions, Martin Kaymer and Jordan Spieth. It's a comfortable group, especially with Spieth, a close friend, his partner from the Presidents Cup and his regular pro partner in recent years at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Plus, he has the personality for the U.S. Open. It's a mental test, and Johnson's brain is not very cluttered. Paulina Gretzky gave birth to their second child on Monday in Los Angeles. He flew to Wisconsin on Tuesday and got in 18 holes. He played nine holes Wednesday. Asked how he handled the range of emotions for such a whirlwind week, Johnson shrugged. "You just do it," he said. "I wish I had an explanation on how I do it, but I don't. ... But now I've got to play golf. This is why I'm here. I'm here to play golf. I'm here to compete."

BERLIN (AP) — The German government is condemning anti-Semitic incidents that took place during protests in cities across Germany in recent days. The demonstrations were called in response to President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital and the announced move of the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Trump's decision has been widely condemned as undermining efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. German government spokesman Steffen Seibert said on Monday that the burning of Israeli flags and anti-Semitic insults directed at Israel and Jews were "shameful." Seibert said Germany feels a close affinity to Israel and Jews around the world, and will therefore counter anti-Semitic incitement whenever it occurs. Anti-Semitism was a core part of Nazi ideology that led to the killing of over 6 million Jews in the Holocaust.

SKARAMANGAS, Greece (AP) — Soccer fans of a certain age may still remember Antonis Nikopolidis for his resemblance to American actor George Clooney and as the goalkeeper who helped Greece become surprise European Champions in 2004. Now the country's national youth team coach, Nikopolidis is helping refugees stranded in Greece regain a sense of purpose. The soccer team he helped build, named Hope (Elpida in Greek), is made up of players who fled warzones in Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Afghanistan. Most of Hope's players live in Skaramangas, an industrial zone west of Athens where metal containers have been turned into shoebox-shaped homes. They compete in an amateur league on Sundays, facing teams made up of lawyers, telecom workers and accountants. Nikopolidis, a soft-spoken 46-year-old whose hair has turned silver in retirement, says team practices and matches provide a welcome distraction for young men facing uncertain futures in the European Union's slow-moving relocation program. "We're helping people who are at a difficult moment in their lives," he said. "They are guests in our country, and we are trying with this team to give them a few hours of happiness." Soccer is the main source of entertainment for many of the 60,000 refugees and economic migrants living in camps around Greece while they wait for asylum applications to be processed and a possible move elsewhere in Europe. "You have to spend your time (doing something) because it's very boring," Hozaifa Hajdepo, 23, a Hope player from Syria, said. "If you stay in your home and you don't have work, you will be like — you will die." The Union of European Football Associations, the governing body for soccer in Europe, has awarded grants to assist refugees in 15 countries. Some of the money that went to Greece is being used to sponsor Nikopolidis' team. Nearly 9,000 refugees have been moved from Greece to other European Union countries, and the coach already has lost several players. But with the pace of relocations still at just over half the target rate, most of the team expects to be in Greece for a while. "It's a joy for me to do this," Nikopolidis said. "The main thing is that they enjoy it, that they have fun ... We have created a group of friends, with bonds of friendship, a family." ___ Theodora Tongas and Srdjan Nedeljkovic in Athens contributed. Follow Stavrakis at http://www.twitter.com/TStavrak and Gatopoulos at http://www.twitter.com/dgatopoulos

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece's government borrowing rates have continued to drop ahead of an expected bond market test in early February. The country's Public Debt Management Agency said an auction Tuesday raised 812.5 million euros ($1 billion) from the sale 26-week treasury bills at a rate of 1.13 percent. The rate was down from 1.65 percent in an auction on Jan. 3. It had been as high as 4.96 percent in June 2011. Greece maintained regular T-Bill auctions after losing full market access and during three successive international bailouts, but is seeking a return to the full bond market this year as the country's latest bailout program ends in August. The government is expected to test that return with a seven-year bond issue as early as next week.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on diplomacy between the United States and North Korea (all times local): 2:50 p.m. A North Korean official has arrived in New York for talks with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo ahead of what the White House says is an "expected" summit between President Donald Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong Un. Kim Yong Chol is a former military intelligence chief and one of the North Korean leader's most trusted aides. He is the highest-level representative from the North to set foot in the United States since 2000. South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported that Kim landed shortly after 2 p.m. on an Air China flight from Beijing. Associated Press journalists saw the plane touch down at New York's JFK International Airport and the North Korean delegation get off the plane. The visit comes ahead of a summit planned for June 12, which Trump canceled but now says may take place after all.

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Cleveland and Golden State were stretched to their limits in the conference finals this time around, leaving little time to recoup and prepare for their latest date in the NBA Finals. "Splintered" is how Stephen Curry described what he feared could happen in the second quarter of Game 7 at Houston with the Warriors pushed to the brink by the Rockets in a thrilling West showdown. So, Golden State held a serious team chat and got it together at last. LeBron James willed his Cavaliers back to the big stage with another spectacular performance as Kevin Love sat out. "It was a special moment for us. And I think one that we'll look back, if we get the job done over these next two weeks, where, again, as an appreciation of all that goes into winning a championship," Curry said Wednesday, "and doing it by committee and making sure every guy, whether you're playing well or not, or things are going your way or not, that we all bring something to the fold that have gotten us to four straight Finals. "And we've done it by appreciating everybody that's a part of that group. I think that two and a half minutes was a special moment for us, and it should give us great momentum going into the series." Now, James and the Cavs and Curry and the defending champions find themselves in familiar territory facing off in a fourth straight NBA Finals — just with far less prep time given both faced new, daunting challenges and played furious Game 7s on the road to get back here. Cavs-W's, Act IV is a little bit different, indeed. King James stands in the way of a Warriors repeat, just as he did in spoiling that quest for Golden State and leading the Cavs to a championship two years ago with a Game 7 win on the Warriors' home court, where they have currently won 17 of the last 18 postseason games. James never counted out Golden State. "Just going against the Warriors in the last three years in the Finals, I kind of figured or thought that they could get it done," he said. "Just because of the 18 of a possible 21 Finals games that I've played against them in the last three years, I figured out that they could make it happen." Here are some things to watch for heading into Game 1: JAMES' SHOT: James isn't ready to make any bold predictions about how great he might be in his eighth straight Finals. There's no doubt in his mind he will be ready when the ball tips. "The level that I can play at is to be seen, but the level that I put into the game and put into my craft is who I am," James said. "So numbers and things like that kind of take care of itself. But for me, I understand and I know how much I put into the game. So everything else is OK." NO REST FOR THE WEARY: With only two days between games after the Warriors eliminated the Rockets 101-92 on Monday night, Draymond Green is happy to have an opponent in Cleveland he knows so well. "In recent years we've been kind of having a week off, at most, to prepare for the Finals. It's almost a day to prepare this time," he said. "So it definitely helps knowing the opponent, knowing, obviously, everything stops and starts with LeBron, and trying to do what we can to make things tough on him, but also take other guys out of the game." The Cavs finished their series Sunday at Boston, so James spent a relaxing Memorial Day Monday with family having a barbecue. INJURY WOES: Both teams face significant injury concerns: Golden State defensive stopper and 2015 Finals MVP Andre Iguodala was ruled out for Game 1 with a bone bruise in his left knee, while Love remains in the NBA's concussion protocol with his status uncertain. GOLDEN STATE AMONG GREATEST: James considers Golden State among the greatest teams ever, and insists each side has earned this. James is ignoring the critics who say this annual matchup might be bad for basketball. "Teams have had their opportunities to beat the Cavs over the last four years and teams have had opportunities to beat the Warriors over the last four years," James said. "If you want to see somebody else in the postseason then you've got to beat 'em." ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 23, 2018--Famous for blending pop, reggae and Latin genres, KC and The Sunshine Band will bring its unique sound found in hits — such as “Get Down Tonight” and “That’s the Way (I Like It)” — to The Event Center at SugarHouse Casino on Saturday, August 11, at 8 p.m. Tickets for the band’s show will go on sale on Friday, April 27, and cost from $59 to $79. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423006286/en/ KC and The Sunshine Band will perform at The Event Center at SugarHouse Casino on Saturday, August 11, at 8 p.m. (Photo: Business Wire) Delivering feel-good music for more than 37 years, the “sunshine sound” that originated from the lead singer’s Florida roots earned KC and The Sunshine Band four No. 1 records and multiple Grammy, People’s Choice and American Music awards. Other infectious tracks from the band include “Boogie Shoes,” “Rock Your Baby” and “Sound Your Funky Horn.” KC and The Sunshine Band was an immediate success with the release of its first studio album in 1973, “Blow Your Whistle,” which landed a spot in the top 15 on the R&B charts. Two years later, the band released its second album, “KC and The Sunshine Band,” which went triple platinum and won an American Music Award for Best R&B Artist. Throughout the band’s many years of making music, it has sold more than 100 million records, sharing its fusion of music genres with fans worldwide. KC and The Sunshine Band continues to keep the 1970s disco era alive with its timeless classics that reach many generations. Find more information about KC and The Sunshine Band on its official website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Tickets for KC and The Sunshine Band’s show and for all SugarHouse performances — including Night Ranger (April 27), Cheech and Chong (May 5), The B-52s (June 1), Vic DiBitetto (June 2; limited tickets available), Supertramp’s Roger Hodgson (July 13) and Cedric “The Entertainer” & Friends (July 21) — can be purchased on the SugarHouse Casino headliner events page. In addition to live performances and concerts, The Event Center at SugarHouse Casino can be reserved for a variety of occasions, including weddings, corporate receptions, seminars, trade shows and more. The space features floor-to-ceiling windows and panoramic views of the Delaware River waterfront and the Ben Franklin Bridge. Parking is always free. ABOUT SUGARHOUSE CASINO SugarHouse, which opened in September 2010 as Philly’s casino, features 1,891 slots, 103 table games, a 28-table poker room, fun and unique dining options, riverfront views, and free on-site parking. The casino employs approximately 1,500 people and has been voted a “Best Place to Work” by the Philadelphia Business Journal for seven consecutive years and a “Top Workplace” by Philly.com for six straight years. For more information, visit SugarHouseCasino.com. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423006286/en/ CONTACT: For SugarHouse Casino Jeff Shurilla, 267-932-8760, ext. 304 jeff@hornercom.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA PENNSYLVANIA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: ENTERTAINMENT CASINO/GAMING MUSIC CELEBRITY GENERAL ENTERTAINMENT EVENTS/CONCERTS SOURCE: SugarHouse Casino Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/23/2018 02:33 PM/DISC: 04/23/2018 02:33 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423006286/en

GUINDA, Calif. (AP) — The Latest on wildfires in the western United States (all times local): 10:20 a.m. A southern Colorado wildfire that has destroyed more than 100 homes is still growing. Officials said Wednesday that the fire has burned 147 square miles (381 square kilometers) since it began June 27. Officials estimated that the fire about 205 miles (329.9 kilometers) southwest of Denver is still just 5 percent contained. They say preventing the fire from spreading further south toward the small mountain town of Cuchara is a priority Wednesday. Crews are watching for small fires inside neighborhoods as unpredictable winds persist. Nearly 1,000 firefighters are in the area. ___ 8:45 a.m. Crews are making progress against a Northern California wildfire that threatens hundreds of buildings but say wind and dry vegetation could still fuel the blaze. California officials said the fire in rural counties northwest of Sacramento was 25 percent contained as of Wednesday morning. That's up from 15 percent the previous day. It has burned through 129 square miles (334 square kilometers) after igniting Saturday. Some areas have been under evacuation orders for days. It's among the massive wildfires burning in the Western United States and putting some Fourth of July plans on hold.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The big unknown when someone donates a kidney: The long-term health consequences. Now the U.S. is taking a step toward finally tracking how living donors fare over decades — just as candidates are getting some new cautions to consider. Specialists insist the surgery seldom brings serious complications for the donor. What happens later in life is less certain. British researchers reported Monday that living kidney donors are more likely to develop later kidney failure than non-donors — and female donors may experience a pregnancy complication, problematic high blood pressure Overall, the chances of trouble still are pretty low, according to the analysis of international donor studies published in Annals of Internal Medicine. But there hasn't been enough research to advise donor candidates — especially younger ones — about who's really most at risk and if there are protective steps they could take. "For those of us who counsel potential donors, there is reason for pessimism that we will soon be able to estimate individual risk with any precision," Drs. Peter Reese of the University of Pennsylvania and Emilio Poggio of the Cleveland Clinic wrote in an accompanying editorial. Until there's better information, it might be safer to accept donations from middle-aged donors than younger ones, the duo proposed. For example, the best studies of how the remaining kidney functions have tracked donors for eight to 15 years, which "should not be particularly reassuring when advising a 25-year-old donor," they wrote. Meanwhile, the United Network for Organ Sharing, which oversees the U.S. transplant system, has added the cautions in Monday's report to the risk information given to would-be donors. And 10 transplant centers are about to pilot-test a new Living Donor Collective — an attempt to track donors' health for the remainder of their lives, instead of the mere two years of monitoring now required. The goal is to eventually expand to all U.S. transplant programs. "The more we understand risk, and disclose it transparently, the more we're ensuring public trust," said Dr. Krista Lentine of Saint Louis University, one of the pilot sites, who also directs UNOS' living donor committee. More than 95,000 people are on the national waiting list for a kidney. Of 19,848 transplants performed last year, 5,811 were thanks to living donors, according to UNOS. Living donations shorten the yearslong wait, and those transplants tend to last longer. Surgery always brings risks, but donor deaths from the operation are rare — three deaths for every 10,000 donors, according to the most-cited estimate. About 8 percent of donors experience surgical complications such as bleeding or blood clots, according to another study. What about later? University of Cambridge researchers examined dozens of international studies that tracked donors for varying lengths of time. Two concerns emerged: —One study found for every 10,000 people tracked over 15 years, 31 living donors experienced kidney failure compared to four non-donors. —Among post-donation pregnancies, high blood pressure known as preeclampsia occurred in 11 percent of donors in one study, about twice the rate of non-donors. Lentine said such information can help would-be donors understand the need to avoid later damage to their remaining kidney — like developing high blood pressure or obesity. She points to a new online tool doctors can use to predict if a candidate's possible risk is OK for donation. Far more follow-up still is needed, said Vicky Young, a psychology professor in Arizona who suffered painful nerve damage and chronic kidney disease after donating nearly 14 years ago. She doesn't regret donating, but as a former UNOS board member she pushed for better risk disclosure — nerve injuries now are on the list. And Young, 64, still wonders about her kidney, "Will I deteriorate as I age?"

HELSINKI (AP) — A fawn that became stranded on a patch of ice in Finland's Inkoo archipelago has gotten a hand from members of the Finnish coast guard. They spotted the unsteady animal from their hovercraft during a regular patrol on Saturday. Senior Coast Guard officer Sebastian von Bruun filmed colleague Kristian Rasted pulling the "helpless white-tailed deer on the slippery ice" back to shore. Rasted gave a thumbs-up after the fawn rushed into the woods. Von Brunn said: "The mother deer was very happy and grateful to get her baby back." The Coast Guard said while animal rescue missions are not part of its personnel's normal duties, they do occur from time to time. The Finnish Border Guard, of which the coast guard is past, posted the rescue video on social media.

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Authorities on the Greek island of Lesbos say they have blocked a ship carrying container homes for refugees and other migrants in protest at the refusal of the government and the European Union to move more people to Greece's mainland. A government-chartered ship carrying the containers remained anchored at the island's main town Monday after municipal vehicles were used to block port facilities. The island's municipal board was due to meet later Monday to decide on whether to lift the blockade following talks with the government, state-run TV said. The mayors of five Greek islands facing the coast of Turkey are demanding that the government and EU end a policy of containment for migrants — introduced last year as a deterrent against illegal migration — because living facilities are severely overcrowded.

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Australia No. 1 Nick Kyrgios will play Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff on the opening day of singles in the Davis Cup World Group's first round beginning Friday. The draw held Thursday has Germany's top player, Alexander Zverev, playing Alex de Minaur in the opening match on hard courts at Pat Rafter Arena. De Minaur will be making his Davis Cup debut. The No. 139-ranked de Minaur is the lowest-ranked singles player in Australia's squad, but de Minaur made the Sydney International final and the Brisbane International semifinals in early January. In both tournaments, he was cheered on by Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt. Australia's Matt Ebden and John Peers are scheduled to play doubles on Saturday against Tim Puetz and Peter Gojowczyk. The reverse singles are scheduled for Sunday.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Dozens of insurance companies say they're not obligated to help pay for Duke Energy Corp.'s multi-billion dollar coal ash cleanup because the nation's largest electric company long knew about but did nothing to reduce the threat of potentially toxic pollutants. The claim is in a filing by lawyers for nearly 30 international and domestic insurance companies that were sued by Duke Energy in March to force them to cover part of the utility's coal ash cleanup costs in the Carolinas. The 57 policies generally promise to help Duke pay what it's legally obligated to pay for property damage "caused by an occurrence," even if liability for an incident doesn't become known until decades later, the Charlotte-based company said in the same filing last week in the state court that hears complex business cases. Both sides filed the document in describing a litigation timeline that would lead to trial in mid-2019. The insurers counter they're not on the hook to pay. They say that because Duke Energy stored its coal ash in unlined pits as part of its normal practices, any property damage "was caused intentionally, by or at Duke's direction" and there weren't any distinct pollution events that triggered coverage. They note that Duke was well aware that burning coal to generate electricity leaves byproducts containing toxic substances that can contaminate groundwater. They say Duke's ash ponds were built without safeguards to prevent groundwater pollution, and some ash ponds placed the ash in direct contact with groundwater. "Duke continued to dispose of (coal ash) in unlined ash ponds long after it knew it had environmental problems. By the 1990s Duke submitted insurance claims to some of the defendants and other insurers for the same ash ponds that are now at issue in this action. Although Duke was aware of these issues, it continued to operate its unlined ash ponds for decades," the companies' lawyers said. Duke Energy has estimated its liability for cleanup and storage efforts at $5.1 billion for 14 North Carolina coal ash sites and one in South Carolina. The utility had spent more than $725 million through November. Money recovered from insurers would reduce the price tag for consumers, the company has said. The utility earlier this month asked North Carolina regulators for rate increases starting next year that include passing along to customers about $977 million over five years. South Carolina's utilities commission allowed Duke Energy Progress to start recouping coal ash cleanup costs as part of a $56 million rate increase approved in December. Coal ash contains arsenic, lead, mercury and other elements that may be hazardous in sufficient concentrations. Environmentalists and state regulators have alleged those heavy metals have been draining through the unlined bottoms of pits where liquefied coal ash has been stored for decades. A pit at a Duke Energy plant in North Carolina ruptured in 2014, coating miles of the Dan River in gray sludge. Duke Energy said it stored coal ash in line with industry practices and regulations that were in place over preceding decades. Duke Energy delivers electricity to about 7.4 million customers in the Carolinas, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and Florida. ___ Follow Emery P. Dalesio at http://twitter.com/emerydalesio. His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/emery-p-dalesio.

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi's only abortion clinic sues state after governor signs nation's most restrictive abortion law.

LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — A retired Bolivian bishop tapped by Pope Francis to be a cardinal is furiously denying suggestions that he has a wife and children and is threatening legal action. Toribio Ticona said Wednesday that he "has nothing to do" with the alleged actions and said he would bring a legal complaint if the claims continue. Francis named the 81-year-old cardinal last week. Ticona says the accusations were disproven after they first emerged in 2011 and have "resurfaced as slander in an attempt to attack" the pope by "sectors that are hostile" to the pontiff. The accusations recently appeared in the Catholic blog "Adelanto en la Fe" — "Forward in the Faith." It cites a 2011 complaint to local Catholic authorities that says Ticona had a family in a rural town.

MADRID (AP) — Leganes boosted its chances of reaching the Copa del Rey final for the first time by salvaging a 1-1 draw against Sevilla on Wednesday, netting the equalizer after a mistake by Sevilla goalkeeper Sergio Rico. Sevilla opened the scoring in the first leg with Luis Muriel after a counterattack midway through the first half at Butarque Stadium, but the hosts evened the match shortly after halftime. Rico missed the ball while trying to punch it away just in front of goal, allowing defender Dimitrios Siovas to easily find the net with a header. Rico complained of a foul after apparent contact with Siovas. Leganes, a club based just south of Madrid, eliminated Real Madrid in the quarterfinals. It had never reached the last eight of the Copa in the team's 89-year history. Sevilla, a five-time Copa winner, is trying to return to the final for the first time since it was beaten by Barcelona in 2016. ___ More AP Spanish soccer coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/LaLiga

PARIS (AP) — The Latest on the French president's climate change grants (all times local): 6:15 p.m. Arnold Schwarzenegger is arguing that U.S. President Donald Trump's rejection of the Paris climate accord doesn't matter, because companies, scientists and other governments can "pick up the slack" to reduce global emissions. The Hollywood star and former California governor took a spin on a Parisian electric bike Monday as part of events leading up to an international climate summit Tuesday hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron. Schwarzenegger said "Donald Trump pulled Donald Trump out of the Paris agreement," but many in the private sector, cities and state governments, engineers and universities remain committed to fighting climate change. A prominent environmental campaigner, Schwarzenegger acknowledged that many people "don't understand what global warming or climate change really means," and urged environmental activists to focus on efforts to fight pollution instead because of its health risks. ___ 11:20 a.m. French President Emmanuel Macron's "Make Our Planet Great Again" grants initially were aimed at American climate change researchers, but competition has been expanded to other non-French climate scientists. Macron is unveiling the first winners Monday evening at a startup incubator in Paris called Station F, where Microsoft and smaller tech companies are announcing projects to finance activities aimed at reducing emissions. French national research agency CNRS says the applicant list was whittled down to 90 finalists in September, the majority of them Americans or based in the U.S. About 50 projects will be chosen overall, and funded with 60 million euros ($70 million) from the state and French research institutes. Some French researchers have complained that Macron is showering money on foreign scientists while they are pleading for more support for domestic higher education. ___ 9:40 a.m. Several U.S.-based climate scientists are about to win multi-year, all-expenses-paid grants to relocate to France. The "Make Our Planet Great Again" grants are an effort by French President Emmanuel Macron to counter U.S. President Donald Trump on the climate change front. Macron announced a competition for the grants hours after Trump declared he would withdraw the U.S. from the global accord reached in Paris in 2015 to reduce climate-damaging emissions. Macron is unveiling the winners Monday evening ahead of a climate summit Tuesday aimed at giving new impetus to the Paris accord and finding new funding to help governments and businesses meet its goals. More than 50 world leaders are expected in Paris for the "One Planet Summit," co-hosted by the U.N. and the World Bank. Trump was not invited.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Tom Brady praised the Philadelphia Eagles, dropped the microphone and then walked off stage Monday to lead the New England Patriots on the road to the Super Bowl. "It's going to be fun, it's going to be a lot of hard work, we're playing a great team, but I tell you what, we've got a locker room full of guys that are ready for the challenge," the Patriots' 40-year-old quarterback said at a sendoff rally outside Gillette Stadium attended by thousands of fans, some of whom arrived in the pre-dawn hours. Brady, the last of several players to speak, praised the fans for their support all season. "We got one more to go. We're going to go out there are try to win it for you guys. We love you. Patriots out!" he shouted to raucous cheers. One fan dressed as a snowman while one wore a giant replica of a Super Bowl ring on his head. One woman carried a sign that read "Just like Tom Brady, this never gets old.' After the rally, the team boarded buses for a short trip to T.F. Green Airport in Rhode Island for the flight to Minneapolis for Sunday's Super Bowl. Dozens more fans gathered at the airport to see the team board the Patriots' plane, known as Air Kraft after team owner Bob Kraft. The Boeing 767 is painted with the team's logo and its five Lombardi trophies. In Foxborough, the fans also heard from coach Bill Belichick, and several other players including receiver Danny Amendola and defensive back Duron Harmon, who prompted the crowd into chanting "MVP!" before introducing Brady. Tight end Rob Gronkowski also appeared on stage, although he didn't speak. Fans hope that he'll be able to play in the Super Bowl after suffering a concussion in the AFC championship game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The crowd was kept entertained while waiting for the rally to start by the team's radio crew Bob Socci and Scott Zolak, as well as former player Jermaine Wiggins, a member of the 2001 championship team. Fans also shared in 16-foot-by-12-foot Boston cream pie decorated with the words "Not Done," the team's motto for this Super Bowl made by Montilio's Baking Co., and cut into 4,000 pieces.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — According to an earthquake report by the Central Weather Bureau (CWB), two earthquakes struck Hualien County this morning before dawn. The earthquakes hit roughly a minute apart, first at 3:30 a.m. then at 3:31 a.m. and measured 4.6 and 4.3 respectively on the Richter scale. The quakes hit at the depth of 15.2km (9.4 mi) and 11.2km, respectively, according to CNA. (Image from Central Weather Bureau) The greatest seismic intensity, or severity of the ground shaking, recorded from the 4.6 magnitude earthquake was as follows: Taroko Gorge level 5, Nan’ao level 4, Hualien City level 2, Hehuan Mountain level 2, and Techi level 2. The greatest seismic intensity for the 4.3 magnitude earthquake was as follows: Taroko Gorge level 5, Hualien City level 1, Techi level 1, and Yilan City level 1.

A look at what's happening around baseball today: TEST OF THE CHAMPION After wrapping up a series at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday night, Jose Altuve and the World Series champion Astros return home to face another 2017 playoff opponent in Boston. Including a four-game series at Cleveland last weekend, that makes three straight foes for Houston that participated in last year's postseason. Lance McCullers Jr. (6-3, 3.98 ERA) starts the opener of a four-game set against Red Sox lefty Drew Pomeranz (1-2, 6.75 ERA). BACK ON THE MOUND Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw is scheduled to return to the rotation at home against the Philadelphia Phillies. The three-time NL Cy Young Award winner has been on the disabled list for nearly a month with left biceps tendinitis. He is 1-4 with a 2.86 ERA this season. Aaron Nola (6-2, 2.27 ERA) pitches for the Phillies. BEASTS OF THE NL EAST The Nationals and Braves, in a tight race with the Phillies for the top spot in the NL East, begin a four-game series in Atlanta. Tanner Roark (2-4, 3.17 ERA) starts for Washington against Atlanta's Sean Newcomb (5-1, 2.75 ERA). 'ROCK BOTTOM' IN QUEENS Entering Wednesday night, the New York Mets have been reeling, and first-year manager Mickey Callaway is looking for a way out. Almost nothing has gone right since New York won its fourth straight game on May 21. The Mets are 16-25 since starting the season 11-1. Though the Mets did earn a split of their series in Atlanta with a 4-1 win on Wednesday. "We've hit rock bottom the last few days and we have to come out of it," Callaway said before the game. New York has 11 players on the disabled list, including sluggers Yoenis Cespedes and Todd Frazier, reliever Anthony Swarzak and catcher Travis d'Arnaud. STILL NOT MILLER TIME Andrew Miller has been cleared to start a throwing program as the Indians' All-Star reliever battles inflammation in his right knee. Miller, who is on the disabled list for the third time in the past year because of soreness in his knee, visited a specialist in New York on Tuesday. The club said Dr. David Altchek confirmed a previous diagnosis and the left-hander can "begin a gradual progression back to mound activity." While there is no timetable for Miller to return, the fact that he doesn't need surgery and can resume throwing is good news for the Indians. ___ More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is leaving in place a lower court ruling that a federal employment discrimination law doesn't protect a person against discrimination based on their sexual orientation. The court on Monday declined to take up the question of whether a law that bars workplace discrimination "because of...sex" covers discrimination against someone because of their sexual orientation. President Barack Obama's Equal Employment Opportunity Commission took the view that it does. But President Donald Trump's administration has argued that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 bars discrimination based on gender but doesn't cover sexual orientation. Federal appeals courts are split on the issue. That means the issue is likely to come to the court again.

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 24, 2018--The NEO Exchange (“ NEO ”) is pleased to announce that Ether Capital Corporation (“ Ether Capital ”) has launched in the public markets on NEO, trading under the symbol ETHC. Ether Capital is a Toronto-based technology company whose objective is to become the central business and investment hub for the Ethereum ecosystem. The Company’s common shares began trading on NEO on April 19, 2018. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424006107/en/ Ether Capital, including CEO Michael Conn and Board Director John Ruffolo, joined Jos Schmitt, President and CEO, NEO Exchange, to open the market and celebrate the launch of Ether Capital on NEO. Ether Capital common shares began trading on NEO on April 19, 2018 under the symbol ETHC. (Photo: Business Wire) “We are proud to launch on the public markets and begin executing our business plan to initially invest in Ethereum’s native utility token ‘Ether’ as a strategic asset and then subsequently identify strategic acquisitions in Ethereum based businesses,” said Som Seif, Executive Chairman and Co-Chief Investment Officer of Ether Capital. “As the first publicly listed company focused solely on the Ethereum ecosystem, we are excited to provide investors with the opportunity to invest in one of the foundational building blocks of the blockchain space. To help drive this industry-shifting disruptive technology, it is important for us to have an innovative partner in the public markets and we are pleased to work with NEO as we bridge the gap with the financial industry. ” “As a publicly traded company, we will have the liquidity and transparency we need to maintain the permanent source of capital that will fuel our growth, and subsequently the growth of Ethereum-based businesses,” added Michael H. Conn, Chief Executive Officer, Ether Capital. “As we prepare to implement our strategic vision as a regulated entity, we know that coupled with the unique insights of our leadership in financial services and blockchain technology, we will benefit from NEO’s expansive investor reach programs and liquidity provision services.” Investors can trade shares of Ether Capital through their usual investment channels, including discount brokerage platforms and full-service dealers. “We are exceptionally happy to launch Ether Capital as a publicly-listed company on NEO, and proud to partner with a company that has the same commitment to innovation and disruption as we do,” stated Jos Schmitt, President and CEO, NEO. “Ethereum is poised to become the backbone of ‘Web 3.0’ and Canada is the leader in this space. I truly believe our country will continue to be a blockchain hub for many years to come as we have the skills, the industry expertise, the desire to drive transformation and the governments and regulatory bodies keen to take an active role in supporting innovation. We look forward to enabling Ether Capital as they seize this immense opportunity to transform how companies do business.” About Ether Capital Corporation Ether Capital is a Toronto-based technology company whose objective is to become the central business and investment hub for the Ethereum ecosystem. Ether Capital will invest in Ethereum’s native utility token “Ether” as a strategic asset, and selectively invest in or acquire Ethereum-based businesses. Founded by a highly experienced Board of Directors and management team, Ether Capital has the resources, experience and relationships to support businesses and invest in industry-shifting disruptive technologies. For more information, visit http://ethcap.co/. About NEO Exchange Aequitas NEO Exchange Inc. is Canada’s next generation stock exchange, putting the needs of investors, businesses looking to raise capital and dealers first. Launched in March 2015, the NEO Exchange currently offers an innovative trading venue to trade all Canadian securities. It also has a value added listing platform for capital raising companies and investment products, offering unique liquidity, transparency and efficiency benefits. For more information, please visit: NEOstockexchange.com Join us on social media: twitter | linkedin | facebook View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424006107/en/ CONTACT: NEO Exchange Media Contact: Adam Bornstein, 905.505.2540 adam@NEOstockexchange.com KEYWORD: NORTH AMERICA CANADA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: OTHER CONSUMER EDUCATION OTHER EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY CONSUMER ELECTRONICS TELECOMMUNICATIONS OTHER TECHNOLOGY PUBLIC POLICY/GOVERNMENT OTHER GOVERNMENT PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FINANCE OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES COMMUNICATIONS OTHER COMMUNICATIONS CONSUMER SOURCE: NEO Exchange Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/24/2018 11:21 AM/DISC: 04/24/2018 11:21 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424006107/en

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky will play in the Bahamas for the first time since 2014 during an eight-day August trip featuring four games against professional teams. The Wildcats will arrive Aug. 6 at Atlantis on Paradise Island to train before facing the Bahamas' national team and San Lorenzo de Almagra on Aug. 8-9 respectively. They will also play Mega Bemax and Team Toronto on Aug. 11-12. It will mark their first preseason foreign trip since going 5-1 in the islands before winning their first 38 games and reaching the Final Four. Kentucky coach John Calipari is trying to fill his roster but said in a release Tuesday that taking another young squad to practice and play pro teams in the Bahamas "will give our guys an early idea of how hard this is going to be." ___ For more AP college basketball coverage: http://collegebasketball.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_Top25

LIMA, Peru (AP) — The son of former Peruvian strongman Alberto Fujimori is forming his own bloc in congress after being kicked out of the party led his sister. Kenji Fujimori announced Wednesday that he and nine other lawmakers from the Popular Will party will henceforth support President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski. Fujimori abstained from voting for Kuczynski's impeachment in December, bucking a drive led by Popular Will leaders to remove the unpopular president from office. Days later, Kuczynski pardoned Fujimori's father, former President Alberto Fujimori, from a 25-year jail sentence in what many Peruvians believe was a quid pro quo deal. Both Kuczynski and Kenji Fujimori have denied that. Popular Will is led by Kenji Fujimori's older sister Keiko, who narrowly lost to Kuczynski in the 2016 presidential election.

NEW YORK (AP) — Prime-time viewership numbers compiled by Nielsen for Jan. 22-28. Listings include the week's ranking and viewership. 1. "Grammy Awards," CBS, 19.8 million. 2. "NCIS," CBS, 13.97 million. 3. "Bull," CBS, 11.08 million. 4. "The Good Doctor," ABC, 9.61 million. 5. "This is Us," NBC, 9.38 million. 6. "NCIS: New Orleans," CBS, 9.31 million. 7. "Grey's Anatomy," ABC, 8.62 million. 8. "Ellen's Game of Games," NBC, 7.57 million. 9. "Kevin Can Wait," CBS, 7.37 million. 10. "Grammy Awards Red Carpet," CBS, 6.96 million. 11. "The Big Bang Theory," 6.9 million. 12. "Chicago Med," NBC, 6.85 million. 13. "Blue Bloods," CBS, 6.848 million. 14. "Man With a Plan," CBS, 6.74 million. 15. "911," Fox, 6.57 million. 16. "Young Sheldon," CBS, 6.54 million. 17. "The Bachelor," ABC, 6.37 million. 18. "The Amazing Race," CBS, 6.18 million. 19. "America's Funniest Home Videos," ABC, 6.17 million. 20. "The Goldbergs," ABC, 6.09 million. ___ ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Co.; CBS is a division of CBS Corp.; Fox is owned by 21st Century Fox; NBC is owned by NBC Universal.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea says it released an American university student over what it calls humanitarian reasons in its first official comment since he was returned to his home state of Ohio in a coma. The state-run Korean Central News Agency on Thursday said Otto Warmbier had been sentenced to hard labor but didn't comment on his medical condition. The 22-year-old Warmbier, a University of Virginia undergraduate, was convicted and sentenced in a one-hour trial in North Korea's Supreme Court in March 2016. He got 15 years in prison with hard labor for subversion after he tearfully confessed that he had tried to steal a propaganda banner. His father, Fred Warmbier, told Fox News that his son was "terrorized and brutalized" and has been in a coma for more than a year.

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The Latest on a Mississippi law banning most abortions after 15 weeks (all times local): 4:30 p.m. Mississippi's governor says that by enacting a law that bans most abortions after 15 weeks of gestation, the state is "saving more of the unborn than any state in America, and what better thing can we do?" Republican Gov. Phil Bryant made the comments while he signed the law Monday in a closed ceremony, according to a video his office posted to social media. House Speaker Philip Gunn was present for Bryant's signing. He told The Associated Press he is proud Mississippi is taking steps to protect "the most vulnerable of human life:" the unborn. House Bill 1510 became law immediately upon Bryant's signature. Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves said in an emailed statement that the law is a major step toward accomplishing Mississippi's goal to protect the lives of the unborn. Echoing a phrase Bryant often uses, Reeves added that he is committed to making the state "the safest place in America for an unborn child." 3:50 p.m. Mississippi's governor has signed the nation's tightest abortion restrictions into law. Republican Gov. Phil Bryant signed House Bill 1510 on Monday afternoon. It becomes law immediately and bans most abortions after 15 weeks of gestation. Bryant has frequently said he wants Mississippi to be the "safest place in America for an unborn child." The law's only exceptions are if a fetus has health problems making it "incompatible with life" outside of the womb at full term, or if a pregnant woman's life or a "major bodily function" is threatened by pregnancy. Pregnancies resulting from rape and incest aren't exempted. Abortion rights advocates are calling the law unconstitutional because it limits abortion before fetuses can live outside the womb. The owner of Mississippi's only abortion clinic opposes the law and has pledged to sue.

FORT LEE, N.J. (AP) — The Fort Lee Film Commission in New Jersey celebrated Black History Month by honoring a pioneering African-American filmmaker with ties to the area. The Record reports (http://bit.ly/2l7a4Yd) that film and history enthusiasts gathered at the Fort Lee Museum to highlight the works of director Oscar Micheaux on Tuesday night. The film commission has honored the director annually since the group's inception in 2002. The group discussed Micheaux's opposition of hate groups and his positive portrayals of African-Americans throughout the event. Micheaux produced and directed five films in Fort Lee between 1920 and 1948. He is also credited with making the first African-American-produced sound film with an entirely black cast. Fort Lee Film Commission Executive Director Tom Meyers says the group would like to expand the event to discuss more black filmmakers with an entire exhibit. ___ Information from: The Record (Woodland Park, N.J.), http://www.northjersey.com

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Two of the New England Patriots' most important players are getting healthier as they prepare to head to Minneapolis for Super Bowl week. After getting stitches in his right hand and thumb prior to the AFC championship game last week, quarterback Tom Brady was on the practice field Saturday, gripping the ball without a glove on his throwing hand. Tight end Rob Gronkowski also was at practice, returning to workouts after starting the week in the NFL's concussion protocol. Both are positive signs for New England, which has just one practice remaining in Foxborough before the team heads to Minnesota to resume its Super Bowl preparations. Defensive lineman Deatrich Wise, who also missed practice time this week with a concussion, joined Gronk in the team stretching period that is open to reporters. Gronkowski hadn't been on the practice field since his second-quarter exit from the AFC title game following a helmet-to-helmet hit from Jaguars safety Barry Church. "It's always great to have him out there. He's a great player, a great person, a great teammate and a big part of what we do," Brady said of Gronkowski. "It obviously hurts when he's not out there for a lot of reasons. But he's doing the best he can do and we're all hopeful." While Gronkowski and Wise were on the field, it's unclear whether they have been officially cleared from the protocol. The team isn't required to file its next injury report until Wednesday. Gronk played just eight games last season and missed the Patriots' entire playoff run after undergoing season-ending back surgery. Since the start of last season, New England is 12-1 without Gronk. But last season it had Martellus Bennett to fill in the gap without him. Bennett signed with Green Bay in the offseason, before being released by the Packers in November. He then re-signed with the Patriots, but only appeared in two games before being placed on season-ending injured reserve. Brady said he wants to spend the rest of the time leading up to the Super Bowl avoiding all possible distractions. That includes not talking about a new series that debuted on Facebook recently and provides viewers a rare glimpse at his life off the field. "What? Let's talk about distractions," Brady joked when he was asked about the series Saturday. "We'll stick to football this week, too. I like that no distractions part." Though this will be Brady's eighth trip to the Super Bowl, the 40-year-old said he still has an appreciation for what it takes to be playing at this point of the season. "I've never taken anything like this for granted, and I think we're all very fortunate to be in this game," he said. "Being a part of a couple of these losses, those are pretty tough to swallow, but I think you realize how much effort you have to put in to prepare. It's a very unique environment, unique game, and you have to be at your best. But in order to do that, you have to prepare as well as you possibly can." ___ More AP NFL: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP_NFL ___ Follow Kyle Hightower on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/khightower

SAO PAULO (AP) — Police have searched the offices of Philips in Brazil and are executing arrest warrants for two people linked to the Dutch electronics company. Wednesday's operation is part of an investigation into suspected fraud in the supply of medical equipment to the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics and the Rio de Janeiro Health Department. Prosecutors allege that several companies formed a cartel to win and inflate contracts. In all, 22 arrest warrants were issued and 44 addresses searched. Prosecutors say two warrants are for people linked to Philips. The company says one had been an executive who has left the company, while the other works in sales. It says the current employee was brought in for questioning and that the company is cooperating with the authorities.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe drafted a memo on circumstances leading up to the firing of his onetime boss, James Comey, a person familiar with the situation said Wednesday night. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press to discuss a secret document that has been turned over to special counsel Robert Mueller. His team is investigating whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia during the 2016 presidential election and whether the president sought to obstruct that inquiry through actions including the firing of Comey last May. The memo concerns a conversation that McCabe had with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein about Rosenstein's preparations for Comey's firing. Rosenstein played an important role in that episode, having authored a memo faulting Comey for his handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation that the White House held up as justification for President Donald Trump's decision to fire the FBI director. Rosenstein has said he wrote a memo laying out his concerns with Comey after learning that the White House intended to fire him. According to McCabe's memo, Rosenstein indicated to him that he was initially asked to reference the Russia investigation in his own memo on Comey. But the final version didn't include discussion of Russia and focused instead on the Clinton email case. Rosenstein appointed Mueller special counsel one week after Comey was fired. He has said he would recuse himself if necessary if his actions became relevant to Mueller's investigation. The AP reported in March that McCabe had drafted multiple memos, including about his interactions with Trump. Comey also drafted a series of memos about his own encounters with Trump that unnerved him. The New York Times first reported on the content of this particular memo. McCabe became FBI acting director following Comey's firing last May. He was fired as deputy director in March, just days before his scheduled retirement, amid an inspector general finding that he had misled internal investigators about his role in an October 2016 disclosure to The Wall Street Journal. ___ Follow Eric Tucker on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Kyle Guy scored 22 points and No. 2 Virginia held off hot-shooting Louisville to win its 13th straight, 74-64 on Wednesday night. Ty Jerome added 16 points and Devon Hall 12 for the Cavaliers (21-1, 10-0 Atlantic Coast Conference). Virginia's start is its best in ACC play since the 1980-81 team won its first 12 games. The winning streak is its longest since winning 19 in a row to begin the 2014-15 season. Ray Spalding scored 16 points and Deng Adel had 15 points for the Cardinals (16-6, 6-3). Louisville made nine of 10 shots at one point down the stretch, closing to within 62-57 on a long 3-pointer by Ryan McMahon with 3:44 left, but Jerome answered with back-to-back 3s for the Cavaliers. The victory gave Virginia a three-game lead in the conference. BIG PICTURE Louisville: The Cardinals continue to have trouble with Virginia's Pack-Line defense, even while shooting 50 percent (25-50). They committed 13 turnovers and were outscored 22-6 off those mistakes. The loss was also the fifth straight for Louisville against Virginia, and sixth in seven games since the Cardinals joined the ACC. Virginia: A three-game suspension for reserve guard Nigel Johnson provided a rare opportunity for freshman Marco Anthony and he made the most of it, hitting a pair of 3-pointers and scoring 10 points in 18 minutes. It was only the fourth ACC game that Anthony has gotten into and his point total doubled his career high. He scored five against Savannah State on Dec. 19. UP NEXT Louisville is at home against Florida State on Saturday. Virginia is on the road at Syracuse on Saturday. ___ More AP college basketball: www.collegebasketball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The Latest on reactions to President Donald Trump's State of the Union address (all times local): 6:50 p.m. South Korean analysts say President Donald Trump's fiery comments on North Korea reflected confidence that his campaign of pressure and sanctions on the country is working. Experts say it also means Washington will continue to deny Pyongyang meaningful dialogue unless it's willing to discuss serious changes to its nuclear weapons program and human rights conditions. Du Hyeogn Cha, a visiting scholar at Seoul's Asan Institute for Policy Studies, says for North Korea, it has to hurt that Trump declared the country as a regime that cannot co-exist with the founding values of the United States. Koh Yu-hwan, a North Korea expert at Seoul's Dongguk University and a security adviser to South Korea's presidential office, says Trump likely saw North Korea's outreach over the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics as a clear sign that pressure and sanctions are working.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – A total of 4,048 students and teachers can soon expect to receive between NT$3,000 (US$98) and NT$9,000 each as compensation for the consumption of tainted cooking oil from Chang Guann (強冠企業). Starting in 2013, Taiwan fell into the grip of a series of food safety scandals, most of them centering on companies passing off oil products of lower quality or even unfit for human consumption as high-grade cooking oil. Last September, Chang Guann Chairman Yeh Wen-hsiang (葉文祥) attempted suicide after receiving a final sentence of 22 years in prison for selling tainted lard to more than 200 food companies. The Consumer Protection Association of Taiwan (CPAT, 台灣消費者保護協會) filed a class action suit on behalf of pupils, teachers and other staff at 22 schools, from kindergartens to senior high schools across the nation, where food had been served containing ingredients supplied by Chang Guann, the Central News Agency reported. At a news conference Wednesday, CPAT announced that following three years of legal procedures, a total of more than NT$24.4 million (US$800,500) had been wired into its accounts. The plaintiffs would receive their compensation by the end of the month, the group said. A total of 3,811 plaintiffs had agreed to a settlement, which provided them with NT$6,000 each, while 160 people accepted a court verdict and received from NT$6,000 to NT$9,000 per person. A final group of 77 people continued the court case until the end and received NT$3,000 per person, CNA reported. CPAT said that even though the outcome was a far cry from the NT$90,000 (US$2,950) per person it had originally demanded, it was still satisfied that the victims of the scandal were able to receive compensation.

CINCINNATI (AP) — Tyler Mahle lost his no-hit bid on Freddie Freeman's homer in the seventh, and the Cincinnati Reds blew a big late lead before Scooter Gennett connected in the 12th inning for a 9-7 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday night. Gennett hit his second homer of the game off left-hander Max Fried (0-1) for his first career game-ending shot. Freeman started the Braves' late seven-run surge with his homer off Mahle, only the third ball the Braves managed to get out of the infield against the rookie right-hander. Freeman connected again as Atlanta scored four times in the ninth. Jared Hughes (1-2) escaped a two-on threat in the 10th and got the last eight outs. Off to their worst start since the Great Depression, the 5-18 Reds rallied for their first set of back-to-back wins since last September — a span of 34 games — and got an encouraging performance from their most promising young starter. The 23-year-old Mahle fanned a career-high 11 with a tailing fastball that caught the Braves gawking. Atlanta leads the majors in runs, but managed only two balls beyond the infield through six innings. Freeman led off the seventh with a homer on the rookie's 90th pitch — Mahle turned his head and muttered a word in frustration as the ball left the bat. Kurt Suzuki had a two-run homer later in the inning. Mahle drew attention on his way to the majors by throwing a no-hitter in Single-A in 2016 and a perfect game last April 22 at Double-A. Freeman homered again in the ninth inning off Amir Garrett, starting a four-run rally. Ender Inciarte's bases-loaded, two-out single against Raisel Iglesias deflected off Gennett at second base for a 7-7 tie. Joey Votto and Gennett hit their first homers — back-to-back solo shots in the fifth off Brandon McCarthy — as the Reds' sluggish offense showed signs of coming around. TRAINER'S ROOM Braves: Manager Brian Snitker plans to give RH reliever Sam Freeman a couple days off. Freeman has made a team-high 14 appearances and struggled during a 10-4 loss on Monday. "This is probably the most he's been used early in a season in his career," Snitker said. "It's a new area for him to navigate through." Reds: C Devin Mesoraco was scratched with a stiff neck. ... 3B Eugenio Suarez began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville. He has been sidelined since April 8, when he was hit by Jameson Taillon's pitch and broke his right thumb. UP NEXT Braves: Matt Wisler (1-0, 1.29 ERA) is 1-1 career against the Reds in two starts and two relief appearances, allowing eight runs in 15 2/3 innings. Reds: LH Brandon Finnegan (0-2, 11.05) makes his third start. He opened the season on the DL with a strained left biceps. He's given up nine runs in 7 1/3 innings. ___ More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

New York (AP) — Gold futures trading on the NY Merc Monday: (100 troy oz.; dollars per troy oz.)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Pennsylvania's highest court has ordered a judge to free rapper Meek Mill on bail while he appeals decade-old gun and drug convictions. The Supreme Court directed a Philadelphia judge who had jailed him to immediately issue an order releasing him on unsecured bail. Mill was sentenced in November to 2-4 years in prison for violating probation. Mill issued a statement saying his five months in jail have been "a nightmare" and thanking all his supporters. A team of lawyers and public relations consultants had waged an all-out battle to get him freed on bail. Prosecutors say they believe Mill should get a new trial because of questions raised about the credibility of his arresting officer.

NEW YORK (AP) — The Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund has pledged $10 million to fund arts programs focused on mental health issues in New York City. The New York Times reports that the goals include improving the lives of those with dementia and Alzheimer's disease. They also aim to fight the stigma around mental illnesses and help people overcome trauma. Tisch says the initiative will likely grow, especially after her foundation is bolstered by the proceeds of a Christie's auction of her parents' $80 million art collection next month. Her father was Preston Robert Tisch, the investor who bought half of the New York Giants in 1991. Her mother was the philanthropist Joan Tisch. ___ Information from: The New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)—A first batch of unused fuel rods purchased for the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant has likely been transported out of Taiwan on Wednesday morning, but authorities have refused to confirm, according to a CNA report. The report said eight cargo vehicles allegedly carrying fuel rods were waiting at Keelung Harbor in northern Taiwan for the goods to be lifted onto a cargo ship, as people concerned with the operation looking on. A person wearing a vest bearing the words “radiation protection unit” refused to make a comment when asked by a CNA reporter whether fuel rods were being transported out of the country, the report said. Another wearing a “Lungmen Power Plant” (another name for the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant) helmet waved his hands, signaling that he didn’t want to make a comment either, according to the report. Seven or eight police officers from Keelung Harbor Police Department were at the wharf to secure the operation, and none of them was willing to talk about the operation, according to the report. A yellow van bearing the words “Lungmen Nuclear Power Plant” was parked beside the wharf, and inside the vehicle were a few yellow strips among other stuff printed with nuclear logos and the words “UN3328 radioactive material," CNA reported. After the loading was completed, the ship left the port. State-run Taiwan Power Company (Taipower) didn’t want to confirm that the operation was about shipping out the first batch of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant’s fuel rods citing confidentiality agreement, according to the report. Liu Wen-chung (劉文忠), head of the radioactive waste management department under the Atomic Energy Council, said his office had approved Taipower’s application to transport the fuel rods overseas, the report said. Taipower plans to transform the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant into a comprehensive power park, and ship the 1,744 fuel rods in the plant out of the country by the end of 2020, a move the company said would reduce manpower and save NT$100 million asset management fee a year.

After seven months, the NCAA's Commission on College Basketball has completed its work and is ready to issue a report Wednesday on how to fix the sport. Here's what happens next: — Former Sec. of State Condoleezza Rice will present the commission's report to university presidents of the NCAA Board of Governors and Division I Board of Directors on Wednesday morning at NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis. — The boards will convene after the presentation to consider adoption of all, parts or none of the commission's recommendations. Adoption is a small step toward implementation. — If adopted, the boards will then direct the Division I Council, a group mostly composed of athletic directors, to craft legislation to implement the proposals. — NCAA President Mark Emmert has said the council has already begun creating subcommittees to work on legislation in particular areas the commission is expected to address, such as the NBA's so-called one-and-done rule, enforcement of rules and the relationship between players and agents. — Legislation is expected to be presented back to the board by August so reform can be implemented before the next basketball season begins. ___ For more AP college basketball coverage: http://collegebasketball.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_Top25

It's the kind of goal that makes fans groan because, man, he probably should've stopped that. A shooter skating down the wing or even behind the net fires the puck between a goaltender and the near post for a short-side goal. It looks like it shouldn't go in, but it has been happening a lot more this season as players figure out what goalies are doing ... or at least trying to do. "Those goals, they don't look good, but I think if people knew how hard it was to do that maneuver, they might be a little less quick to jump to judgment on the goalies," Chicago Blackhawks goalie Scott Darling said. That maneuver is called the "Reverse VH" and it's the most widespread way for goalies to cover the post and not allow soft goals to be scored. An opposite of the previously-used "VH" stance, it means a goalie's pad against the post is horizontal along the ice while the back leg is vertical. The Reverse VH is more effective than its predecessor, but as NHL Network analyst and former goaltender Kevin Weekes has said : Short side has become the new five hole. And everyone in hockey knows it. Brian Boucher, another retired goalie turned analyst, said you can't go two or three nights without seeing a short-side goal somewhere around the league . As recently as Thursday night, Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog went short side on Stanley Cup-winning Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Matt Murray on a textbook sharp-angle shot that looks like a bad goal but is more the product of shooters understanding techniques. "Guys are realizing that the sharp-angle shots are extremely difficult to stop," Vezina Trophy-winning goalie Braden Holtby of the Washington Capitals said. "You do see more and more guys trying it because it's a high-quality scoring chance. Guys figure out trends now. They kind of figure them out a little quicker than they used to, which isn't great for us." Jonathan Quick led the Los Angeles Kings to two Cups by using the Reverse VH and taking advantage of his Gumby-like athleticism. The stance, which originated in Sweden a few years before, took off in the NHL after Quick won the Cup in 2012 and now it's a go-to for most goalies. Goaltending analyst Justin Goldman points out that when a skater is coming down the ice, there's actually more room for the puck on the short side than the far side because there's less distance for it to travel. More short-side goals isn't a result of the Reverse VH being a bad stance, but instead he believes it's goalies overusing it and losing the cat-and-mouse game between them and shooters. Too often goalies drop to their knees into the Reverse VH and become sitting ducks for Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, Joe Pavelski and some of the best snipers around. "The shooter knows the goalie's going to drop into this stance, which means he can release a puck a half a second or a half a step sooner than usual and he knows what his target is before he even looks up and sees where the goalie is," Goldman said. "They're almost over-anticipating what a shooter is going to do before he actually does it and the shooter has the capacity now, he has the wherewithal and he has the accuracy to pick that spot." Darling thinks some goalies are still mastering the relatively new Reverse VH, and 2006 Cup-winner Cam Ward of the Carolina Hurricanes acknowledged he still uses the old VH style because he's more comfortable in it. Ward looks at Tuukka Rask of the Boston Bruins as someone who can push side-to-side with power out of the Reverse VH, and Goldman called 2013 Vezina winner Sergei Bobrovsky of the Columbus Blue Jackets the "posterchild" for doing it right. "It's a tough position to get fully square, but when the puck's behind the net it gives you good coverage for pass outs and things like that," Philadelphia goaltender Steven Mason said. "It's complicated, but I think sometimes it can be overused." Flyers teammate Jakub Voracek said he just shoots "wherever it's open," but that's often the short side nowadays. When the best shooters can anticipate a goalie going down early and putting the puck where he isn't, Goldman said it's so difficult to get back up that the key is being patient and staying upright longer. "The problem is because goalies rely on this stance so often, they're dropping down into it before the puck is actually off the shooter's stick," Goldman said. "You want the shooter to make the first move. You want to hold your feet. You want to keep yourself as patient as possible so you read what the shooter does first and then you react." Easier said than done, perhaps, even for the best in the game. A lot has changed since Boucher set the consecutive shutout record in 2003, and he doesn't even know if he'd be able to perfect the Reverse VH and deal with the expectations of goaltenders today. "You've got to be in position to make the second and third saves because at the end of the day it's about keeping the puck out of the net," Boucher said. "Whether it's your fault or it's not your fault, if you don't keep it out of the net you're going to have a tough time winning games and you're going to have a tough time having a job." MUSICAL COACHES Michel Therrien became the fifth coach fired this season when the Montreal Canadiens canned him Tuesday and replaced him with Claude Julien, who was fired by Boston last week. Julien took five more days to get a new job than Bruce Boudreau did when fired by Washington on a November Monday in 2011 and joining the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday. MILESTONE WATCH After registering a point Tuesday in the Penguins' win over Vancouver, Crosby is one away from 1,000 for his career . He's at 756 games now and will soon become the second-fastest active player to hit 1,000 after the ageless Jaromir Jagr. GAME OF THE WEEK The Blue Jackets host the Penguins on Friday in what very well could be a first-round playoff preview. LEADERS Points: Crosby (Pittsburgh), Connor McDavid (Edmonton), 61; Goals: Crosby, 30; Defenseman points: Brent Burns (San Jose), 59; Goals-against average: Devan Dubnyk (Minnesota), 1.97; Save percentage: Dubnyk, .933. ___ Follow Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/SWhyno .

BRUSSELS (AP) — International efforts to rebuild Syria once the civil war is over should center on agriculture to kick start the economy and quickly improve the livelihoods of the people, a high-level United Nations official said Tuesday. In an interview with The Associated Press ahead of an international Syria donors conference, the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization's Deputy Director General Daniel Gustafson said that in case of a return to peace the impact of funding farming would yield almost immediate results. "If you invest in that, you are going to get a quick return," he said. Despite seven years of warfare through much of the Middle Eastern nation which also blighted farmland and destroyed facilities, farming still accounts for about a quarter of Syria's gross domestic product. UN figures show that some $16 billion in production has been lost because of the war and it will take about as much to get the recovery of farming going again. At the two-day Syria conference opening Tuesday, donors from across the globe hope to commit several billion in assistance to alleviate the pressing needs of Syrians. Over $5 billion was committed last year. Farming in Syria goes back many thousands of years and the nation was long a breadbasket for the area. When the war started almost half the population was still employed in farming. And despite the horrific war that ravaged orchards and fields, cut the availability of seeds and fertilizers and sent many millions fleeing, half the output survives to this day. "The resilience of the agriculture sector is an astonishing story. You still have half the production of wheat of what you had before the war" — two million tons, instead of 4 million before the war, Gustafson said. Still, some 6.5 million people are in urgent need of immediate assistance because they face a lack of food, said Gustafson. While most of the attention goes to shocking events like bombings or even gas attacks, war in the countryside often has a more creeping effect. "It is this continuous deterioration of their livelihoods. You cannot get seeds, you cannot sell stuff, you cannot trade, you cannot get spare parts," Gustafson said. "The whole thing just kind of grinds down." He said that fortunately, the situation can also pick up again soon once the conditions are right, once the right seeds come in again and people and goods are again free to move around the country.

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen has announced that wreckage of a sunken military ship on which five brothers died in World War II has been discovered in the South Pacific. A spokeswoman for Allen confirms wreckage from the USS Juneau was found Saturday off the coast of the Solomon Islands. The ship was hit by Japanese torpedoes in 1942, killing hundreds of men, including the five Sullivan brothers from Waterloo, Iowa. Allen has an expedition team that has reported finding wreckage of other ships, including the aircraft carrier USS Lexington, also sunk during World War II. The expedition team says in a statement it first identified the USS Juneau on Saturday using sonar technology and used a remotely operated underwater vehicle to verify the wreckage on Sunday.

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Theresa May says there is a new sense of optimism in the talks to secure Britain's departure from the European Union. May is set to address the House of Commons on Monday, updating lawmakers on the negotiations just days after hammering out a deal with the EU on the so-called divorce issues, including the Irish border and Britain's financial obligations. Brexit talks are now expected to move onto trade and security cooperation. But Britain's argument that nothing is settled until all is agreed upon is causing unease among other countries involved in the decision. Irish officials have rejected assertions that the deal is merely a "statement of intent" rather than legally binding. The Irish government branded the view "bizarre" and insisted that an agreement is binding.

MEXICO CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 4, 2018--Private fund management company Fortem Capital have appointed Yusef Atiyeh Navarro as their new CEO. Mr Atiyeh joins the business from supermarket giant, Organizacion Soriana, where he was Director of Real Estate Development, Construction and Technology Innovation. He was with the retail group - Mexico’s second-largest supermarket chain - for the last 22 years and oversaw its extensive growth. The appointment is part of the growth plan at Fortem Capital, which specialises in real estate investment programs across Mexico. Launched earlier this year, the firm has already helped develop a series of hotels, as well as commercial and health projects. Founder and previous CEO Miguel Sanchez Navarro Madero, will also take up a new role - Chairman of the Board - with immediate effect. An experienced real estate developer and investment fund manager, Mr Miguel Sanchez Navarro was the founder of Grupo IPB, and helped develop commercial properties including, Via Vallejo and Plaza Chimalhuacán, Plaza Peninsula. He also developed an important Auto Dealer Group in Mexico; IPB Autos, working with major brands Honda, Toyota, BMW, KIA, Hyundai, GM, Suzuki. Speaking about the changes, Mr Sanchez Navarro said they are ready for the start of a new growth plan for the business with Fortem Capital. He explained: “We are delighted to welcome Mr Atiyeh to the company and know he will be an asset during this exciting time. “He brings with him a wealth of experience working with one of Mexico’s most respected businesses - and we look forward to seeing how he helps to strengthen Fortem Capital’s future.” ends View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180704005196/en/ CONTACT: Fortem Capital Blanca Garcia bgarcia@fortemcapital.com.mx KEYWORD: MEXICO CENTRAL AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: PROFESSIONAL SERVICES BANKING FINANCE CONSTRUCTION & PROPERTY COMMERCIAL BUILDING & REAL ESTATE RESIDENTIAL BUILDING & REAL ESTATE SOURCE: Fortem Capital Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 07/04/2018 10:17 AM/DISC: 07/04/2018 10:16 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180704005196/en

PARIS (AP) — French authorities have deployed boats and helicopters off the coast of southwest France to search for the chief executive of sportswear maker Quiksilver after his empty boat was found washed ashore. The port authority of the Atlantic beach town of Capbreton said the search was launched after Pierre Agnes' empty boat was found washed up Tuesday in nearby Hossegor. Maritime authorities said two boats and three helicopters are involved in the search. The area is known for intense, sometimes dangerous waves that are prized by surfers. Quiksilver, known for its surf wear, was founded in Australia but is now majority-owned by an American investment group and based in Huntington Beach, California. Agnes was the head of its France-based European headquarters before being named CEO of the whole company in 2015.

New York (AP) — Coffee futures trading on the IntercontinentalExchange (ICE) Wednesday: (37,500 lbs.; cents per lb.)

NEW YORK (AP) — Didi Gregorius had another big game at Yankee Stadium with a two-run homer and three RBIs, and Gary Sanchez homered twice to help CC Sabathia and New York romp past the Minnesota Twins yet again, 8-3 on Tuesday night. Aaron Judge hit his seventh home run as the Yankees went deep four times for the second straight night. Gleyber Torres had a pair of hits and his first RBI for New York, which extended a winning streak to four for the first time under new manager Aaron Boone and sent the Twins to their season-worst fifth consecutive loss. A night after a 14-1 drubbing, New York beat Minnesota for the sixth straight time and improved to 27-9 against the Twins at new Yankee Stadium, including the playoffs. Judge was a triple short of the cycle and Gregorius also had three hits. Sabathia (1-0) rarely allowed hard contact in his second start back from the disabled list and gave up an unearned run and two hits in six innings. He is 20-9 in 39 regular-season starts against the Twins. Gregorius hit an RBI single for a 2-1 lead in the third and pulled a changeup just inside the right-field foul pole and into the second deck for a 5-1 margin in the fifth. All eight of his home runs and 23 of his 27 RBIs this year have come at home. Babe Ruth (1921) and Alex Rodriguez (2007) are the only other Yankees with that many homers and RBIs in the first 22 games. Jose Berrios (2-2) entered with 14 consecutive scoreless innings and had 29 strikeouts and one walk in his first four outings. He allowed five runs, six hits and two walks in four-plus innings, raising his ERA from 1.63 to 2.84. Dellin Betances entered with a 5-1 lead in the sixth but lasted just four batters, giving up a pair of walks, a hit and another unearned run. David Robertson pitched out of two-on, one-out trouble by striking out Ehire Adrianza and retiring pinch-hitter Joe Mauer on a comebacker. Judge led off the bottom half with a loud, opposite-field drive to right off Tyler Duffey, who was brought up from the minors before the game for his season debut. Judge became the fastest in major league history to hit 63 career home runs, doing it in 203 games, four fewer than Mark McGwire. Sanchez, whose second-inning home run tied the score, hit a two-run drive later in the seventh into the netting above Monument Park in center. Judge, arms crossed, gave Sanchez the silent treatment in the dugout before smiling and giving Sanchez a hug. Errors by Judge in right, Neil Walker at first, Torres while covering first and Betances raised the Yankees' total to 22 in 22 games, tied for the major league lead. Eduardo Escobar had three hits, a walk and an RBI for the Twins. Brian Dozier went 0 for 4 after getting hits in Minnesota's first 17 games — 24 in a row dating to last season. EMERGING EMOJI As the Yankees add new players, Gregorius comes up with additional emojis for his tweets that follow wins. Torres is Baby bottle, Giancarlo Stanton is Volcano and Tyler Austin is Police car. Luis Severino has grown from Baby last season to Child. WHIFFS A night after going 4 for 4, Stanton had his second three-strikeout game this season to go along with a pair of five-strikeout games. HE'S BACK Released during spring training and re-signed last week, 1B Adam Lind made his season debut for the Yankees' Class A farm team in Tampa and went 3 for 3 with a double, walk and RBI. TRAINER'S ROOM Twins: OF Byron Buxton (migraines) will go to extended spring training after fouling a ball off his left foot Sunday during a rehab assignment with Class A Fort Myers. Yankees: 3B Brandon Drury (migraines) is on track to start a rehab assignment Wednesday with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. UP NEXT RHP Sonny Gray (1-1, 8.27 ERA), who has totaled just 16 1/3 innings in four starts, is on the mound for the Yankees on Wednesday night, when RHP Lance Lynn (0-1, 6.00) starts for Minnesota. Lynn's only previous outing against the Yankees was a five-hit shutout for St. Louis in 2014. ___ More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

New York (AP) — Petroleum futures trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange Wednesday: (1,000 bbl; dollars per bbl.)

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The mother of a Texas man who was fatally shot by police last year says sheriff's deputies recently turned up at her mother's home and tried to serve a warrant for the dead man's arrest. Dee Crane told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Tarrant County deputies came to the house in Arlington this month, making her family "hysterical all over again." Sheriff's office spokesman David McClelland hasn't responded to messages seeking comment. Twenty-three-year-old Tavis Crane was killed in February 2017. Authorities say he ran over an Arlington police officer while attempting to flee a traffic stop. Officer Craig Roper entered Crane's car and fatally shot him. Crane's two-year-old daughter and two friends were also in the car. They were not hurt. A grand jury took no action against Roper.

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 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 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 Minnesota 49 26 18 5 57 144 140 17-4-4 9-14-1 8-8-0 Los Angeles 49 26 18 5 57 139 121 12-9-3 14-9-2 6-9-3 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. Monday's Games No games scheduled Tuesday's Games Florida 4, N.Y. Islanders 1 Carolina 2, Ottawa 1 New Jersey 3, Buffalo 1 Minnesota at Columbus, 7 p.m. San Jose at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. Anaheim at Boston, 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.

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese telecommunications, internet and solar company SoftBank Group Corp. is buying U.S. investment company Fortress Investment Group for $3.3 billion. The deal was announced by both sides Wednesday. New York-based Fortress, which manages global investments, said its senior professionals will stay to keep up its fund performance. Tokyo-based SoftBank has been aggressive in global acquisitions. Chief Executive Masayoshi Son was recently seen with President Donald Trump, who praised his promise to invest and create jobs in the U.S. SoftBank owns the U.S. wireless company Sprint Corp. and Britain's ARM Holdings. ARM is known as an innovator in the "internet of things," and in technology used in smartphones. It has set up a $25 billion private fund for technology investments that it says may grow to $100 billion.

LONDON (AP) — Snow and wintry weather are still wreaking havoc on travelers in Britain, with flights cancelled, roads sheathed in ice and rail travel disrupted. With temperatures dropping overnight as low as minus 11.6 Celsius (11 degrees Fahrenheit), hundreds of schools were closed Monday. Europe's largest airport, Heathrow, warned Monday that some flights would be cancelled as it cleared the backlog of flights delayed by Sunday's snowfall. Heathrow asked travelers to check with their airlines. In the world of interconnected air travel, any extended disruption quickly leaves planes and flight crews out of position, knocking them out of rotation for their next assignments. National Rail said poor weather conditions are affecting travel across England and Wales. Trains on Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, Great Western, and Virgin Trains will all also be affected.

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syrian TV: President Bashar Assad met with Vladimir Putin at Hmeimeem base in Syria this morning.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A man with a rifle opened fire on Republican lawmakers at a congressional baseball practice Wednesday near Washington, wounding House GOP Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana and several others as congressmen and aides dove for cover. The assailant fought a gun battle with police before being shot and killed. A congressional aide and a volunteer also were wounded, along with two U.S. Capitol police officers. A look at previous security incidents at the Capitol or political violence involving members of Congress: — March 29, 2017: A 20-year-old woman described as "erratic and aggressive" drives a vehicle into a Capitol Police cruiser and is taken into custody, closing down streets near the Capitol for nearly three hours. Shots were fired during the arrest attempt, but the event appeared to be criminal in nature with "no nexus to terrorism," Capitol Police said. No one was injured. — March 28, 2016: Police shoot a man after he pulled a weapon at a Capitol checkpoint as spring tourists thronged Washington. Congress was not in session. Police identified the man as 66-year-old Larry Dawson of Tennessee, who was charged with assault with a deadly weapon and assault on a police officer while armed. — Jan. 14, 2015: A 22-year-old Ohio man is arrested by the FBI in an alleged plot to attack the Capitol in support of the Islamic State terror group. Christopher Lee Cornell of suburban Cincinnati pleaded guilty to three charges, including attempted murder of U.S. officials and employees. Court documents show Cornell said he wanted to attack during President Barack Obama's State of the Union address. — Nov. 6, 2014: A former Cincinnati-area bartender is charged with threatening to kill House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. Michael Hoyt, who worked at a country club in Boehner's suburban community, was accused of threatening to kill Boehner with a gun or by poisoning his drink. A federal judge ruled Hoyt was insane at the time of the offense. — Oct. 3, 2013: Miriam Carey, a 34-year-old dental hygienist from Connecticut, is shot and killed by Capitol Police officers in her vehicle outside the Hart Senate Office Building. Officers had pursued Carey from the White House, where she made a U-turn at a security checkpoint. Her young daughter was inside the car at the time and was unharmed. Her family later filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the Secret Service and Capitol Police. — Jan. 8, 2011: A gunman shoots Rep. Gabby Giffords, D-Ariz., in the head during a shooting rampage at a public event outside a grocery store in Tucson. Six people were killed, and 13 wounded, including Giffords. Jared Loughner, 25, was sentenced to life in prison for the shooting. Giffords resigned from office in 2012. — Sept. 22, 2006: An armed man runs through the Capitol in an embarrassing security breach after allegedly crashing a sport utility vehicle into a police cruiser. Unarmed employees of the basement flag office subdued the man just before police arrived to arrest him. — July 24, 1998: A man with a history of mental illness shoots his way into the Capitol building filled with lawmakers and tourists, killing two veteran Capitol Police officers and wounding a tourist. Officer Jacob Chestnut was killed at a first-floor Capitol entrance, and Detective John Gibson died after exchanging fire with gunman Russell Weston inside a suite of offices occupied by then-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas. Weston was then wounded and captured. — Nov. 7, 1983: A bomb rips through the second floor of the Capitol, damaging a conference room and the offices of Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va. No one was injured. A caller had phoned The Washington Post warning that a bomb was about to explode. The caller claimed the action was in response to U.S. military aggression in Grenada and Lebanon. — Nov. 18, 1978: Rep. Leo Ryan, D-Calif., is shot and killed while on an official visit to Guyana. He was investigating the activities of the Peoples Temple group led by Jim Jones, and was ambushed and shot multiple times by cult members while boarding a plane to leave Jonestown. Four others were also killed, three journalists and a defector, followed by a night of mass murder and suicide by more than 900 cult members. — Jan. 30, 1973: Sen. John Stennis, D-Miss., is shot twice by robbers outside his Washington home. The 71-year-old senator survived and returned to the Hill. — March 1, 1971: A bomb explodes in the men's room on the Senate side of the Capitol. It destroyed the restroom and a barbershop, but no one was injured. A caller said the bombing was to show opposition to the Vietnam War. The radical Weather Underground claimed responsibility, but no one was prosecuted for the act. — June 5, 1968: New York Senator Robert F. Kennedy is shot by Sirhan Sirhan, a young Palestinian, at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles moments after declaring victory in the California Democratic presidential primary. Kennedy died the next day. Five other people were injured in the shooting. — March 1, 1954: Five congressmen are shot on the floor of the House by Puerto Rican nationalists who fired shots from the visitors' gallery. The lawmakers all recovered. Four assailants were arrested. — July 12, 1947: Sen. John Bricker, R-Ohio, is shot at twice as he enters the Senate subway. Both shots missed. The gunman was a former Capitol policeman who had lost money when an Ohio building and loan firm was liquidated. — Sept. 10, 1935: Sen. Huey Long, D-La., dies in Baton Rouge two days after being shot in the Louisiana state Capitol, allegedly by Dr. Carl Weiss. — Dec. 13, 1932: A gunman enters the House gallery and demands to address the House on the Great Depression. Rep. Melvin Maas, R-Minn., convinced the gunman to drop the loaded pistol before shots were fired. Compiled by News Researchers Jennifer Farrar and Monika Mathur and Associated Press writer Matthew Daly.

NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres was placed on the 10-day disabled list on Wednesday because of a strained right hip. Torres was removed after striking out in his second at-bat in the fourth inning before the Yankees went on to beat the Atlanta Braves 6-2. Before the series finale against the National League East leaders, Yankees manager Aaron Boone was upbeat about the status of his prized rookie. Torres did not start in Tuesday night's win, but entered the game late as a defensive replacement. "We're hoping it's a short stint. But we think we've got to deal with it this time because there is a small strain there," Boone said outside the home clubhouse after the game. "Hopefully it won't be something that it's too long. Probably take us up to the All-Star break." Boone said the club would assess the situation with a day off Thursday before heading to Toronto for the start of an 11-game, three-city road trip leading into the All-Star Game in Washington. Torres is hitting .294 with 15 home runs and 42 RBIs in his first 63 major league games. He had an MRI and was not available to talk to reporters after the game. Neil Walker, who went over from third base to second at the start of the fifth inning, could get most of the work in Torres' absence. Another option could be Ronald Torreyes, but he's been on the temporary inactive list at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre for more than a week to deal with a personal issue. Brandon Drury, who started 114 games at second for Arizona last season, could also figure into the mix. Boone wasn't sure how the injury initially occurred, pointing out that Torres had made some "good base running plays a couple of nights ago when he moved up on some wild pitches." The Yankees manager also added that if the injury had occurred late in the season, it would've been "possible" for the phenom to be back on the field shortly. But the team with the second-best record in baseball took the safe route. "Anytime you're talking about groin, hamstring, quads, once you have a strain in there, you push through it you can make it a worse strain," Boone said. "And now you're talking weeks and months. Stuff like that. So I think the wise thing is to do this now. Gleyber wants to take a couple of days, work through it. But I think he also understands this is the best thing for him and for us." ___ More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

HONOLULU (AP) — The missile alert mistakenly sent on Jan. 13 by Hawaii officials came just a few minutes after a shift change at state Emergency Operations Center in Diamond Head Crater. Here's a timeline of what happened: 8:05 a.m. — The midnight shift supervisor started a no-notice ballistic missile defense drill at shift change. In a phone call, the supervisor pretended to be U.S. Pacific Command to initiate the drill. The supervisor said ahead of and after the drill, "Exercise, exercise, exercise." However, it also contained the language, "This is not a drill." The day shift warning officers received the message on a speaker phone. The FCC says while the other officers understood this to be a drill, the person at the alert origination terminal "claimed to believe, in a written statement" that this was a real emergency and not a drill. The officer responds, as trained, by sending a live incoming missile alert. 8:07 a.m. — The state emergency agency employee selects the template for a live alert from a drop-down menu, and clicks 'yes' in response to a prompt that reads, 'Are you sure that you want to send this Alert?' 8:08 a.m. — The head of the Emergency Management Agency, state adjutant general Maj. Gen. Joe Logan, speaks to the warning center and is notified of false alert. 8:09 a.m. — Logan calls and informs Gov. David Ige. Agency notifies counties there's no missile threat. 8:10 a.m. — Logan confirms with U.S. Pacific Command that there was no missile launch. Honolulu police are notified of the false alarm. 8:12 a.m. — The state issues a cancellation that prevents the message from being sent to phones that hadn't previously received it, such as those out of cellphone coverage range or had been turned off. 8:13 a.m. — Officials begin outreach, but phone lines become congested. 8:19 a.m. — If there had been a real missile, this is about when it would have hit the islands. It is estimated that a missile would take about 20 minutes to reach Hawaii from North Korea. Officials say it would take about five minutes for the military to analyze the launch trajectory and notify the state, leaving only 12 to 15 minutes of warning time before impact. 8:20 a.m. — Officials post to Facebook, Twitter accounts that there is no missile threat. 8:24 a.m. — Gov. David Ige retweets the cancellation notice. 8:27 a.m. — Officials determine that a Civil Emergency Message is the best way to correct this message, which the Federal Emergency Management Agency confirms three minutes later. 8:30 a.m. — Federal Emergency Management Agency officials say they received a call from Hawaii seeking guidance on sending correction of alert. State officials say the call was about a minute long. Ige posts cancellation notice on his Facebook page. 8:31 a.m. — An emergency management supervisor logs into alert system to start crafting false alert correction. 8:45 a.m. — Cancellation of warning sent to cellphones: "There is no missile threat or danger to the State of Hawaii. Repeat. False Alarm." The state said it issued the cancellation after getting authorization from FEMA. However, FEMA said its approval was not required. Source: Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, FCC.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's administration is planning to impose tariffs on European steel and aluminum imports after failing to win concessions from the European Union, a move that could provoke retaliatory tariffs and inflame trans-Atlantic trade tensions. The tariffs are likely to go into effect on the EU with an announcement by Friday's deadline, according to two people familiar with the discussions. The administration's plans could change if the two sides are able to reach a last-minute agreement, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. Trump announced in March the United States would slap a 25 percent tariff on imported steel, and a 10 percent tariff on imported aluminum, citing national security interests. But he granted an exemption to the EU and other U.S. allies; that reprieve expires Friday. Europe has been bracing for the U.S. to place the restrictions even as top European officials have held last-ditch talks in Paris with American trade officials to try to avert the tariffs. "Realistically, I do not think we can hope" to avoid either U.S. tariffs or quotas on steel and aluminum, said Cecilia Malmstrom, the European Union's trade commissioner. Even if the U.S. were to agree to waive the tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, Malmstrom said, "I expect them nonetheless to want to impose some sort of cap on EU exports." European officials said they expected the U.S. to announce its final decision Thursday. The people familiar with the talks said Trump could make an announcement as early as Thursday. U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross attended meetings at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in Paris on Wednesday, and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer joins discussions in Paris on Thursday. The U.S. plan has raised the threat of retaliation from Europe and fears of a global trade war — a prospect that is already weighing on investor confidence and could hinder the global economic upturn. If the U.S. moves forward with its tariffs, the EU has threatened to impose retaliatory tariffs on U.S. orange juice, peanut butter and other goods in return. French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire pledged that the European response would be "united and firm." Besides the U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs, the Trump administration is also investigating possible limits on foreign cars in the name of national security. "Unilateral responses and threats over trade war will solve nothing of the serious imbalances in the world trade. Nothing," French President Emmanuel Macron said in an impassioned speech at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in Paris. In a clear reference to Trump, Macron added: "These solutions might bring symbolic satisfaction in the short term. ... One can think about making voters happy by saying, 'I have a victory, I'll change the rules, you'll see.'" But Macron said those "who waged bilateral trade wars ... saw an increase in prices and an increase in unemployment." Tariffs on steel imports to the U.S. can help local producers of the metal by making foreign products more expensive. But they can also increase costs more broadly for U.S. manufacturers who cannot source all their steel locally and need to import the raw material. That hurts the companies and can lead to more expensive consumer prices, economists say. Ross criticized the EU for its tough negotiating position. "There can be negotiations with or without tariffs in place. There are plenty of tariffs the EU has on us. It's not that we can't talk just because there's tariffs," he said. He noted that "China has not used that as an excuse not to negotiate." But German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier insisted the Europeans were being "constructive" and were ready to negotiate special trade arrangements, notably for liquefied natural gas and industrial goods, including cars. Macron also proposed to start negotiations between the U.S., the EU, China and Japan to reshape the World Trade Organization to better regulate trade. Discussions could then be expanded to include other countries to agree on changes by the end of the year. Ross expressed concern that the Geneva-based World Trade Organization and other organizations are too rigid and slow to adapt to changes in global business. "We would operate within (multilateral) frameworks if we were convinced that people would move quickly," he said. Ross and Lighthizer seemed like the odd men out at this week's gathering at the OECD, an international economic agency that includes the U.S. as a prominent member. The agency issued a report Wednesday saying "the threat of trade restrictions has begun to adversely affect confidence" and tariffs "would negatively influence investment and jobs." ___ Charlton and Corbet reported from Paris. Masha Macpherson and Oleg Cetinic in Paris and Paul Wiseman and Jill Colvin in Washington contributed to this report.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- Taiwanese ultramarathon runner Tommy Chen (陳彥博) won Stage 4 of six in the ultramarathon "Bhutan The Last Secret 200km 2018," but in the process he had to battle though horrific blisters on his heels, which have become excruciatingly painful. At 7:27 p.m. last night (May 30) a post appeared on Chen's Facebook page announcing that Chen had taken first place in Stage 4 with a time of 4:31:18, while in second place was Guillaume Degoulet of France at 4:49:39 and third place was taken Alan Zaugy, also of France, at 4:57:41. At the beginning of Stage 4, Chen said that he was already feeling the affects of the altitude and was fatigue, but in order to ensure a high ranking, he felt compelled to catch up with the main group. When he reached the second checkpoint, Chen began to feel heels of his feet stinging with "every step feeling like stepping on needles." Fearing that if he stopped, the gap between him and lead pack would widen, he pressed on. Despite feeling such intense pain that he "wanted to scream out loud," he kept running at a full sprint. Finally, when he finished the stage, he found that he had actually taken a 28-minute lead over his closest competitor. When he finally took his socks off, he found that the skin had worn completely off his heels, making even ordinary walking difficult. Chen said, "When saw my socks, they were covered in blood, many staff and doctors were all shocked." After being disinfected and treated by a doctor, Chen said his feet are still in pain, so he can only hope now that the wound does not become infected and his injury worsen.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — As Southern California enters its second week engulfed in flames, fire officials anticipate more growth and danger due to continued strong wind gusts, no rain and decades-old dry vegetation. A powerful flare-up on the western edge of the largest and most destructive wildfire sent residents fleeing Sunday, as wind-fanned flames ripped down hillsides toward coastal towns northwest of Los Angeles. New evacuations were ordered as the fire sent up an enormous plume near Montecito and Carpinteria, seaside areas in Santa Barbara County. "The winds are kind of squirrely right now," said county fire spokesman Mike Eliason. "Some places the smoke is going straight up in the air, and others it's blowing sideways. Depends on what canyon we're in." Southern California's gusty Santa Ana winds have long contributed to some of the region's most disastrous wildfires. They blow from the inland toward the Pacific Ocean, speeding up as they squeeze through mountain passes and canyons. Gusts of up to 40 mph (64 kph) are expected through Monday, according to the National Weather Service. Containment increased Sunday on other major blazes in Los Angeles, Riverside and San Diego counties. Resources from those fires were diverted to the Santa Barbara foothills to combat the 270-square-mile (699-sq. kilometer) fire that started Dec. 4 in neighboring Ventura County. As of late Sunday, the Thomas Fire had destroyed 790 structures and damaged 191. Fires are not typical in Southern California this time of year but can break out when dry vegetation and too little rain combine with the Santa Ana winds. Though the state emerged this spring from a yearslong drought, hardly any measurable rain has fallen in the region over the past six months. "This is the new normal," Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown warned Saturday after surveying damage from the deadly Ventura fire. The governor and experts said climate change is making wildfires a year-round threat. High fire risk is expected to last into January. The air thick with acrid smoke, even residents of areas not under evacuation orders took the opportunity to leave, fearing another shutdown of U.S. 101, a key coastal highway that was closed intermittently last week. Officials handed out masks to residents who stayed behind in Montecito, the wealthy hillside enclave that's home to celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Jeff Bridges and Rob Lowe. "Our house is under threat of being burned," Ellen DeGeneres tweeted at midday Sunday. "We just had to evacuate our pets. I'm praying for everyone in our community and thankful to all the incredible firefighters." Ojai experienced hazardous levels of smoke at times and officials warned of unhealthy air for large swaths of the region. The South Coast Air Quality Management District urged residents to stay indoors if possible and avoid vigorous outdoor activities. In San Diego, which is 130 miles (209 kilometers) to the south, the Lilac Fire was 75 percent contained. The flames erupted suddenly Thursday in the Fallbrook area, known for its avocado groves and horse stables in the rolling hills. The fire swept through the San Luis Rey Downs training center, where it killed more than 40 elite thoroughbred race horses, and destroyed more than 100 homes — most of them in a retirement community. Three people were burned trying to escape the fire that continued to smolder Sunday. Despite the size and number of wildfires burning in the region, there has only been one confirmed death: A 70-year-old woman, who crashed her car on an evacuation route, is attributed to the fire in Santa Paula, a small city where the Thomas Fire began. Most of last week's fires were in places that burned in the past, including one in the ritzy Los Angeles neighborhood of Bel-Air that burned six homes and another in the city's rugged foothills above the community of Sylmar and in Santa Paula. ___ Associated Press writers Elliot Spagat in Fallbrook and Brian Melley and Robert Jablon in Los Angeles contributed to this report. ___ Follow Weber at https://twitter.com/WeberCM . ___ For complete coverage of the California wildfires, click here: https://apnews.com/tag/Wildfires.

All Times EST EASTERN CONFERENCE GP W L OT Pts GF GA Home Away Div Tampa Bay 29 21 6 2 44 110 74 13-2-1 8-4-1 5-2-0 Toronto 31 20 10 1 41 106 88 10-5-0 10-5-1 5-1-1 Columbus 30 19 10 1 39 86 73 11-5-0 8-5-1 6-4-0 N.Y. Islanders 30 17 10 3 37 108 100 9-1-2 8-9-1 5-3-1 Washington 31 18 12 1 37 95 91 12-5-0 6-7-1 5-3-0 New Jersey 29 16 9 4 36 89 91 6-5-2 10-4-2 2-3-0 N.Y. Rangers 30 16 11 3 35 99 89 12-5-3 4-6-0 5-4-2 Pittsburgh 32 16 13 3 35 94 104 10-5-1 6-8-2 4-2-0 Boston 27 14 9 4 32 78 75 9-4-2 5-5-2 1-1-2 Montreal 31 13 14 4 30 85 99 8-7-3 5-7-1 8-1-1 Carolina 28 11 10 7 29 78 88 6-4-3 5-6-4 2-3-2 Philadelphia 29 11 11 7 29 83 86 4-6-4 7-5-3 1-0-3 Florida 30 12 14 4 28 90 105 6-6-3 6-8-1 4-3-1 Detroit 30 11 13 6 28 81 99 5-6-5 6-7-1 3-7-1 Ottawa 28 9 12 7 25 77 98 4-5-5 5-7-2 2-2-1 Buffalo 30 7 17 6 20 64 102 3-9-1 4-8-5 2-4-2 WESTERN CONFERENCE GP W L OT Pts GF GA Home Away Div St. Louis 31 21 8 2 44 104 78 11-5-0 10-3-2 5-1-1 Los Angeles 31 20 8 3 43 97 68 10-5-2 10-3-1 3-3-2 Nashville 29 18 7 4 40 95 84 11-2-2 7-5-2 8-1-1 Vegas 29 19 9 1 39 103 91 11-2-0 8-7-1 9-1-0 Winnipeg 30 17 8 5 39 102 86 10-2-1 7-6-4 5-1-1 San Jose 29 16 10 3 35 79 69 9-6-2 7-4-1 4-1-2 Dallas 31 17 13 1 35 91 90 10-4-0 7-9-1 4-8-0 Calgary 30 16 12 2 34 88 94 8-8-0 8-4-2 5-3-0 Minnesota 29 15 11 3 33 87 87 8-3-2 7-8-1 4-5-0 Chicago 30 14 11 5 33 90 82 8-5-2 6-6-3 2-5-2 Vancouver 30 14 12 4 32 81 85 5-6-3 9-6-1 3-5-0 Anaheim 30 12 11 7 31 80 89 7-7-3 5-4-4 3-2-4 Colorado 29 14 13 2 30 92 95 8-5-1 6-8-1 4-5-1 Edmonton 30 12 16 2 26 86 99 5-9-0 7-7-2 4-1-0 Arizona 33 7 21 5 19 75 114 3-8-1 4-13-4 1-5-3 NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. Top three teams in each division and two wild cards per conference advance to playoffs. Sunday's Games Chicago 3, Arizona 1 St. Louis 3, Buffalo 2, OT Toronto 1, Edmonton 0 Minnesota 4, San Jose 3, OT Monday's Games Colorado 2, Pittsburgh 1 Dallas 2, N.Y. Rangers 1, SO N.Y. Islanders 3, Washington 1 Florida 2, Detroit 1, OT Vancouver at Winnipeg, 8 p.m. Carolina at Anaheim, 10 p.m. Tuesday's Games Edmonton at Columbus, 7 p.m. Ottawa at Buffalo, 7 p.m. Toronto at Philadelphia, 7 p.m. Colorado at Washington, 7 p.m. Los Angeles at New Jersey, 7 p.m. Calgary at Minnesota, 8 p.m. Tampa Bay at St. Louis, 8 p.m. Florida at Chicago, 8:30 p.m. Carolina at Vegas, 10 p.m. Wednesday's Games Dallas at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m. N.Y. Rangers at Ottawa, 7 p.m. Boston at Detroit, 8 p.m. Nashville at Vancouver, 10 p.m. Thursday's Games Buffalo at Philadelphia, 7 p.m. Washington at Boston, 7 p.m. N.Y. Islanders at Columbus, 7 p.m. New Jersey at Montreal, 7:30 p.m. Chicago at Winnipeg, 8 p.m. Anaheim at St. Louis, 8 p.m. Toronto at Minnesota, 8 p.m. Florida at Colorado, 9 p.m. Tampa Bay at Arizona, 9 p.m. Nashville at Edmonton, 9 p.m. San Jose at Calgary, 9 p.m. Pittsburgh at Vegas, 10 p.m.

MEXICO CITY (AP) — A leader of the Gulf drug cartel has been killed along with three of his associates in a clash with marines in Mexico's northern border city of Reynosa. The government of Tamaulipas state said Monday that Humberto Loza Mendez died over the weekend in the clash. Loza Mendez and his three companions were believed to be members of a faction of the Gulf cartel who were fighting turf battles with other factions. Authorities had offered a reward of 2 million pesos (about $108,000) for Loza Mendez, who was also known as Steven and "Betillo." The government said Loza Mendoza was one of the drug gang leaders who had caused much of the violence in Reynosa, which has been hit by running gun battles and street blockades.

BERGAMO, Italy (AP) — Gonzalo Higuain and Gianluigi Buffon combined to help Juventus beat Atalanta 1-0 for a crucial away victory in the first leg of their Italian Cup semifinal on Tuesday. After three minutes on a foggy night, Higuain finished off a counterattack by dribbling around a defender and scoring from the center of the area. "It was important to score and also keep a clean sheet," Higuain said. "We took a big step toward the final." Midway through the first half, the video assistant referee awarded Atalanta a penalty for a hand ball by Medhi Benatia, but Buffon guessed correctly and lunged to his left to smother Alejandro "Papu" Gomez's spot kick. Two days earlier, Buffon celebrated his 40th birthday. Juventus is aiming to win its fourth straight Italian Cup while Atalanta is looking to reach the final for the first time in 22 years, since losing in 1996 to Fiorentina. In the quarterfinals, Atalanta eliminated Napoli. AC Milan hosts Lazio in the other semifinal Wednesday. The return legs are scheduled for Feb. 28.

STREETSBORO, Ohio (AP) — Authorities say a 13-year-old boy has fatally shot his 11-year-old brother in suburban Cleveland, and police are describing the shooting as an apparent "premeditated act." Streetsboro police say officers were called to a home around 9:30 p.m. Monday. The 11-year-old died at a hospital. Police say the 13-year-old has been charged with aggravated murder in Portage County Juvenile Court. Police say the gun used in the slaying was stolen from his grandfather's home. Police have not said what prompted the teen to shoot his brother. Streetsboro is roughly 30 miles (48 kilometers) southeast of downtown Cleveland.

MOSCOW (AP) — A Moscow movie theater that had been showing a satirical film about Soviet leader Josef Stalin in defiance of an official Russian government ban canceled further screenings Friday. The Pioner theater's announcement came several hours after Moscow police visited the theater. Police didn't declare the purpose of their visit, but it followed the Russian Culture Ministry's warning that the theater could face sanctions including fines. The Culture Ministry on Tuesday rescinded the permit allowing Scottish writer-director Armando Iannucci's "The Death of Stalin" to be shown in theaters. The decision came after communists and others criticized the movie as a mockery of Russian history. The film was scheduled to premiere in Russia on Thursday, and the Pioner theater screened it as planned. Showing an unlicensed film is punishable by a fine of up to 100,000 rubles (about $1,800) and could lead to a theater's closure in case of a second violation. In announcing it was pulling the movie, the 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."

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Every few years, my cousin Molly Carpenter and I plan a trip together to somewhere we've never been. Our priorities: sightseeing, shopping, good food and wine. This year, Savannah checked all those boxes for us. Savannah is on Georgia's Atlantic coast, just south of the South Carolina state line. Hilton Head, South Carolina, is less than an hour away, and Tybee Island, Georgia, is a half-hour drive. Molly and I were focused on Savannah's historic district, though, and we needed to have a conversation about our feet. The district is only 2 square miles (5 square km), but hours of walking would surely take a toll on our north-of-age-60 legs. Could we get by without renting a car? As it turned out, a car would have been superfluous. We discovered the free shuttle called "the dot," which makes 12 stops on its purple line around the historic district, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. A shuttle stop was just a few blocks from our rented two-bedroom cottage on the eastern edge of the historic district. After hours, an Uber was minutes away. In fact, after spending more than $30 (with tip) on a taxi ride from the airport, we took an Uber back for less than $18. Our first full day in Savannah, we got our bearings with the Famous & Secret East Side Food Tour, a three-hour walking tour that combined history lessons with stops for a tasty bite at six off-the-beaten-path restaurants. Highlights included pulled pork at Wall's BBQ, blueberry sausage at Smith Brothers Butcher Shop and pimento cheese croissants at Our Daily Bread Cafe. Unlike some Southern cities ravaged by the Civil War, Savannah retains abundant antebellum charm. Historical sites are numerous, including Fort Jackson, the oldest standing brick fortification in Georgia. Savannah's Green-Meldrim House, a National Historic Landmark, was used by Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman as the Union Army's headquarters in December 1864, when Sherman famously sent President Abraham Lincoln a telegram offering up the city as a Christmas gift. In the historic district, 22 squares offer monuments to famous locals. It was actually quite pleasant walking through the shady squares every few blocks. We could take a break and sit on a bench by a fountain beneath the live oak trees dripping with Spanish moss. The Savannah College of Art and Design's influence can be felt beyond the campus, from the SCAD Museum of Art and the ShopSCAD store to the whimsical murals of former student Allyson Burke at the Mellow Mushroom pizza restaurant. We didn't partake in a tour inspired by the 1994 best-seller "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil." But the book by John Berendt, about a local murder, and the movie that followed, helped put Savannah on the tourism map and has drawn untold numbers of visitors for more than two decades. The Savannah River borders the north side of the historic district, dividing Georgia from South Carolina. Riverboats cruise up and down the river, past Old Fort Jackson, where cannon fire greets cruisers, and the Port of Savannah, a major U.S. seaport. One of the best views of the river is from the restaurant Rocks on the Roof, atop the Bohemian Hotel. Another is from the Top Deck bar on the roof of the Cotton Sail hotel. Savannah's seafood is fresh and delicious. We dined on she-crab soup, shrimp and grits, huge sea scallops. We had lunch at The Olde Pink House, an institution in an 18th-century mansion. We also were impressed by Cha Bella, a farm-to-table restaurant on the northeastern fringe of the historic district. We found some shopping gems, too. The Village Craftsmen, a co-op of local artisans, is on the west end of River Street, away from the kitschy tourist shops. City Market comprises four blocks of former warehouses with galleries, shopping and al fresco dining. And we were crazy for the Liquid Sands Glass Gallery, which custom-made a pair of earrings for Molly. I tormented my husband daily by texting photos of the fabulous food we ate. Next time, I might have to take him with me. ___ If You Go... VISIT SAVANNAH: Tourism information, https://www.visitsavannah.com/ FAMOUS & SECRET EAST SIDE FOOD TOUR: $57, https://savannahtasteexperience.com/famous-secret-east-side-food-tour/ VILLAGE CRAFTSMEN: http://www.villagecraftsmensavannah.com/ SCAD MUSEUM OF ART: https://www.scadmoa.org/

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Alaska Airlines has updated its policy on emotional support animals. Starting May 1, customers flying with psychiatric service animals must provide animal health and behavioral documents and a signed document from a medical professional at least 48 hours prior to departure. The airline will also stop allowing amphibians, goats and animals with hooves, tusks or horns. Alaska Airlines spokesman Tim Thompson said there will be an exception for trained miniature horses, though. Thompson said the changes are in response to increasing problems with emotional support animals on planes. He said there have been incidents where animals have bitten customers and employees. "Most animals cause no problems," Ray Prentice said, Alaska Airlines director of customer advocacy. "However, over the last few years, we have observed a steady increase in incidents from animals who haven't been adequately trained to behave in a busy airport setting or on a plane, which has prompted us to strengthen our policy." Alaska Airlines in recent years has handled about 150 support animals every day. The new policy does not affect certified service animals, which are typically dogs helping owners with physical disabilities. The new restrictions only apply to animals assisting emotional, psychiatric, cognitive or psychological disabilities.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Diane Lane and Greg Kinnear are joining "House of Cards" for the political thriller's final season. Netflix said they'll play siblings in the show's sixth season, which resumed production Wednesday. "House of Cards," Netflix's first original series, halted production last October amid sexual misconduct allegations against star Kevin Spacey. Spacey was suspended from the show by producer Media Rights Capital after Netflix said it wouldn't continue with it if he remained. A representative for the actor said previously that he was seeking unspecified treatment. Robin Wright, who co-starred as wife to Spacey's Francis Underwood, will be the focus of the final season. A debut date has yet to be announced. Further details on the new characters played by Lane and Kinnear weren't available.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Newspaper publisher Tronc has named CEO Justin Dearborn as its chairman of the board, replacing Michael Ferro, who is retiring. The change announced Monday shortly before Fortune magazine published a story about two women who allege that Ferro made unwanted sexual advances during 2013 and 2016 before he become Tronc's chairman. "Michael Ferro has had no claims filed against him while leading Tronc as chairman," Tronc said in a statement. "Further, we are aware of no claims filed against Mr. Ferro throughout his career. As Mr. Ferro has retired after leading a financial turnaround of Tronc, we wish him well in his private life and will have no further comment." Ferro struck it rich as an entrepreneur involved in two startups that were sold for more than $1 billion. In 2016, he bought a stake in the Tribune Co, which was subsequently renamed as Tronc. Chicago-based Tronc Inc., which operates newspapers including the Chicago Tribune, New York Daily News and The Baltimore Sun, announced last month it had sold the Los Angeles Times and other papers for $500 million and an additional $90 million in pension benefits. "Michael retires having created considerable shareholder value for the company in just two years as chairman of the board," Dearborn said, adding that the company had tripled its market capitalization, quadrupled its cash holdings and reduced its debt under Ferro's leadership. Dearborn was appointed CEO of Tronc in February 2016. He previously led Merge Healthcare until its acquisition by IBM for $1 billion in October 2015.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — In the new season of "The Handmaid's Tale," there are tantalizing flashbacks to what preceded the Republic of Gilead, the bleak shredding of a flawed but free society. There also are suggestions that a fight is brewing against the oppressive state and its enslavement of women. If the awards-lavished Hulu drama is indeed poised for an explosive second season, it will be in part because the male characters — some of them — step up their rebellion against the hellish Gilead drawn from author Margaret Atwood's 1985 novel. "This season expands from the original (story) and also in pace and stakes. There seems to be a volatility underlying everything that happens this season, bubbling anarchy and resistance that brings out a lot of tension," said O-T Fagbenle, who plays husband Luke to Elisabeth Moss' June, dubbed Offred in this dystopian future world. June remains the hero of the saga, one of the handmaids forced to bear children for the state's ruling class bedeviled by infertility. When season two arrives Wednesday, June's refusal to join in stoning a rebellious handmaid inspires a small but brave stand. The consequences appear dire, with a ghostly, abandoned stadium that's set for a mass hanging and representative of a wrenching season. Central to it: June's determination to break free from Gilead and the household of Commander Fred Waterford (Joseph Fiennes) and his wife Serena Joy (Yvonne Strahovski). But who will help her to fight Gilead, which some have deemed a metaphor for our time? Her husband, who managed to flee the East Coast republic to the safe zone of Canada? Better positioned is Nick (Max Minghella), who was tapped by infertile Serena to stand in with June for the apparently sterile Fred. The now-pregnant June and Nick form an emotional bond. Luke and Nick resist in "very, very different ways," said executive producer Bruce Miller. "One from the inside, pulling strings to keep (June) alive, the other from the outside. And they're both at some times thwarted in frustrating ways as the season goes on." But neither can shake "the dogged nature of hope," Miller said. Holding back spoilers, the men of "The Handmaid's Tale" weighed in on what they see for their characters and the story's direction over season two's 13 episodes on the streaming service. How many seasons to come remains to be determined, Miller said. PREPARE TO BE SUPRISED "We are now very far away from the novel, and so there is an unpredictability which as a viewer and a reader I found to be very satisfying," said Minghella. "I didn't, however, anticipate where we were going to go next and I was often wrong in my predictions." Minghella's Nick is "somebody who's trying to control an uncontrollable circumstance, and he can't. He has to face some obstacles that are not surmountable," he said. "That's true of all the characters in the show, so we're all thrown into the drama." In Canada, Fagbenle's Luke is grappling with the loss of his family and in the company of escaped handmaids Moira (Samira Wiley) and Erin (Erin Way), both deeply traumatized. "He's trying to manage that dynamic to some extent, deal with impotency and his lack of ability to get back to his wife," Fagbenle said. "And then things unfold during the series which reinvigorate his drive and determination to make a difference, no matter the cost." Fiennes said that with Fred, a window opens into where he stands in the hierarchy of the commanders' world amid the pressure to be recognized and promoted. "When he feels his masculinity amongst other men is being questioned or lessened, he invariably comes back into his own household and inflicts his feelings against the women," said Fiennes, calling it "one of many complicated roots causes to the way people and men behave" in the quest for power. BRUTAL HONESTY While the handmaids gut it out under horrific conditions, including in the environmentally toxic Colonies, the men of Gilead must come to grips with their own nature. The truth isn't always pretty. Fiennes sees his character and his wife as "architects of their own demise." Fred fell in love with a "strong-voiced" woman and brilliant writer in Serena, one who shared his principles and philosophies, Fiennes said. "What's fascinating is that Fred never stood up for her when he was given an opportunity to be a commander," accepting power in a society in which he knew she wouldn't be allowed to "have that voice." For his part, Fagbenle is reluctant to accept June's husband as "a good guy." "If in the face of such repression (the reaction) is to do nothing, is to give lip service, is that good? I don't know if I could give Luke that much credit. ... He's a guy who loves his wife but in terms of what's been faced, did he step up early enough and did he step up actively enough? In my estimation, I don't think he's done enough." Nick is a worthy man, Minghella said, but in an impossible spot. "He's a spy on a spy on a spy. As a result he ends up often being complicit in actions that are morally reprehensible. But to say that he personally endorses them, that would be a misrepresentation." Among the many failed men of Gilead, Fiennes gives Nick and Luke a shout-out as "wonderful components of the male psyche as husband and lover and supporter." ___ Lynn Elber is a national television columnist for The Associated Press. She can be reached at lelber@ap.org and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lynnelber.

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about Wednesday: 1. TROUBLING BACKDROP TO STATE OF UNION SPEECH FOR TRUMP The president's approval rating has hovered in the 30s for much of his term and at the close of 2017, just 3 in 10 Americans said the U.S. was heading in the right direction, according to an AP-NORC poll. 2. WHAT'S RATTLING US HEALTH INDUSTRY Three of corporate America's heaviest hitters — Amazon, Warren Buffett and JPMorgan Chase — announce plans to jointly create a company to provide their employees with high-quality, affordable care. 3. FOR NOW, GOP MEMO IN LIMBO The White House says it will conduct a legal and national security review before Trump decides whether to release the classified memo on the Russia investigation. 4. FALLOUT CONTINUES FROM ERRONEOUS ALERT Hawaii's emergency management leader resigns and a state employee who sent an alert falsely warning of an incoming ballistic missile is fired, officials say. 5. 'A BLEMISH ON OUR HISTORY' Israel's plan to deport tens of thousands of African migrants sparks a backlash from liberal Israelis who say Israel — established in the wake of the Holocaust — should never turn away those in need. 6. HOW POPE IS RESPONDING TO CHILEAN CRITICS The pontiff sends the Vatican's most respected sex crimes expert to investigate a bishop accused by abuse victims of covering up for Chile's most notorious pedophile priest. 7. US STOCKS LOSE GROUND Hefty losses in health care and technology companies hand the market its worst two-day drop since May. 8. TWO CASINOS OPENING THEIR DOORS In Atlantic City, thousands of jobs lost during a brutal three-year stretch when five casinos shut down are coming back. 9. 'GLEE' ACTOR AN APPARENT SUICIDE AT 35 Mark Salling played bad-boy Noah "Puck" Puckerman in the hit musical-comedy. His death comes weeks after he pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography. 10. WHO'S EAGLES' TOP CHEERLEADER QB Carson Wentz, out with an injury, will have to be satisfied with urging on backup Nick Foles from the sidelines during Sunday's Super Bowl.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- An interactive exhibition space titled [stil laif] featuring the creations of Korean artist Choe U-Ram is held in Taichung City from June 3 through Sept. 3, 2017. The National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (NTMoFA) has been developing projects focusing on digital technology as well as interdisciplinary art. In the wake of exploring the concept and development of interdisciplinary art, the NTMoFA has been holding international thematic exhibitions and progressing the exchange between Taiwan’s creativity and international thinking. This time, the NTMoFA invites the Korean artist Choe U-Rom, who recently has been receiving significant attention on the international stage of art, to hold his largest exhibition in Taichung under the theme of [stil laif]. Choe, 47, is a Seoul-based kinetic artist whose mechanical sculptures move freely as defying gravity, filling their surroundings with soft breathe and life as if their existence were as old as the dawn of time. The special exhibition at the NTMoFA is titled [stil laif] which can be phonetically interpreted as “Steel Life,” “Steal Life,” or even “Still Life.” The artist does not tell the implied meaning of the title while aiming to convey his art to be not only having a singular, fixed meaning but layers of different meanings.

MONTREAL--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 4, 2018--Mirego, a Canadian digital strategy and transformation leader, proudly announces the appointment of Élisa Ève De Serres as Partner and Lead Product Owner of the Mirego Montreal office. Élisa Ève joined the Mirego team in 2015 as Product Manager and has been overseeing the operations of the Montreal office since early 2018. From the moment she joined the team, Élisa Ève has played a key role in the development of over a dozen innovative digital products for Mirego clients such as Groupe Capitales Médias, SAQ, IGA, Safeway, and Sobeys. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180704005122/en/ Élisa Ève De Serres (Photo: Mirego) "Élisa Ève is an accomplished professional whose natural leadership skills, charismatic personality, and great discernment are recognized by members of our team and our clients. Since joining Mirego, she has demonstrated a consistent commitment to customer service excellence and the development of high-quality digital products. We know that an inspiring leader like Élisa Ève will propel our growth and we are pleased to have her as a partner," noted Albert Dang-Vu, Co-President and CEO of Mirego. The company aims to double its workforce in Montreal within the next two years. Élisa Ève has been working in the digital realm for over ten years. Prior to joining Mirego, she managed the French CBC’s application portfolio where she oversaw the development of ICI Tou.tv, ICI Première, and RC Info. Élisa Ève also has significant communications and advertising experience. About Mirego Mirego helps its clients innovate and reinvent themselves in order to prosper in the digital era. As a strategic partner, Mirego plans, conceptualizes and develops innovative digital products for such clients as SAQ, Toys’R Us, Bell, The CFL and Sobeys. Its team of over one hundred experts based in Montreal and Québec City is one of the most experienced in Canada in terms of strategy, user experience and mobile application development with over 200 applications in assets since 2007. Canadian Business and PROFIT ranked Mirego no 53 in the 2016 PROFIT 500. To learn more, visit www.mirego.com. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180704005122/en/ CONTACT: Mirego Florence Petit-Gagnon, 1-888-437-4258, #770 florence@mirego.com KEYWORD: NORTH AMERICA CANADA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY OTHER TECHNOLOGY SOCIAL MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS ADVERTISING MARKETING PUBLIC RELATIONS/INVESTOR RELATIONS OTHER COMMUNICATIONS SOURCE: Mirego Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 07/04/2018 08:00 AM/DISC: 07/04/2018 08:01 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180704005122/en

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Jason Day calmly sank an 18-inch birdie putt at 8:17 a.m. Monday in front of empty grandstands on No. 18 at Torrey Pines for his first PGA Tour win in 20 months. There were no roars, just cheers from Day's family and a handful of mates. In a rare Monday morning finish, Day took all of 13 minutes to navigate the par-5, 570-yard 18th on the South Course to finish a six-hole playoff against Alex Noren to win the Farmers Insurance Open. Day and Noren had to return after grinding through five playoff holes Sunday before it got too dark to continue. Spectators weren't allowed in the next day because organizers said they didn't have time to arrange for security. "It was a little strange, but we did have a few people up in the stands, which was nice," Day said. "It's great to finish the tournament and all, but it would have been nice to finish yesterday with all the people there. "I'd play until Wednesday if I needed to get that win," Day said. "It's why we get up every morning and practice. This win is just as special as the first one." Day also won here in 2015, in a four-man playoff that took only two holes. That victory propelled him to a five-win season, including the PGA Championship, and the world's No. 1 ranking. After contending with a balky back the last few weeks, he hopes this victory also is a springboard after a dreadful 2017 season. Day's tee shot landed in the right rough and Noren's in the first cut to the left. Noren tried an aggressive second shot, but his ball landed short of the green and rolled into Devlin's Billabong, a pond that protects the hole. Day shot over some trees and laid up onto the fairway before hitting a lob wedge approach of about 85 yards, with the ball rolling down several feet to set up the winning putt. "It was really unfortunate for him to hit it in the water because I know how good of a shot he actually hit there because that's really tough to go with a 3-wood into a green like that," Day said. "I think it's almost a blessing that I actually missed the fairway knowing that I had to lay up and knowing that I kind of worked on that number before. I was on the range hitting that exact same number." Noren, a 35-year-old Swede trying for his first PGA Tour win, bogeyed the hole. "I had a perfect yardage," said Noren, who played at Oklahoma State and has nine victories on the European Tour. "And the greens are not super firm in the morning like this so I thought it was the perfect play in the middle of the green and have a putt at eagle and a few yards short, so it's tough." Day and Noren matched each other with birdie, birdie, par, par and birdie through five playoff holes in the twilight Sunday on the blufftop course overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Ryan Palmer was eliminated on the first extra hole with a par. "Myself, Ryan and Alex all hit some nice shots coming down the stretch in the playoffs," Day said. "Going shot for shot with Alex was pretty cool over that five-hole stretch, and unfortunately we just couldn't get it. We just didn't want to give it up." Day was on his "third-string" caddie. He said Luke Reardon, who caddied for him at the end of last year, and David Lutterus, who was going to be on the bag, had trouble securing visas. His third in line, childhood friend Rika Batibasaga, "he's marrying an American and I knew that he's in here already," Day said. "So I was like, 'I've got to grab someone, either grab him or grab someone out of the crowd.'" Day hopes this victory leads to a turnaround from a miserable 2017, which included his mother recovering from lung cancer and a game that lost some discipline and focus. "I think last year was a good kick in the butt, you know, not really being talked about and being talked about for the wrong reasons," the 30-year-old Australian said. "Obviously take my mum and stuff out of the equation, but just I see the guys winning, Jordan (Spieth), and Dustin (Johnson) is playing some tremendous golf, Jon Rahm's playing some tremendous golf, and I feel like I should be there as well, winning." Day is currently ranked No. 10 in the world. Getting back to the top is the goal. "I got there for 51 weeks, but I've always wanted to be a dominant No. 1 player in the world and that is going to take time," he said. "That's going to take a lot of hard work and dedication because I know how hard it is to get to No. 1 in the world and I know the quality of play that is fighting to get to No. 1 as well." ___ Follow Bernie Wilson on Twitter at http://twitter.com/berniewilson

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Sri Lanka's prime minister says that Sri Lankan asylum seekers held on Pacific island camps who could potentially settle in the United States are free to return home without fear of persecution. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe made the comments on Wednesday during a visit to Australia in which he discussed bilateral cooperation on combating people smuggling. No Sri Lankan asylum seeker has reached Australia by boat since 2013. But Sri Lankans, Iranians and Afghans are the largest national groups among more than 2,000 asylum seekers who are kept at Australia's expense on the Pacific islands nations of Nauru and Papua New Guinea. Australia refuses to resettle any of them and President Donald Trump has agreed to honor an Obama administration deal to resettle up to 1,250 of them.

Brian Orser, figure skating coach extraordinaire, took a break from his first class: adults ranging from middle age into their 80s. "Actually, it's my favorite thing I do," the two-time Olympic silver medalist says with a laugh. Orser will be taking a lengthy break from teaching those folks in Toronto. He has some business to attend to in South Korea: the Pyeongchang Games, where he'll have three gold medal threats in his charge. His resume as a coach is as sterling as it was as a competitor in the 1980s. Eight years ago, in Vancouver, he guided Yuna Kim to the women's title. The image of Orser behind the end boards, twisting and turning to Kim's every move, is as indelible as the South Korean's own brilliant performances. Then, at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, he worked with Japan's Yuzuru Hanyu, who like Kim won his country's first gold medal in his discipline. Hanyu will be back again, though he has been battling a serious ankle injury. Orser could help another skater break through at the games: Spain's Javier Fernandez, a six-time European champion and two-time world winner whose country never has medaled in figure skating. And just to make sure he stays busy, Orser also will work with Canadian champ Gabrielle Daleman. How does he manage it? "I think the secret is we have to treat everybody as individuals," Orser says. "Different personalities and different cultures. We do have a plan for everybody on paper and we try to follow that best as we can. "They walk into the rink and there is an energy we have to gauge, and then based on the plan, maybe get the energy level up. Sometimes we can't ... we're not doing it cookie-cutter style." Orser hardly is alone as he works with both world-class and lower-level skaters. "No one can do this without a great support team," he notes, mentioning in particular Tracy Wilson, an Olympic and world medalist when she competed. "There's so much that goes into it, on the ice and off the ice." On the ice is where the spotlight shines, of course. This is, as Orser explains, "a really delicate time." An Olympic season is different from others in the sport. Not only is the timing of events skewed — U.S. nationals were held three weeks early in 2018 — but the pressure ratchets up throughout the end of the calendar for one year and the beginning of a new one. Simply putting yourself in position to get on the national team for the Olympics is difficult. Then comes the intense stress of actually qualifying. If you make it, well, then there's the buildup to the big one. "For me, I think this is where we are on kind of on high alert as far as our awareness goes," Orser says. "You can't peak too soon, but this is also a good time to do a little bit of a test run. "We have those three or four days before competing when we are at the Olympics and you must rev it up. And this is the time to begin to rev it up and see if we can do it — mentally, physically. If we achieve it, then we go back to our regular programming. If not, then we work on making it work. "With Yuzuru and Javi, they are kind of coming into the Olympics from a different angle. Obviously due to circumstance," Orser says, referring to Hanyu's injury. "Javi has just been going along at his own pace." Orser sat down with his medal contenders in October to offer them some advice. He says, with no trace of bitterness or regret, that he was ready too early for the 1984 and '88 Olympics, when he finished second to Scott Hamilton and then to Brian Boitano. "Sometimes we have to guide them along the way," he says. Daleman might be his most impressive project this season. She underwent surgery last May for an abdominal cyst and entered the Olympic campaign with some huge question marks. She's answered them so well that she now must be considered a threat to the Russian and Japanese women in Pyeongchang. "Gaby had a slow start, surgery, and she has revved it up," Orser says. "She needed a good skate at nationals, and now has a good skip to her step." Orser likely will be seen skipping and stepping at the end boards again in South Korea. He wasn't sure he'd take well to coaching. Today, he recognizes that he has, and he finds it fulfilling. "I have to say now, I have a lot of confidence in what I am doing and relying on my team," he concludes. "It was not anything specific with Yuna or Yuzuru, I believe in what I am doing and who I am working with. There is the odd time I would second-guess some things, but I look around and see we are doing good stuff. "People see the star skaters in the forefront. But we look out on the ice with the novice and intermediate skaters and their progression. That gives me confidence and it gives me great satisfaction. I worked hard when I was a skater, I was on time and focused, and that is something that never changes. "I love skating and love seeing skaters do well." ___ More AP Olympic coverage: https://wintergames.ap.org

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Inbee Park's 12th U.S. Women's Open already stands out for a gloomy reason: the rain-soaked course at Shoal Creek. The picturesque course in suburban Birmingham had been drenched by nearly five inches of rain this week as of Wednesday afternoon, with the effects of Subtropical Storm Alberto adding onto earlier rains. "This is probably the wettest conditions I have ever seen in a U.S. Women's Open," said Park, a Korean who won in 2008 and 2013. "We just don't know what's going to happen. "Coming into the U.S. Women's Open, I always try to play the ball with the mud or try to play with like a wet ground condition because we've never played lift, clean and place. We just play from wherever it is and however the condition is." Practice rounds were canceled Tuesday and the course closed, other than some late-afternoon trips to the driving range. More rain followed overnight and into Wednesday on the eve of the major championship , when the course finally reopened by early afternoon in time for some of the 156 players to get in practice. The field will be cut to the low 60 scorers and ties after two rounds. John Bodenhamer, USGA's senior managing director, said officials didn't plan to use lift, clean and place for the first time in one of the organization's championships. "It remains our intention to play 72 holes and play the ball as it lies," Bodenhamer said Wednesday. The LPGA Tour's Kingsmill Championship two weeks ago was shortened to 54 holes because of rain. The field, which includes 10 past Open champions, arrived in Alabama hoping to avoid a similar fate. Pernilla Lindberg won the year's first major at the ANA Inspiration, the 11th consecutive women's major with a different winner. The LPGA Tour has not had a multiple winner through 13 tournaments this season. Korean Sung Hyun Park won last year at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, by two strokes over amateur Hye-Jin Choi. Some players, including Inbee Park, Karrie Webb and No. 3-ranked Lexi Thompson, got a full 18 holes in Monday. Thompson said some parts of fairways were "a little muddy and a little patchy." After that experience, she was hoping to play under lift, clean and place rules. "I think it will be a little unfair if they don't, but you never know," she said. "I mean if they don't, everybody has to play it down and it is what it is, but it's their choice. The rain has not helped that situation, so I guess come Thursday we'll see, though." This will be the third USGA championship at Shoal Creek but the first Women's Open. Buddy Alexander won the 1986 U.S. Amateur and Cameron Peck won the 2008 U.S. Junior. Shoal Creek also hosted the PGA Championship in 1984 and 1990, when the club drew criticism for not having black members. That led the PGA Tour to change its policy on going to courses that didn't allow minority members. The Regions Tradition, a PGA Tour Champions major, was held at Shoal Creek from 2011-2015. This time the primary concern is the weather and course conditions. Webb, who won back-to-back championships in 2000 and 2001, is playing in her 23rd consecutive Women's Open. She got a special exemption from the USGA. "It'll be the softest U.S. Open course I've played," Webb said. The conditions could potentially help long hitters like Thompson and Sung Hyun Park. But distance, of course, isn't the only important factor. "I think it could set up for anyone that's just hitting lots of fairways and greens," Webb said. Some players were fine with the unscheduled downtime of canceled practice rounds. Two-time U.S. Women's Amateur champion Danielle Kang played only the back nine on Monday and her scheduled practice round for Wednesday was pushed back too late to get it in, barring an earlier slot opening. A friend, PGA Tour player and Birmingham native Trey Mullinax, gave her a rundown of the course over the phone. Otherwise, Kang took advantage of the free time by seeing the movie "Solo," then sleeping until 10 a.m. Wednesday, enjoying brunch and not sweating the minimal practice time at Shoal Creek. "I feel more prepared than ever," Kang said. "That's why I think I'm so kind of relaxed about it."

When the Jalen Ramsey vs. A.J. Green, and Aqib Talib vs. Michael Crabtree in-game tussles played out, Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive back Ronnie Lott thought back to advice he received decades ago, before his San Francisco 49ers faced the Dallas Cowboys. "A buddy of mine, Dennis Thurman, who played for the Cowboys, called me up before we played them and said, 'Do not get into a talking match with (receivers) Butch Johnson or Drew Pearson.' So I didn't. He was like, 'Stay focused on the game,'" Lott said. "I'm sure that some coach or somebody said, 'Don't get caught up in that' to the guys involved in things this season. "Whatever the coaches said didn't work." Seems conflicts between cornerbacks and wideouts are simply unavoidable. It is a unique dynamic in NFL games week after week: On play after play, they match up 1-on-1, with plenty of grabbing and shoving and, yes, yapping mixed in. The tension escalates, especially if one is really outplaying the other. "It can be like an Ali-Frazier moment," said Lott, a cornerback and safety from 1981-94. "My rookie year, I remember having confrontations. They could be around the biggest or the littlest thing." Broncos cornerback Talib and Raiders receiver Crabtree served one-week suspensions after getting into a fight during a game — a reprise of their skirmish last season. Both times, Talib ripped a gold chain off Crabtree's neck. In another much-discussed episode, Jacksonville's Ramsey and Cincinnati's Green were ejected after a clash that looked straight out of a wrestling ring. "There's a lot of passion and emotions out of those two positions. It happens a lot in training camp and things like that, same deal," Minnesota Vikings receiver Adam Thielen said. "Even when you're going against your own teammates, it brings a lot of emotion out of you, especially when you're a competitor and you don't like to lose." The two episodes this season brought to mind other high-profile dustups. Josh Norman vs. Odell Beckham Jr. Or Andre Johnson vs. Cortland Finnegan. These spats are at least in part a result of what Redskins cornerback Norman describes as a world of constant chatter, gamesmanship and one-upmanship. "If you stop them, you come back and say something. Then they catch the ball, and they come back and say something. You play sound, fundamental defense and you get aggressive with guys. They don't like it and they push back. You push back," Norman said. "And before you know it, there you go." He was a Panthers cornerback in 2015 when he engaged in a violent back-and-forth with Giants receiver Beckham. Norman sees these CB vs. WR flare-ups through the prism of his job, which he says is made harder by the NFL's anti-defense rules and officiating. "They don't want defenders to be successful. And (fans) don't want a guy to stop their man that they put in fantasy football. When we do, we're the 'worst ever.' We're 'trash.' But if we let someone catch the ball, we're 'trash,' too. It's ridiculous," Norman said. "We can't win as defensive backs. It's not set up for us to. But when we do win, and there is that little success that we have for ourselves, then we need to show it. Like, 'Look! Take that!'" Players on both sides of the ball say the physical and mental back-and-forth both contribute to bad feelings. "There's a lot that goes out there on the field that's behind the scenes," Raiders cornerback TJ Carrie said. "You really don't pay attention to it until there's an altercation." Whether it's a cornerback constantly jamming a receiver off the line, or a run-blocking wideout doing the shoving, those plays add up. That's aside from when a receiver isn't getting his catches, or even his targets. Or a DB keeps giving up gains. It all can lead to frustration — and lashing out. "It's been going on for centuries," Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald said. He knows some defenders will "try to add unnecessary brutality to the game," he said, and there's no way to avoid that. But when it comes to trash talk, Fitzgerald said: "I'm not about that. If you call out my name, I'm not even going to acknowledge you. I just walk away." Certainly, these conflicts happen at other positions. Still, as Redskins cornerback-turned-safety DeAngelo Hall noted, it's harder to notice individual matchups along the line of scrimmage. "We are kind of out there by ourselves, so when we're talking or battling, you can really see two guys face to face — as opposed to five vs. five, having the whole O-line and whole D-line there. I don't know if there's more confrontation there than a defensive end and a left tackle, for example, but it's definitely more noticeable when receivers and DBs get to chirpin', because we're isolated," Hall said. "At the end of the day, it's me vs. you on that island." Hall, whose 43 career interceptions lead active players, remembers when he was with the Falcons and faced the division-rival Panthers and now-retired receiver Steve Smith. "Me and Steve had to be separated a couple of times," Hall said. "It was always almost to blows. Then, after or before the game, it was all cordial. Just that competitiveness of me and him wanting to beat each other down sparked those intense exchanges." As for some of his other past foes? "Me and (Terrell Owens) didn't do a lot of talking. We just tried to rip each other's heads off. Me and Chad Johnson did a lot of talking, but it was all jokingly," Hall said and paused, before adding with a chuckle: "And, of course, we tried to rip each other's heads off." ___ AP Pro Football Writers Dave Campbell and Josh Dubow and Sports Writers Joe Kay and Bob Baum contributed to this report. ___ For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP_NFL ___ Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich

PARQUE PATAGONIA, Chile (AP) — Chilean President Michelle Bachelet signed decrees Monday creating vast new national parks using lands donated by a U.S. conservation organization in what is believed to be the largest private donation of land ever from a private entity to a country. The agreement was signed by Bachelet and Kristine McDivitt Tompkins, the widow of Doug Tompkins, a founder of the North Face outdoor wear company who accumulated the land before his death. It will create the new Pumalin and Patagonia national parks while expanding others to help create a "Route of Parks." The string of 17 parks will span more than 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers) across the South American nation, stretching from Puerto Montt to Cape Horn. In all, the plan ultimately seeks to increase Chile's national parkland by more than 15,600 square miles (40,400 square kilometers). Bachelet said that would expand national parklands in Chile by 38.5 percent. "This is not only an unprecedented preservation effort," Bachelet said at a ceremony surrounded by pristine lands. "It's also an invitation to imagine other ways of rationally occupying our lands, of creating other economic activities, of using natural resources without preying on them. In other words, it's about generating sustainable development." Tompkins Conservation, which is led by McDivitt Tompkins, said the area that will be protected is three times the size of the United States' Yosemite and Yellowstone national parks combined, or about the size of Switzerland. "Today is a historic day for Chile and for the world. Today, Patagonia is protected with a new network of Parks," said Rodrigo Catalan, head of conservation at the World Wildlife Fund in Chile. The lands will safeguard millenary forests, unique fauna and flora species, and one of the purest reservoirs of water in the world, he said. But they also present daunting challenges for conservation, including how they will be financed and how they will benefit local communities. "It's a day to celebrate, but tomorrow, we have to think how we're going to make this conservation real," he said. "How are we going to manage and finance this great legacy. It's a tremendous conservation legacy that we have to take care of for the world." Since her husband's death in a 2015 kayaking accident, McDivitt Tompkins worked to permanently protect from development the millions of acres the couple acquired over a quarter century. Her husband was an American conservationist and co-founder of the North Face and Esprit clothing companies, and he used much of his fortune to buy huge tracts of land in Patagonia, a lightly populated region of untamed rivers and other natural beauty straddling southern Chile and Argentina. At first, his purchases of land to preserve swaths of wilderness caused suspicion and strong opposition by local politicians, loggers, power companies and nationalists who stirred rumors that he was trying to steal water and other resources. But he promised he would eventually return the land to both governments to be preserved as nature reserves or parks. "This is a reflection of the power of dreams and ideas, built path by path," said McDivitt Tompkins. "We're proof that nothing is impossible. No dream should go unfulfilled." ___ Associated Press video journalist Mauricio Cuevas reported this story in Parque Patagonia and AP writer Patricia Luna reported from Santiago. AP photographer Esteban Felix contributed to this report.

PACARAIMA, Brazil (AP) — Hungry and destitute, tens of thousands of victims of Venezuela's unrelenting political and economic crisis are trying their luck in Brazil — a country where they do not speak the language, conditions are often poor and there are few border towns to receive them. Many arrive weak from hunger and with no money for a hotel, food or the $9 bus ride to Boa Vista, the capital of the Brazilian state of Roraima, known in Venezuelan circles as a place that offers three meals a day. In dozens of interviews over four days, many said they had not had more than one meal a day for the last year. Some wore baggy clothes, had emaciated faces and complained of medical issues ranging from children with measles to diabetics with no insulin. Kritce Montero tried to shush 6-month-old Hector, who cried from hunger even after breast-feeding while his family and several hundred other Venezuelans waited to be processed at the border. Montero, who said she lost 57 pounds (26 kilograms) the last year from eating just one meal a day, traveled with Hector and her 7-year-old daughter 18 hours by bus from Maturin, a city in northeast Venezuela. After spending the night sleeping on the ground in Pacaraima, a dusty border town in the Amazon, they took another bus 130 miles (210 kilometers) to Boa Vista. "We are desperate. We could no longer buy food," said 33-year-old Montero, adding it had been months since Hector had any formula or diapers. While in recent years millions of Venezuelans have immigrated, until recently Brazil received relatively few of them. Hundreds of thousands have gone to Colombia, but authorities there and elsewhere in South America are tightening their borders. Portuguese-speaking Brazil has become the latest alternative for Venezuelans. But they are not finding much comfort there. On a recent day, Militza DonQuis, 38, sat under a tree on the side of the main road in Pacaraima. In the two months since she and her husband arrived from Puerto Cabello, they have not been able to find work. With no money, they can't take the bus to Boa Vista, so they sleep on the ground and scrounge for food during the day. "This is horrible," said DonQuis through tears, adding that in two months she had been unable to send money home to her children, ages 12 and 14, who she left with a sister. With no money for a bus, Jose Guillen, 48, and wife July Bascelta, 44, decided to begin the journey to Boa Vista at night on foot, setting off with 9-year-old twins Angel and Ashley along a road surrounded by forest. "God will provide," said Guillen when asked how the family would eat during a trip that can take five days. After walking 4 miles (6 kilometers), a Brazilian driver stopped agreed to give them a lift to Boa Vista, where the situation is arguably more desperate. Thousands of Venezuelans are living in the streets. They sleep in tents and on benches in central squares, have taken over abandoned buildings and cram dozens of people into small apartments. The largest of three shelters in the city, Tancredo, has 700 people despite being equipped for 200. Half-naked children roam the former gymnasium while groups of men and women chat about their hopes for finding work and worry about the families they left in Venezuela. Charlie Ivan Delgado, 30, said he came to Brazil several months ago with hopes of earning enough money so he and his high school sweetheart could finally afford a wedding. But each time he called home to El Tigre, he would hear the situation was getting worse, that their three children, ages 9, 5 and 1, were always hungry. So he decided to abandon wedding plans and bring his family. "Kids in Venezuela today don't think about playing with their friends or what they might study" in the university, said Delgado, sitting with his children and partner in a tent. "It's more, 'What am I going to eat today?" While the shelter offers three meals a day, the family's prospects are bleak. The soccer referee has only been able to officiate a handful of games in rural areas outside Boa Vista, the kids are not in school and it's hard to imagine how the family might leave the shelter. "It's like Tarzan being in New York," said Delgado. Brazilian authorities estimate 40,000 Venezuelans are living in Boa Vista, accounting for over 12 percent of the population in a city that was already poor and unable to offer many opportunities to its residents. Most have arrived in the last several months, putting intense pressure on the public health system, the jails and volunteer organizations and churches that are carrying the largest burden when it comes to keeping Venezuelans fed. Police say Venezuelans are sometimes working for as little as $7 a day in everything from construction to yard work, putting downward pressure on wages. For many, even offering to work for less isn't enough: Several interviewed said many employers have told them flat out they won't hire Venezuelans. Milene da Souza, one of a group of volunteers who periodically serve food, said many Brazilians were increasingly angry at the situation. "Brazil has many of its own problems," she said. "Roraima has its own problems." Last month, fears of a backlash intensified when an arsonist set fire to two Boa Vista houses filled with Venezuelan immigrants, injuring dozens, several severely. A man originally from neighboring Guiana has been arrested, and police have said he was motivated by anger at Venezuelans in the city. On the Plaza Simon Bolivar, named after the South American independence leader who was the inspiration for late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez' "socialist revolution," throngs are camping in tents or simply sleeping on the grass. When trucks pull up with food, hundreds run toward them, elbowing each other in a mad scramble to get a meal before they run out. Tempers flare as men accuse women and children of using their advantage to get extra portions. Roraima's governor has declared a state of emergency to free up funds for overwhelmed public hospitals, where health officials estimate that 8 in 10 patients are Venezuelan. Last month, President Michel Temer canceled activities during Carnival to make an emergency trip to Boa Vista. But residents say the federal government's plans, which include building a field hospital in Pacaraima and relocating a few thousand immigrants to bigger cities, are not enough. Between Jan. 1 and March 7 of this year, 27,755 Venezuelans crossed into Brazil from Pacaraima. Authorities estimate at least 80,000 are currently in Brazil, most of them in Roraima state. Brazil, Latin America's largest nation, has one of the region's most inclusive immigration policies. Venezuelans are allowed to enter with just a national identification card, a lifeline for many who say that getting a passport in Venezuela has become impossible. Many immigrants who don't have identification cards but can show a birth certificate are allowed in if they request and are granted refugee status. Being designated "refugees" can be problematic because such immigrants can't return to Venezuela; President Nicolas Maduro has called them "traitors" of the state. Many say that as long as Maduro is in power they have no reason to return. Despite skyrocketing inflation and a collapse of many businesses, Maduro has refused to allow humanitarian aid to enter Venezuela. He denies there is a crisis and says international relief would lead to foreign intervention. "Maduro's solution is that we just eat each other," said Diana Merida sarcastically while washing her clothes in a Boa Vista river. The 34-year-old from Maturin said she recently sent $3 home to her 16-year-old daughter and 11-year-old son, which would allow them to buy some rice. While it took her three days of selling coffee to earn that, it was more than she could earn in a month as a saleswoman in a clothes store back home. On the Plaza Simon Bolivar, Kritce Montero sits with baby Hector, who now has on a diaper and has spent the last two days gobbling up formula, all donated by volunteers. It's been two days since the family crossed the border in Pacaraima. The first night they slept under a tree in the plaza, but then the second night somebody offered them a tent because of the baby. "At least here, I'm able to feed my kids," said Montero. "Even if I'm living under a bridge, I would feel OK if my kids have food." ____ Follow Peter Prengaman: twitter.com/peterprengaman

BROOKLINE, Mass. (AP) — Residents of a Boston suburb have voted to rename the elementary school once attended by John F. Kennedy because it was named for a former slave owner. Town meeting members in Brookline voted Tuesday 171-19 to change the name of the Edward Devotion School. It will be known as the Coolidge Corner School, after its neighborhood, until a new name can be approved at next spring's town meeting. Deborah Brown, who proposed the change, said, "No child should have to walk into a school named for someone who enslaved people." Opponents called the name change an empty gesture that doesn't address racism's underlying causes. Devotion, who died in 1744, left money to the town on the condition it is used for a school. The future president attended from kindergarten through third grade.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration let a top Russian spy official visit the United States last week for meetings with U.S. intelligence officials even though there are sanctions against him that typically prohibit such visits, officials said Tuesday. The Russian ambassador to the U.S., Anatoly Antonov, said on Russian state TV that Sergei Naryshkin, head of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, met with his U.S. counterparts about the fight against terrorism. The visit came less than a week before President Donald Trump decided not to issue any new sanctions against Russian politicians and oligarchs over Russian meddling in the U.S. election. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., a frequent critic of Trump's treatment of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his government, said the timing of the trip was suspicious. "This is a serious national security issue," Schumer told reporters. "Russia hacked our elections. We sanctioned the head of their foreign intelligence, and then the Trump administration invites him to waltz through our front door. This is an extreme dereliction of duty by President Trump, who seems more intent on undermining the rule of law in this country than standing up to Putin." Schumer wants to know whether sanctions were discussed, whether Naryshkin also met with White House or national security officials and whether other sanctioned Russian officials were along on the trip. Naryshkin was sanctioned in 2014 in response to Russia's annexation of Crimea. The CIA released a statement saying that while it does not discuss the schedules of U.S. intelligence leaders, "rest assured that any interaction with foreign intelligence agencies would have been conducted in accordance with U.S. law and in consultation with appropriate departments and agencies." Jonathan Schanzer, a sanctions expert at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, said that typically, people who have been sanctioned have their assets frozen and are barred from entering the United States. He said there are cases where individuals from sanctioned countries enter the United States after getting permission to attend meetings at the United Nations. Situations like Naryshkin's visit are more unusual, Schanzer said. "We don't see this sort of thing being reported very often," he said. ___ Associated Press writers Richard Lardner in Washington and Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon has ordered an independent federal auditor to stop providing the public with key information about U.S. war efforts in Afghanistan, accelerating a clampdown on data, such as the size of the Afghan military and police forces, that indicate how the 16-year-old stalemated war is going. The crackdown on information comes just months after President Donald Trump announced a new Afghanistan strategy aimed at breaking a battlefield stalemate by accelerating Afghan-led operations against the Taliban and other insurgent groups in the country. Trump on Monday railed against the recent string of attacks in Afghanistan, and ruled out any U.S. discussions with the Taliban as part of the effort to seek peace talks between the Afghan government and the insurgents. The auditing agency, established by Congress and known as the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, or SIGAR, revealed the new gag order in its latest three-month assessment of conditions in Afghanistan. The restrictions fly in the face of Pentagon assertions over the past year that it was striving to be more transparent about the U.S. war campaigns across Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan. Over the years, the SIGAR auditing effort has revealed many dubious practices by the U.S., including instances of contractor fraud. Since January 2016 it had published data on the number of governing districts controlled by Kabul, the number controlled by the Taliban, and the number that are contested. John F. Sopko, head of the auditing organization, expressed disappointment that the Pentagon had forbidden release of the data on relative control of the governing districts. "This development is troubling for a number of reasons, not least of which is that this is the first time SIGAR has been specifically instructed not to release information marked 'unclassified' to the American taxpayer," Sopko wrote. "Aside from that, the number of districts controlled or influenced by the Afghan government had been one of the last remaining publicly available indicators for members of Congress — many of whose staff do not have access to the classified annexes to SIGAR reports_and for the American public of how the 16-year-long U.S. effort to secure Afghanistan is faring," he added. In response, the Pentagon said the U.S.-led coalition of NATO and allied nations in Afghanistan made the decision to restrict the public release of the information. The Defense Department told SIGAR this month that it doesn't "have the authority to overrule the classification determination made by NATO Resolute Support," said Lt. Col. Michael Andrews. He said that similar information was included in the department's December 2017 semi-annual report to Congress, and the Pentagon encouraged SIGAR to use that data. The Defense Department report said the Afghan government has control or influence over 60 percent of the population, while insurgents had control or influence over approximately 10 percent of the population, with the remainder contested. In November, Gen. John Nicholson described the Afghan government control during remarks to reporters at the Pentagon. He said it remained "roughly the same" as in 2016. "About 64 percent of the population is controlled by the government, about 24 percent live in contested areas, and the Taliban control the remaining 12 percent," he said. He did not reveal the number of districts held by each side. Sopko wrote that historically, the number of districts controlled or influenced by the government has been falling since his office began reporting on it, while the number controlled or influenced by the insurgents has been rising — "a fact that should cause even more concern about its disappearance from public disclosure and discussion." The war effort has sometimes faded from U.S. public attention, even though the U.S. has invested about $120 billion in reconstructing Afghanistan since 2002. Sopko said in his report that the Pentagon also classified or otherwise restricted information that his organization had previously reported publicly, including such "fundamental metrics" of the Afghan military and police performance as Afghan casualty figures and most measurements of the battlefield capabilities of the Afghans military.

NEW YORK (AP) — Graduate teaching and research assistants at Columbia University have walked off the job to try to pressure the university to recognize their decision to unionize. The graduate students set up a picket line outside the main campus administration building Tuesday. They say their strike will last one week. Teaching and research assistants at Columbia voted overwhelmingly in 2016 for representation by the United Auto Workers. The university said in January that it would not bargain with the graduate students. Provost John Coatsworth said the university would instead ask a federal appeals court to rule on whether student assistants are workers with the right to collective bargaining. Columbia administrators did not immediately comment on the strike. The last day of classes at Columbia is April 30. Finals start May 4.