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In this undated photograph supplied by the Aurora, Colo., Police Department, David Puckett is shown. Aurora Police have been searching for the missing 6-year-old boy since New Year's Eve after the child... (Associated Press) In this undated photograph supplied by the Aurora, Colo., Police Department, David Puckett is shown. Aurora Police have been searching for the missing 6-year-old boy since New Year's Eve after the child wandered off from his home in the east Denver suburb. Searchers looked for the boy with the aid of... (Associated Press) In this undated photograph supplied by the Aurora, Colo., Police Department, David Puckett is shown. Aurora Police have been searching for the missing 6-year-old boy since New Year's Eve after the child wandered off from his home in the east Denver suburb. Searchers looked for the boy with the aid of... (Associated Press) In this undated photograph supplied by the Aurora, Colo., Police Department, David Puckett is shown. Aurora Police have been searching for the missing 6-year-old boy since New Year's Eve after the child... (Associated Press) AURORA, Colo. (AP) — Police are searching for a 6-year-old boy who is believed to have wandered away from his home in suburban Denver on New Year's Eve, authorities said. The FBI and other law enforcement agencies helped in the hunt for David Puckett on Monday, going door-to-door within 2.5 miles of his home in Aurora. Bloodhounds and a helicopter have also been used. An Amber Alert was issued and police said a $10,000 reward was offered. Aurora police appealed for help to find David as quickly as possible partly because of coming cold weather, with lows expected in the upper teens. "The public can help by physically searching their homes, automobiles, and any structures on their property where a child may be able to hide," a police statement said. Authorities have said that foul play isn't suspected, but they said they have contacted registered sex offenders who live in the area and have searched nearby bodies of water. Monday evening, police disclosed that someone outside the family had seen the boy the day he went missing, but they didn't elaborate. The FBI told the Denver Post that the agency assigned 50 agents to the case, including one who is highly specialized in missing children searches. His mother on Sunday issued a tearful appeal for people to help find him and said he was only wearing a light jacket. Police said David has wandered off before. ||||| Police and FBI officers intensified their search Monday for a missing 6-year-old Aurora boy who police say wandered away from home on New Year’s Eve as the temperature was expected to drop into the upper teens. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation issued an Amber alert Monday for David Puckett because of the cold weather and the amount of time the boy has been missing, Aurora police spokesman Crystal McCoy said. As night fell Monday, police held a news briefing as FBI agents again canvassed the neighborhood where the boy lived with his family, which includes three juvenile siblings. Authorities planned to continue their search well into the night, McCoy said. David disappeared from his home in the 15700 block of Amherst Avenue around 5:30 p.m. New Year’s Eve. Some family members were home, McCoy said. She did not disclose who was there. Police also said someone outside the family had seen the boy the day he went missing, but McCoy did not elaborate on who that was or where or when the sighting was made. The family searched for David for an hour before calling Aurora police. And the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office had its bloodhound on the trail within an hour of Aurora police receiving the call, McCoy said. There has been no indication that police have found any sign of David since the search began. Although police said they have no indication of foul play, officials emphasized the investigation was ongoing, McCoy said. The FBI joined the investigation because of the increased resources the bureau can provide. The FBI has assigned 50 agents to the case, including one who is highly specialized in missing children searches, said Deborah Sherman, an FBI spokeswoman. The FBI has set up a command post although Aurora police remains the lead agency in the search. More than 100 officers joined the searched on Monday, including the Arapahoe County water rescue team and officers from area police and sheriffs departments. Police have contacted registered sex offenders who live in the area and have searched nearby bodies of water looking for any signs of cracked ice, McCoy said. Police and FBI agents canvassed neighborhoods and set up checkpoints to notify motorists of the search. David’s family has cooperated with police, who have searched the family home multiple times, McCoy said. On Monday evening, the CBI issued a statement about the decision to issue an Amber Alert three days after the boy was first reported missing. While the circumstances surrounding David’s disappearance have not changed, the bureau decided to activate the alert out of an abundance of caution. The alert is one tool that can be used to disseminate information that already has been released about the boy and his disappearance, the CBI statement said. The statement praised Aurora police, saying that department “has been exceptional” in using the media and social media to relay information about the search. Aurora police have said they consulted with the CBI about a possible Amber Alert since the child first was reported missing. However, David’s disappearance had not met the criteria for Amber Alert notifications. The CBI will continue to communicate with Aurora police and provide resources as needed, the statement said. Earlier Monday, volunteers were called to join the search, which has been confined to a 2.5-mile area. By mid-afternoon, police had asked volunteers to stop looking for Puckett because their efforts could disrupt the work of the bloodhounds who were on the trail again. “We are continuing to do thorough searches of the neighborhood,” McCoy said. “We will notify people once again when we’re ready for the community to start searching.” Authorities were also looking for residential and commercial video to aid in their investigation, McCoy said. She asked anyone who finds any evidence that they think could be related to David’s disappearance to call police rather than pick items up or post images of them on social media. Police were growing more concerned Monday night as the search extended beyond 48 hours and with temperatures headed toward the teens. The boy was not appropriately dressed to be out all night in freezing temperatures. David attends Dartmouth Elementary, where he wandered away once before. Previous reports that the boy had wandered away from home more than once do not appear to be true. McCoy said Aurora Public Schools were making mental health professionals available to staff and students. “At this time we believed he wandered off,” McCoy said. “We have one documented instance where he wandered off from school.” Aurora police Chief Nick Metz said on Sunday there was no evidence of a kidnapping. “That could change as the investigation moves forward,” Metz said. David is about 4 feet tall and weighs 48 pounds. He has light brown hair and blue-green eyes. He was last seen wearing green camouflage pants, a black T-shirt, orange boots and a tan girl’s coat, according to police. The boy’s mother made a tearful plea Sunday for the public’s help, emphasizing that the coat was not very thick. “If you guys can, please help me find him. If you see him, please call the police immediately. If, by chance, you picked him up last night because you thought it would be best please bring my baby home,” she said. Aurora police are asking those with information to call any of their tip lines: 303-739-1865, 303-739-1868 or 303-739-1870.

– Authorities are combing a Denver suburb for a 6-year-old boy who wandered away from his home on New Year's Eve and has now been missing for more than 60 hours. David Puckett—4 feet tall with light brown hair and blue-green eyes—left his Aurora home around 5:30pm Saturday wearing only a light jacket, per the AP. Police say David wandered away from school once before and foul play isn't suspected, but an Amber Alert was issued Monday to allow officers to share details of the case as impending cold weather is a concern. Search dogs, a helicopter, 100 officers, and 50 FBI agents have been searching within a 2.5-mile radius of the family home, reports the Denver Post. A $10,000 reward has been offered for David's safe return, reports KKTV.

So Hugo Chávez isn’t dead. Once again, the doom mongers’ dire prophecies were wrong. But that doesn’t mean that the cancer stricken president is not seriously ill, nor will it put a stop to the country’s highly active rumour mill, which understandably got more and more excited for every day that Chávez’s most recent silence while in Cuba for radiotherapy, which lasted for 10 days, continued. Indeed, Chávez himself admitted as much when he telephoned leaders of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) from Cuba as they were giving a press conference this afternoon. “Unfortunately we will have to get used to living with rumours,” Chávez warned them, calling the rumours a product of the “laboratory of the dirty war” of his opponents. Still, one opposition leader said on Monday that the rumours started in the situation room of the presidential palace, Miraflores – and to judge by the joy and relief on the faces of the PSUV leaders when they received Chávez’s call, that’s not so hard to believe. If there is one thing in which all are treated equally in socialist Venezuela, it is in being kept in the dark about their president’s health, it seems. Chávez has been tweeting more than usual while away in Cuba – over 30 times in the last 10 days – presumably partly in a bid to show that he is not only alive and well, but on top of things and in charge of running the country. But he can tweet as much as he likes – be it about what a delicious fish soup he has just eaten, or what a clever answer one of his ministers has just given to a question on the state television channel, which can be watched from Cuba – it won’t convince the more sceptical Venezuelans that they are not being written by someone else. Nor will it convince anyone that he is really running the show, or well enough to run a proper campaign in the run-up to presidential elections in October, assuming he even does. Indeed, rumours continue apace as to who might be his successor, as well as questions as to whether those who appear to be competing to be that successor themselves may be in campaign already. Chávez is caught in a tricky dilemma. The more he exerts himself in order to campaign for his re-election, the more he may compromise his health in the process. But, of course, he needs both a strong campaign and his health to fulfil his dream of bringing 21st century socialism to Venezuela. That, or leave the job to someone else and designate a successor, something he is surely loath to do. Related reading: Chávez: humility but no plan B, beyondbrics Rumours in Venezuela as Chávez returns, FT Chávez warning: should rivals or investors be more scared?, beyondbrics Chávez: everything okay (again), beyondbrics ||||| President Chavez had not spoken in public since he arrived in Cuba on 14 April Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has spoken on state TV for the first time since he arrived in Cuba for more cancer treatment nine days ago. Mr Chavez, 57, dismissed rumours that he had died undergoing radiotherapy for a second tumour in his pelvic region. Speaking over the phone from Havana, he said rumours about his death were part of a psychological war against him. He had surgery in February and has been shuttling back and forth between Caracas and Havana for treatment. "It seems we will have to become accustomed to live with these rumours, because it is part of the laboratories of psychological war, of dirty war," he said. 'Hard treatment' President Chavez said his treatment was progressing. He said the treatment was "hard, and one had to go into it with much willpower and determination". The president said he needed a lot of rest, but that he felt obliged to attend to his duties while undergoing treatment. He said he was expecting Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro in Havana to discuss a reform to Venezuela's labour law. President Chavez said he would return to Caracas on 26 April for three days before flying back to Cuba for more treatment. The president's uncharacteristic silence since he left Venezuela for Cuba on 14 April had prompted a wave of messages on social media networks speculating about a turn for the worse in his health, or even his death. Mr Chavez had sent around 30 tweets over the past nine days - far fewer than usual. He had last spoken in public on 14 April when he announced from the balcony of the presidential palace in Caracas that he would probably not be attending the Summit of the Americas in neighbouring Colombia that weekend for health reasons. Mr Chavez, who has been in power since 1999, has said that despite his health problems he is determined to win October's presidential election.

– Hugo Chavez, complaining that rumors of his death had become so widespread that he had to reassure his own mother that he hadn't died, has broken a 9-day silence to let Venezuelans know he's still alive and kicking. He spoke to state television from Havana, where he has been undergoing radiation treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer since April 14, the BBC reports. The treatment is progressing, but it is "hard, and one had to go into it with much willpower and determination," he said. Chavez had tweeted more than 30 times since arriving in Cuba, but some of the more skeptical Venezuelans believed the tweets had been written by somebody else. Chavez said he would return to Venezuela for a few days this week before returning to Cuba for more treatment. Chavez is seeking re-election for another 6-year term this October, but analysts believe that his exertions to prolong his political life are likely to end up shortening his physical one, the Financial Times notes.

Forget the banishment of fashion's most D-listed combination—socks and sandals are back in. And we don't know about you, but as avid fashion rule-breakers, we're super pumped about it. This trend can be a tricky one, though, so to keep you looking like your cool self (and not like your dad on that one vacation we will not speak of), we've pulled together five awesome sock-and-sandal combos inspired by some of our favorite bloggers. Click through to take in the inspiration and pick up a few styling tips along the way. Then, put 'em into practice! Trust us, we know you can pull this one off. ||||| Ron Asadorian/Splash News Online Fanny packs. Overalls. Socks with sandals. No, it’s not your weird aunt’s packing list for her trip to Disney World. It’s what you’ll be wearing in 2014, if the fashion world has anything to say about it. Just when we were coming to grips with the first two items on that list, our world was rocked by the sight of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, twin style setters and CFDA-nominated fashion designers, wearing a matching set of clunky leather sandals over white sports socks. RELATED PHOTOS: Obsessed or Hot Mess? Vote on these wacky star styles! It’s no secret that many big designers showed Birkenstock-style sandals for spring (we’ve even given them a test run ourselves), but their arrival on the Olsens’ feet cements them as Officially Happening. And the addition of socks takes them to a whole new level of WTFashion. Are you into this look? Is your dad? Are you concerned about it making a comeback or will you be rocking it this spring and summer? And finally, what do you think about twins rocking the same “Socks and ‘Stocks” look simultaneously? Tell us below. –Alex Apatoff

– This is apparently not a joke. According to DNAinfo New York, stylists have picked up on socks with sandals as an emerging fashion trend. The look, often spotted on grandmas and tourists, has also been popping up on fashion runways in shows by Kate Spade, Tory Burch, and Burberry, prompting fashionistas to jump on board. "Layering sandals with socks is the perfect way to transition seasons," a stylist explains—just make sure to wear "lightweight and solid-colored socks with flat-formed shoes." And "you'll definitely want to show some skin and sex this trend up to avoid feeling frumpy," she adds. Still not convinced? Teen Vogue agrees "socks and sandals are back in. And we don't know about you, but as avid fashion rule-breakers, we're super pumped about it." In case this entices you to get on board, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen were spotted rocking the new trend earlier this year. It's not just for the ladies either: Justin Bieber, David Beckham, and Bruce Willis have also been seen keeping their toes warm while wearing sandals, the Daily Mail reports. (A really disturbing fashion trend? Women who get surgery so their designer heels fit better.)

It was an off-the-cuff remark heard instantly around the world, befuddling spectators of President Trump’s freewheeling Wednesday news conference, who appeared conflicted about whether it was polite, rude or a mixture of both. “Yes, please, Mr. Kurd. Go ahead,” Trump said to Kurdish journalist Rahim Rashidi as he called on him to ask a question about U.S. relations with the Kurds. The answer from Trump was nearly drowned out by the social media frenzy that ensued, as people wondered whether they had heard the president correctly. The clip started circulating and wound up in highlight reels of the news conference. “Mr. Kurd” started trending on Twitter. But of those shocked by Trump’s remark, Rashidi, a reporter for Kurdistan 24, was not among them. “Hello, this is Mr. Kurd,” he said as he answered the phone late Wednesday night, several hours after he went viral. "Mr. Kurd." He called a man Mr. Kurd. Because he has an accent and asked a question about the Kurds. @realDonaldTrump #PressConference — Michael Seitzman (@michaelseitzman) September 26, 2018 This Trump presser. You know you should switch off but just can't. He referred to a Kurdish reporter as 'Mr Kurd' What is going on. — Samira Sawlani (@samirasawlani) September 26, 2018 For Rashidi, Trump’s acknowledgment of his identity as a Kurdish person as the world looked on was far from insulting. Instead, it was a moment of pride, he said. “I loved it, because all the time our identity is ignored by the Turkish government, by the Iranian government,” he told The Washington Post. “We are proud of our struggle for democracy, for justice, for freedom. He made me so happy when he called me Mr. Kurd. It was a moment of respect for us, for me.” The Kurds are “one of the world’s largest peoples without a sovereign state,” with a “history marked by marginalization and persecution,” as the Council on Foreign Relations has put it. About 30 million Kurds live in Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey, and “many who remain in their ancestral lands maintain a strong sense of a distinctly Kurdish identity,” the CFR wrote, amid their long-fought bid for independence. Rashidi said he was born in Iranian Kurdistan and later lived in Iraqi Kurdistan until 2000. At that point, he fled to Turkey and later Sweden as a legal refugee, he said. He now lives in Washington, D.C. I get your point but given the denial of identity by the governments forced on Kurds, its cool to hear such recognition by POTUS on the world stage. https://t.co/vubjQmPNq5 — Yerevan Saeed (@YerevanSaeed) September 27, 2018 On Wednesday night, other Kurds also expressed appreciation for Trump’s acknowledgment of their identity, including another Kurdish journalist in the room. Majeed Gly, New York bureau chief for Rudaw Media Network, said on Twitter that he would “actually take it as a compliment if you call me Mr. Kurd.” “There is an outcry on social media as if Trump was being disrespectful,” Namo Abdulla, the Washington bureau chief for Rudaw, said on Twitter. “He was not! I am #Kurdish and Mr. Kurd is my colleague. Kurdishness is an identity most Kurds are openly proud of.” I identify as #MrKurd and I'm totally proud of it, I don't see how it's disrespectful, I only see recognition and racial respect in the statement, and I don't even agree with Trump all that much, but y'all people need to chill. — Khalid Mirany (@Khalid_Mirany) September 27, 2018 Amid a flurry of questions directed at Trump about the sexual misconduct allegations that have beleaguered Supreme Court nominee Brett. M. Kavanaugh, Rashidi asked Trump what the future relationship with the Kurds will look like in a “post-ISIS” world. Kurdish militias, allied with U.S. forces, have played a crucial role in Syria in the fight against the Islamic State. But the question on Kurds’ minds, Rashidi said, is whether the U.S. government will continue to support the Kurds after the Islamic State is defeated. “We’re trying to get along very well,” Trump said in response. “We do get along great with the Kurds. We’re trying to help them a lot. Don’t forget, that’s their territory. We have to help them. I want to help them. They fought with us. They died with us. They died. We lost tens of thousands of Kurds, died fighting ISIS. They died for us and with us. And for themselves. They died for themselves. They’re great people. And we have not forgotten. We don’t forget.” Rashidi said he found Trump’s answer more than sufficient. “It’s given us something,” Rashidi told The Washington Post. “He’s given us hope.” Asked whether he believed Trump’s moniker would stick, Rashidi said it’s already caught on. “Just call me Mr. Kurd,” he joked. ||||| President Donald Trump called on a foreign news reporter by referring to him as “Mr. Kurd” during a solo news conference in New York on Wednesday. While taking questions, Trump called on the reporter and said, “Yes, please. Mr. Kurd, go ahead.” Trump addresses a reporter as "Mr. Kurd" pic.twitter.com/fiYhHODYaE — Deena Zeina Zaru 👩🏻‍💻 (@Deena_Zaru) September 26, 2018 The reporter, identified by The New York Times as Kurdistan TV reporter Rahim Rashidi, didn’t seem disturbed by the reference and thanked Trump for calling on him. “Thank you very much for your time, Mr. President,” Rahim replied, before asking Trump what the U.S. relationship with Kurds will be like now that ISIS has been defeated. The moment quickly went viral on social media as people were left in disbelief over Trump’s cavalier reference. "Yes, please. Mr. Kurd," said the President of the United States with another Kurdish journalist. — Jonathan Capehart (@CapehartJ) September 26, 2018 I promised myself I wouldn't live tweet Trump's press conference but he just called this guy "Mr. Kurd" and wow. pic.twitter.com/6Sgq0rG6S1 — Briän Ries (@moneyries) September 26, 2018 This Trump presser. You know you should switch off but just can't. He referred to a Kurdish reporter as 'Mr Kurd' What is going on. — Samira Sawlani (@samirasawlani) September 26, 2018 While many people were surprised by the moment, Rashidi welcomed it, according to the Times. “I love it,” he told Times reporter Michael M. Grynbaum after the news conference. “He made me happy by this sentence.” I just spoke with “Mr. Kurd.” His name is Rahim Rashidi, he works for Kurdistan TV, and he is thrilled. “I love it!” he said of Trump. “He made me happy by this sentence.” — Michael M. Grynbaum (@grynbaum) September 26, 2018 In response to Rashidi’s question, Trump said that the U.S. and the Kurds are “trying to get along very well.” “We’re trying to help them a lot,” the president said. “We do get along great with the Kurds. We’re trying to help them a lot.” He added: “They fought with us. They died with us. They died. We lost tens of thousands of Kurds, died, fighting ISIS. They died for us, and with us. And for themselves. They died, but they are great people. And we don’t forget.” 41 PHOTOS Donald Trump golfing through the years See Gallery Donald Trump golfing through the years US President Donald Trump drives a golf buggy on his golf course at the Trump Turnberry resort in South Ayrshire, where he and his wife Melania, spent the weekend as part of their visit to the UK before leaving for Finland where he will meet Russian leader Vladimir Putin for talks on Monday. (Photo by Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty Images) US President Donald Trump on his golf course at the Trump Turnberry resort in South Ayrshire, where he and his wife Melania, spent the weekend as part of their visit to the UK before leaving for Finland where he will meet Russian leader Vladimir Putin for talks on Monday. (Photo by Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty Images) US President Donald Trump drives a golf buggy on his golf course at the Trump Turnberry resort in South Ayrshire, where he and his wife Melania, spent the weekend as part of their visit to the UK before leaving for Finland where he will meet Russian leader Vladimir Putin for talks on Monday. (Photo by Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty Images) US President Donald Trump drives a golf buggy on his golf course at the Trump Turnberry resort in South Ayrshire, where he and his wife Melania, spent the weekend as part of their visit to the UK before leaving for Finland where he will meet Russian leader Vladimir Putin for talks on Monday. (Photo by Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty Images) TURNBERRY, SCOTLAND - JULY 15: U.S. President Donald Trump hits a tee shot whilst playing a round of golf at Trump Turnberry Luxury Collection Resortduring the U.S. President's first official visit to the United Kingdom on July 15, 2018 in Turnberry, Scotland. The President of the United States and First Lady, Melania Trump on their first official visit to the UK after yesterday's meetings with the Prime Minister and the Queen is in Scotland for private weekend stay at his Turnberry. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images) TURNBERRY, SCOTLAND - JULY 15: U.S. President Donald Trump waves whilst playing a round of golf at Trump Turnberry Luxury Collection Resort during the U.S. President's first official visit to the United Kingdom on July 15, 2018 in Turnberry, Scotland. The President of the United States and First Lady, Melania Trump on their first official visit to the UK after yesterday's meetings with the Prime Minister and the Queen is in Scotland for private weekend stay at his Turnberry. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images) US President Donald Trump plays a round of golf on the Trump Turnberry resort in South Ayrshire, where he and first lady Melania Trump are spending the weekend. (Photo by Jane Barlow/PA Images via Getty Images) U.S. President Donald Trump swings a golf club as young participants look on during the White House Sports and Fitness Day event on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, U.S., May 30, 2018. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY An aerial view shows U.S. President Donald Trump (top R) plays golf with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (top L) and Japanese golfer Hideki Matsuyama (top 2nd R) at the Kasumigaseki Country Club in Kawagoe, north of Tokyo, Japan, in this photo taken by Kyodo November 5, 2017. Mandatory credit Kyodo via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. JAPAN OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN JAPAN. U.S. property magnate Donald Trump practices his swing at the 13th tee of his new Trump International Golf Links course on the Menie Estate near Aberdeen, Scotland, Britain June 20, 2011. To match Special Report USA-ELECTION/TRUMP-GOLF REUTERS/David Moir/File Photo Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump drives a golf cart with his granddaughter Kai Trump on the golf course at his Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeen, Scotland, June 25, 2016. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri U.S. property mogul Donald Trump leads a media event on the sand dunes of the Menie estate, the site for Trump's proposed golf resort, near Aberdeen, Scotland, Britain May 27, 2010. To match Special Report USA-ELECTION/TRUMP-GOLF REUTERS/David Moir/File Photo Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump drives a golf cart with his granddaughter Kai Trump on the golf course at his Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeen, Scotland, June 25, 2016. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri Golf - RICOH Women's British Open 2015 - Trump Turnberry Resort, Scotland - 30/7/15 US Presidential Candidate Donald Trump views the course during a visit to his Scottish golf course Turnberry Action Images via Reuters / Russell Cheyne Livepic Real Estate magnate Donald Trump gestures as he plays golf during the opening of his Trump International Golf Links golf course near Aberdeen, northeast Scotland July 10, 2012. REUTERS/David Moir (BRITAIN - Tags: BUSINESS SPORT GOLF REAL ESTATE) Real Estate magnate Donald Trump (R ) plays golf during the opening of his Trump International Golf Links golf course near Aberdeen, northeast Scotland July 10, 2012. REUTERS/David Moir (BRITAIN - Tags: BUSINESS SPORT GOLF REAL ESTATE) PGA Chief Executive Sandy Jones (R) puts his arm around real estate magnate Donald Trump as they play golf during the opening of the Trump International Golf Links golf course near Aberdeen, northeast Scotland July 10, 2012. REUTERS/David Moir (BRITAIN - Tags: BUSINESS SPORT GOLF REAL ESTATE TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) Real estate magnate Donald Trump (R) plays golf during the opening of his Trump International Golf Links golf course near Aberdeen, northeast Scotland July 10, 2012. REUTERS/David Moir (BRITAIN - Tags: BUSINESS SPORT GOLF REAL ESTATE) U.S. property magnate Donald Trump gestures during a tour of his new Trump International Golf Links course on the Menie Estate near Aberdeen, north east Scotland June 20, 2011. Trump was in Scotland to give a media tour of the luxury golf course a year into its construction. REUTERS/David Moir (BRITAIN - Tags: BUSINESS SPORT GOLF SOCIETY) Donald Trump (R) drives his golf cart along the ninth fairway while he watches the final group of the day with an unidentified partner during the first round of the ADT Championship LPGA golf tournament at the Trump International course in West Palm Beach, Florida November 15, 2007. REUTERS/Hans Deryk (UNITED STATES) Donald Trump tosses a golf ball to his caddy after hitting a shot into the rough in a skins match at the Manhattan Golf Classic on Governors' Island in New York October 22, 2006. REUTERS/Jeff Zelevansky (UNITED STATES) ABERDEEN, SCOTLAND - JULY 10: Donald Trump is accompanied by the media during the opening of The Trump International Golf Links Course on July 10, 2012 in Balmedie, Scotland. The controversial �100m course opens to the public on Sunday July 15. Further plans to build hotels and homes on the site have been put on hold until a decision has been made on the building of an offshore windfarm nearby. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images) ABERDEEN, SCOTLAND - JULY 10: Donald Trump plays a round of golf after the opening of The Trump International Golf Links Course on July 10, 2012 in Balmedie, Scotland. The controversial �100m course opens to the public on Sunday July 15. Further plans to build hotels and homes on the site have been put on hold until a decision has been made on the building of an offshore windfarm nearby. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images) Donald Trump views developments to his luxury golf resort during a visit to the Menie estate in Aberdeenshire. (Photo by Danny Lawson/PA Images via Getty Images) Donald Trump swings a golf club on the Menie Estate, where his controversial luxury golf resort will be built. The coastal resort in Balmedie, Aberdeenshire, will have two golf courses, a 450-bedroom hotel, 950 holiday apartments and 500 residential homes. (Photo by Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty Images) 28 Aug 2008: Donald Trump and Sergio Garcia during the Deutsche Bank Championship Pro-Am event at the TPC Boston in Norton, MA. (Photo by Richard Cashin /Icon SMI/Icon Sport Media via Getty Images) 13 Jul. 2006: Businessman Donald Trump misses a putt to the right during the 2006 American Century Celebrity Golf Tournament played at the Edgewood Tahoe golf course in Stateline, NV. (Photo By John Cordes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) 13 Jul. 2006: Businessman Donald Trump heads for the next hole during the 2006 American Century Celebrity Golf Tournament played at the Edgewood Tahoe golf course in Stateline, NV. (Photo By John Cordes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) UNITED STATES - FEBRUARY 11: Donald Trump climbs back up to the green after chipping during the third round of the AT&T; Pebble Beach National Pro-Am on Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, California on February 11, 2006. (Photo by Chris Condon/PGA) Donald Trump during the third round of the AT&T; Pebble Beach National Pro-Am on Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, California on February 11, 2006. (Photo by Chris Condon/PGA) PEBBLE BEACH, CA - FEBRUARY 9: Donald Trump hits a shot during the first round of the AT&T; Pro Am on February 9, 2006 at the Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) View of American football player Tom Brady (seated left) and real estate developer Donald Trump in a golf cart at Trump International Golf Club, Palm Beach, Florida, January 22, 2006. (Photo by Davidoff Studios/Getty Images) UNITED STATES - FEBRUARY 10: Donald Trump during the first round of the 2005 AT&T; Pebble Beach National Pro-Am at Spyglass Hill Golf Club in Pebble Beach, California on February 10, 2005. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) PEBBLE BEACH, CA - FEBRUARY 12: Businessman Donald Trump looks on while waiting on the second fairway of the Pebble Beach Golf Links during the third round of the AT&T; Pebble Beach Pro-Am National Tournament on February 12, 2005 in Pebble Beach, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) UNITED STATES - FEBRUARY 10: Donald Trump during the first round of the 2005 AT&T; Pebble Beach National Pro-Am at Spyglass Hill Golf Club in Pebble Beach, California on February 10, 2005. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) Mel Melcon Developer Donald Trump poses next to a green side bunker on hole 11 at his new golf course, Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes, on Friday morning. Digital image taken on 01/14/05 (Photo by Mel Melcon/ Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) UNITED STATES - JUNE 09: Donald Trump putts on the ninth hole in the pro-amateur Buick Classic at the Westchester Country Club in Harrison, N.Y. (Photo by Howard Earl Simmons/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images) PLEASANTVILLE, NY - JULY 27: Donald Trump attends Trump National Golf Club Grand Opening on July 27, 2002 at Briarcliff Manor in Pleasantville, New Jersey. (Photo by Ron Galella/WireImage) PLEASANTVILLE, NY - JULY 27: Ron Howard and Donald Trump attend Trump National Golf Opening on July 27, 2002 at Briarcliff Manor in Pleasantville, New York. (Photo by Ron Galella/WireImage) 31 Jan 2002: Donald Trump hits his second shot on the par 4 8th hole during the first round of the AT&T; Pebble Beach National Pro-Am at Spyglass Golf Course in Pebble Beach, California. Digital Image. Mandatory Credit: Craig Jones/Getty Images Married American couple, real estate developer Donald Trump and actress Marla Maples, with their daughter Tiffany, pose in a club Car golf cart on the Mar-a-Lago estate, Palm Beach, Florida, late 1990s. (Photo by Davidoff Studios/Getty Images) Up Next See Gallery Discover More Like This HIDE CAPTION SHOW CAPTION of SEE ALL BACK TO SLIDE In an earlier exchange, Trump asked a journalist where he was from, and the journalist identified himself as a Kurd. This prompted Trump to compliment Kurds as “great people” and “good fighters” who helped the U.S. defeat ISIS. Trump held the news conference on Wednesday hours after a woman named Julie Swetnick publicly accused Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of being present at a party where she was gang-raped around 1982. Swetnick is the third woman to come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct against Kavanaugh. At the news conference, Trump told reporters that he believed all of the allegations against Judge Kavanaugh are “false.” This article originally appeared on HuffPost. More from : Nikki Haley says United Nations laughter was prompted by respect for Trump's ‘honesty’ Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein expecting to be fired: reports Kellyanne Conway downplays Kavanaugh allegations: He wasn't 'powerful' at the time

– There were some gasps and raised eyebrows from Twitter after President Trump on Wednesday called upon a reporter during a news conference using the name "Mr. Kurd." Rahim Rashidi is not among the aghast, and his opinion matters more than most: He's Mr. Kurd. As the Washington Post reports, Rashidi, a Kurdish journalist who reports for Kurdistan 24, wanted to ask Trump about US relations with the Kurds, some 30 million stateless people who live across Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey, and have helped the US in the fight against ISIS. Trump said to him, "Yes, please, Mr. Kurd. Go ahead." Rashidi, frankly, was thrilled. "I loved it, because all the time our identity is ignored by the Turkish government, by the Iranian government," he tells the Post. "We are proud of our struggle for democracy, for justice, for freedom. He made me so happy when he called me Mr. Kurd. It was a moment of respect for us, for me." Indeed, the Post notes that when it telephoned Rashidi late Wednesday, he picked up the phone with a new greeting: "Hello, this is Mr. Kurd."

Published on Nov 7, 2018 Three managers of a Chinese company in Zunyi County, Southern China, were arrested on charges of having forced employees to drink urine and eat cockroaches, according to local media reports. Source: https://china-underground.com/2018/11... ||||| Three managers of a home improvement firm in southern China have been jailed after they forced staff to drink urine, eat insects and flogged them with belts because they did not meet sales targets, local media reported on Monday. They were arrested after an employee of the company in Zunyi, Guizhou province claimed staff had been subjected to extreme punishments in a post on social media site Weibo last week. The hashtag “employees who failed to meet their goals forced to drink urine” has since been viewed almost 540,000 times. The post included a video showing a man standing topless in the centre of a room being whipped by another man with a belt, with other people gathered around watching. It also shows people drinking cups of yellow liquid. It was later deleted, but screenshots carried by news website Zunyi Yaowen showed text messages apparently sent by managers threatening staff with various punishments if they did not meet sales targets set by the company. “If the sales goal has not been met by the end of this month, the team leader will have to eat three cockroaches for each failed sale,” one text message read. Other punishments involved drinking vinegar or toilet water, selling condoms and sanitary pads on the street and having their head shaved, according to other text messages in the post. Two of the company managers have been jailed for 10 days, while a third manager will spend five days in jail, Zunyi police said in a statement on Weibo. Many people on social media have asked why the employees did not quit their jobs, but one staff member told Pear Video that they were owed two months’ pay by the company. The person also alleged that the company had threatened to reduce their severance pay if they quit. As economic growth slows in China, labour unrest has been growing and reports of ill-treatment of workers have become more common. Apple, Amazon and Samsung supplier HEG Technology have all been accused of child labour, forced overtime and low wages in the past, according to New York-based China Labour Watch. Beijing bans independent labour organising, trade unions and workers from going on strike. In August, labour activists that included students were arrested for supporting factory workers from welding machinery company Jasic International who were seeking to form a labour union after they were subjected to inhumane working conditions and later dismissed. ||||| Image copyright Science Photo Library Image caption If you miss your sales target, bon appétit Managers at a Chinese firm have been jailed for making staff who failed to reach sales targets drink urine and eat cockroaches, local media report. Police took action after videos emerged showing workers being whipped with a belt and drinking a yellow liquid. Social media posts alleged staff were also told to eat cockroaches if they did not meet targets. Three managers were jailed for five and 10 days over the incident, the South China Morning Post reports. A widely-shared video posted on Chinese social media site Weibo shows a male employee standing in the middle of a circle, getting whipped with a belt. Image copyright Pearvideo.com Image caption The video quickly went viral on Weibo Other staff, said to be employees of the home renovation company in the city of Guizhou, can be seen drinking yellow liquid from plastic cups while holding their noses. Screenshots of what were said to be messages from the managers threaten staff that they will have to eat cockroaches for poor performances. According to media reports, other forms of shaming and punishment at the firm have included drinking toilet water or vinegar and getting their head shaved. Image copyright Pearvideo.com Image caption Social media post said the yellow liquid was urine The company had reportedly failed to pay their employees' salary for the past two months and staff was scared to speak up fearing they would lose the pay if they'd quit. Police in Zunyi county police arrested three managers and they were later sentenced to jail time. It's the latest in a string of cases of Chinese firms employing unusual measures to punish, shame or encourage their staff. Previous reports have alleged cases of employees slapping each other at a company event to boost motivation, and staff forced to crawl on a public road or kiss rubbish bins as a punishment or for team building.

– Sales staff at a home renovation company in the Chinese city of Zunyi had a choice: Meet their sales targets, or face punishments including being forced to eat cockroaches and drink urine. Police investigated the company after reports and video surfaced of the cruel and bizarre punishments, the BBC reports. According to reports on social media, underperforming staff at the company were also forced to drink toilet water or vinegar, have their heads shaved, or sell condoms on the street. Video posted online shows workers being hit with a belt and drinking cups of yellow liquid. "If the sales goal has not been met by the end of this month, the team leader will have to eat three cockroaches for each failed sale," read one text message sent to employees. Police said that as a result of their investigation, two company managers were sentenced to 10 days in jail and a third to 5 days. Workers said they were afraid to quit or speak out about the abuse because the company owed them months of back pay and they feared the money would be withheld, reports the South China Morning Post. The Post notes that labor unrest and reports of ill-treatment of workers have both been rising as China's economy slows down. (Chinese citizens with "bad social credit" are also being punished.)

... lic’s assistance with information leading to the identification and location of the suspects allegedly responsible for a Aggravated Assault – Deadly Weapon at the 2500 block of Jackson Keller Road. The incident took place on December 27, 2018. To be eligible for a reward, tips must be submitted directly to Crime Stoppers. CRIME STOPPERS may pay UP TO $5,000 for information which leads to the arrest of the person(s) responsible for this Aggravated Assault – Deadly Weapon. Calls and Tips directly to Crime Stoppers are anonymous, and information that leads to an arrest of a felony offender might be eligible for a reward. Crime Stoppers pays rewards in cash, but only for anonymous, crime-solving tips submitted directly to Crime Stoppers, and that concern information not previously provided to, or known by law enforcement. Tipsters who identify themselves are not eligible for rewards. Crime Stoppers of San Antonio utilizes P3 Tips. Download P3 in the App Store or Google Play. Please call CRIME STOPPERS at 210-224-STOP (210-224-7867). www.sacrimestoppers.com ||||| Two police officers have been shot in separate incidents in what authorities are calling targeted attacks. One died; the other was shot twice in the face but was expected to survive. They were two of four officers shot Sunday in four incidents. A San Antonio detective writing out a traffic ticket to a motorist was shot to death in his squad car late Sunday morning outside police headquarters by another driver who pulled up from behind, authorities said. San Antonio police Chief William McManus identified the San Antonio detective killed Sunday as Benjamin Marconi, 50, a 20-year veteran of the force. At a news conference Monday evening, McManus said a 31-year-old man, Otis Tyrone McKane, was arrested without incident after the car he was driving was stopped Monday afternoon on an interstate. McManus said earlier that he doesn’t believe the suspect has any relationship to the motorist who was pulled over initially. Today at 1545 hrs, Otis Tryone McKane was taken in custody for the murder of SAPD Det. Benjamin Marconi. The arrest was... Posted by San Antonio Police Department on Monday, November 21, 2016 Speaking at a Monday morning press conference, McManus said investigators have “several ideas” about why the suspect may have been at the headquarters, but wouldn’t detail them.The suspect asked a desk clerk a question but left before receiving an answer, said McManus, who declined to say what the man asked. Police also released a photo of the suspect’s car, which they believe is a 2009-2015 black Mitsubishi Galant with custom rims. McManus declined to explain why police believe the man shot Marconi, saying he didn’t want to jeopardize the ongoing investigation. CBS San Antonio affiliate KENS-TV reports Mike Helle, president of the San Antonio Police Officers Association, knew Marconi personally. He said Marconi leaves behind two adult children. “Ben was a great guy. People loved him, and certainly, he had an aura about him,” Helle said. “You had to go out of your way to not like him. So he’s that good of a guy.” Police said the search for the suspect was still underway early Monday and that no arrest had been made. McManus said he doesn’t believe the suspect has any relationship to the original motorist who was pulled over, and no motive has been identified. The original motorist was questioned and released, McManus said. McManus said he believed Marconi was slain because he was a police officer. “I think the uniform was the target, and the first person who happened along was the person he targeted,” McManus said. McManus called the suspect “extremely dangerous to both the police and the public” and urged anyone who sees him not to approach him, but to call police. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called the slaying of Marconi a “horrific act of violence.” Abbott said in a statement that “attacks against law enforcement officers will not be tolerated in Texas and must be met with swift justice.” The FBI and U.S. Marshals were helping the San Antonio Police Department in the search for the suspect, federal officials told CBS News. Abbott announced a reward of $15,000 for information leading to an arrest in the case, bringing the total reward offered in the case to $25,000. In a statement, the Marconi family offered thanks for the “outpouring of support, prayers, and love we have received.” “At this time, we would appreciate privacy to mourn the loss of a wonderful father, brother, grandfather, friend, and last but not least, a peace officer,” the statement read. San Antonio officers were being instructed not to carry out traffic stops alone after the shooting, KENS reports. In St. Louis, a police sergeant was hospitalized in critical condition but expected to survive after being shot twice in the face Sunday night in what the police chief called an “ambush.” Police reported early Monday that the suspect was later killed in a shootout with police. CBS St. Louis affiliate KMOV-TV reports the shootout started when the suspect again shot at officers. Police Chief Sam Dotson said the 46-year-old sergeant, a married father of three and 20-year veteran of the department, was shot twice in the face. The sergeant was released from the hospital Monday. “Fortunately for the blessing of God the officer’s going to survive,” Dotson said during a brief news conference after the shooting. He declined to name the sergeant. the @SLMPD Sgt. is expected to be OK; suspect died after a shootout w/ police says @ChiefSLMPD. Info on @kmov #n4tm. — Laura Hettiger (@LauraKHettiger) November 21, 2016 The sergeant was not involved in a call or a traffic stop but was sitting in traffic about 7:30 p.m. Sunday when another car pulled up alongside his marked police vehicle. The officer told police he heard at least two shots. “This officer was driving down the road and was ambushed by an individual who pointed a gun at him from inside of his car and shot out the police officer’s window,” Dotson said. Police reported that officers hours later pulled up behind the vehicle the suspect was riding in, driven by an unidentified woman, and that he fled on foot. Police said the man fired shots at the officers, who returned fire, killing him. No officers were shot. KMOV reports the 19-year-old suspect had abandoned the vehicle he was driving earlier and was at some point picked up in a different car by the woman. Police said the suspect was wanted for violent crimes and likely feared being recognized. Police tell KMOV they knew the suspect by name and believe he could be connected to several robberies and possibly a carjacking and a homicide. KMOV reports officers uncovered a pistol at the scene with a high capacity magazine and investigators say they believe the gunman had additional magazines. Following the shooting, all officers in the city were to begin patrolling with a partner. St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay told KMOV the sergeant was shot “without provocation.” “He didn’t deserve this,” Slay said. “He was just doing his job, but he was targeted because he was a police officer.” Two other police officers were also shot Sunday night, but it wasn’t clear whether the incidents were targeted attacks. SAPD via AP An officer with the Gladstone, Missouri, police department near Kansas City was shot, along with a suspect. A Sanibel, Florida, officer was shot in the shoulder during a traffic stop Sunday night, and was treated for his injuries and released. Kansas City police issued a statement Monday morning saying that late Sunday night, Gladstone PD stopped a vehicle on a traffic violation. Someone ran from the vehicle, and Gladstone police chased the person on foot. Officers tried to take the suspect into custody and a struggle ensued during which the suspect produced a handgun. Shots were fired and the suspect was fatally wounded. A Gladstone PD officer was also shot, suffering non-life threatening injuries. The driver was taken into custody but was later questioned and released. Sunday’s fatal shooting in San Antonio came less than five months after a gunman killed five officers in Dallas who were working a protest about the fatal police shootings of black men in Minnesota and Louisiana. It was the deadliest day for American law enforcement since Sept. 11, 2001. Ten days after the Dallas attack, a man wearing a ski mask and armed with two rifles and a pistol killed three officers near a gas station and convenience store in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. And earlier this month, two Des Moines, Iowa-area police officers were fatally shot in separate ambush-style attacks while sitting in their patrol cars. “It’s always difficult, especially in this this day and age, where police are being targeted across the country,” McManus said. McManus said there was no apparent link between the St. Louis and San Antonio shootings. “I will say certainly that it’s a coincidence, but we’re not going to venture to say that it’s connected,” McManus said. ||||| Buy Photo Ambulance leaves Sanibel with deputy and someone on a gurney. (Photo: Andrew West/news-press.com)Buy Photo City officials said a suspect was in custody after a Sanibel city police officer was shot following a routine traffic stop Sunday night. The officer's shooting was a first for the island police department, according to police officials. The shooting took place shortly before 8 p.m. when the Sanibel city police officer was wounded by a drive-by shooter as he sat in his patrol car after completing a routine traffic stop near Bailey and Sandcastle roads. Other officers later exchanged shots with a suspect. The injured officer was taken to Lee Memorial Hospital where he was treated and later released. Buy Photo Law enforcement officials work the scene of an officer involved shooting on Sanibel Island Sunday evening. A Sanibel police officer was shot in a drive by shooting. The suspect fled and was later apprehended at his home. The police officer was released from the hospital. It is unknown what the motive is. It is the first officer involved shooting on Sanibel according to police chief, Bill Tomlinson. (Photo: Andrew West/The News-Press) The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is now in charge of the case. Sanibel City Police Chief Bill Tomlinson said there never has been an officer shot on Sanibel until Sunday night. "We hope they take all precautions and be safe," he said. The city force, just now gearing up for the island's busy tourist and snowbird season, has 32 members, 26 full-time and 6 part-time. A message on the city website around 9:30 p.m. said the suspect was taken into custody. Message from Sanibel Police regarding Sunday's shooting (Photo: Sanibel Police Department) Earlier, Sanibel police were being assisted by units from the Lee County Sheriff's Office and were searching the Dunes neighborhood of Sanibel. The city website reported that shots had been exchanged with a suspect. The website also said a reverse 911 call was sent to Sanibel residents in the Dunes neighborhoods advising them to lock all doors and stay away from windows. John Webster Hay (Photo: Lee County Sheriff's Office) There was a large police presence at a home on the 1400 block of Sandcastle Road. The city web site reported that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement was conducting an investigation into the shooting. ​ Early Monday morning, the FDLE arrested 49-year-old Jon Webster Hay, of 1476 Sandcastle, and charged him with attempted homicide. He was being held on no bond at the Lee County jail and was set for first appearance in Lee County court on Tuesday. The Sanibel Causeway had been closed for a brief period after the shooting but as of 9:30 p.m. had reopened. However, Periwinkle Way remained closed just north of Causeway Boulevard and a few miles from the shooting site. City officials said the suspect fled on foot but Sanibel police have located the suspect in the Dunes neighborhood. Witnesses reported an ambulance containing someone on a gurney inside with a deputy riding along leaving the island around 9:50 p.m. Message from Sanibel Police Department regarding Sunday's shooting. (Photo: Sanibel Police Department) Steven Chance, 17, who works at Doc Ford's restaurant on Sanibel, said the shooting was "unprecedented." He added the closure of Periwinkle meant he could not leave to go home. Residents trying to return home were forced to park just off the causeway and wait. They were allowed to return home shortly before 11. Michael McRay, a 30-year resident of the island and a veteran of Iraq, Darfur and Afghanistan, said he was upset he was not allowed back into his home for three hours. Read or Share this story: http://newspr.es/2fJ5miy

– It was a tough Sunday for law enforcement across the country, with four separate shootings leaving one police officer dead and three wounded, CBS News reports. And three of the attacks appear to have targeted their victims, authorities say: Detective Benjamin Marconi in San Antonio, Texas, was killed while writing a traffic citation by a suspect who pulled up in a different car, while an unidentified 46-year-old police sergeant in St. Louis was shot twice in the face while he was sitting in traffic in what his boss is calling an "ambush" (he's expected to survive). And an officer in Sanibel, Fla., was shot in the shoulder during a traffic stop by a drive-by shooter—the first time an officer there has ever been shot in the line of duty, local cops tell the News-Press. That suspect, Jon Webster Hay, is now in custody. Meanwhile, a cop in Gladstone, Mo., suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a suspect being pursued on foot pulled out a handgun during a struggle, per a Kansas City Police statement (the suspect was fatally wounded). The suspect in the St. Louis case was killed in a shootout with police, while KENS notes the San Antonio Police Department's two Facebook posts: one a trio of photos showing a man they'd like to ID, along with a plea for help in finding a "black Mitsubishi Galant with custom rims"; and the second a photo asking to help ID three adults, one of whom is pushing a stroller. That post notes: "They may have seen the suspect shoot Detective Marconi." The San Antonio police chief notes the ongoing fear of cops being put in the crosshairs. "It's always difficult, especially in this ... day and age, where police are being targeted across the country," Chief William McManus tells CBS.

DENVER - Two Denver police officers are under investigation in Aurora after a tussle during a party at one of their homes and four Aurora officers are also under investigation over how they responded. Denver police officers Steve Sloan and Jeremy Ownbey are reassigned to desk duty and cooperating with the investigation, Denver Police Department Spokesman Lt. Matt Murray confirmed. Murray said the officers and the department will cooperate fully with Aurora's investigation. "Whatever they need, we'll do," Murray said. Four Aurora officers are also under investigation for how they handled the case but remain on active duty, Aurora Police Department Spokesman Frank Fania said. Fania explained the case reportedly began with Sloan, Ownbey and their wives sharing dinner and drinks in Sloan's home. During the party, the wives allegedly got into a physical altercation before the two officers also began to fight. At some point, Sloan allegedly retrieved his gun. Fania said reports about what he did or said with the gun in hand are conflicting, but no shots were fired. The Sloans called Aurora Police. When officers arrived, Ownbey was already gone. While officers were looking for Ownbey, they visited his home and found children were inside without adult supervision, Fania said. Eventually, Ownbey did eventually return and speak to officers. He was not given a roadside sobriety test but an Aurora officer did drive him home. Fania said an internal investigation was opened almost immediately. "We made a poor decision," he said. So far, no official charges have been filed against Sloan, Ownbey, their wives or the Aurora officers. ||||| Denver Police patrol car. (Denver Post file photo) Two Denver police officers are being investigated after Aurora police responded last month to a fight between the officers and their wives that involved alcohol, a gun and allegations of swinging. The officers, Steven Sloan and Jeremy Ownbey, have been placed on desk duty while the investigation continues, Detective Mary McIver , a Denver police spokeswoman, said Wednesday. Both have been at the department since 2006. Aurora police were called to Sloan's house at 11:30 p.m. on May 19, said Officer Frank Fania , a spokesman for the Aurora Police Department. Sloan and his wife, Stephanie Sloan , and Ownbey and his wife, Jamie Ownbey, had been drinking and had gotten into an argument, Fania said. "There was lots of drinking involved," he said. The Sloans asked the Ownbeys to leave. As the Ownbeys were headed toward the door, Jamie Ownbey allegedly punched Stephanie Sloan, Fania said. Then, Steven Sloan hit Jamie Ownbey, which led her husband to start fighting with his fellow officer, Fania said. "There was a gun pulled eventually by the homeowner," Fania said. Steven Sloan told Aurora police he only got out his gun and did not point it at anyone. But Jeremy Ownbey said Steven Sloan had pointed the gun at him, Fania said. "We had a whole of 'he said, she said,'" Fania said. Fania said he did not know if Steven Sloan had pulled his service weapon during the fight or whether it was a personal gun. Advertisement Aurora police also investigated accusations of swinging between the Sloans and Ownbeys, Fania said, because it could affect the type of charges filed. "That's something we looked at," he said. "We have to dig deeper. We have to ask the tough questions." Aurora police notified Denver police of the incident the night it happened, Fania said. Aurora police spent two weeks investigating the actions of all four involved, Fania said. They handed their investigation to District Attorney George Brauchler's office on Friday. "When you have a brawl like that you have to look at everybody," Fania said. No charges have been filed, but the case remains under review, said Michelle Yi , the office spokeswoman. McIver did not know when the two officers were taken off patrol duty. They are working administrative assignments that keep them off the streets, she said. Sloan and Ownbey also are undergoing an internal investigation at the Denver Police Department to determine whether they violated department policy, McIver said. The incident also led to an internal investigation at the Aurora Police Department, Fania said. The Ownbeys had left the Sloan's house, but Jeremy Ownbey came back to talk to police. It appeared he was intoxicated, Fania said, but no Aurora officers conducted a sobriety test on him. Noelle Phillips: 303-954-1661, nphillips@denverpost.com or twitter.com/Noelle_Phillips ||||| DENVER (CBS4) – A wild, off-duty brawl between two Denver police officers and their wives — including lurid details of “swinging” and wife swapping, booze and a gun being pulled — may lead to criminal charges against at least one officer and his wife, according to information gathered during a CBS4 Investigation. Michelle Yi, a spokesperson for the Arapahoe County District Attorney’s Office, said prosecutors are reviewing the case to see if criminal charges are appropriate. “We are looking at the case and should have a decision soon,” Yi told CBS4. She declined further comment about the investigation. But according to a police report obtained by CBS4, Denver Police Officers Jeremy Ownbey and his wife Jamie went to the Aurora home of fellow Denver Officer Steve Sloan and his wife, Stephanie, on the evening of May 19. The officers are best friends, going through the police academy together in 2006 and vacationing together. So close, according to the police report, that they have engaged in “swinging.” When officers interviewed Jamie Ownbey, according to the report, “Jamie stated she, Jeremy and Steven have been involved with swinging (amongst themselves) and Steven would like Stephanie (Sloan) to join but she (Stephanie) will not. I asked Jamie (Ownbey) if she had ever been personally intimate with Steven (Sloan), she stated ‘yes, during a swing session with Steven and his ex-wife years ago.’ Jamie further stated she also participated in two swing sessions with Steven and Jeremy, the most recent was approximately four years ago.” Police say they asked about the intimate relationship between the two couples to see if that might be what triggered the May 19 fight. Sometime during a liquor-filled evening the couples ended up in an all-out donnybrook, with the women allegedly punching each other, the men engaged in a full on brawl, and ultimately at least one gun pulled. “Quite a party,” said Frank Fania, an Aurora police spokesman whose agency is now investigating the case. Ownbey and his wife left the house after the fight and before Aurora police arrived, but Jeremy Ownbey later told Aurora investigators the fisticuffs eventually gave way to gunplay. “Steve pointed the gun at him and said to get out of the house or he would kill him,” Ownbey related to investigators. Ownbey told investigators he felt he was in danger of being shot. Officer Sloan told investigators of the evening, “He then started to fight with Jeremy with both of them throwing punches at each other and he admitted to not winning the fight and and after being punched numerous times in the head he felt as if he was going to lose consciousness.” Officer Sloan went on to tell investigators “he went to get his gun from his truck because he was in fear for his safety and thought he was in danger. Steven stated he punched Jamie in the face for punching Stephanie, and Jamie fell to the ground. Jeremy punched Steven in the face for punching Jamie. Steven stated he then punched Jeremy,” according to the report. Officer Sloan told investigators he never pointed the gun at his best friend but kept it at his side as he told his friends they need to leave. Aurora police presented their case to the Arapahoe County District Attorney’s Office last Friday recommending charges be filed against Officer Ownbey and his wife. As prosecutors try to sort out what happened and if anyone should face criminal charges, Aurora police admit they too made a serious mistake that night. After they arrived at the Sloan house and began their investigation Jeremy Ownbey drove back to the house, apparently to retrieve his cellphone. Police saw Ownbey drive up to the house. Although one officer reported “I observed that Jeremy also exhibited signs of intoxication,” Aurora police never bothered to check him for a possible DUI and in fact drove him and his car home. Another officer on scene wrote, “I asked him how much he had to drink and he related that he did not know, but that he was drunk.” Fania told CBS4, “We made a bad decision. We wish we could do it over.” Fania said his department has begun an internal investigation into why four Aurora officers failed to arrest the off-duty Denver officer for DUI. Fania said Aurora officers should have done roadside sobriety tests and cited Ownbey for DUI, but did not. “It’s not routine,” said Fania. “It’s not our way of doing business. Fania said, “At the end of the day it sounds like a poor decision on the part of the officers involved that night as far as not investigating the DUI more.” CBS4 reached both the Sloans and the Ownbeys Wednesday afternoon and both couples said they did not want to comment on what happened. Denver Police Cmdr. Matt Murray told CBS4, “Any time and officer is facing criminal charges in any jurisdictions we take that very seriously which is why we immediately placed the officers in a non-line assignment and launched an internal investigation.” Both Sloan and Ownbey came on to the Denver Police Department in 2006. One source familiar with the case said it was likely misdemeanor assault, trespassing and child neglect charges will be filed against the Ownbeys, who left their young children at home the night of May 19.

– "There was lots of drinking involved." That statement from an Aurora Police Department spokesperson basically sums up a crazy brawl between two Denver police officers and their wives on May 19. Officer Steven Sloan and his wife, Stephanie, had fellow officer Jeremy Ownbey and his wife, Jamie, over to their house, the Denver Post reports. As CBS Denver explains it, the two officers are best friends and the couples have vacationed together ... and apparently all of the group except Stephanie have been involved in "swinging" together. Jamie says the swinging ended four years ago, but KUSA calls the get-together a "swingers party." After some sort of disagreement ensued, possibly involving who would participate in swinging, the Sloans asked the Ownbeys to leave—and all hell broke loose. Jamie allegedly punched Stephanie; then Steven allegedly hit Jamie; then Jeremy allegedly started brawling with Steven. Then Steven pulled a gun; he admitted as much to the Aurora cops who arrived at the scene, but insisted he didn't point it at anyone, though Jeremy says it was pointed at him. Sloan and Ownbey have both been put on desk duty while the incident is investigated—and, yes, that will include an investigation of those swinging allegations. "We have to dig deeper. We have to ask the tough questions," the spokesperson says, adding that what they find could have an impact on the type of charges filed; currently, the DA is reviewing the case. The cherries on top of the already-wild story? The Ownbeys could face child neglect charges for leaving their young children at home alone that night, and the Denver Channel reports Aurora police are also being investigated for failing to investigate Jeremy Ownbey for DUI after he returned to the Sloans' house allegedly drunk.

Informant claims they were offered $10K a month in murder-for-hire plot Copyright 2018 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Nicholas Shaughnessy, left, and Jaclyn Edison (Facebook Photo) [ + - ] Video TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — The son of a prominent Austin jeweler has been arrested and charged with hiring someone to murder his parents. The man's wife was also arrested and faces the same charge. Nicolas Patrick Shaughnessy, 19, and Jaclyn Alexa Edison, 19, were each booked Tuesday evening into the Travis County Jail on one charge of soliciting to commit capital murder. They are accused of hiring someone to kill Theodore "Ted" Shaughnessy, the longtime owner of Gallerie Jewelers in central Austin. It remains unclear who committed the murder. Shaughnessy, 55, was found dead with multiple gunshot wounds in his southwest Travis County home on March 2. His wife Corey — the suspect's mother — called 911 around 4:45 a.m. that morning to report a home intruder and that shots had been fired inside her home off Oliver Drive, near US 290 and Circle Drive. Investigators said one or more intruders forced their way into the home, and evidence at the scene led them to believe an intruder might have been injured. Copyright 2018 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. A search of Nicholas Shaughnessy's apartment revealed he was married to Jaclyn Edison. Copyright 2018 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. A search of Nicholas Shaughnessy's apartment revealed he was married to Jaclyn Edison. According to court documents, when Shaughnessy heard the dogs bark, he grabbed his firearm to check the house. Less than a minute later, his wife heard gunshots so she grabbed her gun just as the suspects fired at her. She returned fire "until she ran out of ammunition." Corey told detectives she ran into her closet and called 911. She didn't come out of the closet until deputies arrived at the home. In a statement by Perry Minton and Rick Flores, attorneys for Nicholas Shaughnessy, they say his mother "stands firmly behind her son." “We have been working with the Shaughnessy family over the last several months as they mourn the loss of Ted," the attorneys said. "These allegations are not consistent in any way with the young man we have come to know. Nick has been living with his mother since this tragedy occurred." Minton and Flores said they would review evidence as it becomes available. According to an arrest affidavit, there were bullet casings throughout the kitchen and in the couple's bedroom. Detectives discovered an open window in Nicholas' bedroom. The window screen had been removed but there did not appear to be any signs of forced entry to the window, according to the arrest affidavit. Detectives say the "suspects would have known they had to escape back out the bedroom window" due to the nature of the door locks. As authorities were investigating the homicide, the victim's son and his wife arrived at the home around 8 a.m. He said they were in College Station when they received the news about the shooting, according to the affidavit. When detectives spoke to Edison at the scene, she began "sobbing heavily" when they told her they would need to test her for gunshot residue. Copyright 2018 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Ted Shaughnessy (Facebook Photo) Copyright 2018 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Ted Shaughnessy (Facebook Photo) Video taken by KXAN at the crime scene in March showed Nicolas Shaughnessy's hands being photographed by investigators. According to court documents, the son "was not showing any emotion at all, and showed very little concern" for his mother. When asked about the window, Nicolas Shaughnessy said he would use that window to get in and out of the home sometimes. The home's alarm system showed the system was remotely accessed three different times the night of the shooting. Detectives say it was traced back to Nicolas' apartment in College Station. Police add that the video corresponding to the time of the break-in was gone. They believe someone logged into the system and manually deleted the videos, the only person who had access at that time was Nicolas. A few days after the murder, a woman who worked at the apartment complex where Nicolas and his wife lived in College Station called police and said Nicolas contacted her on social media and said if she wanted to make some cash to let him know. When she asked what he meant, he allegedly responded "illegal activities" and anything "from strippers to murders." He said he would pay her $20,000 a head with a $15,000 incentive and ended the message with skeleton emojis, according to court documents. A friend of Nicolas' told detectives Nicolas had talked to him about faking his own death and getting insurance money as well as his parent's life insurance policy, though he never mentioned anything about killing his parents, the affidavit continued. Records show Nicolas was the sole beneficiary of $2 million in the event his parents died. As detectives continued investigating, they discovered Nicolas and his wife had gotten married in July 2017. A search of their apartment revealed bullets which matched the casings found at the crime scene. Cellphone records show the two were texting back and forth at the end of February regarding a possible transaction. Records show Edison message Nicolas with "Do they want 50K or not" and "we can't afford to pay half before." Nicolas responded, "Working on it tho." Copyright 2018 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Nicolas Shaughnessy being photographed the day his father was shot to death in their home on Oliver Road on March 2, 2018. (KXAN Photo) Copyright 2018 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Nicolas Shaughnessy being photographed the day his father was shot to death in their home on Oliver Road on March 2, 2018. (KXAN Photo) Detectives found a text conversation Nicolas had with a friend on Aug. 2, 2017 saying "plastic gloves ski masks," and when his friend responded "no no no," Nicholas responded, "Fine fine. Just walk in shoot a family steal all their s--t." On March 3, one day after the shooting, Nicolas asked the same friend if he wanted to see pictures of the crime scene and "joked about being 'demoted' from a person of interest.'" An informant told detectives that Nicolas had approached them about killing his parents. He said he would pay the informant $10,000 per month. The informant said one conversation happened inside a car where Nicolas and his wife were present. Copyright 2018 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Nicolas Shaughnessy, right, and his girlfriend, Jaclyn Edison, walking with a deputy on March 2, 2018. (KXAN Photo) Copyright 2018 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Nicolas Shaughnessy, right, and his girlfriend, Jaclyn Edison, walking with a deputy on March 2, 2018. (KXAN Photo) Nicolas Shaughnessy is being held on a $3 million cash bond. Edison is being held on a $1 million cash bond. Family friends who did not want to speak on camera told KXAN's Brittany Glas they were shocked to hear of Tuesday's developments, with one saying he "never saw anything but love in that family." In an April 27 post on the Gallerie Jewelers Facebook page, it was announced that the store would return to its normal hours starting May 1. "We are happy to announce that Nicolas, Ted's son, will be carrying on his legacy here at Gallerie," the post says. Customers described Ted Shaughnessy as a family man who was always talking about his son's accomplishments and doting on his wife. ||||| See more of Gallerie Jewelers on Facebook ||||| Ted Shaughnessy, owner of Gallerie Jewelers in Austin, died defending his wife, who lived, his obituary says. A 19-year-old and his wife are accused of conspiring to hire someone to kill his Travis County parents. Nicolas Shaughnessy received a call from authorities in the wee hours of the morning March 2. His father had been shot to death in a home invasion; his mother survived the attack. Shaughnessy said he drove three hours before dawn from his home in College Station to his father’s house in southwestern Travis County. A detective at the scene would note that when Shaughnessy arrived, he showed no emotion and seemed unconcerned about his mother. Shaughnessy and his wife, Jaclyn Alexa Edison, now are accused of hiring a hitman to kill his parents. Both 19-year-olds are charged with solicitation to commit capital murder for their alleged roles in Theodore “Ted” Shaughnessy’s killing. The day of the shooting at the Shaughnessys’ home in the 9900 block of Oliver Drive, Travis County deputies put out word that they were searching for a shooter in a home invasion who might have been wounded in the attack. Both Ted and his wife, Corey Garman Shaughnessy, were armed. She fired back. But as the investigation pressed on, clues surfaced that pointed to an apparent murder-for-hire plot that might have been orchestrated by the young couple, authorities said. The next day, Nicolas Shaughnessy asked a friend if he wanted to see pictures of the crime scene and joked about being “demoted” from being a person of interest because investigators returned his cellphone to him, the affidavit said. Detectives searched Nicolas Shaughnessy and Edison’s College Station home and found evidence that Shaughnessy had asked several people if they would like to be paid for killing someone weeks and months before his parents were attacked, the affidavit said. In messages sent in February and found on a home computer, the couple appeared to discuss costs, the affidavit shows. Just two weeks before the shooting, Shaughnessy asked a woman working at his apartment complex if she wanted to make some extra money doing illegal activities, including “anything from strippers to murders,” the woman told investigators. According to the affidavit, Shaughnessy offered her “$20,000 a head,” plus a $15,000 incentive. Detectives did not find signs of a forced entry into the home. All the doors and windows were locked, except for one that had been opened in Nicolas Shaughnessy’s bedroom, according to the affidavit. They said the home’s security alarm system had been remotely deactivated from Shaughnessy’s College Station residence three times that morning after alarms had gone off. “The only people with access to the alarm system were Ted, Corey and Nicolas,” the affidavit said. Security videos during the attack were also deleted from the home alarm system, according to the report. After the attack, Corey Shaughnessy told investigators that their dog’s barking woke her and her husband about 4 a.m. Ted grabbed his .45-caliber Glock handgun and went to investigate, the affidavit said. Seconds later, she heard a barrage of gunshots close to the couple’s bedroom. She grabbed the .357-caliber handgun she kept at her bedside and got up, she told investigators. Someone fired at her, Corey Shaughnessy said, and she shot back until she ran out of ammunition. She then hid in her closet and called 911 at 4:46 a.m. When dispatchers asked Corey Shaughnessy to leave the closet and open the door for deputies, she found her husband lying unresponsive on the kitchen floor. Ted was lying in a large pool of blood and bullet casings from two guns littered the kitchen, the affidavit said. Bullet holes perforated kitchen fixtures, walls and windows. One of the couple’s pet Rottweilers was shot dead in the bedroom. On the opposite side of the house, in Nicolas Shaughnessy’s bedroom, a window was open. Authorities did not arrest anyone that day. Ted Shaughnessy was pronounced dead at 5:14 a.m. The Travis County medical examiner said he died of multiple gunshot wounds. When Edison arrived with her husband at the Shaughnessys’ home after the shooting, she started to cry when detectives told her she would be tested for gunshot residue. She told investigators that her husband worked as a day trader and his business was doing well. He had a good relationship with his parents, she said. But according to the affidavit, Nicolas Shaughnessy had told multiple people he would receive more than $1 million from his parents’ life insurance. Detectives confirmed Shaughnessy would receive $2 million in the event of his parents’ death, the affidavit said. While both Shaughnessy and Edison have been charged in connection with the case, authorities said they are still searching for the shooter. Travis County sheriff’s office spokeswoman Kristen Dark said nothing has been ruled out in the search. “Our detectives are pursuing every lead they encounter as they work the case,” she said. The affidavit points out that nine .40-caliber handgun casings were found near Ted Shaughnessy’s body, the affidavit says. During the search, detectives located an empty box for a .40-caliber handgun in a dresser drawer in the bedroom next to the open window. Corey Shaughnessy told investigators that bedroom belonged to Nicolas Shaughnessy, the affidavit says. Additionally, detectives found five .380-caliber casings near Ted Shaughnessy’s body, the affidavit says. Investigators found a box of .380-caliber ammunition at Nicolas and Jaclyn’s College Station apartment, with six rounds missing from the box, the affidavit says. “This ammunition matched the caliber and brand of the fired .380-caliber casings found in the area of Theodore’s body,” the document says. Perry Minton and Rick Flores, Shaughnessy’s attorneys, issued a statement Wednesday saying they have been working with the Shaughnessy family since Ted’s death. “These allegations are not consistent in any way with the young man we have come to know. Nick has been living with his mother since this tragedy occurred. Ms. Shaughnessy stands firmly behind her son. We will review the evidence as it becomes available to us,” Minton and Flores said. After Ted Shaughnessy was killed, his store, Gallerie Jewelers, was closed for about a month. Eventually, business neighbors said Nicolas Shaughnessy and Edison began visiting the store frequently, sometimes accompanied by Corey Shaughnessy. At the end of April, Nicolas Shaughnessy visited 32Dental, a dentist’s office next door to Ted’s store in the 3500 block of Jefferson Road, and told the staff he would be taking over for his father at the store, said 32Dental office manager Sasha Sayenko. On Wednesday, a sign at the jewelry store said the business was temporarily closed. “(Nicolas) was saying that ‘It’s been tough.’ But they’re going to be reopening, he’s going to be taking over and that they’re going to be getting a new puppy,” Sayenko said. “I think he was just trying to mingle, maybe the way Ted was.” She said Nicolas Shaughnessy seemed chipper despite what had happened. Michelle Acosta, a patient coordinator at 32Dental, said she knew Ted Shaughnessy for five years. He would wave when he passed by and occasionally stop into the dental office to see how everyone was doing, Acosta said. he was passionate about his job and would bring by stones before they were set into jewelry, she said. Every now and then, Nicolas Shaughnessy would join his father at work and Acosta would see the pair walking and talking on the way into the store. “It looked like a good relationship,” Acosta said. ||||| A Texas man and his girlfriend were charged with hiring a hitman to kill the boy's father, a Texas jeweler who was gunned down in March during a home break-in. Nicolas Patrick Shaughnessy and Jaclyn Alexa Edison, both 19, who live together in College Station, were arrested on a count of criminal solicitation to commit capital murder, Travis County sheriff's officials said. They remained in jail Wednesday, with Shaughnessy's bond set at $3 million and Edison's at $1 million, according to the Dallas Morning News. Neither had an attorney listed in online jail records. According to investigators, Shaughnessy's mother, Corey Shaughnessy, called 911 on March 2 to report a home intruder. Deputies headed to the home only to find Theodore Shaughnessy dead of multiple gunshot wounds. A family dog was also killed. Authorities say the plot called for Corey Shaughnessy to be killed as well, but she was physically unharmed. The shooter hasn't been caught, but sheriff's spokeswoman Kristen Dark said in a statement that detectives "are following new leads in the case." Theodore Shaughnessy was killed March 2 after his son allegedly hired a hitman to kill him. (Facebook) Theodore Shaughnessy was the owner of Gallerie Jewelers in Austin. In late April, the company announced that Nicolas would be taking over the family business. “We are happy to announce that Nicolas, Ted's son, will be carrying on his legacy here at Gallerie,” the post read. An obituary for the elder Shaughnessy published in the Austin American-Statesman said he was "a proud father to his son, Nicolas." In the months before the shooting, Nicolas Shaughnessy approached several people asking if they were willing to kill someone for pay, prosecutors allege in an arrest affidavit. The younger Shaughnessy estimated that he'd receive some $8 million upon his parents' death in life insurance payouts, from the sale of their home and sale of the jewelry store. Sign up for BREAKING NEWS Emails privacy policy Thanks for subscribing! With NEWS WIRE SERVICES ||||| A College Station couple is in jail in Austin. They are at the center of a Travis County Sheriff's Office investigation involving a murder-for-hire plot. Both suspects are only 19 years old. Tuesday night, Nicolas Shaughnessy and his wife Jaclyn Edison, a Texas A&M; Student, were arrested in Austin for soliciting to commit capital murder. On March 2, Nicolas's father Theodore Shaughnessy was shot dead in his Austin area home by an intruder. Police say his murderer was a hitman hired by Nicolas and Jaclyn. Footage from the crime scene showed Nicolas being interviewed by Travis County investigators outside the home. Nicolas and Jaclyn had been living in College Station together, recently married. Just days after the murder in March, investigators showed up to search the couple's College Station home in the 2300 block of Cottage Lane. Nearby neighbors are reacting to the crime. "They were here for several hours. There was at least a dozen cop cars," said Caleb Miller, a neighbor. Miller said their interactions as neighbors were strange. "He was just a weird guy, a weird character. Really out of place with the college setting," said Miller. He also told News 3 Nicolas Shaughnessy would talk about his family's money and have socially awkward conversations. "He made a lot of, he made sure to make a lot of points on his family's wealth and stuff like that which is weird. And just some of the things he would say kind of and so it's not really surprising at all," said Miller. Investigators say Nicolas stood to gain $2 million on a life insurance policy for his parents where he was sole beneficiary. He could have also gained up to $6 million more from the family home and jewelry store, Gallerie Jewelers in Austin. "It's really selfish and it's really sad what people would do to acquire a little bit," said Miller. Neighbors tell us the couple moved out earlier this spring. "He was just moving out and asked me if I wanted a bench and yeah he was taking his cameras down," said Miller, as he sat on the bench they gave him. Court documents tell us Nicolas's parents' home security system was accessed from his College Station apartment the morning of the murder. Surveillance video from inside was also deleted remotely. His mother Corey Shaughnessy shot back at the intruder and wasn't hurt. "They'll throw away friends, family, even their whole lives just for a little monetary value in their lives, so it's really sad," said Miller. Jaclyn Edison and Nicolas Shaughnessy were both in jail in Austin Wednesday afternoon. Edison's bond is $1 million, while Shaughnessy's is $3 million. Travis County Sheriff's officials tell us they've not arrested the gunman yet and haven't ruled out more than one shooter being involved. Investigators also say in the arrest affidavit that they received tips the couple was hiring a hitman, including from a confidential informant who was told they'd receive $10,000 a month for the killings.

– His father was gunned down in a home invasion in March; in April, Nicolas Shaughnessy was named to take over the family business, Gallerie Jewelers in Austin, Texas. Authorities now have other plans for the 19-year-old, per the New York Daily News. Arrested Tuesday on charges of criminal solicitation to commit capital murder, Shaughnessy and his 19-year-old wife, Texas A&M student Jaclyn Edison, are accused of hiring a hitman to kill his parents. Theodore and Corey Shaughnessy traded fire with an unknown intruder on March 2; 55-year-old Theodore and a dog were killed. Authorities say Shaughnessy, an only child, approached multiple people about a hired murder as early as August 2017 and discussed the subject in texts with Edison. Investigators allege he planned to collect $2 million in life insurance; his parents' home and business were worth another $6 million, per KBTX. He's accused of remotely deactivating his parents' security system and deleting surveillance video while at the apartment he shared with Edison some three hours away in College Station, according to an arrest affidavit. The affidavit also outlines possible evidence related to the guns used: Six rounds of .380-caliber ammunition were missing from a box at the couple's apartment, police say, per the Austin American-Statesman, and five .380-caliber casings were located near Theodore's body. Edison's bond is set at $1 million, while Shaughnessy's is set at $3 million. His attorney notes he's been living with his mother, who "stands firmly behind her son," per KXAN. The shooter has not been arrested.

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

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

(CNN) Welcome to the CNN live blog, where we'll be bringing you all the best moments from the debate -- on the stage, on social media and behind the scenes. Your host for the evening is CNN political reporter Tal Kopan, who will also be bringing you insights from the whole CNN political team, both in Boulder, Colorado, and in Washington, D.C. ||||| Republican presidential candidates sparred over experience, took jabs at their Democratic opponents and even shared a few laughs during CNBC's main debate in Boulder, Colo., on Oct. 28. (Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post) Wednesday night, 10 candidates participated in the third Republican debate: Donald Trump, Ben Carson, Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.), former Florida governor Jeb Bush, former tech executive Carly Fiorina, Sen. Ted Cruz (Tex.), former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.). We've posted the transcript below, with insight from the crew here at The Fix as well as the Fact Checker's Michelle Lee. Click or tap the highlighted part of the transcript to see an annotation; if you would like to leave your own annotations, make sure you have a Genius account. Post staff annotations will appear by default; others are in a menu that you can see in the upper right when you click or tap on an annotation. CNBC debate moderator Carl Quintanilla, along with CNBC's John Harwood and Becky Quick, introduced the candidates. (APPLAUSE) QUINTANILLA: A lot to get to tonight. So let's get started. This first is an open question. This series of debates is essentially a job interview with the American people. And in any job interview, you know this: you get asked, "what's your biggest weakness?" So in 30 seconds, without telling us that you try too hard or that you're a perfectionist... (LAUGHTER) ...what is your biggest weakness and what are you doing to address it? We'll go left to right. Governor Kasich, 30 seconds. KASICH: Good question, but I want to tell you, my great concern is that we are on the verge, perhaps, of picking someone who cannot do this job. I've watched to see people say that we should dismantle Medicare and Medicaid and leave the senior citizens out -- out in the -- in the cold. I've heard them talk about deporting 10 or 11 -- people here from this country out of this country, splitting families. I've heard about tax schemes that don't add up, that put our kids in -- in a deeper hole than they are today. We need somebody who can lead. We need somebody who can balance budgets, cut taxes... QUINTANILLA: Governor? KASICH: You know, frankly, I did it in Washington, in Ohio, and I will do it again in Washington, if I'm president, to get this country moving again. QUINTANILLA: Governor Huckabee. HUCKABEE: Well, John, I don't really have any weaknesses that I can think of. (LAUGHTER) But my wife is down here in the front, and I'm sure, if you'd like to talk to her later, she can give you more than you'll ever be able to take care of. If I have a weakness, it's that I try to live by the rules. I try to live by the rules, no matter what they are, and I was brought up that way as a kid. Play by the rules. And I'll tell you what a weakness is of this country: there are a lot of people who are sick and tired because Washington does not play by the same rules that the American people have to play by. QUINTANILLA: Thank you, Governor. Governor Bush. BUSH: You know, I am by my nature impatient. And this is not an endeavor that rewards that. You gotta be patient. You gotta be -- stick with it, and all that. But also, I can't fake anger. I believe this is still the most extraordinary country on the face of the Earth. And it troubles me that people are rewarded for tearing down our country. It's never been that way in American politics before. BUSH: I can't do it. I just don't believe that this country's days are going to be deeply -- you know, going down. I think we're on the verge of the greatest time, and I want to fix the things to let people rise up. QUINTANILLA: Senator Rubio. RUBIO: Thank you for that question. I would begin by saying that I'm not sure it's a weakness, but I do believe that I share a sense of optimism for America's future that, today, is eroding from too many of our people. I think there's a sense in this country today that somehow our best days are behind us. And that doesn't have to be true. Our greatest days lie ahead if we are willing to do what it takes now. If we're willing to do what it takes now, the 21st century is going to be the new American century, greater than any other era we've had in the history of this great nation. QUINTANILLA: Mr. Trump? TRUMP: I think maybe my greatest weakness is that I trust people too much. I'm too trusting. And when they let me down, if they let me down, I never forgive. I find it very, very hard to forgive people that deceived me. So I don't know if you would call that a weakness, but my wife said "let up." (LAUGHTER) QUINTANILLA: Dr. Carson? CARSON: Probably in terms of the applying for the job of president, a weakness would be not really seeing myself in that position until hundreds of thousands of people began to tell me that I needed to do it. I do, however, believe in Reagan's 11th commandment, and will not be engaging in awful things about my compatriots here. And recognizing that it's so important, this election, because we're talking about America for the people versus America for the government. QUINTANILLA: Mrs. Fiorina? FIORINA: Well, gee, after the last debate, I was told that I didn't smile enough. (LAUGHTER) QUINTANILLA: Fixed it. FIORINA: But I also think that these are very serious times; 75 percent of the American people think the federal government is corrupt. I agree with them. And this big powerful, corrupt bureaucracy works now only for the big, the powerful, the wealthy and the well-connected. Meantime, wages have stagnated for 40 years. We have more Americans out of work or just Americans who quit looking for work for 40 years. Ours was intended to be a citizen government. This is about more than replacing a D with an R. We need a leader who will help us take our government back. QUINTANILLA: Senator Cruz? CRUZ: I'm too agreeable, easy going. (LAUGHTER) You know, I think my biggest weakness is exactly the opposite. I'm a fighter. I am passionate about what I believe. I've been passionate my whole life about the Constitution. And, you know, for six-and-a-half years, we've had a gigantic party. If you want someone to grab a beer with, I may not be that guy. But if you want someone to drive you home, I will get the job done and I will get you home. QUINTANILLA: Governor Christie? CHRISTIE: I don't see a lot of weakness on this stage, quite frankly. Where I see the weakness is in those three people that are left on the Democratic stage. You know, I see a socialist, an isolationist and a pessimist. And for the sake of me, I can't figure out which one is which. (LAUGHTER) But I will -- but I will tell you this, the socialist says they're going to pay for everything and give you everything for free, except they don't say they're going to raise it through taxes to 90 percent to do it. The isolationist is the one who wants to continue to follow a foreign policy that has fewer democracies today than when Barack Obama came into office around the world. But I know who the pessimist is. It's Hillary Clinton. And you put me on that stage against her next September, she won't get within 10 miles of the White House. Take it to the bank. QUINTANILLA: Senator Paul? PAUL: You know, I left my medical practice and ran for office because I was concerned about an $18 trillion debt. We borrow a million dollars a minute. Now, on the floor of the Congress, the Washington establishment from both parties puts forward a bill that will explode the deficit. It allows President Obama to borrow unlimited amounts of money. I will stand firm. I will spend every ounce of energy to stop it. I will begin tomorrow to filibuster it. And I ask everyone in America to call Congress tomorrow and say enough is enough; no more debt. QUINTANILLA: Thanks to all the candidates. John? HARWOOD: Mr. Trump, you've done very well in this campaign so far by promising to build a wall and make another country pay for it. TRUMP: Right. HARWOOD: Send 11 million people out of the country. Cut taxes $10 trillion without increasing the deficit. TRUMP: Right. HARWOOD: And make Americans better off because your greatness would replace the stupidity and incompetence of others. TRUMP: That's right. HARWOOD: Let's be honest. (LAUGHTER) Is this a comic book version of a presidential campaign? TRUMP: No, not a comic book, and it's not a very nicely asked question the way you say that. Larry Kudlow is an example, who I have a lot of respect for, who loves my tax plan. We're reducing taxes to 15 percent. We're bringing corporate taxes down, bringing money back in, corporate inversions. We have $2.5 trillion outside of the United States which we want to bring back in. As far as the wall is concerned, we're going to build a wall. We're going to create a border. We're going to let people in, but they're going to come in legally. They're going to come in legally. And it's something that can be done, and I get questioned about that. They built the great wall of China. That's 13,000 miles. Here, we actually need 1,000 because we have natural barriers. So we need 1,000. TRUMP: We can do a wall. We're going to have a big, fat beautiful door right in the middle of the wall. We're going to have people come in, but they're coming in legally. And Mexico's going to pay for the wall because Mexico -- I love the Mexican people; I respect the Mexican leaders -- but the leaders are much sharper, smarter and more cunning than our leaders. And just to finish, people say, how will you get Mexico to pay? A politician other than the people in the states -- I don't want to -- a politician cannot get them to pay. I can. We lose, we have a trade imbalance... Excuse me, John. ... of $50 billion... HARWOOD: We're at the 60 seconds. TRUMP: ... believe me the world is peanuts by comparison. HARWOOD: We're at 60 seconds, but I gotta ask you, you talked about your tax plan. You say that it would not increase the deficit because you cut taxes $10 trillion in the economy would take off like... (CROSSTALK) HARWOOD: Hold on, hold on. The economy would take off like a rocket ship. TRUMP: Right. Dynamically. HARWOOD: I talked to economic advisers who have served presidents of both parties. They said that you have as chance of cutting taxes that much without increasing the deficit as you would of flying away from that podium by flapping your arms. TRUMP: Then you have to get rid of Larry Kudlow, who sits on your panel, who's a great guy, who came out the other day and said, I love Trump's tax plan. (CROSSTALK) HARWOOD: The Tax Foundation says -- has looked at all of our plans and -- and his creates, even with the dynamic effect, $8 trillion dollar deficit... QUICK: Gentlemen -- we'll -- we'll get back to this -- just a minute -- just a minute we're gonna continue this. I wanna talk taxes... QUINTANILLA: Hold it. We'll cut it back to you in just a minute. Becky's moving on. QUICK: Dr. Carson, let's talk about taxes. You have a flat tax plan of 10 percent flat taxes, and -- I've looked at it -- and this is something that is very appealing to a lot of voters, but I've had a really tough time trying to make the math work on this. If you were to took a 10 percent tax, with the numbers right now in total personal income, you're gonna come in with bring in $1.5 trillion. That is less than half of what we bring in right now. And by the way, it's gonna leave us in a $2 trillion hole. So what analysis got you to the point where you think this will work? CARSON: Well, first of all, I didn't say that the rate would be 10 percent. I used the tithing analogy. QUICK: I -- I understand that, but if you -- if you look at the numbers you probably have to get to 28. CARSON: The rate -- the rate -- the rate is gonna be much closer to 15 percent. QUICK: 15 percent still leaves you with a $1.1 trillion hole. CARSON: You also have to get rid of all the deductions and all the loopholes. You also have to some strategically cutting in several places. Remember, we have 645 federal agencies and sub-agencies. Anybody who tells me that we need every penny and every one of those is in a fantasy world. So, also, we can stimulate the economy. That's gonna be the real growth engine. Stimulating the economy -- because it's tethered down right now with so many regulations... QUICK: You'd have to cut -- you'd have to cut government about 40 percent to make it work with a $1.1 trillion hole. CARSON: That's not true. QUICK: That is true, I looked at the numbers. CARSON: When -- when we put all the facts down, you'll be able to see that it's not true, it works out very well. QUICK: Dr. Carson, thank you. KASICH: Listen, I want to just comment. HARWOOD: Governor Kasich, hold it, I'm coming to you right now. The... KASICH: Well I want to comment on this. This is the fantasy... HARWOOD: Well, I'm asking you about this. KASICH: This is the fantasy that I talked about in the beginning. HARWOOD: I'm about to ask you about this. That is, you had some very strong words to say yesterday about what's happening in your party and what you're hearing from the two gentlemen we've just heard from. Would you repeat it? KASICH: I'm the only person on this stage that actually was involved in the chief architect of balancing the Federal Budget. You can't do it with empty promised. You know, these plans would put us trillions and trillions of dollars in debt. I actually have a plan. I'm the only one on this stage that has a plan that would create jobs, cut taxes, balance the budget and can get it done because I'm realistic. You just don't make promises like this. Why don't we just give a chicken in every pot, while we're, you know, coming up -- coming up with these fantasy tax schemes. We'll just clean it up. Where are you gonna clean it up? You have to deal with entitlements, you have to be in a position to control discretionary spending. You gotta be creative and imaginative. Now, let me just be clear, John. I went into Ohio where we had an $8 billion hole and now we have a $2 billion surplus. We're up 347,000 jobs. When I was in Washington, I fought to get the budget balanced. I was the architect. It was the first time we did it since man walked on the moon. We cut taxes and we had a $5 trillion projected surplus when I left. That's was hard work. Fiscal discipline, know what you're doing. Creativity. This stuff is fantasy. Just like getting rid of Medicare and Medicaid. Come on, that's just not -- you scare senior citizens with that. It's not responsible. HARWOOD: Well, let's just get more pointed about it. You said yesterday that you were hearing proposals that were just crazy from your colleagues. Who were you talking about? KASICH: Well, I mean right here. To talk about we're just gonna have a 10 percent tithe and that's how we're gonna fund the government? And we're going to just fix everything with waste, fraud, and abuse? Or that we're just going to be great? Or we're going to ship 10 million Americans -- or 10 million people out of this country, leaving their children here in this country and dividing families? Folks, we've got to wake up. We cannot elect somebody that doesn't know how to do the job. You have got to pick somebody who has experience, somebody that has the know-how, the discipline. And I spent my entire lifetime balancing federal budgets, growing jobs, the same in Ohio. And I will go back to Washington with my plan. QUINTANILLA: Governor -- Governor. thank you, Governor. KASICH: And I will have done it within 100 days, and it will pass. And we will be strong again. Thank you. QUINTANILLA: Mr. Trump, 30 seconds. TRUMP: First of all, John got lucky with a thing called fracking, OK? He hit oil. He got lucky with fracking. Believe me, that is why Ohio is doing well. Number -- and that is important for you to know. Number two, this was the man that was a managing general partner at Lehman Brothers when it went down the tubes and almost took every one of us with it, including Ben and myself, because I was there and I watched what happened. And Lehman Brothers started it all. He was on the board. And he was a managing general partner. And just thirdly, he was so nice. He was such a nice guy. And he said, oh, I'm never going to attack. But then his poll numbers tanked. He has got -- that is why he is on the end. (LAUGHTER) And he got nasty. And he got nasty. So you know what? You can have him. (CROSSTALK) KASICH: Let me just -- let me respond. First of all, Ohio does have an energy industry, but we're diversified. We're one of the fastest growing states in the country. We came back from the dead. And you know what? It works very, very well. And secondly, when you talk about me being on the board of Lehman Brothers, I wasn't on the board of Lehman Brothers. I was a banker and I was proud of it. And I traveled the country and learned how people made jobs. We ought to have politicians who not only have government experience but know how the CEOs and the job creators work. My state is doing great across the board. And guess what, in 2011, I got a deal... QUICK: Governor... KASICH: ... an agreement with the... (CROSSTALK) KASICH: ... that he tried to take credit for four years later. It's a joke. QUINTANILLA: Thank you, Governor. QUICK: Dr. Carson, let me get 30 seconds with Dr. Carson... (CROSSTALK) CARSON: Since I was attacked too. QUICK: Thank you. CARSON: Let me just say, if you're talking about an $18 trillion economy, you're talking about a 15 percent tax on your gross domestic product. You're talking about $2.7 trillion. We have a budget closer to $3.5 trillion. But if you also apply that same 15 percent to several other things, including corporate taxes, and including the capital gains taxes, you make that amount up pretty quickly. So that is not by any stretch a pie in the sky. CRUZ: Becky, if you want a 10 percent flat tax where the numbers add up, I rolled out my tax plan today, you can find it on line at tedcruz.org. It is a simple flat tax where for individuals, a family of four pays nothing on the first $36,000. After that you pay 10 percent as a flat tax going up. The billionaire and the working man, no hedge fund manager pays less than his secretary. On top of that, there is a business flat tax of 16 percent. Now that applies universally to giant corporations that with lobbyists right now are not paying taxes, and as small business. And you wanted to know the numbers, the Tax Foundation, which has scored every one of our plans, shows that this plan will allow the economy to generate 4.9 million jobs, to raise wages over 12 percent, and to generate 14 percent growth. And it costs, with dynamic scoring, less than a trillion dollars. Those are the hard numbers. And every single income decile sees a double-digit increase in after-tax income. QUICK: Senator -- Senator, thank you. CRUZ: Growth is the answer. And as Reagan demonstrated, if we cut taxes, we can bring back growth. QUICK: Gentlemen, I'm sorry, we need to... (CROSSTALK) QUINTANILLA: We're going to try to move on. (CROSSTALK) FIORINA: Let me just say on taxes, how long have we been talking about tax reform in Washington, D.C.? We have been talking about it for decades. We now have a 73,000-page tax code. There have been more than 4,000 changes to the tax plan since 2001 alone. There are loads of great ideas, great conservative ideas from wonderful think tanks about how to reform the tax code. The problem is we never get it done. We have talked about tax reform in every single election for decades. It never happens. And the politicians always say it is so complicated, nobody but a politician can figure it out. The truth is this, the big problem, we need a leader in Washington who understands how to get something done, not to talk about it, not to propose it, to get it done. QUINTANILLA: You want to bring 70,000 pages to three? FIORINA: That's right, three pages. QUINTANILLA: Is that using really small type? FIORINA: You know why three? QUINTANILLA: Is that using really small type? FIORINA: No. You know why three? Because only if it's about three pages are you leveling the playing field between the big, the powerful, the wealthy and the well-connected who can hire the armies of lawyers and accountants and, yes, lobbyists to help them navigate their way through 73,000 pages. Three pages is about the maximum that a single business owner or a farmer or just a couple can understand without hiring somebody. Almost 60 percent of American people now need to hire an expert to understand their taxes. So yes, you're going to hear a lot of talk about tax reform -- QUINTANILLA: Mrs. Fiorina -- FIORINA: -- the issue is who is going to get it done. (CROSSTALK) QUINTANILLA: We're going to -- QUICK: We're going to move on. QUINTANILLA: We will come around the bend, I promise. This one is for Senator Rubio. You've been a young man in a hurry ever since you won your first election in your 20s. You've had a big accomplishment in the Senate, an immigration bill providing a path to citizenship the conservatives in your party hate, and even you don't support anymore. Now, you're skipping more votes than any senator to run for president. Why not slow down, get a few more things done first or least finish what you start? RUBIO: That's an interesting question. That's exactly what the Republican establishment says too. Why don't you wait in line? Wait for what? This country is running out of time. We can't afford to have another four years like the last eight years. Watching this broadcast tonight are millions of people that are living paycheck to paycheck. They're working as hard as they ever have, everything costs more, and they haven't had a raise in decades. You have small businesses in America that are struggling. For the first time in 35 years, we have more businesses closing than starting. We have a world that's out of control and has grown dangerous and a president that is weakening our military and making our foreign policy unstable and unreliable in the eyes of our allies. And our adversaries continue to grow stronger. We have a -- they say there's no bipartisanship in Washington? We have a $19 trillion bipartisan debt and it continues to grow as we borrow money from countries that do not like us to pay for government we cannot afford. The time to act is now. The time to turn the page is now. If we -- if we don't act now, we are going to be the first generation in American history that leaves our children worse off than ourselves. QUINTANILLA: So when the Sun-Sentinel says Rubio should resign, not rip us off, when they say Floridians sent you to Washington to do a job, when they say you act like you hate your job, do you? RUBIO: Let me say, I read that editorial today with a great amusement. It's actually evidence of the bias that exists in the American media today. QUINTANILLA: Well, do you hate your job? RUBIO: Let me -- let me answer your question on the Sun-Sentinel editorial today. Back in 2004, one of my predecessors to the Senate by the name of Bob Graham, a Democrat, ran for president missing over 30 percent of his votes. I don't recall them calling for his resignation -- QUINTANILLA: Is that the standard? RUBIO: Later that year, in 2004, John Kerry ran for president missing close to 60 to 70 percent of his votes. I don't recall the Sun -- in fact, the Sun-Sentinel endorsed him. In 2008, Barack Obama missed 60 or 70 percent of his votes, and the same newspaper endorsed him again. So this is another example of the double standard that exists in this country between the mainstream media and the conservative movement. (APPLAUSE) QUINTANILLA: Senator, thank you. John. BUSH: Could I -- could I bring something up here, because I'm a constituent of the senator and I helped him and I expected that he would do constituent service, which means that he shows up to work. He got endorsed by the Sun-Sentinel because he was the most talented guy in the field. He's a gifted politician. But Marco, when you signed up for this, this was a six-year term, and you should be showing up to work. I mean, literally, the Senate -- what is it, like a French work week? You get, like, three days where you have to show up? You can campaign, or just resign and let someone else take the job. There are a lot of people living paycheck to paycheck in Florida as well, they're looking for a senator that will fight for them each and every day. RUBIO: I get to respond, right? QUICK: Thirty seconds. RUBIO: Well, it's interesting. Over the last few weeks, I've listened to Jeb as he walked around the country and said that you're modeling your campaign after John McCain, that you're going to launch a furious comeback the way he did, by fighting hard in New Hampshire and places like that, carrying your own bag at the airport. You know how many votes John McCain missed when he was carrying out that furious comeback that you're now modeling after? BUSH: He wasn't my senator. RUBIO: No Jeb, I don't remember -- well, let me tell you. I don't remember you ever complaining about John McCain's vote record. The only reason why you're doing it now is because we're running for the same position, and someone has convinced you that attacking me is going to help you. BUSH: Well, I've been -- RUBIO: Here's the bottom line. (APPLAUSE) I'm not -- my campaign is going to be about the future of America, it's not going to be about attacking anyone else on this stage. I will continue to have tremendous admiration and respect for Governor Bush. I'm not running against Governor Bush, I'm not running against anyone on this stage. I'm running for president because there is no way we can elect Hillary Clinton to continue the policies of Barack Obama. QUINTANILLA: Thank you, Senator. TRUMP: I think you're -- (APPLAUSE) (CROSSTALK) HARWOOD: Hold on. I think there's a -- I've got question for -- (CROSSTALK) KASICH: John Harwood, there's a bigger issue here. HARWOOD: Hold on, Governor. I've got a question for Governor Bush. (CROSSTALK) HARWOOD: No, we're moving to Governor Bush. Governor, the fact that you're at the fifth lectern tonight shows how far your stock has fallen in this race, despite the big investment your donors have made. HARWOOD: You noted recently, after slashing your payroll, that you had better things to do than sit around and be demonized by other people. I wanted to ask you -- BUSH: No, no. What I said was I don't believe that I would be president of the United States and have the same dysfunction that exists in Washington, D.C. now. HARWOOD: OK. BUSH: Don't vote for me if you want to keep the gridlock in Washington, D.C. HARWOOD: Got it. BUSH: But if you want someone who has a proven, effective leadership, that was a governor of a state, that transformed the culture there, elect me so I can fight for the American people and change the culture in Washington, D.C. HARWOOD: But it's a -- OK. It's a -- it's a question about why you're having difficulty. I want to ask you in this context. Ben Bernanke, who was appointed Fed chairman by your brother, recently wrote a book in which he said he no longer considers himself a Republican because the Republican Party has given in to know- nothingism. Is that why you're having a difficult time in this race? BUSH: (inaudible), the great majority of Republicans and Americans believe in a hopeful future. They don't believe in building walls and a pessimistic view of the future. They're concerned that Washington is so dysfunctional it is holding them back. There are lids on people's aspirations. Think about it: six and a half million people working part-time. Workforce participation rates lower than they were in 1977. Six million more people living in poverty than the day that Barack Obama got elected president, and the left just wants more of the same. We have to offer a compelling alternative that is based on hope and optimism and grounded in serious policy, which I've laid out. And you can go get it at jeb2016.com. HARWOOD: Thank you, Governor. (CROSSTALK) HARWOOD: We're gonna get down the line. Becky's got a question. QUICK: We'll get to everyone. Ms. Fiorina, I -- I'd like to ask you a question. You are running for president of the United States because of your record running Hewlett-Packard. But the stock market is usually a fair indicator of the performance of a CEO, and the market was not kind to you. Someone who invested a dollar in your company the day you took office had lost half of the dollar by the day you left. Obviously, you've talked in the past about what a difficult time it was for technology companies, but anybody who was following the market knows that your stock was a much worse performer, if you looked at your competitors, if you looked at the overall market. I just wonder, in terms of all of that -- you know, we look back, your board fired you. I just wondered why you think we should hire you now. FIORINA: You know, the NASDAQ dropped 80 percent -- 80 percent -- and it took 15 years for the NASDAQ to recover. I was recruited to H.P. to save a company. It was a company that had grown into a bloated, inept bureaucracy that cost too much and delivered too little to customers and shareholders. It had missed, before I had arrived, expectations for nine quarters in a row. As an outsider, I tackled H.P.'s entrenched problems head-on. I cut the bureaucracy down to size, re-introduced accountability, focused on service, on innovation, on leading in every market, in every product segment. And yes, it was a very difficult time. However, we saved 80,000 jobs and we went on to grow to 160,000 jobs, and scores of technology companies literally went out of business -- like Gateway -- taking all their jobs with them. The truth is I had to make some tough calls in some tough times. I think, actually, people are looking for that in Washington now. And yes, I was fired over a disagreement in the boardroom. There are politics in the boardroom as well. And yet the man who led my firing, Tom Perkins, an icon of Silicon Valley, has come out publicly and said, "you know what? We were wrong. She was right. She was a great CEO. She'd be a great president of the United States because the leadership she brought to H.P. is exactly the leadership we need in Washington, D.C. QUICK: Mrs. Fiorina, it's interesting that you bring up Mr. Perkins, because... (APPLAUSE) ...he said a lot of very questionable things. Last year, in an interview, he said that he thinks wealthy people should get more votes than poor people. I think his quote was that, "if you pay zero dollars in taxes, you should get zero votes. If you pay a million dollars, you should get a million votes." Is this the type of person you want defending you? FIORINA: Well, this is one of the reasons why Tom Perkins and I had disagreements in the boardroom, Becky. (LAUGHTER) Nevertheless, one of the things that I think people don't always understand is how accountable a CEO actually is. So you know, I had to report results every 90 days in excruciating detail. I had to answer every single question about every single result and every single projection in public until there were no more questions. And if I misrepresented those results or those projections in any way, I was held criminally liable. Imagine -- imagine -- if a politician were held to that standard of account. I will run on my record all day long. (APPLAUSE) And I believe people need a leader who is prepared to make tough calls in tough times and stand up... QUICK: Mrs. Fiorina. FIORINA: ...and be held accountable. QUICK: Thank you, we're out of time. Thank you, Mrs. Fiorina. Carl. QUINTANILLA: Senator Cruz. Congressional Republicans, Democrats and the White House are about to strike a compromise that would raise the debt limit, prevent a government shutdown and calm financial markets that fear of -- another Washington-created crisis is on the way. Does your opposition to it show that you're not the kind of problem-solver American voters want? CRUZ: You know, let me say something at the outset. The questions that have been asked so far in this debate illustrate why the American people don't trust the media. (APPLAUSE) This is not a cage match. And, you look at the questions -- "Donald Trump, are you a comic-book villain?" "Ben Carson, can you do math?" "John Kasich, will you insult two people over here?" "Marco Rubio, why don't you resign?" "Jeb Bush, why have your numbers fallen?" How about talking about the substantive issues the people care about? (APPLAUSE) QUINTANILLA: (inaudible) do we get credit (inaudible)? CRUZ: And Carl -- Carl, I'm not finished yet. CRUZ: The contrast with the Democratic debate, where every fawning question from the media was, "Which of you is more handsome and why?" (LAUGHTER) And let me be clear. (CROSSTALK) QUINTANILLA: So, this is a question about (inaudible), which you have 30 seconds left to answer, should you choose to do so. CRUZ: Let me be clear. The men and women on this stage have more ideas, more experience, more common sense than every participant in the Democratic debate. That debate reflected a debate between the Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks. (LAUGHTER) And nobody watching at home believed that any of the moderators had any intention of voting in a Republican primary. The questions that are being asked shouldn't be trying to get people to tear into each other. It should be what are your substantive positions... (CROSSTALK) QUINTANILLA: OK. (inaudible) I asked you about the debt limit and I got no answer. (CROSSTALK) CRUZ: You want me to answer that question? I'm happy to answer the question... (CROSSTALK) CRUZ: Let me tell you how that question... (CROSSTALK) CRUZ: Let me tell you how that question... (CROSSTALK) HARWOOD: Senator Paul, I've got a question for you on the same subject. CRUZ: ... so you don't actually want to hear the answer, John? HARWOOD: Senator Paul? CRUZ: You don't want to hear the answer. You just want to... (CROSSTALK) HARWOOD: You used your time on something else. Senator Paul? CRUZ: You're not interested in an answer. (CROSSTALK) HARWOOD: Senator Paul, the budget deal crafted by Speaker Boehner and passed by the House today makes cuts in entitlement programs, Medicare and Social Security disability, which are the very programs conservatives say need cutting to shrink government and solve our country's long-term budget deficit. Do you oppose that budget deal because it doesn't cut those programs enough? PAUL: No, I oppose it because you're taking money from the entitlement and then spending it immediately on other items. That's what they're doing. They're taking money from Social Security and they're going to spend it on the military and they're going to spend it on domestic spending. Here's the thing. When you look at raising the debt limit, it should be leverage to try to reform government. In 2011, the sequester was passed as a reform to slow down the rate of government. Instead, the Washington establishment raised both. We raised the military spending, took from entitlements, and raised domestic spending and the deficit will explode under this. This is the unholy alliance that people need to know about between right and left. Right and left are spending us into oblivion. We should use the debt ceiling, as precisely to Don, to force upon them budgetary reforms. HARWOOD: Senator, if what you just said is true, why did Speaker Boehner craft this deal and why did Paul Ryan, who has a strong reputation for fiscal discipline, vote for it? PAUL: Well, that's a real question. Is there going to be any change in the House with new leadership? I frankly don't think there will be much change because I think what's going to happen is you're going to get more of the same. People in Washington think they were sent there to be adults and govern and do all this. Well, you know what I'm worried about? Not keeping the government open. I'm worried about bankrupting the American people. We're borrowing a million dollars a minute. That is important. And that's what we have to contrast. Keeping the government open and continuing to borrow a million dollars a minute. (CROSSTALK) HARWOOD: Thank you, Senator (inaudible). QUICK: Governor Christie, I'd like to (inaudible) a question next. Actually, I have a question for you (inaudible). In your tell it like it is campaign, you've said a lot of tough things. You've said that we need to raise the retirement age for Social Security. You think that we need to cut benefits for people who make over $80,000 and eliminate them entirely for seniors who are making over $200,000. Governor Huckabee, who is here on the stage, has said that you and others who think this way are trying to rob seniors of the benefits that they've earned. It raises the question: When it is acceptable to break a social compact? CHRISTIE: Well, I wish you would have asked that question years ago when they broke it. I mean, let me be honest with the people who are watching at home. The government has lied to you and they have stolen from you. They told you that your Social Security money is in a trust fund. All that's in that trust fund is a pile of IOUs for money they spent on something else a long time ago. And they've stolen from you because now they know they cannot pay these benefits and Social Security is going to be insolvent in seven to eight years. We're sitting up here talking about all these other things; 71 percent of federal spending today is on entitlements, and debt service. And, that's with zero percent interest rates. Now, I'm the only person that's put out a detailed plan on how to deal with entitlements. And we'll save a trillion dollars over the next 10 years. And, here's the difference between me and Hillary Clinton. What Hillary Clinton's going to say, and has said before is, she wants to raise Social Security taxes. Now, let me ask you a question everybody, and, this is for the guy, you know, who owns a landscaping business out there. If somebody's already stolen money from you, are you going to give them more? Or, are you going to deal with the problem by saying, I'm going to give people who've done well in this country less benefit on the backend. We need to get realistic about this. We're not -- the American people -- forget about anything else, they've already been lied to and stolen from. And... QUICK: ...Governor... CHRISTIE: ...I'm going to go to Washington to stop it... QUICK: ...Thank you. QUINTANILLA: We promised we would get to everyone this block. Governor Huckabee, I'm going to give you 60 seconds on this. HUCKABEE: Well, I would really appreciate that. First of all, yes, we've stolen. Yes, we've lied to the American people about Social Security, and Medicare. But, you know what we're not telling them? It's their money. This isn't the governments money. This is not entitlement, it's not welfare. This is money that people have confiscated out of their paychecks. Everytime they got a paycheck, the government reached in and took something out of it before they ever saw it. Now, we're going to blame the people. Today congress decided to take another $150 billion dollars away from Social Security so they can borrow more money. That makes no sense to everybody. And, they're always going to say, "Well, we're going to fix this one day." No their not. It's like a 400 pound man saying, "I'm going to go on a diet, but I'm eating a sack of Krispy Kremes before I do." And, people are sick of believing that the government is never going to really address this. But, let me tell you who not to blame. Let's quit blaming the people on Social Security. Let's quit making it a problem for them. It's like them getting mugged, and then us saying, well, we're going to mug you some more. You ought to just be able to get over it, get used to it... QUINTANILLA: ...Governor... HUCKABEE: ...No, sir... QUINTANILLA: ...Thank you, Governor... HUCKABEE: ...we need to honor our promises... (CROSSTALK) QUINTANILLA: ...Senator Cruz... HUCKABEE: ...before I go. This is the only time I've had a chance, let me finish. QUINTANILLA: OK, alright. HUCKABEE: ...This is a matter not of math, this is a matter of morality. If this country that does not keep its promise to seniors then what promise can this country hope to be trusted to keep? And, the fact is, none of them. (CROSSTALK) MALE: And, by the way, Carl... (APPLAUSE) HUCKABEE: And, the only way -- no... (CROSSTALK) CHRISTIE: ...The only way we're going to be morale, the only way we're going to keep our promise to seniors is start by following the first rule we should all follow, which is to look at them, treat them like adults, and tell them the truth. It isn't there anymore, Mike. They stole it. It got stolen from them. It's not theirs anymore. The government stole it, and spent it a long time ago... HUCKABEE: ...Chris... CHRISTIE: So, let's stop fooling around about this, let's tell people the truth. For once, let's do that, and stop trying to give them some kind of fantasy that's never going to come true. QUINTANILLA: Senator Cruz... HUCKABEE: ...Chris... QUINTANILLA: ...Before we go to break, we're clearly not having that beer you mentioned, but I'll give you 30 more seconds... CRUZ: ...Then I'll buy you a tequila... QUINTANILLA: OK. CRUZ: ...Or, even some famous Colorado brownies. QUINTANILLA: I'll give you 30 seconds to respond... (CHEERING) QUINTANILLA: (INAUDIBLE) HUCKABEE: Since he brought me up, do I not get to respond? QUINTANILLA: Respond on the debt limit, or an answer to the governor, which ever you choose. CRUZ: Well, sure. This deal in Washington is an example of why Washington's broken. Republican leadership joined with every single Democrat, add $80 trillion to our debt to do nothing to fix the problems. And, let me now on Social Security because we were getting into a good substantive exchange, and I want to say I think both Chris, and Mike are right. Governor Huckabee's exactly right, we need to honor the promises made to our seniors, but for younger workers -- look. I'm 44 years old. It is hard to find someone in my generation that thinks Social Security will be there for us. We can save and preserve and strengthen Social Security by making no changes for seniors, but for younger workers gradually increasing the retirement age, changing the rate of growth so that it matches inflation, and critically allowing younger workers to keep a portion of our tax payments in a personal account that we own, we control them, we can pass on to our kids. QUINTANILLA: 30 seconds, Governor Huckabee. HUCKABEE: John, listen, let's keep in mind that for one-third of the 60 million Americans on Social Security it represents 90 percent of their income. And, when I hear people talking about means testing, let's just remember what that means. If we means test Social Security, it means that the government decides whether or not I deserve it. If a person lives in a seven room house, does the government get to say you don't need seven rooms, we're going to take two of them away? HUCKABEE: Folks, the government has no business stealing even more from the people who have paid this in. I just want to remind you, people paid their money. They expect to have it. And, if this government doesn't pay it, than tell me what's different between the government and Bernie Madolf, who sits in prison today for doing less than what the government has done to the people on social security and Medicare in this country. (APPLAUSE) QUINTANILLA: Governor, thank you. We will take a break. The Republican Presidential debate, live from Boulder, Colorado, coming back after a break on CNBC. (APPLAUSE) (COMMERCIAL BREAK) QUICK: Welcome back to the presidential debate for the Republicans. We are live in Boulder, Colorado, right here on CNBC. Folks, we'll get right back into this. Mr. Trump, let's talk a little bit about bankruptcies. Your Atlantic City casinos filed for bankruptcy four times. In fact, Fitch, the ratings agency, even said that they were serial filers for all of this. You said that you did great with Atlantic City, and you did. But some of the individuals -- the bondholders, some of the contractors who worked for you, didn't fare so well. Bankruptcy is a broken promise. Why should the voters believe the promises that you're telling them right now? TRUMP: Well, first of all, like many other very big businessmen, I could name them here, but I'm not going to do that for a lot of obvious reasons, but the biggest, and almost all of them, they've all used the chapter laws, the bankruptcy laws to their own benefit. Before this, I was a very successful person as a developer and as a businessman. Atlantic City has gone bad. I mean, Chris will know about that. I'm not blaming Chris, by the way, but he will know about that. Caesar's -- excuse me -- Caesar's, the Rolls-Royce, as you know, is in bankruptcy. Almost every hotel in Atlantic City has either been in bankruptcy or will be in bankruptcy -- the biggest. But also the biggest people (ph) -- now I've used that to my advantage as a business man, for my family, for myself. I never filed for bankruptcy. But many, many people did. What happened with Atlantic City is very, very disgraceful. Now hundreds of companies I've opened. I've used it three times, maybe four times. Came out great. But I guess I'm supposed to come out great. That is what I could do for the country. We owe $19 trillion, boy am I good at solving debt problems. Nobody can solve it like me. But I will tell you this, Atlantic City, you're using that, hundreds of companies that I have opened have thrived. I built a net worth of way over $10 billion, and I have done it four times out of hundreds. And I'm glad I did it. I used the laws of the country to my benefit, I'm sorry. QUICK: Mr. Trump, thank you. TRUMP: Thank you. CRAMER: Dr. Carson, in recent weeks, a number of pharmaceutical companies has been accused of profiteering, for dramatically raising the prices of life-saving drugs. You have spent a lifetime in medicine. Have these companies gone too far? Should the government be involved in controlling some of these price increases? CARSON: Well, there is no question that some people go overboard when it comes to trying to make profits, and they don't take into consideration the American people. What we have to start thinking about, as leaders, particularly in government, is what can we do for the average American? And you think about the reasons that we're having such difficulty right now with our job market. Well, the average small manufacturer, whatever they're manufacturing, drugs or anything, if they have less than 50 employees, the average cost in terms of regulations is $34,000 per employee. Makes it a whole lot easier for them to want to go somewhere else. So what we're going to have to start doing instead of, you know, picking on this group or this group, is we're going to have to have a major reduction in the regulatory influence that is going on. The government is not supposed to be in every part of our lives, and that is what is causing the problem. CRAMER: Thank you, Dr. Carson. Governor Christie, there has been a lot of political rhetoric that some bank executives should have gone to jail for the 2008 financial crisis. But General Motors paid more than $1 billion in fines and settlements for its ignition switch defect. One hundred and twenty- four people died as a result of these faulty switches. No one went to jail. As a former prosecutor, do you believe the people responsible for the switch and the cover-up belong behind bars? CHRISTIE: You bet they do. And if I were the prosecutor, that is exactly where they would be. The fact is that this Justice Department under this president has been a political Justice Department. It has been a Justice Department that decided that they want to pick who the winners and losers are. They like General Motors, so they give them a pass. They don't like somebody else like David Petraeus, they prosecute them and send a decorated general on to disgrace. It's a political Justice Department. And, Jim, you know full well that in the seven years I was U.S. attorney we went after pharmaceutical companies. We went after companies that were ripping off shareholders. We went after companies that were doing things that were against the law. And to expand on Mr. Carson's -- or Dr. Carson's question, let's face it, we have laws already. We don't need newer (ph) laws. We don't need Hillary Clinton's price controls for -- again, does anybody out there think that giving Washington, D.C., the opportunity to run the pharmaceutical industry is a good idea, given how well they have done running the government? So what we do, though, is, if there is somebody who is price- gouging, we have laws for prosecutors to take that on. Let's let a Justice Department -- and I will make an attorney general who will enforce the law and make justice more than just a word. It will be a way of life. CRAMER: Thank you, Governor Christie. HARWOOD: Jim, thanks. Governor Bush, in a debate like this four years ago, every Republican running for president pledged to oppose a budget deal containing any tax increase even if it had spending cuts ten times as large. A few months later, you told Congress, put me in, coach, you said you would take that deal. Still feel that way? BUSH: Well, the deal was done. Barack Obama got his massive tax increase, and there was no spending cuts. You just see the recent deal announced today or yesterday, more spending, more tax increasing, more regulation. And now we have to accept 2 percent, the new normal for economic growth. And the net result is the middle class has $2,300 less in their pockets than the day that Barack Obama got elected president. And now they see Hillary Clinton proposing a third term of economic policy for our country. We need to reverse that. And my record was one of cutting taxes each and every year. You don't have to guess about it, because I actually have a record. $19 billion of tax cuts, 1.3 million jobs created. We were one of two states to go to AAA bond rating, and our government spending was far less than the spending in people's income. HARWOOD: But to -- to the point that you made to Congress, if you were president and you were offered a bipartisan deal that had one dollar... BUSH: You find me... HARWOOD: ...one dollar of tax increases per ten dollars of spending cuts, would you take it? BUSH: You find me a Democrat -- you find me a Democrat that will cut spending ten dollars? Heck, find me a Republican in Congress that would cut spending ten dollars. I'll talk to them. HARWOOD: So you don't want the coach to put you in any more? BUSH: Look, the -- the deal is already done. The biggest tax increase happened under the watch of Barack Obama, and spending's gone up. You find a Democrat that's for cutting taxes -- cutting spending ten dollars, I'll give them a warm kiss. (LAUGHTER) HARWOOD: Thank you, governor. Carl? QUINTANILLA: Mrs. Fiorina, in 2010, while running for Senate in Tech Ridge (ph), California, you called an Internet sales tax a bad idea. Traditional brick and mortar stores obviously disagree. Now that the Internet shopping playing field has matured, what would be a fair plan to even that playing field? FIORINA: You know, I want to go back for a moment to what we were just talking about. Crony capitalism is alive and well, and has been so in Washington, D.C. for decades. What's crony capitalism? Crony capitalism is what happens when government gets so big and so powerful that only the big and the powerful can handle it. So why are the pharmaceutical companies consolidating? Why are there five even bigger Wall Street banks now, instead of the ten we used to have on Wall Street? Because when government gets big and powerful, the big feel like they need to get even bigger to deal with all that power, and meanwhile, the small and the powerless -- in this case, 1,590 community banks -- go out of business. You see, folks, this is how socialism starts. Government causes a problem, and then government steps in to solve the problem. This is why, fundamentally, we have to take our government back. The student loan problem has been created by government. Government trying to level the playing field between Internet and brick-and-mortar creates a problem. The FCC jumping in now and saying, "we're going to put 400 pages of regulation over the Internet," is going to create massive problems. But guess who pushed for that regulation? The big Internet companies. This is what's going on. Big and powerful use big and powerful government to their advantage. It's why you see Walgreens buying Rite Aid. It's why you see the pharmaceuticals getting together. It's you see the health insurance companies getting together. It's why you see the banks consolidating. And meanwhile, small businesses are getting crushed. Community- based businesses and farms are getting crushed. Community banks are going out of business. Big government favors the big, the powerful, the wealthy and the well-connected, and crushes the small and the powerless. QUINTANILLA: Mrs. Fiorina. FIORINA: It is why we have to simplify. It is why we have to reduce the size and power of government. QUINTANILLA: OK. FIORINA: It's the only way to level the playing field between big and powerful and small and powerless. QUINTANILLA: Thank you very much. (APPLAUSE) QUICK: Senator Rubio, you yourself have said that you've had issues. You have a lack of bookkeeping skills. You accidentally inter-mingled campaign money with your personal money. You faced (ph) foreclosure on a second home that you bought. And just last year, you liquidated a $68,000 retirement fund. That's something that cost you thousands of dollars in taxes and penalties. In terms of all of that, it raises the question whether you have the maturity and wisdom to lead this $17 trillion economy. What do you say? RUBIO: Well, you just -- you just listed a litany of discredited attacks from Democrats and my political opponents, and I'm not gonna waste 60 seconds detailing them all. But I'm going to tell you the truth. Here's the truth. I didn't inherit any money. My dad was a bartender, my mother was a maid. They worked hard to provide us the chance at a better life. They didn't save enough money for us to go to school. I had to work my way through school. I had to borrow money to go to school. I tried (ph), early in my marriage, explaining to my wife why someone named Sallie Mae was taking $1,000 out of our bank account every month. (LAUGHTER) I know what it's like to owe that money, and we've worked hard. We've worked hard our whole life to provide a better family -- a better life for our family. We own a home four blocks away from the place that I grew up in. My four children have been able to receive a good Christian education, and I've been able to save for them to go to college so they never have to have the loans that I did. But I'm not worried about my finances, I'm worried about the finances of everyday Americans who today are struggling in an economy that is not producing good paying jobs while everything else costs more. And that's what this economy needs to -- that's what this debate needs to be about. This debate needs to be about the men and women across this country that are struggling on a daily basis to provide for their families the better future that we've always said this country is all about. QUICK: Senator, I understand all of that. I had a lot of student loans when I got out, too. But you've had a windfall that a lot of Americans haven't. You made over a million dollars on a book deal, and some of these problems came after that. RUBIO: And I used it to pay off my loans. And it's available on paperback, if you're interested in buying my book. (APPLAUSE) QUICK: But you -- but you liquidated that retirement account after the fact, and that cost you about $24,000 out of that in taxes and feed. That -- that was after you'd already come into that windfall. That's why I raised the question. RUBIO: Yeah, again, as I said, we're raising a family in the 21st century and it's one of the reasons why my tax plan is a pro- family tax plan. It increases the per child tax credit, because I didn't read about this in a book. I know for a fact how difficult it is to raise children, how expensive it's become for working families. And I make a lot more than the average American. Imagine how hard it is for these people out there that are making 40, 50, $60,000 a year, and they're trying to provide for their families at a time when this economy is not growing. We can't afford another four years of that. Which is what we're gonna get if we elect a big government liberal like Hillary Clinton to the White House. Thank you, senator. HARWOOD: Governor John Kasich, you've called for abolishing the Export Import Bank, which provides subsidies to help American companies compete with overseas competitors. You call that corporate welfare. One of the largest newspapers in your state wrote an editorial, said they found that strange, writing, that if that's corporate welfare, what does Kasich call the millions of dollars in financial incentives doled out to attract or retain jobs by his development effort -- jobs Ohio. If subsidies are good enough for Ohio companies, why aren't they good enough for companies trying to compete overseas? KASICH: Well, first of all, when we talk about the Import Export Bank, it's time to clean up corporate welfare. If we're gonna reform welfare for poor people, we ought to reform it for rich people, as well. Secondly, in our state, we went from a loss of 350,000 jobs to, now, a gain of 347,000 jobs to the positive. Our wages are growing faster than the national average, and I've cut taxes more than any sitting governor in this state -- $5 billion, including no taxes on small business and killing the death tax. I want to go back to what we were talking about earlier, this budget deal in Washington. This is the same old stuff since I left. You spend the money today and then you hope you're going to save money tomorrow. I don't know if people understand, but I spent a lifetime with my colleagues getting us to a federal balanced budget. We actually did it. And I have a road map and a plan right now to get us to balance. Reforming entitlements, cutting taxes. You see, because if you really want to get to a balanced budget, you need to reduce your expenses and you need to grow your economy. So what I will tell you about our incentives -- our incentives are tight, and at the end of the day we make sure that we gain more from the creation of jobs than what we lose. And you know what? Ohio, one of the best growing places in the country -- I not only did it in Washington, I did it in Ohio, and I'll go back to Washington, and there will be no more silly deals... HARWOOD: Thank you, Governor. KASICH: ... If I become President because we'll have a Constitutional Amendment to require a federally balanced budget so they will do their job. HARWOOD: Thank you, Governor. Thank you. QUICK: Yes, thank you John. Senator Cruz, working women in this country still earn just 77 percent of what men earn. And I know that you've said you've been very sympathetic to our cause. But you've also you said that the Democrats' moves to try and change this are the political show votes. I just wonder what you would do as President to try and help in this cause? CRUZ: Well, we've gotta turn the economy around for people who are struggling. The Democrats' answer to everything is more government control over wages, and more empowering trial lawyers to file lawsuits. You know, you look at women working. I'll tell you, in my family there are a lot of single moms in my family. My sister was a single mom, both of my aunts who were a single moms. My mom who's here today, was a single mom when my father left us when I was 3 years old. Now, thank God, my father was invited to a Bible study and became born again and he came back to my mom and me and we were raised together. But I -- the struggle of single moms is extraordinary. And you know, when you see Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders and all the Democrats talking about wanting to address the plight of working women, not a one of them mentioned the fact that under Barack Obama, 3.7 million women have entered poverty. Not a one of them mentioned the fact that under Barack Obama and the big government economy, the median wage for women has dropped $733. The the truth of the matter is, big government benefits the wealthy, it benefits the lobbyists, it benefits the giant corporations. And the people who are getting hammered are small businesses, it's single moms, it's Hispanics. That is who I'm fighting for. The people that Washington leaves behind. (CROSSTALK) FIORINA: Becky, it is the height of hypocrisy for Mrs. Clinton to talk about being the first woman President, when every single policy she espouses, and every single policy of President Obama has been demonstrably bad for women. FIORINA: 92 percent -- 92 percent of the jobs lost during Barack Obama's first term belonged to women. Senator Cruz is precisely right. Three million women have fallen into poverty under this administration. The number of women -- QUICK: Mrs. Fiorina -- FIORINA: -- living in extreme poverty is the highest level on record. I am a conservative because I know our values, our principles and our policies -- QUICK: Mrs. Fiorina, we will come back to you. FIORINA: -- work better to lift everyone up, men and women. QUICK: Thank you, Mrs. Fiorina. Carl? (APPLAUSE) QUINTANILLA: Dr. Carson, we know you as a physician, but we wanted to ask you about your involvement on some corporate boards, including Costco's. Last year, a marketing study called the warehouse retailer the number one gay-friendly brand in America, partly because of its domestic partner benefits. Why would you serve on a company whose policies seem to run counter to your views on homosexuality? CARSON: Well, obviously, you don't understand my views on homosexuality. I believe that our Constitution protects everybody, regardless of their sexual orientation or any other aspect. I also believe that marriage is between one man and one woman. And there is no reason that you can't be perfectly fair to the gay community. They shouldn't automatically assume that because you believe that marriage is between one man and one woman that you are a homophobe. And this is one of the myths that the left perpetrates on our society, and this is how they frighten people and get people to shut up. You know, that's what the PC culture is all about, and it's destroying this nation. The fact of the matter is we the American people are not each other's enemies, it's those people who are trying to divide us who are the enemies. And we need to make that very clear to everybody. (APPLAUSE) QUINTANILLA: One more question. This is a company called Mannatech, a maker of nutritional supplements, with which you had a 10-year relationship. They offered claims that they could cure autism, cancer, they paid $7 million to settle a deceptive marketing lawsuit in Texas, and yet you're involvement continued. Why? CARSON: Well, that's easy to answer. I didn't have an involvement with them. That is total propaganda, and this is what happens in our society. Total propaganda. I did a couple of speeches for them, I do speeches for other people. They were paid speeches. It is absolutely absurd to say that I had any kind of a relationship with them. Do I take the product? Yes. I think it's a good product. QUINTANILLA: To be fair, you were on the homepage of their website with the logo over your shoulder -- CARSON: If somebody put me on their homepage, they did it without my permission. QUINTANILLA: Does that not speak to your vetting process or judgment in any way. CARSON: No, it speaks to the fact that I don't know those -- (AUDIENCE BOOS) See? They know. (APPLAUSE) QUINTANILLA: Apparently. We will take a break. We'll be back in Boulder in just a minute. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) HARWOOD: Welcome back to the Republican presidential debate on CNBC, live from Boulder, Colorado at the University of Colorado. Senator Huckabee, I mean -- excuse me -- Senator Rubio, Wired magazine recently carried the heading, "Marco Rubio wants to be the tech industry's savior." It noted your support for dramatically increasing immigration visas called H1B, which are designed for workers with the special skills that Silicon Valley wants. But your Senate colleague, Jeff Sessions of Alabama, says in reality, the tech industry uses this program to undercut hiring and wages for highly qualified Americans. Why is he wrong? RUBIO: Well, first of all, if a company gets caught doing that, they should never be able to use the program again. If you get caught abusing this program, you should never be able to use it again. The second thing I said is we need to add reforms, not just increase the numbers, but add reforms. For example, before you hire anyone from abroad, you should have to advertise that job for 180 days. You also have to prove that you're going to pay these people more than you would pay someone else, so that you're not undercutting it by bringing in cheap labor. But here's the best solution of all. We need to get back to training people in this country to do the jobs of the 21st century. Why, for the life of me, I do not understand why did we stop doing vocational education in America, people that can work with their hands; people you can train to do this work while they're still in high school so they can graduate ready to go work. But the best way to close this gap is to modernize higher education so Americans have the skills for those jobs. But in the interim, in the absence of that, what's happening is some of these tech companies are taking those -- those centers (ph) to Canada because they can get people to go over there instead of here. But the ideal scenario is to train Americans to do the work so we don't have to rely on people from abroad. HARWOOD: It sounds like you think Senator Sessions is wrong to believe there is enough abuse in that program that we shouldn't... (CROSSTALK) RUBIO: Well, I believe that there are abuses, those companies should be permanently barred from ever using the program again and we should put strict standards in place to ensure that they're not being abused, like the prevailing wage requirement and like the advertising requirement. HARWOOD: Thank you, Senator. Becky? QUICK: Mr. Trump, let's stay on this issue of immigration. You have been very critical of Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook who has wanted to increase the number of these H1Bs. TRUMP: I was not at all critical of him. I was not at all. In fact, frankly, he's complaining about the fact that we're losing some of the most talented people. They go to Harvard. They go to Yale. They go to Princeton. They come from another country and they're immediately sent out. I am all in favor of keeping these talented people here so they can go to work in Silicon Valley. QUICK: So you're in favor of... (CROSSTALK) TRUMP: So I have nothing at all critical of him. ' QUICK: Where did I read this and come up with this that you were... (CROSSTALK) TRUMP: Probably, I don't know -- you people write the stuff. I don't know where you... (LAUGHTER) (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: And if I could say just one thing. I am the only person in either campaign that's self-funding. I'm putting up 100 percent of my own money. And right now, I will be putting up a tremendous -- so far, I've put up less than anybody and I have the best results. Wouldn't that be nice if the country could do that? But I will be putting -- I will be putting up, you know, tremendous amounts of money. SuperPacs are a disaster. They're a scam. They cause dishonesty. And you better get rid of them because they are causing a lot of bad decisions to be made by some very good people. And I'm not blaming these folks -- well, I guess I could. (LAUGHTER) Very good people are making very bad decisions right now. And if anything comes out of this whole thing with some of these nasty and ridiculous questions, I will tell you, you better get rid of the SuperPacs because they causing a big problem with this country, not only in dishonesty and what's going on, but also in a lot of bad decisions that have been made for the benefit of lobbyists and special interests. QUICK: You know, Mr. -- you know, Mr. Trump, if I may (inaudible). You've been -- you have been -- you had talked a little bit about Marco Rubio. I think you called him Mark Zuckerberg's personal senator because he was in favor of the H1B. TRUMP: I never said that. I never said that. QUICK: So this was an erroneous article the whole way around? TRUMP: You've got another gentleman in Florida, who happens to be a very nice guy, but not... QUICK: My apologies. I'm sorry. (CROSSTALK) TRUMP: ... he's really doing some bad... (CROSSTALK) RUBIO: Since I've been mentioned, can I respond? (CROSSTALK) QUICK: Yes, you can. RUBIO: OK. I know the Democrats have the ultimate SuperPac. It's called the mainstream media who every single day... (APPLAUSE) ... and I'll tell you why. Last week, Hillary Clinton went before a committee. She admitted she had sent e-mails to her family saying, "Hey, this attack at Benghazi was caused by Al Qaida-like elements." She spent over a week telling the families of those victims and the American people that it was because of a video. And yet the mainstream media is going around saying it was the greatest week in Hillary Clinton's campaign. It was the week she got exposed as a liar. It was the week that she got exposed as a liar... (APPLAUSE) But she has her super PAC helping her out, the American mainstream media. QUICK: Senator Rubio, thank you very much. I would like to introduce my colleague, Rick Santelli, he has some comments as well, sir. SANTELLI: Senator Cruz, let's focus on our central bank, the Federal Reserve. You've been a fierce critic of the Fed, arguing for more transparency. Where do you want to take that? Do you want to get Congress involved in monetary policy, or is it time to slap the Fed back and downsize them completely? What are your thoughts? What do you believe? CRUZ: Well, Rick, it's a very important question. I have got deep concerns about the Fed. The first thing I think we need to do is audit the Fed. And I am an original co-sponsor of Rand Paul's audit the Fed legislation. The second thing we need to do is I think we need to bring together a bipartisan commission to look at getting back to rules- based monetary policy, end this star chamber that has been engaging in this incredible experiment of quantitative easing, QE1, QE2, QE3, QE- infinity. And the people who are being impacted, you know, a question that was asked earlier, Becky asked, was about working women. You know, it's interesting, you look at on Wall Street, the Fed is doing great. It's driving up stock prices. Wall Street is doing great. You know, today, the top 1 percent earn a higher share of our income than any year since 1928. But if you look at working men and women. If you look at a single mom buying groceries, she sees hamburger prices have gone up nearly 40 percent. She sees her cost of electricity going up. She sees her health insurance going up. And loose money is one of the major problems. We need sound money. And I think the Fed should get out of the business of trying to juice our economy and simply be focused on sound money and monetary stability, ideally tied to gold. SANTELLI: Senator Paul, the same question to you. PAUL: Well, thank you very much. I would like to thank Ted for co-sponsoring my bill, audit the Fed. And I think it's precisely because of the arrogance of someone like Ben Bernanke, who now calls us all know-nothings, that is precisely why we need audit the Fed. I think it is really very much a huge problem that an organization as powerful as the Fed comes in, lobbies against them being audited on the Hill. I would prevent them lobbying Congress. I don't think the Fed should be involved with lobbying us. I think we should examine how the Fed has really been part of the problem. You want to study income inequality, let's bring the Fed forward and talk about Fed policy and how it causes income inequality. Let's also bring the Fed forward and have them explain how they caused the housing boom and the crisis, and what they've done to make us better or worse. I think the Fed has been a great problem in our society. What you need to do is free up interest rates. Interest rates are the price of money, and we shouldn't have price controls on the price of money. SANTELLI: Thank you, Senator. (APPLAUSE) Dr. Carson, you told The Des Moines Register that you don't like government subsidies, it interferes with the free market. But you've also said that you're in favor of taking oil subsidies and putting them towards ethanol processing. Isn't that just swapping one subsidy for another, Doctor? CARSON: Well, first of all, I was wrong about taking the oil subsidy. I have... ... the best results, wouldn't that be nice if the country could do that? But I will be putting -- I will be putting up, you know, tremendous amounts of money. Super PACs are a disaster. They're a scam. They cause dishonesty. And you had better get rid of them, because they are causing a lot of bad decisions to be made by some very good people. And I'm not blaming these folks -- but I guess I could. (LAUGHTER) Very good people are making very bad decisions right now. And if anything comes out of this whole thing with some of these nasty and ridiculous questions, I will tell you, you had better get rid of the super PACs, because they're causing a big problem with this country, not only in dishonesty and what's going on, but also in a lot of bad decisions that are being made for the benefit of lobbyists and special interests. (CROSSTALK) QUICK: You know, Mr. Trump, if I may... (CROSSTALK) QUICK: Just a minute, Ms. Fiorina, let me follow up on this for just a moment. You talked a little bit about Marco Rubio. I think you called him "Mark Zuckerberg's personal senator" because he was in favor H- 1B... (CROSSTALK) TRUMP: I never said that. I never said that. QUICK: So this was an erroneous article the whole way around? TRUMP: He has got another gentleman in Florida, who happens to be a very nice guy, but not... QUICK: My apologies. I'm sorry... (CROSSTALK) TRUMP: Everybody is really doing some bad fact... RUBIO: Since I've been mentioned, can I respond? QUICK: Yes. Yes, you may. RUBIO: OK. You know, the Democrats who have the ultimate super PAC, it's called the mainstream media. (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) And I'll tell you why, last week, Hillary Clinton went before a committee, she admitted she had sent emails to her family saying, hey, this attack in Benghazi was caused by al Qaeda-like elements. She spent over a week telling the families of those victims and the American people that it was because of a video. And yet the mainstream media is going around saying it was the greatest week in Hillary Clinton's campaign. It was the week she got exposed as a liar. It was the week that she got exposed as a liar... (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) But she has her super PAC helping her out, the American mainstream media. QUICK: Senator Rubio, thank you very much. I would like to introduce my colleague, Rick Santelli, he has some comments as well, sir. SANTELLI: Senator Cruz, let's focus on our central bank, the Federal Reserve. You've been a fierce critic of the Fed, arguing for more transparency. Where do you want to take that? Do you want to get Congress involved in monetary policy, or is it time to slap the Fed back and downsize them completely? What are your thoughts? What do you believe? CRUZ: Well, Rick, it's a very important question. I have got deep concerns about the Fed. The first thing I think we need to do is audit the Fed. And I am an original co-sponsor of Rand Paul's audit the Fed legislation. The second thing we need to do is I think we need to bring together a bipartisan commission to look at getting back to rules- based monetary policy, end this star chamber that has been engaging in this incredible experiment of quantitative easing, QE1, QE2, QE3, QE- infinity. And the people who are being impacted, you know, a question that was asked earlier, Becky asked, was about working women. You know, it's interesting, you look at on Wall Street, the Fed is doing great. It's driving up stock prices. Wall Street is doing great. You know, today, the top 1 percent earn a higher share of our income than any year since 1928. But if you look at working men and women. If you look at a single mom buying groceries, she sees hamburger prices have gone up nearly 40 percent. She sees her cost of electricity going up. She sees her health insurance going up. And loose money is one of the major problems. We need sound money. And I think the Fed should get out of the business of trying to juice our economy and simply be focused on sound money and monetary stability, ideally tied to gold. SANTELLI: Senator Paul, the same question to you. PAUL: Well, thank you very much. I would like to thank Ted for co-sponsoring my bill, audit the Fed. And I think it's precisely because of the arrogance of someone like Ben Bernanke, who now calls us all know-nothings, that is precisely why we need audit the Fed. I think it is really very much a huge problem that an organization as powerful as the Fed comes in, lobbies against them being audited on the Hill. I would prevent them lobbying Congress. I don't think the Fed should be involved with lobbying us. I think we should examine how the Fed has really been part of the problem. You want to study income inequality, let's bring the Fed forward and talk about Fed policy and how it causes income inequality. Let's also bring the Fed forward and have them explain how they caused the housing boom and the crisis, and what they've done to make us better or worse. I think the Fed has been a great problem in our society. What you need to do is free up interest rates. Interest rates are the price of money, and we shouldn't have price controls on the price of money. SANTELLI: Thank you, Senator. (APPLAUSE) Dr. Carson, you told The Des Moines Register that you don't like government subsidies, it interferes with the free market. But you've also said that you're in favor of taking oil subsidies and putting them towards ethanol processing. Isn't that just swapping one subsidy for another, Doctor? CARSON: Well, first of all, I was wrong about taking the oil subsidy. I have studied that issue in great detail. And what I have concluded is that the best policy is to get rid of all government subsidies, and get the government out of our lives, and let people rise and fall based on how good they are. And -- you know, all of this too big to fail stuff and picking and choosing winners and losers -- this is a bunch of crap, and it is really causing a great deal of -- great deal of problems for our society right now. And -- and -- you know, it goes back to the whole concept of regulations, which are in everything. The reason that I -- I hate them so much is because every single regulation costs in terms of goods and services. That cost gets passed on to the people. Now, who are the people who are hurt by that? It's poor people and middle class. Doesn't hurt rich people if their bar of soap goes up ten cents, but it hurts the poor and the middle class. And Bernie Sanders will tell them that it's because of the rich. Well, I'll tell you something: you can take everything from the top 1 percent, and you apply it to our fiscal gap, and you won't even make a dent in it. SANTELLI: Thank you, Doctor. Becky? QUICK: Rick, thank you very much. Governor Huckabee, you have railed against income inequality. You've said that some Wall Street executives should have gone to jail over the roles that they played during the financial crisis. Apart from your tax plan, are there specific steps you would require from corporate America to try and reduce the income inequality. HUCKABEE: I don't think it's so much about when the government orders a corporation to do something. In fact, that's part of the problem. If you saw that blimp that got cut loose from Maryland today, it's a perfect example of government. I mean, what we had was something the government made -- basically a bag of gas -- that cut loose, destroyed everything in its path, left thousands of people powerless, but they couldn't get rid of it because we had too much money invested in it, so we had to keep it. That is our government today. We saw it in the blimp. (APPLAUSE) That's exactly what we saw. So look, corporations ought to exercise some responsibility. When CEO income has risen 90 percent above the average worker, when the bottom 90 percent of this country's economy has had stagnant wages for the past 40 years, somebody is taking it in the teeth. And it's not the folks on Wall Street. I'm not anti-Wall Street, but I don't believe the government ought to wear a team jersey, pick winners and losers. QUICK: Governor? HUCKABEE: The government ought to wear a striped shirt and just make sure the game... QUICK: Governor? HUCKABEE: ...is paid -- played fairly. QUICK: Thank you. Now, everybody else has fudged their time and gone over, so please, don't cut me off too quick, Becky. QUICK: All right, Governor Huckabee. HUCKABEE: Let me just close it out this way. QUICK: How about 15 more seconds? HUCKABEE: We need to be focusing on what fixes this country. And I'll tell you one thing that we never talk about -- we haven't talked about it tonight. Why aren't we talking about -- instead of cutting benefits for old people, cutting benefits for sick people -- why don't we say, "let's cure the four big cost-driving diseases... QUICK: Governor? HUCKABEE: ..."diabetes, heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer's?" QUICK: Governor, I'm sorry... HUCKABEE: If you do that, you don't just change the economy, you transform the lives of millions of hurting Americans. QUICK: Governor, thank you. HUCKABEE: Gosh, I'd love for us to talk about something like that. Thank you. QUICK: Governor, thank you. Appreciate it. John? HARWOOD: Governor Bush, the tax reform bill that Ronald Reagan signed in 1986 cut the top personal income tax rate to 28 percent -- just like your plan does. But President Reagan taxed capital gains at the same rate, while you would tax them at just 20 percent. Given the problems we've been discussing, growing gap between rich and poor, why would you tax labor at a higher rate than income from investments? BUSH: Look, the -- the simple fact is that my plan actually gives the middle class the greatest break: $2,000 per family. And if you make $40,000 a year, a family of four, you don't pay any income tax at all. Simplifying the code and lowering rates, both for corporations and -- and personal rates, is exactly what we need to do. You think about the regulatory cost and the tax cost -- that's why small businesses are closing, rather than being formed in our country right now. The big corporations have the scale to deal with all of this. And what I think all of us are saying is, our monetary policy, our tax policy, regulatory policy needs to be radically changed so we can create high sustained growth for income to rise. The government has tried it their way. Under -- under Barack Obama and the proposals of Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders and others, they've tried it their way, and it has failed miserably. We need to take a new approach of taxing -- reforming how we tax, and reforming the regulations in our -- in our country before it's too late. HARWOOD: Senator Rubio, 30 seconds to you. The Tax Foundation, which was alluded to earlier, scored your tax plan and concluded that you give nearly twice as much of a gain in after-tax income to the top 1 percent as to people in the middle of the income scale. Since you're the champion of Americans living paycheck-to- paycheck, don't you have that backward? RUBIO: No, that's -- you're wrong. In fact, the largest after- tax gains is for the people at the lower end of the tax spectrum under my plan. And there's a bunch of things my tax plan does to help them. Number one, you have people in this country that... HARWOOD: The Tax Foundation -- just to be clear, they said the... (CROSSTALK) RUBIO: ...you wrote a story on it, and you had to go back and correct it. HARWOOD: No, I did not. RUBIO: You did. No, you did. (APPLAUSE) (CROSSTALK) HARWOOD: Senator, the Tax Foundation said after-tax income for the top 1 percent under your plan would go up 27.9 percent. RUBIO: Well, you're talking about -- yeah. HARWOOD: And people in the middle of the income spectrum, about 15 percent. RUBIO: Yeah, but that -- because the math is, if you -- 5 percent of a million is a lot more than 5 percent of a thousand. So yeah, someone who makes more money... HARWOOD: (inaudible) RUBIO: ...numerically, it's gonna be higher. But the greatest gains, percentage-wise, for people, are gonna be at the lower end of our plan, and here's why: because in addition to a general personal exemption, we are increasing the per-child tax credit for working families. We are lowering taxes on small business. You know, a lot of business activity in America is conducted like the guy that does my dry cleaning. He's an S corporation. He pays on his personal rate, and he is paying higher than the big dry-cleaning chain down the street, because he's paying at his personal rate. RUBIO: Under my plan, no business, big or small, will pay more than 25 percent flat rate on their business income. That is a dramatic tax decrease for hard-working people who run their own businesses. (CROSSTALK) RUBIO: ...The other thing I'd like to make about our plan, one more point, it is the most pro growth tax plan that I can imagine because it doesn't tax investments at all. You know why? Because the more you tax something, the less of it you get. I want to be in -- I want America to be the best... PAUL: ...John... RUBIO: ...in the world for people... HARWOOD: Senator, thank you. PAUL: John, I'd like to address this? John, could I follow up on this? QUINTANILLA: ...We'll come back around. I want to get to governor Kasich. PAUL: What are the rules on who gets to follow up. How do we decide on who gets to follow up? I've seen plenty of other people follow up? QUICK: It's at the moderator discretion. QUINTANILLA: Governor Kasich, let's talk ... (CROSSTALK) QUINTANILLA: ...about Marijuana, Governor Kasich... PAUL: I'd like to just mention something about my tax plan, and how it relates to the discussion... QUINTANILLA: Alright, but 30 seconds, you made a case. Sure, 30 seconds. PAUL: Alright. Much of the discussion is centered over whether or not the different tax plans help, or affect the middle class. In fact, it's the chief argument by democrats against many of the different flat tax proposals. Mine is unique in the sense that my tax plan actually gets rid of the payroll tax as well. It shifts it to the business, and it would allow middle class people to get a tax cut. If you just cut their income tax, there isn't much income tax to cut. Mine actually cuts the payroll tax, and I think it would spread the tax cut across all socioeconomic levels, and would allow then it to be something that would be broadly supported by the public in an election. QUINTANILLA: Senator, thank you. CRUZ: Let me say on that... QUINTANILLA: Oh, no, no, no... CRUZ: ...Rand is exactly right. His plan is a good plan, and I will note that my 10% plan also eliminates the payroll tax, eliminates the death tax, QUINTANILLA: ...Ok... CRUZ: ...eliminates the business... MALE: (INAUDIBLE) CRUZ: ...income tax... MALE: What are you doing? CRUZ: ...10% flat rate... QUINTANILLA: ...We're going to go to... CRUZ: ...is the lowest personal rate any candidate up here has, and what it would also enable us to do is for every citizen to fill out their taxes on a postcard so we can eliminate the IRS. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) QUINTANILLA: OK. Thank you, Senator. Governor Kasich, let's talk about marijuana. We're broadcasting from Colorado which has seen $150 million in new revenue for the state since legalizing last year. Governor Hickenlooper is not a big fan of legalization, but he's said the people who used to be smoking it are still smoking it, they're just now paying taxes. Given the budget pressures in Ohio, and other states, is this a revenue stream you'd like to have? KASICH: Well, first of all, we're running a $2 billion dollar surplus, we're not having a revenue problem right now. And, sending mixed signals to kids about drugs is a disaster. Drugs is one of the greatest scourge in this country, and I spent five years of my administration working with my team to do a whole sort of things to try to reign in the problem of overdoses, and it goes on and on. We could do a whole show on that. I want to go back for a second thought on this issue of income inequality. My program would move the 104 programs of the federal Department of Education into four block grants, and send them back to the states because income inequality is driven by a lack of skills when kids don't get what they need to be able to compete and win in this country. The fact is, in order to get this economy moving again, I call for freezing regulations for a year except for the problem of public safety. I believe that we need to cut these taxes down, we need to be on a roadmap to balancing the budget, and we need to send power, money, and influence, the welfare department, the education department, job training, infrastructure, Medicaid, all of that out of Washington back to the states so we can run these programs from where we live to the top, not a one size fits all mentality that they have in Washington. And, that will get to the nub of opportunity for our children, and an ability to see wages rise. Again... (CROSSTALK) KASICH: ...One more time, in Ohio, our wages are growing faster than the national average. We've cut taxes, balanced budgets, changed the regulatory environment. Folks, you want to -- QUINTANILLA: Thank you, Governor. KASICH: -- fix America, this is the formula. It worked for Reagan and it works for our team in Ohio. Thank you. QUINTANILLA: Thank you. We'll be back from Boulder, Colorado in just a moment. (APPLAUSE) (BREAK) QUICK: Welcome back to the University of Colorado and the Republican presidential debate right here on CNBC. Mr. Trump, I want to go back to an issue that we were talking about before, the H-1B visas. I found where I read that before. It was from the donaldjtrump.com website and it says -- it says that again, Mark Zuckerburg's personal senator, Marco Rubio has a bill to triple H-1Bs that would decimate women and minorities. Are you in favor of H-1Bs or are you opposed to them? TRUMP: I'm in favor of people coming into this country legally. And you know what? They can have it anyway you want. You can call it visas, you can call it work permits, you can call it anything you want. I've created tens of thousands of jobs, and in all due respect -- and actually some of these folks I really like a lot -- but I'm the only one that can say that. I have created tens of thousands of jobs, and I'll be creating many millions of jobs if I'm given -- if I'm given the opportunity to be president. As far as Mark is concerned, as far as the visas are concerned, if we need people, they have -- it's fine. They have to come into this country legally. We have a country of borders. We have a country of laws. We have to obey the laws. It's fine if they come in, but they have to come in legally. QUICK: Thank you, sir. RUBIO: I was mentioned in the question. QUICK: You were. You get 30 seconds. RUBIO: Thank you. Well, I've learned the rules on this. (LAUGHTER) Look, in addition to what Donald was saying is we also need to talk about the legal immigration system for permanent residents. Today, we have a legal immigration system for permanent residency that is largely based on whether or not you have a relative living here. And that's the way my parents came legally in 1956. But in 2015, we have a very different economy. Our legal immigration system from now on has to be merit-based. It has to be based on what skills you have, what you can contribute economically, and most important of all, on whether or not you're coming here to become an American, not just live in America, but be an American. QUICK: Thank you, Senator. Thank you, Senator. Carl? QUINTANILLA: Mr. Trump, you've said you have a special permit to carry a gun in New York. TRUMP: Yes. QUINTANILLA: After the Oregon mass shooting on October 1st, you said, "By the way, it was a gun-free zone. If you had a couple of teachers with guns, you would have been a hell of a lot better off." TRUMP: Or somebody else. Right. QUINTANILLA: Would you feel more comfortable if your employees brought guns to work? TRUMP: Yes, I might feel more comfortable. I would say that I would and I have a permit, which is very unusual in New York -- a permit to carry. And I do carry on occasion, sometimes a lot. But I like to be unpredictable so that people don't know exactly... (LAUGHTER) QUINTANILLA: Are you carrying one now? (LAUGHTER) (CROSSTALK) TRUMP: By the way, unlike our country where we're totally predictable and the enemy, whether it's ISIS or anybody else, they know exactly what we're doing because we have the wrong leadership. (APPLAUSE) But I feel that the gun-free zones and, you know, when you say that, that's target practice for the sickos and for the mentally ill. That's target. They look around for gun-free zones. You know, we could give you another example -- the Marines, the Army, these wonderful six soldiers that were killed. Two of them were among the most highly decorated -- they weren't allowed on a military base to have guns. And somebody walked in and shot them, killed them. If they had guns, he wouldn't be around very long. I can tell you, there wouldn't have been much damage. So, I think gun-free zones are a catastrophe. They're a feeding frenzy for sick people. QUINTANILLA: We called a few Trump resorts, a few Trump properties that -- that do not allow guns with or without a permit. Would you change those policies? TRUMP: I would change them. I would change them. QUINTANILLA: OK. All right. Thank you. John? HARWOOD: Governor Huckabee, you've written about the huge divide in values between middle America and the big coastal cities like New York and Los Angeles. As a preacher as well as a politician, you know that presidents need the moral authority to bring the entire country together. The leading Republican candidate, when you look at the average of national polls right now, is Donald Trump. When you look at him, do you see someone with the moral authority to unite the country? HUCKABEE: You know, of the few questions I've got, the last one I need is to give him some more time. I love Donald Trump. He is a good man. I'm wearing a Trump tie tonight. Get over that one, OK? (APPLAUSE) (CROSSTALK) (UNKNOWN): Is it made in Mexico? HUCKABEE: I don't know. (UNKNOWN): Where's it made? Is it made in China? (UNKNOWN): Is it made in China or Mexico? HUCKABEE: I have no idea. (CROSSTALK) TRUMP: Such a nasty -- such a nasty question, but thank you, Governor. HUCKABEE: You're welcome. (LAUGHTER) Let me tell you, Donald Trump would be a president every day of the week and twice on Sunday, rather than Hillary. I've spent a lifetime in politics fighting the Clinton machine. (APPLAUSE) You want to talk about what we're going to be up against next year? I'm the only guy on this stage -- you know, everybody has an "only guy" -- "I'm the only guy this; I'm the only guy that." Well, let me tell you one thing that I am the only guy: The only guy that has consistently fought the Clinton machine every election I was ever in over the past 26 years. And not only did I fight them, but I beat them. Somebody says "I'm a fighter." Well, I want to know, did you win? Well, I did. And not only did I fight them and win, I lived to tell about it and I'm standing on this stage tonight as evidence of that. And I think that ought to be worth something. HARWOOD: Thank you, Governor. CHRISTIE: John, I'll tell you something. You want to talk about moral authority. Let's talk about something that happened this week in the news. You know, the FBI director, the president's appointed FBI director has said this week that because of a lack of support from politicians like the president of the United States, that police officers are afraid to get out of their cars; that they're afraid to enforce the law. And he says, the president's appointee, that crime is going up because of this. And when the president of the United States gets out to speak about it, does he support police officers? Does he stand up for law enforcement? No, he doesn't. I'll tell you this, the number one job of the president of the United States is to protect the safety and security of the American people. This president has failed, and when I'm in the Oval Office, police officers will know that they will have the support of the president of the Untied States. That's real moral authority that we need in the Oval Office. HARWOOD: Thank you, Governor. Don't forget my colleague, Sharon Epperson. EPPERSON: Thank you, John. Mrs. Fiorina, you were the CEO of a large corporation that offers a 401(k) to its employees. But more than half of American have no access to an employer sponsored retirement plan. That includes the workers at small businesses, and the growing ranks of Uber drivers and other part-timers in the freelance economy. Should the Federal Government play a larger role in helping to set up retirement plans for these workers? FIORINA: No, the Federal Government should not play a larger role. Look, every time the Federal Government gets engaged in something it gets worse. And then the Government steps in to try and solve the problem and we get a little further down to that progressive vision that Hillary Clinton is talking about. Companies should, if they want to attract the best workers, provide a good set of benefits. But honestly, if you're a small business owner today you are being crushed. We have 400,000 small businesses forming every year in this country. How great is that? They are employing themselves, they are potentially employing others. The bad news is, we have 470,000 going out of business every year. And why? They cite Obamacare. They are refusing to... EPPERSON: So you wouldn't agree -- you wouldn't agree with a start for 401(k) for businesses or anything like that? FIORINA: I think it's a wonderful that that businesses start a 401(k). The point I'm making is this, the Federal Government should not be in a lot of things. There is no Constitutional role for the Federal Government in setting up -- retirement plans. There is no Constitutional role for the Federal Government to be setting minimum wages... EPPERSON: Thank you very much. FIORINA: ... The more the Government gets engaged in the economy, the slower the economy becomes. The more the Government gets engaged in the economy, it is demonstrably true... EPPERSON: Thank you, the rules say one minute. FIORINA: ... The more the big, the powerful, the wealthy and the well-connected are advantaged. EPPERSON: Thank you, Ms. Fiorina. We appreciate it. Thank you, thank you. I want to turn my attention now, to you now, Governor Kasich. Most people can't get a college degree without going into debt. Over 40 million Americans have student loans and many of them cannot pay them back. This country has over $100 billion in student loan defaults. That's billion with a b. What will you do to make sure that students, their families, taxpayers, won't feel the economic impact of this burden for generations? Well, first of all, in Ohio we're changing the whole system. Universities will not get paid one dime unless the student graduates or -- graduates or completes a course. Secondly, you can be in high school and complete almost an entire first year before you go to college and get credit to do that. And, of course, in addition to that, we are working now to go after the cost drivers in our universities. And let me give you an example. Universities today have so many non-academic assets. At Ohio State they sold the parking garage and the parking lot, and they got $500 million because they shouldn't be in the parking lot business. They shouldn't be in the ding business, they shouldn't be in the dorm business. And, of course, we need to take advantage of on-line education to reduce these costs and begin to dis-intermediate the cost of four years. Now, for those who that have these big high costs, I think we can seriously look at an idea of where you can do public service. I mean legitimate, public service and begin to pay off some of that debt through the public service that you do. And in the meantime, it may inspire us to care more about our country, more about ourselves. This is a big moral issue in America. Living a life bigger than yourself, and being a center of healing and justice. And people can learn it through public service. EPPERSON: Thank you, thank you. BUSH: We don't need the federal government to be involved in this at all. QUICK: Higher education is the example... BUSH: We don't need the Federal Government to be involved in this, because when they do we create a $1.2 trillion debt. In Florida, we have the lowest in-state tuition of any state, because there's accountability, just as John said. Let the states do this. You'll create a much better graduation rate at a lower cost, and you won't in debt the next generation with recourse debt on their backs. It's always a solution of the left to create more Government from the Federal Government. It is broke, it is not working. (CROSSTALK) QUINTANILLA: Governor Bush, daily fantasy sports has become a phenomenon in this country, will award billions of dollars in prize money this year. But to play you have to assess your odds, put money at risk, wait for an outcome that's out of your control. Isn't that the definition of gambling, and should the Federal Government treat it as such? BUSH: Well, first of all, I'm 7 and 0 in my fantasy league. QUINTANILLA: I had a feeling you were going to brag about that. BUSH: Gronkowski is still going strong. I have Ryan Tannehill, Marco, as my quarterback, he was 18 for 19 last week. So I'm doing great. But we're not gambling. And I think this has become something that needs to be looked at in terms of regulation. Effectively it is day trading without any regulation at all. And when you have insider information, which apparently has been the case, where people use that information and use big data to try to take advantage of it, there has to be some regulation. If they can't regulate themselves, then the NFL needs to look at just, you know, moving away from them a little bit. And there should be some regulation. I have no clue whether the federal government is the proper place, my instinct is to say, hell no, just about everything about the federal government. (CROSSTALK) CHRISTIE: Carl, are we really talking about getting government involved in fantasy football? (LAUGHTER) We have -- wait a second, we have $19 trillion in debt. We have people out of work. We have ISIS and al Qaeda attacking us. And we're talking about fantasy football? Can we stop? (APPLAUSE) CHRISTIE: How about this? How about we get the government to do what they're supposed to be doing, secure our borders, protect our people, and support American values and American families. Enough on fantasy football. Let people play, who cares? (CROSSTALK) QUICK: I want to go back, if I can, to the issue of... (CROSSTALK) QUICK: I want to go back, if I may, to the... HARWOOD: Governor Christie, you've said something that many in your party do not believe, which is that climate change is undeniable, that human activity contributes to it, and you said, quote: "The question is, what do we do to deal with it?". So what do we do? CHRISTIE: Well, first off, what we don't do is do what Hillary Clinton and John Kerry and Barack Obama want us to do, which is their solution for everything, put more taxes on it, give more money to Washington, D.C., and then they will fix it. Well, there is no evidence that they can fix anything in Washington, D.C. HARWOOD: What should we do? CHRISTIE: What we should do is to be investing in all types of energy, John, all types of energy. I've laid out... HARWOOD: You mean government? CHRISTIE: No, John. John, do you want me to answer or do you want to answer? (LAUGHTER) How are we going to do this? (APPLAUSE) Because, I've got to tell you the truth, even in New Jersey what you're doing is called rude. So... (LAUGHTER) We've laid out a national energy plan that says that we should invest in all types of energy. I will tell you, you could win a bet at a bar tonight, since we're talking about fantasy football, if you ask who the top three states in America are that produce solar energy: California and Arizona are easy, but number three is New Jersey. Why? Because we work with the private sector to make solar energy affordable and available to businesses and individuals in our state. We need to make sure that we do everything across all kinds of energy: natural gas, oil, absolutely. But also where it's affordable, solar, wind in Iowa has become very affordable and it makes sense. That is the way we deal with global warming, climate change, or any of those problems, not through government intervention, not through government taxes, and for God's sake, don't send Washington another dime until they stop wasting the money they're already sending there. HARWOOD: Thank you, Governor. (APPLAUSE) HARWOOD: Becky. QUICK: Senator Paul, among the leading conservative opponents to the creation of Medicare back in the 1960s was Ronald Reagan. He warned that it would lead to socialism. Considering the mounting cost of Medicare, was he right to oppose it? PAUL: The question always is, what works better, the private marketplace or government? And what distributes goods better? It always seems to be the private marketplace does a better job. Is there an area for a safety net? Can you have Medicare or Social Security? Yes. But you ought to acknowledge the government doesn't do a very good job at it. The main problem with Medicare right now is that the average person pays in taxes over their whole lifetime about $100,000. But the average person takes out about $350,000. We have this enormous mismatch because we have smaller and smaller families. When people ask me, whose fault is it? Whose fault is it that Medicare is broken, out of money, that Social Security is broken, out of money? And I say, look, it's not Republicans' fault, it's not Democrats' fault, it's your grandparents' fault for having too many damn kids. (LAUGHTER) After the war we had all of these kids, Baby Boomers. Now we're having smaller families. We used to have 16 workers for one retiree, now you have three workers for one retiree. It's not working. I have a bill to fix Medicare. I've a bill to fix Social Security. For both of them you have to gradually raise the age. If you're not willing to do that, nobody wants to do it, but if you're not willing to gradually raise the age, you're not serious about fixing either one of them. QUICK: Senator, thank you. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Becky, may I... QUINTANILLA: This is the-- well, we're going to take a break. We want to save time for closing statements after the break. So this is the Republican presidential debate in Boulder, and we'll be right back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) (APPLAUSE) QUICK: Welcome back to Boulder, Colorado and the Republican presidential debate right here on CNBC. Governor Huckabee, you wanted to respond to the points that Senator Rand Paul was just making when it comes to Social Security. Your time, sir. HUCKABEE: Well, and specifically to Medicare, Becky, because 85 percent of the cost of Medicare is chronic disease. The fact is if we don't address what's costing so much, we can't throw enough money at this. And it's why I've continued to focus on the fact that we need to declare war on the four big cost drivers because 80 percent of all medical costs in this country are chronic disease. We don't have a health care crisis in America, we have a health crisis. And until we deal with the health of Americans and do what we did with polio -- when I was a little kid, we eradicated it. You know how much money we spent on polio last year in America? We didn't spend any. We've saved billions of dollars. You want to fix Medicare? Focus on the diseases that are costing us the trillions of dollars. Alzheimers, diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Eradicate those and you fix Medicare and you've fixed America, its economy and you've made people's lives a heck of a lot better. BUSH: Becky -- QUICK: Thank you, Governor. (APPLAUSE) BUSH: -- the governor's absolutely right. But we also need to reform Medicare and Social Security. We can't just allow it to continue on its current path the way that Hillary Clinton wants to do because there'll be major reductions in benefits in the next decade if we do nothing. I have a concrete plan to do just that, which allows people to keep HSAs to encourage savings, it allows for people that are retiring with Social Security to be able to get a minimum of 125 percent of the poverty level so that there is a baseline that in this generous country of ours no one goes below. HARWOOD: Governor Bush, Mr. Trump says that he is capable of growing the economy so much that Social Security and Medicare don't have to be touched. Do you want to explain how that is going to happen, Mr. Trump? TRUMP: Yes, it's very simple. We're going to make a really dynamic economy from what we have right now, which is not at all dynamic. We're going to bring jobs back from Japan, we're going to bring jobs back from China, we're going to bring, frankly, jobs back from Mexico where, as you probably saw, Nabisco is leaving Chicago with one of their biggest plants, and they're moving it to Mexico. We're going to bring jobs and manufacturing back. We're going to cut costs. We're going to save Social Security, and we're going to save Medicare. (UNKNOWN): Governor, you just heard him. BUSH: You have to reform Social Security, and the simple way to do it is to make sure that the wealthiest don't receive the same benefits as people that are lower-income. And make sure you enhance savings in the private market. The idea of 401(k)s. I have a small business that I set up. It took -- it took an arm and a leg to be able to set up a 401(k). Because of all the federal mandates and federal laws, it was too expensive. We need to incent private savings and make sure that Social Security is protected for those that have it. KASICH: John. BUSH: But the idea that you can't -- that you're just gonna grow your way out of this -- I have a plan to grow the economy at 4 percent, but you're gonna have to make adjustments for both Medicare and Social Security. (UNKNOWN): Governor Kasich, do you want 30 seconds? KASICH: I wanna tell you, in my state, we took Medicaid, the hardest program to control, and we took it from a 10 percent growth rate to 2.5 percent without taking one person off the rolls or cutting one single benefit. And so much of what we did -- to force competition, to use technology, to stand down the special interest groups -- can you imagine taking Medicaid from 10 to 2.5 percent? We can take many of those same procedures, we can apply it to Medicare. We can make a stronger program. But I agree with Jeb, you can't just do this by growing the economy. You can't grow your way out of demographics. But we can give people better health care. And finally, on health care, why don't we start treating -- keep giving... QUICK: Governor. KASICH: ...incentives for people to keep people healthy, rather than giving the incentives to treat them when they're sick? QUICK: Governor, thank you. Senator Paul, let's go back to you. Do these solutions sound like they work? PAUL: Say again? QUICK: Do these solutions sound like they would work? PAUL: You can't do nothing. And that's what I hear from some people, "we'll do nothing and it will just be fixed." That's absurd, and I think people who don't want to fix it, really, or unwilling to take the chance to say, "something has to change," are missing the boat here. The age will have to gradually rise, there is no question. It's the only way you fix Medicare, the only way you fix Social Security. You will also have to means-test the benefits and declare there's not enough money. It isn't "I put money in, I'm getting it back." There is no money, it's a stack of paper. There is no money in the Social Security account. There is no money in the Medicare account. There's only a promise to pay by the next generation, and the next generation's not big enough to pay it. (CROSSTALK) (UNKNOWN): ...to deal with this. We did it 200 days ago. HARWOOD: Hold on, Governor. I've got a question for -- for Dr. Carson. CARSON: About Medicare? HARWOOD: Yes. You've said that you would like to replace Medicare with a system of individual family savings accounts, so that families could cover their own expenses. Obviously, that would be a very controversial idea. Explain how that would work, exactly. CARSON: Well, first of all the -- the plan gives people the option of -- of opting out. But I think they will see a very good option here. You know, the annual Medicare budget is over $600 billion. And there are 48 million people involved -- 40 million, 65 and over, and 8 million other. Divide that out. That comes out to $12,500 for each one. Now, I can tell you there are a lot of private-sector things that you could do with $12,500, which will get you a lot more than you get from this government program. And that's really a theme of a lot of the things that I'm talking about. How do we utilize our intellect rather than allowing the government to use its, quote, "intellect," in order to help us to be able to live healthier and better lives? It was never intended that the government should be in every aspect of our lives. This is a country that is of, for and by the people. QUICK: Thank you, Dr. Carson. Governor? CHRISTIE: And -- and -- and I -- you know, Ben is absolutely right in saying that what we don't need to do is to send more money to Washington, D.C. to fix this problem. And that's what you'll hear from Hillary Clinton -- and I've already heard from her -- is that, send more money in Social Security, send more money in Medicare taxes, send more money for Medicaid, and that's gonna solve the problem. What we know is we're living longer. That's a blessing. It's a blessing that we're living longer, so we have to increase the retirement age to reflect that blessing. We need to make sure that people understand, as Jeb said before, that if you've done extraordinarily well in this country, do you want them to take more out of your taxes now and think they're gonna give it back to you later? Or would you rather take less later on? QUINTANILLA: Senator Rubio... HARWOOD: Governor, do you also think that... QUINTANILLA: ...yeah, I just wanted (inaudible). HARWOOD: ...that Dr. Carson's right, that we can replace Medicare with individual savings accounts? RUBIO: No. No. What I said was that I think that Dr. Carson's ideas are good ideas. They're not my ideas, and I don't necessarily agree with all of them. But this is what you're seeing in the Republican debate that you didn't see in that Democrat debate. You didn't see it for a minute. You didn't see these kind of ideas being batted around, and being batted around in a way that's civil and smart and that's trying to help to inform the voter out there. What you saw was a parade of, "I'll give you this for free; I'll give you that for free." Let me tell you, everybody, when they say they want to give it to you for free, keep your hands on your wallets because they're coming to you to pay for it. And that's why I think these ideas up here are great, and that's what we should have is have more discussions like this and less gotcha. (CROSSTALK) QUINTANILLA: I want to give you 30 seconds here. RUBIO: I want to take off from that point and argue the same thing. And that is that one of the things you're watching tonight are 11 quality candidates debating an important issue. The Republican Party is blessed to have 11 good candidates, (inaudible) 10 good candidates. The Democrats can't even come up with one. And on this issue of the Medicare in particular, it's important because they're going to demagogue what we're saying here tonight. Everyone up here tonight that's talking about reforms, I think and I know for myself I speak to this, we're all talking about reforms for future generations. Nothing has to change for current beneficiaries. My mother is on Medicare and Social Security. I'm against anything that's bad for my mother. (LAUGHTER) So, we're talking about -- we're talking about reform for people like me and people like Senator Cruz, as he talked about earlier, who are years away from retirement that have a way to plan for these changes, and way that's very reasonable. And it's not too much to ask of our generation after everything our parents and our grandparents did for us. FIORINA: John, I -- if I -- a lot of people have jumped in here. I'd like to jump in. A lot of people have jumped in here. HARWOOD: Mrs. Fiorina, we're right at the end of our time. FIORINA: I understand. HARWOOD: You all wanted us to limit (inaudible). All right. Go ahead. FIORINA: I would just say that... (LAUGHTER) ... I would just say this, we've heard a lot of great ideas up here, and I agree with what Senator Rubio said. Every election we talk about this. Every election we talk about Medicare and Social Security reform. It never happens. I would like to start with a basic. Let us actually go to zero- based budgeting so we know where the money is being spent. It's kind of basic. There is a bill sitting in the House that would actually pass and have us go to zero-based budgeting so we know where every dime of your money is being spent instead of only talking about how much more we're going to spend year after year after year. My point is this. While there are lots of good ideas for reform, we have never tackled the basics. And we finally need to tackle the basics to cut this government down to size and hold it accountable. So let's start by knowing where your money is being spent by the federal government. HARWOOD: We have now reached the point in the program where candidates are going to give their closing statements, 30 seconds apiece. We're going to go right to left and start with you, Senator Paul. PAUL: Liberty thrives when government is small. I want a government so small I can barely see it. I want a government so small that the individual has a chance to thrive and prosper. I think, though, government is too big now. And what you're going to see in Washington this week is establishment Republicans have made an agreement with the president to raise the debt ceiling in an unlimited fashion; no limit to the debt ceiling raise. This is extraordinary. It's extraordinarily wrong. You'll see me on the floor of the Senate tomorrow filibustering this and saying enough is enough, no more debt. HARWOOD: Governor Christie? CHRISTIE: I want to talk to the folks at home. I want to ask you: Are you fed up with how Washington taxes you? Are you fed up with how Washington wastes your money? Are you concerned like I am that the debt and deficits of Washington, D.C. are endangering America's future? I've got one more question for you then. Are you serious about this election? Because if you are, you need to elect someone who's deadly serious about changing this culture. I am deadly serious about changing this culture. I changed it in New Jersey. I'm deadly serious about doing this job the right way. I'm prepared. I'm tested. I'm ready. And I want to make this our government. For the people who say we can't do it, I say hell no, we can do it together. HARWOOD: Thank you, Governor. Senator Cruz? CRUZ: You know, everyone here talks about the need to take on Washington. The natural next question is who actually has done so. Who actually has stood up not just to Democrats, but to leaders in our own party? When millions of Americans rose up against Obamacare, I was proud to lead that fight. When millions of Americans rose up against amnesty, I was proud to lead that fight. When millions of Americans rose up against Planned Parenthood, I was proud to lead that fight. If people are promising they're going to take on Washington and cronyism, you need to look to who has been doing it. In my family, my dad fled oppression in Cuba to come to America. Freedom is personal for me, and I will always keep my word and fight for freedom. HARWOOD: Thank you, Senator. Mrs. Fiorina? FIORINA: You know, every election we hear a lot of talk. We hear a lot of good plans. We hear actually a lot of good intentions. But somehow for decades, nothing really has changed. What we need now is a proven leader who has produced results. That's how you go from secretary to CEO. You lead and you produce results. I will cut this government down to size and hold it accountable, simplify the tax code, roll back the regulations that have been spewing out of Washington, D.C. for 50 years. I may not be your dream candidate just yet, but I can assure you I am Hillary Clinton's worst nightmare. And in your heart of hearts, you cannot wait to see a debate between Hillary Clinton and Carly Fiorina. I will tell you this, I will beat Hillary Clinton. And with your vote and your support and your prayers, I will lead with the citizens of this great nation the resurgence of this great nation. HARMAN: Thank you, Mrs. Fiorina. Dr. Carson? CARSON: I just want to thank all my colleagues here for being civil, and not falling for the traps. And, I also just want to thank the audience for being attentive, and noticing the questions, and the noticing the answers. And, this is what I am finding throughout America. People are waking up because it is going to be us who will determine the direction of our country. And, it was made for we the people, we are the ones who decide who we are, and we should never give away the values and principles that made America into a great nation for the sake of political correctness. (APPLAUSE) HARWOOD: Mr. Trump? TRUMP: Our country doesn't win anymore. We used to win, we don't win anymore. We lose on trade. We lose with ISIS. We lose with one of the worst deals I've ever seen negotiated of any kind, that's our recent catastrophe with Iran. We don't win. Let me give you one quick example. These folks, CNBC, they had it down at three, three and a half hours. I just read today in the New York Times, $250,000 for a 30 second ad. I went out and said, it's ridiculous. Nobody -- I could stand up here all night. Nobody wants to watch three and a half, or three hours. It was a back sacrifice, and I have to hand it to Ben. We called Ben, he was with me 100%. We called in, we said, that's it. We're not doing it. They lost a lot of money, everybody said it couldn't be done. Everybody said it was going to be three hours, three and a half, including them, and in about two minutes I renegotiated it so we can get the hell out of here. Not bad. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: And, I'll do that with the country. We will make America great again. And, thank you everybody. Just for the record. HARWOOD: Just for the record, the debate was always going to be two hours. Senator Rubio? TRUMP: That's not right. That is absolutely not right. You know that. That is not right. MALE: Thank you. HARWOOD: Senator Rubio. RUBIO: You know, America doesn't owe me anything. I have a debt to America I'll never repay. This isn't just the country I was born in, this is the nation that literally changed the history of my family. My parents in this country were able to give me the chance to do all the things they never did. We call that the American Dream, although, it's built on the universal dream of a better life. The fact that it's happened for so many people here throughout our history, that's what makes us special. But, now for millions of Americans, it's slipping away. And, we have a government and leaders in government that are completely out of touch, and that's why I'm running for president. Because we can't just save the American Dream, we can expand it to reach more people, and change more lives than ever before. And, that's why tonight I'm asking you for your vote. HARWOOD: Thank you, Senator. Governor Bush? BUSH: America's at a crossroads. The D.C. politicians continue to make things worse. I have a proven record of success, 32 years in business, and 8 years as Governor of the state of Florida. I will change the culture in Washington, just as I changed the culture in Tallahassee. I will do so in a way that will bring people together. We need a unifier, not a cynical divider in chief, and that's exactly what I will do. Imagine a country where people are lifted out of poverty again. Imagine a country where the middle class can get rising income again. I know we can do this because we're still the most extraordinary country on the face of the Earth. HARWOOD: Thank you, Governor. Governor Huckabee. HUCKABEE: You know, I know to a lot of people in the media, this is just a great big game, and we're the players. And, we come out here, and we do our thing. And, sometimes we're held up in contempt by people who write columns, but, I guarantee you to every person on this stage there's something deep inside of us that would cause us to give up our livelihoods and step out on this stage and fight for the people of America. I've got five grandkids. I do not want to walk my five grandkids through the charred remains of a once great country called America, and say, "Here you go, $20 trillion dollars of debt. Good luck making something out of this mess." And, for those of us who are serious enough to run for president, think long and hard why we're here, and hopefully you'll know we're not here for ourselves. We honest to god are here to get this country back on track. I know this, I certainly am. HARWOOD: Thank you... HUCKABEE: ...Thank you. HARWOOD: Governor Kasich? KASICH: I was on morning Joe at a town hall and a young student stood up and said, "Can I still be idealistic?" I said, absolutely, you can still change the world. And, you know the old inscription, if you save one life, you've changed the world. Folks, we have a problem here with the leadership in Washington, but I'll tell you another problem. We need to rebuild our families. We need to have stronger families. We need to know who our neighbors are. We need to come together as a country because we have to realize that America is great, not from the top-down. Oh yeah, we want to elect a good president, but America is great from the bottom-up, and the bottom-up is us in our families, in our communities, in our neighborhoods. We will renew America if we work together, and I am totally confident that we will. And God bless America. (APPLAUSE) HARWOOD: Thank you, Governor. QUINTANILLA: That concludes tonight's debate. On behalf of my colleagues Becky Quick, John Harwood, Sharon Epperson, Rick Santelli and Jim Cramer, we'd like to our host, the University of Colorado at Boulder, the Republican National Committee, the candidates and, of course, tonight's audience.

– The opening question of Wednesday night's Republican debate was an open-ended one: What's your biggest weakness? Here are the answers, via the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and CNN: Donald Trump: “I trust people too much and … if they let me down, I never forgive," he said. "I find it very, very hard to forgive people that deceive me." Ben Carson: “A weakness would be not really seeing myself in that position (president) until hundreds of thousands of people began to tell me I needed to do it." Marco Rubio: "I'm not sure it's a weakness, but I do believe that I share a sense of optimism for America's future that, today, is eroding from too many of our people. I think there's a sense in this country today that somehow our best." Jeb Bush: “I am by my nature impatient, and this is not an endeavor that rewards that.” He also said he can't "fake anger." Carly Fiorina: "Well, gee. After the last debate, I was told I didn’t smile enough." John Kasich: “Great question, but I want to tell you, my great concern is that we are on the verge perhaps of picking someone who cannot do this job." Ted Cruz: "I'm too agreeable, easy going," he joked. "I think my biggest weakness is exactly the opposite. I'm a fighter. I am passionate about what I believe." Chris Christie: None of the GOP candidates have many weaknesses—only the Democratic ones: "a socialist, an isolationist, and a pessimist." Mike Huckabee: "I don't really have any weaknesses." Rand Paul: He ducked the question and instead criticized the budget deal, promising a filibuster.

Religious doctrines typically urge the faithful to treat others with compassion and to put the greater good before selfish interests. But when it comes to generosity, nonreligious kids seem to be more giving, according to a new study of 1170 children from around the world. Children from religious homes—particularly Muslims—also showed a greater inclination to judge someone’s misdeeds as wrong and punish the perpetrators. The study, the first large-scale analysis of its kind, suggests that religion and moral behavior don’t necessarily go hand-in-hand for children. “Our findings support the notion that the secularization of moral discourse does not reduce human kindness. In fact it does just the opposite,” says Jean Decety, a developmental neuroscientist at the University of Chicago, in Illinois, and the study’s lead author. Past research has already called into doubt the common stereotype that religious people are more moral than their nonreligious brethren. In surveys, religious people report higher levels of charitable activity. But it’s not clear whether this is accurate or an exaggeration. It’s also unclear whether the altruistic spirit is mostly confined to other members of their religion. In actual tests of generosity, there are also mixed results. One study found both religious and nonreligious people shared more money with a stranger after reading sentences containing religious words such as “spirit” and “God.” But people were also more generous after reading words associated with secular authorities such as “police.” Another study found that more religious people were just as likely as less religious people to bypass a stranger in distress. The new research, done with children in six countries (Canada, China, Jordan, Turkey, South Africa, and the United States), included 510 Muslim, 280 Christian, and 323 nonreligious children. The study, the first to take such a large-scale look at how religion and moral behavior intersect in children from across the globe, focused on one facet of moral behavior: altruism, or the willingness to give someone else a benefit that also comes with a personal cost. The test revolved around that ubiquitous childhood currency, stickers. Children ages 5 to 12 met individually with adults who let them choose 10 of their favorite stickers. The children were then told that the adults didn’t have time to distribute the rest of their stickers to other kids in a fictive class. But each child was told they could put some of their 10 stickers in an envelope to be shared with other kids, who were described as being from the same school and ethnic group. The scientists used the number of stickers left in the envelope as a measure of altruism. The children from nonreligious households left 4.1 stickers on average, a statistically significant difference from Christian children (3.3) and Muslim ones (3.2). Also, the more religious the household, based on a survey of parents, the less altruistic the child. The child’s age, socioeconomic status, and country of origin also played a role, but not enough to override the effect of religious differences, according to the study. In older children, the split was most stark, with religious youth increasingly unlikely to share. Kids in the study also watched short videos in which one child did something bad to another, such as shoving. The children then ranked how mean they thought the incident was, and how severely they wanted the instigator punished. Nonreligious children tended to rank the incidents as less mean. Muslim children on average gave the highest rankings and sought harsher punishments than either their Christian or secular counterparts. Decety says he is unsure why this is the case. Decety, whose work focuses on the emergence of morality in children, says the pattern of religious children being less generous may be tied to a phenomenon called “moral licensing.” That’s when a person feels permitted—even unconsciously—to do something wrong, because they see themselves as a morally correct person. With so many children from different cultures, the new study offers vital insights, said Benjamin Beit-Hallahmi, a psychologist at the University of Haifa in Israel and an expert in the psychology of religion. He suspects the results are connected to the importance many religions place on an external authority and threats of divine punishment. Whereas children in religious households learn to act out of obedience to a watchful higher power, children raised in secular homes could be taught to follow moral rules just because it’s “the right thing to do,” he says. Then, “when no one is watching, the kids from nonreligious families behave better.” The study is already prompting head scratching over how it squares with similar studies of adults. Azim Shariff, a psychologist at the University of Oregon in Eugene, says it contrasts with his analysis that, taken as a whole, previous research found no overall effect of religion on adults faced with these kind of moral tests. “It doesn’t fit in easily with what’s been out there so far. So I’ve got to do some thinking—other people have got to do some thinking—with how it does fit,” says Shariff, who praised the scale and depth of the study. He suggested the new findings could reflect a developmental stage for children, producing different results than for adults. He also noted that such controlled tests might not fully capture how people behave in daily life. Decety has expanded his research to examine the effects of religion on children’s behavior in 14 countries, and is also exploring whether religion influences how children decide to distribute goods among different people in a group. “My guess is that I will find the same result as I did in this study,” he says. ||||| Morality is often associated with religion, but new research reveals that children from religious households are actually less generous than kids from a secular background. This conclusion comes from a study of over 1000 children from around the world, published in the journal Current Biology. The project was led by Professor Jean Decety, a neuroscientist from the University of Chicago, who didn't originally aim to compare moral behavior. "I was more interested in whether I would find differences in empathy or sharing depending on the culture," he says. While previous research has examined generosity in adults, Decety's work shows that upbringing shapes morality early in life. This includes altruism – actions that benefit a recipient at a cost to the donor. Children learn religious values and beliefs from their family and community, through rituals like going to church. If religion promotes morality, kids from religious households should have stronger altruistic tendencies. Generosity and punishment Decety's team of psychologists assessed altruism using 'the dictator game': each child was given 30 stickers and told to choose how many to share with an anonymous child from the same school and similar ethnic group. This task reflects choices in ecology – allocating limited resources – and the results were used to calculate a 'generosity score'. The researchers looked at 1170 children aged 5-12 years old, from six countries (USA, Canada, China, Jordan, Turkey and South Africa). Most kids came from households that identified as Christian (24%), Muslim (43%) or not religious (28%). (Small numbers from Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu and agnostic homes weren't compared.) The results revealed that secular children shared more stickers. Muslim children appear to be less generous than Christian kids, but this is not statistically significant (labelled 'ns' in the bar chart below). All three groups became less altruistic with age, though religious kids had lower generosity, suggesting that longer exposure to religion leads to less altruism. The psychologists also assessed views on justice through a moral sensitivity task: after children were shown videos of mild interpersonal harm – such as pushing or bumping – they were asked for a judgment of meanness and a rating for the level of punishment the perpetrator deserved. Compared to the other two groups, Muslims thought harmful actions were meaner and believed in harsher punishment. Christians judged the harm to be meaner than secular kids, though there was no difference in their punitive ratings. This is consistent with fundamentalism, when actions are seen as either right or wrong, with no gradient in morality between two extremes. Overall, religious children are less tolerant of harmful actions and favored harsh penalties. Parents were also asked to score their children according to a sense of empathy and sensitivity to injustice. This subjective self-reporting showed that religious adults think their children have strong moral tendencies, contradicting objective assessments of altruism (generosity and moral sensitivity). Why are religious people less moral? One factor is a psychological phenomenon known as 'moral licensing': a person will justify doing something bad or immoral – like being racist – because they've already done something 'good', such as praying. "It's an unconscious bias," Decety explains. "They don't even see that's not compatible with what they've been learning in church." Attitudes and assumptions History backs-up the scientific evidence that secular people are more moral, as reviewed by Israeli psychologist Benjamin Beit-Hallahmi. Most white supporters of the US Civil Rights Movement were non-religious, for example, while the apartheid regime in South Africa was led by devout Christians and opposed by atheists. But the view that non-religious individuals are morally dubious is deeply embedded in American society. Atheists and agnostics are considered less trustworthy, even immoral, which explains why people who don't believe in God are unlikely to be elected to high political office, such as President of the United States. "If you look at the campaign in the US, everyone who wants to go on TV and talk about being a candidate – from Hilary Clinton to Donald Trump – has to say that they love the Bible," says Decety. "They have to say that to make sure that people will vote for them, which is not the case in Europe." It's sometimes claimed that secular families are dysfunctional and rudderless because they lack the security of religion. But sociologist Vern Bengston, who has run California's Longitudinal Study of Generations since 1971, says this isn't true: "Many nonreligious parents were more coherent and passionate about their ethical principles than some of the 'religious' parents ... The vast majority appeared to live goal-filled lives characterised by moral direction and sense of life having a purpose." So we learn good moral behavior from family life and education, not religious teachings. This raises another question: Why does morality exist in the first place?

– Religion makes people more generous and empathetic toward their neighbor, right? Wrong, according to a study published Thursday in Current Biology. Forbes reports researchers found children from religious backgrounds are actually less altruistic than children from secular households. Researchers tested more than 1,100 Christian, Muslim, and nonreligious children between the ages of 5 and 12 from around the world. They gave the kids stickers and had them choose how many to share with another anonymous child. It turns out secular children shared more of their stickers. "Our findings support the notion that the secularization of moral discourse does not reduce human kindness," lead researcher Jean Decety tells Science. "In fact it does just the opposite." But the relationship between religion and altruism in children was even more pronounced than that. Science reports the more religious a child's household—based on interviews with parents—the less generous the child. And while all kids shared fewer stickers as they got older, the difference was even more pronounced in kids from religious households, according to Forbes. Decety says the differences may be because of something called "moral licensing," in which an individual—unconsciously or not—feels like they can behave badly because they see themselves as a morally right person, Science reports. "These results reveal…how religion negatively influences children’s altruism, challenging the view that religiosity facilitates prosocial behavior," researchers conclude in the study.

The University Archives preserves the institutional memory of Columbia University from its founding in 1754 to the present-day. The Archives aims to identify, appraise, collect, describe, preserve and, where appropriate, make available to administrators, researchers, and the general public University records which document the evolution of the University in all its variety including its contributions to teaching and research; the development of schools, academic departments and programs, institutes, and administrative units; campus life; public service; and the University’s role in the history of the metropolitan, national, and international communities. As part of our mission, this Archive-It collection preserves a record of Columbia's web presence since 2010. ||||| MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A 32-year-old man has died after an officer-involved shooting Wednesday night in Falcon Heights. Philando Castile’s mother, Valerie Castile, says he died at Hennepin County Medical Center just before 9:40 p.m. St. Anthony Police said in a press release that officers pulled over a vehicle at Larpenteur Avenue and Fry Street at about 9 p.m. They said “shots were fired” during the traffic stop, and a handgun was recovered at the scene. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating. WARNING: Video Contains Disturbing Images And Audio Castile’s family says his girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, and her 4-year-old daughter were in the car at the time. Reynolds was taken into custody Wednesday night. The video above, filmed by Reynolds under the Facebook account for Lavish Reynolds, began circulating on Facebook shortly after the shooting, but was pulled from the site before midnight. Reynolds, who was in the front passenger seat, says in the video that they were pulled over for a broken tail light. She says police asked Castile, who was driving, for his license and registration. She says as Castile was reaching for his wallet, he informed officers that he had a firearm in his possession, and a conceal-and-carry permit. Reynolds says in the video that an officer then shot her boyfriend four times. The officer in the video at one point screams, “I told him not to reach for it! I told him to get his hand out …” Reynolds tells the officer, “You told him to get his I.D., sir, his driver’s license.” She pans the cellphone camera over Castile, who is covered in blood. “Oh my God, please don’t tell me he’s dead. Please don’t tell me my boyfriend just went like that,” Reynolds said. The officer, whose gun is drawn the entire time, tells Reynolds to, “Keep your hands where they are.” “Yes I will, sir, I’ll keep my hands where they are,” she said. Reynolds is then told to get out of the car. Her cellphone shows several officers with guns drawn, and one officer holding her daughter, who was in the back seat of the car when Castile was shot. Valerie Castile told WCCO that her son was a cafeteria supervisor at J.J. Hill Montessori School in St. Paul. He would have turned 33 on July 16. Sgt. Jon Mangseth, St. Anthony Police’s interim chief, told reporters late Wednesday night that he was aware of the Facebook video, but not of its content. “[We haven’t had an] officer-involved shooting in, you know, 30 years or more. I’d have to go back in the history books, to tell you the truth,” Mangseth said. He later stated in a brief press conference early Thursday morning that the officer who shot Castile has been placed on standard paid administrative leave. The St. Anthony Police Department provides police services for the neighboring cities of Falcon Heights and Lauderdale. Castile’s family and friends gathered at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis late Wednesday night, and were later joined by Minneapolis NAACP President Nekima Levy-Pounds and other community activists. An estimated 200 people were gathered at the shooting site in Falcon Heights at 1:30 a.m. Police started towing cars soon after, and most people left by 2:30 a.m. Protesters then began to gather at the Governor’s Mansion in St. Paul after 2 a.m. ——- Below is a transcript of Reynolds’ Facebook video. ——- Reynolds: Stay with me. We got pulled over for a busted tail light in the back and he’s covered … they killed my boyfriend. He’s licensed to carry. He was trying to get out his ID and his wallet out his pocket and he let the officer know that he had a firearm and he was reaching for his wallet and the officer just shot him in his arm. Officer: Ma’am, keep your hands where they are. Reynolds: I am sir, no worries. Officer: [Yells expletive.] Reynolds: He just got his arm shot off. We got pulled over on Larpenteur. Officer: I told him not to reach for it! I told him to get his head up! Reynolds: He had, you told him to get his ID, sir, his driver’s license. Please don’t tell me he’s dead. Officer: [Expletive.] Reynolds: Please don’t tell me my boyfriend just went like that. Officer: Keep your hands where they are. Reynolds: Yes I will, sir. I will keep my hands where they are. Please don’t tell me that he’s gone. Please don’t tell me that he’s gone. Please officer, don’t tell me that you just did this to him. You shot four bullets into him, sir. He was just getting his license and registration, sir. [Silence] Other Officer: Get the female passenger out of the car. Reynolds: Where’s my daughter? You have my daughter?” [Five Minutes Later] Reynolds: I got … the Roseville Police got me handcuffed, my phone is about to die. I’m on Larpenteur and Fry and the Roseville Police Department just shot my boyfriend. They shot him four times. He has a license to carry. We had a busted tail light. And we had some weed in the car that’s about it. Related Stories Lawyer: Officer Who Shot Castile Reacted To Gun, Not Race Philando Castile Had Been Stopped 52 Times By Police Officer Who Shot Philando Castile ‘Incredibly Sad’ For His Family Rev. Jesse Jackson Meets With Dayton, Castile’s Girlfriend In St. Paul Ramsey Co. Attorney Undecided On Using Grand Jury In Falcon Heights Shooting Falcon Heights Officials Meet With Civil Rights Leaders, Protest Planned Gov. Dayton Urges Nonviolence, Patience During Falcon Hts. Shooting Investigation Rep. Zerwas: Dayton ‘Made Things Worse’ With Comments On OIS Ramsey Co. Prosecutor Has Not Met With Castile Family Shooting Victim’s Girlfriend Speaks Out On Dallas BLM Supporters Condemn Violence During Dallas Protest Jay-Z Releases Protest Song Following Police Shootings Neighbors Support Demonstrations At Governor’s Mansion ||||| A St. Paul man died Wednesday night after being shot by police in Falcon Heights, the immediate aftermath of which was shown in a video recorded by the man's girlfriend as she sat next to him and which was widely shared on Facebook. The girlfriend started the live-stream video with the man in the driver’s seat slumped next to her, his white T-shirt soaked with blood on the left side. In the video, taken with her phone, she says they were pulled over at Larpenteur Avenue and Fry Street for a broken taillight. The “police shot him for no apparent reason, no reason at all,” she says. Friends at the scene identified the man as Philando Castile, 32, cafeteria supervisor at J.J. Hill Montessori School in St. Paul. Castile’s cousin said on her Facebook page that he was dead. Castile’s uncle, Clarence Castile, who was at Hennepin County Medical Center with other family members, said Philando died at 9:37 p.m., a few minutes after arriving at the hospital. The video was posted on a Facebook page belonging to Lavish Reynolds, but it’s not clear if it is the girlfriend’s page or whether she sent the video to someone else to post. Reynolds’ page was not available for a time, but by then copies of the video had been shared many times. Video (01:38): VIDEO: Protesters march to Governor's mansion after Falcon Heights shooting Video (01:38): VIDEO: Protesters march to Governor's mansion after Falcon Heights shooting A Facebook spokesperson said the video was temporarily down due to a technical glitch and was restored to the Lavish Reynolds page as soon as Facebook was able to investigate. "We're very sorry that the video was temporarily inaccessible," the spokesperson said via email. The girlfriend said on the video that the officer “asked him for license and registration. He told him that it was in his wallet, but he had a pistol on him because he’s licensed to carry. The officer said don’t move. As he was putting his hands back up, the officer shot him in the arm four or five times.” The video shows a uniformed police officer holding a pistol on the couple from outside the car. The officer can be heard to say, “I told him not to reach for it. I told him to get his hand out.” The girlfriend says in the video that her boyfriend was shot by a Roseville police officer. St. Anthony police Sgt. Jon Mangseth, who is the interim police chief, told reporters at the scene that the primary officer who initiated the traffic stop and the backup officer who responded were St. Anthony police officers. Castile was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. The woman and a child in the car with him were taken to another police agency and were being interviewed, Mangseth said. St. Anthony police issued a news release after midnight, confirming that a man was shot by one of its officers about 9 p.m. and had later died. “A handgun was recovered from the scene,” the news release said. It said little else except that the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension will lead the investigation. Clarence Castile, Philando’s uncle, said his nephew had worked in the J.J. Hill school cafeteria for 12 to 15 years, “cooking for the little kids.” He said his nephew was “a good kid” who grew up in St. Paul and also lived in Minneapolis for a time. He said Philando’s mother, Valerie Castile, 60, was inside the hospital and had “broken down” over the death of her only son. He said Philando had left his home about two hours before the shooting occurred. “My nephew was killed by the police” without doing anything wrong, he said. About 12:35 a.m. Thursday, Valerie Castile and her daughter emerged from the HCMC emergency room to the waiting arms of friends and family members. “They killed my son,” Valerie Castile said, sobbing. “They took a good man, a hard-working man; he worked since he was 18 years old.” Philando’s sister, who was also crying, said, “They killed my brother. They held a gun on him while he was hurting, and did nothing to help him.” Philando’s cousin, Antonio Johnson, 31, was also at HCMC. Johnson said Philando graduated with honors from St. Paul Central High School, where he was a straight-A student. He was “a black individual driving in Falcon Heights who was immediately criminally profiled and he lost his life over it tonight,” Johnson said. He said Philando was “very nonconfrontational,” “a real upstanding citizen,” and “by the book.” A car is towed away from the scene after Philando Castile was fatally shot in Falcon Heights. Minnesota court records show only misdemeanors and petty misdemeanors on Philando Castile’s record. Valerie Castile told CNN Thursday that she had instructed her son to always "comply" if he was ever stopped by law enforcement. She said her son didn't deserve "to be shot down like this." He was just "black in the wrong place" and was a victim of "a silent war against African American people," she said. About 2 a.m., Castile's relatives and friends held a prayer circle outside Hennepin County Medical Center. Several family members, including Valerie Castile. then walked to the Hennepin County medical examiner's office in an attempt to see Philando's body. Staffers there would not let them, said Nekima Levy-Pounds, president of the Minneapolis NAACP chapter, who accompanied them. Valerie Castile told CNN she's angry that officials wouldn't let her identify her son's body and that she will have to wait until after the autopsy to see him. "The family has a number of concerns about what happened in this case,” Levy-Pounds said. “They do not believe that the shooting was warranted in this case. Philando Castile was an upstanding citizen, according to all the reports that we’ve heard.” The medical examiner's office will conduct an autopsy later Thursday. Levy-Pounds said an independent body should be appointed to investigate the shooting, citing skepticism with the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which would normally conduct such a probe. She expressed similar concerns about the objectivity of a federal investigation but said her organization will ask for one. “We’re demanding justice; we’re demanding accountability,” Levy-Pounds said. “We’re demanding a change to our laws and policies that allow these types of things to happen. Too often officers are taught to shoot first and ask questions last, and that’s completely unacceptable.” Philando Castile was fatally shot by police July 6 during a traffic stop in Falcon Heights. ‘Knew something was wrong’ Katherine Bleth, who lives across the street from the shooting scene, said she was driving home with a friend when she saw the crime scene “right in front of me.” “Cop cars were rushing past us; we knew something was wrong,” she said. She saw and videotaped an officer performing CPR on a man lying just outside the driver’s side door of the car, then saw paramedics put the man on a stretcher and load him into an ambulance. “What I see is all my neighbors standing outside, videotaping and very upset,” she said. She said there were 12 to 15 squad cars, including some Roseville officers. Falcon Heights, MN: Cop pulled over & shot black man. Brought to hospital. Upsetting footage. Across from my apt. pic.twitter.com/fgRczvxEMK — skeletal trash lord (@skeletontrash) July 7, 2016 A 28-year-old nursing student who declined to be named said she was sitting in the parking lot of a nearby apartment building and saw the scene unfold. It was around 9 p.m., she said, when the car was pulled over. A scene from the video posted by a woman in which she described her boyfriend's shooting by police Wednesday night in Falcon Heights. "I just heard the officer say, 'Put your hands up,' and before he finished saying that there were four shots," the woman said. The 10-minute video shows the girlfriend being ordered from her car by several officers, one of whom is holding a child, presumed to be the girlfriend’s 7-year-old daughter. The woman was put in the back of a squad car in handcuffs. “Please don’t tell me my boyfriend’s gone,” the girlfriend pleads in the video. “He don’t deserve this, please. He works for St. Paul Public Schools. He’s never been in jail, anything. He’s not a gang member, anything.” Mangseth said the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has been called in to investigate. “This is an ongoing investigation,” he said. “As this unfolds, we will release the information as we learn it and we will address concerns as we are made aware of them. I don’t have a lot of details right now.” Mangseth said there hasn’t been an officer-involved shooting in the St. Anthony Police Department’s coverage area “for 30 years.” “It’s shocking,” he said. “It’s not something that occurs here in our area.” By 12:30 a.m. Thursday, dozens of people — peaceful but visibly angry — had gathered at the scene in Falcon Heights. Some were chanting anti-police slogans. Later, people protesting the fatal shooting arrived at the governor's residence in St. Paul. According to a livestream by the independent news website Unicorn Riot, dozens of protesters gathered on Summit Avenue at 2 a.m. They chanted "No Justice, No Peace," while car horns sounded. The group, estimated to be about 100 people, also yelled, "Shut it down!" along with the names of Castile and Jamar Clark, an unarmed black man who was killed in November in a struggle with Minneapolis police. Shouts of "Wake up!" also were heard, along with demands that Gov. Mark Dayton come out and speak with them. Minnesota DFL Chair Ken Martin issued a statement calling the shooting "senseless violence that is all too common to a select group of our country." "We’re not going to stand apart and allow this violence to continue because it happened in Baton Rouge or somewhere else. We’re going to make the changes that need to be made and finally put a stop to this," he said. Staff writers Libor Jany and Andy Mannix contributed to this report.

– A black driver pulled over for a broken tail light was fatally shot by police "for no apparent reason, for no reason at all," his distraught girlfriend says in a graphic video showing the aftermath of the shooting. In the video, Diamond Reynolds says Philando Castile, who can be seen slumped in his seat covered in blood, was shot by police during the traffic stop in Falcon Heights in suburban St. Paul, Minn., WCCO reports. She says that as Castile reached for his license, he told a police officer that he had a firearm, which he had a permit for, but the officer shot him four times in the arm anyway. In the video, the officer can be seen still pointing his weapon into the vehicle. "I told him not to reach for it," the officer says. "I told him to get his hand off it." Relatives say Castile, 32, died within minutes of being taken to Hennepin County Medical Center on Wednesday night. "Please don't tell me my boyfriend's gone," Reynolds pleads in the video, in which she is ordered from the vehicle and ends up in a squad car with her 4-year-old daughter. "He don’t deserve this, please. He works for St. Paul Public Schools. He's never been in jail, anything. He's not a gang member, anything." At the hospital, grieving family members described Castile, a cafeteria supervisor at JJ Hill Montessori School in St. Paul, as a "hard-working man" and an "upstanding citizen" who was "very nonconfrontational," the Star Tribune reports. He was "a black individual driving in Falcon Heights who was immediately criminally profiled and he lost his life over it tonight," cousin Antonio Johnson says. Police say the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has been called in to investigate. (The shooting came just a day after a police shooting in Baton Rouge was caught on video.)

President Donald Trump is returning from Asia to a political maelstrom in the United States — one that could force him to decide whether to push out Attorney General Jeff Sessions in a Hail Mary attempt to save the Alabama Senate seat Sessions once held. Trump spoke with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell from Asia last week, and the Senate leader made an urgent plea: Please help push Moore out of the contest. On Monday, as a new female accuser emerged, the Republican leader discussed the Alabama situation with White House chief of staff John Kelly and Vice President Mike Pence. The conversation centered on tax reform, but the Senate Republican leader also proposed a dramatic idea: that Sessions run as a write-in candidate or be appointed to the seat he held for two decades. Story Continued Below White House officials plan to convene a meeting to talk through their options soon, and Trump is widely expected to address the predicament publicly when he returns from abroad. In order for the president to get involved, some aides to the president say, he would need an airtight plan that limits his political exposure to any fallout. It’s a vexing call for Trump. If he tries to pressure Moore out of the race, as some people close to the White House expect him to do, there’s no guarantee that the candidate will oblige. During the GOP nomination battle, Trump aggressively backed Moore’s opponent, appointed Sen. Luther Strange. Moore, a former state Supreme Court justice who once defied a federal order to remove a monument of the Ten Commandments from a state judicial building, may feel that he owes the president little. Intervening in a race against the candidate backed by conservative activists could also be seen as at odds with Trump’s own insurgent campaign in 2016. Morning Score newsletter Your guide to the permanent campaign — weekday mornings, in your inbox. Email Sign Up By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time. Some of the president’s most loyal backers in the conservative state were angered by his decision to get behind the establishment-friendly Strange and desperately want him to stay out of the race. “The establishment did everything they could to destroy Trump, and we the people stood with him. It would be very disappointing to see Trump believe these lies and turn on a rock-solid conservative like Roy Moore,” said GOP state Rep. Ed Henry. McConnell and his political team have other ideas. One option being batted around by the leader’s allies is having the state Republican Party withdraw Moore’s nomination and then have Sessions, an outsize figure in Alabama politics who served as senator for two decades, run as a write-in. Speaking at a Wall Street Journal/CEO Council event in Washington on Tuesday, McConnell was explicit that Moore would likely face expulsion proceedings if he were to win. As for the write-in possibility, McConnell said any candidate would have to be “totally well-known and extremely popular.” “The Alabamian who would fit that standard would be the attorney general,” McConnell said, referring to Sessions. Several Republican senators have appealed to Sessions in the recent days, asking him to save them from the prospect of a Democrat taking over his old seat. Sessions, however, has expressed a desire to stay on as attorney general, according to several people familiar with his thinking. And one White House official expressed concern that, in the event Moore would not withdraw, a Sessions bid would serve only to split the Republican vote and hand a win to Democratic candidate Doug Jones. But Sessions could have little choice in the matter if Trump pressures him to return to the Senate. Some Sessions allies believe that swooping in to save his old Senate seat would give him the chance to make a graceful exit from his current role, where his relationship with the president has soured. He has stood by as Trump has publicly derided him for recusing himself from the Justice Department’s Russia investigation. In recent days, Sessions has privately expressed dismay at how much of a mess the race for his old seat has become, said one person close to him. Appearing before the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, the attorney general said he trusted the accounts of Moore’s accusers. “I have no reason to doubt these young women,” he told the panel. Since the allegations surfaced on Thursday, the White House has been quietly examining its options. Counselor Kellyanne Conway has been in touch with Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey’s office to discuss possible paths forward. And political director Bill Stepien has spoken with Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel. On Tuesday, the RNC withdrew its support from Moore. There’s frustration with McConnell in some corners of the White House. Three administration officials said the leader erred by publicly calling for Moore to drop out, saying all it did was give the beleaguered candidate more grist to portray himself as a victim of a Republican Party establishment trying to run him out of the race. McConnell openly acknowledged Tuesday the jam he and other Republicans are in. A Moore loss would shrink the party’s already slim Senate majority. But a write-in candidacy would be a long shot, and expelling Moore once he’s seated could trigger an uprising on the right. “I’d like to save the seat, and it’s a heck of dilemma,” he said. “It’s a very tough situation.” ||||| If you live in Alabama and receive a call from someone calling himself Bernie Bernstein, tell him you'd rather hear from Woody Woodward and hang up — it's a scam. Pastor Al Moore from Creola shared with WKRG a strange voicemail message he recently received, left by a robocaller. "Hi, this is Bernie Bernstein, I'm a reporter for The Washington Post calling to find out if anyone at this address is a female between the ages of 54 to 57 years old willing to make damaging remarks about candidate Roy Moore for a reward of between $5,000 and $7,000," the person said, in what sounded like an exaggerated fake New York accent. "We will not be fully investigating these claims, however we will make a written report. I can be reached by email at albernstein@washingtonpost.com. Thank you." ||||| A pastor in Alabama said he received a voice mail Tuesday from a man falsely claiming to be a reporter with The Washington Post and seeking women “willing to make damaging remarks” about Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore in exchange for money. The call came days after The Post reported on allegations that Moore initiated a sexual encounter with a 14-year-old girl nearly four decades ago, sparking calls by leading Republicans for him to abandon his campaign for the U.S. Senate in a special election to be held Dec. 12. Pastor Al Moore of Creola, Ala., said he received the call on his cellphone a little after 7 a.m. Tuesday from a private number, which he did not answer. The caller, claiming to be “Bernie Bernstein,” left a 27-second voice mail, which Moore played for local CBS affiliate WKRG. “I’m a reporter for The Washington Post calling to find out if anyone at this address is a female between the ages of 54 to 57 years old, willing to make damaging remarks about candidate Roy Moore for a reward of between $5,000 and $7,000,” the caller said in the voice mail. The caller said he would not be “fully investigating these claims” but would make a written report. He said he could be reached by email at albernstein@washingtonpost.com. Moore, the pastor, said he mentioned the call to a couple members of his church and quickly realized that it didn’t add up. The caller first referred to himself as “Bernie” and then later gave his name as “Al.” There are no Washington Post reporters or editors named Bernie Bernstein or Al Bernstein. (Lenny Bernstein is a health reporter on the National desk, and Adam Bernstein is The Post’s obituary editor.) Moore also sent an email to the address left in the voice mail, and it bounced back. [Roy Moore says he’s a ‘witch hunt’ victim. Tell that to thousands of women killed in real ones.] Moore’s church, the Fountain Of Faith Baptist Church, posted on Facebook Tuesday morning about a call from an “Al Bernstein at The Washington Post. Hmmmm.” Martin Baron, The Post’s executive editor, said the caller’s reporting methods bear “no relationship to reality.” “The Post has just learned that at least one person in Alabama has received a call from someone falsely claiming to be from The Washington Post,” Baron said in a statement. “The call’s description of our reporting methods bears no relationship to reality. We are shocked and appalled that anyone would stoop to this level to discredit real journalism.” John Rogers, a spokesman for Roy Moore’s Senate campaign, could not be immediately reached by The Post. But he told WKRG reporter Bill Riales that he hadn’t previously heard about the call. Al Moore, the pastor, told Riales that he is in no way related to Roy Moore, though they share the same last name. The pastor said he thought the voice mail was from a robo-call meant to stir up an already divisive race, and he reached out to WKRG because “people are just going crazy with this.” “Let’s let the people who are investigating do their job and expose it if it’s real, and shut it if it’s not,” he said. [Roy Moore’s wife just posted a letter of support from evangelical pastors. It may be old.] In The Post’s investigation, published last week, Leigh Corfman alleged that Roy Moore initiated a sexual encounter with her in 1979, when she was 14 years old and he was 32. Three other women, all on the record, have said that Roy Moore pursued them when they were between 16 and 18 years old. A fifth woman came forward on Monday, saying Roy Moore sexually assaulted her in the 1970s when she was 16. Since The Post’s report, the fact-checking site Snopes debunked unsubstantiated rumors that The Post paid Corfman to go on the record and accuse Roy Moore of sexual misconduct. Post spokeswoman Molly Gannon Conway called the accusation “categorically false,” adding that The Post has “an explicit policy that prohibits paying sources.” Neither Corfman nor any of the other women sought out The Post. While reporting a story in Alabama about supporters of Moore’s Senate campaign, a Post reporter heard allegations that Moore had sought relationships with teenage girls. Over the ensuing three weeks, two Post reporters contacted and interviewed the four women. All were initially reluctant to speak publicly but chose to do so after multiple interviews, saying they thought it was important for people to know about their interactions with Moore. The women say they don’t know one another. [A short history of Roy Moore’s controversial interpretations of the Bible] Roy Moore has repeatedly denied the allegations and has showed no indication that he intends to bow out of the race. Speaking at Walker Springs Road Baptist Church in rural south Alabama on Tuesday evening, the Senate candidate said he knows he has “made a few people mad.” “I’m the only one who can unite Democrats and Republicans, because I’m opposed by both. They’ve done everything they could, and now they are together to try to keep me from going to Washington,” Moore said. Voters in Alabama told The Post that they feel torn about the allegations. Some evangelicals still consider Moore a champion of their faith — a politician willing to stand up for Christian values. But other evangelicals say the allegations force them to make an uncomfortable decision. Al Moore, the pastor, said he’s on the fence about whether to vote for the Republican candidate. “I’m a pastor and I’m conservative, and so is Roy Moore — but I’m not dumb,” he said. “I don’t know whether the guy is guilty or not. I’m on the fence until we know more.” Read more: Alabama state official defends Roy Moore, citing Joseph and Mary: ‘They became parents of Jesus’ National Republican move against Roy Moore grows — but key Alabama Republicans are not joining in Opinion: If Republicans believe Roy Moore’s accusers, why not Trump’s? ||||| UPDATE 3:31 p.m. (WKRG) — The Executive Editor, Marty Baron, of the Washington Post released the following statement: “The Post has just learned that at least one person in Alabama has received a call from someone falsely claiming to be from The Washington Post. The call’s description of our reporting methods bears no relationship to reality. We are shocked and appalled that anyone would stoop to this level to discredit real journalism.” LISTEN HERE: Robocalls Seeking “Damaging” Information on Roy Moore Facebook LIVE: Roy Moore speaks at a rally in Jackson, Alabama. Another development involving the U.S. Senate race in Alabama. At least one person in our viewing area received a robocall seeking more damaging information about Roy Moore. Here is the text of that voicemail message received by Pastor Al Moore in Creola. “Hi, this is Bernie Bernstein, I’m a reporter for the Washington Post calling to find out if anyone at this address is a female between the ages of 54 to 57 years old willing to make damaging remarks about candidate Roy Moore for a reward of between $5000 and $7000 dollars. We will not be fully investigating these claims however we will make a written report. I can be reached by email at albernstein@washingtonpost.com, thank you.” Pastor Moore says he’s baffled about who might be behind the message. He said he sent a response to the email address provided but it came back undeliverable. We also tried the email address with the same result. John Rogers with the Roy Moore campaign says it’s the first he’s heard of this type of robocall. We contacted the Washington Post but it would be highly unlikely that a newspaper would offer thousands of dollars for information, damaging or otherwise. We searched and could not find a record of a ‘Bernie’ or ‘Al Bernstein’ who works as a reporter at the Washington Post. If any of you have received the same call, please let us know at producers@wkrg.com ||||| Just when it seemed the Roy Moore sexual assault scandal couldn't get more unbelievable, someone went ahead and pretended to be a Washington Post reporter in a robocall. After Moore's wife's shared fake news on her Facebook page in a misguided attempt to bring down the accusers, it seems the senate candidate's defenders took her effort to the next level. SEE ALSO: So many politicians gave the same terrible response to the Roy Moore abuse allegations An apparent robocall going out to voters in Alabama claims to be from a Washington Post reporter named "Bernie Bernstein," who is seeking women to give "damaging remarks" about the candidate. But wait — there's more. This definitely real, not made-up Bernstein is offering $5,000 to $7,000 for any woman willing to participate. The paper is being targeted because it first reported that a woman claimed she had a sexual encounter with Moore when she was 14 and he was 32. Three other woman told the Washington Post about similar experiences with Moore when they were teens. The reporters spoke with 30 sources to confirm details from the four women's accounts. Since that story last week, another woman shared her account Monday of Moore attempting to sexually assault her when she was 16. Moore has denied all the allegations and gone above and beyond to try to discredit the Post's reporting. Here's the audio clip and transcript of the robocall, as reported by local news outlet WKRG. “Hi, this is Bernie Bernstein, I’m a reporter for the Washington Post calling to find out if anyone at this address is a female between the ages of 54 to 57 years old willing to make damaging remarks about candidate Roy Moore for a reward of between $5,000 and $7,000 dollars. We will not be fully investigating these claims, however we will make a written report. I can be reached by email at albernstein@washingtonpost.com. Thank you.” Where to even begin? First, Washington Post executive editor Marty Baron put out a statement saying the call "bears no relationship to reality." Here's his full statement: The Post has just learned that at least one person in Alabama has received a call from someone falsely claiming to be from The Washington Post. The call’s description of our reporting methods bears no relationship to reality. We are shocked and appalled that anyone would stoop to this level to discredit real journalism. Then there's the blatant anti-Semitism in the fake call, down to the accent and voice used in the message, and the over-the-top name. People definitely noticed and called it out on Twitter. Check out the nasal new york accent on this tape. It's practically a der sturmer cartoon in audio form. Naturally the Facebook commenters mostly assume it's legit. https://t.co/MKKneD4JDs — Adam Serwer 🍝 (@AdamSerwer) November 15, 2017 Bernie Bernstein is one of the best undercover globalist reporters WaPo has pic.twitter.com/jp1PlwQ2Cy — Heather Dockray (@Wear_a_helmet) November 15, 2017 “Hello. It is The Jews. We have money. We would like to eat your Christian candidate with our Passover matzo. Please telephone us.” https://t.co/VaR5eo86MK — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) November 14, 2017 Ah, anti-semitism. It’s been all of 12 seconds since you last reared your head. https://t.co/jz8CsTYpHK — Edward-Isaac Dovere (@IsaacDovere) November 15, 2017 Why not just stick with Jewy McJew? — Emily Nussbaum (@emilynussbaum) November 14, 2017 The fact that Moore and his supporters would go to these lengths to bring down legitimate reporting shouldn't be shocking at this point. It's not yet clear who is behind the calls. ||||| This is a set of web collections curated by Mark Graham using the Archive-IT service of the Internet Archive. They include web captures of the ISKME.org website as well as captures from sites hosted by IGC.org.These web captures are available to the general public.For more information about this collection please feel free to contact Mark via Send Mail

– An apparent robocall claiming to seek dirt on embattled Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore might actually be an attack against the newspaper that aired his dirty laundry. WKRG reports a pastor in Alabama received a voicemail Tuesday from a man claiming to be a Washington Post reporter looking for women "willing to make damaging remarks" about Moore. The man—who used a private number and what appears to be an exaggerated accent, per the Week—said he would "not be fully investigating these claims" but would pay between $5,000 and $7,000. He gave his name as "Bernie Bernstein" and "Al Bernstein," but no one by either name works at the Post, an outlet Moore has vowed to sue. An email address provided also appears not to exist. A rep for Moore's campaign says he doesn't know who made the call, which Mashable calls an example of "blatant anti-Semitism." The Post's executive editor, meanwhile, says the paper is in no way involved and "shocked and appalled that anyone would stoop to this level to discredit real journalism." Last week, the Post reported that 70-year-old Moore had a sexual encounter with a 14-year-old girl when he was 32. Four other women have since made accusations against Moore, leading the Republican National Committee to withdraw its support in the Alabama Senate race. Politico reports the White House is now toying with the idea of Jeff Sessions running as a write-in candidate to avoid the risk of his old seat going to Democrat Doug Jones.

An email from a concerned friend of a suicidal student in Verona, Italy, mistakenly went to a police department of the same name in New Jersey, but authorities said it helped save a life. Mitchell Stern, police chief in Verona, New Jersey, said the department received an email April 14 from a Chinese student in the United Kingdom concerned about another Chinese student at the Verona Academy of Fine Arts in Italy. After trying to find contact information for the Italian police department of the same name and the Italian embassy, he eventually got in touch with Interpol, a network of police forces around the world. Interpol forwarded it to the state police in Italy. The student was found with her wrists partially slit and with a half-empty bottle of antidepressants when local police arrived at her apartment, the Italian Interior Ministry said in a statement. The student had told her friend in an online chat that she was going to harm herself, Stern said. "It really makes you step back and think you can help to save a life half a world away," Stern said. Stern said the 30-member Verona, New Jersey, police department occasionally gets emails looking for lost luggage or reporting thefts in Verona, Italy, but nothing at the same magnitude as last Thursday's. Stern said he wouldn't have shared the story, but Italian authorities saw it as an opportunity to show how police work together. ||||| A police department in Verona, New Jersey, helped save the life of a Chinese student who attempted suicide more than 4,000 miles away in Verona, Italy, police told BuzzFeed News Monday. A police department in Verona, New Jersey, helped save the life of a Chinese student who attempted suicide more than 4,000 miles away in Verona, Italy, police told BuzzFeed News Monday. Mitchell Stern, the police chief of the Verona police department in New Jersey, told BuzzFeed News that on Thursday, he received an email from a Chinese student in the U.K. that said another Chinese student in Verona, Italy, had threatened to kill herself on a group chat. The email said that the girl had "serious depression" and was going to harm herself, according to Stern, who refused to reveal the identities of both students. The student in the U.K. mistakenly sent the email on Thursday at 4:40 p.m. ET to Stern's department in New Jersey instead of the Italian police in Verona. The email address is not monitored 24/7, Stern said. When he saw the email at 5:20 p.m. ET, Stern immediately googled the Verona Police in Italy, but was unable to find their website. He then called the Italian embassy, but it was closed. Stern finally contacted Interpol in Washington, D.C., and forwarded the email to them, who, in turn, alerted the state police in Rome. At 7:10 p.m. ET, the student in the U.K. emailed Stern informing him that police were in the girl's apartment in Verona. In a Facebook post, the Italian state police, who identified the girl as a student of the Academy of Fine Arts of Verona, said she was found alive with her wrists partially severed and a half-empty bottle of antidepressants beside her. She was transported to the hospital and was stable, Stern said. ||||| VERONA, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) — A New Jersey police chief was looking back Thursday on his efforts to save a suicidal woman thousands of miles away in Italy. As CBS2’s Meg Baker reported, the woman he saved gave thanks in an email several days later. An email form a concerned friend of the woman in Verona, Italy, mistakenly ended up in the inbox for the police department in Verona, New Jersey. But that did not stop Chief of Police Mitchell Stern. Stern said the department received the email on Thursday, April 14 from a Chinese student in the United Kingdom. He was concerned about another Chinese student at the Verona Academy of Fine Arts in Italy. “He was conversing on a chat app — a messaging app — with another Chinese student, female, in Verona — and that she was in process of possibly committing suicide,” Stern said. Stern figured out that the friend was trying to contact the police department in Verona, Italy, and not the department for his Essex County, New Jersey township. But he still stepped into action, knowing that time was of the essence. He could not get through to the Verona, Italy police department, so he tried the Italian embassy in New York. It was after hours, so Stern then called New Jersey State Police and was able to find a contact at Interpol in Washington, D.C. That contact in turn sent the desperate message to Interpol in Italy. “Ultimately, the Italian state police responded to assist this young woman,” Stern said. “She had taken some pills and she had attempted to hurt herself physical. They transported her to hospital.” On Tuesday, the woman – who survived thanks to the chief’s relentless calls for help – wrote him an email. Stern read it out loud to CBS2’s Baker. “I am the girl from China who got saved by you, now in Verona, Italy,” the email read. “Though we don’t know each other before, you did really help me a lot. I believe there is millions of people like you. The lucky thing is that I have a chance to write this letter to you and say thank you. No wonder I begin to enjoy everything around me. Life is brilliant.” All Verona, New Jersey officers get special training to deal with delicate circumstances such as the ones Stern encountered. “We go to multiple in service classes to familiarize ourselves with situations like this, and he did a good job remembering his training,” said Verona police Officer Brendan Huber. Stern was humble about his own role. “It’s great that I helped with this, but I also want to remember; everybody needs to remember – that it wasn’t just me. It was everybody from the start, including girl who had the courage to tell her friend, and then her friend who emailed me,” he said. The chief said his department had a similar situation in town just last week, and that this is not just a tale of two Veronas. He said someone in your town may be seeking help as well. The chief asked that anyone with thoughts of harming themselves take time to talk with someone – a friend, a counselor, or even your local chief of police. (TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

– A New Jersey police chief didn't let a little thing like being thousands of miles away in a different country stop him from saving a life last week, BuzzFeed reports. On the evening of April 14, chief Mitchell Stern of the Verona Police Department saw an email from a Chinese student in the UK. According to Fox News, the emailer was concerned another Chinese student attending the Verona Academy of Fine Arts in Italy was going to commit suicide. Rather than just inform the student he had emailed the wrong Verona Police Department, Stern got to work. "I was not going to let someone who is sick or ill just go to the wayside,” Stern tells BuzzFeed. “I felt it was my responsibility.” The email had been sent 40 minutes before Stern saw it, so time was of the essence. Unable to find a website for the Verona Police Department in Italy, Stern tried the Italian embassy in New York. It was closed. He finally got through to Interpol, which got in touch with the Italian state police. Less than two-and-a-half hours after the email was sent, Italian police were in the suicidal student's apartment. Her wrists were partially slit and a half-empty bottle of antidepressants was nearby. The student was rushed to the hospital, and a few days later, Stern got another email, CBS New York reports. “Though we don’t know each other before, you did really help me a lot," the email read. "The lucky thing is that I have a chance to write this letter to you and say thank you. No wonder I begin to enjoy everything around me. Life is brilliant.” (When an 87-year-old man passed out while mowing the lawn, this EMT went above and beyond.)

"Driven to do anything and everything," Stocks describes his mother to As It Happens host Laura Lynch. "She was the type that nothing really bothered her...nothing scared her." Mary 'Pat' Stocks and her son Sandy, far right (Stocks Family) The obituary details Stocks' mother's strong-willed personality in all aspects of her life. For instance, Stocks notes her strict parenting techniques and use of "colourful" vocabulary. He explains that if he broke curfew she would wait up "sitting on the bottom stair. And the cuss words...they were unbelievable and then you're grounded for a month." This stubborn approach extended to the kitchen, where his mother's cooking was just as memorable. "We would sit there and chew and chew," Stocks says, describing the meals always made to please his father who had become used to over-cooked food in the war. Mary "Pat" Stocks was a character. The 94-year-old Torontonian died earlier this month, leaving her son, Sandy Stocks, with a tall order: how to pen an obituary for such a vivacious woman. But now, thanks to his unconventional obituary published in the Toronto Star, his touching tribute to his mother has gone viral."Driven to do anything and everything," Stocks describes his mother to As It Happens host Laura Lynch. "She was the type that nothing really bothered her...nothing scared her."The obituary details Stocks' mother's strong-willed personality in all aspects of her life. For instance, Stocks notes her strict parenting techniques and use of "colourful" vocabulary. He explains that if he broke curfew she would wait up "sitting on the bottom stair. And the cuss words...they were unbelievable and then you're grounded for a month."This stubborn approach extended to the kitchen, where his mother's cooking was just as memorable. "We would sit there and chew and chew," Stocks says, describing the meals always made to please his father who had become used to over-cooked food in the war. Mary 'Pat' Stocks and her family (Stocks Family) The honest and light-hearted tone of the obituary provides an intimate view into a stranger's life and family: He jokes, "That's where we came up with that 'Stocks Diet' - about coughing and throwing up into your napkin and hiding it between your legs."The honest and light-hearted tone of the obituary provides an intimate view into a stranger's life and family: "If you're looking for 2 extremely large TV's from the 90s, a large ceramic stork (we think) umbrella/cane stand, a toaster oven (slightly used) or even a 2001 Oldsmobile with a spoiler (she loved putting the pedal to the metal), with only 71,000 kilometers and 1,000 tools that we aren't sure what they're used for. You should wait the appropriate amount of time and get in touch. Tomorrow would be fine. This is not an ad for a pawn shop, but an obituary for a great Woman, Mother, Grandmother and Great-Grandmother born on May 12, 1921..." Her obituary has struck a chord, attracting world-wide attention. "[Responses] started flooding in...everyone was going: this is fantastic - we have a dysfunctional family too but we would just never say it," Stocks says. "I wrote this for the family...I didn't know anyone else would ever get it." He admits his mother was a private person in a lot of ways and told the family, "Look guys, when I die, I don't want a funeral, I don't want anything...just take my ashes and spread them out at Bloor and Yonge. That's where I kissed your Dad the first time." But when asked what his mother would have thought of the obituary and the overwhelming response, he quips, "She probably would love the reaction...she may not show it... but she'd be saying how much money did you spend putting that in the paper?" As Stocks puts it, "I hope she is looking down and laughing her head off". External link: Toronto Star obituary for Mary 'Pat' Stocks ||||| Do you need a bulky TV from the 1990s, a ceramic stork-thingy, a slightly used toaster or a 2001 Oldsmobile (with a spoiler)? Then give Sandy Stocks a call. His mom passed away a few weeks ago, and she left behind “a hell of a lot of stuff” that he needs to unload. “You should wait the appropriate amount of time and get in touch. Tomorrow would be fine,” according to the obituary for Mary Patricia Stocks that was published on July 18. Mary Patricia Stocks died at the age of 94 earlier this month, so her son wrote her the only kind of obituary he felt would do her justice: a tongue-in-cheek tribute to a woman with a foul mouth, a quick wit and a tendency to burn everything she touched in the kitchen. “She left behind a hell of a lot of stuff to her daughter and sons who have no idea what to do with it,” Sandy Stocks wrote in the obit. “This is not an ad for a pawn shop, but an obituary for a great woman, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother,” he added. The obituary goes on to describe Mary Patricia’s “school of hard knocks” style of parenting, her tendency to freeze sandwiches and overcook dinners, her love-‘em-or-hate-‘em attitude with people, and her undying love for her family. “Pat was well-known for her patience, not holding back her opinion and a knack for telling it like it is,” the obituary says. Sandy Stocks said he felt compelled to write the humorous obituary because a more traditional tribute wouldn’t have done her justice. “I could never write an obit that said she was a beautiful, wonderful person,” he told CTV’s Canada AM on Wednesday. “That’s not my mother.” Instead, Stocks tried to portray his mother as a “little tiger,” the way her family will always remember her. “I wrote that, really, for the grandchildren and the great-grandchildren,” Stocks said, explaining that he was nervous to present the bold obituary to his relatives, but they all loved its funny tone when he did. “They were absolutely killing themselves laughing,” he said. Sandy Stocks says he and his mother were very much alike, so he’s glad he got to write her obituary. “That probably is my obit too,” he added. The family will hold a private “celebration of life” in lieu of a funeral service, “due to her friends not being able to attend, because they decided to beat her to the Pearly Gates.” Mary-Patricia also outlived her husband, her eldest daughter, and four pets all named Tag. She is survived by a brother, three children, a son-in-law, a step-son, 10 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. And though his mother is gone, Sandy Stocks says there’s not “much” he will miss about her. “My mother left us with so much memories,” he said. ||||| Obituary Guest Book View Sign More Photos View all 17 photos Pat Stocks, 94, passed away peacefully at her home in bed July 1, 2015. It is believed it was caused from carrying her oxygen tank up the long flight of stairs to her bedroom that made her heart give out. She left behind a hell of a lot of stuff to her daughter and sons who have no idea what to do with it. So if you're looking for 2 extremely large TV's from the 90s, a large ceramic stork (we think) umbrella/cane stand, a toaster oven (slightly used) or even a 2001 Oldsmobile with a spoiler (she loved putting the pedal to the metal), with only 71,000 kilometers and 1,000 tools that we aren't sure what they're used for. You should wait the appropriate amount of time and get in touch. Tomorrow would be fine. This is not an ad for a pawn shop, but an obituary for a great Woman, Mother, Grandmother and Great-Grandmother born on May 12, 1921 in Toronto, the daughter of the late Pop (Alexander C.) and Granny (Annie Nigh) Morris. She leaves behind a very dysfunctional family that she was very proud of. Pat was world-renowned for her lack of patience, not holding back her opinion and a knack for telling it like it is. She always told you the truth even if it wasn't what you wanted to hear. It was the school of hard knocks and yes we were told many times how she had to walk for miles in a blizzard to get to school, so suck it up. With that said she was genuine to a fault, a pussy cat at heart (or lion) and yet she sugar coated nothing. Her extensive vocabulary was more than highly proficient at knowing more curse words than most people learned in a lifetime. She liked four letter words as much as she loved her rock garden and trust us she LOVED to weed that garden with us as her helpers, when child labour was legal or so we were told. These words of encouragement, wisdom, and sometimes comfort, kept us in line, taught us the "school of hard knocks" and gave us something to pass down to our children. Everyone always knew where you stood with her. She liked you or she didn't, it was black or white. As her children we are still trying to figure out which one it was for us (we know she loved us). She was a master cook in the kitchen. She believed in overcooking everything until it chewed like rubber so you would never get sick because all germs would be nuked. Freezing germs also worked, so by Friday our school sandwiches were hard and chewy, but totally germ free. All four of us learned to use a napkin. You would pretend to cough, spit the food into it and thus was born the Stocks diet. If anyone would like a copy of her homemade gravy, we would suggest you don't. She will be sorely missed and survived by her brother George Morris, children: Shauna (Stocks) Perreault, Paul/Sandy (Debbie) Stocks and Kirk Stocks, son-in-law Ian Milnes and son from another mother, John McCleery, grandchildren: Lesley (Sean), Lindsay (Lucas), Ashley (James), David (Tia), Brett, Erin (Brian), Sean, Alex, Courtney and Taylor and great-grandchildren: Connor, Emily, Ainsley, Tyler and Jack. She was preceded in death by her loving husband Paul (Moo) Stocks and eldest daughter Shelley (Stocks) Milnes and beloved pets Tag, Tag, Tag and Tag. All whom loved her dearly and will never forget her tenacity, wit, charm, grace (when pertinent) and undying love and caring for them. Please give generously to STOCKS, Mary Patricia (nee Morris) —Pat Stocks, 94, passed away peacefully at her home in bed July 1, 2015. It is believed it was caused from carrying her oxygen tank up the long flight of stairs to her bedroom that made her heart give out. She left behind a hell of a lot of stuff to her daughter and sons who have no idea what to do with it. So if you're looking for 2 extremely large TV's from the 90s, a large ceramic stork (we think) umbrella/cane stand, a toaster oven (slightly used) or even a 2001 Oldsmobile with a spoiler (she loved putting the pedal to the metal), with only 71,000 kilometers and 1,000 tools that we aren't sure what they're used for. You should wait the appropriate amount of time and get in touch. Tomorrow would be fine. This is not an ad for a pawn shop, but an obituary for a great Woman, Mother, Grandmother and Great-Grandmother born on May 12, 1921 in Toronto, the daughter of the late Pop (Alexander C.) and Granny (Annie Nigh) Morris. She leaves behind a very dysfunctional family that she was very proud of. Pat was world-renowned for her lack of patience, not holding back her opinion and a knack for telling it like it is. She always told you the truth even if it wasn't what you wanted to hear. It was the school of hard knocks and yes we were told many times how she had to walk for miles in a blizzard to get to school, so suck it up. With that said she was genuine to a fault, a pussy cat at heart (or lion) and yet she sugar coated nothing. Her extensive vocabulary was more than highly proficient at knowing more curse words than most people learned in a lifetime. She liked four letter words as much as she loved her rock garden and trust us she LOVED to weed that garden with us as her helpers, when child labour was legal or so we were told. These words of encouragement, wisdom, and sometimes comfort, kept us in line, taught us the "school of hard knocks" and gave us something to pass down to our children. Everyone always knew where you stood with her. She liked you or she didn't, it was black or white. As her children we are still trying to figure out which one it was for us (we know she loved us). She was a master cook in the kitchen. She believed in overcooking everything until it chewed like rubber so you would never get sick because all germs would be nuked. Freezing germs also worked, so by Friday our school sandwiches were hard and chewy, but totally germ free. All four of us learned to use a napkin. You would pretend to cough, spit the food into it and thus was born the Stocks diet. If anyone would like a copy of her homemade gravy, we would suggest you don't. She will be sorely missed and survived by her brother George Morris, children: Shauna (Stocks) Perreault, Paul/Sandy (Debbie) Stocks and Kirk Stocks, son-in-law Ian Milnes and son from another mother, John McCleery, grandchildren: Lesley (Sean), Lindsay (Lucas), Ashley (James), David (Tia), Brett, Erin (Brian), Sean, Alex, Courtney and Taylor and great-grandchildren: Connor, Emily, Ainsley, Tyler and Jack. She was preceded in death by her loving husband Paul (Moo) Stocks and eldest daughter Shelley (Stocks) Milnes and beloved pets Tag, Tag, Tag and Tag. All whom loved her dearly and will never forget her tenacity, wit, charm, grace (when pertinent) and undying love and caring for them. Please give generously to covenanthousetoronto.ca "in memory". A private family 'Celebration of Life' will be held, in lieu of a service, due to her friends not being able to attend, because they decided to beat her to the Pearly Gates. Please note her change of address to her new place of residence, St John's York Mills Anglican Church, 19 Don Ridge Drive, 12 doors away from Shelley's place. Published in the Toronto Star on July 18, 2015 Print | View Guest Book | Return to today's Obituaries for Toronto Star Follow this Obituary Follow via email *Please enter a valid email address. Bookmark this memorial on Facebook with the My Memorials™ application. My Memorials™ helps you honor departed family members, friends, and even favorite celebrities – all on your Facebook page. on Facebook. The My Memorials Facebook app allows you to: Connect with memorials that are important to you. with memorials that are important to you. Get updates on your memorials in your Facebook News Feed. on your memorials in your Facebook News Feed. 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– An obituary in the Toronto Star went like this: "If you're looking for 2 extremely large TV's from the 90s, a large ceramic stork (we think), umbrella/cane stand, a toaster oven (slightly used), or even a 2001 Oldsmobile with a spoiler… You should wait the appropriate amount of time and get in touch. Tomorrow would be fine." No, there wasn’t a mix-up with the classified ads. Sandy Stocks says his witty tribute to his 94-year-old mother from Toronto was the perfect way to unload "a hell of a lot of stuff" she left behind—and bid an appropriate goodbye to Mary "Pat" Stocks, who died July 1, and was "world-renowned for her lack of patience, not holding back her opinion, and a knack for telling it like it is," per the obituary. "I could never write an obit that said she was a beautiful, wonderful person," Stocks tells Canada AM via CTV News. She was a "little tiger." Pat, who was beaten to the Pearly Gates by her husband, Paul "Moo" Stocks, her eldest daughter, "and beloved pets Tag, Tag, Tag, and Tag," also had a foul mouth, her son says. She was "highly proficient at knowing more curse words than most people learned in a lifetime," reads the obituary, which also notes her penchant for "overcooking everything until it chewed like rubber so you would never get sick." Stocks says he'd gladly share her gravy recipe, but you don't want it. The obit has since gone viral and Stocks tells the CBC the response has been overwhelming. "Everyone was going: this is fantastic—we have a dysfunctional family too but we would just never say it." As for his mother, she'd "love the reaction," but ask "how much money did you spend putting that in the paper?" he says. At the very least, "I hope she is looking down and laughing her head off." (This man's obit was just two words long.)

But two millimeters is more than analysts said they would have expected via normal annual subsidence, or sinking. If confirmed, it would not be much of a drop — .08 inch, or about the thickness of a wedding band. But it’s a further illustration of the relatively soft, reclaimed ground, dredged from the Potomac River in the 1880s and ’90s, on which the western half of the Mall rests. The finding comes soon after the completion of a $12 million repair of the Jefferson Memorial’s seawall, which had sunk much more dramatically, almost a foot in places, in recent years. Other sunken sections of the seawall, which rims the Tidal Basin, are still in need of repair and are completely underwater at high tide. The 91,000-ton, 555-foot-tall Washington Monument is the only such structure on the Mall that does not rest on pilings driven down to bedrock far below the surface for stability. It sits instead on a 37,000-ton foundation called a “spread footer,” said the National Park Service’s Steve Lorenzetti, deputy superintendent of the National Mall and Memorial Parks. “It’s basically just a giant flat slab,” he said. “A spread footer is very normal in many areas. Today we would probably not do that on such a tall building.” The marble and granite monument, while fundamentally sound, officials said, was extensively damaged during the Aug. 23 earthquake that struck the Mid-Atlantic region. Chunks of stone shook loose from the inner and outer walls, the elevator was damaged, and weatherstripping between the stone blocks fell out. The monument, which about 600,000 visitors enter each year, has been closed since then. Its $15 million repair job will probably keep it shuttered until well into next year, Park Service officials have said. Experts are drawing up a detailed repair plan, Lorenzetti said. But bids for the work probably won’t be requested until late summer. He said the Park Service also plans to do soil borings around the monument to check the consistency of the soil since the earthquake. David Doyle, the National Geodetic Survey’s chief geodetic surveyor, said: “We know that most of this area down here — basically everything from the Washington Monument westward — is constructed on fill. And we know that there is some form of settling, subsidence. “The exact rates are small, but over time they can add up and be significant,” he said. The National Geodetic Survey is a federal agency that compiles precise data on latitude, longitude and elevation above sea level to establish official place locations. The focus on the Mall is elevation, Doyle said. Using a process called “digital bar code leveling,” he and a surveying crew have been walking the Mall with high-tech optical equipment, measuring current elevations to compare with past measurements. The measuring started in early March and will continue through the end of the month. Doyle said the early data seem to suggest that there has been two millimeters of sinking where they were expecting subsidence of less than one millimeter. “That’s way more than we can live with,” he said. “Almost one millimeter could be accounted for just in normal settlement. Something beyond that might be a result of the earthquake. “What we’re looking for . . . is any kind of either settlement that’s just an ongoing process, and/or anything that occurred because of the earthquake,” he said. The Park Service has “some serious issues going on with the monument,” he said. “They’ve brought in a lot of contractors to do a lot of different work. One of the things that we’re providing for them is this height measurement difference. “From that, they will get just a ton of information about what kind of motion may be going on,” he said. “I say ‘may,’ and I highlight ‘may,’ because we just don’t exactly know yet. “We know there has been some settlement . . . since 1884,” when early measurements were taken, he said. “It is quite modest. I’ve heard people talk about, ‘Oh, it’s going to fall over.’ Nah.” He said he theorizes that the monument has probably settled about two inches since then. “We’re very happy that [the National Geodetic Survey] is going to work with us on this,” Lorenzetti said. “We don’t know if anything has happened, but it’s seems to be very prudent to keep an eye on it.” ||||| Washington (CNN) -- The Washington Monument, which is slated for repairs after it was damaged in an earthquake last year, appears to be sinking, according to preliminary data collected by the National Geodetic Survey. NGS surveyors and the National Park Service are investigating whether the August 23, 2011, earthquake caused the 555-foot stone obelisk to sink or shift. "Our initial observations show a difference of around 2 millimeters at several of the survey markers in the vicinity of the monument," Chief Geodetic Surveyor Dave Doyle told CNN. The Washington Monument was last surveyed in 2009. Since its completion in 1884, data shows it has sunk nearly 2 inches. The monument, the tallest structure in the nation's capital, has been closed since the magnitude 5.8 quake struck the mid-Atlantic region near Richmond, Virginia. The earthquake may be responsible for the monument to have sunk 1 millimeter, while the other millimeter may be a result of normal settling, according to Doyle. "It will still take some time to apply the proper corrections for atmospheric conditions ... to this data and perform a full analysis once the entire survey is completed -- hopefully by the end of next week," Doyle said. The National Geodetic Survey is expanding the scope of its study to determine whether other national monuments are slipping back into the swampland upon which the nation's capital was built. "The survey plans are being expanded to include observations around the tidal basin to the Jefferson Memorial and Lincoln Memorial, as well as other areas along the National Mall, including the Smithsonian Institution's Castle building, the U.S. Capitol, and eastward to Union Station," an NGS statement said. Experts are still trying to figure out the best way to address damage found both inside and along the exterior of the Washington Monument, including whether an outside scaffold will be needed. Last fall, structural engineers documenting the impact of the earthquake used a system of ropes and slings to scale all four faces of the structure from top to bottom. David Rubenstein, co-founder of the investment firm The Carlyle Group, has donated $7.5 million toward the repair project. With Rubenstein's donation and congressional funds that were approved in December, Deputy Interior Secretary David Hayes said in January there was enough money to begin the repairs. The project should start this summer or early fall, and should take about a year, Hayes said.

– The earthquake that rattled DC last summer may have caused the Washington Monument to shrink by a smidge. Surveyors say the land around the monument is down 2 millimeters since August, or about 1 millimeter more than it should be, reports the Washington Post. And while that's just a fraction of an inch, it's still enough to worry experts, especially because the National Mall is built on what amounts to "swampland," notes CNN. “That’s way more than we can live with,” says the chief federal surveyor. “Almost one millimeter could be accounted for just in normal settlement. Something beyond that might be a result of the earthquake." The monument took a serious jolt in the quake and has been closed since for repairs. It probably won't open again until next year.

Source: Wikimedia Commons 1. Google Glass > Company: Google > Year introduced: 2013 > What it was: Wearable technology Google first announced Google Glass — an eyeglasses shaped head-mounted display with smartphone capabilities — to the public in 2012. The announcement began with a statement of principle: “We think technology should work for you — to be there when you need it and get out of your way when you don’t.” After two years of disappointing sales, it was clear that consumers did not need Google Glass. Google stuck to its principle, and in 2015 discontinued the product’s development. Privacy concerns, reported bugs, low battery life, bans from public spaces, and an inability to live up to the extensive hype all stymied public adoption of the technology. Source: Wikimedia Commons 2. The Newton > Company: Apple > Year introduced: 1993 > What it was: Personal digital assistant While the personal digital assistant would become a popular consumer electronics product in the late 1990s, the first PDA was one of the biggest product flops of all time. One year after Apple CEO John Sculley coined the term “PDA” in 1992, the company released the Newton MessagePad. While the device incorporated innovative technology such as a pen-based touch screen and the ability to sync with software on a personal computer, Apple sold only 50,000 units of the product in its first four months on the market. The Newton product line was discontinued in 1998. [in-text-ad] Source: Wikimedia Commons 3. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial > Company: Atari > Year introduced: 1982 > What it was: Video game Several video games have failed over the years, but arguably none as spectacularly as E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. The video game was created/developed shortly after the release of Steven Spielberg’s classic film. With only five weeks spent in development — games typically take months, if not years, to program — the game was notoriously difficult and sold miserably. Atari spent $21 million to purchase the rights to the franchise and $5 million on promotion of the game. The company made 4 million copies of the game, but sold only 1.5 million. Atari buried the leftover copies in a landfill. 4. Satisfries > Company: Burger King > Year introduced: 2013 > What it was: French fries In 2013, Burger King introduced a new menu item advertised as a healthy alternative to their traditional french fries. Satisfries used a less porous batter, which caused the fry to absorb less oil than regular fries during cooking. While Satisfries were made with a healthier recipe, Burger King failed to convey the difference to customers. The fries were also more expensive than Burger King’s regular french fries, and failed to gain traction with consumers. The company discontinued the fries in 2014, less than a year after they were introduced. Source: Wikimedia Commons 5. Premier smokeless cigarettes > Company: RJ Reynolds > Year introduced: 1988 > What it was: Cigarette R.J. Reynolds, the second largest U.S. tobacco company, began marketing in 1988 a smokeless tobacco product that was intended to be a safer way to use a cigarette. In addition to concerns over the product’s actual safety, smokers missed the familiar elements of traditional cigarettes — the smoke, the burn, and the flick. Another issue was the widely-reported unpleasant chemical taste, which one user described as resembling “burning plastic.” Reynolds sunk close to $1 billion into the product before pulling it off the market within a year. ||||| Just like success, failure is part of doing business. Entrepreneurs and large companies often take big risks, hoping for success but not always achieving it. These failures take many different forms. When a product doesn’t sell, when it is recalled or discontinued, or when it otherwise does not come close to meeting a company’s expectations, it can be marked as a failure. While failures are expected, some can be so catastrophic they can lead to permanent damage to a company’s reputation, layoffs, and even complete financial ruin. 24/7 Wall St. reviewed some of the greatest product launch blunders throughout history. Today, these product flops exist as case studies companies use to avoid future failure. They range from Ford’s Edsel in 1958 to last year’s Galaxy Note 7. Many of these products led to losses in the hundreds of millions, and sometimes billions. In tech, film, the internet, the pharmaceutical industry, and more, these are the biggest product flops of all time. Click here to see the 50 worst product flops of all time. Hindsight is 20/20, and while many of these gaffes might not have been predictable at the time, the reasons for their failure are often much clearer today. The reasons for the failures often fall into one of a several categories: overpricing, timing, bad advertising, product flaws, and reaching beyond what consumers of a brand are willing to accept. Sometimes products are sold at a premium because they offer features competitors do not, either perceived or actual. When customers do not feel a product is superior to another — rightly so or not — they will not pay the premium price. While Apple is able to sell computers at a premium today because of its brand perception, the Lisa, introduced in 1983, failed largely as a result of its nearly $10,000 price tag. Many of the products on this list could have been perfectly viable, possibly even a hit, if they had been introduced at a different time. Sega’s Dreamcast was the first major console to introduce global network connectivity, but this was before every home had a stable connection fast enough to make the Dreamcast viable at the time. For some flops on this list, it is poor understanding of the market that dooms these products. McDonald’s Arch Deluxe was marketed as a burger for those with refined palates, turning away kids, as well as many adults, from the ill-fated item. Coca-Cola completely misjudged the desire of its customers when it changed its classic flavor and introduced New Coke. Sometimes, brands overextend their reach, introducing products that clash with their image and target demographics. One does not need to dig too deep to understand why Colgate, a brand associated with toothpaste, failed to make its line of frozen dinner products a success. The same can be said for Cosmopolitan’s brand of yogurt, Smith & Wesson’s mountain bike line, or Harley Davidson’s perfume. Of course, many of the products on this list were simply poorly designed or faulty — at times downright dangerous. Such was the case with Mattel’s line of seriously flawed Hot Wheels and Barbie computers, or the Galaxy Note 7, plagued by battery fires that caused the phone to be banned on airplanes, recalled, and eventually discontinued. Despite their disappointing launches, some of these products still exist today. Google’s Glass and Google+ each became the butt of jokes after failing to live up to lofty promises. One day, we may see one of these flops become the product it was meant to be. These are the 50 biggest product flops of all time.

– Remember Google Glass? Google would likely rather forget it. The wearable technology tops the worst product flops of all time, according to 24/7 Wall St, which outlines the top 50 (though it doesn't share its methodology in compiling the list). While Google Glass faced privacy concerns and public bans, other products on the list suffered from flaws, overpricing, and bad advertising. The 10 worst product flops: Google Glass (2013) Apple's Newton personal digital assistant (1993) Atari's ET the Extra-Terrestrial video game (1982) Burger King's Satisfries (2013) RJ Reynolds' smokeless cigarettes (1988) Frito-Lay's Cheetos Lip Balm (2005) Fox's Terra Nova TV show (2011) Clairol's Touch of Yogurt shampoo (1979) Coca-Cola's New Coke (1985) Microsoft's Windows Vista (2007) Click for the full list or see America's most hated companies.

Students protest against Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, Syria, on Thursday. European UN Security Council members softened a draft resolution condemning Syria's crackdown on antigovernment protests but Russia suggested Thursday that it still might not support the new text. • A daily summary of global reports on security issues. A string of defections from the Syrian Army has given protesters armed forces of their own who clashed with government forces Friday in the town of Rastan, signaling the end of the protesters' insistence that the uprising remain totally unarmed. According to BBC, at least 1,000 army deserters and other armed men clashed with government forces in Rastan, a little more than 100 miles north of Damascus, in the last few days. Reuters reports that, according to the Syrian Revolution General Commission, the last few days of clashes – which included tank fire from government forces – killed 41 people in Rastan. The Syrian Revolution General Commission, an umbrella for several activist groups, said that the figure was an estimate, with communications cut with the besieged town. While clashes continued in Rastan, the US Ambassador to Syria came under attack in Damascus for the second time since protests began in March. Regime supporters hurled tomatoes and rocks at Ambassador Robert Ford, who has been a vocal critic of the Syrian regime. Shortly after the incident, which prompted angry demands from the US that Damascus fulfill its international obligation to protest Mr. Ford while in the country, the Syrian foreign ministry released a statement in which it accused the US of "encouraging armed groups to practice violence against the Syrian Arab Army," Reuters reports. Ford has been an unconventional diplomat. He has fostered ties with the Syrian opposition, visited protest sites in support of the demonstrators, and two weeks ago, attended the wake of a prominent antigovernment activist. President Barack Obama gave Ford the Damascus assignment – unfilled since 2005 – shortly after taking office in hopes of drawing Syria away from Iran and regional militant groups. But since protests began in March, Ford has become a thorn in the regime's side for his unabashed support for demonstrators and opposition groups. The Associated Press reports that the Obama administration blamed the Syrian government for the attack, which it said was "part of an ongoing, orchestrated campaign to intimidate American diplomats in the country." Such incidents are usually not spontaneous in Syria, and Thursday's attack came amid high tension between the two nations, as well as accusations by Damascus that Washington is inciting violence in the country. … "This inexcusable assault is clearly part of ongoing campaign of intimidation aimed at diplomats ... who are raising questions about what is going on inside Syria," [Secretary of State Hillary] Clinton said. "It reflects an intolerance on the part of the regime and its supporters." Amid escalating accusations between Washington and Damascus, the UN Security Council is struggling to reconcile Russian and Chinese positions on Syria with those of the rest of the permanent members. The council met Thursday to discuss a UN resolution condemning the Syrian government's crackdown and calling for political talks, but were unable to reach an agreement because of Russia's opposition to mentioning the possibility of sanctions on Bashar al-Assad's government, the AP reports. In a piece yesterday by The Christian Science Monitor, a top British official explains why intervention similar to the one approved for Libya is highly unlikely, making sanctions one of the strongest steps that can be taken against the Assad regime. ||||| Sept. 30 (Bloomberg) -- Syria tightened security around Damascus and other cities in anticipation of rallies that have taken place every Friday since an uprising against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad began in March. Security forces set up checkpoints and conducted searches at the entrances of the Damascus suburbs of Harasta, Douma and Kisweh, Mahmoud Merhi, head of the Arab Organization for Human Rights, said by phone today. Thousands of people have regularly staged protests after Friday prayers. Government forces killed at least 14 protesters yesterday in the central towns of Rastan and Talbiseh near the governorate of Homs and the northern province of Idlib, Merhi said. There are reports of clashes between security forces and Syrians who defected from the army to the opposition in Rastan, he said. The Syrian protests are part of the wave of unrest across the Middle East and North Africa that unseated governments in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. Assad’s crackdown has left more than 3,600 civilians dead since the protests began in March, according to Ammar Qurabi of the National Organization for Human Rights in Syria. About 30,000 people have been detained and 13,000 are still being held, Qurabi and Merhi said. About 700 members of the state security forces have been killed in the uprising. European nations on the United Nations Security Council gave the panel a third version of their draft resolution this week calling for members to “consider” sanctions 30 days after adoption of the measure if Syria doesn’t halt the violence. It also urges restraint on “all sides” and greater involvement of the Arab League in a political solution to the crisis. Opposition to Sanctions Russia is opposed to any mention of sanctions, Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told reporters yesterday. “I am pessimistic now” about the text, he said. “We believe on both sides there were things that were deeply disconcerting.” Robert Ford, the U.S. ambassador to Syria, who has been a critic of Assad, escaped a violent mob of government supporters yesterday while visiting opposition lawyer Hasan Abdul-Azim at his office in Damascus. “A crowd of demonstrators tried to assault Ambassador Ford and embassy colleagues” as they met with “a well-known Syrian political figure,” State Department deputy spokesman Mark Toner said yesterday. Toner said the mob tried to attack U.S. officials who were inside vehicles, seriously damaging the cars in the process. Ambassador’s Car “Syrian security officers finally assisted in securing a path” for the ambassador and his aides to return to the embassy, Toner said. Ford’s car was pelted with rocks, eggs, tomatoes and sticks, a person familiar with the situation said. The four- wheel-drive vehicle had dents and some of its windows were cracked or shattered, the person said. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton yesterday condemned the attack on Ford in the “strongest terms.” “This attempt to intimidate our diplomats through violence is wholly unjustified,” Clinton said in remarks to reporters in Washington. The U.S. is “demanding” that Syria “take every possible step to protect our diplomats according to their obligations under international law,” she said. --With assistance from Nicole Gaouette and Indira A.R. Lakshmanan in Washington, Flavia Krause-Jackson and Bill Varner at the United Nations. Editors: Karl Maier, Jennifer M. Freedman To contact the reporters on this story: Massoud A. Derhally in Beirut, Lebanon at mderhally@bloomberg.net. To contact the editor responsible for this story: Andrew J. Barden at barden@bloomberg.net ||||| Two days of clashes between Syrian troops and forces opposed to President Bashar Assad in a rebellious central town have killed seven soldiers and policemen, a Syrian military official said Friday. The official said 32 Syrian troops were also wounded in the fighting as government forces conducted a "qualitative" operation on Thursday and Friday in the town of Rastan in the central Homs province in an effort to crush "gunmen" holed up inside the town. The official said the gunmen had terrorized citizens, blocked roads and set up barriers and explosives, and were responsible for the deaths of the seven troops. The comments by the unidentified official were carried by state-run news agency SANA on Friday. Rastan has witnessed some of the fiercest fighting in the six-month uprising against Assad, pitting the military against hundreds of army defectors, according to activists. The town, from which the Syrian army draws many of its Sunni Muslim recruits, has seen some of the largest numbers of defections to date. A prominent human rights activist estimated there were around 2,000 defectors fighting in Rastan and nearby Talbiseh as well as in the Jabal al-Zawiyah region in the northern Idlib province. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject. The defectors, as well as reports that once-peaceful Syrian protesters are increasingly taking up arms to fight the six-month old government crackdown, have raised concerns of the risk of civil war in Syria. Syria has a volatile sectarian divide, making civil unrest one of the most dire scenarios. The Assad regime is dominated by the Alawite minority, an offshoot of Shiite Islam, but the country is overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim. The U.N. says some 2,700 people have already died in the government crackdown. The report carried by SANA Friday was an acknowledgment of the stiff resistance and ongoing clashes in Rastan, although the agency, echoing the official government line, describes the fighters as "terrorist armed groups," not defectors. The military official said the confrontation resulted in the killing and detention of many of the gunmen. He said Syrian troops were still pursuing members of the terrorist groups in an effort to restore security to Rastan.

– Clashes with opposition forces have resulted in the deaths of seven soldiers and policemen in the central Syrian town of Rastan, a military official says; yesterday, 14 protesters were killed in the fighting, a human rights activist tells Bloomberg. Some 32 soldiers were wounded as they tried to stop “gunmen” who, the official says, were terrorizing the town. At least 41 have died in recent days in Rastan, and with an estimated 3,600 civilians and 700 security force members dead under a six-month government clampdown, fears of civil war are growing. Rastan is a center for army defectors, with some 2,000 in the area, another activist tells the AP; they’ve become a fighting force of sorts for protesters, says the Christian Science Monitor. European countries have presented the UN Security Council with the latest version of a resolution seeking possible sanctions if violence continues. Meanwhile, rallies that have been occurring every Friday since March have prompted heightened security in Damascus—and pro-government protesters have taken their toll on the US ambassador.

BAGHDAD/WASHINGTON U.S. air strikes destroyed an Islamic State convoy near the Iraqi city of Mosul but U.S. officials said on Saturday it was unclear whether the group's top commander Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi had been in any of the 10 targeted vehicles. Colonel Patrick Ryder, a Central Command spokesman, said the U.S. military had reason to believe that the convoy was carrying leaders of Islamic State, an al Qaeda offshoot which controls large chunks of Iraq and Syria. The convoy consisted of 10 Islamic State armed trucks. "I can confirm that coalition aircraft did conduct a series of air strikes yesterday evening in Iraq against what was assessed to be a gathering of ISIL leaders near Mosul," said Ryder, using another name for Islamic State. "We cannot confirm if ISIL leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was among those present." Islamic State had been changing its strategy since the air strikes began, switching to lower profile vehicles to avoid being targeted, according to residents of towns the group holds. A Mosul morgue official said 50 bodies of Islamic State militants were brought to the facility after the air strike. Mosul, northern Iraq's biggest city, was overrun on June 10 in an offensive that saw vast parts of Iraq's Sunni regions fall to the Islamic State and allied groups. A month later a video posted online purported to show the reclusive Baghdadi preaching at Mosul's grand mosque. Earlier on Saturday, Al-Hadath television channel said U.S.-led air strikes targeted a gathering of Islamic State leaders in a town near the Syrian border, possibly including Baghdadi. Iraqi security officials were not immediately available for comment on the report from the station, part of Saudi-owned al-Arabiya television, but two witnesses told Reuters an air strike targeted a house where senior Islamic State officers were meeting, near the western Iraqi border town of al-Qaim. Al-Hadath said dozens of people were killed and wounded in the strike in al-Qaim, and that Baghdadi's fate was unclear. Mahmoud Khalaf, a member of Anbar's Provincial Council, also said there were air strikes in al-Qaim. He gave no details. The U.S.-led coalition carried out air strikes near al-Qaim overnight, destroying an Islamic State armored vehicle and two checkpoints run by the group, Ryder said. BOMBINGS The hardline Sunni Islamic State's drive to form a caliphate has helped return sectarian violence in Iraq to the dark days of 2006-2007, the peak of its civil war. It has also created a cross-border sanctuary for Arab militants, as well as foreign fighters whose passports could allow them to evade detection in Western airports. On Saturday night a car bomb killed eight people in Baghdad's mostly Shi'ite Sadr City, police and hospital sources said, bringing to 28 the day's toll from bombs in the Iraqi capital and the western city of Ramadi. An attack by a suicide bomber on a checkpoint in Ramadi in Anbar killed five soldiers. "Before the explosion, the checkpoint was targeted with several mortar rounds. Then the suicide humvee bomber attacked it," said a police official. There was no claim of responsibility for the bombings, but they resembled operations carried out by Islamist militants. In the town of Baquba, 65 km (40 miles) northeast of Baghdad, a gunman killed a Shi'ite militiaman, and a car bomb targeting a police officer killed his 10-year-old son, security sources said. U.S. TROOPS Western and Iraqi officials say air strikes are not enough to defeat the Sunni insurgents and Iraq must improve the performance of its security forces to eliminate the threat. President Barack Obama has approved sending up to 1,500 more troops to Iraq, roughly doubling the number of U.S. forces on the ground, to advise and retrain Iraqis. The Iraqi prime minister's media office said the additional U.S. trainers were welcome but the move, five months after Islamic State seized much of northern Iraq, was belated, state television reported. The United States spent $25 billion on the Iraqi military during the U.S. occupation that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003 and triggered an insurgency that included al Qaeda. Washington wants Iraq's Shi'ite-led government to revive an alliance with Sunni tribesmen in Anbar province which helped U.S. Marines defeat al Qaeda. Such an alliance would face a more formidable enemy in Islamic State, which has more firepower and funding, and it may not be possible because of mistrust between Sunni tribes of Anbar and the Baghdad government. (Additional reporting by Ahmed Rasheed and Raheem Salman in Baghdad and Mark Hosenball in Washington; Editing by Dominic Evans) ||||| BAGHDAD (AP) — The U.S. conducted a series of airstrikes targeting Islamic State leaders near the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, U.S. military officials said Saturday. Mourners grieve as the body of police Lt. Gen. Faisal Malik is taken for burial before a funeral procession in Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2014. A suicide truck bomber targeting a senior police officer’s... (Associated Press) Mourners grieve as the body of police Lt. Gen. Faisal Malik is taken for burial before a funeral procession in Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2014. A suicide truck bomber targeting a senior police officer’s... (Associated Press) Mourners grieve as the body of police Lt. Gen. Faisal Malik is taken for burial before a funeral procession in Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2014. A suicide truck bomber targeting a senior police officer’s... (Associated Press) The airstrikes on Friday night destroyed a convoy of 10 armed trucks believed to be carrying some Islamic State leaders, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity to describe military operations. The officials could not confirm whether the top Islamic State leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was among those targeted. Al-Baghdadi has declared himself the caliph, or supreme leader, of the vast areas of territory in Iraq and Syria under IS control. Despite the airstrikes by the U.S.-led coalition, Sunni militants have continued to carrying out deadly bombings targeting Iraqi security forces and civilians. A suicide truck bomber struck the convoy of a top Iraqi police officer killing eight people, including the ranking official, authorities said Saturday, in an attack that bore the hallmarks of militants from the Islamic State group. The late Friday attack happened when the suicide attacker drove his bomb-laden truck into the convoy of police Lt. Gen. Faisal Malik al-Zamel, who was inspecting forces in the town of Beiji north of Baghdad, police said. The blast killed al-Zamel and seven other police officers, while wounding 15 people, hospital officials and police officers said. Meanwhile on Saturday, a series of bombings in and around the capital Baghdad killed at least 43 people, with the deadliest blast hitting the city's sprawling Shiite district of Sadr City, where a car bomb tore through a commercial area, killing 11 people and wounding 21. There has been an uptick in the number of bombings blamed on Sunni militants in the capital and mostly targeting Shiites, feeding sectarian tensions in the city, as the security forces of the Shiite-led government battle the Sunni militants of the Islamic State group to the west and north of the capital. More recently, the attacks targeted Shiite pilgrims marking Ashoura, the highlight of the sect's religious calendar. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack in Beiji, 250 kilometers (155 miles) north of Baghdad, but suicide bombings have been the signature style of Sunni militants for more than a decade in Iraq. Shiite Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, recognizing al-Zamel's standing, led mourners at al-Zamel's funeral on Saturday and a top army officer, Gen. Abdul-Wahab al-Saadi, vowed to avenge his death. "Beiji will be the graveyard of Daesh," said a clearly moved al-Saadi on state television. Al-Saadi, the army's chief of operations in the province of Salahuddin, was using the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State group. Al-Saadi and al-Zamel have been leading the ongoing battle to rid Beiji, which is located in Salahuddin, of IS fighters who swept into the city last summer. "We have cleansed many of Beiji's neighborhoods and we will shortly announce its complete liberation," said al-Saadi. A U.S.-led coalition has been launching airstrikes on Islamic State militants and facilities in Iraq and Syria for months, as part of an effort to give Iraqi forces the time and space to mount a more effective offensive. The Islamic State had gained ground across northern and western Iraq in a lightning advance in June and July, causing several of Iraq's army and police divisions to fall into disarray. On Friday, U.S. President Barack Obama authorized the deployment of up to 1,500 more American troops to bolster Iraqi forces, including into Anbar province, where fighting with Islamic State militants has been fierce. The plan could boost the total number of American troops in Iraq to 3,100. There now are about 1,400 U.S. troops in Iraq, out of the 1,600 previously authorized. "What is needed from the U.S. is that it should work to bring the Iraqi people together," said Hamid al-Mutlaq, a Sunni Iraqi lawmaker. "America, and others, should not become an obstacle that hinder the Iraqis' ambitions for a free Iraqi decision that serves the interests of Iraq" Besides the Sadr City bombing, at least nine people were killed and another 18 wounded when a car bomb tore through a commercial street lined with restaurants in the southeastern Baghdad neighborhood of al-Amin. Two car bombs also killed eight people and wounded 16 on a commercial street in Baghdad's southwestern Amil neighborhood, police officials said. A car bomb also detonated on a commercial street in Baghdad's busy central al-Karadah district, killing seven people and wounding at least 21, officials said. In Yousifiya, a town just south of the capital, two people were killed and four wounded in a bombing near a fruit and vegetable market. Another car bomb struck Zafaraniya in southeastern Baghdad, killing six and wounding 13, officials said. Hospital officials confirmed the casualties. All police and hospital officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to journalists. ___ Associated Press writer Vivian Salama contributed to this report.

– US airstrikes have hit a convoy of trucks which, officials believe, were carrying some ISIS leaders, US officials tell the AP. Rumors have suggested that the group's top figure, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, may have been among the leaders, the New York Times reports; neither Iraqi nor US officials could confirm that. Reports on the airstrikes conflict, the Times notes. While a US official confirmed an attack near Mosul "against what was assessed to be a gathering of ISIL leaders," Iraqi officials pointed to an attack on a gathering in Qaim, some 180 miles away. An official at a Mosul morgue reported some 50 bodies of militants arriving following a strike, Reuters reports.

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

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

Tweet with a location You can add location information to your Tweets, such as your city or precise location, from the web and via third-party applications. You always have the option to delete your Tweet location history. Learn more ||||| A passenger walks by an American Airlines airplane at a gate at the O'Hare Airport in Chicago, Illinois October 2, 2014. American Airlines (AAL.O) on Thursday said it was working to get customers in the air after technical problems caused it to halt flights to three of its hub airports. American, the world's largest airline, experienced hundreds of delays as it stopped takeoffs to Dallas-Fort Worth, Chicago O'Hare and Miami international airports for nearly two hours. The carrier has fixed the technical problems, which it characterized as "connectivity issues," that started at noon ET, a company spokesman said. International flights and service on subsidiary US Airways were not affected. Some 525 flights on American Airlines were delayed and five canceled on Thursday, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware.com. The flight groundings follow several high-profile computer problems that U.S. airlines have faced in recent months. Industry consultants say the impact of computer disruptions will keep growing as airlines automate an increasing chunk of operations, outfit their planes with Wifi and distribute boarding passes on smartphones. In April, American Airlines delayed flights when an iPad application used by pilots to view airport maps malfunctioned. Rival United Airlines (UAL.N) in June halted flights when it discovered a problem arising from its dispatch software. And in July a router error locked United out of its reservations records and therefore blocked check-in and boarding. American's stock was up 2.7 percent at $44.22 in afternoon trading on the Nasdaq. (Reporting by Jeffrey Dastin and Lisa Lambert; Editing by Andrew Hay and Marguerita Choy) ||||| DALLAS (AP) — American Airlines says it has fixed a technology problem that was grounding flights to and from Dallas, Chicago and Miami on Thursday. American spokesman Casey Norton said the airline did not immediately know the cause of the outage, which began around 11 a.m. CDT and lasted nearly two hours. Flights on both American and its regional affiliate, American Eagle, were halted. The Federal Aviation Administration said that American Airlines planes destined for Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, O'Hare Airport in Chicago and Miami International Airport were held on the ground during the outage. American did not immediately say how many flights were affected. The outage comes at an awkward time for American Airline Group Inc., the world's biggest airline. In a month, the company plans to complete combining the reservations systems of American and its US Airways subsidiary and retiring the US Airways brand. Combining technology systems is a difficult feat that has tripped up other airlines, notably leading to several outages at United Airlines after it merged with Continental Airlines in 2010. United suffered two major outages this summer. American has made meticulous plans to avoid a similar fate. Among other moves, it will reduce flights to lighten the load on its network while it combines the two reservations systems. ||||| American Airlines resumed flights Thursday after computer problems briefly grounded flights at three of its busiest airports. The problem affected flights to and from Chicago's O'Hare Airport, as well as Dallas-Fort Worth and Miami. Almost 300 flights were delayed due to the problem, which represents nearly 20% of the daily departures for the world's largest airline. The ground stop started around 12:41 p.m. ET, according to the FAA. American said in a statement at 2:42 p.m. that its "connectivity issues" had been resolved. "We apologize for the inconvenience and are working to get our customers on their way as soon as possible," an American (AAL) spokesman told CNN. American said it has no reason to believe that this is related to hacking. However, its IT team is still trying to figure out a definitive cause. Problems with computer systems grounding flights are not uncommon. United Airlines (UAL) suffered a grounding in March that lasted less than an hour. But these kinds of technical problems have a way of rippling through an airline's schedule, causing problems that can take hours or even days to resolve fully, particularly when it hits three major hubs like O'Hare, DFW and Miami. Airline schedules are very tight, which makes restoring normal operations and rebooking affected passenger costly and time consuming, said James Record, a professor of aviation at Dowling College, at the time of the United glitch. Even flights that were able to land as planned at affected airports can be delayed if there isn't a gate available to unload passengers. That can cause many passengers to miss connections. American had to ground about 75 flights over two days this past April due to problems with an iPad app used by pilots. American pilots now get their flight plans and other technical information over company-issued Apple (AAPL, Tech30) iPads.

– Just a few days ago, American Airlines confessed it had mistakenly allowed an aircraft not certified for long flights over water to make the trip from LA to Hawaii. Today the airline faces another problem: Unexplained technical issues forced it to temporarily ground planes at three of the country's most hectic airports, CNN reports. Chicago's O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, and Miami International Airport were all affected during the two-hour glitch, which ended about 2pm Eastern, reports AP. The FAA notes in a tweet that the stoppage was due to a "computer issue." International flights weren't affected, a spokesman tells Reuters.

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

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

The project is directed by Dr Jeremy Taylor and John Thomas, and Richard Buckley is project manager. Excavations have been supervised by ULAS staff: Tim Higgins, Andrew Hyam, and Dr Gavin Speed; along with academic staff and postgraduate students assisting in the student training. Read about our Open Day on Sunday 29th June Background Research aims and methods Reports and Posters ||||| A linch pin (shown from three angles) from an Iron Age chariot that were discovered at the Burrough Hill Iron Age Hillfort in Leicestershire, England More than 2,000 years ago, pieces of an Iron Age chariot were burnt and buried, perhaps as a religious offering. Now, archaeologists have discovered the bronze remains of this sacrifice. Digging near Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, England, an archaeology team discovered a trove of bronze chariot fittings dating back to the second or third century B.C. The remains were discovered at the Burrough Hill Iron Age Hillfort, a fortified hilltop structure that was once surrounded by farms and settlements. Though humans lived in the area beginning around 4000 B.C., it was used most heavily between about 100 B.C. and A.D. 50, according to the University of Leicester. "This is the most remarkable discovery of material we made at Burrough Hill in the five years we worked on the site," University of Leicester archaeologist Jeremy Taylor said in a statement. "This is a very rare discovery and a strong sign of the prestige of the site." [See Images of the Iron Age Chariot's Remains] Burnt offering Taylor co-directs the field project at Burrough Hill, which is used to train archaeology students. It was four of these archaeology students who first found a piece of bronze near an Iron Age house within the Burrough Hill fort. More bronze pieces were found nearby. The pieces are the metal remains of a chariot that once belonged to a warrior or noble, according to university archaeologists. They include linchpins with decorated end caps, as well as rings and fittings that would have held harnesses. One linchpin is decorated with three wavy lines radiating from a single point, almost like the modern flag for the Isle of Man, a British dependency in the Irish Sea. The Isle of Man's flag is decorated with an odd symbol called a triskelion, or three half-bent legs converging at the thigh. "The atmosphere at the dig on the day was a mix of 'tremendously excited' and 'slightly shell-shocked,'" Taylor said. "I have been excavating for 25 years, and I have never found one of these pieces — let alone a whole set. It is a once-in-a-career discovery." The pieces were found upon a layer of chaff, which may have provided fuel for the burning ritual. The chariot pieces were put into a box and then covered with cinder and slag after being set on fire. This may have been a ritual marking the dismantling or closing of a home at the fort, or it could have honored the change of seasons, University of Leicester archaeologists suspect. Bronze and iron Alongside the chariot pieces, the researchers found a set of iron tools, which were placed around the parts before they were burned. "The function of the iron tools is a bit of a mystery, but given the equestrian nature of the hoard, it is possible that they were associated with horse grooming," Burrough Hill project co-director John Thomas said in a statement. "One piece, in particular, has characteristics of a modern curry comb, while two curved blades may have been used to maintain horses' hooves or manufacture harness parts." The pieces will be on display temporarily at the Melton Carnegie Museum in Melton Mowbray from Oct. 18 to Dec. 13. "Realizing that I was actually uncovering a hoard that was carefully placed there hundreds of years ago made it the find of a lifetime," University of Leicester student Nora Battermann, who was one of the four students to make the find, said in a statement. "Looking at the objects now that they have been cleaned makes me even more proud, and I can't wait for them to go on display." Follow Stephanie Pappas on Twitter and Google+. Follow us @livescience, Facebook& Google+. Original article on Live Science. ||||| Image copyright University of Leicester Image caption The bronze remains of the 2,200 year old chariot were found at Burrough Hill, an Iron Age fort near Melton Mowbray Remains of an "extremely rare" Iron Age chariot have been uncovered during an excavation in Leicestershire. The University of Leicester discovered the bronze fittings from a 2nd or 3rd Century BC chariot at the Iron Age fort Burrough Hill. Experts believe the chariot was either dismantled, or never built, and buried in a box and burnt as part of a ritual. It is thought the chariot would have belonged to a high-status individual such as a noble or warrior. Image copyright University of Leicester Image caption The parts of the chariot are highly decorative with Celtic-style designs The discovery was made by student Nora Battermann during a five-year project by the university's school of archaeology. The parts were found in a deep pit near the remains of a house within the hill-fort near Melton Mowbray. Dr Jeremy Taylor, from the university, said: "I've been digging for the best part of 30 years and never found anything like it. It's a once-in-a-career discovery. Image copyright University of Leicester/Aerial-Cam Image caption The University of Leicester has been excavating at Burrough Hill since 2010 "To find a chariot is rare - in east Yorkshire there was a practice of chariot burial but outside that area it is extremely rare to find one." Experts believe the fittings, which are highly decorative, were put in a box and then placed on a layer of cereal chaff and burnt as part of a religious ritual. Image caption The large earth works of an Iron Age hill-fort are still visible at Burrough Hill in Leicestershire The parts, which were also found with tools thought to be equine related, have been cleaned up and will go on display at Melton's Carnegie Museum. The Iron Age The European Iron Age starts in about 800 BC and runs until the Roman conquest, which was the year AD43 in Britain The people of the period were farmers, growing wheat, barley and beans along with animals such as cattle, sheep and pigs Most people lived on farms or small villages but others stayed in larger settlements such as hill-forts Skilled craftsmen used advanced techniques to make highly decorated metal objects like the chariot at Burrough Hill Explore the Iron Age ||||| Here is the chariot linch pin from three angles, showing the intricate decoration at the ends. Credit: University of Leicester University of Leicester archaeologists have made a "once-in-a-career" discovery of the decorated bronze remains of an Iron Age chariot. A team from the University's School of Archaeology and Ancient History has unearthed a hoard of rare bronze fittings from a 2nd or 3rd century BC chariot which appears to have been buried as a religious offering. The archaeologists found the remains during their ongoing excavation of the Burrough Hill Iron Age hillfort, near Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. The School has led a 5-year project there since 2010, giving archaeology students and volunteers valuable experience of archaeological excavations. Burrough Hill is owned by the education charity, the Ernest Cook Trust, which has also funded site tours and school visits to the excavation. While digging a large, deep pit near the remains of a house within the hillfort, a group of four students found a piece of bronze in the ground – before uncovering a concentration of further parts very nearby. Taken together, the pieces are easily recognisable as a matching set of bronze fittings from a mid to late Iron Age chariot. As a group of two or more base metal prehistoric artefacts this assemblage is covered under the Treasure Act. After careful cleaning, decorative patterns are clearly visible in the metalwork – including a triskele motif showing three waving lines, similar to the flag of the Isle of Man. This is a selection of chariot fittings: miniature terret ring (upper left), large terret ring (upper right), strap junction (lower left) and barrel-shaped harness fitting. Credit: University of Leicester Nora Battermann, from University of Leicester was one of the students who made the discovery. She said: "Realising that I was actually uncovering a hoard that was carefully placed there hundreds of years ago made it the find of a lifetime. Looking at the objects now they have been cleaned makes me even more proud, and I can't wait for them to go on display." The pieces appear to have been gathered in a box, before being planted in the ground upon a layer of cereal chaff and burnt as part of a religious ritual. The chaff might have doubled as a "cushion" for the box and also the fuel for the fire. After the burning, the entire deposit was covered by a layer of burnt cinder and slag – where it lay undisturbed for more than 2200 years until the team uncovered it. The archaeologists believe the chariot would have belonged to a high-status individual, such as a "noble" or "warrior". The team believe the burial may have taken place to mark a new season, or the final closure or dismantling of a house at the fort. Dr Jeremy Taylor, Lecturer in Landscape Archaeology at the University's School of Archaeology and Ancient History and co-director of the Burrough Hill field project, said: "This is a matching set of highly-decorated bronze fittings from an Iron Age chariot – probably from the 2nd or 3rd century BC. This image shows an iron "curry comb" found with the chariot fittings. Credit: University of Leicester "This is the most remarkable discovery of material we made at Burrough Hill in the five years we worked on the site. This is a very rare discovery, and a strong sign of the prestige of the site. "The atmosphere at the dig on the day was a mix of 'tremendously excited' and 'slightly shell-shocked'. I have been excavating for 25 years and I have never found one of these pieces - let alone a whole set. It is a once-in-a-career discovery." John Thomas, co-director of the project added "It looks like it was a matching set of parts that was collected and placed in a box as an offering, before being placed in the ground. Iron tools were placed around the box before it was then burnt, and covered in a thick layer of cinder and slag. "The function of the iron tools is a bit of a mystery, but given the equestrian nature of the hoard, it is possible that they were associated with horse grooming. One piece in particular has characteristics of a modern curry comb, while two curved blades may have been used to maintain horses hooves or manufacture harness parts." The parts have been taken to the University of Leicester's School of Archaeology and Ancient History for further analysis – and the archaeologists hope they will be put on public display in due course. Before then, there will be a temporary display of the objects at the Melton Carnegie Museum, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, from Saturday October 18th until Saturday December 13th. Explore further: Viking boat burial find is UK mainland first

– Archaeologists digging around the site of an ancient community in England have made what one calls a "once-in-a-career discovery"—bronze fittings from a chariot dating back to the Iron Age, reports LiveScience. The intricately designed pieces were crafted around the second or third century BC and seem to have been buried as part of some kind of religious ritual, perhaps in honor of the nobleman or warrior who would have owned such a chariot. They had been enclosed in a box that was burned, researchers at the University of Leicester explain via Phys.org. The ritual also might have marked the end of a season or the dismantling of a home at the site in Leicester, known as the Burrough Hill Iron Age Hillfort. The pieces included linchpins with three waving lines, a design that looks similar to the modern flag for the Isle of Man, a British dependency. "In east Yorkshire, there was a practice of chariot burial, but outside that area it is extremely rare to find one," one researcher tells the BBC. It's not clear, though, whether an entire chariot was buried, or just some decorative parts. (Click to read about archaeologists who hope to unravel the tale of King Harold.)

Get the latest from TODAY Sign up for our newsletter Gina Rodriguez isn't acting when it comes to committing to acts of kindness. The “Jane the Virgin” star is using her stipend for Emmy campaigning to fund a college scholarship for an undocumented high school student, according to The Hollywood Reporter. 'Jane the Virgin' star Gina Rodriguez is using her Emmy For Your Consideration money to fund a college scholarship for a Latinx student. Jordan Strauss / AP "Our show has always jumped at any opportunity to help me do something for the Latinx community," Rodriguez told the industry trade. "So I asked my showrunner, Jennie (Snyder Urman), if we could do something different with the money this year." The "For Your Consideration" money comes from her series' production company, CBS TV Studios, earmarked or use in paying for a stylist and other costs related to campaigning during award season. But Rodriguez decided to spend it differently this year. The 33-year-old actress enlisted Big Brothers Big Sisters of Los Angeles to help her find the right student of Latinx descent on whom to bestow the four-year scholarship. The unnamed recipient will now get the chance to attend Princeton University without incurring debt, THR reported. Rodriguez said she hoped news of the scholarship would inspire others to make similar gestures. The star has a history of using her celebrity to make fans' lives a little brighter: In 2016, she loaned the black Badgley Mischka dress she wore to the previous year's Golden Globes to a Buffalo teen for prom. She has also been a vocal advocate against the Trump administration's immigration policies on social media. "Children fleeing violence and unrest don't deserve to be ripped from their families. They have come knocking on America's door asking for a safe haven and they deserve better," Rodriguez tweeted on June 1. ||||| This year, the 'Jane the Virgin' star decided to put her allotted FYC spend from CBS TV Studios toward paying for the education of an undocumented high school student. Gina Rodriguez will be throwing her hat in the Emmy ring for the fourth (and penultimate) season of her CW comedy, Jane the Virgin. She just won't be spending studio money on glam for campaign events or themed swag — though, as a recent episode of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt suggests, a Jane-branded pregnancy test would be quite a novelty. "FYC is a bizarre dance," says the star. "Whatever you do requires an insane amount of money." So this year, Rodriguez decided to put her allotted FYC spend from CBS TV Studios toward a college scholarship for an undocumented high school student. "Our show has always jumped at any opportunity to help me do something for the Latinx community," says Rodriguez. "So I asked my showrunner, Jennie [Snyder Urman], if we could do something different with the money this year." Rodriguez, 33, who won a 2015 Golden Globe for Jane, partnered with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Los Angeles to find the right applicant — a Princeton University-bound young woman who'll now be able to complete all four years without financial burden. And while Rodriguez says she's been invigorated by her decision, she had mixed feelings about revealing it. "It's taboo to talk about the money being spent, but it's the reality," says Rodriguez. "I think sharing this might inspire other people to do something similar. You can desire recognition and, at the same time, decide to not play in the confines of the game as it's set up." This story first appeared in the June 13 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe. ||||| Every year in advance of the Emmy nominations, TV networks and studios shell out massive sums of money on campaigns to promote their submitted creatives and shows. The promotions, aptly labeled “For Your Consideration” (or FYC), can range from billboards and bus ads around Los Angeles and New York to show-branded swag and screeners sent to TV Academy members. It’s an expensive process, and it often fails to pay off. This year, Jane the Virgin star Gina Rodriguez has convinced The CW that 2018’s FYC money for the show would be better spent funding a college scholarship for an undocumented Latinx student. Per the Hollywood Reporter, Rodriguez — who has served on the Hispanic Scholarship Fund’s board of directors since 2015 — worked with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles to find the perfect candidate, an unnamed Latina high school student who will be attending Princeton University in the fall. The Hollywood Reporter says the scholarship will cover all four years of her education. Though Rodriguez told the Hollywood Reporter that she hesitated about going public with the decision, Jane the Virgin is one of several series (including Netflix’s One Day at a Time reboot) that have highlighted the stories and challenges of undocumented immigrants in America over the past few years. In that way, the scholarship still effectively functions as a promotion of the show’s values while serving a greater (and vastly more urgent) purpose. “I think sharing this might inspire other people to do something similar,” she explained. “You can desire recognition and, at the same time, decide to not play in the confines of the game as it’s set up.” Criminally, Rodriguez has never been nominated for an Emmy; she won a Golden Globe in 2015 and received nominations in 2016 and 2017 for her work on Jane the Virgin. The show returns for its fifth and final season in 2019. Though it’s unclear whether Rodriguez’s scholarship student is a DACA or DREAM Act beneficiary, it’s worth noting that several immigration bills are currently being debated in Congress that would determine the fate of over 1 million undocumented young people. ||||| The word “Latinx” (pronounced “La-teen-ex”) has been used more and more lately. And, yet, while many people are using the term and identifying as Latinx, there are still others who may look at the word with skepticism and confusion. In recent months, HuffPost Latino Voices has incorporated usage of Latinx into some of our articles to reflect this change, to which some readers have responded by saying: “You misspelled ‘Latino.’” “Latinx isn’t a word.” “I keep seeing Latinx... what does it mean?” No, it’s not a typo. Yes, Latinx is, in fact, a word ― one many people identify with for various reasons. And if you’ve been online in the last couple of years, you’ve likely noticed the word popping up in your social media news feeds and in various articles in lieu of such identifiers as Latino, Latina or Latin@. There’s a reason for that ― allow us to explain. What does Latinx mean? Latinx is the gender-neutral alternative to Latino, Latina and even Latin@. Used by scholars, activists and an increasing number of journalists, Latinx is quickly gaining popularity among the general public. It’s part of a “linguistic revolution” that aims to move beyond gender binaries and is inclusive of the intersecting identities of Latin American descendants. In addition to men and women from all racial backgrounds, Latinx also makes room for people who are trans, queer, agender, non-binary, gender non-conforming or gender fluid. “In Spanish, the masculinized version of words is considered gender neutral. But that obviously doesn’t work for some of us because I don’t think it’s appropriate to assign masculinity as gender neutral when it isn’t,” explains queer, non-binary femme writer Jack Qu’emi Gutiérrez in an interview with PRI. “The ‘x,’ in a lot of ways, is a way of rejecting the gendering of words to begin with, especially since Spanish is such a gendered language.” Latinx is also, as pointed out by writer Gabe Gonzalez, a way to reclaim identity, a form of rebellion against “the language and legacy of European traditions that were imposed on the Americas.” Here’s why people are using the term “Latinx:” Languages change in order to accommodate the times in which it’s used, and in a year where discussions about trans and non-binary identity are at the forefront, it makes sense for “Latino” to evolve. Though it is understood that many people may not identify as Latinx for various reasons, we feel it is important that we respect others who do and who want to be referred to as such. For what it’s worth, using Latinx in general is a way to be more inclusive of identities that go beyond the every day gender and racial norms that are rapidly shifting and being redefined in today’s culture. It’s not a perfect term, but for many people out there, it’s the beginning of a linguistic revolution. “[Latinx] is just one word,” explains Gutiérrez. “We adapt to survive in this kind of environment, you know, we also adapt our language. It’s vital to just expressing who we are and being able to explain to others in our own community, ‘Hey, we’re here. This is how you can be respectful of us. Acknowledge us.’” Where did the term originate? Latinx first began to emerge within queer communities on the internet in 2004, and saw a rise in popularity in late 2014, according to Complex. By 2015, Google searches for the term began to increase (see the graph below) and Latinx became a widely-used identifier both on social media platforms like Tumblr and in scholarly work. Many scholars and activists praise the term’s ability to better include many groups of people while challenging cultural and norms. Why not everyone is on board Despite the growing popularity of the term, Latinx has been faced with criticism. Many opponents of the term have suggested that using an un-gendered noun like Latinx is disrespectful to the Spanish language and some have even called the term “a blatant form of linguistic imperialism.” However, in defense of the term, Brooklyn College professors María R. Scharrón-del Río and Alan A. Aja argue that the Spanish language itself is a form of linguistic imperialism for Latin Americans. “Are we not aware that upon the arrival of the conquistadores and subsequent acts of genocide, a few thousand indigenous languages existed in the Americas, and a few resilient hundred continue to be spoken today?” they explain in a piece on LatinoRebels.com. “Not to mention the attempted erasure of African languages via the violence of slavery and colonialism.” They go on to point out that many of the indigenous languages throughout Latin America and the world range from genderless to multi-gendered. However, writer Monse Arce argues that Latinx is just as problematic as Latino and Latina. “They’re blanket terms that were invented to group us all under one common colonized identity,” she writes in Affinity Magazine. Then, there are individuals who say they have chosen not to adopt the term because “Latinx doesn’t roll off the tongue when you’re speaking Spanish.” As Complex points out, “‘Latinx’ is not the perfect identifying term, so it shouldn’t be treated as the answer in the ongoing quest to develop a cohesive postcolonial identity.” But its usage has been gaining traction, and people are taking notice. It’s with this in mind that Latino Voices is incorporating the term Latinx into our coverage. We believe every individual’s identity is complicated and nuanced ― and deserves to be acknowledged and respected. Does the term Latinx resonate with you? Let us know, why or why not in the comment section below.

– Right now, Gina Rodriguez could be spending the money doled out to her by CBS Television Studios to promote her Emmy run. But the Jane the Virgin star decided to use the cash for something else instead: setting up a college scholarship for an undocumented Latinx immigrant. Today and the Verge note that money in an actor's FYC (for your consideration) fund is typically used to help campaign during awards season, paying for everything from stylists and swag to billboards, bus ads, and TV screeners. But per the Hollywood Reporter, the 33-year-old actress opted to divert the funds toward an unrelated cause. "Our show has always jumped at any opportunity to help me do something for the Latinx community," Rodriguez says. "So I asked my showrunner … if we could do something different with the money this year." Working with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Los Angeles, they found their candidate for the four-year scholarship: a female high school student headed to Princeton. Rodriguez wasn't sure she wanted to publicize her good deed, but she ultimately decided it could have a copycat effect. "I think sharing this might inspire other people to do something similar," she tells the Hollywood Reporter. Rodriguez has never been nominated for an Emmy, though she did win a Golden Globe in 2015 and was nominated in both 2016 and 2017. (A $33 million Jeff Bezos donation will send 1,000 Dreamers to college.)

Former NFL player Joe McKnight was shot to death Thursday following an argument at an intersection with another motorist. Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand said the incident involving McKnight happened about 2:43 p.m. Thursday in Terrytown, a suburb of New Orleans. The 28-year-old running back was standing outside his car when he was shot by Ronald Gasser, 54, Normand said during a news conference at the scene of the shooting. "The only thing we know right now, everything else is conjecture, is that Mr. Gasser did in fact shoot Mr. McKnight," Normand said. McKnight is the second former NFL player this year to die in the New Orleans area as a result of a possible road-rage incident. Former New Orleans Saints player Will Smith was killed in April in a shooting that was sparked over a traffic altercation. Norman said investigators have Gasser in custody and he's being questioned, along with a number of witnesses. Col. John Fortunato, a sheriff's office spokesman, said they anticipate charging Gasser, but with what has not yet been determined. "We will release additional details when we get through with the interviews," Normand said. Normand said Gasser, whose hometown was not immediately released, stayed at the scene and relinquished his weapon to responding officers. The sheriff said he did not know where the incident started, but noted that McKnight was standing outside his vehicle when he was shot. He did not release any details on the number of times McKnight was shot, saying the coroner's office would do so. Normand said no gun was found outside either vehicle, but they had not searched the cars and won't do so until a search warrant has been obtained. McKnight played three seasons for the New York Jets and one with the Kansas City Chiefs. He spent this season in the Canadian Football League, playing two games for the Edmonton Eskimos and three for the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He ran for 150 yards against Toronto on Oct. 15 in his Saskatchewan debut. "We send our deepest sympathies to Joe's family, friends, and all those impacted by this tragedy," Roughriders general manager and coach Chris Jones said in a statement. McKnight was considered the No. 1 running back recruit in the country when he came out of John Curtis Christian School in Louisiana in 2006 and signed with the University of Southern California, where he played under Pete Carroll. With his running and catching skills, McKnight was often compared to do-it-all running back Reggie Bush, a USC star who was the No. 2 overall pick by New Orleans in the 2006 draft. Bush took to Twitter to offer his condolences: "RIP my brother Joe McKnight," he posted, "this one hurts bad." Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times Joe McKnight rushed for more than 2,200 yards in his USC career. Joe McKnight rushed for more than 2,200 yards in his USC career. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) "For a life to be lost so senselessly is just beyond description," said JT Curtis, McKnight's high school coach, who's been head coach there for nearly five decades. "Right now it's pretty devastating." "He was just a good kid," the coach added. After a sometimes-spectacular college career in which he ran for 2,213 yards and 13 touchdowns and caught 66 passes for 542 yards and two scores in three seasons, McKnight was drafted by the Jets in the fourth round in 2010. His NFL career got off to a shaky start, marked by his first rookie camp practice in which he dropped a few passes, had both calves cramp up and later vomited on the side of the field because of nerves and lack of conditioning. McKnight saw limited action as a rookie, but started the regular-season finale and rushed for 158 yards on 32 carries. McKnight assumed the role as the Jets' primary kick returner in 2011, and led the NFL with a 31.6 yard kickoff return average that season. That included a franchise-record 107-yarder in 2011 against Baltimore that also stands as the team's longest play. He was released by the Jets as part of their final cuts after training camp in 2013 and spent that season out of football. McKnight signed with Kansas City in January 2014 and had two touchdown catches in a game for the Chiefs early that season before tearing his Achilles tendon during a practice and missing the rest of the year. Several of McKnight's former teammates and friends took to social media to express shock and sadness at the news, and to offer condolences to his family. The Jets posted a photo of McKnight with the words "Joe McKnight 1988-2016" on it on their official Twitter account. "Rest in peace, Joe McKnight," the team said. "Our thoughts and condolences are with his loved ones." Former Jets teammate Antonio Cromartie wrote on Twitter: "Just got a message saying my former teammate Joe McKnight was killed today. This hurt to the heart. I can't stop crying." Associated Press ||||| GO HERE FOR THE LATEST UPDATES ON THIS STORY --- A shooting in Terrytown Thursday afternoon (Dec. 1) left a man dead after an argument at an intersection, according to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office. Family members at the scene identified the victim as Joe McKnight, a former NFL player and local high school football standout. McKnight, 28, who went to John Curtis Christian School in River Ridge, played college football for USC, and then went on to play for the New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs. He also played in the Canadian Football League. The shooting, reported about 3 p.m., occurred at the intersection of Behrman Highway and Holmes Boulevard. A witness, who declined to give her name, said she was leaving a store in the area when she saw a man at the intersection yelling at another man, who was trying to apologize. The man who was yelling shot the other man more than once, she said. She said the shooter shot the man, stood over him and said "I told you don't you f--- with me." Then he fired again, she said. UPDATE: Gasser was not standing over Joe McKnight when he shot him, authorities say The victim's body was on Behrman Highway, surrounded by a shield. For more on this developing story, click here.

– Road rage is being blamed for the shooting death of former NFL player Joe McKnight in New Orleans on Thursday. McKnight, 28, who spent three seasons with the Jets and Chiefs and played this year in the Canadian Football League, was shot to death at an intersection, reports the Times-Picayune. It's not clear what led to the shooting, but witnesses say McKnight and another man were arguing outside their vehicles about 2:45pm. One woman tells the newspaper that she heard McKnight trying to apologize for something before being shot. She says the second man then shot him again while he was on the ground. McKnight was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have identified the shooter as 54-year-old Ronald Gasser, who is in custody but has not been charged. "The only thing we know right now, everything else is conjecture, is that Mr. Gasser did in fact shoot Mr. McKnight," says Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand. McKnight is the second former NFL player this year to die in an incident attributed to road rage in the New Orleans area, notes Tribune News. In April, former Saints player Will Smith was shot to death. McKnight, a running back, also led the league in kick returns in 2011 with a 31.6-yard average while with the Jets. That year, he ran back one 107 yards for a TD, a team record.

Global stocks rose, rebounding from the biggest loss of the year, and commodities climbed after Greek lawmakers approved austerity plans to secure rescue funds. Treasuries climbed, while the euro reversed early gains. The MSCI All-Country World Index (MXWD) added 0.8 percent at 4:30 p.m. in New York after slumping 1.2 percent on Feb. 10. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index climbed 0.7 percent to 1,351.77. The euro was little changed at $1.3194, erasing a gain of as much as 0.7 percent. The S&P GSCI index increased 1 percent as 13 of 24 commodities advanced. Yields on 10-year Treasuries dropped one basis point to 1.98 percent. The S&P 500 climbed to within 1 percent of a three-year high reached in April. Passage of the austerity bill puts the spotlight on a Feb. 15 meeting of euro-area finance ministers who must decide whether to approve the second bailout. Rioters protesting the measures battled police and set fire to buildings in downtown Athens. Italy met its target at an auction today, selling 12 billion euros ($16 billion) of bills as borrowing costs fell. “We still think you should buy stocks,” Laszlo Birinyi, president of Birinyi Associates Inc. in Westport, Connecticut, said in a Bloomberg Television interview in London today. “It’s a continuation of the bull market and we’re encouraged by what we are seeing in Europe. I look at the markets, I find they are strong. There’s real buying going on. This is not short-covering or a temporary or transitory thing.” Rally Resumed The S&P 500 climbed for the fourth time in five days and rebounded from its first weekly loss of the year. The index, which is up 23 percent from last year’s low in October, trades for about 14 times its companies’ reported earnings and has been stuck below its five-decade average valuation of 16.4 since May 2010, the longest stretch since a 13-year span beginning in 1973, data compiled by Bloomberg show. Financial, technology and industrial companies contributed the most to the advance in the S&P 500 as nine of 10 industry groups gained. Caterpillar Inc., United Technologies Corp. and Chevron Corp. rose more than 1 percent for the top gains in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which increased 72.81 points to 12,874.04. Chesapeake Energy Corp. rose 2.4 percent after the natural-gas driller said it’s targeting as much as $12 billion in asset sales and joint ventures this year. Apple Inc. (AAPL) advanced 1.9 percent to exceed $500 a share for the first time, as a two-week gain spurred by the iPhone maker’s first-quarter earnings report approached 20 percent. ‘Key Stocks’ “Apple is one of the key stocks in the whole market and it’s really driving things right now,” saidSteve Kilcullen, head of flow derivatives sales for the Americas at Nomura Holdings Inc. in New York. “No one expected this move we’re seeing after they crushed earnings.” More than 50 companies in the index are scheduled to report results in the coming week, data compiled by Bloomberg show, including Deere & Co. and Comcast Corp. Per-share profits have topped analyst estimates at 70 percent of the 331 companies that released results since Jan. 9, data compiled by Bloomberg show. Earnings-per-share have increased 3.9 percent for the group on 7 percent sales growth. President Barack Obama sent Congress a $3.8 trillion budget plan today with stimulus spending and tax increases for the wealthiest Americans, spelling out election-year priorities that are certain to draw Republican opposition. Obama is proposing more money for jobs, highways and bridges, schools, student aid and manufacturing research as well as higher taxes for corporations, banks and oil, natural gas and coal companies. The U.S. dollar weakened against 12 of 16 major peers and the Dollar Index, which tracks the U.S. currency against those of six trading partners, dropped 0.2 percent. The New Zealand dollar surged 0.9 percent against the greenback, while the Australian dollar advanced 0.6 percent. European Stocks The Stoxx Europe 600 Index rallied 0.7 percent as almost three stocks gained for every one that fell. Cable & Wireless Worldwide Plc (CW/) surged 45 percent after Vodafone Group Plc, the world’s largest mobile-phone company, said it’s in early stages of evaluating a potential offer for the company. The extra yield investors demand to hold Italian 10-year bonds instead of benchmark German bunds fell three basis points to 367 basis points. Italy sold 365-day bills priced to yield 2.23 percent, down from 2.735 percent last month. Germany auctioned 3.01 billion euros of six-month debt. The cost of insuring against default on European government bonds fell for the first time in four days. The Markit iTraxx SovX Western Europe Index of credit-default swaps on 15 governments declined 0.8 basis point to 328. Oil Embargo Oil in New York climbed 2.3 percent to a one-month high of $100.91 a barrel. Overseas Shipholding Group Inc., the largest U.S. crude-tanker owner, said on Feb. 10 that the pool in which its ships operate will no longer go to Iran after the European Union agreed to an oil embargo. Natural gas declined 1.9 percent for the biggest drop among 24 commodities in the S&P GSCI Index. The MSCI Emerging Markets Index (MXEF) added 1 percent, following a 1.8 percent slide on Feb. 10, the biggest drop since November. The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange’s benchmark TA-25 Index was down 0.1 percent after Israeli embassy personnel came under attack in India, leaving four people injured, and an attempt to blow up an Israeli car in Georgia was thwarted. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed both incidents on Iran. Russia’s Micex Index (MICEX) jumped 2.3 percent as oil producers rose. Erste Group Bank AG helped lead the Czech PX Index (PX) 2 percent higher. Benchmark indexes Hungary, Poland, South Africa and Turkey gained at least 0.9 percent. The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index (HSCEI) of Chinese companies listed in Hong Kong climbed 0.6 percent. To contact the reporters on this story: Stephen Kirkland in London at skirkland@bloomberg.net; Rita Nazareth in New York at rnazareth@bloomberg.net To contact the editor responsible for this story: Nick Baker at nbaker7@bloomberg.net ||||| Greek lawmakers on Monday approved harsh new austerity measures demanded by bailout creditors to save the debt-crippled nation from bankruptcy, after riots in Athens and other cities left stores looted and burned and more than 120 people hurt. Riot police during clashes in Athens, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012. Riots engulfed central Athens and at least 10 buildings went up in flames in mass protests late Sunday as lawmakers prepared for a historic... (Associated Press) A riot police officer looks on as a branch of the Cosmote mobile company is ablaze during clashes in Athens, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012. Protesters and police fought running battles in central Athens Sunday,... (Associated Press) A branch of Eurobank isset on fire during clashes in Athens, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012. Protesters and police fought running battles in central Athens Sunday, as Greek lawmakers debated legislation that would... (Associated Press) A Starbucks coffee shop burns , right, as firefighters try to cut open the locked truck to get out the fire hose after protesters took the keys, during clashes in Athens, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012. Protesters... (Associated Press) A protest gestures at riot police during clashes outside the Greek parliament in Athens, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012. Tens of thousands of protesters gathered in the square outside Parliament as a parliamentary... (Associated Press) A riot police officers tries to extinguish flames from a petrol bomb thrown by protestors outside the Greek parliament, Athens, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012. Tens of thousands of protesters gathered in the square... (Associated Press) Greece's Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos, bottom left and Foreign deputy Minister Dimitris Donis applaud Prime Minister Lucas Papademos prior to his speech to the lawmakers during a debate at... (Associated Press) Firefighters douse a blaze started in a coffee shop during clashes in Athens, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012. Protesters and police fought running battles in central Athens Sunday, as Greek lawmakers debated... (Associated Press) Greece's finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos, addresses lawmakers as Prime Minister Lucas Papademos looks on during a debate at the Parliament on Sunday Feb. 12, 2012. Greek lawmakers on Sunday began... (Associated Press) A protesters kicks a tear gas canister toward riot police during clashes outside the Greek parliament in Athens, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012. Tens of thousands of protesters gathered in the square outside Parliament... (Associated Press) A petrol bomb explodes over riot police during clashes in Athens, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012. Riots engulfed central Athens and at least 10 buildings went up in flames in mass protests late Sunday as lawmakers... (Associated Press) Protesters pass by a burning cinema in Athens, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012. Riots engulfed central Athens and at least 10 buildings went up in flames in mass protests late Sunday as lawmakers prepared for... (Associated Press) The historic vote paves the way for Greece's European partners and the International Monetary Fund to release $170 billion (euro130 billion) in new rescue loans, without which Greece would default on its mountain of debt next month and likely leave the eurozone _ a scenario that would further roil global markets. Lawmakers voted 199-74 in favor of the cutbacks, despite strong dissent among the two main coalition members. In response, the Socialists and conservatives expelled 22 and 21 lawmakers, respectively, reducing their majority in the 300-seat parliament from 236 to 193. Violence was also reported in six other cities, the worst in central Volos where the town hall and a tax office were damaged by fire, police said. Sunday's clashes erupted after more than 100,000 protesters marched to the parliament to rally against the drastic cuts, which will ax one in five civil service jobs and slash the minimum wage by more than a fifth. At least 45 businesses were damaged by fire, including several historic buildings, movie theaters, banks and a cafeteria, in the worst riot damage in Athens in years. Fifty police officers were injured and at least 70 protesters were hospitalized. Sixth-seven suspected rioters were arrested and a further 70 detained. Prime Minister Lucas Papademos urged calm. "Vandalism and destruction have no place in a democracy and will not be tolerated," Papademos told Parliament just before the vote. "I call on the public to show calm. At these crucial times, we do not have the luxury of this type of protest. I think everyone is aware of how serious the situation is." Since May 2010, Greece has survived on a $145 billion (euro110 billion) bailout from its European partners and the International Monetary Fund. When that proved insufficient, the new rescue package was approved. The deal, which has not yet been finalized, will be combined with a massive bond swap deal to write off half the country's privately held debt. But for both deals to materialize, Greece had to persuade its deeply skeptical creditors that it has the will to implement spending cuts and public sector reforms that will end years of fiscal profligacy and tame gaping budget deficits. As protests raged Sunday, demonstrators set bonfires in front of parliament and dozens of riot police formed lines to keep them from making a run on the building. Security forces fired dozens of tear gas volleys at rioters, who attacked them with firebombs and chunks of marble broken off the fronts of luxury hotels, banks and department stores. Clouds of tear gas drifted across the square, and many in the crowd wore gas masks or had their faces covered, while others carried Greek flags and banners. Masked rioters also attacked a police station with petrol bombs and stones. A three-story building was completely consumed by flames as firefighters struggled to douse the blaze. Streets were strewn with stones, smashed glass and burnt wreckage, while terrified passers-by sought refuge in hotel lounges and cafeterias. Scores of bat-wielding youths smashed property at will for several hours, leaving broken traffic lights hanging from poles, and chairs and tables from looted coffee shops dumped on the street. Ambulances weaved through narrow backstreets to ferry the injured to hospital, dodging burning trash bins and the running battles between rioters and police. "I've had it! I can't take it any more. There's no point in living in this country any more," said a distraught shop owner walking through his smashed and looted optician store. Athens Mayor Giorgos Kaminis said rioters tried to storm the City Hall building, but were repelled. "Once again, the city is being used as a lever to try to destabilize the country," he said. In parliament, Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos said the new austerity measures were vital to the country's very economic survival. "The question is not whether some salaries and pensions will be curtailed, but whether we will be able to pay even these reduced wages and pensions," he told lawmakers before the vote. "When you have to choose between bad and worse, you will pick what is bad to avoid what is worse." The new cutbacks, which follow two years of harsh income losses and tax hikes amid a deep recession and record high unemployment have been demanded by Greece's bailout creditors in return for a new batch of vital rescue loans. Greece's eurozone partners, meanwhile, kept up the pressure for real reform. German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble was quoted as telling the Welt am Sonntag newspaper on Sunday that Greece "cannot be a bottomless pit." Highlighting previous pledges he said weren't kept, Schaeuble said "that is why Greece's promises aren't enough for us any more." Asked whether Greece has a long-term future in the eurozone, Germany's Vice Chancellor Philip Roesler said "that is now in the hands of the Greeks alone." "It is not enough just to give financial aid _ they must tackle the second cause of the crisis, the lack of economic competitiveness," he told said ARD television. "For that, they need ... massive structural reforms. Otherwise Greece will not get out of the crisis." Introducing the legislation Sunday, Socialist lawmaker Sofia Yiannaka said the intense pressure from Greece's EU partners to pass the measures was the result of delays in implementing already agreed reforms. "The delays have our imprint. We should not blame foreigners for them," she said. "We have finally found out that you have to pay back what you have borrowed." ___ Demetris Nellas in Athens and Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report. ||||| ATHENS/BRUSSELS Europe gave Greece until Wednesday to convince skeptical international creditors that it would stick to the punishing terms of a multi-billion-euro rescue package, endorsed by parliament as rioters torched downtown Athens. Lawmakers backed drastic cuts in wages, pensions and jobs on Sunday as the price of a 130 billion euro ($170 billion) bailout by the European Union and International Monetary Fund to avert a messy default that would send shockwaves through the euro zone. Scenes of running battles between police and rioters and flames engulfing cinemas, shops and banks underscored a sense of deepening turmoil in the country after more than four years of recession and two of punishing austerity. The EU warned on Monday that the consequences of failure would be "devastating." It gave the fragile ruling coalition of Prime Minister Lucas Papademos until Wednesday, when euro zone finance ministers are expected to meet, to specify how 325 million euros of the 3.3 billion euros demanded in budget savings will be achieved. By the same deadline, Greek political leaders must give a written commitment to implement the terms of the deal, a Greek government spokesman said, reflecting fatigue among EU leaders who say they have heard enough broken promises. The spokesman said Greece would hold an election in April, when deep public anger over the second round of austerity could drive voters further to the left and right and test Greece's commitment to the programme. Euro zone paymaster Germany said ahead of the vote that it was losing patience with throwing money into the "bottomless pit" of Greece's debt crisis. Official reaction from Berlin on Monday was muted. "Now we need to wait and see what comes after the legislation," Economy Minister and deputy Prime Minister Philipp Roesler said on German television. "We have taken one step in the right direction but we are still far from the goal," he said. Greece needs the international funds before March 20 to meet debt repayments of 14.5 billion euros. EU Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn said a disorderly default would have devastating consequences for Greek society. "I am quite confident that the other conditions, including the identification of concrete measures of 325 million euros, will be completed by the next meeting of the Eurogroup, which would then decide on the adoption of the programme," he said. "SOCIAL EXPLOSION" The deal provides for a bond swap to ease Greece's debt burden by cutting the real value of private-sector investors' bond holdings by some 70 percent. Sources familiar with the private sector debt talks said the terms would be announced after euro zone finance ministers meet on Wednesday, assuming there are no further setbacks. They will include a new average interest rate of 3.5 percent for bondholders and an additional warrant linked to Greek growth, one of the sources said. "It will be concluded in March," Greek government spokesman Pantelis Kapsis said of the debt swap deal. Asian shares and the euro gained modestly on Monday and bank shares led European stocks higher. Papademos is likely this week to replace one minister and five deputies who quit over the rescue bill. He had warned of a "social explosion" if lawmakers rejected the deal and Greece defaulted. But the unrest in the streets, and a voting rebellion by 43 parliamentarians of the ruling coalition, suggested Athens might already be on the brink. The riots spread to Greece's second city of Thessaloniki, towns across the country and the islands of Crete and Corfu. In all, 150 shops were looted in the capital and 93 buildings set ablaze, wrecked or seriously damaged. About 100 people - including 68 police - were wounded and 130 detained. Athens city authorities said some of the wrecked buildings were of particular cultural, historic and architectural value. The Attikon cinema, housed in a neo-classical building dating from 1870, was left a blackened shell. "The people yesterday sent a message: Enough is enough! They can't take it anymore," said Ilias Iliopoulos, general secretary of public sector union ADEDY. GROUNDSWELL OF ANGER The cuts include a 22 percent reduction in the minimum wage and 150,000 jobs from the public sector workforce by 2015. Critics on Monday said more austerity would only condemn the economy to an ever-deepening downward spiral, but Greek political leaders have offered few alternatives. Conservative New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras says the country should focus more on stimulating growth with tax cuts and privatization. Some ordinary Greeks say they have heard enough threats of economic armaggedon, and that a messy default can be no worse than the painful medicine they are currently being made to swallow. "Yesterday's vote in the parliament may have saved the country temporarily from default, but the Greek economy is going bankrupt and the country's political system is failing," the head of the Greek Commerce Confederation, Vassilis Korkidis, said. The rioters were a minority, but spoke to the groundswell of anger among Greeks who say their living standards are already collapsing and more austerity will only deepen their misery. Unemployment in Greece reached 20.9 percent in November, and half of young Greeks are jobless. Samaras is the frontrunner to be the next prime minister, but will likely have to bargain with other parties to form a coalition after the April election. In comments that could further sow doubt in Brussels, he indicated that Athens might yet try to renegotiate the deal. "I am calling on you to vote for the new loan agreement because I want to avoid falling into the abyss, to restore stability," he told Sunday's parliamentary debate, "so that we can have the possibility tomorrow to negotiate and change the policy that is being imposed upon us today." ($1 = 0.7582 euros) (Additional reporting by Karolina Tagaris, Dina Kyriakidou, Ingrid Melander and Tatiana Fragou; Writing by Ingrid Melander and Matt Robinson; Editing by Giles Elgood)

– Skirmishes between police and protesters continued in Athens today, and buildings smoldered in the wake of Greece's vote on harsh new austerity measures. As many as 45 buildings have been torched and countless shops looted in the worst Greek rioting in years as 100,000 demonstrators took to the streets ahead of the vote, reports AP. Some 120 people have been injured in clashes in Athens and at least six other cities, reports Reuters. Prime Minister Lucas Papademos appealed for calm, warning that Greek cannot weather riots "at these crucial times. Vandalism and destruction have no place in a democracy and will not be tolerated," he added. Historic buildings, banks, movie theaters and shops have been severely damaged. "I've had it! There's no point in living in this country any more," said a distraught shop owner. Greek lawmakers voted 199-74 for the new measures, which will ax one in five civil service jobs, and slash the minimum wage by more than a fifth. The vote is part of a second financial rescue package for the nation worth some $170 billion that will be combined with a huge bond swap deal to write off half of Greece's privately held debt. One arena pleased with the vote is the stock market. Stocks were up in early trading, notes Bloomberg.

Every hoops fan dreams of that one special birthday when his pro-ball heroes gather on a court to see if he's got game. President Obama had that chance Sunday, assembling a virtual dream team of college and pro basketball players for a presidential pickup game in front of wounded veterans and participants in a White House mentoring program. Obama, who turned 49 on Wednesday, took to the court for a game with a stunning list of all-stars, including Grant Hill, Shane Battier, Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Derek Fisher, LeBron James, Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Maya Moore, Alonzo Mourning, Chris Paul, Derrick Rose, Bill Russell, Etan Thomas, Dwyane Wade and David West. The game was closed to the media. Kobe Bryant was there but didn't play, according to the White House, and aides provided no details about the game, which took place at Fort McNair in the District, where Obama often plays basketball with friends. The presidential motorcade of black SUVs returned to the White House after about two hours for an evening barbecue on the South Lawn. Reporters could see grills being set up on the grass. The White House provided few details about the festivities but confirmed that the president and his guests would be dining on shrimp harvested from the Gulf of Mexico. Obama is known for throwing a few elbows on the court and for having a fierce determination to win. But the 6-foot-2 commander in chief had his work cut out for him. A number of the players were 6-8 or taller. Obama was the nation's bachelor in chief this weekend. His wife and younger daughter returned from a brief vacation in Spain in time for the barbecue, and his elder daughter was at camp. With his family away, Obama made it an all-sports-all-the-time weekend. He spent four hours at the Andrews Air Force Base golf course Saturday with longtime friends from Chicago and Hawaii, including Wahid Hamid, Laurent Delanney, Marvin Nicholson, Greg Orme, Bobby Titcomb, Michael Ramos, Marty Nesbitt and Eric Whitaker. That crew was said to be attending the barbecue Sunday at the White House, as well. No word on how many of them joined in the hoops competition. Basketball is undergoing a renaissance at the White House under Obama, who had a court built on what had been the presidential tennis courts. He plays with staff members and friends, including aide Reggie Love, who was on the NCAA-champion Duke team in 2001. But in June 2009, when the basketball court was being built, the president told Bloomberg News that he was itching for some professional competition. "As soon as we get the basketball nets up, we're going to have some of these guys over for a game," he said of pros such as James. Asked by Bloomberg whether he would be playing, Obama said: "Of course. It's my court." Staff writer Josh Barr contributed to this report. ||||| Obama tests basketball skills against LeBron James, Magic Johnson By Administrator - President Obama hosted more than a dozen current and former basketball pros for an afternoon game at Fort McNair Sunday. The group included LeBron James, Grant Hill, Dwyane Wade, Magic Johnson and Bill Russell. Kobe Bryant was also in attendance, but didn't play in the pick-up game. The group played before an audience of "wounded warriors" and participants in the White House mentoring program. The event was part of the president's birthday weekend at the White House. He played a round of golf Saturday at Andrews Air Force Base, and a barbecue is scheduled on the South Lawn of the White House for Sunday afternoon.

– President Obama played basketball today with a constellation of NBA stars and a ringer from the national champion UConn women's team. Service members injured in action and participants in the White House mentoring program watched, but the press pool waited outside, the Washington Post reports. Retired stars Magic Johnson and Bill Russell played but Kobe Bryant only watched, reports The Hill. LeBron James, Grant Hill, Dwyane Wade, Alonzo Mourning, Shane Battier, Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Derek Fisher, Chris Paul, Derrick Rose, and Etan Thomas took part the event, in a gym at Fort McNair, near the White House, as did UConn star Maya Moore.

Oct. 10, 2012 -- People are having strokes at younger ages, according to new research. "This is still a disease of the old, but a surprisingly higher proportion of younger patients are having strokes, and it's getting worse over time," says researcher Brett Kissela, MD, professor and vice chair of neurology at the University of Cincinnati. Meanwhile, strokes are decreasing among older people, he found. In his study, strokes among adults under age 55 grew from about 13% in 1993 to 19% in 2005. The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, is published in Neurology. "Our data cannot tell us why exactly this is happening," he says. "Perhaps the largest factor has to do with the early appearance of risk factors." He's referring to the rates of diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity among younger people, all risk factors for strokes. Better diagnostic methods may also be playing a role, he says. About 795,000 Americans are affected by stroke annually, according to the American Stroke Association. Most are ischemic strokes, caused by an obstruction within the blood vessel. Others occur when a blood vessel ruptures, called hemorrhagic strokes. Strokes in Younger People: The Numbers For the study, Kissela's team looked at strokes in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. The regions included two Ohio counties and three Kentucky counties served by 17 hospitals in 2005. They only studied first strokes. The average age of first strokes fell from 71 years in 1993-94 to 69 years in 2005. The rates of strokes in people aged 20 to 54 was higher in 2005 compared to the earlier time points. At each of the time points, there were about 2,000 strokes. Looking at just people aged 20-44, the number of strokes bumped up from 88 in 1993-94 to 140 in 2005. The percent of all strokes affecting people 55 and older dropped over time. Although Kissela's study looked only at one region of the country, a CDC study released in 2011 found the same trends nationwide. Strokes in Younger People: Beyond Statistics The impact of a younger person having a stroke is great, Kissela says. ||||| The rate of strokes among young people is rising, which is alarming because those patients often face "greater lifetime disability." A researcher looks at a brain scan of a stroke victim. A stroke can cause death, paralysis as well as speech and emotional difficulties. (Photo: Jack Gruber, USA TODAY) Story Highlights Those under 55 are now a larger percentage of all stroke patients Obesity, diabetes could explain the rise, as could better detection About 80% of strokes are preventable Younger people are getting strokes at a faster rate, and people under age 55 make up a greater percentage of all strokes, according to a study out today in the journal Neurology. The increase is an alarming trend because strokes in younger people translate to "greater lifetime disability," says lead author Brett Kissela, a physician at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in Ohio and a fellow of the American Academy of Neurology. While he adds that the study design does not explore reasons for the change, he thinks the increasing prevalence of obesity and diabetes could be leading factors. National studies have shown those risk factors are increasing among younger patients. Better detection through increased use of imaging might also explain the rise, he says. Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in the USA, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It can also cause paralysis, and speech and emotional difficulties. Lifestyle changes and better management of risk factors with medication have led to overall lower rates. Researchers looked at occurrences of strokes in people between the ages 20 and 54 in the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area during three separate, one-year-long periods between July 1993 and June 1994, and the calendar years of 1999 and 2005. Only patients' first strokes were included in the analysis. Data analysis from 2010 is underway. They embarked on the study after noticing more young patients coming to hospitals with strokes. To qualify as a case in the study, a patient must have met the criteria for one of these stroke categories: cerebral ischemia, intracerebral hemorrhage, subarachnoid hemorrhage or stroke of uncertain cause. Transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) with symptoms lasting less than 24 hours were not included. Among findings on the 923 stroke cases analyzed: -- Stroke rates in those under age 55 increased from 109 (per 100,000 population) in 1993-1994 to 176 in 2005 . -- The average age of stroke patients fell from 71 years old in 1993-1994 to 69 in 2005. -- The rate among African Americans ages 20-54 increased from 83 per 100,000 population in 1993-94 to 128 in 2005. -- The rate among Caucasians ages 20-54 increased from 26 per 100,000 in 1993-94 to 48 in 2005. Experts say the findings will change the way doctors think about strokes. "This is a very disturbing trend and meaningful, strong data,'' said neurologist Daniel Labovitz of the Montefiore Medical Center in New York, who was not associated with the study. "In older people, we're more likely to make the call (of stroke). Both patients and doctors tend to think, 'It can't be a stroke because the person is too young.' We all have to be on the lookout now. I will use this study as guidance." About 80% of all strokes are preventable, according to the American Stroke Association. Among older black and white patients in the study, the rates have been dropping, as other studies also have shown. The National Institutes of Health provided funding for the study. "The good news is that some of the possible contributing factors to these strokes can be modified with lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise," said Kissela. "However, given the increase in stroke among those younger than 55, younger adults should see a doctor regularly to monitor their overall health and risk for stroke and heart disease." Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/W2O3HW

– There has been an alarming rise in the number of younger people suffering strokes, according to a new study. Researchers studying data from two US states found that the average age of a person suffering their first stroke fell from 71 to 69 between 1993 and 2005, and people under the age of 55 now make up nearly a fifth of stroke victims, WebMD reports. The researchers believe the trend has been caused by a rise in diabetes, obesity, and high cholesterol levels. Factors like improved diagnosis may also be contributing, the lead researcher says, but "the rising trend found in our study is of great concern for public health because strokes in younger people translate to greater lifetime disability." Experts say the study highlights the need for younger people to be aware of stroke symptoms. "This is a very disturbing trend and meaningful, strong data," a neurologist tells USA Today. "In older people, we're more likely to make the call (of stroke). Both patients and doctors tend to think, 'It can't be a stroke because the person is too young.' We all have to be on the lookout now."

London (AFP) - The Sun newspaper has quietly ended a decades-old tradition of putting topless women on page 3 in a setback for schoolboy fantasies that was welcomed by women around the country. The Times, which like The Sun is owned by billionaire media tycoon Rupert Murdoch's News UK, said on Tuesday that last Friday's edition of the tabloid was the last to feature a nude model after 44 years. "The Sun will no longer feature topless models on page 3," The Times said, adding that the change had been on the cards since billionaire Murdoch last year described the custom as "old fashioned". Education minister Nicky Morgan, who is responsible for women and equalities in the cabinet, was quick to welcome the news. "This is a long-overdue decision and marks a small but significant step towards improving media portrayal of women and girls," she said. "I very much hope it remains permanent." The tabloid is the country's best-selling newspaper and has a circulation of around 2.2 million. It played down the story, with head of public relations Dylan Sharpe described it as "speculation". "The Sun hasn't said either way what's happening to page 3," he told AFP. View gallery Campaigners from OBJECT and Turn Your Back On Page 3 protest over the Sun newspaper's daily phot … - 'Great day for people power' - Tuesday's edition featured a photo of actresses in bikinis frolicking on a Dubai beach on page 3, while Monday's edition had a model in lingerie. A tag line at the bottom of the page on Tuesday invited readers to view the online edition for topless photos of "Lucy from Warwick", implying that nudity may have shifted from print to the web. The pin-ups have featured in the newspaper since 1970 when 20-year-old German model Stephanie Rahn became the first "Page 3 Girl" and the feature became something of an institution for two generations of British males in line with the paper's macho swagger. In an indication of the national import of the news, the question was even raised at a briefing by David Cameron's spokesman, who said the prime minister's view was that "editors' decisions are for editors". The page, which launched the careers of models Samantha Fox in the 1980s and Katie Price in the 1990s, has also long been criticised as sexist. An active petition to stop The Sun featuring topless models gathered more than 217,000 signatures. But a poll by Yougov in 2012 found 61 percent of respondents in favour of keeping the pin-ups. View gallery News Corp chief Rupert Murdoch holds up a copy of The Sun on Sunday as he leaves his London home on … The No More Page 3 campaign welcomed the apparent change in a Facebook posting, calling it "truly historic news and a great day for people power". The campaign was founded in 2012 by actress Lucy-Anne Holmes with support from groups including Girlguiding UK, Mumsnet and Breast Cancer UK. Holmes reacted cautiously to the reports. "The Sun hasn't suddenly decided that women say, think and do interesting and incredible things," she told BBC 2's Newsnight programme. "It's still basically saying women are here for decoration but it's a step in the right direction." The Sun's Irish edition had already banned topless girls in 2013, saying it had "a different audience" to the British edition. The Sun on Sunday, which was launched in 2012 after Murdoch's News of the World was forced to close because a scandal over phone hacking, has never featured topless women. - 'Loved doing page 3' - There were also signs in recent months that The Sun was relenting to pressure. Every Friday in November, the newspaper featured a footballer in boxer shorts on its page 3 to encourage men to test for testicular cancer. On Tuesdays, its Page 3 Girl of the day also asked women to check for breast cancer. It still ran into trouble last year, however, for an advert offering the chance to win a date with a Page 3 model as a prize in a fantasy football competition. But model Jodie Marsh sent out a series of angry tweets lashing out at critics of the photos. "I loved doing page 3, it was good money, I felt powerful, I was definitely in control," she wrote. "Telling girls they shouldn't do page 3 is not being a feminist. Women should do whatever they want." ||||| Starting in 1996, Alexa Internet has been donating their crawl data to the Internet Archive. Flowing in every day, these data are added to the Wayback Machine after an embargo period. ||||| Sam Fox was one of The Sun's most well-known Page 3 girls The Sun The Sun will no longer feature topless models on page 3 after quietly dropping one of the most controversial traditions in British journalism. The Times understands that Friday’s edition of the paper was the last that will carry an image of a glamour model with bare breasts on that page, ending a convention that began in 1970, shortly after Rupert Murdoch bought the newspaper and turned it into Britain’s bestselling daily tabloid. Yesterday’s page 3 featured Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, the model, posing in lingerie and today’s shows two Hollyoaks actresses — Jennifer Metcalfe, 31, and Gemma Merna, 30 — in bikinis running along a beach in Dubai. A change in approach had seemed on the cards in September when Mr Murdoch described page 3 as “old… ||||| The Sun, Britain’s top-selling newspaper, has scrapped Page 3’s topless women after 44 years, delighting the legion of critics who have branded the photos of bare-breasted models sexist, offensive and anachronistic. Insiders said the decision has been taken to kill off the controversial feature quietly but that the feature would continue online. “This comes from high up, from New York,” said one senior executive in a reference to the paper’s owner Rupert Murdoch. The Sun refused to respond to any calls, emails or texts from the Guardian throughout Monday but told the Times, which is also owned by Murdoch: “Page 3 of The Sun is where it’s always been, between pages 2 and 4, and you can find Lucy from Warwick at Page3.com. “ The paper reported that last Friday’s edition of the paper will be the last that would “carry an image of a glamour model with bare breasts on that page”. A spokeswoman for the campaign group No More Page 3: “This could be truly historic news and a great day for people power.” adding it “could be a huge step for challenging media sexism”. Facebook Twitter Pinterest expand Today’s page 3 with a link to where you can see today’s picture online. Photograph: The Sun Topless Page 3 models were introduced by the Sun in 1970, less than a year after Rupert Murdoch bought the title. The change may be reversed, it is understood, if it results in a noticeable Sun sales decline. Publisher News UK has previously publicly argued, in the face of mounting opposition from critics including the No More Page 3 campaign, that the feature remains popular with its readers and those who want rid of it do not buy the paper. However, internally the company is thought to have been considering its options for Page 3 and appears to have been edging towards this decision for some time. The Sun’s Irish edition dropped topless Page 3 pictures in August 2013, with Dublin-based editor Paul Clarkson citing “cultural differences”. Sun proprietor Rupert Murdoch made his first negative comments about Page 3 in February 2014 and then gave a stronger hint in September when he tweeted that he thought its daily diet of topless pictures was “old-fashioned”. In the same series of tweets Murdoch hinted at the change that is expected to be introduced, saying “Brit feminists [who] bang on forever about Page 3 … never buy paper” before adding: “I think old-fashioned but readers seem to disagree.” He then went on to solicit views about the daily feature among Twitter users. “Aren’t beautiful young women more attractive in at least some fashionable clothes? Your opinions please.” The move follows a 28-month campaign, launched in September 2012, by a woman who asked the paper’s editor to “stop conditioning your readers to view women as sex objects”. Lucy Holmes’s campaign, No More Page 3, caught the imagination of women (and men) across Britain, attracting more than 215,000 signatories to an online petition. It also garnered support from a range of organisations, such as the Girl Guides, the Girls’ Brigade, most of the teaching trades unions, the College of Midwives, the Scottish parliament and the Welsh Assembly. More than 30 universities voted to stop selling the Sun until it stopped publishing topless images. • This article was amended on Tuesday 20 January 2015 to introduce clarifications to the copy. ||||| Image copyright PA Image caption The Page Three feature in the Sun was started in 1970 The Sun newspaper will no longer feature topless women on Page Three, the Times has reported. The Times, which has the same publisher as the Sun, said it understood Friday's edition of the Sun was the last that would carry images of topless women, although they would continue online. Page Three has been a Sun feature for 44 years but has been criticised for being sexist and outdated. The Sun's press office would neither confirm nor deny the reports. Dylan Sharpe, the Sun's head of public relations tweeted on Monday: "Page 3 will be in the Sun tomorrow in the same place it's always been - between page 2 and page 4." 'Right direction' The Sun had already stopped carrying topless images at weekends, and sometimes did the same during the week. Media caption Page Three: Are you for or against? Page Three of Monday's Sun featured model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in lingerie, while Hollyoaks actresses Jennifer Metcalfe and Gemma Merna were photographed in bikinis on a beach on Tuesday. The Times, which is a News UK title, said the paper had decided to quietly drop the feature. It said it understood that News Corp executive chairman Rupert Murdoch had signed off the decision. The topless images have long drawn protests from campaigners, with an online petition against their use attracting more than 215,000 signatures so far. A campaign group called No More Page Three was founded in 2012 by Lucy-Anne Holmes, and has since gained support from a number of MPs and anti-sexism charities. Ms Holmes told BBC Newsnight the group would not claim victory if scantily clad women continued to appear in the paper, but it was a "step in the right direction" if they were no longer topless. She said: "The Sun hasn't suddenly decided that women say, think and do interesting and incredible things, it's still basically saying women are here for decoration." Media caption Anne Louise Kershaw, No More Page Three: "It's a positive step" Media caption Page Three modelling 'my choice' 'Matter for newspapers' Downing Street said the prime minister believes it is up to newspapers to decide what they publish. Number 10 declined to express any opinion over whether David Cameron welcomed the Sun's decision. The prime minister's spokesman said: "He thinks what newspapers publish is a matter for newspapers. His view is that editorial decisions are for editors." However, Education Secretary Nicky Morgan, who is also women and equalities minister, said the move was "long overdue". She hailed it as a "a small but significant step towards improving media portrayal of women and girls", and added that she hoped it would be permanent. Labour sources said Ed Miliband would be "pleased" by the decision as "he has said before it was out of date", according to BBC assistant political editor Norman Smith. 'Breasts not brains' Labour MP Stella Creasy, also an anti-Page Three campaigner, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "The objectification of women in this way was basically saying to all of us that what mattered, frankly, were our breasts not our brains." Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Jodie Marsh is among the models who have spoken out in defence of Page Three Media commentator Steve Hewlett argued the feature had been seen as "embarrassing" and its removal was evidence of the paper "trying to re-invent itself in the world post phone-hacking". Jodie Marsh, who has appeared on Page Three a number of times, tweeted in defence of the Sun's feature: "So called 'feminists' really annoy me. Telling girls they shouldn't do page 3 is NOT being a feminist; women should do WHATEVER they want!!" Former topless model Nicola McLean defended the feature to ITV, saying: "I don't think it is outdated. "I think the girls still look fantastic on the page, they still clearly enjoy what they are doing, people still want to see it." The Irish edition of the Sun stopped topless pictures two years ago. Reports suggest the change to the paper edition may be reversed if it results in a noticeable drop in sales. ||||| The UK European Union Membership Referendum, also know as the "Brexit" referendum, was a non-binding referendum that took place on Thursday 23 June 2016 in the United Kingdom to gauge support for the country's continued membership in the European Union. The referendum resulted in an overall vote to leave the European Union by 51.9%, with 17,410,742 votes to "Leave" and 16,141,241 to "Remain". The UK European Union Membership Referendum Web Archive collected the most important "Remain" and "Leave" campaign websites, from environmental and academic grassroots organizations to trade unions and business groups. Also included were the main official websites about the referendum by the United Kingdom government. The web archive was created under the auspices of Katalin Radics by Dvorah Lewis and Oliver Mattheussens of the Collections, Research and Instructional Services (CRIS) department of the UCLA Library.

– For some 44 years, British tabloid the Sun has featured topless female models on its third page in a controversial tradition known as the "Page 3 girls." But no more: Though the Sun itself has not confirmed the change, another newspaper owned by Rupert Murdoch, the Times, reports that Friday's edition was the last to feature the "bare-breasted" photos. This week, the tabloid has still featured photos of scantily clad women there (Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in lingerie yesterday; two actresses in bikinis today), but their breasts are covered up. Activists had been railing against the "Page 3 girls" feature in recent years, calling it sexist, AFP reports. According to the Times, Murdoch himself called the tradition "old-fashioned" last year and a change has been in the works ever since. Even so, it was just after Murdoch bought the Sun that the tradition began, back in 1970 with German model Stephanie Rahn. Since then, models like Samantha Fox and Katie Price have seen their careers launched by the page. But the Sun's PR head insists to AFP that there's no official confirmation from the tabloid that the tradition is definitively over, and AFP also notes that in today's edition, readers were informed they could see topless photos online instead (the Guardian notes that viewers are being directed to Page3.com). Lucy-Anne Holmes, the actress who started the No More Page 3 campaign in 2012, wasn't exactly effusive in her praise of the move: "The Sun hasn't suddenly decided that women say, think, and do interesting and incredible things," she tells the BBC. "It's still basically saying women are here for decoration, but it's a step in the right direction."

Atlantic City holds its breath as Hard Rock, Ocean debut in shells of failed Trump Taj Mahal and Revel casinos Atlantic City holds its breath as Hard Rock, Ocean debut in shells of failed Trump Taj Mahal and Revel casinos Jun 28 Amy S. Rosenberg is a staff writer. Most recent preoccupations: the epic drama of Atlantic City, the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, local beach culture, shoobies, the fragile psyche of the Philadelphia sports fan, and Miss America. She lives at the Jersey Shore but also writes about Philly. This Oct. 20, 2017 photo shows Ashley Bennett, a Democratic candidate for freeholder in Atlantic County, N.J. speaking about her campaign in Northfield, N.J. She decided to make her first run for public office after an incumbent Republican on the freeholder board posted a meme on social media asking whether participants in the Women's March on Washington would be home in time to cook dinner. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry) Ashley Bennett, 32, a psychiatric emergency screener from Egg Harbor Township who showed up at an Atlantic County freeholders meeting on a rainy January night to protest comments made by Freeholder John Carman mocking the Women’s March, then decided to run for his seat, knocked Carman off the board Tuesday. Carman’s sharing of a Facebook meme — “Will the women’s protest end in time for them to cook dinner?” — brought scores of women to the Atlantic County board, one bearing a box of macaroni and cheese and instructions for Carman to cook his own dinner. Many had been to the march in Washington held the day after the inauguration of President Trump. Carman said he was just joking around, but it was Bennett, a Democratic challenger in a Republican stronghold district, who had the last laugh, defeating him Tuesday by nearly 1,000 votes out of about 14,000 cast for the seat on Atlantic County Board of Freeholders. Carman was elected to the board in 2014. “People want change,” Bennett wrote by text early Wednesday. “I am beyond speechless and incredibly grateful to serve my community. I never imagined I would run for office.” National scorn had been heaped on Carman, including being ridiculed on an episode of the podcast Lovett or Leave It that featured Democratic U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York reading sexist quotes. Bennett’s decision to run for Carman’s seat — “It is never wrong to ask your elected official to hold themselves to a higher standard,” she said — was embraced by progressive national groups like Run for Something, which has been recruiting millennials to run for down ballot offices. She was the toast of “resistance” Twitter early Wednesday, her local victory celebrated as part of a wave of Trump-era candidates seeking office for the first time. “Ashley’s story makes me so damn happy,” tweeted Amanda Litman, a former Hillary Clinton campaign staffer and a Run for Something founder. Producers from the Lawrence O’Donnell show on MSNBC invited Bennett to appear on the show Wednesday night. “We really owe him a thank-you,” said Caren Fitzpatrick, another local Democrat and first time candidate to the Freeholder Board. She too was elected to an at-large seat on on the nine-member board. “He motivated a lot of women to run.” In Egg Harbor Township, Kim Tullio-Steinen, 50, an executive sales person who voted for Bennett, said Bennett gave people in the community outside Atlantic City, where local races are often dominated by Republicans, a credible alternative. “I think she was a fantastic candidate to run against Carman,” Tullio-Steinen said. “He was obviously not very popular after his Facebook post. People were excited about her. Those statements that Carman made really disappointed women in the community.” Carman, interviewed several days before the election, had been confident that voters would see through the negative publicity and said he was not the person he was portrayed to be. He got into additional hot water this summer after a photo surfaced of him wearing a vest bearing a patch in the shape of New Jersey with a Confederate flag covering the southern half, which he said was an allusion to an ongoing political debate and not meant to offend. He did not return a message Wednesday. On Facebook, the platform that cost him the election, he thanked his supporters and said, “Apparently the good Lord has other plans for me.” By Wednesday evening, more than 100 followers had reacted to the post with laughing emojis. “Perhaps John will appreciate that revenge is a dish best served cold,” commented Cassandra Shober of Ventnor on Facebook. ||||| FILE - In this Oct. 20, 2017 file photo, Ashley Bennett, a Democratic candidate for freeholder in Atlantic County, N.J., speaks about her campaign in Northfield, N.J. She defeated incumbent Republican... (Associated Press) FILE - In this Oct. 20, 2017 file photo, Ashley Bennett, a Democratic candidate for freeholder in Atlantic County, N.J., speaks about her campaign in Northfield, N.J. She defeated incumbent Republican John Carman in the election on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2017. Carman had posted a meme on social media asking... (Associated Press) FILE - In this Oct. 20, 2017 file photo, Ashley Bennett, a Democratic candidate for freeholder in Atlantic County, N.J., speaks about her campaign in Northfield, N.J. She defeated incumbent Republican John Carman in the election on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2017. Carman had posted a meme on social media asking... (Associated Press) FILE - In this Oct. 20, 2017 file photo, Ashley Bennett, a Democratic candidate for freeholder in Atlantic County, N.J., speaks about her campaign in Northfield, N.J. She defeated incumbent Republican... (Associated Press) MAYS LANDING, N.J. (AP) — A New Jersey politician who shared a meme on Facebook during January's Women's March in Washington asking whether the protest would be "over in time for them to cook dinner" is eating his words. Democrat Ashley Bennett, a first-time candidate who was angered by Republican John Carman's remarks, defeated him Tuesday as he tried to win a second term as an Atlantic County freeholder. The board oversees government in Atlantic County, a region of about 275,000 people that includes the struggling Atlantic City seaside gambling resort. "Ashley Bennett's victory proved that democracy works best when ordinary people speak out, vote, and run for office," said Caseen Gaines, who serves as her communications director. "Ashley is looking forward to restoring dignity to the freeholder seat, and doing all she can to help strengthen Atlantic County's crumbling economy, reverse the uptick in foreclosures, and improve access to medical assistance for those in need. She is ready to put in the hours to improve the lives of everyone in her district — and she doesn't plan on making it home in time to cook dinner any time soon." Prior to the election, Bennett had noted how the meme inspired her candidacy. "I was angry about (the Facebook meme), because elected officials shouldn't be on social media mocking and belittling people who are expressing their concerns about their community and the nation," said the 32-year-old Bennett, an Egg Harbor Township resident who works as a psychiatric emergency screener in the crisis department at Cape Regional Hospital. Bennett plans to focus on economic development issues, noting the need to help lower- and fixed-income residents who may be struggling to keep their homes and the thousands of people left unemployed as some Atlantic City casinos closed. Carman said the meme was "a bad choice," but that the women in his life were "strong and confident" enough to not be offended by his joke. He apologized a few days later, saying it was an error in judgment. Carman drew more attention last month for wearing a motorcycle jacket with a patch containing a Confederate flag. He said the patch had been on the jacket for years and didn't have racial overtones. The 58-year-old Carman apologized to anyone who felt offended. .

– When New Jersey lawmaker John Carman wondered, via meme, "Will the women's protest end in time for them to cook dinner?" it angered many participants in the January Women's March. On Tuesday, one of them got their revenge. The Inquirer reports 32-year-old Democrat Ashley Bennett defeated Republican Carman for his seat on the Atlantic County Board of Chosen Freeholders by nearly 1,000 votes out of the 14,000 cast in a strongly Republican district. The board oversees the government in Atlantic County, including Atlantic City, according to the AP. "I am beyond speechless and incredibly grateful to serve my community," Bennett, a psychiatric emergency screener, tells the Inquirer. "I never imagined I would run for office.” Bennett decided to go for it after Carman, 58, posted the meme on Facebook. "Elected officials shouldn't be on social media mocking and belittling people who are expressing their concerns about their community and the nation," she said prior to the election. Voters seemed to agree. "Those statements that Carman made really disappointed women in the community," one resident says. Carman had apologized for sharing the meme but added the women he knows are "strong and confident" enough to not be offended. A spokesperson for Bennett says she will focus on foreclosures and the economy. "She is ready to put in the hours to improve the lives of everyone in her district—and she doesn't plan on making it home in time to cook dinner any time soon," the spokesperson says.

This was expected, but still icky. After being sentenced to more than 15 years in prison last month on child porn and sex crimes charges, Jared Fogle is appealing his conviction in the hopes of getting a lighter term from a higher court. Fogle was transferred today from a prison in Henderson, Kentucky to a Federal facility in Oklahoma City, and it was then that he filed his notice of intent to appeal. Video: Dr. Phil Interviews One Of Jared's Alleged Victims With it, he's also hoping to [Image via FayesVision/WENN.] ||||| The 1980s were a painful time for some of Bruce Jenner's older children, who told Diane Sawyer in an exclusive interview that their father, an Olympic icon and international celebrity, seemed to vanish during those years. Interested in ? Add as an interest to stay up to date on the latest news, video, and analysis from ABC News. Add Interest Three decades later, they finally understand why. “We have a very complex relationship,” said Jenner’s daughter, Cassandra Marino, told Sawyer. “He’s disappeared out of our lives, especially out of my life. So ... I’m looking forward to this next chapter.” That next chapter emerged with Jenner embarking on a transition to life as a woman, which Jenner discussed in a two-hour interview with Sawyer during a special edition of “20/20” that aired Friday. In previously unseen remarks from that interview, Jenner’s children discussed the pain that their father’s absence caused -- and how their relationships have since improved. “Us missing, you know, a time of our lives is still probably the hardest thing for us to deal with,” Brandon Jenner said. “We’re trying not to look back. We’re just looking forward.” Bruce Jenner admitted that he was too often absent from his children’s lives during the 1980s, a period of depression and isolation as he faced an identity crisis. During the interview, Jenner referred to himself using male pronouns and ABC News has chosen to follow his lead, though he also referred to himself as “Bruce” and “her.” “The big formative years for them, I was really struggling with these issues,” Jenner said. “I talked to all the boys about this after the fact, that, yeah, I didn’t do a good job. And I apologized to my kids for that.” khloekardashian/Instagram Jenner’s children have a message: All is forgiven. “In seeing him come out to me and explain his true self, I was more proud right there to carry the last name Jenner and to be part of the family than at any time before,” said Brandon Jenner. Burt Jenner, the former Olympian’s first child, agreed. “The one thing, I think, that we have gained that means more to us than anything is the honesty,” Burt Jenner said. ABC News The Kardashian-Jenner posse, Bruce Jenner’s reality TV cohorts, expressed support on social media -- Kris and their two daughters, Kendall and Kylie, each called Jenner “my hero” on Twitter. Woke up still in awe... I've never been more proud of you, Dad!!!!!! — Kylie Jenner (@KylieJenner) April 25, 2015 Khloe Kardashian deployed an old family nickname -- “Bruzer” -- in a tweet during the broadcast. Just finished watching the #BruceJennerInterview with the family. Bruzer, I'm soooo proud of you! Dads really are heros ?? — Khloé (@khloekardashian) April 25, 2015 Kourtney Kardashian was also supportive. “Woke up with a smile on my face knowing this will change lives,” she wrote. Couldn't be a more proud daughter. With courage and bravery, let's change the world. I am honored to stand by Bruce's side and support him. — Kourtney Kardashian (@kourtneykardash) April 25, 2015 Jenner’s journey carries special resonance for the transgender community. Transgender model Arisce Wanzer told ABC News that Jenner’s declaration is a major flashpoint. “This is huge. It is going to change TV, it is going to change people’s minds, it is going to change the fans’ minds, and everyone is going to have to open their minds,” Wanzer said. Arin Andrews and Katie Rain Hill, both transgender authors, said this is just the beginning. “This is going to help people," Hill said. "I know, right now, someone watched this special and it clicked. It suddenly made sense to them.” “When it all comes down to it, we all bleed red, and we are all human, and we are all trying to be happy,” Andrews said. Get real-time updates as this story unfolds. To start, just "star" this story in ABC News' phone app. Download ABC News for iPhone here or ABC News for Android here. ||||| For years, Bruce Jenner’s relationships with his famous children have been documented for the reality show, “Keeping Up with the Kardashians.” Interested in ? Add as an interest to stay up to date on the latest news, video, and analysis from ABC News. Add Interest Recently, however, their typically breezy conversations took a decidedly more personal turn, when the former Olympian opened up to them about his gender transition. “I tried to explain to them that. ... ‘As much of your upbringing was her much as it was the he side, that I will always be there. I’m not going anywhere,’” Jenner told ABC’s Diane Sawyer in an exclusive interview that aired Friday in a special edition of “20/20.” During the interview, Jenner referred to himself using male pronouns and ABC News has chosen to follow his lead, though he also referred to himself as “Bruce” and “her.” Still, Jenner’s openness was met by his kids with tears, concern and love. There were also questions, including, ‘Should we still call you ‘Dad’?” "Those are the only ones I’m concerned with and… I can’t let myself hurt them,” Jenner said. Jenner has six biological children: Burt and Cassandra with his first wife Chrystie Scott, Brandon and Brody with his second wife Linda Thompson, and Kendall and Kylie with his third wife Kris Jenner. Jenner also played an integral role in raising Kris’s four children from her first marriage, Kourtney, Kim, Khloe and Robert Kardashian. Each had a different reaction: ABC Burt: Jenner’s eldest was supportive, but he also admitted that he’s struggled with the news. “It’s hard for me. He’s always answered his phone, you know, ‘What are you doin’ big guy?’ ‘Well, nothin’ big guy!’” he said. “And now, you know, do I ever-- would you ever call a female ‘big guy’? No you would not.” Cassandra: Cassandra met her father’s admission with concern. Worried that she was losing the parent she knew, she felt “huge relief” when Jenner said that she should still call him “dad.” “Dad said… ‘It’s not that I’m trying to dress up like a woman. It’s that I’ve spent my whole life dressing like a man,’” she recalled. “I just held his hand and I cried with him and I just told him how proud of him I was and how inspired I was.” Brandon: Brandon, Jenner’s third-born and an expectant father himself, was the first child Jenner told that he was struggling with gender identity. “Brandon is kind of like our little Gandhi,” Jenner explained. “He’s got this soul that’s just wonderful.” Brandon understands the transition might not be “easy,” and he and his siblings are rallying around their dad. “There’s a thread throughout his whole life of, you know, a life that he was longing to live, really. And, you know, when you’re that close with somebody, you see little clues, you know, no matter what,” he said. “I feel like I’m getting an upgraded version of my dad, of a parent.” “I’m just honored and more proud than ever to be a part of the family,” Brandon said. Brody: Jenner admitted that he wasn’t always a very attentive father, especially in the years when he was struggling most with his gender identity, which is when Brody was a young child. Brody, his fourth child, took that especially hard. Having this conversation, Brody said, really helped him better understand what was going on during those years. “The first thing I thought was just like, 'It finally makes sense,’” he said. Kendall and Kylie: Jenner’s youngest two actually caught their father trying on in a dress well before he talked to them about his gender transition. “They had their computer on that security mode, so any time someone walked in the room, the camera turned on because Kendall thought Kylie was stealing clothes from her,” Jenner explained. “They came home and turned on their computer and ‘oh my God.’” However, the Olympian’s discussion about the transition was still a tearful one. “They are very protective of me,” Jenner explained. “They don’t want anybody to hurt dad." In a joint statement to ABC News, Kendall and Kylie Jenner said, “We love our dad very much as he is an amazing father. We couldn’t ask for a better dad. He has the biggest heart and all we want for him is to be happy. If he’s happy, we’re happy.” The Kardashians: Kim, who also once caught Jenner in a dress, was the first of the Kardashian children to know. After she initially brushed him off, the reality TV star became much more understanding after her husband, Kanye West, discussed with her the importance of being true to one’s self. “They were talking about it and he says to Kim, ‘Look, I can be married to the most beautiful woman in the world, and I am. I can have the most beautiful little daughter in the world. I have that. But I’m nothing if I can’t be me ... if I can’t be true to myself they don’t mean anything,’ … and since then, Kimberly has been by far the most accepting, and the easiest to talk to,” Jenner said. She’s also encouraged Jenner to really embrace his new image. “[She said], ‘Girl, you gotta rock it baby. You gotta look good! If you’re doing this thing, I’m helping you. You’re representing the family. You gotta look really good,’” Jenner said. Also in Jenner’s camp is Kourtney, though she did have questions about what to tell her three small children about Jenner’s new life. And of all the Kardashians, Khloe has had the toughest time with Jenner’s transition. “She’s had a lot of losses in her life,” he said, citing the death of Khloe’s father and the breakup of her marriage. “She feels likes there’s this massive… ‘my whole life is falling apart,’ you know, ‘it’s my dad,’ and I try to explain… but I’m not going anywhere. I’m still going to be there for you." When reached by ABC News for this report, Kim Kardashian declined to comment. Kourtney, Khloe and Rob Kardashian did not respond to ABC News’ requests for comment. ABC News also reached out to Kris Jenner for this report, but she declined to comment.

– One of Bruce Jenner's ex-wives expressed her support after Jenner confirmed Friday that he's transgender and identifies as a woman. Also standing firm behind the former Olympic athlete: his four oldest children (the ones not regularly seen on Keeping Up With the Kardashians), despite the "very complex relationship" he had with them and his absence in their lives while they were growing up. Jenner has acknowledged pulling back from his older kids—Burt and Cassandra with first wife Chrystie Scott, and Brandon and Brody with second wife Linda Thompson, per ABC—as he struggled with his gender identity, telling Sawyer that in "the big formative years for them, I was really struggling with these issues. I talked to all the boys about this after the fact, that, yeah, I didn't do a good job. And I apologized to my kids for that." In clips from Diane Sawyer's 20/20 interview that didn't air Friday, daughter Cassandra Marino said the Olympic athlete "disappeared out of our lives, especially out of my life. So … I'm looking forward to this next chapter," per ABC News. Brandon also notes the pain he felt, but like his other siblings, he's ready to forgive and move on. "Us missing, you know, a time of our lives is still probably the hardest thing for us to deal with," he told Sawyer. "We're trying not to look back. We're just looking forward." Oldest son Burt has especially kicked into protect-Dad mode, apparently tweeting about fair-weather fans on Saturday, according to Perez Hilton and other media sources. "Having a hard time not putting a few people on blast who were not supporters before hand, but want to act like they were all along," read the since-deleted tweet. Hilton speculates Burt may have been talking about Kris Jenner.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republicans struggling to agree on healthcare legislation to overhaul Obamacare obeyed U.S. President Donald Trump’s orders to try to swiftly reach a deal but were unable to resolve their differences in a long, late-night meeting. Earlier on Wednesday, Trump took Senate Republicans to task for failing to agree on how to dismantle Obamacare, as a new report showed 32 million Americans would lose health insurance if senators opt to repeal the law without a replacement. Trump gathered 49 Republican senators for a White House lunch after a bill to repeal and replace the 2010 Affordable Care Act collapsed on Monday amid dissent from a handful of the party’s conservatives and moderates. After Trump’s exhortation to keep trying, party members met with Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price behind closed doors on Wednesday night to try to finally come together on a major Republican promise of the past seven years - undoing former Democratic President Barack Obama’s signature legislation, popularly known as Obamacare. There was no immediate breakthrough. “We still have some issues that divide us,” said Senator Ted Cruz, a conservative who has proposed letting insurers offer cheaper bare-bones plans that do not comply with Obamacare regulations. Republicans attending the late meeting sent their staff away in order to talk frankly and Senator John Kennedy said everyone was negotiating in good faith but he added he did not know if they would reach agreement. Almost all the other senators rushed off after the meeting without comment. As it was getting underway, the nearly two dozen Republican senators were shaken by news that their colleague, veteran Senator John McCain, had been diagnosed with brain cancer. McCain’s absence from the Senate makes the job of passing a healthcare bill more difficult because leaders need every Republican vote they can get. “Obviously, I think more people are worried about his health than thinking about the math. You understand the math. Obviously it makes things difficult,” Senator Bob Corker said as he left the meeting. Trump had taken a hands-off approach to the healthcare debate last week and suggested on Tuesday that he was fine with letting Obamacare fail. Then on Wednesday he switched course and demanded senators stay in Washington through their planned August recess until they find common ground on healthcare. “We can repeal, but we should repeal and replace, and we shouldn’t leave town until this is complete,” Trump said at the meeting. Trump made the repeal and replacement of Obamacare, which he has called a “disaster,” a central promise of his 2016 campaign. Even with Trump’s new push, Republican leaders in the Senate face a difficult task getting moderates and conservatives to agree on an overhaul that can pass. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had planned to hold a straight repeal vote next week, but several Republican senators have already said they oppose that approach. Thirty-two million Americans would lose their health insurance by 2026 if Obamacare is scrapped without an alternative in place, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office reported on Wednesday, while 17 million would become uninsured next year alone. At the same time, premiums on individual insurance plans would rise 25 percent next year and double by 2026. U.S. President Donald trump speaks during a lunch meeting with Senate Republicans to discuss healthcare at the White House in Washington, U.S., July 19, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque The CBO’s estimates were unchanged from a previous report that assessed the impact of a 2015 bill to repeal Obamacare that passed the House of Representatives and Senate and was vetoed by Obama. ‘TRUE DEATH SPIRAL’ Democrats were swift to highlight the CBO’s assessment, while Republicans remained silent. “President Trump and Republicans have repeatedly promised to lower premiums and increase coverage, yet each proposal they offer would do the opposite,” Senate Democratic leader Charles Schumer said in a statement. Insurers and hospitals have lobbied against straight repeal, saying the limbo would increase uncertainty and their costs. “CBO projects half the country would have no insurers in the individual market by 2020 under the new repeal bill. That’s a true death spiral,” tweeted Larry Levitt, vice president at the Kaiser Family Foundation, a healthcare research group. Republicans say Obamacare is a costly intrusion into the healthcare system. But the party is divided between moderates concerned the Senate bill would eliminate insurance for millions of low-income Americans and conservatives who want to see even deeper cuts to Obamacare, which boosted the number of Americans with health insurance by 20 million through mandates on individuals and employers, and income-based subsidies. Moderate Republican Senators Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Shelley Moore Capito said they opposed McConnell’s plan for a repeal that would take effect in two years. All three attended the lunch with Trump. With Democrats united in opposition to repeal, McConnell can only lose two votes from the Republicans’ 52-48 majority in the 100-seat Senate to pass healthcare legislation. Slideshow (15 Images) Opponents of repeal protested throughout Senate buildings on Wednesday afternoon, leading to 155 arrests, police said. Demonstrators returned in the evening to yell as senators arrived for the meeting. Party fractures also emerged in the House of Representatives. The chamber passed a plan to repeal and replace Obamacare in May. But on Wednesday, the House Freedom Caucus, the Republican Party’s conservative wing, filed a petition to vote on a straight repeal. House Speaker Paul Ryan’s spokeswoman, AshLee Strong, said: “The House passed an Obamacare repeal-and-replace bill we are proud of and we hope the Senate will take similar action.” ||||| President Trump sat next to Sen. Dean Heller Dean Arthur HellerSenate GOP PAC books millions in red state ad spending Left mounts heavy pressure campaign on swing senators over Supreme Court Senate passes mammoth farm bill MORE (R-Nev.), an opponent of the Senate GOP's bill to repeal and replace ObamaCare, at a White House lunch designed to salvage the effort. Trump used the seating arrangement to pressure Heller, joking about him wanting to “remain a senator.” “Any senator who votes against debate says you are fine with ObamaCare,” Trump said. Heller, considered one of the GOP’s most endangered 2018 incumbents, has a fraught relationship with the White House over his stance on healthcare. TRUMP to HELLER: "Look, he wants to remain a senator, doesn't he?" pic.twitter.com/LFiwuEY693 — JM Rieger (@RiegerReport) July 19, 2017 ADVERTISEMENT An outside group aligned with Trump announced last month it would launch a seven-figure ad buy against the Nevada senator for opposing the repeal-and-replace bill. The group, America First Policies, scrapped the ads at the urging of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellWhat to know about Trump's Supreme Court pick so far Bookstore owner calls police after customer confronted Steve Bannon McConnell pushing Trump toward 2 potential Supreme Court picks: report MORE (R-Ky.) Trump used a strategic seating arrangement at the last all-senators healthcare meeting at the White House, placing himself between Sens. Lisa Murkowksi (R-Alaska) and Susan Collins Susan Margaret CollinsWhat to know about Trump's Supreme Court pick so far McConnell pushing Trump toward 2 potential Supreme Court picks: report Hysteria about the Supreme Court vacancy isn’t about abortion — it’s about reparations MORE (R-Maine). Both senators opposed the repeal-and-replace plan and have said they would not vote to advance an alternative repeal-only bill backed by McConnell. Sen. Tim Scott Timothy (Tim) Eugene ScottGOP candidate vows to continue campaign in first public comments since car crash Tim Scott: Discussing race with Trump was 'painful' but made me 'hopeful' Black senators introduce anti-lynching bill MORE (R-S.C.) sat on the other side of the president on Wednesday. Trump sat by Heller, tells group of Republican Senators that he didn't put head above parapet bc "he wants to remain a senator doesn't he" — Andrew Beatty (@AndrewBeatty) July 19, 2017 Trump joked about Heller wanting to remain a senator & "Any senator who votes against debate says you are fine with Obamacare" via @spettypi — Jennifer Epstein (@jeneps) July 19, 2017 This report was updated at 12:55 p.m. ||||| CLOSE In remarks prepared for a meeting with Senators at the White House, President Donald Trump told Republicans: "We can repeal, but we should repeal and replace, and shouldn't leave town" until the bill is complete. (July 19) AP President Trump (Photo: Alex Brandon, Alex Brandon, AP) WASHINGTON — One day after President Trump declared he wanted to let the current health care law fail, he pressed Republican senators to agree to an alternative plan to replace Obamacare before taking any August recess. "I don't think we should leave town unless we have a health insurance plan," Trump said during a White House lunch attended by 49 of the 52 Republican senators. "We shouldn't leave town until this is complete, until this bill is on my desk." But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., was already hedging about whether that's possible. He promised to hold a vote next week to debate a bill to simply repeal Obamacare – without a replacement – but it's not clear whether he even has the votes to do that. "It's pretty obvious we've had difficulty in getting 50 votes," McConnell said. Related: The president also issued a warning to Republicans who want to delay taking action. "Any senator who votes against debate says you are fine with Obamacare," he said. Trump made his demands while seated next to Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., who is considered vulnerable in next year's congressional elections and has opposed Republicans' health care plans. Trump backers have also threatened a primary challenge of Heller over his recalcitrance. In an apparent reference to the political minefield Heller is facing on health care, Trump said: "Look, he wants to remain a senator, doesn't he?" Two of the three GOP senators not in attendance – John McCain of Arizona and Johnny Isakson of Georgia – are recovering from surgery. The third missing senator, Richard Burr of North Carolina, said he couldn't attend because he was presiding over the Senate at lunch. The less-than-perfect attendance at the White House underscores the difficulties for Trump and Republicans, even though they control both chambers of Congress. McConnell has been unable to secure enough support to repeal and replace Obamacare. He is willing to repeal the law and hold a vote on it next week – but there are already three Republican senators who say they won’t vote to bring it to the floor. In making his plea to Republicans, Trump also tore into his critics, singling out Senate Democratic leader Charles Schumer of New York, who has said the GOP health care plan is a matter of life and death for Americans who might lose coverage. "He was saying death, everyone's going to die – Death! Death! Death!" Trump said. "That's the only thing they're good at." The president also denounced predecessor Barack Obama as well as the health care law that bears his name, telling senators “Obamacare was a big lie," and "it was a lie directly from the president." Trump is making an aggressive push to achieve some kind of victory on health care, after several days of mixed messages. After GOP leaders announced Monday night they would pull a bill to "repeal and replace" the 2010 health care law signed by Obama, Trump said he was inclined to simply leave the current law in place, predicting it would "fail" and force Democrats to cooperate on a new plan. "We’re not going to own it – I’m not going to own it – I can tell you, the Republicans are not going to own it," Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday, "We’ll let Obamacare fail and then the Democrats are going to come to us, and they’re going to say, 'How do we fix it?'" Yet by Wednesday morning, Trump – who has sent conflicting signals throughout the health care debate over the course of the year – changed his tune, telling senators: "We can repeal, but we should repeal and replace ... I'll sign it." Still, as he announced Wednesday's lunch meeting, Trump already appeared to be distancing himself from his party or the fate of the repeal and replace efforts, repeatedly referring to Republicans as "they" and the health care plan as "their" bill. Tweeting ahead of his lunch with the Senate Republicans, Trump said "they MUST keep their promise to America!" I will be having lunch at the White House today with Republican Senators concerning healthcare. They MUST keep their promise to America! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 19, 2017 "The Republicans never discuss how good their healthcare bill is, & it will get even better at lunchtime," Trump said in another post. "The Dems scream death as OCare dies!" The Republicans never discuss how good their healthcare bill is, & it will get even better at lunchtime.The Dems scream death as OCare dies! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 19, 2017 Trump campaigned on a pledge on a campaign to repeal and replace Obamacare with a plan that does not cut Medicaid, covers "everybody," and provides people with preexisting conditions similar coverage as current law. He cheered passage of a House plan – which passed by a narrow 217 to 213 margin – and even hosted a party in the White House to celebrate its passage in early May. The Congressional Budget Office said the House bill would lead to 23 million fewer people having health insurance by 2026 as compared to Obamacare. And the health care issued moved to the Senate, Trump declared the House bill too "mean," and urged GOP senators to make changes. Now, Democrats are saying the Republicans should work with them, instead of Trump, given the president's recent comments. "Do they want to take the path of President Trump, who yesterday said he wanted our healthcare system to fail, or do they want to work with Democrats on legislation to improve the law?" said Democratic leader Charles Schumer of New York. Trump held a similar White House meeting with the Senate Republican caucus last month. At that confab, the president sat between GOP senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska – both of whom were in opposition to the Republican alternative to Obamacare. Republicans have had a variety of objections to a health care plan that had been pushed by McConnell. Some, including Collins and Murkowski, protested rollbacks in the Medicaid program. Some of the more conservative Republicans, such as Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, said the GOP plan did not go far enough in repealing Obamacare, particularly its tax provisions. It was a Monday night announcement by Lee and Republican Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas that forced McConnell to shelve the Republican repeal and replace plan As Republican senators planned to head to the White House, Moran told reporters: "I don’t know what the next step is." Contributing: Eliza Collins Read more: Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2uIC9g5

– President Trump treated 49 Republican senators to lunch Wednesday while threatening and pressuring them to get something done on health care, Reuters reports. According to the Hill, the pressure started with Sen. Dean Heller, who opposed the GOP health care bill and was seated next to Trump at the lunch. "He wants to remain a senator, doesn't he?" USA Today quotes Trump as joking about Heller. Heller's re-election in 2018 is far from assured. But the president also made the stakes clear to the other senators present. “Any senator who votes against debate says you are fine with ObamaCare,” Trump said. "Frankly inaction is not an option," he added. Trump told the senators they shouldn't leave for their scheduled August recess without getting health care done. "I don't think we should leave town unless we have a health insurance plan," he said. Mitch McConnell says the Senate will vote on repealing the ACA without a replacement plan next week despite signs the effort will fail. "I don't think anyone's mind is going to get changed sitting right there," Sen. Shelley Moore Capito said of the lunch with Trump. She has said she will vote against repealing the ACA. While pressuring senators to repeal the ACA, which he called "a big lie" that came "directly from the president," Trump is also distancing himself from whatever "they" end up doing. "They MUST keep their promise to America," Trump tweeted about senators before his lunch with them.

A possible hidden chamber within the ancient tomb of Tutankhamun is “full of treasures,” Egypt’s tourism minister has promised. The possibility of a hidden chamber was revealed late last year, when Egypt’s Antiques Ministry said scans of the boy king’s tomb showed evidence of another room behind two secluded doorways, and suggested the possibility of it being the resting place of Queen Nefertiti. Egypt’s tourism minister Hisham Zaazou told Spanish newspaper ABC on a trip to Spain that there will be a press conference regarding what has been found in Tutankhamun’s tomb, adding that the discovery will be a “Big Bang”. “We do not know if the burial chamber is Nefertiti or another woman, but it is full of treasures,” he told the newspaper. “It will be a ‘Big Bang’, the discovery of the 21st century”. Various theories surround the possibility of the hidden chamber. British Egyptologist Nicholas Reeves first raised the belief that Queen Nefertiti, understood to be Tutankhamun’s step-mother, could be buried in a secret compartment after high resolution photos showed straight lines on the walls of the tomb. In November, Egyptian officials said they were “90% sure” of the hidden chamber after conducting radar tests on the tomb. Discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb - in colour 21 show all Discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb - in colour 1/21 Carter and a worker examine the solid gold innermost sarcophagus, October 1925. Image courtesy of Griffith Institute, University of Oxford, colourised by Dynamichrome 2/21 Carter examines Tutankhamun's sarcophagus, October 1925. Image courtesy of Griffith Institute, University of Oxford, colourised by Dynamichrome 3/21 Carter, Callender and two Egyptian workers carefully dismantle one of the golden shrines within the burial chamber, December 1923. Image courtesy of Griffith Institute, University of Oxford, colourised by Dynamichrome 4/21 Carter, Mace and an Egyptian worker carefully roll up the linen pall covering the second shrine, 30th October 1923. Image courtesy of Griffith Institute, University of Oxford, colourised by Dynamichrome 5/21 Inside the outermost shrine in the burial chamber, a huge linen pall with gold rosettes, reminiscent of the night sky, covers the smaller shrines within, December 1923. Image courtesy of Griffith Institute, University of Oxford, colourised by Dynamichrome 6/21 Carter, Callende, and two workers remove the partition wall between the antechamber and the burial chamber, 2nd December 1923. Image courtesy of Griffith Institute, University of Oxford, colourised by Dynamichrome 7/21 A statue of Anubis on a shrine with pallbearers' poles in the treasury of the tomb, ca.1923. Image courtesy of Griffith Institute, University of Oxford, colourised by Dynamichrome 8/21 Arthur Mace and Alfred Lucas work on a golden chariot from Tutankhamun's tomb outside the "laboratory" in the tomb of Sethos II, December 1923. Image courtesy of Griffith Institute, University of Oxford, colourised by Dynamichrome 9/21 Howard Carter, Arthur Callender and an Egyptian worker wrap one of the sentinel statues for transport, 29th November 1923. Image courtesy of Griffith Institute, University of Oxford, colourised by Dynamichrome 10/21 In a "laboratory" set up in the tomb of Sethos II, conservators Arthur Mace and Alfred Lucas clean one of the sentinel statues from the antechamber, January 1924. Image courtesy of Griffith Institute, University of Oxford, colourised by Dynamichrome 11/21 Ornately carved alabaster vases in the antechamber, December 1922. Image courtesy of Griffith Institute, University of Oxford, colourised by Dynamichrome 12/21 Chests inside the treasury, ca.1923. Image courtesy of Griffith Institute, University of Oxford, colourised by Dynamichrome 13/21 A gilded bust of the Celestial Cow Mehet-Weret and chests sit in the treasury of the tomb, ca.1923. Image courtesy of Griffith Institute, University of Oxford, colourised by Dynamichrome 14/21 Under the lion bed in the antechamber are several boxes and chests, and an ebony and ivory chair which Tutankhamun used as a child, December 1922. Image courtesy of Griffith Institute, University of Oxford, colourised by Dynamichrome 15/21 A gilded lion bed and inlaid clothes chest among other objects in the antechamber, December 1922. Image courtesy of Griffith Institute, University of Oxford, colourised by Dynamichrome 16/21 An assortment of model boats in the treasury of the tomb, ca. 1923. Image courtesy of Griffith Institute, University of Oxford, colourised by Dynamichrome 17/21 A gilded lion bed, clothes chest and other objects in the antechamber. The wall of the burial chamber is guarded by statues, december 1922. Image courtesy of Griffith Institute, University of Oxford, colourised by Dynamichrome 18/21 A ceremonial bed in the shape of the Celestial Cow, surrounded by provisions and other objects in the antechamber of the tomb, December 1922. Image courtesy of Griffith Institute, University of Oxford, colourised by Dynamichrome 19/21 Howard Carter, Arthur Callender and an Egyptian worker open the doors of the innermost shrine and get their first look at Tutankhamun's sarcophagus, 4th January 1924. Image courtesy of Griffith Institute, University of Oxford, colourised by Dynamichrome 20/21 Tutankhamun's burial mask, November 1925. Image courtesy of Griffith Institute, University of Oxford, colourised by Dynamichrome 21/21 Lord Carnarvon, financier of the excavation, reads on the veranda of Carter's house near the Valley of the Kings, ca.1923. Image courtesy of Griffith Institute, University of Oxford, colourised by Dynamichrome But former antiquities minister and archaeologist Zahi Hawasshas refuted Mr Reeves’ claims, believing Queen Nefertiti to be one of the female mummies discovered in the Valley of the Queens, which are currently undergoing DNA tests at the Egyptian museum. It is thought that Tutenkhamun’s tomb may have originally been Queen Nefertiti’s tomb, but was converted when he died at the age of 19, before his own burial chamber had been completed. ||||| An Egyptologist has suggested hidden chambers lie behind a wall in King Tut's tomb. Forthcoming scans may reveal whether such chambers exist. On April 2, a new series of radar scans will be performed on King Tutankhamun's tomb to search for hidden chambers that may contain an undiscovered royal burial, Egypt's antiquities ministry has announced. The announcement comes after stories were published in numerous media outlets last week claiming that Egypt's tourism minister, Hisham Zazou, had told the Spanish news outlet ABC that the chambers had been proven to exist and contain numerous treasures. "The Ministry of Antiquities has not issued any statement concerning the results that have been reached so far," the ministry said in a statement released to Live Science. "Further radar examinations will be performed on April 2, and a press conference will be held afterwards to announce the results of the scan." [See Photos of King Tut's Mummy & His Burial] Last year, University of Arizona Egyptologist Nicholas Reeves published findings suggesting that there are hidden chambers behind a wall in Tutankhamun's tomb. These chambers, he believes, hold the burial of Queen Nefertiti, the wife of Akhenaten, a pharaoh who was Tutankhamun's father. "We could be faced, for the first time in recent history, with the intact burial of an Egyptian pharaoh in the Valley of the Kings," Reeves told Live Science last year. King Tutankhamun lived between roughly 1343 and 1323 B.C. Credit: Horemweb Wikimedia. Scans performed by Factum Arte, a company commissioned to scan Tutankhamun's tomb, show unusual lines and abnormalities in the plaster of the tomb, Reeves said, adding that these features indicate that a wall was built over a doorway in ancient times. Some of the artifacts in Tutankhamun's tomb were originally made for Nefertiti but were buried with Tutankhamun after the boy king's death, Reeves found. Radar scans performed on the tomb last year suggest that a void could exist behind the wall. Egypt's former antiquities minister, Zahi Hawass, urged that the claims be viewed cautiously. He noted that the geology of the Valley of the Kings can lead radar to produce false positives showing a tomb when, in fact, there is only a natural feature. Reeves did not immediately respond to Live Science's requests for comment on the latest developments. Tourism disaster Tourism has long been a major industry in Egypt. Since the revolution that toppled former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in 2011, Egypt's tourism industry has struggled, archaeologists have told Live Science. The political instability over the past five years has meant that the number of visitors to Egypt has yet to return to its prerevolution levels. Additionally, recent terrorist attacks — including the bombing of a Russian plane in the Sinai Desert, an attack carried out by the Islamic State group, or ISIS — have made it difficult for the Egyptian government to convince tourists that the country is safe to visit, according to these archaeologists. Egyptian officials hope that, if a hidden tomb is discovered, it will spur tourists to return to Egypt, bringing badly needed revenue and jobs to the country. Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.

– First came the theory, then a dribble of updates: In August 2015, University of Arizona archaeologist Nicholas Reeves made the case that Tutankhamun's tomb also holds the remains of Nefertiti. Egyptian authorities had no comment at the time, but three months later, a duo of stories seemed to lend credence to the idea, at least of a hidden chamber. A "preliminary analysis indicates the presence of an area different in its temperature than the other parts of the northern wall," announced Egypt's antiquities minister; further scans that month led Egyptian officials to say they were "approximately 90%" certain a previously unknown chamber is present. Now, the next step in the process has been established. Additional radar exams will take place April 2, and the Ministry of Antiquities will hold a subsequent press conference to share the findings. That update was provided in an emailed statement to Live Science in an apparent attempt to discredit a story picked up by the media last week (see the Independent's version here) in which the country's tourism minister supposedly told Spanish media that the hidden chamber was packed with "treasures." Counters the statement, "The Ministry of Antiquities has not issued any statement concerning the results that have been reached so far."

Now open for just under three months, Walter and Margarita Manzke's hallmark restaurant, Republique, is coming under fire for its 3% healthcare surcharge added to every bill. KPCC reports that a few vocal Yelpers have complained of the surcharge that was instituted as a response to the requirement for companies with more than 50 full-time employees to provide healthcare. Everyone at Republique is entitled to sign up for an H.M.O., even down to the dishwashers, who are offered full-time status. One Yelper writes regarding the surcharge: "Needless to say... I didn't really feel that great about the mandatory 3% healthcare charge tacked on to the bill. I'd rather have used that money to go get a massage after sitting on those stools for so long." Another complains: "One interesting side note is the 3% surcharge on the check that apparently serves to provide healthcare for the employees. Something about this strikes me as tacky. Sure, I could take this 3% out of my 20% tip, but why put me in that position to begin with? A bit silly for such an otherwise upscale experience." And finally, a more reasonable response: "Lastly, they add a 3% surcharge to the bill for employee health insurance. I'm cool with that, but they should make it easy to not tip on the 3%. They warn you to do the math, but give me a break. Subtract 3% and then add 20%? Just feels like they expect you to say 'screw it' and tip on the entire total." The practice has been common in the City of San Francisco, where restaurants collect an additional fee to apply to their employees' healthcare costs. However, a study by the Office of Labor Standards found that only a third of the fees collected, which amounted to $14 Million in 2011, actually went toward healthcare. It's that major discrepancy that's caused problems for the reputation of the healthcare surcharge. But that's in San Francisco. Republique is hoping to make a statement not only offering the benefit, but guaranteeing that the 3% charge will allay medical costs, just like the 28-day aged cote de boeuf is indeed, aged for 28 days. Staff at the restaurant have said that only a handful of customers have openly griped about the charge, but hefty percentage of Yelp reviews have mentioned the fee. Should restaurants charge an extra nominal fee to help provide healthcare for their employees, or should they simply implement those costs across the rest of the bill? ·Health care surcharge riles customers at top LA eatery [KPCC] ·All Republique Coverage [~ELA~] ||||| Today’s exciting new development in the anti-Obamacare resistance is that Gator’s Dockside, a Florida restaurant chain, is warning its customers of the terrible things that are happening to it, and them, as a result of the new health-care law. “The costs associated with ACA compliance could ultimately close our doors,” instructs the sign, “Instead of raising prices on our products to generate the additional revenue needed to cover the costs of ACA compliance, certain Gator’s Dockside locations have implemented a 1% surcharge on all food and beverage purchases only.” A one-percent surcharge! It’s like an Ayn Rand novel come to life! Conservatives find this development very exciting. Obviously, the restaurateur is thinking about this from the perspective of an angry talk-radio-listening Republican rather than that of a hard-headed capitalist. There are costs associated with all kinds of government regulations and spending, but he’s not creating a line item on his tab to highlight his share of, say, financing the Department of Defense. The main problem here is that, as an act of propaganda, this is completely self-defeating. Customers are told that the dreaded Obummercare may “ultimately” put the restaurant out of business – maybe one day, when the Sharia FEMA camp portion is phased in. But in the meantime, they’re covering it by making the two people buying lunch fork over an additional 20 cents to cover health insurance for the restaurant’s employees. That really doesn’t sound like the worst deal in the world. ||||| A Florida group that that manages several restaurants is already banking money for when the Obamacare employer mandate takes effect in 2015, and is charging customers a 1 percent surcharge on food and drinks. Currently only management employees of the eight Gator’s Dockside restaurants receive health insurance, but starting in December, in order to comply with the employer mandate, about 250 full-time employees will also receive health insurance, according to CNN Money. Sandra Clark, director of operations for the Gator Group that manages the restaurants, “is not sure how much the company is spending on compliance, but estimates that it will cost $500,000 a year to extend insurance to its full-time hourly restaurant workers,” CNN Money reported. “The surcharge may bring in about $160,000 a year, she hopes.” Gator’s Dockside isn’t the first restaurant to start charging an Obamacare fee. A Los Angeles restaurant has also implemented a surcharge. Gator’s Dockside could choose to not give full-time employees coverage even once the mandate kicks in, and pay a fine. Or the chain could reduce its current full-time employees’ hours, so that they only work part-time – and thus don’t qualify for health coverage under the employee mandate. But as the surcharge shows, Obamacare is no free lunch. Most businesses probably won’t opt to add a specific surcharge in order to cover their new health care costs, but some will certainly raise prices – or reduce quality of their products. Obamacare hasn’t driven down the costs of health insurance, or found a magical new source to cover those costs.

– An otherwise nondescript restaurant chain in Florida is suddenly national news thanks to a new policy: Gator's Dockside has added a 1% surcharge to cover the costs of the Affordable Care Act, reports CNN Money. Participating restaurants aren't trying to hide it, either. "The costs associated with ACA compliance could ultimately close our doors," reads a sign to patrons. "Instead of raising prices on our products to generate the additional revenue needed to cover the costs of ACA compliance, certain Gator's Dockside locations have implemented a 1% surcharge on all food and beverage purchases only." An executive with the chain estimates that it will cost $500,000 a year to provide all its workers with insurance when the employer mandate kicks in next year, and she figures the surcharge will bring in about $160,000 annually. Dumb move: "Obviously, the restaurateur is thinking about this from the perspective of an angry talk-radio-listening Republican rather than that of a hard-headed capitalist," writes Jonathan Chait at the Daily Intelligencer. "There are costs associated with all kinds of government regulations and spending, but he’s not creating a line item on his tab to highlight his share of, say, financing the Department of Defense." Smart move: "As the surcharge shows, Obamacare is no free lunch," writes Katrina Trinko at the Heritage Foundation. "Most businesses probably won’t opt to add a specific surcharge in order to cover their new health care costs, but some will certainly raise prices—or reduce quality of their products. Obamacare hasn’t driven down the costs of health insurance, or found a magical new source to cover those costs." Similar move: Eater notes that a popular Los Angeles restaurant, Republique, asks diners to pay a 3% surcharge for employee health care costs. The restaurant makes it optional, however, and says it is not specifically tied to the new law's mandates.

Denmark's astronaut Andreas Mogensen, member of the main crew of the mission to the International Space Station (ISS), waves to his relatives from a bus prior the launch of Soyuz-FG rocket at the Russian... (Associated Press) Kazakhstan's cosmonaut Aydyn Aimbetov, center, Russian cosmonaut Sergei Volkov, bottom, and Denmark's astronaut Andreas Mogensen, members of the main crew of the mission to the International Space Station... (Associated Press) Kazakhstan's cosmonaut Aydyn Aimbetov, member of the main crew of the mission to the International Space Station (ISS), gestures near the rocket prior the launch at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome,... (Associated Press) Kazakhstan's cosmonaut Aydyn Aimbetov, left, Russian cosmonaut Sergei Volkov, center, and Denmark's astronaut Andreas Mogensen, members of the main crew of the expedition to the International Space Station... (Associated Press) Russian cosmonaut Sergei Volkov, member of the main crew of the mission to the International Space Station (ISS), gestures near to the rocket prior the launch at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome,... (Associated Press) Denmark's astronaut Andreas Mogensen, member of the main crew of the mission to the International Space Station (ISS), gestures near the rocket prior the launch at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome,... (Associated Press) The rocket lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, a Russian launch facility in Kazakhstan, on schedule at 10:37 a.m. (0437 GMT), with "everything going flawlessly," according to a commentator on NASA television. It was the 500th launch of both manned and unmanned spacecraft from the launch pad used in 1961 by Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space, the commentator said. Andreas Mogensen is the first Dane in space. Russia's Sergei Volkov is following in the footsteps of his father, who 24 years ago launched into space with the first astronaut from Kazakhstan. The Kazakh on the current mission, Aidyn Aimbetov, got his seat when British singer Sarah Brightman pulled out. The new three-man crew will arrive at the orbiting outpost on Friday after a two-day flight through space. For the past two years, the crews have taken a more direct, six-hour flight, but the Russian Federal Space Agency decided last week to revert to the traditional route, citing security concerns after the International Space Station had to adjust its orbit to dodge space junk. The arrival of Volkov, Aimbetov and Mogensen will bring the number on board the station to nine for the first time since November 2013. The Kazakh and Dane are scheduled to return to Earth on Sept. 12 with Russian Gennady Padalka, the current station commander. Command will then be passed to NASA's Scott Kelly, who along with Mikhail Kornienko of Russia is spending a full year on the station to study the effects of long space travel in preparation for a possible future trip to Mars. ||||| Andreas Mogensen will take 26 specially designed toys on his mission to the International Space Station Denmark is sending its first man into space – along with 26 Lego toys to keep him company on the journey. Andreas Mogensen, a 38-year-old aerospace engineer from Copenhagen, will leave for the International Space Station on 2 September. The specially designed plastic toys joining him will bear the official logo of his mission for the European Space Agency (ESA) and will be given to schoolchildren as a competition prize once the mission is complete. Mogensen studied aeronautical engineering at Imperial College London before completing a doctorate in aerospace engineering at the University of Texas. He was selected as an astronaut in 2009. Now, he is embarking on a 10-day trip to the ISS as part of the Iriss mission to test new technology and take photos of thunderstorms and lightning – nicknamed project Thor. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Andreas Mogensen will become the first Dane in space. Photograph: Shamil Zhumatov/Reuters “It’s a great honour for me to represent Denmark as an astronaut,” Mogensen told fans on an ESA hangout before going into pre-launch lockdown. “It’s difficult for me to imagine what it’s going to be like … It’s not until I’m strapped in the seat and feel the rocket lighting that I’ll feel: ‘Woah, this is really happening!’” Mogensen was keen to take a few more reminders of home with him, including Danish flags, a classic rye-bread porridge and a text by Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard. Prof Niels Jørgen Cappelørn, from Copenhagen University, recommended Kierkegaard’s classic The Lily of the Field and the Bird of Air, telling the Guardian: “It’s all about silence, obedience and joy – something I thought would be an inspiration in space – and an important theme in these texts is passion, which you need to be an astronaut.” Watch Mogensen being launched into space on 2 September at 6.38am (0438 GMT).

– It's one huge journey for a Lego man: Three astronauts blasted off for the International Space Station this morning, including Andreas Mogensen, who's now the first Dane in space. Lego is one of his country's most famous products and Mogensen is bringing 26 Lego figurines bearing the mission logo, as well as some Danish rye porridge and a book by Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard, the Guardian reports. When Mogensen returns from his scheduled 10-day stay on the ISS, the Lego will be handed out to schoolchildren. Mogensen, whose mission will include testing Danish-made exercise bikes and photographing storms on Earth, is joined by Russia's Sergei Volkov and Kazakhstan's Aidyn Aimbetov, bringing the number of people on the ISS to nine for the first time since 2013, the AP reports. Aimbetov—who got his seat when British singer Sarah Brightman canceled her $52 million space voyage, citing family reasons—will return with Mogensen on Sept. 12 along with current ISS commander Gennady Padalka, a Russian. Volkov will remain on the ISS, where American Scott Kelly will be the new commander. (Mogensen is his country's first astronaut, but a Lego man got to space years before him.)

Story highlights Trump has repeatedly criticized the Iran deal Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said it would be a "great pity" if "rogue newcomers" destroy the deal Washington (CNN) Secretary of Defense James Mattis said Tuesday that he believes it is in US national security interest to remain in the Iran nuclear agreement despite repeated hints from President Donald Trump that he is inclined to scrap the deal. During a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. Angus King asked Mattis: "Do you believe it is in our national security interest at the present time to remain in the (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action)? That is a yes or no question." Mattis replied, "Yes, senator, I do." "The point I would make is if we can confirm that Iran is living by the agreement, if we can determine that this is in our best interests then clearly we should stay with it," Mattis added. "I believe at this point in time absent indications to the contrary, it is something the President should consider staying with." But Mattis went on to explain that he also supports a rigorous review of national security issues related to Iran that may fall outside the exact terms of the agreement. Read More ||||| But the evident dissonance between the president and his senior national security advisers has taken on greater consequence in the cases of Iran and North Korea, which are potentially questions of war or peace. Amid the simmering North Korean crisis, Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson told reporters in Beijing over the weekend that he was keeping “a couple, three channels open to Pyongyang” to defuse the situation. The next morning, he was slapped down by Mr. Trump, who read newspaper accounts of that conversation and tweeted “save your energy Rex,” complaining that Mr. Tillerson was “wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man,” the president’s derisive nickname for Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader. White House officials said Mr. Trump was angry that his secretary of state was suggesting it was time to talk with North Korea, when official administration policy is that the North must earn the right — by halting missile and nuclear tests for an unspecified period of time. It was hardly the first time that Mr. Tillerson, who is widely reported to be frustrated in the job, has publicly split with the president. In August, he conceded that he had argued in favor of keeping the Iran deal, saying he had “differences of views” from the president. At the same time, he acknowledged that Iran continued to support terrorism and was failing to comply with what he called “the spirit” of the agreement. At the meeting with reporters in the American ambassador’s residence in Beijing, Mr. Tillerson hinted he was pressing Mr. Trump to certify to Congress once again that Iran is in compliance with the agreement despite Mr. Trump’s declaration in August that he would have declared the country “noncompliant 180 days ago.” Mr. Trump must make that decision anew by Oct. 15. But his choice is not necessarily the final word on the deal. Even if he decertifies the agreement, Congress could hold back on restoring the economic sanctions that the United States agreed to ease in exchange for Iran halting its nuclear weapons program. If Congress did not act, the deal would be preserved. “I don’t want to suggest to you that we’re not going to stick with the Iranian deal,” Mr. Tillerson said. “The president will have to make that decision; ultimately, it’s what he wants to do.”

– The deal with Iran that President Trump calls a "disaster" serves the interests of American national security and is "something that the president should consider staying with," Defense Secretary Jim Mattis says. Mattis contradicted Trump's position on the deal to restrict Iran's nuclear program after being pressed on the issue during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Tuesday, the New York Times reports. He said he supports Trump's "rigorous review" of national security issues, but said the deal was worth keeping if "we can confirm that Iran is living by the agreement." Trump last re-certified Iran's compliance in July and the next deadline for him to do so is Oct. 15, ABC News reports. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford also expressed support for the deal during Tuesday's hearing, CNN reports. "Iran is not in material breach of the agreement, and I do believe the agreement to date has delayed the development of a nuclear capability by Iran," he said. Trump has called the deal an "embarrassment" for the US and complained that it does not address issues including Iran's missile development. After criticizing the deal in his speech to the United Nations General Assembly last month, Trump said he had made up his mind on the future of the agreement, though he didn't disclose his decision.

A registered sex offender who shot himself as officers approached him for questioning about the disappearance of 4-year-old northeast Missouri girl was almost certainly the man who took her, police said Thursday. FILE - This file photo provided by the Missouri State Highway Patrol shows 4-year-old eastern Mo. girl Alisa Maier, who was playing with her brother Monday, July 5, 2010 when a black four-door passenger... (Associated Press) Roy Harrison, the grandfather of Alisa Maier, 4, carries away flowers and presents from Maier's home in Louisiana, Mo., Wednesday, July 7, 2010. Maier was abducted Monday night from the yard of her home... (Associated Press) Roy Harrison, the grandfather of Alisa Maier, 4, smiles while speaking with reporters at Maier's home in Louisiana, Mo., Wednesday, July 7, 2010. Maier was abducted Monday night from the yard of her home... (Associated Press) A welcome home sign adorns the lawn outside 4 year-old Alisa Maier's home in Louisiana, Mo., Wednesday, July 7, 2010. Maier was abducted Monday night from the yard of her home in Louisiana, Mo. and found... (Associated Press) Welcome home signs with stuffed animals and balloons adorn the porch of 4 year-old Alisa Maier's home in Louisiana, Mo., Wednesday, July 7, 2010. Maier was abducted Monday night from the yard of her home... (Associated Press) Authorities on Thursday said 38-year-old Paul S. Smith of Hawk Point, Mo., was the suspect in the Monday abduction of Alisa Meier, who was found alive and unharmed the following evening. Smith died late Wednesday at a St. Charles hospital. "It's over," St. Louis County Police Chief Tim Fitch said at a news conference. "There's no reason to believe at this point that anyone else was involved." Smith was convicted in 1995 of sodomy in a case involving a 10-year-old boy, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol's registry of sex offenders. He served about 11 years in prison. Alisa, a little girl with big brown eyes, was snatched from the front yard of her Louisiana, Mo., home about 8 p.m. Monday while her mother was inside cooking dinner. Her 6-year-old brother, Blake, told police a young man in a dark-colored car pulled up and ordered Alisa to get in. A little more than 24 hours later, a dark-colored car was seen at a car wash in St. Louis County, some 70 miles to the south. About the same time, a child was seen wandering around the car wash. It turned out to be Alisa. Police followed up on more than 100 leads in the search for her abductor. It wasn't a tip, though, that led to Smith. Once Alisa was found safe, police noticed she was wearing new clothes. Tags on the clothes indicated they came from Wal-Mart, and police traced them to a store in Troy, about halfway between Louisiana and St. Louis County. Surveillance video from the store showed a man matching Smith's description. Smith also bought cigarettes at the store, requiring him to give a date of birth, which aided in the investigation. Fitch said the video surveillance did not indicate that Alisa was in the store with Smith when he bought the clothes. About 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, officers approached a tiny home in Hawk Point, Mo., a small community not far from Troy. Smith was spray painting his dark-colored car silver when officers approached, Fitch said. Without warning, Smith pulled out a handgun and shot himself. He died about six hours later. Authorities credited an Amber Alert, media and public attention for Alisa's safe return. Relatives have said the girl was unharmed and that she told them she was treated well during her captivity, except for a haircut apparently administered by the suspect, perhaps to conceal her identity. Louisiana Police Chief Rich Hughes said the town of 3,800 residents had rallied around Alisa and her family. "A small community, you can imagine how this impacts them," Hughes said at a news conference in St. Louis County. "To see Alisa come back home is great." Her great-aunt, Angela Reddick, said a welcome-home party was planned for Saturday. "We're just so happy," Reddick said. "We can't wait to see her and give her a big hug." Celebratory messages graced church billboards and an electronic bank sign as Louisiana rejoiced in Alisa's safe return. Visitors to the family's small frame home left balloons and teddy bears on the porch and in the yard. "I turned on the news and my wife and I both started crying and fell down to our knees and thanked the Lord," Terry Cook, a pastor who helped organize a prayer vigil for the child Tuesday night. The vigil drew 400 people, more than the town's Fourth of July festival. Fitch said law officers continue to investigate Smith's background and whether he may have been involved in other unsolved missing child cases. Among them is the case of Bianca Piper, a 13-year-old girl who went missing from her home near Foley, Mo., in 2005. Foley and Louisiana are both situated along Missouri Route 79, and are about 25 miles apart. "You can't ignore the similarities," Fitch said. ||||| Thursday July 8, 2010 - Louisiana, Missouri - Roy Harrison, right, holds his four-year-old granddaughter Alisa Maier after she arrived home after being abducted Monday evening allegedly by Paul S. Smith of Lincoln County. She was found in Fenton about 26 hours later. Christian Gooden cgooden@post-dispatch.com UPDATED, 1:45 p.m. with details of Alisa's return home. LOUISIANA, Mo. -- Alisa Maier arrived home at 1:25 p.m. today to the cheers of about two dozen relatives and friends. They had been waiting on the front lawn of the family home at 320 North Carolina Street, where she had been when a kidnapper snatched her Monday evening. Alisa, 4, wore a red shirt with an American flag on front, red pants and pink flip-flops. Her mother, Kimberly Harrison, walked her to the front door beneath a large banner saying, "Welcome Home Alisa." Her father, David Maier, had driven the family home in a Chevrolet Impala, then followed them in with the overnight bags. He stopped briefly to speak with the reporters. Asked about the ordeal, he said, "You don’t want to know. I’ve been numb this whole time this has been going on." Asked about Alisa and whether she has told them much, he said, "She’s happy. I’m not pushing her to say anything." Kimberly Harrison spoke from the family porch. "I really missed her. I’m just glad she’s home right now," she said. A few moments later, Alisa came back out on the porch, ready to play. A cousin, Carissa Doyle, gave Alisa a hug. Before the arrival, grandfather Roy Harrison did a somersault on the lawn after one of the kids did a back flip. On Wednesday, after Alisa had been returned to her family in Fenton, he had said, "I’d to a back flip if I could, but I’m just too dadgum old." His quote was widely reported from coast to coast. Angela Reddick, a great aunt, said of Smith, "I wish we could have faced him in court. It’s justice in a way, because now he’s facing his maker." Great-grandmother Mary Foiles sought to find something redeeming in Smith’s decision to relase Alisa on Tuesday night at the Fenton Car Wash. "I believed that man had enough good in him that God could touch him," Foiles said. "Either that, or he was so afraid, he let her go. Or maybe both." Earlier today, police said they are confident that Paul S. Smith, the sex offender who shot himself to death Wednesday is the man who kidnapped Alisa, then released her 26 hours later in Fenton. And investigators were led to Smith after a Walmart store released video of him buying new clothing for Alisa. They knew it was Walmart clothing based on the tags inside the new clothes she had on when he dropped her off alive at a Fenton strip mall. Those new details emerged Thursday morning at a press conference led by St. Louis County Police Chief Tim Fitch in Clayton. "We are confident, at this point, that he is the suspect," Fitch told reporters. After executing search warrants on Smith's cell phone records, his car and home, Fitch said: "We have recovered evidence to lead us to believe that he is the one who abducted Alisa." Smith, 38, died about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday at St. Joseph Health Center in St. Charles from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He shot himself with a small-caliber handgun as police approached him outside his Hawk Point, Mo., home to question him in the kidnapping. He was considered a "person of interest" at that point. Smith was painting a dark-colored car 1991 Mazda Protege when police approached him, at a home on Highway D in Hawk Point. Investigators said they didn't see Alisa in the Walmart video. Police went to the Walmart in Troy, Mo., after seeing the tags in new clothing. "The child's clothes had been changed, so we were able to track that back," Fitch said. The video, of course, didn't give police his name, but Smith apparently also bought cigarettes at checkout, triggering the need for him to supply the cashier with identification with his date of birth. That information helped lead police to Smith. Fitch said investigators pulled off good, old-fashioned police work to find Smith. An earlier report that a relative tipped police off to Smith was erroneous, he said. Police believe Smith acted alone. Fitch thanked the public and the media for their assistance in the case. He told reporters, "You and the public put pressure on Mr. Smith." Alisa was abducted from the front lawn of her Louisiana, Mo., home Monday evening, shortly after her mother called her to dinner. Her 6-year-old brother was the only eyewitness, and he provided police with a description of the man and the car. Alisa reappeared almost 26 hours later, wandering alone at a car wash in Fenton. Fitch said he wasn't sure why Smith chose Fenton to drop the girl off. He said Smith has a relative in south St. Louis but police were unaware of any dealings he had in Fenton. Fitch also said that Smith was familiar with Lousiana, Mo., but police aren't sure what brought him to that area Monday, the day of the kidnapping. Meanwhile Thursday morning, Roy Harrison, the quotable grandfather, told the Post-Dispatch that Alisa was watching a television newscast in a St. Louis area hotel room with her mother and father when she saw a picture of Smith flash on the screen Wednesday. "Without prompting, she said, 'He cut my hair,'" Harrison said. The kidnapper apparently cut Alisa's hair to disguise her or make her look like a boy. Separately, back in the girl's hometown of Louisiana, Mo., Alisa's brother, 6-year-old Blake, was watching television with his grandmother and aunt. Blake was the lone witness to the abduction. He too recognized Smith's photograph, Harrison said. "Blake said, 'That's the man,'" Harrison said. "And he was scared." Harrison said that, after seeing Smith's mugshot, he thinks Blake did a great job of providing such a detailed description for a little boy under stress. "I think he was right on," Harrison said. Harrison joked that family members may be talking with Blake about a possible career in law enforcement, because he has an eye for detail. Christine Byers of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report. EARLIER VERSION Suspect shoots himself By PATRICK M. O'CONNELL poconnell@post-dispatch.com > 314-340-8126 STEPHEN DEERE sdeere@post-dispatch.com > 314-340-8116 and CHRISTINE BYERS cbyers@post-dispatch.com > 314-863-2821 LOUISIANA, Mo. -- The prime suspect in the abduction of a Louisiana, Mo., girl shot himself in the head when authorities closed in Wednesday afternoon, a day after the 4-year-old was found alive in a St. Louis County strip mall parking lot. Police converged on the rural residence in Hawk Point in Lincoln County about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday after receiving information that the man who may have taken 4-year-old Alisa Maier lived there. Police sources said the suspect is Paul S. Smith, a sex offender who lived at a home on Highway D in Hawk Point. Smith was spraypainting his car silver when police approached, a police source said. He lived nearly six hours after shooting himself. Smith, 38, matches the general description of the abductor. His dark-colored car - the one he was painting - matched the description of the car involved in the abduction, police said. Alisa was abducted from the front lawn of her Louisiana home Monday evening, shortly after her mother called her to dinner. She reappeared almost 26 hours later, wandering alone at a car wash in Fenton. She was reunited with her parents, David Maier and Kimberly Harrison, early Wednesday morning at the county police's Fenton precinct. Officers and family then drove into St. Louis at 4:30 a.m. to Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center, where doctors examined her. Alisa's grandfather Roy Harrison told reporters that Alisa and her family were in a hotel in an undisclosed location and would not go home for a while. He said Alisa was fine. "No harm at all," Harrison said when asked whether she had been hurt. Police in St. Louis County would not discuss the medical examination of Alisa done Wednesday. Investigators said that when she was taken to the hospital late Tuesday night she was tired and did not say much. Smith, the suspect, was convicted in 1995 of sodomy of a 10-year-old and served about 11 years in prison. He is listed on the Missouri sex offender registry as a noncompliant offender, meaning he has not informed authorities of his current address. Records confirm Smith as linked to the Highway D address. Other records show addresses for him in St. Louis and in Rolla. Smith's middle name is variously listed in records as Steven and Serling. TIP POINTS TO SUSPECT A police source said a tip from one of Smith's relatives had pointed authorities to the suspect. Lincoln County Capt. Shayne Duryea said three sheriff's deputies went to the property after the tip was passed along from Louisiana police. They approached the man in his driveway. He had a handgun and they ordered him to put the gun down, Duryea said. He refused and shot himself in the head, Duryea said. Smith received a suspended execution of sentence earlier this year for tampering with a motor vehicle and receiving stolen property in Lincoln County. He also served three days in jail two weeks ago after a 2009 guilty plea for marijuana possession and unlawful use of drug paraphernalia, according to court records. Another person connected to the Highway D address, James B. Oellermann, also is listed on the state's sex offender registry. Oellermann, 54, was convicted of first-degree child molestation of a 7-year-old girl in Troy, Mo. He was sentenced in 2004 to five years in prison. Oellermann also has a prior conviction for possession of child pornography. Police have not said that Oellermann was involved in Alisa's abduction. Two people at the Fenton Car Wash, on Gravois Road just east of Missouri Highway 141, called police about 9:45 p.m. Tuesday to report having seen a little boy abandoned by a man who drove off in a dark-colored clunker. Officers soon learned that the child with a new short haircut was Alisa, the object of a wrenching day of searching and prayers in Louisiana. ‘HE'S MY HERO' Before officers closed in on Smith, police said they were looking for a dark-colored, mid-sized four-door sedan, with no wheel covers on the driver's side and a blown or missing muffler. The description of the car by callers in Fenton was similar to the one given by Alisa's brother Blake, 5, the only person to witness the abduction. "He's my hero," Roy Harrison, their grandfather, told reporters who camped in front of the family home on North Carolina Street, barely a block from the Louisiana city hall and police station. "I'd do a back flip if I could, but I'm just too dadgum old. I had faith we'd get her home. I won't lie to you and tell you that I wasn't worried about the worst." So were many residents of this river town of 3,900. Hundreds spent Tuesday searching back roads and handing out fliers. St. Louis County police chief Tim Fitch said county officer Sean Becker arrived first at the car wash and asked the child, "Are you a little boy or a little girl?" When she said she was a girl, Fitch said, Becker asked for her name. "Alisa," the girl said. Fitch said Becker then radioed to verify the full name of the missing girl in the northern Missouri Amber Alert. When he asked for her last name, she gave it. Cardinal Glennon spokesman Bob Davidson said the family was exhausted but relieved. "They're tired because they've been through a lot, but they're also elated," said hospital spokesman Bob Davidson. "Alisa was sitting on her mother's lap, and it looks like her mom will never let her go. Ultimately, it's the greatest of days because a little girl has been reunited with her family." Davidson said David Maier asked him to thank the public for their prayers, concerns and volunteer work in the Louisiana area. ‘A GREAT THING' While the family stayed away from their home Wednesday, residents dropped by North Carolina Street all day, leaving flowers, a homemade sign welcoming her home, balloons and other gifts. "It was a great thing to wake up to," flower-bearing Barbara Deacon said of the good news. Another woman left a pink stuffed-toy puppy bearing Alisa's name. At the Mercantile Bank downtown, the electronic sign board had flashed the Amber Alert of Alisa's disappearance all day Tuesday. On Wednesday, its scrolling letters said, "Welcome Home Alisa!!!" The Elks Lodge parking lot, which had been jammed Tuesday with volunteers' vehicles, was empty Wednesday. Jason Yoder, who works at a Shell station in town, said FBI agents came by to retrieve the station's surveillance video shortly after the investigation began. On Wednesday, he wondered whether all the canvassing and leafletting had put pressure on the kidnapper. "It was a really good thing she was found so quickly," Yoder said. Similar sentiments were expressed Wednesday near the Fenton Car Wash, where police tape marked off the scene. But the idea that the case reached Fenton seemed disturbing to people who passed by. "It about gives me the chills," said Bob Connelly, an onlooker. "It's a miracle just to find her alive." Jesse Bogan, Tim O'Neil, Denise Hollinshed and Susan Weich of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.

– The sex offender who abducted a 4-year-old girl in Missouri slipped up when he bought her new clothes. When police found Alisa Maier wandering 24 hours after she was taken from her front lawn, they traced the tags on her clothes to a local Wal-Mart, then found their suspect on the store's surveillance camera. It helped that Paul Smith also bought cigarettes and had to provide a date of birth, reports AP. When police then arrived at his house, Smith shot himself and later died. "It's over," said the local police chief. "There's no reason to believe at this point that anyone else was involved." A smiling Alisa, meanwhile, who also was given a haircut as part of an apparent attempt to disguise her, enjoyed a joyous small-town homecoming. Her grandfather tells the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that when she saw a photo of Smith on TV, she said, "He cut my hair."

No one seems to be sure exactly how many people packed the National Mall today for the Rally To Restore Sanity And/Or Fear, but there’s one thing everyone can agree on: sanity and/or fear are extremely popular. MTV’s spokesperson told the Washington City Paper’s Mike Madden that 250,000 people came out to see Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert take the stage Saturday, while Viacom (the parent company of MTV and Comedy Central, home to Stewart’s and Colbert’s show) told the New York Times’ Brian Stelter that “well over 200,000” were in attendance. [TPM SLIDESHOW: Sanity Restored: Photos From The Stewart/Colbert Rally] At the rally itself, Mythbusters hosts Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage said they counted about 150,000. But The Hill’s Vicki Needham dug into the data and found anecdotal evidence to suggest a crowd size closer to Viacom’s number than the from the Mythbusters dudes. “More than 350,000 had ridden Metro [DC’s public transportation system] before 3 p.m.,” Needham reported, “a number typical for an entire Saturday.” To be sure, even the smaller estimates show an extremely large crowd for a DC event, even one in this year of tea party rallies packing the Mall and the Capitol lawn. I have been to many a tea party rally, from the big ones to the small ones, and jammed in the crowd at Stewart’s rally as I was today I can say there was an amazingly big turnout. By way of comparison, the crowd was definitely closer in size to that of the first 9/12 rally — which, of course, famously had no final crowd tally — than to the second 9/12 rally. Stewart poked fun at the idea of crowd estimates, even as us media types scrambled to put them together. Joke’s on me guess. Or on you for reading this whole story. Whichever, here’s Stewart mocking us both: Update: CBS News commissioned the same group to analyze the crowd size at the Stewart-Colbert rally it used to estimate the crowd at Glenn Beck’s August rally. The CBS numbers: Beck drew 87,000 people to his rally, Stewart and Colbert drew 215,000. ||||| The crowd at Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert's "Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear" on the Mall in Washington. / AirPhotosLive.Com An estimated 215,000 people attended a rally organized by Comedy Central talk show hosts Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert Saturday in Washington, according to a crowd estimate commissioned by CBS News. The company AirPhotosLive.com based the attendance at the "Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear" on aerial pictures it took over the rally, which took place on the Mall in Washington. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 10 percent. (See some of the pictures used to create the estimate here.) CBS News also commissioned AirPhotosLive.com to do a crowd estimate of Glenn Beck's "Restoring Honor" rally in August. That rally was estimated to have attracted 87,000 people. Amid criticism from conservatives that the estimate was low, CBS News detailed the methodology behind it here. TBD reported that because of the high turnout many would-be rally attendees retreated to bars to watch the event. The crowd at Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert's "Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear on the Mall in Washington. / AirPhotosLive.Com The National Park Service does not estimate crowds. The New York Times' Brian Stelter wrote on Twitter during the event that the Park Service privately told Viacom there were "well over 200,000" people at the rally, according to an executive. Stewart joked during the rally that there were ten million people present and, in reference to the difficulty of making crowd estimates, solemnly promised to "count them all." Comedy Central's permit for the event said it was expecting 60,000 people, though, as the Wall Street Journal notes, it ordered enough port-a-potties for 150,000. Jon Stewart Rallies for Sanity -- and Against Cable News Jon Stewart Rally: The Signs Jon Stewart Rally Attracts Moderates Who Want a to be Heard ||||| Starting in 1996, Alexa Internet has been donating their crawl data to the Internet Archive. Flowing in every day, these data are added to the Wayback Machine after an embargo period. ||||| They got the "wave" going from front to back of the crowd, got the ladies and guys to compete in a wave down the mall through the crowd that swelled from 3rd street in front of the Capitol past the Smithsonian castle and buzzed around the edges. Stewart suggested that the only way to get an accurate count would be to "count off" one at a time by number and ethnicity. The count reached about three before Stewart and Colbert turned to other distractions like dancing around the stage with Ozzy Osbourne. Voicing no real concern for any accurate numbers, Stewart thanked the crowd for showing up. "Your presence is what I wanted," he told everyone late in the rally. Regardless of the actual numbers, photos and accounts from the mall and the Metro showed packed streets and jammed subway cars and buses on what turned out to be a perfect fall day in Washington. In fact, more than 350,000 had ridden metro before 3 p.m., a number typical for an entire Saturday. The National Park Service does not provide attendance figures, at the direction of Congress. Comedy Central said on its event permit that it was expecting 60,000 people. But it ordered 500 port-a-potties, which, at a recommended ratio of 1 for every 300 attendees, suggests that they might have been expecting 150,000. --Cross-posted from Blog Briefing Room.

– The question on everyone’s mind today: Just how many people attended yesterday’s Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear? Some estimates: At the rally, Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage of Mythbusters estimated the crowd at 150,000, according to Talking Points Memo. An MTV spokesperson told the Washington City Paper more than 250,000 were in attendance, while Viacom (parent company to both MTV and Comedy Central) told the New York Times the Parks Service gave a private estimate of “well over 200,000.” The Hill points out that before 3pm, more than 350,000 had already ridden on DC’s public transportation system—typically, that’s the number for an entire Saturday. CBS News used the same group they used to estimate the size of Glenn Beck’s rally, and that group came up with 215,000. Stewart jokingly put the number at 10 million, while Colbert went even further with his estimate of 6 billion. So was it really larger than the crowd Glenn Beck drew? Click here to see his rally estimates, or if you'd rather take a look at some of the funniest rally signs from yesterday, click here.

If you're not an Amazon Prime member, shopping at the online retailer just got a little more expensive. Amazon offers free shipping on many of its products if customers spend more than a certain amount, but the company has quietly raised that minimum purchase requirement from $35 to $49. For book lovers, however, there is a loophole: If your order contains $25 worth of eligible books, your shipping will be free. (Eligible books are those fulfilled and shipped by Amazon.) The free shipping on other products only applies to those sold by Amazon and select third-party sellers. The price increase likely stems from Amazon's recent efforts to pull in more Prime subscribers, who pay $99 a year for instant video and free two-day shipping on many products. Although Amazon has kept information about how many people use the service hush hush, Re/Code estimates that it has at least 46 million subscribers. The increase was evident on Amazon's site on Monday. Image: Amazon The prices for Amazon services have crept up in recent years, including for its Prime customers. The Prime membership was once available to customers for $79, but that changed in 2014 when the company raised rates to $99 a year and released its music streaming service not long after. Unlike many subscription-based services, Amazon requires members to pay the cost of the full year up front rather than on a monthly basis, although the site advertises special discounts. The latest price jump may be designed to offset the cost of Prime users taking advantage of free shipping — the fact that Amazon loses money because of the cost associated with Prime shipping is well documented. Back in January, the company's stock dipped after Amazon spent $4.55 billion to fulfill customers’ orders, up from $3.4 billion in the same quarter a year ago, MarketWatch reported. If the company can push users to spend more or subscribe, it'll be a win-win for the retailing behemoth. Non-Prime members, however, won't be so fortunate. ||||| It’s less bang for your Starbucks. The Seattle-based coffee chain is launching a new rewards program in April based on money spent, not number of visits. Java lovers think it’s a Venti crap-puccino. “This new #StarbucksRewards is a rip-off!” tweeted Darlene Flene, who like others, objected because it’ll take longer and cost more to get the same freebie. I loved earning a star per purchase and looked forward to earning 12 ⭐️ for the freebie. This new #StarbucksRewards is a rip-off! @Starbucks — Darlene (@DarMFlene) February 22, 2016 STARBUCKS INTRODUCES NEW LATTE MACCHIATO STARBUCKS 'BLOODY' POLAR BEAR COOKIES CAUSE SOCIAL MEDIA USERS TO FREAK OUT Customers earn a star for each visit and when they accumulate 12 stars, they get a free food or beverage item. With the April change, they’ll get two stars for every dollar spent. Under the new system, re-named “Starbucks Rewards,” customers will have to earn 125 stars, or spend $62.50, for a single free item. Someone who buys a Grande iced coffee at $3.21 would now have to make 20 trips instead of 12 to earn a free coffee. Around 75 million people stop in to a Starbucks location every month, and 11 million people in the U.S. partake in the rewards program. ||||| FILE - In this Jan. 11, 2016, photo, a man sits inside a Starbucks, in New York. Starbucks is changing the terms of its rewards program so that people who just get a regular cup of coffee will have to... (Associated Press) FILE - In this Jan. 11, 2016, photo, a man sits inside a Starbucks, in New York. Starbucks is changing the terms of its rewards program so that people who just get a regular cup of coffee will have to... (Associated Press) NEW YORK (AP) — Starbucks is changing the terms of its rewards program so that people who spend around $5 or less per visit won't get as many freebies. The Seattle-based coffee chain says its loyalty program will award stars based on the dollars spent starting in April. Currently, people earn a star for each transaction, regardless of how much they spend, and get a free food or item of their choice after earning 12 stars. People will now have to earn 125 stars for a free item, with each dollar spent being worth two stars — meaning they have to spend $62.50 to get their free item. That means people who stick with options like plain coffee are losing out. For instance, someone who regularly pays $2 for a regular drip coffee would currently earn a free item after spending around $24 over 12 visits. Under the new system, they would have to visit more than 31 times to earn the perk. Someone who gets a large latte for $4.45 currently spends around $53.40 over a dozen visits before getting a free item. So that person would also need to visit a couple of extra times for the freebie with the new system. Still, Starbucks says the change is the No. 1 request among loyalty program members and predicts it will lead to higher spending by customers eager to earn more stars. The change applies to the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. In a call with analysts, Starbucks Chief Strategy Officer Matthew Ryan said the vast majority of customers will earn rewards at an equal or better rate with the change. Without providing details, he said a "small minority" of customers will earn rewards at a slower pace. The change is not a way to opaquely reduce the value of the program, Ryan said. A problem with the current rewards system is that it can make wait times longer, Ryan said, because some people try to get additional stars by asking to ring up multiple items in an order separately. Such instances account for 1 percent of all transactions, he said. The change comes as Starbucks has been pushing to get more people signed up for its My Starbucks Rewards program. Loyalty members spend three times as much as non-members, and help push up profit, according to the company. Last month, Starbucks said it had 11.1 million loyalty program members in the U.S., up 23 percent from the previous year. The coming change will not benefit customers such as Vincent Fiorese, who works in construction management and spends less than $3 on a cup of coffee whenever he goes to work. But Fiorese said it wouldn't deter him from getting his coffee. "It sucks, but what am I going to do," he said. Shares of Starbucks Corp. closed at $58.87, up $1.20, or 2.1 percent. ___ Follow Candice Choi at www.twitter.com/candicechoi ||||| Amazon’s shipping costs spiked last year as the company pushed faster delivery times for its Prime membership customers. Now it looks as though non-Prime members will foot some of the bill. The company has quietly increased its free-shipping threshold for non-Prime orders from $35 to $49. One exception: Orders that contain $25 of books may now ship for free. The move comes as Amazon continues to prioritize perks and fast delivery speeds for members of its Prime program, who pay $99 a year in the U.S. for unlimited two-day shipping on millions of products, as well as free two-hour delivery in a growing list of cities that now numbers at least 20. As a result, Amazon’s shipping costs in the holiday quarter rose to 12.5 percent of sales, up from 10.9 percent in the same quarter last year. At least 46 million households globally are Prime subscribers. While the increase will undoubtedly be used to help offset some of the shipping cost increases, it could also be part of a strategy to push more customers into subscribing to Prime. In explaining the change, an Amazon spokeswoman said simply, “From time to time, we review our shipping options.” As recently as 2013, Amazon’s free shipping minimum was just $25. In late 2013, it increased to $35. Those relatively low minimums, in combination with free shipping for Prime members, pushed others in the industry to drop their minimums. Target’s free-shipping threshold now sits at $25, while Best Buy and e-commerce startup Jet.com offer free delivery on orders of $35 or more. ||||| NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon increased the threshold needed for non-members to qualify for free shipping as it seeks to add more people to its $99 annual Prime loyalty program. Non-members must now spend a minimum of $49, up from $35, to get free shipping. Members don't have a minimum. The Seattle company has long invested huge sums of money back into its businesses, particularly by expanding perks for Prime members. That includes one-hour delivery in some cities, beefed up video streaming and free e-books. Investors, however, have grown impatient with some of those programs, which can cut into profits. After the company boosted the minimum for non-member free shipping, shares of Amazon.com Inc. jumped 4 percent, the largest increase on the S&P 500 index. ||||| Starbucks is changing its rewards program, and people are not happy about it. The company announced Monday that starting in April, customers will no longer receive one point or "star" per visit. Instead, patrons will receive two stars for each dollar spent. What's the problem with that? Well, Starbucks is also changing how "gold" status and perks are calculated. Right now, customers receive gold status once they've earned 30 stars in a year. That's loosely equivalent to visiting Starbucks 30 times, if you don't get any bonus points along the way. Gold members get a free food or beverage product after 12 stars. But when the new points system launches, customers will have to earn 300 stars -- or spend close to $150 -- to reach gold status. After that, they will need 125 stars (the equivalent to spending about $63) in exchange for a free item. Related: Your Starbucks drink may have 25 spoons of sugar in it The new program penalizes people who tend to spend less per visit. Regulars who buy a $2 cup of coffee, for example, will have to dish out $90 more per year to reach gold status. The change will benefit people who spend at least $5 per visit, as they will still reach gold status in about 30 trips to Starbucks. Starbucks says that a program based on spending has been a top customer request. But when the company announced the change, many people took to Twitter (TWTR) to complain. @Starbucks Right now I spend about $24 before I get a reward, now I have to spend $62.50 to get enough for a reward?!?!? This is bull! — Tayler Gammon (@TheTaylerGammon) February 22, 2016 @Starbucks crowing "you'll earn stars faster!" -- but you'll need more than 10x the stars to get a freebie. That's inflation, not incentive. — Brooke C. Wheeler (@bcwheeler) February 22, 2016 @Starbucks This loyal customer is beyond angry - cut rewards for everyone averaging under $5.20 and claim it's a response to OUR requests?! — lake county democrat (@lakecountydem) February 22, 2016 This will be the most significant change to Starbucks' rewards program since its launch in 2009. A Starbucks (SBUX) spokeswoman told CNNMoney that the company is aware of the reactions on social media and is "always listening to customer feedback." Starbucks will multiply the points for existing customers by 11 when the new calculations go into effect in April. ||||| Less than three years after Amazon increased the minimum purchase threshold from $25 to $35 for customers to qualify for free “Super Saver Shipping,” the world’s largest e-retailer is hiking the minimum purchase requirement again—this time to $49. The change was made quietly, without any official announcement or press release. Instead, customers noticed it over the weekend, and commenters immediately began lamenting on Reddit about how quickly Amazon’s minimum purchase requirement has increased, and how obvious it is that the policy is a ploy to get even more online shoppers to sign up for Amazon Prime. Prime has proven to be an enormously powerful and profitable service for Amazon. Subscribers pay $99 per year, and in addition to free streaming videos and music and other services, they are entitled to unlimited, free two-day shipping on most purchases made at Amazon.com. There are now an estimated 54 million Amazon Prime members in the U.S., up from roughly 10 million as recently as 2013. Not only does Amazon cash in on all of those annual subscription fees, but, more important, Prime memberships are correlated with dramatically increased spending at Amazon. Once people sign up for Prime, it seems, they want to make the most of the annual subscription fee, and wind up shopping more at Amazon. Overall, it’s a tremendous win-win for Amazon. One of the factors holding many would-be Prime subscribers back from signing up, though, is that it’s traditionally been pretty easy to get free shipping on Amazon orders even if you weren’t a Prime member. Most Amazon orders of $35 (or $25 back in the day) or more qualified for free shipping for non-Prime members. The shipping was slower than with Prime—five to eight business days, as opposed to two—but in many cases this was fine. The important thing is that the shipping was genuinely free, not “free” only for customers who paid $99 (or $79 back in the day) per year for the privilege. By increasing the minimum requirement for free shipping from $35 to $49, Amazon will make it a little more difficult for shoppers to secure free shipping—and, likely, a little more tempting for some to bite the bullet and sign up for Amazon Prime. Then again, the move could prove a turnoff for other shoppers, especially in light of free shipping alternatives to Prime. The change could wind up boosting interest in supposed “Amazon killer” Jet.com, which has been shown to have cheaper prices than Amazon in many cases, and which has no annual fee and a minimum purchase requirement of only $35 for free two-day shipping. Amazon’s new shipping policies and prices are explained here. As you’ll see, while most book orders at Amazon have a minimum purchase threshold of only $25, most other purchases must run $49 or more in order to qualify for free shipping. That’s assuming, of course, you’re not a Prime member.

– Both Starbucks and Amazon are in the news for recent changes—and not necessarily good ones: Starbucks is changing its rewards program in a fashion that hurts people who don't spend much per visit. Right now, loyalty program members earn a free food item or beverage after earning 12 stars, and one star is earned per transaction (so you can buy a $2 coffee each time and only spend about $24 to earn a freebie), the AP reports. But come April, members will need 125 stars to earn a free item and will earn two stars for every dollar spent (which means, no matter what, members will have to spend $62.50 to get a freebie). CNNMoney and the New York Daily News are rounding up reactions from unhappy customers: "@Starbucks crowing 'you'll earn stars faster!'" reads one tweet, "but you'll need more than 10x the stars to get a freebie. That's inflation, not incentive." Read Starbucks' take on the change here. Meanwhile, anyone not a member of Amazon Prime will now have to spend $49 in order to get free shipping on Amazon, the AP reports. Previously, the threshold for free shipping was $35 for non-Prime members. As Mashable notes, however, you can still get free shipping on certain items if you order at least $25 worth of eligible books, which must be fulfilled and shipped by Amazon; in that case, other products sold by Amazon and select third-party sellers would also ship free. The outrage doesn't seem to be as intense for this move, though Time notes that Redditors complained, which is how the quiet change got noticed. And Jason Del Rey notes on Re/code, "Amazon's shipping costs spiked last year as the company pushed faster delivery times for its Prime membership customers. Now it looks as though non-Prime members will foot some of the bill."

The 'Eat, Pray, Love' Merchandising Train Keeps Spewing More Feel Good Products Email This Marketers are apparently banking on the fact that the target audience for the upcoming Julia Roberts vehicle 'Eat, Pray, Love,' single women of a certain age who are unhappy with their lives, are willing to whip out their credit cards to make themselves happier. Back in April, Fred Segal and ABC Carpet & Home are stocking the collection of jewelry, trinkets, travel baubles and pretty lady things, with prices ranging from $20 to $100. Additionally, the chain store Cost Plus has plans to offer exclusive furnishings, replicas of those featured in the film. Now, perfume brand Fresh has created a new line of fragrances based on the best-selling novel by Elizabeth Gilbert and the upcoming flick. Marketers are apparently banking on the fact that the target audience for the upcoming Julia Roberts vehicle 'Eat, Pray, Love,' single women of a certain age who are unhappy with their lives, are willing to whip out their credit cards to make themselves happier.Back in April, we wrote about Los Angeles-based jewelry company Dogeared, maker of pretty trinkets like "karma" and "chakra," inking a deal with Sony Pictures to make merchandise co-branded with the film.Fred Segal and ABC Carpet & Home are stocking the collection of jewelry, trinkets, travel baubles and pretty lady things, with prices ranging from $20 to $100.Additionally, the chain store Cost Plus has plans to offer exclusive furnishings, replicas of those featured in the film.Now, perfume brand Fresh has created a new line of fragrances based on the best-selling novel by Elizabeth Gilbert and the upcoming flick. http://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fetch.v2.xml?option=expand_relative_urls&dataUrlNodes=uiConfig,feedConfig,entry&id=691977&pid=691976&uts=1277923382 http://www.popeater.com/mm_track/popeater/music/?s_channel=us.musicpop&s_account=aolpopeater,aolsvc&omni=1&ke=1 http://cdn.channel.aol.com/cs_feed_v1_6/csfeedwrapper.swf PopScene: Week's Hottest Pics David Letterman rode a go kart fueled by the reaction of mixing 648 Mentos candies with 108 two liter bottles of Diet Coke for a taping of a segment for 'The Late Show with David Letterman' on June 29th in New York City. Fame Pictures Fame Pictures The fragrances, adorably called "Eat," "Pray" and "Love," can be worn separately or together. Pray smells of juniper berry and patchouli, Love of mango and sandalwood, and Eat a three-course meal of lemon, basil, plum, caramel, meringue and vanilla.The $32 sprays will be released on July 15 along with a candle set for $45.Ostensibly,' Eat, Pray, Love' is a movie about a woman traveling the world to find herself. Is that something that Sony's marketing partners should be capitalizing on?"We pay money for yoga. We pay money to eat great Italian food, and we pay money to seek spiritual enlightenment. Buying perfume to make ourselves feel like we are making progress on those fronts is probably the cheaper way to go," says Fashionista.com associate editor Leah Chernikoff. "Besides, we can always count on Fresh to make delicious smelling scents.The Fresh scents are certainly cheaper than the luxury travel tours now being touted with 'Eat, Pray, Love' tie-ins. For a mere $4,000, women can indulge on Indian meditation tours like the trip that Gilbert herself took, inspiring the book.It does feel like a can of worms is being opened. We have the jewelry and the scents, what's next? Will Rocco DiSpirito be capitalizing on 'Eat' with prepared frozen dinners and a line of fine-but-reasonably-priced wines to mend a broken heart on a lonely Friday night? ||||| “If you’re lucky enough, you will find a living Guru. This is what pilgrims have been coming to India to seek for ages.” — Elizabeth Gilbert, “Eat Pray Love” p? “Eat. Pray. Fall in Love with [our] Inspirational India Tour. Starts at $19,795 per person, based on double occupancy.” — Micato Safaris Marta Szabo’s spiritual journey started off a lot like Elizabeth Gilbert’s best-selling 2006 memoir, “Eat Pray Love.” “I was at a point in my life,” recalls Szabo, now 53, “when I didn’t have a lot of options.” Like Gilbert — who’s played by Julia Roberts in the movie, out Friday, based on the book — Szabo had endured a bad breakup. Like Gilbert, she was a writer in her 30s, unhappily living in New York City, unsure what she wanted to do with her life. She, too, needed to find herself. (Unfortunately, unlike Gilbert, she didn’t get a generous book advance with which to do the finding.) READ MORE: THE ‘EPL’ MARKETING GUYS WANT YOUR GREEN PHOTOS: ‘EAT PRAY LOVE’ PILGRIMS Both Gilbert and Szabo discovered an international organization called Siddha Yoga — specifically, its gorgeous, charismatic female leader, known as Gurumayi. “My heart skipped a beat and then flat-out tripped over itself and fell on its face,” Gilbert writes, in her book, of the first time she saw a photo of the guru. “Then my heart stood up, brushed itself off, took a deep breath and announced, ‘I want a spiritual teacher.’ ” Both women ended up at the group’s ashram, Gurudev Siddha Peeth, in Maharashtra, India. Getting a guru: For Gilbert, this decision was a lifesaver. For Szabo, it derailed her life for more than a decade. And for thousands of women entranced with the “Eat Pray Love” phenomenon — the movie, predicted to be a major box-office contender, has spawned more than 400 retail tie-ins — it could fall somewhere between overpriced self-help and good old-fashioned fraud. “If you see an organization that’s personality-driven, focused on this individual leader who members seem enthralled with, and who can do no wrong, you may be dealing with more of a cult than enlightenment,” warns cult expert Rick Ross, who’s spent more than two decades chronicling the dark side of so-called spiritual salvation. New Yorker Daniel Shaw, another former Siddha staff member, explained the group’s near-instant appeal. “Initially, my experiences were very powerful, like Gilbert’s,” says Shaw, now 58. “I was at a turning point in my own life. I was pretty unhappy. And when I encountered Siddha it was like magic — the experience of stillness, the music, the incense. I found myself feeling peaceful for the first time in a very long time.” Szabo, who moved from those regular meditation sessions to an eventual staff position in India as Gurumayi’s personal assistant, says ashram attendees often end up broke, and broken. Rather than using their inner-peace revelations to spur them on to happier lives, they become enlightenment junkies, spending all their time and money in pursuit of what they come to believe is the path to happiness: more and more meditation and guru worship. “People would charge accommodations and bookstore items and courses up on their credit cards that they couldn’t afford,” says Szabo, who now resides in Woodstock, NY and chronicles her ashram years at the-guru-looked-good.blogspot.com. “There was always the sense in the ashram that money you spent in the ashram — even if it put you in debt — was money well spent. The guru would handle the consequences. She would be there for you since you’d put your faith in her.” America’s reverence for gurus is a bit of a joke in India, says Gita Mehta, author of the scathing 1979 journalistic expose “Karma Cola: Marketing the Mystic East,” in which she chronicles the first big wave of naive Westerners seeking instant enlightenment. “People who are coming to us, by and large, think the guru is the whole idea of India,” she says. “That’s where it gets dangerous. If your guru is a con man and you think of him as a father figure, then you’re certainly going to be in trouble.” In 1994, the New Yorker published a major exposé of Siddha Yoga, headquartered in the Catskills town of South Fallsburg. Among other things, the story alleged that the group’s leaders had covered up sexual abuse of female disciples and used “disturbing . . . strong-arm tactics used to hush up ex-devotees or punish them for disloyalty.” The group did not respond to our request for comment. Not all ashrams are hiding dark secrets, of course. Sometimes they’re just a big letdown. One 29-year-old Manhattanite, who asked to remain anonymous, read “EPL” when it came out, and credits it with introducing her to meditation and yoga. Years later, she says, she went to an ashram after a breakup. Lacking the funds to jet to India, she headed to one upstate instead — only to find herself bored, lonely and mired in that depressing time between fall and winter. Ultimately, she says, “the people there were interesting, but it didn’t have that overwhelming sense of spirituality and enlightenment that I think people associate with an ashram.” These cautionary tales are not nearly as catchy, though, as the “Eat Pray Love” lobby, buoyed by Oprah Winfrey’s stamp of approval. The talk-show host picked “EPL” as a must-read for her viewers, and Gilbert was a guest on her show twice. Now that the movie’s coming out, “EPL” is poised for a second wind. The message many — including Winfrey — seem to take from the book says you should spend whatever you have to and travel as far as you need to, in order to achieve happiness. “I was wondering how many bored women will see the movie and think that the answers to all of their problems will be solved by spending a weekend in an ashram,” says 37-year-old blogger Cindy Vaughn, who recently embarked on a meditation course herself (unrelated to “EPL,” she swears). At the end of the course, she did a one-day silent meditation retreat, which, unlike Gilbert’s, did not result in a profound spiritual awakening. “I am not sure I could do anything longer than a day,” she says. “It was hard. It was draining and long, and it didn’t solve anything for me.” Vaughn’s candor is unusual. As Szabo has observed, friends who spend tons of hard-earned money to pursue inner peace generally try to at least pretend they’ve found it. “I ask them how it was, and they say, ‘I didn’t have the experiences that everybody seems to have, but it’s really great!’ ” she says. “It’s hard for them to go, ‘The emperor has no clothes.’ It’s hard to expose themselves to what really happened there.” As the industry isn’t regulated, anyone can claim the title of guru. And it’s a potentially lucrative gig, especially in a culture where we’re encouraged to pay any price to make ourselves feel better . . . about ourselves. “It’s almost like it’s become a sport that is dependent on paying the most money to go to the best ashram, to write the most amazing experience,” says Texas journalist Joshunda Sanders, who coined the term “priv-lit” (for “privileged literature”) in a recent article for Bitch magazine about Gilbert’s book. And it’s never been a better time to compete in the Enlightenment Olympics. To coincide with the release of the film, numerous travel agencies are offering “Eat Pray Love”-themed tours to Italy, India and Indonesia (the three countries Gilbert visits in the book). Even Lonely Planet, the handbook for cheapskate travelers, offers suggestions on its Web site for re-creating Gilbert’s trip at Roman gelaterias, Indian meditation courses and Indonesian surf beaches. This, of course, negates the real point of Gilbert’s book: that one needs to carve out one’s own path to peace. “It does go against the yogic principle of looking inside rather than outside of ourselves for happiness,” says 28-year-old Jennilyn Carson, creator of the blog YogaDork, who’s been chronicling “EPL” mania over the past year. “[But] people want to be happy, and if something can be purchased to facilitate that happiness, they’ll do it.” ||||| The scene: A group of Sony execs at a brainstorming meeting. Exec #1: “We need to begin promotion for the release of ‘Eat, Pray, Love’. Marketing ideas?” Exec #2: “Women like ‘Eat, Pray, Love’. What other things do women like?” Exec#1: “Shoes. Cupcakes.” Exec #2: “Perfume.” Exec #1: “Perfume’s good. Girls like perfume. Let’s go with that.” This is how we imagine Sony’s marketing team came up with their cross-promotional initiatives to publicize the unapologetically female-focused Julia Roberts flick, due out in August. Hence, Fresh’s line of “Eat, Pray, Love” fragrances was born. The beauty company has produced a trio of scents corresponding to the movie’s three categories, and we’d imagine each attempts to evoke the essence of writer Elizabeth Gilbert’s journey. Smells like Hollywood, dontcha think? [W Magazine Blog] ||||| ‘Eat Pray Love” author Elizabeth Gilbert’s soul search took her to Italy, India and Bali. And it was fabulous. The lucrative book deal! The glossy guru! Bonus: She met a hot Brazilian and got married! And for the right price, you can have it all, too. Reminiscent of the “Sex and the City” marketing might, there are more than 400 product tie-ins to the film. There’s an “Eat Pray Love” fragrance trio ($32 each at fresh.com), Dogeared brand jewelry ($152 prayer beads) and hundreds of Italy-, India- and Bali-inspired junk on hsn.com, which has partnered with the film. The goods are hard to escape — as the marketers all hope to sell women on the idea that some mediocre merchandise will jump-start the rest of their lives. Because, you know, the road to spirituality and enlightenment can be bought on the phone for three installments of $29.95. And if you’re planning a total life overhaul, you’ll definitely need a new $600 hand-embroidered satchel “inspired by the film” to tote your self-help books. Or the officially licensed tea (blood orange and cinnamon flavor, $11.50 at republicoftea.com) to sip pre-meditation. Right. When I interviewed Gilbert in December at her store in Frenchtown, NJ, and asked her about the women who read the book, she said: “The women who read ‘Eat Pray Love’ are not anybody that anyone needs to be afraid of. They’re the nicest, gentlest — most kind of lonely, divorced . . . like people who have been through disappointment and are really nice and polite.” And probably a little desperate, if they believe that hanging an elephant god amulet around their necks ($200 at hsn.com) will help save their marriage. It won’t. The last time I checked, spiritual growth wasn’t achieved through retail therapy. In the same way that buying Manolo Blahniks and a “Carrie” necklace didn’t turn you in to Ms. Bradshaw, mimicking Gilbert’s journey — travel agency STA’s “official” package for “EPL” boasts five days in Italy, eight days in India and three days in Bali — won’t end your loneliness or land you on a best-seller list. Need to shake things up? Go the old-fashioned route — talk to your girlfriends, buy a pair of badass motorcycle boots, or simply watch “Jersey Shore” and thank the universe you’re not Snooki. Just don’t get the “official” apparel, because then you’re nothing but a sucker . . . with the T-shirt ($40 on hsn.com) to prove it.

– Just in case you read Eat, Pray, Love and now believe spending a month (and $19,795) at an ashram will change your life, the New York Post is here to tell you…it probably won’t. Thanks to the book, spiritual retreats are incredibly trendy, but many who take them end up broke, not enlightened, buying courses and books they can’t afford. “There was always the sense that money you spent in the ashram—even if it put you in debt—was money well spent,” says a former ashram employee. Not to mention that your “guru” could be a con man—especially since, in the unregulated industry, anyone can claim to be a guru. Even so, “people want to be happy,” says a yoga blogger, “and if something can be purchased to facilitate that happiness, they’ll do it.” And they’ll have plenty of opportunities: A related Post article details the more than 400 retail tie-ins to the book and upcoming movie, from $32 perfume and $45 candle sets to $152 prayer beads.

Japan Airlines Co. (9201) is investigating a fuel leak on a Boeing Co. (BA) 787 Dreamliner, the model that experienced an onboard fire last week in Boston and is now the subject of a U.S. safety review. The leak occurred Jan. 13 during maintenance at Tokyo’s Narita airport, Japan Airlines said yesterday in a statement. The jet was the same one that had a leak at Boston’s Logan International Airport on Jan. 8, the carrier said. “Fuel from a nozzle on the left wing used for discharging fuel leaked out,” Japan Airlines said in the statement. “This aircraft was not scheduled to be in service today and no passengers or working staff on the ground were injured. Appropriate inspections will be carried out.” The latest incident extended a week of operational setbacks for Boeing’s newest and most technologically complex jet. Japan Airlines’ first leak came Jan. 8, the day after the fire, followed by a cockpit window cracking on one 787 flown by All Nippon Airways Co. (9202) and an oil leak on another ANA Dreamliner. U.S. officials pronounced the 787 safe last week even as the Federal Aviation Administration disclosed the special review of the plane, citing concern stirred by the fire and other incidents. Electrical faults forced United Continental Holdings Inc. and Qatar Airways Ltd. to ground 787s in December. Window Repaired All Nippon repaired the cockpit window that cracked during a flight on Jan. 11, and the plane came back to Tokyo from Matsuyama in western Japan the next day, airline spokeswoman Megumi Tezuka said by telephone today. In the jet that leaked oil, a heat exchanger has been replaced, she said, adding that all 17 Dreamliners of the carrier are now in service. Japan Air spokeswoman Sze Hunn Yap today said investigation for the Jan. 13 fuel leak is continuing. Five of the carrier’s seven Dreamliners are in service, she said by phone. “We are aware of the incident and are working with our customer,” Paul Lewis, a spokesman for Chicago-based Boeing, said by e-mail. The two Japanese carriers are among the biggest operators of the Dreamliner, the first jet with a fuselage made chiefly of composite materials. The 787 entered commercial service more than three years late in 2011. Boeing has marketed the twin-engine jet as a way to open new routes between far-flung cities that don’t need the capacity of larger wide-bodies such as the 777 and the 747 jumbo jet. The 787 has become the planemaker’s fastest-selling model ever, with 848 orders through the end of 2012. To contact the reporters on this story: Ed Dufner in Dallas at edufner@bloomberg.net; Chris Cooper in Tokyo at ccooper1@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Ed Dufner at edufner@bloomberg.net; Anand Krishnamoorthy at anandk@bloomberg.net ||||| Japan Airlines' (JAL) Boeing Co's 787 plane which encountered the mishap of a fuel leak arrives at New Tokyo international airport in Narita, east of Tokyo, in this photo taken by Kyodo, January 9, 2013. TOKYO/SEATTLE | TOKYO/SEATTLE (Reuters) - Japan Airlines Co (JAL) (9201.T) said on Sunday that a Boeing Co (BA.N) 787 Dreamliner jet undergoing checks in Tokyo following a fuel leak at Boston airport last week had leaked fuel during tests earlier in the day. An open valve on the aircraft caused fuel to leak from a nozzle on the left wing used to remove fuel, a company spokeswoman said. The jet is out of service after spilling about 40 gallons (roughly 150 litres) of fuel onto the airport taxiway in Boston due to a separate valve-related problem. In Boston, a different valve on the plane opened, causing fuel to flow from the centre tank to the left main tank. When that tank filled up, it overflowed into a surge tank and out through a vent. The spill happened as the plane was taxiing for takeoff on a flight to Tokyo on January 8. It made the flight about four hours later. The causes of both incidents are unknown, the JAL spokeswoman added. There is no timetable for the plane to return to service. "We are aware of the event and are working with our customer," Boeing spokesman Marc Birtel said of the leak in Tokyo. On Friday, the U.S. government ordered a wide-ranging review of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner, citing concern over a battery that caught fire on January 7, also on a JAL plane in Boston, and other problems. The government and Boeing insisted the passenger jet remained safe to fly. The 787 represents the boldest bet Boeing has made on a new plane in more than a decade, and because the aircraft required billions to develop, much of the company's financial performance is riding on its success. Boeing is trying to double production to 10 jets a month this year to cash in on nearly 800 orders. The eight airlines that operate the 50 jets delivered so far have expressed support for it, saying the mishaps are teething problems common with most new airplanes, and the 787's fuel savings make it an important addition to their fleets. JAL and local rival All Nippon Airways Co (9202.T) fly 24 Dreamliners. The review follows a slew of incidents that have focused intense scrutiny on the new plane. While many of the issues that have dogged the 787 are typically considered routine, their occurrence in quick succession on an aircraft that incorporates major new technology and has not seen wide use yet has sparked concerns about safety. In December, a 787 operated by United Airlines (UAL.N) and bound from Houston to Newark, New Jersey, was forced to land in New Orleans after a warning light in the cockpit indicated a generator had failed. Boeing later said a faulty circuit board produced in Mexico and supplied by UTC Aerospace Systems, a unit of United Technologies (UTX.N), had produced a false reading in the cockpit. A UTC Aerospace spokesman declined to comment. Also in December, two other 787s suffered problems with electrical panels. The fire on January 7 started when a lithium-ion battery used in an auxiliary power system ignited while the plane was parked at the gate. It burned for about 40 minutes before firefighters put the flames out, and smoke entered the cabin. Passengers and crew had already left the aircraft. <ID:L1E9C8B0V> On December 5, U.S. regulators said there was a manufacturing fault in 787 fuel lines and advised operators to make extra inspections to guard against engine failures. Last week, the plane had seven reported incidents, ranging from the fire to a cracked cockpit window. (Reporting by James Topham in Tokyo and Alwyn Scott in Seattle; Editing by Jeremy Laurence, Catherine Evans and Dale Hudson)

– Growing pains, or a more serious issue with Boeing's newest aircraft? A fuel leak is being investigated on a Japan Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner, adding to the long list of problems the aircraft has experienced in recent weeks, Bloomberg reports. Yesterday's leak follows problems including another fuel leak, a cracked windscreen, a fire, and braking problems. In the latest incident, workers at Tokyo's Narita Airport discovered fuel leaking from a nozzle on the left wing of the same plane that had a fuel leak in Boston last week. The airline says the plane was not meant to fly that day and no workers were injured. The FAA is reviewing the Dreamliner but says it is safe to fly and the eight airlines that operate the 50 jets delivered so far have expressed support for the model despite the series of issues, Reuters reports.

Tweet with a location You can add location information to your Tweets, such as your city or precise location, from the web and via third-party applications. You always have the option to delete your Tweet location history. Learn more ||||| President Donald Trump has consistently complained about the coverage he receives from media outlets, and especially TV networks, throughout his brief political career. | Nicolas Asfouri/Getty Images Trump: Media should get 'fake news trophy' for its distorted 'coverage of your favorite President (me)' President Donald Trump lobbed a new attack at the news media on Monday, suggesting, seemingly tongue-in-cheek, that a “fake news trophy” be awarded to the TV network that features “the most dishonest, corrupt and/or distorted in its political coverage of your favorite President (me).” “We should have a contest as to which of the Networks, plus CNN and not including Fox, is the most dishonest, corrupt and/or distorted in its political coverage of your favorite President (me),” Trump wrote on Twitter. “They are all bad. Winner to receive the FAKE NEWS TROPHY!” Story Continued Below In a second post, Trump attacked his onetime friend, MSNBC host Joe Scarborough, linking to a post from White House social media director Dan Scavino attacking Scarborough’s show, “Morning Joe,” for airing a pre-recorded episode Friday without a disclaimer that the show was not live. Trump wrote that “the good news is that their ratings are terrible, nobody cares!” Scarborough responded to criticism of the pre-recorded Friday episode online, writing on Twitter that the recorded commentary, which included discussion of Thanksgiving turkey and football games, was “over-the-top to be obvious.” He said his show had been “making fun of the practice” of pre-recorded programming “for years.” The most reliable politics newsletter. Sign up for POLITICO Playbook and get the latest news, every morning — in your inbox. Email Sign Up By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time. Scarborough also shot back directly at Trump, linking back to the president's "nobody cares" post and adding that "You care. Oh, how you care so much" with a laughing emoji at the end. In a second post, Scarborough called the president "our most obsessed viewer" and again added the laughing emoji. Co-host Mika Brzezinski also weighed in, tweeting, "We finally know who the single-sourced anonymous viewer was who whined to The Washington Post. #MouthBreather" and linked to Trump's tweet. She appeared to be referencing a Washington Post story published Nov. 24 reporting on the pre-taped "Morning Joe" show. The Post story mentioned in its story that "a longtime viewer of the program" contacted the Post to ask whether the show was airing "fake news." Trump has consistently complained about the coverage he receives from media outlets, and especially TV networks, throughout his brief political career. He has been especially critical of CNN, a network he has often characterized as trafficking in “fake news,” as well as of NBC News and its cable network, MSNBC. “Morning Joe” and its hosts, Scarborough and Brzezinski, have often been singled out for attacks by the president. Fox News, where coverage of Trump is generally rosier, has been complimented by the president, who has trumpeted its coverage via his Twitter account. The network, whose opinion hosts offer almost unflinchingly positive takes on Trump’s presidency, has been offered more interviews with the president than others whose coverage the president dislikes. ||||| Tweet with a location You can add location information to your Tweets, such as your city or precise location, from the web and via third-party applications. You always have the option to delete your Tweet location history. Learn more

– President Trump is back in the White House after spending the Thanksgiving holiday at Mar-a-Lago, and he's back on the media attack, on Monday morning suggesting—"seemingly tongue-in-cheek," per Politico—that the media go head-to-head in an unusual contest: "We should have a contest as to which of the Networks, plus CNN and not including Fox, is the most dishonest, corrupt and/or distorted in its political coverage of your favorite President (me)," he tweeted. "They are all bad. Winner to receive the FAKE NEWS TROPHY!" He also commented on a tweet about Joe Scarborough's MSNBC show Morning Joe running a pre-taped segment Friday without making clear it wasn't live, tweeting, "the good news is that their ratings are terrible, nobody cares!" Scarborough took notice, tweeting, "You care. Oh, how you care so much" and "Still watching I see. You remain our most obsessed viewer." Scarborough has since deleted those two tweets and replaced it with this one: "I'm taking my Trump tweets down. Too 2017 for me." The president wasn't silent on the subject of CNN over the holiday, either, on Saturday taking another swing at the network. He tweeted, "@FoxNews is MUCH more important in the United States than CNN, but outside of the U.S., CNN International is still a major source of (Fake) news, and they represent our Nation to the WORLD very poorly. The outside world does not see the truth from them!"

One of the new features in iOS 9 is the ability to train Siri to only recognize your voice so your phone doesn’t respond to commands from just anybody. According to a report from Wired, though, a pair of researchers at ANSSI—a French government agency—have figured out a way to use radio waves to silently activate Siri or Android’s Google Now from across the room. The hack only works if the target device has Siri or Google Now enabled, and has headphones or earbuds plugged in that also have a microphone. Wired explains, “Their clever hack uses those headphones’ cord as an antenna, exploiting its wire to convert surreptitious electromagnetic waves into electrical signals that appear to the phone’s operating system to be audio coming from the user’s microphone.” In theory, the attack could be used to anything you can do using the Siri or Google Now voice interaction. The attacker could make calls, send text messages, open malicious websites, send spam or phishing emails, or post to social networks like Facebook and Twitter. By placing an outbound call to the attacker’s own phone the hack could be used to surreptitiously eavesdrop on the victim. That’s the doomsday scenario version. Now, let’s scale it back and look at how plausible it is for an attack like this to actually work. Most of the time that you have headphones plugged in to your smartphone you’re also listening to them. When Siri or Google Now are activated—even if initiated silently over the airwaves—they typically make some sort of noise indicating that they’re ready to listen to your voice command, and they respond verbally by default so if you’re wearing the headphones you should immediately realize something suspicious is going on. Even if you’re not actively wearing the headphones—maybe your headphones are plugged in but the smartphone and headphones are just sitting on a table in front of you—it would be challenging to activate the virtual assistant without alerting you. The display generally comes to life and displays your request along with the response from Siri or Google now. If you’re sitting there, minding your own business, and your smartphone suddenly springs to life you’d probably notice. Assuming your smartphone has the headphones plugged in, but you’re not wearing the headphones to hear the voice interaction, and the smartphone is lying face down so you can’t see the interaction on the display it is theoretically possible, but still highly unlikely. The attack requires unique hardware and only has a range of between six and sixteen feet according to the researchers—depending on the size and power of the radio and antenna. "Additional functionality, especially concerning user convenience, has often come at the cost of some security,” stressed Gavin Reid, VP of threat intelligence for Lancope. “In this case the hack needs proximity to work and is a proof of concept needing specialized hardware. High security government equipment and installations have often come with additional shielding specifically to limit emanations and any covert channels.” It’s conceivable that an attacker could position the radio in a Starbucks or similar public location and generate commands to all of the devices within range and direct them to call a specific phone number that generates cash for the attacker. The odds of that happening are relatively low, though. As Reid explains, “This attack is less likely to be leveraged by the criminal underground especially with other methods much easier to implement". ||||| Siri may be your personal assistant. But your voice is not the only one she listens to. As a group of French researchers have discovered, Siri also helpfully obeys the orders of any hacker who talks to her—even, in some cases, one who’s silently transmitting those commands via radio from as far as 16 feet away. A pair of researchers at ANSSI, a French government agency devoted to information security, have shown that they can use radio waves to silently trigger voice commands on any Android phone or iPhone that has Google Now or Siri enabled, if it also has a pair of headphones with a microphone plugged into its jack. Their clever hack uses those headphones’ cord as an antenna, exploiting its wire to convert surreptitious electromagnetic waves into electrical signals that appear to the phone’s operating system to be audio coming from the user’s microphone. Without speaking a word, a hacker could use that radio attack to tell Siri or Google Now to make calls and send texts, dial the hacker’s number to turn the phone into an eavesdropping device, send the phone’s browser to a malware site, or send spam and phishing messages via email, Facebook, or Twitter. ‘The sky is the limit here. Everything you can do through the voice interface you can do remotely and discreetly through electromagnetic waves.’ “The possibility of inducing parasitic signals on the audio front-end of voice-command-capable devices could raise critical security impacts,” the two French researchers, José Lopes Esteves and Chaouki Kasmi, write in a paper published by the IEEE. Or as Vincent Strubel, the director of their research group at ANSSI puts it more simply, “The sky is the limit here. Everything you can do through the voice interface you can do remotely and discreetly through electromagnetic waves.” The researchers’ work, which was first presented at the Hack in Paris conference over the summer but received little notice outside of a few French websites, uses a relatively simple collection of equipment: It generates its electromagnetic waves with a laptop running the open-source software GNU Radio, a USRP software-defined radio, an amplifier, and an antenna. In its smallest form, which the researchers say could fit inside a backpack, their setup has a range of around six and a half feet. In a more powerful form that requires larger batteries and could only practically fit inside a car or van, the researchers say they could extend the attack’s range to more than 16 feet. Here’s a video showing the attack in action: In the demo, the researchers commandeer Google Now via radio on an Android smartphone and force the phone’s browser to visit the ANSSI website. (That experiment was performed inside a radio-wave-blocking Faraday cage, the researchers say, to abide by French regulations that forbid broadcasting certain electromagnetic frequencies. But Kasmi and Esteves say that the Faraday cage wasn’t necessary for the attack to work.) Your browser does not support HTML5 video. The researchers’ silent voice command hack has some serious limitations: It only works on phones that have microphone-enabled headphones or earbuds plugged into them. Many Android phones don’t have Google Now enabled from their lockscreen, or have it set to only respond to commands when it recognizes the user’s voice. iPhones have Siri enabled from the lockscreen by default, but the the new version of Siri for the iPhone 6s verifies the owner’s voice just as Google Now does.1 Another limitation is that attentive victims would likely be able to see that the phone was receiving mysterious voice commands and cancel them before their mischief was complete. Then again, the researchers contend that a hacker could hide the radio device inside a backpack in a crowded area and use it to transmit voice commands to all the surrounding phones, many of which might be vulnerable and hidden in victims’ pockets or purses. “You could imagine a bar or an airport where there are lots of people,” says Strubel. “Sending out some electromagnetic waves could cause a lot of smartphones to call a paid number and generate cash.” Although the latest version of iOS now has a hands-free feature that allows iPhone owners to send voice commands merely by saying “Hey Siri,” Kasmi and Esteves say that their attack works on older versions of the operating system, too. iPhone headphones have long had a button on their cord that allows the user to enable Siri with a long press. By reverse engineering and spoofing the electrical signal of that button press, their radio attack can trigger Siri from the lockscreen without any interaction from the user. “It’s not mandatory to have an always-on voice interface,” says Kasmi. “It doesn’t make the phone more vulnerable, it just makes the attack less complex.” Of course, security conscious smartphone users probably already know that leaving Siri or Google Now enabled on their phone’s login screen represents a security risk. At least in Apple’s case, anyone who gets hands-on access to the device has long been able to use those voice command features to squeeze sensitive information out of the phone—from contacts to recent calls—or even hijack social media accounts. But the radio attack extends the range and stealth of that intrusion, making it all the more important for users to disable the voice command functions from their lock screen. The ANSSI researchers say they’ve contacted Apple and Google about their work and recommended other fixes, too: They advise that better shielding on headphone cords would force attackers to use a higher-power radio signal, for instance, or an electromagnetic sensor in the phone could block the attack. But they note that their attack could also be prevented in software, too, by letting users create their own custom “wake” words that launch Siri or Google Now, or by using voice recognition to block out strangers’ commands. Neither Google nor Apple has yet responded to WIRED’s inquiry about the ANSSI research. Without the security features Kasmi and Esteves recommend, any smartphone’s voice features could represent a security liability—whether from an attacker with the phone in hand or one that’s hidden in the next room. “To use a phone’s keyboard you need to enter a PIN code. But the voice interface is listening all the time with no authentication,” says Strubel. “That’s the main issue here and the goal of this paper: to point out these failings in the security model.” 1Correction 10/15/2015 12:00pm EST: An earlier version of the story stated that Siri doesn’t have verification of the owner’s voice. In fact, that feature was introduced with the iPhone 6s. Apologies for the error. ||||| Page Not Found We're sorry. We cannot find a page that matches your request. Below are some suggestions that may assist: Return to the IEEE Xplore Home Page. Use your browser's Back button to return to the previous page. Contact us for assistance or to report the issue. Reason for failure: Query Not Valid

– Using radio waves, hackers at the French government agency ANSSI say they've been able to silently trigger voice commands on any smartphone thanks to access via Google Now and Siri. Reporting in the journal IEEE, they say it's possible to operate the voice-activated command tools to do things like open malware sites, send texts or phishing emails, and even call specific phone numbers that generate cash for the hacker. But as "clever" as Wired reports this trick to be—the headphone cord is used as an antenna—it has several limitations, including that headphones with a microphone must be plugged into the jack; the hacker must be within 16 feet of the phone; and Google Now or Siri must be enabled. "Additional functionality, especially concerning user convenience, has often come at the cost of some security," Gavin Reid, VP of threat intelligence for Lancope, tells Forbes. "In this case the hack needs proximity to work and is a proof of concept needing specialized hardware." And while it's possible for people with this hardware to position themselves in crowded places such as airports and trigger some kind of attack on any qualifying phones within range, he adds that the odds are low. "This attack is less likely to be leveraged by the criminal underground, especially with other methods much easier to implement." Even so, Vincent Strubel at ANSSI says, "The sky is the limit here. Everything you can do through the voice interface you can do remotely and discreetly through electromagnetic waves." (Some 95% of Androids are open to a major hack.)

Jessica Leeds, now 74, came forward to the New York Times this week with her account of being sexually assaulted by Republican president nominee Donald Trump. On a flight in the early 1980s, she said, Trump (who was seated next to her) grabbed her breasts and tried to put his hands up her skirt. As Leeds told the Times, "He was like an octopus. His hands were everywhere." This is a harrowing account, one consistent with those of at least five other women who have gone on record accusing Trump of kissing or groping them without consent. But Katrina Pierson, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign and an omnipresent figure on cable news this election, thinks she’s cracked the case: Leeds is lying, she insists, because her story doesn’t jibe with Pierson’s personal knowledge of the development of the American aerospace sector. Here is Pierson, on national television, insisting that Leeds must be lying because of the kind of planes that were common in the early ’80s, and because armrests in first class are fixed: I'm never complaining about sports TV talk shows again. pic.twitter.com/r9tELXOchh — Jason Gay (@jasongay) October 13, 2016 "We're talking about the early 1980s, Don, seriously? Back then you had planes — what, a DC-9, a DC-10, an MD-80, a 707, and maybe an L-1011. But she said specifically that this was to New York. This is important, so we can X-out the DC-10 and the L-1011. Guess what? First-class seats have fixed armrests.” You will be shocked to learn that Katrina Pierson, who was 4 or 5 years old at the time that Leeds alleges the assault took place, is incorrect about which planes were flying out of New York in the early 1980s: Hi @KatrinaPierson, the aircraft types you mentioned all did operate into New York City. https://t.co/pfFWPqlcDQ — NYCAviation (@NYCAviation) October 13, 2016 This is basically the “jet fuel can’t melt steel beams” of sexual assault denialism. This wasn’t the most loathsome thing Pierson said in her CNN hit (that would be her insistence that Trump’s accusers only want “15 minutes of fame”) but despite its ridiculousness, it is instructive of how the campaign will likely approach these allegations: by highly scrutinizing individual details to cast the accusers as liars. ...detail even slightly off will be taken as evidence you are a liar and your entire story is a complete fabrication. — Jesse Berney (@jesseberney) October 13, 2016 Obviously Trump could’ve assaulted Leeds on an airplane with fixed armrests as well, and it would’ve been reasonable for Leeds to not remember that detail 30 years after the fact. And the fact that there are five other named accusers with very similar stories should give her story additional credibility. But that won’t stop ridiculous-sounding objections like this from becoming a mainstay of Trump campaign rhetoric for the rest of the campaign. One can only hope that most people’s reaction, like the rest of the CNN panel’s, is to recognize how absurd a response this is to a chorus of women accusing your candidate of assault. Watch: Women accusing Trump of sexual assault ||||| The GOP presidential nominee is out on the trail ahead of the general election in November. The GOP presidential nominee is out on the trail ahead of the general election in November. What Donald Trump is doing on the campaign trail What Donald Trump is doing on the campaign trail Donald Trump waged a fight against both the Republican establishment and Hillary Clinton on Wednesday, while the Democratic nominee denounced “scorched earth” tactics by Republicans. Speaking at an afternoon rally in Ocala, Fla., Trump continued his verbal assault against House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.), who said Monday that he would no longer campaign with Trump or defend him. The GOP nominee bragged about his performance in Sunday’s debate and voiced disappointment that Ryan’s reaction to it wasn’t warmer. “Wouldn’t you think that Paul Ryan would call and say, ‘Good going’?” Trump asked the crowd. Then, without evidence, he seemed to accuse Ryan and Republicans of a larger conspiracy against him. He vowed to get to the bottom of it. “There’s a whole deal going on — we’re going to figure it out. I always figure things out. But there’s a whole sinister deal going on,” he said. Donald Trump started attacking members of his own party in a series of tweets Tuesday after many Republicans rescinded their support for the presidential nominee. The Fix's Chris Cillizza weighs in on the unprecedented unraveling of the GOP. (Jayne Orenstein/The Washington Post) At a second rally in Lakeland, Fla., Trump used the debate to insult Clinton’s intelligence. “I don’t think she’s smart. Look how badly she performed in the last debate. I thought she was terrible,” he said. In Pueblo, Colo., on Wednesday afternoon, Clinton urged her supporters to head to the polls and not back down against deeply personal attacks by Republicans. “Americans want to turn out in as large numbers as possible,” Clinton said to applause. “Reject the dark and divisive and hateful campaign that is being run.” Clinton’s campaign appearances were interrupted two days in a row this week by people shouting while holding or wearing T-shirts that brand her husband, former president Bill Clinton, as a rapist. The Clinton campaign has directly implicated conservative radio host Alex Jones and his conspiracy-driven website Infowars for urging Clinton opponents to raise the rape allegation — and offering to pay those who get on television. Jones made such an offer on his Sept. 30 show and referred to longtime Clinton opponent and Republican operative Roger Stone, a Trump ally. At a rally in Lakeland, Fla., Oct. 12, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton “is nothing” without support from the news media. (The Washington Post) “Another shirt that was designed and licensed from Roger Stone is the Bill Clinton rape shirt,” Jones said. “Looks like the communist-style Obama ‘Hope’ shirt but says ‘Rape.’ ” “Wear it, get aggressive, start the conversations, get on TV with it,” Jones urged. “Anyone that gets on national TV with the shirt clearly for more than five seconds gets $1,000. Anyone that gets it on air on national TV and gets the words out ‘Bill Clinton is a rapist’ or things along the line with a bullhorn” could get $5,000, he said. It is not clear whether those protesting last week and this week at events held by Clinton, her husband or other surrogates were directly inspired by that offer or whether anyone has been paid. Before Sunday night’s debate, Trump held a brief news conference with several women who had accused Bill Clinton of unwanted sexual advances. In Pueblo, the Democratic nominee contrasted what she calls Trump’s efforts to divide voters and her own plan to govern inclusively. “We have done our best to stay out of all the meanness,” Clinton said. “I want you to know, I want to be the president for everyone,” she said. “I am tired of all the division and the barriers. I want to bring people together across party lines, across all the lines that divide us.” At his rally in Lakeland, Trump continued hitting back against critics who accused him of invading Clinton’s personal space during Sunday’s debate. “Believe me, the last space that I want to invade is her space,” he said, drawing laughter from the crowd. Trump has escalated his attacks against Clinton in recent days. On Tuesday, he released a TV ad showing Clinton coughing and stumbling during a recent battle with pneumonia. On Wednesday, he released an ad alleging that she “only cares about power, money and herself.” Republican leaders abandoned Trump in droves after a Washington Post report Friday about a 2005 video in which Trump is heard making vulgar comments about forcing himself on women sexually. He has apologized for the remarks but has also played down his words as merely “locker-room talk,” angering many people. While many GOP elected officials swiftly voiced outrage with the video and ran from Trump, some have moved back toward him this week. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) tweeted Saturday that it would be “wise for him to step aside and allow Mike Pence to serve as our party’s nominee.” But in a Tuesday radio interview with Lincoln radio affiliate KLIN, Fischer said, “I support the Republican ticket, and it’s a Trump-Pence ticket.” A top surrogate’s attacks on Clinton also drew scrutiny Wednesday. In Ocala, former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani accused Clinton of failing to honor the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, suggesting at one point that she lied about visiting Ground Zero in the aftermath. “Don’t tell me, if you said that, that you remember September 11, 2001. I remember September 11, 2001,” Giuliani said at the Trump campaign rally. “Yes, you helped to get benefits for the people who were injured one day. But I heard her say she was there that day. I was there that day, I don’t remember seeing Hillary Clinton there.” While Clinton was not in New York on Sept. 11 — she regularly mentions being in Washington that day — she flew there on Sept. 12, in one of the few airplanes allowed to travel in the aftermath of the attacks. Pictures of Giuliani and Clinton inspecting the destruction together are widely available. Gearan reported from Pueblo. DelReal reported from Lakeland. James Hohmann contributed to this report. ||||| Woman tells the Guardian ‘He walked in, he stood and he stared’ as she and another young contestant were getting dressed for rehearsal for 2001 pageant Donald Trump deliberately walked in on two young Miss USA 2001 contestants while they were naked and getting dressed for a rehearsal, one of the former beauty contestants has claimed in an interview with the Guardian. The two women were putting on their outfits to rehearse the opening number, the former contestant recalled, when Trump, who owned the pageant at the time as part of the Miss Universe family of pageants, burst into the room without a word. Peeping Don: Trump spied on teens, beauty queens say | The campaign minute Read more Just before he entered, the former contestant said, she heard the security detail outside the dressing room tell someone approaching the door that the women inside were naked. “Mr Trump just barged right in, didn’t say anything, stood there and stared at us,” she recalled. Trump’s attitude, she said, seemed to be: “I can do this because I can.” “He didn’t walk in and say, ‘Oh, I’m so sorry, I was looking for someone,’” she continued. “He walked in, he stood and he stared. He was doing it because he knew that he could.” The alleged incident happened in her shared dressing room behind the stage at the Genesis convention center in Gary, Indiana. The woman – who did not wish to be identified – is the second competitor from the 2001 Miss USA pageant to claim that Trump took advantage of owning the pageant, which he broadcast on NBC, in order to view the contestants naked. A torrent of sexual misconduct accusations have followed Trump throughout his run for president. But a 2005 tape of Trump bragging that his fame allowed him to grope and kiss women without their consent has inspired even more women to come forward with stories of his impropriety. On Wednesday evening, the New York Times published the accounts of two women who claim Trump groped or kissed them without their permission. This is contrary to Trump’s claim, in Sunday night’s debate with Hillary Clinton, that he never acted on his boasts. “I wanted to punch the screen,” Jessica Leeds, who said Trump had groped her on a plane three decades ago, told the paper. “He was like an octopus. His hands were everywhere.” Rachel Crooks was a 22-year-old receptionist in 2005 when, she said, Trump kissed her on the mouth when she introduced herself to him. “It was so inappropriate,” Crooks told the Times. “I was so upset that he thought I was so insignificant that he could do that.” Trump angrily denied both accusations. ‘Waltzing in’ The other 2001 beauty contestant to accuse Trump of misconduct was Tasha Dixon. In an interview with CBS of Los Angeles, Dixon, the former Miss Arizona, recalled an incident in which Trump came “waltzing in” to a room while a number of the contestants were half naked or undressed. Dixon was describing a separate incident to the one detailed to Guardian US by the other contestant. . The contestant declined to speak using her name because she lives in a conservative area and wishes to protect her family’s privacy. The Guardian corroborated the former contestant’s story with another contestant who became her friend during the 2001 pageant. The other contestant confirmed that the Guardian’s source told her about the incident at the pageant site in 2001 shortly after it occurred. A second woman who was sharing the dressing room with the Guardian’s source when Trump allegedly barged in did not respond to several emails requesting interviews. Alicia Machado, Miss Universe weight-shamed by Trump, speaks out for Clinton Read more Trump owned the Miss Universe family of pageants, to which Miss USA belonged, from 1996 to 2005. The first contestant to win Miss Universe under Trump’s ownership was Alicia Machado – famously name-checked by Hillary Clinton during the first presidential debate, who said Trump had called Machado “Miss Piggy” and “Miss Housekeeping”, a dig at her Latina heritage. Trump has boasted in the past, during a 2005 segment of the Howard Stern show, about being able to view beauty contestants naked. “I’ll go backstage before a show, and everyone’s getting dressed and ready and everything else,” he said, in a tape obtained by CNN. “And you know, no men are anywhere. And I’m allowed to go in because I’m the owner of the pageant. And therefore I’m inspecting it. ‘Is everyone OK?’ You know, they’re standing there with no clothes. And you see these incredible-looking women. And so I sort of get away with things like that.” Dixon, the other Miss USA 2001 competitor who has spoken out, said many of the contestants’ very first encounter with Trump occurred while many of them were naked. “He just came strolling right in,” she said. “There was no second to put a robe on or any sort of clothing or anything. Some girls were topless. “We were naked or half naked in a very physically vulnerable position,” she continued. “And then to have the pressure of the people that worked for him telling us to go fawn all over him, go walk up to him, talk to him, get his attention.” Separately, Buzzfeed reported on Wednesday that several teen beauty queens from the 1997 Miss Teen USA said Trump entered a communal dressing room while several of them were naked. One girl was 15 years old at the time. Another Miss USA contestant from 2001 who spoke to the Guardian did not recall Trump showing inappropriate behavior. She recalled Trump being backstage, she said, but only on the evening that the pageant was nationally televised. “The chaperones made announcements that he was there & would be coming into the dressing room,” the former contestant, who wished to remain anonymous, wrote in an email. “They gave us all a heads up, it was also very close to the pageant starting & very brief. I would imagine that most, if not all contestants were already, or at least should have been, dressed to compete.” The contestant remembered Trump standing in the doorway and wishing them good luck and said he did not “parade” through the room. “I am not endorsing anyone, but giving an honest account of meeting Mr Trump,” she said. The contestant who accused Trump of bursting into her dressing room acknowledged that not every contestant had negative experiences with Trump. She did not report Trump’s behavior at the time, she said, because her position was too tenuous. “This was my boss. I’m there to represent my state, my town, my reputation on one of the most prestigious stages on the planet,” she said. “I had not a lot of experience under my belt. And it was horrifying … It was extremely uncomfortable from there forward.” Until she saw Dixon’s interview, she thought that she and the other woman in the dressing room were Trump’s only targets. “It’s important for people to know that this has been a personality trait of his for a long time,” she said, explaining her motivation for speaking out. “He completely exerted his power and the control that he had … And I do believe that kind of behavior perpetuates rape culture and makes young boys think they can behave that way.” Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks did not immediately reply to an email seeking comment. ||||| “Just to answer the question on why they would come out," Katrina Pierson said, "because 15 minutes of fame.” | Getty Trump spokeswoman: Accusers want ’15 minutes of fame' Donald Trump campaign spokeswoman Katrina Pierson late Wednesday said four women have come forward to accuse Donald Trump of sexual misconduct because they want "15 minutes of fame.” During a panel discussion on "CNN Tonight" with Don Lemon, Pierson responded to reports that the women had accused Trump of inappropriately touching them in separate incidents spanning several decades. Story Continued Below “Just to answer the question on why they would come out, Don, because 15 minutes of fame,” she said. Pierson also disputed the account of Jessica Leeds, who claimed in an explosive New York Times story released earlier Wednesday that Trump grabbed her breasts while sitting beside her in first-class during a flight to New York. In her recollection, Leeds says Trump pulled up the armrest that separated them before groping her. Pierson contested this account, claiming that armrests in first-class at the time were immovable. “The first-class seats have fixed armrests so what I can tell you about her story, if she was groped on a plane, it wasn't by Donald Trump and it certainly wasn't in first class,” she said. Pierson also took particular exception to accusations made by Jill Harth, who in 1997 filed a lawsuit $125,000,000 lawsuit alleging that Trump sexually harassed her in 1993. “We know that one of those women in the last article was trying to get her book sold,” Pierson said. “She wanted to raise her profile.” A day prior, Pierson clashed with CNN host Carol Costello, who cut off the Trump campaign spokesperson when she attempted to sidestep the topic of Trump's lewd comments taped in 2005. Asked by Pierson why she would not discuss opponent Hillary Clinton's stance on Syria, Costello abruptly replied: “I can’t Katrina, because Donald Trump is not talking about that." ||||| WEST HOLLYWOOD (CBSLA.com) — As Miss Arizona, Tasha Dixon, then 18, competed in the Miss USA pageant, which was owned by Donald Trump for 19 years, along with the Miss Universe and Miss Teen USA pageants. “Our first introduction to him was when we were at the dress rehearsal and half naked changing into our bikinis,” Dixon recalled. “He just came strolling right in. There was no second to put a robe on or any sort of clothing or anything. Some girls were topless. Other girls were naked.” She said she and her fellow contestants were put in an awkward position when “the owner come waltzing in when we were naked or half naked in a very physically vulnerable position and then to have the pressure of the people that worked for him telling us to go fawn all over him, go walk up to him, talk to him, get his attention.” Dixon’s account is seemingly supported by the Republican presidential nominee himself in a 2005 broadcast on the “The Howard Stern Show.” That audio recording was re-released last weekend. Here is a sample of what was said on the show on April 11, 2005: Trump: “I’ll go backstage before a show and everyone’s getting dressed and ready and everything else. And you know, no men are anywhere. And I’m allowed to go in because I’m the owner of the pageant. And therefore, I’m inspecting it. You know I’m inspecting it. I want to make sure everything is good.” Stern: “You’re like a doctor.” Trump: “Is everyone OK? You know they’re standing there with no clothes. Is everybody OK? And you see these incredible looking women. And so I sort of get away with things like that.” Dixon has strong opinions about what she thought was Trump’s motivations. “I’m telling you Donald Trump owned the pageant for the reasons to utilize his power to get around beautiful women,” she added. “Who do you complain to? He owns the pageant. There’s no one to complain to. Everyone there works for him.” The West Hollywood resident competed in 2001. The theme for that year was empowering women. After hearing Friday’s release of an audio recording of Trump making lewd comments about women, Dixon decided to speak out. But she said her decision was not politically motivated. “I’m Miss Arizona so I veer more on the conservative side. But I just like to choose what’s right.” Dixon said she has not listened to Trump’s interview with Stern. CBS2’s Serene Branson reached out to several other 2001 contestants. But those who responded declined to be interviewed. But former Miss California Carrie Prejean Boller did release a statement: “To paint Mr. Trump as someone who would purposely walk into a women’s dressing room and ask women to come impress him is the most disgusting accusation so far. Mr. Trump has empowered me as a woman, has given me career opportunities and defended me during my reign as Miss California USA.” ||||| Bobby Bank / WireImage Donald Trump with winners of his beauty pageants in 2014. UPDATE: After BuzzFeed News published this story, we heard from a fifth contestant who remembered Trump visiting the dressing room. Four women who competed in the 1997 Miss Teen USA beauty pageant said Donald Trump walked into the dressing room while contestants — some as young as 15 — were changing. “I remember putting on my dress really quick because I was like, ‘Oh my god, there’s a man in here,’” said Mariah Billado, the former Miss Vermont Teen USA. Trump, she recalled, said something like, “Don’t worry, ladies, I’ve seen it all before.” Three other women, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of getting engulfed in a media firestorm, also remembered Trump entering the dressing room while girls were changing. Two of them said the girls rushed to cover their bodies, with one calling it “shocking” and “creepy.” The third said she was clothed and introduced herself to Trump. CBS / Via youtube.com Mariah Billado, Miss Vermont Teen USA, at the 1997 pageant. Eleven of that year’s contestants reached by BuzzFeed News did not recall seeing Trump in the dressing room. Some said they do not believe he could have been there. Discussion of Trump entering the room arose among the women themselves last weekend in a private Facebook group after BuzzFeed News reported that a contestant in an adult pageant said Trump had walked into the changing room when “we were all naked.” The Facebook group is open only to some former contestants in the 1997 pageant, according to several women who are in it and who described the exchange about Trump to BuzzFeed News. Altogether, BuzzFeed News attempted to contact 49 of the 51 contestants at that pageant. Thirty-four declined to talk or could not be reached. Of the 15 women who were interviewed, none accused Trump of saying anything sexually explicit or of making physical contact in the dressing room. Ever since the release last week of a 2005 tape in which Trump boasted about grabbing women “by the pussy” and said he “did try and fuck” a married woman, his campaign has been reeling. Trump dismissed his comments on the tape as “locker room talk,” but it has put his treatment of women under intense focus. Trump, who owned the Miss Universe, Miss USA, and Miss Teen USA pageants from 1996 until last year, has publicly bragged about invading beauty queen dressing rooms, calling it one of his prerogatives of ownership. “I’ll tell you the funniest is that I’ll go backstage before a show and everyone’s getting dressed,” Trump told Howard Stern in recordings released Saturday by CNN. “No men are anywhere, and I’m allowed to go in, because I’m the owner of the pageant and therefore I’m inspecting it. ... ‘Is everyone OK?’ You know, they’re standing there with no clothes. ‘Is everybody OK?’ And you see these incredible looking women, and so I sort of get away with things like that.” Until now it was never alleged that this behavior extended to the teen pageant, in which contestants can be as old as 19 or as young as 14. The Trump campaign and the Trump Organization did not respond to requests for comment. The Miss Universe Organization, which runs Miss Teen USA, declined to comment. The 1997 teen pageant — Trump’s first as owner — was held on South Padre Island, Texas. His daughter Ivanka Trump, then 15 years old, served as co-host. CBS / Via youtube.com Ivanka Trump, co-host of the 1997 Miss Teen USA pageant. ||||| Donald Trump was forced to sell the Miss Universe Organization – which also includes sister scholarship programs Miss USA and Miss Teen USA – in 2015 after his incendiary comments about Mexicans drove away broadcasters NBC and Univision. But Trump owned the pageant for nearly two decades, during which time he would have had the opportunity to come into contact with nearly 4,000 beauty queens. Related How Women Will Take Down Trump Most women know Trump's brand of misogyny – and that's likely to cost him the White House On the heels of the damaging videotape on which Trump and former Access Hollywood host Billy Bush salivated over Days of Our Live actress Arianne Zucker, and joked about sexually assaulting women, came allegations that Trump entered the Miss Teen USA changing room where girls as young as 15 were in various states of undress. Mariah Billado, Miss Teen Vermont 1997 told BuzzFeed, "I remember putting on my dress really quick because I was like, 'Oh my god, there's a man in here.'" Three other teenage contestants from the same year confirmed the story. The former pageant contestants discussed their memories of the incident after former Miss Arizona Tasha Dixon told Los Angeles' CBS affiliate that Trump entered the Miss USA dressing room in 2001 when she was a contestant. "He just came strolling right in," Dixon said. "There was no second to put a robe on or any sort of clothing or anything. Some girls were topless. Others girls were naked. Our first introduction to him was when we were at the dress rehearsal and half-naked changing into our bikinis." Dixon went on to say that employees of the Miss Universe Organization encouraged the contestants to lavish Trump with attention when he came in. "To have the owner come waltzing in, when we're naked, or half-naked, in a very physically vulnerable position and then to have the pressure of the people that worked for him telling us to go fawn all over him, go walk up to him, talk to him, get his attention..." The Trump campaign did not offer a response to either story, but in a 2005 appearance on Howard Stern's show, Trump bragged about doing exactly what the women describe. "I'll go backstage before a show, and everyone's getting dressed and ready and everything else," he said. His position as the pageant's owner entitled him to that kind of access, Trump explained, seemingly aware that what he was doing made the women uncomfortable. "You know, no men are anywhere. And I'm allowed to go in because I'm the owner of the pageant. And therefore I'm inspecting it... Is everyone OK? You know, they're standing there with no clothes. And you see these incredible-looking women. And so I sort of get away with things like that," he said. (Billado told BuzzFeed she mentioned the incident to Trump's daughter, Ivanka, who shrugged it off, saying, "Yeah, he does that.") Here are other "highlights" from Trump's storied history as a pageant creep. Miss Universe Inc./AFP/Getty Images 1996 When he bought the Miss Universe pageant family, Trump told Stern in 2005, the pageant was "a sick puppy." The relative hotness of contestants had seriously deteriorated in the preceding years, he explained to Stern, because the judges had begun placing a greater emphasis on brains over beauty. "They had a person that was extremely proud that a number of the women had become doctors," Trump said. "And I wasn't interested." The first Miss Universe crowned on Trump's watch was Miss Venezuela, Alicia Machado. Hillary Clinton famously invoked Trump's treatment of Machado during the first presidential debate. Machado remembers him calling her "Miss Piggy" because she gained weight and "Miss Housekeeping" because she's Latina. Trump invited reporters to observe Machado exercising, against her protests. She told The New York Times earlier this year, "I was about to cry in that moment with all the cameras there. I said, 'I don't want to do this, Mr. Trump.' He said, 'I don't care.'" 1997 The same year former contestants say Trump unexpectedly entered the Miss Teen USA dressing room, the reigning Miss Universe, Brook Antoinette Mahealani Lee, recalls Trump asking her about the looks of his daughter Ivanka, who was co-hosting the pageant. "'Don't you think my daughter's hot? She's hot, right?'" Mahealani Lee recalls Trump saying. Also that year, Miss Utah, Temple Taggart, recalls Trump kissed her against her wishes. "He kissed me directly on the lips. I thought, 'Oh my God, gross.' He was married to Marla Maples at the time. I think there were a few other girls that he kissed on the mouth. I was like, 'Wow, that's inappropriate,'" Taggart told The New York Times. She says he did the same thing a few months later at Trump Tower, where he had invited her to discuss her career. To succeed in the entertainment industry, Trump advised 21-year-old Taggart to lie about her age. "We're going to have to tell them you're 17," she remembers Trump saying. 2005 The same year Trump bragged to Howard Stern about barging into the dressing room while the women were changing, he declined to say whether he'd ever slept with a contestant. "It could be a conflict of interest. ... But, you know, it's the kind of thing you worry about later, you tend to think about the conflict a little bit later on," Trump joked. A few beats later, he rethought his stance, joking that, as the pageant's owner, it might be his "obligation" to sleep with the contestants. AFP/Getty 2009 Miss California, Carrie Prejean, recalled in her memoir the way Trump would pit the women against each other, asking them to rate each other's looks on the spot. Donald Trump walked out with his entourage and inspected us closer than any general ever inspected a platoon. He would stop in front of a girl, look her up and down, and say, "Hmmm." Then he would go on and do the same thing to the next girl. He took notes on a little pad as he went along. After he did this, Trump said: "O.K. I want all the girls to come forward." … Donald Trump looked at Miss Alabama. "Come here," he said. She took one more step forward. "Tell me, who's the most beautiful woman here?" Miss Alabama's eyes swam around. "Besides me?" she said. "Uh, I like Arkansas. She's sweet." "I don't care if she's sweet," Donald Trump said. "Is she hot?" … It became clear that the point of the whole exercise was for him to divide the room between girls he personally found attractive and those he did not. Many of the girls found the exercise humiliating. Some of the girls were sobbing backstage after he left, devastated to have failed even before the competition really began to impress "The Donald." Her recollection was boosted by an audio recording from the same year, obtained by TMZ, on which Trump can be heard asking the contestants for help picking out some of the best-looking women before the contest itself took place. "We get to choose a certain number [of contestants who will be guaranteed to make it through the first round]. You know why we do that? Because years ago when I first bought it, we chose ten people, I chose none and I get here and the most beautiful people were not chosen. And I went nuts. So we call it the Trump Rule." Later in the same tape, Trump can be heard talking up his son, Eric – who also served as the contest's judge – to the assembled beauty queens: "I have a son, he's very handsome; he's 6-foot-6, and he was number one in his class in school." 2010 Trump boasted to David Letterman that when he bought Miss USA, "I made the heels higher and the bathing suits smaller." 2013 Cassandra Searles, Miss Washington 2013, recalls that when she was a contestant, the businessman demanded the women redo their introductions when they failed to look Trump in the eye. In a Facebook post this year, Searles called Trump a "misogynist" who "treated us like cattle" and "lined up so he could get a closer look at his property." Other contestants from the same year, like Paromita Mitra of Mississippi, bolstered Searles recollection. Mitra commented, "I literally have nightmares about that process. Searles added in a comment on her initial post's thread, "He probably doesn't want me telling the story about that time he continually grabbed my ass and invited me to his hotel room." 2015 The 2015 Miss USA pageant was set to take place the first week of July – three weeks after Trump characterized Mexicans as rapists and criminals during his campaign kick-off event. One by one, the pageant's hosts, judges, sponsors, and broadcasters dropped out. Trump was forced to sell the pageants to WME in September 2015. Update, October 13th, 10:30 a.m. ET: The Trump campaign issued a statement to Rolling Stone categorically denying these allegations and questioning the political motivation behind reporting on them, adding, "Mr. Trump has a fantastic record of empowering women throughout his career, and a more accurate story would be to show how he's been a positive influence in the lives of so many." ||||| Published on Oct 12, 2016 In a 1992 Entertainment Tonight video, Donald Trump greets a group of young girls at Trump Tower and then brags to the camera: "I am going to be dating her in ten years. Can you believe it?" Major Garrett has more. ||||| As Republican nominee Donald Trump’s campaign tries to move past a recently released 2005 tape of his lewd remarks about women, more video of similar comments made by Trump is surfacing. In an “Entertainment Tonight” Christmas feature in 1992, Trump looked at a group of young girls and said he would be dating one of them in ten years. At the time, Trump would have been 46 years old. Trump makes questionable comments about young girls in 1992 video The video, released Wednesday evening, was shot at Trump Tower. In the clip, Trump asks one of the girls if she’s “going up the escalator.” When the girl replies, “yeah,” Trump turns to the camera and says: “I am going to be dating her in 10 years. Can you believe it?” It is not the first time Trump has made reference to his interest in dating much younger women. In 2006, he made a similar comment about his own daughter, Ivanka Trump: “I’ve said that if Ivanka weren’t my daughter, perhaps I’d be dating her,” Trump said. The issue ballooned when 2005 video from “Access Hollywood” revealed lewd banter between Trump and entertainment reporter Billy Bush, who has since been suspended by NBC. The GOP candidate has defended his remarks as “locker room banter,” apologizing for his suggestion that “when you’re a star” you can “grab [women] by the p****.” “You can do anything,” as he said in the 2005 tape. In Sunday’s debate with Hillary Clinton, Trump insisted it was all “just words” and that he had never groped a woman. But at least three women have now come forward to contest that dismissal, telling news organizations he groped them in personal encounters at his home, at Trump Tower in New York, and on a commercial flight. Trump’s campaign said late Wednesday that it would file a lawsuit against the New York Times over a story published by the paper earlier that day, with the accounts of two of the women. Also Wednesday, People magazine published an account by one of its reporters who recalled Trump “pushing me against the wall, and forcing his tongue down my throat” during an interview session at his Mar-a-Lago home. The alleged attack, according to reporter Natasha Stoynoff, came as Trump’s wife Melania, who was then pregnant, changed into a different outfit in another room before they continued their joint interview. The encounter was in 2005, the same year the now-infamous encounter with Billy Bush was recorded, according to Stoynoff. Meanwhile, a former beauty queen is confirming Donald Trump’s own words about walking into pageant dressing rooms unannounced, following recently resurfaced audio recordings where Trump boasted about his ability to do so as the owner of the Miss USA pageant. Former Miss Arizona: Trump walked in on "half naked" contestants in dressing room Tasha Dixon, who competed as Miss Arizona in 2001, told CBS’ Los Angeles station that the GOP nominee had entered dressing rooms while her fellow contestants were “half naked.” “Our first introduction to him was when we were at the dress rehearsal and half naked changing into our bikinis,” Dixon said in an interview with KCAL 9. “He just came strolling right in. There was no second to put a robe on or any sort of clothing or anything. Some girls were topless. Other girls were naked.” In audio from Howard Stern’s radio show in 2005, Trump could be heard discussing how he would use his position of power in the pageants to peek at women while they were undressed. “I’ll go backstage before a show and everyone’s getting dressed and ready and everything else. And you know, no men are anywhere. And I’m allowed to go in because I’m the owner of the pageant. And therefore, I’m inspecting it. You know I’m inspecting it. I want to make sure everything is good,” Trump told Stern at the time. “You know they’re standing there with no clothes. Is everybody OK? And you see these incredible looking women. And so I sort of get away with things like that.”

– Sexual misconduct allegations against Donald Trump started to snowball Wednesday, with four women coming forward to say he had groped or forced himself on them—and teen beauty pageant contestants accusing him of what they call creepy behavior. Former Miss Vermont Teen USA Mariah Billado is one of several contestants from 1997 who remembers Trump walking into the dressing room when girls as young as 15 were changing, BuzzFeed reports. "I remember putting on my dress really quick because I was like, 'Oh my God, there's a man in here,'" says Billado. She recalls Trump saying, "Don't worry, ladies, I've seen it all before." A roundup of coverage: Former Miss Arizona Tasha Dixon told CBS Los Angeles this week that she recalls Trump strolling into the room when Miss USA contestants were changing into bikinis. "There was no second to put a robe on or any sort of clothing or anything," she says. "Some girls were topless. Other girls were naked." A Miss USA 2001 contestant tells the Guardian that she remembers Trump barging in while she and another contestant were getting dressed—despite being told by security that they were naked. "He walked in, he stood and he stared," she says. "He was doing it because he knew that he could." Rolling Stone has a timeline of alleged creepy behavior from Trump's many years as a pageant owner. The magazine notes that he bragged about going into dressing rooms and ogling contestants in a 2005 interview with Howard Stern. "I'm allowed to go in because I'm the owner of the pageant and therefore I'm inspecting it," he said. "You know, I'm inspecting because I want to make sure that everything is good." CBS News has unearthed video of a 1992 Entertainment Tonight Christmas special, in which Trump speaks to a 10-year-old girl, then says to the camera: "I am going to be dating her in 10 years. Can you believe it?" The Trump campaign has called the groping accusations "completely false." The Washington Post reports that on the campaign trail Wednesday, before the latest allegations surfaced, Trump attacked both Hillary Clinton and Republicans who have abandoned him, including Paul Ryan, who has said he is done with defending Trump. "There's a whole sinister deal going on" with Ryan, Trump said at a rally in Florida, vowing to "figure it out." He also said Clinton—and her lawyers—have to go to jail over her email scandal. Politico reports that Trump campaign spokeswoman Katrina Pierson told CNN's Don Lemon Wednesday night that women are only accusing Trump of misconduct because they want "15 minutes of fame." On CNN, Pierson suggested one new accuser was lying because of the configuration of airplane armrests decades ago, but Vox says she's wrong.

Meet Cora, a young slave on a Georgia cotton plantation. Her mother ran away when Cora was a little girl, and that feeling of abandonment has haunted her ever since. When she is approached by another slave about the underground railroad, she hesitates; but then life, in the form of rape and humiliation, gives her the nudge she needs. (Whitehead does here as he will do several times in the book: He opens his eyes where the rest of us would rather look away. In this, “The Underground Railroad” is courageous but never gratuitous.) In order to ensure her escape, she kills a white man, and soon she is being pursued by a notorious slave catcher named Ridgeway, a man straight out of Cormac McCarthy, whose assistant wears a necklace made with human ears. What follows is Cora’s uncertain itinerary through hell. The novel uses the architecture of an episodic tale, each episode corresponding to a new stop in the journey — the two Carolinas, then Tennessee, then Indiana — each one introducing Cora to new incarnations of evil, or the evil brought out in everyone by the poisonous mechanics of slavery. Image Colson Whitehead Credit Sunny Shokrae for The New York Times In one of the towns, Cora realizes that an apparently well-meaning medical center is in fact an experiment in eugenics or even genocide; in North Carolina, the bodies of tortured and burned people, both blacks and the whites who help them, hang from the trees along something called the Freedom Trail. And we begin to notice, as readers, slight departures from historical fact, places where “The Underground Railroad” becomes something much more interesting than a historical novel. It doesn’t merely tell us about what happened; it also tells us what might have happened. Whitehead’s imagination, unconstrained by stubborn facts, takes the novel to new places in the narrative of slavery, or rather to places where it actually has something new to say. If the role of the novel, as Milan Kundera argues in a beautiful essay, is to say what only the novel can say, “The Underground Railroad” achieves the task by small shifts in perspective: It moves a couple of feet to one side, and suddenly there are strange skyscrapers on the ground of the American South and a railroad running under it, and the novel is taking us somewhere we have never been before. One of the most eloquent passages of the novel — and one that illustrates the way Whitehead’s imagination goes about its business — takes place in the Museum of Natural Wonders, in South Carolina. It is a limestone building occupying an ­entire block; when Cora arrives and asks where she should begin cleaning, she discovers that is not what is expected of her. There is a section of the museum called Living History. Like a railroad, explains the curator, the museum allows its visitors to “see the rest of the country beyond their small experience.” Cora realizes her task is to go behind a glass and act her part in a depiction of the slave experience, all this while the visitors look intensely at her from the other side. One room is called “Scenes From Darkest Africa”; another is “Life on the Slave Ship.” While Cora plays her part (silently, dutifully) in the static scenes, she begins to question their accuracy. The curator, Whitehead writes, “did concede that spinning wheels were not often used outdoors,” but counters that “while authenticity was their watchword, the dimensions of the room forced certain concessions.” And later Cora reflects: “No slave had ever keeled over dead at a spinning wheel or been butchered for a tangle. But nobody wanted to speak on the true disposition of the world. And no one wanted to hear it. Certainly not the white monsters on the other side of the exhibit at that very moment, pushing their greasy snouts against the window, sneering and hooting. Truth was a changing display in a shop window, manipulated by hands when you weren’t looking, alluring and ever out of reach.” “The Underground Railroad” is also about the myriad ways in which black history has too often been stolen by white narrators. At a performance Cora sees from a distance, a slave is played by “a white man in burned cork, pink showing on his neck and wrists.” Remembering the passages on slavery contained in the Bible, Cora blames the people who wrote them down: “People always got things wrong,” she thinks, “on purpose as much as by accident.” Whitehead’s novel is constantly concerned with these matters of narrative authenticity and authority, and so too with the different versions of the past we carry with us. Throughout my reading, I was repeatedly reminded of a particular chapter from García Márquez’s “One Hundred Years of Solitude,” to whose handling of time Whitehead seems to owe quite a bit. In that chapter, the infamous massacre of the banana plantation workers is denied by the official versions of history and soon forgotten. But one character knows what he saw — thousands of dead traveling toward the sea on a train — and goes around trying to find someone who will remember the story. He doesn’t: People always get things wrong. In a sense, “The Underground Railroad” is Whitehead’s own attempt at getting things right, not by telling us what we already know but by vindicating the powers of fiction to interpret the world. In its exploration of the foundational sins of America, it is a brave and necessary book. ||||| Permutations of grief dominate a good part of the sections devoted to the Khuranas. We watch them grope for each other; repel each other; fight, make love and then decamp from whatever solaces each has to afford the other. Theirs are the most thrilling, tender and tragic parts of the novel, which are also periodically funny. It’s hard to know what to make of the novel’s flirtation with drollery, since it really is just a flirtation; no one would call this a tragicomic narrative. In some way, these moments of levity feel almost grossly misplaced, which has the strange effect of also making them feel just right. Drollery is exceedingly difficult to quote out of context, so you’ll have to trust me that when Deepa — the boys’ mother — thinks about her future with her husband but is “in denial too, convinced they would kill themselves,” it’s almost a laugh-out-loud moment. Or that when Mansoor’s mother, Afsheen, thinks about his future, becoming “sentimental and hysterical,” one gets the feeling the narrator is gently and lovingly mocking her for her outsize passion. Notably, such moments are confined to the novel’s first 100 pages or so, as if to perch us atop its slide toward fatalism. As the narrative suggests, nothing recovers from a bomb — not our humanity, our politics or even our faith. Not entirely, in any case, which is best borne out by Mansoor, whose injuries appear relatively cosmetic but come to traumatize his life for the next six years in the form of debilitating carpal tunnel syndrome. He wants to be a computer programmer; you can imagine how good his chances are. Of course, the most insidious effects of violence are psychological, and certainly Mansoor, who was only 12 when the blast went off, has not escaped them. His pain is physical and mental and unrelenting — the very sort of thing that makes a man vulnerable to persuasion. But not in the way I expected, which is another of the novel’s pleasures: It continued to surprise me. Mansoor adopts a way of life that seems perilously close to what we Westerners — what this Westerner — associate with a radicalized form of Islam that will not coexist with competing ideologies. But Mahajan’s take on what it means and how it feels to be a practicing Muslim is entirely more sophisticated and nuanced, which is what keeps Mansoor’s story riveting and sad. Case in point: None of the terrorists in the novel are radicalized Muslims. None of them murder in the misappropriated name of Allah. Instead, they are political activists, some more disaffected than others, in pursuit of independence for Kashmir in one instance and an end to the persecution of Muslims in another (though this is a reductive summary). The violence against Muslims in Gujarat in 2002 — what many call a pogrom orchestrated by then Chief Minister Narendra Modi — is a motivating force in the novel for several Muslims seeking justice, or even just peaceful coexistence. But both seem unattainable, the one because mistrust and rancor between Hindus and Muslims are not easily dispatched, and the other because justice doesn’t serve at the pleasure of the bomb. “A bomb was a child,” one terrorist thinks. “A tantrum directed at all things.” And since when does a child get its way? ||||| The stories she tells begin in medias res, around 1932, in a real Parisian cafe where Sartre is intrigued by his school friend Raymond Aron’s report of a new philosophical movement, phenomenology. It concerned itself, Aron explained, not with the theoretical or moral meaning of things, but with the things themselves and the immediate experience we have of those things. The apricot cocktails are in Bakewell’s subtitle because, as Beauvoir recalled, they were drinking them in the cafe when Aron said you could “make philosophy” out of them. After this, “At the Existentialist Café” leaves France for Germany and goes backward in time to the early-20th-­century origins of phenomenology in the work of Edmund Husserl and the stirrings of reaction against it in Husserl’s early acolyte Heidegger. From phenomenology, with its emphasis on the experience of things, it was a short step — for, among others, Sartre, Beauvoir and their friend Merleau-Ponty — to existentialism, with its emphasis on the experience of making choices, and on the wider question of what it means to be in the world at all. At this point, around the early 1930s, the story divides, like a novel by George Eliot or Tolstoy, between the characters who, despite missteps and delusions, eventually, like Beauvoir, come out more or less right, and the ones who come out wrong, like Heidegger and his followers. What divides these two sets of characters are their attitudes toward power and toward other people. Those who got things right were the ones who cared most about equal relations among people and cultures and about everyone’s personal uniqueness, and who had little or no appetite for power. They also saw the importance of childhood as the source of the adult self, as a time of powerlessness, irrationality and imagination. Merleau-Ponty “thought child psychology was essential to philosophy. . . . Childhood looms large in Beauvoir’s ‘The Second Sex’ and in Sartre’s biographies.” Heidegger got things wrong by turning away from individual human lives to statements about something invisible: being itself and the many varieties of being that he identified, including “Being-in-the-world” and “Being-with”: “He set no store by the individuality and detail of anyone’s life, least of all his own. It is no coincidence that, of all the philosophers in this book, Heidegger is the one who refused to see the point of biography.” Heidegger wrote about the urgency of resisting “the they,” what Bakewell explains as “an impersonal entity that robs us of the freedom to think for ourselves.” As she observes, this sounds like a call to resist Nazi tyranny, “but that was not what Heidegger meant.” Appointed by the Nazis in 1933 to “the post of rector of Freiburg University, a job that required him to enforce the new Nazi laws,” Heideg­ger easily convinced himself, perhaps from reserves of power-worship hidden within, that obedience to Nazism was a form of obedience not to “the they” but to the deepest demands of being itself. ||||| Fiction The Association of Small Bombs By Karan Mahajan A finalist for the National Book Award, Mahajan’s novel — smart, devastating and unpredictable — opens with a Kashmiri terrorist attack in a Delhi market, then follows the lives of those affected. This includes Deepa and Vikas Khurana, whose young sons were killed, and the boys’ injured friend Mansoor, who grows up to flirt with a form of political radicalism himself. As the narrative suggests, nothing recovers from a bomb: not our humanity, not our politics, not even our faith. Read our review of “The Association of Small Bombs” ||||| One of the worst choices anyone can make is to have children, or even glancing human attachments of any kind. Landlords hate kids for being noisy, for trying to flush toys down the toilet, or — at their most devilish — testing positive for lead poisoning, which can bring down the authorities. Children and other family members are also risk factors for eviction, and not just because they are more mouths to feed. If an address generates, say, three 911 calls a month, the landlord will be issued a “nuisance citation,” and the family will probably be evicted. Too bad if the 911 calls were occasioned by domestic violence or, in one case Desmond recounts, a child’s asthma attack. As one landlord’s son put it, “We can’t have police coming up in here.” Eviction itself provides the dramatic punctuation in Desmond’s story. If a family’s income after rent is in the two-digit zone, there’s a powerful temptation to skip a month’s rent to buy groceries or pay a utility bill to keep the heat on. If you have complained about non-working drains or holes in the wall, the landlord has one less reason to cut you any slack. You may get a chance to protest in court, though 70 percent of the tenants summoned to court do not show up — because they couldn’t miss work or find child care or perhaps didn’t even receive the summons. It is at Milwaukee’s eviction court, where the tenants are black women and the landlords’ lawyers wear “pinstripe suits and power ties,” that Desmond has an epiphany: “If incarceration had come to define the lives of men from impoverished black neighborhoods, eviction was shaping the lives of women. Poor black men were locked up. Poor black women were locked out.” Evictions are scenes of incredible cruelty, if not actual violence. Desmond describes the displacement of a Hispanic woman and her three children. At first she had “borne down on the emergency with focus and energy,” then she started wandering through the halls “aimlessly, almost drunkenly. Her face had that look. The movers and the deputies knew it well. It was the look of someone realizing that her family would be homeless in a matter of hours. It was something like denial giving way to the surrealism of the scene: the speed and violence of it all; gum-chewing sheriffs leaning against your wall, hands resting on holsters, all these strangers, these sweaty men, piling your things outside. . . . It was the face of a mother who climbs out of a cellar to find the tornado has leveled the house.” Among the items left behind at one eviction site are “a half-eaten birthday cake and a balloon still perky with helium.” Children are scarred in the process. They are pulled from one school to another; they periodically lose whatever tiny cache of possessions they may have accumulated. Grown-ups have trouble keeping their jobs, and the lack of an address may compromise their ability to gain, or hold on to, whatever benefits they are eligible for. Of all the evictees depicted in this book, only one — Scott, the former nurse — eventually regains a job and an apartment. When she loses her apartment, Crystal, an ebullient — or perhaps just manic-depressive — young evangelical Christian, turns to prostitution. Arlene, the mother of two, is last seen making her 89th call to find a new home. Like incarceration, eviction can brand a person for life, making her an undesirable tenant and condemning her to ever more filthy, decrepit housing. ||||| Patrick Sumner is handled more ­tenderly, but his back story comes mainly in his dreams. His addiction to opium and the guilt he feels hit against his innate decency. But, most of the time, decency and morality seem almost futile and are certainly useless against the incessant violence and pitilessness that emerge in scene after scene in the book. McGuire has an extraordinary talent for picturing a moment, offering precise, sharp, cinematic details. When he has to describe complex action, he ­manages the physicality with immense clarity. He writes about violence with unsparing color and, at times, a sort of relish. The writing moves sometimes from the poetic to the purple, but McGuire is careful not to use too many metaphors or similes or too much fancy writing when he needs to make clear what cold feels like, or hunger or fear. Slowly we learn that the purpose of the voyage is not to bring back seal skins or blubber from whales but, with another ship close by, to commit a dangerous act of insurance fraud. Photo Sumner’s spirits are kept high by the opium, but there is always a darkness at the core of him. He is not going to be redeemed by endurance or anything as simple as that. When one of the crew talks religion, it sounds more like magic or prophecy. The novel is more attracted by action, by the next cruel discovery or possible catastrophe, than by character. There is little time, in any case, for introspection; this, oddly enough, makes Sumner more forceful and physically present in the book. He is, or he has become, what he sees. Advertisement Continue reading the main story What is exciting is the idea that no one on this ship is going to learn anything, or change in any way. They will be lucky to survive, that is all, the ones who do survive. McGuire’s characters do not ­merely have fierce weather and pure evil to reckon with, they also have the fearful, encroaching shadows of characters from Melville and Conrad and Patrick O’Brian who have also gone down to the sea in ships with all the elaborate, manly descriptions of winds and storms and para­phernalia at their disposal. “The North Water” is careful to avoid pastiche; there is not a trace of irony or a moment when the author descends into period-piece writing. McGuire moves briskly and ­forensically with no time for colorful ­episodes or long maritime descriptions or technical asides about ropes. Even when he writes about bears — a feat I had imagined highly inadvisable if not impossible for any contemporary novelist — McGuire almost manages to make us believe that these bears were ­actually present. He is careful, I suppose, not to ­allow the bears to stand for untamed ­nature or any large question, and this is a relief. Although a she-bear’s head is “like the pale prototype of some archaic undersea god,” calmness and credibility are soon restored as “Drax, standing upright in the still-­rolling whaleboat, lifts up the boat spade and plunges its chisel edge hard down into the bear’s back.” McGuire takes pleasure in the body and how much it can endure, as he does in setting scenes. Late in the book, when all seems lost, the survivors set up their tent on the ice: “At night, they camp on the floe edge, raise the bloodstained tent, attempt to dry and feed themselves. Near midnight, the bluish twilight thickens briefly to a gaudy and stelliferous darkness, then an hour later reasserts itself. Sumner sweats and shivers, dips in and out of an uneasy and dream-afflicted sleep. Around him bundled bodies grumble and gasp like snoozing cattle; the air inside the tent feels iron cold against his cheeks and nose, and has a stewed and crotch-like reek to it.” Newsletter Sign Up Continue reading the main story Book Review Newsletter Sign up to receive a preview of each Sunday’s Book Review, delivered to your inbox every Friday. Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up You agree to receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services. Thank you for subscribing. An error has occurred. Please try again later. View all New York Times newsletters. Soon, we have descriptions of what it is like to suck and swallow the juice from a seal’s eyeball. And then we have Sumner drinking the “hot black liquid — blood, urine, bile” — from a bear’s innards. And then, as Sumner operates on a priest’s infected abdomen, the discharge first spatters across the table and then “it pulses out from the narrow opening like the last twitching apogee of a monstrous ejaculation.” This would be all good fun, except that McGuire manages to hold and wield his dark story in full seriousness. The tone throughout remains somber, direct, tense, fierce. The tightness of the tone suggests that there is, behind the narrative, a theory being worked out of how historical fiction can be credibly managed now. Although there are no anachronisms in the book, there are also no long, wearying pages describing the clothing of the period, or the system of belief, or set pieces about the political or social background. This means that McGuire can isolate his characters, and because they are on a ship and going through immense physical trials, they can be further set apart. This gives them a sort of purity of line; there is an intensity in the way they live, breathe, and respond to the world that etches them more deeply on the page and on the imagination of the reader. Even though there are many minor players and moments where the camera of the novel moves away from its main characters, McGuire makes sure we know this is, in fact, the story of two men, Sumner and Drax, and it is their fates (rather than the fate of the ship or its crew or its owner) with which we are concerned. This focus is managed with tact and intelligence so that, even in the passages of the book that do not deal with the two figures directly, it is clear they are not being sidelined but are merely waiting to emerge more powerfully again. By the end of the book, their story becomes even more vivid. It is possible at certain moments to sense the battle between them as a clash between darkness and light, good and evil. It is a mark of McGuire’s subtlety as a novelist, however, that he leaves this in the shadows while placing at the forefront enough felt life and closely imagined detail to resist any simple categories. He allows each of the two men their due strangeness and individuality. ||||| Last August, Anne Rice posted a call to arms — on Facebook, of course — warning that political correctness was going to bring on literary end times: banned books, destroyed authors, “a new era of censorship.” “We must stand up for fiction as a place where transgressive behavior and ideas can be explored,” she proclaimed. “I think we have to be willing to stand up for the despised.” I, a fan of transgressive literature, could not pinpoint why I found her post to be so much more vexing than the usual battle cries of P.C.-paranoiacs. I finally had my answer after reading Han Kang’s novel “The Vegetarian”: What if “the despised” can stand up on their own? All the trigger warnings on earth cannot prepare a reader for the traumas of this Korean author’s translated debut in the Anglophone world. At first, you might eye the title and scan the first innocuous sentence — “Before my wife turned vegetarian, I thought of her as completely unremarkable in every way” — and think that the biggest risk here might be converting to vegetarianism. (I myself converted, again; we’ll see if it lasts.) But there is no end to the horrors that rattle in and out of this ferocious, magnificently death-affirming novel. When Yeong-hye awoke one morning from troubled dreams, she found herself changed into a monstrous . . . vegetarian. And that’s where the misleadingly simple echoes of a certain classic premise end. Han’s novella-in-three-parts zigzags between domestic thriller, transformation parable and arborphiliac meditation, told from the points of view of her lousy husband, who works at an office (Part I); her obsessive brother-in-law, who is an artist (Part II); and her overburdened older sister, who manages a cosmetics store (Part III). These three characters are largely defined by what they do for a living, whereas Yeong-hye stops doing much of anything altogether. “I had a dream,” she says in one of her rare moments of direct dialogue, her only explanation of her newfound herbivorism. At first she is met with casual disdain by family and friends; a dinner acquaintance passive-aggressively declares, “I’d hate to share a meal with someone who considers eating meat repulsive, just because that’s how they themselves personally feel . . . don’t you agree?” But soon her physical form creates the very negative space those close to her fear: weight loss, insomnia, diminished libido and the eventual abandonment of everyday “civilized” life. An ascetic tome this is not: The novel is full of sex of dubious consent, all sorts of force-feeding and purging — essentially sexual assault and eating disorders, but never by name in Han’s universe. A family gathering where Yeong-hye is attacked by her own father over meat-eating ­spirals several layers darker into self-harm, though it won’t be the last time a man (or she herself, for that matter) violates her body. Violation of the mind, however, is a different issue. “The Vegetarian” needs all this bloodletting because in its universe, violence is connected with physical sustenance — in meat-eating, sex-having, even care-taking. Outside intervention, from family and friends and doctors, works to moderate the reality of this story, but their efforts are in the end as anemic as Anne Rice’s rescue of “the despised.” After all, who is the victim here? You can’t save a soul if it becomes something beyond ­salvation. ||||| Dividing his work into three parts, Hertmans floats through the first and third sections as an essayist and imagist, interpreting the notebooks and visiting the sites that shaped his grandfather’s development as a man and an artist. He grapples, conjectures, chronicles and evokes. But in the middle section, he sets this machinery aside and writes in an immersive, first-person voice, channeling his grandfather from the trenches of World War I. Where Hertmans’s narrative style is precise, speculative and philosophical, the manner he adopts for his grandfather’s voice is immediate, earnest and colloquial. To his credit, Hertmans never makes Urbain sound like a writer pretending to be a soldier. Newsletter Sign Up Continue reading the main story Book Review Newsletter Sign up to receive a preview of each Sunday’s Book Review, delivered to your inbox every Friday. Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up You agree to receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services. Thank you for subscribing. An error has occurred. Please try again later. View all New York Times newsletters. Seeing a man’s life unfold and hover from these different vantage points — across time, from within and from without — yields a tender, many-sided ­portrait. We encounter Urbain as the son of a church muralist, observing his father as he plies his painterly trade, working from his pearwood box of pigments, knives and brushes, and we feel the boy’s slow-­kindling desire to make art for himself. We watch Urbain go to work in a foundry in Ghent, then head off to military school before being conscripted in the early days of the German invasion of Belgium in the summer of 1914. Hertmans is particularly adept at rendering the olfactory world of Urbain’s boyhood, of Flanders at the cusp of the 20th century, giving us a tannery with its “tenacious stench,” the “penetrating odor of old wood and damp sackcloth” in the shops, a “closed courtyard” that “smelled of brussels sprout trimmings, horse manure scraped off the streets and drying tobacco leaves.” Urbain’s sensibility, beautifully captured and imagined, is never far from these evocations: “Describing his own grandmother, born in the first quarter of the 19th century, he said that her black apron — he called it a pinafore — smelled like the offal of young rabbits.” Advertisement Continue reading the main story Hertmans’s own interpretive and descriptive powers are also never far away. He stands in front of a building where his grandfather might have worked as a tailor’s delivery boy, coaxing the past to life. Elsewhere, he absorbs a painting in a London gallery, retracing the passages in one of Urbain’s copies of a masterwork. Hertmans also knows when to pull back and enlarge the frame, when to provide an astute portrait of the aging painter as the survivor of wartime horrors: “His grand passions were treetops, clouds and folds in fabric. In these formless forms he could let go, lose himself in a dream world of light and dark, in clouds congealed in oil paint, chiaroscuro, a world where nobody else could intrude, because something — it was hard to say what — had broken inside him.” Although “War and Turpentine” includes the publisher’s vouchsafe “This is a work of fiction,” we’re beguiled into a sense of its utter truthfulness. Whether that truth is documentary or dramatic (and carefully constructed) is a question this reader occasionally wrestled with, but mostly set aside. I experienced Hertmans’s book in the crosscurrents of rendered image, historical fact and narrative design, aware that some aspects of it were being curated and invented but feeling incapable of assessing the relative proportions. I was powerless to resist their combined spell. Arranged throughout these pages are black-and-white photographs of paintings (like Rembrandt’s “The Slaughtered Ox”), objects (like a dead relative’s headstone) and people (like Urbain Martien and his wife sitting on a hillside). Some of these images have a corresponding credit at the end of the book, but many are uncredited. “All other images,” we are simply told, are “from the author’s personal collection.” Images and diagrams don’t often work in fiction or memoir because they can seem forced and unenlightening, as if the author needed to deploy a set of visuals to make up for a lack of evocative writing. But here, as with Sebald, these pictures rush at the reader like spectral images of a lost world, a world that’s being constructed for us in the act of telling, as the narrator presides and conjures. I often had the sense of Hertmans pacing across a floor with a sheaf of family photographs in hand, laying out one at a time as he wrestled with his ancestral demons. One of the triumphs of “War and Turpentine” is that the style of delivery is perfectly suited to its central concerns — the flux of memory and the unspooling of a human life. The telling is mostly episodic and fragmentary, imbued with startling images and powerful associative leaps. Objects loom as they become talismans and ciphers. The tenses flow into one another, the distant past into the pounding present, the declarations of known history with the floating inscrutability of human emotions. Why did that headstone end up in a crawl space under the family home? What is that expression on Urbain’s face as he stares beyond the lens of the camera in a particular photograph? The proposed answers, as well as the elegant way we arrive at them, are at the heart of what keeps us reading. At one point, Hertmans writes, “Places are not just space, they are also time.” The same is true of novels. In the course of reading them, time uncoils and folds back on itself, revealing patterns and motifs when we look at them in a certain light. It’s this confluence of forces that moves the reader forward. In a world of novels with overdetermined, linear plotlines — their chapters like so many boxcars on a freight train — “War and Turpentine” delivers a blast of narrative fresh air.

– The editors of the New York Times Book Review are out with their annual list of the best reads of the year. The top 10, which aren't ranked in order: The Association of Small Bombs, Karan Mahajan, fiction. Review here. The North Water, Ian McGuire, fiction. Review here. The Underground Railroad, Colson Whitehead, fiction. Review here. The Vegetarian, Han Kang, fiction. Review here. War and Turpentine, Stefan Hertmans, fiction. Review here. At the Existentialist Cafe, Sarah Bakewell, nonfiction. Review here. Dark Money: The Hidden History of Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right, Jane Mayer, nonfiction. Review here. Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, Matthew Desmond, nonfiction. Review here. In the Darkroom, Susan Faludi, nonfiction. Review here. The Return: Fathers, Sons and the Land in Between, Hisham Matar, nonfiction. Review here. Click here for snapshot descriptions of the books.

Greg Hicks, former deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli, Libya, told congressional investigators that the State Department internal review of the catastrophe at the mission in Benghazi "let people off the hook," CNN has learned. The Accountability Review Board "report itself doesn’t really ascribe blame to any individual at all. The public report anyway," Hicks told investigators, according to transcript excerpts obtained by CNN. "It does let people off the hook." The board's report on the Benghazi attack, in which Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens and three other Americans were killed in September, is being reviewed by the State Department's Office of Inspector General. Rep. Darrell Issa, the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said Sunday on CBS that Hicks will testify Wednesday in a congressional hearing on the deadly attack in Benghazi. "In our system, people who make decisions have been confirmed by the Senate to make decisions," Hicks told investigators."The three people in the State Department who are on administrative leave pending disciplinary action are below Senate confirmation level. Now, the DS (Diplomatic Security) assistant secretary resigned, and he is at Senate confirmation level. Yet the paper trail is pretty clear that decisions were being made above his level. Whom might Hicks be referring to? He specifically mentions Under Secretary of State for Management Patrick Kennedy. "Certainly the fact that Under Secretary Kennedy required a daily report of the personnel in country and who personally approved every official American who went to Tripoli or Benghazi, either on assignment or TDY (temporary duty), would suggest some responsibility about security levels within the country lies on his desk," Hicks said. In the interview, conducted on April 11, Hicks also makes clear that he immediately believed the September 11 attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi had been conducted by terrorists, though the White House and other officials in the Obama administration initially suggested that the attack was the result of an out-of-control demonstration against an anti-Muslim YouTube video. "I thought it was a terrorist attack from the get‑go," said Hicks, who was in Tripoli during the attack. "I think everybody in the mission thought it was a terrorist attack from the beginning." Hicks said he never had any indication that there had been a popular protest outside the mission in Benghazi. "I never reported a demonstration; I reported an attack on the consulate," Hicks said. Stevens' "last report, if you want to say his final report, is, 'Greg, we are under attack.'" You know, it's jaw‑dropping that ‑‑ to me that ‑‑ how that came to be," Hicks recalled. "And, you know, I knew ‑‑ I was personally known to one of (U.S.) Ambassador (to the United Nations Susan) Rice's staff members. And, you know, we're six hours ahead of Washington. Even on Sunday morning, I could have been called, and, you know, the phone call could have been, 'hey, Greg, Ambassador Rice is going to say blah, blah, blah, blah,' and I could have said, 'no, that's not the right thing.' That phone call was never made." Hicks said that "for there to have been a demonstration on Chris Stevens' front door and him not to have reported it is unbelievable. And secondly, if he had reported it, he would have been out the back door within minutes of any demonstration appearing anywhere near that facility. And there was a back gate to the facility, and, you know, it worked." Hicks said that despite being the senior diplomat in Libya after Stevens was killed, he wasn't consulted at all before Rice went on Sunday talk shows to discuss the attacks. Rice contradicted Libyan President Mohammed Magariaf, who said the same day that "this was an attack by Islamic extremists, possibly with terrorist links," Hicks said. "He describes what happens. He tells the truth of what happened. And so, you know, Ambassador Rice says what she says, contradicting what the president of Libya says from Benghazi." This violated "a cardinal rule of diplomacy that we learn in our orientation class, and that rule is, never inadvertently insult your interlocutor. The net impact of what has transpired is, the spokesperson of the most powerful country in the world has basically said that the president of Libya is either a liar or doesn't know what he's talking about. The impact of that is immeasurable. Magariaf has just lost face in front of not only his own people but the world. And, you know, my jaw hit the floor as I watched this. I've never been ‑‑ I have been a professional diplomat for 22 years. I have never been as embarrassed in my life, in my career, as on that day." That "affected cooperation with the Libyans," Hicks said. "I firmly believe that the reason it took us so long to get the FBI to Benghazi is because of those Sunday talk shows." The day after Rice's appearance on the Sunday shows, Hicks says, he asked Acting Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs Beth Jones, " 'Why did Ambassador Rice say that?' And Beth Jones said, 'I don't know.'" Hicks said he didn't think Jones "welcomed the question at all. ... Both the sharpness of the 'I don't know' and the tone of voice ... indicated to me that I had perhaps asked a question that I should not have asked." ||||| Official: We knew Benghazi was a terrorist attack "from the get-go" Updated 11:30 a.m. ET (CBS News) "Everybody in the mission" in Benghazi, Libya, thought the attack on a U.S. consulate there last Sept. 11 was an act of terror "from the get-go," according to excerpts of an interview investigators conducted with the No. 2 official in Libya at the time, obtained by CBS News' "Face the Nation." "I think everybody in the mission thought it was a terrorist attack from the beginning," Greg Hicks, a 22-year foreign service diplomat who was the highest-ranking U.S. official in Libya after the strike, told investigators under authority of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Hicks, the former U.S. Embassy Tripoli deputy chief of mission, was not in Benghazi at the time of the attack, which killed Chris Stevens - then the U.S. ambassador to Libya - and three other Americans. When he appears this week before the committee, chaired by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., Hicks is expected to offer testimony at odds with what some American officials were saying in public - and on "Face the Nation" - just five days after the attack. Benghazi whistleblowers have rallied attention to discrepancies among the administration's reaction to the attack, which The Weekly Standard suggests was frayed by ever-evolving talking points that sought to remove references to al Qaeda. On Sept. 16, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice hit the media circuit, appearing on all five Sunday talk shows to dispel the notion that the strike was a premeditated terrorist act and to perpetuate the case that it began "spontaneously" out of protests in Egypt. Rice's spot on "Face the Nation" that day was preceded by the new President of Libya Mohammed al-Magariaf, who said his government had "no doubt that this was preplanned, predetermined." "For there to have been a demonstration on Chris Stevens's front door and him not to have reported it is unbelievable," he said. "I never reported a demonstration; I reported an attack on the consulate. Chris - Chris's last report, if you want to say his final report - is, 'Greg, we are under attack.' "...I've never been as embarrassed in my life, in my career, as on that day," Hicks continued in his interview with investigators. "The net impact of what has transpired is, [Rice,] the spokesperson of the most powerful country in the world, has basically said that the president of Libya is either a liar of doesn't know what he's talking about. ....My jaw hit the floor as I watched this." Though the White House has said it was in contact with officials in Libya the night of the attack, Hicks said in the days following, he was never consulted about the talking points. One day after Rice's Sunday show blitz, Hicks said he called Beth Jones, acting assistant secretary for near eastern affairs at the State Department, and asked, "Why did Amb. Rice say that?" The tone of her answer - "I don't know," he said - indicated that "I perhaps asked a question that I should not have asked." U.S. diplomat contradicts White House on Benghazi The net impact of Rice's statements, Hicks said, was "immeasurable." On top of his personal belief that "the reason it took us so long to get the FBI to Benghazi is because of those Sunday talk shows," he said, Magariaf lost face "in front of not only his own people, but the world" at a time of democratic transition in his country. He added, "I have heard from a friend who had dinner with President Magariaf in New York City that he was still angry at Amb. Rice well after the incident." Appearing on "Face the Nation" to address Hicks's remarks, chairman Issa agreed Sunday that the "fatal error" in a debacle that marked a "misinformation campaign at best, and a cover-up at worst," was tossing into the lurch the relationship between the United States and Libya. "You can't insult a foreign leader in a greater way than happened literally here, just those few days later," Issa said. "Ambassadors know that the one thing you can't do is contradict your host, especially at a time when you need their cooperation. This was a fatal error to our relationship, at least for a period of time. And we can't find the purpose. [Secretary of State Hillary Clinton] should have been among - above all else - the person who was on the same sheet of music with the Libyan government, and she wasn't." Issa said his committee's hearing this week will try to get to the heart of why "the talking points were right, and then the talking points were wrong." Though he said it might be "in part" a cover-up effort in light of the State Department having turned down requests from diplomats on the ground for heightened security, "it does seem like it's bigger than that." "There was this normalization, sort of a mentality, where you had to pretend like things were safe; the war on terror was over," Issa said. "And that may have gone in a great way to getting people to say, 'Well, we can't call this a terrorist attack because then the war on terror is back alive.' "Well... the war on terror is very much alive," he continued, "whether it's Chechen nationals who come here, or whether it's what's going on in Syria - it's al Qaeda around the world. And that's the reality that, hopefully, State Department people will feel at least they are being properly protected after this attack."

– A senior US diplomat has disputed the White House's account of the attack on the US mission in Libya last year, and claims that the State Department's review "let people off the hook," CNN reports. In an interview with congressional investigators, Greg Hicks, the former deputy chief of mission in Libya, is quoted as saying: "I thought it was a terrorist attack from the get-go. I think everybody in the mission thought it was a terrorist attack from the beginning." This stands in contrast to Obama administration claims that the attack initially appeared to have erupted from a spontaneous protest. "I never reported a demonstration," he said. "I reported an attack on the consulate." Hicks said his "jaw hit the floor" when Susan Rice appeared on US talk shows questioning Libyan President Mohammed Magariaf's claims that the attack was executed by Islamic extremists. "The spokesperson of the most powerful country in the world has basically said that the president of Libya is either a liar or doesn't know what he's talking about," he said. "The impact of that is immeasurable." Hicks' remarks were quoted during an interview with Rep. Darrell Issa, who heads the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, on CBS News' Face The Nation today. Hicks and two other officials are expected to testify on the attacks in front of the committee on Wednesday.

A communications malfunction at a Wyoming Air Force base knocked 50 intercontinental ballistic missiles offline for 45 minutes last weekend as technicians scrambled to diagnose the problem, Pentagon officials said Tuesday. The glitch in the underground cable system linking launch control centers at F.E. Warren Air Force Base to the missile silos affected one-ninth of the U.S. land-based intercontinental ballistic missile force, a key part of the nation's nuclear arsenal, officials said. Officials stressed that there was no possibility the missiles could have launched accidentally, nor was there any indication that foreign governments or terrorists had hacked into the system. If the U.S. had needed to fire the Minuteman III missiles in the affected squadron during the outage Saturday, officials said, backup systems could have been used. But the problem was considered serious enough that President Obama, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Adm. Michael G. Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, were notified. The White House declined to say when Obama learned of the incident, referring questions to the Pentagon. "A particular piece of communications hardware" seems to be the most likely cause, said Lt. Col. John Thomas, a spokesman for the Air Force's Global Strike Command, which oversees the ICBM force. Thomas declined to specify the part, but said a similar malfunction was believed to have occurred a decade ago at the two other Air Force bases where ICBMs are based. The communications failure meant that Air Force personnel responsible for ensuring the missiles' reliability received "error" messages and "launch facility down" warnings. The silos were hurriedly inspected to ensure that no one had broken in, one official said. Officials held off disclosing the incident until Tuesday, in part because of sensitivity about publicly discussing problems with the missile launch system until the system could be examined. But officials said that once it became clear the issue was technical, the military's level of concern dropped. "This was not insignificant, but at the same time it was not catastrophic," said one Pentagon official briefed on the incident. Warren Air Force Base, outside Cheyenne, includes two other squadrons with 50 missiles each, officials said, and both remained fully operational. An additional 300 Minuteman IIIs at the Air Force bases in Montana and North Dakota also were unaffected by the glitch. Besides the 450 land-based nuclear missiles, the U.S. has nuclear weapons that can be delivered by aircraft or submarine. The backup systems that could have fired the offline missiles in an emergency were not activated Saturday because the nation was not on a high state of alert, officials said. "The wartime capability of that squadron was never significantly affected," Thomas said. david.cloud@latimes.com ||||| President Obama was briefed this morning on an engineering power failure at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming that took 50 nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), one-ninth of the U.S. missile stockpile, temporarily offline on Saturday. in their bunkers could no longer communicate with the missiles themselves. LF Down status also means that various security protocols built into the missile delivery system, like intrusion alarms and warhead separation alarms, were offline. In LF Down status, the missiles are still technically launch-able, but they can only be controlled by an airborne command and control platform like the Boeing E-6 NAOC "Kneecap" aircraft , E-4B NAOC aircraft or perhaps the TACAMO fleet, which is primarily used to communicate with nuclear submarines. Had the country been placed on a higher state of nuclear alert, those platforms would be operating automatically because the frequencies used to transmit nuclear codes would be interfacing with separate systems, according to officials. According to the official, engineers believe that a launch control center computer (LCC), responsible for a package of at least five missiles, usually ten of them, began to "ping" out of sequence, resulting in a surge of "noise" through the system. The LCCs interrogate each missile in sequence, so if they begin to send signals out when they're not supposed to, receivers on the missiles themselves will notice this and send out error codes. Since LCCs ping out of sequence on occasion, missileers tried quick fixes. But as more and more missiles began to display error settings, they decided to take off-line all five LCCs that the malfunctioning center was connected to. That left 50 missiles in the dark. The missileers then restarted one of the LCCs, which began to normally interrogate the missile transceiver. Three other LCCs were successfully restarted. The suspect LCC remains off-line. Commanders at the Air Force Base sent warning notices to colleagues at the country's two other nuclear missile command centers, as well as the to the National Military Command Center in Washington. At that point, they did not know what was causing the failure, and they did not know whether other missile systems were experiencing similar symptoms. According to the official, engineers discovered that similar hardware failures had triggered a similar cascading failure 12 years ago at Minot AFB in North Dakota and Malmstrom AFB in Montana. That piece of hardware is the prime suspect. The defense official said that there had not been a power failure, though the official acknowledged that that explanation had made its way through public affairs channels. Engineers working on the system presented a draft of their initial findings late this afternoon, the official said. An administration official, speaking about the president's ability to control nuclear forces, said: "At no time did the president's ability decrease," an administration official said. " Still, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Michael Mullen, was immediately notified on Saturday, and he, in turn, briefed Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. "We've never had something as big as this happen," a military officer who was briefed on the incident said. Occasionally, one or two might blink out, the officer said, and several warheads are routinely out of service for maintenance. At an extreme, "[w]e can deal with maybe 5, 6, or 7 at a time, but we've never lost complete command and control and functionality of 50 ICBMs." The military contends that command and control -- "C2" in their parlance -- was not lost. An Air Force spokesperson, Christy Nolta, said the power failure lasted less than an hour. " There was a temporary interruption and the missiles themselves were always protected by multiple, redundant, safety, security and command and control features. At no time was there any danger to the public," she said. Another military official said the failure triggered an emergency inspection protocol, and sentries were dispatched to verify in person that all of the missiles were safe and properly protected. When on alert, the missiles are the property of the U.S. Strategic Command, which controls all nuclear forces. When not on alert status, the missiles are under the control of a subordinate organization, the Global Strike Command, A White House spokesperson referred questions about the incident to the Office of the Secretary of Defense and to the Air Force. A spokesperson for the Global Strike Command did not immediately respond to questions. The cause of the failure remains unknown, although it is suspected to be a breach of underground cables deep beneath the base, according to a senior military official. It is next to impossible for these systems to be hacked, so the military does not believe the incident was caused by malicious actors. A half dozen individual silos were affected by Saturday's failure. There are about 450 ICBMs in America's nuclear arsenal, some of them bearing multiple warheads. 150 are based at Minot and about 150 are housed at Malmstrom AFB in Montana. The chessboard of nuclear deterrence, a game-theory-like intellectual contraption that dates from the Cold War, is predicated upon those missiles being able to target specific threat locations across the world. If a squadron goes down, that means other missiles have to pick up the slack. The new START treaty would reduce the number of these missiles by 30 percent, but the cuts are predicated upon the health of the current nuclear stockpile, from warhead to delivery system to command and control. An administration official said that "to make too much out of this would be to sensationalize it. It's not that big of a deal. Everything worked as planned." Senate Republicans have been pressing Senate Democrats to spend more money ensuring the current strategic nuclear arsenal, which dates to the early 1980s, is ready to go. The treaty requires the vote of two-thirds of the Senate to be ratified. In 2008, Gates fired the Secretary of the Air Force and its chief of staff after a series of incidents suggested to Gates that the service wasn't taking its nuclear duties seriously enough. At one point, a B-52 bomber flew across the continental U.S. without realizing that its nuclear weapons were "hot." National Journal's Megan Scully contacted a spokesperson for Sen. Jon Kyl, a top GOP critic of START, who said that "We don't know what happened and why." The spokesperson refused to comment on "media reports." The base is a main locus of the United States' strategic nuclear forces. The 90th Missile Wing, headquartered there, controls 150 Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic nuclear missiles. They're on full-time alert and are housed in a variety of bunkers across several states. On Saturday morning, according to people briefed on what happened, a squadron of ICBMs suddenly dropped down into what's known as "LF Down" status, meaning that the missileers

– A hardware glitch knocked 50 nuclear missiles—a ninth of America's land-based arsenal—offline for nearly an hour over the weekend. Commanders at an Air Force base in Wyoming found themselves unable to communicate with the missiles as engineers scrambled to find out what the problem was, the Atlantic reports. Officials say there is no evidence of foul play, and the missiles could still have been launched by an airborne command and control platform if necessary. Officials—who say a similar glitch happened a decade ago—stress that there was no danger to the public and no chance of an accidental launch, although the problem was considered serious enough for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to be notified immediately. "This was not insignificant, but at the same time it was not catastrophic," a Pentagon official briefed on the incident tells the Los Angeles Times.

My St. Patrick's Day routine is generally the same every year -- figuring out how to avoid that big parade that doesn't like the gay people , enduring the Cranberries' "Zombie" blaring out of every bar, and fending off the surprised "Where's your green?" questions from passersby who cannot fathom why a freckled redhead isn't sporting some emerald-hued invitation to KISS ME or declare that IRISH I WERE DRUNK. Last St. Patrick's Day, I had to ride in a commuter train full of woozy-looking revelers decked in shiny green plastic hats, in a car that had already been puked in before lunchtime. You just can't feel super great about your people after something like that. As my very smart friend Tom puts it, "There is so much to celebrate about Irish culture, past and current. Funny thing, most Americans of Irish descent know dead little about modern Ireland and aren't a lot better on its history." I get that the Irish-American St. Patrick's Day experience is distinct from the Ireland Irish one. As my friend Gerry says, "I appreciate the fact that Guinness is discounted at the supermarket this time of year." We have our own culture and traditions here, and knowing where Armagh is shouldn't be a requisite to enjoying a pint of Harp. You don't even have to know that the patron saint of Ireland was British, but you're welcome. We have our parades and our funny ways of dressing up and we send each other musical cards that say "Top o' the mornin'" and we dye our rivers green. Many of us even manage to make the holiday into something truly special. My old schoolmate and fellow ginger Liz tells me, "I like it better than Thanksgiving and Christmas because it's just the immediate family and we have a chance to reminisce and teach the kids some favorite tunes. There's a lot of family and love." And my friend Candace says simply, "Life is boring. St. Patrick's Day is fun." ||||| The calendar year is lousy with holiday minefields. New Year's Eve. Valentine's Day. And then there's spring break for fair-skinned people – that pagan debauch otherwise known as St. Patrick's Day. I grew up in a home where our Irishness was the dominant culture, where we had mashed potatoes every night, tenors singing "Danny Boy" on the stereo and tea towels with blessings involving the road rising to meet you. As a child, St. Patrick's Day meant a green ribbon in my hair and corned beef and cabbage for dinner. In college, I did a term on Irish history and literature at Trinity in Dublin. But though I've always been proud of my heritage, I've only grudgingly endured the annual celebratory displays of it, cringing at the way every year "Irish" becomes simultaneously synonymous with "adorable wee folk" and "public urination." Pot o' gold! Always after me Lucky Charms! Something something blarney! Advertisement: As an adult, I've become used to feeling riled by the way that St. Paddy's seems to bring out the most grotesque stereotypes of my ancestors -- that we're rowdy and tacky. But in recent years the whole thing has become ever rowdier and tackier. I think it started back in the 1990s, when Celtic design tattoos made white people feel like they could be ethnic too, and the Irish tourism industry caught on that their generally miserable month of March could be exploited as a fabulous vacation opportunity. Ever since, the holiday has exploded into a supersize free-for-all of kitsch and debauchery. My St. Patrick's Day routine is generally the same every year -- figuring out how to avoid that big parade that doesn't like the gay people, enduring the Cranberries' "Zombie" blaring out of every bar, and fending off the surprised "Where's your green?" questions from passersby who cannot fathom why a freckled redhead isn't sporting some emerald-hued invitation to KISS ME or declare that IRISH I WERE DRUNK. Last St. Patrick's Day, I had to ride in a commuter train full of woozy-looking revelers decked in shiny green plastic hats, in a car that had already been puked in before lunchtime. You just can't feel super great about your people after something like that. As my very smart friend Tom puts it, "There is so much to celebrate about Irish culture, past and current. Funny thing, most Americans of Irish descent know dead little about modern Ireland and aren't a lot better on its history." I get that the Irish-American St. Patrick's Day experience is distinct from the Ireland Irish one. As my friend Gerry says, "I appreciate the fact that Guinness is discounted at the supermarket this time of year." We have our own culture and traditions here, and knowing where Armagh is shouldn't be a requisite to enjoying a pint of Harp. You don't even have to know that the patron saint of Ireland was British, but you're welcome. We have our parades and our funny ways of dressing up and we send each other musical cards that say "Top o' the mornin'" and we dye our rivers green. Many of us even manage to make the holiday into something truly special. My old schoolmate and fellow ginger Liz tells me, "I like it better than Thanksgiving and Christmas because it's just the immediate family and we have a chance to reminisce and teach the kids some favorite tunes. There's a lot of family and love." And my friend Candace says simply, "Life is boring. St. Patrick's Day is fun." I love a good celebration too, and I try in my own small ways to make St. Patrick's Day one for my family. I bake a soda bread and serve salmon and tell my children the story of Fionn Mac Cuill and I crank up "My Bloody Valentine." Because I love my family and I love my identity, in a way that has nothing to do with shamrock shakes and green beer or great throngs of people celebrating intoxication and cereal-box leprechauns. And I'm Irish enough to know that stupid stereotypes can pogue mahone.

– Mary Elizabeth Williams of Salon has strong Irish roots, but you can keep your parades, "kiss me" buttons, and shamrock shakes to yourself on this St. Patrick's Day, thank you very much. She hates the annual pseudo-holiday, the day when "'Irish' becomes simultaneously synonymous with 'adorable wee folk' and 'public urination.'" Ireland's culture is especially rich, but you wouldn't know it from the "pagan debauch" going on today. Not that she won't celebrate her heritage—it will just be in a kitsch-free way. "I bake a soda bread and serve salmon and tell my children the story of Fionn Mac Cuill and I crank up 'My Bloody Valentine.'" It's her way of avoiding "stupid stereotypes" ... and green beer. Click for the full column. (It ends with a mild Irish curse you may or may not have to Google, depending on how green your own roots are.)

The consensus among Wall Street analysts is that Apple will report $54.7 billion in revenue and $13.41 a share in earnings for the quarter that ended in December. Above, an Apple store in New York. (Spencer Platt, Getty Images / ) If all goes according to plan Wednesday, Apple Inc. will report record revenue. The company will reveal that it sold more iPhones than in any previous quarter. And it will confirm that it hauled in another boatload of cash to swell its overflowing coffers. In other words, Apple's earnings have all the makings of a colossal disaster. That's because no matter how mind-blowing its performance, there is growing concern among investors that Apple's remarkable run of smartphone dominance is coming to an end. Although analysts' estimates for the company are all over the map, there is general agreement that Apple will not grow at nearly the same pace as it has over the last five years. But after months of speculation and countless rumors that have helped drive the company's stock down 28% from its September peak, there is still widespread disagreement about how much that growth will slow and whether investors should be alarmed. With observers desperate to finally hear what Apple executives have to say, the company's earnings report scheduled after the market closes Wednesday has become one of its most pivotal and highly anticipated in years. Ben Reitzes, an analyst at Barclays, sent a recent note about Apple's earnings to clients under the title "Preparing for the Most Important Conference Call in Years." "We believe that investor sentiment is quite negative right now for Apple, with significant concerns around demand trends for the iPhone 5," he wrote. How investors adjust to that reality of slower growth is hard to predict. Will it be interpreted as a sign of weakness? Or just the reality that as a company gets bigger its pace of growth will inevitably slow? First, the numbers. In October, Apple told Wall Street analysts that for its first quarter, which ended in December, investors should expect the company to report $52 billion in revenue and earnings of $11.75 a share. But Apple tends to be notoriously conservative in its own guidance. For the same quarter a year earlier, Apple beat revenue estimates by more than 25% and earnings forecasts by nearly 50%. The surprising quarterly performance sent its stock into the stratosphere over the next nine months, eventually hitting an all-time high of $702.10 in September. Such a huge surprise seems unlikely this time around. The consensus among Wall Street analysts is that Apple will report $54.7 billion in revenue and $13.41 a share in earnings. If the latter figure proves correct, that would represent a decline from the $13.87 a share in earnings that Apple reported for the same quarter last year. Not only would it be the first drop in a decade, but it also could confirm fears that Apple's new mix of products, including the iPad Mini, are hurting the company's historically high profit margins. Making this all the more complicated is a quirk in the calendar. Last year, the same quarter had 14 weeks. This year, it has only 13 weeks. That means once the numbers are released, analysts and investors will have to do some fast calculations to make comparisons that are truly apples to apples. In addition to worries about profit margins, investors have been fretting over rumors that the iPhone 5 has not been selling as well as expected, that rival Samsung Electronics Co. is widening its lead in smartphone sales, and that Apple's product upgrades don't dazzle like they once did. Of course, much of this is conjecture. But it has muddled projections, with analysts predicting that Apple could report earnings from as low as $11.53 a share to as much as $15.50 a share. That kind of uncertainty has made investors even more eager than usual to hear any news about Apple's performance. Even more important than the numbers, however, is what Apple executives say about the future. Since last summer, analysts have been growing more pessimistic about the current fiscal year, which ends in September, lowering their earnings projections to $48.86 a share from $54.87 a share in July. Should Apple lower that outlook further in the conference call Wednesday, it could trigger panic among Apple's investors. "I think the concerns being reflected in the stock today have more to do with the next quarter than this one," said Walter Piecyk, a research analyst at BTIG. To some analysts, the gloom over Apple's prospect is simply absurd. The value of the stock, trading at about 11 times earnings, is low by historical standards. Its price-to-earnings ratio hasn't been this low in more than five years, a period in which it has hovered between 15 and 20 times earnings. And according to research firm Bespoke Investment Group, Apple is currently trading further below the consensus target ($728.36) than any of the other 100 largest stocks in the Standard & Poor's 500 index. Apple on Tuesday closed up $4.77, or 1%, to $504.77‎. In this view, the world's most valuable company is trading at bargain basement prices. "There's nothing wrong with their business," said Colin Gillis, director of research at BGC Financial. "It's just a question of whether growth is going to slow. That had to happen eventually." chris.obrien@latimes.com ||||| Apple Inc. (AAPL) is being outsold in China, the world’s largest handset market, by a company less than 1 percent its size, highlighting how the lack of low-cost products limits the iPhone-maker in emerging nations. China Wireless Technologies Ltd. (2369) is one of four domestic suppliers outselling Apple in China with smartphones tailored to the budget of the nation’s budding middle class. Its Coolpad 8060 retails for 619 yuan -- or just under $100 -- less than 20 percent the price of the cheapest iPhone. China Wireless expects sales to rise 40 percent this year to 28 million phones, helped by low prices and new products such as fourth-generation handsets. Apple, whose smartphone has made it the world’s most-profitable company, slipped to sixth place in China from fourth as it struggled to lure consumers earning an average of $577 a month. “Apple, with its current stable of products, is unlikely to rank high as long as the general level of affluence in China is low,” said Magdalene Choong, a Phillip Securities analyst in Singapore who rates the Cupertino, California-based company’s shares neutral. Apple, which reports earnings later today in the U.S., is trying to boost sales by opening more stores, adding an installment payment plan and seeking a handset deal with China Mobile Ltd. (941), the world’s largest phone company by subscribers. Photographer: SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg An Apple earnings report may show that fiscal first- quarter net income slipped 2% to $12.8 billion, or $13.48 a share, according to analysts’ estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Close An Apple earnings report may show that fiscal first- quarter net income slipped 2% to... Read More Close Open Photographer: SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg An Apple earnings report may show that fiscal first- quarter net income slipped 2% to $12.8 billion, or $13.48 a share, according to analysts’ estimates compiled by Bloomberg. The company is also planning a smaller, cheaper version of the iPhone aimed at developing markets. The handset, costing somewhere between $99 and $149, would be introduced late this year at the earliest, a person familiar with the matter told Bloomberg News this month. Middle Class IPhones made up about 15 percent of all smartphones sold in the third quarter of 2012, down from 23 percent in the first three months, according to data compiled by Bloomberg Industries, citing market researcher IDC. Smartphone shipments may grow 28 percent this year, led by emerging markets. Apple “needs to adapt to where the growth is,” former Chief Executive Officer John Sculley said in a Jan. 15 interview with Bloomberg TV. “It’s got to learn how to sell products that are priced for the price point that the emerging middle class in Asia, for example, can afford.” China smartphone shipments will rise 44 percent to 300 million units this year, driven by handsets costing about 700 yuan, IDC forecast Dec. 17. The Coolpad runs on Google Inc. (GOOG)’s Android operating system and has a 4-inch touchscreen display. “The low end will get cheaper and better,” said Sandy Shen, a Gartner Inc. analyst in Shanghai. “If you talk about market share, then the high end will get smaller and smaller as the market expands.” Declining Share The cheapest iPhone on Apple’s China website, an 8-gigabyte iPhone 4, costs 3,088 yuan. The latest iPhone 5 starts at 5,288 yuan. Carolyn Wu, a spokeswoman for Apple in Beijing, declined to comment on the company’s China strategy. As Apple’s share of China’s smartphone market declined, China Wireless surged to third place in the three months ended September, up from sixth in the preceding quarter, according to IDC. That was the first time the company entered the top five. Samsung Electronics Co. (005930) headed the list, helped by tie-ups with all three wireless carriers and sales of cheaper phones. The Samsung 7568 Galaxy smartphone costs as little as 1,299 yuan through China Mobile. The top five was rounded out by three other local vendors that have also overtaken Apple handset sales in China by offering devices at a fraction of the iPhone’s cost, according to IDC. Beijing-based Lenovo Group Ltd. (992) was in second place, while ZTE Corp. (000063) and Huawei Technologies Co., both based in the southern city of Shenzhen, ranked fourth and fifth. Unique Network “We’ve had strong growth in sales volume and revenue because our company is focused on the low end of the Chinese market,” China Wireless CFO Jiang Chao said in an interview at the company’s headquarters, also in Shenzhen. “Only Chinese companies like ours, ZTE, Huawei and Lenovo can develop these low-end smartphones.” Apple CEO Tim Cook visited China for the second time in a year earlier this month, meeting officials including China Mobile Chairman Xi Guohua. The carrier has 710 million wireless subscribers, or about 64 percent of the market. IPhones are only sold by China’s second- and third-biggest operators -- China Unicom (Hong Kong) Ltd. (762) and China Telecom Corp. (728) -- because China Mobile’s network doesn’t support the Apple product. China Mobile’s unique, domestically developed third- generation network would require changes to the iPhone. Samsung, based in Suwon, South Korea, gained the edge over its U.S. rival by adapting its handsets for the carrier’s system. Old Ties China Mobile is testing a fourth-generation network that may enter commercial service later this year. The company said in September 2011 that Apple would produce an iPhone for the new 4G network. The two also need to agree on issues such as benefit-sharing, Chief Executive Officer Li Yue said last month. China Wireless, formed in 1993, has sold phones through China Mobile and the nation’s two other carriers for at least a decade. Those ties and experience give the company an advantage over Apple, which entered the market in 2009. “We have cooperated with the operators for many years,” CFO Jiang said. Liu Ruju, a 27-year-old lawyer in Heilongjiang province, has been using a Coolpad Cheer for six months. He said the device doesn’t browse the Web as fast as he’d like, though at 658 yuan it offers features Apple can’t match, including the ability to use more than one SIM card. Two Lines “I have one line for work and one line for personal use,” Liu said. “The special things about this phone are that it’s cheap and dual SIM.” China Wireless shares jumped 65 percent in Hong Kong over the past year, almost four times the 18 percent gain in the benchmark Hang Seng Index. The company, called “kupai,” or “cool,” in Chinese, has a market value of $640 million compared with Apple’s $474 billion, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The shares are rated hold or sell by nine analysts tracked by Bloomberg, while two rate it buy. The stock declined 5.2 percent to close at HK$2.37 in Hong Kong trading today. In the next 12 months, the shares are projected to reach HK$2.40, based on analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Share Sustainability “I still have some questions on the sustainability of those market-share gains, and whether they can turn those gains into profits,” said Lisa Soh, an analyst with Macquarie Group Ltd. in Hong Kong who rates the shares underperform. Apple’s earnings report may show that fiscal first-quarter net income slipped 2 percent to $12.8 billion, according to analysts’ estimates compiled by Bloomberg. China Wireless, by comparison, is projected to report $39 million in net income for the full year 2012. The introduction of a less-expensive iPhone would dent earnings for China Wireless and other low-cost device makers in China, said Leping Huang, an analyst at Nomura International Hong Kong Ltd. “Apple’s next action will affect the whole industry,” Huang said. “If it comes out with a cheaper iPhone, it will change a lot of market dynamics.” To contact Bloomberg News staff for this story: Edmond Lococo in Beijing at elococo@bloomberg.net; Bruce Einhorn in Hong Kong at beinhorn1@bloomberg.net To contact the editor responsible for this story: Michael Tighe at mtighe4@bloomberg.net

– A dark cloud is hovering over Apple's collective head: Analysts expect today's earnings report, to be released after the closing bell, to show the company's first drop in profits since 2003. Their estimates, as reported by Bloomberg and the Los Angeles Times, peg the fiscal Q1 net income sinking about 2% to between $13.41 and $13.48 a share. And consider this: With the exception of a single quarter since 2003, Apple's profit has jumped more than 10%. What you need to know before the report, which Tim Cook and Apple's CFO will follow with a conference call that one Barclays analyst has dubbed "the most important ... in years": As Chris O'Brien explains for the Times, Apple is expected to report record iPhone sales and record revenue (somewhere around $54.7 billion—about an 18% bump, which happens to be the slowest growth rate since 2009). But "no matter how mind-blowing its performance," investors are spooked, and fear Apple may soon be dethroned as the smartphone king. Among their worries: narrowing profit margins in the face of an expanded product line, a rising Samsung, and a saturated US market in which many of the smartphone-less are looking for a device cheaper than the $199-and-up iPhone 5. The big opportunity could come in places like China—except there's generally no mobile-phone-carrier subsidy in emerging markets, which means the cheapest iPhone typically has a $450 price tag. And that's led to Apple being outsold in China by four Chinese smartphone makers who hawk cheaper devices. One, China Wireless Technologies, is just 1% of Apple's size, reports Bloomberg. But Apple could still surprise today: A Bloomberg review of past reports found that the company has bested analysts' estimates in every quarter but three since 2006.

Meet Auntie Pippa! Kate's sister travels to Kensington Palace with boyfriend Nico for a cuddle with her newborn nephew Future king left the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital in London tonight Prince William drove Kate and his son away from the hospital They arrived at Kensington Palace shortly afterwards Pippa Middleton and other family members gathered to meet new arrival Pippa Middleton will meet her new nephew this evening after travelling to Kensington Palace to celebrate the arrival of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's first child. The Duchess of Cambridge's sister travelled to the west London palace with her boyfriend Nico Jackson. Prince William and Kate were pictured arriving into the grounds of Kensington Palace after earlier leaving the private Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital in London. Gathering: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrived back at Kensington Palace this evening with their son. Pippa Middleton and her boyfriend Nico Jackson were waiting to meet the new arrival Family time: Pippa Middleton has travelled to Kensington Palace where she will this evening meet her new nephew. The Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William show their baby outside the hospital earlier Proud: The Royal couple looked thrilled as they showed off the baby to the media outside the hospital Home: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge headed to Kensington Palace in west London after leaving the hospital this evening The Duke of Cambridge had followed the steps his parents Charles and Diana took with him 31 years ago, when he was born there on June 21, 1982. 'He's a big boy, quite heavy. We're still working on a name,' he told reporters. 'Well he has a good pair of lungs on him, that's for sure’ Confirming that the prince was overdue, William said: ‘I will remind him of his tardiness when he is older.’ Visit: Pippa Middleton has travelled to Kensington Palace with boyfriend Nico Jackson. They are pictured together watching tennis at Wimbledon Beaming: Prince Harry and Pippa Middleton on the balcony of Buckingham Palace following the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Historic: Pippa Middleton is pictured carrying out her duties at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge With a huge smile he then added: ‘He’s got her looks thankfully’ to which the Duchess responded ‘No, no, no I’m not sure about that.’ The Duchess wore a lilac purple dress, with her long hair falling in waves around her face. The new father wore a blue open neck shirt rolled up to his sleeves with black trousers. The couple then returned in to the hospital as William held his son, swaddled in a blanket, before bringing him out again in his car seat William then breathed a huge sigh of relief when he successfully installed his baby on the back seat with his wife, before driving them home to Kensington Palace surrounded by a cheering crowd. Proud: Prince William drove his wife and son away from the The Lindo Wing and headed to Kensington Palace Happy: The new parents are now expected to spend two weeks at Kensington Palace Carole and Michael Middleton were the first to arrive at the private Lindo Wing at around 3pm today, with Prince Charles and his wife Camilla following them at 5.30pm after being rushed to London by helicopter after two-days carrying out official duties in Yorkshire. ||||| Prince William, Catherine Duchess Of Cambridge and royal baby leaving Kensington Palace Credit: Rex USA His Royal Highness is on the move! After their first night at home as a family, Kate Middleton and Prince William left Kensington Palace with their newborn son past noon on Wednesday, July 24. The brand-new family boarded a black Range Rover, with the Duchess, sitting in the backseat next to the prince in a car seat, with the Prince riding shotgun. Kate was spotted wearing Seraphine's Blossom Knot Front lavender dress, sunglasses and little-to-no-makeup during the trip, and William (casually clad and wearing glasses) waved to well-wishers standing near the Palace gates. PHOTOS: First pics of the royal baby Just before 2 p.m., the trio arrived at Middleton family home in Bucklebury. Getting out of an unusually hot and humid London is probably a good idea for the new royal family. The Duke and Duchess, 31, both waited out the final week of Middleton's pregnancy at her family's countryside abode, which offered seclusion, air conditioning and a pool, among other things. Rex USA PHOTOS: Kate's pregnancy Less 24 hours ago, the little Prince made his worldwide debut outside St. Mary's Hospital as his beaming parents introduced him to fans and reporters. "It's very emotional," Duchess Catherine gushed of becoming a mom. "Such a special time. I think any parent probably sort of knows what this feeling feels like." Alex Huckle/Alpha Press PHOTOS: Royal family tree "Most of their time in the hospital was spent getting to know the baby," a palace aide told Us of how the proud parents spent their first night together as a family at St. Mary's Hospital. The next week, the aide added, will consist of "a little bit of downtime to get to know him." Before heading out of town, the new family received Wednesday morning visits from both Queen Elizabeth and Prince Harry. UPDATE: A palace rep tells Us: ''This is now private and quiet time for them to get to know their son.'' ||||| The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are the proud new parents of the Prince of Cambridge, and once William’s two weeks of paternity leave is up, Kate will call on the help of her parents, who own a Georgian manor just outside London. Kate is foregoing royal tradition as she moves into her parents’ most recently-purchased Bucklebury home with the UK’s future monarch for at least six weeks. Traditionally, a royal child spends a majority of its upbringing with a nanny and baby nurses from the getgo, but the Duchess prefers to be close to her mother, who raised three children without hired help. The gorgeous estate, known as Bucklebury Manor, contrasts greatly to the palaces, particularly Buckingham. Going from 775 rooms to 7 might be a tight squeeze, but the family seems excited and embracing the low-key change, according to Kate’s uncle, Gary Goldsmith. Carole Middleton’s younger brother recently told the Telegraph that HRH doesn’t want to make any additions to their temporary cottage at Kensington Palace while renovations are underway at apt 1A. “Kate felt it wasn’t worth the money to go all-out [on a nursery],” he explained. The new home will give the Duchess respite from all the commotion that has swept the world since the highly-anticipated birth, with Michael and Carole there to help her with late-night diaper duty and enjoy private family walks on their stunningly lush 18 acres of land. Located in Berkshire, the 7-bedroom, 5-reception room mansion will give the growing family a serene backdrop (farm animals included) and a safe, calming environment away from the hustle-and-bustle of London. With a steel-framed green room, tennis court and swimming pool, the Manor offers plenty of recreational activities for any grandchild (and future grandchildren) and a sweet escape for the royal couple. Click through the CB! gallery above for a tour inside the Middletons Bucklebury Manor. ||||| Prince Harry, Queen Elizabeth Meet Royal Baby; Did They Talk Names With Kate and William? Uncle Harry and Great Grand-Mum just met their favorite new little boy! Both Prince Harry and Queen Elizabeth met with Prince William, Kate Middleton and the two-day-old royal baby at Kensington Palace in London the morning Wednesday, July 24, the palace confirms to Us Weekly. PHOTOS: Royal awww! Meet the newborn prince! The Queen, 87, spent over half an hour with the Duke and Duchess, both 31, and her newest great-grandchild, who is now third in line for the British throne. Among the topics likely discussed with the current monarch? A short list of potential baby names for the future King. At the moment, oddsmakers are favoring the names "George" and "James," names which have been bestowed upon previous kings. (A late Tuesday online poll at Us, however, overwhelmingly favored the moniker "Spencer," a nod to the maiden name of the little boy's late paternal grandmother Princess Diana.) PHOTOS: Kate's stunning post-baby debut fashion choice The Palace still has no official word on that name -- or when it might be revealed. "There is no guidance at this stage on names," a rep tells Us. Debuting the baby to great fanfare outside St. Mary's Hospital Tuesday, William told reporters they were "still working on a name." PHOTOS: What the Queen, Harry, William and Kate looked like as babies Queen Elizabeth, thankfully, gets to keep her vacation plans, and heads to her Balmoral estate on Friday. Last week, she admitted during a visit with schoolchildren she "would very much like [the baby] to arrive. I'm going on holiday." Prince Harry's stealth appearance at Kensington Palace is a bit of a surprise; now the fourth in line to the throne, William's younger brother has been on duty with the Royal Air Force in Wattisham, Suffolk.

– No, sorry, we don't have a name yet—but we can tell you that the royal baby has met his royal great-grandmother, known to you commoners as Queen Elizabeth. She and Prince Harry met the babe this morning at London's Kensington Palace, Us reports. Potential names were probably discussed during the half-hour visit, but no word yet on when the chosen moniker will be revealed. As for Uncle Harry, his visit was a surprise since he's been on duty with the Royal Air Force. Aunt Pippa Middleton also popped over to Kensington Palace with her boyfriend last night to meet the heir to the throne, the Daily Mail reports. Today Prince William, Kate, and the baby were already on the road, Us reports: They left Kensington Palace for the Middletons' countryside Bucklebury home, where they spent the week before the birth and where Kate plans to stay for at least six weeks.

A Monroe County woman says she spent nearly four months in jail because a roadside drug test falsely labeled a bag of cotton candy as methamphetamine. RELATED: 'The Drug Whisperer' | Drivers arrested while stone cold sober Dasha Fincher filed a lawsuit in federal court Thursday against Monroe County, the two deputies who arrested her and the company that manufactured the drug test. Her suit says it happened after a traffic stop on New Year's Eve in 2016. Deputies said they stopped the car Fincher was riding in because of its dark window tint, but later admitted that the windows were legal. Fincher said when Monroe deputies Cody Maples and Allen Henderson saw a large open plastic bag inside the car, she told them it contained blue cotton candy but they didn't believe her. The deputies used a roadside field test that said there was meth in the bag. Fincher was arrested and charged with meth trafficking and possession ot meth with intent to distribute. A judge set her bond at $1 million, her lawsuit said, but Fincher remained in jail because she couldn't pay the cash bond. But in March 2017, GBI lab tests came back to say that the substance in the bag was not an illegal drug. The charges against Fincher were dropped four weeks later, in April 2107. Fincher's lawsuit argues that the Monroe County Sheriff's Office was reckless and negligent and violated her civil rights. The suit said the test was manufactured by Sirchie Acquisitions, a company based in North Carolina. The test, called Nark II, has a history of false positive test results, the suit says. Blue food coloring used in the cotton candy would likely cause a false positive test result, the suit argues. Deputies Maples and Henderson were not trained in identifying street drugs or in performing the Nark II test, the lawsuit also says. Fincher's lawsuit is asking a jury to award damages from the county, the two deputies and Sirchie. Ricky Davis, spokesman for the sheriff's office, referred questions on the case to Benjamin Vaughn, the Monroe County attorney. We could not reach Vaughn for comment. ||||| A Georgia woman is suing after the GBI found that the blue substance in her car that led to her spending three months in jail was not methamphetamine — it was cotton candy. According to Macon-based WMAZ-TV, Dasha Fincher has filed a lawsuit in federal court against the board of commissioners in Monroe County, two deputies and the manufacturer (Sirchie Acquisition Company) of a drug test administered during her traffic stop. The incident report, obtained by WMAZ, said David Morris Jr. was riding with Fincher in the passenger seat on New Year’s Eve 2016 when deputies Cody Maples and Allen Henderson pulled them over for a window tint violation. The lawsuit, also obtained by the news station, said the deputies told them the car’s window tint didn’t end up violating the law after they were pulled over. Fincher and Morris allegedly had suspended licenses, and when the deputies searched the car they found a “plastic bag filled with a blue crystal-like substance in the passenger side floorboard,” the report said. The report described Fincher as “shaking” and “very anxious” when asked about the contents of the baggie, and she said it was cotton candy. Monroe Incident by on Scribd The lawsuit claims that police dashcam video shows Fincher and Morris were both “calm” during the encounter. The substance was tested using a Nark II roadside kit and came back positive for meth, and both Morris and Fincher were arrested, the lawsuit said. The test kits, according to the lawsuit, have a “history of producing false positive results.” Fincher was charged with trafficking meth and possession of meth with intent to distribute, the lawsuit said. The judge ordered her to be jailed on a $1 million bond, which the lawsuit said she couldn’t afford so she remained in jail for about three months while the GBI tested the substance. In March 2017, the GBI said the blue material contained no controlled substances, and she was released from jail on April 4 with her charges dropped about two weeks later, the lawsuit said. The suit doesn’t mention what happened to Morris after his arrest. Fincher said her time in jail caused her to miss “several serious life events,” including the birth of two grandsons and her daughter’s miscarriage, the lawsuit said. In the lawsuit, Fincher argues the deputies should have known the drug test could result in false positives, that it would have been unlikely for someone to leave a large bag of meth in plain sight and that the county improperly trained them how to identify illicit drugs. The lawsuit asks for punitive damages, as well as court fees. Monroe Lawsuit by on Scribd WMAZ reported that sheriff’s office spokesman Ricky Davis referred questions about the case to Monroe County attorney Benjamin Vaughn. Vaughn did not respond to the news station’s request for comment. In other news:

– Dasha Fincher had a bag of blue cotton candy in the car with her when two Monroe County, Georgia, sheriff's deputies pulled the vehicle over on New Year's Eve in 2016. The deputies—who said they pulled the car over because of its dark window tint, but allegedly later admitted the windows were legal—asked her about the bag but didn't believe it was cotton candy. (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution notes Fincher and the driver allegedly had suspended licenses at the time.) A roadside field test said there was meth in the bag and Fincher was arrested and charged with meth trafficking and possession with intent to distribute. She couldn't pay her $1 million bond and stayed in jail for three months; in March 2017, Georgia Bureau of Investigation tests revealed there had been no meth in the bag. Four weeks later, charges were dropped, and now Fincher is suing over the whole ordeal, WMAZ reports. Her federal lawsuit names the county, the deputies, and Sirchie Acquisitions, the company that manufactures the roadside drug test. Fincher alleges the test has a history of false positives, and that the blue food coloring used in the cotton candy triggered one. She also alleges the deputies were not trained in administering the test or in identifying street drugs, and that they ultimately violated her civil rights as a result. The suit says Fincher's incarceration caused her to miss "several major life events," including the birth of her twin grandsons, and that when her son brought the babies to the jail to meet her, he was arrested on an outstanding bench warrant. Shortly thereafter, the suit says that Fincher, "frustrated with her incarceration," broke her hand on a concrete wall. (Krispy Kreme doughnut flakes have also been mistaken for meth.)

She was one of the early heroines of flight history – a female pilot who became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. But in 1937, Amelia Mary Earhart also became of one of aviation's enduring mysteries, disappearing over the South Pacific while on the final leg of a journey to circumnavigate the globe. Now, some 77 years on, a young woman whose parents named her in honour of Ms Earhart has completed the journey, touching down in Oakland, California, after a 16-day, 28,000-mile mission. Amelia Rose Earhart, a former television and radio reporter from Colorado, said after landing: "It was an amazing journey. We feel like we had Amelia there with us, symbolically closing her flight plan. So to come back here, it just brings it full circle." Helped by her media-savvy publisher husband, George Putnam, the first Ms Earhart was a tomboyish celebrity of her age, pictured in her aviator jacket, scarf and trousers. A $40 million biopic of her life, Amelia, released in 2009 starred Hilary Swank, Ewan MacGregor and Richard Gere. Her attempt to fly around the world in 1937 ended in tragedy after she had completed nearly two thirds of her flight with her navigator, Frederick Noonan. They took off from Lae, New Guinea, bound for the tiny Howland Island in the Pacific Ocean, but never arrived. A large-scale naval, air and land search failed to locate their twin-engined Lockheed Model 10 Electra and their fate remains unknown, although there is speculation that they might have spent some time as castaways. This autumn, aviation archaeologists are due to carry out a 30-day search of an uninhabited atoll on which they believe the pair may have landed and survived for a time. The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery say they have found a woman's shoe, part of a woman's compact containing traces of rouge, and fragments of glass from a 1930s jar of face cream on the island of Nikumaroro. The second Ms Earhart, 31, was named Amelia by her parents because they wanted to give her "a name that was filled with inspiration, adventure and tenacity". But as a teenager she resented the expectations she felt came with the name and for a few years preferred to be known as Amy. As an adult, though, she came to feel that her name was "the best gift that my parents could have ever given me". She took her first flying lessons 10 years ago and last year started the Fly With Amelia Foundation, which awards flying scholarships to girls aged 16 to 18. One man who saw the landing remembered watching the original flight take off from Oakland when he was a boy in 1937. Elwood Ballard, 84, who presented the younger Ms Earhart with a bouquet of roses, said: "I've been waiting 77 years for this. After all these years, I never thought that I would see the day." 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Let us know if you need help getting paid or organic traffic; help in getting to the top of Google. ||||| OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Amelia Rose Earhart has completed the round-the-world journey that her namesake never finished nearly eight decades ago. The 31-year-old pilot completed the 24,300-mile journey Friday when her single-engine plane landed at Oakland International Airport, where she was greeted by her parents and crowds of supporters. Earhart is not related to the famed aviator who disappeared during her attempted global flight in 1937. The Denver resident and her co-pilot Shane Jordan took off from Oakland on June 26 and made 17 stops in 14 countries. They flew in a Pilatus C-12 plane equipped with GPS and other modern technology her namesake never had. Earhart hopes the global flight will inspire girls to fly. She runs a nonprofit called the Fly With Amelia Foundation that sends teenage girls to flight school. ||||| Photo: Jane Tyska / AP/Oakland Tribune-Bay Area News Group Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close Image 2 of 5 Amelia Rose Earhart, left, is greeted by twins Addison, and Natalie Boland, 7, right, of Thousand Oaks, Calif., after arriving at North Field in Oakland, Calif., on Friday, July 11, 2014. Amelia Rose Earhart, left, is greeted by twins Addison, and Natalie Boland, 7, right, of Thousand Oaks, Calif., after arriving at North Field in Oakland, Calif., on Friday, July 11, 2014. Photo: Jane Tyska / AP/Oakland Tribune-Bay Area News Group Image 3 of 5 Amelia Rose Earhart and co-pilot Shane Jordan, of Colorado, land at North Field in Oakland, Calif., on Friday, July 11, 2014. Amelia Rose Earhart and co-pilot Shane Jordan, of Colorado, land at North Field in Oakland, Calif., on Friday, July 11, 2014. Photo: Jane Tyska / AP/Oakland Tribune-Bay Area News Group Image 4 of 5 Amelia Rose Earhart, center left, of Colorado, is greeted by Civil Air Patrol Lt. Col. Juan Tinnirello, facing, as she and co-pilot Shane Jordan, of Colorado, arrive at North Field in Oakland, Calif., on Friday, July 11, 2014. less Amelia Rose Earhart, center left, of Colorado, is greeted by Civil Air Patrol Lt. Col. Juan Tinnirello, facing, as she and co-pilot Shane Jordan, of Colorado, arrive at North Field in Oakland, Calif., on ... more Photo: Jane Tyska / AP/Oakland Tribune-Bay Area News Group Image 5 of 5 Amelia Rose Earhart arrives at North Field in Oakland, Calif., on Friday, July 11, 2014. Amelia Rose Earhart arrives at North Field in Oakland, Calif., on Friday, July 11, 2014. Photo: Jane Tyska / AP/Oakland Tribune-Bay Area News Group Amelia Rose Earhart completes round-the-world flight 1 / 5 Back to Gallery Amelia Rose Earhart flew around the world and landed successfully in Oakland on Friday, ending a journey that she hoped would inspire female aviators and honor her famous namesake. “I feel amazing,�? Earhart, 31, told reporters after landing at Oakland International Airport. “It was an amazing journey. We feel like we had Amelia there with us, symbolically closing her flight plan … To come back here, it just brings it full circle.�? Earhart, 31, who lives in Colorado, took off from Oakland on June 26 in a Pilatus PC-12 while accompanied by co-pilot Shane Jordan. She made 17 stops during her 24,300 nautical-mile trip. She had at her disposal all of the modern-day technology, like GPS, that the original Earhart never had. Earhart isn’t related to the famous aviator, who went missing in the Pacific after her ill-fated flight in 1937, and even eschewed aviation at first. But the unquestionable connection she had to the original Earhart led the former Denver and Los Angeles breaking news, traffic and weather reporter to take flight lessons and eventually earn her private pilot license in 2010. “I feel like it’s a part of me — it’s what I was born to do, and now we did it – we finished the flight around the world,�? Earhart said. Follow @henryklee

– Amelia Mary Earhart never finished her round-the-world flight—but another Amelia Earhart has done it in her place. Amelia Rose Earhart, who the AP notes isn't related to her namesake, has circumnavigated the globe in 16 days, the Telegraph reports. At 31, she's the youngest woman to fly around the world in a single-engine plane, her website says. Earhart arrived at Oakland International Airport yesterday after flying 24,300 nautical miles, making 17 stops along the way, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. "We feel like we had Amelia there with us, symbolically closing her flight plan," Earhart says. "So to come back here, it just brings it full circle." As a kid, Earhart didn't love her name, which her parents chose because it was "filled with inspiration, adventure, and tenacity." She went by Amy for years, but she eventually decided her name was "the best gift that my parents could have ever given me." A decade ago, she started flying lessons, and now she runs the Fly With Amelia Foundation, which provides girls with flying scholarships, the Telegraph reports. (Meanwhile, a big clue may reveal more of the original Earhart's story.)

The knot is tied! Jeff Goldblum said "I do" for a third time on Saturday, Nov. 8, when he married longtime love Emilie Livingston after more than three years of dating, his rep confirms to Us Weekly. The Jurassic Park star, 62, and Livingston, 31, exchanged vows in front of friends and family at L.A.'s Chateau Marmont, a source tells Us. "It was a night filled with love, music, and lots of laughs," the insider says of the wedding, adding that Goldblum played piano and sang for his wife during the reception. PHOTOS: Celebrity weddings in 2014 Livingston Instagrammed a photo of some champagne from the big day, writing, "Excited to see our pictures from our photographer but right now feeling so loved after a magical and enchanting evening on Saturday!!!" Excited to see our pictures from our photographer but right now feeling so loved after a magical and enchanting evening on Saturday!!! A photo posted by Emilie Livingston (@emilielivingston) on Nov 11, 2014 at 12:10pm PST Together since the fall of 2011, Goldblum and his bride got engaged in July of this year, shortly before they jetted off to Hawaii on vacation. Livingston — an actress, aerialist, and contortionist, according to her Twitter bio — posted about the proposal on Instagram, noting that she was "taken over by tears of joy n ecstasy" when he popped the question. PHOTOS: Celebs with big age differences The Independence Day actor, for his part, gushed about his leading lady in an interview with Broadway.com last December, describing her as "spectacular and beautiful." "I'm happy as a clam with her. I feel lucky, lucky, lucky," he raved, bragging that she was the "Pan American champion for rhythmic gymnastics" and a member of the Canadian Olympic team for rhythmic gymnastics in the 2000 Sydney games. PHOTOS: The best celebrity engagement rings "When people meet Emilie, they say she's magical and very sweet and they're happy for me," he said at the time. Asked if he'd ever get married again — Livingston is his third wife — he replied, "Oh, gee, well, I would do anything with her. She's a spectacular woman. Who knows? Maybe so." Goldblum was previously married to his Silverado costar Patricia Gaul from 1980 to 1986, and to his Earth Girls Are Easy costar Geena Davis from 1987 to 1990. Sign up now for the Us Weekly newsletter to get breaking celebrity news, hot pics and more delivered straight to your inbox! Want stories like these delivered straight to your phone? Download the Us Weekly iPhone app now! ||||| SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — Grammy-winning salsa singer Marc Anthony has married his Venezuelan model girlfriend at a seaside resort in the Dominican Republic. FILE - In this May 20, 2012 file photo, singer Marc Anthony, left, and Shannon De Lima attend the "Sports Spectacular" in Los Angeles, California. The grammy-winning salsa singer has married his Venezuelan... (Associated Press) The 46-year-old New York-born singer of Puerto Rican roots tied the knot with 26-year-old Shannon de Lima at a Tuesday ceremony at his residence in the exclusive Dominican resort of Casa de Campo. A few weeks ago, Anthony wrote on his Instagram account that a "surprise" was in store, posting a photo of the couple walking together. This is the third marriage for Anthony, who has six children from previous relationships. He split in 2011 from pop singer and actress Jennifer Lopez. Anthony is also an actor, appearing in TV and films. He starred with Lopez in the 2007 film "El Cantante," about the life of salsa pioneer Hector Lavoe. ||||| Add a location to your Tweets When you tweet with a location, Twitter stores that location. You can switch location on/off before each Tweet and always have the option to delete your location history. Learn more ||||| Jennifer Lopez claims to have moved on from Marc Anthony, but reports suggest that she wasn’t being entirely honest about that. When news broke that Marc was supposedly getting married to his on-again/off-again girlfriend Shannon De Lima, Jennifer reportedly throw a hissy fit about it. A source explains to Star, “Jennifer loathes Shannon and is bitter that her ex-hubby is headed back to the altar first. Jen is tearing her hair out. She hates that Shannon is hotter than she is, and she refuses to be civil to her unless the kids are around.” And what makes matters worse is that Jennifer herself is stuck in the same old relationship with Casper Smart, and she’s smart enough to see that their relationship is going nowhere. The source adds that Jennifer’s feeling particularly bitter about Marc because she and Casper are on the verge of breaking up, and she’s jealous that she’ll be ‘wallowing in singledom while Marc starts a new family.’ Hmm… weren’t there rumors of Marc and Shannon actually breaking up recently? And if he really did get engaged, don’t you think he would have flaunted that for the whole world to see? Just as much as Jennifer supposedly wants to ‘win’ their breakup, I’m sure Marc feels the same way. After all, he was never more famous than when he was with JLo, and he’s not shy about famewhoring his relationships and his private life for some extra publicity. But say he WAS engaged, would it really affect Jennifer so deeply? After all, several of her exes have gotten married [or re-married] and moved on, and quite successfully, might I add. If anything, I’m sure Jennifer’s a lot more bitter about Ben Affleck than she is about Marc Anthony. Photo Credit: FameFlynet

– Jeff Goldblum, 62, got married to 31-year-old Emilie Livingston on Saturday at LA's Chateau Marmont, Us reports. Goldblum, who has been married twice before, including once to Geena Davis, has been with Livingston, an actress, "aerialist," and "contortionist," since 2011; they got engaged in July. A source says he played the piano and sang for Livingston during the wedding reception. Another recent celebrity wedding: Marc Anthony married Shannon de Lima yesterday, the AP reports; earlier this year, his ex, Jennifer Lopez, was said to be "seething" over the engagement.

Still from YouTube Mary Tyler Moore could turn the world on with her smile, but perhaps the greatest episode of the Mary Tyler Moore Show found her fighting a losing battle to keep that smile from spreading across her face. In “Chuckles Bites the Dust,” the team from the WJM newsroom—where Moore’s Mary Richards works as a news producer—confronts the demise of the station’s in-house clown, Chuckles, who entertained Minneapolis children in various guises: Mr. Fee Fi Fo, Aunt You Who, Billy Banana, and, fatefully, Peter Peanut. It’s a natural episode to revisit in the wake of Moore’s death—because its subject is mortality and mourning but also because it showcases what made Richards so irresistible throughout her long career. It’s Lou Grant, the producer of the evening news, who delivers word that Chuckles has died in a freak accident: Attending a parade dressed as Peter Peanut, Chuckles was mortally wounded when “a rogue elephant tried to shell him.” The joke running through the hilarious (and boldly unsentimental) episode is that no one in the newsroom can keep from laughing about the absurd circumstances of Chuckles’ death. “Lucky more people weren’t hurt,” observes Lou. “It’s true,” replies Murray, who writes the news. “You know how hard it is to stop after just one peanut.” Advertisement Lou sees no harm in this gallows humor. “It’s a release,” he says. “A kind of defense mechanism. It’s like whistling in a graveyard. You laugh at something that scares you. We laugh at death because we know death will have the last laugh on us.” “Right,” says Murray, with mock solemnity. “Somewhere out there there’s an elephant with your name on it.” That busts everyone up all over again—everyone but Mary. She sees no humor in Chuckles’ untimely death and chides her colleagues for their callousness. The episode culminates with Chuckles’ funeral. Right up until the moment the priest begins his eulogy, Lou and Murray continue with their crude jokes, and Mary continues reproaching them. When the eulogy begins, however, everyone finally musters the appropriate seriousness for the occasion—everyone, that is, but Mary. The ridiculousness of the trampled clown’s death finally gets to her. It happens gradually, and Moore plays it perfectly. As the priest pays homage to the antics of Aunt You Who—“my personal favorite”—she lets loose a muted hoot, attempting to disguise it as a sneeze. When he finds in the resilience of Mr. Fee Fi Fo a model for all mankind, she struggles miserably to stifle a belly laugh. When he praises the life-affirming wisdom of Chuckles’ catchphrase—“a little song, a little dance, a little seltzer down your pants”—she flat-out loses it. For the majority of this most-famous scene from one of television’s most famous episodes, Moore doesn’t have a single line. The comedy comes entirely from her contortions in a folding funeral home chair, from the vain attempts to keep her laughter at bay, which play out at the corners of her mouth and the in the lines of her brow. ||||| Mary Tyler Moore, known for the Dick Van Dyke Show and Mary Tyler Moore Show, died on Wednesday. She was 80. Get push notifications with news, features and more. Though the actress was known for portraying sunny and upbeat characters on screen, her personal life was marred with tragedies. Moore, who was divorced twice (first from Richard Meeker in 1961 and later Grant Tinker in 1981) before marrying Dr. Robert Levine in 1983, struggled with alcoholism and suffered from type 1 diabetes. But perhaps her biggest tragedy came in 1980 when her only child, son Richie, died at the age of 24. Moore gave birth to Richie just one year into her first marriage with Meeker at the age of 18. By the time he was 3, she had steady work on TV. When Richie was 6, Moore and Meeker divorced. Six months later, she married Tinker, who had four children from a previous marriage. The heavy workload of both parents left little time for their children. “I demanded a lot of Richie,” Moore later admitted. “I was responsible for a lot of alienation.” In her 1995 memoir, After All, she wrote, “There is no question about it. By the time Richie was 5, I had already let him down. When he needed me the most, I was busier and even more self-concerned than I had been when he was an impressionable infant.” Their relationship grew strained as Richie grew up and rebelled, and mother and son were estranged for a long period. In 1971, Richie moved with his father to Fresno, California, where the teenager thrived and even talked of plans for college. But when Meeker was transferred out of town, Richie persuaded his parents to let him remain in Fresno on his own to complete his senior year. Soon afterward, he began to use drugs. Frank Edwards/Fotos International/Getty In her memoir, Moore recalled receiving a phone call from a “frantic and sobbing” Richie, who admitted he was in trouble with a drug dealer. “I realized the extent of the tangle that was now my son’s life.” After receiving treatment, Richie turned his life around, moving back in with his mother and eventually graduating from high school. (Though Moore wrote that she was unable to attend the ceremony due to an acting job.) Over time, Moore and Richie reconciled their relationship, and he even began landing some small acting roles on TV. But in 1980, Moore received a fateful phone call and learned news that would forever change her life — her son was dead. “On Oct. 15, 1980, at 5 a.m., the phone awakened me,” she wrote in her memoir. “It was Grant. ‘If you’re standing, you should sit down …. It’s Richie. He’s dead.”‘ Richie died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was 24. Richie, an avid gun collector, was toying with a gun called the “Snake Charmer” while watching TV in his bedroom when it went off. A formal investigation by the Los Angeles Coroner’s Office later confirmed that his death was an accident. The “Snake Charmer” was eventually taken off the market because of its “hair-trigger” instability. Moore recalled spreading her son’s ashes into the Owen River in the days following his death. “The water was clear and high as I knelt over it,” she wrote. “I opened the container and emptied it into the rushing water. What was meant to be a prayer became an outraged demand. ‘You take care of him,’ I screamed at the sky.” With the help of her psychotherapist, Moore began to deal with the tragedy. To keep going, she kept busy. More than 6,000 letters of condolence had come in. Hour after hour, Moore sat and answered them in her own hand. ||||| Mary Tyler Moore was a sitcom star who redefined what a sitcom could be, both onscreen and behind it. She was an actress who became a producer, a Hollywood mogul who worked hard to change her industry. Moore, who died Wednesday at the age of 80, was a TV icon in the 1960s and ’70s whose on-screen persona radically changed with the times she lived in and helped set new benchmarks for America’s image of the working woman. She died of cardiopulmonary arrest in Greenwich, Connecticut, after contracting pneumonia. Born in Brooklyn in 1936, Moore began her Hollywood career as a dancer in television commercials in the late ’50s, before landing bit parts on various serialized dramas. In 1961, she was cast as Laura in The Dick Van Dyke Show, Carl Reiner’s showbiz sitcom about Rob Petrie (Dick Van Dyke), the head writer for a TV variety show. Moore was the definitive image of the harried, though supportive, sitcom wife of the early 1960s, a restrictive role that she nonetheless managed to stand out in. The Dick Van Dyke Show emphasized slapstick physical comedy; Moore and Van Dyke, who both came up in Hollywood as dancers, were rare comic talents who invented many of the vaudevillian aspects of the sitcom pratfall. Related Story The Real Feminist Impact of The Mary Tyler Moore Show Was Behind the Scenes Moore was 24 when she was cast in The Dick Van Dyke Show, which ended in 1966 after 158 episodes. In 1964, when she won her first of two Emmy Awards for her performance on the show, she joked in her acceptance speech, “I know this will never happen again.” (She would go on to defy that prediction a total of five times.) In 1969, Moore and her second husband Grant Tinker formed the TV production company MTM Enterprises, and hired James L. Brooks and Allan Burns to create a sitcom focused on her. The Mary Tyler Moore Show launched on CBS in 1970 and ran for seven seasons, and to this day remains a foundational work for the medium, establishing comedic (and dramatic) tropes that helped revolutionize what the still-young medium could accomplish. As Mary Richards, Moore was an unusual female character for America in the early ’70s: a single woman who, at the age of 30, moves to Minneapolis for a job at a local TV news station after being jilted by her longtime boyfriend. It was seen by studios as a gamble—that an actress so ensconced in the public eye as a married woman could play a single, independent one (in the initial pitch, Mary Richards was divorced, which was altered to satisfy nervous executives). ||||| Television great Mary Tyler Moore, the beloved star of “The Dick Van Dyke Show” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” died Wednesday in Connecticut, her publicist confirmed. She was 80. “Today, beloved icon, Mary Tyler Moore, passed away at the age of 80 in the company of friends and her loving husband of over 33 years, Dr. S. Robert Levine,” read the statement from Mara Buxbaum, her longtime rep. “A groundbreaking actress, producer, and passionate advocate for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Mary will be remembered as a fearless visionary who turned the world on with her smile.” The vivacious brunette performer transformed the image of women on television first as Van Dyke’s sexy, vulnerable wife Laura Petrie and then as single career girl Mary Richards in her own series. Her work in the two series brought Moore five Emmy Awards, in 1965, 1966, 1973, 1974 and 1976. She won another Emmy for 1993 TV special “Stolen Babies.” Moore was also a powerhouse producer via her MTM production company with then-husband Grant Tinker, producing her own series as well as “The Bob Newhart Show” and spinoff series “Rhoda” and “Lou Grant,” among others. Related Mary Tyler Moore’s Life and Career in Photos Mary Tyler Moore on Grant Tinker: A ‘Brilliant, Driven Executive’ She combined wholesomeness and sex appeal with cracker-jack comedic timing. In many ways Moore was a throwback to Hollywood golden era leading ladies like Myrna Loy and Jean Arthur, but with a decidedly updated twist. Her role as Laura Petrie, the suburban wife of comedy writer Rob Petrie, also represented a step forward for the portrayal of women on television. Though they maintained separate beds, the Petries otherwise shared an active, romantic marital life. And unlike Desi Arnaz on “I Love Lucy,” Van Dyke’s character was not threatened by his wife’s talents or her intelligence. The series made Moore a star, and she worked on films under contract at Universal. With the exception of “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” in which she played third fiddle to Julie Andrews and the scene-stealing Carol Channing, the studio’s attempts to fashion her in the Doris Day mold was unsuccessful. Moore also tried her hand at the Broadway stage, co-starring with Richard Chamberlain in David Merrick’s musical version of Truman Capote’s “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” With the help of her second husband, producer Tinker, and the talents of creators James L. Brooks and Allan Burns, she fashioned a new series, “Mary Tyler Moore,” which debuted on CBS in 1970 and revolutionized the sitcom. Even more than the Van Dyke show, it focused heavily on the central character’s work life. And in this case the central character was a single woman, Mary Richards, carving out a life for herself in Minneapolis. Moore was the pragmatic and delightfully vulnerable center of a strong ensemble cast that included Ed Asner, Valerie Harper, Betty White, and Ted Knight. “Mary Tyler Moore” raked in the accolades during its run and thereafter was a permanent fixture in television syndication. “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” won the Emmy for comedy show three years in a row, was named as one of the most influential TV shows of all time on numerous lists, and was one of the first shows to tackle issues including equal pay for women, divorce, infidelity, homosexuality, premarital sex, and infertility. Moore’s character even recovers from an addiction to sleeping pills during the show. Leslie Moonves, chairman and CEO of CBS Corporation, said in a statement on Wednesday: “Mary Tyler Moore was a once-in-a-generation talent. She will be long remembered as a gifted actress, television pioneer and a role model to so many. CBS has lost one of the very best to ever grace our airwaves and our industry has lost a true legend and friend.” After “Mary Tyler Moore,” which Moore retired after seven seasons, she tried other series including sitcom “Mary,” variety hour “The Mary Tyler Moore Hour” and “New York News,” another attempt to recapture the magic of her landmark ’70s TV series. There was even an effort to reunite her with Harper, her Rhoda sidekick on “Mary Tyler Moore,” starting with a TV movie, “Mary and Rhoda.” The actress finally snared a role that challenged her abilities in Robert Redford’s Oscar-winning directorial debut, 1980’s “Ordinary People.” She played completely against type as a stern, cold matriarch, living in denial after the death of her favorite son. The beautifully wrought performance brought her an Oscar nomination. Then in the mid ’90s she was again offered a film role, supporting this time, that displayed her range: As a neurotic, overbearing Jewish mother in “Flirting With Disaster,” Moore was hilarious in a completely different way than in any of her TV comedy appearances. Moore also returned to Broadway stage, finding some success in the drama “Whose Life Is It Anyway?” and taking home a special Tony for her performance. She also appeared on the Rialto in A.R. Gurney’s “Sweet Sue” in 1987. On TV, she carved a niche for herself in TV movies, most notably the breast cancer tale “First You Cry” and the miniseries “Lincoln,” in which she played Mary Todd Lincoln. She drew Emmy nominations for both. There was also “Finnegan Begin Again,” “Heartsounds” and “Just Between Friends,” which brought her good reviews and award recognition. Moore continued in TV movies during the 2000s, including the sentimental “Miss Lettie and Me,” and she guested on series including “That ’70s Show,” “Lipstick Jungle” and, in 2011, “Hot in Cleveland,” where she reunited with her “Mary Tyler Moore Show” co-star Betty White. There was also a reunion show, 2004’s “The Dick Van Dyke Show Revisited,” in which she participated. In 1983, after almost 20 years of marriage, Moore separated from Tinker, who had gone on to run NBC and sold to her his share in MTM Enterprises, which she subsequently sold. The company had been very successful with several spinoffs from the “Mary Tyler Moore Show” as well as other hit series like “Hill Street Blues” and “WKRP in Cincinnati.” Moore was born in Brooklyn but grew up in Los Angeles, where she attended Immaculate Heart High School and married Richard Meeker at age 18. She broke into performing through television commercials, memorably as the Hotpoint elf on “The Ozzie and Harriet Show” in the mid-’50s. Her first regular TV assignment was on the TV series “Richard Diamond, Private Detective” in 1959 as the urbane investigator’s assistant, though only her legs and hands were visible onscreen. It led to guest spots on such series as “77 Sunset Strip” and “Hawaiian Eye.” Moore had been interviewed by Danny Thomas to play his daughter on the series “Make Room for Daddy,” and he remembered her and recommended her to Carl Reiner when he was casting “The Dick Van Dyke Show.” After a shaky start in 1961, the sitcom afforded Moore the chance to show off her comedic gifts and sometimes even her song-and-dance abilities. The actress penned two memoirs. In “After All,” released in 1995, she acknowledged that she was an alcoholic; “Growing Up Again: Life, Loves, and Oh Yeah, Diabetes” (2009) centers on living with type 1 diabetes. Moore had been diagnosed with diabetes in her 20s and was a tireless crusader for the disease via the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. In May 2002, cabler TV Land unveiled a statue in downtown Minneapolis of the character Moore made famous on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.” The statue depicts the iconic moment in the show’s opening credits in which Mary throws her tam o’shanter in the air. Moore was present for the ceremony. Moore received the SAG lifetime achievement award in 2012 from Dick Van Dyke. In 1980, her only son Richard (by first husband Meeker) died accidentally from a gunshot wound at the age of 24. Moore is survived by her third husband, Dr. S. Robert Levine, whom she married in 1983. Tinker died in November. ||||| Mary Tyler Moore, who died Wednesday at age 80, was the second great woman of television. Lucille Ball only preceded her in time; in cultural impact, both in front of and behind the camera, as comedians and producers, they were peers, each presenting and enacting, each in her own way, a picture of a strong woman, eternally optimistic, never to be held down. Each had impeccable timing and a natural command of the television stage. Moore’s television work, though it included a few late nonstarters and some one-off specials, is based in two of the medium’s greatest series, “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” in which she played wife Laura to Van Dyke’s Robert Petrie, and “Mary Tyler Moore,” which ran from 1970 to 1977 and was one of several shows that she produced with then-husband Grant Tinker. Each series defined its decade, or an important piece of it. FULL COVERAGE: Mary Tyler Moore | 1936-2017 » “The Dick Van Dyke Show” was inaugurated practically alongside the Kennedy administration, and the Petries had some of that New Frontier spirit, along with the First Couple’s youth and sex appeal. They were mid-century modern, looking ahead toward the streamlined future, not back to the picket-fence comforts of the ’50s. They were handsome and animal; long and lean, both Moore and Van Dyke were good with their bodies — Laura, like Moore, had been a dancer, and the producers found occasions to highlight that talent. If Rob Petrie was traditionally the breadwinner and occasionally called on to comfort Laura in a quasi-paternal way — Moore could cry funny, and so the scripts often contrived to make her upset — they are nevertheless very much equals in a partnership, on a journey together. There is no sense they are settled in. That the show left the air of its own accord was, in some way, an acknowledgment that the Petries had somewhere else to be. Mary Richards, Moore’s character in her self-titled series, though a single, childless career woman — and not regretfully so — was not so much a departure from Laura Petrie as a kind of alternate timeline version of her. (Mary’s significant other is her boss, Ed Asner’s Lou Grant, and more broadly, her job.) She shared her predecessor’s intelligence and independence, her generosity of spirit. They could milk apprehension in an unfamiliar situation, but they never backed down. They had spine but lacked ego. And though they were not as nice as other characters sometimes imagined them to be, they were kind. Within the show she built for herself, Moore was very much an ensemble player, often a straight woman to more exaggerated characters — and that too is a kind of kindness. We will remember her as likable — a wide smile, a welcoming voice — though it is not enough to be likable to make the lasting impression Moore leaves. There was intelligence behind her acting choices. She could swing in other directions too: In “Ordinary People,” for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for lead actress, she played a woman frozen into a dead semblance of graciousness by tragedy. And Moore’s life was challenging in ways that were not necessarily reflected in the those characters. She was an actress, after all. CAPTION L.A. Times critic Justin Chang and film reporter Jen Yamato discuss the furor over Darren Aronofsky's polarizing film "mother!" L.A. Times critic Justin Chang and film reporter Jen Yamato discuss the furor over Darren Aronofsky's polarizing film "mother!" CAPTION L.A. Times critic Justin Chang and film reporter Jen Yamato discuss the furor over Darren Aronofsky's polarizing film "mother!" L.A. Times critic Justin Chang and film reporter Jen Yamato discuss the furor over Darren Aronofsky's polarizing film "mother!" CAPTION A glimpse behind the scenes at The Times' 2017 Toronto International Film Festival photo studio with photographer Jay L. Clendenin. A glimpse behind the scenes at The Times' 2017 Toronto International Film Festival photo studio with photographer Jay L. Clendenin. CAPTION Deputy fashion editor Adam Tschorn and Jesse Goddard wrap up the hottest looks from the 2017 Emmy Awards. Deputy fashion editor Adam Tschorn and Jesse Goddard wrap up the hottest looks from the 2017 Emmy Awards. CAPTION Hollywood came for President Trump at the 2017 Emmy Awards. Many nominees, presenters and winners took aim at the president from the Microfost Theater stage. Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin even pulled out old quotes from their 1980 classic "9 to 5" calling him a "sexist egotistical lying hypocritical bigot." Meanwhile, host Stephen Colbert said he couldn't wait to see the tweets. Watch what happens when Hollywood gets three hours of prime television and a mic. Hollywood came for President Trump at the 2017 Emmy Awards. Many nominees, presenters and winners took aim at the president from the Microfost Theater stage. Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin even pulled out old quotes from their 1980 classic "9 to 5" calling him a "sexist egotistical lying hypocritical bigot." Meanwhile, host Stephen Colbert said he couldn't wait to see the tweets. Watch what happens when Hollywood gets three hours of prime television and a mic. CAPTION Los Angeles Times' The Taste, featuring renowned chefs and bartenders from across Southern California, kicks off at Paramount Pictures Studio. Los Angeles Times' The Taste, featuring renowned chefs and bartenders from across Southern California, kicks off at Paramount Pictures Studio. robert.lloyd@latimes.com Follow Robert Lloyd on Twitter @LATimesTVLloyd ALSO Mary Tyler Moore, beloved TV icon who symbolized the independent career woman, dies at 80 'Who didn't love her?': Mary Tyler Moore is remembered by celebrities as an inspiration, trailblazer Actor and director Robert Redford remembers 'Ordinary People' star Mary Tyler Moore ||||| "Just to watch her grow was such a thrill for me. She left an imprint on television comedy." Mary Tyler Moore’s big career break came in 1961 when she was cast as Dick Van Dyke’s wife Laura on The Dick Van Dyke Show. Here Van Dyke, now 91, remembers his friend of six decades, who died Wednesday at age 80…. She was 23 years old, gorgeous of course, and had a kind of mid-Atlantic accent. She sounded a little bit like Katharine Hepburn. My first question was, “Can this girl do comedy?” After that I said, “She’s a little young for me.” I got to be on hand and watch her grow into the talent she became. She was just the best. I don’t know what made her comic timing so great. On Dick Van Dyke, we had Morey Amsterdam and Rose Marie, both of whom were old hams and had razor-sharp timing, and mine wasn’t bad either. But Mary just picked it up so fast. She had us all laughing after a couple of episodes. She just grabbed onto the character and literally turned us into an improv group, it was so well-oiled. That show was the best five years of my life. I remember when we all won Emmys. We were nominated — or at least I was — for the first years and there was no comedy category. We lost to The Defenders. It wasn’t until 1966 that they added a comedy category, and that year we all won. My God, we were excited. We had also been cancelled! The funny thing was, after the show went off the air, Mary had the reputation of being the wife, the woman who brings the coffee. So we cooked up this special called Dick Van Dyke and the Other Woman where we showed off everything she could do, and that somehow changed CBS’ mind and that’s how she got The Mary Tyler Moore Show. It fell into the hands of great writers. It was a milestone, that show. It kicked off an awful lot of enthusiasm in a lot of women. She got it moving! Thank God she ended up with Carl Reiner and those writers, who just understood her and what she did. The episode when Chuckles the Clown died? She was at the funeral and she was crying and suddenly, as she recalled him, she began to laugh. It was a performance that had me on the floor! It was just masterful comedy. In 2012, I got to present her with her SAG Life Achievement award. She had moved to upstate New York and was already beginning to succumb to the diabetes, so outside of talking to her and her husband Robert, I didn’t see her unless it was an occasion like the SAG Awards. That night, she had trouble seeing, so they had to bring her onstage in the dark. For me, it was a payoff moment. A culmination. Outside of her family, I don’t think there was anyone more proud of her than I was. Just to watch her grow was such a thrill for me. She left an imprint on television comedy. ||||| Honoring Mary Tyler Moore’s Lifelong Dedication to Animals Written by Amy Skylark Elizabeth | With the passing of Mary Tyler Moore, the world has lost a legend in the entertainment industry, and animals have lost a passionate and long-time activist. From her groundbreaking television series, the Mary Tyler Moore Show, to her advocacy for animals, Mary Tyler Moore was a pioneer in everything she did. A long-time PETA supporter, she was the first celebrity to donate a fur—a $112,000 sable—to PETA for use in protests. She wrote about it in her memoir and said, “Behind every beautiful fur coat, there is a story. It is a bloody, barbaric story.” She also helped PETA rescue a 65-year-old lobster from a restaurant tank. “Marine biologists report that lobsters are fascinating beings with complex social interactions, long childhoods, and awkward adolescences,” Mary wrote in an open letter to a Maine newspaper. “Like humans, they flirt with one another and have even been seen walking ‘claw-in-claw’! And like humans, lobsters feel pain.” Her lobster rescue later became the inspiration for an episode of the Ellen show, in which Ellen rescues a lobster from a seafood restaurant and is later honored by none other than Mary herself. As a longtime vegetarian, she hoped to change the way people thought about animals killed for food, saying, “I’m convinced, with heightened awareness, that there will come a time when we look back and say, ‘Can you believe that people used to eat animals?’ A human being has been given an intellect to make choices, and we know there are other food sources that do not require the killing of a creature that would protest being killed.” In 2001, she sponsored the “Great American Meatout” to show the public how to eat healthfully without including meat. She also cofounded Broadway Barks, which holds yearly animal adoption events, and rescued or adopted many animals throughout her life—from dogs to goats to horses. She also spoke up for horses when she starred in a public service announcement about the estrogen drug Premarin, in which she detailed the poor treatment of horses raised for their urine, who are kept confined and pregnant and whose foals often end up in the slaughterhouse. Additionally, she hosted a news conference during which she urged women to stop taking the cruelly produced medication. Mary’s last name was à propos, because the “Moore” animals needed her, the “Moore” she gave. She never missed an opportunity to help any animal in need. “I love them all!” she said. “Even those animals for whom I have no particular feeling—like snakes or alligators or any of the creepy crawly fellows. I still care very much about them and would never tolerate inhumane treatment to them.” Rest in peace, Mary. We miss your wit, wisdom, and compassion already.

– Hollywood has been deeply saddened by the loss of one of television's greatest stars: Mary Tyler Moore, who died Wednesday at the age of 80. Co-stars and fans describe the Dick Van Dyke Show and Mary Tyler Moore Show star as a uniquely gifted woman who blazed a trail for many others in TV comedy. A roundup of appreciations: Robert Lloyd at the Los Angeles Times describes Moore as the "second great woman of television" and the equal of the first one, Lucille Ball. "In cultural impact ... they were peers," he writes, "each presenting and enacting, each in her own way, a picture of a strong woman, eternally optimistic, never to be held down. Each had impeccable timing and a natural command of the television stage." Davis Sims at the Atlantic takes a look back at her career, noting that her "on-screen persona radically changed with the times she lived in and helped set new benchmarks for America's image of the working woman." The Hollywood Reporter has a moving tribute to Moore from Dick Van Dyke, who describes his former co-star as "just the best." "Outside of her family, I don't think there was anyone more proud of her than I was," he says. "Just to watch her grow was such a thrill for me. She left an imprint on television comedy." John Swansburg at Slate looks back at what he considers to be both a "brilliant rumination on death" and the funniest episode of the Mary Tyler Moore Show: the episode where Chuckles the Clown dies. It is "perhaps a dark moment to recall, but I would argue there's no better way to remember her talent," he writes. People recalls one of the darkest episodes of her life: the death of her only child, 24-year-old son Richie, from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in 1980. After the death, which was ruled an accident, Moore personally replied to the thousands of letters of condolence she received. PETA praises Moore for her lifetime dedication to animals, with activism including fur protests, the "Great American Meatout," and helping the group rescue a 65-year-old lobster from a a restaurant. "Rest in peace, Mary. We miss your wit, wisdom, and compassion already." "Mary Tyler Moore was a once-in-a-generation talent," CBS Chairman Leslie Moonves said in a statement, per Variety. "She will be long remembered as a gifted actress, television pioneer, and a role model to so many. CBS has lost one of the very best to ever grace our airwaves and our industry has lost a true legend and friend."

The licking habits of Boston Bruins left winger Brad Marchand are about to change after coach Bruce Cassidy ordered him to stop using his tongue on the faces of opposing players. Cassidy told reporters prior to Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning that he met with Marchand on Saturday shortly after the 29-year-old had met with NHL senior vice president of hockey operations Colin Campbell and Bruins general manager Don Sweeney. READ MORE: Stop licking opponents, NHL tells Bruins’ forward Brad Marchand “I saw the directive from the league,” Cassidy said. “I talked to Marchy about it (and said), ‘That’s what the league’s asked for and we need you on the ice, we need you playing.’ So zip it, or whatever term you used.” Marchand has been employing the unique tactic as a way to get under the skin of opposing players and resorted to it again in Friday’s Game 4 after Tampa Bay Lightning forward Ryan Callahan shoved his face. Cassidy understands that Marchand is attempting to agitate opponents but would prefer him to focus on hockey. READ MORE: Bruins’ Brad Marchand licks another opponent, this time he gets Lightning’s Ryan Callahan “If part of his M.O. is to annoy people, find another way to do it,” Cassidy said. “That’s basically what’s in front of him now. … Preferably by scoring some goals, that would be the best way probably.” Tampa Bay leads the series 3-1. Marchand has a goal and seven assists in the series. READ MORE: Brad Marchand says NHL hasn’t asked him to stop licking opponents Marchand began making headlines in the first round for licking the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Leo Komarov. ||||| Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window) WINNIPEG — Paul Maurice says he saw it long before the underlying metrics pointed out that he owned one of the NHL’s top lines. And we’re not talking Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler. When you think of elite lines in the NHL, there are several that come quickly to mind. Lines with Rantanen and MacKinnon, Matthews and Nylander, Stamkos and Kucherov, Couturier and Giroux and many others spring to mind. What you wouldn’t expect to see is a line known more for, at least through an observer’s eye, a grinding style that’s tasked with shutting down opposing team’s top lines, being called one of the top 10 lines in the NHL based on advanced metrics. So it was surprising to see Adam Lowry’s line with Andrew Copp and Brandon Tanev in a story done over the summer by the folks at Broad Street Hockey. Devoid of household names around the NHL, the line affectionately known as the ‘TLC’ line in Winnipeg, has nevertheless exhibited elite attributes as a trio. Maurice knew who I was talking about long before I finished my preamble about the line in question. “I know there was a stretch of time where — and I don’t have the exact dates — they ran top four in the NHL for chances-for based on a certain definition of chances-for, which is a really high number,” Maurice said. “What’s unique about that line is offensive zone time and chances for, and that’s why I think they’re so effective.” Maurice pointed out that his ‘shutdown’ line is spending most of the time in the other team’s offensive zone. Given the competition they’re thrown over the boards to play against, it’s remarkable. “Exactly,” Maurice said. * * * Broad Street’s story used several metrics to come up with their list of lines, added some parameters on how long the line had to have played together to get a sample size worthy of being compared, and then let the numbers tell the story. That story showed that the Lowry line accounted for a 66.67 percent goals-for percentage, meaning the Jets accounted for more goals with the line on the ice than it did against with the same unit on the ice. The bare minimum aim here is 50 percent. As you can see, the TLC line was much higher. In terms of possession numbers, there was no better line in the NHL than Winnipeg’s trio with 60.56 percent. That is to say that, simply, the line outshot their opponents. Using the numbers Broad Street compiled, no other line topped 60 percent. They also were best-in-show when it came to expected goals-for at 62.28 percent, meaning the Jets were more likely than not outscore their opponents with the TLC line on the ice. Winnipeg’s unequivocal top line of Scheifele, Connor and Wheeler? They didn’t crack the Top 10. It’s nothing magical, according to Lowry. Lowry is the guy in the dressing room you go when you want a scouting report on the team in town for a game or just insight on any player in the league. He knows other teams lines and their tendencies. He’s prepared. As complex as some of the numbers might be, Lowry simplifies what his line does right and why perhaps the underlying numbers are what they are for his line. “You look at Schiefele’s line, for example, they’re not getting the third and fourth chances off the rebound because they’re goalscorers, they’re in the other team’s zone and they’re one and done, you know?” Lowry said. “They could have a lower Corsi, let’s say they’ve given up seven shots and only had three for but have scored on two of them. Lowry says the predictable play of his line feeds into how effective his line is. Interdependency between the three is high. “We might not necessarily have that high-end skill, but it makes our game so much simpler to read,” Lowry said. “I know there are about three options when Copp has the puck about the way it’s going to go. I know with Andrew and Brandon, we don’t have to be the fastest but we’re going to play faster because we know, generally, what we’re going to do. It makes us going to the right spots easier because they’re really smart players.” Copp likes to call it consistent, but he says it means the same thing as Lowry saying predictable. “It’s more chemistry than anything else,” Copp said, admitting there’s no way to really account for what that means. “I think it comes from consistent play. You look at Schiefele and Wheeler and Kyle Connor. There’s consistency. Our line, we’re consistent in our routes, in our play and our work ethic. We’re not trying to stray or do anything secretive.” Copp says if they’re the resulting high numbers comes down to how it happens. “It’s constant pressure in their zone,” he said. “It’s how good we can be defensive that leads to that, too. We’re not Nikita Kucherov creating chances, but we defend so hard and so well that it leads to a lot of opportunities.” A simpler game? “I’d say more direct than simple,” Copp said. Tanev agrees. Given the lines consistency on the ice, it’s not surprising it spills into the dressing room and in front of the media. “We know where one another is going to be, and that makes it so much easier in the offensive zone,” Tanev said. “We trust one another. It makes us hard to play against.” Lowry says analytics have their worth. In the same breath, however, when he jumps over the boards, he’s not thinking about trying to even up a lopsided Corsi rating. “You just can’t think like that, it will throw you off your game,” he said. “We’re going to have good numbers based on good play. “It’s important, though. If you’re a bad Corsi player or whatever, you’re giving up a lot of high-danger chances, there are probably areas to improve on.” * * * Maurice says his team is not a Corsi team. He says there’s a threshold when it comes to how much he wants his team to be shooting the puck, but as an example, he says he doesn’t want Patrik Laine shooting a puck he doesn’t want to shoot. “I do like the idea of controlling the puck,” Maurice said, adding that philosophies among coaches across the league differ. “Some shoot everything and I mean shoot everything. I believed in that for a long time, but then the players here changed.” Maurice then asked his own question. “What’s the value of even?” he said, adding that he knows someone is going to mock him for it. “If Adam Lowry goes out and he’s even and Mark Scheifele goes out and he’s even, is it the same value?” Maurice said, nevertheless. “For me, the answer is no. “If Adam goes out an he’s even and he’s playing against the other team’s best, he’s not done less than you would have hoped offensively, but he’s done more defensively. “Now, if Scheifele goes out and he’s even, he’s probably done what you thought he would do defensively but far less offensively. There has to be a different value.” Maurice said when he got to Winnipeg, the analytics crew they used looked at how their players compared to the top two offensive players in the league. “Our numbers were terrible, which tells you don’t have a consistent line to play or a group to play against their best,” Maurice said. The remedy that started the turn around for the Jets was putting Andrew Ladd with Bryan Little and Michael Frolik, and putting Scheifele with Wheeler. “We had a pretty good run,” Maurice said as a result. The Jets made the playoffs in 2014-15, Maurice’s first full year behind the bench, for the first time since the team moved to Winnipeg in 2011. The progress from there has turned Winnipeg into a team that won 52 games last year and reached the Western Conference Final. More importantly, it’s helped to the Jets grow into a Stanley Cup contender. Scott Billeck is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @scottbilleck ||||| In the event of "MISCONDUCT" penalties to any players except the goalkeeper, the players shall be ruled off the ice for a period of ten (10) minutes each. A substitute player is permitted permitted to immediately replace a player serving a misconduct penalty. A player whose misconduct penalty has expired shall remain in the penalty box until the next stoppage of play. When a player receives a minor penalty and a misconduct penalty at the same time, the penalized Team shall immediately put a substitute player on the penalty bench and he shall serve the minor penalty without change. When a player receives a major penalty and a misconduct penalty at the same time, the penalized Team shall place a substitute player on the penalty bench before the major penalty expires and no replacement for the penalized player shall be permitted to enter the game except from the penalty bench. Any violation of this provision shall be treated as an illegal substitution under Rule 17 calling for a bench minor penalty. A misconduct penalty imposed on any player at any time shall be accompanied with an automatic fine of one hundred dollars ($100). A "GAME MISCONDUCT" penalty involves the suspension of a player for the balance of the game but a substitute is permitted to replace immediately the player so removed. A player incurring a game misconduct penalty shall incur an automatic fine of two hundred dollars ($200) and the case shall be reported to the Commissioner who shall have full power to impose such further penalties by way of suspension or fine on the penalized player or any other player involved in the altercation. The Referee may impose a "GROSS MISCONDUCT" penalty on any player, Manager, Coach or Trainer who is guilty of gross misconduct of any kind. Any person incurring a "gross misconduct" penalty shall be suspended for the balance of the game and shall incur an automatic fine of two hundred dollars ($200) and the case shall be referred to the Commissioner of the League for further disciplinary action. (NOTE) For all game misconduct and gross misconduct penalties regardless of when imposed, a total of ten minutes shall be charged in the records against the offending player. In regular League games, any player who incurs a total of three (3) game misconduct penalties in the "General Category" and exclusive of other designated categories, shall be suspended for the next League game of his Team. For each subsequent game misconduct penalty, the automatic suspension shall be increased by one game. For each suspension of a player, his Club shall be fined one thousand dollars ($1,000). (NOTE) The "General Category" shall include the following infractions: Charging - Rule 47(b)(c) Clipping - Rule 49(b) Elbowing - Rule 53(b) Fighting off the playing surface - Rule 56(c) Head-butting - Rule 60(b) Inciting an opponent into incurring a penalty - Rule 41(g) Intervening in an altercation - Rule 56(d) Kneeing - Rule 71 Not properly tied down during altercation - Rule 56(a) Obscene Language or Gestures - Rule 73(a) Persists in continuing an altercation - Rule 56(f) Removing jersey prior to altercation - Rule 56(a) Resisting a Linesman in the discharge of his duties - Rule 41(f) Secondary Altercation - Rule 56(a)(f) Third major penalty in a game - Rule 27(b) Throwing stick outside the playing area - Rule 88(c) In Playoff games, any player who incurs a total of two game misconduct penalties in the "General Category" shall be suspended automatically for the next Playoff game of his Team. For each subsequent game misconduct penalty during the Playoffs, the automatic suspension shall be increased by onegame. For each suspension of a player during Playoffs, his club shall be fined one thousand dollars ($1,000). Any request by a Club to have a game misconduct reviewed and rescinded by the League must submit their request in writing to the Hockey Operations Department within 48 hours of the conclusion of the game in which the game misconduct was assessed. Failure to submit the written request within this time frame will automatically result in the game misconduct being upheld and no further review of the incident will be considered or entertained. This does not apply to infractions addressed under Rule 33A -- Supplementary Discipline. In regular League or Playoff games, any player who incurs a total of two (2) game misconduct penalties for Abuse of Officials related infractions penalized under Rule 41 (a), (b), or (c) - Abuse of Officials and other Misconduct, shall be suspended automatically for the next League or Playoff game of his Team. For each subsequent game misconduct penalty, the automatic suspension shall be increased by one game. In regular League games, any player who incurs a total of two (2) game misconduct penalties for stick related infractions, Boarding - Rule 44(b), or Checking from Behind - Rule 48(a), shall be suspended automatically for the next League game of his Team. For each subsequent game misconduct penalty in this category, the automatic suspension shall be increased by one game. (NOTE) Stick related infractions shall include the following infractions: Butt-ending - Rule 46(b) Cross-checking - Rule 50(a) Hooking - Rule 64(b) Slashing - Rule 85(b) Spearing - Rule 86(b) In playoff games any player who incurs a total of two (2) game misconduct penalties for stick related infractions, Boarding - Rule 44(b), or Checking from Behind - Rule 48(a), shall be suspended automatically for the next Playoff game of his Team. For each subsequent game misconduct penalty in this category during the Playoffs the automatic suspension shall be increased by one game. Prior to the commencement of each Stanley Cup Finals, a player will have his current stick-related, boarding and checking from behind game misconducts removed from his current playoff record. They will remain part of his historical record. (NOTE 1) Any game misconduct penalty for which a player has been assessed an automatic suspension or supplementary discipline in the form of game suspension(s) by the Commissioner shall NOT be taken into account when calculating the total number of offenses under this subsection. (NOTE 2) When a player has played in 41 consecutive regular League games without being assessed a stickrelated major and a game misconduct according to Rule 27(b) - Major Penalties or Rule 28(f) - Misconduct Penalties, he will have the previous game misconduct penalties removed from his current record. They will remain part of his historical record. (NOTE 3) When a player has played in 41 consecutive regular League games without being assessed a boarding and/or a checking from behind major and a game misconduct according to Rule 44 - Boarding and Rule 48 - Checking from Behind, he will have the previous game misconduct penalties removed from his current record. They will remain part of his historical record. (NOTE 4) A player's total games played will cover a two year time period from the date of the first game misconduct penalty for each category of foul. (NOTE 5) The automatic suspensions incurred under this subsection in respect to League games shall have no effect with respect to violations during playoff games.

– Unlike charging, kneeing, cross-checking, hooking, and spearing, licking isn't on the National Hockey League's list of infractions—but that doesn't mean Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand can keep doing it. The league says Marchand was put "on notice" after licking the face of the Tampa Bay Lightning's Ryan Callahan during Friday's game, NBC Sports reports. Marchand also licked Leo Komarov of the Toronto Maple Leafs during a first-round playoff game, and kissed the same player on the cheek during a regular-season game. The NHL says Director of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell spoke to Marchand and Don Sweeney, the general manager of the Bruins, on Saturday and told them such conduct is "unacceptable and similar behavior in the future will be dealt with by way of supplemental discipline." Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy told Global News Sunday that Marchand had been told to keep his tongue to himself. "If part of his M.O. is to annoy people, find another way to do it," he said. "Preferably by scoring some goals, that would be the best way probably." In the end, it was the Bruins who were licked: The Lightning beat them 3-1 Sunday night to win the series and move to the next round.

New Symbol For Healthful Eating: Hello Plate, Goodbye Pyramid Enlarge this image toggle caption USDA USDA It's a pretty safe bet that not many people will mourn the demise of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's food pyramid — the 20-year-old symbol of the department's dietary guidelines — when it's officially retired Thursday. Just about everyone agrees the pyramid was complicated, and tried to get too many messages across at once — more dairy, less sweets, exercise, portion control, etc. But the new symbol is simple — a plate divided into portions. And that's a good thing, said first lady Michelle Obama at a news conference on the subject. "Parents don't have the time to measure out exactly three ounces of chicken or to look up how much rice or broccoli is in a serving," she said. The pyramid has been maligned for some time. "I'm surprised they didn't go to the dodecahedron as their next alternative," quipped John Stanton, who heads the food marketing department at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia, to Shots. Here's USDA release explaining what's up with the plate: The plate features a lot more fruits and vegetables. In fact, half the plate is devoted to fruits and veggies. That's good news for fruit and vegetable producers like Lorelei DiSogra, vice president for nutrition and health at the United Fresh Produce Association. DiSogra worked on the "half plate" message for more than a decade in various jobs, including one at the National Cancer Institute. "Half a plate is a very effective communications tool. It's very compelling, it's very clear, it's very straightforward," she says. In other words, it's everything the pyramid was not. Less prominent on the plate is meat. In fact, it's not even named. Americans are not going to throw out their grills, says Planet Barbecue author and host of PBS' Primal Grill Steven Raichlen. But they might start thinking about using meat the way many other countries around the world do — as more of a flavorful condiment than "this belly-bludgeoning, plate-burying hunk of protein." A simple plate is a good idea from a marketing standpoint, St. Joseph's University's Stanton says. "The consumer spends maybe a maximum of three seconds looking at a food in a grocery store," he says. "Can you think of a busy mother trying to put delicious, nutritious food on the table, looking at a pyramid?" Been there, done that, and, nope. ||||| The USDA unveiled — well, there wasn't really a veil involved — its new healthful-eating icon this morning. It is, as was expected, a plate: A huge improvement over the baffling MyPyramid icon that it replaces, MyPlate is as easy as pie to understand; its designers smartly saved the fine print about how to actually fill the wedge-shaped spots on the plate for the Web site, ChooseMyPlate.gov. MyPlate, like the Food Pyramids before it, is meant to convey the key messages of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans in a simple, consumer-friendly fashion. It’s no fun, finding nothing to be snarky about with this particular use of federal funds. But, really, this plate thing, though not all that original, makes sense. And it probably will prove to have legs. In her remarks at the news conference at which MyPlate was introduced this morning, first lady Michelle Obama pointed out that the icon is “simple enough for children to understand, even at the elementary school level. They can learn to use this tool now and use it for the rest of their lives.” Obama also said, “This is a quick, simple reminder for all of us to be more mindful of the foods that we’re eating, and as a mom, I can already tell how much this is going to help parents across the country.” “When mom or dad comes home from a long day of work, we’re already asked to be a chef, a referee, a cleaning crew. So it’s tough to be a nutritionist, too. But we do have time to take a look at our kids’ plates. As long as they’re half full of fruits and vegetables, and paired with lean proteins, whole grains and low-fat dairy, we’re golden. That’s how easy it is.” The USDA invites people to “take a photo of their plates and share on Twitter with the hash-tag #MyPlate. USDA also wants to see where and when consumers think about healthy eating. Take the plate and snap a photograph with MyPlate to share with our USDA Flickr Photo Group.” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack this morning repeated the line he speaks at the end of the video introducing MyPlate: “In the months and years ahead, we hope that MyPlate becomes your plate.” Will it become yours? What do you think of this new graphic? Check out Post reporter Brian Vastag’s take here. ||||| Goodbye food pyramid, and hello "My Plate." The US Department of Agriculture, with an assist from first lady Michelle Obama, launched a new visual guide designed to help Americans have balanced diets in an era of high concern about obesity among adults and children. As familiar as the food pyramid has been to generations of Americans, the USDA and the US surgeon general decided that a chart shaped like a dinner plate would better serve as a dietary guide. "The new icon is simple and easy to understand, with more emphasis placed on fruits and vegetables," Surgeon General Regina Benjamin said in a statement released Thursday. "This new tool can be a fun way to help individuals and families make healthier meal choices." The plate-shaped diagram, essentially in the form of a pie chart, may give Americans an easier way to envision a mix of food groups on plates or in bowls. "As a mom, I can already tell how much this is going to help parents across the country," said Mrs. Obama in helping to launch the chart. "When mom or dad comes home from a long day of work, we're already asked to be a chef, a referee, a cleaning crew. So it's tough to be a nutritionist, too. But we do have time to take a look at our kids' plates." The food groups have been rearranged in an effort at user-friendly design. Dairy products, although considered an important food group, have been moved to the side in a round circle evocative of a glass of milk. The image of a fork sits handily to the left of the "central plate." The image may give dairy products too little play. The USDA recommends about three cups of dairy products a day for most people, the same as the recommended amount of vegetables. In the new iconography, vegetables look bigger. And some people may focus more on the plate than on that cup of dairy on the side. The new chart leaves out a couple of elements seen in recent year's on the pyramid: A small separate category for fats and oils, and an image of a person climbing (on the old pyramid) to symbolize physical exercise alongside eating. A website called choosemyplate.gov provides more detailed guidance on the diet advice behind the new chart. Oils, it turns out, "are NOT a food group, but they provide essential nutrients." Recommended amounts of specific food groups differ a bit depending on whether the eater is a child, man, or woman. The website offers tools to help people develop menu plans. A handy list reminds people of all the wonderful items classified as "vegetables." Sure, carrots and tomatoes qualify, but the list might encourage adventuresome families to forage in mustard greens, acorn squash, or bok choy. A Brookings Institution study last year said that about one-third of adult Americans are obese and another one-third are overweight, challenges that carry significant costs in health and reduced economic productivity. ||||| MyPlate illustrates the five food groups that are the building blocks for a healthy diet using a familiar image – a place setting for a meal. Before you eat, think about what goes on your plate, in your cup, or in your bowl.

– The food pyramid is no more. The nutrition icon long derided as way too complicated has been replaced by a plate divided into portions, notes NPR. Fruits and veggies take up more than half its space, and meat doesn't get a mention. (Instead, there's a "protein" section, along with one for grains.) Michelle Obama helped the USDA roll it out and praised its simplicity. Parents are busy, but "we do have time to take a look at our kids’ plates," she said. "As long as they’re half full of fruits and vegetables, and paired with lean proteins, whole grains and low-fat dairy, we’re golden." It's also going over well in the media: "A huge improvement over the baffling MyPyramid icon that it replaces, MyPlate is as easy as pie to understand," writes Jennifer LaRue Huget at the Washington Post. "Its designers smartly saved the fine print about how to actually fill the wedge-shaped spots on the plate for the we site, ChooseMyPlate.gov." Mark Trumbull at the Christian Science Monitor, however, thinks dairy might be getting underplayed because it's off to the side of the plate in a circle (like a glass of milk).

Russia Set To Redefine Treason, Sparking Fears Enlarge this image toggle caption Alexei Nikolsky/AP/RIA-Novosti Alexei Nikolsky/AP/RIA-Novosti Russia's parliament has approved an expanded legal definition of high treason, prompting accusations that President Vladimir Putin's government wants to further crack down on opponents. Supporters say the proposed changes bring Russia's law up-to-date and will help the country's security service counter modern forms of spying and interference by foreign governments. Opponents, including human rights groups, say the bill's language has been made so vague that it could potentially be used to punish almost any Russian who has contacts with foreigners Russia's current law on treason makes it illegal to steal state secrets or to help a foreign government in some way that could harm Russia's security. The proposed law expands that definition to include "giving financial, technical, consulting or other help" to foreign countries or organizations. And it adds nongovernmental organizations and international groups to the list of potentially treasonous contacts. The measure sailed through both houses of Russia's parliament, which is dominated by Putin's United Russia party, despite a storm of protest from opposition lawmakers such as Ilya Ponomaryov. The bill will become law if Putin signs it, which he is widely expected to do. Ponomaryov, a deputy from the party A Just Russia, called the legislation a step in the wrong direction — a move that would give the Federal Security Service virtual blanket authority to investigate and prosecute dissenting voices. Supporters of the new law include Igor Korotchenko, a national security analyst and chairman of the public advisory council to Russia's Ministry of Defense. Korotchenko has high praise for the American FBI, especially for its success in uncovering Russian spies such as Robert Hanson and Anna Chapman. He says the effectiveness of America's intelligence agencies was further enhanced by the powers they were given after the 9/11 attacks. Korotchenko says he simply wants Russia's Federal Security Service to have the same broad powers as its American counterpart. But critics say it's not the powers but the lack of specifics that make the measure dangerous. "The interesting thing about this law is that you don't need to actually implement it or have people arrested because of the new law. You just need to pass the law and people will be more cautious," says Andrei Soldatov, the editor of Agentura, an online watchdog journal about the Russian security services. Soldatov says he's already seen his colleagues — security experts and Russian journalists — becoming more cautious about speaking with or making contacts with foreigners. He points to a "series" of new laws that he says have had a chilling effect on critics of the government. They include a law passed this summer that requires groups that receive money from foreign countries to register as "foreign agents," a term that has profoundly negative implications in Russia — almost amounting to "spy." The proposed changes in the treason law have drawn sharp criticism from rights groups, such as Human Rights Watch, and from the European Union. Catherine Ashton, the EU's foreign policy chief, said the measure appears designed to reduce the scope for civil society in Russia. She noted that Russians who have contact with foreigners could face up to 20 years in prison. ||||| Russian President Putin's work 'not affected' by injury Continue reading the main story Related Stories Vladimir Putin's spokesman has admitted that Russia's president is suffering from an injury, but denied media reports that it is affecting his work. Dmitry Peskov said the president had "pulled a muscle", adding that it was sports-related. Mr Peskov dismissed claims that the injury had got worse after Mr Putin's flight last month with Siberian cranes. Mr Putin, 60, has recently postponed a series of foreign trips, and media reports suggested he had a back injury. And in a recent TV documentary made for his birthday, the Russian leader was seen limping. 'Traffic jam' concern On Thursday, Mr Peskov told Russia's Kommersant FM radio station that his boss indeed had "an old injury". "It's a common sports injury - Vladimir Putin pulled a muscle," the spokesman said, without adding any details about where the injury was. The speculation in Russia's media started last week after Mr Putin had put off a summit with other leaders of counties from the former Soviet Union. He has also postponed trips to Bulgaria and Turkey. But Mr Peskov said that the dates for those visits "have not been fixed". Kremlin officials earlier denied that the real reason for the much-curtailed schedule is that the president is suffering from a bad back and may need an operation, the BBC's Daniel Sandford in Moscow reports. Mr Peskov also said the president had hardly left his country house outside Moscow in the past two weeks because he did not like his convoy causing traffic jams in central Moscow. Mr Putin - a black belt in judo - has over the years portrayed himself as a macho man. Russia's state-run TV has shown videos of him tagging whales, swimming in freezing waters, horse-riding barechested and even saving a TV crew from a tiger. ||||| Did Vladimir Putin's flight with a flock of cranes end up grounding him? The Russian president's spokesman says no. In recent weeks, Putin has rarely left his official residence, sparking speculation that illness or injury had laid him low. On Thursday, the respected newspaper Vedomosti cited unnamed Kremlin-connected sources saying Putin's September flight in a motorized hang-glider accompany migrating cranes had aggravated an old injury. But his spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the state news agency RIA Novosti that Putin had an old injury, but it was not connected to the highly publicized flight. Peskov was quoted as saying Putin was making only infrequent trips to the Kremlin because he didn't want his motorcade to disrupt Moscow's notoriously bad traffic. The presidential motorcade forces the shutdown of large stretches of highway, an inconvenience that many irritated drivers mark by blaring their horns angrily as the president's car races past. Putin has also put off several expected trips abroad, including to India, Turkey and Bulgaria. The Interfax news agency cited Peskov as saying there was no single reason behind those changes. The hang-glider flight with the cranes, which took place in September in Vladivostok, was one of Putin's trademark adventurous media events. The 60-year-old Russian leader has assiduously cultivated an image of vigor and daring, including being shown swimming in a Siberian river and petting a tranquilized polar bear in the Arctic. Putin also is a skier and a judo aficionado. "Indeed he pulled a muscle. It happened before Vladivostok. He was suffering from some muscle pain then," Peskov said, according to Interfax. "Actually, we have never tried to conceal it because any athlete has lots of injuries, which, however, do not mean any restrictions of his activities," Peskov said.

– Breaking news out of Russia: Vladimir Putin pulled a muscle. But the Kremlin insists it didn't happen while flying with birds. Putin, as you'll remember, took to the skies last month, leading a flock of endangered Siberian cranes to their winter feeding grounds. Rumors about the president's health have been gaining ground since, due to the fact that he postponed trips abroad and hadn't left home much lately, reports the BBC and AP. Then came a report today from the respected Vedomosti newspaper that cited anonymous sources who said the flight caused fresh harm to an old injury. Not exactly, countered the Kremlin. "It's a common sports injury—Vladimir Putin pulled a muscle," his rep said, without elaborating further on that injury. But the rep did give a quirky explanation for the president's recent home-bound ways: Putin apparently hasn't wanted to leave his country home these last two weeks because he didn't want his motorcade to cause traffic jams upon entry in Moscow. In more contentious Russian news, NPR reports that Putin is expected to sign a new bill that widens the country's definition of high treason to include "giving financial, technical, consulting, or other help" to other countries or foreign groups. Critics say such vague language could be applied to any member of the opposition who interacts with foreigners.

“We are still doing an investigation.” — President Obama, Sept. 25, 2012 In any kind of confused overseas event, initial reports are often wrong. But the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya, in which four Americans were killed, including the ambassador, is a case study of how an administration can carefully keep the focus as long as possible on one storyline — and then turn on a dime when it is no longer tenable. For political reasons, it certainly was in the White House’s interests to not portray the attack as a terrorist incident, especially one that took place on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. Instead the administration kept the focus on what was ultimately a red herring — anger in the Arab world over anti-Muslim video posted on You Tube. With key phrases and message discipline, the administration was able to conflate an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Egypt — which apparently was prompted by the video — with the deadly assault in Benghazi. Officials were also able to dismiss pointed questions by referring to an ongoing investigation. Ultimately, when the head of the National Counterterrorism Center was asked pointblank on Capitol Hill whether it was a an act of terror — and he agreed — the administration talking points began to shift. (Tough news reporting — as well as statements by Libya’s president — also played a role.) Yet President Obama himself resisted using the “t” word, even as late as Tuesday, while keeping the focus on the video in his speech to the U.N. General Assembly. On Wednesday, however, White House spokesman Jay Carney acknowledged also that Obama himself believes the attack was terrorism — and so more than two weeks after the attack the Rubicon finally was crossed. As a reader service, we have compiled a comprehensive timeline of administration statements, showing the evolution in talking points, with key phrases highlighted in bold. Many readers sent suggestions for this timeline, for which we are deeply grateful. We will leave it to readers to reach their own conclusions on whether this is merely the result of the fog of war and diplomacy — or a deliberate effort to steer the storyline away from more politically damaging questions. After all, in a competitive election, two weeks is a lifetime. Initially, ‘an attack’ — and focus on a video “Yesterday, our U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya, was attacked. Heavily armed militants assaulted the compound and set fire to our buildings. American and Libyan security personnel battled the attackers together. Four Americans were killed. They included Sean Smith, a Foreign Service information management officer, and our Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens. We are still making next of kin notifications for the other two individuals.” — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, State Department Treaty room, Sept. 12 “The United States condemns in the strongest terms this outrageous and shocking attack. We're working with the government of Libya to secure our diplomats. I've also directed my administration to increase our security at diplomatic posts around the world. And make no mistake, we will work with the Libyan government to bring to justice the killers who attacked our people. “Since our founding, the United States has been a nation that respects all faiths. We reject all efforts to denigrate the religious beliefs of others. But there is absolutely no justification to this type of senseless violence. None. The world must stand together to unequivocally reject these brutal acts…No acts of terror will ever shake the resolve of this great nation, alter that character, or eclipse the light of the values that we stand for.” — President Obama, Rose Garden statement, Sept. 12 (Note: we added this statement to the timeline after Josh Gerstein of Politico asserted that the phrasing “acts of terror” showed Obama acknowledged “terrorism” was behind the attack. From our many years of covering diplomacy we would say there is a world of difference, but readers can draw their own conclusions.) “Frankly, we are not in a position to speak any further to the perpetrators of this attack. It was clearly a complex attack. We’re going to have to do a full investigation.” — Unnamed senior administration official, briefing reporters in a conference call, Sept. 12 “I think it’s important to note with regards to that protest that there are protests taking place in different countries across the world that are responding to the movie that has circulated on the Internet. As Secretary Clinton said today, the United States government had nothing to do with this movie. We reject its message and its contents. We find it disgusting and reprehensible. America has a history of religious tolerance and respect for religious beliefs that goes back to our nation’s founding. We are stronger because we are the home to people of all religions, including millions of Muslims, and we reject the denigration of religion. We also believe that there is no justification at all for responding to this movie with violence.” — White House spokesman Jay Carney, news briefing, Sept. 13 “This has been a difficult week for the State Department and for our country. We’ve seen the heavy assault on our post in Benghazi that took the lives of those brave men. We’ve seen rage and violence directed at American embassies over n awful Internet video that we had nothing to do with. It is hard for the American people to make sense of that because it is senseless, and it is totally unacceptable.” — Clinton, transfer of remains ceremony, Sept. 14 “I have seen that report, and the story is absolutely wrong. We were not aware of any actionable intelligence indicating that an attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi was planned or imminent. That report is false.” — Carney, news briefing, Sept. 14 “Based on the best information we have to date ... it began spontaneously in Benghazi as a reaction to what had transpired some hours earlier in Cairo, where, of course, as you know, there was a violent protest outside of our embassy sparked by this hateful video. But soon after that spontaneous protest began outside of our consulate in Benghazi, we believe that it looks like extremist elements, individuals, joined in that effort with heavy weapons of the sort that are, unfortunately, readily now available in Libya post-revolution. And that it spun from there into something much, much more violent.... We do not have information at present that leads us to conclude that this was premeditated or preplanned.” — Susan E. Rice, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” Sept. 16 “We had a substantial security presence with our personnel and the consulate in Benghazi. Tragically, two of the four Americans who were killed were there providing security. That was their function. And indeed, there were many other colleagues who were doing the same with them.” — Rice, on ABC’s “This Week,” Sept. 16 (Note: the U.S. post was not a consulate and its precise role is still a mystery.) “The way these perpetrators acted and moved, and their choosing the specific date for this so-called demonstration, this leaves us with no doubt that this was preplanned, predetermined.” — Mohamed Yusuf al-Magariaf, president of Libya’s General National Congress, Sept. 16 QUESTION: “Simply on the basis of what Ambassador Rice has publicly disclosed, does the United States Government regard what happened in Benghazi as an act of terror?” SPOKESWOMAN VICTORIA NULAND: “Again, I’m not going to put labels on this until we have a complete investigation, okay?” QUESTION: “You don’t — so you don’t regard it as an act of terrorism?” NULAND: “I don’t think we know enough. I don’t think we know enough. And we’re going to continue to assess. She gave our preliminary assessment. We’re going to have a full investigation now, and then we’ll be in a better position to put labels on things, okay?” — exchange at State Department briefing, Sept. 17 “Well, you’re conveniently conflating two things, which is the anniversary of 9/11 and the incidents that took place, which are under investigation and the cause and motivation behind them will be decided by that investigation.” — Carney, news briefing, Sept. 17 Suddenly, a shift to a ‘terrorist attack’ “I would say yes, they were killed in the course of a terrorist attack on our embassy….The best information we have now, the facts that we have now indicate that this was an opportunistic attack on our embassy. The attack began and evolved and escalated over several hours at our embassy — our diplomatic post in Benghazi. It evolved and escalated over several hours. “It appears that individuals who were certainly well-armed seized on the opportunity presented as the events unfolded that evening and into the — into the morning hours of September 12th. We do know that a number of militants in the area, as I mentioned, are well-armed and maintain those arms. What we don't have at this point is specific intelligence that there was a significant advanced planning or coordination for this attack. “We are focused on who was responsible for this attack. At this point, what I would say is that a number of different elements appear to have been involved in the attack, including individuals connected to militant groups that are prevalent in eastern Libya, particularly in the Benghazi area, as well. We are looking at indications that individuals involved in the attack may have had connections to al-Qaeda or al-Qaeda's affiliates; in particular, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.” — Mathew Olsen, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, testimony before Congress, Sept. 19, after being asked a direct question. CNN reports on Sept. 19 that Ambassador Christopher Stevens had been worried by the security threats in Benghazi. CNN later acknowledged the information came from Steven’s journal. “It is, I think, self-evident that what happened in Benghazi was a terrorist attack. Our embassy was attacked violently, and the result was four deaths of American officials. So, again, that's self- evident. “He also made clear that at this point, based on the information he has — and he is briefing the Hill on the most up-to-date intelligence — we have no information at this point that suggests that this was a significantly preplanned attack, but this was the result of opportunism, taking advantage of and exploiting what was happening as a result of reaction to the video that was found to be offensive.” — Carney, news briefing, Sept. 20 CBS News reports there never was anti-American protest. “Witnesses tell CBS News that there was never an anti-American protest outside of the consulate. Instead they say it came under planned attack. That is in direct contradiction to the administration’s account.” — Margaret Brennan CBS News correspondent, CBS News report aired Sept. 20 But Obama resists saying the ‘t’ word… OBAMA: “What we’ve seen over the last week, week and a half, is something that actually we've seen in the past, where there is an offensive video or cartoon directed at the prophet Muhammad. And this is obviously something that then is used as an excuse by some to carry out inexcusable violent acts directed at Westerners or Americans. “And my number-one priority is always to keep our diplomats safe and to keep our embassies safe. And so when the initial events happened in Cairo and all across the region, we worked with Secretary Clinton to redouble our security and to send a message to the leaders of these countries, essentially saying, although we had nothing to do with the video, we find it offensive, it's not representative of America's views, how we treat each other with respect when it comes to their religious beliefs, but we will not tolerate violence.” QUESTION: “We have reports that the White House said today that the attacks in Libya were a terrorist attack. Do you have information indicating that it was Iran, or al-Qaeda was behind organizing the protests?” OBAMA: “Well, we're still doing an investigation, and there are going to be different circumstances in different countries. And so I don’t want to speak to something until we have all the information. What we do know is that the natural protests that arose because of the outrage over the video were used as an excuse by extremists to see if they can also directly harm U.S. interests.” — President Obama, Univision Town Hall, Sept. 20 “What happened in Benghazi was a terrorist attack, and we will not rest until we have tracked down and brought to justice the terrorists who murdered four Americans.” — Clinton, statement at a meeting with Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, Sept. 21, 2012 “As we all know, the United States lost a great ambassador and the Libyan people lost a true friend when Chris Stevens and three other Americans were killed in the terrorist assault on our consulate in Benghazi.” — Clinton, meeting with Libyan President Magariaf , Sept. 24 QUESTION: “I heard Hillary Clinton say it was an act of terrorism. Is it? What do you say?” OBAMA: “We are still doing an investigation. There is no doubt that the kind of weapons that were used, the ongoing assault, that it wasn’t just a mob action. Now, we don’t have all the information yet so we are still gathering.” — Obama, on ABC’s “The View,” Sept. 25 “That is what we saw play out in the last two weeks, as a crude and disgusting video sparked outrage throughout the Muslim world. Now, I have made it clear that the United States government had nothing to do with this video, and I believe its message must be rejected by all who respect our common humanity.” — Obama, speech to the U.N. General Assembly, Sept. 25 “It was a preplanned act of terrorism directed against American citizens.” — Magariaf, on NBC’s “Today” show, Sept. 26 “For some time, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and other groups have launched attacks and kidnappings from northern Mali into neighboring countries. Now, with a larger safe haven and increased freedom to maneuver, terrorists are seeking to extend their reach and their networks in multiple directions. And they are working with other violent extremists to undermine the democratic transitions underway in North Africa, as we tragically saw in Benghazi.” — Clinton, at the United Nations, Sept. 26 QUESTION: “Is there any reason why the President did not — he was asked point-blank in The View interview, is this a terrorist attack, yes or no? Is there any reason why he didn’t say yes?” CARNEY: “He answered the question that he was asked, and there's no reason that he chose the words he did beyond trying to provide a full explanation of his views and his assessment that we need to await further information that the investigation will uncover. But it is certainly the case that it is our view as an administration, the President’s view, that it was a terrorist attack.” — Carney, news briefing, Sept. 26 (About our rating scale) Check out our candidate Pinocchio Tracker Follow The Fact Checker on Twitter and friend us on Facebook . Track each presidential candidate's campaign ads Read our biggest Pinocchios ||||| U.S. intelligence officials knew within 24 hours of the assault on the U.S. Consulate in Libya that it was a terrorist attack and suspected Al Qaeda-tied elements were involved, sources told Fox News -- though it took the administration a week to acknowledge it. The account sharply conflicts with claims on the Sunday after the attack by U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice that the administration believed the strike was a "spontaneous" event triggered by protests in Egypt over an anti-Islam film. Intelligence sources said that the Obama administration internally labeled the attack terrorism from the first day in order to unlock and mobilize certain resources to respond, and that officials were looking for one specific suspect. The sources said the intelligence community knew by Sept. 12 that the militant Ansar al-Shariah and Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb were likely behind the strike. Further, an official said, "No one ... believed that the mortars, indirect and direct fire, and the RPGs were just the work of a mob -- no one." Yet a congressional source told Fox News that CIA Director David Petraeus, during a briefing with members of the House Intelligence Committee three days after the attack, espoused the view that Benghazi was an out-of-control demonstration prompted by the YouTube video. According to the source, this was "shocking" to some members who were present and saw the same intelligence pointing toward a terrorist attack. In addition, sources confirm that FBI agents have not yet arrived in Benghazi in the aftermath of the attack. Four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens, were killed in the assault. The claims that officials initially classified the attack as terrorism is sure to raise serious questions among lawmakers who from the beginning have challenged the narrative the administration put out in the week following the strike. A few Republican lawmakers have gone so far as to suggest the administration withheld key facts about the assault for political reasons. "I think we should have answers right away. ... I think they're reluctant to tell us what this event really was probably because it's an election year. But the American people deserve to know answers about what happened at our embassy in Libya," Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., told Fox News. One intelligence official clarified to Fox News that there was not a "definitive" lead on who might have been responsible for the Libya attacks in the immediate aftermath, though officials had an idea of the suspects. "It's inaccurate to suggest that within the first 24 hours there was a definitive calling card and home address for the perpetrators of the Benghazi attack. Potential suspects and data points emerge early on, but it still takes time to be certain who is responsible," the official said. Curiously, Obama referred to "acts of terror" in his first public remarks about the attack. But from there, administration officials went on to blame the anti-Islam film. Rice was the most explicit in that explanation, insisting on a slew of Sunday shows that the attack was not pre-planned and was tied to the film. Obama still has not publicly and specifically described the Benghazi attack as terrorism. But top administration officials have gradually walked back Rice's version of events. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reportedly suggested Wednesday to foreign leaders visiting the United Nations summit in New York that the Al Qaeda affiliate in North Africa was involved. "Now with a larger safe haven and increased freedom to maneuver, terrorists are seeking to extend their reach and their networks in multiple directions," Clinton told the group, according to The New York Times. "And they are working with other violent extremists to undermine the democratic transitions under way in North Africa, as we tragically saw in Benghazi." She was referring to Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. Clinton earlier this week called the attack terrorism, two weeks after the fact. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney also said that Obama now believes it is terrorism as well. Fox News' Bret Baier and Catherine Herridge contributed to this report. ||||| Within 24 hours of the 9-11 anniversary attack on the United States consulate in Benghazi, U.S. intelligence agencies had strong indications al Qaeda–affiliated operatives were behind the attack, and had even pinpointed the location of one of those attackers. Three separate U.S. intelligence officials who spoke to The Daily Beast said the early information was enough to show that the attack was planned and the work of al Qaeda affiliates operating in Eastern Libya. Nonetheless, it took until late last week for the White House and the administration to formally acknowledge that the Benghazi assault was a terrorist attack. On Sunday, Obama adviser Robert Gibbs explained the evolving narrative as a function of new information coming in quickly on the attacks. "We learned more information every single day about what happened,” Gibbs said on Fox News. “Nobody wants to get to the bottom of this faster than we do.” The intelligence officials who spoke to The Daily Beast did so anonymously because they weren’t authorized to speak to the press. They said U.S. intelligence agencies developed leads on four of the participants of the attacks within 24 hours of the fire fight that took place mainly at an annex near the Benghazi consulate. For one of those individuals, the U.S. agencies were able to find his location after his use of social media. “We had two kinds of intelligence on one guy,” this official said. “We believe we had enough to target him.” Another U.S. intelligence official said, “There was very good information on this in the first 24 hours. These guys have a return address. There are camps of people and a wide variety of things we could do.” A spokesman for the National Security Council declined to comment for the story. But another U.S. intelligence official said, “I can’t get into specific numbers but soon after the attack we had a pretty good bead on some individuals involved in the attack.” It’s unclear whether any of these suspected attackers have been targeted or arrested, and intelligence experts caution that these are still early days in a complex investigation. The question of what the White House knew, and when they knew it, will be of keen interest to members of Congress in the election year. Last Thursday, the Obama administration formally briefed House and Senate members on the attack. Those briefings however failed to satisfy many members, particularly Republicans. “That is the most useless, worthless briefing I have attended in a long time,” Sen. Bob Corker, a Tennessee Republican, was quoted as saying. The Daily Beast reported last week that the U.S. intelligence community was studying an intercept between a Libyan politician and a member of the so-called February 17 militia, Libyans charged with providing security for the U.S. consulate in Benghazi. More intelligence has come in that shows members of Ansar al-Sharia, an al Qaeda–affiliated group operating in and around Benghazi, were attempting to coerce, threaten, cajole, and bribe members of the militia protecting the consulate.

– Hillary Clinton appeared to draw a line from al-Qaeda to the attack on the US consulate in Libya yesterday, further complicating the administration's somewhat muddled account of events. Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and "other violent extremists" are trying to "undermine the democratic transitions under way in North Africa, as we tragically saw in Benghazi," Clinton said during a high-level UN meeting, the New York Times reports. The administration has resisted calling the consulate attack "terrorism," drawing criticism from the right. (The Washington Post has a full timeline of the administration response here.) But sources tell Fox News that US intelligence knew within 24 hours that al-Qaeda affiliates were behind the attack. The Daily Beast had a similar report yesterday, indicating officials could even pinpoint who was responsible and where they were. "There was very good information on this in the first 24 hours," one official said. "These guys have a return address."

Authorities in Jacksonville, Fla., have identified a Maryland man as the perpetrator of a mass shooting Sunday during a video game tournament. “The single suspect in this case is a white male,” Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams said at a news conference Sunday night. “We believe the suspect to be 24-year-old David Katz of Baltimore, Maryland.” Katz is believed to have opened fire during a “Madden 19” qualifying tournament at a Chicago Pizza around 1:30 p.m. He killed two people and left 11 others wounded before killing himself. Here’s what we know about Katz: A Baltimore man has been identified as the gunman who opened fire at a Jacksonville, Fla., Madden video game competition Sunday. David Katz, 24, had been participating in a tournament for the Madden football game franchise, and was among those pronounced dead at the scene. Federal authorities were at a home near in Baltimore's Inner Harbor on Sunday night as part of an investigation. (Kenneth K. Lam) (Kenneth K. Lam) » No motive is known for the Jacksonville shooting. The Los Angeles Times reported that Katz had been eliminated from the tournament before he began his rampage. » People in the online gaming community said Katz had played under the game tag “RavensChamp” and “Bread.” » Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams said Monday that Katz legally purchased the two handguns he used in the shooting from a licensed dealer in the Baltimore area. » Local FBI and ATF officials are assisting the Jacksonville sheriff’s office with the investigation. They were at a home tied to Katz in the 1200 block of Harbor Island Walk near Baltimore’s Inner Harbor on Sunday night. » He was raised in Columbia by parents Richard and Elizabeth Katz. At the time of their divorce in 2005, Richard Katz was a prominent engineer who designed electronics for NASA spacecraft. Dr. Elizabeth Katz worked as a toxicologist for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in Rockville. » Katz was a 2011 graduate of Hammond High School in Howard County. He also attended the University of Maryland previously, but was not a enrolled this semester, university President Wallace Loh said. He enrolled beginning in September 2014, and majored in environmental science and technology, a university spokeswoman said. He did not live on campus. » As an adolescent, Katz displayed psychological and behavioral problems, according to court records. He was hospitalized at Sheppard Pratt Health System in Towson for psychiatric treatment in 2007. By age 12, he was taking Risperdal, an anti-psychotic drug to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, his father said in court records. He often missed school and resisted treatment. » A decade before Sunday’s shooting, a psychologist told lawyers that Katz was not likely to harm other people but could target his mother, with whom he lived as a teenager. » In 2009, Elizabeth Katz called 911 on her son, telling the operator, “He has been abusive for over two years,” according to a transcript. David Katz later called 911 on his mother, claiming that she came at him with a knife. » According to one local gamer, Katz sometimes attended a weekly game night at a sports bar near M&T Bank Stadium. » Katz had previously won several tournaments and boasted of his prowess in an interview posted to YouTube. » In a video circulating social media, an announcer is heard introducing Katz by commenting on his intense focus and standoffish attitude. “David Katz keeps to himself. He’s a man of business. … He’s not here to make friends.” » Authorities say they’ve found Katz’s car, and that they have video of the incident. » Katz is believed to have stayed in the Jacksonville area the night before the shooting, possibly at a hotel. Baltimore Sun reporters Tim Prudente, Justin Fenton, Hallie Miller and Talia Richman contributed to this article. ctkacik@baltsun.com twitter.com/xtinatkacik ||||| Toshiba Sharon, an announcer for the video game tournament from Philadelphia talks to members of the media about what he saw during Sunday's mass shooting across the street from the Jacksonville Landing... (Associated Press) Toshiba Sharon, an announcer for the video game tournament from Philadelphia talks to members of the media about what he saw during Sunday's mass shooting across the street from the Jacksonville Landing in downtown Jacksonville, Fla., Monday, Aug. 27, 2018. Authorities say 24-year-old David Katz of... (Associated Press) JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — A California man who played video games to earn money for college and a West Virginian whose e-sports winnings helped support his young family were slain at a Florida tournament where a gunman specifically targeted fellow gamers, authorities said Monday. David Katz, 24, of Baltimore fatally shot himself after killing the two men and wounding 10 others Sunday inside a pizzeria and bar that were hosting a "Madden NFL 19" tournament. Katz was among about 130 gamers attending the competition at a mall in Jacksonville. Court records in Maryland reviewed by The Associated Press show Katz had previously been hospitalized for mental illness. Divorce filings from his parents say that as an adolescent he was twice hospitalized in psychiatric facilities and was prescribed antipsychotic and antidepressant medications. Katz carried two handguns, including one equipped with a laser sight, into the tournament venue but only fired one of them, Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams told a news conference Monday. He said surveillance video revealed Katz was the only shooter, but his motive remains unknown. "The suspect clearly targeted other gamers who were in the back room" of the pizzeria, Williams said. "The suspect walked past patrons who were in other parts of the business and focused his attention on the gamers." Investigators determined Katz bought both guns in Baltimore within the past month. But Williams said there's no indication he planned the shooting before Sunday. The sheriff had previously said nine people were wounded by gunfire, but told reporters Monday the total was 10. All of them, he said, were expected to recover. The sheriff's office identified the dead as 22-year-old Elijah Clayton of Woodland Hills, California, and 28-year-old Taylor Robertson of Giles, West Virginia. Clayton's parents and other relatives gathered outside police headquarters Monday in Jacksonville to give a brief statement. A cousin, Brandi Pettijohn, said the family was "devastated by yet another senseless act of gun violence." She said Clayton was a good, peaceful man who never had a fistfight. "He loved football, and out of all the videogames he could play, he settled on and mastered 'Madden,'" Pettijohn said. "He made a good living gaming, and he saved his earnings so he could afford to go to college to continue his education." Robertson, who used the gamer tag "Spotmeplzzz," won the Madden Classic tournament in 2016. In a YouTube interview published by EA Sports, Robertson said he had played Madden NFL since he was 10 and started playing competitively a few years ago. "It's certainly possible for any player to do this," Robertson said in the video. "You've just got to put in the time. You've got to grind. You've got to play a lot of games and just working on getting better." Fellow gamers described Robertson as a family man dedicated to his wife and children. Gamer Derek Jones, who lost to Robertson in the 2016 tournament, said his onetime rival was "one of the nicest people I ever met." "There's no way that guy did anything to deserve to get shot," said Jones, who traveled to the Florida tournament from Santa Fe, New Mexico. "He's got a family at home, and he just came out here to try to win some money for this family." Gamer Shay Kivlen of Seattle said he met Clayton, whose gamer tag was Trueboy, about five years ago. They bonded because both of them played games on a Playstation 4 — which put them at odds with many gamers who prefer Microsoft's Xbox. The two friends would chat daily online and see each other about six times a year at gaming tournaments. About a week before the Florida shootings, Kivlen said, he was visiting San Diego and Clayton drove 2 ½ hours in rush hour traffic to meet him. "He was one of the kindest people, most genuine guys I've ever met," said Kivlen, 21. "He was super real, and that's what I loved about him. If he was happy, you knew he was happy. He wore his emotions on his sleeve." Kivlen and Jones said they barely knew Katz, who seemed to avoid conversation with fellow players during tournaments. Katz's gameplay was often erratic, Kivlen said. "He would do kind of weird stuff online that other people wouldn't do. He would catch a ball and just start jumping out of bounds and stuff when he could have gotten more yards, just hurting himself," Kivlen said. "I don't know what he was doing." Kivlen, who said he had once beaten Katz for a coveted spot in a tournament, heard secondhand from a friend that Katz was asking for his whereabouts shortly before the shooting. After losing his single-elimination game Sunday, Kivlen said, he left to take a nap at his hotel about 20 minutes before the attack. He was watching a live stream of the tournament online when the gunfire erupted. A friend hiding in a bathroom at the venue answered his phone. When he said Kivlen may have been a target, Kivlen called police and an officer was sent to his hotel room for about 90 minutes until they received word that the gunman was dead. "It just doesn't make sense why he would do it," Kivlen said. "In 'Madden,' you never get so mad at a loss that you would want to do that." ___ Associated Press writers David McFadden in Baltimore, John Raby in Charleston, West Virginia, and Tamara Lush in the Tampa area contributed to this report. ||||| The 24-year-old man who killed two people before turning the gun on himself at the Jacksonville Landing Sunday had a history of being emotionally distant, according to the gamers who played him. Court records show that he had previously been hospitalized in psychiatric facilities. His parents filed for divorce 13 years ago, and during their long-running custody battle, his dad and mom fought over the state of his mental health, according to the Associated Press and the Baltimore Sun. His dad claimed Katz's mom was exaggerating symptoms of mental illness. Twice as a teenager, he was hospitalized at mental health hospitals, according to the two news organizations. On Sunday, he fired a semi-automatic handgun at 12 people, two who died and 10 more were treated for their gunshot wounds, according to Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams. Katz had two guns on him at the time of the shooting, a .45-caliber handgun and a 9-mm handgun, according to Williams. One of the guns had an after-market laser sight on it. In a livestreamed video taken just before and during the shooting, one of the players appears to have a red dot show up on his body. Katz walked past other patrons at the Chicago Pizza restaurant in the Jacksonville Landing, Williams said, before targeting gamers. Williams said there is "no indication that this was something he planned prior to Sunday." The single-elimination tournament was a qualifier to go to the Madden Classic in Las Vegas. Jacksonville's event was one of four Madden Classic regionals, and it attracted gamers from across the country. According to the tournament's online bracket, Katz lost in the first of six rounds. Online, gamers have said that Katz opened fire. Katz previously attended the University of Maryland but was not attending this semester, according to the university's president. He appears to have been active on Reddit, talking about the Baltimore Ravens and building computers, as well as asking people to help him with homework. The Baltimore Sun quoted a former teaching assistant a the university who said he "did not open up the same ways as the others did." On Twitter and Twitch, a video-streaming site for eSports, fellow gamers said he had often been emotionally disconnected. One called him a "scumbag" last year. Another said yesterday that "He was weird but he never mentioned anything about hurting any1 he’d just ban them and stop talking to him he was definitely weird tho." "We’ve always known he was a little off and stuff just because he wasn’t social at all," Shay Kivlen told the Associated Press. Kivlen was at the tournament. In a video from a previous tournament, an announcer describes Katz as emotionless. "David Katz keeps to himself," the man says. "He's a man of business. He's not here for the experience or to go out or this, that or the third. He's not here to make friends." In February of last year, Katz surprised gamers when he won the Madden 17 Club Series. On the website for EA Sports, the maker of the Madden video game, a post said that "In what some are calling the most exciting moment in all the 2017 NFL Club Series Championships, David 'Bread' Katz won with a walk-off victory by completing an unbelievable pass as time expired to be crowned Buffalo Bills Champion." In an interview after Katz' victory, he said he was underrated and that "I think personally I'm one of the better players." Eli Clayton, one of the victims in Jacksonville, also competed that year and was the Jaguars' champion. Katz used the name "RavensChamp" (sometimes with different spellings) and variations of the word "Bread" in competitions. In a 2015 tournament he appears to have lost in a championship game to Clayton, one of Sunday's victims, according to an online bracket. The Federal Bureau of Investigation said that Katz's mother and father have been helping the investigation. >> Multiple people dead, including suspect, in mass shooting at Jacksonville Landing >> Gamers mourn Landing victims: ‘Great people and did not deserve this’ >> Mass shooting at Jacksonville Landing captured on livestream video >> Jacksonville Landing shooting happened at Madden Classic preliminary >> Jacksonville Landing has seen fatal violence before >> Mark Woods: From this heartbreak must come action on gun violence >> Photos: Scenes from mass shooting aftermath at Jacksonville Landing ||||| EA Sports has canceled upcoming “Madden”events after two gamers were murdered at a Jacksonville mall during a competition. (AP) EA Sports has canceled upcoming “Madden” qualifiers in wake of Sunday’s mass shooting tragedy that left two gamers dead and 11 others injured when a man opened fire during a video game tournament. Taylor Robertson and Elijah Clayton were identified as the “Madden” players killed during the attack. EA Sports CEO addresses gaming community after Jacksonville EA Sports CEO Andrew Wilson acknowledged the victims Monday in a statement announcing that the three remaining qualifying events for the “Madden Classic” would be canceled. Here is Wilson’s statement, in full: To Our Players and the Gaming Community, I wanted to share some thoughts about the horrific and senseless act of violence that occurred in Jacksonville at the Madden competitive gaming event. I know many of us, myself included, are filled with shock and grief. Our teams have been working non-stop to do what we can to respond to this terrible situation. First and foremost, it is an unthinkable tragedy that Taylor Robertson and Elijah Clayton, two of our top Madden competitors, lost their lives in this way. They were respected, positive and skilled competitors, the epitome of the players and personalities at the heart of our community. Their love of competition was evident through their participation in our events over the past few years. We are committed to supporting Taylor and Elijah’s families through this difficult time, and we send our deepest sympathies to their loved ones, to those injured yesterday, and everyone affected. The event was a qualifying tournament for the Madden Classic, our first Madden EA Major competition of this season. While these qualifying events are operated independently by partners, we work with them to ensure competitive integrity and to gather feedback from players. We have made a decision to cancel our three remaining Madden Classic qualifier events while we run a comprehensive review of safety protocols for competitors and spectators. We will work with our partners and our internal teams to establish a consistent level of security at all of our competitive gaming events. We’ve all been deeply affected by what took place in Jacksonville. This is the first time we’ve had to confront something like this as an organization, and I believe the first time our gaming community has dealt with a tragedy of this nature. Please take time to support each other through this challenging time. Andrew Wilson CEO, Electronic Arts Story Continues The three previously scheduled qualifiers were slated to take place in Dulles, Virginia, Santa Ana, California and Carrollton, Texas in September with the main event planned for Las Vegas in October. Wilson did not clarify if the events would be rescheduled. More from Yahoo Sports: • Jeff Passan: MLB attendance is spooking owners • Patriots’ Brady hangs up during live radio interview • Tiger on Trump: ‘We all must respect the office’ • Pat Forde: Fearless predictions for college football

– The gamers competing at the tournament where a mass shooting took place over the weekend in Florida were vying to advance to a championship tournament in Las Vegas in the fall. Now that competition is in limbo. EA Sports, maker of the "Madden NFL" game used in the tournaments, has canceled three other qualifying rounds while it reviews safety protocols, reports Yahoo Sports. It's not clear whether they'll be rescheduled or if the October finals will take place at all. Other developments in the shooting, in which police say David Katz killed two gamers, wounded 10 others, and then killed himself: Psychiatric issues: Katz, 24, had been hospitalized for psychiatric issues as an adolescent, reports the Baltimore Sun. He took antipsychotic and antidepressant drugs, though his divorced parents disagreed over the severity of his problems, reports Jacksonville.com. Specifically, his father thought his ex-wife was exaggerating their son's difficulties. More about Katz here. Close call: Gamer Shay Kivlen, who once beat Katz in a tournament, was in his hotel room when the shooting occurred. But a friend called to tell him that Katz had been asking for his whereabouts prior to the shooting, Kivlen tells the AP. Kivlen called police, and an officer stayed in his hotel room until they learned Katz was dead.

The most jarring element of the delayed September jobs report, due out Tuesday, may be the fact that it isn’t coming on a Friday. Job growth was likely steady but unremarkable in the month heading into the government shutdown. Economists expect little change in the nation’s unemployment rate as the economy closed out the third quarter. The 16-day shutdown shuttered most of the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, which produces the monthly snapshot, just days before the originally scheduled Oct. 4 release date. That means its team had already collected data for the September report but needed to put the finishing touches on the analysis. As a result, the September report could be the last clean gauge of the job market before most short-term effects — or longer-run damage — from the budget battles hit U.S. employers and households. Visit WSJ.com on Tuesday at 8:30 am Eastern for live analysis of the jobs report. How will the Fed see the latest jobs report? Submit your questions for the WSJ’s Spreecast with Jon Hilsenrath and tune in at 11 a.m. Eastern. Jobless Rate, Payrolls and Revisions The consensus forecast among economists, based on a Dow Jones Newswires survey, puts the unemployment rate unchanged at 7.3% in September and the payroll gain at 180,000 jobs for the month. That would be a slight (but insignificant) increase from the 169,000 jobs added in August and pretty close to the gains of the past year. The revisions could be as important as the headline figure for September. The latest figures show a gain of just 104,000 jobs in July. Downward revisions to prior months, along with a weaker-than-expected reading for September, could fuel speculation about whether businesses were growing more cautious due to interest-rate volatility, talk of war in Syria (remember that?) or the approaching Washington dysfunction. ||||| U.S. employers added just 148,000 jobs in September, suggesting the job market was weakening before a 16-day partial government shutdown. Still, the September gain was enough to lower the unemployment rate, which comes from a separate survey. The Labor Department says the rate fell to 7.2 percent, from 7.3 percent in August and a five-year low. The economy has added an average of 143,000 jobs a month from July through September, down from 182,000 from April through June. Revisions to the previous two months were mixed. Employers added 193,000 jobs in August, better than the initial estimate of 169,000. But they added just 89,000 in July, the fewest in more than a year and below the previously reported 104,000. The report was delayed 2 1/2 -week because of the shutdown. ||||| WSJ’s Sudeep Reddy offers a rundown of what market watchers should pay attention to in this particularly jobs report: Jobless Rate, Payrolls and Revisions The consensus forecast among economists, based on a Dow Jones Newswires survey, puts the unemployment rate unchanged at 7.3% in September and the payroll gain at 180,000 jobs for the month. That would be a slight (but insignificant) increase from the 169,000 jobs added in August and pretty close to the gains of the past year. The revisions could be as important as the headline figure for September. The latest figures show a gain of just 104,000 jobs in July. Downward revisions to prior months, along with a weaker-than-expected reading for September, could fuel speculation about whether businesses were growing more cautious due to interest-rate volatility, talk of war in Syria (remember that?) or the approaching Washington dysfunction. For the numbers geeks among us, the team at CRT Capital Group offers this trivia: The first snapshot of September payrolls has a statistical tendency to come in lower than expected 69% of the time, with an average miss of 89,000 jobs off the consensus. For the other 31% of the time it comes in higher than expected, the average upward surprise is 54,000 jobs. Shutdown Effects Sorry, you’ll probably need to wait a month to see any obvious effects of the shutdown in the employment data. It’s conceivable that the run-up to the shutdown could have influenced the September data. One survey of businesses showed the shutdown and debt-ceiling fight weighing on hiring plans as early as September. A more recent survey showed executives slashing hiring expectations as well. But all of that will be tough to see in Tuesday’s data. It could take months to know whether those effectsturn out to be small and short-lived or something more meaningful driven by the recent drop in confidence. Fed Implications Unless the jobs report shows an extreme surprise in either direction, this isn’t a jobs report that will move the needle for the Federal Reserve’s decision at its Oct. 29-30 meeting. Officials have already signaled that the shutdown has muddied economic data too much for a data-dependent central bank to make any immediate decisions. But Fed officials will be watching closely to assess the labor market’s development and decide whether to hint at a potential change in policy before the year is out. The latest Wall Street Journal survey of economists, conducted in the early days of the shutdown, showed most forecasters betting on a December or January reduction in the Fed’s $85 billion bond-buying program. Some traders and economists, however, already are pushing their expectations down to March. Does ‘Jobs Tuesday’ Sound Unnatural? Yes. The longest U.S. government shutdown on record, covering a three-week stretch from December 1995 to January 1996, delayed the jobs report by a couple of weeks. But the Labor Department still released it on a Friday: January 19, 1996. Even if the September employment data proves to be forgettable, a generation of economics reporters will never forget their first — and only, we hope — Jobs Tuesday.

– The September jobs report is out today, delayed thanks to the government shutdown, and it reveals that the unemployment rate ticked down to 7.2% last month, while 148,000 jobs were added. Economists had expected the rate to hold steady at 7.3%, the Wall Street Journal notes, but they also expected more new jobs: 180,000, to be exact. The unemployment rate is a 5-year low, and Michael J. Casey at the Journal says it "seems genuine," rather than a result of people dropping out of the labor force. August's number was revised upward, from 169,000 new jobs to 193,000. But July's was revised downward, from 104,000 new jobs to 89,000—the fewest in more than a year. If you're looking for any effects the shutdown may have had on the economy, you'll likely have to wait for the October report, the Journal notes. And that one will also be delayed, by one week; it arrives on Nov. 8. But the AP notes that the number of jobs created in September suggests the market was already weakening in advance of the shutdown.

JUBA/ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - South Sudan’s government and rebels finally began talks to end weeks of bloodletting on Friday after days of delay as the United States ordered out more of its embassy staff. Marines and sailors with Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response help U.S. citizens into a Marine Corps KC-130J Hercules airplane during an evacuation of personnel from the U.S. Embassy, in this handout photo taken in Juba, South Sudan, January 3, 2014, courtesy of the U.S. Marines. REUTERS/U.S. Marines/Staff Sgt. Robert L. Fisher III/Handout via Reuters However, there was no face-to-face meeting, and fighting was reported near the key town of Bor, suggesting that a halt to clashes between President Salva Kiir’s SPLA government forces and rebels loyal to former vice president Riek Machar is still a long way off. Neighboring countries fear that the fighting, which quickly spread out from the capital Juba last month along ethnic faultlines, could destabilize East Africa, and the regional IGAD grouping is mediating the peace talks in Ethiopia. The talks had been scheduled to begin in Addis Ababa on January 1, and made a slow start on Friday. “Both delegations are meeting the mediators separately,” said Dina Mufti, a spokesman for Ethiopia’s Foreign Ministry. “We hope to bring both sides into face-to-face talks soon.” Meanwhile the SPLA said its troops were fighting rebels 24 km (14 miles) south of rebel-controlled Bor, the capital of the vast Jonglei state and site of an ethnic massacre in 1991. Bor lies 190 km (118 miles) to the north of Juba and has changed hands three times since the unrest began. “The rebels will be flushed out of Bor any time,” SPLA spokesman Philip Aguer said. Rebel spokesman Moses Ruai Lat, based in the northern state of Unity, said it was the government forces who were on the back foot and his advancing comrades were already “close” to Juba. 200,000 DISPLACED More than a thousand people have been killed and 200,000 driven from their homes in three weeks of fighting that has raised the specter of a civil war pitting Kiir’s ethnic Dinkas against Machar’s Nuer. The United States has been withdrawing non-essential embassy staff since mid-December and said Friday it was evacuating more. It also urged all American citizens to leave South Sudan - a country the size of France estimated to hold the third largest oil reserves in sub-Saharan Africa, but desperately poor and short of infrastructure. “We are not suspending our operations. We are just minimizing our presence,” said Susan Page, the U.S. ambassador. More than 440 U.S. officials and private citizens have been evacuated on charter flights and military aircraft, State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said in Washinton. The United States has also flown out 750 citizens of 27 other countries. The Pentagon sent two KC-130 aircraft to pick up approximately 20 U.S. diplomatic personnel from the embassy in Juba, said Army Colonel Steve Warren, a spokesman. One landed and the other one circled nearby in case it was needed. An emergency message to U.S. citizens on the embassy’s website said the move was due to a “deteriorating security situation”. It said there would be an evacuation flight on Friday arranged by the U.S. State Department. Slideshow (17 Images) Kiir has accused his long-term political rival Machar, whom he sacked in July, of starting the fighting in a bid to seize power. Machar denies the claim. Mediators say Kiir’s government and the rebels loyal to Machar have agreed in principle to a ceasefire, but there is no agreement on a starting date and some diplomats say both sides still seem more intent on maneuvering for military advantage. The United Nations said it was planning for the number of displaced people to double in the next three months. ||||| Initial meetings in Addis Ababa between mediators and the warring parties in South Sudan have been "fruitful," Ethiopia's foreign minister has said. Tedros Adhanom said direct talks between the two sides, aimed at ending the violence, would begin on Saturday. Fighting between supporters of President Salva Kiir and those of his sacked deputy Riek Machar has killed at least 1,000 people since 15 December. The US has announced a further cut of its embassy staff in South Sudan. Analysis Arriving in Ethiopia on Thursday night, the delegation for the South Sudan government barely had time to rest. Its 14-man delegation held meetings with the two regional mediators on Friday morning. Overnight at the same hotel venue, rebel negotiators also met the mediators. Both teams are expecting the talks to last days. But the Sheraton Hotel in Addis Ababa remains a no-go zone for journalists, perhaps signifying the sensitive nature of the negotiations. While the African Union has insisted on the talks being African-driven, Western nations and the UN are keeping a close eye on them. Already the European Union special representative to the Horn of Africa is in Addis Ababa, with more foreign envoys expected in the coming days. More than 180,000 people have been displaced in the conflict. Aid workers say many are living without shelter, clean water and sanitation. Tensions are increasing around the rebel-held cities of Bor, in Jonglei state, and Bentiu, in the northern state of Unity. A build-up of military personnel around both cities has prompted fears that renewed heavy fighting may be imminent as the government attempts to regain control, the BBC's Alastair Leithead reports from the capital, Juba. One rebel spokesman told Reuters its troops were marching towards Juba, while a spokesman for the government said its forces were closing in to recapture Bor. Evacuation flight Delegates from both sides began arriving in the Ethiopian capital on Wednesday but talks were delayed until the full negotiating teams had arrived. The BBC's Emmanuel Igunza in Addis Ababa says the rival teams are in the same hotel but are currently in talks only with mediators. Mabior Garang, left, part of the negotiating team backing Riek Machar, arrives for talks in Addis Ababa A government soldier patrols Malakal in Upper Nile State These refugees in the town of Awerial are among the 180,000 people estimated displaced by the conflict The mediators are preparing the ground for direct talks, he adds. Observers have said the discussions are likely to be complicated, as the two sides will have to agree on a mechanism to monitor any ceasefire. Meanwhile, the US state department said it had ordered a "further drawdown" of its embassy staff in Juba "because of the deteriorating security situation". It evacuated a large number of non-essential staff soon after the fighting began on 15 December. But ambassador Susan Page told Reuters: "We are not suspending our operations. We are just minimising our presence." However, the state department also said that, from Saturday, it would no longer be providing consular services to US citizens in South Sudan. And it repeated its advice to its citizens to leave the country, announcing a further evacuation flight from Juba "to the nearest safe haven country" on Friday. A political squabble has become a conflict - and one with nasty ethnic undertones Analysis: Bitter divide Q&A: South Sudan clashes The United Nations, however, is flying more staff into Juba to help in the aid effort and to protect civilians' human rights. One official said US staff working for the UN had not been asked to leave. South Sudan is the world's newest state. It was formed in 2011, gaining independence from Sudan after decades of conflict. The latest trouble has its roots in tensions that go back long before 2011, rebels were fighting each other as well as for independence. But what began as a squabble between former fighters turned politicians has taken on an ethnic dimension. Politicians' political bases are often ethnic. President Kiir is from the Dinka community while Mr Machar is a Nuer. Mr Kiir has ruled out any power-sharing arrangement with his rival in the longer term. Fighting erupted in the South Sudan capital, Juba, in mid-December. It followed a political power struggle between President Salva Kiir and his ex-deputy Riek Machar. The squabble has taken on an ethnic dimension as politicians' political bases are often ethnic. Sudan's arid north is mainly home to Arabic-speaking Muslims. But in South Sudan there is no dominant culture. The Dinkas and the Nuers are the largest of more than 200 ethnic groups, each with its own languages and traditional beliefs, alongside Christianity and Islam. Both Sudan and the South are reliant on oil revenue, which accounts for 98% of South Sudan's budget. They have fiercely disagreed over how to divide the oil wealth of the former united state - at one time production was shutdown for more than a year. Some 75% of the oil lies in the South but all the pipelines run north The two Sudans are very different geographically. The great divide is visible even from space, as this Nasa satellite image shows. The northern states are a blanket of desert, broken only by the fertile Nile corridor. South Sudan is covered by green swathes of grassland, swamps and tropical forest. After gaining independence in 2011, South Sudan is the world's newest country - and one of its poorest. Figures from 2010 show some 69% of households now have access to clean water - up from 48% in 2006. However, just 2% of households have water on the premises. Just 29% of children attend primary school in South Sudan - however this is also an improvement on the 16% recorded in 2006. About 32% of primary-age boys attend, while just 25% of girls do. Overall, 64% of children who begin primary school reach the last grade. ||||| JUBA, South Sudan (AP) — The U.S. Embassy in South Sudan is evacuating more of its personnel because of a deteriorating security situation. Displaced people wade through mud as they get off a river barge from Bor, some of the thousands who fled the recent fighting between government and rebel forces in Bor by boat across the White Nile, in... (Associated Press) Displaced people rest after getting off a river barge from Bor, some of the thousands who fled the recent fighting between government and rebel forces in Bor by boat across the White Nile, in the town... (Associated Press) Those displaced who have enough money to pay the fare get on a bus heading to the capital Juba, some of the thousands who fled the recent fighting between government and rebel forces in Bor by boat across... (Associated Press) The embassy said Friday that it is organizing another evacuation flight to leave Friday. The embassy has already organized about a dozen flights since fighting broke out Dec. 15. The embassy did not give a specific reason why it is evacuating more personnel. An anti-government force controls a state capital about 120 kilometers (70 miles) north of the country capital, Juba. South Sudan's military spokesman says that force wants to advance on to Juba. The embassy said it will no longer provide consular services in South Sudan as of Saturday. Even as rebels threaten to march on the capital, representatives for the warring parties are holding preliminary peace talks in Ethiopia.

– As of tomorrow, the US embassy in South Sudan will no longer provide consular services to US citizens, according to the AP, as even more embassy staff were today whisked out of Juba in the face of a "deteriorating security situation." The State Department today facilitated an evacuation flight, one of about a dozen that have taken place since fighting erupted Dec. 15. Reuters spoke with the US ambassador to Juba, Susan Page, who said "we are not suspending our operations. We are just minimizing our presence." Reuters notes that a rep for the rebels claims that after seizing Bor, rebel forces are headed to Juba, and are "close" to the capital. (Though a government rep says its forces were going to retake Bor.) What isn't close: the peace negotiations in Ethiopia, where both sides have yet to meet face-to-face. "Both delegations are meeting the mediators separately," says a rep for Ethiopia's foreign ministry. The BBC reports that mediators hope to start direct talks late today or tomorrow.

Ex-Cop Christopher Dorner Shops For Scuba Gear 2 Days Before Murders (VIDEO) Christopher Dorner -- Shops for Scuba Gear 2 Days Before Murders (VIDEO) EXCLUSIVE Alleged cop killerwent to a Southern California sporting goods store 2 days before he began his murder spree to purchase scuba equipment ... and TMZ has obtained the surveillance video.Dorner went to Sports Chalet in Torrance -- a beachside community in the L.A. area -- on February 1st. The video shows Dorner carrying in 2 small, yellow scuba tanks as he walks into the scuba section. Sources tell us ... Dorner got the tanks refilled with oxygen.The video then shows Dorner leaving the scuba section with the 2 yellow tanks, along with another large, black scuba tank. Dorner then goes to the counter, and then has a friendly conversation with the cashier, at times laughing.Dorner -- who was a member of a Naval undersea warfare unit -- pays cash for the items and then leaves.The surveillance tape shows Dorner arriving at Sports Chalet at 9:21 PM and leaving at 9:38 PM, just as the store closed.The bodies of the first 2 victims were found at 9 PM on February 3rd -- 48 hours after Dorner's trip to Sports Chalet.What's really interesting ... Dorner reportedly tried stealing a boat in San Diego on February 6th ... where scuba gear might come in handy. The plan was thwarted when the prop got tangled in a rope.Sources tell TMZ ... the U.S. Marshals went to Sports Chalet Sunday and got a copy of the surveillance video.Law enforcement sources involved in the case have confirmed to TMZ ... the man in the video is indeed Dorner. And, as one law enforcement source put it, the video is significant because "it shows what he was up to." ||||| Police say they have received more than a 1,000 leads from the public in the search for former LAPD officer and murder suspect Christopher Dorner. A fugitive former Los Angeles police officer wanted in connection with a deadly shooting rampage may have had help in his efforts to flee to Mexico as a massive manhunt was gearing up to capture him, according to federal court records obtained Monday by The Times. The records state how authorities developed "probable cause" that Christopher Jordan Dorner, 33, was possibly trying to escape to Mexico and provide new details on his actions since he allegedly killed three people, including a police officer, in a shooting rampage that police say began Feb. 3 in Irvine. Dorner may have been helped by an associate identified only as "JY" in the criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles late last week after the former police officer was suspected of fleeing from authorities. DOCUMENT: Feds say Dorner may have fled to Mexico Federal authorities told The Times on Monday night that the court papers, filed late last week, reflected their thinking at the time, but they stressed that Dorner could be anywhere. As the manhunt continued Monday, the Riverside County district attorney's office filed murder and attempted murder charges against Dorner, who is accused of killing one police officer and wounding two others in that county before his burning pickup was found near Big Bear. Dorner allegedly attempted to steal a boat in San Diego and, after subduing the captain, said he was taking the vessel to Mexico, according to an affidavit filed with the federal complaint. Dorner is accused of telling the captain that he could recover his boat in Mexico. PHOTOS: Manhunt for ex-LAPD officer "The attempt failed when the bow line of the boat became caught in the boat's propeller, and the suspect fled," according to the affidavit by Inspector U.S. Marshal Craig McClusky. After authorities interviewed the boat captain early Thursday, they found Dorner's wallet and identification cards "at the San Ysidro Point of Entry" near the U.S.-Mexico border, according to the court records. That same day, a guard at the Point Loma Naval Base told authorities he had spotted a man matching Dorner's description trying to sneak onto the base, according to the filing. The possibility that Dorner received help from the associate was raised in McClusky's affidavit. The Marine Corps and San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department investigators were conducting a surveillance operation of an Arrowbear Lake property owned by a family member of the associate Thursday and discovered a burning vehicle nearby that matched the gray Nissan pickup used by Dorner. TIMELINE: Manhunt for ex-LAPD officer The charges filed Monday in Riverside County on Monday accuse Dorner of opening fire, unprovoked, on Riverside police Officer Michael Crain, 34, a married father of two who served two tours in Kuwait as a rifleman in the U.S. Marines. Dorner faces three additional counts of attempted murder of a peace officer for allegedly shooting and critically injuring Crain's partner and firing upon two Los Angeles police officers stationed in Corona to protect an LAPD official named in an online manifesto authorities attribute to Dorner. One of the LAPD officers was grazed on the head by a bullet. Riverside County Dist. Atty. Paul Zellerbach said the murder charge includes two special circumstance allegations that make Dorner eligible for the death penalty — killing a peace officer and discharging a firearm from a vehicle. Filing criminal charges will ensure that if Dorner is caught, either out of the state or out of the country, the outstanding arrest warrant would clear the way for a rapid extradition. "I want to cover all my bases. I want to make sure when he is located and arrested, he can be extradited back to California as soon as possible," Zellerbach said after holding a noon news briefing. The district attorney believes that Dorner, if he is still alive, is not done with his quest for revenge and thirst for the public's attention. "Even though he may have gone underground now, given the nature of his conduct and his words and his actions, he's going to reappear," Zellerbach said. "I don't think he's done.... He's trying to send a message, and it would be my belief that his message is not completed yet.'' Riverside Police Chief Sergio Diaz has called Dorner's attack on his two officers early Thursday a "cowardly ambush." Dorner allegedly opened fire as the officers sat in a patrol car, stopped at a red light.

– Christopher Dorner may have had some assistance as he tried to escape to Mexico, court papers suggest. As the fugitive murder suspect tried to steal a boat in San Diego, he told its captain he could pick it up in Mexico, the documents note. But "the attempt failed when the bow line of the boat became caught in the boat's propeller, and the suspect fled." Later, authorities picked up his wallet near the border. A guard also reported spotting someone who looked like Dorner attempting to get into a naval base near San Diego, the Los Angeles Times reports. Few details are made clear about the alleged accomplice, who is identified in the papers as "JY." An official says he doubts Dorner is finished with his effort to "send a message." "Even though he may have gone underground now, given the nature of his conduct and his words and his actions, he's going to reappear," says a local district attorney. Meanwhile, TMZ has surveillance video of Dorner buying scuba gear just days before the attacks began.

Starting in 1996, Alexa Internet has been donating their crawl data to the Internet Archive. Flowing in every day, these data are added to the Wayback Machine after an embargo period. ||||| A Florida man in his 20s is in custody after he allegedly stole $18,000 from two different banks while disguised as an elderly man, according to a criminal complaint. Abraham Maghen, who is in his mid-20s, allegedly went to a Pembroke Pines, Fla., bank on May 2, "wearing a mask resembling an elderly individual," according to the complaint against him. He then allegedly gave a demand note to a teller and brandished what appeared to be handgun before taking $10,000, the complaint said. No one was injured, according the FBI in Miami, which released photos hoping to identify the suspect. Courtesty FBI Miami Courtesty FBI Miami Courtesty FBI Miami Maghen also allegedly stole $1,800 during a second bank robbery in Boca Raton, Florida, on May 9, the complaint said. While again wearing a mask resembling an elderly man, he allegedly gave a demand note to the teller that read something like, "My grandson is sick. I need $40,000 now," the complaint said. After giving the teller the note, Maghen allegedly yelled, "Hurry up. He's going to die," the complaint continued. Maghen, of Hollywood, Florida, was arrested May 9 in connection with both bank robberies, the FBI in Miami said. His arraignment is scheduled for May 24. Maghen's public defender did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment.

– Perhaps hoping to blend into Florida's geriatric population, a 24-year-old man allegedly robbed two banks in the Sunshine State this week while disguised as an old man. Authorities say Abraham Maghen brandished a gun while wearing an old-person mask at a bank in Pembroke Pines on May 2 and made off with $10,000, ABC News reports. A week later, he allegedly stole $1,800 from a Boca Raton bank using a note that stated: "My grandson is sick. I need $40,000 now." According to the Miami Herald, police arrested Maghen after the second robbery. He allegedly said he was fired as a financial adviser and is "not very good at finances." No kidding; police say after the first robbery, Maghen spent $2,755 at a casino in less than an hour then deposited $2,500 into his overdrawn bank account.

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (AP) — A Marine posted at the main gate of a North Carolina base shot and killed a colleague inside a guard shack Tuesday, a military spokesman said. Camp Lejeune spokesman Nat Fahy said the shooting occurred at around 5:30 p.m. Law enforcement and emergency personnel attempted to revive the shooting victim at the scene, but Fahy said the person was later pronounced dead at a base hospital. Fahy said the Marine who fired the shot from his M4 rifle was in custody and awaiting questioning by Naval Criminal Investigative Services. The name of the shooter, who Fahy said was a male, hasn't been released, and Fahy said the victim's name is being withheld until relatives are notified. There were other guards at the gate, but no one else was hurt. The shack is approximately 15-feet by 15-feet and sits under a canopy, Fahy said. He didn't know if anyone other than the two Marines involved in the shooting were inside the shack at the time. Fahy said the main gate remained open after the shooting, He said authorities isolated the area, and when it was determined the situation was secure, traffic was allowed to pass on and off the base. "At no time was the base ever on lockdown," Fahy said. The shooting comes less than a week after a fatal rampage at Fort Hood in Texas. There, a soldier is accused of firing 35 shots over an eight-minute span, killing three and wounding 16 others. Fahy stressed the difference in the two situations. "We understand that people are at a state of heightened sensitivity, given what happened over at Fort Hood," Fahy said. "It's important that we convey that this is not a Fort Hood-like incident. It was an isolated incident that's no longer active." ||||| A new access control complex at Camp Lejeune features a gate entrance with a canopy over traffic as well as other security improvements. Story last updated April 9, 11:03 p.m. EDT WASHINGTON — A Marine sentry at Camp Lejeune, N.C., who shot and killed a fellow Marine likely did so accidentally, the Pentagon said Wednesday. An investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service continues into the Tuesday incident, which occurred less than a week after a mass shooting that claimed four lives and injured 16 at Fort Hood, Texas. The base identified Lance Cpl. Mark N. Boterf, 21, as the Marine who was shot and killed. “Indicators point to a negligent discharge situation,” Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren told reporters Wednesday. “It appears right now to have been an accident.” Both Marines were on duty at the main gate of the North Carolina base when the shooting took place inside a small guard shack at 5:30 p.m. local time, said Capt. Joshua Smith, a spokesman for the base. Boterf was shot once in the chest with an M4 rifle, Smith said. Following immediate resuscitation efforts at the scene by first responders, Boterf was declared dead 40 minutes later at Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune. “It is being ruled an isolated incident,” said Smith, who stressed that the shooting is not being looked at as a potential act of terrorism. “No one else was in danger, and the base never went into lockdown. The base was never in danger, nor did the front gate ever close.” The shooter has not been identified, but Smith said he was a man. Boterf, a native of Crawley, Texas, was assigned to the 2nd Radio Battalion of the II Marine Expeditionary Force and only temporarily serving on guard duty, according to the base. Smith estimated that during that time of day there can be seven to 10 sentries guarding the large gate. The guards typically carry M4 assault rifles, he said. Accidental discharges by military members, while rarely resulting in death, are not unheard of. Marine Col. Daren Margolin was relieved of duty in October after accidentally firing his handgun in his office at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va. In one famous incident, then-Lt. Col. David Petraeus was accidentally shot in the chest in 1991 by a soldier who reportedly tripped and discharged his rifle during a live fire exercise. Including the surrounding community, the Camp Lejeune population is about 170,000. The base is home to the II Marine Expeditionary Force, 2nd Marine Division, and 2nd Marine Logistics Group, among others, according to the base website. suzuki.toshio@stripes.com Twitter: @ToshJohn carroll.chris@stripes.com Twitter: @ChrisCarroll_

– A Marine is in custody after shooting a fellow Marine dead at the main gate of Camp Lejeune yesterday afternoon, the military says. A spokesman for the North Carolina base says both men were on guard duty when the Marine shot his fellow sentry inside a guard shack, Stars and Stripes reports. The victim was killed by a single shot to the chest from an M4 rifle. The spokesman says the shooting, which is being probed by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, was an "isolated incident" and is not being considered an act of terrorism. There were other guards on hand and at "no time was the base ever on lockdown," a Lejeune spokesman says, stressing that the incident was very different from last week's Fort Hood shooting, reports the AP. "We understand that people are at a state of heightened sensitivity, given what happened over at Fort Hood," he says. "It's important that we convey that this is not a Fort Hood-like incident. It was an isolated incident that's no longer active."

Ali Abdullah Saleh is in Riyadh for treatment amid speculation over his rule, two days after he was injured in attack. Protesters have been calling for the ouster of President Saleh since February [Reuters] Yemen's president Ali Abdullah Saleh is in Riyadh for medical treatment, after he was injured in an attack on his compound on Friday, the Saudi royal court said in a statement. "The Yemeni president has arrived along with officials and citizens who had received different injuries for treatment in Saudi Arabia," the royal court said on Sunday. Friday's rocket attack on Saleh's presidential palace in the capital Sanaa marked a major escalation in the four-month-long uprising against his 33-year rule. Pro-democracy protesters in Yemen celebrated on Sunday following news of the president's departure. "Today, Yemen is newborn," sang dozens of youths in Sanaa's University Square, dubbed "Change Square", which has been the epicentre of anti-government protests that have raged since February. "This is it, the regime has fallen," others chanted. Yemen live blog Al Jazeera has learned that Saleh arrived at King Khalid Air Base in Riyadh and was transferred to a military hospital. The embattled leader suffered "burns and scratches to the face and chest," an official said, after the ruling General People's Congress said he was "lightly wounded in the back of the head". Meanwhile, sources told Al Jazeera that vice-president Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi had taken over as acting president and supreme commander of the armed forces. The White House later confirmed to Al Jazeera that an aide in the administration of US president Barack Obama had spoken to Hadi - though details of their conversation were not known. The extent of Saleh's injuries has been a matter of intense speculation. When the rocket struck the mosque in his presidential compound and splintered the pulpit, he was surrounded by senior government officials and bodyguards. Eleven guards died, and five officials standing nearby were seriously wounded. The president delivered an audio address afterwards, his voice laboured, with only an old photo shown. 'Outlaw gang' In his address, delivered on state television late on Friday, Saleh said the attack was carried out by an "outlaw gang", referring to the Hashed tribal federation led by Sadiq al-Ahmar, a powerful dissident tribesman. Al-Ahmar's fighters have been battling government forces in the capital since a truce crumbled on Tuesday. Witnesses said sporadic shelling and rocketfire on Saturday rattled the al-Hasaba district of northern Sanaa where al-Ahmar has his base, forcing residents to flee. The area is suffering from water and electricity cuts. But al-Ahmar's office denied responsibility and instead blamed Saleh for the attack, calling it part of his effort to help justify a government escalation of street fighting in the capital. Ten people were killed and 35 others injured in southern Sanaa on Friday as Yemeni troops shelled the home of Hamid al-Ahmar, the brother of Sadiq al-Ahmar, Hamid's office said on Saturday. Hamid, a prominent businessman, is a leader of Yemen's biggest opposition party, Al-Islah (reform). On Saturday, sources said the powerful Yemeni tribal federation battling Saleh's security forces and forces loyal to him agreed to abide to a Saudi-brokered one-week truce. US condemnation The US has condemned the violence, including the attack on the Saleh's palace, and called for him to transfer power. "We call on all sides to cease hostilities immediately and to pursue an orderly and peaceful process of transferring political power as called for in the GCC-brokered agreement," the White House said, referring to the Gulf Co-operation Council. Yemen's parliamentary opposition on Saturday called for an "immediate" ceasefire. The Common Forum alliance condemned what it said was the "the dangerous twist which the clashes have taken in targeting the homes of citizens, the presidential palace, and vital installations". For more on Yemen, visit our Spotlight page The alliance of parliamentary opposition groups urged "quick action" from the international community "to save Yemen and its people from falling into [civil] war", in the statement. Meanwhile, Germany said it had ordered the immediate closure of its embassy in Yemen "because of current developments." "The embassy team that is still on the ground will leave the country as soon as it is possible and safe," the foreign ministry said in a statement. Elsewhere in Yemen, officials said police and military units had withdrawn from the southern city of Taiz after a week of clashes with pro-reform demonstrators that left dozens dead. "Looting and scenes of chaos are spreading after the withdrawal of security forces and the army from the city," the opposition leader, who asked not to be named, told the Reuters news agency. Tareq al-Shami, a ruling party official, confirmed the government's security forces had pulled back from the city which is about 200km south of the capital. The UN human rights chief said her office was investigating reports that as many as 50 have been killed in Taiz since Sunday. ||||| With the departure of President Ali Abdullah Saleh for medical treatment in Saudi Arabia, Yemenis now have a chance to resolve the political crisis that has bedevilled the country since February. Contrary to the official story that he merely suffered scratches and/or a slight head wound in the explosion on Friday, latest reports say he has second-degree burns to his face and chest, plus a piece of shrapnel lodged near his heart which is affecting his breathing – though Saleh, who is 69, is said to have been able to walk from the plane when he landed in Riyadh. A second plane followed him, reportedly carrying 24 members of his family. This is one indication that to all intents and purposes the Saleh era is finished. He is unlikely ever to return to Yemen as president – and the Saudis and Americans will be working behind the scenes to ensure that he doesn't. It's also worth mentioning that others injured by the explosion include the prime minister, deputy prime minister, the heads of both houses of parliament and the governor of Sana'a, the capital. Some of them have also been flown to Saudi Arabia for treatment. One of Saleh's nephews, the commander of the special forces, is said to have been killed. So, even discounting Saleh himself, what's left of his regime is in serious disarray. Given the desperate plight that Yemen is in, this offers the best prospect of a way forward for the country (as I suggested in an article on Friday). There is now a fair chance that the armed conflict will subside. It's by no means certain – and Yemen is never totally conflict-free – but the prospects for relative calm are a lot better now than they would have been if Saleh remained in Sana'a battling to cling on to power. Secondly, work can begin on the political transition, drawing on some elements from the plan negotiated earlier by the Gulf Cooperation Council – the one that Saleh, after agreeing to it verbally, refused at the last minute to sign. Apart from the lack of a signature from Saleh, there were two major problems with the plan which made it look unworkable at the time, though both of them are now somewhat academic. One was that parliament had to grant Saleh immunity from prosecution before he would budge. This condition had been grudgingly accepted by Yemen's official opposition parties, though the protesters on the streets, together with international human rights organisations, found it abhorrent. With Saleh now out of the country, it need no longer be a bone of contention. The second major hurdle in the GCC's plan was that it envisaged a prolonged resignation/transition period. After being granted immunity, Saleh would tender his resignation to parliament – though the parliament, where Saleh's party has an overwhelming majority, had the power to reject it unless he submitted his resignation for a second time. Meanwhile, the plan envisaged that Saleh would continue in office, working with a new transitional government that included opposition parties. Anyone familiar with Saleh's usual modus operandi could see that this would not work. He would use every means at his disposal to sabotage its implementation, and the plan itself allowed plenty of scope for him to do so. Despite that, the broad aim of the GCC plan – to form a government of national unity and prepare for elections – was (and is) the only practicable way forward in the circumstances, especially in the light on international concerns about Yemen's instability. It is far from ideal, because even the recognised opposition politicians have been around for years, some of them are as corrupt as Saleh's chums, and they are mostly devoid of new ideas for tackling the country's multifarious problems. The hope then, is that this will indeed be a short-term transition and that elections will eventually bring in some new blood that reflects the aspirations of the millions of Yemenis who have risked their lives for so long protesting on the streets. So far, constitutional procedures seem to be taking their course, and it is to be hoped that Saleh's kinsman, Ali Muhsen al-Ahmar, and the powerful tribal leaders will allow that to happen by staying on the sidelines. Vice-president Abd al-Rab Mansur al-Hadi, a Saleh appointee and a former military man from the south who is something of a nonentity, has temporarily taken charge as required by the constitution. As a next step, he should form a new government from across the political spectrum. Obviously Hadi's position is precarious in the light of the recent turmoil but for the time being at least he can count on international support – most importantly, from the US and Saudi Arabia. The constitution specifies that presidential elections must be held within 60 days after Saleh resigns. Yemen is probably not ready for elections just yet but, since he is already out of the way, there is no immediate need for Saleh to formally resign. It's certainly not going to be an easy ride and there's an awful lot that could still go wrong. But Saleh's departure for Riyadh does create an opportunity for a solution and Yemenis, together with their friends abroad, must seize the moment.

– Yemen's No. 2, Vice President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, has temporarily taken control of the country following the exit of Yemen's president to Saudi Arabia for medical treatment, reports al-Jazeera. Opposition groups cheered today at news of President Ali Abdullah Saleh's departure, with speculation rampant that the rocket attack that injured Yemen's leader Friday could mean the end of his rule. "Today, Yemen is newborn," sang dozens of young people in Sanaa's University Square, center of the four-month uprising against Saleh's 33-year rule. "This is it, the regime has fallen," others chanted. Saleh reportedly left Yemen with 24 members of his family, furthering speculation that he's gone for good.

Many details of Apple Inc.'s new iPhone are already widely known, but expectations are high for the fourth-generation smartphone's official unveiling this week at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference. Francisco Caceres As he has in the past, Chief Executive Steve Jobs will be kicking off the annual event with a keynote talk on Monday. But unlike in previous years, attendees already know at least part of what to expect, thanks to a report in April by Gawker Media LLC's Gizmodo blog, which published photos and descriptions of a next-generation iPhone found in a Silicon Valley bar. Apple is expected to unveil a new iPhone that is thinner with a flat back, higher resolution display and a front-facing camera. Apple watchers also expect to see more details about the new iPhone OS 4.0 operating system, the new iAd advertising service for App Store apps and the Game Center social-networking feature. The Week Ahead MONDAY Earnings: Altera, Cascade, Casella Waste. Shareholder/Investor meetings: Medtronic, Melcom International, Zix. Apple Worldwide Developers Conference begins in San Francisco. Copper 2010 mining and refining conference in Hamburg. TUESDAY Earnings: Dollar General, Neiman Marcus, Take-Two, Talbots Shareholder/Investor meetings: Ultralife, Hon Hai Precision. G2E 2010 Asia gambling conference opens in Macau. U.S. Senate panel hearing on risk and oil companies' behavior. WEDNESDAY Earnings: Analogic, Brown-Forman, Ciena, Inditex, Navistar International, Vail Resorts. Nissan Motor COO will unveil a new SUV in Yokohama. Intersolar energy conference begins in Munich. U.S. Senate panel oversight hearing on antitrust law enforcement. THURSDAY Earnings: ArcSight, Del Monte, Express, Lululemon Athletica, National Semiconductor. Shareholder meetings: China Merchants, Salesforce.com, US Airways. International Energy Agency releases monthly oil market report. Global Petroleum Show & Conference, Calgary. FRIDAY Earnings: Club Méditerranée, Sun International. Shareholder meeting: Chesapeake Energy. 2010 Vascular conference of vascular surgeons in Boston. U.S. retail and food sales report for May. 2010 FIFA Congress in Johannesburg Analysts believe that the phone will be priced at a similar range as the current iPhone 3GS, which starts at $199, with the iPhone 3GS price cut to $99. Analysts are optimistic that the price, combined with AT&T Inc.'s new data prices, which lower the entry-level monthly service rate, could accelerate demand beyond the strong triple-digit growth the phone has been seeing. "One of the impediments to smartphone adoption has been the service plan," says Shaw Wu, an analyst for Kaufman Brothers, adding that "when they make a form factor change, it's pretty powerful." Wall Street expects Apple to sell about 36 million iPhones in its fiscal year ending Sept. 30. One question remains: What surprise announcement might Mr. Jobs have in store? Mr. Jobs typically likes to present the audience with "one more thing" at the end of his talk, and speculation for this year has ranged from a new MacBook Air or Apple TV digital media receiver to a newly revamped iTunes that give customers more ways to access their content. Gambling Giants Hold Macau Get-Together Asia's leading gambling trade show and conference, Global Gaming Expo Asia, kicks off on Tuesday in Macau, the world's largest gambling center and the only place where casino gambling is legal in China. The three-day conference, to be held at the Venetian Macao, attracts a who's who of the gambling industry in Asia, which is rapidly emerging as the primary revenue generator for global gaming companies, such as Las Vegas Sands Corp. and Wynn Resorts Ltd. Executives from Asia's biggest casino companies and vendors will speak on the future of Macau's Cotai area, the supposed "Las Vegas Strip" of Asia, Singapore's entry into the gambling fray—including the opening of Sands's $5.7 billion casino there in April—and the continuing efforts of Japan's government to legalize casino gambling. Last year more than 6,000 attended the event, whose sister event G2E is the world's largest gaming trade show and conference and is held annually in November in Las Vegas. The Week Ahead tracks upcoming corporate events. digits: The Next iPhone? Write to Yukari Iwatani Kane at yukari.iwatani@wsj.com and Kate O'Keeffe at kate.okeeffe@dowjones.com ||||| In a few hours from now Steve Jobs will kick off the 2010 World Wide Developers Conference--one of Apple's premiere events. Fast Company.com will be liveblogging the keynote (10am PST), so check back then. In the meantime, here are our our guesses as to what's in store. The new iPhone for 2010 Whatever you think about the Gizmodo iPhone "leak" saga, it's done at least one thing for us: It's pretty much 100% confirmed that this year's revision of the iPhone is the hardware Gizmodo showed the world. And although recent rumors have suggested Apple had been simultaneously co-developing a simpler (less revolutionary) design should unexpected problems arise at the last minute, enough leaks exist to suggest that the flat, aluminum model will be the one we get to buy in a few weeks. Name: iPhone HD? This is the option people seem to be settling on, as iPhone 4 is confusing. Screen: Double the existing resolution, making upscaling easy and helping with that "HD" label. Battery: Perhaps as much as 20% more battery life. Processor: The same, or very similar, Apple A4 chip seen in the iPad. Camera 1: Front-facing, perhaps low-res (VGA?) for Web conferencing. Camera 2: Rear-facing, possibly 5-megapixels (since 8 would seem excessive for Apple's traditional caution). With an LED flash, autofocus, and possibly a controllable optical zoom. Connectivity: Tethering will finally be available on AT&T, letting the old fashioned U.S. catch up with the rest of the world. Color: It looks like Apple will be keeping the black and white options. A possible mid- to early-June arrival, certainly in the U.S. at least. Mac Mini refresh Apple's much-loved Mac Mini is rumored to be getting a serious refresh, to bring it up to the specs of some of its bigger and cleverer desktop brother Macs. But there's a fascinating rumor that seems to suggest Apple really does listen to its users, who often harness the diminutive Mini up to HDTVs as a home theater solution: The revised Mac Mini is very likely to get an HDMI socket on its back. We can probably expect the hardware to remain pretty much unchanged, as it's long-sported the brushed aluminum body that nearly every Apple product has adopted. Inside though, we'll likely see faster processors, boosted graphics power, and the usual increases in memory capacity and hard drive space. HTML5, center-stage Apple's been on the HTML5 promoting drive for a while, initially thanks to the success of its open-standards Webkit engine, and recently as part of Steve Jobs' anti-Flash feelings. Now Apple's launched a new Web page devoted to promoting all the fun and wonderful stuff you can already do with HTML5-compliant browsers. So we can imagine some time will be devoted to hyping HTML5 in front of a crowd of the very folks who'll be programming for it. iTunes in the cloud Something we've heard lots about, especially after Apple's acquisition of Lala. There's also tighter integration between the iPad's iWork apps and Apple's experimental iWork.com service ... so may we see Apple move a few of its services at least partly into the cloud? It's not a long shot, given that mysterious new data center and similar moves by Apple's competition. Apple's iAd advantage Apple may also choose to spend some time promoting its premium iAd system, since its slipped under the radar a little after hitting the news. With Google's own mobile ad efforts getting a serious booster with its Admob acquisition, it would seem odd if Apple didn't mention iAd. A revised MacBook Air? This is a slightly long shot, as any news about improvements to Apple's unique take on the "netbook" genre has basically disappeared. But it's a flagship product, and Apple may at least take the time to say a little about when it'll be out with newer CPUs and larger storage. What you won't see, for sure: Verizon iPhones. This news keeps popping up, alongside a lesser-known but equally persistent rumor about Sprint iPhones. Jobs hinted that a multi-carrier model may eventually be adopted in the U.S., as found elsewhere on the globe, but his support for AT&T seemed pretty good. This means we can guess AT&T keeps iPhone exclusivity for at least the medium term. What you won't see, probably: The new Apple TV Despite all those exciting rumors about a radical revamp, complete with iPhone OS and unicorn fairy-dust, the same source definitely confirmed a no-show at the WWDC. It is very likely that the product is incomplete, with Apple's engineers variously occupied on the iPhone HD and the iPad. Apple is probably keeping it under wraps to stir up some fresh consumer love and media excitement later in the year. What you won't see, we suspect: Gizmodo writers causing a fuss Given the legal battle and Steve's stern and condemning words at D8 the other day, we'd not expect to see Gizmodo's folk doing anything other than trying to keep themselves to themselves--assuming they're even invited. (We're chasing them up on this point). Update: External track pad peripheral Multitouch trackpads are one of the technological triumphs of the Mac Books (and the tech powers the iPhone OS experience too, of course), but you're limited to buying these PCs if you want to use the tech. Big rumors this morning hint at Apple releasing a trackpad peripheral, for all those iMac and Windows PC folk out there. It's name? No one knows ... but there was all that business about trademark filings for "Magic Slate" to think about. Safari 5, Mac OS X 10.6.4 This one hit over the weekend, and it's welcome: Apple is apparently due to reveal the latest version of its desktop browser at today's keynote. Safari 5 includes, according to leaked data seen by Macgeneration, all sorts of the usual security tweaks, speed bumps and improvements to the UI (things like private browsing icon, smarter address field auto-population). Two interesting things stand out from the list though. Safari Reader is the first, a system that strips unwanted clutter from articles on web pages with one click so users can "view articles on the web in a single, clutter-free page." Then there's all sorts of new support for HTML5--over "a dozen" extras--pushing Apple's promotion of the new web standard into the limelight even more. These include must-haves like full-screen HTML5 video powers and closed-captions, and great-to-haves like geolocation. The latest version of Mac OS X is also due to be revealed, but it's just a point upgrade with improved stability and compatibility fixes--good news, in other words, but not big news. Free Mobile Me access at basic levels Apple's Mobile Me service is integrated throughout OS X and iPhone OS, but to use the system you're required to pay for access. Now some rumors are hinting that there's going to be a new "free" level of service that will perhaps give users some basic level systems. This would transform the way the millions of iPhone and iPod and iPad users use their products. Gizmodo is persona non gratis As we suspected, the editors from Gizmodo have confirmed to us that they haven't been included on the invitee list for press to WWDC. They're searching for helpful attendees with caring, sharing souls to spoonfeed them with data for a "live" blog of Steve's speech. To keep up with this news, follow me, Kit Eaton, on Twitter. That QR code on the left will take your smartphone to my Twitter feed too.

– Steve Jobs has found his sweet revenge: Gizmodo's request to attend today's super-high-profile Worldwide Developers Conference—in which Jobs is expected to unveil the new iPhone that Gizmodo leaked—has been met with radio silence from Apple, leading the tech blog to make the awkward choice of creating a live blog out of other sources' live blogs, reports PC Magazine. Here are some of the big announcements/tidbits it won't get to hear first-hand, as speculated by the Wall Street Journal and Fast Company: The new iPhone's name: Could be iPhone HD or iPhone 4. The Mac Mini could get an update, boosting its memory and hard-drive space. With the acquisition of Lala, we'll probably hear about iTunes in the cloud. The big surprise. Jobs tends to slip in "one more thing" at the end of his talk: This year, it could be a new MacBook Air or Apple TV digital media receiver, or a refreshed iTunes. The unlikely candidate: The new Apple TV will probably be under wraps until later this year.

For the first time Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl has described in his own words the brutal conditions he endured as a Taliban prisoner for five years, a time during which he said he was kept in constant isolation. Bergdahl also claims he attempted to escape about a dozen times including once where he was able to evade his captors for nine days before being recaptured. Interested in ? Add as an interest to stay up to date on the latest news, video, and analysis from ABC News. Add Interest Bergdahl walked away from his unit's outpost in eastern Afghanistan in June, 2009 and was held captive by the Taliban until last May when his freedom was secured in a controversial prisoner swap for five former Taliban leaders being detained at Guantanamo. On Wednesday the Army charged Bergdahl with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy; he could face life in prison for the latter charge. Bergdahl’s account of his captivity was included in a statement provided to reporters by his attorney Eugene Fidell, who told ABC News it details “the really atrocious conditions in which he was held” and the worsening treatment after his escape attempts. “I think those are important facts that decision makers will take into account when they figure out how this case should be disposed of,” said Fidell. “I was kept in constant isolation during the entire five years, with little to no understanding of time, through periods of constant darkness, periods of constant light, and periods of completely random flickering of light, and absolutely no understanding of anything that was happening behind the door I was held behind," wrote Bergdahl in the single-spaced two-page statement. He said that in the first three months of his captivity after his two escape attempts “I was chained to a bed spread-eagle and blindfolded.” He remained constantly blindfolded except for the few times a day when he was allowed to eat and use the latrine. As his muscles atrophied and it became difficult for him to walk his captors allowed him to sit chained on the bed. He eventually developed open wounds on his ankles “that looked like the staph infection I had had earlier that year.” Voice Of Jihad Website/AP video He also began to develop what he called a “growing internal sickness" that made it difficult for him to eat for the rest of his captivity and led to a dramatic weight loss. After a year of captivity he was placed in a cage with his hands in chains except for the few times when he would wash or change clothes. For a year his feet were chained to the cage every night though that ended “because of the acute pain my feet and legs where [sic] in.” He claims that pain had developed into a “freezing numbness that continues to the present, as both feet have neuropathy.” He would spend the rest of his captivity in the cage, but unshackled only because it was placed over plumbing that allowed him to relieve himself. His captors would routinely play mind games with him telling him he would be executed one day, “told I would leave the next day, and the next day told I would be there for 30 years.” Bergdahl claims he attempted to escape from his captors about a dozen times, the first one taking place just hours after he was captured in 2009 in eastern Afghanistan. Taken to a village, he claims a Taliban fighter began punching him each time he evaded his questions. Blindfolded with a blanket over his head “I believed I had a chance to run for it and did.” But he was soon brought down by a large group of men who repeatedly punched him including one who used the butt stock of a broken AK-47. He twice was able to escape beyond the buildings where he was being held. The first time during his first week in captivity when he escaped for 10 to 15 minutes “and after recapturing me and putting chains back on they took turns beating me with a length of thick robber [sic] hose.” Bergdahl said the escape attempt led to his being taken to a more secured compound. His most daring escape occurred at the end of his first year of captivity when he was able to evade his captors for nine days. “Without food and only putrid water to drink, my body failed on top of a short mountain close to evening.” He was recaptured a short time later by a large Taliban search group that proceeded to beat him severely. “One tried to rip my beard and hair out, but from what I could sense they where [sic} more worried about getting me out of that area as quickly as possible.” ||||| Washington (CNN) House Speaker John Boehner said Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl is "innocent until proven guilty" after the U.S. military charged him with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, but emphasized in an exclusive interview with CNN's Dana Bash that he was more concerned about the circumstances of his release. Bergdahl's attorney also released a statement on Wednesday, outlining his defense of the soldier and containing a two-page letter from Bergdahl describing the torture he endured, which included months spent chained to a bed and further years spent chained on all fours or locked in a cage. Shortly after the charges were announced, Bergdahl's attorneys released a lengthy statement that includes a letter sent to Milley earlier this month outlining their defense of the soldier. "In light of the nearly five years of harsh captivity Sgt. Bergdahl endured, the purpose of his leaving his unit, and his behavior while a prisoner, it would be unduly harsh to impose on him the lifetime stigma of a court-martial conviction or an other than honorable discharge and to deny him veterans benefits," attorney Eugene R. Fidell writes in the letter. The statement includes a two-page accounting from Bergdahl of his time in captivity, in which he recounts months spent chained to a bed, then further years spent chained on all fours or locked in a cage. Bergdahl said for years his body and health declined due to malnourishment, and sores on his wrists and ankles from the shackles grew infected. "My body started a steady decline in constant internal sickness that would last through the final year," he said. Bergdahl was frequently beaten, at times with copper wire or a thick rubber hose, and forced to watch Taliban videos, he said. He had no concept of time, and was repeatedly told he would be killed and would never again see his family. "I was kept in constant isolation during the entire five years, with little to no understanding of time, through periods of constant darkness, periods of constant light, and periods of completely random flickering of light and absolutely no understanding of anything that was happening beyond the door I was held behind," he wrote. Bergdahl tried a dozen times to escape, he wrote. In his interview with Bash, Boehner said "like any American, you're innocent until proven guilty." "And these charges are coming. There will be a trial," Boehner said in an interview taped Wednesday to air Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union." Boehner said the "more troubling part" of Bergdahl saga is the fact that the U.S. government traded five Taliban fighters for Bergdahl's release, and that recent reports indicate one has returned to the battlefield. He expressed concerns about other detainees held at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, which President Barack Obama is working to close, "ending up back on the battlefield and threatening Americans here and abroad." Obama "violated the law" in failing to alert Congress before the prisoner swap occurred, Boehner added. "And I still believe that's the more troubling part of this," he said. "We've made clear in the past that we won't negotiate with terrorists, and but yet here we did." Military officials announced Wednesday afternoon they would charge Bergdahl with one count each of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy. Bergdahl left his post in Afghanistan before being captured and held captive for five years. For that, he faces charges that carry a maximum penalty of life in a military prison, and he could also have to forfeit pay and be stripped of his rank, Army Col. Daniel King said as he announced the charges. Bergdahl faces a military procedure similar to a grand jury that will whether charges are appropriate, King said. Then, he could face court martial proceedings. The decision comes nearly a year after Bergdahl returned to the United States as part of a prisoner exchange and since the Army began a formal investigation into his disappearance from his unit in eastern Afghanistan in June 2009. The Army concluded its investigation into the circumstances of Bergdahl's capture in December. Until now, it has been in the hands of Gen. Mark Milley, head of U.S. Army Forces Command, who made the decision to charge Bergdahl. Several U.S. military officials CNN has spoken with suggested privately that the process took longer than expected. Ahead of Wednesday's announcement, officials said Milley only had a few choices. Though the sense had been that Bergdahl must be held accountable for his actions, there had been little appetite for a lengthy term in military confinement given the five years Bergdahl was held by the Taliban. JUST WATCHED Bowe Bergdahl charged with desertion Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Bowe Bergdahl charged with desertion 04:20 Now 28, Bergdahl was taken by the Haqqani terrorist network. But the circumstances of Bergdahl's departure from his base and how willingly he left have not been clear. King said he couldn't offer those details on Wednesday, and that they're being treated as evidence for the upcoming proceedings against Bergdahl. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain, R-Arizona, called the charges an "important step" on Wednesday. "This is an important step in the military justice process towards determining the accountability of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl," he said in a statement. "I am confident that the Department of the Army will continue to ensure this process is conducted with the utmost integrity under the Uniform Code of Military Justice." Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, meanwhile, lambasted the "unevenness" of Obama's swap of five Taliban prisoners for Bergdahl. "I wouldn't have done this trade for a Medal of Honor winner," he told CNN. "No military member should expect their country to turn over five Taliban commanders to get their release. Nobody should expect that. It's not the nature of his service that drives my thinking it's just the illogical nature of the swap." Some members of Bergdahl's platoon have criticized him, labeling Bergdahl a deserter. "I was pissed off then, and I am even more so now with everything going on," former Sgt. Matt Vierkant, a member of Bergdahl's platoon when he went missing on June 30, 2009, told CNN last year. "Bowe Bergdahl deserted during a time of war, and his fellow Americans lost their lives searching for him." Bergdahl was freed in May when President Barack Obama agreed to swap five Taliban prisoners who had been detained in Guantanamo Bay to secure Bergdahl's freedom, sending those detainees to Qatar. Obama announced Bergdahl's release to fanfare in the White House Rose Garden, flanked by the Army sergeant's parents, Bob and Jani Bergdahl. His hometown of Hailey, Idaho, had planned a parade to celebrate Bergdahl's homecoming but later canceled that celebration amid security concerns stemming from the unanswered questions surrounding his disappearance and the resulting controversy over his release. After returning to the United States, Bergdahl had been on active duty at an administrative job at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. There, the Army assigned Bergdahl a "sponsor" to help him adjust to life in his new post. Upon returning, Bergdahl refused to meet with his parents -- and months later, Army officials had said he was communicating with them but still had not met them face to face. The five figures the United States exchanged to secure Bergdahl's release were Khair Ulla Said Wali Khairkhwa, Mullah Mohammad Fazl, Mullah Norullah Nori, Abdul Haq Wasiq and Mohammad Nabi Omari. They were mostly mid- to high-level officials in the Taliban regime and had been detained early in the war in Afghanistan because of their positions within the Taliban, not because of ties to al Qaeda. The detainee swap for Bergdahl has become increasingly controversial in recent weeks after a report published by the office of Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said one of the 17 intelligence agencies operating under its umbrella had judged that a prisoner released in the exchange had since contacted the Taliban.

– Bowe Bergdahl spent his five years as a Taliban captive caged and tortured both physically and psychologically, according to a letter his lawyer released soon after he was charged with desertion. "I was kept in constant isolation during the entire five years, with little to no understanding of time," Bowe writes in the statement. His lawyer tells ABC the letter sheds light on the "really atrocious conditions" the soldier was held in, which he says military decision-makers should take into account. Bergdahl says that after two early escape attempts, he spent three months chained to a bed and blindfolded. He was allowed to sit chained to the bed only after his muscles atrophied, he says, and after a year, he was moved to a cage, where he spent the remainder of his captivity. Bergdahl says that despite his physical decline, he made around a dozen escape attempts, escaping once for nine days, but "without food and only putrid water to drink, my body failed on top of a short mountain close to evening" and he was recaptured and severely beaten. He says throughout his captivity, he was frequently beaten and sometimes told he would be executed, or "told I would leave the next day, and the next day told I would be there for 30 years." The lawyer says that considering Bergdahl's savage treatment and his behavior as a prisoner, it would be "unduly harsh to impose on him the lifetime stigma of a court-martial conviction or an other than honorable discharge and to deny him veterans benefits," CNN reports.

Well-Versed: 'Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse' Is A Fun, Warm-Hearted Treat Enlarge this image toggle caption Sony Pictures Sony Pictures It's hard to fathom that the same Sony Pictures that, in 2012, decided the best way to expand the appeal of its live-action Spider-Man franchise was to start over with lesser movies, has now become smart enough to put its resources into a superb new — really new — Spider-Man cartoon. Maybe someone in a Culver City boardroom got bit by a radioactive MacArthur Fellow. Whatever the reason, for a powerful corporation to relax its grip on an ancient specimen of blue-chip IP enough to let the creatives have some fun is a rare thing, and one that should not go unheralded. Marvel Comics weathered the ire of reactionary fandom back in 2011 when it introduced Miles Morales, a Spider-Man no less Amazing than that nerdy orphan Peter Parker, but for the fact he was the son of a Puerto Rican ER nurse and an African-American beat cop. Miles became the Spider-Man of the publisher's "Ultimate" line, a spiral arm of the Marvel Universe that... ...you know what? Don't worry about it. To cite the refrain of this graphically dazzling, generously imaginative, nakedly optimistic, mercilessly funny and inclusive-without-being-all-pious-about-it animated oydssey called Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, "Anyone can wear the mask." After a parade of intentionally glitchy studio logos cues us that things are going to be a little different here than in the half-dozen Sony-branded Spider-Man movies (give or take a couple of the twenty-odd Marvel Studios movies), the filmmakers drop us head-first into the reality of Miles, a bright, artistically-inclined kid with some serious ambivalence over having earned a coveted slot at a competitive boarding school. The filmmakers in question: Lego Movie and 21 Jump Street co-directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, formerly of Solo: A Star Wars Story. Lord co-wrote the screenplay with Rodney Rothman, who is credited, along with Bob Persichetti and Peter Ramsey, as one of its three directors. (Animated films have their own impenetrable continuity.) Anyway, Spidey's birth name and skin tone aren't the only ways in which this webslinger is, as they say in the comics, All-New. The movie combines hand-drawn and digital animation with still frames, and even the occasional text panel, not to mention some graphic treatments of Spidey's signature onomatopoeia (rivaled only by Wolverine's snikt! in Mighty Marvel eminence) to achieve a stylized, kinetic visual language unlike any animated or live-action film that came before. The crackling imagery occasionally recalls the multimedia collages that artist Bill Sienkiewicz used to blow Marvel fans' four-color minds back in the '80s. (Specifically, Spider-Verse's character design for the Marvel crimelord The Kingpin is clearly borrowed from the Sienkiewicz-painted graphic novel Daredevil: Love and War.) And my god, it's full of stars doing warm, expressive voice work — Shameik Moore as Miles, plus Mahershala Ali, Brian Tyree Henry, and Lily Tomlin, among many, many others — but this Verse would rhyme if you watched it without sound, because the animators have achieved an almost hypnotic effect, without compromising the clarity or emotional intelligence of the storytelling. About that: Spider-Verse introduces several narrators, whose divergent accounts of similar events are rewarding enough to make us forget they're delivering exposition. In ancient times, DC Comics referred to the noncanonical adventures of Superman as "Imaginary Stories," as though all the lower-case imaginary stories were matters of fact. More recently, recurrent reboots keep re-re-restarting the clock, stripping these venerable characters back to the core motivations and identities that made them resonate with their first generation of fans. Into the Spider-Verse inverts all that memory-holing, embracing a more generous and ecstatic truth. As Lord and Miller's old space-pirate pal once said, "It's true. All of it." Without getting all hung up on plot, some messing about by The Kingpin (Liev Schreiber) prompts what you might call a crisis on infinite earths, allowing the just-bit high-schooler Miles to meet up with confident twenty-something grad student Spidey (Chris Pine, once again getting that swagger-to-humility ratio just right) as well as divorced, depressed, forty-something dad-bod Spidey (Jake Johnson). Cue that sweet, mutually nurturing mentor-mentee vibe. (This is the Creed of Spider-Man movies, among many, many other things.) And that's before we get to Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld), Spider-Man Noir (Nicolas Cage, who calls one of his foes a "hard-boiled turtle-slapper"), futuristic arachnid-themed vigilante Peni Parker (Kimiko Glenn), and of course Peter Porker, the Spectacular Spider-Ham (John Mulaney). I'd need ten thousand words and zero scruples to give away all of Spider-Verse's delightful visual gags, so I'll constrain myself to pointing out that Spider-Ham's lyrca-masked snout sports a second pair of oval-shaped eyes which mirror the expressions of his (?) regular (??) eyes. Even if you want to avert your noseeyes, you cannot. The result of all this magnanimous mayhem is that Into the Spider-Verse allows its creators, and us, to have our cake and a bunch of other cakes and eat all of them, too. It's also disarmingly open-hearted for something so postmodern. The phrase "I love you" gets spoken aloud more times, and by a greater number of characters, than in any prior superhero movie and probably half the world's rom-coms. For all its visual dazzle, Spider-Verse is working the same optimistic side of the street as the Richard Donner Superman of 40 years ago and the Wonder Woman of last year. It believes in heroism and sacrifice, even when it's practiced by a wisecracking pig, who I'm pretty sure is seen eating a hot dog at one point. (It's the role Mulaney was born to play, baby.) Anyone can wear the mask. And in this movie, just about everyone does. ||||| Did you ever think you could be Spider-Man? This gorgeous take on the Marvel superhero knows you can — that everyone can. The great power always comes by accident, that famous spider-bite origin story; it’s what you do with that power, of course, that really counts. It’s a hard lesson for a 13-year-old Brooklyn boy to learn. He’s Miles Morales (Dope star Sameik Moore) the son of an African-American cop (Brian Tyree Henry) and a Puerto Rican nurse (Lauren Velez). Miles’ parents have sent him to a fancy academy across town, but the kid still hangs with cool Uncle Aaron (Mahershala Ali), who takes him to a secret graffiti spot underground in the subway. It’s there that the teenager, who first appeared in the comics in 2011, gets bitten by radioactive arachnid. The transition of an awkward, hormonal kid into superhero isn’t easy for Miles — never mind that the mobster Kingpin (Liev Schreiber), a pin head on a hulking body, has opened up a space-time portal that will destroy the world as he knows it. So the newbie turns for tips to Peter B. Parker (hilariously voiced by Jake Johnson), an alt-version who’s been kicked out his dimension and is now divorced, depressed and far from eager to teach Miles about how to negotiate life as a webslinger. Luckily, help is on the way. The portal has also let other versions of your friendly neighborhood you-know-who come streaming through. There’s Gwen Stacey, aka Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld); an anime heroine named Peni Parker (Kimiko Glenn); a film noir Spider-Man (Nicolas Cage, terrific); and Peter Porker, the Spectacular Spider-Ham (John Mulaney). And suddenly, Miles and these other spider-heroes are learning what it means to cut it as individuals and as a team. They get help from Aunt May (Lily Tomlin), much trickier and tougher than you’ve ever seen her before. (And Stan Lee, the Marvel godhead who died in November at 95, also makes an animated cameo as a guy who sells Miles a Spidey costume. Seeing Stan the Man one last time will inspire both tears and cheers.) Teaching moments are plentiful, but never heavy or drawn out. And the animation, both hand-sketched and computer-created, is too busy turning our heads. Miles is a street artist, so the film takes its visual inspiration from the young man’s flair for color blasting. You’ve literally never seen a Spider-Man movie look like this. The Lego Movie duo of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller serve as producers under the guidance of a trio of Sony Pictures Animation directors, Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey and Rodney Rothman; the latter cowrote the script with Lord. Too many cooks in this Spidey kitchen? You’d think. But the soul of this legendary superhero — both old and new versions — comes through, even in this thrill-a-minute whirlwind. That’s because the filmmakers never forget to make us care about Miles and his growing pains, or what we would do if we were in his onesie. Who’d have thought that animation could turn a whole army of interdimensional webslingers into something fresh, funny, fierce and revolutionary? Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is not only the coolest Spider-Man epic ever, it’s one of the best movies of the year. What are you waiting for? ||||| “You don’t feel as real if you don’t see yourself reflected in the media.” — the late African-American comics and cartoon creator Dwayne McDuffie Back in February, I put that quote at the beginning of my review of “Black Panther.” (And yes, as someone pointed out on Twitter, 2018 has been so long and exhausting that it is easy to forget that “Black Panther” came out THIS YEAR.) I put it there because I thought “Black Panther” would be the superhero movie that best embodied contemporary concerns about representation in the genre that dominates blockbusters these days. I was wrong. Indeed, from its dazzlingly trippy animation to its full embrace of comic book visuals, from its taking-as-a-given that superheroes should look like all of us (including talking pigs) and its unapologetic hip-hop vibe, “Spider-Verse” isn’t just one of the year’s best family movies — it is the canniest, hippest and simply the best comic book movie made to date. Produced by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman and written by Lord and Rothman (“22 Jump Street”), “Spider-Verse” is a $90 million rejoinder to the notion (which has taken root in some of the Internet’s more unsavory corners) that superhero fiction, once near-lily-white, shouldn’t include characters that look like all of America. It’s a two-hour punch to the face of white supremacy and yet never feels preachy, even as it mines a self-awareness of superhero tropes for some stellar jokes. Miles Morales (a character who has been floating around various Marvel Comics since 2011, voiced here by Shameik Moore) is the son of an African-American police officer (Brian Tyree Henry) and a Latino nurse (Luna Lauren Velez). Miles attends a private school at his parents' insistence even though he thinks it is elitist, he loves tagging buildings with stickers and he really looks up to his somewhat shady uncle Aaron (Mahershala Ali). Miles is also a fan of Spider-Man, a seemingly omnicompetent superhero about whom Miles’ father is not wild. One evening, sympathetic to his nephew’s need to express himself, Aaron takes Miles to an underground wall ripe for tagging, where Miles promptly gets bitten by a very weird looking spider. In short order, it becomes clear that a) Miles has spider-powers slightly different than those of the other wall-crawler, b) he doesn't know how to use them and c) the hulking Kingpin (Liev Schreiber) has opened a portal to other dimensions, revealing a multiverse of Spider-Beings. These include a noirish pulp hero Spider-Man (Nicolas Cage), Peni Parker and her Spider-robot from the future (Kimiko Glenn), Gwen Stacy aka Spider-Woman (Hailee Steinfeld) and Peter Porker, the Spectacular Spider-Ham (John Mulaney, sounding like he’s doing a Nathan Lane impression). The portal also imports an over-the-hill Spider-Man (“New Girl” star Jake Johnson), loosely based on the Tobey Maguire version. This Spider-Man embodies middle-aged mediocrity — he wears sweatpants, his marriage is over and he seems to have given up on life. But he is willing to train Miles, even as a monstrous Green Goblin, the Kingpin and a few deep-cut Spider villains have made it clear the spiders need to work together if the baddies are to be defeated, even as superhero tropes are explored, exploited or exploded from moment to gorgeously kinetic moment. While the computer animation looked a little janky in ads and trailers, “Spider-Verse” dazzles on the big screen. Rendered in a ground-breaking mix of pop art blasts, semi-realism, digital distortion, slow motion, captions and word balloons, “Spider-Verse” recalls the work of comics artists Sara Pichelli (who worked on the Miles Morales comics) and especially Kyle Baker. Both film and comics are mediums that control time — “Spider-Verse” exploits their similarities and differences brilliantly and the hip-hop score, both vintage and contemporary, thrills from the first beat. As another wise, African-American comic book writer named Christopher Priest once said, Spider-Man is the Hero That Could be You. He is the guy with human-sized problems (girls, money, family) who fights injustice because it is the right thing to do. Spider-Man is an everyman and this wildly enjoyable, incredibly smartly rendered movie takes this to a logical and oddly moving extreme. “Anyone can wear the mask,” it says. “YOU can wear the mask.” As McDuffie noted above, inclusion without tokenism is an incredibly powerful thing. It makes “Spider-Verse,” like its titular character, amazing, spectacular and sensational. ||||| Published on Oct 2, 2018 “How many more Spider-People are there?” Watch the new #SpiderVerse trailer to find out. 12.14.18 Subscribe to Sony Pictures for exclusive content: http://bit.ly/SonyPicsSubscribe https://tickets.intothespiderverse.mo... Follow us on Social: https://www.facebook.com/SpiderVerseM... https://www.twitter.com/SpiderVerse https://www.instagram.com/SpiderVerse... Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the creative minds behind The Lego Movie and 21 Jump Street, bring their unique talents to a fresh vision of a different Spider-Man Universe, with a groundbreaking visual style that’s the first of its kind. Spider-Man™: Into the Spider-Verse introduces Brooklyn teen Miles Morales, and the limitless possibilities of the Spider-Verse, where more than one can wear the mask. Cast: Shameik Moore Hailee Steinfeld Mahershala Ali Jake Johnson Liev Schreiber Brian Tyree Henry Luna Lauren Velez Lily Tomlin Nicolas Cage John Mulaney Kimiko Glenn #Sony #IntoTheSpiderVerse #NewTrailer #SpiderMan #Marvel #MilesMorales ||||| CLOSE Spiders collide! Miles Morales is the Spider-Man of his reality and meets other heroes from different dimensions to save the world. Sony Pictures Animation, Arizona Republic The world doesn't need another Spider-Man movie, right? Wrong. "Into the Spider-Verse" is proof. Spidey senses are tingling in "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse." (Photo: Sony Pictures Animation) Story Highlights Critic's rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars There have been six stand-alone Spider-Man films since Sam Raimi launched his game-changing franchise in 2002, plus bonus appearances in ensemble Avengers movies. That’s three different actors playing the same Peter Parker, with an origin story that’s been rehashed ad nauseam. "With great power comes great responsibility" has been intoned with self-serious gravity so many times that it’s now more a punchline than an ethos. It’s not that I don’t love Spider-Man and his glib wisecracking. It’s that I needed a break. How’s that saying go? It’s not you, it’s me. I was certain the world didn’t need another blasted Spider-Man movie for at least another generation. I was wrong. Miles Morales learns there is more than one Spider-Man, and -Woman, in "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse." (Photo: Sony Pictures Animation) "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" dispenses of the Peter Parker we know, love and have grown a little tired of, and celebrates instead an array of various alternative Spider-Men and -Women from the comics. It breathes youthful life into a tired franchise and makes the smartest transition yet of characters from the comics to the big screen with clever animation and thoughtful storytelling. It still starts, though, with a teenager bitten by a radioactive spider. In this case, Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore), a Brooklyn kid gifted with a spray-paint can and drowning in his cop father’s high expectations. It’s not that Miles isn’t a good kid, it’s that he doesn’t know if he can be as good as his father needs him to be, especially in the elitist prep school he’s been enrolled in. Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) doesn't think he can live up to his father's expectations in "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse." (Photo: Sony Pictures Animation) It’s isolating, but at least he’s got Uncle Aaron (Mahershala Ali) on his side. He may be a less-than-ideal adult role model, but he takes Miles to an abandoned underground hideout to blow off some steam with some spray paint. There he crosses paths with that fateful radioactive spider, and ultimately with Kingpin, whose underground experimentations with a super collider threaten to rip holes in the fabric of space and time. Kingpin’s motivations aren’t clear at first, but the super collider unintentionally opens a portal to multiple dimensions, through which pour different Spider-Men from throughout the multi-verse: Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson), a mid-life crisis Spider-Man, divorced from Mary Jane and wearing sweatpants over his spider suit to hide his prodigious gut; Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld), a confident teen in an all-girl band; Spider-Man Noir (Nicolas Cage), a grizzled, black-and-white gumshoe; Peni Parker (Kimiko Glenn), a Japanese girl with a pet spider robot; and most ludicrous of all, Spider-Ham (John Mulaney), aka Peter Porker, an anthropomorphic, slapstick pig. They all become reluctant mentors to poor Miles, who’s struggling to master his newfound powers while the fate of the universe hangs in the balance. The different Spider-people become reluctant mentors to Miles Morales (center), who’s struggling to master his newfound powers while the fate of the universe hangs in the balance in "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse." (Photo: Sony Pictures Animation) The pitch-perfect voice casting is complemented by equally expressive animation that pops out among a homogenous sea of recent computerized animation. “Spider-Verse” doesn’t try to distance itself from its ink-and-paper origins, but embraces the style and successfully translates it to a new medium. The artwork is textured with lines and dots, splattered with paint and scratched with penstrokes that make the computerized animation look handmade. Each Spider character is animated in his or her representative style: Peni Parker as anime, Spider-Ham as a Looney Tunes cartoon, etc. In Miles Morales' (Shameik Moore) adventure, he meets Spider-Gwen Stacey (Hailee Steinfeld) in "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse." (Photo: Sony Pictures Animation) There are countless technical and narrative ways in which “Spider-Verse” impresses. But what’s most impressive is its confidence in radical experimentation with a long-beloved pop-culture character. And that’s the great thing about comics, too. Each new run is an opportunity to shake the creative Etch A Sketch and tell a new kind of story, sometimes radically so, with the same set of building blocks. These are not characters carved into monolithic stone; they are imagination given shape by ink and code. Spider-Man is Peter Parker, sure. But he can also be an Afro-Latino teenager from Brooklyn, or a Japanese girl with a pet robot, or even a goofy pig. “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” is so fun because it takes those toys out of the display case and plays with them, finally, as they were meant to be played. Reach the reporter at bvandenburgh@gannett.com. Twitter.com/BabsVan. ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,’ 4.5 stars Directors: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey. Cast: Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld. Rating: PG for frenetic sequences of animated action violence, thematic elements, and mild language. Great ★★★★★ Good ★★★★ Fair ★★★ Bad ★★ Bomb ★ READ MORE: Want more news like this? Click here to subscribe to azcentral.com. Go to connect.azcentral.com for a staff list, for more information about the newsroom and for details about upcoming events. FOLLOW AZCENTRAL'S THINGS TO DO Facebook | Twitter | Instagram Read or Share this story: https://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/movies/2018/12/13/spider-man-into-spider-verse-review/2269070002/

– Your favorite web-whipping superhero is back in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, the Sony Pictures animated release introducing a new boy behind the mask, other "Spider-People," and an overall theme of inclusivity into the mix. It seems to have gone over well, considering it has a 98% rating from critics, and a 94% rating from audiences, on Rotten Tomatoes. Four opinions on the film, not to be confused with the live-action Spider-Man movie series: Chris Klimek calls it a "graphically dazzling, generously imaginative, nakedly optimistic, mercilessly funny and inclusive-without-being-all-pious-about-it animated odyssey" at NPR. "The animators have achieved an almost hypnotic effect" with "a stylized, kinetic visual language unlike any animated or live-action film that came before," he notes, also complimenting voice actors Mahershala Ali and Lily Tomlin. "I thought Black Panther would be the superhero movie that best embodied contemporary concerns about representation in the genre that dominates blockbusters these days. I was wrong," Joe Gross writes at the Austin American-Statesman, calling Spider-Verse "the canniest, hippest and simply the best comic book movie made to date." Visually dazzling, it "recalls the work of comics artists" while "superhero tropes are explored, exploited or exploded from moment to gorgeously kinetic moment." Though Peter Parker makes an appearance, "hilariously voiced by Jake Johnson," it's multiracial Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) who teaches us that anyone can be Spider-Man, Peter Travers writes at Rolling Stone. Thanks to graphics inspired by street art, an emotion-evoking cameo from Stan Lee, and "plentiful" teaching moments, this "thrill-a-minute whirlwind" is "not only the coolest Spider-Man epic ever, it's one of the best movies of the year," he concludes. "What's most impressive is its confidence in radical experimentation with a long-beloved pop-culture character," writes Barbara VanDenburgh at Arizona Republic, complimenting moviemakers on a film that "breathes youthful life into a tired franchise." "The pitch-perfect voice casting is complemented by equally expressive animation that pops," she adds.

FILE - In this Dec. 11, 2010 file photo, former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards is seen in Raleigh, N.C. Edwards and federal prosecutors are arguing over whether the money used to cover... (Associated Press) FILE - In this Dec. 11, 2010 file photo, former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards is seen in Raleigh, N.C. Edwards and federal prosecutors are arguing over whether the money used to cover... (Associated Press) Criminal charges are likely to be filed Friday against John Edwards, the culmination of a two-year federal investigation into money used to cover up his extramarital affair during the 2008 presidential election. Edwards' attorney Greg Craig was traveling to meet Friday with prosecutors in North Carolina, an indication that the former presidential candidate is likely to charged, either in a grand jury indictment or in a negotiated charge to which he would plead guilty. A person with knowledge of the investigation said Craig, a Washington lawyer who was President Barack Obama's first White House counsel, planned to be in his client's home state Friday, where prosecutors were prepared to file charges. The source insisted on anonymity in order to discuss the private negotiations. Edwards has had North Carolina representation throughout the investigation, but Craig was brought onto the team earlier this year when the decision whether to charge him still rested with Justice Department officials in Washington. Those officials have approved criminal charges; they decided that the hundreds of thousands of dollars that two Edwards donors gave to help keep his mistress, in hiding were contributions that should have been reported publicly by his campaign fund because they aided his bid for the Democratic White House nomination. Edwards' lawyers have argued that the funds were gifts from old friends intended to keep the affair a secret from his wife, Elizabeth, who died of cancer in December. A plea to a felony charge involving campaign finances could strip Edwards of his law license and end any hope he could work as an attorney for the poor. And a trial would mean more sordid stories about his campaign affair and the child he fathered during it, further battering his reputation. Even if he were to win the case, it appears the 2004 Democratic vice presidential nominee would do so by making a humiliating argument: that money used to keep his mistress and out-of-wedlock child in hiding was intended to shield the affair from his cancer-stricken wife _ not to aid his candidacy, which is what prosecutors believe. "Trial or not, John Edwards is the Charlie Sheen of American politics _ great hair and no chance for rehabilitation," said Democratic consultant Jack Quinn. Political sex scandals can either be just a career glitch (think Newt Gingrich, who recently announced a run for the presidency) or a career-ender (think Mark Foley, who recently declined a run for mayor of West Palm Beach, Fla.). Many Democrats believe Edwards falls into the latter category, as someone who faces little chance of revitalizing his image even if he emerges victorious from his legal case. Edwards' attorneys have denounced the investigation as a waste of resources and contend he did not violate the law. Edwards has said he hopes that once this case is behind him he can revive his legal career, specializing in helping the victims of poverty he championed on the campaign trail. However, a lawyer in North Carolina who pleads guilty or no contest to a criminal offense faces disciplinary action by the State Bar, ranging from a mild rebuke to a loss of license to practice. The case against Edwards focused on the private money used to keep Edwards' mistress in hiding. Andrew Young, a former aide to Edwards, initially claimed paternity of mistress Rielle Hunter's child and traveled around the country keeping her in seclusion. Young has said he received hundreds of thousands of dollars of support from two wealthy Edwards donors. Another dent in an Edwards' revival is moving ahead in civil court, where Young and Hunter are battling over a purported sex tape involving the former candidate. Edwards has been deposed as part of that lawsuit. Gary Pearce, a Democratic strategist who helped get Edwards elected to the Senate, said he'd prefer to see Edwards take a plea deal and avoid a grueling trial that would rehash past sins. "We've all had enough," said Pearce, who doesn't think Edwards will ever be able to return to politics. Edwards, 57, has spent much of his time in seclusion since he first admitted the affair in 2008. He eventually admitted to fathering a child with Hunter. His wife died of cancer last year. Several Democrats said Edwards, 57, could someday return to making a living but won't be able to strengthen his image to a prominent position. Chris Lehane, a Democratic consultant who helped former President Bill Clinton through his cheating scandal, said Edwards' errors were particularly egregious even in an American society used to seeing political leaders stumble. "The conduct went beyond what people expect and assume from politicians," Lehane said. ___ Pickler reported from Washington. ||||| Washington (CNN) -- Former Democratic vice presidential nominee and two-time presidential candidate John Edwards pleaded not guilty Friday to conspiracy and campaign law violations, acknowledging that he had "done wrong," but denying that he broke the law. His plea came hours after a federal grand jury indicted him on six counts, including conspiracy, issuing false statements and violating campaign contribution laws. "There's no question that I've done wrong," Edwards told reporters outside federal court in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. "But I did not break the law and I never, ever thought I was breaking the law." He was released on his own recognizance, but was ordered to surrender his passport and remain within the lower 48 states. If convicted on all counts, Edwards would face up to 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1.5 million. Edwards' attorney, Greg Craig, insisted the former North Carolina senator "will mount a vigorous defense." A grand jury has been investigating whether money given to support Edwards' mistress, Rielle Hunter, by benefactors of Edwards should have been considered campaign donations, a contention Edwards' team has disputed. Prosecutors allege that Edwards improperly accepted over $900,000 as part of an effort to conceal facts he believed would damage his White House bid. Plea discussions had been ongoing between Edwards' defense lawyers and federal prosecutors, but no agreement was reached. Edwards had not wanted to plead guilty to a felony because he could lose his law license, a source familiar with the inquiry previously told CNN. "Democracy demands that our election system be protected, and without vigorously enforced campaign finance laws, the people of this country lose their voice," U.S. Attorney George E.B. Holding said in a written statement. "The U.S. Attorney's Office and the Department of Justice are committed to the prosecution of individuals who abuse the very system of which they seek to become a part." "Public servants are held to the same laws as everyone else in this country. The position sought does not exempt anyone, even those running for president of the United States," said North Carolina FBI lead agent Chris Briese. The case involves financial aid given to Hunter. During their affair, Hunter became pregnant with Edwards' baby, though at first he denied he was the father. While prosecutors believe the monetary help given to Hunter by two of Edwards' political backers should have been considered campaign donations, Edwards' attorneys disagree. "This is an unprecedented prosecution," Craig said. "No one would have known or could be expected to know that these payments would be treated as campaign contributions, and there is no way Senator Edwards knew that fact either." Craig said the government's theory of the case "is wrong on the facts and wrong on the law." The government is believed to be building its case that Edwards violated campaign finance law based on an 11-year-old advisory opinion issued by the Federal Election Commission, which asserted that a gift to a candidate for federal office would be considered a campaign contribution, a source with knowledge of the inquiry told CNN this week. The decision, dated June 14, 2000, is known as "Harvey." It's named after a man named Phillip Harvey who sought guidance from the FEC because he wanted to give money to someone who was preparing to run for federal office, but didn't want the money to be used for campaign purposes. The opinion is important because Hunter received more than $1 million from two contributors, 100-year-old philanthropist Rachel "Bunny" Mellon of Virginia and attorney Fred Baron, who has since died. Edwards was ordered Friday to stay away from Mellon for the duration of his legal proceedings. Edwards' attorneys have said that the payments were not and should not be considered political contributions. If they weren't political contributions, what were they? The most widely reported theory -- which the Edwards team has publicly neither confirmed nor denied -- is that the money was given to keep Edwards' wife, Elizabeth, from finding out about his mistress and child. Elizabeth Edwards died of cancer last December. The source with knowledge of the inner workings of the case and other legal observers have noted that the Harvey advisory opinion is shaky ground to base a federal prosecution on because it is not a black-letter federal statute, and apparently has not been cited in any important case law, or as legal authority behind any important court decisions. Some experts have said the Justice Department will have a strong case in court if it can prove Edwards knew about the funds and what they were being used for -- a contention he has denied. CNN's Carol Cratty, Joe Johns, John King, and Alan Silverleib contributed to this report.

– The two-year federal investigation into John Edwards has reached a critical point and criminal charges against him are expected to be filed today. Edwards' attorney has traveled to North Carolina to meet with prosecutors, and the former Democratic presidential candidate is likely to either be indicted or reach a plea agreement over his alleged use of campaign funds to cover up an extramarital affair during the 2008 campaign, sources tell CNN. If Edwards pleads guilty to a felony involving campaign funds, he could be stripped of his license to practice law, ending his hopes of reviving his legal career. Even if Edwards won a court battle against charges, more sordid revelations are likely to emerge to further tarnish his reputation, AP notes. "Trial or not, John Edwards is the Charlie Sheen of American politics—great hair and no chance for rehabilitation," quipped a Democratic consultant.

After leaving the country together for Mexico, Allentown teen Amy Yu found herself Sunday back in the Lehigh Valley, and Kevin Esterly, her 45-year-old traveling companion for more than a week, was phoning his wife from a prison in Miami. Both were picked up Saturday at Playa del Carmen, a resort town in the Mexican state of Quintana Rooand, and returned to the United States, authorities said. ICE, the U.S. Marshals Service and a Mexican law enforcement agency cooperated on the case. By early Sunday Yu, 16, was back in Allentown, and Esterly, of Lowhill Township, was in Florida pending extradition to Pennsylvania, Allentown police said. No timeline was available on Esterly’s return to the city, where he is to be arraigned on a felony charge of interference of the custody of a child. Attorney John Waldron, representing Esterly’s wife, Stacey, said Sunday her husband had been calling her from prison. “I’m assuming he’s trying to get a hold of her for some type of legal representation in the process of being extradited,” Waldron said Sunday. “With what she has been put through, she is not accepting his calls.” She is appearing on national television. Stacey Esterly will appear on NBC’s the TODAY Show Monday morning, Waldron said. Kevin Esterly can agree to be returned to Pennsylvania as part of extradition, which means a defendant is returned to a state with an outstanding warrant for a crime, according to Waldron. Or Esterly can fight extradition, setting in motion a process that would include a hearing before a Florida judge to determine if the charge warrants sending him to Pennsylvania. Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin couldn’t say with certainty Sunday how long the process of bringing back Esterly could take. If Esterly agrees to be moved back to Pennsylvania, the county would send law enforcement officials to Florida to return him to Allentown. Yu arrived from abroad early Sunday morning at Philadelphia International Airport, police said. She was then brought back to Allentown. Her mother, Miu Luu, declined to comment Sunday. On Saturday, Waldron said Stacey Esterly was “happy and relieved” to learn the teen had been found safe. Waldron previously said Stacey Esterly contacted him because she’s been inundated by media calls, including some from international news organizations. Police told Miu Luu in a telephone call Saturday afternoon that her daughter was found. Yu was found in good health, according to Allentown police. “For two weeks, I’ve had trouble sleeping and eating,” Luu said. She cried from relief upon hearing news, she said. “I’m very happy,” she said. The teen and the married man had been missing 12 days in a case that drew widespead attention. Yu and Esterly were last seen locally at 7:09 a.m. March 5 at 15th and Allen streets in Allentown. Their disappearance came less than a month after authorities were notified the two were meeting and communicating without the knowledge of the girl’s mother. Yu was on a plane to Cancun with Esterly on March 5 at the same time the mother of the high school sophomore was filing a missing persons report with Allentown police, police said. Authorities found the two in a coastal resort about 35 miles south of Cancun. Yu left the Lehigh Valley willingly, Allentown police said, failing to get on a school bus the morning of March 5 and meeting up with Esterly, who took her to Philadelphia International Airport. From there, they caught a one-way flight into Mexico, both carrying money police said they had stolen from their families. On Friday, Esterly’s wife gave a statement to The Morning Call, pleading for Yu and Esterly to return home from Mexico. Through a lawyer, Stacey Esterly said she and her husband had been fighting constantly since the summer over his relationship with Yu. Mexican authorities on Thursday issued an Amber Alert saying Yu and Esterly may be traveling through Mexico and that the teen “may be a victim of crime.” Allentown Police delivered this message directly to Amy Yu on Friday, March 16, 2018, in Allentown City Council chambers. Allentown Police delivered this message directly to Amy Yu on Friday, March 16, 2018, in Allentown City Council chambers. SEE MORE VIDEOS Allentown police on March 7 issued a missing persons alert for the two, indicating at least one of them was “endangered.” By then, authorities later determined, Yu and Esterly already were out of the country. Friday was the first time Allentown police confirmed the pair were in Mexico. Police said they kept that information from the public because they believed Esterly and Yu were monitoring news media back home. During the investigation, police said, they discovered Easterly had bought one-way plane tickets and that their flight took them from Philadelphia to Dallas and then to Cancun. Esterly, a concrete contractor, has a wife and four daughters. He and his family have known Yu since she was about seven years old, meeting at a Lowhill Township church in western Lehigh County about eight or nine years ago, according to attorney John Waldron, representing Esterly’s wife. Yu lived in Allentown with her mother and younger brother and had been apart from her father, who lives in China, since she was a small child, her mother said. As Yu grew older, the Esterlys often included Yu on vacations with their daughters, almost treating her like a “fifth daughter,” Waldron said. Yu eventually became best friends with Esterly’s eldest daughter, Waldron said. Kevin Esterly rented an apartment four blocks from 16-year-old Amy Yu’s home in Allentown. Kevin Esterly rented an apartment four blocks from 16-year-old Amy Yu’s home in Allentown. SEE MORE VIDEOS The relationship is documented in several vacation photos Esterly posted on his Facebook page from 2014 to 2015, showing Yu and Esterly’s daughters at beaches, lakes and amusement parks. In one Facebook video, Esterly teases Yu, who is riding a roller coaster for the first time. In the nearly two-minute clip, the frightened girl screams and holds Esterly’s arm as the ride speeds along the track. The relationship took a turn over the summer, and for the past eight months, Esterly and his wife had been fighting over his relationship with the teen, according to Waldron. “Kevin indicated that he was attempting to be her dad, a father figure to Amy,” Waldron said. “Stacey did not believe it to be merely a father-daughter relationship and that’s why there were fights. They were fighting every day over Amy.” During an interview this week, the teen’s mother said she had been suspicious of Esterly’s relationship with her daughter even before she discovered on Feb. 9 that he had posed as Yu’s stepfather and signed her out of school 10 times from November to February. When she found out that Esterly had signed her daughter out of Lehigh Valley Academy Charter School in Hanover Township, Northampton County, Luu said she was told by school officials how to contact police and possibly file a restraining order against Esterly. She also said she took her daughter’s cellphone from her and discovered several “inappropriate” text messages between the girl and Esterly. Luu said she confronted Esterly on Feb. 9 and he repeatedly apologized to her and said he would never do it again, but he became angry when she informed him that police would be investigating. ||||| FILE - This combination of photos provided by the Allentown, Pa., Police Department shows Amy Yu, left, and Kevin Esterly. On Saturday, March 17, 2018, authorities said the missing Pennsylvania teenager... (Associated Press) FILE - This combination of photos provided by the Allentown, Pa., Police Department shows Amy Yu, left, and Kevin Esterly. On Saturday, March 17, 2018, authorities said the missing Pennsylvania teenager and the 45-year-old man who frequently signed her out of school without her parents' permission have... (Associated Press) FILE - This combination of photos provided by the Allentown, Pa., Police Department shows Amy Yu, left, and Kevin Esterly. On Saturday, March 17, 2018, authorities said the missing Pennsylvania teenager and the 45-year-old man who frequently signed her out of school without her parents' permission have... (Associated Press) FILE - This combination of photos provided by the Allentown, Pa., Police Department shows Amy Yu, left, and Kevin Esterly. On Saturday, March 17, 2018, authorities said the missing Pennsylvania teenager... (Associated Press) ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) — Authorities say a missing Pennsylvania teenager and a 45-year-old man who frequently signed her out of school without her parents' permission have been located in Mexico, and the man has been arrested. The Allentown Morning Call reports U.S. and Mexican authorities found Kevin Esterly and 16-year-old Amy Yu in Playa del Carmen on Saturday. They are being returned to the U.S. Esterly was taken into custody and will face a charge of interference with the custody of a child when he arrives in Pennsylvania. The newspaper reports police have told Amy's mother that her daughter was found unharmed. Esterly and Amy had been missing since March 5. Police issued a missing person alert and filed a warrant for Esterly's arrest. They believe the teen went willingly with him. ___ Information from: The Morning Call, http://www.mcall.com

– Authorities say a missing Pennsylvania teenager and a 45-year-old man who frequently signed her out of school without her parents' permission have been located in Mexico, reports the AP, and the man has been arrested. The Allentown Morning Call reports US and Mexican authorities found Kevin Esterly and 16-year-old Amy Yu in Playa del Carmen on Saturday. They are being returned to the US. Esterly was taken into custody and will face a charge of interference with the custody of a child when he arrives in Pennsylvania. The newspaper reports police have told Amy's mother that her daughter was found unharmed. "For two weeks, I’ve had trouble sleeping and eating," Miu Luu said. "I’m very happy." Esterly and Amy had been missing since March 5; it had previously been discovered that Esterly, a longtime family friend and married father of Amy's best friend, had signed Amy out of school 10 times between November and February. Police issued a missing person alert and filed a warrant for Esterly's arrest. They believe the teen went willingly with him.

Various flashbacks radiate from that hotel room as Snowden, who was then only 29, recounts his life story. He tells of the injury that ended his Special Forces training when he was 20, of attending the CIA's training course, of the little bit of James Bond work he did in Geneva. ||||| Filmmaker Oliver Stone can be hit-or-miss. With the biographical film Snowden — a chronicle of what the infamous American whistleblower Edward Snowden did to unsettle the U.S. spy machine by leaking state secrets — Stone hits a bullseye. This may not rank with his classics such as Platoon, JFK, Nixon, Wall Street and Natural Born Killers, but Stone does a great service with Snowden. He goes behind the news headlines we think we all know to develop a personal odyssey around the man. Most of it is seen through the perspective of Snowden himself, a computer programmer who designed some of America’s best computer spy networks. In doing so, Stone thoughtfully dramatizes a complicated, geeky, arcane issue involving computer spying and the technology behind it. Then he calmly deals with the thorny moral issue that compelled Snowden to risk his life and destroy his career by leaking classified documents. With his leaks in 2013, Snowden proved that the U.S. National Security Agency routinely but illegally spied on hundreds of millions of people, invading their privacy without just cause. Stone has been criticized for not amping up the voltage in his film. But bringing a bit of Natural Born Killers insanity to this story might have made mockery of it. Craziness would have been at odds with the superbly refined performance at the heart of the film. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is so convincing as Snowden that, in the closing scene when the real Edward Snowden plays himself for a few startling moments, the effect is to validate Gordon-Levitt. The actor seems as real on-screen as the man he plays. The film is meticulously researched. Stone met with Snowden nine times (once with Gordon-Levitt along). They met in Moscow, where Snowden is in exile. Stone co-authored the screenplay with Kieran Fitzgerald, whose limited credits include Tommy Lee Jones’ western The Homesman. In addition to original insights gleaned from Snowden and other real-life sources, Stone and Fitzgerald turned to two books about Snowden: The Snowden Files by British journalist Luke Harding (who co-authored another book that led to the WikiLeaks film, The Fifth Estate); and the fictionalized novel Time of the Octopus by Russian lawyer Anatoly Kucherena, who represents Snowden in Russia. The film shows flaws in Snowden, the man, especially as we follow his rocky romance with Lindsay Mills (played by Shailene Woodley, who brings both humour and distance to the otherwise internalized and serious story). But there is no doubt that the filmmakers — especially Stone and his star actor — were beguiled by Snowden and sympathize with his current plight. The film leaves it open to audience members to decide for themselves whether Snowden is a hero, a traitor or somewhere in the murky middle as he continues to avoid facing charges under the U.S. Espionage Act. But Stone leads us repeatedly towards the “hero” side as we see Snowden being interviewed in Hong Kong in 2013 by two journalists (Zachary Quinto and Tom Wilkinson) and an Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker (played by Melissa Leo). Most of incidents depicted are then told as flashbacks, primarily over the nine-year period that Snowden worked for the CIA and then the NSA. Among those flashbacks are cynically amusing scenes with Nicolas Cage playing a disillusioned NSA computer expect. While the character may be fictional, Cage gives Snowden his first insights into the dark side of the spy world. While the drama here is straight forward and conventional, Stone turns a brilliant trick by visually showing how computer spying is conducted. We do not have to understand how it works to appreciate what it does — because Stone skillfully shows us. That lets him focus more on the real conundrum: The morality of Edward Snowden’s explosive leaks. And that is why this film needs to exist and be seen. Twitter: @Bruce_Kirkland BKirkland@postmedia.com ||||| Few would debate that the story of Edward Snowden’s life is as compelling as it is controversial. Based on Oliver Stone’s biopic, Snowden, it would also seem to be inherently non-cinematic. By opting to go with a straightforward account of the title character’s adult years (spanning a roughly ten year period from the early 2000s until 2013) rather than a more innovative approach, Stone provides what amounts to a big-screen Wikipedia article. For a director whose reputation is built on aggressively in-your-face subjects and styles, Snowden stands as a strangely inert outlier, a project that lacks passion although not perspective. Stone is a left-leaning filmmaker and his political viewpoint often informs his work. Snowden is no different. The movie is not inherently dishonest but, like all films that promote a specific outlook, it ignores some “inconvenient” facts that don’t fit the narrative. Unlike JFK, however, which created an alternative history in order to accommodate the wild conspiracy theories of Jim Garrison, Snowden stays grounded. If it’s guilty of anything, it’s making the lead character too noble. But this isn’t meant to be an objective biography; it’s intended to tell Snowden’s side of the story, which has been largely ignored by the media. And, although its presentation of Snowden may be too good to be true, it makes some salient points about his importance to recent history and the technology he exposed. Right or wrong in how he obtained the information, his efforts put him closer to the “whistleblower” category than the “traitor” one. We may not agree with Snowden’s methods but, in an “end justifies the means” scenario, it’s hard to argue with his results. Snowden ’s wraparound story transpires in June 2013 with the protagonist (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) holed up in a Hong Kong hotel dispensing thousands of classified NSA documents to journalists Laura Poitras (Melissa Leo), Glenn Greenwald (Zachary Quinto), and Ewen MacAskill (Tom Wilkinson). During his interview with the two men and one woman, his reminiscences about the past result in flashback accounts of key moments in his life. These include his 2004 Marine basic training; meeting his long-term girlfriend, Lindsay Wills (Shailene Woodley) in a café following an on-line flirtation; interactions with his CIA mentor, Corbin O’Brian (Rhys Ifans); growing misgivings about the “Big Brother” aspects of the NSA and CIA’s surveillance; and his eventual decision to take action to make the public aware of the situation. Stone tries, with limited success, to imbue the Hong Kong portions of the movie with thriller characteristics. However, since anyone with knowledge of current events will be aware of the end game, there’s not much suspense here. The film regurgitates things that were presented in a more compelling fashion in the documentary Citizenfour, Laura Poitras’ account of her meeting with Snowden. Snowden, despite solid performances from all the cast members, rarely comes to life dramatically. By the end of the film, I felt I had learned a few things about the facts of Snowden’s life but I didn’t know the man and I hadn’t found his story especially interesting. This is a failing in the filmmakers’ choices. The cast is intriguing but the supporting players leave a more lasting impression than the lead. Joseph Gordon-Levitt intentionally underplays Snowden (apparently a true-to-live approximation) but that makes it easy for him to be upstaged. In the hotel scenes, he’s the least energetic member of the quartet. In the domestic scenes, Shailene Woodley exhibits more passion, and there’s little evident chemisty. Rhys Ifans is a scene-stealer as the frighteningly charismatic Corbin O’Brian, Snowden’s Svengali. In a small part, Nicolas Cage reminds us that, when he’s not desperately chasing a paycheck, he can turn in a good performance. Here, his function is to open Snowden’s eyes to what’s really going on in the CIA think tank. On a practical level, Stone gets some things chillingly right. Snowden’s easy-to-follow explanations of what the NSA can do should set off alarm bells. This really is Big Brother. In one scene, a proprietary search program sifts through billions of personal e-mails, blogs, etc. to identify language that could be deemed threatening toward President Bush. There are also claims that the intelligence agencies can activate any webcam, even one that’s turned off, and track any cell phone. Paranoia about the government’s oversight becomes understandable when one compares what it can do with what Snowden proved it did do. Snowden may not fully succeed in dramatizing all the factors that led to the lead character’s change in perspective (from right-wing patriot to disaffected whistleblower) but it offers evidence about how amoral and ruthless the government can be when acting out of self-preservation. Intelligence agencies don’t exist to protect citizens; they exist to protect their own secrets. The film concludes with an intriguing switcheroo. In the final scene, as Snowden is speaking, a laptop cover briefly obscures his face as the camera passes in front of it. In that moment, actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt is replaced by the real Edward Snowden. Anyone wondering what the movie’s subject would think of Stone’s recreation of his life is left with no doubt. While Snowden’s endorsement stacks the deck politically, it doesn’t diminish the importance of the man’s revelations as presented here. Snowden could have been an important film. It certainly contains important elements. Sadly, unlike its subject, it’s unremarkable and easily forgotten. Snowden (United States/Germany/France, 2016) Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Shailene Woodley, Rhys Ifans, Melissa Leo, Zachary Quinto, Tom Wilkinson, Nicolas Cage, Scott Eastwood

– Director Oliver Stone brings us Edward Snowden's side of the story of his NSA leaks in Snowden, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the man himself. Critics seem to either love it or hate it. Here's what they're saying: This is "Stone's best political work to date," writes Tirdad Derakhshani at the Philadelphia Inquirer. For "a seriously talky film," it "never feels tedious, thanks to Stone's tremendous sense of story construction, the film's razor-sharp editing, and Gordon-Levitt's masterful performance." Plus, what Snowden communicates through the film—he met with Stone several times—is "chilling stuff, for folks who care enough to get angry or who trust a liberal like Stone to get it right." But Joshua Rothkopf thinks the whole film is rather "timid and uninspired." "There was always the chance of Snowden's important story coming off as an underpowered Bourne movie, regardless of the director. But Stone somehow finds new ways to make it extra boring," he writes at Time Out, with Snowden coming across as "dull." James Berardinelli also blames Stone for what he calls "a big-screen Wikipedia article" that "rarely comes to life dramatically." It "could have been an important film. It certainly contains important elements," he writes at ReelViews. "Sadly, unlike its subject, it's unremarkable and easily forgotten … This is a failing in the filmmakers' choices." Bruce Kirkland at the Toronto Sun, however, says Stone "hits a bullseye." He applauds the director's ability to dramatize "a complicated, geeky, arcane issue involving computer spying and the technology behind it." Turning up the drama any further wouldn't have meshed with Gordon-Levitt's "superbly refined performance" and "might have made mockery" of Snowden's story, he adds.

Alexander Litvinenko’s accusation that Vladimir Putin was a paedophile may have been one of the motives for the Russian government to order his assassination, a report into the former Russian spy's death has found. Sir Robert Owen’s inquiry looked at the former FSB agent’s “highly personal attacks” on the Russian President, which culminated with an article on the Chechenpress website in July 2006, four months before he was poisoned. Mr Litvinenko’s article, which was published as evidence in the report, started by recounting a meeting between Mr Putin and a boy “aged four or five” in a square near the Kremlin. Litvinenko widow's statement “Putin kneeled, lifted the boy’s T-shirt and kissed his stomach,” Mr Litvinenko wrote. “Nobody can understand why the Russian president did such a strange thing as kissing the stomach of an unfamiliar small boy.” The former FSB agent claimed there were “blank spots” in Mr Putin’s career that could be explained by his superiors’ alleged knowledge “that he was a paedophile”. Mr Litvinenko claimed the Russian President had himself found “videotapes in the FSB Internal Security directorate, which showed him making sex with some underage boys” that he then hid. Alexander Litvinenko pictured at the Intensive Care Unit of University College Hospital on November 20, 2006 in London Commenting on the extraordinary and unfounded allegations, Sir Robert wrote: “It hardly needs saying that the allegations made by Mr Litvinenko against President Putin in this article were of the most serious nature. Could they have had any connection with his death?” The judge’s 300-page report concludes that Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitri Kovtun poisoned the 43-year-old with radioactive polonium 210 at a Mayfair hotel in 2006. It found that there is a “strong probability” that the Russian secret service directed the killing, and that operation was “probably approved” by Mr Putin. Sir Robert said there were “several reasons” why the Russian state may have wanted to kill Mr Litvinenko by late 2006. The Litvinenko files: Was he really murdered? 8 show all The Litvinenko files: Was he really murdered? 1/8 Alexander Litvinenko in his hospital bed at University College Hospital, London, shortly before he died © PA 2/8 Russian President Vladimir Putin stands accused of ordering the murder of Litvinenko © AP 3/8 Litvinenko’s widow, Marina, wants an official inquiry into her husband’s death © PA 4/8 Former KGB agent Andrei Luguvoi at target practice © AP 5/8 Litvinenko's funeral took place at Highgate Cemetery in north London in December 2006 © EPA 6/8 Marina Litvinenko listens as Alex Goldfarb reads her husband's final statement in London last November © AFP/Getty Images 7/8 Russian exile, multi-millionaire property magnate, and perpetual thorn in Putin's side, Boris Berezovsky was a constant presence behind the scenes © AFP/Getty Images 8/8 In memoriam: a candlelit tribute to Litvinenko in Helsinki the day after his death © AFP/Getty Images “There was undoubtedly a personal dimension to the antagonism between Mr Litvinenko on the one hand and President Putin on the other,” he added. Officials in Moscow have always denied involvement in Mr Litvinenko’s death, with officials previously claiming he was involved in an illicit trade in polonium and poisoned himself. The Russian Foreign Ministry dismissed Sir Robert’s report as “politically motivated” today and warned that it would overshadow relations with the UK. “We need time to study in detail the contents of this document, and then give a detailed assessment,” a spokesperson said. “We would like to note that Russia's position on this issue remains unchanged and is well known…there was no reason to expect the final report of a politically engaged and highly opaque process to be objective and impartial.” ||||| LONDON (AP) — President Vladimir Putin probably approved a plan by Russia's FSB security service to kill former agent Alexander Litvinenko, who died three weeks after drinking tea laced with poison at a London hotel, a British judge said Thursday. Marina Litvinenko, widow of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko, reads a statement outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2016. President Vladimir Putin probably approved... (Associated Press) Marina Litvinenko, right, widow of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko, arrives at the Royal Courts of Justice for the Litvinenko Inquiry statement following publication of the report in London, Thursday,... (Associated Press) FILE - In this July 26, 2010 file photo, Viktor Ivanov, head of the Russian anti-narcotics agency, speaks at a news conference in Moscow. One day in 2006, a former KGB agent who claimed to know dark Kremlin... (Associated Press) FILE - In this Wednesday, June 5, 2013 file photo, Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, shakes hands with Drug Control Agency Chief Viktor Ivanov at the International Anti-Drug Forum in Moscow, Russia.... (Associated Press) FILE - In this Nov. 24, 2006 file photo, Andrei Lugovoi, left, a former KGB officer, speaks to the media as his associate Dmitry Kovtun listens in Moscow, Russia. British police have accused Kovtun and... (Associated Press) FILE - In this Friday, May 10, 2002 file photo Alexander Litvinenko, former KGB spy is photographed at his home in London. On Thursday Jan 21, 2016, British judge Robert Owen will release the long-awaited... (Associated Press) A taxi stops in front of the Millennium Hotel on Grosvenor Square in London, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2016. British judge Robert Owen is set to release Thursday the findings of a lengthy public inquiry into... (Associated Press) A dog walks in front of the Millennium Hotel, center, on Grosvenor Square in London, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2016. British judge Robert Owen is set to release Thursday the findings of a lengthy public inquiry... (Associated Press) FILE - In this Tuesday, March 12, 2013 file photo, former KGB agent Andrei Lugovoi speaks at a news conference in Moscow, Russia, about the 2006 poisoning in London of former Russian agent turned Kremlin... (Associated Press) Marina Litvinenko, second right in black coat, widow of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko, arrives at The Royal Courts of Justice for the Litvinenko Inquiry statement following publication of the... (Associated Press) FILE - In this Nov. 1, 2007 file photo, Andrei Lugovoi, left, a former KGB officer, and his associate Dmitry Kovtun agttend a news conference in Moscow, Russia. British police have accused Kovtun and... (Associated Press) FILE - In this Wednesday, June 5, 2013 file photo, Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, meets with Drug Control Agency Chief Viktor Ivanov at the International Anti-Drug Forum in Moscow, Russia. One... (Associated Press) FILE - In this Nov. 1, 2007 file photo, Andrei Lugovoi, left, a former KGB officer, and his associate Dmitry Kovtun attend a news conference in Moscow, Russia. British police have accused Kovtun and Lugovoi,... (Associated Press) FILE - In this Tuesday, March 12, 2013 file photo, former KGB agent Andrei Lugovoi speaks at a news conference in Moscow, Russia, about the 2006 poisoning in London of former Russian agent turned Kremlin... (Associated Press) In a lengthy report, Judge Robert Owen said that he is certain Litvinenko was given tea with a fatal dose of polonium-210, a radioactive isotope that is deadly if ingested even in tiny quantities, in November 2006. He said there is a "strong probability" that the FSB, successor to the Soviet spy agency the KGB, directed the killing, and the operation was "probably approved" by Putin. Before he died, Litvinenko accused Putin of ordering his killing, but this appears to be the first time anyone has officially linked Putin to it. Moscow has always strongly denied involvement in Litvinenko's death, and Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zhakarova said Thursday that the government does not consider Owen's conclusions to be objective or impartial. "We regret that a purely criminal case has been politicized and has darkened the general atmosphere of bilateral relations," Zhakarova said in a statement. She said Britain's decision to hold a public inquiry on the case was politically motivated and that the process was not transparent for the Russian side or the public. Russia has refused to extradite the two main suspects, Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun. Lugovoi is a member of the Russian parliament, which means he is immune from prosecution. In an interview with the Interfax news agency, he called the charges against him "absurd." "As we expected, there was no sensation," he said. "The results of the investigation that were announced today once again confirm London's anti-Russian position and the blinkered view and unwillingness of the British to establish the true cause of Litvinenko's death." Litvinenko, a former FSB agent, fled to Britain in 2000 and became a vocal critic of Russia's security service and of Putin, whom he accused of links to organized crime. Owen said Litvinenko "was regarded as having betrayed the FSB" with his actions, and that "there were powerful motives for organizations and individuals within the Russian state to take action against Mr. Litvinenko, including killing him." Litvinenko's widow, Marina, said outside the High Court on Thursday that she was "very pleased that the words my husband spoke on his deathbed when he accused Mr. Putin have been proved by an English court." She called for British Prime Minister David Cameron to take urgent steps against Russian agents operating inside Britain in light of the report. "I'm calling immediately for expulsion from the UK of all Russian intelligence operatives ... based at the London embassy," she said. "I'm also calling for the imposition of targeted economic sanctions and travel bans against named individuals including Mr (former FSB chief Nikolai) Patrushev and Mr Putin." She said Britain's Home Office had written to her Wednesday night promising action. Home Secretary Theresa May is scheduled to discuss the report in Parliament later Thursday. In his 326-page report, Owen said that based on the evidence he had seen, the operation to kill Litvinenko was "probably" approved by then-FSB head Nikolai Patrushev, now head of Putin's security council, and by Putin. Owen said Litvinenko "had repeatedly targeted President Putin" with "highly personal" public criticism. The British government appointed Owen to head a public inquiry into the slaying, which soured relations between London and Moscow. He heard from dozens of witnesses during months of public hearings last year, and also saw secret British intelligence evidence. Announcing his findings at London's Royal Courts of Justice, Owen said that "there can be no doubt that Alexander Litvinenko was poisoned by Mr. Lugovoi and Mr. Kovtun" in the Pine Bar of London's luxury Millennium Hotel on Nov. 1, 2006. He died three weeks later of acute radiation syndrome. "I have concluded that there is a strong probability that when Mr. Lugovoi poisoned Mr. Litvinenko, he did so under the direction of the FSB ... I have further concluded that the FSB operation to kill Mr. Litvinenko was probably approved by My. Patrushev, then head of the FSB, and also by President Putin." ||||| Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Why would Vladimir Putin want Alexander Litvinenko dead? The murder of ex-Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko in 2006 in the UK was "probably" approved by President Vladimir Putin, an inquiry has found. Mr Putin is likely to have signed off the poisoning of Mr Litvinenko with polonium-210 in part due to personal "antagonism" between the pair, it said. Home Secretary Theresa May said the murder was a "blatant and unacceptable" breach of international law. But the Russian Foreign Ministry said the public inquiry was "politicised". It said: "We regret that the purely criminal case was politicised and overshadowed the general atmosphere of bilateral relations." What Litvinenko report means for UK Key findings of the public inquiry Who was Alexander Litvinenko? Who are the Litvinenko murder suspects? Story of a perplexing murder Dmitry Peskov, Mr Putin's spokesman, said Moscow's official response to the report will happen through "diplomatic channels", the Russian news agency Interfax was quoted as saying. Prime Minister David Cameron said the UK would have to go on having "some sort of relationship with them [Russia]" because of the Syria crisis, but it would be done with "clear eyes and a very cold heart". Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption David Cameron said the murder of Alexander Litvinenko had been shown to be "state-sponsored" The long-awaited report into Mr Litvinenko's death found that two Russian men - Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun - deliberately poisoned the 43-year-old in London in 2006 by putting the radioactive substance polonium-210 into his drink at a hotel. Sir Robert Owen, the public inquiry chairman, said he was "sure" Mr Litvinenko's murder had been carried out by the two men and that they were probably acting under the direction of Moscow's FSB intelligence service, and approved by the organisation's chief, Nikolai Patrushev, as well as the Russian president. He said Mr Litvinenko's work for British intelligence agencies, his criticism of the FSB and Mr Putin, and his association with other Russian dissidents were possible motives for his killing. 'Send a message' There was also "undoubtedly a personal dimension to the antagonism" between Mr Putin and Mr Litvinenko, he said. The use of polonium-210 was "at the very least a strong indicator of state involvement" as it had to be made in a nuclear reactor, the report said. The inquiry heard evidence that Mr Litvinenko may have been consigned to a slow death from radiation to "send a message". What is polonium-210? Image caption The teapot where traces of polonium-210 were discovered Giving a statement to the House of Commons, Mrs May said Mr Cameron would raise the findings with President Putin at "the next available opportunity". She said the UK would impose asset freezes on Mr Lugovoi and Mr Kovtun and that international arrest warrants for the pair remained in place. They both deny killing Mr Litvinenko. Both men are wanted in the UK for questioning, but Russia has refused to extradite them. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Marina Litvinenko: 'Russian spies must be expelled from UK' Speaking earlier outside the High Court, Mr Litvinenko's widow, Marina, said she was "very happy" that "the words my husband spoke on his deathbed when he accused Mr Putin have been proved by an English court". She urged the UK government to expel all Russian intelligence operatives, impose economic sanctions on Moscow and impose a travel ban on Mr Putin. The view from Moscow Image copyright AP Image caption Andrei Lugovoi, left, and Dmitry Kovtun pictured in Moscow, in 2007 By the BBC's Oleg Boldyrev For years Moscow rejected allegations of high-level involvement in the murder of Alexander Litvinenko. The fact President Putin himself is now associated with this assassination has not changed anything. Taking their lead from Robert Owen's use of the words "high probability", the second tier of the Russian establishment, mainly Kremlin-loyalist MPs, are dismissing the entire report as a politically-based fabrication. Russians on social media are making fun of its conclusions by using the hashtag "PutinPossiblyApproved" in Russian - that is #ПутинВозможноОдобрил - to include all manner of crimes. One Russian MP, Nikolai Kovalev, himself an ex-FSB boss, pointed out relations between Moscow and London would not be harmed by the report as there was no room for making them any worse. How Russian media reported the Litvinenko inquiry Responding to the report, Mr Lugovoi, who is now a politician in Russia, said the accusations against him were "absurd", the Russian news agency Interfax was quoted as saying. "As we expected, there were no surprises," he said. "The results of the investigation made public today yet again confirm London's anti-Russian position, its blinkeredness and the unwillingness of the English to establish the true reason of Litvinenko's death." Mr Kovtun, now a businessman in Russia, said he would not comment on the report until he got more information about its contents, Interfax reported. 'Harm relations' London's Metropolitan Police said the investigation into the "cold and calculated murder" remained ongoing. Alexander Yakovenko, the Russian ambassador in the UK, said Russia would not accept any decisions reached in secret and based on evidence not tested in open court. The length of time taken to come to these conclusions led them to believe it was "a whitewash of British security services' incompetence", he said. Mr Yakovenko said these events "can't help but harm our bilateral relations". White House spokesman Josh Earnest said he did not have "any actions" to announce following the inquiry's findings. "But I certainly wouldn't rule out future steps," he said. Analysis Image copyright Reuters Image caption Alexander Litvinenko at a news conference in Moscow in 1998, when he was an officer of Russia's state security service FSB By BBC security correspondent, Gordon Corera The conclusions of this inquiry are stronger than many expected in pointing the finger at Vladimir Putin personally. The evidence behind that seems to have come from secret intelligence heard in closed session. Saying that Alexander Litvinenko was killed because he was an enemy of the Russian state will raise pressure on the British government to take real action - the steps taken nearly a decade ago were only limited in scope. That may pose difficulties given the importance of Russia's role in the Middle East, but without tough action people may ask if the Russian government has been allowed to get away with what has been described as an act of nuclear terrorism on the streets of London. Mr Litvinenko fled to the UK in 2000, claiming persecution. He was granted asylum and gained British citizenship several years later. In the years before his death, he worked as a writer and journalist, becoming a strong critic of the Kremlin. Image copyright Reuters Image caption Russian President Vladimir Putin "probably" approved the killing, the report says It is believed he also worked as a consultant for MI6, specialising in Russian organised crime. The inquiry heard from 62 witnesses in six months of hearings and was shown secret intelligence evidence about Mr Litvinenko and his links with British intelligence agencies. The Litvinenko case Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The son of murdered Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko gives his first television interview 23 November 2006 - Mr Litvinenko dies three weeks after having tea with former agents Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitri Kovtun in London 22 May 2007 - Britain's director of public prosecutions decides Mr Lugovoi should be charged with his murder 5 July 2007 - Russia refuses to extradite Mr Lugovoi, saying its constitution does not allow it May-July 2013 - The inquest into Mr Litvinenko's death is delayed as the coroner decides a public inquiry would be preferable - but ministers rule out the request 11 February 2014 - High Court rules the Home Office was wrong to rule out an inquiry before the outcome of an inquest January 2015 - Public inquiry begins Long road to the truth for Litvinenko family ||||| Report Sir Robert Owen, the Inquiry Chairman, published his Report into the death of Alexander Litvinenko on 21 January 2016. Please click on the link below to view the Report. Report (web-optimised PDF) An explanation for the way references are provided is included in paragraph 2.21 in Part 2 of the Report. Where references are to documents, the hyperlink will take you to the complete document. Where references are to transcripts, the hyperlink will take you to the relevant pages. Report cover (print-ready PDF) Report (print-ready PDF) The transcript of Sir Robert Owen’s closing statement is available at the link below. Transcript of statement by the Chairman – 21 January 2016

– A British judge declared a remarkable thing Thursday: Vladimir Putin is "probably" a murderer. The finding came after an inquiry into the high-profile death of former KGB officer Alexander Litvinenko, who was fatally poisoned in 2006. Judge Robert Owen said he's certain that two Russian agents laced Litvinenko's green tea with polonium-210 inside a London hotel—and that the mission "was probably approved" by Putin himself and the head of Russia's FSB spy agency (the successor to the KGB), reports the New York Times. Litvinenko accused Putin from his deathbed, but this appears to be the first time an official inquiry has linked the Russian president to the slaying, notes the AP. Russia, not surprisingly, isn't buying it. "We regret that a purely criminal case has been politicized and has darkened the general atmosphere of bilateral relations," says a rep for the Russian foreign ministry. Britain launched the inquiry at the urging of Litvinenko's widow, who welcomed the findings and called on the UK to issue sanctions on Russia and place a travel ban on Putin, reports the BBC. That seems unlikely, though Britain says it will now freeze the assets of Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun, the two men accused by British police of the killing. Moscow refuses to extradite them. The judge cited a number of possible motives, including Russia's belief that Litvinenko betrayed Moscow by working with British intelligence. He also cited the "highly personal attacks" by Litvinenko on Putin before the agent's death, including Litvinenko's clam that Putin was a pedophile, reports the Independent. "It hardly needs saying that the allegations made by Mr Litvinenko against President Putin in this article were of the most serious nature," wrote the judge. "Could they have had any connection with his death?" Read his full report here.

Scientists are now contemplating the fabrication of a human genome, meaning they would use chemicals to manufacture all the DNA contained in human chromosomes. The prospect is spurring both intrigue and concern in the life sciences community because it might be possible, such as through cloning, to use a synthetic genome to create human beings without biological parents. While the project is still in the idea phase, and also involves efforts to improve DNA synthesis in general, it was discussed at a closed-door meeting on Tuesday at Harvard Medical School in Boston. The nearly 150 attendees were told not to contact the news media or to post on Twitter during the meeting. Organizers said the project could have a big scientific payoff and would be a follow-up to the original Human Genome Project, which was aimed at reading the sequence of the three billion chemical letters in the DNA blueprint of human life. The new project, by contrast, would involve not reading, but rather writing the human genome — synthesizing all three billion units from chemicals. ||||| Credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images At Harvard today, an invitation-only group of about 150 scientists, lawyers, and entrepreneurs, met to discuss if and how to construct from scratch an entire human genome – the heritable genetic material that in nature is transferred from parents to children. The meeting was originally organised to focus on “deliverables and industry involvement” with the primary goal of the project being “to synthesise a complete human genome in a cell line within a period of 10 years”. Such a synthetic genome could then be tested in a laboratory by replacing the existing genome within a human cell. All this would still be far removed from making a synthetic human. However, the possibility of making a human cell, whose genome is realised from only digital information and raw materials, should trigger broader considerations. For context, total synthesis of a human genome is becoming plausible at an accelerating rate. Thanks to new production techniques developed since 2003 the cost of assembling the genetic material encoding genes, the “building blocks” of life, has decreased from $4.00 to just three cents per individual letter, or “base pair” of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). As a result, the estimated initial cost of printing the DNA fragments encoding a three billion base pair human genome has dropped from $12 billion to $90 million. If cost reductions continue in the way they have been, then this price would approach $100,000 within 20 years. However, such dramatic additional cost reductions might never be realised without an overwhelming demand. Advocates of synthesising a human genome, therefore argue that some open, collaborative “grand challenge” is needed to drive development of such technologies. While we strongly agree that sustained improvements in DNA construction tools are essential for advancing basic biological science and improving public health we are sceptical that synthesising a human genome is an appropriate demand driver. We recall how controversies associated with many of the earliest genome synthesis projects delivered unintended consequences. For example, a project that made polio virus from scratch in 2002 generated such fear that public funding for improving DNA synthesis tools was cancelled, unwittingly harming research across diverse and unrelated fields while policy makers struggled to imagine how such tools could ever be controlled. We argue that the synthesis of less controversial and more immediately useful genomes along with greatly improved sub-genomic synthesis capacities (for example, the real-time printing of plasmids the casettes that transfer genes between cells) should be pursued instead. In a world where human reproduction has already become a competitive marketplace...it is easy to make up far stranger uses of human genome synthesis. These are alternatives that would deliver broad and diverse public benefits. Other topics on today’s agenda included changing the human genome itself. For example, could scientists synthesise a modified human genome that is resistant to all natural viruses? They likely could, for purely beneficial purposes, but what if others then sought to synthesise modified viruses that overcame such resistance? Might doing so start a genome-engineering arms race? And, what of even greater changes that can be imagined? In a world where human reproduction has already become a competitive marketplace, with eggs, sperm and embryos carrying a price, it is easy to make up far stranger uses of human genome synthesis capacities. Would it be OK, for example, to sequence and then synthesise Einstein’s genome? If so how many Einstein genomes should be made and installed in cells, and who would get to make them? Taking a step back, just because something becomes possible, how should we approach determining if it is ethical to pursue? Given that human genome synthesis is a technology that can completely redefine the core of what now joins all of humanity together as a species, we argue that discussions of making such capacities real, like today’s Harvard conference, should not take place without open and advance consideration of whether it is morally right to proceed. When the first people at the table mostly have significant and direct material interests in proceeding, everyone, not just those in the room, risk out-of-control competition between public and private interests, ethical conflicts of interest, and temptations to manipulate human subject consent. Pluralistic, public, and deliberative discussions are instead the best appropriate way to frame paths forward. We note that the narrative of creation of the human is the central narrative for many religious communities. To create a human genome from scratch would be an enormous moral gesture whose consequences should not be framed initially on the advice of lawyers and regulators alone. The perspectives of others including self-identified theologians, philosophers, and ethicists from a variety of traditions should be sought out from the very beginning. Critical voices representing civil society, who have long been sceptical of synthetic biology’s claims, should also be included. The creation of new human life is one of the last human-associated processes that has not yet been industrialised or fully commodified. It remains an act of faith, joy, and hope. Discussions to synthesise, for the first time, a human genome should not occur in closed rooms. ||||| A secret Harvard meeting has raised concerns about scientists going too far with synthetic life; surely this image of a robot Frankenstein perfectly matches the text below. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) About 150 scientists assembled at Harvard on Tuesday for an off-the-record, no-media-allowed discussion of how to create, from scratch, an intact genome, including the genetic code of a human being. The idea is to go beyond "reading" genetic material to actively "writing" it, George Church, a Harvard Medical School researcher who helped organized the event, told The Post in an interview Friday morning. [A Harvard professor says he can cure aging, but is that a good idea?] Scientists can synthesize DNA chemically, and these techniques could ultimately lead to complete genomes that could be implanted in cells for research purposes. No one should panic just yet about mad scientists running amok: The researchers are not talking about making synthetic human beings. But the gathering drew a rebuke from two academics who heard about the event and didn't think it should have been held behind closed doors. If you need secrecy to discuss your proposed research (synthesizing a human genome) you are doing something wrong. pic.twitter.com/SN1X8zlPH8 — Drew Endy (@DrewEndy) May 9, 2016 Drew Endy, associate professor of bioengineering at Stanford University, and Laurie Zoloth, a professor of medical ethics and humanities at Northwestern University, published an essay this week raising questions about whether the gathering at Harvard had gone too far. After citing the beneficial possibilities of such research, they raised the thornier ethical questions: In a world where human reproduction has already become a competitive marketplace, with eggs, sperm and embryos carrying a price, it is easy to make up far stranger uses of human genome synthesis capacities. Would it be OK, for example, to sequence and then synthesize Einstein’s genome? If so how many Einstein genomes should be made and installed in cells, and who would get to make them? Taking a step back, just because something becomes possible, how should we approach determining if it is ethical to pursue? Meanwhile, Marcy Darnovsky, executive director of the Berkeley, Calif.-based Center for Genetics and Society, a politically progressive organization that has had a skeptical view of biotechnology, issued a statement Friday criticizing the Harvard gathering: "If these reports are accurate, the meeting looks like a move to privatize the current conversation about heritable genetic modification." Church told The Post that the meeting was originally supposed to be open. The organizers had planned to stream video of the event, and invite numerous journalists, he said. But they had also hoped to pair the event with an article, written by many scientists, that had submitted to a major scientific journal. The article still hasn't been published and the organizers decided to keep the event private, Church said. He said the organizers wanted to avoid being accused of "science by press release" without a peer-reviewed article backing them up. He said the video of the event will be released when the peer-reviewed article is published, likely in the very near future. "It wasn't secret. There was nothing secret or private about it," Church said. But he added: "Probably with 20-20 hindsight we shouldn't have tried to couple it with a peer-reviewed paper.” Something tells us this isn't the last time we're going to be talking about synthetic humanoids. Read more: Scientists debate the ethics of an unnerving gene-editing technique Pondering 'what it means to be human' on the frontier of gene editing

– Scientists are contemplating a big follow-up to the Human Genome Project: Where that project essentially sought to read human DNA, this new endeavor would involve writing it. The idea, which is "spurring intrigue and concern in the life sciences community," as the New York Times reports, could enable scientists to essentially create human beings in the lab without biological parents. On Tuesday, about 150 scientists met at Harvard to talk about the project, the Washington Post reports. Attendees were told not to discuss the matter with the media or on social media, adding an air of secrecy to a concept that already raises plenty of ethical questions. "Just because something becomes possible, how should we approach determining if it is ethical to pursue?" Stanford bioengineering professor Drew Endy wrote in an essay published Thursday. But Harvard researcher George Church, who helped organize the conference, says its intent, and its ostensible secrecy, are being misrepresented. The original plan was to live-stream the event, along with inviting numerous journalists, he tells the Post. But a companion article written by several scientists has yet to be published, so they decided to keep the conference private, lest they be accused of "science by press release." Ethical considerations have been discussed since the project's inception, he tells the Times. The goal, he adds, is not to create people, and would not be limited to the human genome. Instead, the improved ability to synthesize DNA (which is now possible, but expensive and difficult) in general could be applied to animals, plants, and microbes. In any event, the Post writes, "Something tells us this isn't the last time we're going to be talking about synthetic humanoids."

A call to all well-educated Egyptians around the world. Come back ASAP to build our nation. #Jan25 ||||| We've detected that JavaScript is disabled in your browser. Would you like to proceed to legacy Twitter? Yes ||||| Add a location to your Tweets When you tweet with a location, Twitter stores that location. You can switch location on/off before each Tweet and always have the option to delete your location history. Learn more ||||| Eighteen days of protests have brought an end to three decades of rule by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. The dramatic events have been watched by Egypt's neighbours and the wider world. Here is the reaction of some governments around the world. United States President Barack Obama The people of Egypt have spoken, the voices have been heard and Egypt will never be the same. By stepping down, President Mubarak responded to the Egyptian people's hunger for change. But this is not the end of the Egypt's transition. It is a beginning. The military has served patriotically and responsibly as a caretaker to the state and will now have to ensure a transition that is credible in the eyes of the Egyptian people. That means protecting the rights of Egypt's citizens, lifting the emergency law, revising the constitution and other laws to make this change irreversible, and laying out a clear path to elections that are fair and free. The United States will continue to be a friend and partner to Egypt. We stand ready to provide whatever assistance is necessary and asked for to pursue a credible transition to democracy. Egyptians have inspired us. They have done so by putting the lie to the idea that justice best gained through violence. For in Egypt, it was the moral force of non-violence, not terrorism, not mindless killing, but non-violence, moral force, that bent the arc of history toward justice once more. European Union foreign policy chief Baroness Ashton The EU respects President Mubarak's decision today. By standing down, he has listened to the voices of the Egyptian people and has opened the way to faster and deeper reforms. It is important now that the dialogue is accelerated leading to a broad-based government which will respect the aspirations of, and deliver stability for, the Egyptian people. The future of Egypt rightly remains in the hands of the Egyptian people. The EU stands ready to help in any way it can. Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa This is a historic moment for Egypt, Egyptians, and even the Arab world - an unprecedented step, an unprecedented wide revolution and national consensus that has created an exceptional situation in Egypt. Now is the moment to build a national consensus to move towards the future, and I believe the future - our future, Egyptian future - should be built on both democracy and reform. And I think this will be the case. I'm very optimistic about that future after the events of the last couple of weeks, and in particular today. This is a popular revolution, a popular uprising, that has influenced events. It's not a coup. The President stepped down, and handed over power to the Higher Military Council, just to arrange things - I don't know the details of this - but no, it is not a coup. As an Egyptian citizen, I am proud to serve my country with all the others at this stage, to build a consensus of opinion. British Prime Minister David Cameron Egypt now has a really precious moment of opportunity to have a government that can bring the country together. As a friend of Egypt, and the Egyptian people, we stand ready to help in any way we can. We believe it must be a government that starts to put in place the building blocks of a truly open, free and democratic society. French President Nicolas Sarkozy France ardently hopes the new Egyptian authorities will take steps that lead to establishment of democratic institutions through free and transparent elections. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Despite all the (West's) complicated and satanic designs... a new Middle East is emerging without the Zionist regime and US interference, a place where the arrogant powers will have no place. It's your right to be free. It's your right to exercise your will and sovereignty... and choose the type of government and the rulers. Israel - unnamed senior official It's too early to foresee how [the resignation] will affect things. We hope that the change to democracy in Egypt will happen without violence and that the peace accord will remain. Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri The resignation of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is the beginning of the victory of the Egyptian revolution. Such a victory was the result of the sacrifices and the steadfastness of the Egyptian people. We call upon the new Egyptian leadership to take an immediate decision to lift the blockade of Gaza and open Rafah [border] crossing permanently to allow people's free movement and in order for the reconstruction process of Gaza to begin. Chinese state-run China Daily Social stability should be of overriding importance. It is hoped that the Egyptian military, government and its people will make every effort to maintain social stability and restore normal order. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov We hope the latest developments will help restore stability and normal functioning of all power structures. We hope that not only the government but also the opposition will show willingness to stabilise the situation. German Chancellor Angela Merkel Today is a day of great joy. We are all witness to an historic change. I share the joy of the people of Egypt, with the millions of people on the streets of Egypt. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu Congratulations to the Egyptian people. And we hope that a system meeting the expectations of the Egyptian people will emerge. Emir of Qatar This is a positive, important step towards the Egyptian people's aspirations of achieving democracy and reform and a life of dignity. United Arab Emirates The UAE, which has closely monitored developments in Egypt, confirms its confidence in the ability of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces in running the country's affairs in these delicate circumstances in such a way that would realise aspirations and hopes of the Egyptian people. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki The resignation of President Hosni Mubarak is a step in the right direction because it came as a response to Egyptians' desire and will for change, and we have confirmed trust that our sister Egypt and its great people, with their experience, history and efficiency, will select leadership that will fulfil their ambitions and keep Egypt's security, stability and great position in the world. Nato Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen I welcome President Mubarak's decision. I have consistently called for a speedy, orderly and peaceful transition to democracy, respecting the legitimate aspirations of the people of Egypt. In the long run, no society can neglect the will of the people. Democracy means much more than majority rule - it also means respect for individual freedom, for minorities, human rights and the rule of law. Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini We take note of the evolution that has happened in Egypt. This is an important development for the Egyptian people and its legitimate democratic aspirations. Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard Together with many other concerned nations, Australia calls for fundamental reform that will ensure the opportunity and freedoms that ordinary Egyptians have been calling for. Australia calls for constitutional reform and a clear timetable towards free and fair elections and a representative civilian government that will govern for all Egyptians. Indian Foreign Minister S M Krishna We welcome the decision of President Mubarak to step down in deference to the wishes of the people of Egypt. We also welcome the commitment of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces to ensure a peaceful transition of power in a timebound manner to establish and open and democratic framework of governance. ||||| Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Vice-President Omar Suleiman made the announcement on state television Hosni Mubarak has stepped down as president of Egypt, after weeks of protest in Cairo and other cities. The news was greeted with a huge outburst of joy and celebration by thousands in Cairo's Tahrir Square - the heart of the demonstrations. Mr Mubarak ruled for 30 years, suppressing dissent and protest, and jailing opponents. US President Barack Obama said that Egypt must now move to civilian and democratic rule. This was not the end but the beginning and there were difficult days ahead, the US president added, but he was confident the people could find the answers. "The people of Egypt have spoken, their voices have been heard," Mr Obama said. "Egypt will never be the same again." "They have made it clear that nothing less than genuine democracy will carry the day." 'God help everybody' President Hosni Mubarak Elevated from vice-president when Anwar Sadat was assassinated in 1981 Supported Sadat's policy of peace with Israel Maintained emergency law for entire presidency Won three elections unopposed Fourth term secured in 2005 after allowing rivals to stand Economic development led many Egyptians to accept continued rule Survived 1995 assassination attempt in Ethiopia Faced Islamist threat within Egypt, including Luxor massacre of 1997 and Sinai bombings Regularly suppressed dissent, protests and political opponents Middle East after Hosni Mubarak Egyptians celebrate new era In pictures: Mubarak's presidency Mubarak resigns: World reaction Announcing Mr Mubarak's resignation, Vice-President Omar Suleiman said the president had handed power to the army. Mr Suleiman said on state TV that the high command of the armed forces had taken over. "In the name of God the merciful, the compassionate, citizens, during these very difficult circumstances Egypt is going through, President Hosni Mubarak has decided to step down from the office of president of the republic and has charged the high council of the armed forces to administer the affairs of the country," he said. "May God help everybody." Later an army officer read out a statement paying tribute to Mr Mubarak for "what he has given" to Egypt but acknowledging popular power. "There is no legitimacy other than that of the people," the statement said. The military high command is headed by Defence Minister Mohamed Hussein Tantawi. US diplomatic cables published by Wikileaks described Field Marshal Tantawi as "aged and change-resistant", but committed to avoiding another war with Israel. Mr Mubarak has already left Cairo and is in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh where he has a residence, officials say. In Cairo, thousands of people gathered outside the presidential palace, in Tahrir Square and at state TV. They came out in anger following an address by Mr Mubarak on Thursday. He had been expected to announce his resignation but stopped short of stepping down, instead transferring most powers to Mr Suleiman. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Protester: 'I'll tell my children we made this revolution possible' "The people have brought down the regime," they chanted in reaction to the news of his eventual resignation less than 24 hours later. Opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei said: "This is the greatest day of my life." "You cannot comprehend the amount of joy and happiness of every Egyptian at the restoration of our humanity and our freedom." The Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's banned Islamist opposition movement, paid tribute to the army for keeping its promises. "I salute the Egyptian people and the martyrs. This is the day of victory for the Egyptian people. The main goal of the revolution has been achieved," said the Brotherhood's former parliamentary leader, Mohamed el-Katatni. At the scene It is hard to know where to look as you walk through central Cairo. Everyone in this mega-city has spilled out onto the streets to party. Soldiers lift small, smiling children onto their tanks to pose for photos, whole families are flying flags and wearing matching hats in red, white and black as they walk along the Corniche by the Nile, and motorcyclists precariously weave their way through the crowds yelling "Egypt, Egypt". The excited din from Tahrir Square, the scene of the massive protests against President Mubarak that began on 25 January, can be heard from miles off. It is packed with huge crowds. The demonstrators' barricades that had controlled entry to the square have been dismantled, and security checkpoints at which people showed identification and had their bags searched have all gone. Some people are already packing up their tents in the campsite nearby. They have achieved what they set out to do. Day of glory for Tahrir Square protesters Ayman Nour, Mr Mubarak's rival for the presidency in 2005, described it as the greatest day in Egypt's history. "This nation has been born again. These people have been born again, and this is a new Egypt," he told al-Jazeera TV. Meanwhile Amr Moussa, a former Egyptian foreign minister, announced that he would leave his post as secretary general of the Arab League "within weeks", the Egyptian news agency Mena reported. He hinted that he might stand for president. The BBC's Jon Leyne in Cairo said the announcement caught everyone by surprise: all over the city, drivers honked their horns and people fired guns into the air. But the army takeover looks very much like a military coup, our correspondent adds. The constitution has been breached, he says, because officially it should be the speaker of parliament who takes over, not the army leadership. 'Historic change' There was jubilation throughout the Middle East and North Africa, including in Tunisia, where people overthrew their own president last month. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption A military spokesman on state TV 'salutes' Hosni Mubarak's service For the Arab League, Mr Moussa said events in Egypt presented an opportunity to build a national consensus. Meanwhile, Iran described the recent events as a "great victory". A senior Israeli official expressed the hope that Mr Mubarak's departure would "bring no change to its peaceful relations with Cairo". UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he respected the "difficult decision" taken in the people's interests, and called for an "orderly and peaceful transition". European Union leaders reacted positively to the news of Mr Mubarak's resignation. Foreign policy chief Baroness Ashton said the EU "respected" the decision. "It is important now that the dialogue is accelerated leading to a broad-based government which will respect the aspirations of, and deliver stability for, the Egyptian people," she said. UK Prime Minister David Cameron said this was a "really precious moment of opportunity to have a government that can bring the people together", and called for a "move to civilian and democratic rule". Mohamed Hussein Tantawi Head of higher council of Egyptian armed forces Minister of defence since 1991 Commander-in-chief armed forces since 1991 Appointed deputy prime minister 31 Jan 2011 Born 31 Oct 1935 German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed the "historic change" in Egypt. US Vice-President Joe Biden said Egypt had reached a pivotal moment in history. The anti-government protests that began on 25 January were triggered by widespread unrest in Egypt over unemployment, poverty and corruption. They followed a popular uprising in Tunisia which brought about the downfall of President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali. ||||| Mohamed el-Katatni, former leader of the parliamentary bloc of the banned Muslim Brotherhood, says Egyptians have achieved the main goal of their popular uprising. "I salute the Egyptian people and the martyrs," el-Katatni tells Reuters. "This is the day of victory for the Egyptian people." With Hosni Mubarak stepping down, many observers wonder if the Muslim Brotherhood could be poised take on a bigger role in the country, msnbc.com reports: Even though the Brotherhood has been hammered by state security over the years, it remains a formidable force in Egyptian life. But just how formidable is an open question. Analysts tend to put its support among the population anywhere between 20 and 40 percent, but no one knows for certain because there have been no free elections and reliable opinion polls. ||||| Please support our site by enabling javascript to view ads. Hosni Mubarak quit the Egyptian presidency and handed power to the military on Friday, a day after declaring he would stay in power until September. Mubarak reportedly left Cairo for the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. Here's what world leaders and key figures in the Egypt uprising had to say in the press and on social media such as Twitter: Mohamed ElBaradei, opposition figure and Nobel laureate (via BBC News) "This is the greatest day of my life. The country has been liberated" And: "Well I can't even to begin to describe my reaction. It's a joy, exhilaration, total emancipation for 85 million people. For the first time Egypt has been liberated and has put its feet on the right track to towards a country of democracy and social justice." Ayman Nour, Egyptian opposition figure (via Al Jazeera) "The heart of Egypt beats again" Muslim Brotherhood, opposition Islamist group (via AFP) Hailed Mubarak's resignation and "thanked the army, which kept its promises." Wael Ghonim, opposition figure (via Twitter) "The real hero is the young Egyptians in Tahrir square and the rest of Egypt #Jan25" President Barack Obama (via media reports) Due to make a televised statement about Mubarak's resignation at 1:30 p.m. Friday, the White House said. Joseph Biden, U.S. Vice President "This is a pivotal moment in history... the transition that's taking place must be an irreversible change" Nancy Pelosi, House Minority Leader (via Twitter) "Young people leading #Egypt towards democracy-their energy changed Egypt, their actions are an inspiration to the world." Catherine Ashton, EU foreign policy chief (via Reuters) Ashton said the EU stood ready to help Egypt, Reuters reports. Angela Merkel, German Chancellor (via Agence France-Pressse) Welcomes Mr Mubarak's exit as a "historic change." David Cameron, UK Prime Minister (via BBC) "What has happened today should only be the first step. Those who now run Egypt have a duty to reflect the wishes of the Egyptian people. In particular, there really must be a move to civilian and democratic rule." Ahmet Davutoglu, Turkish Foreign Minister (via Twitter) "Congratulations to the Egyptian people. And we hope that a system meeting the expectations of the Egyptian people will emerge." Amr Moussa, Egyptian Arab League head (via Reuters) "I look forward to the future to build a national consensus in the coming period." Iranian Government (via AFP) Egyptians achieved "great victory" Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri (via Reuters) "The resignation of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is the beginning of the victory of the Egyptian revolution." "We call upon the new Egyptian leadership to take an immediate decision to lift the blockade of Gaza and open Rafah [border] crossing permanently to allow people's free movement and in order for the reconstruction process of Gaza to begin." Carl Bildt, Swedish Foreign Minister (via Twitter) "Let's hope this is the beginning of a new renaissance for Egypt and the Arab world!" Qatari Government (via Reuters) "This is a positive, important step towards the Egyptian people's aspirations of achieving democracy and reform and a life of dignity." Professor Fawaz Gerges, London School of Economics (via BBC 5Live) "They should be concerned about what's going to happen in the next four to eight months, not just 48 hours," he says. Samir Radwan, Egypt's finance minister (via BBC) "Hosni Mubarak will never leave Egypt, he will die in Egypt. It is his right." Wikipedia (via Twitter @Shady Samir) Wikipedia article on #Mubarak already edited saying he WAS the president of Egypt! #jan25" Here's a complete text of the Vice President Omar Suleiman's statement, published by the BBC: "In the name of God the merciful, the compassionate, citizens, during these very difficult circumstances Egypt is going through, President Hosni Mubarak has decided to step down from the office of president of the republic and has charged the high council of the armed forces to administer the affairs of the country. May God help everybody." http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/egypt/110211/mubarak-quits-resigns-egypt-cairo

– The sudden ouster of Hosni Mubarak has Egypt celebrating in the streets—and in interviews, and on Twitter. The Global Post rounds up some of the best reactions. From Egypt: Mohamed ElBaradei: “This is the greatest day of my life. The country has been liberated,” he told the BBC. “It's a joy, exhilaration, total emancipation for 85 million people. For the first time Egypt has been liberated and has put its feet on the right track.” The Muslim Brotherhood: The banned group told the AFP that it thanked the army "which kept its promises." In an interview with MSNBC, ex-leader Mohamed el-Katatni called it "a day of victory for the Egyptian people." Wael Ghonim: “The real hero is the young Egyptians in Tahrir square and the rest of Egypt,” tweeted the opposition figure. He then called on "well-educated Egyptians around the world" to "Come back ASAP to build our nation." Ayman Nour: “The heart of Egypt beats again,” Nour, another opposition figure, told al-Jazeera. The rest of the world, meanwhile, reacted thusly: Joe Biden: “This is a pivotal moment in history... the transition that's taking place must be an irreversible change." (President Obama speaks later.) Nancy Pelosi: Via Twitter: “Young people leading Egypt towards democracy—their energy changed Egypt, their actions are an inspiration to the world.” David Cameron: Told the BBC this was "a really precious moment of opportunity ... we stand ready to help in any way we can." Angela Merkel: "We are all witness to an historic change," she said according to the BBC. "I share the joy of the people of Egypt." Iran: The government hailed the resignation as a “great victory."

Washington, Wahlberg Are Bad Boys, And Whatcha Gonna Do? Enlarge this image toggle caption Patti Perret/Universal Patti Perret/Universal 2 Guns Director: Baltasar Kormakur Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime Running Time: 109 minutes Rated R for violence throughout, language and brief nudity With: Denzel Washington, Mark Wahlberg, Edward James Olmos, Paula Patton Hypermacho but tongue-in-cheek, the first 20 minutes of 2 Guns are enormous fun. Tough guys Bobby and Stig (Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg) bicker and flirt — with a pretty diner waitress, and with each other — while casing a small-town Texas bank. Then they set the diner on fire, don masks, and knock over the bank for $43 million, all while taking care to save any cops from getting hurt and even kissing an available baby. The heist, it would seem, has gone according to plan. Yet something's a little off. In fact, nearly everything's a little off, including the bulk of Blake Masters' script (derived from a comics series written by Steven Grant). As the countdown-clock plot ticks toward its conclusion, every tock moves the movie further into overplotted tedium. It turns out that, though neither knows the other's true identity, both Bobby and Stig are not crooks but undercover agents, and each is trying to use the other to snare a Mexican drug lord (Edward James Olmos). Bobby works for the DEA, which is plausible, while Stig toils for, uh, Naval Intelligence. Naval Intelligence targets Mexican drug cartels? Why not have Stig employed by the CIA? The movie does provide an answer to the latter question: Bobby can't be CIA because the tale also has a role for that agency, embodied by the purringly sadistic Earl (Bill Paxton). So the battle over the stolen $43 million becomes a four-way contest, and that's not counting a few double-crossers. Enlarge this image toggle caption Patti Perret/Universal Pictures Patti Perret/Universal Pictures Stig reports to a by-the-rulebook officer (James Marsden) who may not apply the same rigor to his own behavior; Bobby, to his colleague and sometime lover Deb (Paula Patton). She's depicted nearly nude and with leering close-ups of her sexy bits in a hotel makeout-session scene so much like the one in Flight as to suggest that such moments are obligatory in any R-rated Denzel Washington movie. (Maybe they're in the actor's rider, like Van Halen's no-brown-M&M's directive?) Having betrayed each other, Bobby and Stig are then forced to work together, though they're still inclined to quarrel. (During one dispute, they roll around in the dirt, punching as wildly as little boys.) The agents are constantly on the move, with regular jaunts across the Mexican border, all while being pursued by multiple varieties of thugs. One advantage of their being frantically and forever on the run is that the guys are constantly grabbing new cars, trucks or dune buggies; they switch vehicles as often as the protagonists of a chick flick might change shoes. The action is helmed efficiently, and with blessedly little CGI, by Baltasar Kormakur, who directed Wahlberg in Contraband but started by making arty little films in his native Iceland. Kormakur's work is well supported by Michael Tronick's taut editing and Clinton Shorter's rousing if predictable ambient-blues score. The script is less propulsive, and not just because it's overstuffed with reversals and revelations. 2 Guns loses its charm amid multiple incidents of torture and brutality, including animal cruelty, and its attempt to riff on reports of CIA involvement in the drug trade just burdens a movie whose adolescent-daydream ideas about manliness aren't terribly helpful as an approach to real-world issues. When two charismatic bad boys are being chased across the border by phalanxes of cops, thugs and spies, social commentary is just so much excess baggage. ||||| Starting in 1996, Alexa Internet has been donating their crawl data to the Internet Archive. Flowing in every day, these data are added to the Wayback Machine after an embargo period. ||||| The only thing simple and direct about "2 Guns" is its title. This self-consciously nihilistic action movie is one slick piece of business as well as something of a double-edged sword. On one hand, it can be briefly diverting to see Icelandic director Baltasar Kormakur and stars Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg use style and attitude to put a different spin on traditional genre plot dynamics in a story of misplaced drug money and mistaken identity. But it's also true that the plot of "2 Guns" — filled as it is with multiple feints, dodges and mystifications — is so tricky that events all but evaporate as soon as they happen. Though individual set pieces are well done, the film inevitably leaves an empty taste behind it once it's done. PHOTOS: Summer Sneaks 2013 Written by Blake Masters and based on Steven Grant's series of five graphic novels, "2 Guns" throws us into the middle of a story, then almost immediately tells us that everything we think we know about that story is completely wrong. We're introduced to Robert "Bobby" Trench (Washington) and Michael "Stig" Stigman (Wahlberg), a pair of wise-cracking hard guys whose glib patter is more irritating than amusing. Seated in a diner in a small Texas town, they're directly across the street from the Tres Cruces Savings & Loan, a fiduciary establishment with ties to a Mexican drug cartel that they are fixing to rob. Just a week earlier, however, both men were south of the border trying to do a deal with the cartel's leader, ruthless Manny "Papi" Greco (Edward James Olmos). VIDEO: Upcoming summer films Nothing about Trench and Stigman, as it turns out, is as it seems, including Trench's strategically placed gold teeth. They are both undercover agents, Trench for the Drug Enforcement Agency, Stigman for U.S. naval intelligence. More than that, neither one knows that the other guy is an agent. Even more baffling is the fact that this small-town savings & loan turns out to have more money in its vaults than either man anticipated. A whopping $40 million more, which scares the pants off everyone involved, including Trench's DEA boss Deb Rees (Paula Patton) and Stigman's superior officer Lt. Cmdr. Quince (James Marsden). Not amused one little bit by the robbery is Earl (a nasty Bill Paxton), who shows up representing the owner of all that money, an entity whose identity the film keeps secret for as long as it can. A man so scary he is known as "God's S.O.B.," Earl is beside himself when it turns out that no one, including Trench and Stigman, seems to know where that money they stole has disappeared to. Though they are both arrogant and antisocial, these two guns are forced to cooperate in the face of Earl's machinations if they want to stay alive in a world where you never know where you stand. It can be fun initially to see how director Kormakur, who first came to international attention with expert Icelandic films such as "101 Reykjavik" and "Jar City," doles out this information to us with cinematic elan (helped by energetic, persuasive editing by Michael Tronick). But this is not enough for the long haul, particularly when Trench and Stigman's non-winning personalities and the film's exploitative attitude toward women and violence are added into the mix. Slickness can take you only so far. kenneth.turan@latimes.com "2 Guns" MPAA rating: R for violence throughout, language and brief nudity Running time: 1 hour, 49 minutes Playing: In general release

– The laid-back action flick 2 Guns, starring Mark Wahlberg and Denzel Washington, has a comic-book feel, refreshingly little CGI, and two characters that just won't quit. But though the title hardly describes the amount of gun-wielding that goes on, it's probably a good indication of how many stars critics would slap on this shoot-em-up. Read on as critics shoot it down: Wahlberg and Washington are "a hugely likable pair, exchanging one-liners with the same ease in which they trade gunfire," but it's not enough for Rene Rodriguez at the Miami Herald, who calls 2 Guns an "unremarkable, standard-issue shoot-em-up that rests entirely on the charisma of its two stars." She liked the set pieces, though. So did Kenneth Turan at the Los Angeles Times. But "though individual set pieces are well done, the film inevitably leaves an empty taste behind it once it's done." And he disagrees when it comes to the stars, or at least their characters: This is a slick movie, but that can only take it so far when the characters' "non-winning personalities and the film's exploitative attitude toward women and violence are added into the mix." The "multiple incidents of torture and brutality, including animal cruelty," didn't sit well with Mark Jenkins at NPR, either, though the first 20 minutes of flirting and bickering were "enormous fun." After that, "nearly everything's a little off, including the bulk of Blake Masters' script," Jenkins writes. "As the countdown-clock plot ticks toward its conclusion, every tock moves the movie further into overplotted tedium." So is there anyone who liked it? Sure. Chris Knight at the National Post writes that the movie "succeeds on the script, which has Wahlberg and Washington sparring and trading quips like a couple in an old screwball comedy. ... Even the stellar supporting cast tends to fade into the background; with these 2 guys, there’s no need for anyone else."

Dean and Mary Lou Griffin of Chadds Ford, Pa., liked the health insurance they purchased for themselves three years ago and thought they would be able to keep it. But they recently received a letter saying the plan was being canceled because it didn't cover certain benefits required under the new law. Now they may be able to keep it after all. (Photo: Matt Rourke, AP) Story Highlights Old plans aren't always cheaper than new plans Confusion still reigns in most states Do consumers who already paid for new policies get refunds? Consumers are hounding their insurance agents with questions about whether and when they can get their canceled insurance policies back, now that President Obama says it's OK. But those agents have few answers. They are still waiting for clarification from insurers, who are awaiting word from their state insurance commissioners and even the White House. The CEOs of major insurers including Cigna, Aetna and Humana, met with President Obama on Friday but left without talking to reporters about what will happen to plans that didn't meet the requirements of the Affordable Care Act. Meanwhile, the insurance commissioners for Vermont, Georgia and Washington state were among those saying they won't allow reinstatement of canceled policies. "We've been advising our members to tell clients to sit back and wait as developments unfold over the next few days," says Jessica Waltham, senior vice president of government relations at the National Association of Health Underwriters, which represents insurance agents. State insurance commissioners, the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services will need to provide "details as to how they would move this policy forward," she says. "It's been non-stop since this whole thing started (Thursday)," says John Young, director of sales at Flexible Benefit Service Corp. in Rosemont, Ill. "Everyone wants to know what effect the president's message will have and, at this point, we just don't know until the insurance commissioner advises the carrier about what they'll allow." Young, whose company handles group insurance policies and acts as a broker for about 1,000 insurance agents, was on a conference call Friday with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois that offered few answers. John DeGruttola, senior vice president of marketing and sales for insurer Optima Health, says reverting plans "is going to be very difficult to administer." "We went forward with the intent that this was the law of the land," says DeGruttola, whose company only sells insurance in Virginia. "Nobody was focused on the existing plans. They were not filed (with the insurance commissioner) nor were they approved." Although many state insurance commissioners had already allowed insurers to extend their plans into 2014 to allow consumers more time to make decisions, the Illinois insurance commissioner did not. Young says many agents have already put consumers into pricier new plans, but it "might be difficult to get a refund from the carrier." "A lot has already been done" to switch people to new plans that comply with the ACA, Young says. Now, "there's incredible confusion" for those consumers about what to do. Among the other details that remain to be worked out: which insurers and insurance commissioners will OK the old policies now, whether insurers are allowed to raise the prices on the canceled policies and whether there will be additional financial help for insurers now dealing with more potential financial risk. In Pleasant HIll, Calif., broker Colleen Callahan says she had been "steadily preparing comparisons and reviews" that are customized for consumers to help them plan for the new year. It's a "big project and it takes us quite a bit of time to prepare and present, either in person or by e-mail first, followed up by a telephone call or an in-person meeting," she says. "The confusion now is that those currently insured are not sure of the next step. Do they have to make a change or can they keep their current plan?" Callahan says. "In some cases, the premiums on the existing plans might be better and in some cases the new plan premiums might be better. It is all case-by-case." Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/HVFsEc ||||| Already, some states, including Washington and Arkansas, have said they will not allow insurers to extend policies that do not comply with the guidelines established by the minimum standards set by the Affordable Care Act. Rhode Island also announced on Friday that it would not go along. “After reviewing the president’s announcement, we have decided to continue in the direction we are going and therefore will not be adopting the option made available to us by the president,” state officials said. Some other states, notably Florida, are going to allow renewals. In New York, officials were hashing out a plan on Friday to deal with the change in policy, and an announcement could come early next week. Logan Harrison, chief deputy commissioner of the Indiana Department of Insurance, said his state had not decided how to proceed but the fact that they were having to scramble to do anything was maddening. “This is absurd,” he said. The president, he said, made a “purely political decision” that punts his problem squarely into the laps of state insurance commissioners. “It’s unfair to us and our citizens.” A number of other state officials, both Democrats and Republicans, echoed Mr. Harrison’s frustration but were not willing to speak on the record. This issue is arguably the biggest headache for the dozen or so states — from New York to California — that have their own exchanges, some of which are working reasonably well. “We did everything Obama wanted, and this is the thanks we get,” said one high-ranking official in a state with its own exchange. “I can’t tell you how fed up we are.” Insurance commissioners who had not decided how to proceed Friday were kicking around various compromises, according to officials who declined to be identified because of policies against speaking to the news media. Some states where the cancellation numbers are not high are hoping they can work with the insurance companies to call consumers and walk them through their options. There is no guarantee that people with old policies will have them renewed at current rates, and some states have considered approving the renewal of old policies, allowing insurance companies to charge 10 percent or 15 percent more. “It’s easy, so I like it,” said one state official who asked not to be named. Sandy Praeger, the Kansas insurance commissioner, is still trying to work out how to deal with the roughly 9,000 people in her state who received cancellation policies. No matter what happens next, she said, the consumer will get the short end of the stick. “Insurance is complicated to start with,” she said. “This, in the best-case scenario, would be a problem, but in the political climate we are in, it is a nightmare for the consumer.” ||||| When President Obama wanted to delay the employer mandate, that was relatively straightforward. His administration issued guidance saying that the federal government would not penalize non-compliant employers for one year. His plan to delay insurance cancellations by one year is a bit trickier to pull off. States have typically regulated insurance markets and, while the federal government can tell insurers it will not penalize them for offering non-compliant plans, those carriers also need a go-ahead from their state insurance commissioner, too. With the announcement less than 24 hours old, states are still trying to sort out what they'll do. We'll be keeping track of that here, with a running list of where states are on decisions to implement — or not play ball with — the president's plan. If you know of states that are missing from our list, let me know! You can e-mail Sarah here. ||||| The law has more headaches than just HealthCare.gov. "In Play" asks some of The Washington Post's top political reporters to explain. (The Washington Post) The law has more headaches than just HealthCare.gov. "In Play" asks some of The Washington Post's top political reporters to explain. (The Washington Post) State regulators across the country said they were blindsided by President Obama’s decision to change a key health-law provision and spent Friday scrambling to make sense of it. Some said they were unsure whether their state laws would allow them to do what the president suggested. A day after Obama tried to quell anxiety over millions of canceled insurance policies, only a handful of state regulators said they would adopt the president’s fix. Many others said they needed more time to decide what to do because of the complex logistics and far-reaching impact on consumers. The muddle marked the latest complication for Obama’s effort to salvage his signature health law. Since its passage in 2010, the law has met with strong political opposition, and the launch of the new federal insurance marketplace over the past six weeks has been plagued by technical problems. The president tried to solve a separate issue — his broken promise that people who like their health plans can keep them — by allowing insurance companies to extend health plans that were supposed to be banned. But the move is adding to the confusion that surrounds the health-care law and throwing an element of uncertainty into the insurance market. The issue is making some Democrats nervous, particularly those facing tough reelection campaigns next year. In the House on Friday, lawmakers approved a Republican bill that goes further than Obama’s administrative remedy. While the president called on insurers to give people the option of extending current policies through 2014, the House bill would allow them to continue selling to new customers policies that don’t meet the law’s consumer requirements. Thirty-nine Democrats backed the Republican bill, representing their largest defection by far on a major or closely watched piece of legislation this year. It faces an uphill climb in the Senate, and Obama has said he would veto it. Nervous about the potential defections, Democratic leaders deployed several senior aides on the Hill. In the hours before the vote, the aides spoke with, among others, Reps. Brad Schneider (Ill.) and Daniel Maffei (N.Y.), who won tight races last year. But both ended up voting in favor of the legislation. Even Rep. Matthew Cartwright (Pa.), a passionate defender of the Affordable Care Act, suggested Friday that the Obama administration waited too long to address administrative fixes to the law and put too many Democrats at political risk. The White House “knew very well that they had to give us something different to support, because simply stonewalling about the president’s promise and why it wasn’t kept was not going to be an option,” he said. Like others in his party, he concluded that Obama’s remedy “has given us something else to get behind.” Obama and senior White House officials met with more than a dozen insurance executives Friday afternoon. According to an industry official, Obama did not have a specific “ask” for the executives, who reiterated their concerns that young, healthy people might renew canceled policies, leaving sicker and older people on the marketplaces. The executives noted that they could not act on Obama’s remedy for cancellations without the blessing of state regulators. They discussed the possibility of insurers doing more to directly enroll individuals instead of having them use the troubled federal Web site, but no decision was made. White House officials have met twice before with insurance executives since the Oct. 1 launch of HealthCare.gov to discuss its problematic rollout. The administration consulted with some insurance companies on the president’s proposed fix before he announced it. Meanwhile, state regulators were left to grapple with the proposal, which they learned about Thursday. One reason for states’ uncertainty about whether they can proceed is that they are unaccustomed to regulating around executive orders, which may not be treated with the force of law. “It’s unique, and I’m not aware of a precedent for it,” said James J. Donelon, president of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), who is also Louisiana's insurance commissioner. “I have seen one state attorney general already opine that a state regulator cannot act based on executive order.” A handful of states quickly announced their decisions, splitting over whether they would let insurers issue noncompliant policies next year. Three states — Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington — will not allow any changes in their insurance markets. Five states — Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, Kentucky and Texas — will give insurers the opportunity to sell these plans. “I’m calling on our health insurers to take advantage of this opportunity, and I’ve directed my staff to do what is necessary to make sure that insurers can allow their policyholders to keep their plan for another year,” said North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin. Other states, including Maryland and Virginia, as well as the District of Columbia, said they need more time to decide. District Insurance Commissioner William P. White hinted strongly late Thursday that he was opposed to the idea, saying the president’s action “undercuts the purpose of the exchanges” by creating exceptions that make it “more difficult for them to operate.” State officials in Georgia said they lack the statutory authority to allow insurers to provide the stopgap measure. Some regulators are frustrated by the lack of warning about the change. Insurance commissioners huddled on three separate conference calls Thursday, the first one minutes before the president’s appearance. Montana’s insurance commissioner was in a coffee shop when she saw a television news report that Obama was going to speak. “I headed into the office and found out there was an emergency call scheduled,” said Monica Lindeen, who is also vice president of the NAIC. She said the president’s move “throws everything on its head” after three years of preparing for the law. “The prevailing winds change one day to the next,” said Michael F. Consedine, Pennsylvania’s insurance commissioner, who also is an executive with the professional association. Lindeen and Consedine said they were consulting with insurance companies but know there is not much time. Dec. 15 is the deadline to purchase a plan on the new insurance exchange for coverage beginning in 2014. In Montana, the main insurer, BlueCross BlueShield, is canceling individual policies by the end of the year. Reversing those cancellations would mean the insurer would have to develop new prices for those same plans, file them with regulators, and give consumers 45 days’ notice, Lindeen said. Washington state’s insurance commissioner, Mike Kreidler, quickly decided Thursday that he would not allow insurers to renew noncompliant plans as the president has asked. “It’s too late in the game, certainly for the state of Washington,” he said. “And health carriers in our state were not very excited about the prospect of this. How do you have one set of rules for one plan and another set for the others?” State regulators are attempting to pull off a balancing act, weighing consumers’ demands to keep their plans against the pitfalls of making a last-minute change to the insurance market. “Anytime there’s a change, they’re worried about disruptions to their marketplace,” Sarah Lueck, a consumer representative to the NAIC, said. “They’re also worried about the impact on consumers and what their options are given this is such a short time frame.” Obama said insurance companies could continue for another year to offer health plans sold to individuals and small businesses that do not meet requirements under the new law, which set minimum standards for the benefits that policies must cover. Individual policies have long been a problematic part of the insurance market, with higher prices than most group plans, fewer benefits and a tendency to cut people off when they get sick. The health-care law tried to address this problem by directing Americans who buy individual policies to sign up for coverage through the new insurance marketplaces and by defining a core set of essential benefits, including maternity and prescription drug coverage. Some insurers said the confusion over canceled plans will discourage participation from a key group that insurers need for the new exchanges to succeed: young, healthy people who use little medical care. “It is impossible to reverse what has already transpired,” said Allan Einboden, chief executive of the Scott & White Health Plan, a Texas-based insurer that covers about 200,000 people. If there aren’t enough young and healthy people in the exchanges, rates will go up, making it harder to attract them going forward, he said. But others, like BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina, have embraced the new option. The insurer announced Friday that it would file plans with its insurance regulator that would allow consumers to stay in their plan for an additional year. “There are still important details to work through,” said the plan’s chief executive, Brad Wilson. “We expect to be able to provide more details about customers’ renewal options on or around December 1.” Ed O’Keefe, Zachary Goldfarb and Jeff Simon contributed to this report.

– Following a meeting on President Obama's health plan fix yesterday, insurers said they'd work to maintain health exchanges and avoid cancellations—but they were frustrated. Though the president of the industry trade organization cited a "very productive" meeting, plenty of execs were annoyed that Obama hadn't talked to them about the new plan before he announced it, the New York Times reports. "We went forward with the intent that this was the law of the land," an insurance VP tells USA Today. "Nobody was focused on the existing plans." Executives also related to Obama their concern that the plan could drive consumer costs up. That's because younger and healthier people—key to keeping premiums down—may now stick with cheaper plans rather than entering the exchanges. Another issue: Some states intend to ignore the fix, leaving thousands of health plans at risk, the Times notes. Washington, Vermont, and Rhode Island are among those saying they won't allow extensions of plans not adhering to ObamaCare standards, according to the Times and Washington Post. Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, and Texas will allow renewals, the Post notes, while other states are still deciding (the Post is keeping track). For one thing, it's not clear whether states can "act based on executive order," Louisiana's insurance commissioner says.

Image copyright SPL A therapy that retrains the body's immune system to fight cancer has provoked excitement after more than 90% of terminally ill patients reportedly went into remission. White blood cells were taken from patients with leukaemia, modified in the lab and then put back. But the data has not been published or reviewed and two patients are said to have died from an extreme immune response. Experts said the trial was exciting, but still only "a baby step." The news bubbled out of the American Association for the Advancement of Science's annual meeting in Washington DC. The lead scientist, Prof Stanley Riddell from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre in Seattle, said all other treatments had failed in these patients and they had only two-to-five months to live. He told the conference that: "The early data is unprecedented." Re-training In the trial, cells from the immune system called killer t-cells were taken out of dozens of patients. The cells normally act like bombs destroying infected tissue. The researchers genetically modified the t-cells to engineer a new targeting mechanism - with the technical name of chimeric antigen receptors - to target acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Prof Riddell told the BBC: "Essentially what this process does is, it genetically reprograms the T-cell to seek out and recognise and destroy the patient's tumour cells. "[The patients] were really at the end of the line in terms of treatment options and yet a single dose of this therapy put more than ninety percent of these patients in complete remission where we can't detect any of these leukaemia cells." But one cancer expert told me they still felt in the dark on the full significance of the study, as the data is not available. Also seven of the patients developed cytokine release syndrome so severe that they required intensive care, and a further two patients died. While those odds may be acceptable if facing terminal cancer, the side-effects are much greater than conventional leukaemia treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which work in the majority of patients. Analysis By James Gallagher, health editor, BBC News website The field of immunotherapy - harnessing the immune system to attack cancer - is coming of age. The significance of today's development is hard to ascertain while the data is unpublished - but the field is undoubtedly making giant strides. Drugs called checkpoint inhibitors, such as pembrolizumab and ipilimumab, take the brakes off the immune system so it attacks cancer. They are already being used by doctors. And other experimental techniques are coming to fruition to allow doctors to change a patient's own cells to engineer a designer immune system to kill cancer. It's an exciting time that is likely to see immunotherapy soon join chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery as major weapons in the fight against cancer. There is also a big difference between using such approaches on a blood cancer like leukaemia and "solid" tumours such as breast cancer. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Dr Alan Worsley speaking on BBC Breakfast Dr Alan Worsley, from Cancer Research UK, said that while the field was incredibly exciting, "this is a baby step". He told the BBC: "We've been working for a while using this type of technology, genetically engineering cells. So far it's really shown some promise in this type of blood cancer. "We should say that in most cases standard treatment for blood cancer is quite effective, so this is for those rare patients where that hasn't worked. "The real challenge now is how do we get this to work for other cancers, how do we get it to work for what's known as solid cancers, cancers in the tissue?" Follow James on Twitter. ||||| ‘This is unprecedented’ says researcher after more than half of terminally ill blood cancer patients experienced complete remission in early clinical trials Scientists are claiming “extraordinary” success with engineering immune cells to target a specific type of blood cancer in their first clinical trials. Among several dozen patients who would typically have only had months to live, early experimental trials that used the immune system’s T-cells to target cancers had “extraordinary results”. In one study, 94% of participants with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) saw symptoms vanish completely. Patients with other blood cancers had response rates greater than 80%, and more than half experienced complete remission. Speaking at the annual meeting for the American Association for the Advancement for Science (AAAS), researcher Stanley Riddell said: “This is unprecedented in medicine, to be honest, to get response rates in this range in these very advanced patients.” To administer the T-cell therapy, doctors remove immune cells from patients, tagging them with “receptor” molecules that target a specific cancer, as other T-cells target the flu or infections. They then infuse the cells back in the body. “There are reasons to be optimistic, there are reasons to be pessimistic,” said Riddell, of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Washington state. He added that the researchers believe that lowering the dose of T-cells can reduce the risk of side-effects. “These are in patients that have failed everything. Most of the patients in our trial would be projected to have two to five months to live.” Even more hopeful was researcher Chiara Bonini, who said she has not seen remission rates like those of recent trials in over 15 years. “This is really a revolution,” she said. “T-cells are a living drug, and in particular they have the potential to persist in our body for our whole lives.” Bonini, a haematologist at San Raffaele University in Milan, said that in another study researchers had tracked the presence of “memory” T-cells for two to 14 years after they had been introduced into cancer patients for whom bone marrow transplants had failed to work. “This is a living therapy,” Riddell said. When you put it in the cells will undergo expansion in vivo.” Tests so far have only targeted certain blood cancers, and the researchers acknowledged they needed to work on tumors and track how long patients would remain in remission. Cancer cells can sometimes hide unnoticed by the body’s defenses, or simply overwhelm them and throw the immune system into overdrive. T-cell therapy is often considered an option of last resort because reprogramming the immune system can come with dangerous side-effects, including cytokine release syndrome (sCRS) – and overload defense cells. Twenty patients suffered symptoms of fever, hypotension and neurotoxicity due to sCRS, and two died, but the researchers noted that chemotherapy had failed in all the patients who participated in the new trials. Riddell hesitated to say when the work would move beyond limited trials, but Bonini said: “I think we’re very close to some cellular product.” She also expressed hope that the modified memory T-cells could eventually provide a long-term defense against cancer, using cells that “remember it from 10 years earlier, and kill it so quickly you don’t even know you’re infected”. In the most promising study, about 35 patients with ALL were treated with Cars-modified T-cells; 94% went into remission, though symptoms could reappear. More than 40 patients with lymphoma have also been treated, with remission rates of more than 50%. In a group with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, there was evidence of diminished cancer symptoms in more than 80% of cases. “Much like chemotherapy and radiotherapy, it’s not going to be a save-all,” Riddell said of the new therapy, adding: “I think immunotherapy has finally made it to a pillar of cancer therapy.” A paper on the ALL research is currently under review and pending publication. ||||| A new treatment uses the body's own cells to combat cancer. Terminally ill blood cancer patients have experienced complete remission following the introduction of a radical new treatment, scientists claim. Speaking at the annual meeting for the American Association for the Advancement for Science (AAAS), researcher Stanley Riddell said Monday the results were unprecedented. "In the laboratory and in clinical trials, we are seeing dramatic responses in patients with tumors. "Unlike a chemotherapy drug which destroys cancer cells that are growing, you put in a living therapy that engages the cancer in hand to hand combat". ||||| A revolutionary new cancer treatment that remembers the disease and acts like a watchman to prevent it ever returning is being developed by scientists. Researchers are engineering immune cells so that they not only boost the body’s own natural defences to fight tumours, but stand guard for a lifetime - acting effectively like a vaccine. Scientists say it is like having a "living drug", which is constantly vigilant to the return of cancer and quickly removes it from the body. “This is extraordinary. This is unprecedented in medicine to be honest, to get response rates in this range from very advanced patients" “This is extraordinary. This is unprecedented in medicine to be honest, to get response rates in this range from very advanced patients" Prof Stanley Riddell A new study, presented at the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting in Washington, has proven for the first time that engineered "memory T-cells" can persist in the body for at least 14 years. Professor Chiara Bonini, a haematologist at San Raffaele Scientific Institute and Vita e Salute San Raffaele University in Milan, said: “T-cells are a living drug, and in particular they have the potential to persist in our body for our whole lives. “Imagine when you are given a vaccine as a kid and you are protected against flu or whatever for all of your life. Why is that? It’s because when a T-cell encounters the antigen and gets activated, it kills the pathogen but also persists as a memory cell. “Imagine translating this to cancer immunotherapy, to have memory T-cells that remember the cancer and are ready for when it comes back.” In a trial at a Milan hospital, ten patients who had bone marrow transplants were also given immune-boosting therapy which included the memory T-cells. They were found to be there 14 years later. Immunotherapies, which harness the body’s own immune system, look set to replace cell-damaging chemotherapies. But one of the biggest challenges is to make these changes last long enough that the cancer cannot come back. The Milan study proved for the first time scientists have shown that these cells can survive in the body well beyond the original cancer treatment. Prof Bonini and colleagues are now working on a new wave of immune cells that can use sensor molecules known as antigen receptors to track down and wipe out a wide variety of types of cancer. When the cells are combined with the memory cells it should produce a treatment which effectively vaccinates the body against cancer. “When a T-cell encounters the antigen and gets activated, it kills the pathogen but also persists as a memory cell,” she said. “Some of these memory T-cells will persist through the entire life of the organism, and so if you encounter the same pathogen – say if the same strain of flu comes back ten years later – then you have memory T cells that remember it from ten years earlier and kill it quickly so you don’t even know you’re infected.” Daniel Davis, professor of immunology at the University of Manchester, said it was an "important advance" in cancer treatment. “The implication is that infusing genetically modified versions of these particular T-cells, the stem memory T-cells, could provide a long-lasting immune response against a person’s cancer,” he said. "This research area is hot – no question about that. Our detailed knowledge of T-cells is paying off here with important new ideas for tackling cancer" Daniel Davis, professor of immunology at the University of Manchester “Immunotherapy has great potential to revolutionise cancer treatments and this study shows which type of T-cells might be especially useful to manipulate for long-lasting protection. "This research area is hot – no question about that. Our detailed knowledge of T-cells is paying off here with important new ideas for tackling cancer.” In a separate presentation at the AAAS, a team of US scientists showed that their T-cell immunotherapy treatment for leaukaemia had an “unprecedented” success rate of 94 per cent in patients who had been given only months to live. US scientists said they had achieved “extraordinary” results in early clinical trials. Stanley Riddell, of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre in Seattle, said balancing the different types of immune cells and then equipping them with cancer-sensing molecules had saved the lives of leukaemia patients for whom all other treatments had failed. His team treated 26 patients whose acute lymphoblastic leukaemia was so advanced they had only two to five months to live. After 18 months, 24 of the patients were in complete remission. “These are in patients that have failed everything,” Professor Riddell said. “This is extraordinary. This is unprecedented in medicine to be honest, to get response rates in this range from very advanced patients.”

– They were leukemia patients with months to live and nothing to lose, so researchers tried a novel therapy involving the engineering of the patients' own cells. Result? For 94% of participants, their symptoms disappeared, reports the Guardian. For those with other types of blood cancers, the response rate was a lesser but still a remarkable 80% or more. And that's why words such as "extraordinary," "unprecedented," and "revolution" are being used in coverage of the presentation at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement for Science. In the study, researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle removed T-cells from patients, armed them with molecules that go after cancer, and reintroduced them into the body. "The new T-cells then seek and destroy cancer," explains CNBC. "This is unprecedented in medicine, to be honest, to get response rates in this range in these very advanced patients," says lead scientist Stanley Riddell. But the BBC adds some caveats: This was only a presentation, with the results not yet published in a peer-reviewed journal, and so it's difficult to gauge the full significance. Plus, two patients in the study died after an "extreme immune response." Still, it seems further proof that "the field of immunotherapy—harnessing the immune system to attack cancer—is coming of age," writes James Gallagher. Along those lines, the Telegraph picks up on a separate study at the same conference, one in which engineered immune cells introduced into patients 14 years ago were still present. The cells effectively function as a "living drug" providing vaccine-like protection to patients. (Might the days of chemotherapy be numbered?)

President Trump on Wednesday plans to call for a significant increase in the standard deduction people can claim on their tax returns, potentially putting thousands of dollars each year into the pockets of tens of millions of Americans, according to two people briefed on the plan. The change is one of several major revisions to the federal tax code that the White House will propose when it provides an outline of the tax-overhaul pitch Trump will make to Congress and the American people as he nears his 100th day in office. Trump will call for a sharp reduction in the corporate tax rate, from 35 percent to 15 percent. He will also propose lowering the tax rate for millions of small businesses that now file their tax returns under the individual tax code, two people familiar with the plan said. These companies, often referred to as “pass throughs” or S corporations, would be subject to the 15 percent rate proposed for corporations. Many pass throughs are small, family-owned businesses. But they can also be large — such as parts of Trump’s own real estate empire or law firms with partners who earn more than a million dollars annually. The White House is expected to pursue safeguards to ensure that companies like law firms can’t take advantage of this new tax rate and allow their highly paid partners to pay much lower tax bills. [Trump seeks 15 percent corporate tax rate, even if it swells the national debt] Trump’s proposed tax changes will not all be rolled out Wednesday. White House officials are also working to develop an expanded Child and Dependent Care Credit, which they hope would benefit low- and middle-income families facing substantial burdens in paying for child care. Trump had touted a tax measure for child care during the campaign, but it was criticized as not significantly benefiting families of modest means. White House officials think these changes will give Americans and companies more money to spend, expand the economy and create more jobs. The existing standard deduction Americans can claim is $6,300 for individuals and $12,600 for married couples filing jointly. The precise level of Trump’s new proposal could not be ascertained, but it was significantly higher, the two people said, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the plan has not yet been made public. During the campaign, Trump proposed raising the standard deduction to $15,000 for individuals and $30,000 for families. Like other parts of Trump’s tax proposal, an increase in the standard deduction would lead to a large loss of government revenue. 404 Not Found Sorry, we can’t find what you are looking for. Take a deep breath. Everything’s going to be okay. A standard deduction works like this: If a couple filing jointly earns $70,000, they deduct $12,600 from their income, adjusting their income to $57,400. They then would pay taxes on the $57,400 in income, not the $70,000 they earned. Increasing the standard deduction would reduce their taxable income, ensuring that they can keep more of their money. A taxpayer who claims the standard deduction cannot also itemize deductions for items such as mortgage interest or charitable giving. But if the standard deduction is large enough, many would be likely to bypass the itemized deduction. The nonpartisan Tax Policy Center estimated last year that if Trump raised the standard deduction as much as he proposed during the campaign, about 27 million of the 45 million tax filers who itemized their tax breaks in 2017 would instead opt to take the standardized deduction, creating a much simpler process. This would also match one of the goals outlined by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. He has said that filing taxes has become too complicated for many Americans and that his goal would be for many Americans to be able to file their taxes on a “large postcard.” White House officials including Vice President Pence also met late Tuesday with congressional leaders and said they wanted to pass a tax-code overhaul through a process known as “reconciliation,” a person familiar with the meeting said, which means they could achieve the changes with only Republican votes. They also said they were going to push for steep cuts in tax rates but would be willing to raise some new revenue with other changes to the tax code. The White House on Wednesday is expected to reiterate this openness to new revenue without getting into specifics of which tax changes it would seek, as that could create a fierce corporate blowback based on which exemptions could be cut. [Republicans’ plan to cut corporate taxes would lead to massive revenue losses, congressional accountant finds] Congressional Republicans praised President Trump’s ambitious effort to overhaul the tax code and slash corporate income tax rates to 15 percent. But they cautioned that some parts of the plan might go too far, illustrating the challenges the president continues to face in his own party as he seeks political support for one of his top domestic priorities. Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah) and Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Tex.), who head Congress’s tax-writing panels, said they were open to Trump’s plan to push forward with sharp cuts in the rates that businesses pay but suggested that changes might be needed. “I think the bolder the better in tax reform,” said Brady, who chairs the House Ways and Means Committee. “I’m excited that the president is going for a very ambitious tax plan.” Hatch, meanwhile, said the White House appears to be “stuck on” the idea that certain small businesses, known as S corporations, should have their tax rates lowered to 15 percent, just like large businesses. S corporations pay the same tax rates that individuals and families pay, with a top rate of close to 40 percent. “I’m open to good ideas,” Hatch said. “The question is: Is that a good idea.” Meanwhile, Democrats denounced the 15 percent corporate tax rate and criticized Mnuchin, who said that faster economic growth would generate enough new tax revenue to compensate for the corporate rate cuts. Asked whether the 15 percent target was workable, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) told reporters: “It is, if you want to blow a hole in the federal budget and cut a whole lot of things like Meals on Wheels and Lake Erie restoration and then lie about the growth rate of the economy.” He said that the Trump administration would have to do something “huge” such as scrapping mortgage interest deductions, adopting a border adjustment tax or relying on “outrageously inaccurate projections.” The Trump tax package has won the support of most of the business community, but divisions remain. The biggest winners from the corporate tax cut would include companies in industries such as retailing, construction and services that have had trouble taking advantage of the loopholes in the existing tax code. The list of losers from tax reform could include technology companies, domestic oil and gas drillers, utilities and pharmaceutical firms that have been adept at playing the current system by using loopholes to deduct interest payments, expense their equipment and research, and transfer profits to foreign jurisdictions with lower tax rates. Under the Trump plan, many of those tax breaks would be eliminated in return for lowering the rate. “Retail companies are the ones who pay closest to the rate of 35 percent,” said Len Burman, a fellow and tax expert at the Urban Institute. “They can’t ship their profits overseas. They can’t take advantage of the research and experimentation credit.” A study of 2016 data for all profitable publicly listed companies by Aswath Damodaran, a finance professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business, showed that U.S. firms pay vastly different income tax rates. On average, engineering and construction firms, food wholesalers and publishers paid about 34 percent. At the other end, oil and natural gas companies paid 7 to 8 percent on average. “The U.S. tax code is filled with all kinds of ornaments” that help the oil and gas industry, said Damodaran. A decades-old depletion allowance, for example, allows companies to deduct money as a natural resource is produced and sold. This comes on top of other deductions for various expenses. A Treasury Department study last year based on tax returns for 2007-2011 showed that debt-laden utilities paid only 10 percent in taxes, while construction firms and retailers paid 27 percent.“Retailers pay a higher effective tax rate of any sector in the United States,” said David French, the head of government relations at the National Retail Federation. “But the devil is in the details.” With many key pieces of the Trump tax plan still missing, French is worried that Trump might propose something to offset the lost revenue from cutting the corporate tax rate to 15 percent. A border adjustment tax, such as the one House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) favors, would more than offset the benefits of a rate cut to 15 percent, French said, “while others would see their taxes go to zero.” French said that he expects a middle-class tax cut and business tax reform, but he does not expect Trump to unveil a complete package with offsetting items. “I don’t think that’s going to be in the president’s plan,” French said. “I expect it will be big-picture, high-level, without a lot of details.” “There are so many special interests involved,” said Ed Yardeni, an investment strategist and president of Yardeni Research. “This is going to be a real test of whether he’s going to be able to drain the swamp or whether he’s going to pump more water in.” [Trump just promised the biggest tax cut in history. Here’s how big it would have to be.] Among the other big losers could be companies such as utilities or cable companies that have accumulated large debts and currently can deduct interest payments. A lower tax rate would make those tax deductions less useful. In a report to investors in December, a team of JPMorgan analysts said that “we see reform to the corporate tax code as currently envisioned . . . as an overall net negative” for big utilities. The analysts said that because the utilities had large amounts of debt, they would be hurt more than other companies. A big corporate tax cut could also create a crisis for individual income taxes. Without a matching cut in individual income tax rates, individuals would be able to change the structure of their pay checks so that the payments went through limited liability companies that would pay no more than 15 percent under the business tax cut, a rate far lower than the top individual rate of 39.6 percent. That’s similar to what basketball coach Bill Self did after Kansas exempted entrepreneurs from paying taxes and eliminated the business tax. Self, the coach of the University of Kansas Jayhawks, put about 90 percent of his pay package into a corporate entity to sidestep the taxes he would have paid if it were all considered simply salary, according to a report by radio station KCUR-FM. “Whenever a lower rate is imposed on one kind of economic activity versus another, that low-rate activity all of a sudden becomes a lot more important,” Burman said. “A lot of tax sheltering was done to make ordinary income look like capital gains.” He added, “An associate professor in the Kansas philosophy department probably pays a higher tax rate than Bill Self.” But if Trump cuts individual income taxes to match the cut in corporate rates, that would create an enormous shortfall in tax revenue and a ballooning of the budget deficit. Kelsey Snell and Tory Newmyer contributed to this report. ||||| President Donald Trump on Wednesday will release a plan to radically overhaul the American tax code that many Republicans say is unrealistic and could end up hurting the chances of getting anything done on the issue, long one of the party’s top priorities. Driven by a president eager to show momentum heading into the close of his first 100 days in office, the hastily written plan could wind up alienating critical Hill Republicans while offering little or nothing to entice Democrats. It could also be widely dismissed by outside observers as an over-hyped rehash of promises the president already made during the campaign. Story Continued Below “So far at least, the contours of this are starting to look a lot like what happened with Trump and Congress on health care,” said Lanhee Chen, a top adviser to Mitt Romney’s 2012 campaign and now a professor at Stanford. “On health care you had irreconcilable differences on the scope of government. And in the same way here, whether or not you pay for a tax cut is a fundamental difference Republicans have. And what we could see Wednesday is that there isn’t even as much middle ground on taxes as there was on health care.” The main problem, political analysts and tax experts say, is that Republicans are caught between two irreconcilable models for enacting major tax changes. The president is likely to release a plan that repeats his campaign call for slashing the top corporate rate from 35 percent to 15 percent and reducing and simplifying individual rates, while doing little or nothing to replace the trillions of dollars in lost revenue from such cuts beyond relying on rosy forecasts for faster growth. The White House confirmed that the plan will include a boost in the standard deduction for individual taxpayers. The housing and charitable sectors fear that will hurt their bottom lines by making the mortgage interest and charitable deductions less attractive to taxpayers. The non-partisan Tax Policy Center estimates that reducing the corporate tax rate to 15 percent would cost the federal government $215 billion in 2018 alone and become a more expensive proposition as each year passes, according to the center’s analysis of Trump’s campaign plan. Many congressional Republicans, led by House Speaker Paul Ryan, prefer a radically different approach that would employ a new border tax to generate over $1 trillion in revenue over 10 years to pay for a cut in the top corporate rate to 20 percent from 35 percent. People close to Ryan are dismissive of Trump’s approach to unfunded tax cuts as a “magic unicorn” that will never clear the House. By releasing his plan without the border tax, as widely expected, Trump will be setting himself up in direct opposition to Ryan, whose help the president will need to get any major tax bill passed. “The fundamental disagreement here is basically over which kind of Reagan-style tax change that Trump is going to embrace,” said Jeffrey Birnbaum, a former journalist and author of a book on the epic 1986 tax reform fight. “Will it be 1986-style reform, which neither raised nor lowered the budget deficit or will it be 1981-style, which was just a reduction in rates and was eventually viewed by both Democrats and Republicans as too deep a cut. It’s clear Trump wants to echo Reagan but we don’t know which version of Reagan it will be.” For the moment, Republicans on the Hill are trying to stress the areas where they agree with Trump, including a desire to lower and simplify both corporate and individual rates to spur what the party hopes will be much faster economic growth that creates millions of new jobs and lifts wages. But many are signaling that significant differences remain that could prove insurmountable. “We all agree on the benefits of tax reform and the place we want to land, and the question is how you reach that place,” said AshLee Strong, a spokeswoman for Ryan. “We continue to have productive discussions with the administration about all ideas on the table.” But Ryan’s office also cited guidance from the Joint Committee on Taxation on Tuesday suggesting it would be impossible to pass a big corporate rate cut through the reconciliation process — which would avoid a Democratic filibuster in the Senate — without paying for it. The guidance held that even letting the cuts lapse after three years would still increase the deficit beyond ten years, which would violate the reconciliation process. “We project a nonnegligible revenue loss in the tax years immediately following the budget window,” the Joint Committee said. Pointing to this report is House Republicans’ way of saying that Trump’s current approach to the tax issue simply won’t work. On the Senate side, Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), who has been dismissive of the 15 percent target as unattainable, also tried to sound positive on Tuesday. “Every administration has had its own ideas, I’ve never seen one that hasn’t,” Hatch said. “They’re working with us and we’re interested in whatever they come up with. Even if it’s really expensive, I’m going to be interested in whatever they come up with. That doesn’t mean I’m necessarily going to follow it, but I want to support the administration if I can.” Democrats, meanwhile, stand ready to savage the plan as a giveaway to big corporations that would balloon the deficit. “I'm very skeptical. I've seen no plan in the past that could get to that [15 percent] level without adding to the deficit,” said Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), a member of the Finance Committee. Democrats are likely to also blast the proposal if, as expected, Trump repeats his campaign pledge to extend the 15 percent rate to so-called “pass-through” companies, which are often owner-operated businesses, like Trump’s own real-estate and branding empire. The argument Democrats will make is that if the proposal became law, it would give the president himself a giant tax cut. “In trying to slash taxes for 'pass-through' business entities, Trump is seeking to dramatically reduce his own tax bill,” said Frank Clemente, executive director of Americans for Tax Fairness. The 15 percent tax on pass-through income would also be far lower than the 25 percent top rate proposed by Ryan and House Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas). Privately, Democrats say they relish the thought of Republicans battling each other on how to rewrite the tax code. One Democratic aide predicted “a lot of Republican-on-Republican violence this week.” Others say it appears that Trump is simply pushing for a giant tax cut under the guise of more politically palatable “tax reform.” “Is it just tax cuts, or truly tax reform? I think the administration sometimes has confused the issue by calling everything tax reform when it is not,” said Mark Mazur, the former assistant secretary for tax policy at the Treasury Department under the Obama administration and now director of the non-partisan Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. “If you’re going to do tax reform, you need to be thinking about making the system simpler and more efficient.” Trump himself is personally invested in an overhaul of the tax code, far more than he was in any machinations of the health care legislation, according to one source familiar with the White House’s internal tax deliberations. The lone tax policy staffer on the National Economic Council, former Hill staffer Shahira Knight, has personally briefed the president on tax questions, say two sources. Morning Money Political intelligence on Washington and Wall Street — weekday mornings, in your inbox. Email Sign Up By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time. The president has a much stronger attachment and understanding of the tax code than, say, health insurance because the real estate industry relies so heavily on tax breaks such as the mortgage interest deduction for homeowners or the interest deduction for businesses. In this area, Trump's proposal to increase the standard deduction could actually harm his beloved real estate industry by making the mortgage deduction less attractive for tax filers. Inside the administration, Trump’s pledge to produce a new tax reform document this week took officials by surprise. And not all were thrilled to have to produce something this early in the process with major policy decisions still up in the air and meetings with congressional leadership still in their early phases. “This was all about doing something in the first 100 days and really it’s doing the process backwards,” one senior White House official said this week. “I’m not sure how helpful it is.” The rushed nature of the effort was reflected in conflicting statements from administration officials about what the package to be released Wednesday would include. Initially, several administration officials said it would probably include some kind of infrastructure investment to appeal to Democrats. Several Democrats support the idea of using some funds generated by the taxation of repatriated foreign earnings to pay for infrastructure projects such as rebuilding decaying roads and bridges. But as of late Tuesday afternoon, officials said the plan to be released Wednesday would probably not include infrastructure spending but instead just focus on individual and corporate rates. “The reason your head is spinning on this is that the plan isn’t even written yet,” one White House official said ahead of a planned meeting Tuesday evening between the administration and top Capitol Hill leaders. That meeting, which lasted about 45 minutes, appeared to be perfunctory. “This is just a preliminary meeting," Hatch said afterward. "They went into some suggestions that were mere suggestions and we’ll go from there." Aaron Lorenzo, Elana Schor, Burgess Everett and Brian Faler contributed to this report. ||||| President Trump plans to unveil a tax cut blueprint on Wednesday that would apply a vastly reduced, 15 percent business tax rate not only to corporations but also to companies that now pay taxes through the personal income tax code — from mom-and-pop businesses to his own real estate empire, according to several people briefed on the proposal. The package would also increase the standard deduction for individuals, providing a modest cut for middle-income people and simplifying the process of filing tax returns, according to people briefed on its details. That proposal is opposed by home builders and real estate agents, who fear it would diminish the importance of the mortgage interest deduction. And it is likely to necessitate eliminating or curbing other popular deductions, a politically risky pursuit. As of late Tuesday, the plan did not include Mr. Trump’s promised $1 trillion infrastructure program, two of the people said, and it jettisoned a House Republican proposal to impose a substantial tax on imports, known as a border adjustment tax, which would have raised billions of dollars to help offset the cost of the cuts. With that decision, Mr. Trump acceded to pressure from retailers and conservative advocacy groups, but the move could deepen the challenge of passing a broad tax overhaul in Congress, where concern about the swelling federal deficit runs high. His plan would put off the difficult part of a tax overhaul: closing loopholes and increasing other taxes to limit the impact of tax cuts on the budget deficit.

– Another detail of President Trump's tax overhaul plan has surfaced ahead of the expected Wednesday announcement, and it will be probably be a popular one: Sources tell the Washington Post that Trump plans a hefty increase in the standard deduction people can claim on their tax returns. White House officials say this will simplify tax filings for millions and give middle-income families thousands more dollars to spend a year, boosting the economy. It's not clear how far Trump plans to propose raising the deduction from the current $6,300 for individuals and $12,600 for married couples, though the number he cited on the campaign trail was $15,000 for individuals and $30,000 for families. Details of the plan were still being firmed up Tuesday evening, the New York Times reports, but the centerpiece remains slashing the business tax rate to 15%. Democrats have been keen to point out that this would apply to entities like Trump's real-estate empire as well as standard corporations. The Times' sources say the plan doesn't include Trump's $1 trillion infrastructure plan. The sources say Trump has rejected a House GOP proposal for a "border adjustment tax" on imports, which might have helped pay for the cuts. Analysts tell Politico that unless Trump can show congressional Republicans a realistic way to pay for his tax cuts, his proposals could end up damaging the chances of real reform happening.

Couple Tells Of Forced Abortion In Chinese City; 'One Child' Policy Blamed After running afoul of China's One Child policy, a Chinese couple expected to be hit with a fine. But instead, officials demanded that the woman — who was in the eighth month of her pregnancy — have an abortion, according to a new Al Jazeera report. In telling the couple's story, Al Jazeera reporter Melissa Chan gained access to a hospital where a distraught Xiao Ai Ying said doctors had given her womb an injection. As Chan describes it, the two spoke while Xiao awaited a procedure to remove the dead fetus. The couple's story, along with a separate video interview with Xiao's husband, is heartrending. And what makes it even more unusual, according to Chan, is that it occurred in the city of Xiamen, which sits on the coast across from Taiwan. Earlier reports of forced abortions in China have mostly been centered in the rural areas of the country's western regions. In fact, the Al Jazeera report has many of the same sad details as a 2007 story from NPR's Louisa Lim, who spoke to a couple who had just undergone a similar experience. In that case, Wei Linrong of Guanxi Province said she was seven months' pregnant with her second child when family planning officials came to her house and demanded that she report to the hospital for an abortion. That report also included a reason why forced abortions and crackdowns might be more the work of regional officials — and not the result of a central edict: Official figures published by the Xinhua news agency shed some light on why a forced abortion campaign might be judged necessary. They show that the Baise government missed its family planning targets last year. The recorded birth rate was 13.61 percent, slightly higher than the goal of 13.5 percent. This is significant because the career prospects of local officials depend upon meeting these goals. Al Jazeera's Chan notes that the central government does not condone forced abortions — and that, in addition to financial rewards for having just one child, parents can be fined as much as $40,000 for having a second baby. The country's official China Daily says that some 13 million abortions are performed in China each year. But that report also warned that the actual number could be far higher, as "figures are collected only from registered medical institutions." ||||| China's one-child policy leads to an estimated 13 million reported abortions every year, with many of those ordered by the authorities enforcing the system. Al Jazeera's Melissa Chan gained access to a hospital in the southeastern city of Xiamen, where she found one mother in a terrible condition. Xiao Ai Ying was forced to have an abortion eight months into her pregnancy because she already has a ten-year-old girl. Forced abortions sometimes happen in remote areas of China, but this one occurred in one of the country's most modern cities. They are not condoned by the central government. Mothers who violate China's one-child policy usually pay a fine anywhere from $1 to $40,000, but are then often sterilised to prevent them from having another child. Although the officials figures of 13 million abortions seem high, physicians and medical researchers quoted by the state-run newspaper China Daily on Thursday said that once unreported and medication-induced abortions are counted, the actual number is substantially higher. The rate of abortion in China is about 24 abortions for every 1,000 women between the ages of 15 and 44, the World Health Organisation and the Guttmacher Institute said in a joint report. In 2003, the report put the number of abortions in China at nine million, out of a total of 42 million worldwide. Al Jazeera approached Chinese authorities in Xiamen for comment on this story, but they declined to speak to us.

– China's one-child policy, long a staple of its public policy for urban, ethnic Han Chinese, officially exists on the national level as a series of monetary incentives for those who hold to it and monetary punishments for those who run afoul. Numerous interviews and investigations, however, consistently uncover the policy as it is often applied: through forced, sometimes very late-term, abortions. China's national government continues to hold to the position that such action is strictly against stated policy—a policy apparently routinely violated by local and regional authorities eager to meet population growth control guidelines in order to secure their lucrative party seats. Click through for the al-Jazeera story of Xiao Ai Ying, a woman whose second child was removed at 8 months in utero. More details at NPR.

A woman has survived 15 days trapped down a well in central China, state media have reported. Su Qixiu, 38, fell into the 4m-deep (12ft) abandoned well in Zhongfeng Village in Henan province on 1 September, Xinhua news agency reported. She survived by eating raw corn and drinking rainwater that fell into the well, Xinhua reported. Firefighters rescued her on Monday afternoon, and she was now receiving medical care, reports said. The well was surrounded by tall stalks of corn and hence hard to see, and the inside wall of the well too smooth to climb, the report said. Relatives searched for the missing woman but could not find her. Ms Su was searching for medicinal herbs in the corn field when she fell in, local Henan newspaper Dahe Daily reported. As she fell she grabbed onto some corn stalks. While the stalks did not stop her fall, some ears of corn fell into the well with her, it said. "There was nothing [in the well], [so I] ate a bit of raw corn and called for help every day," Ms Su told the newspaper. "I spent every day hoping that someone would walk by and rescue me. I called out every day, and although there was no response, I did not give up," it quoted her as saying. Stable condition On 16 September, a villager harvesting corn heard her cries and called the fire brigade, Dahe Daily reported. Her husband Li Qunming told reporters that Ms Su had lost considerable weight in her ordeal. "She was originally 115lb (52kg), now she's so thin I'm afraid she may not even weigh 80lb (36kg)," he said. "Although Su did not have any obvious injuries, she still could not speak or eat. Function of her internal organs has not recovered, but she is in stable condition and receiving fluids," Xinhua said. In July, five people died after falling into a well in southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, state media said. One farmer fell into the well in Longya village, followed by four people who tried to save him but also fell in. ||||| A woman stranded for 16 days in an abandoned well in central China said Wednesday that she shouted for help every day and began to lose hope, but that she managed to survive on raw corn and rainwater. Su Qixiu, 48, was gathering herbs when she fell into the 4-meter-deep (13-foot-deep) well in a village in Henan province on Sept. 1. Her husband and children unsuccessfully searched for her, but she was finally found Monday by a passer-by, state media reported. "I shouted every day in those 16 days. And spoke a lot of nonsense. I was scared and felt hopeless," said Su, who was speaking slowly and weakly in a telephone interview with The Associated Press from her hospital bed. Su said she lost around 15 kilograms (33 pounds) during her ordeal and now weighed around 40-45 kilograms (88-99 pounds). She said she was walking past a cornfield but couldn't see the road clearly and fell into the well. "I ate some corn. It rained and I drank some rain, but not much," she said. Su said she didn't remember being discovered, only a firefighter pulling her up from the bottom of the well. Her two daughters and one son raced home from Shanghai, where they work, when they heard their mother had gone missing, and were still with her, Su said. Henan Satellite TV broadcast images Wednesday of Su in the hospital. Her doctor, Ran Xiansuo, said that Su at first was unable to speak and had organ failure, but that her condition had stabilized. Su said the doctor told her she needed to stay in the hospital for a few more days, but that she was feeling gradually better.

– Grasping onto nearby stalks of corn as she tripped into an abandoned well may not have stopped Su Qixiu's fall, but it probably did save her life. Su (alternately described by the media as 38 and 48 years old) fell into the well in central China while out picking herbs in a corn field. The walls of the 13-foot well were too smooth to climb, so she called for help—but none came for 15 days (or possibly 16 days, depending on which news report you read). She survived by eating the corn she had grasped at as she tumbled and drinking rainwater until a villager finally heard her, the BBC reports. "I spent every day hoping that someone would walk by and rescue me. I called out every day, and although there was no response, I did not give up," she says. Su dropped 35 pounds—down to 80 pounds—while in the well and was not in a good way when she was first rescued, but is now in stable condition in the hospital.

LOS ANGELES, April 18 (UPI) -- Multiple Walmart stores across the United States caught employees and customers off-guard this week when the massive retail chain abruptly shut down some of its stores and laid off more than 2,000 workers. Customers and employees showed up to a location in Pico Rivera, Calif. on Monday to find locked doors and a sign that read simply, "closed indefinitely." For the store's near 550 workers, it was quite a shock. As the workers scratched their heads, similar scenarios played out almost simultaneously across the United States -- in Texas, Florida and Oklahoma -- where others learned their same fate. What, they wondered, would cause Walmart to shut down their store so suddenly? Eventually, the answer was given. But it only compounded the confusion. The Arkansas-based company subsequently announced that the closures were due to plumbing problems, and would require about six months to repair. "The issues mostly relate to clogs and water leaks in the plumbing - we have had persistent issues over the last several years," a Walmart spokesperson said. But that wasn't the worst of it. Coinciding with the closures, about 2,200 Walmart employees also lost their jobs -- laid off. "Everybody just panicked and started crying," Venanzi Luna, a manager at the Pico Rivera location, said in a CNN Money report. In the meantime, displaced workers at the affected locations will be put on paid leave for two months and can try to transfer to another Walmart. Those still jobless on June 19 might be eligible for severance, CNN's report said. In all, five locations were closed -- and a Walmart spokesperson said all five have had severe plumbing troubles, but none are related. However, ABC Action News in Tampa, Fla., has reported that none of the closed stores have asked their respective cities for any building permits -- something experts say is necessary to fix any kind of major plumbing issue. "This is the first time we're hearing of their sewer problems," Pico Rivera city manager Rene Bobadilla said. "We are anxious to learn exactly what they're planning," another Pico Rivera manager, James Enriquez, added. "My building official walked out there and didn't see any work being done." Therefore, skeptics wonder, are the stores closing for another reason? Some believe that yes, in fact, they are. Employees of the Pico Rivera location fear that the sudden shutdown is nothing less than retaliation by Walmart for recent demonstrations asking for higher pay. Workers at that particular store have been very active in the movement, and even spearheaded one of the first protests in 2012. The demand for higher wages for workers in the fast food and retail industries has been a hot topic lately. Earlier this week, thousands in cities across the nation rallied in the "Fight for $15" -- and just two months ago, Walmart announced it was giving 500,000 of its employees a raise. In 2013, some Walmart workers and union members accused the chain of retaliating against labor organizers. "People are scared because they see how Walmart retaliates. Not everyone has spoken out because of the reality of losing their jobs," union member and Walmart employee Colby Harris said at the time. Walmart, though, denies that the closures are for any reason other than plumbing. "We understand this decision has been difficult on our associates and our customers and we aim to reopen these stores as soon as these issues are resolved," a spokesperson said. In addition to the California location, the other affected stores are in Brandon, Fla., Livingston, Texas, Midland, Texas and Tulsa, Okla. The sudden closures, however, didn't just catch employees and customers off-guard. At a Texas location, Liberty Tax Service -- which is a common presence in numerous U.S. Walmarts -- was forced to hastily vacate its kiosk it rents in the store. A Liberty tax professional there, who wished to be unnamed, said she was forced to vacate the Walmart on April 13 -- two days before the tax-filing deadline, naturally a very busy time for companies like hers. Further, she worried that clients wouldn't know how to reach her at another location, which might potentially put their tax-filings in jeopardy. Further, the tax professional said she hasn't witnessed a single plumbing problem in the Texas store since she started working at Liberty's kiosk there three years ago. At the Brandon, Fla., location, two plumbing technicians who have worked extensively in that store said they don't buy it, either. "I've done a lot of maintenance work out there. I go out there and I unclog the drains, but there's been no major problems there. It's all been normal stuff that we do at every store," plumber Codi Bauer said in a WFLA-TV report. Some skeptics say the company's official reason for the closures simply isn't believable. If plumbing was indeed the reason for the move, they ask, why then is Walmart forcing affected employees to find other jobs -- and making them re-apply for their old positions once the locations reopen? "I went to the meeting [Tuesday] morning, they would not give me an exact answer to anything," a laid-off worker in Tulsa said in a report by CBS affiliate KOTV-TV. Another red flag, some say, is the fact that each of the stores seemed to be unusually well-prepared for the closures -- which would not be the case if abrupt plumbing problems triggered the sudden shutdowns. "They had too many things in place," Florida worker Diane Hill told ABC 10 News in Tampa. "The higher-ups knew. It's us lower folks on the totem pole that didn't know." Laid off workers from the Florida location also claimed to 10 News that Walmart instructed them not to speak to the press. Commissioner Victor Crist, who represents the district in which the Florida Walmart closed, is also curious and has asked Walmart to see the plumbing problems it's referring to. "I just find what's going on very odd," he said. "I am a little curious as to why permits have not been pulled. If you want to minimize downtime you do that by doing those things in advance." Crist said Walmart has not yet responded to his request. "I've been here ten years with this Walmart. This is my family, it's my home, and the customers are family here," Tulsa employee Cindy Burton said. "We know each and every one of them, some of them we know by name. This is home. "We are all finding places to go and we are trying to call. It's all we can do right now, is just try to find placement so we can all keep our job ... We were all in shock. I cried a lot, but we will all get through it." ||||| A group representing Walmart workers laid off after the abrupt closing of five stores last week planned to seek an injunction on Monday from the National Labor Relations Board that would require the retailer to rehire all 2,200 affected workers. Walmart said that the closings were temporary and were prompted by plumbing issues at the five stores, in California, Texas, Oklahoma and Florida. Officials at the retailer said they would do their best to rehire the workers at other stores or at the five stores once they reopened. But a claim set to be filed on Monday by the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union with the National Labor Relations Board says that the closings were in retaliation for a history of labor activism at one of the shuttered stores, in Pico Rivera, Calif. The union is acting on behalf of Our Walmart, a group that has helped the stores’ workers air their claims, but is not a union itself. The Pico Rivera store was the site of the first strike at a Walmart store in the United States, in 2012, organized by a workers’ group backed by the union. The strike was over pay and working conditions for the retailer’s hourly wage workers. Since then, store employees have led actions demanding changes to Walmart’s hours and pregnancy policies, access to full-time, consistent work and at least $15 an hour in pay for workers at the retailer’s 4,500 stores across the country.

– The 2,200 Walmart workers who were abruptly laid off because of what the company claims were plumbing problems at the stores where they worked are taking steps to ensure they get their jobs back. A union representing the workers will today file a claim with the National Labor Relations Board seeking an injunction requiring Walmart to rehire everyone, the New York Times reports. As it stands now, Walmart says the workers—who were given just hours of notice that the stores would be closed for six months—may be able to find work at another store; the injunction would require the company to find them work at another store or reopen the stores where they used to work. The claim also accuses Walmart of an ulterior motive for closing the stores. The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union—acting on behalf of Our Walmart, a non-union group that has been airing claims of poor working conditions—says Walmart is retaliating because one of the closed stores, in Pico Rivera, Calif., has been a hub for labor activism and hosted the first strike by Walmart workers for better pay and conditions. Walmart denies any such retaliation, and in response to the injunction, a rep says, "We don't believe there is a basis for an injunction that would interfere with our efforts to repair the serious plumbing issues at the five stores." Over the weekend, the company gave a few more details, with a rep telling UPI, "The issues mostly relate to clogs and water leaks in the plumbing—we have had persistent issues over the last several years."

Former Colorado Springs New Life Church pastor Ted Haggard will make a cameo appearance as himself in an upcoming pro-abstinence ‘Christian sex comedy’ titled “The Waiting Game”, according to the Colorado Springs Gazette. The film is being developed by two Colorado Springs men, Rich Praytor and Emilio Martinez, former stand up comics turned filmmakers. The Gazette also reports that the two are looking to raise $2 million dollars to shoot the film for which they’ve already written the script and produced a trailer. If they reach their financial goal, they will begin shooting September 1, 2011 in Colorado Springs. In the trailer for the film, Haggard, in what looks to be a coffee shop, eavesdrops on the conversation of a sexually frustrated, newly married man who says, “I’m so frustrated. You know, I’m just going to do what I want to do anyway, it’s not like it’s going to wind up on the front page of the newspaper.” Haggard “Hey Buddy, I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Haggard leans over and says, “Hey buddy, I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Ted Haggard resigned from his Colorado Springs-based New Life megachurch in 2006 after allegations and eventual admission from Haggard that he had a sexual relationship with a gay former male escort. In a recent interview in GQ magazine, Haggard opened up about the scandal stating: Here’s where I really am on this issue. I think that probably, if i were 21 in this society, I would identify myself as a bisexual. WATCH THE TRAILER: ||||| SPECIAL TO THE GAZETTE See THE TRAILER. When you hear the word “Christian,” the last words you expect to hear next are “sex comedy.” But with “The Waiting Game,” a pro-abstinence movie (featuring a cameo by former New Life Church pastor Ted Haggard) being developed in Colorado Springs, two local men are determined to boldly go where no filmmaker has gone before. “I love all the Judd Apatow movies — ‘40 Year Old Virgin,’ ‘Knocked Up,’ ‘Superbad’ — they’re all great,” says Rich Praytor, one of the producers and writers on the film. “So we wanted to take something like that into the Christian arena.” “They’re just starving for anything comedy,” adds Emilio Martinez, who also serves as producer and writer. They should know. A decade ago, both were up-and-coming comics in Los Angeles, having learned their craft from the likes of Kathy Griffin and Andy Dick. But the superficiality of that world and their own promiscuous lifestyles left them feeling empty inside, they say. They sought something deeper, more meaningful. “I’ve tried every religion out there,” Martinez says. “I’ve dabbled in everything except maybe Satan worship.” Although they hadn’t met yet, they both quit the business and moved to Colorado Springs. “Not knowing that this was the center of the Christian universe, apparently,” Praytor says, laughing. It was here that Martinez rediscovered the faith he’d been raised in, and Praytor, who had never really left the church, found his life’s work: making Christian films. They finally met in 2008, after Praytor posted an invitation to a script reading on Craigslist. Martinez answered his ad, and, with their similar backgrounds, the two hit it off almost immediately. A year later, they decided to make a movie together. Like last summer’s surprise hit “Easy A,” “The Waiting Game” is basically a sexless comedy about sex. In it, a lovable loser gets dumped by his bride at their wedding. Heartbroken, he dives back into the dating scene with a vengeance, determined to lose his virginity before he walks down that aisle again. In view of their less-than-pious pasts, do Martinez and Praytor consider it ironic that they’re now making a movie promoting abstinence? “I only think it’s ironic in the fact that God seems to really like irony,” Martinez says. “God loves to use the foolish to show his strength.” The pair have written several drafts of the script and recently put together a trailer, which can be viewed on YouTube. (Search for “Waiting Game Trailer,” and click the one from user onslaughtmediallc.) They’ve even attracted a couple of famous names to the project. One is Candace Cameron, who played the oldest daughter in the late ’80s/early ’90s sitcom “Full House.” She’s in talks to play the love interest in the film. The other is a local celebrity: Haggard, who’ll make a funny cameo as himself. What Martinez and Praytor need now is money — $2 million to be exact. One of the most successful Christian films to date — 2008’s “Fireproof” — was made for $500,000. “Most Christian movies make the mistake they get barely enough money to do the editing and get the titles on, and they have nothing left for marketing,” Martinez says. If they reach their goal, they’ll start shooting in Colorado Springs on Sept. 1. If they don’t? Well, then they’re going to make the film for whatever amount they raise. After all, they have absolute faith in their boss. “We just show up,” Martinez says. “God provides the rest.”

– Ted Haggard: movie star? The possibly bisexual pastor, famous for his 2006 gay-massage-and-meth scandal, is appearing as himself in a so-called “sex comedy” for the Christian set. Picture a Judd Apatow movie with a few slight tweaks: Most notably, the theme is pro-abstinence. The Waiting Game, being developed in Colorado by two locals, is about a man who’s saved himself for marriage … only to get dumped on his wedding day. Haggard gives the lead character some advice in the trailer below, first reported by the Colorado Springs Gazette last week in a story getting attention today. “I love all the Judd Apatow movies—40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Superbad—they’re all great,” says a producer and writer of the film. “So we wanted to take something like that into the Christian arena.” “They’re just starving for anything comedy,” adds his partner. Both come from a decidedly more secular background, having been trained by comedians like Kathy Griffin and Andy Dick in Los Angeles. Their project features another familiar name—Full House’s Candace Cameron—but for it to see the light of day, they need to raise $2 million.

Meningococcal meningitis is a rare but serious bacterial infection. It causes the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord to become inflamed. Each year, approximately 1,000 people in the U.S. get meningococcal disease, which includes meningitis and septicemia (blood infection). Meningococcal meningitis can be fatal or cause great harm without prompt treatment; as many as one out of five people who contract the infection have serious complications. According to the Centers for Disease Control, about 15% of those who survive are left with disabilities that include deafness, brain damage, and neurological problems. Here's what you need to know about the symptoms of meningococcal meningitis and ways to prevent and treat it. What Causes Meningococcal Meningitis? Bacteria and viruses are the two main causes of meningitis. The bacterium Neisseria meningitidis, also called meningococcus, causes meningococcal meningitis. In children and teens, meningococcus is the most common cause of bacterial meningitis. In adults, it is the second most common cause. Meningococcal bacteria may cause infection in a part of the body -- the skin, gastrointestinal tract, or respiratory tract, for instance. For unknown reasons, the bacteria may then spread through the bloodstream to the nervous system. When it gets there, it causes meningococcal meningitis. Bacteria can also enter the nervous system directly after severe head trauma, surgery, or infection. Your risk for meningococcal meningitis increases if you are exposed to the bacterium that causes it. Your risk also increases if you've had a recent upper respiratory infection. Babies, children, and teens are at greatest risk. ||||| Provided to BuzzFeed News The six months were difficult for their couple, who have been dating for over three years. Hayward described his condition as “being in jail” in his own head. “I could see everything that was going on — I could communicate, but the world couldn’t communicate back with me.” The couple quickly learned as much American Sign Language (ASL) as possible so that they could communicate. “He would place the ‘I love you’ sign on my leg or on my back, and that’s when I knew I could go to sleep,” Hayward recalled. ||||| Hayward Duresseau, of Lafayette, Louisiana, got the ultimate surprise on a day that had already been life-changing. Duresseau, 37, contracted bacterial meningococcal meningitis in February and completely lost his ability to hear as the illness wreaked havoc on his body, according to NBC News. After six months of recovery, Duresseau got a cochlear implant in August to help with his hearing loss. Get push notifications with news, features and more. After a doctor turned on the implant, Duresseau was finally able to hear again. With that, his boyfriend, Kerry Kennedy, had some extra special words to say. “It’s been kind of a long journey to get to this point. But I’m glad that we were able to do it together,” Kennedy, 37, says in a sweet video of the moment. “I want to keep doing these things with you and helping you as much as I can because I know you help me. So will you marry me?” Kerry Kennedy (left) and Hayward Duresseau In the video, Duresseau says “yes” and the pair shed a few tears in the doctor’s office. After they embraced, a smiling Duresseau said, “I’m so happy I can hear you.” “I got my fairy tale ending,” Duresseau told NBC. “It was like our relationship started all over again. Nothing was better than being able to hear his voice.” Before Duresseau became sick, the couple, who began dating in 2015, had talked about marriage. However, they put plans for their future on hold in the midst of Duresseau’s recovery. Now, the pair plans to rest after the ordeal and enjoy being engaged, they told NBC. The day marked the end of a months-long ordeal that began when the couple took a trip to San Francisco to visit family, they told Business Insider. Duresseau recalled feeling exhausted as he and Kennedy flew back to Louisiana. “I became paralyzed from the hip down. Kerry had to carry me down stairs and walk me to the car,” Duresseau told the site. “It was a nightmare. At that point my hearing faded and I couldn’t hear a thing.” He was hospitalized for weeks and regained his sight and mobility. During his recovery, the couple learned American Sign Language together to communicate because they “didn’t know what was going to happen next.” Things began to look up when Duresseau was approved for the cochlear implant, an electronic device that partially restores hearing. Kennedy gushed over the big day in a Facebook post. “It’s been six months since you lost your hearing to meningitis. These have been some of the most challenging months of our lives, but we made it together. Today your cochlear implant was turned on for the first time,” Kennedy wrote alongside a video of the proposal. “For the first time in 6 months, you were able to hear me, and I knew exactly what I wanted to ask you. When you said “Yes” today, that made all the challenges worth it. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you Hayward Duresseau.” ||||| By Ali Gostanian When Hayward Duresseau and Kerry Kennedy met during a Mardi Gras celebration in 2015, there was an instant connection. One was an introvert and the other was outgoing, but together the couple from Lafayette, Louisiana, never seemed to grow tired of each other. Hawyard Duresseau, left, had a cochlear implant put in after he lost his hearing from bacterial meningococcal meningitis. He is pictured here with his fiancé, Kerry Kennedy. Courtesy Kerry Kennedy However, their relationship had one of its most difficult challenges when Duresseau, 37, faced a major medical emergency: During a family trip to San Francisco in February, Duresseau contracted bacterial meningococcal meningitis. He remembers hearing about a meningitis outbreak while watching television in San Francisco but wasn’t concerned about it affecting him. When he returned to Lafayette from his trip, he suddenly felt exhausted. He woke up the next morning and put on his glasses but wasn’t able to see. At first he wasn’t alarmed, thinking perhaps his prescription had changed. But throughout the day, and during a Valentine’s Day dinner with Kennedy, Duresseau had a lingering headache that wouldn’t go away, even after taking migraine medication. The next morning, Duresseau was violently ill, and Kennedy immediately rushed him to the emergency room. Related https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/0-1-percent-gayborhood-lawmaker-brian-sims-perfects-political-counterpunch-n916611 Duresseau said that doctors treated him for what they thought was an eye condition. After the treatment was complete, however, his hearing was almost completely gone. "I was just praying," Duresseau said. "This couldn't be my life.” The doctors soon realized he had bacterial meningococcal meningitis. "When he was first diagnosed, it was terrifying," Kennedy said. "I was really scared. I wasn't sure if he was ever going to leave the hospital.” “I honestly thought I was going to die,” Duresseau added. For Duresseau, one of the most difficult parts of the diagnosis was his loss of independence. He had to depend on Kennedy and his family for everything. Initially, he had problems walking, going up and down the stairs and even bathing on his own. “I felt like I was in jail in my own head. It was lonely. I couldn’t do anything on my own,” said Duresseau, who was used to an active lifestyle working in the restaurant industry. Through all the medical challenges, Duresseau says Kennedy was there to support him. “Kerry never left my side. He kept saying, ‘We’re a team. We’re going to get through this together,” Duresseau recalled. While losing his independence was a struggle, the loss of his hearing was even more devastating, Duresseau said. “It wasn’t just that I couldn’t communicate with Kerry. I couldn’t communicate with the outside world at all,” he explained. Kerry Kennedy, left, and Hayward Duresseau, sign "I love you" to each other. Courtesy Kerry Kennedy Fortunately, the couple had a friend who is a sign language interpreter. After reading on Facebook what the couple was going through, the friend put together a book of American Sign Language phrases and vocabulary and started teaching them. “It was difficult,” Kennedy said. “It was learning a whole new language.” Before Duresseau became sick and lost his hearing, the couple had discussed taking the next step in their relationship — marriage. While the plans were put on hold for a while as Duresseau was recovering, Kennedy said he still hoped they would get married. After a six-month recovery, doctors decided that Duresseau was healthy enough to undergo surgery for a cochlear implant, which could help Duresseau with his hearing loss . After the surgery, the doctor turned on the cochlear implant for the first time. Kennedy said he knew this was the right moment to propose. “It was a really emotional time,” Duresseau said, referring to the proposal. “I’m able to hear voices again, and [Kerry was] talking to me about our past and where we’re going in the future.” “I wanted it be special,” Kennedy said. “I wanted it to be the first thing he heard from me.” “I got my fairy tale ending,” Duresseau said. After the surgery, the couple felt as though they were getting reacquainted with one another. “It was like our relationship started all over again,” Duresseau said. “Nothing was better than being able to hear his voice.” The couple has not yet started to plan their wedding. After a difficult year, they're taking some time to rest and enjoy being each other's fiancé. FOLLOW NBC OUT ON TWITTER, FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM ||||| See more of Kerry Kennedy on Facebook

– For Hayward Duresseau, a "terrifying" diagnosis ended in one of the happiest moments of his life. The 27-year-old had just visited San Francisco with boyfriend Kerry Kennedy in February when he grew exhausted, lost some vision, got a killer headache, and fell violently ill—which landed him in an emergency room in their hometown of Lafayette, Louisiana, reports NBC News. His eye problem soon developed into hearing loss and a new diagnosis: bacterial meningococcal meningitis, a possibly fatal infection that WebMD says inflames membranes covering the spinal cord and brain. An outbreak had just struck San Francisco, spreading by prolonged contact with a carrier via kissing or shared food or water, per Buzzfeed. "When he was first diagnosed, it was terrifying," Kennedy said. "I was really scared. I wasn't sure if he was ever going to leave the hospital." But Kennedy, 37, stayed by Duresseau's side for his three weeks in hospital and six months of recovery. Paralyzed from the hips down, Duresseau did regain mobility and sight but lost all hearing—so the couple learned American Sign Language together, reports People. When a cochlear implant allowed him to hear again, the first thing he heard was Kennedy's marriage proposal: Down on one knee, Kennedy asked, "Will you marry me?" Amid tears and laughter, Duresseau said one word: "Yes." See the video on Kennedy's Facebook page, where he writes, "These have been some of the most challenging months of our lives, but we made it together."

Egypt's naval forces captured three scuba divers who were trying to cut an undersea Internet cable in the Mediterranean on Wednesday, a military spokesman said. Telecommunications executives meanwhile blamed a weeklong Internet slowdown on damage caused to another cable by a ship. Col. Ahmed Mohammed Ali said in a statement on his official Facebook page that divers were arrested while "cutting the undersea cable" of the country's main communications company, Telecom Egypt. The statement said they were caught on a speeding fishing boat just off the port city of Alexandria. The statement was accompanied by a photo showing three young men, apparently Egyptian, staring up at the camera in what looks like an inflatable launch. It did not further have details on who they were or why they would have wanted to cut a cable. Egypt's Internet services have been disrupted since March 22. Telecom Egypt executive manager Mohammed el-Nawawi told the private TV network CBC that the damage was caused by a ship, and there would be a full recovery on Thursday. There was preliminary evidence of slow Internet connections as far away as Pakistan and India, said Jim Cowie, chief technology officer and co-founder of Renesys, a network security firm based in Manchester, N.H., that studies Internet traffic. A cable cut can cause data to become congested and flow the long way around the world, he said. It's not the first time cable cuts have affected the Mideast in recent years. Errant ships' anchors are often blamed. Serious undersea cable cuts caused widespread Internet outages and disruptions across the Middle East on two separate occasions in 2008. ||||| Egypt said it has arrested three men suspected of slicing a crucial undersea Internet cable on Wednesday, causing widespread problems from Kenya to Pakistan. The South East Asia-Middle East-West Europe 4 (SEA-ME-WE 4) cable runs 12,500 miles from France to Singapore, with branches connecting telecommunication companies in Malaysia, Thailand, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Italy, Tunisia and Algeria. Egypt published photos of three men in a boat with their hands tied along with scuba diving tanks. The men were apprehended just offshore where SEA-ME-WE 4 reaches land, according to a Facebook posting purportedly by Egypt's military. Egypt's Facebook account could not be immediately verified with the social networking company, but Telecom Egypt also wrote about the arrests on its Twitter feed. SEA-ME-WE 4 is a major cable, said Doug Madory, senior research engineer for Renesys, a company that monitors global internet activity by collecting data on how traffic is routed to different service providers around the world. The cable stopped carrying traffic at 6:20 UTC on Wednesday, he said. Undersea cables can break due to earthquakes or ship anchors, Madory said. There are fewer than 10 ships worldwide that are equipped to repair underseas cables, he said. But Egypt's might be easier for fix since it is closer to shore, he said. If the allegation of sabotage is true, "that is just staggering," Madory said. Renesys posted a graph on Twitter showing the outage affecting countries, including Kenya, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Saudi Arabia. At least 614 networks that connect to Telecom Egypt were not working, Madory said. Hundred of smaller networks that connect to Pakistan's Transworld Associates network were also down, he said. Renesys monitors routing information for 400 telecommunication companies worldwide. When a cable does down, Internet routers run by telecoms are designed to reroute traffic. But smaller networks that are dependant on a sole large provider to the cable could remain offline until it is fixed, Madory said. Send news tips and comments to jeremy_kirk@idg.com. Follow me on Twitter: @jeremy_kirk

– The Egyptian navy yesterday captured three scuba divers who were attempting to cut an undersea Internet cable, the AP reports. The military posted a photo of the three men, who were caught on a fishing boat near Alexandria in the Mediterranean Sea; it did not further have details on who they were or why they would have wanted to cut the cable. As ITWorld explains, the cable in question is the South East Asia-Middle East-West Europe 4 (aka SMW4), a 12,500-mile long cable that runs from France to Singapore and touches Thailand, India, Italy, and other countries along the way. ITWorld spoke with a research engineer with Renesys, a company that analyzes global Internet use, who says the SMW4 cable ceased operations at 6:20am GMT yesterday. His company observed outages in Kenya, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Saudi Arabia. If it was indeed an act of sabotage (ships and earthquakes have also been known to break cables), that's "just staggering," he says. Egypt Independent reports that the cut cable caused Internet services to drop 60%, but Telecom Egypt says service will be restored completely today. The Middle East has had problems with cut cables before.

It's not yet clear how many other cases — including the 400 inmates on the state's death row — could be affected, experts said. “The substance of the ruling would affect the vast majority of Florida’s death row inmates," said Robert Dunham, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, which opposes capital punishment. "The remaining question would be: Will the Supreme Court consider this to have retroactive effect and retroactive to when?” He said he expects the ruling will unleash a wave of litigation. “Every defendant in Florida whose death sentence was imposed in this matter will be challenging the constitutionality of his or her death sentence under Hurst," Dunham said. Connie Fuselier, the mother of Hurst's victim, said she doesn’t care if he is executed at this point, but she can’t bear the thought of more legal proceedings. “It’s been hell,” she told NBC News. “When you get to thinking it’s over with, it starts all over again. It’s nerve-racking.” At one point during the many appeals the case has spawned, Fuselier said, she told the prosecutor she’d be satisfied with a sentence of life without parole. “I just want it over with. I want to know he has no more appeals,” she said. She said the case’s 17-year journey through the courts, with the rehashing of the gruesome details of her daughter’s death, has taken a toll on the family. “I have post-traumatic stress. I have depression,” she said. “It’s like the family evaporated. We’re all here, but it’s like we’re not.” ||||| WASHINGTON (AP) — Florida's unique system for sentencing people to death is unconstitutional because it gives too much power to judges — and not enough to juries — to decide capital sentences, the Supreme Court ruled Tuesday. The 8-1 ruling said that the state's sentencing procedure is flawed because juries play only an advisory role in recommending death while the judge can reach a different decision. The decision could trigger new sentencing appeals from some of the 390 inmates on the Florida's death row, a number second only to California. But legal experts said it may apply only to those whose initial appeals are not yet exhausted. The court sided with Timothy Lee Hurst, who was convicted of the 1998 murder of his manager at a Popeye's restaurant in Pensacola. A jury divided 7-5 in favor of death, but a judge imposed the sentence. Florida's solicitor general argued that the system was acceptable because a jury first decides if the defendant is eligible for the death penalty. Writing for the court, Justice Sonia Sotomayor said a jury's "mere recommendation is not enough." She said the court was overruling previous decisions upholding the state's sentencing process. "The Sixth Amendment requires a jury, not a judge, to find each fact necessary to impose a sentence of death," Sotomayor said. The justices sent the case back to the Florida Supreme Court to determine whether the error in sentencing Hurst was harmless, or whether he should get a new sentencing hearing. Justice Samuel Alito dissented, saying that the trial judge in Florida simply performs a reviewing function that duplicates what the jury has done. Under Florida law, the state requires juries in capital sentencing hearings to weigh factors for and against imposing a death sentence. But the judge is not bound by those findings and can reach a different conclusion. The judge can also weigh other factors independently. So a jury could base its decision on one particular aggravating factor, but a judge could then rely on a different factor the jury never considered. In Hurst's case, prosecutors asked the jury to consider two aggravating factors: the murder was committed during a robbery and it was "especially heinous, atrocious or cruel." But Florida law did not require the jury to say how it voted on each factor. Hurst's attorney argued that it was possible only four jurors agreed with one, while three agreed with the other. Sotomayor said Florida's system is flawed because it allows a sentencing judge to find aggravating factors "independent of a jury's fact-finding." The Supreme Court ruled in 2002 that a defendant has the right to have a jury decide whether the circumstances of a crime warrant a sentence of death. Florida is one of only three states that do not require a unanimous jury verdict when sentencing someone to death. The others are Alabama and Delaware. Stephen Harper, a law professor who runs the Death Penalty Clinic at Florida International University, said it's unlikely the Supreme Court ruling will open the door for most Florida death-row inmates to new sentencing hearings. He said the Florida decision is based on a previous Arizona ruling that was already found not to be retroactive. "In general, it will not be retroactively applied," Harper said. But he added that Florida inmates whose initial appeals have not been exhausted may be able to argue that the latest decision applies to them. And, he said, any capital cases that are awaiting trial would likely be delayed while state legislators and the Florida Supreme Court sort out the next steps. Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi said her office is reviewing the ruling. News of the high court's decision stunned Florida legislators. Florida House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, who learned of the ruling while he was giving a speech to open the state's annual legislative session, said the Supreme Court had "impeccable timing." Crisafulli said House legal experts would begin to review the ruling. Rep. Matt Gaetz, an attorney who has dealt with capital punishment during his legislative career, predicted that Florida legislators would act swiftly to get the death penalty "right back on track." Cassandra Stubbs, director of the American Civil Liberties Union's Capital Punishment Project, said the ruling "restored the central role of the jury in imposing the death penalty." She called it another step toward ending capital punishment since juries across the country have been increasingly reluctant to impose death sentences. ___ Associated Press writers Curt Anderson in Miami, Gary Fineout in Tallahassee, Florida, and Tamara Lush in St. Petersburg, Florida, contributed to this report. ||||| The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday struck down Florida's death penalty system on the grounds that judges, not juries, decide the key facts that determine whether a killer is condemned to die. In an 8-1 ruling, the justices said this judge-driven system violates a defendant's right to a jury trial. The ruling will likely give new sentencing hearings to inmates who were recently sentenced to death in Florida, but the justices in the past have said such new rulings do not apply automatically to old cases. Tuesday's ruling relied on a 2002 decision that struck down Arizona's judge-driven system for deciding death penalty cases. Despite that ruling in the case of Ring vs. Arizona, the Florida courts had continued to uphold death sentences there on the grounds that juries had recommended death as the proper verdict. But on Tuesday, the justices decided Florida must move to a sentencing system that gives juries the final word. The ruling will mean a new sentencing hearing for Timothy Hurst, who was convicted of stabbing and killing a a co-worker at a Popeye's restaurant in 1998. Join the conversation on Facebook >> He was tried twice, and the jury, though divided, recommended a death sentence, and the judge imposed one. But Justice Sonia Sotomayor, speaking for the court, said Florida should have followed the 2002 decision by putting the full weight on the jury. "The 6th Amendment protects a defendant's right to an impartial jury," she said. "This right required Florida to base Timothy Hurst's death sentence on a jury verdict, not a judge's fact-finding. Florida's death sentencing scheme, which required the judge alone to find the existence of an aggravating circumstance, is therefore unconstitutional." Dissenting alone, Justice Samuel A. Alito said the justices had upheld Florida's system in the past. "Under the Florida system, the jury plays a critically important role," he said, by weighing the evidence and recommending whether the murderer should die. On Twitter: @DavidGSavage ALSO Seattle activist plans mobile drug haven to encourage safe use In his final State of the Union address, Obama seeks to stay relevant Supreme Court appears skeptical of union fees -- a potentially major loss for labor groups

– The US Supreme Court declared Florida's death penalty system unconstitutional on Tuesday, opening the possibility of new hearings for at least some of the 390 inmates currently on death row in the state, the AP reports. In an 8-1 vote, the Supreme Court ruled the system violated the right to trial by jury by giving judges—not juries—the final say on whether the death penalty is imposed, according to the Los Angeles Times. "The Sixth Amendment requires a jury, not a judge, to find each fact necessary to impose a sentence of death," the AP quotes Justice Sotomayor in her decision. Justice Alito was the lone dissenting vote. The ruling was based on the case of Timothy Hurst, who killed his manager at a Florida Popeye's in 1998, the AP reports. The jury was split 7-5 on the death penalty, but a judge ruled for it anyway. It remains to be seen whether Hurst will get a new hearing. The ruling was a blow for the mother of Hurst's victim, who tells NBC News that after 17 years she no longer cares if Hurst is executed or not. "I just want it over with," she says. "I want to know he has no more appeals." The Supreme Court struck down a similar death penalty system in 2002 in Arizona, the Times reports.

Tim Peake apologised to the lady via Twitter British astronaut Tim Peake gave an unsuspecting woman a shock after dialling the wrong number and saying: "Hello, is this planet Earth?" Major Peake, who is spending six months on the International Space Station, has apologised and insisted it was not a prank call. Tim Peake took this picture of Earth on Christmas Eve After the gaffe he tweeted: "I'd like to apologise to the lady I just called by mistake saying 'Hello, is this planet Earth?' - not a prank call ... just a wrong number!" Britons were offered a glimpse of the ISS as it soared 250 miles above the Earth. Play video "Tim Peake's Space Somersault" Video: Tim Peake's Space Somersault From southern England, it appeared in the West at about 4.24pm on Christmas Day. Robin Scagell, vice-president of the Society for Popular Astronomy, said: "The space station's maximum elevation will be about 23 degrees viewed from London, which is just above the rooftops. "It will be the brightest star in the sky, moving rapidly from west to east. Play video "Peake Holds First News Conference" Video: Peake Holds First News Conference "You might think it's a plane to start with, but you'd hear the engine noise of an aircraft that close and of course the space station is silent. "So we'll be able to see a different object flying over the rooftops on Christmas Day." A full moon is also making an appearance - the first time it has happened on Christmas Day in 38 years. ||||| I'd like to apologise to the lady I just called by mistake saying 'Hello, is this planet Earth?' - not a prank call...just a wrong number! ||||| Story highlights "Hello, is this planet Earth?" Peake asks miscellaneous woman Astronaut tweets apology, saying it was no prank (CNN) Earth to astronaut Tim Peake: Check the phone number before you dial. Otherwise the person you reach is likely to think you're some kind of nut case. UK astronaut Tim Peake boards the Soyuz spacecraft. Peake is a British astronaut who arrived at the International Space Station on December 15. He is spending six months there, conducting scientific experiments. Recently, he phoned home -- as in Earth -- but got the number wrong. "Hello, is this planet Earth?" Peake asked. When he realized he'd misdialed, Peake tweeted his regret. Read More

– Everyone has picked up the phone to find a flustered mis-dialer on the line, but it's not every day that that wrong number was punched in from space. British astronaut Tim Peake took to Twitter on Thursday to apologize for what could pass for the most prominent telephone misfire of all time, reports CNN. "I'd like to apologise to the lady I just called by mistake saying 'Hello, is this planet Earth?' - not a prank call...just a wrong number!" he tweeted. Peake arrived on the International Space Station on Dec. 15, and he's got some time to hone his dialing skills—he'll be there for six months, notes Sky News. (Meanwhile, planet Earth gets to observe a full moon on Christmas for the first time since 1977.)

Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- President Barack Obama, speaking early Wednesday in Afghanistan at the tail end of a surprise visit there, discussed how the war will end and promised a steady drawdown of U.S. troops. Obama committed to pulling 23,000 troops out of the country by the end of summer and sticking to the 2014 deadline to turn security fully over to the Afghan government. He said that NATO will set a goal this month for Afghan forces to be in the lead for combat operations next year. "We will not build permanent bases in this country, nor will we be patrolling its cities and mountains. That will be the job of the Afghan people," the president said during a speech at Bagram Air Base. Read extensive excerpts of the speech His unannounced trip was Obama's third visit to Afghanistan since taking office. It coincided with the first anniversary of the U.S. raid that killed Osama bin Laden in neighboring Pakistan, and comes as Obama is fighting for re-election. Hours after Obama left the country, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force reported a loud explosion in the capital, Kabul. Gen. Mohammad Ayoub Salangi, Kabul chief of police, told CNN it was a suicide car bomb. The blast killed five people outside a compound known as Green Village, according Sediq Seddiqi, a spokesman for Afghan Interior Ministry. An undetermined number of others also were injured. The president promised not to keep troops in harm's way "a single day longer than is absolutely required for our national security," but promised to "finish the job" and "end this war responsibly." Obama spoke of a "negotiated peace," and said his administration has been in direct talks with the Taliban. "We've made it clear that they can be a part of this future if they break with al Qaeda, renounce violence, and abide by Afghan laws," he said. Finally, the president vowed: "This time of war began in Afghanistan, and this is where it will end." Earlier in his trip, Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai signed an agreement outlining cooperation between their countries once the U.S.-led international force withdraws in 2014. Some U.S. forces will remain in a post-war Afghanistan as military advisers, but both U.S. and Afghan officials have yet to decide how many troops will continue supporting the Afghan military, and for how long. See reactions to Obama's surprise trip At a signing ceremony for the Strategic Partnership Agreement, Obama said that neither country asked for the war that began more than a decade ago, but now they would work in partnership for a peaceful future. "There will be difficult days ahead, but as we move forward in our transition, I'm confident that Afghan forces will grow stronger; the Afghan people will take control of their future," Obama said. Addressing a concern in Afghanistan that the United States will abandon the country once its troops leave, Obama said, "With this agreement, I am confident that the Afghan people will understand that the United States will stand by them." He later added that the United States "did not come here to claim resources or to claim territory. We came here with a very clear mission to destroy al Qaeda," referring to the terrorist organization responsible for the September 11, 2001, attacks. Obama's address came nine years to the day after then-President George W. Bush delivered his "Mission Accomplished" speech aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, announcing the end of major combat operations in Iraq. Karzai offered his thanks to the American people for helping Afghanistan, and the presidents shook hands after signing the document in the atrium of the King's Residence, part of the Presidential Palace in Kabul. "This agreement will close the season of the past 10 years and is going to open an equal relationship season. With the signing of this agreement, we are starting a phase between two sovereign and independent countries that will be based on mutual respect, mutual commitments and mutual friendship," Karzai said. Obama warned the Afghan people and, later, U.S. troops he met with, of difficult days ahead. In remarks to troops at Bagram, Obama sounded emotional as he said that soldiers could see friends get hurt or killed as the mission winds down. "There's going to heartbreak and pain and difficulty ahead, but there's a light on the horizon because of the sacrifices you've made," he said. The security risks in Afghanistan were evident from the secretive nature and timing of the trip. Obama landed in Afghanistan in the cover of darkness, and the signing ceremony occurred in the late evening. Back in the United States, politicians reacted to the president's visit -- some with praise, others claiming it was politically motivated. Presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney said, "I am pleased that President Obama has returned to Afghanistan. Our troops and the American people deserve to hear from our president about what is at stake in this war. Success in Afghanistan is vital to our nation's security. It would be a tragedy for Afghanistan and a strategic setback for America if the Taliban returned to power and once again created a sanctuary for terrorists." Sen. James Inhofe, R-Oklahoma, was less supportive. "Clearly, this trip is campaign-related. We've seen recently that President Obama has visited college campuses in an attempt to win back the support of that age group since he has lost it over the last three years. Similarly, this trip to Afghanistan is an attempt to shore up his national security credentials, because he has spent the past three years gutting our military," he said in a statement. The Strategic Partnership Agreement provides a framework for the U.S.-Afghanistan partnership for the decade after the U.S. and allied troop withdrawal, according to senior administration officials who briefed reporters on the flight. Specific levels of U.S. forces and funding are not set in the agreement and will be determined by the United States in consultation with allies, the officials said on condition of not being identified. Noting the anniversary of the bin Laden mission, the officials called it a resonant day for the Afghan and American people. More than 130,000 troops from 50 countries serve in Afghanistan, according to the NATO-led International Security and Assistance Force. The United States is the biggest contributor, providing about 90,000 troops, followed by the United Kingdom (9,500), Germany (4,800) and France (3,600). The war that began in 2001 is increasingly unpopular in the United States, with the latest CNN/ORC International poll in late March showing 25% of respondents supporting it and 72% opposing it. More than 2,700 troops from the United States and its partners have died in the war, the majority of them American. In 2011, the United States outlined its plan to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2014. The move was followed by withdrawal announcements by most of the NATO nations. Last week, Afghan National Security Adviser Rangin Daftar Spanta and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker initialed a text that outlined the kind of relationship the two countries want in the decade following the NATO withdrawal. The deal had been long expected after Washington and Kabul found compromises over the thorny issues of "night raids" by U.S. forces on Afghan homes and the transfer of U.S. detainees to Afghan custody. It seeks to create an enduring partnership that prevents the Taliban from waiting until the U.S. withdrawal to try to regain power, the senior administration officials said. Obama visited Afghanistan in March 2010 and returned in December of the same year. He also visited Afghanistan in 2008 as a presidential candidate. CNN's Tom Cohen, Barbara Starr, Keating Holland, Nick Paton Walsh and journalist Masoud Popalzai contributed to this report. ||||| The speech did not lay out any new timetable for what Mr. Obama said was the goal for Afghanistan: “a future in which war ends and a new chapter begins.” “Our troops will be coming home,” Mr. Obama said. “Last year, we removed 10,000 U.S. troops from Afghanistan. Another 23,000 will leave by the end of the summer. After that, reductions will continue at a steady pace, with more of our troops coming home. And as our coalition agreed, by the end of 2014 the Afghans will be fully responsible for the security of their country.” It was almost prime time in Washington, and the wee hours of the morning in Afghanistan, when President Obama spoke live on television. His message would certainly be seen live by millions of Americans and very few Afghans. But it had to be addressed to both. His American audience is attuned not only to the echoes of the strike in neighboring Pakistan that killed Bin Laden last May, but also to the way Mr. Obama’s management of two wars is playing in this year’s presidential campaign. “I recognize that many Americans are tired of war,” he said. “I will not keep Americans in harm’s way a single day longer than is absolutely required for our national security. But we must finish the job we started in Afghanistan, and end this war responsibly.” He emphasized that the goals are limited. “To build a country in America’s image, or to eradicate every vestige of the Taliban,” he said, would “require many more years, many more dollars, and most importantly, many more American lives.” Advertisement Continue reading the main story “Our goal is to destroy Al Qaeda, and we are on a path to do exactly that,” he said. In political terms, the emphasis was on bringing two wars to a close. Newsletter Sign Up Continue reading the main story Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up You will receive emails containing news content , updates and promotions from The New York Times. You may opt-out at any time. You agree to receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services. Thank you for subscribing. An error has occurred. Please try again later. View all New York Times newsletters. “We have traveled through more than a decade under the dark cloud of war,” he said. “Yet here, in the predawn darkness of Afghanistan, we can see the light of a new day on the horizon. The Iraq war is over. The number of our troops in harm’s way has been cut in half, and more will be coming home soon.” His Afghan audience, and the government of President Karzai, with whom he signed the strategic partnership, is focused on questions of stability after the Americans depart. “You will not stand alone,” he said to them. The new agreement “establishes the basis of our cooperation over the next decade, including shared commitments to combat terrorism and strengthen democratic institutions.” Earlier, in an appearance with Mr. Karzai, Mr. Obama had declared, “I am confident that the Afghan people will understand that the United States will stand by them.” And in a visit with the troops, he told them, too, that the American withdrawal would be an honorable one. “We’re not going to do it overnight. We’re not going to do it irresponsibly,” Mr. Obama said. “We’re going to make sure that the gains, the hard-fought gains that have been made, are preserved.” Any details about the exact pace of the withdrawal are unlikely to come before the November elections. The agreement deals not only with military and security issues, but also with assistance in building Afghanistan’s economy and its democracy, both of which are frail. It allows a vestigial American military presence without committing either side to numbers, and it gives Afghanistan sovereignty without cutting it loose entirely from the United States as a sponsor and mentor. Advertisement Continue reading the main story “We will not build permanent bases in this country, nor will we be patrolling its cities and mountains,” Mr. Obama said in his televised speech. A White House fact sheet noted that “the Strategic Partnership Agreement itself does not commit the United States to any specific troop levels or levels of funding in the future, as those are decisions will be made in consultation with the U.S. Congress. It does, however, commit the United States to seek funding from Congress on an annual basis to support the training, equipping, advising and sustaining of Afghan National Security Forces, as well as for social and economic assistance.” And some details have to be worked out with the other allies who are about to meet in Chicago to map the way forward to 2014, when NATO’s full engagement in Afghanistan is to give way to something that, even with this new partnership agreement in hand, remains only loosely defined.

– President Obama wrapped up his surprise trip to Afghanistan—during which he signed an accord with Hamid Karzai on how the US will wind down its presence after 2014—with an address to Americans. He declared that the US has "a clear path to fulfill our mission in Afghanistan," but vowed to end war "responsibly," reports CNN and the New York Times. Some excerpts: "My fellow Americans, we have traveled through more than a decade under the dark cloud of war. Yet here, in the predawn darkness of Afghanistan, we can see the light of a new day on the horizon." “The goal that I set, to defeat al-Qaeda and deny it the chance to rebuild, is now within our reach." “I recognize that many Americans are tired of war. I will not keep Americans in harm’s way a single day longer than is absolutely required for our national security. But we must finish the job we started in Afghanistan, and end this war responsibly.” “We’re going to make sure that the gains, the hard-fought gains that have been made, are preserved.” He promised the US would "fight alongside" the Afghans when necessary, even after 2014. "This time of war began in Afghanistan, and this is where it will end."

Photo: USGS Image 1 of / 19 Caption Close Image 1 of 19 A swarm of earthquakes have continued to rock San Ramon in the East Bay for the past week. A swarm of earthquakes have continued to rock San Ramon in the East Bay for the past week. Photo: USGS Image 2 of 19 San Ramon was hit by five earthquakes larger than 2.5 in the last day. A swarm of earthquakes have continued to rock San Ramon in the East Bay for the past week. San Ramon was hit by five earthquakes larger than 2.5 in the last day. A swarm of earthquakes have continued to rock San Ramon in the East Bay for the past week. Photo: USGS Image 3 of 19 A swarm of earthquakes have continued to rock San Ramon in the East Bay for the past week. A swarm of earthquakes have continued to rock San Ramon in the East Bay for the past week. Photo: USGS Image 4 of 19 A swarm of earthquakes have continued to rock San Ramon in the East Bay for the past week. A swarm of earthquakes have continued to rock San Ramon in the East Bay for the past week. Photo: USGS Image 5 of 19 A swarm of earthquakes have continued to rock San Ramon in the East Bay for the past week. A swarm of earthquakes have continued to rock San Ramon in the East Bay for the past week. Photo: USGS Image 6 of 19 A swarm of earthquakes have continued to rock San Ramon in the East Bay for the past week. A swarm of earthquakes have continued to rock San Ramon in the East Bay for the past week. Photo: USGS Image 7 of 19 A swarm of earthquakes have continued to rock San Ramon in the East Bay for the past week. A swarm of earthquakes have continued to rock San Ramon in the East Bay for the past week. Photo: USGS Image 8 of 19 A swarm of earthquakes have continued to rock San Ramon in the East Bay for the past week. A swarm of earthquakes have continued to rock San Ramon in the East Bay for the past week. Photo: USGS Image 9 of 19 A swarm of earthquakes have continued to rock San Ramon in the East Bay for the past week. A swarm of earthquakes have continued to rock San Ramon in the East Bay for the past week. Photo: USGS Image 10 of 19 A swarm of earthquakes have continued to rock San Ramon in the East Bay for the past week. Check out some of the top quake apps by clicking through the gallery. A swarm of earthquakes have continued to rock San Ramon in the East Bay for the past week. Check out some of the top quake apps by clicking through the gallery. Photo: USGS Image 11 of 19 MyQuake The UC Berkeley Seismological Laboratory's app provides an easy to use, informative overview of earthquakes over the years. It defaults to show you recent earthquakes in your area. For example, there was a magnitude 2.7 quake in Crockett this week. If you look at past earthquakes, you can see their location, magnitude, photographs and newspaper front pages. There are also bullet-pointed stats on how the quake affected local communities. MyQuake is available for iPhone. It is free. The UC Berkeley Seismological Laboratory's app provides an easy to use, informative overview of earthquakes over the years. It defaults to show you recent earthquakes in your area. For example, there was a magnitude 2.7 quake in Crockett this week. If you look at past earthquakes, you can see their location, magnitude, photographs and newspaper front pages. There are also bullet-pointed stats on how the quake affected local communities. MyQuake is available for iPhone. It is free. less MyQuake The UC Berkeley Seismological Laboratory's app provides an easy to use, informative overview of earthquakes over the years. It defaults to show you recent earthquakes in your area. For example, there The UC Berkeley Seismological Laboratory's app provides an easy to use, informative overview of earthquakes over the years. It defaults to show you recent earthquakes in your area. For example, there ... more Photo: UC Berkeley Image 12 of 19 QuakeFeed This is another tool to review the earthquakes happening around the world. You can view them on a map or in list mode, which you can sort by date, magnitude, distance and depth. You can filter by magnitude, so you only see quakes of a certain strength. QuakeFeed also has a News Feed so you can read recent reports about earthquakes. QuakeFeed is available for iPhone. It is free. This is another tool to review the earthquakes happening around the world. You can view them on a map or in list mode, which you can sort by date, magnitude, distance and depth. You can filter by magnitude, so you only see quakes of a certain strength. QuakeFeed also has a News Feed so you can read recent reports about earthquakes. QuakeFeed is available for iPhone. It is free. less QuakeFeed This is another tool to review the earthquakes happening around the world. You can view them on a map or in list mode, which you can sort by date, magnitude, distance and depth. You can filter by This is another tool to review the earthquakes happening around the world. You can view them on a map or in list mode, which you can sort by date, magnitude, distance and depth. You can filter by ... more Photo: Artisan Global Image 13 of 19 Earthquake Alert! This app shows magnitude 1.0 and larger earthquakes from the U.S. and 4.5 and larger earthquakes from around the world. It sends alerts and push notifications. If the quake was in your area, you can use the app to tell USGS that you felt it. Earthquake Alert! is available for Android. It is free. This app shows magnitude 1.0 and larger earthquakes from the U.S. and 4.5 and larger earthquakes from around the world. It sends alerts and push notifications. If the quake was in your area, you can use the app to tell USGS that you felt it. Earthquake Alert! is available for Android. It is free. less Earthquake Alert! This app shows magnitude 1.0 and larger earthquakes from the U.S. and 4.5 and larger earthquakes from around the world. It sends alerts and push notifications. If the quake was in your area, This app shows magnitude 1.0 and larger earthquakes from the U.S. and 4.5 and larger earthquakes from around the world. It sends alerts and push notifications. If the quake was in your area, ... more Photo: Josh Clemm Image 14 of 19 Your Plan Do you enjoy ticking things off your checklist? This might be the earthquake prep app for you. There's a checklist for fortifying heavy objects, securing small ones and evacuating. There's also a go bag/emergency kit checklist that includes the usual food, water and clothing as well as paper items like birth and marriage certificates, passports, insurance policies and prescriptions. You can also view emergency alerts in your area. Your Plan is available for iPhone. It is free. Do you enjoy ticking things off your checklist? This might be the earthquake prep app for you. There's a checklist for fortifying heavy objects, securing small ones and evacuating. There's also a go bag/emergency kit checklist that includes the usual food, water and clothing as well as paper items like birth and marriage certificates, passports, insurance policies and prescriptions. You can also view emergency alerts in your area. Your Plan is available for iPhone. It is free. less Your Plan Do you enjoy ticking things off your checklist? This might be the earthquake prep app for you. There's a checklist for fortifying heavy objects, securing small ones and evacuating. There's also a go Do you enjoy ticking things off your checklist? This might be the earthquake prep app for you. There's a checklist for fortifying heavy objects, securing small ones and evacuating. There's also a go ... more Photo: Insurance Information Institute Image 15 of 19 Earthquake This is a good app for people who want to know about every earthquake that's happening in the world as they happen. The main screen is a timeline of recent quakes. You can filter by country or set it to only show quakes with magnitudes 2+ or 4+ . There's also a map, which can be used to show latest events or past events. Earthquake is available for iPhone and iPad. It is free. This is a good app for people who want to know about every earthquake that's happening in the world as they happen. The main screen is a timeline of recent quakes. You can filter by country or set it to only show quakes with magnitudes 2+ or 4+ . There's also a map, which can be used to show latest events or past events. Earthquake is available for iPhone and iPad. It is free. less Earthquake This is a good app for people who want to know about every earthquake that's happening in the world as they happen. The main screen is a timeline of recent quakes. You can filter by country or set it This is a good app for people who want to know about every earthquake that's happening in the world as they happen. The main screen is a timeline of recent quakes. You can filter by country or set it ... more Photo: Nico Tranquilli Image 16 of 19 Life360 Life360 answers the question "where are you?" for you. Users set up "circles" of family members or friends. Then the app uses GPS technology to share each circle member's location on a map and send notifications when they arrive at home, school or work. While it seems a bit creepy in everyday context, the app can help keep track of people during an emergency. Life360 is available for iPhone, Android and Windows devices. Life360 answers the question "where are you?" for you. Users set up "circles" of family members or friends. Then the app uses GPS technology to share each circle member's location on a map and send notifications when they arrive at home, school or work. While it seems a bit creepy in everyday context, the app can help keep track of people during an emergency. Life360 is available for iPhone, Android and Windows devices. less Life360 Life360 answers the question "where are you?" for you. Users set up "circles" of family members or friends. Then the app uses GPS technology to share each circle member's location on a map and send Life360 answers the question "where are you?" for you. Users set up "circles" of family members or friends. Then the app uses GPS technology to share each circle member's location on a map and send ... more Photo: Life360 Image 17 of 19 FEMA app FEMA's app sends severe weather alerts and information on how to stay safe. It has maps of and directions to open shelters and disaster recovery centers. There are also custom lists for emergency kits and safety tips for 20 types of hazards. This app works with or without cell service. FEMA app is available for iPhone, Android and Blackberry devices. It is free. FEMA's app sends severe weather alerts and information on how to stay safe. It has maps of and directions to open shelters and disaster recovery centers. There are also custom lists for emergency kits and safety tips for 20 types of hazards. This app works with or without cell service. FEMA app is available for iPhone, Android and Blackberry devices. It is free. less FEMA app FEMA's app sends severe weather alerts and information on how to stay safe. It has maps of and directions to open shelters and disaster recovery centers. There are also custom lists for emergency kits FEMA's app sends severe weather alerts and information on how to stay safe. It has maps of and directions to open shelters and disaster recovery centers. There are also custom lists for emergency kits ... more Photo: FEMA News Photo Image 18 of 19 Earthquake App by American Red Cross Red Cross has a series of disaster preparedness apps. This is the earthquake edition. People with this app will receive alerts from USGS. It has tips of packing an emergency kit, securing fixtures in your home and planning for a power outage. There are quizzes to test your earthquake knowledge. A map shows earthquakes from the past 30 days. Earthquake App is available for iPhone and Android. It is free. Red Cross has a series of disaster preparedness apps. This is the earthquake edition. People with this app will receive alerts from USGS. It has tips of packing an emergency kit, securing fixtures in your home and planning for a power outage. There are quizzes to test your earthquake knowledge. A map shows earthquakes from the past 30 days. Earthquake App is available for iPhone and Android. It is free. less Earthquake App by American Red Cross Red Cross has a series of disaster preparedness apps. This is the earthquake edition. People with this app will receive alerts from USGS. It has tips of packing an emergency Red Cross has a series of disaster preparedness apps. This is the earthquake edition. People with this app will receive alerts from USGS. It has tips of packing an emergency ... more Photo: American Red Cross ||||| A map of some of the earthquakes that hit the town of San Ramon. Large earthquakes can be incredibly serious, like the one that struck Afghanistan on Monday. But not all earthquakes are devastating, earth-shattering monsters. Sometimes, they're just...there. Over the past two weeks, over 408 earthquakes have rattled the town of San Ramon, California. That's a little over an earthquake every hour, and sets a record for the area, beating out a 2003 swarm which lasted for a month and had 120 earthquakes. It's an impressive accomplishment, but San Ramon has a long way to go if it wants to beat seismic heavyweights like Yellowstone National Park, which recorded 3,000 earthquakes over 3 months in 1985. The largest earthquake in the swarm was a magnitude 3.6 on October 19. Magnitude is a measure of how large an earthquake is. A 3.6 magnitude earthquake is a fairly moderate-size earthquake that is unlikely to cause damage. Many of the other earthquakes in the swarm were so small that they weren't felt by residents. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) says that the swarm could last for "several more weeks". But that isn't a reason to panic. As unsettling as the shaking is, the USGS says that the chance of these smaller earthquakes presaging a larger earthquake is very small, and the chance of a damaging earthquake (larger than a magnitude 6.7) happening along the fault causing the shaking is only about 8 percent. ||||| Photo: USGS Image 1 of / 16 Caption Close Image 1 of 16 A series of earthquake struck near San Ramon early Tuesday morning. A series of earthquake struck near San Ramon early Tuesday morning. Photo: USGS Image 2 of 16 More than 200 earthquakes have struck near San Ramon in a swarm in recent quakes. More than 200 earthquakes have struck near San Ramon in a swarm in recent quakes. Photo: USGS Image 3 of 16 A series of earthquake struck near San Ramon early Tuesday morning. A series of earthquake struck near San Ramon early Tuesday morning. Photo: USGS Image 4 of 16 A series of earthquake struck near San Ramon early Tuesday morning. A series of earthquake struck near San Ramon early Tuesday morning. Photo: USGS Image 5 of 16 A series of earthquake struck near San Ramon early Tuesday morning. A series of earthquake struck near San Ramon early Tuesday morning. Photo: USGS Image 6 of 16 A series of earthquake struck near San Ramon early Tuesday morning. A series of earthquake struck near San Ramon early Tuesday morning. Photo: USGS Image 7 of 16 A series of earthquake struck near San Ramon early Tuesday morning. A series of earthquake struck near San Ramon early Tuesday morning. Photo: USGS Image 8 of 16 MyQuake The UC Berkeley Seismological Laboratory's app provides an easy to use, informative overview of earthquakes over the years. It defaults to show you recent earthquakes in your area. For example, there was a magnitude 2.7 quake in Crockett this week. If you look at past earthquakes, you can see their location, magnitude, photographs and newspaper front pages. There are also bullet-pointed stats on how the quake affected local communities. MyQuake is available for iPhone. It is free. MyQuake The UC Berkeley Seismological Laboratory's app provides an easy to use, informative overview of earthquakes over the years. It defaults to show you recent earthquakes in your area. For example, there The UC Berkeley Seismological Laboratory's app provides an easy to use, informative overview of earthquakes over the years. It defaults to show you recent earthquakes in your area. For example, there ... more Photo: UC Berkeley Image 9 of 16 QuakeFeed This is another tool to review the earthquakes happening around the world. You can view them on a map or in list mode, which you can sort by date, magnitude, distance and depth. You can filter by magnitude, so you only see quakes of a certain strength. QuakeFeed also has a News Feed so you can read recent reports about earthquakes. QuakeFeed is available for iPhone. It is free. QuakeFeed This is another tool to review the earthquakes happening around the world. You can view them on a map or in list mode, which you can sort by date, magnitude, distance and depth. You can filter by This is another tool to review the earthquakes happening around the world. You can view them on a map or in list mode, which you can sort by date, magnitude, distance and depth. You can filter by ... more Photo: Artisan Global Image 10 of 16 Earthquake Alert! This app shows magnitude 1.0 and larger earthquakes from the U.S. and 4.5 and larger earthquakes from around the world. It sends alerts and push notifications. If the quake was in your area, you can use the app to tell USGS that you felt it. Earthquake Alert! is available for Android. It is free. Earthquake Alert! This app shows magnitude 1.0 and larger earthquakes from the U.S. and 4.5 and larger earthquakes from around the world. It sends alerts and push notifications. If the quake was in your area, This app shows magnitude 1.0 and larger earthquakes from the U.S. and 4.5 and larger earthquakes from around the world. It sends alerts and push notifications. If the quake was in your area, ... more Photo: Josh Clemm Image 11 of 16 Your Plan Do you enjoy ticking things off your checklist? This might be the earthquake prep app for you. There's a checklist for fortifying heavy objects, securing small ones and evacuating. There's also a go bag/emergency kit checklist that includes the usual food, water and clothing as well as paper items like birth and marriage certificates, passports, insurance policies and prescriptions. You can also view emergency alerts in your area. Your Plan is available for iPhone. It is free. Your Plan Do you enjoy ticking things off your checklist? This might be the earthquake prep app for you. There's a checklist for fortifying heavy objects, securing small ones and evacuating. There's also a go Do you enjoy ticking things off your checklist? This might be the earthquake prep app for you. There's a checklist for fortifying heavy objects, securing small ones and evacuating. There's also a go ... more Photo: Insurance Information Institute Image 12 of 16 Earthquake This is a good app for people who want to know about every earthquake that's happening in the world as they happen. The main screen is a timeline of recent quakes. You can filter by country or set it to only show quakes with magnitudes 2+ or 4+ . There's also a map, which can be used to show latest events or past events. Earthquake is available for iPhone and iPad. It is free. Earthquake This is a good app for people who want to know about every earthquake that's happening in the world as they happen. The main screen is a timeline of recent quakes. You can filter by country or set it This is a good app for people who want to know about every earthquake that's happening in the world as they happen. The main screen is a timeline of recent quakes. You can filter by country or set it ... more Photo: Nico Tranquilli Image 13 of 16 Life360 Life360 answers the question "where are you?" for you. Users set up "circles" of family members or friends. Then the app uses GPS technology to share each circle member's location on a map and send notifications when they arrive at home, school or work. While it seems a bit creepy in everyday context, the app can help keep track of people during an emergency. Life360 is available for iPhone, Android and Windows devices. Life360 Life360 answers the question "where are you?" for you. Users set up "circles" of family members or friends. Then the app uses GPS technology to share each circle member's location on a map and send Life360 answers the question "where are you?" for you. Users set up "circles" of family members or friends. Then the app uses GPS technology to share each circle member's location on a map and send ... more Photo: Life360 Image 14 of 16 FEMA app FEMA's app sends severe weather alerts and information on how to stay safe. It has maps of and directions to open shelters and disaster recovery centers. There are also custom lists for emergency kits and safety tips for 20 types of hazards. This app works with or without cell service. FEMA app is available for iPhone, Android and Blackberry devices. It is free. FEMA app FEMA's app sends severe weather alerts and information on how to stay safe. It has maps of and directions to open shelters and disaster recovery centers. There are also custom lists for emergency kits FEMA's app sends severe weather alerts and information on how to stay safe. It has maps of and directions to open shelters and disaster recovery centers. There are also custom lists for emergency kits ... more Photo: FEMA News Photo Image 15 of 16 Earthquake App by American Red Cross Red Cross has a series of disaster preparedness apps. This is the earthquake edition. People with this app will receive alerts from USGS. It has tips of packing an emergency kit, securing fixtures in your home and planning for a power outage. There are quizzes to test your earthquake knowledge. A map shows earthquakes from the past 30 days. Earthquake App is available for iPhone and Android. It is free. Earthquake App by American Red Cross Red Cross has a series of disaster preparedness apps. This is the earthquake edition. People with this app will receive alerts from USGS. It has tips of packing an emergency Red Cross has a series of disaster preparedness apps. This is the earthquake edition. People with this app will receive alerts from USGS. It has tips of packing an emergency ... more Photo: American Red Cross ||||| San Ramon, California, appears to have broken a new earthquake record over the last two weeks: A total of 408 small quakes have shaken the East Bay city, almost four times the record set in 2003 in half the amount of time. Stephanie Chuang reports. (Published Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2015) NBC Bay Area's quake map shows all earthquakes recorded near the San Francisco Bay Area over the past 24 hours. San Ramon, California, appears to have broken a new earthquake record over the last two weeks: A total of 408 small quakes have shaken the East Bay city, almost four times the record set in 2003 in half the amount of time. "I've not felt so many tremors in decades," Mark Stone said outside a San Ramon Starbucks on Tuesday morning. "My dog, Gimmel, she's the first one to know a couple of seconds before." And his dog has been extra alert lately. The U.S. Geological Survey reports that as of Oct. 13, the Northern California Seismic Network had detected 408 earthquakes and counting. At least a dozen temblors since 10 p.m. on Monday, with other quakes spilling into the early hours of Tuesday. The USGS on Tuesday also reported a magnitude-3.2 quake striking the area at 5:07 p.m. Most quakes have clocked in with magnitudes ranging from 2.0 to 3.0. San Ramon is about 45 miles east of San Francisco. In an Oct. 14 interview, Senior U.S. Geological Survey research geologist David Schwartz said the swarm is not all that unusual, noting that San Ramon Valley is at the "center of earthquake swarm activity" in the Bay Area. He recalled a 2003 swarm of 120 earthquakes over 31 days in San Ramon, with the largest clocking in at a magnitude of 4.2. The biggest swarm on record in the same general area, Schwartz noted, was in 1990 in neighboring Alamo, about 30 miles east of San Francisco. That's when 351 earthquakes struck over 42 days, with the largest recorded at a magnitude of 4.4. The current swarm of 408 - and counting - tops both those numbers. Most of the earthquakes are occurring at a depth of about five miles underground and are too small to be felt, the USGS explained. One of the largest earthquakes in the current swarm activity was a 3.6-magnitude quake on Oct. 19. San Ramon, Danville and Alamo all have a history of earthquake swarms, as they sit on the Calaveras Fault. Based on other swarms, the USGS predicts this swarm may continue for several more weeks and is unlikely to be a foreshock to a larger quake. The northern Calaveras Fault has not ruptured with a significant earthquake since the 1860s, the USGS reported, and the likelihood of a large earthquake of 6.7-magnitude or larger is just 8 percent. As for why the swarms occur? "We just don't understand the structural geology of the swarms, why they turn on and shut off quickly," Schwartz said in a previous interview. "We just don't understand." ||||| A swarm of more than 200 earthquakes have rumbled through San Ramon in the Bay Area in recent days, including a 3.5 temblor Monday afternoon, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The biggest quake in the area in the past 24 hours was a magnitude 3.6 that struck about 4:20 p.m. Monday about one mile northeast of San Ramon. Shaking was felt as far as 14 miles away in Walnut Creek, the USGS reported. Nearly 60 earthquakes, most of them so small they can’t be felt, have rumbled beneath San Ramon since Monday morning. But looking further back, the town has seen 238 earthquakes since Oct. 13, some of them coming just minutes apart. Besides Monday afternoon’s temblor, two others quakes were above magnitude 3.0. Still, the swarm of quakes is not necessarily anything unusual. Susan Garcia, a spokeswoman for the USGS’s Earthquake Science Center in Menlo Park, told the San Francisco Chronicle it’s a positive sign that all the quakes were under magnitude 4.0. Interested in the stories shaping California? Sign up for the free Essential California newsletter >> Earthquake swarms aren’t unusual for the area, and they could continue for days or weeks, she said. Swarm are more common in other parts of California, including Mammoth Lakes and the Imperial Valley. For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna. ALSO High school sweethearts killed in Hacienda Heights crash Flash floods trap visitors, rangers in Death Valley National Park Facing hostile Black Lives Matter protesters, Garcetti's South L.A. forum ends abruptly ||||| These crawls are part of an effort to archive pages as they are created and archive the pages that they refer to. That way, as the pages that are referenced are changed or taken from the web, a link to the version that was live when the page was written will be preserved.Then the Internet Archive hopes that references to these archived pages will be put in place of a link that would be otherwise be broken, or a companion link to allow people to see what was originally intended by a page's authors.The goal is to fix all broken links on the web . Crawls of supported "No More 404" sites.

– If California's San Ramon had to pick a theme song, it might be AC/DC's "You Shook Me All Night Long." That's because over the past two weeks, the Bay Area town has endured more than 400 earthquakes—408, to be exact, which averages out to more than one quake an hour, Popular Science reports. Since Monday alone, there have been 60 quake recordings, per the Los Angeles Times, though most have been so small that no one noticed (they're taking place about 5 or 6 miles underground, per the US Geological Survey). The largest one recorded was a 3.6-magnitude shaker on Oct. 19. These earthquake "swarms" aren't unusual in the Golden State, though they're more prevalent in other areas, including the regions near Mammoth Lakes and Imperial Valley, per the Times. "The good news is that most of these earthquakes stay under magnitude 4," a USGS Earthquake Science Center spokeswoman tells the San Francisco Chronicle. The USGS also notes that these tiny tremors don't necessarily mean a havoc-wreaking seismic event is around the corner—experts say there's only a 7% chance of there being a quake of 6.7 magnitude or higher over the next three decades, the Chronicle notes—and that the current swarm could continue for a few more weeks before finally dying down. "I've not felt so many tremors in decades," a local tells NBC Bay Area. "My dog … [is] the first one to know a couple of seconds before." (A controversial NASA study warns that the LA area will be hit within a few years with a major quake.)

Why she'll love rom-porn Like Hollywood, the porn industry continues to throb with excitement. But in a weird twist, the hard-core porn business has gone soft. The latest trend in the "adult entertainment" business is to entice women and couples by mixing romcoms with hardcore porn. "Women are more reluctant to watch or buy porn," says Jacky St James, a porn screenwriter, who writes for New Sensations, a porn studio in Los Angeles that specialises in "Romance Porn". "So New Sensations decided to go after the female porn consumer by identifying what they didn't like about it." Its titles include An Eternal Love, Awakening To Love and Recipe For Romance, about a pair of chefs who meet in a restaurant and start off cooking and end up screwing. "The idea is to get women to watch porn as part of a couple, because men will basically watch any kind of porn," says St James. "Our research has shown that women don't love to have a man do his business on her face. In our movies, there are no pop shots above the neck." A second part of its porn-for-women formula is having the porn actors pretend they are in a real relationship. Before the hard-core porn started happening I liked that the actors behaved "romantically", and I also liked watching all the hard-core sex positions, and watching porn actors kiss - rarely shown in porn movies - looked newly dirty. The porn-romcom movie is a close cousin of the porn version of a coming-of-age sex comedy geared to a male audience that mimics movies such as American Pie and Porky's. Recently, AMKingdom, a porn studio in LA, invited me to a premiere of its new Hollywood- style porn movie, Revenge Of The Petites, which was, according to the invitation, "an original feature capturing the essence of the Eighties hysterical coming-of-age comedies". It is the first feature to successfully merge niche markets such as petites, hairy and exotic with traditional adult elements. On the red carpet at a Hollywood movie premiere, the photographers yell the stars' names hoping to get them to pose, often flattering them to get a beautiful shot. But at a porn premiere, the photographers yell stuff like, "Let's see those tits!" Or, "Come on, bend over and let me see it!" The red carpet started to get hot as photographers encouraged three girls to do girl-on-girl on the red carpet. "That's good," one said as he posed two girls next to each other, moving the third girl between them and directing "Now kiss each other." The girls all enthusiastically tongued each other on cue even adding some "ooh yeahs" for authenticity. Also on the red carpet were three 18-year-old boys who got invited to the premiere because the porn movie was filmed at their school. As they awkwardly posed with stars on the red carpet, one of the paps yelled, "Come on girls, give those boys a kiss!" They looked as if they were having the time of their lives. The schoolboys were, confusingly, being interviewed by the porn press like they were porn stars, so I asked one of them, "What kind of sex do you enjoy having most?" "I'm vanilla, you know, like normal," he said, giggling. Then he pointed to his innocent, shy-looking buddy and announced to everyone, "He's more into the weird, fetish stuff!" When I asked the third boy what kind of sex he enjoyed, he said, "Chocolate MILFs." Seth Dickens, the main character's romantic interest in the movie, approached me with what was possibly the best worst pick-up line ever: "You look familiar, didn't we once do a scene together?" Dickens does a scene with two women in the movie, and when I asked whether he found threesomes distracting, he said, "What I do is make sure that I give both of the ladies equal attention. That way I don't hurt either of their feelings. I'm a sensitive guy." Inside the movie theatre, the crowd began to take their seats. The row of porn girls in front of me started fondling each other, grabbing and rubbing each other's breasts, and pawing at each other's crotches. According to the movie's synopsis, "In Revenge Of The Petites, petite and nerdy Marie and her best friend, Skin, embark on their freshman year of college. Subjected to the taunts, teasing and practical jokes of the tall and beautiful girls of Theta House, her friends are left with no choice but to join a sorority for other petite girls. When one cruel practical joke by the girls of Theta House goes too far, the petites set out to get their revenge." As the crowd watched the movie, people yelled at the screen like they were at a football match. "Rub it!" someone yelled when two girls started removing each other's clothes back at the Sorority House. "Get your finger in there!" yelled another. In between the movie's actual plot line, petite and cute sorority girls busied themselves with pillow fights and four girls at a time going down on each other. In another scene, the hot sorority sisters hold a charity car wash and end up buffing each other's headlights. "Give it to her!" yelled one of the porn stars in the audience. "Make her come!" When "hairy" actor Sativa Verte and her hippie 'fro crotch appeared on the screen, the crowd yelled, "Bush!" The porn-star-filled audience was so rowdy, I could barely hear people's orgasms, but at least everyone applauded when someone had one. A few days later, Adult Video News had this to say about the premiere: "Movie aficionados, cast, crew, industry luminaries and critics descended on the world premiere of Revenge Of The Petites... After getting over the initial shock of seeing her vagina on a huge movie screen, star Skin Diamond exclaimed, "I loved it!" Originally published in the September 2012 issue of British GQ. ||||| A day after NBC4 revealed that LAUSD schools were being used for racy shoots, district superintendent Ramon Cortines temporarily suspended filming on all campuses. Jenna Susko reports for the NBC4 News at 6 p.m. on Oct. 8, 2015. (Published Thursday, Oct. 8, 2015) This is the second of two stories on the impact of Hollywood filming on Los Angeles public schools. The first story is available here. UPDATE: LAUSD Superintendent Ramon Cortines Thursday suspended all commercial filming at LAUSD schools pending an examination of the policies, a day after the first part of this story aired. The Los Angeles Unified School District brings in about $2 million dollars from production companies each year — a few extra bucks the district says helps further student education across the district. But a six-month NBC4 investigation has uncovered many of the hidden costs of filming at LA schools — from students being late to class to interruptions on campus and even damaged equipment, as reported by the I-Team Wednesday. Scanning emails, permits and filming payments from production companies covering years of data, NBC4 has learned more about how some schools operate — and additional money some schools are collecting when classes or school programs are interrupted. The district has made about $10 million from filming permits in the past five years — including a pornographic film shoot at Alexander Hamilton High School in Los Angeles. Filming permits and district records show producers of the 2012 release "Revenge of the Petites" paid cash to film on Hamilton’s campus on two consecutive Saturdays in October 2011. The crew also filmed a carwash scene that included public nudity in the school’s front parking lot. A school official told NBC4 they were misled about the adult movie being filmed there, and if they’d known what the film was, they never would have allowed the shoot. They also said a parent complained about the shoot. LAUSD spokeswoman Shannon Haber sent NBC4 an email Thursday afternoon regarding the pornographic film. "The district was made aware at that time that the production company failed to comply with terms of the filming agreement," she said. "We immediately notified the production company that it was banned from ever using district facilities again. We also demanded that the company remove any and all images depicting the school or its students from the film." Records show Birmingham Community Charter High School in Van Nuys is the district's top earner, with production companies having paid nearly $1 million to film there over the last five years. But you might not know it from the school’s chief executive, Bill Parks. "We are not making a lot of money," he said about filming revenue, at a recent school meeting NBC4 attended. Those shoots included a music video for singer CharliXCX’s "Break the Rules," which glorifies doing drugs instead of going to school. "Getting high and getting wrecked, I don’t want to go to school," the song’s lyrics read. In an interview with 89.3 KPCC Southern California Public Radio, an administrator at Birmingham said filming revenue "helps with a lot of extra things like computer labs, band uniforms or our athletic teams" in April 2014. But when NBC4 requested expenditures, Parks said expenses are not coded or tracked because it goes into their general fund. "Some years are high, some years are low," Parks said in the school meeting. "I think right now we are a little above the break-even stage." How is that possible? When NBC4 asked for an interview, Parks refused. At University High School in West Los Angeles, production companies pay around $100,000 a year to film and park production vehicles. And even though film companies "must not disrupt any school instructional program," according to the filming policy given to companies requesting to film at LAUSD, NBC4 found school officials willing to make exceptions in exchange for additional donations. According to University’s filming guidelines, donation amounts range from $500 to $3,000 per day, "depending on the size and scope of the film production and the inconvenience it causes." After a teacher complained about disruptions, the school’s administrator replied, "the company issued a check to compensate the school for any imposition they may have caused." Records show the bell schedule has been delayed, classes have been moved and sports practices canceled. According to the emails, one teacher was told, "We will need you to find a place to relocate your students: I’m thinking the cafeteria." "It almost provides an incentive to film the most disruptive activity possible," Jon Coupal of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association said. "This is not appropriate activity," he said. There have been interruptions like explosions, supplies missing from classrooms and damaged equipment. Teachers have complained there’s nowhere to park when film crews are on site, and one even received a parking ticket. As for students? They told NBC4 they’re sometimes late to class. "I remember times when a one-minute walk might turn into a seven-minute walk," University senior Alissa Nardo said. Parents aren’t happy either. "They’re just blocking everything, and it’s a real hassle trying to get your kids to school," said Oscar Perez, a parent at Le Conte Middle School. Superintendent Ramon Cortines refused to interview with NBC4 about filming on campus, issuing a statement saying in part: "School principals are responsible for notifying parents and staff about planned filming activity." Of 50 schools NBC4 contacted, only six indicated they had a policy to notify parents. "As a parent, I would like to be notified," said Marshall High School parent Claudia Chacon. The potential problems go all the way up the chain to FilmLA, which, under its contract with LAUSD, arranges permits for filming. In March, FilmLA told the school district about a music video production that wanted to film at Marshall High School. "The song and lyrics are PG," the note said. But the song, "I’m Gonna Show You Crazy" from singer Bebe Rexha, is loaded with profane language. Then there’s a film production described as "a PG family movie." Turns out, the film was 2013’s Afternoon Delight, a movie about a stripper. That film is rated R. Records do not indicate LAUSD made any change in policy to keep it from happening again. FilmLA declined an interview with NBC4. "[Schools] never say what the movie is about," said parent Demetrius Scott. "They never tell you what the movie is." From sexually charged scenes to hundreds of crew members on campus, while the bright lights may be on, parents are often in the dark. "It just seems contrary to the notion of good education in the State of California," Coupal said. FULL STATEMENT FROM LAUSD SUPERINTENDENT RAMON CORTINES: The Los Angeles Unified School District is located in what is known as the "Entertainment Capital of the World," and the opportunity to use our campuses as filming locations is a win-win for both the entertainment industry and the District. Schools provide ready-made sets for production companies, in locations that are close to studios. Filming fees charged by the District directly benefit our schools. Over the last five years, the District has received nearly $10 million in filming revenue, which has enabled our schools to fund programs and much-needed resources to improve the educational experience of their students. The District has strict policies to ensure money is spent appropriately. To access the entertainment industry, the District has a contract with the nonprofit FilmL.A., which oversees and coordinates permits and filming activities. When filming at our schools, production crews must adhere to District policies, as well as state and local laws and regulations. FilmL.A. works with District staff to ensure that the filming activity is appropriate, and determines whether additional safety precautions or personnel are needed. School principals are responsible for notifying parents and staff about planned filming activity. Our first priority is to educate our students and to provide a safe and conducive learning environment. We are pleased with the partnership that the District has built and sustained with the filming industry, and the respect they have shown to our schools. UPDATED STATEMENT (Oct. 8, 2015) "I recently asked the District’s Inspector General to examine filming activities at our schools, and that review is under way. I have also asked staff to review existing practices and, if necessary, to update the District’s procedures. As such, I have decided to temporarily suspend all commercial filming at our schools. It is important that we ensure teaching and learning are not disrupted, and that all filming activity is appropriate for our schools. As an organization responsible for educating students, it is essential that we hold ourselves and our schools to a high standard." ||||| The Los Angeles Unified School District on Friday tentatively lifted its day-old suspension of commercial filming at campuses to allow five film projects to move forward. At the same time, the district will continue a review of existing practices and update, as needed, district procedures for handling film requests “to better ensure that the use of our schools is appropriate,” L.A. schools Supt. Ramon C. Cortines said in a statement. The district’s reversal came a day after Cortines had suspended filming, following reports by NBC-TV Channel 4 that film shoots had disrupted classrooms and damaged school property. One campus shoot, at Hamilton High, was for a pornographic film, the station reported. Cortines quickly ordered a halt to commercial film projects and asked the district’s inspector general to look into how the nation’s second-largest school system handled them. But Cortines and others changed tack after deciding it would be unfair to disrupt film projects in progress, especially because they seemed to comply with district guidelines. “I understand the importance of filming in Los Angeles and the benefits it provides to our schools and the local economy,” Cortines said in his latest comments on the matter. The incident at Hamilton occurred four years ago, officials said, when the district was misled about what the film company wanted to do. “Filming permits and district records show producers of the 2012 release 'Revenge of the Petites' paid cash to film on Hamilton’s campus on two consecutive Saturdays in October 2011," according to the NBC4 website. "The crew also filmed a carwash scene that included public nudity in the school’s front parking lot." A parent complained at the time, according to NBC4. Interested in the stories shaping California? Sign up for the free Essential California newsletter >> The district responded by issuing a cease-and-desist letter to the production company, banning it from district property and demanding that any scenes filmed on school property be deleted, district officials said. A spokeswoman said Friday that she did not know if the producers complied with the final condition. “I have not seen that film,” said Shannon Haber, the spokeswoman. Five projects immediately benefited from the district’s action. One is a TV show, “The Grinder,” about an actor who formerly played an attorney returning home to the family’s law firm. Crews were using the Marshall High auditorium on Thursday and Friday. Marshall, with its classic exterior, has appeared often on the screen, including in the 1984 movie “A Nightmare on Elm Street.” The auditorium at Irving Middle School was being used, Wednesday through Friday, for an upcoming Netflix comedy, “Lady Dynamite.” “The staff looked through the content and the content being filmed at the school,” Haber said. Another company is using parking at Westminster Elementary. Similarly, crews are using the parking lot at Reed Middle School over the weekend as their base camp for parking, trailers and catering. And, on Sunday, a USC student is filming for a thesis at Eagle Rock High. “Based on the information presented to me, I am satisfied that the use of our schools is appropriate at this time,” Cortines said. The district will carefully review new requests on a case-by-case basis, officials said. While the NBC4 story alleged that film crews may have caused thousands of dollars of damage, the district collected $10 million in filming fees over the last five years, according to district figures. The station also reported that filming has created parking shortages and classroom disruptions. “It is important that this district has the appropriate measures in place to protect not only its students, but its schools and property,” Cortines said. But he added: “It is also important that our actions do not significantly impact the greater Los Angeles area, including reducing job opportunities for residents, many of whom are part of the extended LAUSD family.” Twitter: @howardblume ALSO Pomona College failed to properly handle sex abuse cases, complaint alleges Suspect arrested in fatal shooting of homeless man in Venice LAPD sends dive unit to look for potential evidence after fatal police shooting

– The Los Angeles school district temporarily banned production companies from filming on its properties after an investigative report from NBC Los Angeles on Thursday revealed that a pornographic movie had been shot at one of its high schools a few years ago. Revenge of the Petites was filmed at Alexander Hamilton High School on two Saturdays in October 2011 and included public nudity during a car wash scene filmed in the school's parking lot. Three 18-year-old students even attended the porno's red-carpet premiere since it was shot at their school, according to a 2012 article about the film in British GQ. "They looked as if they were having the time of their lives," the article notes. While a pornographic film being shot at a public high school apparently flew under the radar at the time, the school district is facing a new wave of outrage following Thursday's report. One school official tells NBC they were "misled" and never would have allowed Revenge of the Petites to film there had they known what it was. "We immediately notified the production company that it was banned from ever using district facilities again," says a district spokesperson. "We also demanded that the company remove any and all images depicting the school or its students from the film." The Los Angeles school district suspended all commercial filming at its properties Thursday pending further review but lifted that ban Friday, the Los Angeles Times reports. Commercial filming generated $10 million for the district over the past five years. (At least one porn site thinks pornography and education is a good mix.)

Article Excerpt WASHINGTON—House lawmakers on Wednesday defeated an attempt to drastically curb a national-security program that collects the phone records of millions of Americans, after a tense debate on the balance between privacy rights and government efforts to find terrorists. The measure was narrowly defeated, 205-217, after last-minute lobbying by the Obama administration and House members on the intelligence panel, who said the program was crucial to national security. House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio), who doesn't often cast a ballot, voted against the amendment, reflecting nervousness among opponents about whether they would be able ... ||||| The House on Wednesday rejected an attempt to curtail the National Security Agency’s surveillance activities after a furious last-minute lobbying campaign by the White House to defeat the measure. The House voted 205-217 against the amendment from Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.), which would have prevented the National Security Agency from using the Patriot Act to collect phone records of individuals who aren’t under investigation. A majority of Democrats — 111 — voted for Amash’s amendment despite the White House pressure, while 83 Democrats voted no. The GOP vote was 94-134. ADVERTISEMENT Amash’s amendment to the Defense Appropriations bill pitted liberal Democrats and libertarian Republicans opposed to the NSA’s massive surveillance activities against both parties’ leadership and the Obama administration. Wednesday’s vote came after the White House and lawmakers who support the NSA’s surveillance activities launched a major offensive against Amash’s measure after it was granted a vote Monday evening. The offensive underlined the significance of Wednesday’s vote, which was the first time that Congress weighed in on the NSA’s spying programs since they were revealed by The Guardian and The Washington Post last month. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper released a statement Wednesday against Amash’s amendment, saying it risked “dismantling an important intelligence tool.” And on Tuesday, White House press secretary Jay Carney issued a rare evening statement announcing the White House’s opposition. “We oppose the current effort in the House to hastily dismantle one of our Intelligence Community’s counterterrorism tools,” Carney wrote. NSA Director Gen. Keith Alexander, meanwhile, made himself available to answer lawmakers’ questions about the program on Tuesday in classified, members-only briefings. Lawmakers who favor the NSA’s surveillance activities also made a public push against Amash’s amendment. Both the House and Senate Intelligence Committee leaders criticized the measure, while seven House GOP committee chairmen circulated a letter to lawmakers. The amendment’s supporters had hoped that public outcry over the NSA’s surveillance activities would prompt lawmakers to curtail the secretive agency’s reach. The amendment would restrict the NSA from using Section 215 of the Patriot Act to collect data on individuals not under investigation, which would essentially prevent the mass collection of phone records. “We’re here to answer one question for the people we represent: Do we oppose the suspiciousness-less collection of every American’s phone records?” Amash said during debate on the measure. Democratic Reps. John Conyers (Mich.) and Rep. Zoe Lofgren (Calif.) sent a letter to their colleagues Wednesday urging them to support Amash’s measure, pushing back against arguments that it would strip the NSA of a tool to target terrorists. “Congress did not intend for Section 215 of the Patriot Act to allow the bulk collection of information about all Americans,” the lawmakers wrote. “This amendment would not prohibit the government from spying on terrorists under Section 215, or from collecting information in bulk about Americans under other legal provisions.” Amash’s opponents warned that the proposal would have unintended consequences and could make it harder for the intelligence community to track terrorists. “This will have an immediate operational impact, and our country will be more vulnerable to terrorist attacks,” said Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (Md.), the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee. “This is an extreme, knee-jerk reaction to the situation.” The House also voted Wednesday on a more-limited NSA measure from Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.) to prevent the agency from intentionally targeting U.S. citizens. It was approved in a 409-12 vote. Supporters of Amash’s proposal said that the alternative NSA amendment only re-stated prohibitions against targeting Americans that were already in place. “This amendment would have no impact whatsoever on the misuses of Section 215,” Rep. Jarrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) said. Amash was only given a vote on his NSA amendment by House Republican leaders after he and a group of libertarian-leaning Republicans threatened to join with Democrats to defeat the rule to the bill on the floor, which would have been an embarrassing setback for House leadership. The dispute delayed consideration of the Defense spending bill for a week, which is typically considered under an open amendment process. House leaders ultimately limited amendments to the bill but agreed to hold votes on the two NSA amendments, as well as measures to require congressional approval for military action in Syria and Egypt. — Jennifer Martinez contributed. ||||| WASHINGTON — A deeply divided House defeated legislation Wednesday that would have blocked the National Security Agency from collecting vast amounts of phone records, handing the Obama administration a hard-fought victory in the first Congressional showdown over the N.S.A.’s surveillance activities since Edward J. Snowden’s security breaches last month. The 205-to-217 vote was far closer than expected and came after a brief but impassioned debate over citizens’ right to privacy and the steps the government must take to protect national security. It was a rare instance in which a classified intelligence program was openly discussed on the House floor, and disagreements over the program led to some unusual coalitions. Conservative Republicans leery of what they see as Obama administration abuses of power teamed up with liberal Democrats long opposed to intrusive intelligence programs. The Obama administration made common cause with the House Republican leadership to try to block it. House members pressing to rein in the N.S.A. vowed afterward that the outrage unleashed by Mr. Snowden’s disclosures would eventually put a brake on the agency’s activities. Representative Jerrold Nadler, Democrat of New York and a longtime critic of post-Sept. 11 counterterrorism efforts, said lawmakers would keep coming back with legislation to curtail the dragnets for “metadata,” whether through phone records or Internet surveillance. At the very least, the section of the Patriot Act in question will be allowed to expire in 2015, he said. “It’s going to end — now or later,” Mr. Nadler said. “The only question is when and on what terms.” Advertisement Continue reading the main story Representative Mike Rogers of Michigan, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, promised lawmakers that he would draft legislation this fall to add more privacy protections to government surveillance programs even as he begged the House to oppose blanket restrictions. The amendment to the annual Defense Department spending bill, written by Representatives Justin Amash, a libertarian Republican from Western Michigan, and John Conyers Jr., a veteran liberal Democrat from Detroit, turned Democrat against Democrat and Republican against Republican. It would have limited N.S.A. phone surveillance to specific targets of law enforcement investigations, not broad dragnets. It was only one of a series of proposals — including restricting funds for Syrian rebels and adding Congressional oversight to foreign aid to Egypt — intended to check President Obama’s foreign and intelligence policies. But in the phone surveillance program, the House’s right and left wings appeared to find a unifying cause. Representative Raúl R. Labrador, Republican of Idaho, called it “the wing nut coalition” and Mr. Amash “the chief wing nut.” Mr. Amash framed his push as a defense of the Fourth Amendment’s prohibition against unreasonable search and seizure, and he found a surprising ally, Representative F. James Sensenbrenner Jr., Republican of Wisconsin and one of the principal authors of the Patriot Act. Mr. Sensenbrenner said his handiwork was never meant to create a program that allows the government to demand the phone records of every American. “The time has come to stop it,” Mr. Sensenbrenner said. Opposing them were not only Mr. Obama and the House speaker, John A. Boehner of Ohio, but also the leaders of the nation’s defense and intelligence establishment. First Draft Political news and analysis from the staff of The New York Times. Sign-up for free NYT Newsletters Morning Briefing News to start your day, weekdays Opinion Today Thought-provoking commentary, weekdays Cooking Delicious recipes and more, 5 times a week Race/Related A provocative exploration of race, biweekly Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up Receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services. Thank you for subscribing. An error has occurred. Please try again later. View all New York Times newsletters. On Tuesday, the director of the National Security Agency, Gen. Keith Alexander, spent hours providing classified briefings to lawmakers about the program, and the White House took the unusual step of issuing a statement urging lawmakers not to approve the measure. On Wednesday, James L. Jones, the retired Marine Corps general who was Mr. Obama’s national security adviser from 2009-10, added his name to an open letter in support of preserving the N.S.A. programs that more than half a dozen top national-security officials from the Bush administration had signed. “Denying the N.S.A. such access to data will leave the nation at risk,” said the letter, which was circulated to undecided members. Mr. Rogers took a personal swipe at Mr. Amash, a darling of social media, when he said the House was not in the business of racking up “likes” on Facebook. He said the calling log program was an important tool for protecting against terrorist attacks. Advertisement Continue reading the main story “This is not a game,” he fumed. “This is real. It will have real consequences.” But many rank-and-file Republicans and Democrats appeared impervious to such overtures. Representative Jared Polis, Democrat of Colorado and a supporter of the amendment, said that if the Obama administration felt strongly about defending the program, Mr. Obama would have spoken out personally. Instead, the White House released a statement under the name of the press secretary, Jay Carney. “The press secretary says hundreds of things every day,” Mr. Polis said. The divisions in Congress seemed to reflect the ambivalence in the nation. In a CBS News poll released Wednesday, 67 percent of Americans said the government’s collection of phone records was a violation of privacy. At the same time, 52 percent called it a necessary tool to help find terrorists. But the final tally in the House suggested the tide was shifting on the issue. In the weeks after the Snowden leaks, the united voices of Congressional leaders and administration officials in support of the N.S.A. programs seemed to squelch the outrage Mr. Snowden had hoped for. Anger seemed to be trained more on Mr. Snowden than on the programs he revealed. As the news media and the government chronicled Mr. Snowden’s flight from law enforcement, a web of privacy activists, libertarian conservatives and liberal civil liberties proponents rallied support behind Congressional action. House members said they received hundreds of phone calls and e-mails before Wednesday’s vote, all in favor of curtailing the N.S.A.’s authority. Ultimately, 94 House Republicans defied their leadership; 111 Democrats — a majority of the Democratic caucus — defied their president. “This is only the beginning,” Mr. Conyers vowed after the vote. The fight will shift to the Senate, where two longtime Democratic critics of N.S.A. surveillance, Mark Udall of Colorado and Ron Wyden of Oregon, immediately took up the cause. “National security is of paramount importance, yet the N.S.A.’s dragnet collection of Americans’ phone records violates innocent Americans’ privacy rights and should not continue as its exists today,” Mr. Udall said after the vote. “The U.S. House of Representatives’ bipartisan vote today proposal should be a wake-up call for the White House.”

– The NSA can keep collecting the phone records of Americans, but the surveillance program just barely survived a bipartisan effort to rein it in, reports the Hill. An amendment by Michigan Republican Justin Amash would have prevented the agency from gathering data under the program revealed by Edward Snowden, but the measure failed by 12 votes after heavy pressure from the White House. Despite that pressure, 111 Democrats voted with Amash to curtail the program. The vote united "libertarian-leaning Republicans and liberal Democrats" who were worried about privacy violations, says the Wall Street Journal. It also managed to unite the White House with House Republican leaders for once, notes the New York Times. Under Amash's proposal, the NSA could collect phone records only if they pertained to an individual who was under investigation. The mass "metadata" gathering would end. The prospect worried the nation's top intelligence officials, who made last-minute pleas to lawmakers to keep the tool in place. White House spokesman Jay Carney even made what the Hill calls a rare evening statement before the vote calling the amendment misguided.

El Paso County Sheriff's investigators are speaking to Kaufman County, Texas law enforcement officials after a prosecutor and his wife were killed in an incident similar to the shooting of Tom Clements, head of the Colorado Department of Corrections. "We have nothing to indicate that they are connected but just based on a (District Attorney) being involved we figured it was worth our while to reach out," Sgt. Joe Roybal, El Paso County Sheriff's Department spokesman, said Sunday. Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife Cynthia were found dead in their home about 20 miles from Dallas on Saturday. The killings came less than two weeks after Clements was shot dead when he answered his front door on March 19. Authorities believe Evan Spencer Ebel, a former Colorado inmate and white supremacist, killed Clements before dying in a shootout with Texas deputies on March 21. Following the murder of Kaufman County Assistant DA Mark Hasse two months ago, McLelland reportedly said that he carried a gun everywhere he went and took extra care when answering the door at his home. El Paso County investigators communicating with their Texas counterparts by phone. "There is nothing substantial that would require our investigator to go down there personally," Roybal said. Tom McGhee: 303-954-1671, tmcghee@denverpost.com or twitter.com/dpmcghee ||||| Read The Dallas Morning News’ original, detailed report here. Before he became Kaufman County’s district attorney, Mike McLelland worked for a few years as an assistant Dallas public defender representing the mentally ill. He handled criminal and civil cases involving people who were committed to the Terrell State Hospital, a psychiatric facility. The people he represented often suffered from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, among other conditions, and were “extremely sick individuals who weren’t on their medication and were very unstable,” said Dallas Chief Public Defender Lynn Pride Richardson. In criminal cases, he would typically represent people from the time they were found incompetent to stand trial by a psychiatrist until they were deemed competent and their case was disposed of in the courts, Richardson said. Richardson said she did not recall any cases in which McLelland had run-ins with disgruntled clients. Richardson’s predecessor, Brad Lollar, hired McLelland around 2006 or 2007 for the public defender position. He said McLelland’s duties included representing patients who challenged involuntary commitments. “They’re there on involuntary commitments and they’re entitled to have a hearing before a judge, a hearing judge out there, and he would be appointed to represent them,” Lollar said. McLelland’s wife was also a nurse at the same hospital and Lollar said he believes that was part of why McLelland wanted the position. “He was very qualified for the position we put him in,” Lollar said. “We were happy to have him and of course we’re all shocked by his passing.” When McLelland prepared to run for Kaufman County district attorney, he spoke to Richardson about his political ambitions, she said. “The conversation that I had with him was basically saying that he wanted to win, that he thought he had a good chance because the incumbent had had some legal problems,” said Richardson, who called McLelland a “laid-back kind of guy.” Lollar said there are numerous possible angles for investigators to consider in the case. “It could be local meth lab people down there in Kaufman County, it could be Mexican cartel, it could be the Aryan Brotherhood,” he said. “Or it could just be someone with a personal grudge” as a result of a prosecution McLelland was involved in, Lollar said. ||||| A north Texas district attorney took no chances after one of his assistant prosecutors was slain two months ago. Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland said he carried a gun everywhere he went and took extra care when answering the door at his home. This undated photo taken from the Kaufman County, Texas, website shows Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland. McLelland and his wife were found killed in their house, Saturday, March 30, 2013,... (Associated Press) "I'm ahead of everybody else because, basically, I'm a soldier," the 23-year Army veteran boasted in an interview less than two weeks ago. On Saturday, he and his wife were found dead in their home just outside the town of Forney, about 20 miles (30 kilometers) from Dallas, killed in an attack for which authorities have given no motive. "Everybody's a little on edge and a little shocked," Forney Mayor Darren Rozell said. "It appears this was not a random act." The killings came less than two weeks after Colorado's prison chief was gunned down at his front door by a white-supremacist ex-convict, and two months after Kaufman County Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse was shot to death in a parking lot a block from his office on Jan. 31. No arrests have been made in Hasse's slaying. Kaufman County Sheriff David Byrnes confirmed Sunday that the McLellands had been shot. As for whether their deaths were related to Hasse's slaying, Byrnes said there was nothing to indicate that "for sure," but declined to discuss it further during a news conference. McLelland himself, in an Associated Press interview, raised the possibility that Hasse was gunned down by a white supremacist gang. McLelland, elected District Attorneyin 2010, said that Hasse hadn't prosecuted any cases against white supremacists but that his office had handled several, and those gangs had a strong presence in the area. "We put some real dents in the Aryan Brotherhood around here in the past year," McLelland said after Colorado's corrections director, Tom Clements, was shot to death March 19 when he answered the doorbell. Kaufman Police Chief Chris Aulbaugh said recently the FBI was checking to see if Hasse's killing could be related to Clements'. Evan Spencer Ebel, a former Colorado inmate and white supremacist who authorities believe killed Clements, died in a March 21 shootout with Texas deputies about 100 miles (160 kilometers) from Kaufman. McLelland, 63, said after Hasse's slaying that he carried a gun everywhere he went, even to walk his dog. He figured that was where assassins were more likely to try to get him. He said he had warned all his employees to be constantly on the alert. "The people in my line of work are going to have to get better at it," he said of the danger, "because they're going to need it more in the future." The number of attacks on prosecutors, judges and senior law enforcement officers in the U.S. has spiked in the past three years, according to Glenn McGovern, an investigator with the Santa Clara County, California, District Attorney's Office who tracks such cases. But they're still rare. McLelland is the 13th prosecutor in the U.S. that the National Association of District Attorneys has recorded killed since the organization began keeping track in the 1960s. For about a month after Hasse's slaying, sheriff's deputies were parked in the district attorney's driveway, said Sam Rosander, a McLelland neighbor. The FBI and the Texas Rangers joined the investigation into the McLellands' deaths. McLelland and his wife, Cynthia, were the parents of two daughters and three sons. One son is a police officer in Dallas. The couple had moved into the home a few years ago, Rozell said. "Real friendly, became part of our community quickly," Rozell said. "They were a really pleasant happy couple." ___ Associated Press writers Michael Graczyk in Houston, Angela K. Brown in Fort Worth and Peter Banda and Nicholas Riccardi in Denver contributed to this report. ||||| Kaufman County’s district attorney and his wife were found slain Saturday, raising fears that their deaths may be part of a plot that included the killing of one of the county’s assistant district attorneys in January. Kaufman Police Chief Chris Aulbaugh and other officials confirmed that Mike McLelland and his wife, Cynthia Woodward McLelland, had been shot at their home near Forney. Their deaths followed the Jan. 31 slaying of Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse. “It is a shock,” Aulbaugh said late Saturday. “It was a shock with Mark Hasse, and now you can just imagine the double shock. … Until we know what happened, I really can’t confirm that it’s related, but you always have to assume until it’s proven otherwise.” Aulbaugh said that the Texas Rangers were helping with the investigation at the McLellands’ home in an unincorporated part of the county but that the sheriff’s department will be leading the investigation. “Because we have to treat it as related [to the Hasse investigation], we’ll be working side by side again,” Aulbaugh said. A law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity described the scene at the McLellands’ home as an awful scene. “There are shell casings everywhere,” the official said. “This is unprecedented. This is unbelievable. This is huge.” There had been an early report that whoever had killed the McLellands had kicked in the door of the home, but later accounts indicated that was not the case. A friend of the family reportedly entered the home to check on the couple after a family member was unable to contact them. The discovery of the McLellands’ bodies spurred a massive response from law enforcement, including the FBI. While dozens of marked and unmarked vehicles patrolled the area, officers went door to door to interview neighbors. Authorities worked quickly Saturday night to confirm that other employees in the Kaufman County district attorney’s office were safe, and they believed that everyone was accounted for. Security was being provided at the homes of others who authorities feared might be targets. Eric Smenner, a Kaufman defense attorney, said the immediate police protection for the staff of the district attorney’s office was essential. “They need to shut the office down for a while,” he said. “I think everybody there is a target. They’re not safe in the streets in downtown Kaufman. They’re not safe in their homes.” He said the recent events reminded him of violence often seen in Mexico. “It looks like somebody is making a pretty concentrated effort to target the most important people in that office,” he said. Forney Mayor Darren Rozell said the attack on the McLellans "appears to be a targeted act," and he urged residents in the area to remain calm. Some of the McLellands’ neighbors said they believed the couple may have been killed late Friday. Some thought they had heard loud noises then but had assumed what they heard was thunder from storms passing through the area. The discovery of the bodies came as investigators were pursuing a variety of angles in the death of Hasse, 57. He was shot to death as he walked from his car to the courthouse Jan. 31. Witnesses saw a dark brown or silver sedan, perhaps a Ford Taurus, fleeing the scene, and authorities soon issued a bulletin for two black-clad men who may have been wearing tactical vests. After Colorado’s prisons chief was killed at his home March 19, the FBI began looking into whether that case could have any connections to Hasse’s death. The suspect in the Colorado case, Evan Spencer Ebel, was a member of the white supremacist 211 prison gang, and federal authorities had been looking into whether the violent Aryan Brotherhood of Texas gang was involved in Hasse’s death. However, after police killed Ebel, 28, while he was trying to escape authorities March 21 in Decatur, officials said they had not found any connections between him and the Hasse slaying. Despite the lack of progress in the case, McLelland had expressed hope that though a motive in his assistant’s death remained elusive, more tips would materialize. He had said in February that though he wasn’t scared for his own safety, he was taking precautions. “I’ve shifted up my details some, but otherwise I can’t do that much,” said McLelland, who was elected district attorney in 2010. “There’s no holes for me to hide in, and that’s not my style anyway.” In December, the Texas Department of Public Safety had issued a statewide bulletin warning that authorities had received “credible information” that the Aryan Brotherhood was “actively planning retaliation against law enforcement officials” who helped secure indictments in Houston against dozens of members, including the gang’s leadership. “High ranking members … are involved in issuing orders to inflict ‘mass casualties or death’ to law enforcement officials who were involved in cases where Aryan Brotherhood of Texas are facing life sentences or the death penalty,” the bulletin stated. In February, weeks after Hasse’s death, McLelland had said Kaufman County employees still felt a sense of wariness and uncertainty. “The people in the office, they have essentially lost a family member,” he said. “It’s been incredibly hard for folks because it was so sudden, so completely unexpected and so out of left field. I find myself longing for the good old days of three weeks ago.” McLelland, 63, and his wife, 65, who worked as a psychiatric nurse at Terrell State Hospital, had five children, including a son who is a Dallas police officer. Staff writer Julieta Chiquillo and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Kaufman County slayings timeline DECEMBER 2012: The Texas Department of Public Safety issues a statewide bulletin warning that authorities had received “credible information” that the Aryan Brotherhood was “actively planning retaliation against law enforcement officials” who helped secure indictments in Houston against dozens of members, including the gang’s leadership. JAN. 31: Kaufman County prosecutor Mark Hasse is shot and killed while getting out of his car near the county courthouse. Authorities acknowledge they are investigating the possibility of a link between the slaying and the Aryan Brotherhood prison gang. However, they quickly add that to their knowledge, Hasse was not currently handling any cases involving Aryan Brotherhood members. They say that labeling the organization the focus of their probe would be premature. FEB. 9: At a memorial service for Hasse, Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland vows that the prosecutor’s killers will be brought to justice. MARCH 22: Authorities say the FBI is looking into whether Hasse’s slaying could have any connections to the March 19 slaying of Colorado prisons chief Tom Clements. A federal official said the suspect in Clements’ slaying, Evan Spencer Ebel, was a member of the white supremacist 211 prison gang. SATURDAY: McLelland and his wife, Cynthia Woodward McLelland, are found fatally shot at their home. From staff reports

– The north Texas district attorney found murdered with his wife yesterday had been carrying a gun to guard against possible assassins, the AP reports. Wary after one of his assistant prosecutors was killed, Mike McLelland kept the weapon on him at all times, even when walking his dog (he figured his enemies would strike when he was outside). And he told employees to be cautious at all times. "The people in my line of work are going to have to get better at it," said McLelland of the danger after Mark Hasse's slaying and the murder of Colorado prison chief Tom Clements. In other developments: McLelland said Hasse might have been killed by white supremacists—a possible angle in the death of Clements. "We put some real dents in the Aryan Brotherhood around here in the past year," McLelland said of his office. The El Paso County Sheriff's Office is investigating similarities between the McLelland and Clements killings, the Denver Post reports. "We have nothing to indicate that they are connected but just based on a [district attorney] being involved we figured it was worth our while to reach out," said a spokesman. Before becoming the district attorney of Kaufman County in 2010, McLelland had worked as a defender for the mentally ill, reports the Dallas Morning News Crime Blog. They often suffered from bipolar disorder or schizophrenia and were "very unstable" when not on medication, said a public defender. But she didn't recall any specific conflicts between McLelland and unhappy clients. Surveillance cameras at McLelland's house may reveal more about the killing, reports the Dallas Morning News. Earlier reports that the assailants had kicked in the door were not accurate. (Clements was killed when he answered his door.) Click for the full story, including alleged threats by the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas to retaliate against law enforcement officials.

Two more people have died after a worker opened fire at a Fresno chicken plant Tuesday morning, authorities said, including the suspected gunman. The Fresno County coroner's office said Tuesday afternoon that the death toll stood at three and included suspect Lawrence Jones, 42. Police described one of the victims as a 32-year-old man who was pronounced dead at the Valley Protein plant; no information was immediately available about the second victim. Jones, a "discharged parolee" who had worked at the plant for about 14 months, clocked in to work shortly before 5 a.m. and at about 8:30 "pulled out a handgun and began opening fire" near a cold storage section of the building, Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer said. Officers found Jones outside the building with an apparent gunshot wound to the head, Dyer said. They also found a 32-year-old woman who had been shot in the lower back. Three men were found inside: the 32-year-old who was pronounced dead at the scene, a 34-year-old shot in the head and a 28-year-old shot in the neck. The victims were all taken to a local hospital, along with Jones. Dyer said investigators still weren't sure what prompted Jones to open fire, but said a coworker told authorities Jones "did not appear himself when he came in to work." Hours later, Dyer said, he pulled out a gun and started shooting. ||||| Police say a parolee who killed two people and wounded two others at a chicken processing plant in California moved methodically between three of the victims, putting a handgun against their head or neck and opening fire. Police search an area where a workplace shooting occurred that killed one person and wounded several others at Valley Protein, formally known as Apple Valley Farms Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, in Fresno, Calif.... (Associated Press) An unidentified woman cries as she's rushed into a car after learning of a workplace shooting Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, in Fresno, Calif. A parolee who worked at a California chicken processing plant opened... (Associated Press) An unidentified woman cries as she's rushed into a car after learning of a workplace shooting Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, in Fresno, Calif. A parolee who worked at a California chicken processing plant opened... (Associated Press) Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer said the victims did not hear the suspect, 42-year-old Lawrence Jones, on Tuesday because the processing plant was loud and at least some of them had noise protectors. The fourth victim, a woman, was shot as she tried to flee the plant. Dyer says Jones tried to shoot a fifth person, but he was out of bullets. Police believe he died a short time later of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Dyer also released the victims' identities. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below. A parolee who worked at a California chicken processing plant opened fire at the business on Tuesday, killing two people and wounding two others before taking his own life, authorities said. Police said they didn't know what prompted the attack by Lawrence Jones, 42, midway through his shift at Apple Valley Farms, although other workers told police he did not appear to be himself when he arrived at the plant for work. "It is difficult to say at this point if in fact there was a specific target that Jones was looking for," Police Chief Jerry Dyer said. "There was something that must have provoked this incident, perhaps that occurred today, or maybe was building up to today." Jones has an extensive criminal history dating back into the 1990s, Dyer said without elaborating. Police said they had Jones' home on lockdown and were searching to see if there were any other victims. Jones arrived at work just before 5 a.m. About three-and-a-half hours into his shift, he pulled out a handgun and began firing, Dyer said. About 30 employees witnessed the shooting, and there were a total of 62 people at work when the gunfire started, police said. "We have a lot of work ahead of us. We have at least 30 witnesses that we need to interview," Dyer said. Officers found Jones with a gunshot wound to the head and a 32-year-old woman bleeding from a wound to her lower back outside the business. She was in stable condition, Dyer said. Three other people were found shot inside. One was pronounced dead at the scene. Jones and another victim were pronounced dead later. The company was established in 2005, according to online business records. A call to the company went to a voicemail recording that said "due to an emergency we are closed for the day." A woman who answered the phone at a listing for CEO Durbin Breckenridge and identified herself as his wife said she would pass a phone message to him. News media and onlookers were kept several blocks from the plant, as police used yellow tape to block access. Dozens of officers swarmed the area. Joe Martinez, 45, told the Fresno Bee that he was in the drive-thru lane of a fast-food restaurant when he heard a loud pop that he initially thought was a car backfiring. Then he looked to the north and saw a man on the ground with two people standing over him. "It's the last thing you expect to see," Martinez said. "It's very upsetting." ---- Associated Press writers Jason Dearen and Terence Chea contributed to this report from San Francisco.

– A "discharged parolee" opened fire at a Fresno chicken plant today, killing two people and wounding two more before fatally shooting himself, the Los Angeles Times reports. The suspect was identified as Lawrence Jones, 42; he had worked at the Valley Protein plant for 14 months. Jones reportedly showed up for work just before 5am; police say he "pulled out a handgun and began opening fire" around 8:30am, moving methodically between three of the victims, putting a handgun against their head or neck and opening fire, reports the AP. Two of the three men shot inside the processing plant have died; they did not hear Jones approach because of the plant's noise level, and may have been wearing noise protectors as well, police explained. A fourth victim, a woman, was shot as she tried to flee the plant. Jones apparently tried to shoot a fifth person, but he was out of bullets. He reportedly died a short time later of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. About 30 employees witnessed the shootings.

Health & Wellness One more possible reason girls are having early periods: sugary drinks share tweet pin email Aside from those cavities and pound-packing calories, here’s another reason young girls may want to put down those sugar-sweetened beverages. Researchers are finding girls who frequently imbibe drinks laden with added sugar tend to start their periods earlier than girls who don’t overindulge, according to research published online Tuesday in the journal Human Reproduction. And girls may not only be ruining their teeth and their waistlines. They may be putting themselves at slightly greater risk of breast cancer during their lifetimes. In the study, researchers wanted to look at the relationship between sugar-sweetened drinks, such as regular soda, sweetened ice tea, and non-carbonated offerings like lemonade or fruit punch, and the age at which girls started their first period. What the researchers found is that those girls who drank more than 1.5 servings of sugary drinks every day had their first period 2.7 months earlier than those who consumed two or fewer such drinks a week. One limitation of these findings is that the survey didn’t specify how many ounces in a serving, which in the U.S. can vary drastically from standard 8 ounces up to 20 ounces. This effect was independent of the body mass index (BMI) of the girls, height, total food intake and other lifestyle factors such as physical activity. Among the 5,583 girls, ages 9 to 14 who participated in the study between the years 1996 and 2001, those who consumed the most sugary drinks started menstruating at 12.8 years of age, compared to 13 years for those drinking the least. Study participants were part of the Growing up Today Study, which follows 16,875 children of Nurses’ Health Study II participants.The researchers also investigated diet sodas and fruit juice to assess the impact of artificially or naturally sweetened drinks, and found they were not associated with any difference in the age at which girls started their periods Although a 2.7 month difference in age of menarche is not a huge effect on an individual level, it is important on a population level, says Harvard School of Public Health epidemiologist Dr. Jenny Carwile, the study’s lead author. “They (the findings) are actually very powerful because consumption of these kinds of drinks is something that can be modified,” she says. Beverages that contain added sugar have a higher glycemic index than naturally sweetened drinks such as fruit juices. The glycemic index is a number that is associated with how certain foods affect blood sugar levels, and these so-called high glycemic foods result in rapid increases in insulin concentrations in the body. Higher insulin concentrations can result in higher concentrations of sex hormones, and large alterations in the concentrations of these hormones circulating in the body has been linked to periods starting earlier, say researchers. Studies do show that a one-year decrease in age at menarche is estimated to increase the risk of breast cancer by only 5 percent, and a 2.7 month decrease will undoubtedly have a more modest impact, if any. “This is a small, but statistically significant finding,” says reproductive endocrinologist Dr. James Liu, chairman of obstetrics and gynecology at University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio. “Whether this can be linked to anything long term is still speculation, and more people need to look at it.” Nonetheless, “. . . sugary drinks and the metabolic effects they have are very interesting and potentially important in terms of cancer risk,” says breast surgical oncologist Dr. Katherine Kopkash of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois. Doctors do know that maintaining a healthy body weight and getting exercise reduces risk of breast and other cancers. “But we all know people who may have great body mass indexes, but are still prone to metabolic issues,” Kopkash says. “Decreasing sugary beverage consumption is just one more thing you can do to help yourself potentially reduce your risk of cancer. So I would tell a group of young girls to watch that sugar.” ||||| Scientists say impact of bringing forward girl’s first period by 2.7 months is likely to be modest Sugary drinks may be causing girls to start menstruating earlier, research suggests. A study of girls aged nine to 14 found that those averaging more than 1.5 sugar-sweetened beverages a day had their first period 2.7 months earlier than those consuming two a week or fewer. The difference of a few months is not great, but the researchers say it may be significant because earlier onset menstrual periods are among the factors contributing to an increased risk of breast cancer later in life. However, one expert said the small change may not be hugely biologically relevant. Sugary drinks are widely thought to be contributing to childhood obesity, which is already known to be a factor in earlier onset of menstruation. The lead researcher in the US study, Dr Karin Michels, of Harvard Medical School, said: “Our study adds to increasing concern about the widespread consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks among children and adolescents in the US and elsewhere. The main concern is about childhood obesity, but our study suggests that age of first menstruation (menarche) occurred earlier, independently of body mass index, among girls with the highest consumption of drinks sweetened with added sugar. “These findings are important in the context of earlier puberty onset among girls, which has been observed in developed countries and for which the reason is largely unknown.” The scientists said the impact of bringing forward menarche by 2.7 months was likely to be modest. A one-year reduction in age at first period is estimated to raise the risk of breast cancer by 5%. But they expected some girls to be consuming more than the quantities of sugary drinks measured in the study. Writing in the journal Human Reproduction, the researchers concluded: “The amount of SSBs consumed by girls in our highest category of consumption, more than 1.5 servings per day … is likely low compared with consumption in certain other populations, in which we would expect an even more dramatic decrease in age at menarche. “Most importantly, the public health significance of SSB consumption at age at menarche, and possibly breast cancer, should not be overlooked, since unlike most other predictors of menarche, SSB consumption can be modified.” The girls included in the research were participants in the Growing Up Today study, which is following the progress of 16,875 children across the US. Questionnaires asked the girls about their diets at several points in time between 1996 and 2001. A drink serving was defined as either a can or a glass. Sugary drinks included sodas, fruit drinks, lemonade and iced tea. By the end of the five-year period, all but 3% of the girls had started menstruating. The average first period age for girls consuming the most sugary drinks was 12.8 years, compared with 13 years for those drinking the least. After adjusting the results to take account of body mass index (BMI), girls drinking the most SSBs were 22% more likely to start their period in the month after being questioned about their diet than the lowest consumers. The researchers found that artificially added sugar was chiefly responsible for their findings, rather than natural sugars in drinks such as fruit juices. Drinks with added sugar have a higher glycaemic index than naturally sweetened drinks, leading to rapid spikes of the hormone insulin. Boosted insulin can result in higher concentrations of sex hormones, and large changes in the levels of these have been linked to periods starting earlier, the scientists said. Dr Ken Ong, of the Medical Research Council epidemiology unit at Cambridge University, said: “This is a very large study, which was representative across the USA, and the findings are strongly statistically significant. From previous research we know that sugar-sweetened beverage intake promotes weight gain, and that weight gain promotes early puberty in girls – so an SSB-to-puberty link is expected. “The surprise here is the claim that the association is independent of childhood size – ie that there is a more direct effect of SSB on puberty. This is unexpected.” Prof Ieuan Hughes, emeritus professor of paediatrics at Cambridge University, cast doubt on some of the findings. “How biologically relevant is a difference of 2.7 months?” he asked. He added that no account had been taken of migration, locality or parents’ occupations. “It seems to me that the observation in this study suggests that it is weight-related so that the message is clear about the dangers of such sugary drinks. I think the reference to breast cancer is overly alarmist though,” he said. ||||| It’s well documented soda isn’t good for the body, doesn’t provide any nutrients or benefits other than a slight caffeine high and sugar buzz, but now experts have discovered a danger floating in the liquid sugar permanently changes little girls’ hormones. Researchers from Harvard School of Public Health found an alarming new danger of soda consumption and published their findings in the journal Human Reproduction. "Our study adds to increasing concern about the wide-spread consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks among children and adolescents in the USA and elsewhere," the study’s lead researcher Karin Michels, a professor at Harvard Medical School, said in a press release. "The main concern is about childhood obesity, but our study suggests that age of first menstruation (menarche) occurred earlier, independently of body mass index, among girls with the highest consumption of drinks sweetened with added sugar. These findings are important in the context of earlier puberty onset among girls, which has been observed in developed countries and for which the reason is largely unknown." For the first time, researchers took a closer look into the sugary liquid to figure out if it has anything to do with girls getting their periods earlier and earlier. They followed 5,583 girls between the ages of 9 to 14 throughout 1996 and 2001, and found those who drank more sugary drinks had their period earlier. Having more than one-and-a-half sugary drinks a day in the five-year time frame, the girls had their first period 2.7 months earlier than those who consumed two or less of the same drinks a week. Usually when someone drinks a lot of soda, it accompanies an unhealthy diet, but researchers had already took into account the girls’ body mass index (BMI), height, daily calories, exercise, and other lifestyle factors, and found soda and other sugary drinks were the root cause. Consumers should be wary of substances responsible for changing a female's hormones, because of the effects it could have on their reproductive health and future children. "Our findings provide further support for public health efforts to reduce the consumption of sugary drinks," Michels said. The rapidly falling age of puberty in girls has been a concern for over a decade, but earlier periods have been a trend for the last 50 years, according to the National Women’s Health Network. In the United States, 50 percent of Caucasian girls show signs of breast budding before they’re even 10 years old, and experts believe the chemical cocktails are to blame for the new normal rates of girls’ pubescent development. Sugary drinks, such as soda, fruit punch, lemonade, sports and energy drinks, are all major contributors to the obesity epidemic, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. However, researchers found girls who were drinking diet sodas or fruit juices were not at risk for an earlier period. Regardless, there is a dauntingly high and continuous rise in the consumption of sugar drinks, and nearly a quarter of all girls who drink more than one soda a day will be at risk for an earlier period. On any given day in America, half of the people in the country will consume a sugary drink by the time they go to bed. Source: Michels KB, Carwile JL, Willet WC, Spiegelman D, Hertzmark E, and Rich-Edwards J, et al. Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and age at menarche in a prospective study of US girls. Human Reproduction. 2015.

– Scientists have previously observed that girls are having their first periods earlier than they once did, and a new study offers a possible reason: sugary beverages like soda. Researchers studied 5,583 US children between 1996 and 2001; they found that girls ages nine to 14 who downed an average of more than 1.5 sugary drinks each day experienced their first periods 2.7 months earlier than girls who had no more than two each week, the Press Association reports via the Guardian. That's of some concern, experts say, because earlier periods have been linked to a higher risk of breast cancer. Obesity has also been associated with earlier periods, but the study's findings held true "independently of body mass index," says a researcher; the results were also independent of physical activity and overall food intake, Today reports. One possible explanation is that added-sugar beverages can drive up insulin, which can increase sex hormone concentrations, which in turn can lead to earlier periods. (Diet sodas and fruit juices weren't linked to earlier periods, Medical Daily reports.) Today points to one issue with the study: It didn't define the serving size involved. And an outside expert wonders whether 2.7 months really means much—but the lead author says it does. The results "are actually very powerful because consumption of these kinds of drinks is something that can be modified," she notes. (And it's probably a good idea to stay off the soda anyway: Another study finds it can age our cells as much as smoking can.)

Upset over the result of last week's presidential election, an Arizona woman ran over her husband with her car, believing him to be directly responsible for Obama's reelection because he didn't vote. According to police in Gilbert, 28-year-old Holly Solomon of Mesa and her husband Daniel argued loudly in a local parking lot before Holly got in her Jeep SUV and began chasing Daniel around. She eventually managed to pin him underneath the vehicle as he was trying to run away. Daniel sustained life-threatening injuries and was rushed to Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn Medical Center where he remains in critical condition. "According to Daniel, Holly believed her family was going to face hardship as a result of President Obama's re-election," Gilbert police Sergeant Jesse Sanger said in a statement. Daniel's presidential preference likely wouldn't have mattered much to Romney: He won Arizona by a margin of some 200,000 votes. Holly was booked on charges of domestic violence charges of aggravated assault. Shockingly, neither alcohol nor drugs were listed as contributing factors. [H/T: Wonkette, Daily Intel, mug shot via ABC 15] ||||| GILBERT, AZ - A Mesa woman was arrested Saturday after she allegedly chased her husband around a Gilbert parking lot in an SUV during an argument over the presidential election. The woman finally ran over her husband, leaving him with critical injuries. According to a Gilbert police report, the argument started over her husband's lack of voter participation in the recent election. Holly Solomon, 28, apparently believed her family was going to face hardship as a result of President Barack Obama's re-election. Solomon's husband, Daniel Solomon, told police his wife "just hated Obama" and was very angry he was re-elected and blamed the President for problems her family is going through. Witnesses reported a lot of yelling just before Holly got into a Jeep SUV and began chasing her husband through the parking lot near Gilbert and Elliot roads. "He got out of the car and she was screaming at him. And he started walking away and she started driving in circles around him and she wouldn't let him go so finally he took off to try to get away and she ran into him," a called told a 911 dispatcher. Daniel reportedly took refuge behind a light pole while Holly drove around the pole several times while continuing to yell at him. Police said Daniel tried to run away toward Gilbert Road as Holly pursued him in the vehicle. She eventually struck her husband and he was pinned underneath, between the vehicle and a curb. Daniel was taken to Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn Medical Center and remains there in critical condition, according to police. Holly was taken into custody and booked into jail for domestic violence charges of aggravated assault, reckless driving and disorderly conduct. Police said there were no indications that Holly was impaired by alcohol or drugs during the incident. According to a police report, Daniel told police his wife is six months pregnant.

– President Obama's re-election? It was all the fault of one man, according to his wife—who allegedly ran him over and left him in critical condition, reports ABC 15. Holly Solomon, 28, got into a shouting match with her husband Saturday in a parking lot in Gilbert, Arizona, because he hadn't voted, police say. She apparently thought her family would suffer hard times because Mitt Romney had failed to win the White House. So Solomon jumped in their Jeep SUV and chased husband Daniel around the parking lot. When he hid behind a light pole, she drove around it several times while still yelling at him. Finally he made a break for it and she pinned him against the curb. He's now in a hospital, and she's been booked for domestic violence charges of aggravated assault. She wasn't drunk or high, either, police say. So she might be interested to learn that Romney won Arizona by about 200,000 votes, notes Gawker.

A 28-year-old Florida woman was arrested and charged with four counts of negligent child abuse without bodily harm after police observed her four children playing in a park without supervision. When the mother, named Ashley Richardson, arrived at the scene to retrieve them, she told officers that she had been at been at the local food bank and was not expecting to be away so long. Advertisement A police officer said she first noticed the children playing alone in Lake Maude Nature Park in the small city of Winter Haven during the early afternoon of Tuesday, August 12. She was eventually waved down by the kids after the eldest, age 8, became caught in a swing meant for toddlers. The officer called in the fire department and the boy was eventually unstuck. Police say that, upon requesting the children's address, the kids initially would not answer, though, when asked again, they gave an address less than a half mile away and said that they had left the house earlier that morning. Approximately 2.5 hours after police first spotted the kids, Richardson arrived, informed officers that she had been held up at the local food bank and was arrested on the scene. Advertisement The Winter Haven Police Department has already received public backlash for the arrest, leading Police Chief Gary Hester to state: "Six, seven and 8-year-old kids are not equipped to be left unattended, I mean period. I met some pretty mature 6, 7, 8-year-olds but you don't leave them unattended. I guess the question we should be asking is this 28-year-old mother, should she be left unattended. Doesn't look like she's mature enough to be a parent. She's being supervised today in the county jail. Hopefully she learns her lesson." For the record, I spent far longer than 2 and a half hours unattended in parks throughout my childhood and my parents were never scolded by law officials or told that they needed to "learn a lesson" through jail time. Then again, my folks are middle class and white, so they're not exactly the police department's target demo when it comes to this kind of things. Richardson's arrest echoes other recent, highly publicized incidents: In July, Debra Harrell was arrested for letting her daughter play in the park while she worked a shift at McDonald's and, just shy of five months ago, Shanesha Taylor, a homeless mother of two, was arrested for leaving her children in the car while attending a job interview. Sponsored Glad to see that police resources are going to such good use. ||||| A 28-year-old Winter Haven mother was arrested Tuesday after allowing her four young children to walk to a local park almost a half-mile from her residence and leaving them alone while she went to a food bank. Officials say Ashley Richardson was booked into the Polk County Jail on four counts of Negligent Child Abuse w/o Bodily Harm. Around noon on Tuesday, a Winter Haven police officer spotted four small children (ages 8, twin 7-year-olds and a 6-year-old) playing in the park. The officer did not see any adult in the immediate area, so she parked her patrol car across the road from the park facing the area where the children were playing. After a few minutes, she saw the children waving her over to their direction. When she went to check on the children she found the 8-year-old stuck in a swing designed for toddlers with his legs caught between the seat divider. After finding she was unable to free the child from the swing, she contacted the Winter Haven Fire Department. Rescue crews were able to remove the swing from the frame and free the crying child. Still unable to locate an adult, the officer quizzed the children who were initially unable to say where they lived. Once the fire department crew left, the officer continued to watch for an adult and monitor the children. The children began playing close to the roadway, climbing on a five-foot tall concrete sign and playing in water along a lakefront. Fearing for their safety, the officer once again quizzed the children for their address or family information. The children ultimately provided their names and ages and revealed that they lived across Avenue T and would walk to the park by themselves, leaving their home "in the morning." At this point, police say more than two and a half hours had passed since the officer first encountered the children. The officer called for assistance and while waiting for another officer to arrive, an SUV pulled in. The oldest child indicated that was their mother, Ashley Richardson, in the vehicle. She said she didn't think it would take so long at the food bank. Richardson was taken into custody and interviewed at the Winter Haven Police Department, then booked into the Polk County Jail. It is still unclear when the children left their residence or where the food bank Richardson went to was located. "Our officer had great concern for the safety of these children," said Chief Gary Hester. "She gave ample opportunity for an adult to come forward. For anyone to think it is okay to allow small children to walk almost a half mile alone across a heavily-travelled road, not to mention left in unsafe conditions, is criminal and will not be ignored." ||||| A Winter Haven woman was arrested after police said she let her four children walk alone to a park while she went to a food bank. Ashley Richardson, 28, is facing four counts of negligent child abuse without bodily harm. According to Winter Haven police, an officer on routine patrol near Lake Maude Nature Park saw four small children, ranging in age from 8 to 6, playing alone at the park on Tuesday at about noon. The officer noticed there were no adults around, so she parked her patrol unit across the road from the park, facing the area where the children were playing. A few minutes later, the officer said she saw the children waving her over in their direction. Police said she went to see what had happened and found the 8-year-old boy stuck in a swing designed for toddlers. His legs were caught between the seat divider and the boy was becoming increasingly upset, police said. Police said the officer tried to free the boy but was unable to do so, so she contacted the Winter Haven Fire Department. Fire rescue personnel responded and took the swing off the frame, freeing the child, police said. Police were unable to find an adult, and when the officer asked the children for information, they were initially unable to tell her where they lived. The officer stayed near the children to watch for an adult, and she said they started playing again, ending up near a road, climbing on a five-foot concrete sign and playing in water along the lakefront, police said. The officer again approached the children and asked for their address and their family information, and this time they gave their names and ages and told her where they lived, police said. Police said the children then told the officer that they had crossed Avenue T and walked to the park by themselves, and had left their home that morning. Police said that at this point, two and a half hours had passed since the officer initially encountered the children. The officer called for assistance, and while she was waiting, an SUV pulled up to the park. Police said the oldest child indicated their mother was in the SUV. Richardson was arrested and taken to the Winter Haven Police Department to be interviewed. Police said she told them that she had gone to a local food bank, and that she didn't think she would take as long as it had. "Our officer had great concern for the safety of these children," Police Chief Gary Hester said. "She gave ample opportunity for an adult to come forward. For anyone to think it is okay to allow small children to walk almost a half mile alone across a heavily-travelled road, not to mention left in unsafe conditions, is criminal and will not be ignored." After news of Richardson's arrest was released to the public, several people posted on the department's Facebook page that they did not believe she should have been arrested. Hester said he disagreed with the people who left those comments. "Six, seven and 8-year-old kids are not equipped to be left unattended, I mean period," he said. "I met some pretty mature 6, 7, 8-year-olds but you don't leave them unattended. I guess the question we should be asking is this 28-year-old mother, should she be left unattended. Doesn't look like she's mature enough to be a parent. She's being supervised today in the county jail. Hopefully she learns her lesson."

– Another mom has been arrested for letting her kids play alone at a park. An officer on patrol in Winter Haven, Florida, saw the four children (an 8-year-old, 7-year-old twins, and a 6-year-old, WPTV reports) at the park Tuesday around noon, and parked to observe them since there were no adults in the area. She says they waved her over a few minutes later because the 8-year-old boy had gotten stuck in a toddler swing, and they needed help. She couldn't free him and called the fire department to help; the children's mother, 28-year-old Ashley Richardson, arrived about two and a half hours after the officer first noticed the kids, Bay News 9 reports. After the boy was set loose from the swing, the officer asked the kids where they lived, and they initially couldn't tell her. She says she then watched them continue playing—including climbing up on a sign and playing near a road and a lakefront—and ultimately they did tell her they lived less than half a mile away, Jezebel reports. When Richardson arrived, just after the officer called for assistance, she was arrested and now faces four counts of negligent child abuse without bodily harm. She told officers she had gone to a local food bank and didn't think she'd be gone so long. There's been backlash over the arrest, but the police chief says, "I [have] met some pretty mature 6, 7, 8-year-olds but you don't leave them unattended." (This mom and this mom were also recently arrested for letting their kids play at the park alone, and this mom was arrested for swearing in front of her kids.)

Guest Reviewer: Jennifer Weiner on Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) is the New York Times bestselling author of nine books, including Good in Bed, In Her Shoes, which was made into a major motion picture, and Then Came You. A graduate of Princeton University, Jennifer lives in Philadelphia with her family. I know what you’re thinking: really? Another memoir-slash-observational-essay-collection by a first-generation Indian-American comedy writer-slash-sitcom star who shot to fame with a cross-dressing impersonation of Ben Affleck? My bookshelf’s full of those already! Stay with me. Because, no matter how many quirky memoir-slash-observational-essay collections by funny ladies you’ve got on your shelves, you’re going to want this one there, too. Mindy Kaling is an American original. Born round, to delighted parents (“Part of me wonders if it even made them feel a little prosperous, like Have you seen our overweight Indian child? Do you know how statistically rare this is?”), she grew up in New England, enjoyed hanging out with her family, excelled in Latin, made her way to Dartmouth and thence, as is decreed by law and custom, to Brooklyn, where her smart-ass jokes about subway rape netted her and her colleagues a private Town Car to ferry them to their slave-wage job as production assistants on a psychic-TV show on cable. You’ll get the story of Kaling’s rise to a job as a staff writer and eventual performer on “The Office,” along with behind-the-scenes dish, several damning photos of Rainn Wilson, and candid shots of her on her way to various awards parties where she’d heard that Drake might play. But, you say, we want more than that! Dear reader, there is more. In addition to the how-to-make-it-in-Hollywood saga (it involves breaking your best friend’s nose, onstage, in front of an influential critic, and working eighteen-hour days without complaint), you will also get delightful observations on body image angst (“Being called fat is not like being called stupid or unfunny, which is the worst thing you could ever say to me,”), the duties of a best friend (“I Must Be 100 Percent Honest About How You Look, But Gentle), a smart dissection of the women you will meet in rom-coms, and why men have it easier than women, in life and in grooming (Kiehls + Bumble and Bumble = Hot Guy). It’s an autobiography crossed with witty observations with a twist of a shopping guide, and a pinch of Oprah-esque Your Best Life Now inspiration, told in Kaling’s singularly endearing voice. By the end of this book, you will want Mindy Kaling to be your best friend, and you will want her parents to adopt you. Since neither of these events is likely, or even possible, buy her book instead. ||||| A few years ago, I sat down for a meeting with some executives at a movie studio that I will call Thinkscope Visioncloud. Thinkscope Visioncloud had put out several of my favorite movies, and they wanted to see if I had any feature ideas. I was very excited. I have a great job writing for “The Office,” but, really, all television writers do is dream of one day writing movies. I’ll put it this way: At the Oscars the most famous person in the room is, like, Angelina Jolie. At the Emmys the huge exciting celebrity is Bethenny Frankel. You get what I mean. It’s snobby and grossly aspirational, but it’s true. The junior executives’ office at Thinkscope Visioncloud was nicer than any room within a fifty-mile radius of the “Office” studio. After I finished pitching one of my ideas for a low-budget romantic comedy, I was met with silence. One of the execs sheepishly looked at the other execs. He finally said, “Yeah, but we’re really trying to focus on movies about board games. People really seem to respond to those.” For the rest of the meeting, we talked about whether there was any potential in a movie called “Yahtzee!” I made some polite suggestions and left. I am always surprised at what movie studios think people will want to see. I’m even more surprised at how often they are correct. Based on what I’ve learned from my time in Hollywood, the following titles are my best guess as to what may soon be coming to a theatre near you: “Bananagrams 3D” “Apples to Apples 4D” (The audience is pummelled with apples at the end of the movie.) “Crest Whitestrips” “Sharks vs. Volcanoes” “King Tut vs. King Kong” “Streptococcus vs. Candidiasis” (Strep Throat vs. Yeast Infection) “The Do-Over” “The Switcheroo” “Street Smart” “Street Stupid” (“Street Smart” sequel) “Fat Astronaut” “The Untitled Liam Neeson Vendetta Project” “Human Quilt” (horror movie) “The Cute Bear from Those Toilet-Paper Ads Movie” Those movies all sound great to me, and, incidentally, I am prepared to write any of them, if there is interest. But what I’d really like to write is a romantic comedy. This is my favorite kind of movie. I feel almost embarrassed revealing this, because the genre has been so degraded in the past twenty years that saying you like romantic comedies is essentially an admission of mild stupidity. But that has not stopped me from enjoying them. I like watching people fall in love onscreen so much that I can suspend my disbelief in the contrived situations that occur only in the heightened world of romantic comedies. I have come to enjoy the moment when the male lead, say, slips and falls right on top of the expensive wedding cake. I actually feel robbed when the female lead’s dress doesn’t get torn open at a baseball game while the JumboTron camera is on her. I regard romantic comedies as a subgenre of sci-fi, in which the world operates according to different rules than my regular human world. For me, there is no difference between Ripley from “Alien” and any Katherine Heigl character. They are equally implausible. They’re all participating in a similar level of fakey razzle-dazzle, and I enjoy every second of it. It makes sense, then, that in the romantic-comedy world there are many specimens of women who—like Vulcans or Mothra—do not exist in real life. Here are some examples: The Klutz When a beautiful actress is cast in a movie, executives rack their brains to find some kind of flaw in the character she plays that will still allow her to be palatable. She can’t be overweight or not perfect-looking, because who would pay to see that? A female who is not one hundred per cent perfect-looking in every way? You might as well film a dead squid decaying on a beach somewhere for two hours. So they make her a Klutz. The hundred-per-cent-perfect-looking female is perfect in every way except that she constantly bonks her head on things. She trips and falls and spills soup on her affable date (Josh Lucas. Is that his name? I know it’s two first names. Josh George? Brad Mike? Fred Tom? Yes, it’s Fred Tom). The Klutz clangs into stop signs while riding her bike and knocks over giant displays of fine china in department stores. Despite being five feet nine and weighing a hundred and ten pounds, she is basically like a drunk buffalo who has never been a part of human society. But Fred Tom loves her anyway. The Ethereal Weirdo The smart and funny writer Nathan Rabin coined the term Manic Pixie Dream Girl to describe this archetype after seeing Kirsten Dunst in the movie “Elizabethtown.” This girl can’t be pinned down and may or may not show up when you make concrete plans with her. She wears gauzy blouses and braids. She likes to dance in the rain and she weeps uncontrollably if she sees a sign for a missing dog or cat. She might spin a globe, place her finger on a random spot, and decide to move there. The Ethereal Weirdo appears a lot in movies, but nowhere else. If she were from real life, people would think she was a homeless woman and would cross the street to avoid her. But she is essential to the male fantasy that even if a guy is boring he deserves a woman who will find him fascinating and perk up his dreary life by forcing him to go skinny-dipping in a stranger’s pool. The Woman Who Is Obsessed with Her Career and Is No Fun at All I regularly work sixteen hours a day. Yet, like most people I know who are similarly busy, I’m a pleasant, pretty normal person. But that’s not how working women are depicted in movies. I’m not always barking orders into my hands-free phone device and yelling, “I have no time for this!” Often, a script calls for this uptight career woman to “relearn” how to seduce a man, and she has to do all sorts of crazy degrading crap, like eat a hot dog in a sexy way or something. And since when does holding a job necessitate that a woman pull her hair back in a severe, tight bun? Do screenwriters think that loose hair makes it hard to concentrate? The Forty-two-Year-Old Mother of the Thirty-Year-Old Male Lead If you think about the backstory of a typical mother character in a romantic comedy, you realize this: when “Mom” was an adolescent, the very week she started to menstruate she was impregnated with a baby who would grow up to be the movie’s likable brown-haired leading man. I am fascinated by Mom’s sordid early life. I would rather see this movie than the one I bought a ticket for. I am so brainwashed by the young-mom phenomenon that when I saw the poster for “The Proposal” I wondered for a second if the proposal in the movie was Ryan Reynolds’ suggesting that he send his mother, Sandra Bullock, to an old-age home. The Sassy Best Friend You know that really hilarious and horny best friend who is always asking about your relationship and has nothing really going on in her own life? She always wants to meet you in coffee shops or wants to go to Bloomingdale’s to sample perfumes? She runs a chic dildo store in the West Village? Nope? O.K., that’s this person. The Skinny Woman Who Is Beautiful and Toned but Also Gluttonous and Disgusting Again, I am more than willing to suspend my disbelief for good set decoration alone. One pristine kitchen from a Nancy Meyers movie like “It’s Complicated” compensates for five scenes of Diane Keaton being caught half naked in a topiary. But I can’t suspend disbelief enough, for instance, if the gorgeous and skinny heroine is also a ravenous pig when it comes to food. And everyone in the movie—her parents, her friends, her boss—are all complicit in this huge lie. They constantly tell her to stop eating. And this actress, this poor skinny actress who obviously lost weight to play the likable lead character, has to say things like “Shut up, you guys! I love cheesecake! If I want to eat an entire cheesecake, I will!” If you look closely, you can see this woman’s ribs through the dress she’s wearing—that’s how skinny she is, this cheesecake-loving cow. The Woman Who Works in an Art Gallery How many freakin’ art galleries are out there? Are people buying visual art on a daily basis? This posh/smart/classy profession is a favorite in movies. It’s in the same realm as kindergarten teacher or children’s-book illustrator in terms of accessibility: guys don’t really get it, but it is likable and nonthreatening. Art Gallery Woman: “Dust off the Warhol. You know, that Campbell’s Soup one in the crazy color! We have an important buyer coming into town, and this is a really big deal for my career. I have no time for this!” The Gallery Worker character is the rare female movie archetype that has a male counterpart. Whenever you meet a handsome, charming, successful man in a romantic comedy, the heroine’s friend always says the same thing: “He’s really successful. He’s”—say it with me—“an architect!” There are, like, nine people in the entire world who are architects, and one of them is my dad. None of them look like Patrick Dempsey. ♦

– Mindy Kaling may be a successful writer for The Office, but what she really wants to do is write a movie. A romantic comedy, in fact, because she loves to watch people falling in love. Sadly, “the genre has been so degraded in the past twenty years that saying you like romantic comedies is essentially an admission of mild stupidity,” she writes in an excerpt from her book, out next month, previewed in the New Yorker. Below, the seven female characters presented in today’s rom-coms that you will never, ever see in the real world: The Klutz: The lead actress is beautiful, but she needs some sort of flaw—other than being “overweight or not perfect-looking.” Enter “the klutz,” who—despite the fact that she’s built like a supermodel—“is basically like a drunk buffalo who has never been a part of human society." The Ethereal Weirdo: Referred to in some circles as the “Manic Pixie Dream Girl,” the “ethereal weirdo” is the type who “wears gauzy blouses and braids,” dances in the rain, and goes skinny-dipping a lot. In real life, “people would think she was a homeless woman and would cross the street to avoid her." The Woman Who Is Obsessed with Her Career and Is No Fun at All: According to Kaling, it is possible to work 16-hour days and not spend all your time “barking orders into [your] hands-free phone device and yelling, ‘I have no time for this!’” Yet that’s all this character does, until of course she has to learn the art of seduction by doing “all sorts of crazy degrading crap, like [eating] a hot dog in a sexy way.” Click for Kaling’s full list.

Google’s robot just got its driver’s license. On Tuesday, the federal agency that sets road rules — the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — released a letter to the Internet giant that supports its interpretation of a driverless system as legally adequate for roadways, a key victory for the critical initiative within Alphabet, Google’s parent company. Previously, the NHTSA only considered humans as drivers under law, because that’s how cars worked until Google came along. Now the agency has said it will consider Google’s self-driving system a driver, too. The letter came in response to a November petition from Chris Urmson, the director of Google’s self-driving car project. Urmson argued that regulators should treat Google’s homemade cars, built without a steering wheel and brakes, on par with human drivers. It has been a persistent sticking point for the Google unit, particularly after California issued draft autonomous vehicle rules expressly prohibiting driverless cars. Ensuring that its driverless fleet has regulatory approval to get on the roads is critical to Google’s car strategy. The NHTSA letter isn’t a ruling; it’s a clarification about how the agency will interpret the law in the future. You can read the full thing here (warning: It’s a mess), but the key part is below: As a foundational starting point for the interpretations below, NHTSA will interpret driver in the context of Google’s described motor vehicle design as referring to the SDS, and not to any of the vehicle occupants. We agree with Google its SDV will not have a driver in the traditional sense that vehicles have had drivers during the last more than one hundred years. The trend toward computer-driven vehicles began with such features as antilock brakes, electronic stability control, and air bags, continuing today with automatic emergency braking, forward crash warning, and lane departure warnings, and continuing on toward vehicles with Google’s SDV and potentially beyond. … If no human occupant of the vehicle can actually drive the vehicle, it is more reasonable to identify the driver as whatever (as opposed to whoever) is doing the driving. In this instance, an item of motor vehicle equipment, the SDS, is actually driving the vehicle. Last month, Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx, who oversees the NHTSA, announced that his department would develop self-driving guidelines by June. Those guidelines would also agree with Google’s interpretation of driverless vehicles. In 2012, Google hired Ron Medford, the NHTSA deputy director, to be the director of safety for its self-driving car program, an early signal of its ambition. ||||| The US government has cleared the way for Google to create a self-driving car that doesn't also have a human driver inside the vehicle that can take over if necessary. In this setup, the autonomous driving software itself would be the vehicle's legal "driver"; none of the human passengers would require a driving licence. In November last year, Google submitted a proposed design to the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for a self-driving car that has "no need for a human driver." On February 4, as reported by Reuters, the NHTSA responded: "NHTSA will interpret 'driver' in the context of Google's described motor vehicle design as referring to the (self-driving system), and not to any of the vehicle occupants. We agree with Google its (self-driving car) will not have a 'driver' in the traditional sense that vehicles have had drivers during the last more than one hundred years." Currently, while Google's self-driving car prototypes can operate fully autonomously, they are required to have a human driver inside. They must also have the various accoutrements—a steering wheel and pedals—that would allow the human driver to take over if required. This sounds sensible at first blush, but the NHTSA letter said that Google expressed concern "that providing human occupants of the vehicle with mechanisms to control things like steering, acceleration, braking... could be detrimental to safety because the human occupants could attempt to override the (self-driving system's) decisions." Now, however, it seems like the US government will allow the self-driving software to be the official driver of the vehicle, which in turn opens the door to rewriting regulations to allow for closed-circuit autonomous driving systems without steering wheels, pedals, and other human-operated mechanisms. For example, right now US regulations stipulate that a car's dashboard must provide an indicator for low tyre pressure; but in the future, that warning would be fed directly into the autonomous driving software. While this is certainly a big step towards truly driverless cars, there's still quite a long way to go. "The next question is whether and how Google could certify that the (self-driving system) meets a standard developed and designed to apply to a vehicle with a human driver," the NHTSA said. In January, the US Department of Transport said that it would be willing to waive some regulations to get more self-driving cars onto the roads. Anthony Foxx, the transport chief, said "in 2016, we are going to do everything we can to promote safe, smart, and sustainable vehicles. We are bullish on automated vehicles." Things are moving quickly in the UK, too: London's transport bosses say they are in "active discussions" with Google, with the hope of getting the company to trial its self-driving cars on the other side of the pond. Self-driving cars are being tested on public roads in the UK, but just like the US they are still required to have a human driver inside who can take over if necessary. ||||| Chris Urmson Director, Self-Driving Car Project Google, Inc. 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway Mountain View, CA 94043 Dear Dr. Urmson: This responds to your November 12, 2015 letter[1] requesting that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) interpret a number of provisions in the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSSs) as they apply to Google’s described design for motor vehicles that it is in the process of developing and testing. According to Google, those self-driving vehicles (SDVs) are “fully autonomous motor vehicles, i.e., vehicles whose operations are controlled exclusively by a Self-Driving System (SDS).” The SDS is an artificial-intelligence (AI) “driver,” which is a computer designed into the motor vehicle itself that controls all aspects of driving by perceiving its environment and responding to it.[2] Thus, Google believes that the vehicles “have no need for a human driver.” In this response, NHTSA addresses each of Google’s requests for interpretation, and grants several of them. In some instances, the issues presented simply are not susceptible to interpretation and must be resolved through rulemaking or other regulatory means. NHTSA believes that many of these issues may be resolved on an interim basis through well-supported exemption petition(s), and invites Google to file such petitions. In other instances, if Google is able to provide sufficient additional information and evidence, it may be possible to resolve open issues through interpretations. INTRODUCTION Google describes its vehicles as having what NHTSA’s May 2013 Preliminary Statement of Policy Concerning Automated Vehicles calls Level 4 Full Self-Driving Automation. According to that Statement, a Level 4 vehicle is designed to perform all safety-critical driving functions and monitor roadway conditions for an entire trip. Such a design anticipates that the driver will provide destination or navigation input, but is not expected to be available for control at any time during the trip. This includes both occupied and unoccupied vehicles. By design, safe operation rests solely on the automated vehicle system. Google is asking for interpretations to determine how it would certify its SDV to the FMVSS. In essence, Google seeks to produce a vehicle that contains L4 automated driving capabilities, and removes conventional driver controls and interfaces (like a steering wheel, throttle pedal, and brake pedal, among many other things). Given that the SDS controls all aspects of driving, and given Google’s belief that the SDS consistently will make the optimal decisions for the SDV occupants’ safety (as well as for pedestrians and other road users), the company expresses concern that providing human occupants of the vehicle with mechanisms to control things like steering, acceleration, braking, or turn signals, or providing human occupants with information about vehicle operation controlled entirely by the SDS, could be detrimental to safety because the human occupants could attempt to override the SDS’s decisions. While the L4 automation is the impetus behind these design decisions, it is Google’s design decisions that create the uncertainty over how to apply the FMVSS to Google’s proposed vehicle. Google’s design choices in its proposed approach to the SDV raise a number of novel issues in applying the FMVSSs. Those standards were drafted at a time when it was reasonable to assume that all motor vehicles would have a steering wheel, accelerator pedal, and brake pedal, almost always located at the front left seating position, and that all vehicles would be operated by a human driver. Accordingly, many of the FMVSSs require that a vehicle device or basic feature be located at or near the driver or the driver’s seating position. For vehicles with an AI driver that also preclude any occupant from assuming the driving task, these assumptions about a human driver and vehicle controls do not hold. As self-driving technology moves beyond what was envisioned at the time when standards were issued, NHTSA may not be able to use the same kinds of test procedures for determining compliance. And since the Safety Act creates a self-certification system for compliance, NHTSA’s verification of a manufacturer’s compliance (and thus, the agency’s ability to enforce against non-compliance) is based on our established test procedures. In order to determine where to place vehicle devices and features, or whether to provide them at all, Google has asked who or what is to be considered the “driver” and which seating position is considered to be the “driver’s seating position” in its SDV. 49 CFR 571.3 defines “driver” as “the occupant of a motor vehicle seated immediately behind the steering control system.” Because Google’s SDV design purposely does not have any mechanism by which human occupants could steer or otherwise “drive” the vehicle, it would be difficult in several instances to determine who the “driver” would be in its SDV, and thus to determine how to certify its motor vehicle design to certain FMVSS provisions that reference that “driver.” To attempt to solve this challenge, Google has offered different interpretations of “driver” or “driver’s seating position” for NHTSA’s consideration, varying with the specific requirement or circumstances, and requests that we confirm its interpretations. Specifically, Google suggests two potential interpretations of “driver” and one potential interpretation for “driver’s position” or “driver’s designated seating position” in the context of its described motor vehicle design: NHTSA could interpret the term “driver” as meaningless for purposes of Google’s SDV, since there is no human driver, and consider FMVSS provisions that refer to a driver as simply inapplicable to Google’s vehicle design; NHTSA could interpret “driver” and “operator” as referring to the SDS; or NHTSA could interpret “driver’s position” or “driver’s designated seating position” as referring to the left front outboard seating position, regardless of whether the occupant of that position is able to control the vehicle’s operation or movements. Google then applies these suggested interpretive approaches to a number of FMVSS provisions in order to justify being able to certify its intended motor vehicle design as compliant with the FMVSSs, without having to change the design in ways that Google finds problematic. We will address each of Google’s suggested interpretations in turn. The critical point of NHTSA’s responses for many of the requested interpretations is that defining the driver as the SDS (or the driver’s position as the left front position) does not end the inquiry or determine the result. Once the SDS is deemed to be the driver for purposes of a particular standard or test, the next question is whether and how Google could certify that the SDS meets a standard developed and designed to apply to a vehicle with a human driver. Related, in order for NHTSA to interpret a standard as allowing certification of compliance by a vehicle manufacturer, NHTSA must first have a test procedure or other means of verifying such compliance. While some of Google’s requested interpretations may be permissible given the facts presented here, we wish to make clear that many of the other requests present policy issues beyond the scope and limitations of interpretations and thus will need to be addressed using other regulatory tools or approaches. NHTSA further notes that in a number of instances (in particular, several included in Table B), it may be possible for Google to show that certain standards are unnecessary for a particular vehicle design. To date, however, Google has not made such a showing. We note that these interpretations are confined to the specific facts and circumstances set forth in Google’s letter, and that they do not apply to other facts and circumstances. We also emphasize that the interpretations NHTSA is issuing are subject to change or revocation if new or different facts or information comes to light. DISCUSSION NHTSA is authorized by the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act (“Safety Act,” 49 U.S.C. Chapter 301) to issue FMVSSs that set performance requirements for new motor vehicles and new items of motor vehicle equipment. Under the Safety Act, NHTSA does not provide approvals of motor vehicles or motor vehicle equipment and does not make determinations as to whether a product conforms to the FMVSSs outside of a NHTSA compliance test. Instead, the Safety Act requires manufacturers to self-certify that their products conform to all applicable FMVSSs that are in effect on the date of manufacture. Manufacturers are also responsible for ensuring that their products are free of safety-related defects. NHTSA enforces compliance with the FMVSSs by testing vehicles and regulated equipment. NHTSA also investigates safety-related defects and conducts related enforcement and recall actions. As a foundational starting point for the interpretations below, NHTSA will interpret “driver” in the context of Google’s described motor vehicle design as referring to the SDS, and not to any of the vehicle occupants. We agree with Google its SDV will not have a “driver” in the traditional sense that vehicles have had drivers during the last more than one hundred years. The trend toward computer-driven vehicles began with such features as antilock brakes, electronic stability control, and air bags, continuing today with automatic emergency braking, forward crash warning, and lane departure warnings, and continuing on toward vehicles with Google’s SDV and potentially beyond. No human occupant of the SDV could meet the definition of “driver” in Section 571.3 given Google’s described motor vehicle design – even if it were possible for a human occupant to determine the location of Google’s steering control system, and sit “immediately behind” it, that human occupant would not be capable of actually driving the vehicle as described by Google. If no human occupant of the vehicle can actually drive the vehicle, it is more reasonable to identify the “driver” as whatever (as opposed to whoever) is doing the driving. In this instance, an item of motor vehicle equipment, the SDS, is actually driving the vehicle. NHTSA will consider initiating rulemaking to address whether the definition of “driver” in Section 571.3 should be updated in response to changing circumstances, as contemplated by Executive Order 12866, Regulatory Planning and Review. Section 5, Reducing Regulations, of that Order provides that each federal regulatory agency will [i]n order … to determine whether regulations promulgated by the executive branch of the Federal Government have become unjustified or unnecessary as a result of changed circumstances … periodically review its existing significant regulations to determine whether any such regulations should be modified or eliminated so as to make the agency’s regulatory program more effective in achieving the regulatory objectives … NHTSA recognizes that it can take substantial periods of time to develop some rulemaking proposals and final rules, including time spent obtaining review of those proposals and seeking and analyzing public comments. NHTSA further understands that the time it takes to conduct rulemakings may, in some instances, make such proceedings ill-suited as first-line regulatory mechanisms to address rapidly-evolving vehicle technologies. That said, there are limits to the result the agency may reach in an interpretation, even if it believes that result might be sound policy. An interpretation describes an agency’s view of the meaning of an existing statute or regulation. It can make sense of the overall legal framework and provide clarity for regulated entities and the public. For example, an interpretation may clarify a statutory or regulatory term or provide crisper and more detailed lines than the regulation or statute being interpreted. An interpretation may not, however, make a substantive change to the statutory or regulatory regime or to the clear language of a provision. In particular, an interpretation may not adopt a new position that is irreconcilable with or repudiates existing statutory or regulatory provisions. In many instances, interpreting the term “driver” in a manner that Google has requested does not necessarily change the requirements of the regulation or otherwise fully resolve the issue Google seeks to address. Because the interpretations provided by this letter do not fully resolve all of the issues Google has raised, Google may wish to explore the interim step of seeking exemptions. Exemptions are available under 49 U.S.C. 30114 and 49 CFR Part 555 for manufacturers able to demonstrate that features of their products provide equivalent levels of safety to those required by the FMVSS. “Priority Interpretive Issues” Google requested NHTSA’s interpretation of several “priority interpretive issues” related to the absence of a human driver. Google also provided two tables, Attachments A and B, listing FMVSS provisions for which Google requested that NHTSA interpret the “driver” or “operator” to be the SDS (provisions in Attachment A) and other provisions for which Google requested that NHTSA interpret “driver” to be the human occupant seated in the left front designated seating position (primarily provisions in Attachment B). We address these interpretation requests in the order presented by Google’s November 12 letter. FMVSS No. 135, “Light Vehicle Brake Systems” Deeming the SDS to be the “driver” of a motor vehicle does not excuse that vehicle from compliance with the brake requirements of applicable standards. FMVSS No. 135 contains requirements for service brakes and associated parking brake systems. Among these requirements is S5.3.1, which states that service brakes “shall be activated by means of a foot control,” and also that “control of the parking brake shall be independent of the service brake control, and may be either a hand or foot control.” Google’s described motor vehicle design does not include hand or foot controls for either the service brakes or the parking brake. Google argues that because the SDS will control all aspects of braking, it would not be necessary or beneficial for safety for a human occupant to be able to brake the vehicle. Google therefore requests that NHTSA interpret these provisions regarding the activation or control of braking systems to be inapplicable to its described motor vehicle design. Similarly, Google requests that NHTSA interpret S6.5.1 of FMVSS No. 135 to allow the service brake system performance requirements to be met if the SDS activates the service brakes, rather than “solely by use of the service brake control” as the provision directs. We agree that Google’s SDS may be deemed to be the driver for purposes of compliance with these provisions. Given that there will be no foot (or even hand) control to be activated – indeed, given that the SDS will have neither feet nor hands to activate brakes – we understand that Google’s described vehicle design would not comply with S5.3.1 as written. We also understand Google’s assertions that the SDS will be able to activate the brakes electronically such that its vehicle will “stop [] safely and in accordance with all performance requirements of FMVSS No. 135.” The fact that the SDS may be programmed to perform the tests enumerated in FMVSS No. 135 does not, however, overcome the plain language of S5.3.1. NHTSA would need to commence a rulemaking to consider how FMVSS No. 135 might be amended in response to “changed circumstances” in order to ensure that automated vehicle designs like Google’s, i.e., ones that control all braking through an AI driver and do not provide brake controls to vehicle occupants, have a way to comply with the standard. Such a rulemaking would also consider S6.5.1 and any other provisions that implicate the potential use of a foot-actuated service brake control. In the interim, Google may wish to consider petitioning the agency for an exemption from these provisions.[3] FMVSS No. 101, “Controls and Displays” FMVSS No. 101 contains requirements for location, identification, color, and illumination of motor vehicle controls, telltales, and indicators. S5.1.1 requires the controls listed in Tables 1 and 2 of the standard to be “located so that they are operable by the [belted] driver.” S5.1.2 requires the telltales and indicators in those Tables and their identification to be “located so that, when activated, they are visible to a [belted] driver.” Google states that its motor vehicle will not have any of the controls listed in Tables 1 and 2 because there will not be a human driver in its vehicle. Further, Google believes that allowing the human occupants to affect the operation of, for example, lamps or turn signals otherwise controlled by the SDS could be detrimental to safety. Google therefore asks that NHTSA interpret S5.1.1 to be inapplicable to its motor vehicle design, or that NHTSA interpret Google’s SDS to be the “driver” for the purposes of S5.1.1. For S5.1.2, Google says it will equip its vehicle’s occupant compartment with the telltales and indicators required by other FMVSSs (like the telltales/indicators for malfunctions of the brake system, electronic stability control system, or tire pressure monitoring system). For purposes of placement of those telltales and indicators, Google requests that NHTSA interpret the “driver position” to be the left front seating position. Because we interpret “driver” as referring to the SDS, we agree with Google that the controls listed in Tables 1 and 2 may simply be operable by the SDS and need not be located so that they are available to any of the human occupants of the motor vehicle. Similarly, telltales and indicators must also be “visible” to the SDS. For purposes of both S5.1.1 and S5.1.2, we interpret the SDS to be the “driver.” However, we have no defined way at this time of verifying Google’s compliance with this interpretation of these requirements. Thus, if Google certified its compliance with these provisions consistent with this interpretation, NHTSA would be unable to conduct confirmatory testing to satisfy ourselves that the Google vehicle is compliant. Therefore, unless and until NHTSA has a standard and testing procedures to confirm compliance with S5.1.1 and S5.1.2, or a standard providing equal or greater safety, it cannot conclude that Google’s SDV is compliant with those requirements. In order to determine what “operable by” and “visible to” the SDS mean, and to establish procedures for testing compliance with those requirements using its existing regulatory tools, NHTSA would be required to conduct a rulemaking. In the interim, Google may wish to petition the agency for an exemption from these provisions.[4] Additionally, we agree with Google that it could be beneficial to vehicle occupants to be aware of certain aspects of vehicle status through telltales and indicators while they are traveling in the vehicle. Given the historical status of the left front seating position as the location of the human in charge of vehicle operation, we agree that Google may voluntarily locate telltales and indicators so that they are visible to that position. However, if it is foreseeable that a different seating position is more likely to be occupied, it may make more sense for the telltales and indicators to be located so that they are visible in another position. FMVSS No. 108, “Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment” FMVSS No. 108 contains requirements for original and replacement lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment. Google states that it “recognizes that all vehicles must comply with all of the performance requirements of FMVSS No. 108 with respect to external lamps and reflectors,” but asks that NHTSA interpret S6.6.1 of FMVSS No. 108 to allow certain internal controls “to be excluded from the occupant compartment, as long as their functions are performed by the vehicle autonomously.” S6.6.1 requires all vehicles covered by FMVSS No. 108 to be “equipped with a turn signal operating unit, a turn signal flasher, a turn signal pilot indicator, a headlamp beam switching device, and an upper beam headlamp indicator meeting the requirements of S9.” With respect to turn signal operating units, Google requests that NHTSA interpret the term “operator” in the S4 definition of “turn signal operating unit” to mean the SDS. That definition states that the unit is “an operating unit that is part of a turn signal system by which the operator of a vehicle causes the signal unit to function.” Google notes that, in its vehicle, the turn signals will be operated and controlled by the SDS. Google’s letter also addresses S9.1.1, which requires that the “turn signal operating unit…must be self-canceling by steering wheel rotation and capable of cancellation by a manually operated control.” Google requests that NHTSA interpret this provision to be met by Google’s SDS since there would not be any steering wheel or conventional turn signal stalk. Google also argues that providing either a steering wheel or the ability to control turn signal operation to the vehicle occupants could be detrimental to safety. Google further asks that NHTSA “expressly acknowledg[e]” that a steering wheel is not required by the FMVSS. The supplemental information Google provided on January 11, 2016 stated that the SDV’s turn signal operating unit self-cancels based on the position of the steering rack (which is controlled by the SDS), “which is what happens in a conventional vehicle by virtue of the link between the steering rack, steering column, and steering wheel,” and that Google therefore believes that the SDV complies with S9.1.1. With respect to the S9.4 requirement for headlamp beam switching devices, which provides that “[e]ach vehicle must have a means of switching between lower and upper beams designed and located so that it may be operated conveniently by a simple movement of the driver’s hand or foot,” Google again states that the SDS will control headlamp beam switching “fully and appropriately” and that human occupant control over such functions could be detrimental to safety. For purposes of these provisions of FMVSS No. 108, we interpret the SDS to be the “driver.” We also agree that the “operator” of a turn signal operating unit is the SDS, because NHTSA has typically used “driver” and “operator” interchangeably in its interpretations over time. We further agree that a steering wheel is not expressly required by any FMVSS. We agree with Google that, as described, the SDV appears to be designed to self-cancel the turn signal operating unit as NHTSA would have intended, had vehicles without steering wheels been available when FMVSS No. 108 was developed. Similar to the provisions of FMVSS No. 135, however, the fact that the SDS may be programmed to cancel the turn signal and switch headlamp beams does not overcome the (other) plain language of S9.1.1 and S9.4. Even if we agree that Google’s self-cancelation for the turn signal operating unit is consistent with our intent in S9.1.1., that provision further expressly requires that the turn signal be capable of cancellation by a “manually operated control.” We understand Google’s argument that in the case of the SDV, manual cancelation of the turn signal operating unit by a human occupant could interfere with decisions already made by the SDS in ways that could affect safety. However, this is an issue that cannot be addressed through interpretation alone. Similarly, S9.4 specifically requires operation of headlamp switches by movement of the “driver’s hand or foot”.[5] Under existing test procedures, we cannot verify Google’s compliance with these express requirements. Unless and until NHTSA has a standard and testing procedures to confirm compliance with these provisions, it cannot interpret Google’s SDV as compliant with these standards and requirements. In order to determine what requirements would be appropriate, and to establish procedures for testing compliance with those standards, using its existing regulatory tools, NHTSA would be required to conduct a rulemaking. NHTSA would need to consider how it could propose to amend FMVSS No. 108 in order to ensure that automated vehicle designs like Google’s, i.e., those that control all lighting and signals through the AI driver and do not provide lighting or signal controls to vehicle occupants, have a way to comply with the standard. Meanwhile, Google may wish to petition the agency for an exemption from these provisions. An exemption petition could seek to demonstrate that Google’s SDV would provide an equivalent level of safety to that provided by compliance with the FMVSS.[6] Interpretive Issues regarding “Miscellaneous Provisions in Other FMVSS” Google also requested interpretation of several other “miscellaneous provisions in other FMVSS” relating to the absence of a human driver. FMVSS No. 111, “Rear Visibility” FMVSS No. 111 contains requirements for rear visibility devices and systems, requiring that vehicles have external and internal rear view mirrors to provide the driver with certain fields of view around and behind the vehicle. FMVSS No. 111 also requires that vehicles display a rearview image (of a specified area of certain dimensions behind the vehicle) to the vehicle operator. Google asks that NHTSA interpret these provisions as requiring that the specified view be provided to the SDS, rather than to the human occupant. Google further requests that “the vehicle would be deemed compliant if the SDS receives sensor input at least equivalent to the images a driver would be able to view through mirrors and a rear visibility system meeting the field of view and other performance requirements of the standard.” As above, because we are interpreting “driver” and “operator” in this instance to refer to the SDS, we agree that the information required by the provisions of FMVSS No. 111 that must be provided to the “driver” or “operator” may be provided to the SDS. Here again, we have no defined way at this time of verifying Google’s compliance with this interpretation of those requirements. Thus, if Google certified its compliance with these provisions consistent with this interpretation, NHTSA would be unable to conduct confirmatory testing to satisfy ourselves that such certification was valid. Therefore, unless and until NHTSA develops and adopts appropriate performance criteria and test procedures for evaluating whether the sensor input received by the SDS provides enough information to ensure that the SDS is as well informed by its sensors of the conditions behind and around it as a human driver of a conventional vehicle that meets the existing requirements of FMVSS No. 111 (or a standard providing equal or greater safety), it cannot interpret Google’s SDV as compliant with these standards and requirements. This would need to be undertaken through rulemaking. NHTSA may also consider as part of such a rulemaking whether there is benefit to conveying this information to human occupants in the case of vehicle designs like the Google SDV. Google may wish to petition the agency for an exemption from these provisions, in which it could seek to demonstrate that its SDV would provide an equivalent level of safety to that provided by compliance with the FMVSS.[7] FMVSS No. 114, “Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention” FMVSS No. 114 contains requirements intended to reduce the incidence of crashes resulting from theft and accidental rollaway of vehicles. Among these requirements is S5.3, which requires vehicles with an automatic transmission that includes a “park” position to have a system that “requires the service brake to be depressed before the transmission can be shifted out of ‘park.’” Google states that its vehicle will not have any brake pedal, and that its SDS “will determine the appropriate transmission position and will not select a position other than park unless the service brake is first applied by the SDS.” Google therefore requests that NHTSA interpret S5.3 as met by this described approach. We agree that the language of S5.3 requiring the service brake to be depressed does not necessarily require the service brake itself to be pressed or applied by any particular object or function, such as a human foot. We also agree that if the SDS is controlling the service brake, in theory, it would be able to make the decisions that would accomplish the intent of this provision. In order for NHTSA to assess compliance of Google’s vehicle with this standard, however, we would need more information regarding how the SDS applies the service brake. We would also intend to develop and adopt through rulemaking performance standards and test procedures for evaluating how (for example) the SDS “determines the appropriate transmission position” and avoids “selecting a position other than park unless the service brake is first applied.” NHTSA might also consider as part of such a rulemaking the safety intent of the standard, and how human occupants should be protected when the vehicle is making decisions about when to initiate movement. Google may wish to petition the agency for an exemption from these provisions.[8] FMVSS No. 126, “Electronic Stability Control Systems” FMVSS No. 126 contains performance and equipment requirements for electronic stability control (ESC) systems. Google argues that because its vehicle will not have a steering wheel, and the SDS will control all aspects of steering, NHTSA should interpret the relevant provisions of FMVSS No. 126 “to allow compliance with the performance requirements of the standard to be tested on the basis of appropriate steering inputs provided by the SDS.” Google cites in particular the definition of an ESC system in S4 as referring to “a means to monitor driver steering inputs” and the test conditions in S6 and test procedures in S7, which refer to steering wheel velocity and angle. Test procedure provisions in S7 (such as S7.5.2, S7.5.3, S7.6, S7.6.1, S7.9.3, and others) refer specifically to measurement of “steering wheel angle,” which is, literally, a measurement of the angle of the steering wheel in degrees. Without a steering wheel, we agree that Google cannot certify its vehicle design to such provisions. As above, in order for NHTSA to assess compliance of Google’s vehicle with this standard, we would need to determine how to evaluate the SDS’ control of the steering inputs, and whether and how to modify test conditions and procedures to address more clearly the situation of a vehicle with steering controlled entirely by an AI driver, with no mechanism for the vehicle occupants to affect the steering. Google could petition for exemption from the relevant provisions of FMVSS No. 126 and the agency could work to develop alternate test procedures. Over the longer term, NHTSA would need to undertake rulemaking to incorporate test procedures into FMVSS No. 126 to provide a clearer path to compliance for similar future vehicle designs. Google’s letter concludes with two attachments, summarily listing numerous additional provisions for which it seeks interpretation. Attachment A lists “Requirements for which the ‘Driver’ or ‘Operator’ should be considered to be the Self-Driving System.” The letter provides no further explanation or justification for those requested interpretations. Attachment B provides a similar list of FMVSS “Requirements for which the ‘Driver’ should be considered to be a person seated in the left front designated seating position.” We address these numerous items in Attachments A and B in Tables A and B, to this letter, respectively (attached). The Tables in those attachments reproduce each of Google’s requests in the first three columns, and provide NHTSA’s response in the final column. In closing, we note that, in some instances, it may be possible for Google to provide more information and explanations that would allow NHTSA to expand or otherwise revise interpretations set forth in this letter. If Google believes it can address concerns and limitations expressed in this letter that prevent us from providing the full interpretation it seeks, we encourage the company to submit more information to do so. In addition, as discussed above, Google may wish to seek exemptions from standards and requirements addressed in this letter. I hope this information provided in this letter and its attachments is helpful. If you have further questions, please feel free to contact me at (202) 366-2830, or Steve Wood, Assistant Chief Counsel for Vehicle Safety Standards and Harmonization, at (202) 366-2992. Sincerely yours, Paul A. Hemmersbaugh Chief Counsel III. Table A NHTSA interprets the SDS to be the “driver” or “operator” for the following specific FMVSS provisions. As discussed above, we have no defined way at this time of verifying Google’s compliance with this interpretation of these requirements. Thus, if Google certified its compliance with these provisions consistent with this interpretation, NHTSA would be unable to conduct confirmatory testing to satisfy ourselves that such compliance was valid. Therefore, unless and until NHTSA develops performance criteria and test procedures for evaluating whether the SDS satisfies the FMVSS provision in question to be met, or a standard providing equal or greater safety, it cannot interpret Google’s SDV as compliant with these standards and requirements. Google may wish to petition the agency for exemption from these petitions in the interim. FMVSS Paragraph Requirement NHTSA response 101 S5.1.1 “The controls listed in Table 1 and in Table 2 must be located so that they are operable by the [belted] driver….” We agree that the SDS is the driver for purposes of this paragraph. 102 S3.1.4.1 “Except as specified in S3.1.4.3, if the transmission shift position sequence includes a park position, identification of shift positions, including the positions in relation to each other and the position selected, shall be displayed in view of the driver….” We agree that the SDS is the driver for purposes of this paragraph. 102 S3.1.4.4 “All of the information required to be displayed by S3.1.4.1 or S3.1.4.2 shall be displayed in view of the driver in a single location.” We agree that the SDS is the driver for purposes of this paragraph. 108 S4 “Turn signal operating unit means an operating unit that is part of a turn signal system by which the operator of a vehicle causes the signal units to function.” We agree that the SDS is the operator for purposes of this definition. 108 S4 “Vehicular hazard warning signal operating unit means a driver controlled device which causes all required turn signal lamps to flash simultaneously to indicate to approaching drivers the presence of a vehicular hazard.” We agree that the SDS is the driver for purposes of the phrase “driver controlled device.”[9] 108 S9.4 “Each vehicle must have a means of switching between lower and upper beams designed and located so that it may be operated conveniently by a simple movement of the driver’s hand or foot….” See discussion above under “Priority Interpretive Issues.” 108 S9.6.2 “The [vehicular hazard warning signal operating] unit must operate independently of the ignition or equivalent switch. If the actuation of the hazard function requires the operation of more than one switch, a means must be provided for actuating all switches simultaneously by a single driver action.” We agree that the SDS is the driver for purposes of the phrase “single driver action.” 111 S4 “Rearview image means a visual image, detected by means of a single source, of the area directly behind a vehicle that is provided in a single location to the vehicle operator and by means of indirect vision.” We agree that the SDS is the operator for purposes of this definition, but see discussion above of FMVSS No. 111. 111 S5.5.1 “When tested in accordance with the procedures in S14.1, the rearview image shall include: (a) A minimum of a 150-mm wide portion along the circumference of each test object located at positions F and G specified in S14.1.4; and (b) The full width and height of each test object located at positions A through E specified in S14.1.4.” NHTSA does not understand what interpretation Google is seeking of this specific paragraph. S14.1, to which S5.5.1 refers, contains multiple references to the driver’s seat, eye position, etc., to which Google’s proposed vehicle design could not certify if the SDS is the driver, because the eye position of the SDS does not exist, among other things. See discussion above of FMVSS No. 111. 124 S1 “Scope. This standard establishes requirements for the return of a vehicle’s throttle to the idle position when the driver removes the actuating force from the accelerator control, or in the event of a severance or disconnection in the accelerator control system.” We agree that the SDS is the driver for purposes of this paragraph. 124 S4.1 “Driver-operated accelerator control system means all vehicle components, except the fuel metering device, that regulate engine speed in direct response to movement of the driver-operated control and that return the throttle to the idle position upon release of the actuating force.” We agree that the SDS is the driver for purposes of this definition. 124 S4.1 “Throttle means the component of the fuel metering device that connects to the driver-operated accelerator control system and that by input from the driver-operated accelerator control system controls the engine speed.” We agree that the SDS is the driver for purposes of this definition. 124 S5.1 “There shall be at least two sources of energy capable of returning the throttle to the idle position within the time limit specified by S5.3 from any accelerator position or speed whenever the driver removes the opposing actuating force. In the event of failure of one source of energy by a single severance or disconnection, the throttle shall return to the idle position within the time limits specified by S5.3, from any accelerator position or speed whenever the driver removes the opposing actuating force.” We agree that the SDS is the driver for purposes of this paragraph. However, NHTSA will need to determine how to evaluate compliance with the “driver removing the opposing actuating force” in the context of Google’s described motor vehicle design. We would need to consider conducting rulemaking to amend FMVSS No. 124. Google may wish to consider petitioning for exemption in the interim. 124 S5.2 “The throttle shall return to the idle position from any accelerator position or any speed of which the engine is capable whenever any one component of the accelerator control system is disconnected or severed at a single point. The return to idle shall occur within the time limit specified by S5.3, measured either from the time of severance or disconnection or from the first removal of the opposing actuating force by the driver.” We agree that the SDS is the driver for purposes of this paragraph. However, NHTSA will need to determine how to evaluate compliance with the “first removal of the opposing actuating force” in the context of Google’s described motor vehicle design. We would need to consider conducting rulemaking to amend FMVSS No. 124. Google may wish to consider petitioning for exemption in the interim. 126 S4 “Electronic stability control system or ESC system means a system that has all of the following attributes…. (4) That has a means to monitor driver steering inputs….” We agree that the SDS is the driver for purposes of this definition. 126 S5.1.2 “Vehicles to which this standard applies must be equipped with an electronic stability control system that is operational during all phases of driving…except when the driver has disabled ESC….” We agree that the SDS is the driver for purposes of this provision in the context of Google’s proposed vehicle design. However, NHTSA would need to evaluate through rulemaking how the provision might be amended to accommodate the unique aspects of Google’s proposed vehicle design. Meanwhile, Google may wish to petition for exemption from this provision. 126 S5.4.1 “The vehicle’s ESC system must always return to the manufacturer’s original default ESC mode that satisfies the requirements of S5.1 and S5.2 at the initiation of each new ignition cycle, regardless of what ESC mode the driver had previously selected….” See response for S5.1.2, directly above. 126 S5.6.1 “ESC System Technical Documentation….the vehicle manufacturer must make available to the agency, upon request, …a system diagram that identifies all ESC system hardware. The diagram must identify what components are used to generate brake torques at each wheel, determine vehicle yaw rate, estimated side slip or the side slip derivative and driver steering inputs.” See response for S5.1.2, above. 135 S4 “Brake power assist unit means a device installed in a hydraulic brake system that reduces the amount of muscular force that a driver must apply to actuate the system, and that, if inoperative, does not prevent the driver from braking the vehicle by a continued application of muscular force on the service brake control.” While we agree that it is logical to continue to interpret “driver” as Google’s SDS for purposes of consistency, we do not understand what interpretation Google is seeking with respect to this definition. 135 S4 “Brake power unit means a device installed in a brake system that provides the energy required to actuate the brakes, either directly or indirectly through an auxiliary device, with driver action consisting only of modulating the energy application level.” We agree that the SDS is the driver for purposes of this provision. 135 S5.1.3 “…if there is no means provided for the driver to disconnect or otherwise reactivate it…” We agree that the SDS is the driver for purposes of this provision. Table B For specific FMVSS provisions set forth on Google’s Attachment B, Google requested that NHTSA interpret the human occupant seated in the left front designated seating position (‘DSP’) as the “driver.” As discussed above, NHTSA defines “driver” for purposes of the FMVSS at 49 CFR 571.3. We also discuss above the need to amend that definition in light of the possibility that Google raises, that an AI driver could be the sole means of driving a vehicle. Given the focus of the definition of “driver” as, essentially, the entity that controls steering, and given that Google’s proposed vehicle design gives the human occupant no means to steer the vehicle, the human occupant of the left front DSP could not be the driver. Moreover, interpreting “driver” as the human occupant of the left front DSP in the instances below that Google cites would not, in most cases, provide Google with a means of certifying that its proposed vehicle design complies with the applicable standard, because the agency would need to establish standards and tests to verify that the design complies. It may be that for some of these provisions, the elimination of a human driver makes the provision unnecessary, as Google implies in its letter. NHTSA will consider these issues further and looks forward to receiving additional information from Google to assist us in this consideration. For the following provisions, we are therefore continuing to interpret “driver” as referring to the SDS, and discuss what steps would need to be taken next in order to provide a path forward: FMVSS Paragraph Requirement NHTSA Response 101 S5.1.2 “The telltales and indicators listed in Table 1 and Table 2 and their identification must be located so that, when activated, they are visible to a [belted] driver….” See discussion above of FMVSS No. 101 for NHTSA’s position on this request. As discussed above, NHTSA agrees that Google may also provide telltales and indicators in the interior compartment that would be visible to a human occupant of the left front DSP. 104 S3(b) “Plan view reference line means (b) For vehicles with individual-type seats, either (i) A line parallel to the vehicle longitudinal centerline which passes through the center of the driver’s designated seating position; or (ii) A line parallel to the vehicle longitudinal centerline located so that the geometric center of the 95 percent eye range contour is positioned on the longitudinal centerline of the driver’s designated seating position.” Because we interpret “driver” in this section as referring, in Google’s case, to the SDS, and because the SDS has no DSP, Google could not certify to this provision as written. The agency would need to consider whether to evaluate through rulemaking whether a vehicle design without a mechanism by which humans can drive it even needs windshield wipers for safety purposes. In the interim, Google may wish to petition for exemption from this provision. 108 S6.1.3.4.1 “A high-mounted stop lamp mounted inside the vehicle must have means provided to minimize reflections from the light of the lamp upon the rear window glazing that might be visible to the driver when viewed directly, or indirectly in the rearview mirror.” We interpret “driver” in this section as referring, in Google’s case, to the SDS. Google may therefore be able certify that its vehicle design does minimize reflections into the SDS’s “eyes.” Google may wish nonetheless to consider designing its vehicle such that no human occupant might be unintentionally subject to glare by the reflection from the CHMSL. NHTSA may also consider addressing this issue through rulemaking. 108 S9.3.1 “…where any turn signal lamp is not visible to the driver must also have an illuminated pilot indicator to provide a clear and unmistakable indication that the turn signal system is activated.” We interpret “driver” in this section as referring, in Google’s case, to the SDS. Because the SDS would receive this information electronically, NHTSA would not currently be able to verify Google’s certification of compliance with this provision. The agency may consider evaluating through rulemaking how it would verify this electronic indication of headlamp illumination to the SDS. In the interim, Google may wish to petition for exemption from this provision. 108 S9.5 “Each vehicle must have a means for indicating to the driver when the upper beams of the headlighting system are activated.” We interpret “driver” in this section as referring, in Google’s case, to the SDS. Because the SDS would receive this information electronically, NHTSA would not currently be able to verify Google’s certification of compliance with this provision. The agency may consider evaluating through rulemaking how it would verify this electronic indication of headlamp illumination to the SDS. In the interim, Google may wish to petition for exemption from this provision. 110 S4.3 “Each vehicle…shall show the information specified in S4.3(a) through (g)…on a placard permanently affixed to the driver’s side B-pillar….” Given the custom of locating the placard on the left side of the vehicle (facing the vehicle from behind), we agree that Google may affix the required placard to the B-pillar on that side of the vehicle. 111 S5.1.1 “The location of the driver’s eye reference points shall be those established in Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 104 (§571.104) or a nominal location appropriate for any 95th percentile male driver.” We interpret “driver” in this section as referring, in Google’s case, to the SDS. It is possible that the provision as written is not necessary for safety as applied to Google’s vehicle design, but Google has not demonstrated that in its present interpretation request. FMVSS No. 111 would need amendment to clarify how a vehicle design like Google’s might appropriately comply with it. Meanwhile, Google may wish to petition for exemption from this provision. 111 S5.2.1 “The mirror shall provide the driver a view of a level road surface extending to the horizon from a line, perpendicular to a longitudinal plane tangent to the driver’s side of the vehicle at the widest point, extending 2.4 m out from the tangent plane 10.7 m behind the driver’s eyes, with the seat in the rearmost position….The location of the driver’s eye reference points shall be those established in Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 104 (§571.104) or a nominal location appropriate for any 95th percentile male driver.” See response directly above. One of the issues, among others, that NHTSA would seek to examine through the exemption is the fact that the field of view from an inside rear view mirror could be different from the field of view for a camera located on the vehicle bumper, and the relevance of this difference to the SDS’s ability to “see” behind the vehicle. 114 S5.1.3 “Except as specified below, an audible warning to the vehicle operator must be activated whenever the key is in the starting system and the door located closest to the driver’s designated seating position is opened….” We interpret “driver” in this section as referring, in Google’s case, to the SDS. It is possible that the provision as written is not necessary for safety as applied to Google’s vehicle design, but Google has not demonstrated that in its present interpretation request. FMVSS No. 114 would need amendment to clarify how a vehicle design like Google’s might appropriately comply with it. We recommend that Google consider activating the audible warning whenever the vehicle’s starting system is ready to put the vehicle in motion and any door is opened, to account for the fact that occupants could choose to sit in any DSP. In the interim, Google may wish to petition for exemption from this provision. 126 S5.3 “The vehicle must be equipped with a telltale that provides a warning to the driver of the occurrence of one or more malfunctions that affect the generation or transmission of control or response signals in the vehicle’s electronic stability control system….” We interpret “driver” in this section as referring, in Google’s case, to the SDS. Because the SDS would receive this information about malfunctions electronically, NHTSA would not currently be able to verify Google’s certification of compliance with this provision. The agency may consider evaluating through rulemaking how it would verify this electronic indication of ESC malfunctions to the SDS. In the interim, Google may wish to petition for exemption from this provision. We also encourage Google to consider in its vehicle design locating the telltale in view of at least one DSP in the vehicle, so that occupants concerned about the vehicle’s safety may either choose not to ride in the vehicle, or to alert Google to the presence of the malfunction. 126 S5.3.1 “As of September 1, 2011, [the ESC malfunction telltale] must be mounted inside the occupant compartment in front of and in clear view of the driver.” See response to S5.3 directly above. 126 S5.5.3 “As of September 1, 2011, the ‘ESC Off’ telltale must be mounted inside the occupant compartment in front of and in clear view of the driver.” See response to S5.3 directly above. 135 S5.1.2 “The wear condition of all service brakes shall be indicated by either (a) Acoustic or optical devices warning the driver at his or her driving position when lining replacement is necessary, or (b) A means of visually checking the degree of brake lining wear, from the outside or underside of the vehicle, utilizing only the tools or equipment normally supplied with the vehicle. The removal of wheels is permitted for this purpose.” We interpret “driver” in this section as referring, in Google’s case, to the SDS. Manufacturers must certify to (a) or (b). If certifying to (a), because the SDS would receive this information electronically, NHTSA would not currently be able to verify Google’s certification of compliance with this provision. However, because paragraph (b) of this provision offers a means of compliance that does not depend on the interpretation of “driver,” we believe Google should be able to certify to this provision. 135 S5.5 “Each vehicle shall have one or more visual brake system warning indicators, mounted in front of and in clear view of the driver, which meet the requirements of S5.5.1 through S5.5.5….” We interpret “driver” in this section as referring, in Google’s case, to the SDS. Because the SDS would receive this information electronically, NHTSA would not currently be able to verify Google’s certification of compliance with this provision. It is possible that the provision as written is not necessary for safety as applied to Google’s vehicle design, but Google has not demonstrated that in its present interpretation request. The agency could evaluate through rulemaking how it would verify this electronic indication of brake system warnings to the SDS, and whether the human occupant might still benefit from an additional warning. In the interim, Google may wish to petition for exemption from this provision. 135 S5.5.5 “(a) Each visual indicator shall display a word or words in accordance with the requirements of Standard No. 101 (49 CFR 571.101) and this section, which shall be legible to the driver under all daytime and nighttime conditions when activated.” We interpret “driver” in this section as referring, in Google’s case, to the SDS. Because the SDS would receive this information electronically, NHTSA would not currently be able to verify Google’s certification of compliance with this provision. It is possible that the provision as written is not necessary for safety as applied to Google’s vehicle design, but Google has not demonstrated that in its present interpretation request. The agency could evaluate through rulemaking how it would verify this electronic display to the SDS. In the interim, Google may wish to petition for exemption from this provision. 138 S4.3.1 “Each tire pressure monitoring system must include a low tire pressure warning telltale that (a) Is mounted inside the occupant compartment in front of and in clear view of the driver….” We interpret “driver” in this section as referring, in Google’s case, to the SDS. Because the SDS would receive this information electronically, NHTSA would not currently be able to verify Google’s certification of compliance with this provision. It is possible that the provision as written is not necessary for safety as applied to Google’s vehicle design, but Google has not demonstrated that in its present interpretation request. The agency could evaluate through rulemaking how it would verify this electronic display to the SDS, and whether the human occupant might still benefit from an additional warning. In the interim, Google may wish to petition for exemption from this provision. 138 S4.4 “(a) The vehicle shall be equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system that includes a telltale that provides a warning to the driver not more than 20 minutes after the occurrence of a malfunction that affects the generation or transmission of control or response signals in the vehicle’s tire pressure monitoring system. The vehicle’s TPMS malfunction indicator shall meet the requirements of either S4.4(b) or S4.4(c).” We interpret “driver” in this section as referring, in Google’s case, to the SDS. Because the SDS would receive this information electronically, NHTSA would not currently be able to verify Google’s certification of compliance with this provision. It is possible that the provision as written is not necessary for safety as applied to Google’s vehicle design, but Google has not demonstrated that in its present interpretation request. The agency could evaluate through rulemaking how it would verify this electronic display to the SDS. In the interim, Google may wish to petition for exemption from this provision. 201 S3 “A-pillar means any pillar that is entirely forward of a transverse vertical plane passing through the seating reference point of the driver’s seat.” Given the custom of defining the A-pillar as any pillar located in front of the front-most seat on the left side of the vehicle (facing the vehicle from behind), we agree that Google may designate that pillar as the A-pillar for purposes of Google’s described vehicle design complying with this provision. 201 S3 “B-pillar means the forwardmost pillar on each side of the vehicle that is, in whole or in part, rearward of a transverse vertical plane passing through the seating reference point of the driver’s seat….” Given the custom of defining the B-pillar as the pillar located rearward of a transverse vertical plane passing through the seating reference point of the front-most seat on the left side of the vehicle (facing the vehicle from behind), we agree that Google may designate that pillar as the B-pillar for purposes of Google’s described vehicle design complying with this provision. 201 S3 “Pillar means any structure…which: (1) Supports either a roof or any other structure (such as a roll-bar) that is above the driver’s head.” Given the custom of defining “pillar” as any structure supporting either a roof or any structure above the front-most seat on the left side of the vehicle (facing the vehicle from behind), we agree that Google may designate such structures as pillars for purposes of Google’s described vehicle design complying with this provision. 206 S3 “Side Front Door is a door that, in a side view, has 50 percent or more of its opening area forward of the rearmost position on the driver’s seat back, when the driver’s seat is adjusted to its most vertical and rearward position.” Given the custom of identifying the side front door as the door that, in a side view, has 50 percent or more of its opening area forward of the rearmost position on the seat back of the front-most seat on the left side of the vehicle (facing the vehicle from behind), we agree that Google could designate that door as the side front door for purposes of Google’s certifying the compliance of its described vehicle design with this provision. 206 S3 “Side Rear Door is a door that, in a side view, has 50 percent or more of its opening area to the rear of the rearmost point on the driver’s seat back, when the driver’s seat is adjusted to its most vertical and rearward position.” Given the custom of identifying the side rear door as the door that, in a side view, has 50 percent or more of its opening area to the rear of the rearmost position on the seat back of the front-most seat on the left side of the vehicle (facing the vehicle from behind), we agree that Google could designate that door as the side rear door for purposes of Google’s certifying the compliance of its described vehicle design with this provision. 206 S4.3.1 Each rear side door shall be equipped with at least one locking device which has a lock release/engagement mechanism located within the interior of the vehicle and readily accessible to the driver of the vehicle or an occupant seated adjacent to the door…. We do not have enough information about Google’s proposed vehicle design to know whether safety would be appropriately served if we interpreted this provision as allowing locks to be controlled entirely by the AI driver, nor whether Google would be able to locate the required locking device in the interior where it could be readily accessible by an occupant. The agency needs more information to respond to this request. 206 S5.1.1.4(b)(ii) “(C) Transverse Setup 1. Orient the vehicle so that its transverse axis is aligned with the axis of the acceleration device, simulating a driver-side impact.” Given the custom of identifying the “driver-side” as the left side of the vehicle (facing the vehicle from behind), we agree that Google could designate that side as the driver-side for purposes of Google’s certifying the compliance of its described vehicle design with this provision. 207 S4.1 “Driver’s seat. Each vehicle shall have an occupant seat for the driver.” Because we interpret the term “driver” as the SDS, the “driver” in this provision would not need an occupant seat. We would recommend, however, that Google consider all of the seats in its vehicle as “occupant seats” subject to FMVSS No. 207 requirements. 208 S7.3(a) “A seat belt assembly provided at the driver’s seating position shall be equipped with a warning system….” We interpret “driver” in this section as referring, in Google’s case, to the SDS. It is possible that the provision as specifically written is not necessary for safety as applied to Google’s vehicle design, but Google has not demonstrated that in its present interpretation request. FMVSS No. 208 would need amendment to clarify how a vehicle design like Google’s might comply with it. One safety concern is that a human occupant could sit in any DSP, and that therefore the non-wearing of a seat belt by any occupant could create a safety risk. We would recommend that Google consider activating, for example, an audible warning for the benefit of human occupants whenever the vehicle is ready to begin motion and any occupied DSP does not have a seat belt engaged. NHTSA may consider this issue in future seat belt reminder rulemakings. 216a S7.1 “…Measure the longitudinal vehicle attitude along both the driver and passenger sill. Determine the lateral vehicle attitude by measuring the vertical distance between a level surface and a standard reference point on the bottom of the driver and passenger side sills. The difference between the vertical distance measured on the driver side and the passenger side sills is not more than + 10 mm.” Given the custom of identifying the “driver-side” as the left side of the vehicle and the “passenger-side” as the right side of the vehicle (facing the vehicle from behind), we agree that Google could designate the driver and passenger side sills as belonging to those two sides, respectively, for purposes of Google’s certifying the compliance of its described vehicle design with this provision. 226 S4.2.2 “Vehicles that have an ejection mitigation countermeasure that deploys in the event of a rollover must have a monitoring system with a readiness indicator. The indicator shall monitor its own readiness and must be clearly visible from the driver’s designated seating position.” We interpret “driver” in this section as referring, in Google’s case, to the SDS. Because the SDS would receive this information electronically, NHTSA would not currently be able to verify Google’s certification of compliance with this provision. It is possible that the provision as written is not necessary for safety as applied to Google’s vehicle design, but Google has not demonstrated that in its present interpretation request. The agency could evaluate through rulemaking how it would verify this electronic display to the SDS, and whether human occupants could also benefit from similar information. In the interim, Google may wish to petition for exemption from this provision. 226 S6.1(d) “Pitch: Measure the sill angle of the driver door sill and mark where the angle is measured.” Given the custom of identifying the “driver-side” as the left side of the vehicle (facing the vehicle from behind), we agree that Google could designate the driver door sill as the sill on that side for purposes of Google’s certifying the compliance of its described vehicle design with this provision. 226 S5.1(f) “Support the vehicle off its suspension such that the driver door sill angle is within + 1 degree of that measured at the marked area in S6.1(d)….” Given the custom of identifying the “driver-side” as the left side of the vehicle (facing the vehicle from behind), we agree that Google could designate the driver door sill as the sill on that side for purposes of Google’s certifying the compliance of its described vehicle design with this provision. [1] Google also submitted a supplemental letter date January 11, 2016, providing more detailed information on its approach to canceling the turn signal, which is discussed below. [2] NHTSA considers this AI driver to be an item of motor vehicle equipment within the meaning of 49 U.S.C. 30102 and other applicable law and regulations. [3] Google may also wish to reconsider its view that a pedal may never be needed in any circumstance, and that there is not a risk of harm associated with a pedal’s absence. [4] Google may also wish to reconsider its view that the controls listed in Tables 1 and 2 of S5.1.1 may never be needed in any circumstance, and that there is not a risk of harm associated with their absence. [5] We note that S9.4.1 of FMVSS No. 108 provides a mechanism by which a manufacturer can certify a “semi-automatic headlamp beam switching device,” but Google did not ask for interpretation of this provision, nor do we have enough information to assess whether Google’s proposed design would comply with this provision. [6] Google may also wish to reconsider its view that a steering wheel and the vehicle occupants’ ability to control any lighting and signals may never be needed in any circumstance, and that there is not a risk of harm associated with their absence. [7] Google may also wish to reconsider its view that rear visibility devices and systems may never be needed in any circumstance, and that there is not a risk of harm associated with their absence. [8] Google may also wish to reconsider its view that a pedal may never be needed in any circumstance, and that there is not a risk of harm associated with a pedal’s absence. [9] We note that NHTSA has previously interpreted this provision as prohibiting automatic (i.e., non-driver initiated) control of turn signal lamp flashing, but we do not consider this interpretation as inconsistent with those, because in this instance we are interpreting the “driver” (the SDS, given that the human occupants have no mechanism by which they can drive the vehicle) as being the entity controlling the vehicular hazard warning signal operating unit. NHTSA would like to explore further with Google the instances in which Google would intend for the SDS to flash the hazard warning signals.

– Up until recently, Google's self-driving cars have been limited to real-world activity only in certain states (i.e., not on the federal level), and only under certain conditions, Quartz notes. But this week the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration posted a Feb. 4 letter saying Google's self-driving system, powered by artificial intelligence, could be considered the legal driver of the car—a move that could "substantially streamline" getting autonomous vehicles on the road, an auto research analyst tells Reuters in an exclusive report. "NHTSA will interpret 'driver' in the context of Google's described motor vehicle design as referring to the (self-driving system), and not to any of the vehicle occupants," the agency says in its letter responding to Google's proposed design for a self-driving car that doesn't require a driver, which the company submitted in November along with a request that the NHTSA reconsider how it views such vehicles. It's a big step for Google and other companies developing autonomous vehicles, expediting a process they say has been hampered by safety mandates at both state and federal levels. Google's cars, for instance, are currently required to have auto safety features such as brake pedals and steering wheels so the human driver (another requirement) would be able to take over the car's operation if need be—which Google insists can lead to trouble. The company "[expressed] concern that providing human occupants of the vehicle with mechanisms to control things … could be detrimental to safety because the human occupants could attempt to override the (self-driving system's) decisions," the NHTSA letter notes. Re/code, however, notes the NHTSA letter isn't law, but simply a "clarification" of how the law can be interpreted in the future. The agency still has to work up new guidelines for the self-driving cars, which it hopes to accomplish in six months or so, per Reuters. (A Google car got pulled over for going too slow.)

DUBLIN | DUBLIN (Reuters) - The Irish government on Tuesday pardoned thousands of servicemen who deserted to fight for the Allied forces during World War Two after the Irish state decided to remain neutral in the war against Adolf Hitler's Germany. Ireland maintained its neutrality throughout the war, saying any other course would have threatened its independence, secured from Britain in 1921, and President Eamon DeValera signed a book of condolences on the death of Hitler in 1945. About 60,000 people from the Irish state fought in the British Forces during the war, including some 7,000 servicemen who deserted from the Irish armed forces. The Irish government summarily dismissed all of those who deserted and disqualified them from state employment for seven years. Relatives say the deserters were stigmatized for decades. "The government apologizes for the manner in which those members of the defense forces who left to fight on the Allied side during World War Two were treated after the war by the state," Minister for Justice and Defense Alan Shatter said in an address to parliament. "In the almost 73 years since the outbreak of World War II, our understanding of history has matured," he said. "It is time for understanding and forgiveness." Some former Irish officers have objected to the decision, saying pardoning deserters, whatever the circumstances, undermines the Irish armed forces. But relatives, who have campaigned for years for a pardon, welcomed the move. "It's not going to change the history, but it will remove the stigma," said Peter Mulvany, who led the campaign for the soldiers, in comments to state broadcaster RTE. Ireland's relations with historic foe Britain are at their warmest for decades. The pardon comes year after a visit by Queen Elizabeth to Ireland, the first by the British sovereign since independence. (Reporting by Conor Humphries; Editing by Roger Atwood) ||||| He said the Government recognises the value and importance of their military contribution to the Allied victory. Minister for Defence Alan Shatter has told the Dáil that the Government apologises for the manner in which the deserters were treated by the State after the war. The Government is to pardon over 4,500 former soldiers who deserted the Defence Forces during World War II to fight with the Allied Forces. Up to 4,500 soldiers fled from the Defence Forces during the Second World War and did not return to their Irish units. Many of them joined the British Army. After the war, the De Valera Government published a list of those who deserted. Anyone who was mentioned in this book was banned from getting a public service job at any level. It is estimated that about 100 of the deserters are still alive. This evening's pardon is a great relief for those who died and their families removing the stigma that they have carried for nearly 70 years. It is also viewed as another step in the improvement of relations between Ireland and Britain. However, a small number of former Defence Force officers have criticised the pardons.

– Ireland remained neutral during World War II, but about 4,500 of its soldiers didn't: They left the Irish army and joined the Allied forces fighting Hitler. For that, the government branded them deserters, published their names, and forbade them from holding public sector jobs when the war ended. Today, about 70 years later, the government issued a formal apology and pardoned them, reports RTE. It figures about 100 are still alive to enjoy it. "The government apologizes for the manner in which those members of the defense forces who left to fight on the Allied side during World War Two were treated after the war by the state," the defense minister told parliament, according to Reuters. "In the almost 73 years since the outbreak of World War II, our understanding of history has matured. It is time for understanding and forgiveness." About 60,000 other Irish men also joined the Allies, but they weren't in the Irish army first and so weren't labeled deserters.

Please share my name and email address with Halloween & Costume Association, so that I can receive updates on this campaign and others. ||||| This year trick-or-treaters will dress up and go door to door on Wednesday, October 31, but a controversial petition wants to change that plan. The Halloween & Costume Organization just launched a campaign to move Halloween to the last Saturday of October, and lots of families have already hopped on board. The trade group argues that a weekend celebration would allow for greater parental supervision and child safety by trick-or-treating during daylight hours — not to mention more time to celebrate without the stress of the work or school week. "We feel the change is inevitable and that in the end, the logic behind creating a safer, longer Halloween will prevail," HCA Chairman Kevin Johnson said in a statement. So far the group's efforts have garnered more than 900 signatures on Change.org. The holiday's fixed date stems from its religious origins in the eighth century, when Pope Gregory III declared November 1 as a day to honor all saints. A tradition then developed to celebrate the dead on the preceding night, which later became what we know today as Halloween. Despite its religious roots, most Americans currently treat October 31 as a commercial holiday — and some parents think moving it to a Saturday would make life a lot easier for them and their kids. Let's start by breaking down the positives, shall we? The Pros It's easier for parents to celebrate with their kids versus rushing home after work. Children could trick-or-treat during daylight hours when it's potentially safer. You could spend the whole day celebrating instead of a few hours at night. Kids can still get a good night's sleep after staying out late. The Cons But before we do anything too crazy, don't forget: The U.S. has celebrated Halloween on October 31st since the mid-19th century. Halloween literally means "All Hallows' Eve" — a.k.a. the night before November 1. Half the fun of Halloween as kid is staying up late on a school night. You just can't mess with tradition! So there you have it. Fair warning though: Right now the government does not recognize Halloween as a federal holiday, so not only would Congress have to pass a law adding it to the official calendar, but they'd also have to agree on when to celebrate it. Getting any kind of consensus out of Washington right now is a lot easier said than done, but if you really love Halloween, it might be worth a shot.

– There's a (very) small movement underway to separate Halloween from Oct. 31. The Halloween & Costume Organization has launched a Change.org petition in support of moving the spooky holiday to the last Saturday in October, with some 7,400 people currently on board. Halloween, or "All Hallows' Eve," falls on Oct. 31 simply because that's the eve of Nov. 1, which was declared by Pope Gregory III to be a day honoring all saints, reports Good Housekeeping. But the trade group says the move would mean less stress for parents, greater parental supervision of trick-or-treaters, and improved safety (the petition references the 3,800 Halloween-related injuries that occur each year). It's an argument meant to convince President Trump, at whom the petition is directed. If Congress wants to weigh in on when it should be celebrated, however, Halloween will first need to be declared a federal holiday. (A mayor plans to round up sex offenders on Halloween.)

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– The Charlottesville resident who organized last weekend's alt-right rally appears to have insulted victim Heather Heyer in crude language. A tweet (no longer accessible) from the account of Jason Kessler Friday said this: "Heather Heyer was a fat, disgusting Communist. Communists have killed 94 million. Looks like it was payback time." It linked to a story in the neo-Nazi site Daily Stormer that used similar language about the 32-year-old Heyer. (That story resulted in the loss of internet privileges for the website.) The tweet from Kessler—assuming his account wasn't hacked—has quickly drawn condemnation from well-known figures on the alt-right, reports the Los Angeles Times. Richard Spencer, for example, declared: "I will no longer associate w/ Jason Kessler; no one should. Heyer's death was deeply saddening. 'Payback' is a morally reprehensible idea." Another prominent figure in the movement, Tim Gionet, aka Baked Alaska, called the Kessler tweet "terribly wrong and vile." Kessler's hometown newspaper, meanwhile, the Daily Progress, interviews people who know, or knew, the 33-year-old and say he held liberal beliefs as recently as a few years ago. Perhaps the most eye-popping interview comes with a former girlfriend, who describes herself as a progressive Democrat and says that Kessler knew about her Jewish heritage and wasn't bothered by it. She says she dated him for several months in 2013 and says he dumped her because she wasn't "liberal enough." Kessler, for his part, has said that he leaned left until being "red-pilled" about three years ago, a reference to the Matrix. That was when he began to identify with the white nationalist movement, he says.