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The Senate Intelligence Committee voted Thursday to make public a long-awaited report that concludes that the CIA’s use of brutal interrogation measures did not produce valuable intelligence and that the agency repeatedly misled government officials about the severity and success of the program. The decision, opposed by three Republicans on the panel, means that the findings will be sent to the White House and the CIA, putting the agency in the awkward position of having to declassify a document that delivers a scathing verdict on one of the most controversial periods in its history. “The purpose of this review was to uncover the facts behind this secret program, and the results were shocking,” Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the committee’s chairman, said in a statement Thursday. “The report exposes brutality that stands in stark contrast to our values as a nation. It chronicles a stain on our history that must never again be allowed to happen.” U.S. officials said it could be months before the executive summary of the panel’s inquiry is released to the public. But Thursday’s vote marked the formal end of a four-year Senate investigation of the CIA’s use of waterboarding and other harsh tactics against terrorism suspects in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. President Obama has signaled his support for the public release of the findings and an executive summary, a 481-page section at the front of a classified report that in its complete form runs to more than 6,200 pages and includes detailed accounts of the CIA’s treatment of dozens of detainees. The agency will work “expeditiously” to declassify the document, CIA spokesman Dean Boyd said. He said the agency has acknowledged the “shortcomings” of the interrogation program. “At the same time,” he added, “we owe it to the men and women directed to carry out this program to try and ensure that any historical account of it is accurate.” The report’s arrival at agency headquarters creates a significant dilemma for CIA Director John Brennan, who must determine how far to go in defending the agency without further damaging his relationship with Congress. Any suspense over the committee vote ended earlier this week, when Maine’s two senators on the intelligence panel — Republican Susan Collins and independent Angus King — signaled that they would side with Democrats and vote in favor of declassification. In an interview, King said the document convinced him that what the CIA had done was torture. “I don’t have any doubts on that fact,” he said. “It’s a pretty hard read. It’s very disappointing.” The report, based on a review of millions of internal CIA records, found scant evidence that the use of “enhanced” interrogation techniques generated meaningful intelligence. It accuses agency officials of overstating the significance of alleged terrorist plots and prisoners, and exaggerating the effectiveness of the program by claiming credit for information detainees surrendered before they were subjected to duress. For years, the agency made inaccurate statements to the president, the National Security Council and Congress, King said. “That’s one of the most disturbing parts of this — the institutional failure.” Many Republicans and former CIA officials dispute those broad conclusions. At least six Republicans on the committee, including ranking Republican Saxby Chambliss (Ga.), were expected to submit dissenting views that raised objections to its findings and methodology, according to a progress report on the investigation included in a recent intelligence spending bill. Chambliss said he thought the program provided valuable intelligence and called the committee’s inquiry a “waste of time.” Still, he said, the public has a right to see the summary and minority views. “We need to get this behind us,” he said. The report was assembled entirely by Democrats. Republicans abandoned the investigation shortly after it began in 2009, citing concerns that it would be shaped by political considerations as well as plans not to interview CIA officials who were being scrutinized. The agency submitted a long response last year to an earlier draft of the Senate report that officials said identified numerous errors and contested many of the committee’s conclusions. Current and former CIA officials said the agency is weighing whether to update that response and release it to the public with the Senate report. A former CIA official said there is an expectation among many inside the agency that Brennan will issue “a competing assessment” that critiques the committee’s findings. “There are a lot of people who worked for this program for years in good faith who still believe that it was effective,” the former official said. But others warned that staunchly defending a program that Obama described as torture and dismantled four years ago carries political risks for the CIA. If Brennan goes too far in rejecting the Senate report, “he’ll have torn his relationship with the oversight committees and he won’t get very many brownie points in the high regions of this government,” said Fred Hitz, a former CIA inspector general. “He may make a certain hard core of agency employees feel that he’s standing behind them, but there’s more at stake here.” Although a fierce critic of the CIA’s interrogation program, Feinstein has been an ally to the agency on other fronts. She is such an ardent defender of its armed drone operations, for example, that she has fought against the Obama administration’s efforts to shift the authority for lethal drone operations to the Defense Department. ||||| Jose A. Rodriguez Jr. is the former head of the CIA’s National Clandestine Service and the author of “Hard Measures: How Aggressive CIA Actions After 9/11 Saved American Lives.” People might think it is wrong for me to condemn a report I haven’t read. But since the report condemns a program I ran, I think I have justification. On Thursday, the Senate Intelligence Committee voted to declassify and release hundreds of pages of its report on U.S. terrorist interrogation practices. Certain senators have proclaimed how devastating the findings are, saying the CIA’s program was unproductive, badly managed and misleadingly sold. Unlike the committee’s staff, I don’t have to examine the program through a rearview mirror. I was responsible for administering it, and I know that it produced critical intelligence that helped decimate al-Qaeda and save American lives. The committee’s staff members started with a conclusion in 2009 and have chased supportive evidence ever since. They never spoke to me or other top CIA leaders involved in the program, or let us see the report. Without reviewing it, I cannot offer a detailed rebuttal. But there are things the public should consider. The first is context. The detention and interrogation program was not built in a vacuum. It was created in the months after Sept. 11, 2001, when nearly 3,000 men, women and children were murdered. It was constructed shortly after Richard Reid narrowly missed bringing down an airliner with explosives hidden in his shoes. It continued while U.S. intelligence learned that rogue Pakistani scientists had met with Osama bin Laden to discuss the possibility of creating crude nuclear devices. When we captured high-ranking al-Qaeda operative Abu Zubaida in 2002, we knew he could help us track down other terrorists and might provide information to allow us to stop another attack. Those who suggest we should have questioned him more gently have never felt the burden of protecting innocent lives. Second is effectiveness. I don’t know what the committee thinks it found in the files, but I know what I saw in real time: a program that provided critical information about the operations and leadership of al-Qaeda. Intelligence work is like doing a thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle without the picture on the box top and with millions of extra pieces. The committee staff started with the box top, the pieces in place, and pronounced the puzzle a snap. The interrogation program was not flawless. But we identified and rectified our mistakes and, where appropriate, reported suspected wrongdoing to the Justice Department. Third is authority. This program was approved at the highest levels of the government, judged legal by the Justice Department and regularly briefed to the leaders of our congressional oversight committees. There was never any effort to mislead the administration or Congress about the program. In 2006, then-CIA Director Michael Hayden expanded those fully briefed on the program to include all members of the intelligence oversight committees. It is a travesty that these efforts at transparency are now branded insufficient and misleading. When portions of the report are released, I hope the CIA’s response, pointing out its flawed analysis, is also made public. But before anything is released, authorities must ensure that we don’t make the job of my successors, who are trying to prevent future terrorist attacks, any harder. Read more from Outlook: 1 of 18 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad × Myths of 2014 View Photos Fact or fiction? A collection from Outlook’s popular Five Myths series. Caption Fact or fiction? A collection from Outlook’s popular Five Myths series. MYTH: Sanctions never work. “The most complete academic studies on the matter show that sanctions lead to concessions from the targeted government in one out of every three or four cases,” writes Daniel W. Drezner in “ Five myths about sanctions . “That is a far cry from never working.” Here, President Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel leave a joint news conference at the White House in May. The leaders discussed additional sanctions to punish Russia for its incursion into Ukraine. Charles Dharapak/AP Buy Photo Wait 1 second to continue. A CIA veteran on what ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ gets wrong about the bin Laden manhunt Friend us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
– A Senate panel has voted to release a giant report slamming CIA interrogation methods, the Washington Post reported this week. But regardless of what the Senate report says, the interrogation program saved lives, its former head writes in the Post. "Unlike the committee’s staff, I don’t have to examine the program through a rearview mirror. I was responsible for administering it, and I know that it produced critical intelligence that helped decimate al-Qaeda and save American lives," Jose Rodriguez, Jr., writes. The Senate Intelligence Committee members, meanwhile, "started with a conclusion in 2009 and have chased supportive evidence ever since." Senators "never spoke to me or other top CIA leaders involved in the program, or let us see the report," Rodriguez writes, calling on the public to remember the "context" of the program following the 9/11 attacks and numerous other threats. What's more, he notes, the program was effective—and "intelligence work is like doing a thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle without the picture on the box top and with millions of extra pieces." Finally, the program was "approved at the highest levels of the government." Ahead of the report's release, "authorities must ensure that we don’t make the job of my successors, who are trying to prevent future terrorist attacks, any harder." Click for the full piece.
Sean Penn thinks his fiancée Charlize Theron is so smoking hot, RadarOnline.com has learned that he gave up a longstanding cigarette habit as they prepare to walk down the aisle — and the Academy Award winning actress didn’t even have to ask! “Sean had been a very heavy smoker for years,” an insider told Radar. “After dating Charlize for just a few months, he decided to give it up. Charlize hadn’t pressed the issue, but just asked him to abstain whenever he was around her son, Jackson. One day, Sean just announced he wasn’t going to be smoking anymore.” “Charlize was happily stunned and was thrilled Sean was quitting,” the source said. “For the first few weeks, Sean used a nicotine patch, and would occasionally use the gum version.” PHOTOS: Power Puffers! 22 Celebrities Who Smoke “Sean told Charlize he was quitting because he wanted to be the healthiest version of himself for their little family,” the source continued. “He is absolutely head over heels in love with Charlize.” As Radar reported, Penn is in the process of adopting Theron’s adorable son. The A-list couple became engaged in November, and Penn “has already begun the paperwork to formally adopt Jackson,” an insider previously told Radar. “Charlize never placed any pressure on Sean to adopt Jackson. It has been a very natural process of them becoming a true family.” PHOTOS: Sean Penn Attends The 4th Annual HELP HAITI HOME Gala “Jackson calls Sean ‘daddy,’ and Sean just lights up around him,” the source continued. “Sean picks Jackson up from nursery school, and all of the parents know him.” Sources expect the couple to marry later this summer, and it will be “very small and intimate,” the insider said. “Close friends and immediate family only.” ||||| Even Charlize Theron can't believe she's dating Sean Penn. When the actors were outed as a couple after New Year's in 2014, skeptics wondered what Theron and Penn had in common. As it turns out, the actors are compatible in ways Theron herself hadn't realized. "We've been friends for 20 years. He was married, I was in a long-term relationship, our spouses—not regularly, but we were in each other's lives. I think our friendship stemmed from mutual respect—more on my end, because I really didn't have a body of work 20 years ago, but my love and passion for making films—that was our common ground," Theron, 39, explains. "And also, Sean liked to have conversations outside of just making movies. That's sometimes hard to find among friends here, and that's where our friendship really blossomed. A lot of people want to tell you the answer to solving all of Africa's problems from what they've seen on CNN. Sean is not that guy. When he started working in Haiti and I started working on the AIDS front in South Africa, we spent a lot of time talking about those worlds." Theron, who graces the cover of Esquire's May 2015 issue, admits Penn was caught off guard by their coupling, too. "I think that for both of us there was never a moment where we thought that this—what we have today—would ever even be a possibility. Ever, ever, ever. I think we're both finding ourselves at this moment in our lives kind of shocked. Both of us," Theron says. "Just when you think you know how things are supposed to go down, life just kicks you in the ass and guess what? You don't have a clue." ||||| Esquire James White Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Esquire James White Charlize Theron, star of the upcoming film Mad Max: Fury Road, talks about working with Tom Hardy, winning an Oscar, and her relationship with Sean Penn. The May issue of Esquire is available at newsstands starting April 21.
– Charlize Theron graces the cover of Esquire's May issue, and inside, she opens up about her relationship with Sean Penn. "We've been friends for 20 years. He was married, I was in a long-term relationship, our spouses—not regularly, but we were in each other's lives," she says, per E!. "Sean liked to have conversations outside of just making movies. That's sometimes hard to find among friends here, and that's where our friendship really blossomed," particularly when they started discussing his work in Haiti and hers in South Africa. But, the 39-year-old adds, "I think that for both of us there was never a moment where we thought that this—what we have today—would ever even be a possibility. Ever, ever, ever. I think we're both finding ourselves at this moment in our lives kind of shocked." Shocked in a good way, it sounds like: She goes on to explain that she enjoys being in a romantic relationship that was a friendship first, saying, "The moment that we're in is just really good. It's really good, really nice." As for those rumors that they're engaged? It's not clear whether they're true: "The marriage thing is always so strange to me. I love the possibility of anything, but I'm really enjoying myself and the everyday moment and how that coincides with my son and my life and my friends," she says. But either way, she sounds happy: "I'm a very, very, very lucky girl. Very lucky. He's hot. He is hot. How do you say that in an interview? You're a 40-year-old woman sounding like a 16-year-old." (See what Penn had to say about Theron when he talked to Esquire earlier this year—or find out what he's given up for her.)
Jade Hameister, a 16-year-old skier from Australia, is now the youngest person in history to complete the Polar Hat Trick, traversing the North Pole, South Pole, and Greenland ice sheet. She reached the Amundsen Coast via a new route through the Transantarctic Mountain Range this morning after a massive 37-day journey. Jade is the second generation of Australian polar adventurers in her family. By completing the Polar Hat Trick, Jade has joined the world’s elite group of Arctic and Antarctic explorers. Breaking Records in Risky Weather The three-tiered challenge involves skiing around the North Pole, across Greenland’s largest icecap, and around the South Pole. Jade completed the 373-mile trek on skis, while dragging a 220-pound sled across the rugged, frozen landscape of the Antarctic. Jade is the youngest person to ski from the coast to the South Pole without support and the first woman to set a new route from the coast to the South Pole through the unexplored Kansas Glacier. She is also a part of the first all-Australian team to set a new route through Antarctica. Jade and her team named several features of the glacier after Australian icons—including Old Mate and His Mate, Opera House Ridge, Anzac Steps and Blue Tongue Crevasse Field. They plan to apply to the U.S. Geological Survey when they return to make these names official. According to Jade’s guide, Eric Phillips, the journey was one of the toughest trips he has faced this year with harsh winds and extreme temperature drops hampering their progress across the ice. "Weather plays an enormous role in the progress and ultimate success of a South Pole expedition. This season’s weather is the worst I have seen on a polar expedition and we had unusually strong and persistent wind, whiteout, blizzards—conditions that could have thwarted the trip. The expedition was saved by our own persistence, resilience, and utter determination," Philips explains. Celebrating the Holidays in Antarctica Unlike most Australians, Jade welcomed the New Year with dehydrated beef stroganoff and freeze-dried cinnamon rice pudding after a 12-mile trek. Her Christmas dinner was spent in minus 58°F weather in a tent. "It was my first white Christmas! I started the day with a present from my family as well as a couple of cards and then it was straight back into the usual routine. It was a really hard day with extreme weather conditions and I realized why only 20 women have made this journey before," says Jade. Jade’s sense of adventure was awakened when she was 12 years old and spent some time at the Everest Base Camp with her family. As Jade explains on her website, she is passionate about shifting the focus for young women from how they appear to the possibilities of what they can do. She also wants to raise awareness about the impact of climate change on the Earth's beautiful and fragile polar regions. "So many stories, so many memories. I cannot thank the incredibly fun team I shared this journey with enough and everyone back home for your support." Jade posted on her Instagram account. ||||| (CNN) She's only 16 but, Jade Hameister has accomplished way more than people twice her age. She's skied to the North Pole. She's skated across Greenland's largest icecap. But there are always those who'd rather focus on her appearance than her achievements. So when she skied to the South Pole earlier this month and became the youngest person to ever pull off the Polar Hat Trick, she delivered a delightfully snarky message to those internet haters: She posted a photo of her holding a plate with a ham and cheese sandwich. "I made you a sandwich (ham & cheese)," she wrote. "Now ski 37 days and 600km to the South Pole and you can eat it." Why a sandwich? Her post was a reaction to the reaction she received after a TEDx talk she delivered a couple of years ago. The point of the talk was to encourage young girls to reach for their dreams. "What if the focus shifted from how we appear, to the possibilities of what we can do?" she asked. But when the talk was posted on YouTube, there were several responses that said "make me a sandwich," the catchphrase internet trolls use to demean women. And so, she did. The idea of taking a sandwich to the pole was a joke throughout the trip, she said. But she didn't decide to follow through with it until the last minute. "The camp we were staying at was less than a (kilometer) away from the actual pole, so we were like, 'Let's just do it,'" Jade told CNN. So far, her response has been well-received. "There's been a lot of comments on it, which I didn't really expect, but I guess it's just kind of funny," she says. Her accomplishments Hameister was accompanied on the 37-day journey by her father, her guide Eric Philips and a two-person camera team from National Geographic, which will release a documentary about the experience later this year. Pulling her own 220-pound sled for 373 miles, she arrived at her final destination without assistance. The trip concluded a three-part odyssey that Hameister started in April 2016. That year, she traversed 62 miles from 88 degrees to the North Pole, breaking the record for the youngest person to cross the distance from outside the last degree. Thirteen months later, she made history as the youngest woman to ski unassisted across the Greenland icecap. Thanks to her final expedition to the South Pole, she is also the first woman to travel a new route through the Kansas Glacier off the coast of Antarctica. Hameister finished her trek as the youngest person to complete the Polar Hat Trick. So what's next for the young explorer? "Year 11 and 12," she laughs. Before she goes back to school, she's home in Melbourne enjoying the remainder of her summer. ||||| Published on Aug 16, 2016 Jade Hameister at just 14 years old became the youngest person to ski to the North Pole from anywhere outside the Last Degree. Jade wants young women to #expandpossible and to inspire and empower them to be more active and chase their dreams. Jade is now determined to be the youngest person to complete the ‘Polar Hat Trick’, comprising the North Pole, Greenland Crossing and South Pole, all the way from the coast. She believes having an adventurous mind means being prepared to challenge outdated thinking, taking risks and accepting failure as a possibility This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx
– How does it feel to get served by a 16-year-old? Ask the internet trolls who descended on Jade Hameister. The teen gave a TEDx talk in August 2016 following a major feat: skiing to the North Pole. In it, she asked the question, "What if young women ... were encouraged to be more, rather than less?" Amid the comments posted to the YouTube video of her talk were requests that Jade "make me a sandwich," a favored internet-troll line that's intended to degrade women. But more than a year later, she served them the perfect comeuppance instead: an actual sandwich, served from the South Pole. The Australian earlier this month became the youngest person to complete the Polar Hat Trick, which National Geographic explains involves traversing both poles and the Greenland Ice Sheet. And when she got there on Jan. 10, she posted a photo to Instagram of herself holding a plate with this caption, "I made you a sandwich (ham & cheese), now ski 37 days and 600km to the South Pole and you can eat it xx." Per National Geographic, Jade didn't just ski for 37 days—she did it while lugging a 220-pound sled behind her. She tells CNN that while the sandwich idea had been joked about for a while, deciding to actually do it was a spur-of-the-moment decision. "The camp we were staying at was less than a [kilometer] away from the actual pole, so we were like, 'Let's just do it,'" she explains. (This man spent millions bringing an Internet troll to justice.)
Math Bee: Honeybees Seem To Understand The Notion Of Zero Enlarge this image toggle caption Don Farrall/Getty Images Don Farrall/Getty Images Honeybees understand that "nothing" can be "something" that has numerical meaning, showing that they have a primitive grasp of the concept of zero. That's according to a newly published study in Science, which shows that bees possess a mathematical ability once thought to exist only in dolphins, primates, birds and humans who are beyond the preschool years. "This is quite amazing, in my view, that bees can really do it," says Andreas Nieder, a scientist who studies how animals' process the idea of "nothing" and was not part of the research team. He says zero was discovered relatively recently in human history, and was essential in the development of both mathematics and science. "It's a hard and very abstract concept," Nieder says. "It is a sort of eccentric uncle in the number family." Previous experiments have shown that honeybees have some facility with numbers, because they were able to count landmarks as they foraged around for a sweet reward. But in these tests, the insects couldn't count very high — only to about four. Still, that made a team of researchers in Australia and France want to explore what else the bees could do with numbers. Scarlett Howard at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, lured bees to a wall where they were presented with two square cards. Each card had a different number of black symbols, such as dots or triangles. Howard trained one group of bees to understand that sugar water would always be located under the card with the least number of symbols. "They could come and see two circles versus three circles, or four triangles versus one triangle, or something like that," she explains. The bees quickly learned to fly to the card with the fewest symbols, an impressive feat. But then they got another test: The researchers presented the bees with a card that had a single symbol — and a blank card that had nothing on it. The bees seemed to understand that "zero" was less than one, because they flew toward the blank card more often than you'd expect if they were choosing at random — although they weren't that good at distinguishing between the two. It got easier for them when they had to compare zero with a larger number. "When we showed them zero versus six, they did that at a much higher level than zero versus one," Howard says. "So what tells us is that they consider zero as an actual quantity along the number line. They're actually better at doing zero versus six because those two numbers are further apart." "We were very surprised and happy, excited, to see that actually the bees were choosing the empty paper," says Aurore Avargues-Weber, a CNRS researcher with the University of Toulouse. Even very young children, she points out, have trouble understanding that zero is a number. "It's easy for them to count 'one, two, three, four,' but zero, it's nothing, it's not something to count. So it's not the same category," she explains. She had expected that the bees would see a blank paper as something irrelevant that was completely different than what they had been trained on, because to understand zero, "brains need to represent something out of nothing. It's not trivial." What's more, the brains of bees are incredibly tiny brains compared with the brains of humans, Nieder notes. "Bees really have a mini-brain with fewer than one million brain cells," he says, "compared to 86 billion nerve cells in our brain." Even so, the bees can understand the abstract concept of an empty set — the precursor or prerequisite to understanding the symbolic number zero — and he says he found that very surprising. ||||| Trained to pick the lowest number out of a series of options, a honeybee chooses a blank image, revealing an understanding of the concept of zero. Credit: RMIT University Scientists have discovered honeybees can understand the concept of zero, putting them in an elite club of clever animals that can grasp the abstract mathematical notion of nothing. By demonstrating that even tiny brains can comprehend complex, abstract concepts, the surprise finding opens possibilities for new, simpler approaches to developing Artificial Intelligence. In research published in the journal Science, Australian and French researchers tested whether honey bees can rank numerical quantities and understand that zero belongs at the lower end of a sequence of numbers. Associate Professor Adrian Dyer, from RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, said the number zero was the backbone of modern maths and technological advancements. "Zero is a difficult concept to understand and a mathematical skill that doesn't come easily—it takes children a few years to learn," Dyer said. "We've long believed only humans had the intelligence to get the concept, but recent research has shown monkeys and birds have the brains for it as well. "What we haven't known—until now—is whether insects can also understand zero." As well as being a critical pollinator, the honeybee is an exceptional model species for investigating insect cognition, with previous research showing they can learn intricate skills from other bees and even understand abstract concepts like sameness and difference. Trained to pick the lowest number out of a series of options, a honeybee chooses a blank image, revealing an understanding of the concept of zero. Credit: RMIT University But bee brains have fewer than 1 million neurons—compared with the 86,000 million neurons of a human brain—and little was known about how insect brains would cope with being tested on such an important numeric skill. RMIT Ph.D. researcher Scarlett Howard set out to test the honeybee on its understanding, marking individual honeybees for easy identification and luring them to a specially-designed testing apparatus. The bees were trained to choose an image with the lowest number of elements in order to receive a reward of sugar solution. For example, the bees learned to choose three elements when presented with three vs. four; or two elements when presented with two vs. three. When Howard periodically tested the bees with an image that contained no elements versus an image that had one or more, the bees understood that the set of zero was the lower number—despite never having been exposed to an "empty set". Schematic representation of how over a period of time bees learn to choose between combinations of numbers such that the lower number is correct, and then when presented with a problem of zero elements versus the higher numbers bees understand that zero is at the lower end of a numerical sequence. Credit: Composite image by Scarlett Howard, Jair Garcia and Adrian Dyer Dyer, a researcher in the Bio Inspired Digital Sensing-Lab (BIDS-Lab) in RMIT's Digital Ethnography Research Centre, said the findings opened the door to new understandings of how different brains could represent zero. "This is a tricky neuroscience problem," he said. "It is relatively easy for neurons to respond to stimuli such as light or the presence of an object but how do we, or even an insect, understand what nothing is? "How does a brain represent nothing? Could bees and other animals that collect lots of food items, have evolved special neural mechanisms to enable the perception of zero? "If bees can learn such a seemingly advanced maths skill that we don't even find in some ancient human cultures, perhaps this opens the door to considering the mechanism that allows animals and ourselves to understand the concept of nothing." An individually marked honeybee inspects stimuli with either 3 or 4 elements before choosing to land on the correct “lower” number. After learning this type of rule with many combinations, bees understand that an unfamiliar presentation of an empty set is less than any other number of elements presented. Credit: Scarlett Howard One of the problems in the development of artificial intelligence is enabling robots to operate in very complex environments, Dyer said. "Crossing a road is simple for adult humans, we understand if there are no approaching cars, no bikes or trams, then it is probably ok to cross," he said. "But what is zero, how do we represent this for so many complex object classes to make decisions in complex environments? "If bees can perceive zero with a brain of less than a million neurons, it suggests there are simple efficient ways to teach AI new tricks." The research was conducted in both Australia and France and involved many control experiments to validate the findings. Study co-author, Dr. Aurore Avarguès-Weber from the University of Toulouse in France, said: "The discovery that bees can show such elaborated understanding of numbers was really surprising given their tiny brain." "Large brains are thus not necessary to play with numbers. This capacity is therefore probably shared by many other animals." The paper "Numerical ordering of zero in honeybees" is published in Science today. Explore further: Inside the brains of killer bees More information: S.R. Howard el al., "Numerical ordering of zero in honey bees," Science (2018). science.sciencemag.org/cgi/doi … 1126/science.aar4975 ||||| Understanding zero It has been said that the development of an understanding of zero by society initiated a major intellectual advance in humans, and we have been thought to be unique in this understanding. Although recent research has shown that some other vertebrates understand the concept of the “empty set,” Howard et al. now show that an understanding of this concept is present in untrained honey bees (see the Perspective by Nieder). This finding suggests that such an understanding has evolved independently in distantly related species that deal with complexity in their environments, and that it may be more widespread than previously appreciated. Science, this issue p. 1124; see also p. 1069 ||||| Humans aren't the only species that can ponder abstract mathematical concepts like nonexistence. In addition to some other animals, honeybees understand that the number zero is less than 1, according to a new study. Dolphins, African gray parrots and nonhuman primates also understand the idea of "zero," but researchers were surprised to find that honeybees also comprehend this concept, considering the insects' tiny brains, according to a statement from RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia. Honeybees have fewer than 1 million neurons, compared with the 86 billion neurons in humans — and yet, they grasp a concept that humans, by some measures, don't start to understand before preschool, according to NPR. The researchers set up two cards, each of which had a set of symbols on them, like triangles or circles. Then, they trained a group of the bees to fly to the card with the lower number of symbols. (The bees quickly learned what the humans wanted them to do to get their delicious, sugary rewards). The trained bees were then shown a card that was empty versus one that had symbols on it. Without any prior training, the bees flew more often to the empty card — thereby demonstrating that they understood that "zero" was a number less than the others, according to the study, which was published Thursday (June 7) in the journal Science. Although they flew more often to an empty card than to one that had one symbol on it, it became easier for them to differentiate when the symbols' card increased in number. For example, they more often flew to the zero when the other card had four symbols than when it had one, according to NPR. Perhaps these findings will shed light on the brain mechanism behind what allows us to understand the concept of "nothing," Adrian Dyer, a researcher at RMIT University and senior author of the study, said in the RMIT statement. This understanding, in turn, could help in the development of artificial intelligence that also understands this concept. "If bees can perceive zero with a brain of less than a million neurons, it suggests there are simple, efficient ways to teach AI new tricks," Dyer said in the statement. Originally published on Live Science.
– Dolphins, monkeys, birds, and homo sapiens have a shared understanding of a quite difficult concept, and now honeybees are joining the party. Per a release, that concept is "zero," an abstract mathematical construct that scientists say stumps humans until at least preschool, but which they now note is apparently grasped by these small-brained insects. Australian and French researchers published their findings in the journal Science, noting that their flying subjects were able to prioritize numerical quantities using a reward system, and that the results could have implications for artificial intelligence down the road. Per LiveScience, the scientists used a rotating set of two cards with symbols on them, with one card having a higher number of symbols than the other. The bees were given a sugar solution if they picked the card with the lower number. Not only did the bees fly more often to the cards with the least number of symbols on them, they also, when presented with a card that had nothing on it and a card with symbols, flew more often to the blank card. Interestingly, they also flew more often to the zero card when the opposing card had a higher number of symbols—meaning it seemed easier for them to know zero's low place in the hierarchy if the opposing number was a high one. Scientists are mostly amazed because a human brain boasts 86 million neurons; a bee brain gets by with one million. "Large brains are thus not necessary to play with numbers," study co-author Aurore Avargues-Weber says in the release. Not much brain power being needed to get "nothing" also suggests "there are simple, efficient ways to teach AI new tricks," study co-author Adrian Dyer adds. (There's a US honeybee crisis, but it seems to be getting better.)
A 13-year-old Maryland boy had a freak accident last Saturday when he fell from a tree and a 6-inch screw lodged precariously in his skull. Darius Foreman was building a tree house in Salisbury on the Eastern Shore last Saturday when he fell. Somehow, the screw went through his skull and into the very top part of his brain. “I think a millimeter made a difference in this kid whether he was going to live or die,” said Dr. Alan Cohen, the Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. Cohen says he was told the board attached to the screw was about five feet long. Local firefighters were able to saw some of it off. They had to be careful because if the screw was pulled out it could have caused potentially fatal bleeding. “The problem was that [it] was still a big board that was impaled into his brain, and he couldn’t fit in the Medevac helicopter, so they had to wait and get another transport helicopter that was bigger,” Cohen said. Darius was eventually flown to Johns Hopkins. Cohen’s wife Dody Robinson – who is also a neurosurgeon – was able to get the board unattached from the screw in his head. But getting the screw out was going to be very dicey. “So if we were to unscrew it, there could be torrential hemorrhaging,” Cohen said. He says he and his team drilled holes in Darius’s skull to the left and right of the screw. “We carefully drilled the bone away down to the dura, the linings of the brain, so that we could manipulate the screw,” Cohen said. Cohen says they were able to get the screw out, and thankfully the dangerous bleeding they had feared did not happen after it was removed. He says titanium was used to replace the parts of Darius’s skull that had been drilled away. Darius is on antibiotics but was able to be released from Johns Hopkins on Thursday – his 13th birthday. “You wouldn’t know that this happened to him. You wouldn’t know that he was a millimeter from death’s door,” Cohen said. “It’s a story with a happy ending.” ||||| Story highlights A six-inch screw pierced a boy's skull, right between the brain's two hemispheres The boy was "a millimeter away" from bleeding to death, his neurosurgeon said (CNN) A freak accident nearly took the life of a 13-year-old Maryland boy last weekend when a 6-inch screw entered his skull, his family and doctor told CNN. Darius Foreman was building a treehouse Saturday when he fell from a branch, knocking over a five-foot-long wooden board, which came down on top of his head, his mother Joy Ellingsworth recounted. An X-ray from Johns Hopkins Hospital, where the boy was airlifted, shows a portion of the screw lodged right between the two halves of the brain -- threatening to tear the largest channel that drains blood and other fluids from the brain. Injury to this part of the brain could have been "catastrophic," according to his surgeon, Dr. Alan Cohen. "He was a millimeter away from having himself bleed to death," Cohen, chief of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins, told CNN. "I absolutely panicked," Ellingsworth said. "It was very scary, one of the scariest things I've ever been through." Read More ||||| CLOSE After a screw became stuck in a local boy's head, doctors worked for several hours to remove it. Produced by Ralph Musthaler This x-ray shows a 6-inch screw lodged in the skull of a 13-year-old Salisbury boy. (Photo: Johns Hopkins Hospital image) A Salisbury boy survived a freak accident that left a 6-inch screw in his skull — a mishap that required delicate neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital. The good news is that Darius Foreman was able to go home on Thursday, his 13th birthday. “They were so nice at the hospital,” said his mother, Joy Ellingsworth. “They threw him a party and decorated the room while he was asleep.” Darius, a seventh-grader at Wicomico Middle School, was at his aunt’s house in Parsonsburg building a treehouse in the unseasonably warm weather on Jan. 20 when he fell from a branch. As he landed, a 5-foot-long board with a large construction screw fell on top of his head, piercing his skull and his brain. At first, Darius wasn’t sure what happened. “I thought something was stuck in my hair,” he said Friday. More: Parents help keep baby Charlotte alive while awaiting kidney transplant More: In heroin and opioid epidemic, will new approach turn the tide? Buy Photo Darius Foreman, 13, of Salisbury, poses for a photo holding the screw that was surgically removed from his head on Friday, Jan. 26, 2018. (Photo: Staff Photo by Ralph Musthaler) But his two cousins immediately ran to get their mother, Bobbi Burke. She found Darius wandering around the yard with the board stuck to his head, and made him lie down while she called 911, Ellingsworth said. Burke’s next call was to Ellingsworth. “It was instant dread,” she said when she got the news. Paramedics from the Parsonsburg Volunteer Fire Company were able to cut part of the board in order to fit him into an ambulance and take him to Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury, Maryland. Doctors there X-rayed his brain and decided to send him on to Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Ellingsworth said. Because of the board that was still attached to Darius’ head, he could not fit inside a standard helicopter, so the hospital called Maryland State Police, who have a larger one. In the emergency room at Hopkins, Dr. Shenandoah Robinson, a neurosurgeon, was able to remove the rest of the board that was still attached to Darius’ head. Next the boy was sent into surgery for a procedure that took about two hours. “The danger was where it was located,” said Dr. Alan R. Cohen, chief of pediatric neurosurgery at Hopkins. Scans of Darius’ brain showed what looked like the screw going right into the superior sagittal sinus, the large pipeline vein that drains the blood from the brain to the heart. “That’s what made this injury so serious — that fact that he could have exsanguinated (suffered major bleeding),” Cohen said. Cohen said because of the screw’s location, it was “like a ticking time bomb.” “We went slowly and carefully, and we managed to get the thing out,” he said. The surgical team also removed a small blood clot that had formed, then placed a titanium plate in his skull. More: Senate confirms Alex Azar for HHS More: Children's author wins NAACP Image Award Darius was kept in the hospital for several days afterward to administer antibiotics following surgery. He will continue to be on intravenous antibiotics for another week at home, Elligsworth said. Otherwise he is in good shape. “He’s a lucky guy,” Cohen said. Buy Photo Darius Foreman, 13, of Salisbury, talks to his mother Joy Ellingsworth at their home on Friday, Jan. 26, 2018. Foreman had a screw surgically removed from his skull after falling from a tree. (Photo: Staff Photo by Ralph Musthaler) The story caught the attention of CNN, which published a story on its website Friday. Ellingsworth said she has also gotten calls from Inside Edition and The New Yorker magazine. The Maryland State Police Aviation Command shared the CNN story on Facebook with the following comment: “Great job from the Parsonsburg Vol. Fire Company, Inc., Salisbury Fire Department, and Peninsula Regional Medical Center in stabilizing this teenager after his ordeal. Trooper 4 assisted by transporting him to Johns Hopkins Hospital. Once again, the teamwork in Maryland's healthcare system makes the difference!” Cohen said everyone from local paramedics, to the PRMC emergency room staff, to the state police medevac crew all worked together to get Darius safely to Baltimore. "They did a great job," he said. "It was a real team effort." Twitter: @LizHolland5 More: Chelsea Manning files to challenge Ben Cardin for Senate More: Editorial: Women's marches, #metoo show strength of solidarity Read or Share this story: http://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/local/maryland/2018/01/26/salisbury-boy-survives-screw-lodged-skull/1069062001/
– Johns Hopkins' chief of pediatric neurosurgery tells WJLA that young Darius Foreman "was a millimeter from death's door." The seventh-grader was building a tree house Jan. 20 in Maryland when he fell from a branch and a 5-foot board landed on his head. His cousins' mom came outside to find Darius wandering around with the board still attached to his head. “I thought something was stuck in my hair,” he tells Delmarva Now. In reality, a 6-inch screw in the board had pierced Foreman's skull and entered his brain. “The danger was where it was located,” Johns Hopkins' Dr. Alan Cohen says. The screw appeared to be going into the main vein that drains blood from the brain. Paramedics had to cut off pieces of the board to fit Darius into the ambulance, and a larger police helicopter had to be used to transport him to Johns Hopkins. After the board was fully removed, it took doctors about two hours to remove the screw from Darius' skull and brain. Cohen says they couldn't just unscrew it or "there could be torrential hemorrhaging." Instead, the team drilled holes on either side of the screw to get it out and replaced the missing portions of Darius' skull with a titanium plate. All told, the screw—which Cohen called "a ticking time bomb—was lodged in Darius' skull for about seven hours, his mom, Joy Ellingsworth, tells CNN. But Cohen says it was "a story with a happy ending." Darius was able to leave the hospital Thursday—his 13th birthday. He even got to keep the screw as a present. Ellingsworth says it was "one of the scariest things I've ever been through." But Darius says he learned an important lesson: "Never build a tree fort."
Republican presidential candidates Ted Cruz and John Kasich sent out near-simultaneous statements announcing a collaborative effort to block rival and front-runner Donald Trump in Indiana, Oregon and New Mexico's primaries. (Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post) BORDEN, Ind. -- Donald Trump's two remaining Republican presidential opponents campaigned Monday after striking an agreement on a strategy to divvy up three states holding primaries in the coming weeks -- an unusual and urgent arrangement aimed at stopping the mogul from clinching the GOP nomination. The campaigns of Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Ohio Gov. John Kasich released written statements within minutes of each other Sunday night calling for Kasich to stop competing in Indiana and for Cruz to clear the way for Kasich in New Mexico and Oregon. They called on allied third-party groups to do the same. Speaking to reporters here in Borden before a Monday morning rally, Cruz said it was "big news today that John Kasich has decided to pull out of Indiana to give us a head-to-head contest with Donald Trump." He said the division of resources in key primary states "made sense from both campaigns." Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz defended his alliance with rival John Kasich April 25. Cruz said their attempt to block front-runner Donald Trump from winning the party's nomination "makes sense." (Reuters) Kasich, meanwhile, was careful to describe the deal as a matter of shifting resources -- and not as a signal to his voters in Indiana that they should back Cruz. "I’ve never told ‘em not to vote for me," Kasich told reporters at a breakfast stop at Philadelphia's Penrose Diner. "They ought to vote for me. But I'm not over there campaigning and spending resources." The deal marked the most significant collaboration between anti-Trump forces yet. It came as Trump stood on the verge of another week of sweeping victories, with five Eastern states where he is favored to win set to vote Tuesday. It sparked swift condemnation from the front-runner, who accused his rivals of "collusion in order to stay alive." In recent weeks, Cruz had vehemently rejected the idea of cutting a deal to outflank Trump, and has openly criticized Kasich's continued presence in the race despite winning only his home state. But after Trump's commanding win in New York last week, there is growing anxiety among his critics that a win by the mogul in Indiana could devastate their efforts to stop him. Kasich and Cruz are trying to trigger a contested Republican convention in Cleveland where party activists would decide the GOP nominee. [Cruz has more to gain from deal with Kasich, according to delegate rules] The deal was discussed in a private meeting last week between Cruz campaign manager Jeff Roe and Kasich chief strategist John Weaver in Hollywood, Fla., on the sidelines of the Republican National Committee meeting, said a source with knowledge of the discussions who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The deal was finalized Sunday in phone calls between the two advisers. "To ensure that we nominate a Republican who can unify the Republican Party and win in November, our campaign will focus its time and resources in Indiana and in turn clear the path for Gov. Kasich to compete in Oregon and New Mexico, and we would hope that allies of both campaigns would follow our lead," Roe said in a statement. A few moments later, Weaver issued a statement saying: "We are very comfortable with our delegate position in Indiana already, and given the current dynamics of the primary there, we will shift our campaign’s resources West and give the Cruz campaign a clear path in Indiana." He added: "In turn, we will focus our time and resources in New Mexico and Oregon, both areas that are structurally similar to the Northeast politically, where Gov. Kasich is performing well. We would expect independent third-party groups to do the same and honor the commitments made by the Cruz and Kasich campaigns." Trump issued a statement early Monday morning saying: "Collusion is often illegal in many other industries and yet these two Washington insiders have had to revert to collusion in order to stay alive. They are mathematically dead and this act only shows, as puppets of donors and special interests, how truly weak they and their campaigns are." [The Fix: Donald Trump’s reaction to the Cruz-Kasich alliance was epic] Meanwhile, anti-Trump groups said they were heartened by the arrangement. "Encouraging," Tim Miller, a spokesman for the anti-Trump Our Principles PAC, said of the Cruz-Kasich deal. "See you in Cleveland." In a statement late Sunday, Rory Cooper, senior adviser of the group #NeverTrump, said: "Whether you support Ted Cruz or John Kasich, a second ballot at the Convention is imperative to stopping Donald Trump. We're happy to see the Kasich and Cruz campaigns strategically using their resources to deny Donald Trump delegates where they are in the strongest position to do so." A version of the idea already was effectively in place. Cruz skipped campaigning altogether in Rhode Island, Connecticut and Delaware last week -- three states that will vote on Tuesday. Kasich campaigned in the former two states. Cruz took sharp aim at Trump on Monday in his question-and-answer session with reporters and his rally, saying that if Trump is the nominee, Republicans would risk losing control of the U.S. House and Senate and jeopardize the Bill of Rights. The move was expected to send Kasich west sooner than his rivals expected. Campaign sources said that two planned Tuesday events in the Indianapolis area would be canceled; the candidate would attend a local fundraiser, then move on. Cruz had already shifted his focus beyond Tuesday's contests to Indiana, which will vote on May 3. He held several campaign events in the Hoosier State last week and plans more this week, beginning with four stops on Monday. Limited public polling in Indiana has shown that Cruz stands the best chance of stopping Trump. Cruz allies believe Kasich is siphoning votes away from him, as evidenced by a pro-Cruz TV ad released last week that urged voters not to back Kasich. A loss to Trump in Indiana would be a catastrophic blow to Cruz, who is hoping to undercut some of Trump's momentum heading into the final month of the race. Oregon will vote on May 17. New Mexico's primary is June 7. Both the Cruz and Kasich campaigns said they intend to compete hard in the other remaining states, signaling that the scope of their unorthodox arrangement will be limited. The biggest remaining prize is California on June 7. The state will award 172 delegates. Trump currently leads the Republican race with 845 delegates, according to the latest Associated Press count. Cruz has 559, and Kasich is much further back, with 148. To win the nomination outright, a candidate must clinch 1,237 delegates. If no one reaches that mark, a contested convention would be triggered and in subsequent balloting, delegates bound to certain candidates would be freed up to to vote for someone else. Cruz has excelled at identifying and elevating individuals to serve as delegates who would be loyal to him under such a scenario. Trump has complained about the delegate process, arguing it is "rigged." 1 of 9 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad × Moments when Ted Cruz was more surprising than Donald Trump View Photos Although Trump has voiced myriad eyebrow-raising positions, Ted Cruz has at times taken more surprising stances. Caption Although Trump has voiced myriad eyebrow-raising positions, Ted Cruz has at times taken more surprising stances. Cruz and Trump Ted Cruz, left, and Donald Trump. Left: Cassi Alexandra for The Washington Post. Right: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post Buy Photo Wait 1 second to continue. This post has been updated Weigel reported from Washington. Philip Rucker contributed to this report ||||| The Ohio governor will give the Texan senator a free run in Indiana in exchange for the same favor in Oregon and New Mexico Ted Cruz and John Kasich have announced that their campaigns will cede certain states in an attempt to keep Donald Trump from reaching the 1,237 delegates he needs to clinch the Republican nomination. In a pair of coordinated statements released on Sunday night, the Cruz and Kasich campaigns said that the Texas senator would concentrate his resources in Indiana while the Ohio governor would focus on Oregon and New Mexico instead. The splinter is coming: the Republican race is a real life Game of Thrones plot Read more Both have already stated that they expect there to be a contested convention in Cleveland in July and are already preparing for a second ballot. However, for that scenario to come to pass, they first need to stop Trump. This apparent agreement seems to be an admission that only way to do so is for his opponents to finally cooperate against him. Under current rules, delegates are only bound by the results of their state’s primary or caucus for the first ballot. On any subsequent ballot, delegates are free to vote their conscience and, since delegate selection is often an entirely separate process from a primary, there is likely to be a significant shift in votes on a second ballot. Jeff Roe, Cruz’s campaign manager, went first. He wrote: “Our campaign will focus its time and resources in Indiana and in turn clear the path for Kasich to compete in Oregon and New Mexico, and we would hope that allies of both campaigns would follow our lead.” US election delegate tracker: who's winning the presidential nomination? Read more Cruz has already shifted resources to focus entirely on Indiana, whose 30 winner-take-all statewide delegates represent the biggest individual haul remaining. The state, which holds its primary on 3 May, also allocates three delegates to the winner of each of its nine congressional districts. Polls in the Hoosier State had Trump with a narrow lead ahead of Cruz with Kasich lagging behind. One campaign source indicated that internal polls showed Kasich was dividing the anti-Trump vote in Indiana and serving as a major hindrance to Cruz’s prospects. Further, a Trump win in Indiana would make it far more likely that the real estate mogul would win the 1237 delegates needed to clinch the nomination on the first ballot. The Cruz statement was followed minutes later by a statement from Kasich strategist John Weaver. The veteran operative wrote: “Due to the fact that the Indiana primary is winner-take-all statewide and by congressional district, keeping Trump from winning a plurality in Indiana is critical to keeping him under 1,237 bound delegates before Cleveland. We are very comfortable with our delegate position in Indiana already, and given the current dynamics of the primary there, we will shift our campaign’s resources west and give the Cruz campaign a clear path in Indiana.” Weaver added that “in turn, we will focus our time and resources in New Mexico and Oregon, both areas that are structurally similar to the north-east politically, where Governor Kasich is performing well. We would expect independent third-party groups to do the same and honor the commitments made by the Cruz and Kasich campaigns.” Although the Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment, the candidate reacted in a late night tweet: Trump later issued a follow-up statement in which he accused Cruz and Kasich of “collusion” and said: “It is sad that two grown politicians have to collude against one person who has only been a politician for 10 months in order to try and stop that person from getting the Republican nomination.” It is sad that two grown politicians have to collude against one person who has only been a politician for 10 months Donald Trump The pact already has seen some signs of fragility. When asked about it over a breakfast of berries in a Pennsylvania diner on Monday, Kasich said of Indiana Republicans: “They ought to vote for me.” The Ohio governor insisted that the plan was all about resource allocation. Cruz, at a press conference, dismissed questions of “collusion” and instead simply described the deal as “an allocation of resources that makes a lot of sense”. The agreement comes just days after Cruz suggested in Florida that Kasich was only staying in the presidential race because “it may be John is auditioning to be Donald’s vice president”. The Texas senator also said earlier on Sunday that the Ohio governor did not have “a plausible path” to the nomination. Tim Miller, a spokesman for Our Principles PAC, an anti-Trump superPAC, said he found the apparent alliance “encouraging”, when asked for comment via e-mail. He added: “See you in Cleveland.” Oregon, which holds its primary on 17 May, and New Mexico, which votes on 7 June, each have relatively proportional primaries. Oregon allocates its 28 delegates in purely proportional manner while New Mexico has a threshold that requires a candidate to get 15% of the vote. The result is that these states are far less important on the first ballot than winner-take-all Indiana and seemingly give Kasich the short end of the stick in this deal. However, with almost all delegates unbound after that point, the hope in the Ohio governor’s campaign is that they can flip a number of delegates on a potential second ballot. Despite the deal in these states, both campaigns made it clear that they would compete against each other in all of the remaining primary contests. Cruz’s campaign chief said: “In other states holding their elections for the remainder of the primary season, our campaign will continue to compete vigorously to win.” Mr Smith goes to Washington: election lessons on the path of the 'Acela primary' Read more Past attempts for Republican candidates to make anti-Trump deals had petered out. Kasich squelched an overture from Marco Rubio to engage in strategic voting in their home-state primaries on 15 March. While a Rubio spokesman urged supporters of the Florida senator to vote for Kasich in the Ohio, the Kasich campaign declined to return the favor in Florida. As long ago as last September, when Scott Walker dropped out of the presidential race, he did so in attempt to consolidate the field to stop Trump. The deal between the two campaigns came 36 hours before the opening of polls in the so-called Acela Primary, comprising five states in the northeast and mid-Atlantic. Trump is expected to dominate in these states and both Cruz and Kasich are likely to be shut out in the bound-delegate chase in at least three of the states holding contests on Tuesday. However, because 54 of the 71 delegates elected in Pennsylvania will be unbound and free to vote for any candidate, Trump’s rivals could still gain there.
– Ted Cruz and John Kasich have decided, somewhat late in the game, that the combined might of their campaigns is the only thing that can stop Donald Trump from winning the GOP nomination. With Trump poised to win all five Eastern states voting in Tuesday's "Acela primary," the Cruz and Kasich campaigns issued statements Sunday night announcing that they will divide their efforts in three later primaries, the Guardian reports. Kasich's campaign says it will give Cruz a "clear path in Indiana," which votes May 3, and Cruz's campaign plans to clear the way for Kasich in Oregon, which votes May 17, and New Mexico, which holds its GOP primary June 7. Sources tell the Washington Post that the plan to stop Trump from amassing the necessary 1,237 delegates had been in the works for a while and was finalized between campaign strategists on Sunday. Cruz and Kasich, who will apparently still compete against each other in states like California, are hoping for a contested convention, which would be their only chance of winning the nomination. After the plan was unveiled, Trump slammed his rivals as "mathematically dead and totally desperate." "Wow, just announced that Lyin' Ted and Kasich are going to collude in order to keep me from getting the Republican nomination. DESPERATION!" he tweeted. (Trump has a big lead in Pennsylvania, but a quirk of the state's "loophole primary" could end up hurting him.)
Digitalphiles have convened on Austin for the SXSW Interactive Conference, a celebration of all things digital and connected. I love technology, and I love the Internet, but I don’t worship at the altar of Apple nor the concept of ubiquitous, always-on connectivity. To that end I’m a little troubled by the concept one marketing company is bringing to Austin in conjunction with the conference. It’s called Homeless Hotspots. The company Bartle Bogle Hegarty (a Dickensian name if there ever were one) announced the plan in a recent blog post: This year in Austin, as you wander between locations murmuring to your coworker about how your connection sucks and you can’t download/stream/tweet/instagram/check-in, you’ll notice strategically positioned individuals wearing “Homeless Hotspot” t-shirts. These are homeless individuals in the Case Management program at Front Steps Shelter. They’re carrying MiFi devices. Introduce yourself, then log on to their 4G network via your phone or tablet for a quick high-quality connection. You pay what you want (ideally via the PayPal link on the site so we can track finances), and whatever you give goes directly to the person that just sold you access. We’re believers that providing a digital service will earn these individuals more money than a print commodity That’s right, homeless people are walking around as digital hotspots. They’re easy to find, wearing a T-shirt that says, “I am a digital hotspot.” Give them a few bucks and you can hop on the information superhighway to check your e-mail, read a blog or watch a video. I believe the campaign to be well meant, it’s being run as a nonprofit operation and the homeless people, such as Clarence and Dusty, are earning a few bucks. Nevertheless, it rubs me the wrong way. Jon Mitchell, at ReadWriteWeb, articulates some of the reasons. It has to do with digital divides, haves and have nots, and the idea that a fellow human being is of no more use to you than as an Internet jack. Your thoughts? ||||| UPDATE & CLARIFICATIONS There has been an enormous amount of coverage of this project, and unfortunately there has been a good deal of inaccuracies around the payment system and objectives of the program in general. Please follow this link that clarifies these points. UPDATE: Obviously, there’s an insane amount of chatter about this, which although certainly villianizes us, in many ways is very good for the homeless people we’re trying to help: homelessness is actually a subject being discussed at SXSW and these people are no longer invisible. It’s unfortunate how much information being shared is incorrect (an unresearched story by ReadWriteWeb, which has now been updated is the epicenter of that misinformation). So, without being defensive (we welcome the educated critiques), we wanted to share a few key facts: + We are not selling anything. There is no brand involved. There is no commercial benefit whatsoever. + This is a test program that was always scheduled to end today (there’s no 2-week payment cycle) + Each of the Hotspot Managers keeps all of the money they earn. The more they sell their own access, the more they as individuals make (it’s not a collected pot to be shared unless people choose to donate generally). + Underheard in NY is NOT becoming a reality TV show. The confidential plans are much more akin to an interactive documentary. Regardless of what happens, it will stay true to the original idea: to give homeless people an unedited voice so people can understand their lives. + The biggest criticism (which we agree with actually) is that Street Newspapers allow for content creation by the homeless (we encourage those to research this a bit more as it certainly does not work exactly as you would assume). This is definitely a part of the vision of the program but alas we could not afford to create a custom log-in page because it’s through a device we didn’t make. However, we’d really like to see iterations of the program in which this media channel of hotspots is owned by the homeless organizations and used as a platform for them to create content. We are doing this because we believe in the model of street newspapers. UPDATE 2: Thank you to everyone here for your comments, criticism, feedback and support. We can’t respond to every comment here, but we will be responding in the coming days. Update 3: Another bit of information being reported inaccurately relates to the finances of the homeless individuals participating. To clarify: These volunteers were guaranteed make at least $50/day, for a maximum of 6 hours work. This amount equates to more than the Texas state minimum wage of $7.25/hr for the same number hours. Based on donations already received, we know their earnings will be higher than $50 for each of them – as was our intention. What’s been misunderstood is the break-out of money in cash per day vs. what’s received after the program ends. BBH provides a $20 cash “stipend” to the volunteers each day regardless of their own sales. This is the cash amount that was handed to them each day while the program was live (it ended yesterday) and was advised specifically by our friends at Front Steps shelter, who are conscious of the responsibility that comes with handing cash to someone facing financial challenges daily, but who still needs to work toward a long-term solution for housing and employment. The additional money raised by each Hotspot Manager will be delivered via money order from the shelter where they have a program in place that helps the participants save about 2/3’s toward their employment and housing goals. Again, this has all been built based on input from the shelter and the participants’ case managers in a way that’s best for the participants. UPDATE 4: This isn’t quite an update as it’s reflected in the post below, but we wanted to clarify the latest bit of misinformation. The program was not “canceled;” it was always intended as a 4 day program. In fact, as the debate heated, it was the homeless volunteers themselves who insisted on seeing through the last day as an opportunity to share their side of the story. Thus we saw the program through as planned. We’ll be reporting on success metrics shortly but can confirm our friends at Front Steps Shelter in Austin consider it a great success for themselves. Read their reactions at facebook.com/frontsteps (or any of the media coverage they’ve received globally), and please consider a donation to one of the Hotspot Managers as we wrap things up via homelesshotspots.org. UPDATE 5 (April 30, 2012): We are working with StreetWise, the largest street paper in the US deal with numerous modernization issues, including many of those outlined in our post of learning points from this program. For more details, you can read the follow-up post. ****Original Pre-SXSW Post Below**** As always this time of year, we’re abuzz in anticipation of SXSW Interactive. Whether it’s talks we’re attending, or the talks we’re giving, SXSW is a consistent growth opportunity for the team. This year though, we’re also trying a bit of charitable innovation. As you may know, we created Underheard in NY last year via our Barn intern program. The premise was simple: give homeless individuals a voice via Twitter. The program was so successful that you’ll be seeing an update on its unexpected future at some point soon. Since then, we’ve stayed interested in the homeless issue. One particular aspect we find intriguing is Street Newspapers, which are print publications created and sold by homeless populations as a form of entrepreneurial employment. The model has proven successful enough to be adopted in cities spanning 30 countries. The issue however, is that like any print publication, these newspapers are under duress from the proliferation of digital media. How often do you see someone “buy” a paper, only to let the homeless individual keep it? This not only prevents the paper from serving as a tool for the individual to avoid begging, but it proves how little value people actually place on the publication itself. Yet the model isn’t inherently broken. It’s simply the output that’s archaic in the smartphone age. So we decided to modernize it. This year in Austin, as you wonder between locations murmuring to your coworker about how your connection sucks and you can’t download/stream/tweet/instagram/check-in, you’ll notice strategically positioned individuals wearing “Homeless Hotspot” t-shirts. These are homeless individuals in the Case Management program at Front Steps Shelter. They’re carrying MiFi devices. Introduce yourself, then log on to their 4G network via your phone or tablet for a quick high-quality connection. You pay what you want (ideally via the PayPal link on the site so we can track finances), and whatever you give goes directly to the person that just sold you access. We’re believers that providing a digital service will earn these individuals more money than a print commodity. We’re using SXSW as our beta test. Hopefully you can help us optimize and validate this platform, which we hope to see adopted on a broader scale. Any and all support is appreciated (including donations from afar). Visit homelesshotspots.org for more details. ||||| Image caption Google Maps was used to alert the public to where the Homeless Hotspots participants were An "experiment" which involved using homeless people as mobile wi-fi hotspots has attracted criticism, forcing the advertising agency behind it to defend itself. A division of Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH) equipped 13 homeless people with 4G mifi devices in Austin, Texas. It suggested the public pay $2 (£1.30) for 15 minutes' access to the net. Comments posted to the BBH's site accused the project of being "unseemly" and "wrong". Members of Twitter asked "what has this world come to?" and accused the project of being a "gimmick". However, others praised the idea as being "inspirational" and a chance to create a "positive interaction between the public" and homeless people. Ablog update by BBH's skunkworks unitnoted that "there's an insane amount of chatter about this, which although certainly villainises us, in many ways is good for the homeless people we're trying to help". The firm noted that its project had raised the issue of homelessness at the South by Southwest tech festival which it had been timed to coincide with. It also noted that each of the "hotspot managers" would keep the money that they earned. The firm had earlier pitched the idea as being a modern take on street newspapers such as the Big Issue. It said many people would "buy" a paper but never take it. "The model isn't inherently broken, It's simply the output that's archaic in the smartphone age," it reasoned. Instead it proposed users buy 4G net access from a homeless person, spending what they wanted via a Paypal link so that the firm could track finances. It described the move as a "beta test" which might later be "adopted on a broader scale". 'Commoditisation' It invited comments on the idea. Early respondents seemed impressed - but later posters mocked the idea. "My homeless hotspot keeps wandering out of range," wrote one before going onto add "by literally labelling the person as a 'hotspot', you are priming an affluent, iPad-toting public to think of that person as a commodity". Another added: "Helping hipsters check their email is not charitable, in fact it's potentially dangerous and detrimental to the situation the people on the street are facing." However,an interview carried out by the Buzzfeed tech websitewith one of the homeless participants quoted Melvin from Ohio as saying: "I would say that these people are trying to help the homeless and increase awareness.... We get to talk to people, maybe give them a different perception of what homelessness is like." John Bird, co-founder of The Big Issue, expressed mixed feelings about the project. "If all BBH are doing is turning these people into an aerial and asking them to stand still then they are just treating homeless people the same way the Victorians did when they asked them to hold posters," he told the BBC. "But if BBH is honest about the idea that this could ultimately lead to them becoming content creators providing material to a platform, then that's different - but the jury is still out." ||||| South By Southwest 2012 can be summarized thusly: An impossibly-named marketing company called Bartle Bogle Hegarty is doing a little human science experiment called Homeless Hotspots. It gives out 4G hotspots to homeless people along with a promotional t-shirt. The shirt doesn't say, "I have a 4G hotspot." It says, "I am a 4G hotspot." You can guess what happens next. You pay these homeless, human hotspots whatever you like, and then I guess you sit next to them and check your email and whatnot. The digital divide has never hit us over the head with a more blunt display of unselfconscious gall. Is This For Real? This story took a while to break because many Internet residents didn't believe it was true. @tcarmody @dansinker @kissane Do we know for sure that this is a real thing and not brilliant parody? Raises good Qs about street newspapers — Tim Maly (@doingitwrong) March 12, 2012 An understandable reaction. Pitch-perfect satire often strikes the exact same agonizing chord as the real, terrible truth. It most assuredly is real, though. Here's a sample of BBH's blog post announcing the "experiment:" "One particular aspect we find intriguing is Street Newspapers, which are print publications created and sold by homeless populations as a form of entrepreneurial employment. The model has proven successful enough to be adopted in cities spanning 30 countries. The issue however, is that like any print publication, these newspapers are under duress from the proliferation of digital media. How often do you see someone "buy" a paper, only to let the homeless individual keep it? This not only prevents the paper from serving as a tool for the individual to avoid begging, but it proves how little value people actually place on the publication itself. Yet the model isn't inherently broken. It's simply the output that's archaic in the smartphone age. So we decided to modernize it." The Problem The Homeless Hotspots website frames this as an attempt "to modernize the Street Newspaper model employed to support homeless populations." There's a wee little difference, though. Those newspapers are written by homeless people, and they cover issues that affect the homeless population. By contrast, Homeless Hotspots are helpless pieces of privilege-extending human infrastructure. It's like it never occurred to the people behind this campaign that people might read street newspapers. They probably just buy them to be nice and throw them in the garbage. When I asked Tim Nolan and Saneel Radia from BBH Labs about this difference, Radia interpreted my question this way: "I think your point was, street newspapers are content-driven and the hotspots idea is not content driven. Is that correct?" Well, that's a little more SXSW-sounding than what I said, but, "Basically, yes," I told him. "I'll be honest," he said. "My preconceived notions about street newspapers was that they weren't an effective model, because I have a visual in my head, living in New York City, watching thousands of people walk by street newspaper vendors ignoring them." "The few times that I've done it, I give a dollar and let them keep the paper." That's what I had figured. Radia agreed that worker-created content is important for a direct campaign to help the homeless, but he insisted that it was priority number three. Priorities Priority number one is "social engagement," surely a worthy one. This campaign, like traditional street newspaper campaigns, makes homeless people visible by creating an opportunity for a conversation. I look forward to talking to some of these mobile hotspot workers now that I know they're out there. Priority number two is the daily income provided by the service. I never suspected otherwise, but "just to be 100% clear," Radia said, "everything they sell, they keep. We're underwriting all the costs of this. This is utterly not for profit. The goal is for these people to make their own money." "These guys think of this in a very entrepreneurial way," Radia said. Then why do their t-shirts say "I am a hotspot?" Last thought before sleeping: the difference between "I'm running a hotspot" and "I am a hotspot" is a difference that matters. — erin kissane (@kissane) March 12, 2012 The Next Version "The point about content creation I think is an important one, but on the priority list, I think it's pretty clearly number three." But Radia seemed open to some kind of creative component to the campaign in the future. "The idea of self-expression through the newspaper I think is actually something we hope to build into the idea in the future. There's no reason that the content when you log into these things is not something that can be created by these guys." That sounds pretty cool. If there was a log-in tour full of original content produced by the workers, then we'd be on to something. "But they'd have to own that media channel in order to have content. So we see this as a stepping stone. Unfortunately, maybe it wasn't clear enough that we're not ruling out content and self-expression, but on a limited amount of finances, doing custom builds of content creation for these guys for South By wasn't an option. But [it's] definitely on our radar." "Somehow, our intent has been lost in here," Radia said. "What we're trying to do is say the street newspaper model works. It's the output of it that... we fear for its future, and there's no one working on solving this problem." Minimum Viable(?) Product Well, I'm not sure the We Are Visible campaign or Street Roots in my adoptive hometown of Portland would say no one is working on it. But I appreciate the sentiment. This campaign is well-meant, and I don't think anyone doubted that. The fact is, it was a minimum-viable-product approach. It was an honest attempt to help, but the chosen priorities left it with all model and no substance. If the New York Times hadn't posted this on its SXSW Tumblr, I would have had no idea it was happening. It was only when I came out of my interview-hole to write that I saw this lovely piece of SXSW news - while everybody else was pounding brewskis at the Cheezburger party. So no, I haven't seen a human hotspot. I certainly plan to visit one tomorrow and talk to its manager. Honestly, anyone worried enough about connectivity at SXSW enough to pay someone on the street for it has a longer list of problems than first-world guilt. But this conference is so hugely, expensively over the top as a monument to the privilege of Internet access that I didn't think it could top itself. It just did. UPDATE 3/12 11:44 a.m.: Mark The Hotspot Operator I just spoke with Mark the hotspot operator outside of the 4th street entrance to the conference center, right across from the Capital Metro train stop. He was putting on a great show, selling his wares loudly and proudly, so I heard him before I saw him. He was more than ready to talk to me about how much he likes the program. He wanted to make sure I gave BBH credit for creating this opportunity for him to run an enterprise, as well as to talk to people and break down stereotypes. Here's the audio of our conversation. Mark is well-educated and has good professional experience, it's just the economy and a hard transition to Austin that's got him down. But he's really enjoying meeting people at South By Southwest. You can support his hotspot on the website, or if you're in Austin, you can find him by the 4th Street entrance to the convention center. I hope Mark's customers are getting something out of this, too. Beyond Wi-Fi.
– A plan to turn homeless people into 4G hotspots has digitalphiles at the SXSW Interactive Conference in Austin crying "exploitive" and "dystopian." In a nutshell, a marketing company wants homeless people to carry MiFi devices that would enable passersby to get online when their carrier service won't suffice, the Houston Chronicle reports. Customers who use the hotspot would fork over what they can—a couple of dollars, say. But would this help the homeless, or callously turn them into human modems? Much of the reaction is negative. "The digital divide has never hit us over the head with a more blunt display of unselfconscious gall," writes Jon Mitchell at ReadWriteWeb. The BBC quotes a blogger who cringed, "You are priming an affluent, iPad-toting public to think of that person as a commodity." The company behind the concept, Bartle Bogie Hegarty, concedes that "there’s an insane amount of chatter about this ... [that] certainly villainizes us," but argues on its website that it wouldn't profit from this (while the homeless would). The plan could also lead to the company's ultimate goal: helping homeless organizations create online content.
Aung San Suu Kyi's Nobel Peace Prize speech explored her views on the ideals of peace, the seeds of war, the bonds of our common humanity, and the rare power of kindness. Here are the highlights. POWER OF THE PEACE PRIZE "Often during my days of house arrest it felt as though I were no longer a part of the real world." Winning the Nobel Peace Prize "made me real once again. It had drawn me back into the wider human community. And what was more important, the Nobel Prize had drawn the attention of the world to the struggle for democracy and human rights in Burma. We were not going to be forgotten." IGNORING OTHERS' SUFFERING FUELS WAR "The First World War represented a terrifying waste of youth and potential, a cruel squandering of the positive forces of our planet. ... And for what? Nearly a century on, we have yet to find a satisfactory answer. Are we not still guilty, if to a less violent degree, of recklessness, of improvidence with regard to our future and our humanity? War is not the only arena where peace is done to death. Wherever suffering is ignored, there will be the seeds of conflict, for suffering degrades and embitters and enrages. WE LIVE IN AN ENLIGHTENED AGE "We are fortunate to be living in an age when social welfare and humanitarian assistance are recognized not only as desirable but necessary. I am fortunate to be living in an age when the fate of prisoners of conscience anywhere has become the concern of peoples everywhere, an age when democracy and human rights are widely, even if not universally, accepted as the birthright of all." PERFECT PEACE MUST BE OUR GOAL "Absolute peace in our world is an unattainable goal. But it is one towards which we must continue to journey, our eyes fixed on it as a traveler in a desert fixes his eyes on the one guiding star that will lead him to salvation. Even if we do not achieve perfect peace on earth, because perfect peace is not of this earth, common endeavors to gain peace will unite individuals and nations in trust and friendship and help to make our human community safer and kinder." THE PEACEMAKING POWER OF KINDNESS "Of the sweets of adversity, and let me say that these are not numerous, I have found the sweetest, the most precious of all, is the lesson I learnt on the value of kindness. Every kindness I received, small or big, convinced me that there could never be enough of it in our world. To be kind is to respond with sensitivity and human warmth to the hopes and needs of others. Even the briefest touch of kindness can lighten a heavy heart. Kindness can change the lives of people." IMAGINING A WORLD WITHOUT REFUGEES "Ultimately our aim should be to create a world free from the displaced, the homeless and the hopeless, a world of which each and every corner is a true sanctuary where the inhabitants will have the freedom and the capacity to live in peace. Every thought, every word, and every action that adds to the positive and the wholesome is a contribution to peace. Each and every one of us is capable of making such a contribution. Let us join hands to try to create a peaceful world where we can sleep in security and wake in happiness." ||||| OSLOMyanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi finally received her 1991 Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo on Saturday after spending 15 years under house arrest, and said her country's full transformation to democracy was still far off. "What the Nobel Peace Prize did was to draw me once again into the world of other human beings outside the isolated area in which I lived, to restore a sense of reality to me," Suu Kyi said as the packed crowd, led by Norway's King Harald and Queen Sonja, rose in a standing ovation at the ornate Oslo City Hall. Suu Kyi, 66, the Oxford University-educated daughter of General Aung San, Myanmar's assassinated independence hero, said much remained to be resolved in her country. "Hostilities have not ceased in the far north; to the west, communal violence resulting in arson and murder were taking place just several days before I started out the journey that has brought me here today," said Suu Kyi, on her first visit to Europe in nearly a quarter of a century. "There still remain (political) prisoners in Burma. It is to be feared that because the best known detainees have been released, the remainder, the unknown ones, will be forgotten," she said, wearing a purple traditional Burmese dress and looking strong and healthy after falling ill on Thursday. Still, Suu Kyi - elected to parliament in April - said she was confident President Thein Sein wanted to put the country on a new path. "I don't think we should fear reversal," she told public broadcaster NRK. "(But) I don't think we should take it for granted there is no reversal." Suspending rather than lifting sanctions was also the right move to keep pressure on the government, she said a day after arriving from Switzerland to a jubilant, dancing and chanting crowd, which showered her with flowers. "If these reforms prove to be a façade, then the rewards will be taken away." INSTRUMENTAL Suu Kyi, who spent a total of 15 years under house arrest between 1989 and her release in late 2010, never left Myanmar even during brief periods of freedom after 1989, afraid the military would not let back in. Her sons Kim and Alexander accepted the Nobel prize on her behalf in 1991, with her husband Michael Aris also attending the ceremony. A year later Suu Kyi said she would use the $1.3 million prize money to establish a health and education trust for Burmese people. She was unable to be with Aris, an Oxford academic, when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and died in Britain in 1999. On Saturday, Kim and Anthony Aris, her late husband's identical twin brother, attended the ceremony. Suu Kyi thanked Norway, a nation of just 5 million people, for its support and the instrumental role it played in Myanmar's transformation. In 1990, the Bergen-based Rafto Foundation awarded its annual prize to Suu Kyi, after a Norwegian aid worker in South-East Asia highlighted her work. The award provided lasting publicity for her non-violent struggle against Myanmar's military junta, putting her in the international spotlight and setting the stage a year later for the Nobel Peace Prize. Norway has also provided a home to the Democratic Voice of Burma, an opposition television and radio outlet, which broadcasts uncensored news into Myanmar. Suu Kyi acknowledged that recent violence between Rakhine Buddhists and stateless Muslim Rohingyas in the northwestern Rakhine region was a test of Myanmar's transformation but she blamed lawlessness for the escalation. The violence, which displaced 30,000 people and killed 50 by government accounts, flared last month with a rampage of rock-hurling, arson and machete attacks, after the gang rape and murder of a Buddhist woman that was blamed on Muslims. "The very first time a crime was committed... they should have taken action in accordance with the rule of law," Suu Kyi told the BBC. "If they had been able to do that, and to satisfy all parties involved that justice was done ... I do not think these disturbances would have grown to such proportions." Tensions stem from an entrenched, long-standing distrust of around 800,000 Muslim Rohingyas, who are recognized by neither Myanmar nor neighboring Bangladesh, and are largely considered illegal immigrants. Suu Kyi is also due to visit Ireland, Britain and France. (Editing by Sophie Hares and Ralph Gowling)
– Aung San Suu Kyi finally got to deliver her acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize she won in 1991, reports Reuters. Some highlights from the Myanmar opposition leader's speech in Oslo, from AP: What it meant to win: "Often during my days of house arrest it felt as though I were no longer a part of the real world." Winning the Nobel "made me real once again. It had drawn me back into the wider human community. And what was more important, the Nobel Prize had drawn the attention of the world to the struggle for democracy and human rights in Burma. We were not going to be forgotten." Lessons of war: "The First World War represented a terrifying waste of youth and potential, a cruel squandering of the positive forces of our planet. ... And for what? Nearly a century on, we have yet to find a satisfactory answer. Are we not still guilty, if to a less violent degree, of recklessness, of improvidence with regard to our future and our humanity?" Human suffering: "Wherever suffering is ignored, there will be the seeds of conflict, for suffering degrades and embitters and enrages." 'Absolute peace': It is "an unattainable goal. But it is one towards which we must continue to journey, our eyes fixed on it as a traveler in a desert fixes his eyes on the one guiding star that will lead him to salvation." Kindness: "Of the sweets of adversity, and let me say that these are not numerous, I have found the sweetest, the most precious of all, is the lesson I learnt on the value of kindness. Every kindness I received, small or big, convinced me that there could never be enough of it in our world."
Scientists investigated fossils of a 375-million-year-old fish known as Tiktaalik roseae, discovered in 2004 in northern Canada's Ellesmere Island, finding they may have evolved rear legs before moving to land. The closest known relative of the ancestors of limbed animals such as humans likely evolved the foundation for rear legs even before the move to land, researchers say. This ancestor may have even been able to walk underwater, they added. These findings reveal that a key step in the evolution of hind limbs happened in fish, challenging previous theories that such appendages evolved only after the move to land. Scientists investigated fossils of a 375-million-year-old fish known as Tiktaalik roseae, discovered in 2004 in northern Canada's Ellesmere Island. Possessing a broad flat head and sharp teeth, Tiktaalik resembled a cross between a fish and a crocodile, growing to a length of 9 feet (2.7 meters) as it hunted for prey in shallow freshwater. [See Images of Bizarre Tiktaalik Fish Fossils] Bizarre fish This ancient creature was undoubtedly a fish, possessing gills, scales and fins. However, it also had features seen in modern tetrapods — four-limbed creatures like amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals — such as a mobile neck and robust ribcage. This extinct fish had large forefins and shoulders, elbows and partial wrists, enabling it to support itself on ground. This makes it the best-known example of an intermediate between finned animals and limbed animals marking the evolutionary leap from water to land for vertebrates, or creatures with backbones. Prior analyses of other fossils dating from the water-land transition found their back appendages were small and weak compared with their front appendages. This suggested the earliest ancestors of tetrapods perhaps had a "front-wheel drive" form of locomotion that depended more on their front limbs, and that a "four-wheel drive" form of locomotion with strong hips and back limbs only developed after tetrapods evolved. Until now, the only specimens of Tiktaalik researchers had examined were of its front portions. To find out more about the fish, researchers investigated additional blocks of rock recovered from the dig site where Tiktaalik was discovered. Although some of these blocks were first excavated in 2004, researchers did not look at them more closely until recently, mainly because the blocks did not seem to contain much bone. Moreover, it took years to carefully and properly remove the rock surrounding the fragile fossils. Titaalik's hind quarters The scientists discovered the rear portion of Tiktaalik, which contained hips as well as partial pelvic fin material. This made a direct comparison of the front and rear appendages of the animal possible. [10 Useless Limbs (and Other Vestigial Organs)] Unexpectedly, the researchers found Tiktaalik had big, strong pelvic bones with similarities to early tetrapods. "I was expecting to find a diminutive hind fin and pelvis,"study lead author Neil Shubin, a paleontologist at the University of Chicago,told LiveScience. "Seeing the whopping pelvis set me back a bit — I looked at it again and again, because I was quite surprised." The pelvic girdle of Tiktaalik was nearly identical in size to its shoulder girdle, a tetrapodlike feature that would help support strong rear appendages. It also possessed a deep ball-and-socket hip joint that connected to a highly mobile femur — analogous to a tetrapod thighbone — that could extend beneath the body. In addition, crests on the hip bone served as points for muscles to attach to, indicating strength and advanced fin function. Furthermore, although no femur bone was found, the fossil pelvic fin material they did unearth included long fin rays, suggesting the back fin was at least as long and as complex as its front fin. "We had long thought that expanded hind limbs and hips were features of limbed animals," Shubin said. "Tiktaalik shows that our closest fish relatives had expanded hips and hind fins; hence, this feature may well have arisen in fish." The hip of Tiktaalik was still clearly fishlike. For instance, whereas early tetrapod pelvic girdles are split into three parts, the hip of Tiktaalik was undivided. Still the increased size, mobility and robustness of its pelvic girdle, hip joint and fin would have made walking underwater possible, as well as swimming. Shubin cautioned that Tiktaalik is not the ancestor of all limbed vertebrates. It is currently the closest known relative, "but not the sole, direct ancestor," he said. "It is more like our closest cousin." It remains uncertain how the hind appendages of the earliest limbed vertebrates were used. "Were they used to walk, swim or both?" Shubin asked. The scientists detailed their findings online today (Jan. 13) in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on LiveScience. ||||| A fish with legs? It sounds preposterous, but ancient fossils unearthed in the Canadian Arctic reveal a fish that had skeletal features similar to animals with legs, researchers said Monday. The find challenges the widely held view of evolution that hind limbs did not begin to form until creatures left the oceans and began living on land. And it provides a powerful insight into the pivotal episode when creatures emerged onto land: If the authors are right, we can trace our arms — and our legs — to fish fins. Advertisement “That wrist you use to write with, the neck you use to move your head around with, the lungs you’re using to breathe . . . all derive from parts in the bodies of fish. Your hands and arms derive from parts of the fins,” said Neil Shubin, a professor of anatomy at the University of Chicago who was one of the leaders of the work. “What the fossil record tells us is how deeply we are connected to life on the rest of the planet. In this case, this tells us how closely we are related to fish.” Get Today's Headlines in your inbox: The day's top stories delivered every morning. Sign Up Thank you for signing up! Sign up for more newsletters here The 375-million-year-old fish Tiktaalik roseae was first written into biology textbooks in 2006, when a team of three paleontologists discovered a fossil of the curious crocodile-like fish, showing it had front fins resembling limbs, with elbows and primitive wrists. The same team — which included a renowned Harvard paleontologist who has since died — said in Monday’s announcement that Tiktaalik also had surprisingly large pelvic bones. That suggests the transitional creature did not just have what researchers often refer to as “front-wheel drive,” but was shifting to “all-wheel drive” although it still lived in the water. An illustration depicts Tiktaalik roseae. Researchers cannot tell whether Tiktaalik crawled out of the water on all fours, but think it may have been capable of using its hind fins to support its weight and manage a squirming walk in shallow water, similar to how a mudskipper moves. Its enlarged pelvic girdle is more primitive than those found in ancient land-dwelling tetrapods with four limbs, but is much larger than those found in fish. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was bittersweet for the scientific team because Farish Jenkins, the adventurous Harvard paleontologist who was an integral part of the work, did not live to see it published. Jenkins, whose career had more shades of Indiana Jones than a typical professor’s, died in 2012. But he was an integral part of the work, his coauthors said: from showing researchers on scientific expeditions how to shoot to defend themselves against errant polar bears, to painstakingly searching for fossils, one shovelful at a time. Advertisement Edward Daeschler, associate curator at the Academy of Natural Sciences at Drexel University, was the third team member. The three drafted the paper at a meeting in Cambridge eight months before Jenkins’s death. He insisted, as always, that the first step to presenting their find to the wider scientific community was to assemble the visuals that would tell the story. Shubin said the published paper is almost exactly as they outlined it together. The paper describes a pelvic girdle that is unusually large for a fish, with surfaces where large muscles could have attached. But Tiktaalik still had fins; it would not have been able to walk like a true tetrapod. It also has a hip joint that is intermediate, oriented in a way that is not quite like those of fish or limbed animals. Paleontologists not involved in the work said that the find was significant. “It’s what we’ve all been waiting for,” said Jennifer Clack, curator of vertebrate paleontology at the University of Cambridge’s Museum of Zoology in the United Kingdom. “Until this discovery, we weren’t able to see the changes by which the pelvic fins of the fish became much larger and more robust, and gradually turned into the tetrapod hind limb.” Advertisement Daeschler said it was at his laboratory in Philadelphia that the fossils were prepared. The key fossils came from a block of rock the research team had loaded onto a helicopter in the Arctic and had considered a low priority. To their surprise, the rock revealed something quite unexpected. “Something would take shape and appear and I’d take a picture and send it in an e-mail, and it was so fun for all of us to say, ‘This is so new; this is so exciting! What does this mean?’ ” Daeschler said. “It really makes you remember why you enjoy science.” John Maisey, a curator in the division of paleontology at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, said the discovery suggests there was probably an evolutionary advantage to being able to use limblike fins for navigating shallow, muddy environs — perhaps enabling Tiktaalik to better evade predators. “I look at these things in a slightly different way and say they’re highly adapted or on their way to becoming tetrapods, so they’re really lousy fish. This thing couldn’t get away from anything” in the water, Maisey said. “I suspect a lot of these adaptations were actually towards evading ending up as somebody’s breakfast — not so much conquest of the land as the escape from the water.” Shubin and Daeschler plan to continue the work by exploring a different part of the Arctic, where they will probe the origins of fish by studying much older rocks. Last summer, however, they returned to the same spot in the Arctic where they found the Tiktaalik fossil, hoping that they might recover a complete hind fin. They did not find one, but they did turn up another pelvic bone. Shubin said Jenkins’s spirit was never far from their thoughts: When Shubin jumped out of the helicopter, he realized he was standing in a ring of rocks — the ones that once held down Jenkins’s tent. Carolyn Y. Johnson can be reached at cjohnson@globe.com . Follow her on Twitter @carolynyjohnson ||||| Image copyright Kalliopi Monoyios, University of Chicago Image caption An artist's impression of Tiktaalik Scientists have finally managed to describe the back end of one of the key fossil finds of the past 10 years. Known as Tiktaalik, the 375-million-year-old creature is considered pivotal because it has many features that look half-way between fish and land animals. As such, it provides insight into life's evolutionary move from water into the terrestrial environment. The first specimens to be detailed only had foreparts, but the new fossils now show important rear elements. Chief among these, reported in the journal PNAS, is the pelvic bone and tail fin. These give scientists a much better idea of how Tiktaalik propelled itself through the shallow waters that it occupied during Earth's Devonian Period. Tiktaalik is what is termed a tetrapodomorph - a type of transitional vertebrate. About 2.5m in length, it looked somewhat like a fish in that it had scales and fins with webbing; but it also had a flat head, and shoulder, forearm and wrist bones that echoed later, fully land-living, four-limbed animals. The early analysis of Tiktaalik was based on fossils gathered in Canada's High Arctic, on Ellesmere Island in 2004. This assessment concentrated just on the creature's front end. It is only now, after cleaning and preparing other specimens gathered at the same time as the original finds, that the team has been able to say something definitive about Tiktaalik's hind region. In the new collection is a thick, powerful rear fin. But the big surprise is the pelvic girdle that would have supported its hind fins. There are only limited impressions of these appendages in the fossil rock, but it is clear from the size of the pelvis that Tiktaalik's back fins, too, would have been big. "The pelvis is as large as the shoulder girdle, and that's not what we would have expected in this finned stage in the fin-to-limb transition. We would have expected the pelvic fins to be smaller," explained Dr Ted Daeschler from the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia, US. Writing in PNAS, the team says this means that locomotion based on a quartet of robust appendages was already being emphasised in fish fins long before land animals made the most of "four wheel drive". In addition, the latest work has allowed the researchers to produce a new simulation of how Tiktaalik looked and moved through its environment. The fins undoubtedly were employed as paddles to swim, but might also have been used in a leg-like way on occasions. "Tiktaalik probably had the ability to use those fins as props to move along, using them to push along the shallow bottom, to work its way through plants; and, who knows, maybe it got out of the water briefly if it needed to move over to another watercourse," speculated Dr Daeschler. "But in no way was it specialised for getting out of the water. It may have had some ability to do that, but everything about its reproduction, its sensory system, its hunting, its breathing - all these things tied it to the water," he told BBC News. Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos
– Conventional wisdom has it that the first creatures to emerge from the water eons ago did so without hind limbs. Conventional wisdom, meet Tiktaalik roseae. As the Boston Globe explains, Tiktaalik is a 375-million-year-old fish that swam in what is now the Canadian Arctic. Researchers already knew that the fish had front fins akin to limbs, but a new study of its large pelvis suggests that the creature had similar hind features, too. "The fins undoubtedly were employed as paddles to swim, but might also have been used in a leg-like way on occasions," observes the BBC. The upshot from the study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences is that some creatures might have developed legs, or something very much like them, while still living in the water, reports LiveScience. “It’s what we’ve all been waiting for,” says a Cambridge paleontologist not involved with the study. "Until this discovery, we weren’t able to see the changes by which the pelvic fins of the fish became much larger and more robust, and gradually turned into the tetrapod hind limb.”
Susie Goodall was taking part in Golden Globe round-the-world race when her boat overturned and lost its mast A major rescue operation is under way in the Southern Ocean after a British solo yachtswoman was injured and and her boat “destroyed” in a fierce storm on day 157 of a circumnavigation. Susie Goodall, the youngest competitor and only woman in the 30,000-mile Golden Globe round-the-world race, is at least two days from help after her boat overturned and lost its mast. Water also filled the hull and Goodall, 29, from Falmouth in Cornwall, initially thought her 11m (35ft) boat, DHL Starlight, had been holed. But she has confirmed the hull is intact, the boat managed to right itself, and she has told race control that she does not need immediate assistance. However, her position – about 2,000 miles west of Cape Horn – is remote and the nearest vessel that could help is 480 miles – two days – away. Her plight is made more difficult by the nature of the race – a back-to-basics event to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Sir Robin Knox-Johnston’s historic first solo non-stop circumnavigation. The 18 skippers taking part are in boats similar to those sailed by Knox-Johnston, which are not equipped with modern technology or satellite-based navigation aids. Goodall was lying in 4th place at the time, fighting for a podium finish but riding out a ferocious storm with 60-knot winds and massive seas. In a text message to race control at 8.29am on Wednesday, she reported: “Taking a hammering! Wondering what on Earth I’m doing out here!” At 11am a distress signal was picked up from her yacht by Falmouth coastguards, who alerted race control and the Chilean maritime search and rescue, which is responsible for the sector of the South Pacific she is in. At 12.23pm she wrote: “Dismasted, hull okay. No form of jury rig [makeshift repairs], total loss” and gave the co-ordinates for her position. After three attempts, race HQ was able to raise Goodall on her emergency satellite phone when she confirmed: “I have been dismasted. Thought I had holed the hull because the boat filled with water, but the hull is not holed. The hull is okay. The boat is destroyed. I can’t make up a jury rig. The only thing left is the hull and deck which remain intact. “We were pitchpoled [rolled end over end] and I was thrown across the cabin and knocked out for a while.” Race organisers said Goodall was speaking with emotion but appeared in control. She confirmed that she had secured all hatches, portholes and safety equipment, and insisted she did not need immediate assistance. Goodall also said that before the incident she had been enjoying the tough conditions but her self-steering device malfunctioned and she was forced to trail a sea anchor and take down the mainsail. She was below decks when the boat was pitchpoled. The skipper said she had been “beaten up and badly bruised’ with cuts and scratches and had a big bump on her head. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Goodall’s yacht DHL Starlight. Photograph: Susie Goodall Racing/PPL/GGR Race HQ has been working out how to rescue Goodall. The nearest competitor is Estonian Uku Randmaa, 400 miles from Goodall and about to face the same storm conditions, so it has been judged impractical for him to try to reach her. It was decided that the American/Hungarian Istvan Kopar, 780 miles to the west of her, could try to intercept Goodall. But Kopar would take six days to reach her. The Chilean authorities have contacted a ship 480 miles south-west of Goodall’s position and requested assistance. Her captain expects to take two days to get to the area. Goodall had already been hit by a spectacular storm in the Southern Ocean. Speaking before the current emergency, she said: “That was brutal – it took me a week to recover. The seas were coming from four directions and I kept being knocked down.” Goodall was introduced to the sport aged three and is an offshore and ocean sailing instructor. Explaining why she wanted to take part in the Golden Globe Race, she said: “When I was little I heard about these people who sailed around the world on their own, for fun, and I knew I wanted to do that one day too. So when I first heard there was going to be a re-run of the Golden Globe Race, my mind was made up and I was going to be on that start line.” Off Tasmania she had cleared barnacles clinging to the bottom of her yacht and managed to briefly chat with family and supporters in the UK. Asked if the ocean was a friend or foe, she replied: “The ocean is a friend who turns on me now and again.” She said her most useful gadget was a portable cassette player and that she missed fresh food, her iPod and Kindle. ||||| 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 rescue operation has been launched to save a 29-year-old woman from Cornwall whose yacht was capsized and dismasted in a storm in the south Pacific. Susie Goodall, from Falmouth , was taking part in the arduous Golden Globe Race – a single-handed non-stop race around the world. Disaster struck when her yacht was wrecked 2,000 miles west of the southern tip of South America after it was pitch-poled – turned end-over-end – by a huge wave. Coastguards in Falmouth received news of the activation of her emergency beacon and a rescue operation, coordinated by the authorities in Chile, is now under way. Susie tweeted that she had banged her head but was otherwise uninjured. However her yacht DHL Starlight has been smashed up and she reported she was “clinging to her bunk” awaiting for rescue. Her position is so remote that the nearest rescue vessel, a Hong Kong-registered cargo ship, was not expected to arrive at her location until two days later. The ship was expected to arrive around 5am (UK time) on Friday but will have to wait several hours for daylight. Speaking to race HQ she said: “I have been dismasted. Thought I had holed the hull because the boat filled with water, but the hull is NOT holed. The hull is ok. The boat is destroyed. I can’t make up a jury rig. “The only thing left is the hull and deck which remain intact. We were pitchpoled and I was thrown across the cabin and knocked out for a while.” We will bring you updates on the rescue below. ||||| 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 ||||| Susie Goodall is the only female contestant in the 2018 Golden Globe Race English yachtswoman Susie Goodall will have to wait two days to be rescued having pulled out of the Golden Globe Race after losing her mast. Goodall - the youngest competitor in the non-stop solo round-the-world race - was about 2,000 miles west of Cape Horn in the southern Pacific Ocean. The sailor, 29, was in fourth place but sustained damage during a ferocious storm with 60-knot winds. She tweeted she was "totally and utterly gutted". Goodall's distress signal was first picked up by Falmouth Coastguards. They alerted race control and the Chilean Maritime Search and Rescue authorities, who are responsible for that sector of the Pacific. Race controllers have contacted her and said she was safe and secure on board, but she could not make up another set of rigging. She told them she was injured when the boat rolled over end-to-end, knocking her out and giving her a "nasty head bang". The nearest vessel has been alerted but is about two days away. ||||| UPDATE all Entrants #GGR2018 Jean Luc and Mark Slats decision time,,,!, what will it be??? Tapio Lehtinen Sailing is enjoying his sail south, deeper into the Southern Ocean toward Cape Horn but GGR have now alerted him to make east immediately as another storm is approaching from the SW in a few days and it may pass under him if he stays above 50 south Latitude. he is making 3.7kts and is 1500 miles still to run to the Cape Horn. His Auto Tuning unit for the HF SSB Radio is currently not working which means no radio traffic for now and he is trying to fix it so he can get weather reports that will be very important in the future. Istvan Kopar Solo Circumnavigator is sailing north fast and this will continue as the moderate SW wind builds into some very strong West winds. this will again let him make ground on UKU and in the next two days he could be just 250 miles behind on the track to the finish. Then he will enter a large head wind zone that could go on for weeks? that may give the game back to UKU Uku Randmaa Golden Globe Race 2018 is really struggling and very frustrated with the light headwinds and lack of progress over the past week that has seen ISTVAN catch up so much. He is working hard to grab every opportunity to sail north and wishes he was back in the southern ocean maybe where at least the wind was consistent! He wants to get home to see family but also because he has only just enough food to get to the finish line in late February! so his race is very real. Mark Slats is facing a real challenge now and there is no easy answer. what ever he does now will not give any advantage in the short term he had held his course high sailing to windward for days rather than take the western route around the Azores HIGH , maybe with the intention to go to the east. But the center is now blocking his way. He must decide now! Today! Is it WEST or EAST? If he does nothing he may be stuck in a no wind zone for a few days which is not good so expect to see a move today. Light head winds to the east is shortest track. Go west for faster sailing and it is a longer track?? He cannot talk to anyone about weather but he can listen in to the same weather forecast twice a day that JL VDH receives. One decision at a time and one step toward the finish but which is the right decision? I have no idea? Jean Luc Van Den Heede is benefiting from a clear game plan. He is where he always wanted to be riding the top of the Azores high. He has done this route many times before and now he has a few days of good fast sailing toward the finish. But will it last?. If he goes too far East probably not? as in two days things become light and variable which will require some delicate decisions on where next. But if he turns North tomorrow and goes through the Azores fast enough, a huge ladder to the North then NE may open for nearly a week of favorable winds and he could simply FLY AWAY from Mark slats? Will he take that?? Will the weather forecast be correct? Who knows but the game continues!!! If he gets that right and the ladder falls before MARK SLATS gets to it, JL VDH could create a sizable lead just one week from the finish. It may all hang on the next 48 hrs??? but the ETA for who ever is the winner looks like 1st FEB with a storm on the horizon for that last week? and that could change everything again! ... See MoreSee Less ||||| 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
– The only woman in a 30,000-mile solo race around the globe saw the "total loss" of her boat—with help two days away. One of 18 skippers, Brit Susie Goodall was in the 4th place 157 days into the Golden Globe Race when her 35-foot vessel was pitchpoled (meaning turned end-over-end) and lost its mast during a storm, leaving her stranded 2,000 miles west of South America's Cape Horn. "I was thrown across the cabin and knocked out for a while," Goodall explained via satellite phone after noting the boat had righted itself, per the Guardian. "The only thing left is the hull and deck which remain intact." The 29-year-old Cornwall woman activated her emergency beacon around 11am Wednesday but told race authorities she was not in need of immediate assistance. Which is a good thing, because the Hong Kong-registered cargo ship dispatched to retrieve her is some 500 miles away. It's expected to reach Goodall Friday morning in a rescue operation coordinated by Chilean authorities, per Cornwall Live. Estonion racer Uku Randmaa is technically nearer Goodall, about 400 miles away, but he's expected to confront the same stormy seas. Goodall's misfortune actually came after she'd emerged from another storm. "The seas were coming from four directions and I kept being knocked down," she said at the time, noting "it took me a week to recover." "TOTALLY AND UTTERLY GUTTED," "CLINGING ON IN MY BUNK," "IN NEED OF A GOOD CUPPA TEA," read her recent tweets, per the BBC. (This is the longest sailable straight line.)
Antoine Leiris’s wife, Helene Muyal-Leiris, was among the 89 murdered during the Bataclan concert hall attack in Paris on Friday evening. In an emotional message posted to his Facebook page, Antoine refused to give into grief and hatred. Instead, he delivered a message of defiance to his wife’s cowardly killers. http://goo.gl/nDNcz2 “Friday night, you took an exceptional life - the love of my life, the mother of my son - but you will not have my hatred. I don't know who you... are and I don't want to know, you are dead souls. If this God, for whom you kill blindly, made us in his image, every bullet in the body of my wife would have been one more wound in his heart. ||||| Story highlights Video fights ISIS recruiting efforts by highlighting the group's barbaric nature "Welcome to the 'Islamic State' land" video is posted on a dedicated YouTube channel U.S. has been "messaging" in social media in Arabic, Urdu and Somali for three years The brutal mock ISIS recruitment video starts with a simple phrase: Run. Do not walk to ISIS land. Then a body is thrown off a cliff. Later a mosque is blown up, followed by a photo of a body with a severed head. Complete with crucifixions, Muslims being whipped, shot in the head at point-blank range and thrown into ditches, the grisly video is the latest State Department effort to push back against ISIS recruiting efforts by highlighting the group's barbaric nature. The video, which uses the group's own propaganda footage posted online, illustrates ISIS actions by advertising so-called "useful skills" ISIS sympathizers can learn if they join the group: blowing up mosques with Muslims inside, crucifying and executing Muslims and plundering public resources. JUST WATCHED ISIS brutality caught on video Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH ISIS brutality caught on video 01:51 JUST WATCHED Do ISIS' videos mirror 'Homeland'? Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Do ISIS' videos mirror 'Homeland'? 02:46 Entitled "Welcome to the 'Islamic State' land," the video was posted on a dedicated YouTube channel. It was produced by the State Department's Center for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications, which seeks to combat ISIS extremist narrative on social media. The campaign is directed at Muslims in the United States believed to be vulnerable to recruitment by extremist groups, amid revelations that more than 100 U.S. citizens have traveled overseas to join the jihadist group. The State Department regards social media as a powerful recruitment tool for terrorist groups and in recent years has launched social media efforts to engage jihadists and their sympathizers online, contesting their claims with the intention of dissuading potential converts to Islamic extremism. Alberto Fernandez, coordinator of the State Department's Center for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications, which runs the program, has called it "participating in the marketplace of ideas." In response to this threat, the U.S. government has been "messaging" in social media in Arabic, Urdu and Somali for three years, attempting to penetrate the virtual echo chambers of jihadist thought with contrary points of view. JUST WATCHED ISIS flaunts captured jets and artillery Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH ISIS flaunts captured jets and artillery 03:04 Groups like ISIS are posting gruesome video of decapitated heads as trophies of battlefield victories, or images of victims from their own side, captioned with vows to avenge them. Links to grainy phone-camera footage abound, documenting everything from group executions to a video appeal summoning Muslim women to come to Syria to find a husband among the Islamist rebels. The content is disseminated swiftly around the world on the Internet through a diverse network of jihadists and their supporters, journalists, analysts and onlookers. JUST WATCHED Does ISIS' brutality inspire recruits? Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Does ISIS' brutality inspire recruits? 02:51 JUST WATCHED Zakaria: U.S. playing into ISIS' game Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Zakaria: U.S. playing into ISIS' game 04:52 While al Qaeda and its affiliates and sympathizers were once the focus of the U.S. campaigns to counter violent extremism, ISIS has increasingly become a target of U.S. efforts. In addition to YouTube, the center now runs a series of anti-ISIS accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr as part of a larger social media campaign to counter violent extremism launched late last year called "Think Again, Turn Away." "Our mission is to expose the facts about terrorists and their propaganda. Don't be misled by those who break up families and destroy their true heritage," the State Department said on the campaign's Facebook page. The latest anti-ISIS video ends with a sarcastic enticement to would-be jihadists. "Travel is inexpensive, because you won't need a return ticket!" Then a body is thrown off a cliff. ||||| The stunning rise of the ­Islamic State militant group as both a battlefield force and an Internet juggernaut over the summer has given new urgency to a State Department effort to counter online militant propaganda with a U.S. messaging campaign. A U.S.-government-made video that recently made the rounds on social media — with graphic images of Islamic State executions and a beheaded body — is the best-known example of the attempt to expose the brutality of the Islamist group and undermine its ­online recruitment appeals. The Islamic State, also known by the acronyms ISIL and ISIS, has supplanted al-Qaeda as the main object of U.S. efforts to understand and counter militant activity online, U.S. officials said. Intelligence agencies covertly monitor and sometimes try to disrupt militant Web sites, but the smaller, $6 million State Department effort is intended for public consumption. Videos, tweets and other online content in Arabic, Urdu, English and other languages are identified as coming from the U.S. government. The short video titled “Welcome to ISIL-Land” and others like it aim to counter militant propaganda by producing eye-catching online material that uses the militants’ own words or images against them. That’s a tricky line to walk, since by repurposing provocative or grisly images to discredit the groups behind them, the State Department also gives them wider distribution. Kurdish border police soldiers take down the Islamic State black flag after taking control of Yangega Village in Iraq on Sept. 1. (Erin Trieb/Erin Trieb ) “The point, obviously, of this is to target potential recruits, potential sympathizers, to show the brutality” of the organization, said State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf. “To point out the fallacies, point out the inconsistencies.” “Welcome to ISIL-Land” generated news stories and negative comments on Twitter about its extremely violent content and mocking tone. YouTube requires viewers to be 21 to watch it. The Islamic State “is the gold standard of terrorist propaganda in terms of quality and quantity,” said a senior State Department official involved in the countermessage effort. “They put into practice what al-Qaeda has ­always said and could never do,” in promoting themselves effectively in the news media and online. The official, like others, spoke on the condition of ­anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the U.S. campaign on the record. Sharpening and broadening a political-style message campaign against the Islamic State is a feature of the emerging Obama administration strategy to line up Arab and other partners to counter Islamic State on the ground and online. The group has seized territory in Syria and Iraq and become a magnet for aspiring jihadists across the globe. President Obama began outlining a counteroffensive at the NATO summit last week in Wales. In an interview that aired Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Obama said it was time for the United States to “start going on some offense” against the Islamic State, and he plans to meet with lawmakers this week before delivering a speech to the public Wednesday on the U.S. strategy. Secretary of State John F. Kerry and others will be in the Mideast this week to ask for Sunni Arab help in support of the new Shiite Iraqi government as it fights the Sunni militants. “They can provide physical space and locations for training, and they can agree to work with us on training and equipping and advising” Iraqi and moderate Syrian rebel forces fighting Islamic State, a senior administration official said. “They can be a voice and galvanize the moderate Sunni voices in their communities to — on the countermessaging point — to push back against . . . what’s a very empty narrative” from the militants. Kerry and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel met Friday with officials from several nations likely to join the new coalition. “There is no time to waste in building a broad international coalition to degrade and, ultimately, to destroy the threat posed by ISIL,” Kerry and Hagel said in a statement issued in Wales. The campaign would provide military support to Iraq, stem the flow of foreign fighters coming to join the Islamic State and go after the organization’s financing, while also “delegitimizing” the group’s ideology, the statement said. In a speech last week at the Brookings Institution, Matt ­Olsen, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, said the Islamic State operates “the most significant global propaganda machine of any Islamist extremist group. . . . No group is as successful and effective as ISIL is at using propaganda, particularly social media.” Islamic State routinely releases scenes of carnage designed to intimidate adversaries and bolster its ruthless reputation. But it also seeks to appeal to recruits with images of its fighters cradling kittens and its religious enforcers patrolling neighborhoods and smiling affably as they warn residents to wear proper Islamic attire. The video that became prominent last week is one of several on a new State Department YouTube channel in English aimed at disaffected young Western Muslims who may be wowed by the Islamic State’s battlefield momentum. The countermessage is simple: These guys are lying to you, and if you go to Syria to fight Western oppression you’ll just end up killing innocent Muslims. The 50-employee Center for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications is the State Department office behind the video. The organization was launched in 2011 to analyze and answer militant activity on social media and does most of its work in languages other than English. The English-language YouTube channel was created in a rush in July as part of an expanded online message campaign following the fall of the strategic Iraqi city of Mosul to Islamic State militants, the senior State Department official said. The same video was first posted in Arabic in July, and that version has more than 42,000 views on YouTube. The English-language version was also posted in July. It is part of a campaign called “Think Again, Turn Away,” that also tweets with the motto “some truths about terrorism.” By contrast, the Islamic State video showing the killing of American journalist James Foley has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times, if not more, despite attempts to remove it from mainstream video sites. U.S. government-branded efforts to interject online often go awry, either because the message falls flat or the Americans fail to reach real militants or their ­sympathizers, said Evan F. Kohlmann, chief information officer of Flashpoint Global Partners, a New York security consulting firm that tracks militant Web sites. “The problem with this video is the same problem that seems to happen over and over again with these type of initiatives,” he said. “They don’t seem to have a clear picture of what audience they are trying to reach, or how to influence them.” He added that “someone at the State Department has failed to recognize that most of the Westerners trying to join ISIS are actually enthused by videos of executions and suicide bombings, not deterred by them.” State Department officials said they recognize the limits of the program. The United States understands that the lure of the Islamic State’s jihadist message is strong, and fueled by grievance and history that no quick online American answer can fully address, the senior State Department official said. “So we poke holes in their narrative, try to turn the tables,” the official continued. “You’re not going to get a knockout blow.” Greg Miller, Karen DeYoung and David Nakamura contributed to this report. ||||| 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 new YouTube video depicts ISIS in all its brutality, but this time ISIS isn’t responsible—bizarrely, the US State Department is, the Washington Post reports. Mock recruitment video "Welcome to ISIL-Land" is 69 seconds of graphic violence meant to undermine the abundance of ISIS online propaganda. The message: ISIS casually kills innocent Muslims and they'll kill you, too. Using footage shot by the group—including mosques blown up by suicide bombers, crucified bodies, severed heads, whippings, and executions, as per the New York Daily News—the video is aimed at young and disaffected Western Muslims, who are "potential recruits, potential sympathizers," says a department spokeswoman. Some 100 Americans have already joined ISIS, adds CNN. So far, the video hasn't proven popular, with only 42,000 views since July—far less than the execution of journalist James Foley. But ISIS is a formidable online adversary, proving itself "successful and effective … at using propaganda, particularly social media," one terrorism expert tells the Post. And then there's this problem—potential ISIS recruits are "enthused by videos of executions and suicide bombings, not deterred by them," says one expert. The YouTube video is part of a wider campaign to battle ISIS on those platforms, the US posting opposing messages on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr in various languages. The department acknowledges the latest video's flaws: "We poke holes in their narrative, try to turn the tables. You’re not going to get a knockout blow," says an official.
A post has just gone up on Diaspora’s blog revealing what the project actually looks like for the first time. While it’s not yet ready to be released to the public, the open-source social networking project is giving the world a glimpse of what it looks like today and also releasing the project code, as promised. At first glance, this preview version of Diaspora looks sparse, but clean. Oddly enough, with its big pictures and stream, it doesn’t look unlike Apple’s new Ping music social network mixed with yes, Facebook. A few features they note: Share status messages and photos privately and in near real time with your friends through “aspects”. Friend people across the Internet no matter where Diaspora seed is located. Manage friends using “aspects” Upload of photos and albums All traffic is signed and encrypted (except photos, for now). But no matter what Diaspora looks like now, the point is to have many different versions hosted all over the place. Some will look different than others — so it make sense to have a simple, clean base to build off of. The team notes that the public alpha of the project is still on course for October, and will include Facebook integration off the bat, as well as data portability. “Getting the source into the hands of developers is our first experiment in making a simple and functional tool for contextual sharing. Diaspora is in its infancy, but our initial ideas are there,” the team writes today. “Much of our focus this summer was centered around publishing content to groups of your friends, wherever their seed may live. It is by no means bug free or feature complete, but it an important step for putting us, the users, in control,” they continue. Diaspora is a particularly interesting project because it was first unveiled at a time when Facebook was facing a lot of user backlash due to privacy issues and changes being made. This helped the project raise over $200,000 in crowd-sourced funding via Kickstarter. Of course, Facebook continues to grow and is now well past 500 million users, as much of the controversy that existed a few months ago has died down — as expected. The project also faces the hurdle of trying to popularize an open source project — these projects often sound great on paper, but doesn’t work too well in practice. That said, Diaspora is still interesting, and we’re rooting for these guys to pull it off. Developers, get building — you can find the code on github here. But note their warning: ||||| Image caption The screenshots reveal a familiar look Developers have been given their first glimpse of a community-funded and open alternative to Facebook. Diaspora describes itself as a "privacy-aware, personally-controlled" social network. It was conceived earlier this year by four US students during a period when Facebook came under fire for its privacy settings. The open-source project has now released its first code to developers and also published screenshots. "This is now a community project and development is open to anyone with the technical expertise who shares the vision of a social network that puts users in control," the team said in a blog. Many of the features shown on the site will be familiar to people already on social networks such as Facebook, including the ability to share messages, photos and status updates. The team said they are currently working to integrate the site with Facebook and to make it easy for people to take control of and move their personal data. They aim to launch the first public product in October. Privacy win Their idea of building Diaspora started earlier this year during a period of intense criticism of Facebook, the world's largest social network. The site, which boast 500 million members, was criticised for having overly complex and confusing privacy settings. It was eventually forced to roll out simplified controls. "We want to put users back in control of what they share," Max Salzberg, one of the founders of Diaspora, told BBC News at the time. If Facebook genuinely see this as a threat or see that people really like it as an idea, it may influence what they do for privacy Nate Elliott, Analyst, Forrester The team turned to the fundraising site Kickstarter to raise funds to build the network, eventually raising $200,642 from nearly 6,500 people. Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, reportedly donated to the project. The launch of the first code marks a milestone for the project. However, the team warned that there were still problems to iron out. "It is by no means bug-free or feature-complete, but it [is] an important step for putting us, the users, in control," they wrote. However, bugs may not be the only challenge the network faces, said Nate Elliott, principal analyst at research firm Forrester. "It seems they are simply copying Facebook with a different architecture," he told BBC News. "If the only differentiation is around privacy, I can't image they will persuade enough people to move away from Facebook and the network effect it has." He said the site was a "great concept" but ideas like "data portability" were difficult to implement. However, he said, it may influence Facebook in other ways. "Facebook has been very good at recognising what is good about their competitors and pulling in those best features." He said the site had successfully incorporated features from Twitter and location service FourSquare. "If Facebook genuinely see this as a threat or see that people really like it as an idea, it may influence what they do for privacy," he said. "That would be a win for the [Diaspora] team." Others have questioned whether there is too much expectation on the service. "While it's possible for four talented computer scientists, in a summer, to make a piece of software that's so compelling and attention-grabbing, not just in theory but in actual use - it's also far from likely," wrote Dave Winer, a US software developer, before the code was released.
– Developers have been given a preview of a site that aims to be a privacy-conscious rival to Facebook. The team behind open-source social networking project Diaspora have released the project's source code. "This is now a community project and development is open to anyone with the technical expertise who shares the vision of a social network that puts users in control," the Diaspora team wrote. The team, which plans to have the project up and running by next month, says it is working on Facebook integration and ways to ensure users stay in control of their data, the BBC reports. The preview version looks a lot like Facebook, "but no matter what Diaspora looks like now, the point is to have many different versions hosted all over the place," MG Siegler notes at TechCrunch. "Some will look different than others—so it make sense to have a simple, clean base to build off of." For earlier Facebook stories, click here.
Uppsala University uses cookies to make your website experience as good as possible. Read more about cookies. OK ||||| Image copyright SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY Young children who have a pet dog in the home are less likely to go on to develop asthma, a large Swedish study has found. Exposure to a dog in the first year of life was linked to a 13% lower risk of asthma in later childhood among the 650,000 children the authors tracked. The findings, in JAMA Pediatrics, support the idea that pets can bolster the immune system and prevent allergy. More evidence is still needed - past studies have found conflicting results. Certainly, for a child who is already allergic to dogs, buying a puppy would not be a good idea, say the Swedish researchers. Man's best friend? Pets are a common cause of allergy, with half of all asthmatic children allergic to cats and 40% allergic to dogs, according to the charity Allergy UK. When animals groom themselves, they lick. Skin cells covered in saliva - animal dander - are shed along with loose fur. It's the dander to which some people become sensitised. The findings of this latest study suggest exposure to dog dander in infancy might actually be beneficial. Children who had grown up with a dog in their home were less likely to have asthma at the age of seven than children without dogs. Living on a farm with lots of animals seemed to confer even more protection, cutting the risk of asthma by about 50%. Lead scientist Prof Tove Fall, from Uppsala University in Sweden, said: "Our results confirmed the farming effect and we also saw that children who grew up with dogs had about 15% less asthma than children without dogs." She said this fits with the hygiene hypothesis which favours exposure to dust and dirt to improve our tolerance of common allergens. The findings should also provide some reassurance for parents. "That's important information for parents who are pregnant or are planning to have a baby, that they should not worry about getting a dog or a puppy if they would like to. "But if you have an allergic child you should not get a dog to cure your child. It won't work and will probably make the allergy worse." If you are allergic and live with pets, there are things you can do to cut your risk of having an allergic reaction. Asthma UK advises: Try to keep pets out of your bedroom and where possible living area Regular grooming and bathing of cats and dogs can help You could try using air filters and an efficient vacuum cleaner. This might be helpful for people who have cat allergies; however the evidence on the benefit of these remains unclear No breed of dog is completely "non-allergic" because they all shed dander Amena Warner of Allergy UK said: "There have been a few studies that have alluded to this but not such a longitudinal study with so many children so from that point of view this is quite a powerful study. It's very welcome." Erika Kennington of Asthma UK, said more research was needed to better understand the effects so that it could be turned into practical advice for parents of young children. ||||| Importance The association between early exposure to animals and childhood asthma is not clear, and previous studies have yielded contradictory results. Objective To determine whether exposure to dogs and farm animals confers a risk of asthma. Design, Setting and Participants In a nationwide cohort study, the association between early exposure to dogs and farm animals and the risk of asthma was evaluated and included all children born in Sweden from January 1, 2001, to December 31, 2010 (N = 1 011 051), using registry data on dog and farm registration, asthma medication, diagnosis, and confounders for parents and their children. The association was assessed as the odds ratio (OR) for a current diagnosis of asthma at age 6 years for school-aged children and as the hazard ratio (HR) for incident asthma at ages 1 to 5 years for preschool-aged children. Data were analyzed from January 1, 2007, to September 30, 2012. Exposures Living with a dog or farm animal. Main Outcomes and Measures Childhood asthma diagnosis and medication used. Results Of the 1 011 051 children born during the study period, 376 638 preschool-aged (53 460 [14.2%] exposed to dogs and 1729 [0.5%] exposed to farm animals) and 276 298 school-aged children (22 629 [8.2%] exposed to dogs and 958 [0.3%] exposed to farm animals) were included in the analyses. Of these, 18 799 children (5.0%) in the preschool-aged children’s cohort experienced an asthmatic event before baseline, and 28 511 cases of asthma and 906 071 years at risk were recorded during follow-up (incidence rate, 3.1 cases per 1000 years at risk). In the school-aged children’s cohort, 11 585 children (4.2%) experienced an asthmatic event during the seventh year of life. Dog exposure during the first year of life was associated with a decreased risk of asthma in school-aged children (OR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.81-0.93) and in preschool-aged children 3 years or older (HR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.83-0.99) but not in children younger than 3 years (HR, 1.03; 95% CI, 1.00-1.07). Results were comparable when analyzing only first-born children. Farm animal exposure was associated with a reduced risk of asthma in both school-aged children and preschool-aged children (OR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.31-0.76, and HR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.56-0.84), respectively. Conclusions and Relevance In this study, the data support the hypothesis that exposure to dogs and farm animals during the first year of life reduces the risk of asthma in children at age 6 years. This information might be helpful in decision making for families and physicians on the appropriateness and timing of early animal exposure.
– In perhaps the largest study of its kind, researchers from Uppsala University in Sweden are reporting in the journal JAMA Pediatrics that early childhood exposure to dogs and farm animals is linked to lower asthma rates. The team was uniquely poised to study the question in Sweden, where every citizen has a unique identification number that helps track every visit to a physician, every prescription, and even dog ownership registration, which became mandatory in 2001. (Once the data is de-identified, it's free for researchers to use in, say, large longitudinal studies.) In this massive study, researchers followed all 11 million children born in Sweden from 2001 through 2010. Previous research has been conflicting, but as many other studies have already suggested, this one finds that early exposure to dogs, at least in Sweden, results in a 13% lower risk of asthma in later childhood. The link was dramatically stronger in farm animals—where exposure in early childhood resulted in a 50% lower risk of asthma later. Still, that doesn't mean that kids who have an animal allergy should be further exposed; in fact, that can exacerbate the allergy, the researchers say. "There have been a few studies that have alluded to this but not such a longitudinal study with so many children, so from that point of view this is quite a powerful study," a rep from Allergy UK tells the BBC. "It's very welcome." (Canines might have a probiotic effect on us.)
As people spend more and more time in the workplace, it's natural for co-workers to develop close bonds -- what's often referred to as a "workplace spouse" or an "office wife." But when it comes to pay raises, promotions and other measures of career success, it's the husband or wife at home who may be exerting a bigger influence on workplace performance, suggests new research from Washington University in St. Louis. "Our study shows that it is not only your own personality that influences the experiences that lead to greater occupational success, but that your spouse's personality matters too," said Joshua Jackson, PhD, assistant professor of psychology in Arts & Sciences and lead author of the study. Although we marry "for better for worse, for richer for poorer," this study is among the first to demonstrate that the personality traits of the spouse we choose may play a role in determining whether our chosen career makes us richer or poorer. "The experiences responsible for this association are not likely isolated events where the spouse convinces you to ask for a raise or promotion," Jackson said. "Instead, a spouse's personality influences many daily factors that sum up and accumulate across time to afford one the many actions necessary to receive a promotion or a raise." Forthcoming in the journal Psychological Science, the findings are based on a five-year study of nearly 5,000 married people ranging in age from 19 to 89, with both spouses working in about 75 percent of the sample. Jackson and co-author Brittany Solomon, a graduate student in psychology at Washington University, analyzed data on study participants who took a series of psychological tests to assess their scores on five broad measures of personality -- openness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism and conscientiousness. In an effort to gauge whether these spousal personality traits might be seeping into the workplace, they tracked the on-the-job performance of working spouses using annual surveys designed to measure occupational success -- self-reported opinions on job satisfaction, salary increases and the likelihood of being promoted. Workers who scored highest on measures of occupational success tended to have a spouse with a personality that scored high for conscientiousness, and this was true whether or not both spouses worked and regardless of whether the working spouse was male or female, the study found. Jackson and Solomon also tested several theories for how a spouse's personality traits, especially conscientiousness, might influence their partner's performance in the workplace. Their findings suggest that having a conscientious spouse contributes to workplace success in three ways. First, through a process known as outsourcing, the working spouse may come to rely on his or her partner to handle more of the day-to-day household chores, such as paying bills, buying groceries and raising children. Workers also may be likely to emulate some of the good habits of their conscientious spouses, bringing traits such as diligence and reliability to bear on their own workplace challenges. Finally, having a spouse that keeps your personal life running smoothly may simply reduce stress and make it easier to maintain a productive work-life balance. While previous research with romantic partners has shown that a bad experience in one social context can bleed over into another (a bad day at work can lead to a grumpy spouse and a tense night at home, for example), the Jackson/Solomon study goes beyond this to suggest that these sort of patterns exist day-in and day-out, exerting a subtle, but important influence on our performance in environments far removed from our home lives and our spouses. The findings, they suggest, also have interesting implications for how we go about choosing romantic partners. While previous research suggests that people seeking potential mates tend to look for partners who score high on agreeableness and low on narcissism, this study suggests that people with ambitious career goals may be better served to seek supportive partners with highly conscientious personalities. "This is another example where personality traits are found to predict broad outcomes like health status or occupational success, as in this study," Jackson said. "What is unique to this study is that your spouse's personality has an influence on such important life experiences." ||||| ST. LOUIS, Jan. 20 (UPI) -- You can thank your wife for that new promotion. You can also blame your boyfriend for getting canned. That's according to a new research suggesting the personality and behavior of a person's significant other has a strong influence on their success on the job. So what should an eligible bachelor or bachelorette look for in a life partner if career advancement is a priority? Someone who is conscientious, according to psychologists Brittany Solomon and Joshua Jackson. In five-year longitudinal study, the two Washington University in St. Louis researchers found that surveyed couples tended to report higher job satisfaction and wages, as well as a better rate of promotions, when their partners were conscientious. "Our study shows that it is not only your own personality that influences the experiences that lead to greater occupational success, but that your spouse's personality matters, too," Jackson, the study's lead author, explained in a press release. The researchers didn't simply rely on husbands and wives to summarize their partner's personalities. The sociologists were able locate the correlation after having more than 4,500 married people take personality tests and relay career success over a period of five years. Roughly three-quarters of the study participants were dual-income households. As Solomon and Jackson explain, a conscientious partner is likely to be more dependable and organized, capable of taking on a heavier burden when it comes to keeping a house in order and relationship together. The researchers hypothesized that a conscientious spouse was more apt to run more errands, do more laundry and prepare more packed lunches -- the types of things that might let their partners save their energy for the office. "The experiences responsible for this association are not likely isolated events where the spouse convinces you to ask for a raise or promotion," Jackson added. "Instead, a spouse's personality influences many daily factors that sum up and accumulate across time to afford one the many actions necessary to receive a promotion or a raise." The new study was published last month in the journal Psychological Science. ||||| What does it take to get ahead at the office? It's well-known that personality influences professional prowess, as high earners tend to be extraverted, ambitious, conscientious and self-confident. Whether you measure success in wages or personal satisfaction, superstars in the workplace tend to be energetic and proactive, with a high need for achievement. A surprising new study suggests that personality plays an even bigger role in workplace outcomes than previously thought — but in an unexpected way. Brittany Solomon and Joshua Jackson from Washington University found that while our own personalities influence our job performance, our spouses' personalities are also associated with professional success. Many people search for romantic partners who are sexually attractive or who have an agreeable personality, but the data from Solomon and Jackson suggest we should search for something more in our mates, whose influence may linger with us in our work day and have long-term effects on our job performance. What kind of spouse elevates your earnings? Should you seek a sweetheart who is competitive, energetic, or curious? Someone who is compassionate, sociable, cooperative? According to Solomon and Jackson, the award for best personality goes to Mr. or Ms. Conscientious. In their longitudinal study, Solomon and Jackson tracked responses from 4,544 heterosexual married people, roughly 75% of whom were in dual-income households. Participants first completed a personality assessment that measured five personality traits: extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness. Over a 5 year period, participants also reported occupational success, as measured by job satisfaction, wages over time, and promotions. Finally, participants provided data about the division of household chores, lifestyle decisions, and marital satisfaction. Solomon and Jackson found that people with a more conscientious spouse tended to have higher job satisfaction, were promoted more often, and reported higher wages over a four year period. Why? Conscientious people are dependable and organized, they provide reliable support, and are skilled at planning and managing their lives. Solomon and Jackson thus hypothesized that people with a conscientious spouse may outsource more of the household chores or errands to their partners, thus allowing them to devote more time and energy to work. Less laundry, fewer errands, and reduced responsibility around the house can translate into better pay, greater advancement, and increased job satisfaction. The benefit of a conscientious spouse was evident in both single- and dual-income households, though the effect was stronger in single-income households. Thus it seems that conscientious mates provide significant support whether they work in or outside the home, though those who work in the home may be able to manage more of the childcare and household duties. The data were also similar for men and women, suggesting that regardless of your gender, having consistent help around the house enhances your work life. Conscientious people not only create conditions that foster success, they are also good role models. As we are likely to emulate some of the behaviors of our spouse, having a conscientious spouse may encourage greater reliability and productivity in the workplace, further enhancing job performance. Finally, people with conscientious spouses tended to report higher relationship satisfaction, and this marital satisfaction may reduce stress and make it easier to channel energies into professional endeavors. The notion that our home life can affect our professional performance is not new. Numerous studies show that experiences at home can spill over and color our experiences in the workplace (and vice versa), as stress can be transferred between home and work across partners, and your mood at work can be associated with your spouses’ mood at home. While previous work has examined relatively transient crossover effects (e.g., a bad day at work can spoil the evening), the findings from Solomon and Jackson demonstrate that the personality of one's spouse can have a more enduring, long-term impact on professional success. Their work also indicates that events at home need not be acute or severe (e.g., a hostile argument, a sick child) to affect job performance. Instead, it may be the accumulation of subtle but significant daily experiences and interactions (e.g., having predictable help with household chores, making joint decisions about important issues) that lead to satisfaction and success at work over time. Finding a mate in life can be difficult, but the data from Solomon and Jackson may help those with high professional aspirations narrow the search. For both personal and professional prosperity, seek someone who is supportive, dependable, organized, and self-disciplined. After all, who wouldn't be happier with a spouse who regularly replaces the toilet paper roll?
– Who wouldn't love a partner willing to take on extra chores and errands? It turns out that a conscientious spouse isn't just good for household management and harmony, but for one's success at work, too, according to research out of Washington University. While one's own personality obviously plays a major role—high earners tend to be extroverted, self-confident, and ambitious—one's spouse's personality also factors in significantly, especially if that spouse is conscientious, reports Scientific American. Subjects with more conscientious spouses tended to be more satisfied with their job, to earn more, and to be promoted more often—possibly, researchers hypothesize, because conscientious spouses do more housework and errands, so their spouses can put more of their effort toward work. The researchers looked at 4,544 married heterosexual people, 75% of whom came from dual-income households, to measure extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness. They also tracked wages, promotions, and job satisfaction over a 5-year period, and surveyed the participants about lifestyle decisions and marital satisfaction. Sure enough, the conscientious spouse tended to have the most impact when it comes to helping a person's career, and it's true regardless of whether that spouse also works. UPI reports that one researcher says: "A spouse's personality influences many daily factors that sum up and accumulate across time to afford one the many actions necessary to receive a promotion or a raise." (Other research: Marriage is a super friendship.)
(AP video) Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wore some snazzy accessories at a swearing-in ceremony on Thursday. (PHOTOS: Hillary Clinton's style) As a nod to her Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs Mike Hammer – who loves the color purple – Clinton put on some purple and green cat-eye sunglasses, purple rings and a set of purple Mardi Gras beads before reading his oath. “Mike, I was in a real dilemma,” Clinton joked, according to a transcript. “I have pantsuits in nearly every color – except purple.” Read more about: Hillary Clinton ||||| Hillary Clinton continues to insist (in vain) that she's retiring from politics after this presidential term, and it seems she has a case of senioritis. Sure, for her that means continuing efforts to patch things up between Israel and Palestine, but she's also been making time to generate Internet memes and hold a dance parties in Colombia. Now there's a new addition to the list: Wearing funny accessories to swear in Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Michael Hammer. We can't wait to see what she cooks up for Secretary of State cut day.
– The new assistant secretary for public affairs loves the color purple, according to Politico—but Hillary Clinton doesn't own any violet pantsuits. So she decided to celebrate Michael Hammer's swearing-in with a number of other purple accessories, including Mardi Gras beads, a ring, and some flamboyant eyewear: a pair of purple and green cat-eye sunglasses. Why all the humor (and dancing)? The Daily Intel blames "senioritis," as Clinton says she's quitting politics after this presidential term.
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. ||||| 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.
– Check your cupboards: Cans of Bush's Best Baked Beans with a best-by date of June 2019 have been recalled because of "potentially defective side seams on the cans." The recall affects 28-ounce cans of Brown Sugar Hickory Baked Beans (with lot code 6097S GF or 6097P GF), Country Style Baked Beans (6077S RR, 6087S RR, 6077P RR or 6087P RR) and Original Baked Beans (6057S LC or 6057P LC), reports the Los Angeles Times. Though no "illnesses or other adverse consequences" have been reported, Bush Brothers & Co. of Knoxville, Tenn., is urging consumers to throw out all affected cans even if they look fine.
New York (CNN Business) Megyn Kelly and NBC News executives are negotiating the terms of her departure from the news division. Her exit is not official yet, but it is likely to be announced in the days ahead, according to sources with knowledge of the matter. Kelly will not be returning to her 9 a.m. show "Megyn Kelly Today," the sources confirmed. There had been speculation that she would remain with the network in a lesser role -- but the sources said that's not happening. Earlier on Thursday, when multiple news outlets reported that Kelly is leaving NBC altogether, Kelly's spokesman Davidson Goldin responded by saying that NBC has not been in touch with Kelly or her representatives. Read More ||||| CLOSE A source at the show confirms to USA TODAY there's an expectation that her hour of the "Today" show will be canceled. USA TODAY Could "Megyn Kelly Today" be off the air after just a year? (Photo: Charles Sykes/Invision/AP) Megyn Kelly is negotiating her exit from NBC after less than two years, the network confirmed Friday morning on "Today." "This morning, NBC News host Megyn Kelly is in talks with the network about her imminent departure," Morgan Radford said during the news segment, citing a person familiar with the situation. Meanwhile, the embattled host, who offended viewers and colleagues when she excusing the use of blackface Halloween costumes Tuesday, got a show of support from her colleagues at Fox News. However, the network itself indicated it's unlikely to take back the woman who was once the star of its primetime lineup. In an Instagram post on Thursday, Fox News meteorologist Janice Dean defended the "Megyn Kelly Today" host and longtime friend against accusations of racism. “My friend @megynkelly is not a racist,” Dean wrote. “Those close to her know her heart. She’s a good person, a wonderful mom, wife, sister, friend and human being. She didn’t deserve this.” Meanwhile, Geraldo Rivera, a correspondent for Fox News, noted he’s long had a close relationship with Kelly and while he was appalled by her comments, he believes she was unfairly skewered for her misstep. “You know, Megyn was my colleague, and a dear friend … I was very disappointed when she left Fox News,” he told Us Weekly in a video interview. “She had a rocky road at NBC. What she said about blackface was grotesque. It was indefensible in many ways, but you know, people make mistakes. “She said something stupid, but she didn’t mean to hurt anyone’s feelings, she was just telling the truth about how she was raised and how things were back in the day. I think she was really given the short end of the stick and I think she was scapegoated.” While Kelly may have the support of some of her former coworkers, the same can’t be said for the network she used to call home. When reached for comment regarding whether Fox News would consider bringing Kelly back on the air, the network told USA TODAY there isn’t room for Kelly right now in the conservative news channel’s prime-time lineup, which now features Tucker Carlson at 8 EDT, Sean Hannity at 9 and Laura Ingraham at 10. “We are extremely happy with our entire line-up,” a spokesperson for Fox News stated. More: What did Megyn Kelly say?! 4 more times the journalist stirred up controversyK The Hollywood Reporter and NBC News reported on Friday that representatives for Kelly are meeting with executives at NBC on Friday to discuss her future. Meanwhile, her hour of the “Today” show hangs in the balance. On Thursday and Friday, reruns of “Megyn Kelly Today” aired in place of live episodes. In January 2017, Kelly exited Fox News after more than a decade and announced she was headed to NBC, where she signed a contract estimated to be worth $20 million per year. After a showcase first interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in which he claimed that Jews, Ukrainians and Tatars (groups oppressed by the Soviet Union and Russia) may have meddled in the 2016 U.S. election instead of his government, she came under fire for a proposed interview with "InfoWars" host Alex Jones. On Sept. 25 of that year, she debuted in the 9 a.m. hour, traditionally a soft-news time period, thought to be an odd fit for the adversarial former corporate defense attorney who made her name at Fox News discussing politics in prime time. During her time on “Today,” Kelly has caused controversy several times. She angered Jane Fonda when she asked the veteran actress to discuss plastic surgery and she offended Debra Messing with her comments that seemed to imply being gay is a choice. USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Kelly and NBC for comment. Contributing: Jayme Deerwester Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2018/10/26/megyn-kelly-gets-support-fox-news-pals-nbc-future-bleak-geraldo-rivera-janice-dean/1772337002/ ||||| Photo: Phillip Faraone (Getty Images) Megyn Kelly will meet with executives from NBC today to discuss her future at the network, which isn’t looking so bright after her (closes eyes, sighs) regrettable comments about blackface. Chatter of her fate intensified this morning when Today hosts Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin met with NBC News correspondent Morgan Radford, with the gang reporting that her departure was “imminent.” Advertisement If Kelly leaves, of course, that means NBC will buy out her $69 million contract, so, you know, she’s gonna be fine. If she does want to have a future in news, however, her options are becoming a bit limited. You’d think she’d be welcome back at Fox News, her previous home, but the network made it abundantly clear to USA Today that, sorry, no seats here. “We are extremely happy with our entire line-up,” a spokesperson for Fox News told them. Ouch. Still, it’s not much of a surprise. Kelly’s penchant for racially charged comments, after all, might just be a bit too tame for the network’s primetime lineup. Like, does she even read 4chan? ||||| Breaking News Emails Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings. By Claire Atkinson NBC News said Friday that anchor Megyn Kelly will not return to the 9 a.m. ET hour of "Today," marking the end of a rocky run since Kelly moved to NBC News from Fox News. "Megyn Kelly Today is not returning," an NBC News spokesperson said. "Next week, the 9 a.m. hour will be hosted by other TODAY co-anchors.” Kelly is still in talks with NBC News about her future at the network, according to two people familiar with conversations who were not authorized to speak publicly. Sources earlier in the week said that Kelly was likely to leave the company. Bryan Freedman, a lawyer for Megyn Kelly, said that she remains an NBC News employee and "discussions about next steps are continuing." The announcement ends a tumultuous 13-month run for Kelly as part of the "Today" lineup. Kelly rose to become one of the most recognizable TV hosts in the U.S. during her 12 years at Fox News, where she hosted an evening show, "The Kelly File." Kelly's hiring by NBC News in January 2017 made waves across the media industry in part for her sizable contract, reportedly worth $69 million over three years. The show's ratings got off to a slow start, with Kelly attracting a smaller audience than the when her predecessors, Tamron Hall and Al Roker, hosted the 9 a.m. hour. Kelly recently drew harsh criticism after a segment on Tuesday about Halloween costumes in which she questioned why blackface was considered racially insensitive. "What is racist? Because you get in trouble if you are a white person who puts on blackface for Halloween or a black person who puts on whiteface for Halloween," she said. "When I was a kid, that was OK as long as you were dressing up like a character." Kelly apologized for the comments on Wednesday's show. “I want to begin with two words: ‘I’m sorry,'” Kelly said in her show's open. Kelly continued, “I defended the idea [of blackface] saying as long as it was ‘respectful’ and part of a Halloween costume it seemed ok. Well I was wrong and I am sorry.” At a pre-scheduled Town Hall event, NBC News Chairman Andy Lack addressed the incident. “There is no other way to put this: I condemn those remarks; there is no place on our air or in this workplace for them,” he said. A previously-taped episode of “Megyn Kelly Today” aired in place of a live show Thursday. Jerry Martin, general manager at KPRC, an NBC affiliate based Houston, said he felt Kelly had a difficult task in moving from Fox News. "She was trying to spread her wings and do a different type of show," Martin said. "She was never able to overcome her Fox image. That's hard to overcome, and then especially moving to daytime, she had a number of hurdles to jump over." This story is developing. Please check back for updates.
– NBC aired a rerun in the slot for Megyn Kelly Today for the second straight morning on Friday, and the writing on the wall became official in the afternoon: She won't return to her show, period, with the controversy over her blackface comments seen as the final straw. "Next week, the 9am hour will be hosted by other Today co-anchors," said a network spokesperson. So what's next for Kelly? Still unclear. The latest: Another role? The early speculation was that Kelly would remain at NBC in a lesser role, but media writer Brian Stelter at CNN says that's now off the table. Kelly is expected to leave the network entirely. Back to Fox? Don't count on it, reports USA Today. Some of Kelly's former colleagues there are defending her—she "is not a racist," wrote meteorologist Janice Dean, while Geraldo Rivera said she's been "scapegoated"—but a network spokesperson made a point to say Fox is "extremely happy" with its current prime-time lineup. The AV Club interprets that to mean Fox is taking a "hard pass" on rehiring her.
A fan looks at his laptop as he waits for play to resume at a FIBA World Cup qualifying basketball game, during a power outage, in Caracas,Venezuela, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2013. A power outage hit nearly... (Associated Press) A fan looks at his laptop as he waits for play to resume at a FIBA World Cup qualifying basketball game, during a power outage, in Caracas,Venezuela, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2013. A power outage hit nearly... (Associated Press) Venezuela's main power distribution network failed Tuesday, depriving 70 percent of the country of electricity and creating traffic chaos in much of Caracas, which normally escapes such outages. Electrical Energy Minister Jesse Chacon said on state TV that the failure was in the "backbone" that carries electricity from the Bajo Caroni region, where 60 percent of Venezuela's power is generated. President Nicolas Maduro said Tuesday night that 14 of 23 states lost power for much of the day and blamed "sabotage," which he did not detail. He said service was "progressively restored" with some exceptions, including the oil-producing state of Zulia. Power that was lost at midday was restored in Caracas by nightfall. Despite possessing the world's largest proven oil reserves, Venezuela has been plagued in recent years by worsening power outages. They have, however, rarely affected metropolitan Caracas, home to more than one-sixth of the country's 28 million people. Maduro said the oil industry, the lifeblood of the economy, was not affected by the outage. He blamed "the extreme right-wing," as he has in the past, via Twitter. In an evening event broadcast on state TV, he claimed the outage was "part of a low-level war" on what his government refers to as "the revolution" begun by the late President Hugo Chavez, Maduro's political mentor. He provided no evidence of any sabotage. Maduro said he had ordered the military to "protect the entire country." The capital's subway service was temporarily interrupted, and authorities evacuated riders from several trains. Opposition politicians say the government, while spending billions on programs for the poor, hasn't invested sufficiently in the electrical grid and generating plants to keep up with growing demand. Authorities say delays in several initiatives designed to boost electricity output are partly to blame. Chacon, a longtime close aide to Chavez, was named energy minister after Maduro won election in April by a razor-thin margin. The previous energy minister was a brother of Chavez, Argenis. Chavez died in March after 14 years in power. Maduro was his longtime foreign minister and later, while Chavez was dying of cancer, his vice president. ___ Associated Press writer Frank Bajak in Lima, Peru, contributed to this report. ||||| Dow Jones Reprints: This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients or customers, use the Order Reprints tool at the bottom of any article or visit www.djreprints.com ||||| Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Traffic lights, coffee vendors and cash machines were all hit by the blackout, as Ian Booth reports A power cut has left 70% of Venezuela without electricity, including parts of the capital Caracas. The blackout disabled traffic lights in the city, causing traffic chaos. It also partially disrupted the underground transport system. Thousands of workers were sent home. Power was slowly being restored in different areas after the cuts. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro blamed the opposition for "sabotage" to power transmission lines. Image caption 'There's no electricity', a sign on the door of a shop in Caracas declares Image caption Supermarket workers wait for power to come back on so the shop can reopen Image caption In this building corridor the lift service has been paralysed Image caption Workers had to continue their day making use of whatever light available previous slide next slide "Everything seems to indicate that the extreme right has resumed its plan for an electrical strike against the country," he said in a tweet. In a live address on state television, the president also said the cuts were "part of a low-level war" against the country, a "folly by twisted and desperate minds". 'Poor upkeep' President Maduro did not give any evidence of the "sabotage" but said he had instructed the military "to protect the entire country". Opposition leader Henrique Capriles said the government was trying to divert public attention from the country's problems by concocting the conspiracy theory. Deputy Electrical Energy Minister Franco Silva said a fault had occurred in one of the national grid's main transmission lines at 12:30 local time (17:00GMT). The cut affected large parts of the country for about three hours, after which time power was gradually restored. The oil industry was not affected as Venezuela's oil refineries are powered by separate generator plants. Government officials have in the past said that high energy consumption at peak times and poor maintenance of transmission lines have led to a high incidence of cuts. In 2010 the late President Hugo Chavez signed a decree declaring an "electricity emergency" to help his government tackle power shortages. The opposition says the government of Mr Chavez and his successor, Nicolas Maduro, may have spent billions of dollars on programmes to garner votes from the poor but has failed to invest in the upkeep and expansion of the electrical grid to meet growing demand. Although Venezuela has big oil reserves, it is dependent on hydro-electricity for some 70% of its power. Power cuts are common in Venezuela, especially in the country's interior states, but rarely affect the capital, Caracas.
– Activity in Venezuela effectively ground to a halt yesterday, as a blackout plunged 70% of the country into darkness just after noon. Parts of the capital, which the AP reports normally escapes such outages, were affected, rendering traffic lights dark and forcing companies to send thousands of workers home. The country's president got on TV and Twitter and heaped blame upon the opposition, using the word "sabotage" (a word not backed up by any examples). "Everything seems to indicate that the extreme right has resumed its plan for an electrical strike against the country," Nicolas Maduro tweeted. But his own deputy electrical energy minister had a less underhanded explanation, reports the BBC: He said one of the country's main transmission lines failed. Caracas had power again by nightfall, though the Wall Street Journal somewhat amusingly notes that one of the buildings that lost power was the Energy Ministry. The Journal calls the country's unstable power grid "a thorn in the side of [the] energy-rich" country.
Funny, she doesn’t look Jewish. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is facing a new challenge: He’s having trouble raising money from some Jewish donors who mistakenly believe one of his opponents, Michele Bachmann, is Jewish. Some Jewish donors are telling fund-raisers for Romney, a Mormon, that while they like him, they’d rather open their wallets for the “Jewish candidate,” who they don’t realize is actually a Lutheran, The Post has learned. “It’s a real problem,” one Romney fund-raiser said. “We’re working very hard in the Jewish community because of Obama’s Israel problem. This was surprising.” Like other Republicans, Romney is trying to capitalize on President Obama’s waning support among Jewish voters, who are upset with his administration’s policies toward Israel. Romney moved to quickly position himself as an alternative to Obama among well-heeled Jewish contributors in places like New York, New Jersey, Florida and California — a group Obama locked down in 2008. Romney has been pushing the message that he is a common-sense, business-minded candidate who is a strong supporter of Israel. The message was among the reasons he was atop the polls until last week, when Texas Gov. Rick Perry bested him in the latest surveys. Now, with this latest hiccup among Jewish donors, some in Romney’s camp have been wondering whether Bachmann and her allies are pushing the “Jewish” rumor to help their own fund-raising, sources said. She has enjoyed strong popularity among Jewish voters and often talks about her stay on a kibbutz during the summer of 1974, when she was a teenager. In a speech to the American Israel Political Action Committee last year, Bachmann recalled being guarded by soldiers while working on the kibbutz. “While we were working, the soldiers were walking around looking for land mines,” she said. “I really learned a lot in Israel.” She went on to say, “I am a Christian, but I consider my heritage Jewish, because it is the foundation, the roots of my faith as a Christian.” Bachmann also told an AIPAC gathering earlier this year that she and her family make sure each year to attend at least one Jewish-theme play or movie. Bachmann spent yesterday campaigning in Miami, part of a four-day swing through Florida. The Romney campaign had no official comment on the issue. Bachmann spokesman Doug Sachtleben said he hadn’t heard anything about chatter that Bachmann could be Jewish. He said only that his candidate is doing well in that community because of “her strong support of the nation of Israel,” not because some think she’s Jewish. jmargolin@nypost.com ||||| An edited video that makes it appear as if Republican presidential candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann asked an Iowa crowd, "Who likes white people?" is quickly spreading around the Web. However, if you watch the full, unedited version of the video, it's clear the Minnesota congresswoman said something very different. Bachmann made a campaign stop at the Midwest Spirit Christian Music Festival on Aug. 5 in West Des Moines to give a speech about her Christian faith. It was raining during her the appearance, so when Bachmann took the stage, she asked, "Who likes wet people?" referring to the still-damp masses who stuck around for her talk. "Yeah, that's right. Because we have the God of the winds and the rain don't we?" she said immediately after--a key phrasing that was edited out of the shorter clip. "We serve a mighty God." Bachmann then spoke for several minutes about how she became a Christian. "I'm not hear tonight to talk about politics," she said. "I'm here to talk tonight about the creator of the universe. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
– Michele Bachmann likes to talk to crowds about "the creator of the universe, our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ." Yet for some reason, some Jewish donors think she's ... Jewish. And what may be good for her campaign coffers is bad news for Romney's, according to the New York Post. The paper reports that he's been trying to court Jewish donors who are fed up with Obama, but what he's hearing is that they'd rather fork over the cash to a Jewish candidate than a Mormon one. Except the Jew they're throwing their cash to is actually a Lutheran. "It's a real problem," says one Romney fundraiser. "We're working very hard in the Jewish community because of Obama's Israel problem. This was surprising." And it may also be underhanded! At least, according to sources, who tell the Post that Team Romney thinks Bachmann and her supporters might be fueling the Jewish rumor. So what are Bachmann's ties to Judaism? The Post notes that she frequently talks about her time on a kibbutz as a teen in 1974, and in a speech this year she mentioned that she makes sure she attends at least one Jewish-theme play or movie annually.
Peter Langer/Design Pics Inc/Alamy The number of owls traded illegally on Indonesian markets has risen sharply in the past two decades — and researchers think the popularity of the Harry Potter books and films may be fuelling the trend. Anecdotal evidence from countries including India have previously suggested that demand for pet owls spiked with the popularity of Harry Potter, but a study of Indonesia’s bird markets — which are known for selling a variety of wild-caught birds as pets — puts numbers on the trend. Wildlife researchers surveyed 20 bird markets on the islands of Bali and Java and say that the number of owls being sold has risen dramatically: from perhaps a few hundred a year before 2001 to 13,000 by 2016. Owls also now make up a greater proportion of the birds on offer in the markets, researchers say. Before 2001 they accounted for less than 0.1% of birds being sold; last year, the share had risen to around 1.5% on some markets. The work is published in Global Ecology and Conservation1. Accio owl Study co-author Vincent Nijman, a wildlife-trade researcher at Oxford Brookes University, UK, says he is pretty sure there is a link between the rising owl sales and the popularity of the Harry Potter books and films, in which the titular character keeps a pet owl named Hedwig. The first novel was translated into Indonesian in 2000, and the first film adaptation was released in 2001. Although it’s difficult to prove a direct causation between the fictional phenomenon and rising owl sales, says Nijman, “Harry Potter normalized keeping owls as pets.” Owls are called Burung Hantu in Malay, one of Indonesia's main languages, but are now colloquially known as Burung Harry Potter, meaning 'Harry Potter' birds, he says. Nijman adds that there are online forums where fans clamouring for pet owls share tips on where to obtain the birds. The increase in Internet access in Indonesia — one-fifth of the population is now online compared with just 2% in 2001 — made it easier for people to source the birds and is also likely to have contributed to the rise in sales, he says. Richard Thomas from the UK-based network Traffic, which monitors wildlife trade, says that the issue is complex and it’s “not possible to say unequivocally” that the cause is Harry Potter. However, a 2015 report from Traffic on Indonesia’s bird markets also noted the jump in owl sales, and suggested that the rise in demand could be down to the popularity of the fictional character. In 2010, the network also found that the illegal owl trade was growing in India, where the animals are sought mainly for their purportedly magical properties. Conservation issue Nijman says that owls can usually be bought for US$6–30 in Indonesia's bird markets — easily affordable for most people with a job. The most popular variety are scops owls, and endangered species in same genus (Otus) are still being discovered on the country’s many islands2. That makes the owl trading a conservation issue, the researchers warn, because nearly all the birds for sale are caught in the wild. Indonesian law forbids the trade of wildlife for which there is no official catch quota — and there isn’t one for owls. But according to the researchers, state authorities have not taken any action. The Indonesian government did not respond to repeated requests for comment by Nature. The country doesn’t monitor its owl population, so researchers must rely on guesswork to estimate the impact of sales on wild numbers. “Owls are nocturnal, so it may be less apparent over a short period if there is a massive decline,” says Thomas. The researchers propose that owls should be added to Indonesia’s protected species list to raise awareness among buyers that they are not suitable pets. Nijman compares the owls to cut flowers: beautiful to buy but doomed to die quickly. “They are alive and cute when you see them on the market,” he says, “but realistically they are already dead.” ||||| From Indonesia to India, wild birds are being sold as pets to families who want their own Hedwig. Ecologists call for protection to help species survive The Harry Potter phenomenon has broken publishing and cinema box-office records and spawned a series of lucrative theme parks. But wildlife experts are sounding the alarm over a sad downside to JK Rowling’s tales of the troubled young wizard. The illegal trade in owls has jumped in the far east over the past decade and researchers fear it could endanger the survival of these distinctive predators in Asia. Conservationists say the snowy owl Hedwig – who remains the young wizard’s loyal companion for most of the Harry Potter series – is fuelling global demand for wild-caught birds for use as pets. In 2001, the year in which the first film was released, only a few hundred were sold at Indonesia’s many bird markets. By 2016, the figure had soared to more than 13,000, according to researchers Vincent Nijman and Anna Nekaris of Oxford Brookes University in a paper in Global Ecology and Conservation. At around $10 to $30, the price tag is affordable to most middle-class families. The issue is of critical concern because the owls being offered for sale are nearly all taken from the wild. “The overall popularity of owls as pets in Indonesia has risen to such an extent that it may imperil the conservation of some of the less abundant species,” Nijman and Nekaris say. As a result, they urge that owls should be added to Indonesia’s list of protected bird species, pointing out that owls may look cute on display in the market but generally die quickly after being removed from the wild. Indonesia is not alone. Several other countries have in the past noted increases in sales of owls, which they have also blamed on the popularity of Harry Potter books and films. The Indian MP Jairam Ramesh has blamed fans of the boy wizard for their role in the dwindling of numbers of wild owls in the country. “Following Harry Potter, there seems to be a strange fascination even among the urban middle classes for presenting their children with owls,” he noted. However, conservationists also point out that owls are sometimes sacrificed in India for their supposed medicinal properties. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Owl at bird market in Jakarta. Photograph: Getty A study by the conservationists Serene Chng and James Eaton found widespread illegal trade in many birds – including owls – at Chatuchak weekend market in Bangkok, Thailand. “We recorded 17 individuals of three species, all of which are native to and protected in Thailand, indicating that the animals were being illegally traded,” Chng and Eaton state. “Most appeared to be in poor condition ... with some being on the verge of unconsciousness, suggesting a high level of mortality.” Again the authors linked the high demand for owls to the popularity of the Potter books. The link between the books and the increase in the number of owls being sold cannot be proved. The circumstantial evidence is strong, nevertheless. Owls were once called burung hantu in Malay but are now known as burung Harry Potter, or Harry Potter birds. “In the 1990s and 2000s – when I lived in Indonesia – I visited the markets frequently and very few had any owls for sale. Some larger markets in Jakarta occasionally had one or two but only infrequently,” Nijman told the Observer. “But that has changed. I visited Jatinegara market in Jakarta last week and within 30 minutes I had recorded 108 scops owls and 27 barn owls. A total of 13 vendors were offering owls.” In addition, many owls sold in south Asia today are named after Harry Potter characters, including Hedwig. “Two weeks ago I was in a exotic pet cafe in Bangkok and they had two owls, called Hedwig and Harry, and visitors could pet them and have their photo taken with them, dressed up as Harry or Hermione,” added Nijman. For her part, Rowling has condemned the keeping of owls as pets. Shortly after the release of the first Harry Potter film in the UK – where the trade is more tightly controlled – bird sanctuaries reported a rise in numbers of abandoned pet owls. This prompted the author to speak out. “If anybody has been influenced by my books to think an owl would be happiest shut in a small cage and kept in a house, I would like to take this opportunity to say as forcefully as I can, ‘you are wrong’,” she said. “The owls in Harry Potter books were never intended to portray the true behaviour or preferences of real owls.” Nijman agrees with her: “Owls don’t make good pets. Actually, most wild animals don’t make good pets. That’s why people spent thousands of years domesticating the few species that are now domesticated.” ||||| The success of "Harry Potter" has led to a surge in demand for pet owls across Asia — and it may be threatening conservation efforts, researchers have warned. In the paper "The Harry Potter effect: The rise in trade of owls as pets in Java and Bali, Indonesia," Vincent Nijman and K. Anne-Isola Nekaris noted that the book and movie franchise has led to a surge in demand for the island country's owls, which are illegal to trade and in some cases endangered. In fact, owls have become so popular as purchasable domestic pets that the birds, once known as Burung Hantu (Indonesian for "ghost birds") are now known as Burung Harry Potter ("'Harry Potter' birds"), the authors noted in their July report. Indonesia is not the only country where links have been drawn between "Harry Potter" and a rise in domesticated owls. Other Asian nations, like India and Thailand, have also been criticized by environmental groups for engaging in the illegal trade of owls. Domestic owl ownership is concerning primarily because most people do not know how to look after the birds, said Nijman, author of the Indonesia study. "They are alive and cute when you see them on the market, but realistically they are already dead," he told The Mail on Sunday. According to the researchers, owls were "rarely recorded" in Indonesia's bird markets between the 1980s to early 2000s, but since the late 2000s have become more ubiquitous. The researchers recorded 1,810 owls on sale across 20 markets between 2012 and 2016. None of the owls found at the bird markets were on the country's protected species list, or listed as globally threatened. But many of the birds were discovered to be wild-caught, even though Indonesia forbids the trade of all such birds. The authors of the study stressed, however, "Harry Potter" was not the only cause for a rise in pet owls. It cited "the emergence of pet owl interest groups on Java and Bali" alongside the rise of the internet and social media. JK Rowling, the books' author, has not commented on the research report, but has spoken out against domesticated owls in the past. She previously said: "If anybody has been influenced by my books to think an owl would be happiest shut in a small cage and kept in a house, I would like to take this opportunity to say as forcefully as I can: You are wrong." Business Insider has contacted the author for comment. ||||| Hundreds of species of wild-caught birds are offered for sale in the bird markets of Java and Bali, Indonesia, to meet the demand for the largely-domestic pet and songbird trade. In the past, owls were offered only in very small numbers in these bird markets but since the release of the Harry Potter series in Indonesia in the early 2000s their popularity as pets has increased. Whereas in the past owls were collective known as Burung Hantu (“Ghost birds”), in the bird markets they are now commonly referred to as Burung Harry Potter (“Harry Potter birds”). We made a retrospective quantitative assessment of the abundance of owls in the bird markets (1979–2010) and conducted 109 surveys in 20 bird markets in 2012–2016 to quantify owls in trade. In the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s owls were rarely recorded in Indonesia's bird markets, typically one or two and up to five per survey, and frequently no owls were recorded at all. The trade was largely confined to small scops owls. In the late 2000s more species were offered for sale, including barn and bay owls, and larger owl species such as wood-owls, eagle-owls and fish-owls; typically 10 + owls were observed per survey. In recent years, the number of owl species increased even more, and on average we recorded 17 owls per survey, yielding a total of 1810 owls, and in >90% of the surveys owls were present. In the larger bird markets in Jakarta and Bandung typically 30 to 60 owls are on offer of up to 8 species at a time. The number of owls as a proportion of all birds in the markets increased from <0.06% prior to 2002 to >0.43% post 2008, suggesting a delayed Harry Potter effect. Over this period, common species have become cheaper and less common ones have become more expensive. The owls are largely, if not exclusively, wild-caught and are sold into the domestic pet market. The release of Harry Potter films and novels in Indonesia coincided with the rise of the Internet and social media and, with some delay, the emergence of pet owl interest groups on Java and Bali, thus preventing us to demonstrate a causal Harry Potter effect on the owl trade. The overall popularity of owls as pets in Indonesia has risen to such an extent that it may imperil the conservation of some of the less abundant species. Inclusion of owls on Indonesia's protected species list, alongside all diurnal raptors, may be a first step to mitigate the negative effects of this emerging trend.
– Families looking to bring the magic of Harry Potter into their homes are causing major problems among wild owls in Asia. A paper chronicling this phenomenon as the “Harry Potter effect” traces the rise in the illegal owl trade since the boy wizard’s film debut, reports the Guardian. Though direct correlation has not been established, strong circumstantial evidence suggests that the surge in demand for pet owls is attributable to the creatures’ prominence in the fictional wizarding world. Since the first Potter movie was released in 2001, the rise of owls seen in Indonesia’s bird markets rose from a few hundred to more than 13,000 in 2016. (Pet 'Hedwigs' run about $10 to $30, making owls sold there affordable to middle-class shoppers.) “I visited Jatinegara market in Jakarta last week and within 30 minutes I had recorded 108 scops owls and 27 barn owls,” Vincent Nijman, one of the paper’s authors, notes. Other parts of Asia, including India and Thailand, are also seeing a boom in illegally captured owls, reports Business Insider. But owls, especially those taken from the wild, undergo stress and premature death when they are kept as pets. "They are alive and cute when you see them on the market, but realistically they are already dead,” Nijman tells Nature. Author JK Rowling has spoken out in the past about keeping owls as pets after a surge in abandoned owls was reported following the release of the first Potter film: “If anybody has been influenced by my books to think an owl would be happiest shut in a small cage and kept in a house, I would like to take this opportunity to say as forcefully as I can, you are wrong.”
Breaking News Emails Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings. / Updated By Daniella Silva A distraught New York mother says airliner JetBlue sent her 5-year-old son on the wrong flight last month as the airline company said it was investigating the incident that ended with two children in the wrong cities. Maribel Martinez was presented with the wrong child after waiting for her son Andy to return from a family vacation in the Dominican Republic on August 17, she told the New York Daily News on Thursday. “I thought he was kidnapped,” Martinez told the paper. “I thought I would never see him again.” Martinez said she was greeted at John F. Kennedy airport by a child she did not recognize — but who was carrying her son’s passport. JetBlue placed Andy Martinez on the wrong flight, his mother says. Courtesy Maribel Martinez Jet Blue said in a statement Thursday that “two unaccompanied children of the same age traveling separately from Santiago, Dominican Republic — one to New York JFK and one to Boston — each boarded a flight to the incorrect destination.” The company said “our teams in JFK and Boston immediately took steps to assist the children in reaching their correct destinations” after learning of the mix-up. “While the children were always under the care and supervision of JetBlue crewmembers, we realize this situation was distressing for the families,” the company added in the statement. Martinez told the Daily News that she and her son had flown together from New York City on July 28 for a vacation in the Dominican Republic. She said she returned after a week and left her son with relatives, purchasing a ticket for him to return on August 17 and paying the $100 fee for unaccompanied minors. The boy was dropped off at the airport by relatives, Martinez said, who recorded video at the Cibao International Airport of Andy passing through the airport gate with other children. An airport worker fuels a JetBlue plane on the tarmac of the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. Lucas Jackson / REUTERS file Martinez said to the newspaper that it took the airline more than three hours to locate her son and that he had ended up on the wrong plane despite wearing a wristband with his name on it. "Any parent can understand the terrifying feeling of fear a mother goes through knowing her young child is missing,” her lawyer, Sanford Rubenstein, said in a press release. "This should never have happened. Jet Blue’s employees should be ashamed of themselves." Rubenstein added in the release that Martinez will be seeking "appropriate legal action." At a press conference on Thursday afternoon, Rubenstein said he and his client were requesting an individual investigation from the Federal Aviation Administration "so it doesn't happen again to another family." "Right now the issue is not a lawsuit, the issue is an investigation by the FAA about what actually happened here, and then we'll explore the lawsuit," he said. JetBlue said in their statement that they refunded the flights and offered future flight credit to the families of both children involved and were reviewing the incident. When asked at the press conference what the company could do to right the incident, Martinez said through in Spanish through an interpreter, "I don't want to see a mother go through that bad moment that they've caused me." ||||| 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.
– A 5-year-old bound for Boston ended up in New York, and another bound for New York ended up in Boston last month when JetBlue mixed them up. Maribel Martinez says she was supposed to meet her son, Andy, at New York's JFK Airport after his flight from the Dominican Republic—where he'd been staying with relatives—on Aug. 17, but was instead presented with another boy carrying Andy's passport. "I was freaking out," Martinez, who says she paid a $100 fee to have a JetBlue representative take Andy to his plane, tells the New York Daily News. "I thought he was kidnapped. I thought I would never see him again." Three hours later, Martinez learned there had been a switcheroo. Both boys were flying out of the Dominican Republic when the mixup occurred. JetBlue says it's investigating what happened, per NBC News, adding that it "immediately took steps to assist the children in reaching their correct destinations." The statement notes that "while the children were always under the care and supervision of JetBlue crew members, we realize this situation was distressing for their families." Distressing is an understatement, says Martinez, who's suing JetBlue for negligence. "I still haven't stopped crying," she says. JetBlue says it apologized to both families, refunded their flights, and gave them about $2,000 in credit.
The community of Arviat, Nunavut, is grieving after a local man was killed by a polar bear Tuesday night. Aaron Gibbons, 31, was unarmed when he encountered the bear on Sentry Island, a popular fishing and hunting spot located about 10 kilometres outside of the hamlet, on the west coast of Hudson Bay. Community members say Gibbons was with his children at the time and put himself between them and the bear. When something like this happens, it affects the whole community. - John Main, MLA for Arviat North–Whale Cove They were unharmed. Gibbons died on the scene and the bear was shot and killed by another adult who came to the area, according to the RCMP. "Definitely Aaron died a hero, he protected his children," said Gibbons' cousin, Eric Anoee. "It's [the] right word to say right now." Gibbons was a devoted father who spent a lot of time with his children, said Anoee, noting he was also a good hunter. His death has affected the whole community, where more than 2,500 people live. "We are still in shock but we are resilient and we will go on and continue as a community," said Anoee. John Main, MLA for Arviat North–Whale Cove, echoed those sentiments. A mother and cub play near Arviat, Nunavut. Elders say polar bears have been frequenting the community more often and are less afraid of humans than in years past. (Submitted by James Tagalik) "It's really just incredibly sad, we're a small community and when something like this happens, it affects the whole community," he said. Main said while the focus right now is on supporting those affected, there is also a desire to find out what led to the attack, in order to prevent others from happening. The last death from a polar bear attack in Nunavut was 18 years ago in Rankin Inlet. 'It's a fact of life' Elders from Arviat have said bears are frequenting the community more than in years past, and are less afraid of humans, leading to more human-bear conflicts. "Living in the edge of the community myself, I've seen first-hand how when the bears migrate to here in the fall time, how tense it can get," said Anoee. "It's a fact of life for us living here now," said Main. "It's always something that people are mindful of and it's always something that I think people are concerned about in terms of the risks." John Main, Nunavut MLA for Arviat North–Whale Cove, said the risks posed by polar bears have become a 'fact of life' for Arviat. (Sara Frizzell/CBC) Main said October and November are the peak months, though bears are also seen near the community in the summer and even springtime. But efforts have been taken to address the issue. In 2010 a polar bear patrol program was launched with the support of WWF-Canada to monitor the perimeter of the community in peak bear season. The organization said it has decreased the number of bears that have had to be killed. According to 2016 numbers from the territory's Department of Environment, 205 bears were deterred by the program in the Western Hudson Bay area while 29 bears were relocated by conservation officers through culvert traps. Four bears were killed in defence of life and property. Trick or treating has also moved indoors, at the community centre or outdoors with protection. "We're in bear country and Inuit long ago up to today have coexisted with polar bears and we have the utmost respect to these animals and it's hard sometimes but we manage," said Anoee. Arviat RCMP said they are investigating the incident with the Nunavut chief coroner's office. ||||| Thank you for supporting the journalism that our community needs! For unlimited access to the best local, national, and international news and much more, try an All Access Digital subscription: We hope you have enjoyed your trial! To continue reading, we recommend our Read Now Pay Later membership. Simply add a form of payment and pay only 27¢ per article. Thank you for supporting the journalism that our community needs! For unlimited access to the best local, national, and international news and much more, try an All Access Digital subscription: We hope you have enjoyed your trial! To continue reading, we recommend our Read Now Pay Later membership. Simply add a form of payment and pay only 27¢ per article. Thank you for supporting the journalism that our community needs! For unlimited access to the best local, national, and international news and much more, try an All Access Digital subscription: We hope you have enjoyed your trial! To continue reading, we recommend our Read Now Pay Later membership. Simply add a form of payment and pay only 27¢ per article. "The bear surprised him and his children, so he put himself between them and the bear to let them escape. The bear had no fear," Kidlapik tweeted Tuesday. "My qangiaq died a hero," the 60-year-old Kidlapik said on Twitter, using the Inuinnaqtun word for nephew. Gordy Kidlapik said his nephew Aaron Gibbons, 31, was mauled to death Tuesday on Sentry Island, 10 kilometres from Arviat, a hamlet on the western shore of Hudson Bay in Nunavut. A dad killed Tuesday when he put himself between a polar bear and his three young children is being hailed as a hero, while tourism that promotes close encounters with the giant carnivores is being called into question. A dad killed Tuesday when he put himself between a polar bear and his three young children is being hailed as a hero, while tourism that promotes close encounters with the giant carnivores is being called into question. Gordy Kidlapik said his nephew Aaron Gibbons, 31, was mauled to death Tuesday on Sentry Island, 10 kilometres from Arviat, a hamlet on the western shore of Hudson Bay in Nunavut. "My qangiaq died a hero," the 60-year-old Kidlapik said on Twitter, using the Inuinnaqtun word for nephew. "The bear surprised him and his children, so he put himself between them and the bear to let them escape. The bear had no fear," Kidlapik tweeted Tuesday. Kidlapik, a director of the hunters and trappers association in Arviat, which is located 260 kilometres north of Churchill, took to social media to blast tourism outfitters in Churchill and Travel Manitoba for promoting activities such as "walk with the bears," which he said are making the massive meat-eating animals lose their fear of humans. "We are just north of Churchill and the same bears you allow to approach close to the tourists migrate through our town when coming from south," Kidlapik said on Twitter, singling out social media posts from Churchill Wild, a company that promotes walking tours through polar bear habitat. GORDY KIDLAPIK / TWITTER Residents from the town of Arviat wait along the shore for the body of Aaron Gibbons, 31, who died Tuesday on Sentry Island, 10 kilometres from the town which is on the western shore of Hudson Bay. Gibbons was killed by a polar bear. "You'll see pictures of tourists touching a bear through the fence," Kidlapik said by phone Wednesday. "That's not right. I was quite angry (Tuesday) night knowing it could have been a factor in the number of bears that get that close." The chief executive officer of Churchill Wild expressed sympathy but said the fatal polar bear attack near Arviat had nothing to do with the company. "Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family," CEO Toni Morberg said in an email. "This incident didn’t happen near Churchill or near any Churchill Wild properties and didn’t involve the company in any way and so we are unable to comment on it." Travel Manitoba also declined to comment. Kidlapik said Gibbons and his elementary-school age children were thought to be egg picking on the island, looking for Arctic tern eggs, which are considered a delicacy. Polar bears also like the eggs, Kidlapik added. News of what happened to Gibbons and what his children witnessed spread rapidly through the community, leaving the 2,600 residents in shock. "The bear started to stalk or charge one of his children. He told his children to run back to the boat and put himself between his children and the bear," said Kidlapik, his voice breaking with emotion. BRIGIT CATHRIN DUVAL PHOTO Photo from churchillwild.com promoting their Polar Bear Photo Safari. "He died a hero." One of Gibbons children called for help on a CB radio, which Kidlapik later tweeted about it. "His young daughter having to call on CB radio and crying to her grandmother, my aik (sister-in-law), immediately after the mauling... we were very helpless. To hear my aik calling out to my qangiaq, asking if he’s okay...very heart breaking. His body was brought in at 11:15 p.m. (Tuesday)." The RCMP Arviat detachment said they were notified of the polar bear attack just before 8 p.m. that evening. Gibbons, who was unarmed, was pronounced dead when officers and medical professionals arrived at the scene. Police said the polar bear was put down by another adult who was nearby on the island and armed. Kidlapik said he hopes tourism operators and promoters who are selling close contact with polar bears review that marketing practice. "They need to really stop and look at this closer. Then they might understand what's happening to the Inuit and northerners with (polar bears) coming closer." "We're not blaming Churchill Wild for what is happening, but it is a factor," Kidlapik said from Arviat. "Bears are losing whatever fear they have of humans. It's very different from 10 or 15 years ago. Based on my experience and others I've talked to, bears would run away from the sound of an ATV or snowmobile. Today, bears are not doing that. They hang around. They won't run away. They'll go on the trail beside you." The Arviat RCMP said it is continuing its investigation with the Office of the Chief Coroner. The Nunavut Department of the Environment is also looking into the death, which is reportedly the first in Nunavut involving a polar bear since 2000. Some Arviat residents commented on social media Wednesday about their grief and their growing concern about bears coming into their yards, especially in the fall. "We are concerned for our families' lives, I live with fear but have to be brave," wrote one man who was a cousin of Gibbons. carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca
– The first person killed by a polar bear in Canada's Nunavut territory for 18 years is being hailed as a hero. Aaron Gibbons, 31, put himself between the bear and his three young children when he encountered the animal on Sentry Island, around six miles from the Hudson Bay hamlet of Arviat, the CBC reports. His uncle, Gordy Kidlapik, says Gibbons and the children were looking for Arctic tern eggs at the time. "The bear started to stalk or charge one of his children," Kidlapik says. "He told his children to run back to the boat and put himself between his children and the bear." One of the children called for help on the boat's CB radio. Gibbons, who was unarmed, was fatally mauled by the bear. He was pronounced dead when Mounties arrived on the scene. The bear was killed by another adult in the area. Arviat residents say they are worried about the increasing number of encounters with polar bears in the area, which Kidlapik blames on tourism operators bringing people close to the animals. "Bears are losing whatever fear they have of humans. It's very different from 10 or 15 years ago," Kidlapik tells the Winnipeg Free Press. "Based on my experience and others I've talked to, bears would run away from the sound of an ATV or snowmobile. Today, bears are not doing that. They hang around. They won't run away. They'll go on the trail beside you."
After 22 orbits between the planet and its rings, Nasa plans for Cassini to ‘break apart, melt, vaporize and become part of the very planet it left Earth to explore’ On its final mission, threading past hazardous cosmic dust and into hurricanes 1.2bn kilometers away, the Cassini spacecraft will end its 20-year journey with humanity’s closest ever look at what goes on in Saturn’s rings and within its clouds. On Tuesday, Nasa scientists unveiled their plan for the storied spacecraft, and their reasoning for driving Cassini to its own destruction: with the spacecraft running out of fuel, they do not want to risk it crashing into and contaminating Saturn’s moons, where there may be conditions for alien life. SpaceX becomes first to re-fly used rocket Read more The tiny moon Enceladus, in particular, has intrigued the researchers. In 2014 and 2015, Cassini found that the frozen moon has an underground saltwater ocean, with geysers spewing plumes high into space, and possibly hydrothermal vents far below the cracked ice. On a flyby, the spacecraft tasted one of those plumes, finding organic chemicals and raising scientists’ hopes that there may be “a brand new paradigm of where bodies may be inhabitable for life”, said Jim Green, director of Nasa’s planetary science division. “Cassini’s own discoveries were its demise,” said Earl Maize, the mission’s project manager. “We cannot risk an inadvertent contact with that pristine body.” On another moon, Titan, Cassini found rivers of liquid methane and yet more organic chemicals, which Green said raised the question of “a different potential life environment” that does not require water or a DNA-based system. The scientists outlined the fate they have devised for Cassini, after 12 years exploring Saturn and its moons. They will direct the spacecraft into Titan’s orbit one last time, using it as a slingshot to drive Cassini into the narrow space – 70,000mph into a 12-mile gap – between Saturn’s atmosphere and its rings, whose fields of dust and debris could threaten the probe. Then Cassini will stay close to the atmosphere, all the while capturing data about the rings and Saturn and using the spacecraft’s antennae as a shield to protect instruments from debris. “Even a piece of sand at that velocity could take out one of our instruments, or if in the wrong place, could cripple the spacecraft,” Maize said. The data would be the closest look at Saturn and its rings ever. Project scientist Linda Spilker said Cassini could help solve the mystery of the rings’ origin. If the rings are more massive than expected, she said, they could be ancient, possibly as old as the planet itself. If they are smaller, they may be as young as 100m years old, she said, “maybe a comet torn apart by Saturn’s gravity”. Cassini could also reveal the composition of the rings, which are mostly water ice but 1% of which remains a total mystery. With its instruments toward Saturn, Cassini will capture images and data about the giant hurricanes on the planet’s north and south poles, and the massive and enigmatic hexagon at its northmost reaches. The spacecraft could help answer the question of how the hexagon’s sides stay in place, measure the depths of winds on the planet and capture the first measurements of Saturn’s rocky core. 'Super potato' grown in Mars-like conditions may benefit Earth's arid areas Read more “We’ll actually be peeling back the atmosphere,” Spilker said. “Flying this close to the rings of a planet, that’s a once in a lifetime experience for a scientist.” Finally, after 22 orbits between the planet and its rings, Cassini will fall into the clouds. “It will break apart, it will melt, it will vaporize, and it will become part of the very planet it left Earth to explore,” Maize said. Twenty years after scientists from 19 nations and three space agencies launched the spacecraft, they will watch it disappear in about three minutes. “Going out in a blaze of glory is a phenomenal conclusion,” Maize said, praising the decades of discoveries and research that have come from the mission. “It has essentially rewritten the books on Saturn,” he said, adding he could not help but feel some sadness at the end of an era. “But it’s just a chapter, the book is not complete.” ||||| This illustration shows Cassini above Saturn's northern hemisphere prior to one of its 22 Grand Finale dives. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech NASA's Cassini spacecraft, in orbit around Saturn since 2004, is about to begin the final chapter of its remarkable story. On Wednesday, April 26, the spacecraft will make the first in a series of dives through the 1,500-mile-wide (2,400-kilometer) gap between Saturn and its rings as part of the mission's grand finale. "No spacecraft has ever gone through the unique region that we'll attempt to boldly cross 22 times," said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "What we learn from Cassini's daring final orbits will further our understanding of how giant planets, and planetary systems everywhere, form and evolve. This is truly discovery in action to the very end." During its time at Saturn, Cassini has made numerous dramatic discoveries, including a global ocean that showed indications of hydrothermal activity within the icy moon Enceladus, and liquid methane seas on its moon Titan. Now 20 years since launching from Earth, and after 13 years orbiting the ringed planet, Cassini is running low on fuel. In 2010, NASA decided to end the mission with a purposeful plunge into Saturn this year in order to protect and preserve the planet's moons for future exploration—especially the potentially habitable Enceladus. But the beginning of the end for Cassini is, in many ways, like a whole new mission. Using expertise gained over the mission's many years, Cassini engineers designed a flight plan that will maximize the scientific value of sending the spacecraft toward its fateful plunge into the planet on Sept. 15. As it ticks off its terminal orbits during the next five months, the mission will rack up an impressive list of scientific achievements. "This planned conclusion for Cassini's journey was far and away the preferred choice for the mission's scientists," said Linda Spilker, Cassini project scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. "Cassini will make some of its most extraordinary observations at the end of its long life." The mission team hopes to gain powerful insights into the planet's internal structure and the origins of the rings, obtain the first-ever sampling of Saturn's atmosphere and particles coming from the main rings, and capture the closest-ever views of Saturn's clouds and inner rings. The team currently is making final checks on the list of commands the robotic probe will follow to carry out its science observations, called a sequence, as it begins the finale. That sequence is scheduled to be uploaded to the spacecraft on Tuesday, April 11. Cassini will transition to its grand finale orbits, with a last close flyby of Saturn's giant moon Titan, on Saturday, April 22. As it has many times over the course of the mission, Titan's gravity will bend Cassini's flight path. Cassini's orbit then will shrink so that instead of making its closest approach to Saturn just outside the rings, it will begin passing between the planet and the inner edge of its rings. "Based on our best models, we expect the gap to be clear of particles large enough to damage the spacecraft. But we're also being cautious by using our large antenna as a shield on the first pass, as we determine whether it's safe to expose the science instruments to that environment on future passes," said Earl Maize, Cassini project manager at JPL. "Certainly there are some unknowns, but that's one of the reasons we're doing this kind of daring exploration at the end of the mission." In mid-September, following a distant encounter with Titan, the spacecraft's path will be bent so that it dives into the planet. When Cassini makes its final plunge into Saturn's atmosphere on Sept. 15, it will send data from several instruments - most notably, data on the atmosphere's composition—until its signal is lost. "Cassini's grand finale is so much more than a final plunge," said Spilker. "It's a thrilling final chapter for our intrepid spacecraft, and so scientifically rich that it was the clear and obvious choice for how to end the mission." Explore further: Cassini transmits first images from new orbit ||||| The NASA Cassini mission has studied the Saturn system for many years and will have one final act later this year as it dives into the gas giant. Take a look back at its epic journey and an animation of the final moments of the mission.
– Two decades after putting Earth in its rear-view mirror, the Cassini spacecraft is preparing to wrap up its mission to Saturn—and that means plunging to its death in the planet's atmosphere, according to a press release. Cassini has been orbiting Saturn since 2004, sending back information on the planet and its moons. But now it's running low on fuel, and that means it's time to prepare for the end. On April 26, Cassini will start the first of 22 dives into the gap between Saturn and its rings. No spacecraft has ever traversed that gap. "What we learn from Cassini's daring final orbits will further our understanding of how giant planets, and planetary systems everywhere, form and evolve," one NASA administrator says. With those dives complete, Cassini will begin its plunge into Saturn itself on Sept. 15, disintegrating on approach. The mission's project manager tells the Guardian that Cassini essentially signed its own death warrant when it discovered environments potentially habitable to life on Saturn's moons. NASA doesn't want to risk contaminating those environments by having Cassini inadvertently crash into them. However, sending the spacecraft to its doom is far from a waste. A NASA project scientist says "some of its most extraordinary observations" will come during its final plunge. That includes collecting data that could hint at Saturn's internal structure and the origins of its rings and the first-ever sample of Saturn's atmosphere. Space.com has a video showing what the final weeks of Cassini's mission will look like.
WASHINGTON — Ben Carson, the secretary of housing and urban development, told a House committee on Tuesday that he had “dismissed” himself from the decision to buy a $31,000 dining room set for his office last year, leaving the details to his wife and staff. Mr. Carson offered a rambling, at times contradictory, explanation of the purchase of the table, chairs and hutch, a transaction that turned into a public relations disaster that led President Trump to consider replacing him, according to White House aides. The hearing, before the House Appropriations subcommittee that determines the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s budget, was supposed to center on the administration’s proposed budget cuts to the agency. Instead it was dominated by questions about Mr. Carson’s judgment, the conduct of his wife, Candy Carson, and son Ben Carson Jr., and Mr. Carson’s initial denial that he was aware of the expenditure, a position he has modified. “I was not big into redecorating. If it were up to me, my office would look like a hospital waiting room,” said Mr. Carson, who repeatedly told committee members that he had no knowledge of the $5,000 limit imposed on cabinet secretaries for redecorating their offices — despite the release of emails between top aides discussing how to justify getting around the cap. ||||| It wasn’t me. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson gave an ill-considered explanation for purchasing a $31,000 mahogany dining set on the taxpayer dime: It was all his wife’s fault. Speaking publicly for the first time since details of the lavish, now-canceled purchase were revealed, Carson told a congressional oversight committee on Tuesday that he had asked Candy Carson to help him out with selecting new furniture, then gone back to focusing on his core duties, like helping President Trump try to gut his agency. “I left it with my wife,” he said. “The next thing that I, quite frankly, heard about it was that this $31,000 table had been bought.” Carson has come under fire for giving family members unprecedented sway at HUD, but apparently he’s not above scapegoating them when his reputation is on the line. Carson also said that once he was made aware of the prohibitive dining-set cost, he nixed the purchase immediately. And he emphasized that he and his wife are both very thrifty people, by nature. “If it were up to me I would decorate my office like a hospital waiting room,” he said. Still, he maintained, the furniture needed replacing — if only for safety’s sake. He described a potentially dangerous office environment in which “people were stuck by nails, and a chair had collapsed with someone sitting in it.” (Everyone knows you can’t find a safe dining-room table for anything under $15,000.) A whistleblower at HUD said that she had been demoted after reporting that the furniture exceeded the $5,000 legal cost limit. She was allegedly told that “$5,000 will not even buy a decent chair.” A HUD spokesman initially claimed that “career staffers in charge of the building” were to blame for the dining set, but internal emails told a very different story. Scott Pruitt’s habit of sitting in first class to avoid the wrath of apopleptic liberals is looking pretty good by comparison right now. ||||| Pinterest Alex Wong/Getty Images Hopefully his couch at home is comfortable, because he's about to be sleeping on it. Ben Carson, who still serves in Donald Trump's Cabinet despite the fact that he now spends most of his time thumbing through old Restoration Hardware catalogs, continued his spirited public defense of his infamous $31,000 office dining set in a congressional oversight hearing on Tuesday. This time, the culprit was not the Carson family's passion for tasteful interior design, or the government's interest in replacing antique office furniture. No, said Ben Carson. He needed a $31,000 office dining set for safety. I was told that the dining room set needed to be changed. I said, "Why"? Because people were stuck by nails, and a chair had collapsed with someone sitting in it. It's 50 years old. Internal HUD emails indicate that at least one official had expressed concern that a chair could collapse and cause "embarrassment" for the hypothetical victim, but no publicly-released evidence indicates that such a disaster ever occurred. Even if the secretary's guests were having their evenings (and their formalwear) ruined by ill-timed puncture wounds, though, Carson's proffered explanation fails to address why the chosen solution to this problem was a $31,000 one. That detail came later, when Carson, claiming that he had had too much on his agenda to worry about furniture selection, smiled earnestly at the assembled panel and proceeded to throw his wife of more than four decades under the bus. I left it with my wife. I said, "Help choose something." ... The next thing that I, quite frankly, heard about it is that this $31,000 table had been bought. I said, "What the heck is that all about?" I investigated and immediately had it cancelled. Not that we don't need the furniture, but I thought that that was excessive. Set aside, for a moment, the fact that Carson at first opined that the cost of the table was reasonable, and that he cancelled the order only after the public excoriated him for caring more about his office's redecorating budget than he does about poor people. Why is Candy Carson choosing how to spend taxpayer dollars? And why does Ben Carson think that pointing the finger at her will absolve him of responsibility? I'm no auditor, but I am guessing that "ceding unilateral decisionmaking authority to one's spouse" does not appear in any best practices manual for stewardship of government funds. It has been remarkable to watch this man transform over the past few years from a celebrity doctor who did silly cameos in Farrelly brothers movies to a grifting bureaucrat who is coming unglued before our eyes by his baffling inability to not fuck up the acquisition of a dining room table. I hope Ben Carson's taste in luxury furniture extends to the couch he bought for his home, because I am also reasonably confident that he's going to be sleeping on it tonight. Watch:
– Newly uncovered emails suggest Ben Carson and his wife did know about the $31,000 dining room set purchased for his office last year, and on Tuesday, the secretary of housing and urban development gave a meandering explanation of the controversial purchase during a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing to determine his department's budget. "I was not big into redecorating. If it were up to me, my office would look like a hospital waiting room," he said, per the New York Times. "I invited my wife to come and help. I left it to my wife, you know, to choose something. I dismissed myself from the issues." She "selected the color and style ... with the caveat that we were both not happy about the price," he said, noting that top aides were also involved in the process. In the past, Carson had said he was unaware of the price entirely. The aforementioned emails, however, tell a slightly different story, with one email from the department's administrative officer saying she "has printouts of the furniture the secretary and Mrs. Carson picked out." During the hearing, Carson also said multiple times that he did not know about the $5,000 limit cabinet secretaries can spend on redecorating, but the emails also show aides talking about how to get around that limit. Carson also said during the hearing that the new furniture was about safety, not redecoration: "People were stuck by nails, and a chair had collapsed with someone sitting in it," he said, though it's not clear any such thing had ever actually happened. Not surprisingly, Carson's mention of his wife during the hearing is getting slammed in the media: GQ says he "[threw] his wife of more than four decades under the bus," while New York calls his justification the "worst excuse ever."
Newly-released search warrants show that investigators believe a family of five in Springville died of poisoning last month. SPRINGVILLE — Investigators believe a family of five in Springville died last month of poisoning. Police suspected the family's deaths were "not accidental or natural in any way" from the day they were found in their Springville home, 954 E. 900 South, according newly-released search warrants filed in 4th District Court as part of a homicide investigation. Benjamin Strack, 37, his wife Kristi Strack, 36, and three of their children, Benson, 14, Emery, 12, and Zion, 11, were discovered dead behind the locked door of the parents' master bedroom on Sept. 27. At the time, Springville police told the media they had no answers as to how the family died, saying there was no signs of carbon monoxide in the home, no trauma suffered and no obvious signs. What they didn't say then is that detectives immediately suspected the family ingested poison and that at least one family member seemed to have suspected what happened. "The detectives on scene determined the cause to be an accidental or intentional poisoning either by ingestion or environmental causes," detective Raymond Flores wrote in an affidavit. The parents' bodies were found in the bed, while the three children were lying "around the bed," covered up to their necks with bedding, according to the affidavits. All five had cups of red liquid near their bodies. "Furthermore, with the placement of the bodies, it would appear somebody had to position the bodies after they were deceased," detective Jeffery Ellsworth wrote. Family members told investigators the children had their own bedrooms and it was unusual for all of them to be together in their parents' bedroom. A trash bag at the home was found with 10 opened and empty boxes of a nighttime cold and flu medication and nine empty blister packs for cold and flu medication, according to the warrants. The bag also contained two empty boxes for allergy relief medication. Police also removed a bag of marijuana, cellphones, a laptop, wallets, a towel with a red substance on it, a pitcher of red juice, pill bottles and medications from the Strack house. Empty bottles of liquid Methadone were also found. The family was found by Kristi Strack's 18-year-old son, Janson McGee, and his girlfriend, who had contacted Kristi Strack's mother, Valerie Sudweeks, and her friend, to help them enter the locked bedroom. According to the warrants, McGee's girlfriend, who also lived at the home, spoke with Kristi Strack at 6 a.m. that Saturday, and then went back to bed. McGee and his girlfriend woke up around noon and, finding the house quiet, went to a friend's home believing the family had left. When they returned about 7 p.m., they found the home quiet although all the family cars were still at the house. Knocks and calls to the master bedroom door went unanswered. When firefighters arrived, they warned Sudweeks there may be a carbon monoxide leak in the home. "Valerie replied, stating there was no carbon monoxide leak, and that she knew her family. Valerie also said she couldn't believe 'she' would do this to the kids," one of the affidavits states. "Officers tried to clarify Valerie's statement, but she only assured them it wasn't a carbon monoxide leak." Officers had to physically remove the mother and grandmother because of her emotional state. Neither Springville police nor family members responded to calls for comment Wednesday. However, a man named Jake Strack posted a message on the Strack family's memorial Facebook page offering an exclusive interview for media willing to donate to the family's Go Fund Me account. Professional journalism ethics preclude reporters from paying for interviews. At a vigil prior to the family's funeral earlier this month, friends and neighbors recalled the easy, sincere friendships they shared with the Stracks, whom they described as loving and kind. Isaac Strack, Benjamin's older brother, asked the crowd at the event to be patient as they waited for answers surrounding the deaths. Toxicology tests have yet to be completed. "We understand that there is healing that comes with those answers," Isaac Strack said at the time. "We're confident those answers will come. We all have to be patient and wait until those answers come, and even when they do come, we won't know everything." Email: mromero@deseretnews.com, Twitter: McKenzieRomero; DNewsCrimeTeam ||||| A red liquid substance was coming from Kristi Strack's mouth, police wrote. Officers found in a trash bag a number of empty containers for medications, including 10 empty boxes of nighttime cold and flu medicine and two empty boxes of "generic benadryl." Police also found empty bottles of liquid methadone, "dispensed from a drug treatment clinic," officers wrote. Some of the empty bottles were labeled with future dates. Police also found pill bottles, a pitcher of red juice, a purple bucket of yellow liquid, a towel with a red substance on it, empty sleep aid boxes and a baggie of marijuana. The Stracks' lone surviving son, who had been out of the house, and his grandmother happened upon the motionless bodies the evening of Sept. 27. The master bedroom door was locked, so the grandmother had to force it open. Kristi Strack's mother had to be physically removed from the home "due to her emotional state," officers wrote. When officers told her carbon monoxide may have been leaking into the home, the mother said "there was no carbon monoxide leak, and that she knew her family," police wrote. "[The mother] also said she couldn't believe 'she' would do this to the kids. Officers tried to clarify [the grandmother's] statement, but she only assured them it wasn't a carbon monoxide leak." A test of the air in the home by firefighters did not find any carbon monoxide. Springville Police Lt. Dave Caron on Thursday said he is declining to comment until the medical examiner's report is finished at the end of November. "To comment or speculate on the cause or manner of death prior to the results of those autopsies would be unprofessional," according to a Thursday news release from the department. "And minus those reports we have no updates to give on the case or the investigation itself." Benjamin and Kristi Strack, 37 and 36, respectively, pleaded guilty in 2008 to charges of forgery, theft, identity fraud and unlawful possession of credit cards. Benjamin Strack also pleaded guilty to drug paraphernalia charges. No other serious criminal history appears in the Utah court record. — Reporter Michael McFall contributed to this story.
– Police believe the deaths of five members of a Utah family last month were "not accidental or natural in any way," according to newly released documents. Benjamin and Kristi Strack, their sons Benson, 14, and Zion, 11, and their 12-year-old daughter Emery were found dead in their Springville home on Sept. 27, and police suspect they were poisoned, the Salt Lake Tribune reports. A search warrant states that all five were found dead in the home's master bedroom with cups of red liquid near their bodies; Kristi Strack had red liquid coming from her mouth. The adults were in the bed, the children were lying around it with bedding covering all but their heads, and "it would appear somebody had to position the bodies after they were deceased," officers wrote. The horrific scene was found by Kristi Strack's mother and 18-year-old son, who called his grandmother after finding the bedroom locked. When firefighters warned the mother that there could be a carbon monoxide leak, she replied "there was no carbon monoxide leak, and that she knew her family," saying she "couldn't believe 'she' would do this to the kids," warrants state; though officers pressed her, she didn't elaborate. In a trash bag, officers found nearly 20 empty boxes and blister packs of cold and flu medication. A bag of marijuana, pill bottles, a pitcher of red juice, and empty bottles of liquid methadone from a drug treatment clinic were also found in the home, reports the Deseret News. At a vigil earlier this month, Benjamin's brother said they were still waiting on toxicology results, but noted that even when the "answers come ... we won't know everything." Click for more on the case.
Michael Picard was filming a protest near a police DUI checkpoint in West Hartford, Conn., in Sept. 2015 when troopers confiscated his camera. The ACLU says this recording proves the officers fabricated criminal charges against Picard. (ACLU-CT) Three Connecticut state troopers fabricated criminal charges against a man protesting at a DUI traffic checkpoint, according to a lawsuit filed against Connecticut State Police last week. In an odd twist, the state troopers appear to have accidentally filmed themselves making up the charges — using the protester’s own video camera, according to the lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut. “There’s a lot about the case that attracted our attention,” Dan Barrett, legal director of the ACLU of Connecticut, told The Washington Post. “Of course, Michael’s protesting and that’s an important thing. But also we’ve seen … how vital it’s become to police oversight that people be able to record police.” The roadside protest in question was not out of the ordinary for Michael Picard, a 27-year-old East Hartford man who had become something of a regular at DUI checkpoints in Connecticut. These set-ups, Picard thought, were a waste of public money. For years, he would find out where Connecticut State Police planned to hold the checkpoints, then would show up with his digital camera. Afterward, he would upload the videos to YouTube, with titles such as “How to Flex Your Rights at a DUI Checkpoint” and “Cop Claims Freedom of Speech Does Not Give Citizens the Right to Question Police.” His regular protests had made him into something of a known thorn in the side of police — so much so that a Hartford police employee apparently notified state police weeks ahead of time that Picard probably would be at a checkpoint on Sept. 11, 2015, but noted that he was “harmless” and the lawful owner of a pistol, according to the lawsuit. On that September evening, Picard arrived at such a checkpoint with a handwritten yellow sign — “Cops Ahead: Keep Calm and Remain Silent” — and situated himself on a triangular traffic island near an Interstate 84 entrance road, according to the lawsuit. For an hour-and-a-half, he recorded activity at the checkpoint, including that of state trooper John Barone, sergeant John Jacobi and master sergeant Patrick Torneo, the lawsuit said. [‘Unprovoked, violent, intentional act’: Video shows car plowing into Phoenix police officers] Shortly after 8 p.m., Barone walked over to Picard. Someone had called in a complaint about a man “waving a gun and pointing it at people,” the lawsuit claims Barone told him. Without warning, Barone slapped Picard’s camera out of his hand, causing it to fall to the ground, an act that was captured on video. Barone then confiscated a pistol Picard had been wearing in his hip holster, as well as his pistol permit from his pants pocket — “theatrically” shouting “I’ve got a gun!” in the process, according to the lawsuit. Picard knelt down to pick up his camera to see if it was broken and then pointed it back at the troopers, the lawsuit said. Barone strode back to protest: “It’s illegal to take my picture,” he said, as captured on video. “Did you get any documentation I’m allowing you to take my picture?” After a brief debate, in which Picard argued that he was on public property, Barone grabbed the camera and took it back to the two other troopers, as indicated by the video. “I got the camera,” he told them, setting it on top of Torneo’s vehicle. What the troopers appeared not to know was that the camera was still working — and recording everything. In the video, they can be heard discussing how to charge Picard after his pistol permit comes back as valid. “You want me to punch a number on this either way?” Barone is heard saying, referring to entering a code in the police database. “Gotta cover our ass.” The troopers discuss where Picard was standing on the road. Jacobi, the sergeant, tells the two others: “So, we can hit him with reckless use of the highway by a pedestrian and creating a public disturbance, and whatever he said.” They agree. After some additional discussion, Torneo, the master sergeant, adds: “And then we claim that, um, in backup, we had multiple people, um, they didn’t want to stay and give us a statement, so we took our own course of action.” “Okay,” Jacobi is heard saying. [Father ‘utterly terrified’ after trooper points gun at his 7-year-old during traffic stop] The police ended up pressing Picard with two criminal trespassing charges: one for reckless use of highway by a pedestrian, the other for creating a public disturbance. Both eventually were dropped by the state, after nearly a year in the Connecticut superior court system. “The evidence clearly shows that these police officers violated Mr. Picard’s rights,” attorney Joseph Sastre said in a statement. Sastre defended Picard against the criminal charges and also, with ACLU’s Barrett, is representing Picard in the civil lawsuit. “We are confident that the court will agree, and we hope that it will send a strong message to police and the public alike that enforcing the law means respecting free speech, not trampling on it.” Barrett said they had not heard anything from Connecticut State Police regarding what action the agency took, if any, as a result of the incident. “It was unbelievable — this is an interaction that was recorded from start to finish on high-quality digital video,” Barrett said in an ACLU summary of the case. “A year later, there has been zero movement on the internal affairs investigation as far as anyone knows, which just shows that police and prosecutors in Connecticut should not be in charge of policing themselves.” A Connecticut State Police spokeswoman said the agency was not making any statements about the case, nor would it confirm the current employment status of the three troopers named in the lawsuit. “They’re not commenting on anything at this time,” she said. In its lawsuit against the Connecticut State Police, the ACLU of Connecticut claimed the troopers violated Picard’s First Amendment right to “receive and memorialize information” and his Fourth Amendment right against seizure of his property without a warrant. In addition to the First Amendment violation, Barrett noted that Connecticut lawmakers passed a statute last year that makes clear that a person is allowed to record police officers as they perform their public duties. Picard also declined an interview but confirmed the authenticity of the videos. “Community members like me have a right to film government officials doing their jobs in public, and we should be able to protest without fearing political retribution from law enforcement,” Picard said in a statement through the ACLU of Connecticut. “As an advocate for free speech, I’m deeply disappointed that these police officers ignored my rights, particularly because two of the troopers involved were supervisors who should be setting an example for others. By seeking to hold these three police officers accountable, I hope that I can prevent the same thing from happening to someone else.” Read more: Florida lawmaker captured on video hitting a man who took down one of his campaign signs An animal activist gave water to slaughterhouse-bound pigs. Now, she’s on trial for mischief. Texas gun-rights activist slammed for graphic film portraying shooting of a student protester ||||| Ticketed Protester's Video Spells Trouble for Police (CN) — A Connecticut man received a fistful of tickets for protesting a DUI checkpoint, but he is getting the last laugh in court. Video released in conjunction with his federal lawsuit shows police spoke openly about fabricating charges while the camera they seized recorded the whole thing. The American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut filed the lawsuit Thursday on behalf of Michael Picard, who has a habit of protesting DUI checkpoints because he sees them as "contrary to the Fourth Amendment, and a waste of public money." Picard was protesting near a checkpoint in West Hartford on Sept. 11, 2015, when Connecticut state trooper John Barone approached. In addition to Barone, the suit names as defendants fellow troopers Patrick Torneo and John Jacobi. According to the complaint, Barone approached Picard and swatted the camera out of his hand. As the camera clattered to the ground, ejecting its battery, Barone allegedly removed a pistol from Picard's hip holster and the pistol permit from Picard's pant pocket. Picard says Barone had gone to his police cruiser to talk to Torneo and Jacobi, so he picked up his camera and reinserted the battery. As Picard began filming the officers, the footage shows Barone grabbing the camera, saying, "it's illegal to take my picture." The tape was still rolling, however, when Barone put the camera on the roof and the cruiser and talked with the troopers about Picard. Picard's footage show that the troopers were dissatisfied when his pistol permit proved valid. Barone asked the others, "Do you want me to punch a number on this one? We gotta cover our ass." "Punching a number," according to the complaint, is police slang for opening an investigation in the electronic case management system and assigning it a case number. The conversation turned to what charges they would issue. "Torneo said that the defendants should issue Mr. Picard a public disturbance charge, 'then we claim that in backup we had multiple [motorists] stopped to complain about' a man waving a gun, 'but that no one wanted to stop and give a statement,'" the complaint states. "Torneo emphasized the words 'then' and 'multiple' when speaking, as if formulating the defendants' cover story aloud." The troopers settled on giving Picard two tickets for use of a highway by a pedestrian and for creating a public disturbance by carrying an exposed side arm in plain view of passing motorists. Picard's camera proved a rude awakening for the officers when Torneo started to drive away, and the camera slid off the roof onto the hood of the cruiser. "Oh, shit," Torneo said, as heard in the footage. "I ended up with his camera on my roof," he tells Torneo. "It's still on." This past July, a prosecutor dropped one charge against Picard and nolled the other. Picard is seeking a civil judgment in his favor, but is not specifying any damages, A spokeswoman for the state police said the troopers are the subject of an ongoing internal investigation. The Connecticut State Police Unions said in a statement Friday that it believes Picard's lawsuit is "frivolous and will ultimately be dismissed." They cautioned against a rush to judgment "simply because charges were dropped against Mr. Picard." ||||| Published on Jun 9, 2015 If you happen on a DUI checkpoint, there are a few things you should know: 1. According to the Supreme Court (Sitz V. Michigan State Police), police have the right to stop you and ask you questions, but you are under no legal obligation to answer those questions (fifth amendment). 2. If you would like to invoke your right to remain silent, make sure you say that: Respectfully and assertively say, "I have the right to remain silent." In Salinas v. Texas, the Supreme Court ruled that the police can use your silence against you, unless you invoke your right to remain silent. 3. Roll your window down no more than an inch. Remember, you are under investigation, hence the questions,. Why help them investigate you? Although the officer will want you to roll your window down all the way, if it is not state law, and it is certainly not federal law, then you are not required to do so. 4. If you invoke your right to remain silent, officers might detain you, but being detained is better than waiving your rights. If this does happen, ask them to articulate what reasonable suspicion they have to detain you. Merely invoking your right to remain silent isn't reasonable suspicion. Also, many officers will change the subject, but make sure to insist that they articulate what reasonable suspicion they have to detain you. If they can't answer that question, ask to be on your way, or ask to speak to the supervising officer. Also, check out my previous video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xB9j5V... Thank you for watching! ||||| 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.
– Michael Picard has made a hobby of driving through police DUI checkpoints and uploading dashcam footage to YouTube as a way to protest the set-ups and educate people about their rights. He just never imagined he'd catch officers fabricating charges against him, per a civil suit. Picard, 27, of East Hartford, Conn., says he was recording officers from a traffic island at a DUI checkpoint on Sept. 11, 2015, when state trooper John Barone approached him and said someone had complained about a man pointing a gun at people. Picard, who had a pistol on his hip, says Barone then took his gun, permit, and—after knocking it out of his hand first—his camera, reports the Washington Post. Unbeknownst to Barone, the camera was still rolling. "You want me to punch a number on this either way? We gotta cover our ass," Barone is heard asking troopers Patrick Torneo and John Jacobi after Picard's permit comes back valid, per Courthouse News. They then discuss charging Picard with reckless use of the highway and creating a public disturbance. "And then we claim that in backup, we had multiple people, they didn’t want to stay and give us a statement," Torneo says, per the suit. The charges were eventually dropped, but Picard says his rights were violated. The interaction was "unbelievable" and "shows that police and prosecutors in Connecticut should not be in charge of policing themselves," says an ACLU rep. The Connecticut State Police Unions say the lawsuit is "frivolous and will ultimately be dismissed."
Tim Conway was interviewed for two-and-a-half hours in Beverly Hills, CA. The interview consists of two parts: one hour solo, and one-and-a-half hours with comedy partner Harvey Korman. In his solo interview, Conway talks about his early years in local television at Cleveland's WJW, where he was discovered by Rose Marie. He discusses his appearances on The New Steve Allen Show and describes his role as "Ensign Charles Parker" on McHale's Navy. He also speaks of the notorious variety flop Turn-On, which was canceled after one airing. Conway talks about his work in feature films such as The Apple Dumpling Gang and The Shaggy D.A, and details his work on The Carol Burnett Show in his joint interview with Harvey Korman. Karen Herman conducted the interview on April 20, 2004. ||||| Tim Conway is battling dementia. The 84-year-old Carol Burnett Show star’s daughter Kelly is asking to be appointed conservator of her father and be in charge of his medical treatments, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE and first reported by The Blast. Kelly, 56, filed the documents in Los Angeles on Friday, claiming Conway’s wife Charlene is “planning to move him out of the excellent skilled nursing facility he is currently at” and place him in one that won’t give him access to “registered nurses at all times and his 24-hour caregiver and speech therapist (to help with swallowing).” Kelly also states that Conway cannot “properly provide for his personal needs for physical health, food, and clothing” and is “almost entirely unresponsive.” She hopes to be granted guardianship so she can also administer her father’s medications herself. Tim Conway Silver Screen Collection/Getty Before making his mark in Hollywood, Conway surprisingly had no experience in the industry. “I had no professional training. I had a sense of humor and had been in front of a microphone,” Conway said on an episode of The Interviews: An Oral History of Television in 2004. He starred on McHale’s Navy, co-starred on the 1970s comedy The Carol Burnett Show, acted as the voice of Barnacle Boy on Spongebob Squarepants and even made a special appearance on the second season of 30 Rock, which he received an Emmy for. Tim Conway on McHale's Navy ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty RELATED: Loving Husband’s Detailed Morning Routine for Wife with Dementia Will Make You Cry He also won a Golden Globe Award for best supporting actor for The Carol Burnett Show, on which he was best known for characters including the Oldest Man and Mr. Tudball. Conway’s other TV credits include guest appearances on Married… With Children, Mad About You, Glee, Two and a Half Men and Mike & Molly. Before marrying Charlene in 1984, Conway was married to Mary Anne Dalton from 1961-78. Together they share seven children: sons Jaime, Tim Jr., Pat, Corey and Shawn and daughter Jackie and Kelly. ||||| Tim Conway — best known for roles on “McHale’s Navy” and “The Carol Burnett Show” — is suffering from dementia and his daughter is asking the court to control of his medical care because his current wife is trying to move him out the facility he is in. According to court documents obtained by The Blast, Conway’s daughter, Kelly, is asking a court to appoint her the conservator of her father’s person so she can handle his medical treatments. Kelly claims Conway’s current wife, Charlene, is “planning to move him out of the excellent skilled nursing facility he is currently at.” She claims the new facility will not give Conway access to “registered nurses at all times and his 24-hour caregiver and speech therapist (to help with swallowing).” According to his daughter, Conway is “almost entirely unresponsive” and is suffering from dementia. She is asking the court to grant the conservatorship so she can properly administer medications “for the care and treatment of dementia.” In addition to his work on “McHale’s Navy” and “The Carol Burnett Show,” Conway is perhaps best known for his character Dorf.
– The actor who made America laugh with the "Oldest Man" and "Mr. Tudball" is suffering from dementia, People reports. Tim Conway, perhaps best known for co-starring in The Carol Burnett Show in the 1970s, is at a nursing facility where he's barely responsive and has others tending to his daily needs, says his daughter Kelly Conway. The actor's wife, Charlene, is "planning to move him out of the excellent skilled nursing facility he is currently at" and put him in a facility that lacks "registered nurses at all times and his 24-hour caregiver and speech therapist (to help with swallowing)," per court documents filed by Kelly in Los Angeles. Kelly, 56, adds that her father can't "properly provide for his personal needs for physical health, food, and clothing" and remains "almost entirely unresponsive." Kelly is asking the court to make her conservator of her father so she can handle medical matters, as first reported by the Blast. Conway has also starred in McHale's Navy and acted the voice of Barnacle Boy on Spongebob Squarepants. He achieved fame in Hollywood without any background in the industry: "I had no professional training," he said on The Interviews: An Oral History of Television. "I had a sense of humor and had been in front of a microphone." Here's an excerpt of Conway in the famous Carol Burnett Show "dentist sketch."
A picture taken May 18, 2009 shows giant anteaters at the Israeli zoo of Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv (AFP Photo/Jonathan Nackstrand) Washington (AFP) - Giant anteaters in Brazil have killed two hunters in separate incidents, raising concerns about the animals' loss of habitat and the growing risk of dangerous encounters with people, researchers said. The long-nosed, hairy mammals are not typically aggressive toward people and are considered a vulnerable species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), largely due to deforestation and human settlements that encroach on their territory. However, they have poor vision and if frightened, they may defend themselves with front claws that are as long as pocketknives. The case studies of two fatal attacks by giant anteaters were described in the journal Wilderness and Environmental Medicine, which released the paper online this month, ahead of its publication in the December print issue. "Both were farmers, were hunting and were attacked by wounded or cornered animals," lead author Vidal Haddad of the Botucatu School of Medicine at Sao Paulo State University told AFP. In the first case, a 47-year-old man was hunting with his two sons and his dogs when they came upon a giant anteater in northern Brazil. The hunter did not shoot at the animal, but he approached it with his knife drawn. The anteater stood on its hind legs and grabbed the man with its forelimbs, causing deep puncture wounds in his thighs and upper arms. The hunter bled to death at the scene, said the report, which noted that the encounter happened on August 1, 2012 but had not been described in scientific literature until now. The other case involved a 75-year-old man who died in 2010 when an anteater used its long front claws -- which typically help it dig into anthills -- to puncture his femoral arteries, located in the groin and thigh. "These injuries are very serious and we have no way of knowing whether it is a defense behavior acquired by the animals," said Haddad. He stressed that such attacks are rare, but said they are important because they show the need for people to give wild animals plenty of space. - Easily startled - Giant anteaters (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) are believed to be extinct in Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala and Uruguay. Some 5,000 exist in the wild and can be found in parts of Central and South America. Overall their numbers have declined about 30 percent in the past decade due to habitat loss, roadkills, hunting, wildfires and burning of sugar cane plantations, according to the IUCN. They range in length from four to seven feet (1.2-2 meters), and may weigh as much as 100 pounds (45 kilograms). Giant anteaters eat mainly insects but they also enjoy citrus and avocados, according to zookeeper Rebecca Lohse who works with them in captivity at the Reid Park Zoo in Tucson, Arizona. "They are animals that can startle quickly -- planes going overheard, chainsaws, leaf blowers can startle them," she said. "The way they defend themselves is by standing up on their rear legs and swinging their front legs in from the side," she explained. "They have incredibly muscular forearms and those claws are several inches long." Zookeepers generally avoid being in the same space as the animals, coaxing them into separate fenced-off areas when they approach their living quarters for cleaning, she added. Anteater expert Flavia Miranda, who works with the animals in Brazil, said she was concerned that the journal article could cause more woes for a creature that already faces plenty of threats to its livelihood. "We have a lot of problems with this species because people believe that (they) bring bad luck and kill the animal on purpose," she told AFP in an email. "But I understand the importance of the article because recently I also had an accident with a giant anteater that almost cost me my life." ||||| Habitat and Ecology: This terrestrial anteater is found in tropical moist forest, dry forest, savanna habitats and open grasslands; it has also been reported from the Gran Chaco (Meritt 2008, Noss et al. 2008) and timber plantations (Kreutz et al. 2013). Recent camera trap data suggest that the species may be more abundant in areas of upland forest in the Brazilian Amazon than previously thought (F. Miranda pers. comm. 2013). Giant anteaters require large areas for their survival, which should contain forested patches. Animals are generally solitary. Once per year, the female gives birth to a single young. Gestation length is 171 to 184 days (Bartmann 1983, Patzl et al. 1998, Knott et al. 2013). The mother carries the offspring on its back for approximately six months. Data from captive animals in European zoos show several females reproducing for the first time at 18-22 months, and the oldest known reproductive captive dams were 20-24 years old (unpublished report provided by I. Schappert). For wild females, sexual maturity is usually indicated as being around 2 years however, as it is not possible to determine their age once they reach adult size and long-term population studies on giant anteaters are lacking, there are no data on the longevity, survival rates, or reproductive rates of wild giant anteaters. The generation length of M. tridactyla in the wild is therefore unknown, but it is suspected to be around 7 years
– Some 5,000 giant anteaters are thought to exist in the wild, and encounters with humans are rare and largely harmless. The hairy animals with long noses and an appetite for insects do sport "pocketknives" for front claws, AFP reports, which they typically put to use digging into anthills. In two separate incidents in Brazil, however, the 4- to 7-foot-long animals have dug into people instead, and the hunters who encountered them bled to death after being punctured in their thighs and upper arms; one man was hit in the femoral arteries. Both cases, one in 2010 and one in 2012, have just been described in scientific literature this month. "These injuries are very serious and we have no way of knowing whether it is a defense behavior acquired by the animals," one researcher says, adding that it's important to give the anteaters space. One estimate has their population down by about 30% in the past decade due to loss of habitat, wildfires, hunting, and roadkill, and they are now considered a vulnerable species. An expert in Brazil says she hopes the news of the incidents doesn't further threaten the animals: "We have a lot of problems with this species because people believe that (they) bring bad luck and kill the animal on purpose." Adding to the trouble: Anteaters have poor vision and are known for being easily startled.
(Washington Post illustration; iStock) Researchers have known for decades that women tend to beat men on environmental metrics. They generally use less fuel and energy. They eat less meat. They're more concerned about climate change. James Wilkie, a business professor at the University of Notre Dame, wanted to understand what drives this gender eco-friendliness gap. After years of exploring psychological bias, he and his colleagues developed a theory. "Men’s resistance may stem in part from a prevalent association between the concepts of greenness and femininity and a corresponding stereotype (held by both men and women) that green consumers are feminine," they assert this month in the Journal of Consumer Research. "As a result of this stereotype, men may be motivated to avoid or even oppose green behaviors in order to safeguard their gender identity." The researchers conducted a set of experiments, each designed to gauge if we actually do ascribe gender to green products and whether such perceptions impact our willingness to use them. They found people consistently connect environmentally conscious goods to their idea of femininity. [Is a vegetarian diet really better for the environment? Science takes aim at conventional wisdom.] The first survey of 127 college students asked respondents if they thought green products appeared masculine, feminine or neither. Most participants, both men and women, said items designed to protect the planet seemed feminine. Another group of 194 students took an online quiz instructing them to imagine two grocery store shoppers, one carrying a green reusable bag and another toting a plastic sack. The quiz asked: Which seemed more eco-friendly, wasteful, masculine and/or feminine? The green shoppers seemed to respondents more eco-friendly and feminine, regardless of their gender. The plastic shoppers came off as more wasteful and masculine. The researchers next gave a group of men phony gift cards and told them to pick from a selection of batteries, which included a green option. In both a faux Walmart and an online shopping scenario, the men avoided the green choice. “Self-perceptions of femininity suggest that threats may also influence private behavior,” the authors wrote. Wilkie’s team also found men in the studies were more likely to donate to an environmental nonprofit group that had a “masculine” logo — one with darker colors and bold fonts — than to an organization that displayed lighter tones and “frilly” letters. Logos didn’t have an impact on where women said they’d want to donate. A similar trend emerged in an experiment at a BMW dealership. When presented with two versions of the same “green” car, men favored the one called the “Protection Model” over the “Eco-friendly Model.” Women, meanwhile, weren’t particularly swayed by either title. “Stereotypical feminine behavior and attitudes are more in parallel with taking care of the environment,” Wilkie said of the findings. “Male traits tend to conflict with this idea of maintaining a nice environment for other people.” Wilkie blames stereotypes. People who care about the environment are perceived as nurturing, gentle caretakers. Pop culture says they're barefoot hippies with long hair and flower crowns. That image clashes with traditional masculinity. Previous research, Wilkie noted, suggests that men are socially penalized more for breaking gender norms when it comes to the products they use — or even the drinks they order. “If a man at a bar were to order a girlie drink, he might get some looks,” Wilkie said. “He might get some snickers. He might even get into a fight.” [New study finds that men are often their own favorite experts on any given subject] A woman requesting something that reads masculine, such as, say, a whiskey on the rocks, probably wouldn’t encounter that problem. “Some people might even be impressed,” he said. Carrie Preston, director of the Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Program at Boston University, said it’s concerning that feminine-seeming goods or actions repel some men. “That says what’s feminine is bad, is lesser, is second class,” she said. “Although men’s and women’s roles have changed significantly, masculinity hasn’t changed as much.” Caring about what people think of your drink choice or grocery bag may seem silly. There’s nothing inherently feminine about recycling, and some would argue that femininity itself (and how it’s marketed) is a cultural creation. Still, a 2011 survey from the global marketing firm Ogilvy and Mather found 82 percent of adults in a nationally representative sample said “going green” is more ladylike than manly. Marketers are unlikely to shatter gender expectations overnight — or nix the belief that feminine is lesser — but a packaging or messaging tweak could draw more men to the green movement. "Despite a prevalent stereotype that green consumers are more feminine than non-green consumers," the researchers wrote, "we show that men’s inhibitions about engaging in green behavior can be mitigated through masculine affirmation and masculine branding." More from Wonkblog: How America fell in love with crazy amounts of air conditioning Today's men are not nearly as strong as their dads were, researchers say Stop pretending we can fix the environment by curbing population growth The green movement has a Millennial problem ||||| 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. ||||| Studies show that men are not as environmentally friendly as women. Let’s face it, not too many “man caves” feature solar panels, recycle bins or posters of electric cars. It’s just not manly. But could men be persuaded to go green? New research indicates the answer is yes — and it’s all about branding. The study “Is Eco-Friendly Unmanly? The Green-Feminine Stereotype and Its Effect on Sustainable Consumption,” forthcoming in the Journal of Consumer Research by James Wilkie, assistant professor of marketing at the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business, provides evidence that shoppers who engage in green behaviors are stereotyped by others as more feminine and also see themselves as more feminine. In a series of seven studies, Wilkie and his co-authors manipulated small details about the products, attempting to change men’s attitudes and behaviors. They found that men are more open to purchasing environmental products if their masculinity gets a branding boost. “Previous research shows that men tend to be more concerned about maintaining a masculine identity than women are with their feminine identity,” Wilkie says. “We therefore thought that men might be more open to environmental products if we made them feel secure in their masculinity, so they are less threatened by adopting a green product.” They used two approaches — affirming a man’s masculinity before introducing him to environmental products and changing the associations people have toward green products. “We documented how both men and women find green products and actions to be feminine,” Wilkie says. “We thought that if you reframe environmental products to be more masculine, men would be more likely to adopt them. Instead of using traditional marketing messages about green products (which are typically perceived as feminine), we changed the messages to be more masculine in nature by changing the phrasing, colors, etc. When we did that, we found that men were more willing to ‘go green.’” One study was conducted in China at a BMW dealership and focused on a model known for being an eco-friendly car. While surveying shoppers, the researchers simply changed the name of the car from the traditional, environmentally friendly name to “Protection,” which is a masculine term in China. Despite all other descriptions of the car remaining the same, the name change did increase men’s interest in the car. In another study, the team compared men’s and women’s willingness to donate to green charities. They called one “Friends of Nature,” with a bright green logo featuring a tree. The second was named “Wilderness Rangers” showcasing a wolf howling to the moon. Women favored the more traditional green marketing, while more men were drawn to the masculine branding over the traditional. Wilkie proposes marketers mimic successful approaches in other products to combat feminine stereotypes. “Body wash used to be considered a very feminine product, but companies changed that perception by marketing their products in a more masculine fashion,” Wilkie says. “They used more masculine fonts and colors in packaging and hired very masculine spokesmen, explicitly stating that the product was for men only. It worked — as it also did for diet soft drinks. Again, there was a perception that ‘diet’ products were for women. Marketers changed their phrasing to ‘zero-calorie’ drinks. Pepsi Max stated that it was the ‘first diet cola for men’ and Dr. Pepper 10 warned, ‘It’s not for women.’ “These campaigns appeared to get more men to purchase the product, yet did not scare away women. We think that green products can be successfully marketed in the same way.” Co-authors of the study include Aaron Brough, Utah State University; Jingjing Ma, Peking University; Mathew Isaac, Seattle University; and David Gal, University of Illinois at Chicago. Contact: James Wilkie, 574-631-5171, jwilkie@nd.edu
– A business professor recently set out to learn what is driving one longstanding gender gap. Women tend to be more environmentally conscious than men on all kinds of levels, from energy use to concern about climate change, reports the Washington Post. So Notre Dame business professor James Wilkie conducted seven experiments to see whether men "avoid or even oppose green behaviors in order to safeguard their gender identity." The short answer, he reports in the Journal of Consumer Research, is a resounding yes. Being "green" is equated with being feminine, and men tend to shy away from it. However, Wilkie and his team suggest this can be changed with the right branding, per a Notre Dame press release. For example, men were more likely to donate to eco-friendly groups with more masculine logos. "Stereotypical feminine behavior and attitudes are more in parallel with taking care of the environment," Wilkie says. "Male traits tend to conflict with this idea of maintaining a nice environment for other people." He goes so far as to suggest that men tend to be punished more than women for breaking gender norms—a man might get teased for ordering a "girlie drink," which could lead to a fight—and thus may be protecting their gender identity not just for the sake of how they are viewed but for their own safety. The researchers point to products like body wash and diet colas that now have masculine branding, which simultaneously does not deter female consumers. So the bottom line, for the sake of the environment? If men are more secure in their manliness, they'll be "less threatened by adopting a green product." (Here's why some men lie about their athleticism.)
At least seven loud blasts were heard in Tripoli early Friday morning as bombs fell in the vicinity of Moammar Gadhafi's main compound of Bab al-Aziziya. RETRANSMISSION TO ADD BYLINE - In this Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2011 photo, a Libyan rebel fighter carries a rocket-propelled grenade in Sabratha, 50 miles (75 kilometers) west of Tripoli, Libya. (AP Photo/Giulio... (Associated Press) RETRANSMISSION TO ADD BYLINE - In this Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2011 photo, a Libyan rebel fighter enters an incomplete mosque that has been used as shelter during the shelling from Moammar Gadhafi's forces... (Associated Press) An Associated Press correspondent staying in a hotel in the capital said he heard the explosions and saw flames in the air as bombs struck the ground. NATO jets were heard circling the sky above. Residents in Tripoli also told The Associated Press that at least three blasts were heard on the road leading to the airport in the capital. NATO has been bombarding military targets in Libya since a no-fly zone was instituted in March. That includes areas near and in Gadhafi's sprawling Bab al-Aziziya compound, which is the Libyan leader's main headquarters and acts as a military barracks. Just 30 miles (48 kilometers) to the west of the capital, opposition fighters in Libya's western mountains claimed control Thursday of the country's last functioning oil refinery, a blow to Moammar Gadhafi's regime in a week of stunning rebel advances that could turn the tide of the 6-month-old civil war. The refinery is located in the strategic city of Zawiya, where rebels have made great strides in battles with government forces since their initial assault on Saturday. A rebel victory in Zawiya could leave Gadhafi nearly cornered in his increasingly isolated stronghold of Tripoli, the capital, just 30 miles (50 kilometers) to the east along the Mediterranean coast. Rebel fighters are now closing in on the capital from the west and the south, while NATO controls the seas to the north. The opposition is in control of most of the eastern half of the country and has declared Benghazi, 620 miles (1,000 kilometers) east of Tripoli, as its de facto capital. Families fleeing their homes to avoid a possible rebel assault on Tripoli described growing tensions and deteriorating living conditions in the capital: Security forces have blanketed the city with checkpoints, gun battles are heard after nightfall and power outages last days. ___ Laub reported from Zintan, Libya. ||||| Moammar Gadhafi is making preparations for a departure from Libya with his family for possible exile in Tunisia, U.S. officials have told NBC News, citing intelligence reports. One official suggested it was possible that Gadhafi would leave within days, NBC News reported. The information obtained by NBC News follows a series of optimistic statements this week from U.S. officials that Gadhafi would soon give up the five-month-old fight and and leave Libya. In an on-camera forum at the National Defense University this week, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said, "I think the sense is that Gadhafi's days are numbered." The officials could provide no further details as to conditions or precise timing for Gadhafi's departure, NBC said, and the news report emphasized that there was no guarantee that Gadhafi would follow through on any plans to flee. Gadhafi is becoming more isolated in the capital, Tripoli. Rebel fighters are closing in from the west and the south while NATO controls the seas to the north. The opposition is in control of most of the eastern half of the country and has declared Benghazi, 620 miles east of Tripoli, as its de facto capital. Rebel forces have managed to surround Tripoli and appear to be attempting to cut off supplies and fuel to trigger a collapse, NBC News reported. Families were seen driving away from the city. Refinery taken The intelligence reports were revealed as opposition fighters in Libya's western mountains claimed control Thursday of the country's last functioning oil refinery, a blow to Gadhafi's regime in a week of stunning rebel advances. The refinery is located in the strategic city of Zawiya, where rebels have made great strides in battles with government forces since their initial assault on Saturday. "We have full control over the Zawiya oil refinery and we have liberated the whole city except two main streets," Col. Ali Ahrash told The Associated Press. The capture of the 120,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Zawiya is not expected to have a major impact on Gadhafi's ability to secure fuel. The flow of crude to the refinery from fields in the southwest of Libya had largely been halted since midsummer. The refinery was believed to be running at about one-third of its normal capacity, drawing mainly on crude oil that was in its storage tanks. Zawiya mostly produced fuel oil, not gasoline. The BBC reported that one of its news crews were taken around the refinery by rebels and that there was no sign of pro-Gadhafi troops. Zawiyais is just 30 miles to the east of Tripoli, along the Mediterranean coast. A Libyan rebel fighter carries a rocket-propelled grenade in Sabratha, 50 miles west of Tripoli, on Wednesday. Ahrash, who was in Benghazi, said rebels have control of the cities of Surman, Sabratha and Zwara, as well as the road to Tunisia from Tripoli. Families fleeing their homes to avoid a possible rebel assault on Tripoli described growing tensions and deteriorating living conditions in the capital: Security forces have blanketed the city with checkpoints, gun battles are heard after nightfall and power outages last days. Explosions in Tripoli Early Friday morning explosions rocked Gadhafi's main compound of Bab al-Aziziyah. Seven thunderous blasts could be felt at a Tripoli hotel where foreign journalists stay. An Associated Press correspondent watched flames from the bombs fall from the sky as NATO jets circled over the compound. Five loud explosions also shook the center of Tripoli on Thursday afternoon, possibly striking near Gadhafi's compound. NATO jets flew overhead minutes after the blasts. It wasn't immediately clear what was hit or if there were civilian casualties. NATO has bombarded military targets all over Libya since March when a no-fly zone was instituted. Besides the seizure of the refinery, Ahrash told the AP that rebels were making progress in taking Zawiya, a city of 200,000 people. He said Gadhafi troops were still in control of Gamal Abdel-Nasser Street and were hiding in the hospital there. Ahrash said Omar Mokhtar Street was still under Gadhafi forces control and that a few more troops were patrolling in eastern Zawiya. Since the rebels entered Zawiya last week — their most dramatic advance yet after months of stalemate — Gadhafi's troops have been pounding homes, mosques and streets with rockets and mortar fire. "In the past three days we have lost 70 fighters and more than 55 were injured," he said.
– Moammar Gadhafi's 42-year rule may be entering its final days, US officials tell NBC, citing intelligence reports. The dictator has made preparations to flee with his family to exile in Tunisia, according to the sources. The rebels seeking to end his rule have made dramatic advances in recent days, leaving Tripoli increasingly isolated. At least seven blasts were heard near Gadhafi's compound this morning as NATO jets pounded Tripoli, according to an AP reporter staying in a hotel in the city. Residents fleeing the city to avoid the expected rebel attack say living conditions have been deteriorating rapidly, with power outages lasting days and gun battles heard after nightfall.
Green Party presidential nominee Jill Stein, shown visiting Los Angeles earlier this week, was delayed at an Ohio rally Friday because she flew to the wrong airport. Presidential campaign rallies frequently start late – candidates get stuck in meetings or on phone calls; weather can delay travel. But a Jill Stein event Friday in Ohio was delayed two hours for an remarkable reason: The Green Party nominee flew to the wrong airport. Stein had been scheduled to speak at Capital University in Bexley, outside Columbus, at noon, but she mistakenly flew to Cincinnati, according to the Columbus Dispatch, which reported she was driving from there to Bexley, about 125 miles northeast. About 100 people showed up for the event, the paper reported, adding that pizzas were being delivered “to thank people for their patience.” ||||| Oops: Jill Stein flies to the wrong city for her rally Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein speaks to supporters during a rally Aug. 27, 2016 in Colorado Springs, Colo. (Photo: Christian Murdock, AP) Let’s hope the White House is easier to find. On Friday Jill Stein accidentally flew to Cincinnati, Ohio instead of Columbus which resulted in her event being delayed, according to The Columbus Dispatch. The approximately 100 people who were waiting for the Green Party presidential candidate at Capital University in Bexley, Ohio were rewarded with pizza for their patience. Stein had to make the drive from Cincinnati to Columbus. "They just got on the road and will be two hours late. Things happen," Aaron Suarez, who is president of Capital University Greens Student Organization, told The Columbus Dispatch. Stein is polling at 2% in Ohio according to the RealClearPolitics polling average. Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/2clBYOF
– In the incredibly off-chance she's elected president, Dr. Jill Stein might consider forcing Ohio to choose new city names that don't start with the letter C. The Columbus Dispatch reports the Green Party candidate was expected to be two hours late to a rally at Ohio's Capital University after she accidentally flew into Cincinnati instead of Columbus. Capital University is in Bexley, just outside of Columbus, while Cincinnati is more than 120 miles away, the Los Angeles Times helpfully explains. Where was it when Stein was booking her tickets? Pizzas were ordered to tide over the 100 or so people gathered at Capital University to hear Stein speak. It's unclear how many of them planned on waiting around for her to make the two-hour drive, pizzas or no. Stein received 0.3% of the vote in Ohio when she ran in 2012, slightly worse than she did nationally. And while USA Today reports she's currently polling at a much-improved 2% in the state, this whole Columbus/Cincinnati debacle probably isn't going to help.
West Palm Beach, Florida (CNN) A senior National Security Council adviser was reassigned to his old job at the National Defense University, a White House spokeswoman confirmed Sunday, after he criticized the Trump administration's Latin American policies. Craig Deare was removed from his role as a senior adviser at the National Security Council's Western Hemisphere division Friday and "sent back to his original position," said Sarah Sanders, a White House spokeswoman. Deare had been assigned to the NSC by the Trump administration. CNN could not independently confirm the account, and Deare did not respond to a request for comment. Fielding questions about Deare's reassignment, Sanders said that people who don't agree with President Donald Trump should not have a job in his White House. "I don't think that any person that is there in order to carry out the President's agenda should be against the President's agenda," Sanders said during a briefing with reporters in West Palm Beach, Florida. "It seems pretty silly that you would have someone who is not supportive of what you are trying to accomplish there to carry out that very thing." Sanders said she was "not extending a blanket policy here" but later added: "If you don't support the President's agenda then you shouldn't have a job in the White House." Deare's reassignment returns him to the National Defense University, an appointed position he's held since January 2001. Just a few days before he reportedly was reassigned, Deare was the subject of a scathing op-ed in The Miami Herald written by a former colleague of his who called for him to be fired from the NSC. Martin Andersen, who worked with Deare at the National Defense University, made several personal allegations that he said revealed a "checkered record of support for and involvement with some of the Western Hemisphere's most notorious human-rights abusers." "The National Security Council can do better," Andersen wrote. This is not the first time a senior administration official has been removed from their post because of comments about Trump. Republican consultant Shermichael Singleton, a political appointee at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, was fired last week for an op-ed he wrote before the election that criticized then-candidate Trump, a source with knowledge of the situation told CNN. The op-ed, which was published in October, said Trump was leading to low morale within the Republican Party. Singleton, according to a source, was told he was dismissed because of the op-ed. "We allowed that hostile takeover to happen on our watch," he wrote. "This individual recognized a moment of great disparity in the Republican base and, like cancer, attacked and spread, consuming everything in his path." However, some of Trump's closest aides have also criticized him in the past. JUST WATCHED Graham: 2017 year of kicking Russia in the ass Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Graham: 2017 year of kicking Russia in the ass 01:18 Kellyanne Conway, now a top White House official, once said Trump took advantage of "the little guy" to build his real estate empire. "He says he's for the little guy but he's actually built a lot of his business on the backs of the little guy," she said on CNN in February 2016 when she ran a super PAC looking to help Sen. Ted Cruz's presidential campaign. Conway, in April, also told CNN that Trump should release his tax returns. "It's completely transparent," Conway said about an alliance between Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich. "Donald Trump's tax returns aren't, I would like to see those be transparent." Sean Spicer, now Trump's press secretary, once knocked the then-presidential candidate for saying that Sen. John McCain, who was held as a POW for six years in Vietnam, was not a war hero because he was caught. "He is a war hero because he was captured," Trump said during a town hall. "I like people that weren't captured, OK?" Spicer, then the communications director for the Republican National Committee, said in a statement that McCain "is an American hero because he served his country and sacrificed more than most can imagine. Period." "There is no place in our party or our country for comments that disparage those who have served honorably," Spicer added. ||||| WASHINGTON (AP) — A senior Trump administration official was fired following criticism in a private speech of President Donald Trump's policies and his inner circle of advisers. Craig Deare, whom Trump appointed a month ago to head the National Security Council's Western Hemisphere division, was on Friday escorted out of the Executive Office Building, where he worked in Washington. A senior White House official confirmed that Deare is no longer working at the NSC and has returned to the position he previously held at the National Defense University. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an incident not otherwise made public, and provided no further details. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Sunday that Deare "was sent back to his original position." Asked if government employees should be concerned that they could be fired for criticizing the president, she said: "I don't think any person that is there in order to carry out the president's agenda should be against the president's agenda." Current and former administration officials say Deare's termination was linked to remarks he made Thursday at a private talk at the Wilson Center, a Washington think tank. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter. According to one person who attended the discussion, Deare slammed the Trump administration for its policies on Latin America, specifically its rocky start to relations with Mexico. That person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a private event. Trump signed an order in the first week of his presidency to build a border wall with Mexico, jumpstarting a campaign promise. The move prompted Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto to cancel his trip to Washington in late January. The person who attended the Wilson Center discussion also said that Deare openly expressed frustration over being cut out of most of the policy discussions about Mexico, saying that members of Trump's inner circle, including chief strategist Steve Bannon and Trump's son-in-law and adviser, Jared Kushner, have not consulted with NSC directorates as the White House formulates policy. Deare has been on the faculty of National Defense University in Washington since 2001. He joined the university's College of International Security Affairs in 2010 and most recently served as dean of administration. The person who attended the Wilson Center talk also noted that Deare made several remarks about how attractive Trump's daughter, Ivanka Trump, appeared, remarks that person described as "awkward." Deare did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Officials with the Wilson Center also declined a request for information, saying the discussion was off the record. Deare is the second senior NSC official to leave in under a week. On Monday, Trump's national security adviser, retired Gen. Michael Flynn, resigned after revelations that he discussed sanctions with a Russian diplomat before Trump was sworn in, then misled Vice President Mike Pence about the nature of those conversations.
– A senior Trump administration official was fired following criticism in a private speech of President Trump's policies and his inner circle of advisers. Craig Deare, whom Trump appointed a month ago to head the National Security Council's Western Hemisphere division, was on Friday escorted out of the Executive Office Building, where he worked in Washington, the AP reports. A senior White House official confirmed that Deare is no longer working at the NSC and has returned to the position he previously held at the National Defense University. Current and former administration officials say Deare's termination was linked to remarks he made Thursday at a private talk at the Wilson Center, a Washington think tank. According to one person who attended the discussion, Deare slammed the Trump administration for its policies on Latin America, specifically its rocky start to relations with Mexico. The source says Deare openly expressed frustration over being cut out of most of the policy discussions about Mexico—and also made "awkward" remarks about Ivanka Trump's appearance. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders confirmed Sunday that Deare had been sent back to his old job, CNN reports. "If you don't support the president's agenda, then you shouldn't have a job in the White House," she said. Deare's firing came less than a week after another NSC official, national security adviser Mike Flynn, abruptly departed.
There's a new meteor shower coming this week. Maybe! From midnight to dawn PDT on Saturday morning, Earth might pass through a stream of debris left in the wake of a comet hundreds of years ago. The result could be a spectacular light show with as many as 200 meteors falling gracefully toward Earth per hour. Or, we might see nothing at all. The maybe meteor shower has been dubbed the May Camelopardalids (Camel-Oh-par-dalids). "For all our computer models and equipment, we astronomers are just like the average sky watcher in North America," said Bill Cooke, who heads up the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center's Meteoroid Environment Office. "We can't tell you what will happen." Related story: NASA: On the lookout for a new meteor shower Science at NASA's video on the potential new meteor shower. Science at NASA's video on the potential new meteor shower. See more videos Peter Jenniskens, the astronomer who first predicted the maybe meteor shower a decade ago, put it this way: "It's science. It's exploration." Most meteor showers occur when Earth orbits through a trail of dust shed by a comet as it makes its own way around the sun. That dust burns up in our atmosphere, and causes what looks like shooting stars to streak across the sky. In the case of this weekend's maybe meteor shower, the dust responsible for the meteors would have been shed hundreds of years ago by a relatively small periodic comet called 209P/LINEAR that was discovered in 2004. However, scientists don't know how much dust the comet left in its wake. Today, the comet is only weakly active, which means it is not shedding much of anything as it orbits the sun. If it was similarly anemic 200 or 300 years ago, then we won't get much of a show. "That is the big mystery," said Jenniskens. "We don't know what the comet was doing hundreds of years ago." Up until now, Earth has never had the opportunity to pass through this hypothesized centuries-old debris stream. The comet's 5.1-year-orbit takes it out by Jupiter, where the gas giant's gravity alters the comet's orbit. And because a comet's dust stream moves along a similar orbit to its parent comet, Jupiter's gravity has also acted on this dust stream. "If you look at the models, Jupiter's gravity has tugged this stuff into the Earth's path this year, but by next year, Jupiter's gravity will have pulled it away again," said Cooke. So, early Saturday morning may be your first and last time to see the Camelopardalids--the potentially great, maybe meteor shower of 2014. No one is going to guarantee you will see a show, but wouldn't you hate to miss it if there is one? The Camelopardalids shower should peak between midnight and dawn on Saturday. If it is visible at all, it will be visible across North America. Astronomers suggest looking up between 11 p.m. Friday night to 1 a.m. Saturday morning PDT for your best chances to see the shower. ||||| CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — There's a new meteor shower in town and it might even turn into a full-fledged storm. Early Saturday, the planet will pass by debris from Comet 209P/Linear. The dusty debris is what creates the meteor shower. Scientists believe the shower could produce three, four or more — possibly a few hundred more — shooting stars per minute. North American sky-gazers will have the best views. The shower should peak from around 2 a.m. local time until nearly dawn. Comet 209P/Linear was discovered in 2004. It will be about 7.6 million miles from Earth on Saturday. Next Tuesday, the comet will pass within 5 million miles. The shower's name is a mouthful: Camelopardalids (CA-mull-oh-PAR-duh-lids). It's named after the giraffe constellation. ___ Online: NASA: http://tinyurl.com/q2kdqud Slooh observatories: https://www.slooh.com/ ||||| Trending Now Never Before Seen Meteor Shower to Ignite Across Skies: Where to See It By Michael Kuhne, AccuWeather.Com Staff Writer May 23, 2014; 11:35 PM ET For the first time ever, a debris field of the newly discovered Comet LINEAR will pass through Earth's atmosphere, sparking a new meteor shower for sky-watchers primarily in the Northern Hemisphere. "The peak will occur from Friday night into Saturday morning," AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Mark Paquette said, adding meteors can still be seen a few days before and after, but the main grouping of meteors will occur at that time. The new meteor shower, Camelopardalids, is a result of Comet 209P/LINEAR which was discovered in 2004, he said. "It's brand new," he said, referring to the opportunity to view the shower this week. The best viewing conditions will be areas across most of North America. "Generally it will be best (due to clearer skies) across the West, the Great Lakes, mid-Atlantic and eastern Gulf Coast," Paquette said. The best states for viewing include California, Virginia, Ohio and North Carolina. Areas hindered by clouds will include much of New England, the Plains, southern Rockies and Pacific Northwest. Early predictions indicate an average of 100 meteors per hour, which constitutes an average meteor shower. "Meteor storms and meteor showers are different, a shower is generally anywhere from 40 or 50 to 100 meteors per hours," Paquette said. "A meteor storm is usually 1,000 per hour." Another issue for viewing meteor showers is the lunar phase, Paquette added, but the night that the meteor shower peaks, a waning crescent will be present. "The moon shouldn't be a huge deal for this event," he said. RELATED: AccuWeather.com Astronomy Blog Will the New Meteor Shower This Weekend Sizzle or Fizzle? AccuWeather.com Astronomy Facebook Page Sky-watchers should look to Polaris, or the North Star, for direction when looking for the meteors. Unlike most meteor showers, the Camelopardalids was not predicted well in advance because it is such a new discovery. Astronomers can usually predict meteor showers well in advance because they know the location of debris fields and the movement of Earth's orbit. Meteors are a collection of dust and small rocks, usually high in iron, that glow bright when they enter the Earth's atmosphere and are disintegrated by the high heat, resulting from friction upon entry, Paquette said. ||||| Meteors streak from the Perseids meteor shower above the Wyoming countryside north of Cheyenne in this time-lapse photo taken Aug. 13, 2013. (Photo: Blaline McCartney, AP) A first-of-its-kind meteor shower is expected to happen Friday night and into early Saturday morning. Here is what you need to know about the all-new shower: 1. What is the Camelopardalid meteor shower? It would be dust from a periodic comet called the 209P/LINEAR. The Earth has never run into the debris from this particular comet before. WATCH: Live feed of meteor shower 2. Why is it unique? Unlike other meteor showers expected to be visible around the same time of year, the Camelopardalid is uncommon because its debris is strongly influenced by Jupiter's gravity. No one has seen it before, but the May shower could rival the Perseid meteor shower in August. Meteor shower viewing map (Photo: AccuWeather) 3. When is the optimal time to view it? People in North America will get the best look, and peak activity will be from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. ET Saturday. YOUR TAKE: Share your best night sky photo 4. What will it look like? Perhaps what is most exciting is that it is unclear what the shower will resemble. "It could be practically nothing, or it could be a couple hundred meteors per hour," said William Cooke, head of the Meteoroid Environment Office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. 5. Camelopardalid is an odd moniker. How are they named? Meteor showers' names are for the constellation from which the meteors seem to radiate. That point is known as the radiant, and the radiant for Camelopardalid will be the constellation Camelopardalis (the giraffe). Follow @jessicadurando on Twitter Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1gTGNMf
– If it's clear your way late tonight and early tomorrow morning, you might just glimpse something never before seen from Earth: the Camelopardalid meteor shower. As the AP explains, the planet will tonight encounter debris from the Comet 209P/LINEAR, which was discovered just a decade ago; the dusty debris is what creates the meteor shower, named for the constellation from which it will appear to radiate (that would be Camelopardalis, the giraffe). Scientists believe the shower could produce three, four, or more—possibly a few hundred more—shooting stars per hour, and USA Today notes it could rival August's Perseid meteor shower. The Los Angeles Times explains why it's uncertain just how spectacular it'll be: The dust Earth will orbit through was shed by 209P/LINEAR hundreds of years ago. Today, the comet isn't shedding much, and we don't know what the shedding level was centuries ago—if it was high, we'll be in for a treat. If you're in California, Virginia, Ohio, or North Carolina, you'll likely have prime viewing, but AccuWeather.com has a map of conditions across the US. The best time to tune in? Between 2am and 4am ET Saturday.
Wisconsin presidential primary voters shunned front-runners from both the Democratic and Republican parties on April 5. Here are key moments from the victory speeches of Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). (Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post) The Wisconsin primary is in the books. Ted Cruz and Bernie Sanders won solid victories even while Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton remain the clear delegate leaders heading into New York’s primary on April 19. Below are my winners and losers from Wisconsin. Winners How Bernie Sanders won Wisconsin, in less than 60 seconds (Peter Stevenson/The Washington Post) *Bernie Sanders: Bernie Sanders is a 74-year-old, avowed socialist from Vermont. When he announced his presidential candidacy last year, no one — up to and including Bernie Sanders — thought he would win one state, much less the 15 he has now won. No, his win in Wisconsin won’t fundamentally alter Sanders's delegate math problem; to solve that issue, Sanders needs to win big states by very big margins. But, Sanders’s ability to win — and keep winning — in head-to-head match-ups against Clinton means that he has and will continue to have a major voice within the party. What Sanders wants to do with that voice — whether in the two remaining months of the primary process or at the national convention this summer — is the key question he has to decide on. And that Clinton has to worry about. * Ted Cruz: Give the Texas senator credit: When he needs to win, he wins. If Cruz had lost Wisconsin, pressure would have ramped up on him to bow to the political reality of Trump as the nominee. Now, he can make the case that Wisconsin fundamentally changed the trajectory of the 2016 race (I don’t buy it). "Tonight is a turning point. It is a rallying cry," Cruz says in Wisconsin — Katie Zezima (@katiezez) April 6, 2016 How Ted Cruz won the Wisconsin GOP primary, in 60 seconds (Peter Stevenson/The Washington Post) Cruz gets 18 delegates for winning the statewide vote in Wisconsin and if his margins hold up, he looks well positioned to take the lion’s share of the remaining 24 delegates, importantly keeping most of them from Trump. For Cruz, the rest of the primary calendar is all about two things: (1) Keeping Trump under the 1,237 delegates needed to formally clinch the nomination and (2) Positioning himself as the clear/only Trump alternative. Cruz took a big step in the right direction on both fronts on Tuesday night. * New York: Not that the state — and especially New York City — need much ego-bolstering, but, holy cow, the next two weeks are going to put the Empire State in the political limelight. That will be something new-ish for New York since the presidential nominations are almost always foregone conclusions before they get to the state. But the Clinton-Sanders fight to lay claim to the title of New York’s favorite Democrat will be epic. And Trump’s attempt to reassert himself as the likely GOP nominee in the state where he has made his name and his fortune should be great theater too. Take it away, Billy! * Charlie Sykes: Outside of Wisconsin, almost no one had heard of Sykes two weeks ago. But, after his pointed interview with Trump, Sykes suddenly became a known national commodity. (He was doing a sitdown with Chris Matthews on MSNBC on Tuesday night!) Good on you, Charlie! * Political junkies: An open Republican convention is more likely today than it was yesterday. I — and every other political junkie — never thought we would see one (in either party) in our lifetime. Now, it looks like a 50-50 proposition (or maybe even a bit better). This is me, when thinking of the idea of covering an open convention in Cleveland this summer: Losers * Donald Trump: Polling done in February showed the real estate mogul with a comfortable lead. He lost convincingly on Tuesday to Cruz. Why? Self-inflicted errors — from being totally unprepared for an interview with Sykes to his fumbling of questions about his stance on abortion. Want a stat that epitomizes Trump’s problems in Wisconsin? More than one in three (35 percent) of Wisconsin Republicans said that the prospect of a Trump presidency “scared” them. There’s no other way to put it: Trump blew a chance in Wisconsin to take a major symbolic step toward the Republican nomination. The next two weeks will now be filled with questions of whether or not Trump’s hold on the nomination is slipping — not exactly the best run-up to the New York primary. Trump remains a favorite in the Empire State primary — and in the mid-Atlantic and Northeastern states set to vote in the coming month — but if he comes up short of the 1,237 delegates he needs to be the nominee, Wisconsin will count as a major regret for the billionaire. * Hillary Clinton: Yes, the former secretary of state has a commanding — and close to insurmountable — delegate lead over Sanders. Even after Wisconsin. And, yes, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where Sanders passes Clinton in pledged delegates (never mind her massive superdelegate edge). BUT (all caps intentional!) Clinton has now lost seven of the last eight votes in this race to Sanders. That’s a remarkable thing when you consider everything I wrote above. Everyone expects — and has long expected — Clinton to be the nominee. The delegate math is close to conclusive for Clinton. And yet, Sanders not only keeps winning but for the third straight month the Vermont socialist outraised Clinton. New York becomes even more important for Clinton now as, if she loses it, the “she’s limping to the nomination” storyline will take over, which is very dangerous to her attempts at building momentum for the general election. * John Kasich: Remember when Kasich’s claim to relevance in this presidential race was that he was the Republican who could win in the industrial Midwest? The Ohio governor never even got into the conversation in Wisconsin, remarkable given that Cruz isn’t an obvious fit for the state. Kasich will keep on running — he and his campaign have made that abundantly clear over the last 48 hours. And that is obviously his right. But, how do you make a case that you should be the nominee if/when the only state you won in the presidential nomination fight is the one you currently represent? * Primary night speeches: No Clinton or Trump speeches on a primary night? Color me disappointed. If I need to stay up until all hours to cover these votes, the least the remaining five candidates can do is throw me a bone and give a victory/defeat speech. Come on, man. What are we even doing out there, man? ||||| Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., waves to the crowd with his wife, Jane Sanders, by his side during a campaign rally Tuesday evening in the Arts and Sciences Auditorium at... (Associated Press) Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., waves to the crowd with his wife, Jane Sanders, by his side during a campaign rally Tuesday evening in the Arts and Sciences Auditorium at the University of Wyoming campus on April 5, 2016, in Laramie, Wyo. Sanders won the Democratic presidential... (Associated Press) NEW YORK (AP) — Republican Donald Trump emerged from Wisconsin as a damaged front-runner following a crushing loss to rival Ted Cruz, deepening questions about the billionaire businessman's presidential qualifications and pushing the GOP toward a rare contested convention fight. Democrat Bernie Sanders also scored a sweeping victory in Wisconsin's primary that gives him a fresh incentive to keep challenging Hillary Clinton. But Sanders still lags Clinton significantly in the delegate count. Both parties are turning their sights toward New York, which offers a massive delegate prize in its April 19 contests. It marks a homecoming of sorts for several candidates, with Trump, Clinton and Sanders all touting roots in the state. Trump, who has dominated the Republican race for months, suddenly finds himself on the defensive as the campaign moves east. He's struggled through a series of missteps, including his campaign manager's legal issues after an altercation with a female reporter and his own awkward explanation of his position on abortion. Exit polls in Wisconsin highlighted the deep worries about Trump surging through some corners of the Republican Party. A majority of GOP voters said they're either concerned about or scared of a potential Trump presidency, according to surveys conducted by Edison Research for The Associated Press and television networks. Cruz has stepped forward as the candidate best positioned to block Trump, though it would likely take a convention battle to accomplish that goal. A Texas senator with a complicated relationship with Republican leaders, Cruz cast his Wisconsin victory as a "turning point" in the race and urged the party to rally around his candidacy. "We've got the full spectrum of the Republican Party coming together and uniting behind this campaign," he said. Trump was unbowed in his defeat. His campaign put out a biting statement accusing Cruz of being "worse than a puppet — he is a Trojan horse, being used by the party bosses attempting to steal the nomination from Mr. Trump." Sanders still trails Clinton in the pledged delegate count and has so far been unable to persuade superdelegates— the party officials who can back any candidate — to drop their allegiance to the former secretary of state and back his campaign. At a raucous rally in Wyoming, Sanders cast his victory as a sign of mounting momentum for his campaign. "With our victory tonight in Wisconsin, we have now won 7 out of 8 of the last caucuses and primaries," he declared. With an overwhelming white electorate and liberal pockets of voters, Wisconsin was favorable territory for Sanders. In a sign of Clinton's low expectations in the Midwestern state, she spent Tuesday night at a fundraiser with top donors in New York City. Clinton congratulated Sanders on Twitter and thanked her supporters in Wisconsin. "To all the voters and volunteers who poured your hearts into this campaign: Forward!" she wrote. Sanders' win will net him a handful of additional delegates, but he'll still lag Clinton significantly. With 86 delegates at stake in Wisconsin, Sanders will pick up at least 45 and Clinton will gain at least 31. That means Sanders must still win 67 percent of the remaining delegates and uncommitted superdelegates in order to win the Democratic nomination. Clinton's campaign has cast her overall lead as nearly insurmountable. Yet Sanders' continued presence in the race has become an irritant for Clinton, keeping her from turning her attention to the general election. In the Republican race, Cruz was poised to collect most of Wisconsin's 42 Republican delegates. Trump still has a narrow path to claim the nomination by the end of the primaries on June 7. But by losing Wisconsin, the real estate mogul has little room for error in upcoming contests. Complicating the primary landscape for both Cruz and Trump is the continuing candidacy of John Kasich. The Ohio governor's only victory has come in his home state, but he's still picking up delegates that would otherwise help Trump inch closer to the nomination or help Cruz catch up. To win a prolonged convention fight, a candidate would need support from the individuals selected as delegates. The process of selecting those delegates is tedious, and will test the mettle of Trump's slim campaign operation. Cruz prevailed in an early organizational test in North Dakota, scooping up endorsements from delegates who were selected at the party's state convention over the weekend. While all 28 go to the national convention as free agents, 10 said in interviews they were committed to Cruz. None has so far endorsed Trump. Despite the concern among some Wisconsin Republicans about Trump becoming president, nearly 6 in 10 GOP voters there said the party should nominate the candidate with the most support in the primaries, which so far would be Trump. Even among voters who favored Cruz, 4 in 10 said the candidate with the most support going into the convention should be the party's nominee. ___ Pace reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Hope Yen, Stephen Ohlemacher and Emily Swanson contributed to this report. ___ Follow Julie Pace on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jpaceDC ||||| Watch CNN and NY1's Democratic debate, moderated by Wolf Blitzer, Thursday, April 14 at 9 p.m. ET. Milwaukee (CNN) Ted Cruz's win over Donald Trump in Wisconsin means a contested GOP convention is not only possible, but may be probable. And Bernie Sanders reminded Hillary Clinton that the Democratic race isn't over yet. Wisconsin was a must-win for both Cruz and Sanders as the 2016 race shifts to New York , where both front-runners will try to regain their footing in the state they call home. Both did just that -- and they racked up big margins of victory, with Cruz besting Trump by 15 percentage points and Sanders ahead of Clinton by 13 points. Here are five takeaways from Tuesday's contests: A contested convention is more likely For Trump, getting the delegate math to add up to 1,237 before the Republican National Convention in Cleveland was always a tall task. Photos: Who's running for president? Photos: Who's running for president? Ted Cruz, Donald Trump, John Kasich, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, Hide Caption 1 of 6 Photos: Who's running for president? "So, ladies and gentlemen, I am officially running for president of the United States, and we are going to make our country great again," Trump told the crowd at his announcement. Businessman Donald Trump announced June 16 at his Trump Tower in New York City that he is seeking the Republican presidential nomination. This ends more than two decades of flirting with the idea of running for the White House."So, ladies and gentlemen, I am officially running for president of the United States, and we are going to make our country great again," Trump told the crowd at his announcement. Hide Caption 2 of 6 Photos: Who's running for president? "These are all of our stories," Cruz told the audience at Liberty University in Virginia. "These are who we are as Americans. And yet for so many Americans, the promise of America seems more and more distant." Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas has made a name for himself in the Senate, solidifying his brand as a conservative firebrand willing to take on the GOP's establishment. He announced he was seeking the Republican presidential nomination in a speech on March 23."These are all of our stories," Cruz told the audience at Liberty University in Virginia. "These are who we are as Americans. And yet for so many Americans, the promise of America seems more and more distant." Hide Caption 3 of 6 Photos: Who's running for president? Ohio Gov. John Kasich joined the Republican field July 21 as he formally announced his White House bid. "I am here to ask you for your prayers, for your support ... because I have decided to run for president of the United States," Kasich told his kickoff rally at the Ohio State University. Hide Caption 4 of 6 Photos: Who's running for president? "Everyday Americans need a champion, and I want to be that champion -- so you can do more than just get by -- you can get ahead. And stay ahead," she said in her announcement video. "Because when families are strong, America is strong. So I'm hitting the road to earn your vote, because it's your time. And I hope you'll join me on this journey." Hillary Clinton launched her presidential bid on April 12 through a video message on social media. The former first lady, senator and secretary of state is considered the front-runner among possible Democratic candidates."Everyday Americans need a champion, and I want to be that champion -- so you can do more than just get by -- you can get ahead. And stay ahead," she said in her announcement video. "Because when families are strong, America is strong. So I'm hitting the road to earn your vote, because it's your time. And I hope you'll join me on this journey." Hide Caption 5 of 6 Photos: Who's running for president? "This great nation and its government belong to all of the people and not to a handful of billionaires, their super PACs and their lobbyists," Sanders said at a rally in Vermont on May 26. Sen. Bernie Sanders , an independent from Vermont who caucuses with Democrats, announced his run in an email to supporters on April 30. He has said the United States needs a "political revolution" of working-class Americans to take back control of the government from billionaires."This great nation and its government belong to all of the people and not to a handful of billionaires, their super PACs and their lobbyists," Sanders said at a rally in Vermont on May 26. Hide Caption 6 of 6 It just got much more difficult. Cruz's big Wisconsin win raises the possibility that Trump romps in the Northeast, wins California and still comes up just short, throwing the nominating battle into a contested convention. Cruz tried again to consolidate the anti-Trump movement , touting in a Milwaukee speech the $2 million he said his campaign has raised Tuesday alone. JUST WATCHED What is a brokered convention? Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH What is a brokered convention? 01:35 He also made a play to unify Republicans, dropping his usual attacks on Trump and instead taking aim at Clinton in his victory speech. "Either before Cleveland or at the convention in Cleveland, together, we will win a majority of the delegates, and together, we will beat Hillary Clinton in November," Cruz said. The Texas senator's supporters -- and Republicans allied with anybody whose name isn't Trump -- crowed that Wisconsin marked a turning point in the race, especially as Trump watches delegates slip away in states he's already won because his campaign hasn't mastered the contest's procedural intricacies. "GOP voters in Wisconsin rejected Donald Trump just like the entire Republican base will do in Cleveland this summer," Katie Packer, a Republican strategist who helms the anti-Trump Our Principles PAC, said in a statement. Trump has to regroup The good news for Trump: The next stop is New York, where the billionaire calls home and is up in the polls. But Wisconsin shows he has some brand maintenance to do. Coming off perhaps the worst week of his campaign , Trump -- who'd claimed as recently as Tuesday morning that he thought he'd win the Badger State -- fell far short. He split the vote with Cruz of Republicans who said they wanted a candidate who could bring change. He was blown away by those worried about electability. One especially concerning figure for Trump: He was blown out by 22 percentage points by Cruz in suburban areas and 13 points in urban areas, compared to just 3 points in rural areas. That's bad news as the race moves to the densely-populated east coast. That all explains why Trump lost, and lays out the challenges he confronts: Now he has to face down adversity and appear, in his own words, "more presidential." The only silver lining might have been that there was no significant gender gap -- an indication Trump's two stumbles and subsequent reversals over abortion didn't depress his support from women. Bern-ing hot headed into New York Sanders got an affirmation of his momentum, with six wins in the last seven contests. He will need that momentum to stay strong if he's going to truly knock Clinton off her heels To keep his streak going, Sanders will need to beat her out east -- in New York on April 19, and then in some combination of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Delaware the following week. In those states, Sanders will be competing without his typical advantages. In Wisconsin, loyal Democrats split 50-50, but Sanders won independents 71-29. The east coast races, though, are closed contests -- which means only registered Democrats can participate, limiting his ability to bring new, young voters into the process. What Wisconsin gives Sanders is the ability to keep raising big dollars, and keep his supporters energized in states where organizational work will be especially important. He has outraised Clinton, $109 million to $75 million, in the last three months. Before heading east, Sanders made a stop in Laramie, Wyoming, where he'll try to make it seven out of eight states when that state holds its caucuses Saturday. "I was told that about 5,000 people participated in the last Wyoming caucus. It looks like all of them are here tonight," he joked as he started his speech, leaning hard into one buzzword: "Momentum." "I know a little bit about New York because I spent the first 18 years of my life in Brooklyn, New York. Now please keep this a secret -- do not tell Secretary Clinton; she's getting a little nervous and I don't want her to get more nervous -- but I believe we've got an excellent chance to win New York and a lot of delegates in that state," he said. Clinton waiting for Sanders Wisconsin was the kind of state -- overwhelmingly white, and independents are allowed into party primaries -- that Sanders had to win. And he did: He crushed Clinton among voters 18-29 by his standard margin of 82% to 18%, and won those 30-44, two to one. He won white voters, 59% to 41%. That number was flipped among non-whites, but in Wisconsin, 83% of the Democratic electorate was white. States like New York that are far more diverse have proven to be Clinton country. And the former secretary of state is wasting no time welcoming Sanders back to the state where he grew up. JUST WATCHED Bernie Sanders feeling media heat after new interview Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Bernie Sanders feeling media heat after new interview 01:23 Readers of The New York Daily News will see a front-page story Wednesday denouncing "Bernie's Sandy Hook shame." Sanders Tuesday faced blistering criticism over his interview with the newspaper's editorial board , where he seemed unable to go beyond top-level talking points on his core policy issues, like breaking up the big banks. In an unusual move, Clinton's campaign sent out the entire Sanders transcript as part of a fundraising email. "We've said for a long time that this primary is about who's really going to be able to get things done. And from reading this interview, you get the impression Senator Sanders hasn't thought very much about that. In fact, even on his signature issue of breaking up the banks, he's unable to answer basic questions about how he'd go about doing it, and even seems uncertain whether a president does or doesn't already have that authority under existing law," Clinton aide Christina Reynolds wrote. The GOP's battleground woes If Gov. Scott Walker's experience of three statewide wins in four years shows anything, it's that Republicans can win in Wisconsin. But Cruz and Trump may have an uphill climb in November. Exit polls showed that only 62% of Republicans said they'd vote for Trump in the fall. Another 10% said if he's the nominee, they'd support Clinton, while 17% said they'd back a third-party candidate and 8% said they wouldn't vote at all. For Cruz, the numbers were similar: 66% said they'd vote for him, while 6% said they'd back Clinton. But 18% said they'd pick a third-party candidate, and another 6% would stay home. It's an ominous sign for the fall. Wisconsin isn't a must-win state for a Republican in the general election -- but it is winnable, and, like Illinois, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire, it's home to a vulnerable senator (Ron Johnson) who the GOP hopes will be part of a governing majority next year. Those exit poll numbers are, in theory, good for John Kasich , because they bolster his argument that he's the only electable Republican left standing. But the Ohio governor has his own problems. The same factors that hurt Trump -- Wisconsin is highly educated and less angry -- should have helped Kasich. Yet he finished a distant third, once again failing to lend any credibility to his case for staying in the race.
– Wisconsin has handed big victories to Bernie Sanders and Ted Cruz—and to political junkies hoping to see the first contested convention in 40 years. The Badger State results are a stinging setback to front-runners Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, though the delegate math remains in their favor. A roundup of coverage: The big story isn't how badly Trump did, but how well Cruz did, according to Nate Silver at FiveThirtyEight. Silver notes that with 49% of the vote, Cruz did far better in Wisconsin than he did in neighboring states, and he won among demographic groups, including non-evangelicals, that didn't warm to him in the past. Trump—whose campaign blasted Cruz as "a Trojan horse, being used by the party bosses attempting to steal the nomination"—now needs a big win in New York on April 19 to regain momentum, and polls suggest that he's likely to get one, the AP reports. When Sanders first launched his campaign, nobody thought he would win a single state, but he has now won 15, including six of the last seven to vote (plus the category of "Democrats abroad"), notes Chris Cillizza at the Washington Post. Clinton's lead may still be impossible for Sanders to overcome, he writes, but Sanders has guaranteed himself a voice in the party, and if Clinton fails to win New York, she will be seen as "limping to the nomination." A contested GOP convention is looking more likely all the time, according to Eric Bradner at CNN. Trump is still the only candidate with a realistic chance of getting the necessary 1,237 delegates to wrap up the nomination before the convention, but the Wisconsin loss makes that task a lot more difficult. Exit polls in Wisconsin should worry both Trump and the GOP, the New York Times reports. Only 29% of those who made their decision late picked Trump, and 37% of GOP primary voters said they would vote for Clinton, a third-party candidate, or nobody if he became the party's nominee. Sanders is going to need more nights like Tuesday to have a realistic shot at the nomination, notes Harry Enten at FiveThirtyEight. He will have to score similar wins in states such as New York and Pennsylvania, Enten writes, and will have to do more to win over black voters, a group that he lost to Clinton by more than 40% in Wisconsin.
Michael Reynolds-Pool/Getty Images Donald Trump had some tough words for the Germans at the NATO summit in Belgium on Thursday. “The Germans are bad, very bad,” he reportedly told Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Union. “Look at the millions of cars that they’re selling in the USA. Horrible. We’re gonna stop that.” It is certainly true that Germany runs a big trade surplus with the world and with the United States. (Last year, the U.S. trade deficit with Germany was nearly $65 billion.) But Trump can’t stop the German cars from coming in to the U.S. because, to a large degree, they’re already here. See, it turns out that many “foreign” cars are actually made in the U.S. while many “American” cars are made in Canada and Mexico. That’s how globalization works today. Advertisement Over the past few decades, in an often-overlooked dynamic, Japanese, German, and Korean automakers have sought to combat protectionist sentiment and insulate themselves from currency gyrations by opening large production facilities in the U.S.—particularly in the union-averse South. IAMA , the trade group for Asian automakers in the U.S., said its members last year produced 4.6 million cars between them, equal to 40 percent of all U.S. vehicle production, at some 300 facilities. The German carmakers have been quite aggressive in building up their U.S. operations, too. In 1994, BMW opened a plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Having invested $7.8 billion in the plant, BMW now boasts that it is the company’s largest single facility in the world. And it has spurred investments by a range of suppliers throughout the state. The cars made in Spartanburg there include the EX3 and X5 Sports Activity Vehicle, and the X4 and X6 Sports Activity Coupe. Last year, Spartanburg produced a record 411,171 vehicles, about 34,000 per month. According to BMW, it sells about 26,000 cars per month in the U.S. Now, not all the cars BMW sells in the U.S. are made here. Some are shipped in from overseas. And many of the vehicles made in South Carolina—287,700 last year, or 70 percent—are exported to points around the world. The upshot: By exporting more finished vehicles from the United States than it imports to the United States, BMW may be helping to lower America’s trade deficit. Get Slate in your inbox. How about that other big German carmaker, Daimler? Well, it has a host of research and manufacturing locations in the U.S. The Mercedes-Benz plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, is an impressive operation. Last year, workers in Tuscaloosa produced more than 300,000 vehicles—or about 25,000 per month. As the main distribution site for GLE and GLS Class vehicles, Tuscaloosa exports to 135 countries. In April, Mercedes-Benz sold 27,000 cars in the U.S. Again, not all the Mercedes-Benz vehicles sold in the U.S. are made here, but the company produces roughly as many cars in the U.S. as it sells here. Or take Volkswagen. Volkswagen has a big plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where it has been making the Passat and, lately, the seven-passenger Atlas SUV, whose rollout features this tear-jerking ad. It’s hard to get details about the production volumes at Chattanooga, since activity died down in the wake of the diesel emissions scandal. Volkswagen sells about 27,000 cars per month in the U.S. ||||| Donald Trump’s top economic adviser acknowledged that the president said Germany is “very bad” when it comes to flooding the U.S. with cars, but insisted it wasn’t a dig at one of the U.S.’s most important allies. “He said, ‘They’re very bad on trade,’ but he doesn’t have a problem with Germany,” Gary Cohn, director of the National Economic Council, said as Trump joined a meeting of the Group of Seven leaders in Sicily. “He said his dad is from Germany. He said, ‘I don’t have a problem with Germany, I have a problem with German trade’.” The comments were splashed in the German press earlier and underline Trump’s distance from key allies on display in Sicily and yesterday at the NATO summit in Brussels. In a visit that included his hectoring of allies over defense spending and a rebuke by the U.K. over leaked intelligence, Trump singled out manufacturers for contributing to lopsided trade deficits. Chancellor Angela Merkel hit back later on Friday at the close of the summit’s first day, saying that she had made clear to Trump that the German trade surplus with the U.S. “is a result of the good quality of our products.” “To single out one country for attack is, I think, not so appropriate,” she told reporters. “We agreed with the U.S. that we’ll go over the details of the trade question intensively once more.” Trade has emerged as one of the biggest rifts between the new U.S. administration and economic powerhouses around the world. Merkel and Trump clashed in their first meeting in the White House in March, when the president lambasted ostensible German trade negotiators. Back then, Merkel pointed out that the European Commission oversees trade talks on behalf of member states. There are few signs that the two will see more eye to eye in Sicily. Here is a graphic of all the G-7 players and the big issues that divide them At the family photo in Taormina, inside the ancient Greek theater, Merkel and Trump stood side by side silently and the U.S. president later hung back while the other leaders walked away chatting in smaller groups. Trump has complained repeatedly that Germany’s trade surplus with the U.S. is hurting the American economy. Germany, Europe’s biggest economy, exported goods to the U.S. worth about $66 billion more than it imported last year, leading to auto producers including Daimler AG, Volkswagen AG and BMW AG having been particularly targeted. Fifth Avenue Back in January, in a Bild newspaper interview, he threatened luxury-car maker BMW with a 35 percent import duty for foreign-built cars sold in the country. “If you go down Fifth Avenue everyone has a Mercedes Benz in front of his house,” he told Bild. Merkel shrugged the comment off, making a comparison to the prevalence of Apple iPhones in Germany. Read more: A QuickTake Q&A on Trump’s fear of trade deficits When asked about Trump’s comments on German trade as reported in Der Spiegel, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker confirmed the gist of them while pointing out that they’d been exaggerated due to a translation error. “The Germans are bad, very bad,” Der Spiegel cited Trump as saying, citing unidentified participants at a closed-door meeting between Trump and EU officials in Brussels. “Look at the millions of cars that they sell in the U.S. Terrible. We’re going to stop that.” Merkel’s government responded earlier to say that its position on trade balances “is well known,” “A surplus is neither good nor evil -- it’s the result of supply and demand,” German government spokesman Georg Streiter told reporters in Berlin. The chancellor said that it would be a late night for the officials, known as sherpas, who are working to reach a joint statement on trade for the conclusion of the meeting on Saturday. “The sherpas are going to have to work hard tonight to see how the final text on trade shapes up,” she said. ||||| Trump reportedly calls Germans 'very bad,' threatens to end German car sales 11:04 AM ET Fri, 26 May 2017 | 00:45 President Donald Trump has reportedly reignited tensions with his EU counterparts after calling the Germans "very bad" for their trade surplus with the U.S. The president vowed to block German car exports to the U.S. during a meeting with top EU leaders on Thursday, according to German news magazine Der Spiegel. "The Germans are bad, very bad," Trump said, according to participants in the room who spoke to Der Spiegel. "See the millions of cars they sell in the U.S., terrible. We will stop this." The comments were said to have been made in a meeting with the European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and the European Council President Donald Tusk, who both showed support for Germany. The White House has since pushed back on these media reports and Juncker dismissed the claims on Friday, saying that the German reports were exaggerated. "He did not say that the Germans were behaving badly," Juncker told reporters in Sicily ahead of G-7 talks. "He was not aggressive at all and anyway we have taken the defense of the Germans," he continued. "I was making clear that the U.S. cannot compare their trade situation with individual member states of the European Union. They have to compare their performances with the global performances of the European Union, and I made it clear that the commission is charged with trade issues and not the member states." Trump has long voiced his frustrations with Germany's trade surplus with the U.S., insisting that German imports have damaged the U.S. manufacturing industry. In January, he threatened to slap a 35 percent tax on German auto imports. "If you want to build cars in the world, then I wish you all the best. You can build cars for the United States, but for every car that comes to the USA, you will pay 35 percent tax," he said in an interview with German newspaper Bild. He also attempted to negotiate a bilateral trade deal with Germany when he met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in March. However, she insisted that all deals with EU member countries must be made multilaterally.
– One of President Trump's comments during a meeting with EU leaders Thursday isn't going over well in Germany. "The Germans are bad, very bad," the president said, as quoted by Der Spiegel. It came during a trade discussion, with Trump's reference being about auto sales. "See the millions of cars they are selling to the US?" Trump said, based on accounts of those in attendance. "Terrible. We will stop this." European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker pushed back at the sentiment, arguing that global free trade benefits all participants, and CNBC reports that he downplayed Trump's comments on Friday. "He was not aggressive at all, and anyway we have taken the defense of the Germans," said Juncker. A blogger at Slate takes issue with Trump's criticism, pointing out that BMW has a giant plant in South Carolina that churned out more than 411,000 vehicles last year, while Volkswagen has a big plant of its own in Tennessee. "I suppose Trump could try to stop the sales of German cars in the US," writes Daniel Gross. "But that would involve shutting down a bunch of factories on American soil that employ American workers and use a lot of US-produced parts," something that would indeed be "very bad." German leader Angela Merkel hasn't responded to Trump's comments, notes Bloomberg, but a government spokesman did. "A surplus is neither good nor evil," he said. "It’s the result of supply and demand." (Also making headlines: a Trump handshake and a shove.)
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 ||||| Technically Incorrect offers a slightly twisted take on the tech that's taken over our lives. Dear famous person, If we want to be seen with you, we'll turn our backs on you. Please don't be offended. It's just that your fame isn't enough for us anymore. We need to attach ourselves to your fame, so that we can post the resulting picture to Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat. That way, we achieve our own sort of mini-fame. Which could be the maximal fame we ever attain. Please forgive me for this missive to the stars. There's a reason: This astounding picture was posted Sunday on Twitter by Hillary For America design lead Victor Ng. He credited the shot to Clinton campaign photographer Barbara Kinney. As Hillary Clinton stands on a podium and waves, not one of the throng in front of her seems to be facing her. Instead, everyone has turned their backs and raised their phones in order to get a little of themselves -- perhaps just their hair or their upper forehead -- into the shot. Ng offered this caption: "2016, ya'll." One can surely forgive him for misplacing his apostrophe, as he gazed upon this intrigue. Increasingly we prefer to be seen with each other, instead of looking at each other. We live not to be there, but to be seen to be there. In this case, Clinton seems to have understood what people wanted. Video of the event has emerged. It shows that the Democratic nominee asked anyone who wanted a selfie to "turn around right now." And look how many did. So, dear famous person, please understand that it's all a show now. All of it. This might be especially worth remembering should you be taking part in some sort of debate in the near future. This story originally published at 2 p.m. PT September 25. Update, 8:20 a.m. PT September 26: Information added that the candidate invited the selfies. ||||| On Wednesday, Hillary Clinton held a rally at a youth center in Orlando, where she outlined plans to get more Americans with disabilities working. She also spoke to people in an overflow area who couldn't fit in the room where the rally was. That's where her campaign photographer took this incredible photo. Here's what campaigning looks like in the smartphone era: a sea of endless selfies. When a Clinton staffer uploaded the photo to Twitter on Sunday, it immediately went viral. Some saw the picture as symbolic of the entire country in 2016. Of course, the picture also lent itself to some jokes. Especially from people wondering if everyone was actually taking a photo of someone else... Both candidates have spent a lot of time posing for selfies through the 2016 campaign. Both candidates have spent a lot of time posing for selfies through the 2016 campaign. Clinton has previously said selfies have changed campaigning in 2016 because she can't as easily do meet-and-greets with large crowds without being overwhelmed by photo requests. "It's turned into the thing," Clinton told Ellen DeGeneres in January. "It used to be, you know, when I campaigned, not just for my husband, but for other people as well, and even back in the '08 campaign, you would finish an event and you would shake hands." She said she missed hearing personal stories from voters, many of whom just decide to ask for a selfie instead. In an interview with Esquire, she even described the phenomenon as "the tyranny of the selfie." ||||| It is a photo that captures perfectly the age of the selfie. Hillary Clinton, who could soon become America's first woman president, stands at the front of a room packed with people. Yet instead of having all the eyes of the room trained on her, the crowd has turned its collective back, cameras aloft, seemingly captivated by someone far more interesting on the other side of the room. Even Mrs Clinton seems to be greeting the newcomer. Far from being a snub, the crowd members at a campaign event in Orlando were simply desperate to place themselves in the same photo frame as the historic presidential candidate. Welcome to generation selfie.
– A striking photo is going viral because it shows a group of women turning their backs on Hillary Clinton. But these folks are, in fact, Clinton supporters—it's just that they're all trying to take selfies with the candidate, explains BuzzFeed. The photo was taken by campaign photographer Barbara Kinney at an event in Orlando, Florida, and it went viral after being shared on Twitter by campaign staffer Victor Ng with the caption, "2016, ya'll." The Telegraph says it "captures perfectly the age of the selfie," while a headline at CNET waxes that it expresses "what we've become."
President Barack Obama makes an emotional address during a vigil in the Newtown High School auditorium. In front of the President are candles representing those who died during Friday's attack at the Sandy Hook Elementary School. Hundreds of local residents, including grieving families and first responders, filled the hall Sunday night. (STEPHEN DUNN, Hartford Courant / ) The horror of a lone gunman's devastation on a small elementary school in Newtown was reflected Sunday in staggering numbers. Thousands of grief-stricken mourners gathered in churches across Connecticut to remember the 20 children and six adults killed during Friday's rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School. More than 60 funeral directors stepped forward to help the families. And in a press conference, police revealed "the hundreds" of unused bullets Adam Lanza had for the rifle and two semiautomatic pistols he brought to the school Friday morning could have made his victims' list longer. On Sunday morning, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said the sound of police sirens screaming toward the school just after 9:30 a.m. may have cut short the shooting spree. "We surmise that it was during the second classroom episode that he heard responders coming and apparently at that, decided to take his own life," Malloy said on ABC's "This Week." Police believe Lanza killed his mother, Nancy, Friday morning inside the Newtown home where he lived with her, and then drove to the school where he shot through a locked glass door. Twelve girls and eight boys, all first-graders, and six school employees, including the principal, were gunned down. State police spokesman Lt. J. Paul Vance said Sunday that Lanza, 20, used one of the pistols to shoot himself in the head. The state medical examiner's office said Sunday that it ruled Lanza's death a suicide. Vance said all the victims in the school had been shot with the rifle. The medical examiner also said Nancy Lanza, 52, was shot in the head multiple times. Her death has been ruled a homicide. Neither Malloy nor Vance said Sunday what they think motivated Lanza to kill. A law enforcement official has said police found no letters or diaries that could shed light on a motive, though investigators are examining evidence seized from the Lanza home that may help give them some answers. Police declined to discuss the evidence or what other information they have learned about Lanza, who has been described as a bright but withdrawn and troubled young man. At 16, Lanza, who is believed to have been homeschooled for periods, enrolled in classes at Western Connecticut State University in the summer of 2008 and earned a 3.26 grade point average, Western spokesman Paul Steinmetz said Sunday. Steinmetz said Lanza dropped out of a German language class and withdrew from a computer science class, but earned an A in a computer class, an A-minus in an American history class and a B in a macroeconomics class. He did not do so well in philosophy, earning only a C. Steinmetz said while it is unusual for 16-year-olds to be among the school's 5,000 undergraduate students, Lanza was "not unique." "We probably have a small handful of kids that age," Steinmetz said. Lanza left Western in the summer of 2009, he said. On Sunday, police evacuated St. Rose of Lima Church — the site of a vigil for the victims Friday night — during noon Mass after a bomb threat was made. Brian Wallace, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of Bridgeport, said that Monsignor Robert Weiss was in the middle of his homily when it was learned that a threat had been made against the church. The church, located at 46 Church Hill Road, was evacuated and authorities searched the church and other buildings on the property. ||||| NEWTOWN, Conn.—The number of people seeking permits to buy guns has surged in this town following the December massacre of schoolchildren by a local man, even as the parents of some victims had urged stricter weapons laws nationwide. Through July 24, more than 200 people in Newtown have received new local pistol permits, according to a review of local records, surpassing the 171 new permits issued for all of last year. Such permits are prerequisites for Connecticut permits that allow people to purchase and carry pistols as well as rifles or shotguns. The rise in Newtown comes in tandem with a general upswing in gun sales nationwide and in Connecticut, which passed tough firearm restrictions after Adam Lanza shot and killed 26 people, including 20 children, at Sandy Hook Elementary School on Dec. 14. It was the nation’s worst shooting of young children. The local surge is especially sensitive in Newtown. The town of about 28,000, approximately 75 miles northeast of New York City, has a sizable population of hunters and sportsmen as well as a base of politically active gun-control advocates that has organized since the Sandy Hook shooting. “I think people realize that you can’t call the police all the time and expect them to save you,” said Newtown resident Bill Stevens, 48 years old, an avid hunter who owns more than a dozen firearms. “It’s sinking in to some folks that ‘I need to take responsibility for keeping my family safe.’ “ Others say the surge in guns—in Newtown and statewide—is troubling. “If you look at how many guns the Lanza family had in their home and what that led to, it’s a recipe for disaster,” said Dave Ackert, a Newtown resident and founder of gun-control advocacy group Newtown Action Alliance. Mr. Lanza used a rifle that his mother kept in their home to fatally shoot her before he went to the school. After the rampage, he shot and killed himself. Connecticut has seen a steady increase in gun transactions over the past decade. The state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection processed authorizations for the sale of 127,000 guns—including pistols, rifles and shotguns—in 2012, more than double the number authorized in 2000. So far this year, through July 24, more than 91,000 guns were authorized for sale statewide. At that pace, the state will surpass last year’s total by October. Nationwide, gun makers had sales of $4.15 billion in 2012, up 48% from $2.8 billion in 2011, according to estimates from the National Shooting Sports Foundation, an industry trade association that is based in Newtown. The uptick in gun sales comes even as some surveys show an overall drop in the number of gun owners. In 2012, about 34% of a sample of U.S. residents reported having a firearm in their home, down from 45% in 1990, according to a survey conducted by the NORC research center at the University of Chicago. Gallup polls shows a smaller decline, with 43% of Americans saying they had a gun at home in December 2012, down from 47% in 1990. “What seems like inconsistent data [between gun sales and gun ownership] may make a little more sense if you realize the bulk of guns that are purchased are purchased by people that already own guns,” said Daniel Webster, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research. Presidential elections—which can spur fears of a change in policy—and mass shootings typically result in surges in gun sales, he added. E. Patricia Llodra, Newtown’s chief administrator, attributes the increase in local pistol permits primarily to concerns over gun control rather than a reaction to the school shooting. “Whenever there is a discussion of increased regulation in any aspect in gun control, it sparks an increase,” Ms. Llodra said. Some Newtown gun owners, however, say the shooting has played a role. “Unfortunately, I think fear after the Sandy Hook shooting has driven some of it,” said Ryan Delp, 40, who has lived in Newtown since 1996 and owns several handguns and rifles. He said a 2007 home invasion in Cheshire, Conn., where a woman and her two daughters were killed, also struck a chord. “Obviously both situations are places where you expect to be safe,” he said. In the wake of the Sandy Hook shooting, Connecticut expanded its ban on guns that it defines as assault weapons by adding more than 100 models to the list, including the AR-15 rifle, the model used in the attack—a move pushed by some victims’ parents. Residents rushed to buy guns before the ban, which took effect April 5. “We were just swamped from January all the way through April 4,” said Victor Benson, 55, who owns a gun shop in New Milford. “I’ve seen a couple guys come to my shop, and the permits were still warm from the laminator.” Newtown resident Donald Casey, 51, said he understands why some might want to own a firearm, but supports stricter gun laws and background checks. “Ever since this incident, people are afraid and want to protect themselves,” Mr. Casey said. The aftermath of the Sandy Hook shooting has also forced some firearm-owning residents to rethink their positions. “I have mixed views as a gun owner,” said Stacey Zimmerman, 39, who owns an antique handgun and a modern pistol, and supports strict gun regulations. “Driving by the school every day makes me question the need or desire to own a firearm.” Others in the town are hoping the debate over guns doesn’t obscure the pain of families who lost loved ones on Dec. 14. “I understand the importance of the dialogues to address the issues,” said Dianne Orlando, who has lived in Newtown for 14 years, “but get frustrated when an event is made global when, in fact, it is personal.” Write to Joseph De Avila at joseph.deavila@wsj.com
– One of the six adults killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School was a first-grade teacher who made sure her students were safe before she was herself shot, reports the Hartford Courant. Victoria Soto, who turned 27 this month, taught next door to the room where the heaviest shooting broke out. She gathered her students and hid them, possibly in a bathroom or a classroom closet. The gunman then entered her room looking for more people to kill, a source tells the newspaper. "But seeing no one but Soto, he shot her, then left the room." Soto's cousin, a police officer, said "Vicki was a great individual with a huge heart and put students first," reports the Wall Street Journal. "Unfortunately, that is how she lost her life. I wanted people to know that she was a hero for what she did, and that she gets the recognition that she deserves.”
The case began with a call from a concerned citizen about 3 p.m. Friday: Someone should check on a little girl living in a home on Main Street who might be in danger. By Tuesday, that call had authorities in three counties scrambling to untangle the events that led to the discoveries of two dead children inside a storage locker in Redding, a severely beaten 9-year-old girl inside a locked car in Quincy, and the arrest of a couple newly arrived in town. The suspects in the case are a 39-year-old Salinas woman with a history of drug and child-abuse charges, and her 17-year-old companion. They both face up to life in prison on torture and child-abuse charges, and are suspects in a homicide investigation opened by detectives in Redding. The pair, Tami Joy Huntsman and Gonzalo Curiel, were being held in Quincy on $1 million bail each. They made a brief court appearance Tuesday afternoon but did not enter pleas. Curiel was being charged as an adult. Never miss a local story. Sign up today for a free 30 day free trial of unlimited digital access. SUBSCRIBE NOW They left the courthouse shackled and with blankets over their heads. Plumas County Sheriff Greg Hagwood said some officials were so shaken by the abuse the girl endured that he expects to grant them leave to recover. “This investigation has had a profound impact on anyone who came in contact with it,” Hagwood said Tuesday. “When you see what has been done to a beautiful little 9-year-old girl …” the sheriff said before halting to compose himself. “Anyone not affected needs to get some help.” Hagwood told the Plumas County News earlier that the girl weighed about 40 pounds, had multiple fractures, including broken fingers and a dislocated jaw, and was missing teeth. The victim was found Friday after a citizen called Plumas County child protective services asking for a welfare check, Hagwood told The Sacramento Bee. A deputy discovered the girl inside a locked vehicle parked near the Main Street apartment Huntsman and Curiel had recently moved into after coming from the Salinas area. The girl was taken to an area hospital, then moved to Sacramento for further care. Initially, officials were handling what was believed to be a case of child abuse. But Sunday, Plumas County authorities got a call from someone in Monterey County asking about the condition of a 6-year-old and a 3-year-old tied to the case, Hagwood said. “We knew nothing about a 6-year-old and a 3-year-old,” the sheriff said. “That was the first we knew anything. “The information was very specific and very credible.” Armed with that information, detectives went back to question the pair in jail and learned about the storage locker in Redding, the sheriff said. Redding police broke the lock on the storage unit on the southeast side of the city and discovered the bodies of two small children. The department launched a homicide investigation. The bodies were discovered at the Enterprise Stor-All, off Tarmac Road and next to Highway 44, in a center that includes rows of white lockers and a yard containing a collection of rusted cars, old fishing boats, several portable toilets and a green shipping container. The business owner declined to comment to reporters flocking to the site, and there was no sign of police activity Tuesday afternoon. Redding police said Tuesday that they had not identified the children yet, but said Huntsman and Curiel were known to have had custody of two small children – Delylah Tara, 3, and Shaun Tara, 6 – who had been reported missing. Photos released by Redding police show a snapshot of a dark-haired toddler girl with a gap-toothed smile looking up at the camera, and a framed photograph of a tow-headed boy in a striped polo-style shirt buttoned to his neck. Police said the couple had traveled from Salinas on Nov. 27 and stayed at a Motel 6 in Dunnigan the next night. They also traveled to Redding, Shingletown and then Quincy, police said. Hagwood said the pair arrived in Quincy last week with the 9-year-old girl and two 12-year-old twins, and moved into an apartment belonging to a friend. Officials did not divulge the relationships between the children and the suspects. The 12-year-old boy and girl apparently are the children of Chris Criswell, a Salinas man who records show once lived with Huntsman and may have been married to her. Huntsman filed a civil petition naming Criswell in Monterey County Superior Court in January, and Criswell noted on his Facebook page later that his marriage had broken up. In subsequent postings Monday, Criswell wrote that he was avoiding the media but had a family emergency and needed “gas and hotel money to go get my twins in Quincy.” He later attached a link to a media report about Huntsman’s arrest. Huntsman has used the name Criswell in the past, including last year when she publicly defended her younger brother, Wayne Allen Huntsman, following his arrest in Placerville on charges of setting the King Fire. That September 2014 blaze burned 100,000 acres, destroyed 12 homes and 68 other buildings, and caused 12 injuries. Charges in the arson case are pending. Tami Huntsman’s Facebook page includes photos of her brother and the note, “Miss you, bro,” as well as a listing that says she works at “Being the Best Mom I Can Be.” Huntsman is originally from Santa Cruz County, where online Superior Court records show she has faced child endangerment and child abuse charges twice in past years. In June 1997, Huntsman was charged with felony burglary, grand theft and abuse/child endangerment. Those charges were dismissed, and she was convicted of being an accessory to a felony after the fact. Eight months later, she was charged with possession of drugs for sale and child endangerment. Huntsman was later acquitted of the endangerment charge and convicted of possession of a controlled substance. Until recently, she and Curiel apparently were living in Salinas at a Fremont Street apartment. Television reports from Salinas on Monday night showed investigators entering an apartment there clad in protective hazardous materials suits. ||||| Tami Joy Huntsman lived here on Fremont Street in Salinas with five children and her 17-year-old boyfriend. Salinas police are investigating a horrific double homicide that left two kids dead and a third child fighting for her life in a hospital. The bodies of a 3-year-old girl and 6-year-old boy were found in a storage locker in Redding, Calif. Their aunt said the boy was named Shaun and the girl was named Delilah. A severely abused 9-year-old girl was found at home and is undergoing surgery for "numerous injuries," Plumas County Sheriff's Sgt. Steve Peay said. Tami Joy Huntsman, 39, and Gonzalo Curiel, 17, were arrested on charges of felony child abuse, torture, and mayhem. According to Plumas News, Curiel is Huntsman's boyfriend. PHOTOS: Salinas woman arrested after 2 kids found dead in locker Homicide detectives have spent the past two days combing through a Salinas apartment on Fremont Street where Huntsman and several children lived up until a week ago. VIDEO: Salinas crime scene Huntsman is a relative of the two homicide victims but not their mother. Her Facebook page lists her work as "Being the Best Mom I Can Be." When Huntsman, Curiel, and the young children moved from Salinas to a friend's house in Quincy, Calif., Plumas County Child Protective Services alerted the sheriff because agents found a tortured 9-year-old girl. The girl was starving and dying. "Due to the circumstances surrounding the incident, further investigation was required for possible additional victims. This led to the discovery of two deceased (kids) inside a storage unit in the city of Redding," Peay said. Autopsies are pending, and it was not immediately clear where or when the two children died. Social services had investigated Huntsman and her family within the last year for general neglect, said Elliott Robinson, director of social services for Monterey County. Robinson's Monterey County office filed death reports for the two children, indicating that the kids may have died in Salinas. Redding is about 300 miles north of Salinas, and 140 miles northwest of Quincy. The two homicide victims and the abused 9-year-old girl were siblings. Their aunt, Jayne Orr, said Huntsman was caring for the children because their mother died after she was struck by a car while walking. The father gave up custody and is currently in prison. Curiel and Huntsman remain jailed with bail set at $1 million each. Curiel will be tried as an adult, prosecutors said Tuesday. According to Plumas News, Curiel tipped off investigators that they would find the missing children's bodies in the storage locker. Tami Huntsman and her brother, Wayne Huntsman, grew up in Santa Cruz. Wayne Huntsman is currently in prison and accused of intentionally igniting a massive wildfire in a national forest. The King Fire scorched 120 square miles and 12 homes before firefighters contained it last fall. The King Fire cost $5 million a day to fight, fire officials said. KSBW interviewed Tami Huntsman shortly after her brother was arrested. At the time, she requested that KSBW not show her face on TV, and she went by the name Tami Criswell. VIDEO: Watch the interview here Huntsman's 12-year-old twins were taken by Child Protective Services agents when she was arrested. The Plumas County Sheriff's Office, Redding Police Department, and Salinas Police Department are investigating further circumstances surrounding the children's death. "We are still deep into the investigation," Salinas Police Chief Kelly McMillin said. Plumas County Sheriff Greg Hagwood said, "This is an unspeakable tragedy. I don't understand. And I don't think anybody can fully appreciate the measure of suffering and pain and terror that people inflict on one another."
– Two people already in custody on suspicion of child abuse, torture, and mayhem are now being investigated for homicide after the bodies of two young children were found in a California storage unit Monday, the New York Times reports. The Plumas County Sheriff's Office arrested 17-year-old Gonzalo Curiel and 39-year-old Tami Joy Huntsman on Friday in Salinas, Calif. Per KSBW, the victim in the original incident is a young girl who is alive but "fighting for her life" after being "severely abused." The Times reports the bodies of two other children were found in the storage locker about 300 miles from Salinas in Redding, Calif. The deceased children—ages 3 and 5—were siblings, KSBW reports. Their relationship to the third victim or the suspects is unclear. According to the Sacramento Bee, police searched an apartment in Salinas on Monday. And a post on the Redding Police Department's Facebook page simply states the bodies were discovered after "further investigation." The identities of the children are not being released, and an autopsy is pending on the two found in the storage locker, the Bee reports.
The parents of two-year-old twin boys who drowned after falling into a fish pond at their home have paid tribute to their “miracle babies” as it emerged the children were conceived using IVF. Sarah Aitken, 32, and Mervyn Scott said their “long-awaited little soldiers” had been “full of love, happiness, fun and cheek” and they had been left devastated by the “freak” accident. In a statement issued by Police Scotland, they said their sons, Shaun and Rhys Scott, had been “taken from us far too early and will be forever missed and loved.” Senior sources confirmed the “miracle babies” description was a reference to them having been conceived using IVF. Around one in six IVF pregnancies result in a multiple birth, whereas natural conceptions of twins occur in about one in 80 cases. Officers are continuing to support the family and enquiries are being carried out to establish the full circumstances in which they boys died. Emergency services were called to the scene in Dalgety Bay, Fife, at around 8.20am on Saturday after the boys were found. They were taken to Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy where they were pronounced dead. The twins’ parents said: “We would like to thank everyone for their support at this unfortunate and difficult time. We have special thanks to all the medical staff, family, friends, neighbours and the police for their efforts, hard work and time spent helping and trying to revive our miracle babies. “Both boys were long awaited little soldiers who were full of love, happiness, fun and cheek. Individually and together they have touched the lives of everyone they met. “We along with our family and friends are still in shock and devastated at such a tragic loss from such a ‘freak’ accident. They have been taken from us far too early and will be forever missed and loved. We wish to be left alone and be given the privacy needed to grieve.” Photo: David Cheskin for the Telegraph It is understood the family only recently moved into the rented home and the previous resident, Keith Henderson, ran a koi supply business from the property that required the installation of a fish tank at the side of the property. The ornamental fish are collected by enthusiasts and tend to require large, deep ponds. Devastated friends placed flowers outside the family home in a quiet cul-de-sac. One said: "Rest in peace little ones. Hold each other's hands and stay close." Another said: "Rest in peace lovely ones." "I know she wanted children and that she was chuffed when she found out they were expecting twins. Why take it away from her? It’s just so unfair." Keith McKinlay, friend of the family Keith McKinlay, 50, a Gulf War veteran who used to live beside the couple said: "Merv worked at the industrial estate in Dalgety Bay and so did Sarah. They are just laid back and a lovely couple and so easy to talk to. They were easy going and pleasant and did so much for me. “I’m still in shock. You can’t put that into words. Sarah must be devastated because she is quite a sensitive person. It must be devastating for the both of them. “I know she wanted children and that she was chuffed when she found out they were expecting twins. Why take it away from her? It’s just so unfair. “I know they were trying hard to get the kids. I know she wanted kids but that there was some problem." He added: “They will both be devastated. It’s so unfair. It should not happen to anybody. My heart goes out to them." Officers are supporting the family and working to establish the full circumstances of the incident. Photo: Google A force spokesman said: "We received a call around 8.20am on Saturday following a report of concern for two children at an address in Dalgety Bay, Fife. "Two male twins, aged two-years-old, had reportedly drowned in a fish pond and officers attended with the Scottish Ambulance Service. "The children were taken to the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy where they sadly died. "Officers are supporting the family at this time. Inquiries to establish the full circumstances are ongoing." Local MSP Alex Rowley said: "This is awful news and is every parent's worst nightmare. "The loss of two young lives from the same family is just heartbreaking. My thoughts and prayers, and those of the whole community, are with the family." Photo: David Cheskin for the Telegraph Images on social media showed the a cul-de-sac at the scene cordoned off with police tape and officers standing guard at the front of the home. It is understood the pond is in the back garden of the house. Dalgety Bay councillor Dave Dempsey said the whole community is shocked. He told the Daily Record: "It is enormously sad and my heart goes out to the family. "I cannot begin to imagine what the family are going through – it is everyone's worst nightmare. "The whole community is shocked. "As local councillors, we were all notified that two young children had fallen into a pond and died. "To think it is twin boys is heartbreaking." ||||| The parents of two-year-old twin boys who drowned in a fish tank at their home in Fife have described their sons as “full of love, happiness, fun and cheek”. Sarah Aitken, 32, and Mervyn Scott, 30, from Dalgety Bay, said Shaun and Rhys Scott were “miracle babies” who had “touched the lives of everyone they met”. The couple said they were devastated by their deaths. The twins were rushed to the Victoria hospital in Kirkcaldy on Saturday morning after they were discovered together in a large commercial fish tank fitted to the outside of their detached villa. Their mother is understood to have raised the alarm at 8.20am, but medical staff were unable to revive them. Police Scotland are now investigating the cause of the tragedy, which is thought to have occurred in a deep, low-level fish tank and enclosure built at the property by a previous owner, who ran a koi carp import business from there. In a statement, Aitken and Scott thanked medical staff, police and neighbours “for their efforts, hard work and time spent helping and trying to revive our miracle babies”. “Both boys were long-awaited little soldiers who were full of love, happiness, fun and cheek. Individually and together they have touched the lives of everyone they met,” the couple said. “We along with our family and friends are still in shock and devastated at such a tragic loss from such a freak accident. They have been taken from us far too early and will be forever missed and loved.” The two-storey, mock Tudor house sits in a quiet cul-de-sac, on a recently built estate overlooking the Firth of Forth, the Forth rail and road bridges and South Queensferry. It was reported that the family had only recently moved into the rented home. Floral tributes were left on the driveway behind a police cordon. The boys’ great aunt, a former actor called Elizabeth Scott, said on Facebook that the twins had been born prematurely. “Have a heart for the two drowned twins found in Dalgety Bay and their parents and grandparents, because these wee boys were my nephew’s sons. I am completely devastated tonight,” she wrote. In a reply to commiserations from a well-wisher, Scott said: “Thanks, it is my nephew, it was his two twin sons, they were born so premature and they survived, to die like this after is terrible.” Colin McPhail, a member of Dalgety Bay community council, said: “We’re all in shock over this tragic news. “Sarah has lived in this area all her life. She’s a lovely lady and our hearts go out to her and her family at this awful time. All we’ve heard at the moment is that the two boys appear to have drowned. “It’s a shocking thing to have happened and, of course, there will need to be an inquiry. I’m sure members of the community will do what they can to support the family at this awful time.” Cllr Gavin Yates, who lives in the town, told the Mail on Sunday: “Dalgety Bay is a town in mourning. As a dad of twins myself, I was numb after being told of this. The community here is strong and resilient, but this news is a huge shock to us all. My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the boys.” ||||| TWIN brothers have died after drowning in a giant fish tank yesterday. Parents Mervyn Scott and Sarah Aitken were last night being comforted by relatives following the deaths of two-year-olds Rhys and Shaun. The brothers were found in the deep fish pond at the side of their luxury detached home in Dalgety Bay, Fife. Emergency services raced to the address after receiving a 999 call. It was unclear last night how the tragedy unfolded or how the children ended up in the tank. Police have launched an investigation into the incident, which happened in upmarket Breakers Way. Police outside the twins' home The boys lived in the quiet cul-de-sac with Sarah, 32, and Mervyn, 30. Specially trained officers were last night supporting the couple. Colin McPhail, of Dalgety Bay Community Council, said: “We’re all in shock over this tragic news. “Sarah has lived in this area all her life. She’s a lovely lady and our hearts go out to her and her family at this awful time. Tragic: Shaun and Rhys “All we’ve heard at the moment is that the two boys appear to have drowned. “It’s a shocking thing to have happened and, of course, there will need to be an inquiry. “I’m sure members of the community will do what they can to support the family at this awful time.” A neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: “Everyone is in a complete state of shock.” It’s believed Sarah raised the alarm at around 8.20am. Police and ambulance crews were dispatched to the address and the twins were taken to Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy. But doctors were unable to save them. The family only recently moved into the rented home. Shaun and Rhys with their parents The previous resident, Keith Henderson, ran Okayama Koi Ltd from the property. The firm’s Facebook page says they are a “supplier of high-quality koi from Momotaro koi farm in Japan”. It’s understood the firm installed the indoor fish tank at the side of the property to keep their stock. The ornamental fish are collected by enthusiasts and tend to require large, deep ponds. A police cordon last night surrounded the quiet cul-de-sac where the tragedy happened. A uniformed police officer stood outside the house and a single floral tribute lay on the driveway One man in the cul-de-sac said: “We are so terribly sorry for the family.” Another woman said: “My heart goes out to anyone who has to deal with something like that.” Mervyn’s aunt, actress Elizabeth Scott, from Dunfermline, said in a post on Facebook: “Have a heart for the two drowned twins found in Dalgety Bay and their parents and grandparents because those wee boys were my nephew’s sons. I’m completely devastated.” Neighbour Dr Poonam Malik, 44, a mum-of-two young boys, said: “We just feel great sympathy to the family – I cannot imagine what they must be going through. Okayama Koi, which was ran from the property, had this picture online “We have stayed here about 10 years and it’s such a nice area. “It’s so sad and my heart goes out to them as a family. “The entire community will feel their pain and I am sure they will offer any support they can.” Chris Duke, who also lives in the street, said: “I was walking my dog early this morning and saw there had been some kind of incident. “My heart goes out to the family. It’s a very quiet area – what has happened is absolutely dreadful.” Mid Scotland and Fife Labour MSP Alex Rowley said: “This is awful news and is every parent’s worst nightmare. Happy: Twins Shaun and Rhys “The loss of two young lives from the same family is just heartbreaking. My thoughts and prayers and those of the whole community, are with the family.” A Police Scotland spokesman said: “We received a call around 8:20am on Saturday following a report of concern for two children at an address in Dalgety Bay, Fife. “Two male twins, aged two, had reportedly drowned in a fish pond and officers attended with the Scottish Ambulance Service. “The children were taken to the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy where they sadly died. Officers are supporting the family at this time. Inquiries to establish the full circumstances are ongoing.” David Walker, the leisure safety manager of the Royal Society For The Prevention of Accidents, said around five children between the age of two and six die every year in the United Kingdom from drowning in homes and ponds. He added: “We don’t usually call for things but we feel ponds should be covered over or temporarily removed if there are toddlers around.”
– Two-year-old twins Shaun and Rhys Scott were "full of love, happiness, fun, and cheek," their parents say. The boys died Saturday morning when they fell into a koi fish pond that was on the property where they lived in Dalgety Bay, Fife, in Scotland, the Telegraph reports. Parents Sarah Aitken and Mervyn Scott, "still in shock and devastated," released a statement thanking all the people who tried "to revive our miracle babies," a reference to the twins being conceived using in vitro fertilization. The boys "touched the lives of everyone they met," the parents say. "They have been taken from us far too early and will be forever missed and loved." The family, according to reports, had recently moved into the rented house in the Scottish coastal town. The previous resident, who ran a koi supply business, installed the pond, according to the Guardian. The details of the tragedy are unclear. Police responded to an emergency call Saturday morning and the boys were later pronounced dead at a hospital. One expert told the Daily Record that about five kids in the UK between two and six drown in homes and ponds each year. A family friend tells the Telegraph that the couple had a difficult time getting pregnant, and they were overjoyed to find out they were having twins. "Why take it away from her?" the friend says. "It’s just so unfair." In their statement, the parents write, "Both boys were long awaited little soldiers." The investigation is ongoing.
A note to our KIND community By KIND Editor Something we’re very proud of at KIND is the relationship that we have with our fans and the transparent and honest dialogue that we share, which is why we’re making you aware of a correspondence we’ve received from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA is requesting adjustments to the labeling language on four of our bars and our website, and we’re working now to bring all items to compliance. Please know that there are no quality or safety issues relating to our snack foods or their ingredients. KIND snacks remain a safe and nutritious choice for our fans and their families. The labeling adjustments are being made to these four flavors: – Almond & Apricot – Almond & Coconut – Peanut Butter and Dark Chocolate + Protein – Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew + Antioxidants The FDA pointed out a number of items that we’re correcting, and there’s one that we feel is particularly important to discuss as it cuts to the core of who we are. We’ve built a brand centered around creating wholesome and great tasting snacks. While this will never change, some of our products do not follow the FDA regulatory standard for using the word “healthy” on a label, which says, among other things, that a snack food can’t have more than 3g of total fat or 1g of saturated fat per serving. Nuts, key ingredients in many of our snacks and one of the things that make fans love our bars, contain nutritious fats that exceed the amount allowed under the FDA’s standard. This is similar to other foods that do not meet the standard for use of the term healthy, but are generally considered to be good for you like avocados, salmon and eggs. Here is just some of the recent news and research on the significant nutritional benefits of nuts. Our team at KIND is fully committed to working alongside the FDA, and we’re moving quickly to comply with its request. We’re also taking it upon ourselves to conduct a thorough review of all of our snack food labels and website information to ensure that they’re compliant. We couldn’t be more proud of our snack foods and their nutritional benefits. While we make these updates to our packaging and our website, please know that our recipes will stay the same. Our entire line of delicious snacks made with high quality ingredients like whole grains, nuts and seeds will continue to be available wherever KIND is sold. We always appreciate hearing from you, so drop us a line if you have questions at customerservice@kindsnacks.com. Your KIND Team ||||| KIND Snacks, the company behind fruit, nut and grain bars (tag line: “ingredients you can see & pronounce”) have been asked by the Food and Drug Administration to strip any mention of the term “healthy” from its packaging and website, as well as the “+” symbol. Why? It turns out that the FDA actually regulates which packaged foods get to use the word “healthy” and the symbol “+” for marketing purposes. Though these terms sound squishy in everyday use, they actually have very specific nutritional meanings when it comes to food regulation. A letter explaining all of the FDA’s objections was posted on the agency's website Tuesday. For one, the term “healthy” means that the product has one gram or less of saturated fat, and that no more than 15 percent of the calories are from saturated fat. The FDA has identified at least four bars -- Kind Fruit & Nut Almond & Apricot, Kind Fruit & Nut Almond & Coconut, Kind Plus Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate + Protein, and Kind Plus Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew + Antioxidants -- that contain 2.5 grams or more of saturated fat per bar. Use of the symbol “+” for the bars Kind Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate + Protein and Kind Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew + Antioxidants is also a violation, according to the FDA. Officially, use of the symbol “+” means that the food contains at least 10 percent more of the daily recommended intake for vitamins and minerals as compared to an appropriate reference food, or that the food is fortified with vitamins and nutrients in accordance with certain FDA policies. The KIND bars comply with neither, states the FDA letter. It also brings up concerns over claims about antioxidants, fiber, the lack of trans fat, and various ingredient mislabeling violations. Dated Mar. 17, the letter concluded by saying that KIND snacks had 15 days to respond with a plan of action for correcting the nutrition label violations. KIND Snacks responded with a blog post on their own site the same day the letter was posted, noting that nuts were a major component of the bars in question, and stated that the nuts themselves are what exceed the FDA’s saturated fat limits, in the same way that avocados, salmon and eggs also have a lot of fat but are still considered good for you. "Most of the fats in our bars come from nuts and are actually monounsaturated fats (good fats),” Joe Cohen, senior vice president of communications told The Huffington Post. "Nuts do contain a small amount of unsaturated fats. The saturated fats in our bars come from a mix of ingredients nuts, coconut or palm oil." The FDA’s crackdown on KIND Bars for saturated fat is “well-intentioned but absurd,” according to Dr. Walter Willett, Chair of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “It’s a bit ridiculous that saturated fat from nuts should be counted against a product, because nuts are about one of the healthiest choices you could possibly make,” Willett told The Huffington Post. "This is an example of something with good intentions based on concepts that are hugely obsolete." Willett’s past research includes a study that replicated the results of past analyses that found consumption of nuts is linked to lower rates of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and total mortality. But beyond the nutritional value of nuts, the concept that fat consumption is a meaningful contributor to poor health has been taken down several pegs with the recent publication of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s 2015 report, meant to advise the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services on future food policy. The recommendations, which were compiled from a committee of top nutrition experts and reflect the most up-to-date nutrition research, actually dropped previous recommendations for Americans to limit their total fat intake to 35 percent of daily calories, noted The New York Times back in February. The committee also encouraged people to eat good sources of unsaturated fat, like nuts, olive oil and fish (though it should be noted that they also advised against eating too much saturated fat and sodium). In other words, the FDA used previous DGA requirements, some of which may be outdated, in their analysis of the bars. Willett said that the DGA report's lack of restrictions on total fat means that products like KIND Snack bars perhaps shouldn't break out fat nutrients on their labels. “Maybe on these individual foods, it’s better to get rid of the saturated fat criteria entirely,” suggested Willett. "They are made from healthy foods and [the company] should be able to say that their product is healthy.” Despite his counter perspective, Willett sympathized with the FDA’s mandate. In addition to regulating food based on outdated nutrition information (public commentary on the advisory committee’s 2015 report is still ongoing), nutrition regulation is simply a complex task. For instance, in addition to nuts, the other snack bar ingredients that could contribute be contributing to total saturated fat are dark chocolate, coconut and palm oil. It’s tough for the FDA to parse how much saturated fat comes from nuts versus added oils, said Willett. After all, he said, “we wouldn’t want to see a product loaded up with palm oil.” But food policy expert Marion Nestle, Ph.D. of New York University agreed with the FDA’s statement that the snack foods are too high in saturated fat and too low in natural antioxidant vitamins to warrant the company’s health claims. She also said that the amount of chocolate in KIND bars “makes them look like candy bars.” "I recognize that the FDA’s rules appear absurd, but that’s what the FDA has had to do to prevent makers of candy-like products for making health claims for them,” Nestle wrote in an email to HuffPost. "If it were up to me, the FDA would not allow health claims on any food product, except perhaps for foods that are minimally processed, but that’s just me." For his part, Cohen emphasized the company's positive and open relationship with the FDA, noting that in addition to the four bars the FDA called out, KIND Snacks also planned to thoroughly examine the marketing and nutrition claims of each product, in order to make sure they were compliant with the FDA’s regulations. He also brought up the company's voluntary recall of certain products over allergen concerns in 2014 after they found that a supplier had roasted some ingredients with the same equipment that had been used to roast peanuts. KIND Snacks is working with the agency to outline a timeline for the process, Cohen added. This story was updated to add commentary from Marion Nestle. ||||| Department of Health and Human Services Public Health Service Food and Drug Administration College Park, MD 20740 WARNING LETTER MAR 17, 2015 VIA OVERNIGHT DELIVERY Daniel Lubetsky, CEO Kind, LLC 55 West 21st Street New York, New York 10010-6809 Re: 437043 Dear Mr. Lubetsky, The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviewed the labels for your Kind Fruit & Nut Almond & Apricot, Kind Fruit & Nut Almond & Coconut, Kind Plus Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate + Protein, and Kind Plus Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew + Antioxidants products in August, 2014. The labels for these products direct the consumer to your website at the Internet address www.kindsnacks.com. We examined your website in October 2014. Based on our review, we have concluded that these products are in violation of section 403 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act) [21 U.S.C. § 343] and its implementing regulations found in Title 21, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 101 (21 CFR 101). You can find the Act and FDA regulations through links on FDA’s home page at http://www.fda.gov The significant violations are as follows: 1. Your Kind Fruit & Nut Almond & Apricot, Kind Fruit & Nut Almond & Coconut, Kind Plus Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate + Protein, and Kind Plus Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew + Antioxidants products are misbranded within the meaning of section 403(r)(1)(A) of the Act [21 U.S.C. § 343(r)(1)(A)] because the product labels bear nutrient content claims, but the products do not meet the requirements to make such claims. Under section 403(r)(1)(A) of the Act, a claim that characterizes the level of a nutrient which is of the type required to be in the labeling of the food must be made in accordance with a regulation authorizing the use of such a claim. Characterizing the level of a nutrient on the food labeling of a product without complying with the specific requirements pertaining to nutrient content claims for that nutrient misbrands the product under section 403(r)(1)(A) of the Act. Specifically: a. The labels of your Kind Fruit & Nut Almond & Apricot, Kind Fruit & Nut Almond & Coconut, Kind Plus Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate + Protein, and Kind Plus Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew + Antioxidants products bear an implied nutrient content claim, because they bear statements suggesting that the product may be useful in maintaining healthy dietary practices, and those statements are made in connection with claims or statements about nutrients. Specifically, the labels of the aforementioned products bear the claim “Healthy and tasty, convenient and wholesome” in connection with statements such as: “good source of fiber,” “no trans fats,” “very low sodium” [Kind Fruit & Nut Almond & Apricot, Kind Fruit & Nut Almond & Coconut, and Kind Plus Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew + Antioxidants], “low sodium” [Kind Plus Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate + Protein], “+ antioxidants” [Kind Plus Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew + Antioxidants], “50% DV antioxidants vitamins A, C and E” [Kind Plus Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew + Antioxidants], “+ protein” [Kind Plus Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate + Protein], and “7g protein” [Kind Plus Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate + Protein]. Additionally, your website at http://www.kindsnacks.com/about/ states, “There’s healthy. There’s tasty. Then there’s healthy and tasty” and “all of our snacks are pretty much the nirvana of healthful tastiness.” In addition, your webpage for the Kind Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate + Protein product at www.kindsnacks.com/products/kind-store/buy-kind-bars/kind-plus/peanut-butter-darkchocolate-protein.html states “KIND Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate + Protein is a healthy and satisfying blend of peanuts and antioxidant-rich dark chocolate. Each bar contains 7 grams of protein, which promotes satiety and strengthens bones, muscles and skin.” However, none of your products listed above meet the requirements for use of the nutrient content claim “healthy” that are set forth in 21 CFR 101.65(d)(2). In accordance with 21 CFR 101.65(d)(2), you may use the term “healthy” as an implied nutrient content claim on the label or in the labeling of a food provided that the food, among other things, is “low saturated fat” as defined in 21 CFR 101.62(c)(2) [i.e., the food has a saturated fat content of 1 g or less per Reference Amount Customarily Consumed (RACC) and no more than 15 percent of the calories are from saturated fat]. According to the Nutrition Facts panels: The Kind Fruit & Nut Almond & Apricot product contains 3.5 g of saturated fat per 40 g of the food, The Kind Fruit & Nut Almond & Coconut product contains 5 g of saturated fat per 40 g of the food, The Kind Plus Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate + Protein product contains 3.5 g of saturated fat per 40 g of the food, and The Kind Fruit & Nut Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew + Antioxidants contains 2.5 g of saturated fat per 40 g of the food. These amounts exceed 1 g of saturated fat per 40 g RACC. These amounts also exceed the maximum of 15% of calories from saturated fat in the “low saturated fat” definition. Accordingly, your products do not meet the requirements for use of the nutrient content claim “healthy” on a food label [21 CFR 101.65(d)(2)]. Your products are thus misbranded within the meaning of section 403(r)(1)(A) of the Act. b. Your Kind Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate + Protein and Kind Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew + Antioxidants product labels bear the term “+” (plus) as part of the product name but the products do not comply with the requirements governing the use of this term. The term “+” as part of the names of your Kind Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate + Protein and Kind Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew + Antioxidants read in conjunction with “7 g Protein” and “50% DV Antioxidant, vitamins A, C and E,” respectively, meets the definition for a nutrient content claim because it characterizes the product’s level of vitamins and minerals, which are nutrients of the type required to be in nutrition labeling [21 CFR 101.13(b)]. The term “plus” is defined in 21 CFR 101.54(e). This term may be used on the label or in labeling of foods to describe the level of nutrients (such as vitamins and minerals) in the food, provided that: (1) the food contains at least 10 percent more of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) or Daily Reference Value (DRV) for the nutrient per RACC consumed than an appropriate reference food, (2) where the claim is based on nutrients that are added to the food, that the fortification is in accordance with the policy on fortification of foods in 21 CFR 104.20, and (3) the claim bears the required information for relative claims as described in 21 CFR 101.13(j)(2) and 101.54(e)(1)(iii). However, neither product label states the identity of the reference food and the percentage (or fraction) that the nutrient is greater relative to the RDI or DRV declared in immediate proximity to the most prominent such claim. Accordingly, these products are misbranded within the meaning of section 403(r)(1)(A) of the Act because they bear the nutrient content claim "plus" but do not comply with the regulations governing the use of this claim. c. The product page for your KIND Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate + Protein product on your website at www.kindsnacks.com/products/kind-store/buy-kind-bars/kind-plus/peanut-butter-darkchocolate-protein.html includes the nutrient content claim “antioxidant- rich dark chocolate”; however, the product and its labeling do not meet the requirements for the use of such claim that are set forth in 21 CFR 101.54(g). The phrase “antioxidant-rich” characterizes the level of antioxidant nutrients in the product and, therefore, this claim is a nutrient content claim under 21 CFR 101.13(b). Nutrient content claims using the term “antioxidant” must comply with the requirements listed in 21 CFR 101.54(g). These requirements state, in part, that for a product to bear such a claim, an RDI must have been established for each of the nutrients that are the subject of the claim [21 CFR 101.54(g)(1)], and these nutrients must have recognized antioxidant activity [21 CFR 101.54(g)(2)]. The level of each nutrient that is the subject of the claim must also be sufficient to qualify for the claim under 21 CFR 101.54(b), (c), or (e) [21 CFR 101.54(g)(3)]. In addition, in order to qualify for a “rich” or “high antioxidant” claim the product must contain 20 percent or more of the RDI for nutrients that have recognized antioxidant activity, such as vitamin C, vitamin E, or beta carotene (when 10% or more of the RDI for vitamin A is present as beta carotene) in accordance with 21 CFR 101.54(b). Based on the information in the Nutrition Facts label, this product contains 15% of the Daily Value (DV) of vitamin E and 0% of vitamin C and vitamin A. Therefore this product does not qualify for a “rich in” claim and the product is misbranded under section 403(r)(2)(A)(i) of the Act. 2. Your Kind Fruit & Nut Almond & Apricot, Kind Fruit & Nut Almond & Coconut, Kind Plus Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate + Protein, and Kind Plus Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew + Antioxidants products are misbranded within the meaning of section 403(r)(2)(A)(v) of the Act [21 U.S.C. § 343(r)(2)(A)(v)] because the labels include the nutrient content claim “Good Source of Fiber” without including the required statement disclosing that the food is not low in total fat in immediate proximity to the claim. Under 21 CFR 101.54(d), if a product label makes a claim with respect to the level of dietary fiber (e.g., that the product is a good source of fiber) and the food is not “low” in total fat as defined in 21 CFR 101.62(b)(2), then the label must disclose the level of total fat per serving. According to the Nutrition Facts panels: the Kind Fruit & Nut Almond & Apricot product contains 10 g of total fat per 40 g of the food, the Kind Fruit & Nut Almond & Coconut product contains 12 g of total fat per 40 g of the food; the Kind Plus Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate + Protein product contains 13 g of total fat per 40 g of the food, and the Kind Fruit & Nut Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew + Antioxidants contains 9 g of total fat per 40 g of the food. These amounts exceed the maximum of 3 g of total fat per 40 g RACC in the “low fat” definition. Therefore these products are not “low” in total fat and you are required to disclose this fact on the labels in immediate proximity to the claims that the products are a “good source of fiber.” 3. Your Kind Fruit & Nut Almond & Apricot, Kind Fruit & Nut Almond & Coconut, Kind Plus Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate + Protein, and Kind Plus Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew + Antioxidants products are misbranded within the meaning of section 403(q)(2)(A) of the Act [21 U.S.C. § 343(q)(2)(A)] in that nutrition information is not disclosed in accordance with 21 CFR 101.9. Specifically, a. Your labels bear a claim about fatty acids (i.e., “no trans fat”) but fail to include the levels of monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids in the nutrition information as required by 21 CFR 101.9 (c)(2)(iii) and (iv). b. Your Kind Plus Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate + Protein product label includes the nutrient content claims: “+ protein” and “plus 7 g protein” on the principal display panel; however, the nutrition label fails to include the percent DV for protein as required when the label bears a nutrient content claim for protein as required by 21 CFR 101.9(c)(7)(i). 4. Your Kind Fruit & Nut Almond & Apricot, Kind Fruit & Nut Almond & Coconut, Kind Plus Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate + Protein, and Kind Plus Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew + Antioxidants products are misbranded within the meaning of section 403(e)(1) of the Act because the statement of the name and the place of business fails to completely or accurately declare the place of business as required by 21 CFR 101.5(d). Specifically, the statement “Kind, LLC, P.O. Box 705 Midtown Station, NY, NY 10018” which is provided on the label does not include the street address and the street address of your business does not appear in a current city or telephone directory. FDA is unable to determine the physical location of your firm using a city or telephone directory and the address listed on the label. The above violations are not meant to be an all-inclusive list of violations that may exist in connection with your products or their labeling. It is your responsibility to ensure that your products comply with the Act and its implementing regulations. You should take prompt action to correct the violations. Failure to promptly correct the violations may result in regulatory action without further notice, including seizure and/or injunction. In addition, we offer the following comments: Your Kind Fruit & Nut Almond & Apricot, Kind Fruit & Nut Almond & Coconut, Kind Plus Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate + Protein, and Kind Plus Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew + Antioxidants product labels bear the claim“No Trans Fats,” and we note that your ingredient statements do not include a partially hydrogenated oil as an ingredient. Under section 403(r)(1)(A) of the Act, a nutrient content claim in food labeling must be made in accordance with a regulation authorizing the use of the claim in order for the food bearing such claim not to be misbranded. Although FDA has not defined the term “Contains No Trans Fat” by regulation, we announced in the Federal Register dated July 11, 2003 (68 FR 41507 at 41509) that we would likely consider exercising enforcement discretion for a trans-fat nutrient content claim that is demonstrably true, balanced, adequately substantiated, and not misleading. Scientific evidence suggests that trans-fat acts in a similar manner to saturated fat with respect to raising LDL cholesterol. 68 FR 41445 at 41456 (July 11, 2003). Higher total and LDL cholesterol levels are associated with increased risk of developing coronary heart disease. 68 FR 41445 (July 11, 2003). Under 21 CFR 101.13(h), if a food bears a nutrient content claim and also contains more than 13.0 grams of fat, 4.0 grams of saturated fat, 60 milligrams cholesterol, and 480 milligrams of sodium per reference amount customarily consumed (RACC), per labeled serving (or for a food with a RACC of 30 grams or less or 2 tablespoons or less, per 50 grams), then the food must bear a statement disclosing that the nutrient exceeding the specified level is present in the food as follows: “See nutrition information for ______content” with the blank filled in with the identity of the nutrient exceeding the specified level. We intend to consider the exercise of our enforcement discretion for the use of the “Contains No Trans Fat” claim on your products provided the claim includes a disclosure statement, in accordance with the requirements in 21 CFR 101.13(h). We will review such claims on a case-by-case basis. We note that your Kind Fruit & Nut Almond & Coconut product contains 5g of saturated fat per 40g but does not contain the disclosure statement “See nutrition information for saturated fatcontent.” Your Kind Fruit & Nut Almond & Apricot, Kind Fruit & Nut Almond & Coconut, and Kind Plus Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate + Protein products labels include the statement beginning “Allergen information: Contains…”; however, this allergen statement is not declared correctly. We note that these product labels correctly declare the allergen information in the ingredients lists in accordance with section 403(w)(1)(B)(i) of the Act, so a separate “Contains” statement is not required. However, if a separate “Contains” declaration is used, it must include all of the major allergens in the food and must use the names of the food sources as defined in sections 201(qq) and 403(w)(2) of the Act. The ingredient lists for Kind Fruit & Nut Almond & Apricot, Kind Fruit & Nut Almond & Coconut, and Kind Plus Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate + Protein declare soy lecithin as an ingredient; however, soy is not declared in the “Contains” statement. In addition, the term “milk” must be used instead of “dairy” and the generic term “tree nuts” cannot be used in place of the names of the specific tree nuts such as almonds, coconuts, and cashews. Your Kind Plus Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew + Antioxidants product ingredient list does not meet the requirements in 21 CFR 101.4(b), which requires that the name of an ingredient shall be a specific name and not a collective (generic) name. This product lists the collective terms “mixed nuts,” “dried fruits,” and “vitamins” as multicomponent foods and declares the specific nuts, fruits, and vitamins as sub-ingredients. The regulations do not allow the collective listing of nuts, fruits, or vitamins. Your Kind Plus Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate + Protein product ingredient list does not meet the requirements in 21 CFR 101.4(b)(2) because the label declares the standardized multicomponent food, peanut butter, but does not declare the sub-ingredients as required in 21 CFR 101.4(b)(2)(i). In accordance with 101.4(b)(2)(ii), if the ingredients of the standardized food are incorporated in the finished food ingredient list, then the name of the standardized ingredient must not be listed. The required information that appears on the information panels of your Kind Fruit & Nut Almond & Apricot, Kind Fruit & Nut Almond & Coconut, Kind Plus Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate + Protein, and Kind Plus Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew + Antioxidants product labels does not meet the requirements in 21 CFR 101.2(e) because all of the information does not appear in one place without intervening material. The paragraph describing your brand that comes between the ingredient list and the name and place of business is an example of intervening material. Your Kind Fruit & Nut Almond & Apricot, Kind Fruit & Nut Almond & Coconut, Kind Plus Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate + Protein, and Kind Plus Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew + Antioxidants ingredient statements declare “non GMO glucose.” This is not an appropriate common or usual name for glucose syrup or dried glucose syrup in accordance with 21 CFR 101.4 and 168.120 or 168.121. The name and place of business declaration on your Kind Fruit & Nut Almond & Apricot, Kind Fruit & Nut Almond & Coconut, Kind Plus Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate + Protein, and Kind Plus Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew + Antioxidants products does not include the street address as required in 21 CFR 101.5(d). The street address may only be omitted if it is shown in a current city directory or telephone directory. An online 411 search for your firm yielded several different street addresses in New York City; therefore, it is not clear which address is correct and should be considered your place of business. Your Kind Fruit & Nut Almond & Apricot, Kind Fruit & Nut Almond & Coconut, Kind Plus Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate + Protein, and Kind Plus Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew + Antioxidants product labels do not include an appropriate statement of identity as required in 21 CFR 101.3. Please respond to this letter within 15 working days from receipt with the actions you plan to take in response to this letter, including an explanation of each step being taken to correct the current violations and prevent similar violations. Include any documentation necessary to show that correction has been achieved. If you cannot complete corrective action within 15 working days, state the reason for the delay and the time within which you will complete the corrections. You should direct your written reply to Carrie Lawlor, Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, 5100 Paint Branch Parkway, Office of Compliance (HFS-608), Division of Enforcement, College Park, Maryland 20740-3835. If you have any questions regarding this letter, you may contact Ms. Lawlor via email at carrie.lawlor@fda.hhs.gov Sincerely, /S/ William A. Correll, Jr. Director Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition cc: FDA New York District
– File under the "learn something new every day" category: The FDA regulates the use of a "+" in food labeling—and says KIND has been using it improperly on two of its snack bars. Bloomberg reports the FDA has taken issue with four KIND bars (list here), stating in a letter sent last month and released yesterday that KIND can't brand them "healthy" because the bars don't "meet the requirements." Among the other terms KIND must stop using on these bars: "anti-oxidant rich," "good source of fiber," "no trans fats," and "+ protein." The FDA is also demanding the company cease labeling the bars as "low in fat," as the bars in question contain up to five times the amount of saturated fat—1 gram per serving—the agency allows in products that use the term "healthy." In response, KIND yesterday posted an entry on its blog explaining, "Our team at KIND is fully committed to working alongside the FDA, and we're moving quickly to comply with its request." But the company does go on the defensive in the post, stating the bars' fat levels are due to a key ingredient, nuts, which "like avocados, salmon, and eggs" are good for you but don't meet the FDA's "healthy" parameters. Harvard nutritionist Dr. Walter Willet is sympathetic to KIND. Speaking to the Huffington Post, he calls the FDA's move "an example of something with good intentions based on concepts that are hugely obsolete. ... It’s a bit ridiculous that saturated fat from nuts should be counted against a product" considering what a healthy food choice nuts are. Indeed, recent studies have been saying just that.
Image copyright Ronald Grant Archive Image caption Heather Menzies, second right next to Julie Andrews, has died aged 68 Heather Menzies-Urich, who played Louisa Von Trapp in The Sound of Music, has died aged 68. Her death was announced by the estate of the musical's creators, Rodgers & Hammerstein, on Monday. She was diagnosed with brain cancer four weeks ago and died on Christmas Eve, news site TMZ quoted her son Ryan as saying. "She was an actress, a ballerina and loved living her life to the fullest," he told TMZ. Born Heather Menzies in Toronto, she was 15 when the musical film was released in 1965. It went on to win 10 Oscars, including best picture. She played the mischievous third Von Trapp child Louisa, but her later television and film appearances did not hit the same heights. At 23, she posed nude for Playboy magazine under the headline The Tender Trapp, a decision she said horrified her Presbyterian parents, who were originally from Scotland. She married actor and film producer Robert Urich in 1975, but he died in 2002. Among those to pay tribute were Kym Karath, who played Gretl in the film. "Heather was part of 'the family'," Ted Chapin, of the Rodgers & Hammerstein estate, said. "Heather was a cheerful and positive member of the group, always hoping for the next gathering. We are all lucky to have known her, and she will happily live on in that beautiful movie. We will miss her." Her death comes 14 months after that of Charmian Carr, who played the eldest Von Trapp daughter Liesl. ||||| 'Sound of Music' Star Heather Menzies-Urich Dead at 68 'Sound of Music' Star Heather Menzies-Urich Dead at 68 Heather Menzies-Urich who played Louisa von Trapp in the iconic film, "The Sound of Music," is dead. Heather was 15-years-old when she was cast as Louisa von Trapp in the film which has become an all-time movie classic, which won 5 Oscars, including Best Picture. The actress died on Christmas Eve, surrounded by family. Her son, Ryan Urich, tells TMZ, "She was an actress, a ballerina and loved living her life to the fullest. She was not in any pain but, nearly 4 weeks after her diagnosis of terminal brain cancer, she had enough and took her last breath on this earth at 7:22 PM." Heather's late husband, Robert Urich, was also an actor who starred in the TV show, "Vegas." The year before being cast in "The Sound of Music," Heather, then 14, made her acting debut in the TV series, "The Farmer's Daughter." She's survived by her 3 children, a bunch of grandchildren and one great grandchild. Heather was 68. RIP
– Heather Menzies-Urich, who played Louisa von Trapp in The Sound of Music, died Christmas Eve at the age of 68, TMZ reports. Her son, Ryan Urich, says she had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer a month earlier. "She was an actress, a ballerina, and loved living her life to the fullest," Urich says. Menzies-Urich is survived by her children, grandchildren, and a great grandchild. Her husband, actor and producer Robert Urich, died in 2002, according to the BBC. Menzies-Urich, born in Toronto, was cast in the Oscar-winning The Sound of Music at the age of 15 after getting her start in acting the year before. It was to be her most famous role. "We are all lucky to have known her, and she will happily live on in that beautiful movie," says Ted Chapin of the estate of Rodgers & Hammerstein, the creators of the musical.
Courtesy of WSVN The North Miami police officer who on Monday shot Charles Kinsey, an unarmed black man lying on his back with his hands up, was actually trying to protect him, John Rivera, head of the Dade County Police Benevolent Association said on Wednesday. According to the union leader’s account of the shooting, the as-yet-unidentified officer mistakenly believed that the autistic man whom Kinsey was taking care of in his capacity as a behavioral therapist was armed with a gun. The officer was intending to use lethal force against him, not Kinsey, Rivera clarified. Leon Neyfakh Leon Neyfakh is a Slate staff writer. Of course, as anyone who has watched the video of the moments leading up to the thankfully nonfatal shooting knows, Kinsey’s patient was not armed but rather was playing with a toy truck—a fact Kinsey tried to communicate to the officers on the scene by shouting, “All he has is a toy truck in his hand. That’s all it is. There is no need for guns.” Advertisement At a press conference Thursday, Rivera said the officer who shot Kinsey thought that he “was about to be killed.” Perhaps in an effort to strip away the racial dimensions of the shooting—the third high-profile police shooting of a black man this month—he made a point of identifying Kinsey’s patient as white. “It appeared to the officers that the white male was trying to do harm to Mr. Kinsey,” Rivera said, according to the Miami New Times. “The officers, realizing and believing that there was a firearm—many officers thought the white male had a firearm. Only much later, when we’re able to ‘Monday-morning quarterback,’ do we find out that it’s a toy.” Assuming it’s transcribed correctly, that turn of phrase, “realizing and believing,” is a telling one. According to the legal standard that state prosecutors typically apply when determining whether or not a police officer is justified in using lethal force, it doesn’t actually matter whether an officer has realized or merely believed that a suspect has a gun. According to Graham v. Connor, a Supreme Court decision from 1989 that is often invoked after high-profile police shootings, “the ‘reasonableness’ of a particular use of force must be judged from the perspective of a reasonable officer on the scene, rather than with the 20/20 vision of hindsight.” ||||| NORTH MIAMI, FLA. (WSVN) - A therapist who works at a group home for the disabled is still in shock after a North Miami Police officer shot him, but according to the Police Union president, that officer may have been aiming for someone else. Thursday afternoon, the North Miami Police Department released a statement saying that officer has been placed on administrative leave. They have yet to identify the officer but they described him as a 30-year-old Hispanic male who has been with the department for four years. North Miami Police have not released the officer’s name or an update on their investigation. However, they did say that the State Attorney is now involved with the investigation. Protesters gathered outside and inside of the North Miami Police Headquarters lobby with signs and questions about how an unarmed man with his hands up could be shot by police. Cellphone video was released Wednesday afternoon showing Charles Kinsey lying on the ground with his hands in the air, telling officers that weapons are not necessary. Police were summoned to the scene by a 911 caller on Monday saying someone was armed and suicidal. “I still get my hands in the air,” Kinsey said in an interview with 7News from his hospital bed Wednesday, “and I said, ‘I just got shot.’ I’m standing there like, ‘Sir, why did you shoot me?’ and his words to me was, ‘I don’t know.'” Kinsey was released from the hospital Thursday night. The Miami-Dade Police Union president said Thursday afternoon that Kinsey did everything right and that the North Miami Police officer was aiming for the patient out of fear that he had a gun and was planning to hurt Kinsey. “The movement of the white individual looked like he was getting ready to charge a firearm into Mr. Kinsey,” said John Rivera, president of the Miami-Dade County Police Benevolent Association, “and the officer discharged, trying to strike and stop the white male, and unfortunately, he missed.” Rivera released a statement from the officer that said in part: “I took this job to save lives and help people. I did what I had to do in a split second to accomplish that and hate to hear others paint me as something I’m not.” “This is a case where a police officer was trying to save Mr. Kinsey’s life, and unfortunately, his shot went astray,” Rivera said. Rivera also said his thoughts and prayers are with Kinsey. Many people in the community still have questions about why the officer pulled the trigger. On Thursday afternoon, North Miami Police Chief Gary C. Eugene and U.S. Congresswoman Frederica Wilson held a press conference regarding the shooting. “We have witness statements that there was a gun,” said Eugene. “We had a 911 call with that same information. However, I want to make it clear there was no gun recovered.” When Congresswoman Wilson was asked whether better training in mental health issues would have made a difference, she said we can only pray. “That’s the only solution I have,” said Wilson. “As I stand here, when you shoot a man lying on the ground with his hands up explaining to you the situation – and you shoot him anyway – something is not right with that picture, so we, as a district, are in shock.” Wilson said that seeing the video felt like a nightmare. “Lying on the ground with his hands up, freezing, being rational, and he was still shot,” she said. “If you’re ever stopped by the police — freeze, don’t move. That’s number one on the brochure that we created with the 5000 Role Models, to train them boys. What else could we have told him? What could have saved him from being shot?” The North Miami Police Chief spoke publicly for the first time since the officer shot Kinsey on Monday. “I realize there are many questions about what happened on Monday night,” said North Miami Police Chief Gary Eugene. “You have questions. The community has questions.” Eugene said that the department has handed over the investigation to FDLE. He declined to take further questions after his statement. Kinsey’s lawyer, Hilton Napoleon, is outraged. “There’s no justification for shooting an unarmed person who’s talking to you and telling you that they don’t have a gun, and that they’re a mental health counselor,” Napoleon said. According to Napoleon, the North Miami City leaders are talking to him about a cash settlement. “They want to resolve it relatively fast in a matter of good faith, to let the community know that they take these things seriously,” he said. The North Miami cellphone video of Kinsey with his hands up has gone viral around the world. “So we’re pro-police,” Wilson said. “We love the police. We know that when the police breaks down, the country to dissolved, but today, I’m in shock. I am in total shock of what I saw.” Around 6 p.m., Wednesday, a group called the Circle of Brotherhood stood outside the North Miami Police Department, requesting that police answer questions about what happened and if the officer responsible for shooting his weapon will face charges. The organization, which Kinsey is a part of, works to solve problems in the community. Other protests broke out Thursday night in front of the department. “We want the officer fired, charged, convicted,” said protest organizer Valencia Gunder. The North Miami Police Department has set up a community comments hotline, Thursday. If you’d like to give them a call, the number is 305-547-8644. Copyright 2018 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ||||| Cellphone video shows caretaker lying in the street before being shot by police By July 20, 2016 07:34 PM Video shows the scene before and after caretaker Charles Kinsey is shot. He is shown lying in the street with a 23-year-old autistic man before being hit by a bullet from an assault rifle fired by a North Miami police officer. ||||| The North Miami police officer who shot an unarmed, black mental health worker caring for a patient actually took aim at the autistic man next to him, but missed, the head of the police union said Thursday. It was a stunning admission from the police officer and from John Rivera, who heads up Miami-Dade’s Police Benevolent Association. But it was one meant to calm the fears of a nation besieged with cellphone videos of police shooting and sometimes killing unarmed black men. In this case, Rivera said, the officer ended up wounding the man he was trying to save. “I couldn’t allow this to continue for the community’s sake,” Rivera said Thursday during a hastily called press conference at the union’s Doral office. “Folks, this is not what the rest of the nation is going through.” Premium content for only $0.99 For the most comprehensive local coverage, subscribe today. North Miami police and investigators have been tight-lipped since the Monday shooting, even as video of most of the encounter has been released. The story gained international attention and public pressure for answers mounted. SHARE COPY LINK Video shows the scene before and after caretaker Charles Kinsey is shot. He is shown lying in the street with a 23-year-old autistic man before being hit by a bullet from an assault rifle fired by a North Miami police officer. Earlier Thursday, North Miami Police Chief Gary Eugene spoke briefly for the first time, but said little other than that no weapon had been found and that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement had taken over the investigation. The chief didn’t take any questions and refused to name the officer. The city said he is a 30-year-old Hispanic male who has been on the force for four years. As Eugene was leaving the podium, he refused to answer even more questions. Rivera called the officer who shot Charles Kinsey, “decorated” and said he was a member of city’s SWAT team. The name of the autistic man hasn’t been released. He appears to be a white Hispanic on the video. On Monday, a North Miami police officer shot Kinsey, 47, after, police said, mistakenly believing that Kinsey was going to be killed by the 23-year-old autistic man playing with a toy truck who was sitting on the ground next to him. Rivera said the officer feared the autistic man had a weapon. Police raced to Northeast 127th Street and 14th Avenue after receiving a 911 call saying there was a man in the roadway with a gun who was going to kill himself. When they got there, they found the man sitting on the ground with his truck and Kinsey, who was trying to coax the man back inside the nearby mental health center, MacTown Panther Group Home. When police barked orders for the two to lie down with their hands up, Kinsey complied. “Mr. Kinsey did everything right,” Rivera said. The autistic man ignored the orders of police yelling for the men to lie down. Some of the officers were behind poles on the street. Others were behind their patrol vehicles. Then, while Kinsey was lying supine with his hands in the air and the autistic man sat beside him, an officer fired three rounds from an assault rifle, according to North Miami police. One bullet found a target — Kinsey. He was shot in the leg and transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where he continues to recover. Kinsey is expected to be released this week. According to a law-enforcement source, the officer who shot Kinsey was taking cover behind a squad car and fired from at least 50 yards away. He shot after another officer, in a radio transmission, suggested the autistic man was loading his weapon, which turned out to be the toy truck, the source said. In interviews, Kinsey said he repeatedly told police while he was lying on the ground that there was no weapon and not to shoot. Rivera said North Miami police couldn’t hear his cries. The union president didn’t know how far the police were from Kinsey. Most of the confrontation was captured on a cellphone camera and the video has caused a buzz around the world. It was released to the Miami Herald by Kinsey’s attorney Hilton Napoleon. Calls and texts to Napoleon were not returned Thursday. The attorney didn’t say if portions of the video were edited out. It doesn’t appear to show the actual shooting. On Wednesday, only two days after the shooting, Napoleon said he was already in settlement discussions with North Miami’s manager. The shooting took place about a block from the MacTown Panther Group Home at 1365 NE 128th St. It’s a slightly run-down home with a hibiscus hedge, a blue basketball hoop and a weed-filled planter. At one point Thursday a blue minivan filled with special-needs folks pulled up and workers escorted them by hand into the home. Neighbors say it’s not uncommon for adults to go on walks around the neighborhood, often in groups and always with a caretaker. Kinsey was shot just around the corner from the home, in front of an electrical grid station. Calls to MacTown president and CEO Clint Bower were not returned Thursday. The shooting of Kinsey and the video that accompanied the stories caused an uproar. Thursday night about 40 Black Lives Matter protestors stormed into the North Miami police department demanding that the officer who shot Kinsey be fired. SHARE COPY LINK Black Lives Matter activists held a protest at the North Miami Police Department on Thursday, July 21, 2016 in reaction to the shooting of unarmed mental healthcare worker Charles Kinsey. Earlier in the day, Democratic U.S. Congresswoman Frederica Wilson of Miami Gardens visited North Miami Thursday and made a brief statement saying, “We’re all in shock today,” and calling for officers to be trained in dealing with autism and mental-health issues. Rivera said it wasn’t clear Thursday if the officer who fired his weapon had undergone Crisis Intervention Training. The session is required in many departments when an officer joins and is urged as a refresher in ensuing years. It is not required in North Miami. Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said her office would wait for the findings of the FDLE investigation before determining if the officer should face criminal charges. Despite Rivera’s admission, firearms experts and civil liberty groups expressed dismay at the shooting, mostly laying the blame on improper training and poor decision-making. The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida called for North Miami police to review its use-of-force policies and how they equip officers in dealing with autistic and mentally ill people. SHARE COPY LINK Along with North Miami Police Chief Gary Eugene, Congresswoman Frederica Wilson reacts on Thursday, July 21, 2016, to the police shooting of mental health worker Charles Kinsey. Wilson and others pledge to find answers. In his statement, ACLU Executive Director Howard Simon cited the recent shooting deaths of Philando Castile in Minnesota, Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Vernell Bing in Jacksonville. Simon said of the 598 people the ACLU has documented who were shot and killed by police in the U.S. this year, 88 were unarmed. “Kinsey or his patient could easily have become No. 89,” he said. “There must be a thorough and independent investigation into this shooting that covers both whether officers violated internal use of deadly force policies and whether criminal charges should be brought.” Retired firearms expert Robert Hoelscher, who spent 50 years with the Miami-Dade Police Department, said it’s hard to perceive how the situation was misjudged, but it was — grossly. “I wish there was something positive I could say. You arrive on scene and a guy’s playing with a toy truck. Why do you bring out the assault rifle?” Hoelscher asked. “You can’t get enough training when you’re dealing with lethal force. This is as bad a situation as I’ve ever seen. It’s a good thing he was obviously a lousy marksman.” Rivera, at the end of his press conference Thursday, read from a statement he said was from the North Miami officer who shot Kinsey. “I took this job to save lives and help people,” the officer said. “I did what I had to do in a split second to accomplish that and hate to hear others paint me as something that I’m not.”
– It turns out the North Miami police officer shown on video shooting a black man who was lying on the ground with his hands in the air was actually trying to shoot the autistic man sitting next to him. That's according to the head of the police union. The Miami Herald calls it a "stunning admission." Slate believes the new excuse is possibly “an effort to strip away the racial dimensions of the shooting.” Police were called Monday for reports of a suicidal man with a gun. When they arrived, they found Kinsey attempting to get the unnamed autistic man, who was sitting on the ground playing with a toy truck, back into a nearby mental health center. Kinsey complied with police orders to get on the ground and put his hands up. The autistic man continued to sit on the ground with his toy truck. The union head, John Rivera, says the unnamed officer—a "decorated" member of the city's SWAT team—thought the autistic man was going to kill Kinsey with a "gun." But Slate points out that Kinsey could be heard yelling: “All he has is a toy truck in his hand. That’s all it is. There is no need for guns.” The officer fired three shots from an assault rifle. One of the bullets struck Kinsey in the leg, wounding him. “I’m standing there like, ‘Sir, why did you shoot me?’ and his words to me was, ‘I don’t know,'” Kinsey tells WSVN. The officer has been placed on administrative leave.
FORT WORTH — Early this month, Wendy Davis, the unknown Texas state senator who rocketed to fame this summer with her 11-hour filibuster to block an anti-abortion bill, met with strategists of the Democratic Governors Association at their K Street offices in Washington. They were urging her to run for governor next year, even though Texas is not among their realistic targets for flipping a Republican-held executive mansion. All around Ms. Davis, people are encouraging her to get in the governor’s race. Whether she can win seems beside the point. Liberal groups in Texas are hungry for her star power to energize the moribund state Democratic Party. Political operatives smell the money that a richly financed Democratic campaign, which early estimates put at $40 million, would direct their way. And national Democrats know a Davis campaign would force the Republican Governors Association to divert millions from more competitive races in Ohio, Florida and Michigan to the Lone Star State. “The R.G.A. would probably have to waste resources there, which is compelling to us,” said an official of the Democratic group, who declined to be named because he was not authorized to speak publicly. Ms. Davis, tuning out the self-interested chorus, has spent August engaging in a private inquiry into the viability of a race for which independent analysts put the chances of her success somewhere between a long shot and a pipe dream. On Thursday she said she would announce her decision in a few weeks — a decision she postponed because she is caring for her father, who is hospitalized with complications from surgery, she said in a statement. What trusted advisers, pollsters, fund-raisers and friends are telling her, they said in interviews, is that there is a path to victory, even in Texas, where no Democrat has won statewide office in nearly two decades. “My impression was she was very interested,” said Martin Frost, a Washington lobbyist and former Texas congressman whose counsel Ms. Davis sought. “You don’t get these opportunities very often. She’s 50 years old. This is the right time for her.” In her most recent public appearance, she sounded very much like a candidate on the verge. She was “very, very seriously considering” a campaign, she told an audience in San Francisco two weeks ago. She added, “I really think hard things are worth fighting for.” That sentiment echoed what aides have identified as the best way for Ms. Davis to position herself — as a fighter for her beliefs — and deflect Republican efforts to narrowly define her as a defender of late-term abortion. Researchers presented Ms. Davis with private polling that showed she was better known for her personality than for her positions. They also prepared an analysis of the nearly 900,000 Twitter messages in the 24 hours around her filibuster in June, which temporarily halted a bill to ban abortion in Texas after 20 weeks. A high percentage of those messages focused on her physical ordeal. “Probably the biggest benefit of this filibuster is Wendy is known statewide and she’s known as a fighter, and that plays very well in Texas,” said Matt Angle, an adviser to Ms. Davis. Republicans are moving swiftly to peg Ms. Davis, whose celebrity was confirmed this month by a Vogue magazine spread, as someone out of step with the state’s conservative electorate. “God, I hope she runs, it’ll be great,” said Dave Carney, a consultant to Attorney General Greg Abbott, the most likely Republican nominee. “I don’t see her brand of populism, which is beautifully accepted on the Left Coast and the Acela Corridor, being a selling job in Texas.” Ms. Davis has sought to broaden her identity, emphasizing a life story that few members of the coastal elites would identify with. Raised by a mother with a sixth-grade education after her father left, she became a single mother herself, living in a mobile home. She worked her way through community college, won a scholarship to Texas Christian University and eventually graduated from Harvard Law School. She served nine years on the Fort Worth City Council before defeating a Republican incumbent for the State Senate in 2008. In Austin, her shoulder-length blond mane inspired jokes that she was the only politician with better hair than Gov. Rick Perry. Much of Ms. Davis’s due diligence in eyeing a run has involved sifting the results of past statewide Texas races. The numbers are daunting: President Obama lost the state by 16 points in November. The 2010 Democratic nominee for governor pulled only 42 percent. But Ms. Davis’s number crunchers are telling her, in essence, that if she can win her Senate district — much of Fort Worth and its suburbs — she can win statewide. It is the only district out of 31 in the state that is a true battleground, not drawn to protect one of the parties. ||||| Rising Democratic star Wendy Davis continues to be a major grassroots fundraising force. According to campaign finance reports filed this week, the Texas state senator netted $1.2 million in the six weeks following her June filibuster against an abortion bill being considered by the Texas legislature. Text Size - + reset Wendy Davis's filibuster The 13-hour marathon filibuster and its aftermath — which drew national media attention — immediately catapulted the 50 year-old lawmaker into the spotlight and prompted calls from supporters for a statewide run. (QUIZ: Do you know Wendy Davis?) According to a POLITICO analysis of her campaign finance report, Davis raised most of her funds from small donors. She reported almost 24,000 individual donors — with an average donation to her campaign of about $52. About 60 percent of her funds came from inside the Lone Star State. Her largest individual donor was Fort Worth investor and businessman Sid Bass, who gave $100,000. The Texas-based group Annie’s List also contributed $50,000 to her state senate campaign. The group launched a grassroots effort earlier this month to encourage Davis to run for the governorship. (PHOTOS: Wendy Davis’s filibuster) Most of her largest donors are in-state. Of the 10 individual donors who gave more than $10,000 to her campaign, only one was out of state. Other big donors to her campaign include Houston attorney Laura Arnold, oil executive Lee Fikes and Marguerite Hoffman, wife of the businessman and National Lampoon co-founder Robert Hoffman. All gave $10,000 to her efforts. Davis has done some out-of-state fundraising as well, with a late July swing into Washington, D.C., for a small donor event. Davis said she will decide whether she wants to run for the open Texas governship next month, where Texas attorney general Greg Abbott has amassed more than $20 million. If she passes on the governor’s race, she has vowed to run for reelection as a state senator. News of Davis’ fundraising numbers was first reported by several Texas media outlets.
– If Wendy Davis does decide to make a run for governor, she'll have some cash in her pockets to help fund the way. The Texas state senator raked in $1.2 million in the six weeks following her marathon filibuster, reports Politico. Most of it came from small donors—the average donation was $52—and some $470,000 arrived from outside Texas, with California and New York topping the list. (Among the notable donors: Anita Hill and Eugene Zagat.) It's a hefty sum, but still a long way from the more than $20 million drummed up by Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, the most likely Republican nominee. A Democratic win in a state that's handed all of its statewide offices to Republicans for nearly two decades would be no easy task, the New York Times reports, but it sees other benefits to a Davis run: her rising star could be used to energize the party, and a bid for governor would force the Republican Governors Association to divert millions from more competitive races in other states. In an appearance two weeks ago, Davis told a crowd she was "very, very seriously considering" a run, adding, "I really think hard things are worth fighting for." She won't announce her decision for a few weeks.
In a campaign stop Tuesday outside Pittsburgh, Mitt Romney made what many locals considered a tasteless remark about cookies from a local landmark bakery. With a plate of cookies in front of him, Mitt Romney speaks at a Tax Day roundtable event at the Bethel Park Community Center on April 17, 2012 in Bethel Park, Pa. (Photo by Jeff Swensen/Getty Images) Mr. Romney, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, met with four couples at the Bethel Park Community Center to talk about the deficit, health care and education. The meeting got off to a rocky start, however, when the governor sat down at a picnic table set with food and made an apparent attempt at humor. “I’m not sure about these cookies,” Mr. Romney said. “They don’t look like you made them,” he said turning to one of the women at the table. “Did you make those cookies? You didn’t, did you? No. No. They came from the local 7-Eleven bakery or wherever.” (The video from the local CBS station is here.) The cookies, in fact, were donated from the popular Bethel Bakery around the corner from the community center, and once Mr. Romney’s comment was broadcast on local airwaves offended residents took to Facebook and Twitter to complain. The episode was inevitably called “CookieGate.” The bakery is offering a CookieGate special Wednesday and Thursday: free half dozen cookies with every dozen purchased. “Initially, we were incensed that he would think that Bethel Bakery is comparable to the 7-Eleven,” said bakery owner John Walsh, a Republican. Mr. Walsh, whose parents opened the bakery in 1955, said he thinks the comment was made in jest and would like Gov. Romney to try the bakery’s offerings in the future. But some bitterness remained. “Let him eat cake next time,” Mr. Walsh said. Margaret Chabris, a 7-Eleven spokeswoman, said people at the company got “a chuckle” out of the incident and didn’t take Mr. Romney’s remarks as being critical of the chain. “Actually Mitt Romney got it right,” she said. “There are bakeries dedicated to making cookies every day for our 5,500 stores.” ||||| BETHEL PARK (KDKA) – Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney held a community roundtable event in Bethel Park Tuesday afternoon. The event was held at the Community Center around 12:30 p.m. and topics of discussion included the economy and taxes. Romney used Tax Day to oppose the president’s plan to hike the upper income tax rate. “When he wants to raise the tax rate from 35 percent to 40 percent, that will impact a lot of small businesses and probably lead to some businesses having to lay people off,” he said. The couples then had a chance to raise their own issues. “I’m worried not only for my daughter’s future, but for my parents’ future,” a female voter said. “I want them to enjoy their golden years and not have to worry about everything.” “I share the concern,” Romney replied. “We got to make sure that the safety net of Social Security and Medicare and those are – we call them a safety net but they’re also retirement plans – they’re programs that people work for, save for, put money in – it’s a support that people pay for that it’s there – they’re confident those programs will be there.” Romney says this election turns on the economy. “The median income in America has dropped by 10 percent in the last four years,” he said. Romney only has a few events planned in Pennsylvania because the next week’s primary is not as important anymore with Rick Santorum pulling out of the race. Romney is expected to win the primary on April 24, along with the delegate count. Delegates are elected to the GOP convention by each of the 18 congressional districts in the state. KDKA-TV’s Jon Delano doesn’t expect to see Romney return much to Pennsylvania until November’s election. Delano also said Pennsylvania is one on a list of about 12 states that Republicans see as must wins in order to win the presidency. Only two Republicans have won a presidential election without winning Pennsylvania. RELATED LINKS More Local News More Political News More Reports From Jon Delano
– In Pittsburgh, they're calling it "CookieGate," but fair warning, it's not exactly a serious political scandal. Mitt Romney held a tax day picnic just outside the city Tuesday, in what should have been an easy photo op, if only he hadn't mentioned the food. "I'm not sure about these cookies," he said, turning to a woman next to him. "They don't look like you made them. Did you make those cookies? You didn't did you? No. No. They came from the local 7-Eleven bakery or whatever." The cookies actually came from much-beloved local establishment Bethel Bakery, and when video of his quip aired on CBS 2 Pittsburgh, it sparked an outrage, the Wall Street Journal reports. The bakery is now holding a "CookieGate Special," and though owner John Walsh, a Republican, isn't taking the comments too seriously, he says, "Let him eat cake next time."
WASHINGTON — An intern accidentally sent an attention-grabbing tweet telling human rights organization Amnesty International to “suck it” from the account of a respected Washington think tank, a spokesman for the think tank said on Tuesday. Andrew Schwartz, senior vice president for external relations at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), said in an email to BuzzFeed that he was “embarrassed about this unfortunate situation and the tweet doesn’t reflect anyone’s views at CSIS or the institution as a whole. My colleagues are equally distressed about this.” Schwartz said he has reached out on email to Amnesty and is following up with an phone call to apologize for the tweet, which came from CSIS’ main Twitter account early on Monday morning. Amnesty, which has sent observers to monitor the situation in Ferguson, Missouri, had tweeted: “US can’t tell other countries to improve their records on policing and peaceful assembly if it won’t clean up its own human rights record.” CSIS’ Twitter account responded: “Your work has saved far fewer lives than American interventions. So suck it.” CSIS apologized for the tweet on Twitter shortly afterward, saying it was sent “in error.” “Here’s what happened,” Schwartz said. “Early this morning, an unconscionable tweet was directed to Amnesty from CSIS’s Twitter account. The tweet in no way reflects CSIS’s views. It was sent by a CSIS intern who had access to our account for monitoring purposes. Apparently he meant to send something reflecting his personal views from his personal Twitter account. I find his views and the way he expressed them to be abhorrent and will take appropriate action at CSIS to address the matter internally.” Asked whether the intern would be fired, Schwartz said that CSIS was handling the matter internally. The tweet has been deleted, although multiple users took screenshots. ||||| In August of 2014, the Archive-It team put out a call for URLs related to the August 9th shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO. Soon after we were joined by Archive-It partner Washington University in St. Louis, MO who contributed lists of URLs and solicited URLs from communities in and around Ferguson. Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities contributed a significant number of URLs extracted from tweets about Michael Brown and Ferguson. In December we expanded the collection to include content related to the July 17th chokehold death of Eric Garner in Staten Island, NY, and the reactions around the country to the acquittal of the police officers in both cases. The collection then progressed further to reflect the movement building in reaction to police violence against people of color. Today the #blacklivesmatter Web Archive contains news articles, blogs, social media, and other websites related to Ferguson, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, protests and demonstrations around the country, and seeks to document the movement as it grows and evolves. Note: Many of these sites contain videos, some of which may not play back in the page. To view archived videos click on the Videos link in the yellow banner at the top of the archived web page.
– An intern at a Washington, DC, think tank was just supposed to monitor its Twitter account, not tell Amnesty International to "suck it." The human rights organization was making a point about the uproar in Ferguson, Mo., over the shooting death of Michael Brown, tweeting yesterday: "US can’t tell other countries to improve their records on policing and peaceful assembly if it won’t clean up its own human rights record," reports Talking Points Memo. Unfortunately, a Center for Strategic and International Studies intern thought he was using his own account when he expressed this opinion: "Your work has saved far fewer lives than American interventions. So suck it." That hasn't gone over well with CSIS senior VP Andrew Schwartz, who quickly blamed the intern and called the comment "abhorrent" and "unconscionable." Schwartz has already started cleaning up the mess, sending an apologetic email and tweet to Amnesty explaining the error and insisting that "the tweet in no way reflects CSIS's views." When asked if the intern would be fired, Schwartz told BuzzFeed he will "address the matter internally." The tweet was quickly deleted, but not before one user captured this screenshot.
Concerned about controversial sexual topics being brought up in your child’s school? You’ve come to the right place. TrueTolerance.org helps you respond in a loving and fact-based way. Get tips on communicating with your school officials! ||||| As kids head back to school, conservative Christian media ministry Focus on the Family perceives a bully on the playground: national gay-advocacy groups. School officials allow these outside groups to introduce policies, curriculum and library books under the guise of diversity, safety or bullying-prevention initiatives, said Focus on the Family education expert Candi Cushman. "We feel more and more that activists are being deceptive in using anti-bullying rhetoric to introduce their viewpoints, while the viewpoint of Christian students and parents are increasingly belittled," Cushman said. Public schools increasingly convey that homosexuality is normal and should be accepted, Cushman said, while opposing viewpoints by conservative Christians are portrayed as bigotry. Eliza Byard, executive director of the national Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, agrees with a big part of that statement. "Yes, we want LGBT students afforded full respect," she said. GLSEN says its agenda is to ensure safe schools and acceptance for all students, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, race, national origin or ability. "Bullying is a serious public health crisis in this country, according to no less an authority than the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services," Byard said. How prevalent is bullying? About 30 percent of American sixth-to- 10th-graders report being involved in bullying — either as a victim or bully, according to a 2008 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Advertisement It's three times more common if you're gay, Byard said. GLSEN's 2007 National School Climate Survey found that almost nine out of 10 lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender students experienced harassment. Almost 61 percent felt unsafe in school. And 22 percent reported being physically assaulted in schools. "The word 'faggot' is not part of any religious creed," Byard said. Focus supports bullying prevention, Cushman said. "But this issue is being hijacked by activists. They shouldn't be politicizing or sexualizing the issue of bully prevention." Cushman founded TrueTolerance.org, which says it helps Christian parents "confront the gay agenda," which she said includes homosexual-themed curricula, books with sexually graphic content and anti-religion stereotypes, assemblies and celebrations. Cushman said there have been several incidents in which religious freedom has lost out to the right of gay activists to promote their views. She wasn't aware of any specific problems in Colorado schools, she said, but events in Alameda, Calif., last year illustrate what's at stake. An Alameda school board adopted a curriculum in 2009 that Focus says promotes homosexuality and gay marriage to elementary school kids. Parents who objected could not opt out of the lessons even if it conflicted with deeply held religious beliefs. The board said, and a judge agreed, that the curriculum was mandatory because of state and local policies regarding student safety and nondiscrimination. Focus on the Family reports that all 16,000 U.S. public school superintendents will receive a copy of a 24-page GLSEN booklet, "Just the Facts About Sexual Orientation and Youth." "The theme: Schools are only allowed to provide one message about homosexuality — that it's normal and should be embraced," Focus literature states. "The publication ends with a warning: 'Schools should be careful to avoid discussions of transformational ministry in their curriculum.' " A coalition suggests guidelines Bayard said GLSEN initiated the idea, but the booklet was written by a coalition of 18 medical, mental-health and education organizations. Byard said GLSEN also works with Christian educators to formulate policies that include protection based on religious preferences. GLSEN worked with Christian Educators Association International and the First Amendment Center to write common-ground guidelines on dealing with sexual orientation in schools. "The good news," Byard said, "is we have been working in partnership with the education community for a long time to make sure schools undertake to protect the health, well-being and potential of every student in the community." Electa Draper: 303-954-1276 or edraper@denverpost.com A clarification has been added to this online archive. This story, about the conflicting views and approaches to school bullying advocated by conservative Christian ministry Focus on the Family and the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, or GLSEN, reported that GLSEN had worked with the Christian Educators Association International in formulating policies and guidelines on bullying. GLSEN clarifies that it has worked on the issue with Christian Educators and has been influenced by the group, but GLSEN's model policy and legislative proposal have not been endorsed by the Christian Educators Association.
– It’s tough to come up with anything bad to say about anti-bullying programs … unless you’re a Focus on the Family rep. Candi Cushman, education expert for the Christian organization, says that all too often anti-bullying initiatives are used to push “the gay agenda,” as she calls it on her website. Gay advocacy groups use “anti-bullying rhetoric to introduce their viewpoints, while the viewpoint of Christian students and parents are increasingly belittled,” she tells the Denver Post. In Cushman’s view, these groups use the guise of safety to introduce curriculum, books, and policies that push the idea that homosexuality is normal, but Christians’ opposing viewpoints are not allowed in schools. While Focus on the Family agrees with bullying prevention, “this issue is being hijacked by activists,” she says. “They shouldn't be politicizing or sexualizing the issue.” On the other hand, one advocate points out that gay students are three times more likely to be victims of bullying.
WASHINGTON—U.S. intelligence officials are investigating indications that al Qaeda's North African affiliate is connected with militants involved in the attack on a U.S. consulate in Libya, the top U.S. counterterrorism official said, providing the first public acknowledgment of the extremist movement's possible involvement in the deadly assault. The Sept. 11 attack in Benghazi, Libya, came as protests erupted there and in Egypt, before spreading throughout the Middle East and to Europe and Southeast Asia after word circulated... ||||| Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Pakistani demonstrators beat an effigy of Florida pastor Terry Jones during a protest against an anti-Islam film in Lahore on Monday, September 24. More than 50 people have died around the world in violence linked to protests against the low-budget movie, which mocks Islam and the Prophet Mohammed, since the first demonstrations erupted on September 11. See more of CNN's best photography Hide Caption 1 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Philippine Muslims gather coins they collected from the provinces to be used to pay for filing a petition before the Philippine Supreme Court in Manila on Monday asking for local authorities to ban the controversial "Innocence of Muslims" film from being posted on the Internet. Hundreds of Muslim protesters in the Philippines called for a ban on the film before the U.S. Embassy. Hide Caption 2 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – A woman speaks on a megaphone prior to filing a petiion before the Philippine Supreme Court in Manila on Monday. Hide Caption 3 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – On Monday Pakistani Muslim demonstrators shout anti-US slogans during a protest in Quetta. Hide Caption 4 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Sri Lankan Muslims shout slogans against U.S President Barack Obama at a protest in Colombo on Monday. Hide Caption 5 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Muslim students protest in Mogadishu, Somalia, on Monday. Hide Caption 6 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Muslim protesters pray in Omonia Square in central Athens, Greece, during a demonstration on Sunday. Clashes broke out as Muslims staged a demonstration in the square, to be followed by a march to the U.S. Embassy, in protest of the film. Hide Caption 7 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Protesters smashed the windows of a store during a demonstration in central Athens. Hide Caption 8 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Riot police clash with demonstrators in Athens, Greece, on Sunday, September 23. Hide Caption 9 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – A Muslim protester throws a shoe at police during a rally in central Athens on Sunday. Hide Caption 10 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Riot police try to disperse Muslim protesters in Athens on Sunday. Hide Caption 11 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – A Kashmiri Muslim student participates in a protest march organized by a Muslim school on Saturday, September 22, against an independently produced anti-Islam film that has ignited anger in the Muslim world. Hide Caption 12 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – A family in Kashmir watches as students protest on Saturday. Hide Caption 13 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – A worker inspects his damaged shop following violent protests in Peshawar, Pakistan, on Saturday. Hide Caption 14 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Pakistani Muslim demonstrators clash with police Friday during a protest near the U.S. consulate in Islamabad. Hide Caption 15 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Pakistani Muslim demonstrators topple a freight container that was placed by police to block a street during a protest on Friday. Hide Caption 16 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – A demonstrator kicks a tear gas shell in Karachi, Pakistan, on Friday. Hide Caption 17 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Pakistani policemen help an injured comrade Friday in Karachi. Hide Caption 18 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Protesters gather to demonstrate against a French magazine that published nude cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed outside the French Embassy in London on Friday. Hide Caption 19 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Pakistani police detain a demonstrator in Lahore on Friday during a protest against the film "Innocence of Muslims." Hide Caption 20 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – A Pakistani demonstrator throws a tear gas shell toward riot police during a protest against an anti-Islam film in Islamabad on Friday, September 21. Angry demonstrators set fire to two movie theaters in Pakistan's northwestern city of Peshawar as many braced for intensified protests Friday, officials said. Hide Caption 21 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Malaysian Muslim demonstrators march toward the U.S. Embassy after a Friday mass prayer in Kuala Lumpur. Hide Caption 22 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Protesters take part in a march in Benghazi, Libya, on Friday. The march was in support of democracy and against the Islamist militias that Washington blames for an attack on the U.S. consulate last week that killed four Americans including the ambassador. Hide Caption 23 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – A Pakistani police officer fires an automatic weapon toward demonstrators during a protest Friday in Islamabad. Hide Caption 24 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Pakistani riot police chase demonstrators Friday in Islamabad. Hide Caption 25 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – A Kashmiri activist shouts anti-U.S. slogans during a protest Friday in Srinagar, India. Hide Caption 26 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Pakistani protesters walk near a burning police bunker as demonstrators attempt to reach the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad on Thursday, September 20. Hide Caption 27 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – A Pakistani protester throws a tear gas shell back toward police on Thursday. Hide Caption 28 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Pakistani demonstrators carry an injured person on Thursday. Hide Caption 29 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Pakistani riot policemen hold back lawyers shouting anti-U.S. slogans as they attempt to reach the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad on Wednesday, September 19. More than 30 people have been killed around the world during more than a week of attacks and violent protests linked to a controversial film seen as insulting to the Prophet Mohammed. Hide Caption 30 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – A Pakistani lawyer wraps a U.S. flag onto his shoe in Islamabad on Wednesday. Hide Caption 31 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Police try to stop Pakistani lawyers crawling under a barrier as they try to reach the U.S. Embassy in the diplomatic enclave during a protest against an anti-Islam movie in Islamabad on Wednesday. Hide Caption 32 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Pakistani Muslims shout anti-U.S. slogans during a protest against an anti-Islam movie in Karachi on Wednesday. The Pakistan government has declared Friday a national holiday in honor of the Prophet Mohammed and called for peaceful protests against the film. Hide Caption 33 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Pakistani police stand guard on a blocked street in front of the U.S. Consulate during a protest in Lahore on Wednesday. Hide Caption 34 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Pakistani activists of the hard line Sunni party Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) offer prayers near the U.S. Consulate on Wednesday in Lahore. Hide Caption 35 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Lebanese army soldiers secure the area around the French ambassador's residence in Beirut on Wednesday. France has ordered special security measures around its embassies and schools because of fears of a hostile reaction to a magazine's publication of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed, the foreign ministry said. Hide Caption 36 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Supporters of Hezbollah hold a picture depicting Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and chant the slogan "God is Great" during a mass rally in Tyre, Lebanon, on Wednesday. Thousands of Lebanon's Hezbollah followers protested against the United States and France for a film and cartoons mocking the Prophet Mohammed. Hide Caption 37 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Members of Justice and Prosperous Party attend a protest outside the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Wednesday. Hide Caption 38 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – An Indian Muslim student hits a burning effigy of U.S. President Barack Obama during a protest in Kolkata on Wednesday. Hide Caption 39 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Masked Palestinians are seen during clashes with Israeli security forces in Shuafat refugee camp, Jerusalem, on Tuesday, September 18. Hide Caption 40 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Indian Muslims burn an American flag with a picture of U.S. President Barack Obama as they protest against a U.S.-made anti-Islam film on Tuesday, September 18, near the U.S. Consulate in Chennai. About 5,000 people have gathered in front of the building. Google India has already blocked access to the film, which the government has condemned as "offensive." Hide Caption 41 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Pakistani Sunni Muslims march during a protest against the anti-Islam movie in Peshawar on Tuesday. Police used tear gas to disperse a crowd of more than 2,000 protesters trying to reach the U.S. Consulate in northwest Pakistan. Hide Caption 42 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Palestinian protesters throw stones at Israeli security forces during clashes that erupted after a demonstration against an amateur anti-Islam film in Shuafat refugee camp, Jerusalem, on Tuesday. Hundreds of Palestinians protesting against the movie clashed with Israeli border police in East Jerusalem, hurling stones and firebombs at a checkpoint, the military and reporters said. Hide Caption 43 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Israeli border policemen fire tear gas toward Palestinian protesters on Tuesday. Hide Caption 44 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Kashmiri Muslim demonstrators shout anti-U.S. and Israeli slogans before a clash with Indian police during a protest and one-day strike called by several religious and political organizations in Srinagar on Tuesday. Hide Caption 45 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Firefighters attempt to extinguish the flames in an Indian police vehicle as protesters clash with police during a protest and in Srinagar, Kashmir, on Tuesday. Hide Caption 46 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – A Kashmiri Muslim boy jumps over a burning tire set up as a roadblock during Tuesday's demonstration Srinagar. Hide Caption 47 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Kashmiri Muslims throw stones at Indian police during a protest on Tuesday in Srinagar. Hide Caption 48 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Muslim women shout Islamic slogans in Srinagar on Tuesday. Hide Caption 49 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Thai Muslims shout slogans during a protest in Bangkok, Thailand, on Tuesday. Hide Caption 50 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Supporters of Lebanon's Hezbollah group march during a rally in southern Beirut to denounce the film mocking Islam on Monday, September 17. Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, who made a rare public appearance at the rally, has called for a week of protests across the country over the film, describing it as the "worst attack ever on Islam." Hide Caption 51 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Sunni Muslims burn a U.S. flag during a protest in Lahore, Pakistan, on Monday. Protests entered their second week, with demonstrators taking to the streets in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Indonesia and Lebanon. Hide Caption 52 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Pakistani Shiite Muslims shout anti-American slogans Monday in Lahore. Hide Caption 53 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Afghan riot police are reflected through a window during an anti-U.S. protest Monday in Kabul, Afghanistan. Protesters attacked police along a road leading to the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. Hide Caption 54 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Afghan police leave Jalalabad Road following an anti-U.S. protest Monday in Kabul. Hide Caption 55 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Barricades of tires burn Monday in Kabul. Hide Caption 56 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Indonesian anti-riot police arrest a protester Monday outside the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta. Monday's demonstrations come nearly a week after protests erupted in Egypt and Libya, spreading to more than 20 nations. Hide Caption 57 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – An Indonesian protester runs through smoke Monday outside the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta. Hide Caption 58 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Pakistani lawyers shout anti-American slogans as they march Monday in Lahore. Hide Caption 59 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Pakistani activists shout slogans in Islamabad on Sunday, September 16. Hide Caption 60 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Pakistani protestors hold banners and shout anti-U.S. slogans in Karachi on Sunday. Hide Caption 61 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Pakistani paramilitary soldiers stand near a burning police van during an anti-U.S. protest organized by Pakistani Shiite Muslims in Karachi on Sunday. Hide Caption 62 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Supporters of Pakistan's outlawed Islamic hard-line group Jamaat ud Dawa shout anti-U.S. slogans during a rally against an anti-Islam movie in Lahore, Pakistan, on Sunday. Hide Caption 63 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – A protester climbs on a gate of the U.S. Consulate in Karachi, Pakistan, on Sunday. Hide Caption 64 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Pakistani protesters march toward the U.S. Consulate in Karachi on Sunday. Hide Caption 65 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Protesters attack a police van outside the U.S. Consulate in Karachi on Sunday. Hide Caption 66 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Pakistani police fire tear gas shells toward the protesters in Karachi on Sunday. Hide Caption 67 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – An Afghan youth shouts slogans during an anti-U.S. protest in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Sunday. Hide Caption 68 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, head of Pakistan's outlawed Islamic hard-line group Jamaat ud Dawa, addresses supporters in Lahore on Sunday. Hide Caption 69 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – A protester hits a policeman with a pole in Sydney's central business district on Saturday, September 15. Anger over an anti-Islam video, "The Innocence of Muslims," spread to Australia on Saturday, and protesters took to the streets of the country's capital. Hide Caption 70 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – A man assists a young protester after capsicum spray was used by police near the U.S. Consulate General in central Sydney on Saturday. Hide Caption 71 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – A policeman, injured by protesters, is assisted by colleagues in central Sydney on Saturday. Hide Caption 72 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Muslims hold demonstrations worldwide – A Tunisian firefighter works inside a destroyed school building in the grounds of the American school in Tunis, Tunisia, on Saturday. Four people were killed and almost 50 injured in an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Tunis the day before by protesters angry over an anti-Islam film, the health ministry said. Hide Caption 73 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Muslims hold demonstrations worldwide – A burned bus sits in the grounds of the American school in Tunis on Saturday. Hide Caption 74 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Muslims hold demonstrations worldwide – A woman collects books from a classroom in the American school in Tunis on Saturday. Hide Caption 75 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Muslims hold demonstrations worldwide – Muslim protesters holding shoes and brooms shout anti-U.S. slogans on Saturday during a protest against the film they consider blasphemous to Islam near the U.S. Consulate-General in Chennai, India. Hide Caption 76 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Muslims hold demonstrations worldwide – Supporters of Islamic political party Jamaat-e-Islami shout slogans during a protest on Saturday in Khyber Agency, Pakistan. The Pakistani parliament passed a resolution on Thursday condemning "The Innocence of Muslims" and urged the U.S. to take appropriate action. Hide Caption 77 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Muslims hold demonstrations worldwide – Supporters of Islamic political party Jamaat-e-Islami shout slogans during a protest in Khyber Agency on Saturday. Hide Caption 78 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Muslims hold demonstrations worldwide – Pakistani Muslims burn a U.S. flag during a protest rally in Islamabad on Saturday. The Pakistani Taliban on Saturday issued a call to young Muslims worldwide and within the country to rise up against an anti-Islam movie. Hide Caption 79 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Muslims hold demonstrations worldwide – Mourners shout slogans during the funeral of a protester who was killed two days ago during clashes with security forces at the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa, Yemen, on Saturday . According to media reports, at least four people were killed when hundreds of Yemeni protesters stormed the embassy on Wednesday. Hide Caption 80 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Muslims hold demonstrations worldwide – Smoke billows from the burning German Embassy in Khartoum, Sudan, as a policeman stands next to a man preparing to extinguish the fire caused by protesters the anti-Islam film. Around 5,000 protesters in the Sudanese capital stormed the embassies of Britain and Germany, which were torched and badly damaged. Hide Caption 81 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Muslims hold demonstrations worldwide – A Sudanese protester, right, takes off his clothes to show policemen that he is unarmed during a protest in Khartoum on Friday. Two protesters were killed as security forces used tear gas against thousands of demonstrators trying to approach the U.S. mission after storming the British and German embassies. Hide Caption 82 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Muslims hold demonstrations worldwide – A Jordanian protester holds an Islamic book near the U.S. Embassy in Amman, Jordan, on Friday. Hundreds of members of Jordanian Salafi Movement gathered after Friday noon prayers in protest of a controversial anti-Islam film. Hide Caption 83 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Police stand guard near protesters near the U.S. Consulate General in Sydney on Saturday, September 15. Hide Caption 84 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Protesters clash with police on a street in Sydney's central business district on Saturday. Hide Caption 85 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Indian policemen walk past smashed windows of the U.S. Consulate building, caused by a mob of demonstrators protesting against an anti-Islam film, in Chennai, India, on Friday, September 14. Hide Caption 86 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Tunisian protesters try to storm the U.S. Embassy in Tunis on Friday. Hide Caption 87 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – A Tunisian protester holds an Al-Qaeda affiliated flag amid the smoke coming from the tear gas fired by riot police outside the U.S. Embassy in Tunis on Friday. Hide Caption 88 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Yemeni riot policemen stand guard at a crossroad leading to the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa on Friday. Hide Caption 89 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Yemeni protesters burn a U.S. flag on a street leading to the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa on Friday, September 14. Hide Caption 90 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Yemeni protesters shout during a demonstration near the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa on Friday. Hide Caption 91 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Yemeni protesters run for cover from tear gas fired by riot police in Sanaa on Friday. Hide Caption 92 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Jordanian protesters burn a U.S. flag near the U.S. Embassy in Amman on Friday. Hide Caption 93 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Jordanian protesters shout in Amman on Friday. Hide Caption 94 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Israeli police officers stand behind their shields during clashes with stone-throwing Palestinian protesters in a demonstration against an anti-Islam film in front of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem's Old City on Friday. Hide Caption 95 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Israeli police arrest a Palestinian protester on Friday. Hide Caption 96 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Boys inspect fast food chains Hardee's and KFC after they were torched during a protest in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli on Friday. Hide Caption 97 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Bangladeshi Muslims attempt to break a police barricade during a protest in Dhaka on Friday. Hide Caption 98 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Supporters of Jamat ud Dawa shout during a protest against an anti-Islam video in Peshawar, Pakistan, on Friday. Hide Caption 99 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – A Muslim protester defaces a mural on a wall of the U.S. Consulate in the southern Indian city of Chennai on Friday. Hide Caption 100 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Muslim protesters burn a U.S. flag outside the U.S. Consulate in the southern Indian city of Chennai on Friday. Hide Caption 101 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Muslim protesters shout outside the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Friday. Hide Caption 102 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Pakistani soldiers hold back protesters attempting to reach the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad on Friday. Hide Caption 103 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – An Egyptian protester throws a tear gas canister toward riot police during clashes near the U.S. Embassy in Cairo on Friday. Hide Caption 104 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – A Sudanese demonstrator burns a German flag after torching the German Embassy in Khartoum on Friday. Hide Caption 105 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Protesters throw stones toward riot police during clashes along a road leading to the U.S. Embassy near Tahrir Square in Cairo on Friday, September 14. Hide Caption 106 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – A riot police officer shouts a warning during clashes in Cairo on Friday. Hide Caption 107 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Protesters chant during a march to the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa, Yemen, on Thursday, September 13. One protester was killed in clashes when Yemeni security forces dispersed hundreds of demonstrators who gathered around and inside the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa. Hide Caption 108 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – A protester shouts after sustaining injuries in a confrontation with riot police who fired tear gas outside the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa on Thursday. Hide Caption 109 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Protesters carry flags that read "There is no God but Allah, Mohammed is Allah's messenger" and chant during a protest in Tripoli, Lebanon, on Thursday. Hide Caption 110 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Palestinians protest the movie "Innocence of Muslims" in front of the Legislative Council in Gaza City on Thursday. Hide Caption 111 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Iranian demonstrators chant anti-American slogans during a demonstration on Thursday in front of the Swiss Embassy, which serves as the U.S. interests section in Iran, in Tehran. Hide Caption 112 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – An Iranian police officer shows a victory sign during Thursday's demonstration in Tehran. Hide Caption 113 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Supporters of Sunni Muslim Salafist leader Ahmad al-Assir burn Israeli and U.S. flags during a protest in Sidon, Lebanon, on Thursday. Hide Caption 114 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Kuwaiti police stand guard as hundreds of demonstrators protest near the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait City on Thursday. Hide Caption 115 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Arab-Israeli men wave green Islamic flags with the Muslim profession of belief: "There is no God but God and Mohammed is the prophet of God" during a protest in front of the U.S. Embassy on Thursday in Tel Aviv, Israel. Hide Caption 116 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Egyptian protesters throw stones at riot police during clashes near the U.S. Embassy in Cairo on Thursday. Hide Caption 117 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Riot police take cover from stones thrown by protesters on Thursday. Hide Caption 118 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Egyptian protesters help a man who inhaled tear gas during clashes at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo on Thursday. Hide Caption 119 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – A burned-out pickup sits between Egyptian protesters and riot police in Cairo on Thursday. Hide Caption 120 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Egyptian protesters take cover during clashes with riot police on Thursday. Hide Caption 121 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – An Egyptian protester wears a makeshift mask and helmet for protection while fighting riot police on Thursday. Hide Caption 122 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Egyptian protesters run for cover from tear gas fired by riot police during clashes on Thursday. Hide Caption 123 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – An Egyptian riot police officer fires tear gas toward protesters during clashes Thursday with police near the U.S. Embassy in Cairo. Hide Caption 124 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Iraqi protesters burn Israeli and U.S. flags during a protest Thursday. The U.S. ambassador to Libya, J. Christopher Stevens, and three others were killed during a protest outside the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, on Tuesday. Hide Caption 125 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Egyptian protesters clash with riot police Thursday near the U.S. Embassy in Cairo. Hide Caption 126 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Iranians protest against a film mocking Islam near the Swiss Embassy in Tehran on Thursday. Up to 500 people chanted "Death to America!" and death to the director of the movie, which was made in the United States. The demonstration ended peacefully in two hours. Hide Caption 127 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – An Egyptian protester throws a tear gas canister at riot police Thursday during clashes near the U.S. Embassy in Cairo. Hide Caption 128 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Police use tear gas on crowds protesting Thursday outside the U.S. Embassy in Cairo. Hide Caption 129 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – The U.S. Consulate in Benghazi is seen in flames Tuesday, September 11. Hide Caption 130 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – A vehicle and the surrounding area are engulfed in flames after it was set on fire inside the compound on Tuesday. Hide Caption 131 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – A protester reacts as the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi is seen in flames Tuesday night. Hide Caption 132 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Yemeni protesters gather around a fire Thursday during a demonstration outside the U.S. Embassy in the capital of Sanaa. Yemeni forces fired warning shots to disperse the thousands of protesters approaching the main gate of the mission. Hide Caption 133 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Yemeni protesters try to break the security camera at the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa on Thursday. Hide Caption 134 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Egyptians shout slogans during a protest in front of the U.S. Embassy in Cairo. Hide Caption 135 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Egyptian protesters gather in front of the U.S. Embassy the morning after it was vandalized by protesters during a demonstration on Wednesday in Cairo. Hide Caption 136 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Protesters shout outside the U.S. Embassy in Tunis, Tunisia, on Wednesday, September 12. Hide Caption 137 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – A group of protesters attend a demonstration outside the U.S. Embassy in Tunis on Wednesday. Hide Caption 138 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – A demonstrator walks on a U.S. flag during a Wednesday's demonstration at the U.S. Embassy in Tunis. Hide Caption 139 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – People inspect the damage at the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, on Wednesday, the day after four people were killed. Hide Caption 140 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Egyptian demonstrators continue to stake out the U.S. Embassy in Cairo on Wednesday. Hide Caption 141 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Police confront protesters praying in front of the U.S. Embassy in Casablanca, Morocco, during a rally against the anti-Islam film on Wednesday. Hide Caption 142 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Moroccan women gather near the U.S. Embassy in Casablanca on Wednesday. Hide Caption 143 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – A Palestinian man holds a placard praising Islam's prophet Mohammed during a demonstration against the film on Wednesday in front of the United Nations headquarters in Gaza City. Hide Caption 144 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Palestinian men burn the American flag during Wednesday's demonstration in Gaza City. Hide Caption 145 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – A man waves his rifle as buildings and cars are engulfed in flames inside the U.S. Consulate compound in Benghazi, Libya, late on Tuesday, September 11. Hide Caption 146 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – The U.S. Consulate in Benghazi is set on fire during a protest. Armed gunmen attacked the compound on Tuesday evening, clashing with Libyan security forces before the latter withdrew as they came under heavy fire. Hide Caption 147 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Protesters destroy an American flag pulled down from the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, Egypt. Hide Caption 148 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – People stand around a drawing that says "Remember your black day 11 September" during the protest in Cairo. Hide Caption 149 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – People shout and light flares in front of the U.S. Embassy in Cairo. Hide Caption 150 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – People shout in front of the U.S. Embassy in Cairo. Hide Caption 151 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Protesters pull down a U.S. flag. Hide Caption 152 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Thousands were angered by the controversial film. Hide Caption 153 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Demonstrators yell outside the U.S. Embassy. Hide Caption 154 of 157 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Egyptian riot police stand guard as protesters climb down from the wall. Hide Caption 155 of 157 ||||| Intelligence sources tell Fox News they are convinced the deadly attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, was directly tied to Al Qaeda -- with a former Guantanamo detainee involved. That revelation comes on the same day a top Obama administration official called last week's deadly assault a "terrorist attack" -- the first time the attack has been described that way by the administration after claims it had been a "spontaneous" act. "Yes, they were killed in the course of a terrorist attack on our embassy," Matt Olsen, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, said during a Senate hearing Wednesday. Olsen echoed administration colleagues in saying U.S. officials have no specific intelligence about "significant advanced planning or coordination" for the attack. However, his statement goes beyond White House Press Secretary Jay Carney and Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, saying the Sept. 11 attack on the consulate was spontaneous. He is the first top administration official to call the strike an act of terrorism. Sufyan Ben Qumu is thought to have been involved and even may have led the attack, Fox News' intelligence sources said. Qumu, a Libyan, was released from the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in 2007 and transferred into Libyan custody on the condition he be kept in jail. He was released by the Qaddafi regime as part of its reconciliation effort with Islamists in 2008. His Guantanamo files also show he has ties to the financiers behind the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The declassified files also point to ties with the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, a known Al Qaeda affiliate. Olsen, repeating Wednesday that the FBI is handling the Benghazi investigation, also acknowledged the attack could lead back to Al Qaeda and its affiliates. "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," he said at the Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing. Still, Olsen said "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," Olsen said. Carney said hours earlier that there still is "no evidence of a preplanned or pre-meditated attack," which occurred on the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks. "I made that clear last week, Ambassador Rice made that clear Sunday," Carney said at the daily White House press briefing. Rice appeared on "Fox News Sunday" and four other morning talk shows to say the attack in Benghazi, Libya, that killed U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans was "spontaneous" and sparked by an early protest that day outside the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, Egypt, over an anti-Islamic video. "It was a reaction to a video that had nothing to do with the United States," Rice told Fox News. "The best information and the best assessment we have today is that this was not a pre-planned, pre-meditated attack. What happened initially was that it was a spontaneous reaction to what had just transpired in Cairo." However, that account clashed with claims by the Libyan president that the attack was in fact premeditated. Other sources, including an intelligence source in Libya who spoke to Fox News, have echoed those claims. The intelligence source even said that, contrary to the suggestion by the Obama administration, there was no major protest in Benghazi before the deadly attack which killed four Americans. A U.S. official did not dispute the claim. In the face of these conflicting accounts, Carney on Tuesday deferred to the ongoing investigation and opened the door to the possibility of other explanations. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, called Wednesday for an independent review of the attack. "A State Department Accountability Review Board to look into the Benghazi attack is not sufficient," Collins said. "Given the loss of the lives of four Americans who were serving their country and the serious questions that have been raised about the security at our Consulate in Benghazi, it is imperative that a non-political, no-holds-barred examination be conducted." Fox News' Bret Baier contributed to this report.
– As investigators look into the likelihood that al-Qaeda was behind the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi last week, CNN reports that Chris Stevens, the US ambassador killed in the attack, believed he was on an al-Qaeda hit list. A source says Stevens had become increasingly worried about security in Benghazi and al-Qaeda's growing influence in Libya. And intelligence sources tell Fox News investigators do believe al-Qaeda was behind the attack—specifically Sufyan Ben Qumu, a former Guantanamo detainee, who was involved and may even have led the attack. Qumu was returned to his native Libya in 2007 on the condition that he be kept in custody, but was released by the Gadhafi regime the following year. Counterterrorism officials also tell the Wall Street Journal they are probing possible al-Qaeda links to the attack. "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," the director of the National Counterterrorism Center testified before a Senate committee yesterday, calling the assault "a terrorist attack." He described the attack as an "opportunistic attack" that "evolved and escalated over several hours," but said there is no specific intelligence that there was "significant advanced planning or coordination for this attack." Libya's president says the attack was planned by foreigners who had entered Libya months earlier.
No Party Preference Information Voting in Presidential Primary Elections Voters who registered to vote without stating a political party preference are known as No Party Preference (NPP) voters. NPP voters were formerly known as "decline-to-state" or “DTS” voters. For presidential primary elections: NPP voters will receive a “non-partisan” ballot that does not include presidential candidates. A nonpartisan ballot contains only the names of candidates for voter-nominated offices and local nonpartisan offices and measures. However, NPP voters may vote in a political party's partisan election if the political party, by party rule duly noticed to the Secretary of State, authorizes NPP voters to vote in the next presidential primary election. An NPP voter may request the ballot of one of the political parties, if any, that authorizes NPP voters to vote in the presidential primary election. History Behind California's Primary Election System Closed Primary System A "closed" primary system governed California's primary elections until 1996. In a closed primary, only persons who are registered members of a political party may vote the ballot of that political party. Open Primary System The provisions of the "closed" primary system were amended by the adoption of Proposition 198, an initiative statute approved by the voters at the March 26, 1996, Primary Election. Proposition 198 changed the closed primary system to what is known as a "blanket" or "open" primary, in which all registered voters may vote for any candidate, regardless of political affiliation and without a declaration of political faith or allegiance. On June 26, 2000, the United States Supreme Court issued a decision in California Democratic Party, et. al. v. Jones, stating that California's "open" primary system, established by Proposition 198, was unconstitutional because it violated a political party's First Amendment right of association. Therefore, the Supreme Court overturned Proposition 198. Modified Closed Primary System for Presidential Elections California's current "modified" closed primary system for Presidential elections was chaptered on September 29, 2000 and took effect on January 1, 2001. Senate Bill 28 (Ch. 898, Stats. 2000) implemented a "modified" closed primary system that permitted voters who had declined to provide a political party preference (formerly known as "decline to state" voters) to participate in a primary election if authorized by an individual party's rules and duly noticed by the Secretary of State. The Top Two Candidates Open Primary Act, which took effect January 1, 2011, requires that all candidates for a voter-nominated office be listed on the same ballot. Previously known as partisan offices, voter-nominated offices are state legislative offices, U.S. congressional offices, and state constitutional offices. Only the two candidates receiving the most votes—regardless of party preference—move on to the general election regardless of vote totals. Write-in candidates for voter-nominated offices can only run in the primary election. However, a write-in candidate can only move on to the general election if the candidate is one of the top two vote-getters in the primary election. Additionally, there is no independent nomination process for a general election. California's new open primary system does not apply to candidates running for U.S. President, county central committee, or local offices. Party-Nominated/Partisan Offices Under the California Constitution, political parties may formally nominate candidates for party-nominated/partisan offices at the primary election. A candidate so nominated will then represent that party as its official candidate for the office in question at the ensuing general election and the ballot will reflect an official designation to that effect. The top votegetter for each party at the primary election is entitled to participate in the general election. Parties also elect officers of official party committees at a partisan primary. No voter may vote in the primary election of any political party other than the party he or she has disclosed a preference for upon registering to vote. However, a political party may authorize a person who has declined to disclose a party preference to vote in that party's primary election. Voter-Nominated Offices Under the California constitution, political parties are not entitled to formally nominate candidates for voter-nominated offices at the primary election. A candidate nominated for a voter-nominated office at the primary election is the nominee of the people and not the official nominee of any party at the following general election. A candidate for nomination or election to a voter-nominated office shall have his or her party preference, or lack of party preference, reflected on the primary and general election ballot, but the party preference designation is selected solely by the candidate and is shown for the information of the voters only. It does not constitute or imply an endorsement of the candidate by the party designated, or affiliation between the party and candidate, and no candidate nominated by the qualified voters for any voter-nominated office shall be deemed to be the officially nominated candidate of any political party. The parties may list the candidates for voter-nominated offices who have received the official endorsement of the party in the sample ballot. All voters may vote for any candidate for a voter-nominated office, provided they meet the other qualifications required to vote for that office. The top two votegetters at the primary election advance to the general election for the voter-nominated office, even if both candidates have specified the same party preference designation. No party is entitled to have a candidate with its party preference designation participate in the general election unless such candidate is one of the two highest votegetters at the primary election. Nonpartisan Offices Under the California Constitution, political parties are not entitled to nominate candidates for nonpartisan offices at the primary election, and a candidate nominated for a nonpartisan office at the primary election is not the official nominee of any party for the office in question at the ensuing general election. A candidate for nomination or election to a nonpartisan office may not designate his or her party preference, or lack of party preference, on the primary and general election ballot. The top two votegetters at the primary election advance to the general election for the nonpartisan office. ||||| Sanders backers, independents sue to extend registration in state A group of Bernie Sanders supporters and independent voters has filed a federal lawsuit demanding changes in the state’s election system, saying it has shut out people who don’t identify as Republicans or Democrats. The plaintiffs, who filed their complaint Friday against the head of the San Francisco Department of Elections, the head of the Alameda County Registrar of Voters, and Secretary of State Alex Padilla, seek a litany of reforms — among them an order to extend the state’s voter registration deadline from Monday to June 7, the day of the primary election. “The most important thing at the end of the day is to enable more people to vote,” said William Simpich, an Oakland attorney representing the individuals and groups who filed the lawsuits. They include the Voting Rights Defense Project, the American Independent Party, Clara Daims and Suzanne Bushnell. Getting more people out to the polls would boost the odds for Bernie Sanders, who has broad support among nonpartisan or independent voters, Simpich said. In California, independent voters can’t vote in Republican primaries, but they can in Democratic primaries. To do so, however, they have to request a Democratic ballot at their polling place. Independents who vote by mail have to sign a form and mail it to their county registrar by May 31. The problem, according to Simpich, is that many independents don’t know they have to do that, and they wind up with an independent ballot that offers few choices. The result is that many California independents don’t cast a primary vote for president. To address the problem, the lawsuit demands that independent voters be given the opportunity to write in the candidates of their choice. Alternatively, the lawsuit asks that the state isolate all independent ballots already cast by mail and allow those voters to revote. Paul Mitchell is co-founder of the Los Angeles voter analytics firm Political Data Inc. and not part of the group suing. He said the lawsuit’s basic argument is valid: Although the Democrats have let independents vote for Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton, the rules are confusing. “The Democratic (primary) was sold to voters as an open primary, but it hasn’t been as open as everybody said,” Mitchell said. “It’s more like a closed primary with an option for people to get into it.” According to Mitchell, the number of independents who vote by mail in California has more than tripled since 2008, from about 700,000 to more than 2.1 million. But Jessica Levinson, a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, said the lawsuit seems like a political strategy aimed at getting more delegates for Bernie Sanders. “It’s the end of the primary, Bernie Sanders is becoming increasingly aggressive in his tactics, and polls indicate that ‘no party preference’ voters are supporting him,” Levinson said. Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com @RachelSwan ||||| On Sunday, Bernie Sanders stepped up his fight against the Establishment, and in California, so did his supporters. According to the Los Angeles Times, Sanders backers have filed a federal lawsuit requesting voter registration to be extended past the state's May 31 deadline until June 7 — the day of the primary. The suit's plaintiffs, which include two Bay Area voters, the American Independent Party (which has had its own registration woes in recent weeks), and an organization called the Voting Rights Defense Project — an organization campaigning to increase voter turnout for Sanders — allege voters don't understand the rules to register for the primary. Registrars of voters in two counties as well as Secretary of State Alex Padilla are named as defendants. "There's mass confusion," William Simpich, the Oakland civil-rights attorney who filed the suit, told the Times. "Mistakes are being made. This is a situation that really shouts out for some uniformity." What he means is that, according to the lawsuit, officials in some of California's 58 counties don't do an adequate job of informing their constituents about the registration process. Democrats have opened up their primary to independent voters, or those registered with "no party preference." But according to Simpich, not all independent voters are aware that they can vote in line with a party. From the Times: The suit focuses on whether "no party preference" voters who intend to cast ballots by mail understand they can ask for a ballot from one of the three parties that allow them to cross over and participate in the race for president: the Democratic Party, the Libertarian Party, and California's American Independent Party. If they do not make the request, those voters will receive a ballot with a blank space where partisan ballots list the presidential candidates. As of last week, the Times points out, only 9 percent of "no party preference" voters in Los Angeles County had requested — and been mailed — a ballot for the Democratic party; in Orange County, only 23 percent of "no party preference" voters have asked for partisan ballots. Sanders has good reason to be concerned that California voters with "no party preference" might not know they can vote for Democratic candidates — his support among independents has given him a boost in almost every Democratic primary to date. California is a particularly crucial primary for Sanders; at this point, it's all but impossible for him to win the required number of delegates to be the Democratic nominee, but his campaign is hoping he'll arrive in Philadelphia having won enough delegates to influence the party's agenda.
– "There's mass confusion," William Simpich tells the Los Angeles Times. He's the attorney who on Friday filed a federal lawsuit over California's Democratic presidential primary, and the particulars of the case are a bit confusing as well. When Californians elect California officials, they can vote for anyone on the ballot, regardless of party. The same isn't true for the political primaries, which take place in the state June 7. In this case, the parties make the rules. Only registered Republicans can cast a ballot for a Republican candidate, but the Democrats are allowing residents with "no party preference" to vote—kind of. The Bernie Sanders-supporting Voting Rights Defense Project is among the plaintiffs, who want state elections officials to be required to launch a public awareness campaign between now and May 31, the last day for requesting a ballot by mail. The ballot by mail is the real point of contention. As KPCC explains, "no party preference" voters can ask for a "crossover ballot" that lets them vote in the Democratic primary. Simpich tells the station that if they don't ask for that ballot, and write in Sanders or Hillary Clinton on the blank ballot they will be sent, it "won't count." A local voter analytics expert tells the San Francisco Chronicle, "The Democratic (primary) was sold to voters as an open primary, but ... it's more like a closed primary with an option for people to get into it." And it's not a paltry sum: He says about 2.1 million independents vote via mail in the state. The plaintiffs would also like to see voter registration go right up to June 7. New York Magazine notes the reported confusion is a legitimate concern for Sanders, whose "support among independents has given him a boost in almost every Democratic primary to date."
With marijuana sold openly at retail stores throughout California, some advocates, pot growers and even city officials believed authorized commercial cultivation could be next. But the Obama administration dashed that notion this week, making clear it will not allow such operations.In a letter sent Wednesday to federal prosecutors, Deputy Atty. Gen. James M. Cole noted that some cities and states have considered plans for "multiple large-scale, privately-operated industrial marijuana cultivation centers" and wrote that the administration's hands-off policy on medical marijuana patients was "never intended to shield such activities from federal enforcement action and prosecution, even where those activities purport to comply with state law."Across the country, proposals to bring marijuana cultivation into the open have drawn warnings from federal prosecutors. But it was Oakland's vision of four enormous enterprises with astounding revenue projections that started the federal pushback against the thriving and increasingly bold marijuana industry."Unfortunately, this is a step backward," said Joe Elford, chief counsel for Americans for Safe Access. "We kind of regard this as kind of the equivalent of 'don't ask, don't tell.' Obama made certain campaign promises, and he's not carrying through on them."Elford said the letter could embolden prosecutors in California to take on dispensaries — and lead prosecutors elsewhere to take steps to derail medical marijuana distribution systems set up by the states. "I would be hearing, 'If you get too big, we may well put a target on your back,' " he said.In California, some collectives have made an effort to raise their own marijuana or develop a network of patient-growers. But many buy from operations hidden in warehouses, industrial buildings, hollowed-out rental homes, secluded farms and forest lands.Until earlier this year, Oakland had pursued an ambitious cultivation plan, drawing worldwide attention. City officials imagined Oakland as the capital of the fast-emerging industry. One entrepreneur, Jeff Wilcox, hoped to convert 172,000 square feet of aging and largely empty brick buildings into a marijuana industrial park with growing and manufacturing businesses. He commissioned a report that concluded his proposal could cultivate marijuana worth $59 million a year and send as much as $3.4 million in annual taxes to the city.But in February, Melinda Haag, the U.S. attorney for the state's Northern District, warned Oakland officials that she would consider prosecuting anyone authorized by the city to set up an industrial pot farm, as well as anyone who assisted them, including property owners and financiers.Wilcox put his plans on hold but believes the city needs to push forward. "Oakland is so broke, and Oakland is going to be more broke next year and the year after," he said.After Haag's threat, the city hired a law firm to rework its proposal. Under the far more restrained plan, which was unveiled Friday, only nonprofit collectives could apply for growing permits and each cultivation site would be limited to 25,000 square feet.Arturo Sanchez, the assistant to the city administrator, said the proposal does not conflict with the Justice Department 's position. "I think they're saying, 'We didn't envision large-scale grows for profit,' " he said. "At no point have we said this is a profiteering endeavor."Berkeley was planning much smaller operations, in the range of 5,000 square feet to 10,000 square feet. It has frozen those plans, but Mayor Tom Bates said the city intends to pursue them. "We see a lot of advantages," he said, but stressed that Berkeley would not proceed without approval from local, state and federal prosecutors. "We're going to go with our eyes wide open."Bates said that having the city's collectives grow in industrial areas would be much safer — allowing Berkeley officials to do more to prevent crimes and fires caused by faulty wiring, as well as inspect the crop to ensure that it was free of pesticides and other potentially harmful substances.But he was not sanguine about the prospects. "I'm under the view that the Department of Justice will never sanction this," he said. "I think that they're going to be the stumbling block."Isleton, a Sacramento River town with 840 residents, last month shelved plans to allow a 30,000-square-foot pot farm that was projected to pump as much as $600,000 a year into its treasury. The plan was attacked by the Sacramento County district attorney, the county grand jury and the U.S. attorney for the area. The grand jury foreman said the growing operation was "perched on the blurry edge of marijuana law."As a presidential candidate, Barack Obama said the federal government should not raid medical marijuana users and caregivers. Three months after he was inaugurated, his attorney general announced that as the administration's official policy, which later was spelled out in an October 2009 letter to prosecutors.The policy, in part, set off the explosion of dispensaries and pot-growing operations in California. The Justice Department's letter this week halts what some saw as the next phase: commercial cultivation.In his letter, Cole indicated that he was reiterating the department's stance. But it contained a subtle shift. In the 2009 letter, the department advised prosecutors not to focus on "individuals whose actions are in clear and unambiguous compliance with existing state laws" — pointing to people with cancer or other serious illnesses and their caregivers as examples. The new letter cites patients and caregivers not as an example, but as the only exception, and it defines caregiver as an individual and "not commercial operations cultivating, selling or distributing marijuana."Matthew Miller, a Justice Department spokesman, said the document was intended to restate department policy after more than half a dozen letters were sent by U.S. attorneys in response to medical marijuana developments in their states. "It's not really a new policy," he said.Miller declined to say whether any large-scale cultivation operation, such as one run by a nonprofit patient collective, could pass muster with the federal government.Under guidelines issued by Jerry Brown when he was attorney general, most dispensaries in California are organized as nonprofit collectives. The state's new attorney general, Kamala Harris , declined to comment on the Justice Department letter. Her office is currently working to revise the nearly 3-year-old guidelines.Jane Usher, a special assistant city attorney in Los Angeles, said court cases have repeatedly shown that the city's dispensaries operate outside those guidelines. "Strangers, unidentified strangers, are bringing in large satchels and suitcases and bags of dried marijuana," she said.The state requires collectives to grow their own marijuana, but Usher said she was awaiting clarification on whether state law requires them to grow on site. She declined to speculate on whether a collective could set up a major growing operation that would be legal under state law. "I don't want to go there," she said. "It's so at odds with the facts on the ground that I don't want to endorse a hypothetical." ||||| The U.S. Justice Department says that marijuana dispensaries and licensed growers in states with medical marijuana laws could face prosecution for violating federal drug and money-laundering laws. In a policy memo to federal prosecutors obtained Thursday by The Associated Press, Deputy Attorney General James Cole said a 2009 memo by then-Deputy Attorney General David Ogden did not give states cover from prosecution. Starting in February, 10 U.S. attorney's offices have asserted they have the authority to prosecute medical marijuana dispensaries and licensed growers in states with medical marijuana laws. Prosecutors, the states complained, are not even willing to declare that state employees who implement such laws are immune from prosecution. State officials say that following a two-year period in which federal prosecutors gave breathing room to state medical marijuana laws, the Justice Department is now toughening up its position as more states move toward opening facilities to dispense marijuana. Sixteen states and the District of Columbia have legalized the medical use of marijuana, with programs in various phases of development. The states are: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. In 2009, the Justice Department told prosecutors they should not focus investigative resources on patients and caregivers complying with state medical marijuana laws. The new memo says that view has not changed. "There has, however, been an increase in the scope of commercial cultivation, sale, distribution and use of marijuana for purported medical purposes," says the new memo by Cole. The deputy attorney general said within the past 12 months, several jurisdictions have considered or enacted legislation to authorize multiple large-scale, privately operated industrial marijuana cultivation centers. "Some of these planned facilities have revenue projections of millions of dollars based on the planned cultivation of tens of thousands of cannabis plants," Cole wrote. Cole said that the Ogden memorandum "was never intended to shield such activities from federal enforcement action and prosecution, even where those activities purport to comply with state law." Cole added: "Persons who are in the business of cultivating, selling or distributing marijuana, and those who knowingly facilitate such activities, are in violation of the Controlled Substances Act, regardless of state law." On Thursday night, Justice Department spokeswoman Tracy Schmaler said that the medical marijuana statement by Cole does not represent a new policy, but rather clarifies the policy, as reflected in the recent letters by U.S. attorney's offices to officials in a number of states. In view of the letters sent by the prosecutors in recent months, Arizona officials have taken the U.S. government to court, seeking a ruling on whether strict compliance with the state's medical marijuana law protects Arizona residents and state employees from federal prosecution. Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee suspended plans to license three dispensaries after U.S. Attorney Peter Neronha warned that opening such facilities could lead to prosecution. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has said he wanted assurances from federal officials that they won't pursue criminal charges against state-sanctioned medical marijuana programs before he agrees to implement a state law that allows the programs. New Jersey adopted a law to allow medical marijuana in January 2010, just before Christie took office. Chris Goldstein, a spokesman for the Coalition for Medical Marijuana of New Jersey, said what the latest Justice Department memo means to New Jersey depends on how Christie interprets it and whether he uses it as a reason to halt the program. "It doesn't change the situation much other than that the governor continues to leave patients hanging out on a limb," Goldstein said. A spokesman for Christie declined to comment on the letter. A spokesman for the New Jersey attorney general also said they were reviewing the letter. The letters from federal prosecutors started coming five months ago, in all but one instance in response to requests for guidance from state or local officials. The first came from U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag, who advised the Oakland, Calif., city attorney that "we will enforce" federal marijuana law "vigorously against individuals and organizations that participate in unlawful manufacturing and distribution activity involving marijuana, even if such activities are permitted under state law." Haag's letter addressed an unusual situation: the fact that a year ago, Oakland became the first city in the country to authorize the licensing of marijuana cultivation operations. But the issue quickly spread beyond Oakland. In a five-week span starting in mid-April, officials in Hawaii, Washington, Montana, Colorado, Rhode Island, Arizona, Vermont and Maine received letters with wording similar to that in the Oakland letter, all but Rhode Island in response to requests for clarification from the states. In Rhode Island, Neronha, the U.S. attorney, wrote to the governor that the anticipated operations "of the three centers appear to permit large-scale marijuana cultivation and distribution." "Such conduct," Neronha wrote, "is contrary to federal law and thus, undermines the federal government's efforts to regulate the possession, manufacturing and trafficking of controlled substances. Accordingly, the Department of Justice could consider civil and criminal legal remedies against those individuals and entities who set up marijuana growing facilities and dispensaries." On June 20, Reps. Barney Frank, D-Mass., and Jared Polis, D-Colo., asked Holder to clarify the Obama administration's policy on medical marijuana. A week ago, Frank and Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, introduced a bill to remove marijuana from the list of federally controlled substances and cede to the states enforcement of laws governing pot. ___ DeFalco reported from Trenton, N.J. Associated Press writer Geoff Mulvilhill in Trenton contributed to this report.
– The Justice Department has a message for states, cities, and private operators looking to cash in on medical marijuana by setting up large-scale commercial farms: Let's not get carried away. A new memo sent this week to federal prosecutors makes clear that these kinds of operations will not be tolerated, reports the Los Angeles Times. And it raises anew the single biggest complication for medical marijuana: It remains illegal under federal law even if a state has sanctioned it. In 2009, the Justice Department said it would not go after patients and caregivers complying with state law. "There has, however, been an increase in the scope of commercial cultivation, sale, distribution and use of marijuana for purported medical purposes," says the new memo written by Deputy Attorney Gen. James M. Cole, notes AP. A number of cities, Oakland especially, have been planning huge enterprises with equally large revenue projections. The new memo "is a step backward," says the chief counsel for Americans for Safe Access. "We kind of regard this as kind of the equivalent of Don't Ask, Don't Tell." The message to states setting up distributions systems, he says, is "if you get too big, we may well put a target on your back."
FILE - In this July 23, 1992 file photo, songwriters Mike Stoller, left, and Jerry Leiber pose in the Russian Tea Room in New York. Leiber, who wrote lyrics for such hits as "Hound Dog" and "Jailhouse... (Associated Press) Jerry Leiber, who with longtime partner Mike Stoller wrote "Hound Dog," "Jailhouse Rock," "Yakity Yak" and other hit songs that came to define early rock `n' roll, died Monday. He was 78. He was surrounded by family when he died unexpectedly of cardiopulmonary failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, said his longtime publicist, Bobbi Marcus. With Leiber as lyricist and Stoller as composer, the team channeled their blues and jazz backgrounds into pop songs performed by such artists as Elvis Presley, Dion and the Belmonts, the Coasters, the Drifters and Ben E. King in a way that would help create a joyous new musical style. From their breakout hit, blues great Big Mama Thornton's 1953 rendition of "Hound Dog," until their songwriting took a more serious turn in 1969 with Peggy Lee's recording of "Is That All There Is?" the pair remained one of the most successful teams in pop music history. "He was my friend, my buddy, my writing partner for 61 years," Stoller said. "We met when we were 17 years old. I am going to miss him." The two chronicled their lifelong partnership, which Leiber called "the longest running argument in show business," in their 2009 memoir, "Hound Dog: The Leiber & Stoller Autobiography." The pair's writing prowess and influence over the recording industry as pioneering independent producers earned them induction into the non-performer category of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. "The music world lost today one of its greatest poet laureates," said Terry Stewart, president of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. "Jerry not only wrote the words that everyone was singing, he led the way in how we verbalized our feelings about the societal changes we were living with in post-World War II life. Appropriately, his vehicles of choice were the emerging populist musical genres of rhythm and blues and then rock and roll." Leiber, who like Stoller was white, said his musical inspiration came from the close identification he had with black American culture during his boyhood and teen years in Baltimore and Los Angeles. Thus he was the perfect lyricist for bluesy, jazz-inflected compositions like "Kansas City," "Black Denim Trousers and Motorcycle Boots," "Charlie Brown," "Drip Drop," "Stand By Me" and "On Broadway." The lyrics could be poignant, as in "On Broadway," or full of humor, as in the antics of high school goofball Charlie Brown, who "calls the English teacher Daddy-O" and laments, "Why's everybody always pickin' on me?" The result was a serious departure from the classically inflected music that had been produced by a previous generation of pop songwriters that included George Gershwin and Irving Berlin. "Irving Berlin was the greatest songwriter of all time," Leiber told The Los Angeles Times' "West" magazine in 2006. "I was in awe of him. But his music wasn't my music. My music was the blues." Over their career, they had 15 No. 1 hits in a variety of genres by 10 different artists. Among the performers who sang their songs were Barbra Streisand, Aretha Franklin, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Willie Nelson, Frank Sinatra, Joni Mitchell, James Taylor and Otis Redding. Leiber and Stoller were instrumental in helping launch Presley's career with such songs as "Hound Dog" and "Jailhouse Rock." The two far preferred Thornton's version of "Hound Dog" to Presley's, in part because the latter version changed some of the lyrics. "Lick for lick, there's no comparison between the Presley version and the Big Mama original," Leiber said in the pair's dual autobiography, "Hound Dog," published in 2009. Stoller said he was annoyed by the Presley version, but still praised the "edge of danger and mystery" that Presley brought to his covers of R&B records. In the 1990s, their songs became the centerpiece of a long-running Broadway revue, "Smokey Joe's Cafe," which won a Grammy for best musical show album in 1996. "The songwriting team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller remains one of the greatest and most prolific partnerships of all time," said Martin N. Bandier, chairman and chief executive of Sony/ATV Music Publishing. "Like the lyrics in his iconic songs, Jerry was humorous, insightful and always memorable. He will be missed by everyone who knew him, but lucky for all of us his songs will live on for generations." Their last song to reach wide acclaim was the 1969 ballad, "Is That All There Is?" Lee's moody rendition of the song, whose lyrics are based on an 1896 short story by German author Thomas Mann, reached the top 20. Leiber and Stoller continued to collaborate on earnest, eclectic projects, including 1975's "Mirrors." Leiber was born in Baltimore in 1933 to Jewish immigrants from Poland. He met Stoller after moving to Los Angeles with his mother in 1950. The two immediately began collaborating and formed their own record label, Spark, in 1953. The pair had grown tired of writing pop hits by the late 1960s, Leiber once said, and decided to concentrate on more serious music. Those later efforts never found the wide audience that their earlier work did, but Leiber said that was fine with him and his partner. "The earlier market of swing and Frank Sinatra and Peggy Lee and Duke Ellington was pretty much gone, but we liked that kind of sound and wanted to imitate it," he told The New York Times in 1995. "In a way, we had helped kill it with what we had done. We had helped bring down the cathedral, and now we didn't know where to pray." Leiber was survived by three children, Jed, Oliver, and Jake; and two grandchildren, Chloe and Daphne. ___ Entertainment Writer Sandy Cohen in Los Angeles and Music Writer Nekesa Moody in New York contributed to this report.
– Yesterday saw the loss of two great American songwriters, who between them wrote such classics as “Hound Dog,” “Jailhouse Rock,” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” Jerry Leiber, 78, died unexpectedly in Los Angeles of cardiopulmonary failure. Nick Ashford, 70, died in a New York City hospital after suffering from throat cancer. Leiber, a lyricist, and composer partner Mike Stoller were well-known for penning some of the defining songs of early rock and roll, including the aforementioned Elvis hits. Both had backgrounds in blues and jazz, and their songs were performed by artists including Aretha Franklin, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and Otis Redding. Ashford wrote songs with his wife, Valerie Simpson. The pair penned some of Motown’s biggest hits, including “You’re All I Need to Get By” and “Reach Out and Touch Somebody’s Hand.”
Brains aren’t particularly hardy organs. They bleed, they’re soft, they’re mostly made of fat, and when you die they quickly begin to break down. All of this means that archeologists aren’t digging up a lot of brains, compared to things like skulls and teeth. It also means that this 4,000-year old brain researchers just found in western Turkey is even more important than your run-of-the-mill 4,000-year-old piece of human. It takes extreme conditions to get a brain to stick around. Two years ago, scientists found a 2,600-year-old brain in a bog, the wet, oxygen-depleted waters stopping it from breaking down. A different team of researchers found another brain, of a small child, in an icy mountain grave. But the Turkish person’s brain was preserved not by water or ice, but by fire. The team that found this one, says New Scientist, thinks that the person, trapped in rubble by an earthquake, was slowly burned. The flames would have consumed any oxygen in the rubble and boiled the brains in their own fluids. The resulting lack of moisture and oxygen in the environment helped prevent tissue breakdown. The final factor in the brains’ preservation was the chemistry of the soil, which is rich in potassium, magnesium and aluminium. These elements reacted with the fatty acids from the human tissue to form a soapy substance calledadipocere. Also known as corpse wax, it effectively preserved the shape of the soft brain tissue. ||||| SHAKEN, scorched and boiled in its own juices, this 4000-year-old human brain has been through a lot. It may look like nothing more than a bit of burnt log, but it is one of the oldest brains ever found. Its discovery, and the story now being pieced together of its owner's last hours, offers the tantalising prospect that archaeological remains could harbour more ancient brain specimens than thought. If that's the case, it potentially opens the way to studying the health of the brain in prehistoric times. Brain tissue is rich in enzymes that cause cells to break down rapidly after death, but this process can be halted if conditions are right. For instance, brain tissue has been found in the perfectly preserved body of an Inca child sacrificed 500 years ago. In this case, death occurred at the top of an Andean mountain where the body swiftly froze, preserving the brain. However, Seyitömer Höyük – the Bronze Age settlement in western Turkey where this brain was found – is not in the mountains. So how did brain tissue survive in four skeletons dug up there between 2006 and 2011? Meriç Altinoz at Haliç University in Istanbul, Turkey, who together with colleagues has been analysing the find, says the clues are in the ground. The skeletons were found burnt in a layer of sediment that also contained charred wooden objects. Given that the region is tectonically active, Altinoz speculates that an earthquake flattened the settlement and buried the people before fire spread through the rubble. The flames would have consumed any oxygen in the rubble and boiled the brains in their own fluids. The resulting lack of moisture and oxygen in the environment helped prevent tissue breakdown. The final factor in the brains' preservation was the chemistry of the soil, which is rich in potassium, magnesium and aluminium. These elements reacted with the fatty acids from the human tissue to form a soapy substance called adipocere . Also known as corpse wax, it effectively preserved the shape of the soft brain tissue (HOMO – Journal of Comparative Human Biology, doi.org/nz6). "The level of preservation in combination with the age is remarkable," says Frank Rühli at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, who has examined medieval brain tissue. Rühli says that most archaeologists don't bother looking for the remains of brain tissue because they assume it is seldom preserved. "If you publish cases like this, people will be more and more aware that they could find original brain tissue too." In cases where the brain is as well preserved as this, Rühli says it might even be possible to look for pathological conditions such as tumours and haemorrhaging, and maybe even signs of degenerative disease. "If we want to learn more about the history of neurological disorders, we need to have tissue like this." This article appeared in print under the headline "4000-year-old brain opens window on ancient health" New Scientist Not just a website! Subscribe to New Scientist and get: New Scientist magazine delivered every week Unlimited online access to articles from over 500 back issues Subscribe Now and Save If you would like to reuse any content from New Scientist, either in print or online, please contact the syndication department first for permission. New Scientist does not own rights to photos, but there are a variety of licensing options available for use of articles and graphics we own the copyright to.
– Archaeologists in Turkey have uncovered one of the oldest human brains ever found, New Scientist reports. The 4,000-year-old organ was found in Seyitömer Höyük, a Bronze Age settlement, and researchers think its owner was likely killed when an earthquake buried him under rubble. A fire probably then spread, eating up any oxygen in the rubble, and basically boiling the brain inside the skull. The lack of oxygen and moisture would explain how the brain tissue, which is soft and full of fat and typically breaks down quickly, was preserved. The soil also helped: It contains a lot of potassium, magnesium, and aluminum, which, when combined with human tissue and the fatty acids it contains, forms a substance known as "corpse wax," which helped to preserve brain tissue. "The level of preservation in combination with the age is remarkable," says one expert, who adds that brains like this can give us valuable information about the history of neurological disorders. Smithsonian points out that two years ago, a 2,600-year-old brain was found in a bog, whose similarly wet, moist conditions helped preserve it. (Another cool recent archaeological find: a town named in a well-known Bible story.)
Secretary of State John Kerry says the debate about military strikes against Syria is not about President Barack Obama's "red line" that weapons of mass destruction cannot be tolerated. Instead, Kerry told Congress Tuesday that "this debate is about the world's red line." He says it is "a red line that anyone with a conscience ought to draw." Kerry, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey were dispatched to the Senate to help persuade lawmakers to support a resolution authorizing limited military strikes against Syria following a chemical weapons attack last month outside Damascus that left hundreds dead, including many children. Kerry said "This is not the time for arm-chair isolationism. This is not the time to be spectators to slaughter." ||||| 4 years ago Check back here for the latest updates in our live blog of the Senate hearing (CNN) - Top Obama administration officials faced tough questions Tuesday as they made their case for a military strike in Syria during their first public congressional hearing on the issue. Secretary of State John Kerry, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey sat before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Tuesday afternoon. The specter of the war in Iraq looms over lawmakers as they make their decision to give the president authorization to use force in another war-torn country. Many members are undecided on how they will vote when Congress officially reconvenes from recess next week. How will they vote? House | Senate With both Kerry and Hagel being former senators, they know how to navigate a congressional hearing. The officials have already been on the phone with lawmakers in classified briefings and are scheduled to take part in at least one more hearing this week with the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday. Check back here for the latest updates from the hearing. 6:45 p.m. ET - Sen. John McCain, perhaps the Senate's most outspoken voice in favor of military action in Syria, was caught playing poker Tuesday at the hearing. Scandal! Caught playing iPhone game at 3+ hour Senate hearing – worst of all I lost! — John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) September 3, 2013 He senator later explained his poker habit on CNN's "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer." "As much as I like to always listen with rapt attention constantly (to) remarks of my colleagues over a three and a half period, occasionally I get a little bored and so I resorted," he said, chuckling. "But the worst thing about it is I lost thousands of dollars in this game." He followed up, saying it was only "fake" money. 6:10 p.m ET - The hearing is adjourned, roughly three and a half hours after it started. Members will get a classified briefing on Wednesday. 6:09 p.m. ET - Menendez says they are close to finalizing the resolution for markup on Wednesday. 6:01 p.m. ET - Sen. Ed Markey, who filled Kerry's Senate seat with Kerry left to become secretary of state, is the last senator to question Kerry. 5:50 p.m. ET - Libertarian-leaning Sen. Rand Paul engaged in a somewhat tense back-and-forth with Kerry. The Republican senator from Kentucky argued that the outcomes of a U.S. military strike in Syria are unclear and questioned the officials' certainty that such a strike will hurt Assad and make the region more safe. "Will the region be more stable or less stable? I think there's a reasonable argument the world may be less stable because of this," Paul argued. He also asked if Israel will be more safe, saying a strike in Syria may spur Hezbollah to attack Israel in retaliation. Paul said his office gets calls by the thousands and not one person is calling in favor of intervening in Syria. But Kerry said he knows for sure a strike against Syria would make the world–and the region–more safe. "I can make it crystal clear to you that Israel will be less safe unless the US takes this action," Kerry said in response. "Iran and Hezbollah are two of the three biggest allies of Assad. Iran and Hezbollah are the two single biggest enemies of Israel. So if Iran and Hezbollah are advantaged by the United States not curbing Assad's use of chemical weapons, there is a much greater likelihood that at some point down the road Hezbollah...will have access to these weapons of mass destruction." Kerry added that Israel feels quite confident of defending itself if Hezbollah attacks out of retaliation. "If the United States doesn't do this, senator, is it more or less likely that Assad does it again?" Kerry asked Paul "I think it's unknown," Paul said. "Senator, it's not unknown," Kerry interjected. "If the United States of America doesn't hold them accountable on this...it's a guarantee Assad will do this again. I urge you to go the classified briefing and learn that." Kerry argued that all three of the officials at the meeting understand what it means to go to war. "We don't want to go to war," he said. "The president is asking for the authority to do a limited action that will degrade the capacity of a tyrant who has been using chemical weapons to degrade his own people." "But by announcing that, you say your goal is not winning," Paul said. Kerry reiterated the president is not asking to go to war but simply saying we need to take "an action" that will hurt Assad. "I don't consider that going to war in the classic sense of coming to Congress and asking for a declaration of war," he said. "That's not what the president is asking for." Kerry asked if Dempsey wanted to weigh in. "No not really, secretary. Thank you for asking," Dempsey said. this is the john kerry show. hagel and dempsey appear happy to take a backseat to the former SFRC chair on this one — Dana Bash (@DanaBashCNN) September 3, 2013 That John Kerry vs Rand Paul debate about intervention and chemical weapons was fascinating – strong civics — John Avlon (@JohnAvlon) September 3, 2013 Kerry v. Rand Paul is riveting TV. Whole argument about bombing Syria in a nutshell. Related: no one works a mic better than Kerry. — Jonathan Wald (@jonathanwald) September 3, 2013 5:37 p.m. ET - Kerry says if Congress votes down the president's proposal to take military action in Syria, "it is a guarantee–whether it is with Assad in Syria or nuclear weapons in Iran or nuclear weapons in North Korea–we will have invited a for certain confrontation at some point in time." Speaking to the parallels with Iraq, the secretary of state said there is a distinction. He said intelligence reports at the time indicated weapons of mass destruction simply existed and "we had a mass invasion" to find those weapons. In Syria, however, not only does the U.S. know that chemical weapons exist, but they have been used multiple times, he said. 5:33 p.m. ET - Kerry, Hagel & Dempsey have now spent 3 hours before Senate Foreign Relations Committee on #Syria & it continues. Live @CNNSitRoom coverage — Wolf Blitzer (@wolfblitzer) September 3, 2013 5:31 p.m. ET - Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut, says he hasn't seen this level of public debate since the health care reform debate of 2009-2010. Murphy served in the House before being elected to the Senate in 2012. 5:25 p.m. ET - Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyoming, asks what the president will do if Congress votes down the resolution. Kerry says they're not even contemplating that scenario right now. 5:23 p.m. ET - Menendez says they're looking forward to the "possibility" of a markup tomorrow of the president's resolution. 5:02 p.m. ET - McCain: "When you tell the enemy you're going to attack them, I'm not to take any time on this, you're going to attack them, they're obviously going to disperse and try to make it harder. I'm looking right here at a AP story report Syria said to be hiding weapons and moving troops. There's even open source reporting that they may be moving some of their assets into the Russian naval base. It's ridiculous to think that it's not wise from a pure military standpoint not to warn the enemy that you're going to attack." 5:02 p.m. ET - Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, begins his questioning. McCain has been one of the most vocal senators in favor of taking military action in Syria. He jokes to Kerry's wife, Teresa, saying "I apologize for what I'm about to do to John." 5:01 p.m. ET - Hagel is sporting a noticeable bruise on his chin. CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr reports the SecDef’s injury was a result of exercising his green thumb. According to an aide, “Secretary Hagel slightly bruised his chin while doing a little yard work at home over the weekend.” 5 p.m. ET - Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, asks what's been the response of the Muslim-Arab world to the potential of U.S. military action in Syria. "If this danger to the region is so profound, it seems we should have greater support," he said. Hagel says he would prefer to discuss that in a classified setting. Durbin asks about collateral damage. Dempsey says the collateral damage estimate is low, but added that figure doesn't include what damage could be done to regime personnel. 4:55 p.m. ET - Kerry if vote fails in Congress: people "will stand up and celebrate" in North Korea, Iran, and Syria. — Jim Acosta (@JimAcostaCNN) September 3, 2013 4:52 p.m. ET - Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Arizona, asks if there is evidence that the Assad regime is moving some of its targets as the U.S. waits to take military action. Dempsey responds, saying "there is evidence, of course, that the regime is acting not only to the delay, but also they were reacting to the very unfortunate leak of military planning." 4:29 p.m. ET - Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisconsin, asks if Hezbollah has access to chemical weapons, since it has been cooperating with Assad's regime. Kerry says they need to talk about that in a classified setting. 4:13 p.m. ET - Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, raises the question again of what will happen if Assad weathers the attack and feels emboldened after facing down the most powerful nation in the world. Kerry said that because the president is only asking for "limited authority" to degrade Assad's current ability to use chemical weapons and not asking for permission to destroy "the entire regime," then Assad "will weather" the attack. "He will be able to stand up and no doubt he'll try to claim that somehow this is something positive for him," Kerry said. "We believe deeply...that there is no way it will in fact be beneficial for him. That will not translate on the ground." The secretary of state also tried to clarify again that the president is not proposing–or leaving the door open–to putting troops on the ground. "I want to emphasize something...This authorization does not contemplate and should not have any allowance for any troop on the ground. What I was doing what hypothesizing on the potential of what might happen at some point in time," Kerry said, referring to a point earlier in the hearing when he said putting troops on the ground would not be taken off the table. 2016 GOP race preview: pro bombing @marcorubio talking now. later will hear from a leader of the isolationist wing @senrandpaul — Dana Bash (@DanaBashCNN) September 3, 2013 4:09 p.m. ET – A protestor interrupts the hearing, yelling "This nation used white phosphorous in Iraq" as he's escorted out. 4:07 p.m. ET - Sen. Cardin asks why there aren't more countries that are actively joining the U.S. in the potential military operation, in addition to offering verbal support. Kerry said there is "no definitive list" of countries at this point because the president hasn't decided what action will be carried out. But the bottom line, he adds, is that "we're talking about very specific kinds of capacities that in some cases only the United States of America possesses." Cardin says that he supports the mission. Behind the scenes look at how we are covering this hearing. Yes the shoes are off. pic.twitter.com/WSDbtQfswF — Dana Bash (@DanaBashCNN) September 3, 2013 4:01 p.m. ET - Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Maryland, says it's "clear that we have to respond" to Syria's use of chemical weapons. However, he thinks the draft resolution from the White House on the proposed mission is too broad and does not explicitly prohibit America troops on the ground. He urged the administration to write a resolution with more narrow language that focuses on the limited strike but doesn't leave "open the door for the introduction of troops." 3:59 p.m. ET - Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho, argued the U.S. could be giving credibility to the Assad regime if U.S. does a limited strike, and then Assad still wins the civil war. Kerry responded saying there's no way Assad will be "better off" following U.S. military action. "If (Assad) responds, he will invite something far worse...but that doesn't mean the United States is going to war," Kerry said. 3:56 p.m. ET - #SecKerry says Jordan's King Abdullah at risk because of what's going on in #Syria — Wolf Blitzer (@wolfblitzer) September 3, 2013 3:48 p.m. ET - Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-California, says she'll support a strike but not a blank check. She asks if all the different intelligence agencies came to the same conclusion on chemical weapons being used in Syria. Kerry says he doesn't know of any "agency that was a dissenter or anybody who had, you know, an alternative theory." woman who famously wanted to be addressed as senator, boxer, just accidentally called kerry "john" & quickly corrected herself "mr sec" — Dana Bash (@DanaBashCNN) September 3, 2013 3:43 p.m. ET - Following up on his earlier comments about boots on the ground, Kerry says he doesn't want to give the impression that such a scenario is an option. "Let's shut that door as tightly as we can," he said, adding that he was only thinking of a "hypothetical" situation in which the use of chemical weapons spread. "There will not be American boots on the ground with respect to the civil war," he said forcefully. Kerry: "There will not be American boots on the ground with respect to the civil war." (Door remains open if CW goes awry) — Barbara Starr (@barbarastarrcnn) September 3, 2013 3:31 p.m. ET - Menendez asks whether American boots would be on the ground in Syria. Kerry says he can't take it off the table in case Syria "imploded" or chemical weapons landed in the hands of terrorists. "I don't want to take off the table an option that might or might not be available to the president of the United States to secure our country," he said. 3:26 p.m. ET: Menendez asks if military action in Syria will make the U.S. more secure or less secure. Kerry responds that it will make the U.S. "unequivocally" more secure. Kerry also argued that the consequences of inaction are greater than action. 3:24 p.m. ET - Chuck Hagel: "There are always risks in taking action, but there are also risks with inaction. The Assad regime, under increasing pressure by the Syrian opposition, could feel empowered to carry out even more devastating chemical weapons attacks. Chemical weapons make no distinction between combatants and innocent civilians, and inflict the worst kind of indiscriminate suffering, as we have recently seen. A refusal to act would undermine the credibility of America's other security commitments – including the President's commitment to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. The word of the United States must mean something. It is vital currency in foreign relations and international and allied commitments. Every witness here today – Secretary Kerry, General Dempsey, and myself – has served in uniform, fought in war, and seen its ugly realities up close...We understand that a country faces few decisions as grave as using military force. We are not unaware of the costs and ravages of war. But we also understand that America must protect its people and its national interests. That is our highest responsibility." McCain, Graham issue tough warnings on Syria dilemma 3:23 p.m. ET - message from hagel what he has been saying in private to lawmakers – risk of inaction as much as action in syria — Dana Bash (@DanaBashCNN) September 3, 2013 3:20 p.m. ET - Chuck Hagel: "The Syrian regime's actions risk eroding the nearly century-old international norm against the use of chemical weapons...a norm that has helped protect the United States homeland and American forces operating across the globe from those terrible weapons. ... The United States must demonstrate through our actions that the use of chemical weapons is unacceptable. The President has made clear that our military objectives in Syria would be to hold the Assad regime accountable, degrade its ability to carry out these kinds of attacks, and deter the regime from further use of chemical weapons." Hagel: 'We're ready to go' if ordered on Syria chemical weapons 3:17 p.m. ET - quick on his feet – kerry responds to codepink protester saying he first testified as 27 year old war protester. this will be different — Dana Bash (@DanaBashCNN) September 3, 2013 3:15 p.m. ET - After Kerry finished his opening statement, a protester started shouting and was removed from the hearing room. "Launching cruise missiles means another war," she yelled. 3:15 p.m. ET - John Kerry: "This is not the time for armchair isolationism. This is not the time to be spectators to a slaughter. Neither our country nor our conscience can afford the cost of silence. We have spoken up against unspeakable horror many times in the past. Now we must stand up and act. And we must protect our security, protect our values, and lead the world with conviction that is clear about our responsibility." 3:12 p.m. ET - #SecKerry on #Syria: We must send the unmistakable message when we say "never again," we don’t mean "sometimes." Never means never. — Department of State (@StateDept) September 3, 2013 3:10 p.m. ET - Kerry sounds like it's more about the message not acting on #Syria sends to the world than how it would prevent futher deaths. — Elise Labott (@eliselabottcnn) September 3, 2013 3:09 p.m. ET - John Kerry: "As confidently as we know what happened in Damascus on August 21, we know that Assad will read our...silence as an invitation that he can use his weapons with impunity. And in creating impunity, we will be creating opportunity – the opportunity for other dictators and terrorists to pursue their own weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons." Obama officials try to sway House Democrats on Syria 3:03 p.m. ET - #SecKerry on #Syria: This debate is about the world’s red line, about humanity’s red line; a line that anyone with a conscience should draw. — Department of State (@StateDept) September 3, 2013 2:59 p.m. ET - John Kerry: "I remember Iraq. Secretary Hagel remembers Iraq...We were here for that vote. And so we are especially sensitive, Chuck and I, to never again asking any Member of Congress to take a vote on faulty intelligence. That is why our intelligence community has scrubbed and re-scrubbed the evidence. We have declassified unprecedented amounts of information. We can tell you beyond any reasonable doubt that our evidence proves the Assad regime prepared this attack...warned its forces to use gas masks. We have physical evidence of where the rockets came from and when. Not one rocket landed in regime-controlled territory. All of them landed in opposition-controlled or contested territory. We have a map, physical evidence, showing every geographical point of impact – and that is concrete." 2:55 p.m. ET - John Kerry: "As we convene for this debate, the world is watching not just to see what we decide. It is watching to see how we make this decision – whether in this dangerous world we can still make our government speak with one voice. They want to know if America will rise to this moment and make a difference." Kerry: 'Signatures of sarin' found in Syria 2:53 p.m. ET - Ranking member Sen. Bob Corker said he hopes the officials will explain why Syria is important to U.S. national interests and why it matters to the Middle East. He also wants to see the U.S. "continue to carry out the strategy that has been stated, and that is building the capacity of the vetted opposition." 2:49 p.m. ET - Sen. Bob Menendez welcomes Teresa Heinz Kerry, wife of John Kerry, who appeared at the hearing after spending three weeks in a rehabilitation hospital following a seizure in July. 2:48 p.m. ET - Members of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations: Democrats Robert Menendez (Chairman) Barbara Boxer Benjamin L. Cardin Jeanne Shaheen Christopher Coons Richard J. Durbin Tom Udall Chris Murphy Tim Kaine Edward J. Markey Republicans Bob Corker (Ranking Member) James E. Risch Marco Rubio Ron Johnson Jeff Flake John McCain John Barrasso Rand Paul 2:46 p.m. ET - Sen. Bob Menendez: "We are at a crossroads-moment. A precedent will be set either for the unfettered and unpunished use of chemical weapons... or a precedent will be set for the deterrence of the use of such weapons through the limited use of military force that sends a message that the world will not stand down." 2:45 p.m. ET - Sen. Bob Menendez: "We know that chemical weapons personnel from the Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Center – subordinate to the regime’s Ministry of Defense – were operating in the Damascus suburb of ‘Adra from Sunday, August 18th until early in the morning on Wednesday August 21st near an area the regime uses to mix chemical weapons including sarin and human intelligence as well as signal and geospatial intelligence have shown regime activity in the preparation of chemicals prior to the attack, including the distribution and use of gas masks. We have multiple streams of intelligence that show the regime launched a rocket attack against the Damascus suburbs in the early hours of August 21st and satellite corroboration that the attacks were launched from a regime-controlled area and struck neighborhoods where the chemical attacks reportedly occurred clearly tying the pieces together. That is what we know in terms of who may have deployed these weapons. READ MORE: What is sarin? 2:43 p.m. ET - Sen. Bob Menendez: "Are we willing to watch a slaughter just because the patrons of that slaughter are willing to use their veto at the UN to allow it to happen so their beneficiary can stay in power? Are we so tired of war that we are willing to silence our conscience and accept the consequences that will inevitably flow from that silence to our national interests? We will hear the arguments and the options presented to us today and we will look at the facts as we know them according to the declassified assessment released last Friday that Secretary Kerry so passionately presented to the nation." 2:42 p.m. ET - Sen. Bob Menendez: "This decision will be one of the most difficult any of us will be asked to make. But it is our role as representatives of the American people to make it, to put aside political differences and personal ideologies, forget partisanship and preconceptions, forget the polls, politics, and personal consequences. It is a moment for a profile in courage and to do what one knows is right. It is our responsibility to evaluate the facts, assess the intelligence we have and then debate the wisdom and scope of a military response fully and publicly, understanding its geopolitical ramifications, and fully aware of the consequences. At the end of the day, each of us will decide whether to vote for or against a resolution for military action based on our assessment of the facts and our conscience." 2:39 p.m. ET - Chairman Bob Menendez, D-New Jersey, opens up the hearing. “Let me welcome Secretary Kerry, Secretary Hagel, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dempsey, to the Committee. We convene this hearing, as we have convened many before, to make one of the most difficult decisions we are tasked to make: the authorization of the use of American military power – this time in Syria – to respond to the horrific chemical attack of August 21st that took the lives of 1,429 Syrians including at least 426 children. The images of that day were sickening. In my view the world cannot ignore the inhumanity and horror of this act." 2:36 p.m. ET - Secretary of State John Kerry, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey walked in for the hearing. 2:25 p.m. ET - Two new polls on Tuesday indicate that more people oppose rather than favor U.S. military strikes against Syria. Both surveys were conducted before and after President Obama's Saturday announcement that he would seek Congressional approval. According to the survey from ABC News/Washington Post, 36% of Americans support military strikes, while 59% oppose. Support for strikes increases to 46% if other countries, such as Great Britain and France, participated. Separately, a Pew Research Center poll shows that 29% Americans oppose military action, while 48% are against launching strikes.
– John Kerry and defense chief Chuck Hagel were on Capitol Hill today making the case for a military strike on Syria. "This debate is about the world's red line," said Kerry. It is "a red line that anyone with a conscience ought to draw." Some of their arguments, via CNN, the New York Times, and AP: Hagel: "There are always risks in taking action, but there are also risks with inaction. The Assad regime, under increasing pressure by the Syrian opposition, could feel empowered to carry out even more devastating chemical weapons attacks." Kerry: "This is not the time for armchair isolationism. This is not the time to be spectators to the slaughter." Hagel: "The Syrian regime's actions risk eroding the nearly century-old international norm against the use of chemical weapons," a norm that has kept America safe. Kerry: "I remember Iraq. Secretary Hagel remembers Iraq. ... We were here for that vote. And so we are especially sensitive, Chuck and I, to never again asking any member of Congress to take a vote on faulty intelligence." Hagel: “The use of chemical weapons in Syria is not only an assault on humanity, it is a serious threat to America’s national security interests and those of our closest allies. We cannot afford for Hezbollah or any terrorist group determined to strike the United States to have incentives to acquire or use chemical weapons.” Kerry: "There will not be American boots on the ground with respect to the civil war." But he said he wouldn't rule out the possibility under dire circumstances, like chemical weapons falling into the hands of terrorists. President Obama, meanwhile, has won the support of both John Boehner and Nancy Pelosi in the House.
92-year-old Ralph Mayville trained as a paratrooper and finally took his first jump on Saturday, 70 years after the war. (CBC) A World War II veteran finally completed a mission he has waited 70 years to complete. Ralph Mayville, age 92, trained as a paratrooper in the Second World War, but the war ended before he had the chance to make his inaugural jump. Mayville was awarded with a set of "wings" and was part of an elite unit of paratroopers called the Black Devils. “He's never been, in his mind, entitled to wear the jump wings, either the American or Canadian ones. And now this fulfills his dream, that he can wear the wings as part of his uniform,” said family friend, Paul Chaytor. Mayville, who's from Windsor, gathered up his courage to finally make his first jump at a skydiving school in Wainfleet, Ont., near Niagara Falls on Saturday. The veteran and his instructor climbed to 14,000 feet in a plane and leapt out of the plane in a tandem jump. “It was so beautiful,” said Mayville. Generations of Mayville’s family joined him at the school to be there for his big moment. Watch his amazing story here. ||||| As an original member of the elite Canadian-U.S. 1st Special Service Force, Ralph Mayville could have been called upon at anytime during the Second World War to leap from a plane. He made his first jump Saturday, some 70 years late. “It’s something I always wanted to do,” the relaxed 92-year-old Windsor man said moments after landing at Wainfleet’s Skydive Burnaby, following what appeared to be a leisurely ascent from 14,000 feet. “Oh, it was fantastic, it was beautiful,” he said after jumping tandem with the skydiving club’s Scott Borghese. Family said nothing keeps the diminutive man down, that he’s always on the go. “I think he’s crazy,” quipped his granddaughter Louanne White. “I think he’s just a little too calm. I’m more nervous,” she said while waiting for his plane to pass overhead. Still, she said, she was very excited for him at the same time. “I think it’s pretty grand — he never got to do it,” said great-grandson Graham Humphries. “I couldn’t do it. He’s got a big pair of balls.” Mayville’s 1st Special Service Force team — also known as The Black Devils — was a commando unit which lasted 1942 to 1944. He made several amphibious landings, but not one from a plane. “We were in Italy, and there was no place to jump — unless you wanted to hit a mountain,” he said while cracking a smile. “They paid us parachute pay, but I didn’t jump. But I took the money anyway,” he joked about the 75 cents more daily than an infantryman was paid. Mayville, who turns 93 in late August, started fighting in the war in England in 1940, and served until it was over, also being stationed with the Royal Canadian Regiment in France and Holland. His first jump Saturday qualified him to get his wings. On Sunday, June 8, he’ll attend a pinning ceremony at the Canadian Historical Aircraft Association airport in Windsor. “We have to tell our children these veterans are here and we have to honour them,” said Cathy Moczko, who as co-ordinator of the Windsor-Essex Veterans Support Group came to learn about Mayville’s story, and subsequently arranged Saturday’s jump. Upon landing, Mayville was greeted by other airborne veterans, many much younger, and many of them handing him congratulatory cans of beer. Marv Doney, who completed 250 jumps and served with the 2nd Commando airborne regiment based in Edmonton and Petawawa, presented Mayville with a pair of wings he had earned. “He deserves everything,” Doney said of the gesture. “His unit was the predecessor to our unit.” Ron Bunston, a Canadian who served for the U.S. 11th Air Assault unit, too, presented Mayville with the wings he had earned serving in the Vietnam War. “His generation wrote the book on special ops,” Bunston said. “They were the test cases.” Last year, U.S. Congress passed a bill to award the 1st Special Service Force the Congressional Gold Medal. Burnaby Skydive owner Tara Pitt said her business often gets special requests for jumps. “We get lots of people who jump at 91, 92 — a bucket list thing. The unique ones are even more special. “This is quite special.” Who knows, it may not be the last time she sees Mayville’s smiling face. “I’d do it tomorrow if they’d let me,” Mayville said. “I’d like to do it on my own.” greg.furminger@sunmedia.ca Follow @GregAtTheTrib
– More than 70 years after he first trained as a paratrooper, a Canadian World War II veteran has finally jumped out of a plane. Ralph Mayville, 92, served in the elite US-Canadian "Devil's Brigade" for years but was never called upon to jump. On the weekend, he did a tandem jump from 14,000 feet at a skydiving school in Ontario. "He's never been, in his mind, entitled to wear the jump wings, either the American or Canadian ones. And now this fulfills his dream, that he can wear the wings as part of his uniform," a family friend tells the CBC. During the war, he made several amphibious landings but "we were in Italy, and there was no place to jump— unless you wanted to hit a mountain," he tells the Welland Advance. "They paid us parachute pay, but I didn’t jump. But I took the money anyway," he says, joking about the 75 cents day more than an infantryman he received. The great-grandfather, who was greeted by many younger airborne veterans when he landed, says the experience was fantastic, and his first jump may not be his last. "I'd do it tomorrow if they'd let me," he says. "I'd like to do it on my own."
A sightseeing chopper crash off the Arizona Memorial visitors center on Thursday is the second accident of the year involving a tour helicopter and the sixth since 2011. A sightseeing chopper crash off the Arizona Memorial visitors center on Thursday is the second accident of the year involving a tour helicopter and the sixth since 2011. A sightseeing helicopter that crashed into waters just off the Arizona Memorial visitors center has been recovered and is being transported to a Honolulu hangar. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the Thursday morning crash, which critically injured a 15-year-old boy and left two others in serious condition. About 1 p.m. Friday, civilian divers and military personnel attached inflatable bags to the downed helicopter, and floated it to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. From there, the chopper was to be towed to Honolulu airport. The chopper had been touring Waimea and was returning to Honolulu when it plunged into the water, to the disbelief of scores of visitors at the center. Five people were on board: the pilot and a family of four visiting from Canada. The 15-year-old passenger remains in critical condition at Pali Momi Medical Center, a spokeswoman said. Another family member was taken the Kaiser Moanalua Medical Center in serious condition. The pilot, Ryan Rohner, was also seriously injured and was taken to Tripler Army Medical Center. Two others on the chopper, a 50-year-old man and a 45-year-old woman, were in stable condition at Pali Momi. Boat trips to the USS Arizona Memorial were canceled Friday, though the visitor center was open. Rohner is a chief warrant officer 2 in the Army National Guard, and has years of experience flying helicopters commercially and in the military. He was flying a Bell-206B chopper, operated by Genesis Aviation, when it came down about 10:30 a.m., after experiencing a rapid descent that caught the attention of memorial visitors. Several witnesses also said they saw smoke coming from the helicopter's tail shortly before it went down. After the crash, good Samaritans jumped into the 8-foot waters off the center's esplanade to help the passengers and pilot to shore. Witnesses described a surreal scene as the chopper dropped in the water just feet from groups of people visiting one of Hawaii's most iconic tourist attractions. "It was just crazy, unbelievable," said Daniel Rose, who's visiting from Michigan. "I'm just still in awe. It dropped maybe 10 foot off the shore and sank like a rock. I just thank God for the people on the shore who dove in and helped the people get out of the helicopter." 'Thoughts and prayers' to families Jeff Gebhard owns Genesis Aviation, the company involved in the crash, and told Hawaii News Now on Thursday night that he's been in contact with the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration. He added, "I just want to say that our thoughts and our prayers go out to the families that are affected by this tragedy today." Max Burner, of Redwood City, Calif., said the helicopter was "sputtering" at about 500 feet, before it started quickly losing altitude. "As soon as it hit the water, some people popped out," said Burner, who was among those who jumped into the water to help the passengers to shore. Witness Roy Gano said his initial reaction when seeing the helicopter was that it was flying a bit low. "It then hovered for a second and then started to descend," he said. "It was not spinning out of control, but it was dropping at a good rate. It narrowly missed the rocky edge and turned to its side. I saw people dive into the water to help." Bystanders jumped into action Australian visitor Amber Moncrieff said she didn't see the chopper go down, but heard two loud bangs that "we thought were gunshots." "We saw people running, which obviously made us scared," she said. Those who dove into the water said a knife was needed to free one of the passengers from a seatbelt in the chopper. Video of the chopper crash, shot by a visitor, quickly went viral. It shows the helicopter plunging into the water just off the Contemplation Circle at the visitors center; in the background, witnesses can be heard shouting in disbelief. "It came right down and pulled up just short of land," said visitor George Tizedes. "Everybody started running over there." Chris Gardner was among those who jumped into the water. The part-time Keawe Adventures employee was still a bit shaken mid-day Thursday, after washing aviation fuel from his eyes and face. "I heard the helicopter auto-rotate, which means the engine went out and then people started running and screaming," he said. By the time he got there, everyone was out of the helicopter except the 15-year-old. Gardner said the boy was stuck in a seatbelt, and so he and a handful of other good Samaritans took turns using a knife to cut away the belt. "I came up for a breath and then went down, and then we were bringing him up," he said. Tour company owner: 'It's just tragic' Gebhard, of Genesis Aviation, said he was in Waikiki picking up another set of passenger when he got a phone call about the crash. "Obviously it's something no one ever wants to see," he said. "It's just tragic. That's all I can say." Gebhard said the family of four -- a father, mother, and two sons -- along with his pilot, were on their way back from a tour around Waimea. He said they were on the last part of the tour when the chopper slammed into the water. Gebhard said he believes his pilot was trying to land on land. "Once you enter the water, then it's a whole new set of problems because egress from the water is much more difficult than on land," Gebhard said. Gebhard said he tried to visit the victims at the hospital, but was unable to get in. He added that his pilot has years of experience and even flew in the Army. It's unclear when the chopper wreckage will be salvaged. Copyright 2016 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved. ||||| Published on Feb 18, 2016 SLOW MOTION--- https://youtu.be/LrS1jhG9tf4 Today I witnessed and recorded the helicopter crash in Pearl Harbor. Story with details http://www.kathrynsreport.com/2016/02... My prayers best regards and wishes go to the families involved. 4 adults were known to survive, the minor has been reported as passed. I just verified the tail numbers from my pics. I was on that exact helicopter 2 weeks ago with Genesis helicopters. It was a wonderful flight when we got to it. We were delayed taking off and had to sit on the taxiway hovering, waiting for the airways to clear for the plane that crash landed on the waterway due to engine and landing gear failure. Our flight was delayed approximately 30-45min. Until FAA opened up the airway. Links to my flight on this exact Helicopter Part 1of3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygLpu... Part 2of3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Le_i... Part 3of3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9zfy... GoFundme for Riley Dobson, teenager that passed away https://www.gofundme.com/grqy2cbw Gofundme for Pilot Ryan Rohner https://www.gofundme.com/rjq2rpck
– Authorities in Hawaii say one person is in critical condition after a civilian helicopter with five people on board crashed into the Pacific Ocean near Pearl Harbor Thursday. An official with the US Navy in Honolulu says there were no fatalities in the crash, which occurred near the Arizona Memorial, a popular tourist destination in Oahu. But a Honolulu Emergency Services Department spokesperson said one person is in critical condition. A Navy spokesperson said all five people were recovered from the water, and the copter ultimately sank in the ocean. Hawaii News Now reports that the occupants were on a sightseeing tour at the time, and the critically injured person is a 16-year-old boy. The crash was caught on video.
Bruised, chained and branded. Even a year later, the story of how a California mother of two vanished then reappeared weeks later seems like something out of a mystery novel. A beautiful, blonde-haired 35-year-old who claimed she was kidnapped while jogging in her neighborhood continues to stump police as many details of the alleged crime simply do not add up. “I totally understand the perception that there are inconsistencies,” Shasta County Sheriff spokesman Sergeant Brian Jackson told Newsweek. The case, he added, is just “weird.” Sherri Papini's puzzling disappearance on November 2, 2016, led to a massive search, with federal, state and local authorities, plus volunteers, taking to the streets to find her. The curious kidnapping got international attention. She was found 22 days later on a highway 150 miles south from her home. Her arms were bound, her long, trademarked blonde locks had been chopped off and she had apparently been branded on her shoulder. Papini said two women abducted her. No one has been arrested. Many don't believe the story. She now lives in secret. Her neighbors say they never see her or her children. On occasion, they’ll see her husband, Keith, who initially reported her missing, driving down the rural road past the rows of homes in Redding, Calif., a midsized city in northern California. She’s afraid of the media, which still stalk her like a celebrity, occasionally snapping photographs of her very rare outings. Her long blonde hair has grown back. The bruises that covered her body have healed but the brand still remains, a poignant reminder of the nightmare she claims to have gone through for nearly a month with two Hispanic women, who she says targeted her, kept her captive then randomly freed her nearly 150 miles from her home. MORE: New Video Shows Sherri Papini Moments After California Mom Was Released From Alleged Kidnappers When Papini was found on Thanksgiving Day, she had clamps around her ankles and a chain around her waist. She hasn’t shared her story publicly but has continued working with law enforcement to find the two female suspects. “She doesn’t come out of the house,” said Joyce Allison, a neighbor recently told Newsweek. “I don’t see the kids out playing in the yard. I honestly don’t know if the story is true. If it is, I’m sure we’ll find out. If it’s fake, we’ll find out soon enough.” Allison isn’t the only one who’s pondered Papini’s claims over the months. The questions intensified after police calls surfaced showing she had several run-ins with authorities, including one call where her mother said Papini was harming herself and trying to blame her for it. The Shasta County Sheriff released a three-page update in the case last week, which deepened the mystery further and showed details of the case simply weren’t adding up, including Papini’s claim that it was two women who took her and held her captive. The DNA found on Papini's clothing and skin tested as male and female—a curious detail since Papini said she was only with two women. The male sample did not match her husband's DNA. “It’s one of those little pieces that’s just a weird anomaly of information that I can’t explain,” Jackson said. “It is just weird.” Another inconsistency: Papini claims to have cut her foot while fighting off one of her captors, but hospital workers couldn’t find any trace of an injury. Ken Ryan, a law enforcement expert, who worked 25 in the industry and now teaches criminology at California State University, said he was “amazed by the coincidences” and thinks the story is most likely false, but at this point police don’t have enough evidence to completely prove it. “The thing is that they had to take this story as true and investigate it even though they were misled,” Ryan said. “I think it would be irresponsible to clear your hands of this and say it was a hoax without clearly laying out the details.” Ryan said one of the biggest issues in this case is the two suspects. He said not only do they not meet the normal profile in a kidnapping and torture case because they are women, but since the suspects were able to get away, a crime like this should have happened again. “In my 25 years I’ve never seen a case like this where someone was kidnapped, held captive for 20 something days then just released,” he said. “None of it makes sense.” But Sheriff spokesman Jackson said "it's not abnormal" for people going through a traumatic situation to not remember exact details or for them to say things that don't "come out right" when trying to explain in the immediate aftermath. The Sheriff’s Office only recently released its first sketches of the suspects, both women with their mouths covered. One is younger, has thin eyebrows, curly hair and is wearing large hoop earrings. The other woman is older, has straight hair and bushy eyebrows. FBI At first Keith Papini was investigated in his wife’s disappearance and passed a polygraph test, Jackson said. His wife, though, was never given one. “It wasn’t asked because it’s not proper to ask a victim of a crime to take [a polygraph],” Jackson told Newsweek. The Papini family and their friends declined to be interviewed for this story, but in a statement, Keith thanked the "many people who have publicly and privately supported us over the last year" and said they are working to put "our lives back together." He also said he hoped the new information released by police would lead to arrests. Meanwhile, Redding residents and leaders are left wondering what to make of the "weird" case, while also taking something away from it. “Anytime something like this occurs, you’re going to have people who want to see the negative and pick apart the story...but it's made everyone more aware of their surroundings,” said Redding Mayor Brent Weaver, adding that the case did bring together the community as it struggled in the early days to find Papini. He doesn't question Papini’s story because, he said, “it’s important to show compassion for victims.” Another neighbor, who lives two doors down and requested anonymity, just wants Papini, and her community, to find closure. “I hope if her story is really true that she’s getting along alright and getting counseling so she can live with it and get better,” the neighbor said. “But, is it a real story? I don’t know. I hope one day we’ll all have the answers.” ||||| What we know about Sherry Papini's... REDDING, Calif. - New video of Sherri Papini was released Tuesday by the Shasta County Sheriff's Office. The grainy surveillance video shows Papini shortly after deputies say she was released by her captors on November 24, 2016. A balloon release had been held that morning to keep Papini's name in the headlines and the community on the look out. She had been missing for 3 weeks and friends and family were desperate for her to come home. Just after 4:00 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day 2016, Papini was found after flagging down a passing car on I-5. Since then, information about where she had been held and who was responsible has been limited. Nearly one year later, On October 25, the Shasta County Sheriff's Office released new details about the investigation including sketches of the kidnapping suspects and the 9-1-1 call Keith Papini made after finding his wife's cell phone on the side of the road. Investigators revealed Papini had been texting with a man in Michigan and that detectives had flown to the area and decided he was not involved with Papini's disappearance. Papini had only ever referenced the women in the sketches, however male DNA was found on the clothing she was wearing when she was found. There are still unanswered questions. Detectives have been unable to determine what the lettering on her "brand" says. It's still unclear why she was taken and why she was released. The Shasta County Sheriff's office did tell people magazine they had ruled out sex trafficking. Sgt. Brian Jackson told People, "Detectives utilized all resources in determining if Sherri Papini's disappearance was voluntary or involuntary...the investigation is on-going." Sgt. Jackson tells KRCR News Channel 7 there's no specific reason why they released the video this morning. They are just hoping someone will see it and remember something. The FBI is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the suspect's arrest. ||||| New video shows Sherri Papini moments before she was found Now Playing: New surveillance video was released Tuesday of Shasta County mother Sherri Papini running near a church along Interstate 5 in Yolo County after she escaped her captors on Thanksgiving morning. The Shasta County Sheriff's Office said one camera near the Jehovah's Witness church at 13980 County Road 99W in Woodland captured Papini at 4:15 a.m. on Nov. 24. That time matches up with when Yolo County law enforcement received a call at 4:22 a.m. that morning of a woman, who identified herself as Papini, having been found on the northbound onramp to I-5 in Yolo County, the sheriff's office said. The camera captured Papini on the south side of the building running to the church, north of westbound Highway 99 and then back south until she goes out of the camera's view toward the I-5 onramp, detectives said. window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-c', container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails-5', placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 5', target_type: 'mix' }); _taboola.push({flush: true}); window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-c', container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails-9', placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 9', target_type: 'mix' }); _taboola.push({flush: true}); Photo: Shasta County Sheriff’s Office / / Image 1 of / 9 Caption Close Image 1 of 9 Sherri Papini was found battered and bruised last year along a freeway after being missing for three weeks. Sherri Papini was found battered and bruised last year along a freeway after being missing for three weeks. Photo: Shasta County Sheriff’s Office / / Image 2 of 9 The FBI released sketches of two women involved in the disappearance of Sherri Papini in November. The FBI released sketches of two women involved in the disappearance of Sherri Papini in November. Photo: FBI / / Image 3 of 9 In this undated image provided by ABC News, television anchor Matt Gutman, left, interviews Keith Papini, the husband of Sherri Papini, a California mother who went missing for three weeks, on "20/20". The interview airs Friday, Dec. 2, 2016, at 10 p.m. ET. (ABC News via AP) less In this undated image provided by ABC News, television anchor Matt Gutman, left, interviews Keith Papini, the husband of Sherri Papini, a California mother who went missing for three weeks, on "20/20". The ... more Photo: Associated Press Image 4 of 9 In this Thursday, Nov. 24, 2016 photo, Shasta County, Calif., Sheriff Tom Bosenko addresses the media during a press conference regarding a missing woman who was found, in Yolo County, Calif. Authorities were searching Thursday for two women suspected in the abduction of Sherri Papini a California mother who turned up safe near an interstate three weeks after she disappeared. (Andreas Fuhrmann /The Record Searchlight via AP) less In this Thursday, Nov. 24, 2016 photo, Shasta County, Calif., Sheriff Tom Bosenko addresses the media during a press conference regarding a missing woman who was found, in Yolo County, Calif. Authorities were ... more Photo: Andreas Fuhrmann, Associated Press Image 5 of 9 Image 6 of 9 In this Thursday, Nov. 10, 2016 photo, Redding Sheriff Tom Bosenko shares case details regarding the missing persons case for Sherri Papini, 34, of Mountain Gate, in Redding, Calif. The family of the Northern California mother of two who went missing while jogging is holding out hope she will be found alive. The Sacramento Bee reports Saturday Papini has been missing since she went for a jog Nov. 2, in the tiny town of Mountain Gate in Shasta County. (Andrew Seng/The Sacramento Bee via AP) less In this Thursday, Nov. 10, 2016 photo, Redding Sheriff Tom Bosenko shares case details regarding the missing persons case for Sherri Papini, 34, of Mountain Gate, in Redding, Calif. The family of the Northern ... more Photo: Andrew Seng/The Sacramento Bee Via AP Image 7 of 9 In this Thursday, Nov. 10, 2016 photo, balloons with the words "Bring Sherri Home" for Mountain Gate resident Sherri Papini, 34, is placed along side Sunrise Drive, near the location where it is believed she went missing, in Mountain Gate, Calif. The family of the Northern California mother of two who went missing while jogging is holding out hope she will be found alive. The Sacramento Bee reports Saturday that Papini has been missing since she went for a jog Nov. 2, in the tiny town of Mountain Gate in Shasta County. (Andrew Seng/The Sacramento Bee via AP) less In this Thursday, Nov. 10, 2016 photo, balloons with the words "Bring Sherri Home" for Mountain Gate resident Sherri Papini, 34, is placed along side Sunrise Drive, near the location where it is believed she ... more Photo: Andrew Seng/The Sacramento Bee Via AP Image 8 of 9 In this Thursday, Nov. 10, 2016 photo, Sheila Koester sits near Sunrise Drive, where her younger sister, Sherri Papini, 34, is believed to have gone missing in Mountain Gate, Calif. The family of the Northern California mother of two who went missing while jogging is holding out hope she will be found alive. The Sacramento Bee reports Saturday that Papini has been missing since she went for a jog Nov. 2, in the tiny town of Mountain Gate in Shasta County. (Andrew Seng/The Sacramento Bee via AP) less In this Thursday, Nov. 10, 2016 photo, Sheila Koester sits near Sunrise Drive, where her younger sister, Sherri Papini, 34, is believed to have gone missing in Mountain Gate, Calif. The family of the Northern ... more Photo: Andrew Seng/The Sacramento Bee Via AP Image 9 of 9 New video shows Sherri Papini moments before she was found 1 / 9 Back to Gallery Papini was reported missing by her husband on Nov. 2, 2016 when she didn't pick up their children that afternoon from their day care provider. Investigators scoured the area near the couple's rural home in Redding, and the case garnered national attention. A trucker going north on I-5 saw Papini on Nov. 24 on the side of the road. She was bound with restraints and was found with a brand on her left shoulder. A detail of what that brand includes has not been released. No additional information about the videos or details of the investigation were released Monday. WHERE DOES THE INVESTIGATION STAND? Nearly a year after Papini was found in Yolo County, the Shasta County Sheriff's Office released sketches on Oct. 26 of two women Papini described to the FBI as being her abductors. "It's taken time for Sherri to recover to a point to be able to provide accurate details to the sketch artist," the sheriff's office said in a statement. An FBI sketch artist produced the images, with Papini describing the first woman as Hispanic, between 20 and 30 years old, about 5 feet 5 inches tall, with coarse, curly dark hair, thin eyebrows and pierced ears, FBI officials said. The second woman was described as Hispanic, between 40 and 50 years old, about 5 feet 7 inches tall, with long, straight black hair with some gray in it. She had thick eyebrows and pierced ears, the FBI said. Papini also told investigators the women were driving a dark-colored SUV, officials said, adding that she continues to look at photographs of various makes and models of SUVs in an effort to provide a more detailed description. Papini was found with a brand on her left shoulder, but the quality of the brand is poor, and investigators are still trying to determine what letters were branded on Papini's skin, officers said. She told investigators that she was dropped off on the side of County Road 17 near I-5 by one of her captors. Battered and bruised, Papini was taken to Woodland Memorial Hospital, and her signature blonde hair was cut to shoulder length. She said she was not sexually assaulted, officers said. Unknown female DNA was collected from a swab taken from Papini's body, and a male DNA profile was compiled from clothing Papini was wearing. Both DNA profiles were uploaded into the Combined DNA Index System, and Papini's husband was excluded as the source of the male DNA, according to investigators. While Papini was missing, investigators discovered on Nov. 17 that Papini was texting with a man from Michigan days before her disappearance. Papini and the man texted each other trying to meet up while he was in California, detectives said. Officers interviewed the man and determined he was not involved in Papini's disappearance. The sheriff's office has received more than 600 tips from around the world in the investigation and continues to review all tips, officers said. A $10,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the identification of the two women. Anyone with information about the Papini investigation or the two captors is urged to call the FBI at 916-746-7000. ||||| Minutes before she was found on the side of the road early on Thanksgiving last year, missing California mom-of-two Sherri Papini ran for help at a place of worship before turning back to head to the interstate, according to authorities and newly released surveillance video. The black-and-white footage — sent to reporters on Tuesday by Shasta County, California, investigators — shows Papini near a Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Woodland, California, about 4:15 a.m. on Nov. 24, 2016. According to the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office, Papini was recorded by a surveillance camera running toward the building before she turned around and ran south toward Interstate 5, where she was found by a passing motorist at an on-ramp at 4:22 a.m. “She [Papini] was looking for help,” Shasta County sheriff’s Sgt. Brian Jackson tells PEOPLE. “She saw a building and she didn’t know what it was and went to look for help. It was 4 o’clock in the morning and there was nobody there. And she went back the other way.” Papini had been missing for 22 days, having vanished while jogging near her home in Redding, California, about 150 miles north. She said she’d been abducted at gunpoint and held captive for weeks by two armed Hispanic females who spoke Spanish the majority of the time. One of the women had long curly hair, Papini said, and the other, who was older, had straight black hair. Eventually — though it remains unclear why — she was released, she said. No arrests have been made in the case. When Papini reappeared, her body was emaciated, bruised and branded. She weighed just 87 lbs. The Shasta County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday that detectives canvassing the area located the video surveillance of Papini the same day she was found. Of the decision to release the video this week, Sgt. Jackson explains: “We are just trying to spur some folks that if they do have information out there and they did see something, coupled with the fact that we have suspect sketches that are out, maybe there is that one person who can have that one piece of information that can help.” • Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. Sherri Papini GoFundMe From left: Keith and Sherri Papini ABC Papini’s disappearance sparked a massive manhunt and a $50,000 reward for information leading to her whereabouts — as well as many theories about what happened to the now 35-year-old. When she was discovered again, Papini was bound at the waist by a chain to which her left wrist was also tethered with a zip tie. Hose clamps were fixed to each of her ankles — though not binding them together — in what the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office later described as “pain compliance restraints.” Papini’s husband, Keith, said she was covered in bruises ranging from yellow to black because of repeated beatings. The bridge of her nose was broken and her long blonde hair was chopped off. She’d been branded on the back of her right shoulder. The strange turn of events baffled law enforcement and transfixed armchair crime-watchers who accused Papini of fabricating the abduction. But authorities have repeatedly maintained they have no reason to disbelieve her account. One year later, the case still remains unsolved, even though investigators have received more than 600 tips and served more than 20 search warrants. • PEOPLE’s special edition True Crime Stories: 35 Real Cases That Inspired the Show Law & Order is on sale now. Sketches of the suspected abductors in Sherri Papini’s disappearance FBI Last month, as the one-year anniversary approached of Papini vanishing, investigators released several previously undisclosed details about what they have learned while probing her disappearance and searching for those responsible. Among the new information were suspect sketches and DNA evidence. In a statement following those developments, Papini’s husband said, “We want to express our immense gratitude to all of the many people who have publicly and privately supported us over the last year. Your well-wishes have helped beyond measure. “We are hopeful that the release of additional information by law enforcement will expedite the capture of Sherri’s abductors.” “This has been an extraordinarily difficult time for our entire family,” he continued. “We ask that the media please respect our need for privacy as Sherri continues to heal and we work towards putting our lives back together.” ||||| Published on Nov 7, 2017 ​​Newly released surveillance video shows Shasta County mother Sherri Papini running near a church along Interstate 5 in Yolo County after she escaped her captors on Thanksgiving morning.​ Subscribe to KCRA on YouTube now for more: http://bit.ly/1kjRAAn Get more Sacramento news: http://kcra.com/ Like us:http://facebook.com/KCRA3 Follow us: http://twitter.com/kcranews GGoogle+: http://plus.google.com/+kcra
– A new clue in the case of Sherri Papini has emerged. A surveillance video shows the formerly missing California woman sprinting near a Jehovah's Witness church in Yolo County early on Thanksgiving last year, shortly before she was found by a trucker on an Interstate 5 ramp, per the San Francisco Chronicle. The black-and-white video released Tuesday by the Shasta County Sheriff's Office shows a barely visible Papini at 4:15am on Nov. 24, dashing in the dark after she says she broke away from her captors. The Shasta County woman is seen running toward the building, then away again until she runs out of frame. Less than 10 minutes later, Papini was picked up on the ramp. Shasta County Sheriff's Sgt. Brian Jackson tells People that Papini approached the building looking for help, then turned because "it was 4 o'clock in the morning and there was nobody there." Officials figured out it was Papini because they could make out parts of her shackles, which she was found wearing, per CBS News. Jackson tells People authorities decided to release the video in the hopes it would bring new leads in the case. "Maybe there is that one person who can have that one piece of information that can help," he says. KRCR outlines what's known in the case so far, including documenting the evidence that's been revealed and the "unanswered questions" that remain, including what the brand Papini received on her right shoulder was. Jackson concedes to Newsweek, which examines the doubts some have about Papini's story, that he gets why people believe there are "inconsistencies" and that the whole case is just "weird." (See police sketches of Papini's captors here.)
MIAMI — Bill Clinton isn’t holding back. And that’s mostly a good thing for Barack Obama. Text Size - + reset The former president was all fired up for his first real road test of the 2012 campaign, delivering a feisty recap of his much-praised keynote address at last week’s Democratic convention in Charlotte, N.C. — yet one that hinted at the inconsistency and lack of discipline that proved such a mixed blessing for his wife in 2008. Clinton, speaking at Florida International University for 41 minutes with lots of gusto — and no real script in sight — delivered the goods, and a few not-so-goods, offering a detailed defense of Obama’s policies linked to his own successes in the Oval Office. This is what Obama’s team in Chicago expected, Clinton being Clinton, a walking, talking, finger-wagging risk-vs.-reward calculation in bifocals and out of Chicago’s grasp. “People ask me from time to time … what are you most proud of,” a hoarse, ruddy Clinton told an audience of 2,300. “And I said, when I served, I’m glad we have more jobs, but the most stunning statistic is that we moved 100 times as many people out of poverty into the middle class than in the previous years. That means the American dream is alive and well.” He continued: “I believe with all my heart that a society that basically says, ‘You’re on your own,’ is never going to be as successful in a highly competitive and interdependent world as a society that says … we’re all in this together.” Obama dubbed Clinton his new “Secretary of Explaining Stuff” after Clinton made a methodical case for Obama’s economic policies in prime time last Wednesday night, but the argument lost a bit of punch and coherence on the road. “No one, not me, not anybody else, no one could have completely healed that and built a whole new economy and brought us back to full employment in just four years. It has never been done in the history of the world,” Clinton said. “The test is not whether you think everything is hunky-dory. If that were the test, the president would vote against himself,” he added, in a line that seemed ripe for an RNC email blast. While the speech contrasted Republican ideas negatively with Obama’s vision, Clinton didn’t blast Mitt Romney explicitly and mentioned the former Massachusetts governor by name once. That was, in part, a nod to the solemnity of the Sept. 11 anniversary, but it is also part of Clinton’s commitment to transcending what he views as a coarsening of the process that he, like Obama, had once vowed to elevate. Flawed surrogate that he is, Clinton remains the only game-changer in the 2012 race, outside the candidates themselves. ||||| MIAMI — President Barack Obama offered a few key edits to Bill Clinton’s convention speech — and Clinton agreed to them, the former president told POLITICO Tuesday night. Clinton said Obama made suggestions on the sections of his speech that dealt with Medicare and welfare reform, though the former president declined to say specifically what Obama advised him to modify. Clinton said he worked on the speech with National Economic Council Director Gene Sperling, who served in the same role during his administration, and that he showed Obama the full text for his prime-time speech that morning. Text Size - + reset (Also on POLITICO: Bill Clinton's DNC speech) Clinton offered his thoughts on the speech, dysfunction in Washington and golf to a POLITICO reporter and two other journalists, who ran into him in the lobby of the Biltmore Hotel as they were leaving after dinner and the former president was walking in. He spoke earlier in the evening at Miami’s Florida International University, where he delivered a more professorial version of the speech that drew rave reviews last week at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C. He is scheduled to campaign for Obama again in Orlando on Wednesday. Wearing white slacks, a white button-up shirt and a grey, black and white checkered blazer, Clinton told the reporters that Obama is “doing great” in the campaign. The two men speak when Obama calls him, but Clinton said he knows presidents, especially those in the midst of a campaign, are too busy to take unsolicited calls. “He knows where to find me,” Clinton said. He repeated a condensed version of his message on the economy from last week and earlier Tuesday, saying that “people have to know it couldn’t be fixed” so quickly. Clinton — toting a copy of Milica Z. Bookman’s new book about economics in the afterlife, “Do They Take Credit Cards in Heaven?” — spoke of recruiting presentations he’d attended at the local Mormon church while he was growing up in Hot Springs, Ark. Clinton, a Baptist, said he admires the church for its high ethical standards and belief in a celestial kingdom but said the idea of being in a heaven without his non-Mormon friends was too much to give up.
– Bill Clinton's speech last week may have been the high point for the Democratic National Convention, but the ex-president is happy to share the credit with the current one, reports Politico. Clinton said he showed his speech to Obama the morning of his presentation, and made changes regarding Medicare and welfare reform based on Obama's feedback (although Clinton refrained from saying what the exact changes were). Clinton also worked with Gene Sperling, director of the National Economic Council, who helped him on speeches back when Clinton was president. Clinton also gave another big speech for Obama yesterday, this time a relatively short 41 minutes at Florida International University, according to another Politico story. After Clinton's fiery and well-regarded speech at the Democrats' convention, Obama dubbed him the "Secretary of Explaining Stuff," a role Clinton appears to be relishing. But while Clinton seems to be enjoying his new status with the White House, he also showed some of the sloppiness that made him an occasional liability in the past. "The test is not whether you think everything is hunky-dory," he said yesterday. "If that were the test the president would vote against himself."
The Cop Was Black by Staff | Jan 27, 2015 3:40 pm (55) Comments | Commenting has been closed | E-mail the Author Posted to: Higher Ed, Legal Writes, Media The Yale cop who pulled a gun on an African-American undergraduate and forced him to the ground—because he allegedly matched the description of a burglar who was later caught—is African-American himself. Three Yale officials—President Peter Salovey, Police Chief Ronnell Higgins, and Dean Jonathan Holloway—confirmed that fact in an email message sent to the Yale community Monday night. The trio called for the community to “reflect” on the incident, which has provoked criticism nationwide since it occurred on Saturday. It became national news because the student, Tahj Blow, is the son of New York Times op-ed columnist and racial-profiling critic Charles Blow, who tweeted and then wrote a Times article about it. Salovey, Higgins and Holloway reported that Yale police are conducting an internal investigation into why the officer drew his gun on Tahj Blow. At the same time, the trio wrote that the cop had “reason” to stop Tahj because his appearance, including his clothing, allegedly matched that of the suspect. “What happened on Cross Campus on Saturday is not a replay of what happened in Ferguson; Staten Island; Cleveland; or so many other places in our time and over time in the United States. The officer, who himself is African American, was responding to a specific description relayed by individuals who had reported a crime in progress,” they wrote. “Even though the officer’s decision to stop and detain the student may have been reasonable, the fact that he drew his weapon during the stop requires a careful review. For this reason, the Yale Police Department’s Internal Affairs unit is conducting a thorough and expeditious investigation of the circumstances surrounding the incident, and will report the findings of that investigation to us. We, in turn, will share the findings with the community. We ask that you allow us the time needed to collect and examine the facts from everyone involved.” Click here to read the full email message. Earlier versions of this story follow: Columnist’s Son Was Forced To Ground At Gunpoint A Yale cop ordered a black student to the ground at gunpoint because he allegedly “matched” a description of a burglary suspect. That’s the word from Charles Blow, a New York Times columnist known for criticizing racial profiling. In this case Blow is talking about his son Tahj, a Yale undergraduate biology major. Charles Blow brought the incident, which occurred late Saturday afternoon, to national attention over the weekend with a series of Tweets. Now he has fleshed out the story. What bothered him, Blow writes in a column in Monday’s Times, isn’t that his son was stopped. But how he was stopped. Tahj tells what happened through his father in the column. He was leaving the library around 5:45 p.m. and in the vicinity of Trumbull College, a Yale dorm. Yale police were in the area looking for a suspect—a black man “wearing a black jacket and a red and white hat,” according to the university. Believing Tahj Blow fit the description, an officer followed him. Here’s what happened next, according to his dad’s column: “I faced forward again, presuming that the officer was not talking to me. I then heard him say, ‘Hey, turn around!’ — which I did. “The officer raised his gun at me, and told me to get on the ground. “At this point, I stopped looking directly at the officer, and looked down towards the pavement. I dropped to my knees first, with my hands raised, then laid down on my stomach. “The officer asked me what my name was. I gave him my name. “The officer asked me what school I went to. I told him Yale University. “At this point, the officer told me to get up.” The officer gave his name, then asked my son to “give him a call the next day.” … “I got up slowly, and continued to walk back to my room. I was scared. My legs were shaking slightly. After a few more paces, the officer said, ‘Hey, my man. Can you step off to the side?’ I did.” The officer asked him to turn around so he could see the back of his jacket. He asked his name again, then, finally, asked to see my son’s ID. My son produced his school ID from his wallet. The officer asked more questions, and my son answered. All the while the officer was relaying this information to someone over his radio. My son heard someone on the radio say back to the officer “something to the effect of: ‘Keep him there until we get this sorted out.’ ” The officer told my son that an incident report would be filed, and then he walked away. Left out of the Yale account and the Blow account is whether in fact Tahj Blow fit the description. Was he wearing a hat? Tahj Blow declined to elaborate when contacted by the Independent. Yale said it might have more details to report later this week after completing an investigation. Another question that remains unanswered is the race of the police officer. Charles Blow wrote that he did not object to police stopping to question his son if he indeed matched the suspect’s description. “School is his community, his home away from home, and he would have appreciated reasonable efforts to keep it safe. The stop is not the problem; the method of the stop is the problem,” Blow wrote. “Why was a gun drawn first? Why was he not immediately told why he was being detained? Why not ask for ID first? “What if my son had panicked under the stress, having never had a gun pointed at him before, and made what the officer considered a “suspicious” movement? Had I come close to losing him? Triggers cannot be unpulled. Bullets cannot be called back. An earlier version of this story follows: Blow Back Yale police stopped “at gunpoint” a black undergraduate whose father happens to be a leading national voice against racial profiling. After the father started tweeting, the university started investigating. The incident occurred Saturday. It involved the son of New York Times op-ed columnist and Fire Shut Up In My Bones author Charles Blow (pictured). “So, my son, a 3rd year chem major at Yale was just accosted - at GUN POINT - by a Yale policeman bc he ‘fit the description” of a suspect…’” Charles Blow tweeted. (He later corrected the Tweet: His son majors in biology.) “He was let go when they realized he was a college student and not a criminal ( he was leaving the library!) He’s shaken, but I’m fuming!” “This is exactly why I have NO PATIENCE for ppl trying to convince me that the fear these young blk men feel isn’t real #RacialBattleFatigue” Four hours later, Blow tweeted: “I’m still trying to calm myself down…” Yale responded with a prompt and unusually detailed official response Saturday night. It read: “Earlier this evening, Yale police responded to emergency calls from undergraduates in Trumbull College, one of twelve residential colleges on the Yale campus. Several students reported that an individual had just entered their rooms under false pretenses, pretending to be looking for someone. Students in Trumbull College have been the victims of burglary this week, and a person matching the physical description of the individual, as well as the story of ‘looking for someone’ has been seen several times in the college. (See this report from the Yale Daily News.) “Tonight, when students spotted him, they called police and described him as a tall, African-American, college-aged student wearing a black jacket and a red and white hat. This was the description that Yale police used as they converged on Trumbull and attempted to track down the suspect. During the efforts to locate and detain the suspect, a Yale College student, who closely matched the description of the suspect, was briefly detained and released by Yale police. The suspect, who was seen fleeing Trumbull College, was arrested shortly thereafter in Berkeley College (a residential college adjacent to Trumbull College) and will be charged with felony burglaries. “An internal review of the incident will be conducted by the YPD Chief’s office.” Reached by email, Blow’s son said he does not wish to make a statement at this time. Post a Comment Commenting has closed for this entry Comments posted by: wendy1 on January 25, 2015 10:58am I read Charles Blow. OMG!! A big apology is in order for this family. I dont know the details but I’m still getting over the fact that Yale has a swat team. I met them by accident at the Rose Center. I don’t blame the chief. I love that guy and recently gave him The Last Interview with James Baldwin. posted by: connecticutcontrarian on January 25, 2015 12:16pm Insert the naive “If you’re not doing anything wrong you have nothing to worry about” line here. I’m glad that Blow’s son survived that encounter and lived to fight back against profiling. So many others lost their lives bc they “fit the profile”. posted by: ebw1957 on January 25, 2015 12:21pm Getting past another inflamitory headline If the statement by Yale is accurate, then I read a crimes have been committed, someone committed those crimes. Students have the right to safety- no? They find a guy who doesn’t belong in their dorm and give a description to police. The police follow up. I fail to see any bias on the part of the police. The narrative does not tell the whole story, so we don’t know what prompted the police to draw their weapons, but the officers have a right to go home to their families—so if someone acts in a manor which warrents they feel they need to draw their weapon- then so be it. I feel badly for the man but the police aren’t going to chasing down white guys if the description is so clear it wasn’t one. posted by: Esbey on January 25, 2015 1:08pm The problem with profiling is that if Yale police get a description of a burglar as a “tall college age white guy” they aren’t going to stop every tall young white guy they see. If they do stop one, they will be super-cautious, polite and apologetic. If the white guy acts upset that he is being stopped while innocent, there is only a small chance that police guns end up being pulled. If the Yale police hear of a burglar who is a “tall college age black guy,” they are going to stop most every tall young black man they see. If the kid gets upset, the guns are coming right out. We know that in many cities (I hope and actually believe not here, thank god and our excellent police chiefs) if the kid doesn’t instantly obey in the precisely exact way that the cops want, he will be dead in a matter of seconds. I had a friend in college, a super-smart middle class kid, who was a “medium height, medium build young black man.” He was questioned by the cops, on average, once a week and ended up spending an hour or two in the police station about once a month. Much of this, especially here in New Haven, is not conscious racism; it is unexamined, unconscious beliefs about blacks and whites. There is a huge body of psychological evidence that purely implicit racial beliefs drive split-second decisions by almost everyone (including many blacks.) You have to really actively work against it to overcome it. posted by: Solsbury on January 25, 2015 1:33pm I’ll just leave this here: “He was a tall African-American man, so I’m confident it’s the same person” said the Yale student quoted in the Yale Daily News story. http://yaledailynews.com/blog/2015/01/25/after-thwarted-theft-attempt-in-trumbull-ypd-arrests-intruder/ posted by: alphaGirl on January 25, 2015 2:17pm ebw1957 Yes Students have the right to safety! He too is a student at Yale! Does his safety and rights not matter? The problem is that he was stopped and questioned at gun point. He was leaving the library, walking not running, unaware that anything was going on. He didn’t have on a red and white cap, he had on a long black coat not a jacket, but I guess kinda fitting the description is good enough. I am just thanking God that before he was sent off to college 3 years ago, this was a conversation that was had, and he was made aware of how to “behave” if he ever found himself in this situation. I hope that your level of empathy activates before you or someone you know or care about finds themselves in similar circumstances. But the reality of the situation is that you will probably never have to deal with anything of the sorts. Not about race, about humanity, and human rights for all! posted by: SwampfoxII on January 25, 2015 2:49pm I fail to see how Yale Police engaged in racial profiling by stopping someone in the vicinity who fit the description as given by Yale students. Seems Mr. Blow is way out of line with his complaint. posted by: NHV Greenie on January 25, 2015 3:42pm I would encourage anyone who is truly interested in participating in a thoughtful dialog on this to attend this event tomorrow (Monday) night: http://events.newhavenindependent.org/uploads/Teach_In_Poster_09.jpg posted by: mill26 The problem is, we need to educate our dear police officers about critical thinking, as well as cultural competency classes. This cannot go on. this is not a logical way to deal with crime. The duty of the police officers is to protect the people of the US, not just ” some”. while this young man “slightly” match the ” profile”, you cannot or should not scare the kid with a gun. there must be some other way to handle these situations… posted by: ctguy on January 25, 2015 5:53pm What I see being lost here is he was detained with guns drawn. I am at a loss at why this was needed for a routine questioning? A civilian review board is needed now and the Yale PD very obviously needs additional training. posted by: wendy1 on January 25, 2015 8:24pm WAKE UP!!!You live in the most racially divided country in the world. Integration is still a far-off dream probably not possible until the last boomer breathes his last. Read the Black Man’s Code by Talbert Swan in the African-American Point of View August 2013 newspaper (on-line archive). The police are scapegoats for a society that has discriminated against dark skin since day one. The South won the civil war in reality. posted by: Samuel T. Ross-Lee on January 25, 2015 8:44pm I have “fit the description” at least 3 times in my life while simply walking down the street. Once was while a student at Harvard, just a few feet away from the library with a bookbag full of books on my back, during exam period. I know how this brother feels. The Rev. Mr. Samuel T. Ross-Lee posted by: Hill Resident on January 25, 2015 10:44pm I won’t try this case against the police on a charge or profiling nor can I speak to why they drew their weapons. I wasn’t there. What I DO know that if there was a crime committed in my neighborhood (which is mostly Latino and African American) and the description of the perpetrator was a elderly, heavy set African American woman, I would expect that if the police saw ME walking down the street that I would be stopped for questioning - because I fit the description. And if my behavior in any way appeared to be threatening to the police, I would expect them to draw their weapons. Unfortunately, this is what police officers face every day. I, on the other hand DON’T have to deal with being a victim of a crime every day partly because of the work of police officers, at least in MY neighborhood ... a neighborhood where a police officer was shot to death by someone who was committing a crime ... a neighborhood where a husband/father breathed his last breath and never went home to his family. Unfortunately I get anxious when I am approached by more than one African American youth that I don’t know ... I’ve seen the brutality that a group of African American youths committed against a person for their IPhone or their purse. I also get anxious when I see Caucasians walking around my neighborhood because the majority of those that do are going to buy drugs at the corner ... I know because I watch the transactions. If the description of the perpetrator is ‘it walked like a duck and it quacked like a duck’, and I’m a duck ... oh well. I will direct my ‘anger’ at those that commit the crimes that put police at a heightened level of caution/anxiety/fear. I will be angry at those that create this level of fear in my community by their criminal activities. I’ll be mad at the guy who started this all by breaking into the dorm rooms. I recommend the reading of ‘A Black Man’s Guide to Law Enforcement in America’s by Shafiq Abdussabur, a Black Male who is a New Haven police officer. posted by: vc man on January 25, 2015 11:55pm This story should have been titled, “elitist father enraged his son was mistaken for common criminal, gets undies in a bunch and overreacts.” Also, kudos to YPD for catching the person committing the crimes. posted by: Samuel T. Ross-Lee on January 26, 2015 8:32am We have come to know through scienitic research that eyewitness accounts are the least relible among all the evidence available. The tag line often used by police “he fit the description” can apply to something as precise as an image of the alledged perpetrator caught on video, or to something as vauge as an estimated height, a general notion about skin complexion, and a iffy recollection of the type and color of clothes the person is thought to be wearing. We are acting as if the tag “he fit the description” when so ubiquitously applied to Black men absolves the police of all notions of cultural and racial bias. It does not. It merely gives them a measure of protection from the necessary questions that come following the apprehension of so many innocents Black men who just happen to “fit the description”. The Rev. Mr. Samuel T. Ross-Lee posted by: THREEFIFTHS on January 26, 2015 8:33am posted by: vc man on January 25, 2015 11:55pm This story should have been titled, “elitist father enraged his son was mistaken for common criminal, gets undies in a bunch and overreacts.” Also, kudos to YPD for catching the person committing the crimes. How do we know the have the right person?Police do lie. posted by: THREEFIFTHS on January 26, 2015 8:41am posted by: Hill Resident on January 25, 2015 10:44pm I’ve seen the brutality that a group of African American youths committed against a person for their IPhone or their purse. And they should be charge with the crime.But I have also seen brutality by the police on people of color and the police get off free. posted by: THREEFIFTHS on January 26, 2015 8:46am posted by: Hill Resident on January 25, 2015 10:44pm I recommend the reading of ‘A Black Man’s Guide to Law Enforcement in America’s by Shafiq Abdussabur, a Black Male who is a New Haven police officer. I recommend all to read this. I Was Racially Profiled in My Own Driveway A retired Major League Baseball player explains how he’s trying to turn an upsetting encounter with the police into an opportunity for dialogue. A police officer from West Hartford had pulled up across the street, exited his vehicle, and begun walking in my direction. I noted the strangeness of his being in Hartford—an entirely separate town with its own police force—so I thought he needed help. He approached me with purpose, and then, without any introduction or explanation he asked, “So, you trying to make a few extra bucks, shoveling people’s driveways around here?” All of my homeowner confidence suddenly seemed like an illusion. http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2014/04/i-was-racially-profiled-in-my-own-driveway/360615/ posted by: connecticutcontrarian on January 26, 2015 8:57am Elitist because his son worked hard to gain admittance to Yale? Elitist because he himself has worked hard to become a Times columnist? O elitist because he has the audacity to believe having a gun drawn on his son is beyond the pale? Give me a break. If this had happened to one of your sons you’d be on the phone hiring William Dow to file suit against the university, demanding that the officer and chief be reprimanded, and requesting compensation for your kid"s mental anguish. Kudos to Blow for advocating for his son. Let’s hope that his “elitism” will help she’d light on a practice that is all too familiar for many Black and Brown kids in this city. posted by: robn on January 26, 2015 10:46am Criminals are known to shed or reverse clothing when fleeing a crime. That’s being said, IF Yale PD was searching for an unarmed burglar, why draw a weapon on a suspect? That’s a recipe for accidental lead poisoning. That being said, did Mr.Blow seriously forget his sons major? I would think the incredibly large, kick-in-groin biannual Yale tuition bill would be a very effective reminder. posted by: CamilleS on January 26, 2015 11:16am As a Black Yale alum still living in New Haven, I have to call out that it’s not just racial profiling by the YPD and Yale Security—by which I’ve been stopped in my own former residential college for looking like I “didn’t belong there”—but a dominant culture of white exclusivity in which many, many students are complicit and which the university actively promotes through its treatment of the city. I get that you want to be safe behind locked gates, walled off from the city that you think you aren’t a part of and that the university tells you to be wary of, and I get that it’s scary to have break-ins in your dorm. But this isn’t the first time I’ve heard about Yale students calling the police with vague descriptions of suspicious Black men, only to find out that those Black men are their classmates. I knew Black male students who had security called on them by other students while in their own dorms, or questioned by other students while trying to enter places on campus, or had doors locked on them by students pretending not to see them. I once was “joked” to about whether I was going to rob the post office (what does that even mean??), should someone extend the common courtesy of holding the door for me. YPD acted inappropriately, as they often do in protecting Yale’s bubble downtown. But way too many of the times either the police or security show up profiling young Black people, it’s because they’ve been called by those people’s own classmates. I can’t imagine that this will stop anytime soon, as long as this culture of policing who does and doesn’t belong at Yale continues. posted by: Noteworthy on January 26, 2015 12:20pm Blow is mad because his son, a Yale student, was stopped. It begins and ends there and the middle part includes entitlement and arrogance. This article is biased and inflammatory and seriously short on facts to support such bias. If my son fit the description, was in the neighborhood and was treated the same way, I would not have the same reaction. Should Yale students be given a “Get out of jail card, don’t stop and ask questions card or maybe a Do you know who my dad is card?” posted by: PH on January 26, 2015 12:29pm Why does a report of burglary lead to questioning with a drawn gun? My guess is that if the description of the burglar had been a “white college-aged male” that no gun would EVER be drawn. This is the fundamental problem, and why anyone with dark skin cannot stop being vigilant in the presence of an armed person—namely, the police. I would like to see the NHPD begin to keep track of the number of times police draw their weapons and how often it is in response to something other than the pursuit of a suspect described as “armed and dangerous.” posted by: vc man on January 26, 2015 12:39pm His elitism stems from his attitude that because his son goes to Yale, he is automatically above the lowly serfs in uniforms. He started huffing and puffing on twitter before he knew anything beyond what his son told him. Had he inquired, he’d have known that the same suspect police were looking for had been reported to be carrying a handgun several days ago, which was why he was held at gunpoint. And note that he was unharmed because he complied with the officer’s lawful commamds. And yes, a suspect was arrested and charged with several felonies. posted by: THREEFIFTHS on January 26, 2015 12:43pm This is a good read. The Opinion Pages | Op-Ed Columnist Library Visit, Then Held at Gunpoint Charles Blow: At Yale, the Police Detained My Son JAN. 26, 2015 This is how my son remembers it: He left for the library around 5:45 p.m. to check the status of a book he had requested. The book hadn’t arrived yet, but since he was there he put in a request for some multimedia equipment for a project he was working on. Then he left to walk back to his dorm room. He says he saw an officer “jogging” toward the entrance of another building across the grounds from the building he’d just left. Then this: “I did not pay him any mind, and continued to walk back towards my room. I looked behind me, and noticed that the police officer was following me. He spoke into his shoulder-mounted radio and said, ‘I got him.’ “I faced forward again, presuming that the officer was not talking to me. I then heard him say, ‘Hey, turn around!’ — which I did. “The officer raised his gun at me, and told me to get on the ground. “At this point, I stopped looking directly at the officer, and looked down towards the pavement. I dropped to my knees first, with my hands raised, then laid down on my stomach. The officer asked me what my name was. I gave him my name. “The officer asked me what school I went to. I told him Yale University. “At this point, the officer told me to get up.” The officer gave his name, then asked my son to “give him a call the next day.” Feel Free to read the rest. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/26/opinion/charles-blow-at-yale-the-police-detained-my-son.html?smid=nytcore-iphone-share&smprod=nytcore-iphone&_r=2 In fact read the comment section.I like this comment As a white parent with white children in college, this is not a scenario we worry about (as much). I feel for Mr. Blow and the dangerous climate black youths must adapt to. A big part of this is racial profiling. posted by: Bobbe Bellamy on January 26, 2015 1:32pm Sounds like someone “jumped” the gun in appending the FIRST tall, Africam Amer. guy wearing a black jacket and cap that CLOSELY matched the description of the suspect. The REAL suspect, who was seen fleeing Trumbull College, was arrested shortly thereafter. ........ People out there - this is an everyday common look (wear) for most AA people. I promise you if you put the suspect and student Blow side-by-side you would see no facial resemblance at all: other than “perhaps” the clothing. Wrong Place / wrong time I guess someone out there is saying. But this is nothing but a case of racial profiling. Many of my peple are either dead or behind bars due to mistaken idenity. Blow Family start your law suit - legally attending college while Black. posted by: Samuel T. Ross-Lee on January 26, 2015 2:11pm Mr/Ms Noteworthy, “Arrogant” is the new “uppity”, for Black MEN, in particular. Great use of that word here. How DARE this Black New York Times columnist “step out of his (socially assigned) place” by showing anger over the fact that a police officer, working for an institution to which this father pays THOUSANDS of dollars a year, pulled a gun on his son? HOW DARE HE? How ARROGANT of him. I have rarely seen/heard the word “arrogant” applied to White people lately, not even to some White men, like, say Donald Trump, whose picture could be put in the dictionary to help define the word. Black men in this country are supposed to accept prestigious roles in and at so-called elite institutions for the purposes of advancing the roles, lives, and perspectives of the dominate culture. How DARE this “arrogant” New York Times columnist use his access to a major media outlet to tell the story of his Black son’s encounter with a threat that thousands of us Black men face a year? THE NERVE OF HIM! Good thing we have YOU to talk some sense into him, and place him firmly back in this “place”. The Rev. Samuel T. Ross-Lee posted by: robn on January 26, 2015 2:59pm VCMAN Whats your source of the information that the suspect was possibly armed? If true that changes things. posted by: Gretchen Pritchard on January 26, 2015 5:22pm @ebw “if someone acts in a manor which warrents they feel they need to draw their weapon- then so be it.” So one party in a confrontation is automatically, always, justified in their moves, no matter what the facts, no matter what the outcome? Are you in favor of playing football and basketball by the same rules? One of the teams gets unlimited fouls, and no ref is ever allowed to call any play against them, as long as they “feel” they needed to do that? posted by: vc man on January 26, 2015 9:21pm Robn, it was reported in some early versions of this story that the suspect was described by students as possibly having a handgun. So, I can see why YPD drew a gun. Also, does anyone have any comment on the now reported fact that the YPD officer was black himself? Doesn’t exactly fit the popular (false) narrative of innocent young black male vs racist white police officer. posted by: THREEFIFTHS on January 26, 2015 10:06pm posted by: vc man on January 26, 2015 9:21pm Robn, it was reported in some early versions of this story that the suspect was described by students as possibly having a handgun. So, I can see why YPD drew a gun. Also, does anyone have any comment on the now reported fact that the YPD officer was black himself? Doesn’t exactly fit the popular (false) narrative of innocent young black male vs racist white police officer. The officer, who himself is African American, was responding to a specific description relayed by individuals who had reported a crime in progress. No one talk about a gun. Even though the officer’s decision to stop and detain the student may have been reasonable, the fact that he drew his weapon during the stop requires a careful review. For this reason, the Yale Police Department’s Internal Affairs unit is conducting a thorough and expeditious investigation of the circumstances surrounding the incident, and will report the findings of that investigation to us. We, in turn, will share the findings with the community. We ask that you allow us the time needed to collect and examine the facts from everyone involved. Salovey, Holloway, Higgins address Blow incident in campus-wide email. http://yaledailynews.com/blog/2015/01/26/salovey-holloway-higgins-address-blow-incident-in-campus-wide-email/ posted by: THREEFIFTHS on January 26, 2015 10:11pm posted by: vc man on January 26, 2015 9:21pm Also,does anyone have any comment on the now reported fact that the YPD officer was black himself? Doesn’t exactly fit the popular (false) narrative of innocent young black male vs racist white police officer. Now he has fleshed out the story. What bothered him, Blow writes in a column in Monday’s Times, isn’t that his son was stopped. But how he was stopped. Notice at no time no talk about a racist white police officer. posted by: Samuel T. Ross-Lee on January 26, 2015 11:00pm Mr/Ms. vc man, Let me express, again, my TOTAL disrespect for someone who comes to online comment sections like this and refuse to use their names or otherwise reveal who the are, but so easliy spit opproprious comments about others. There is no “false” narrative about innocent Blacks being accosted by racist White cops, but there are many true stories of such a thing happening. Maybe if people like you, who are so quick to dismiss that fact, would actually pick up a book and read about the history of African-Americans’ ecounter with racism in the judicial system in America, a racism that often begins with our encounter with police officers, Black and White, then yu wouldn’t be so eager to make the ill-informed claims that you are making. Your unwillingness (or inability?) to understand the BASIC facts mentioned above, makes me (and others) VERY hesitate to even attempt to explain to you the more complex issue of racist policies and actions perpetrated against Black people by other Black people. Let’s just say this: I believe Clarence Thomas to be the most racist member of the Superme Court today. All one has to do to advance racism is to believe in the superiority of one race over another and then act on that belief. It is not unheard of for a person from a minority group to accept and adopt the perspectives of the dominate culture, even if doing so is detrimental to said persons own people. Black police officers who, for whatever reason, go along with a police culture defined by suspicion of Black men because we are Black men, do not escape the conditions and realities that promote said racism. Simply put, Black cops can and have been racist against their own people. The Rev. Mr. Samuel T. Ross-Lee posted by: vc man on January 27, 2015 1:46am 3/5s, here: “A Jan. 20 press release from New Haven Police Department Spokesperson David Hartman said the undergraduates had told investigators that one of the two men had a silver-colored handgun with which he threatened the undergraduates.” http://yaledailynews.com/blog/2015/01/21/series-of-thefts-unnerved-trumbull-students/ posted by: Noteworthy on January 27, 2015 6:19am Mr. Lee - You comment doesn’t merit a response, but I’ll make an exception. There is a big difference in being arrogant and the racist term uppity. I often write about the arrogance of the powerful and privileged. The term has been applied to the governor, former Mayor DeStefano and Chief Esserman among others in the public and private space. It has never been used as a way to put a black man in his place. Your comment is as insulting as it is untrue. Without full facts of the incident, Charles Blow went into auto-criticism, as so many do, that put the blame on police regardless of a full accounting of the facts and without full knowledge of them either. Blow’s kid was detained by a black cop and he fit the description for whom they were looking. Now Blow, a day late and tardily so, says its now the manner in which his kid was detained, not that he was. That’s revisionist criticism and much more nuanced. His new attack is “what if” his kid had been shot which is unknowable since he wasn’t. posted by: Zachary on January 27, 2015 7:05am Why are Yale “police” even armed anyway?? They are NOT “police.” They are overblown security guards. We seriously need to rein them in. I am a Yale alum and I have witnessed tons of unprofessional conduct on the part of these “officer.” The BEST thing the community can do is overwhelm the University Secretary with complaints. posted by: wendy1 on January 27, 2015 7:37am O K———So now you can scapegoat a black man for scapegoating a black man. posted by: THREEFIFTHS on January 27, 2015 8:49am posted by: vc man on January 27, 2015 1:46am 3/5s, here: “A Jan. 20 press release from New Haven Police Department Spokesperson David Hartman said the undergraduates had told investigators that one of the two men had a silver-colored handgun with which he threatened the undergraduates.” http://yaledailynews.com/blog/2015/01/21/series-of-thefts-unnerved-trumbull-students/ There is no talk about a gun in the yale daily.Also is the above report by David Hartman the same case? posted by: vc man on January 27, 2015 9:01am 3/5s: that quote of Hartman was taken from the YDN link under it and was in reference to the rash of burglaries and robberies that occured within a short time period of a week or so, in the same area, targeting the same victims. Therefore, when YPD encountered a possible suspect it was not unreasonable to think the suspect might be armed (hence the drawing of the gun by the officer.) posted by: Razzie on January 27, 2015 9:49am Sorry vc man, that quote you offer refers to an incident nearly 1 week prior, in which several students were robbed at gun point by 2 AA males on bikes. There is no indication that that robbery occurred in or near the dorms and certainly did not involve unauthorized incursions into the dorm residences. I have to agree with 3/5th’s—that the officer responding to the Blow incident had no reason to assume that Blow was armed and dangerous at the time he was first encountered. If the YPD officer had simply asked for Blow’s ID “BEFORE” ordering him to the ground at gunpoint, this conversation would likely not be occurring. posted by: robn on January 27, 2015 10:37am Some questions: 1) Is it impossible or improbable that a successful robber might be emboldened shortly after a robbery to go a bit further into campus and commit thefts? My guess is unlikely because it’s a way different Modus Operandi but I wouldn’t call it impossible. 2) If the possibility exists, however remote, that an immediately recent theft suspect is armed, is it unreasonable for an officer to take precautions? 3) All that being said, and given the recent attention to Ferguson, why didn’t the chief tell dad in the first place that they were searching for a possibly armed suspect? posted by: Jill_the_Pill on January 27, 2015 11:03am “Why are Yale ‘police’ even armed anyway??” This is what I was wondering. At the same time, Yale treats security guards pretty poorly. Have you seen this: http://yaledailynews.com/blog/2014/12/02/firings-shed-doubt-on-univ-s-treatment-of-security-union/? “Should Yale students be given a ‘Get out of jail card, don’t stop and ask questions card or maybe a Do you know who my dad is card?’” They are. The officer didn’t ask to see it until after he’d threatened the student with a gun. “Simply put, Black cops can and have been racist against their own people.” It’s some combination of fear and power that goes along with the job. The officer’s race doesn’t affect the legitimacy of the complaint. It wasn’t terribly unreasonable to stop a student and check his ID; it was absolutely outrageous to aim a gun at him. posted by: THREEFIFTHS on January 27, 2015 11:44am Can someone answer this question.The officer He spoke into his shoulder-mounted radio and said, I got him.How come he did not wait for back up? posted by: Ozzie on January 27, 2015 12:39pm I think a lot of people are missing the point here. First of all if the roles were reversed and Mr Blow’s son was the victim in this crime he would be applauding the police for the way they handled the incident , but on the other hand if the police did not catch the perpetrator. Mr. Blow would be complaining that the police are not doing enough to protect his son. It’s basically a no win situation when you deal with the rich and elite. As for the police officer pulling ( his or her) gun on the suspect I’m all for it because in this day and age you can never be to careful. Just You tube the cop who went to the domestic and kept telling the suspect to take his hands out of his pockets and when he did the guy shot and killed the cop. But nobody really wants to hear about that do they ? posted by: Frank Columbo on January 28, 2015 1:00am Was Tajh Blow wearing a hat? He declined to elaborate, when contacted buy the Independent.Hmmm… posted by: Samuel T. Ross-Lee on January 28, 2015 8:53am Mike Brown deserved to be killed in the streets of Ferguson because he was a “thug” who had earlier shoplifted from a store and physically “attacked” the officer who shot him. Eric Garner deserved to have an outlawed chokehold maneuver used on him by the NY Police, which ended HIS life, because he was illegally selling loose cigarettes and failed to submit to the FIVE cops who came to halt this society ruining infraction. Mr. Blow, a junior at Yale University, one of the most exclusive universities, even in the Ivy League, was walking away from a visit to the library. Having done everything the dominate culture declares he should do (and at a high level, apparently) to be a productive member of society. He has not committed any crimes. He was not hanging out with the “wrong people”, unless we are to assume the librarians at Yale are throwing up gang signs. He was not drinking or drugging on the corner, giving police a “reason” to stop/frisk or question him. And he had a gun pulled on him by a Police Officer. Let me say that again: HE HAD A GUN PULLED ON HIM BY A POLICE OFFICER. Now, even with the set of facts listed above, many of you here have struggled to justify why the father of this model, law abiding Black kid, according to YOUR standards, should simply be ok with this. And even more so OK with it, because the officer was Black, as this piblication is quick to point out in a SEPARATE headline. The independent may refuse to publish this comment, but the comments here are a case study in why many African-Americans are highly suspicious of White people’s claim to want justice and equality for ALL, if only the “thugs” would stop committing crimes, having uncared for babies, and get an education like all good Americans should. If one needs to know where racial bias and hypocrisy reign, look no further than the comment sections of The New Haven Independent and The New Haven Register. There one will find them. The Rev. Mr. Samuel T. Ross-Lee posted by: Frank Columbo on January 28, 2015 10:27am Mr. Ross-Lee, No Michael Brown and Eric Garner did not deserve to be killed. Just because commenters in this forum question each situation to determine if the claim of police racial profiling has merit, it’s wrong to brand them as racially biased. When White people get pulled over by police and State Troopers what blame shifting excuse do we have? I’m a fair haired white male. My wife and I joked subsequent to the trooper incident that he was profiling men with long hair. Sometimes police are just doing their jobs. posted by: THREEFIFTHS on January 28, 2015 10:54am posted by: Frank Columbo on January 28, 2015 10:27am When White people get pulled over by police and State Troopers what blame shifting excuse do we have? The major of times white folks are pulled over,They do not face this. Driving While Black “Stop and frisk” isn’t just a reality in New York City. New data shows how police target African Americans on highways across America. By Charles Epp and Steven Maynard-Moody http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/magazine/january_february_2014/ten_miles_square/driving_while_black048283.php?page=all posted by: Samuel T. Ross-Lee on January 28, 2015 11:27am You’re right Mr. Columbo. It’s just too bad that their job has included disproportionally stopping, frisking, pointing weapons at, arresting, shooting, and killing Black men. The Rev. Mr. Samuel T. Ross-Lee P.S Please forgive me for being too subtle in making my point with the first two examples used. posted by: breakingbad23 on January 28, 2015 1:44pm posted by: Threefifths on January 28, 2015 10:54am posted by: Frank Columbo on January 28, 2015 10:27am When White people get pulled over by police and State Troopers what blame shifting excuse do we have? The major of times white folks are pulled over,They do not face this. Driving While Black “Stop and frisk” isn’t just a reality in New York City. New data shows how police target African Americans on highways across America. Do you have any idea how difficult it is for a police officer to determine a driver’s race on the highway? Let me guess, all these “Driving While Black” highway traffic stops occurred in perfect daylight conditions with perfect visibility? I’m sure they have some kind of “black” radar detector for all those night stops though… posted by: THREEFIFTHS on January 28, 2015 2:34pm posted by: breakingbad23 on January 28, 2015 1:44pm Do you have any idea how difficult it is for a police officer to determine a driver’s race on the highway? Let me guess, all these “Driving While Black” highway traffic stops occurred in perfect daylight conditions with perfect visibility? I’m sure they have some kind of “black” radar detector for all those night stops though… There are ways.You remeber this. New Jersey internal records document widespread racial profiling of black and Hispanic motorists http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2000/12/race-d02.html In fact read this. Carl Williams, New Jersey’s Chief of Troopers, was dismissed in March 1999 by Governor Christine Todd Whitman soon after a news article appeared in which he defended profiling because, he said, “mostly minorities” trafficked in marijuana and cocaine. Williams’ remarks received wide media attention at a time when Whitman and other state officials were already facing heightened media scrutiny over recent incidents of profiling and public anger over police mistreatment of black suspects. posted by: OldMomYoungChild The race of the police officer has no relevance. There is something called institutional racism. There is something else called internalized oppression. There are police officers who are good at what they do and others whose primetime-cop-show fantasies should not be validated with a uniform. That this happened was extremely unfortunate, to say the least, and must be investigated further. Please don’t validate racial profiling by making headlines out of the police officer’s race. http://oldmomyoungchild.com/2015/01/28/peace-out/ posted by: idabwells100 on January 29, 2015 6:50am Hello Old Mom Young Child and others I want to ask how is it that you who were actually know the whole story. It is amazing how people who are not in law enforcement are so quick to tell others how to do their job without knowing the full context. Just as with any case there are always more to what is actually being presented. Who was this criminal they finally apprehended-how do you you know if he was dangerous or not. Charles Blow intentionally left race out from the beginning so that he could sensationalize this. In America today race matters-yet it really should be racism that matters. The entire incident is so sad and unfortunate and yet realistically Yale is in New Haven and has been for years been preyed upon by many criminals. Ask the victims-how do you feel when someone who unfortunately this time is a black male is running around the campus terrorizing students. Ask the families of these children who feel safer that now someone if caught and guess what many victims of all races have been the targets. SAFETY on all college campuses is of paramount concern-we do not know what is required to maintain this. As an African American mother, wife, sister I am deeply aware of racial profiling as I have had to deal with it first hand. I have been absolutely outraged when any of my family members have had to deal with the sting of being racially profiled. Also as a family who has police officers who are black I take offense that they who do have to deal with the unfortunate experience of dealing with numerous criminals who look like them and have to deal with the aftermath of being labeled racist is truly ignorant. This is NOT Ferguson-no one is shot, no one was even detained and yes that does matter. We have real police brutality cases please focus on them. And more importantly there are good cops and bad cops regardless of race. posted by: THREEFIFTHS on January 29, 2015 1:32pm posted by: idabwells100 on January 29, 2015 6:50am . As an African American mother, wife, sister I am deeply aware of racial profiling as I have had to deal with it first hand. I have been absolutely outraged when any of my family members have had to deal with the sting of being racially profiled. Also as a family who has police officers who are black I take offense that they who do have to deal with the unfortunate experience of dealing with numerous criminals who look like them and have to deal with the aftermath of being labeled racist is truly ignorant. This is NOT Ferguson-no one is shot, no one was even detained and yes that does matter. We have real police brutality cases please focus on them. And more importantly there are good cops and bad cops regardless of race. So how come the good cops will not turn in the bad cops?The good cops know who the bad one’s are?I to have family who are police.In fact one of my family memeber is in the story. Off duty, black cops in New York feel threat from fellow police By Michelle Conlin http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/23/us-usa-police-nypd-race-insight-idUSKBN0K11EV20141223 This is NOT Ferguson-no one is shot, no one was even detained and yes that does matter. We have real police brutality cases please focus on them. And more importantly there are good cops and bad cops regardless of race. Thank god no one did.But what about next time? ||||| "Fire Shut Up in My Bones is a luminous memoir that digs deep into territory I've longed to read about in black men's writing: into the horror of being submerged in a vast drowning swirl of racial, spiritual, and sexual complexity, only to somehow find one's self afloat, though gasping for breath, and then, at long last and at great cost, swimming. I believe both Ancestors and Descendants will cheer." —ALICE WALKER "Some truths cannot be taught, only learned through stories - profoundly personal and startlingly honest accounts that open not only our eyes but also our hearts to painful and complicated social realities. Charles Blow's memoir tells these kinds of truths. No one who reads this book will be able to forget it. It lays bare in so many ways what is beautiful, cruel, hopeful and despairing about race, gender, class and sexuality in the American South and our nation as a whole. This book is more than a personal triumph; it is a true gift to us all." —MICHELLE ALEXANDER, author of The New Jim Crow "Fire Shut Up in My Bones is a profoundly moving memoir of Charles Blow's coming of age as a black boy in the Deep South; of the way his sensitive and gifted intelligence slowly begins to kindle, becoming ablaze with wonder at the world and his place in it. Above all, this is the story of a courageously honest man arriving at his decision to 'stop running like the river . . . and just be the ocean, vast, deep, and exactly where it was always meant to be.' Blow has written a classic memoir of a truly American childhood." —HENRY LOUIS GATES "Fire Shut Up in My Bones is a heart-stopping memoir: a portrait of the artist—the exceptionally talented columnist Charles Blow—that also puts a searing face on all sorts of abstractions, like poverty, race, sexuality, and a human persistence sometimes known as courage. So particular yet gracefully timeless is this evocation of childhood that I sometimes felt as if I were reading an update of To Kill a Mockingbird, in which the poor, black protagonist’s moral education destines him to endure, and prevail." —DIANE McWHORTER, author of Carry Me Home "Stunning...Blow's words grab hold of you like a fever that shakes you up at first but eventually leads you to a place of healing." —Essence "[Fire Shut Up In My Bones] is the most compelling read of the fall and the kind of book that will inspire you to turn off the TV and curl up in front of the fire instead." —BET.com "Blow masterfully evokes the sights, sounds and smells of rough-and-tumble, backwater Louisiana...a well-written, often poetic memoir" —Kirkus "Page by elegant page, Charles Blow has constructed an eloquent and courageous memoir that explains why black and white is never just that—whether it comes to race or the rich, conflicted stew of childhood memory." —GWEN IFILL, moderator, Washington Week, and co-anchor, PBS NewsHour "Brave and powerful . . .a singular look at a neglected America." —Publishers Weekly "Powerful...so well-written." —ANDERSON COOPER "When you finish Charles Blow's mesmerizing memoir, you will cry. And you will better understand poverty, the south, racism, sex, fear, rage, and love. Then you will miss being in his authorial grip. Then you will start reading this stunning book again." —LAWRENCE O'DONNELL "Charles Blow is a fellow Louisianan. His memoir, Fire Shut Up in My Bones, warmed and tickled my bones. The memoir takes its title from a passage from the book of Jeremiah in the Old Testament: 'His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.' I am supremely glad Blow can no longer hold his own story inside and has chosen to share it with us. From a small town kid growing up in extreme poverty in the segregationist Deep South to a columnist at The New York Times, Blow is an absolute treasure and his powerful story deserves to be heard." —DONNA BRAZILE "Fire Shut Up in My Bones is a masterwork of remarkable power, authenticity and honesty. Blow writes with passion about coming of age in a rural Louisiana community suffering from the ravages of racism and poverty. His riveting memoir frankly takes on sexuality, religion and social hierarchy in the African-American community and reveals the inner soul of one of America's most intriguing public intellectuals." —DARREN WALKER, president of the Ford Foundation "Fire Shut Up in My Bonesis an instant classic of American letters. Charles Blow's eloquent memoir is haunted by surges of pain and suffering that rarely escape into the open with such searing honesty. Blow's brilliant and self-critical narrative contains truths which no American can afford to ignore, and which few black men have dared to tell. In this irresistible story of the journalist as a besieged boy and determined young man, one of the nation's foremost social critics bares his soul and speaks his mind with redemptive clarity." —MICHAEL ERIC DYSON "I missed him the moment I read the last word. Charles Blow's delicate, dangerously vulnerable journey from boyhood to manhood to himself, takes hold of you like a long lost friend you don't ever want to let out of your sight again. Fire Shut Up In My Bones finally, exquisitely gives voice to the complex and gloriously diverse Black American male identity. A modern memoir that reads like a great classic novel, it's the kind of masterful storytelling that divides folks into those who have read and those who have not. I am forever grateful to be among the privileged haves." —MICHAELA ANGELA DAVIS "Charles Blow has given us an enormous gift with this penetrating and honest memoir. I could not put it down, riveted by the journey, with no idea where it was taking me but deeply illuminated by the end. Blow opens up his life, growing up in the Deep South, and shines a light on the complexities and diversity of sexual identity in a way that can only help advance the march toward equality." —MICHELANGELO SIGNORILE, author of Queer in America "It takes a great deal of courage to divulge your deepest secrets to the world, but Charles Blow shares the story of his personal journey from a rare place of honesty, especially for such a celebrated public figure. In Fire Shut Up in My Bones, Blow has constructed a beautifully crafted, timeless story of coming of age in the face of betrayal, adversity, and self-doubt. I expect this memoir will not only resonate today but will also enlighten and inspire readers for years to come." —KEITH BOYKIN "This book is an elegant heartache. Charles Blow's story is by no means an easy one, but he tells it beautifully, a gorgeous read about a gorgeous little boy striving to become himself amidst a world discouraging him from doing so. Blow does an astonishing job of intertwining hardship with humor, pain alongside pleasure, revealing his signature talent for prose that is transcendently poetic at the same time it's grounded in microscopic details of life and insight." —SALLY KOHN "Charles Blow is one of the most astute literary voices we have in America today. His is an eye that sees inside our communities, inside our world, inside himself, in a way that not only makes us think, but permits us to feel, to be, to change." —KEVIN POWELL "Boldness shines through." —Shreveport Times ||||| 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 ||||| This article has been revised to reflect the version that appeared in print on Jan. 26. Over the past week, Yale has seen a flurry of criminal and law enforcement activity on campus. On Jan. 15, Michael Cruciger ’15 had his laptop stolen from his Trumbull College common room in entryway J. Another student in the same entryway reported his wallet missing, and Axell Meza ’16 said an unknown man entered his common room claiming to be looking for “Josh.” On the same night, Kartik Srivastava ’17 said that while he was sleeping, his wallet was taken from a desk no less than a foot from his person, and his suitemate’s checkbook was taken. Transactions had been made on Srivastava’s debit card, and his suitemate’s checks had been cashed, he said. Several days later, laptops and an iPad were stolen from a suite in Lanman-Wright Hall, the freshman residence for Berkeley and Pierson colleges. Then, on Saturday afternoon, another pair of students in Trumbull encountered an intruder in their suite. Although the Yale Police Department reported that they had arrested a suspect in connection with the Saturday afternoon intruder in the Trumbull College suite, they initially targeted the wrong individual. Later that day, Tahj Blow ’16, son of New York Times columnist Charles Blow, was confronted at gunpoint by a YPD officer because he allegedly matched the description of the suspect, according to Charles Blow’s Twitter page. Tahj Blow declined to comment, and Charles Blow could not be reached for comment. “Entryway doors should not be propped or have the lock taped over. These are basic issues that every student knows and, frankly, that most ignore,” Yale College Dean Jonathan Holloway said in an email. “We need to do better on this issue. Students should not hesitate to call the YPD or campus security if they are uncertain about individuals in their courtyards, entryways or hallways.” Trumbull Master Margaret Clark said she had not previously encountered similar levels of criminal activity since assuming the mastership in 2013. Clark added that she would be visiting individual Trumbull suites Saturday evening to discuss the importance of campus safety with students and ensure that no hangers are being used to prop open doors. The suspect had entered the suite of Nicholas Goel ’16 and Ian Gonzalez ’16, a former copy editor for the News. Goel said he was sitting in his common room Saturday afternoon when a man he had never before seen entered his bedroom. He and his suitemate confronted the man. The intruder said he was looking for a friend and then immediately walked out. “We yelled at him, and I think it scared him off,” Goel said. “He left mumbling, pretty flustered and pretending to be on the phone.” Gonzalez said they immediately called the police, and within five minutes, they saw a police presence on Elm Street looking for the intruder. According to an email sent to the Trumbull community by Clark, the intruder had fled the residential college and, following behind some other students, entered Berkeley College. Both Gonzalez and Goel said the description of the man who entered Meza’s suite given to police authorities last week matched the description of the man they encountered Saturday evening. “Given that the previous incidents were also in this entryway both directly above our suite and across from our suite on the same floor, and that this man matched the description from the guys in the suite across from us … I’m confident it was the same person,” he said. Clark said that she, along with Trumbull Dean Jasmina Beširevic-Regan, commended the students for their quick actions. She said the actions “almost certainly prevented thefts.” She also thanked the YPD for their quick responses in both cases. A few days earlier, on Thursday, Pierson College freshman counselor Lindsey Hiebert ’15 sent an email to freshmen in her college informing them of a robbery that had occurred that afternoon in a Lanman-Wright Hall room. Upon returning to the room, three freshmen discovered that all three of their laptops had been stolen, along with an iPad and a backpack, though other objects in the room, including a fourth laptop and a wallet, were not stolen. “All of the doors on the floor are open so it’s surprising that they only came in ours,” said Neema Githere ’18, who had her laptop stolen. “What’s really surprising is that they took my phone charger and notebooks out of my backpack before taking it.” The theft was immediately reported to Yale Security, which then referred the students to the YPD. The case is still open. The students were informed that Yale Security would check the swipe lock on the entryway in order to determine who came into the building within the time frame. However, in a Friday email to the News, University Spokesperson Tom Conroy said that no leads had developed in the case. ||||| Saturday evening, I got a call that no parent wants to get. It was my son calling from college — he’s a third-year student at Yale. He had been accosted by a campus police officer, at gunpoint! This is how my son remembers it: He left for the library around 5:45 p.m. to check the status of a book he had requested. The book hadn’t arrived yet, but since he was there he put in a request for some multimedia equipment for a project he was working on. Then he left to walk back to his dorm room. He says he saw an officer “jogging” toward the entrance of another building across the grounds from the building he’d just left. Then this: “I did not pay him any mind, and continued to walk back towards my room. I looked behind me, and noticed that the police officer was following me. He spoke into his shoulder-mounted radio and said, ‘I got him.’
– Charles Blow, a New York Times columnist and book author, says that his son—a biology student at Yale— was held at gunpoint Saturday afternoon as he left the campus library because police thought he matched the description of a burglary suspect, the New Haven Independent reports. Blow, who is black, first brought the incident to light in a series of tweets in which he said that "this is exactly why I have NO PATIENCE for ppl trying to convince me that the fear these young blk men feel isn't real." Today in the Times, he explained further: As his son walked back to his dorm room, he noticed a campus police officer following him; the officer yelled at him to turn around, and when the younger Blow did so, he tells his father, "The officer raised his gun at me, and told me to get on the ground." He complied, answered questions about his name and his student status at Yale, then stopped again after the officer initially appeared to be letting him go but then changed his mind. After he answered more questions and handed over his school ID, a second officer finally explained that they had received a call about a burglary suspect who matched Blow's description; that suspect was ultimately arrested, Yale Daily News reports. As Blow writes in the Times, he has no problem with his son being questioned if the descriptions really did match, but he takes issue with the way things went down. "Why was a gun drawn first? Why was he not immediately told why he was being detained? Why not ask for ID first?" Blow writes. "What if my son had panicked under the stress, having never had a gun pointed at him before, and made what the officer considered a 'suspicious' movement? Had I come close to losing him?" Blow's full column is here.
The Harry Potter author JK Rowling has shared some withering rebuffs publishers sent to her alter ego Robert Galbraith, in an effort to comfort aspiring authors. Rowling posted the rejection letters on Twitter after a request from a fan. They related to The Cuckoo’s Calling, her first novel as Galbraith. But Rowling also saw Harry Potter turned down several times before the boy wizard became one of the greatest phenomena in children’s literature, with sales of more than 400m copies worldwide. Asked how she kept motivated, she tweeted: “I had nothing to lose and sometimes that makes you brave enough to try.” When she pitched under the name Galbraith without revealing her true identity, she faced many more snubs. Since then, Galbraith has published three successful novels but the first was rejected by several publishers, and Rowling was even advised to take a writing course. J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) By popular request, 2 of @RGalbrath's rejection letters! (For inspiration, not revenge, so I've removed signatures.) pic.twitter.com/vVoc0x6r8W Rowling erased the signatures when she posted the letters online, saying her motive was “inspiration not revenge”. She did not reveal the full text of the most brutal brush-off, which came by email from one of the publishers who had also rejected Harry Potter. Rowling said she could not share the Potter rejections because they “are now in a box in my attic” before offering the Galbraith letters. The kindest and most detailed rejection came from Constable & Robinson, who – despite the advice about a writing course – included helpful tips on how to pitch to a publisher (“as on book jackets – don’t give away the ending!”). The publisher added: “I regret that we have reluctantly come to the conclusion that we could not publish it with commercial success.” The short note from publishers Crème de la Crime said the firm had become part of another publishing group and was not accepting new submissions. JK Rowling tells story of alter ego Robert Galbraith Read more When The Cuckoo’s Calling eventually found a publisher in 2013, it was achieving respectable sales before the secret of its authorship broke, and it then shot to the top of the bestseller lists. Joanne Harris, author of a string of hit novels, joined the Twitter discussion to say she had so many rejections for her 1999 book Chocolat, later adapted as a Hollywood movie, that she had piled them up and “made a sculpture”. Rowling, Harris and their literary disciples are in excellent company. Eimear McBride, the 2014 Bailey’s prizewinner for her first novel A Girl is a Half-formed Thing, accumulated a drawer full of rejection letters before a chance conversation led to her book being published by Galley Beggar, a tiny independent publisher in Norwich. James Joyce’s epic masterpiece Ulysses, regarded as one of the greatest Irish novels, was repeatedly rejected by baffled publishers before finally being published in a tiny edition in Paris in 1922 by his friend Sylvia Beach’s Shakespeare & Co bookshop: a copy of the first edition sold a few years ago for £275,000. TS Eliot, in his role as an editor at Faber and Faber, turned down George Orwell’s Animal Farm as “unconvincing”. Joseph Heller’s Catch-22 was rejected as “not funny on any intellectual level”, and John le Carré�?s first spy novel, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, was passed from one publisher to another with the withering comment: “You’re welcome to le Carré – he hasn’t got any future.” Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick attracted the memorable response “First, we must ask, does it have to be a whale?” It did. ||||| 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 ||||| 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 ||||| Image copyright Getty Images JK Rowling has shared two rejection letters she received for her first novel writing as Robert Galbraith. The author was trying to find a publisher for The Cuckoo's Calling, which was eventually released in 2013. Rowling posted the rejections on Twitter, saying she was doing so to encourage other aspiring writers. One of the letters, from publishing house Constable & Robinson, says it "could not publish [The Cuckoo's Calling] with commercial success". The letter goes on to suggest politely that Galbraith "double check in a helpful bookshop" or in the twice yearly "buyer's guide of Bookseller magazine", about who the current publishers of his fiction genre are. The letter adds "a writers' group or writing course may help" Galbraith to get constructive criticism of his debut crime novel. The second letter, from Creme de la Crime publishers, explains simply that they have become part of Severn House Publishers and are "unable to accept new submissions at the moment". Image copyright JK Rowling / Twitter Rowling, who has more than seven million Twitter followers, posted them in response to a fan's request for a picture of a rejection letter. She explained: "The Potter ones are now in a box in my attic, but I could show you Robert Galbraith's?" The Harry Potter author removed the signatures from the letters because she said she was posting them "for inspiration, not revenge". "I wasn't going to give up until every single publisher turned me down, but I often feared that would happen," she added. Author Joanne Harris joined the Twitter discussion, joking that she got so many rejections for her 1999 novel Chocolat that she had "made a sculpture" out of them. The novel went on to become hugely successful and was made into a film starring Juliette Binoche, Judi Dench and Johnny Depp. The Cuckoo's Calling was eventually published by Sphere Books, an imprint of Little, Brown & Company. The book sold about 1,500 copies before Rowling's identity as the author was revealed by the Sunday Times newspaper. It was Rowling's second novel for adults, having released The Casual Vacancy under her real name in 2012. The Harry Potter series of books has to date sold more than 400 million copies. The eight film adaptations of the books have been named as the second-highest grossing franchise and film series of all time. Rowling has also been named as the first female novelist in the world to become a billionaire. ||||| 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 ||||| 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
– Every good writer gets rejected, and JK Rowling may know that better than most. Despite selling 400 million copies of her Harry Potter books, she still had trouble getting her 2013 novel The Cuckoo's Calling published under pseudonym Robert Galbraith. In fact, she got some pretty "cringe-worthy" rejection letters, and posted two to Twitter on Friday to inspire other writers, per the Telegraph. In one, Constable & Robinson notes it "could not publish [the crime novel] with commercial success." An editor advised Galbraith to read the Writer's Handbook, learn how to write an "alluring" blurb, and noted "a writer's group/writing course may help," report the BBC and the Guardian. Creme de la Crime sent Rowling a more general rejection stating that it was "unable to accept new submissions at the moment." Rowling notes a third unnamed publishing house that turned down Harry Potter also turned down The Cuckoo's Calling in what was Galbraith's "rudest rejection (by email)!" Still, "I wasn't going to give up until every single publisher turned me down, but I often feared that would happen," she says, adding, "I had nothing to lose and sometimes that makes you brave enough to try." Joanne Harris commiserated with her fellow author on Twitter, writing she "made a sculpture" out of all the rejection letters she received for her 1999 novel Chocolat, later turned into a film starring Johnny Depp. (Rowling recently got in hot water with Native American fans.)
I can't think of a family I'd rather sit shiva with than the Altmans of "This Is Where I Leave You." They bury their father, Mort, pun no doubt intended, with the right mix of tears and unearthed resentments, and they take the blows life hands them seriously enough but in stride. As if they are nothing special. This is exactly the charm of Jonathan Tropper's novel on which the comedy/drama is based. Director Shawn Levy gives us a star-studded cast for this sizable clan, starting with the matriarch Hilary (Jane Fonda), a child psychologist who's been humiliating her offspring for years by detailing their development in her bestselling how-tos. Daughter Wendy (Tina Fey) is married with children, and not especially happily. Oldest son Paul (Corey Stoll) is the one who stayed around to mind the store, both figuratively and literally; Altman's Sporting Goods is the family business. Phillip (Adam Driver) is the baby of the family, technically grown up but still acting out. And then there is Judd (Jason Bateman), the middle child in more ways than one. The breakup of his marriage becomes the spinning top on which the action and conflict turns as much as Mort's death. The Altmans' ordinariness is faithfully rendered on screen by Levy, who tends to play it safe in his films; the "Night at the Museum" series is typical of his style. Indeed, the ordinary becomes as much a defining quality of the narrative as the infidelity, arrested development, fertility issues, sexual issues and self-esteem issues that circle around, inflicting damage. At the Altmans' lowest point, which is where the film catches them, the family represents a houseful of minor regrets and modest disappointments that will be recognizable to many. Video The official trailer for "This Is Where I Leave You." The official trailer for "This Is Where I Leave You." SEE MORE VIDEOS Even religion, whose dictates have them relegated to uncomfortably low chairs in very close quarters for the requisite seven days of mourning, gets put in perspective. "This is where we put the Christmas tree," one of the religiously non-observant Altmans observes, surveying the shiva chairs. The performances are dialed down by the high-profile cast; no one in the ensemble tries to outshine the others, no scene-stealing here. It's as if Levy set the button very close to mute. Director of photography Terry Stacey and the rest of the crew follow suit. That might not be interesting enough, challenging enough for some. But for others weary of the intensity of family fiascoes that more typically make their way to the big screen these days, the slightly frayed but still warm bonds of this family may be appealing. In a relatively rare move, Tropper adapted his novel for the screen. Fans of the bestseller should find the nipping, tucking and reshaping relatively seamless, but Tropper did switch the family's name from Foxman to Altman. Whether or not the choice was an intentional nod to filmmaker Robert Altman and "This Is Where I Leave You's" Altmanesque-sized cast, at times it can feel as if you are watching Robert Altman-lite. The film is anchored by two deaths, really, and opens with the final throes of Judd's marriage. He produces a radio talk show that stars popular shock-jock, Wade Beaufort (a deft politically incorrect turn by Dax Shepard). A few hours after wrapping the latest show, surprise birthday cake for wife Quinn (Abigail Spencer) in hand, Judd is the one suddenly shocked. Quinn is, shall we say, celebrating early with someone else. Judd's barely had time to settle into his depressed new life as a wronged and self-righteously resentful ex when Wendy calls to let him know that their dad's dead. Mort's demise is made rather indecorous by Hilary's impatient removal of a breathing tube postmortem. In meeting Wendy's protests with "What am I gonna do, kill him?" Hilary sets the tone for the family exchanges to follow. With everyone gathered, the widow — in plunging neckline, too-short skirt and too-high heels — tells her children Mort's dying wish was that the family sit shiva. Mourning rituals, whatever the religion, serve as handy conceits to force a family to spend time together, to frame a movie. As the Altmans bicker and bond, extended family and friends begin to factor in, bringing plenty of conflict. Judd's old girlfriend, perky Penny Moore (Rose Byrne), proves tempting. Paul's wife, Annie (Kathryn Hahn), is desperate for a baby, so death or no death, sex will stay on schedule. Phillip's brought his much older ex-therapist-new-girlfriend-possible-fiancée with him. Tracy (Connie Britton) represents all of his unresolved mother issues. Wendy's high school sweetheart Horry (Timothy Olyphant) and his mom, and Hilary's best friend Linda (Debra Monk) still live next door and significantly stir the pot. As the complications pile up, the Altmans are a study in how to step around the messes rather than clean them up. The mess, though, is where the best humor lies — the baby monitor mistakenly left on in the room where Annie and Paul are trying to produce an heir is one of the more memorable. But the film is more interesting in the conversations that come after. As Hilary puts it one night to Judd, when it comes to talking to each other truthfully, they've gotten out of practice. But they're working on it. Things get wrapped up in a Hollywood ending that Tropper added — unnecessary, since loose ends are clearly a specialty of this clan. And when the grown-up going gets tough, the one thing you know is that the Altmans won't abandon one another. Which makes "This Is Where I Leave You" not earthshaking by any stretch, but somehow reassuring. betsy.sharkey@latimes.com ------------ ||||| When you’re making a comedy about a dysfunctional family, shouldn’t it at least pass a simple genetics test? “This Is Where I Leave You,” a misanthropic misfire adapted from Jonathan Tropper’s novel of the same name, wants viewers to believe many things, among them that even the most petty, bickering examples of bourgeois entitlement can be redeemed by pat third-act resolutions, and that “It’s complicated” passes for nuanced dialogue. But perhaps its biggest stretch is demanding that the audience take seriously the notion that Jane Fonda, Corey Stoll, Jason Bateman and Tina Fey could ever be taken for blood relations. And that motley tableau doesn’t even include Adam Driver, the scene-stealer from “Girls” who in this bland, tonally incoherent large-format sitcom resembles less a member of the misbegotten family than a being beamed in from another universe. Then again, at least Driver — who plays the black sheep of the Altman clan, gathered in suburban New York to sit shiva for their recently deceased patriarch — injects some unpredictable, and thereby remotely believable, energy into “This Is Where I Leave You,” which rounds so many formulaic bases that it might as well come with a handout punch card. Director Shawn Levy — perpetrator of “Night at the Museum” and other obvious, starchily paced comedies — clearly has no idea what to do with an ensemble of actors possessed of proven comic chops and bravura performances, here cast adrift on a continually ebbing tide of tight-lipped asides, strident outbursts and un-funny business having to do with a toilet-training toddler and the sex lives of the Altman siblings. In the case of Judd Altman, the sex life in question is actually his wife’s: When he surprises her at home on her birthday, holding an elaborately decorated cake with lit candles, the payoff will be painfully obvious even to someone coming in late from the concession stand. Bateman, playing Judd with the cuckold’s signature mix of bitterness and self-pity, evinces none of the superb timing or flickering deadpan wit that made him such a brilliant foil for the darkly zany antics of “Arrested Development,” which, when it comes to dysfunctional families, only invites invidious comparison and longing speculation about whether it’s still available on Netflix. 1 of 25 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad × What not to watch View Photos A sampling of recent movies that received one star or less from Washington Post film critics. This week, “This is Where I Leave You” joins the list. Caption A sampling of recent movies that received one star or less from Washington Post film critics. One star Marion Cotillard as Gabrielle, a woman in a loveless marriage, and Alex Brendemühl as José in the French romance “From the Land of the Moon,” which came from a novella. Alan Zilberman writes, “‘From the Land of the Moon’ features a typical Cotillard performance, yet the romance, from French actress and filmmaker Nicole Garcia, manages to convey neither triumph nor tragedy.” Read the full review Sundance Selects/IFC Films Buy Photo Wait 1 second to continue. As the Altman matriarch, Hillary, Fonda does little more than showcase a pair of conspicuously fake breasts and spout the inappropriate musings of a therapist-mother with dubious boundary issues. Fey is similarly wasted as the know-it-all, blabbermouth Wendy, whose past with a brain-damaged neighbor (Timothy Olyphant) is healed with the same perfunctory glibness as everyone else’s conveniently fraught-but-not-too-fraught story line. “Everybody’s either sad or angry or lying or cheating,” Judd observes about the Altmans at one point. True, but nobody’s very interesting — not even supporting characters played by the likes of Connie Britton and Kathryn Hahn. With a bench this deep, “This Is Where I Leave You” should have been a comedy of contemporary manners as wickedly funny as it is poignant. In the hands of Levy, it’s become just another forgettable example of low-stakes Hollywood hackwork at its most bland, banal and snipingly belligerent. “This Is Where I Leave You” leaves you wanting — if not more, than at least better and smarter and more honest. The problem, finally, is that it’s not nearly complicated enough. ★ R. At area theaters. Contains profanity, sexual content and some drug use. 103 minutes.
– Tina Fey, Jason Bateman, and Jane Fonda team up in This Is Where I Leave You, a film about siblings brought together by their father's death. Though audiences are somewhat pleased, according to Rotten Tomatoes, critics are instead ready to throw tomatoes. Here's what they're saying: Director "Shawn Levy's blithely manipulative dysfunctional-family comedy" is "a downer, really," writes Steven Rea at the Philadelphia Inquirer. And not in any good way. "The movie toys with real emotions, with our emotions, in ways that are pat and writerly and button-pushing in the cheapest, cheesiest ways." With such a cast, "how is this film not funny?" ponders Ann Hornaday at the Washington Post. Levy "clearly has no idea what to do with an ensemble of actors possessed of proven comic chops," she writes. She calls the flick a "misanthropic misfire" that "leaves you wanting—if not more, than at least better and smarter and more honest." Betsy Sharkey at the Los Angeles Times seems to like the film, though. "I can't think of a family I'd rather sit shiva with than the Altmans of This Is Where I Leave You," she writes. The flick captures "the charm of Jonathan Tropper's novel" of the same name and "the family represents a houseful of minor regrets and modest disappointments that will be recognizable to many." Though the movie offers "a promising start," it goes downhill from there, writes AO Scott at the New York Times. "Instead of smiles or tears, This Is Where I Leave You is most likely to inspire a Kickstarter campaign to reunite its main performers for a different project." Scott deems the film a "lifeless, laughless sitcom-soap that stumbles from one generic situation to the next."
Note: A conference call for media with FTC Consumer Protection Director Jessica Rich will occur as follows: Date: July 1, 2014 Time: 2:45 p.m. ET Call-in lines, which are for media only, will open 15 minutes prior to the start of the call. Jessica Rich and FTC staff will be available to take questions from the media about the case. In a complaint filed today, the Federal Trade Commission is charging mobile phone service provider T-Mobile USA, Inc., with making hundreds of millions of dollars by placing charges on mobile phone bills for purported “premium” SMS subscriptions that, in many cases, were bogus charges that were never authorized by its customers. The FTC alleges that T-Mobile received anywhere from 35 to 40 percent of the total amount charged to consumers for subscriptions for content such as flirting tips, horoscope information or celebrity gossip that typically cost $9.99 per month. According to the FTC’s complaint, T-Mobile in some cases continued to bill its customers for these services offered by scammers years after becoming aware of signs that the charges were fraudulent. Excerpts from an actual T-Mobile bill showing cramming charges. (click to view full-size) “It’s wrong for a company like T-Mobile to profit from scams against its customers when there were clear warning signs the charges it was imposing were fraudulent,” said FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez. “The FTC’s goal is to ensure that T-Mobile repays all its customers for these crammed charges.” In a process known as “third-party billing,” a phone company places charges on a consumer’s bill for services offered by another company, often receiving a substantial percentage of the amount charged. When the charges are placed on the bill without the consumer’s authorization, it is known as “cramming.” The FTC’s complaint alleges that in some cases, T-Mobile was charging consumers for services that had refund rates of up to 40 percent in a single month. The FTC has alleged that because such a large number of people were seeking refunds, it was an obvious sign to T-Mobile that the charges were never authorized by its customers. As the complaint notes, the refund rate likely significantly understates the percentage of consumers who were crammed. The complaint also states that internal company documents show that T-Mobile had received a high number of consumer complaints at least as early as 2012. The FTC has made significant efforts to end mobile cramming. In the last year, in addition to holding a public workshop on mobile cramming, the Commission has filed several lawsuits against alleged mobile cramming operations Jesta Digital, Wise Media, and Tatto Inc. According to today’s complaint, T-Mobile billed its customers for the services of these FTC defendants as well as an operation sued by the Texas Attorney General. The complaint against T-Mobile alleges that the company’s billing practices made it difficult for consumers to detect that they were being charged, much less by whom. When consumers viewed a summary of their T-Mobile bill online, according to the complaint, it did not show consumers that they were being charged by a third party, or that the charge was part of a recurring subscription. The heading under which the charges would be listed, “Premium Services,” could only be seen after clicking on a separate heading called “Use Charges.” Even after clicking, though, consumers still could not see the individual charges. The complaint also alleges that T-Mobile’s full phone bills, which can be longer than 50 pages, made it nearly impossible for consumers to find and understand third-party subscription charges. After looking past a “Summary” section as well as an “Account Service Detail” section, both of which described “Usage Charges” but did not itemize those charges, a consumer might then reach the section labeled “Premium Services,” where the crammed items would be listed. According to the complaint, the information would be listed there in an abbreviated form, such as “8888906150BrnStorm23918,” that did not explain that the charge was for a recurring third-party subscription supposedly authorized by the consumer. In addition, the complaint notes that consumers who use pre-paid calling plans do not receive monthly bills, and as a result the subscription fee was debited from their pre-paid account without their knowledge. When consumers were able to determine they were being charged for services they hadn’t ordered, the complaint alleges that T-Mobile in many cases failed to provide consumers with full refunds. Indeed, the FTC charged that T-Mobile refused refunds to some customers, offering only partial refunds of two months’ worth of the charges to others, and in other cases instructed consumers to seek refunds directly from the scammers – without providing accurate contact information to do so. The complaint also notes that in some cases, T-Mobile claimed that consumers had authorized the charges despite having no proof of consumers doing so. The FTC’s complaint seeks a court order to permanently prevent T-Mobile from engaging in mobile cramming and to obtain refunds for consumers and disgorgement of T-Mobile’s ill-gotten gains. The FTC thanks the Federal Communications Commission and its Enforcement Bureau for their invaluable assistance with and close cooperation and coordination in this matter. The Commission vote authorizing the staff to file the complaint was 5-0. The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. NOTE: The Commission files a complaint when it has “reason to believe” that the law has been or is being violated and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. The case will be decided by the court. The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 2,000 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s website provides free information on a variety of consumer topics. Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources. ||||| Earlier this afternoon, the Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint against T-Mobile, alleging the wireless carrier made hundreds of millions of dollars off of bogus premium text-messaging charges “crammed” onto customers’ bills . The response from T-Mobile CEO John Legere isn’t exactly what you would describe as contrite. “We have seen the complaint filed today by the FTC and find it to be unfounded and without merit,” writes Legere. “In fact T-Mobile stopped billing for these Premium SMS services last year and launched a proactive program to provide full refunds for any customer that feels that they were charged for something they did not want.” So there you go, America. T-Mobile shouldn’t be sued for something it made a mountain of money from because it is no longer making that mountain of money and it’s offering refunds to customers who “feel” they were charged for something they didn’t order. Legere — who struts around in a leather coat, crashing his competitors’ parties, has a history of making grandiose statements about his company and blatantly mocking his much bigger competitors, and who recently used the word “rape” in reference to AT&T and Verizon — calls the FTC suit “sensationalized,” which is a bit like Bob Hope calling Bing Crosby dead. Legere comes across like the snotty teen who got caught doing something wrong and then cops an attitude when he’s told that “I’m no longer doing it” does not wipe away the transgression. In speaking with reporters after today’s announcement, Jessica Rich, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, explained that the agency “did engage in settlement negotiations with T-Mobile, but were not able to reach a settlement.” Here is the entire statement from Legere, presented in appropriately colored text: We have seen the complaint filed today by the FTC and find it to be unfounded and without merit. In fact T-Mobile stopped billing for these Premium SMS services last year and launched a proactive program to provide full refunds for any customer that feels that they were charged for something they did not want. T-Mobile is fighting harder than any of the carriers to change the way the wireless industry operates and we are disappointed that the FTC has chosen to file this action against the most pro-consumer company in the industry rather than the real bad actors. As the Un-carrier, we believe that customers should only pay for what they want and what they sign up for.” said John Legere, CEO T Mobile USA. “We exited this business late last year, and announced an aggressive program to take care of customers and we are disappointed that the FTC has instead chosen to file this sensationalized legal action. We are the first to take action for the consumer, I am calling for the entire industry to do the same. This is about doing what is right for consumers and we put in place procedures to protect our customers from unauthorized charges. Unfortunately, not all of these third party providers acted responsibly—an issue the entire industry faced. We believe those providers should be held accountable, and the FTC’s lawsuit seeking to hold T-Mobile responsible for their acts is not only factually and legally unfounded, but also misdirected. ||||| WASHINGTON (AP) — T-Mobile USA knowingly made hundreds of millions off its customers in bogus charges, a federal regulator alleged Tuesday in a complaint likely to damage the reputation of a household name in wireless communications. In its complaint filed in federal court, the Federal Trade Commission claimed that T-Mobile billed consumers for subscriptions to premium text services such as $10-per-month horoscopes that were never authorized by the account holder. The FTC alleges that T-Mobile collected as much as 40 percent of the charges, even after being alerted by other customers that the subscriptions were scams. "It's wrong for a company like T-Mobile to profit from scams against its customers when there were clear warning signs the charges it was imposing were fraudulent," said FTC Chair Edith Ramirez. "The FTC's goal is to ensure that T-Mobile repays all its customers for these crammed charges." The practice is often referred to as "cramming": businesses stuff a customer's bill with bogus charges associated with a third party. In this case, the FTC says T-Mobile should have realized that many of these premium text services were scams because of the high rate of customer complaints. But while as many as 40 percent of customers demanded refunds, others didn't notice the charges. Headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, T-Mobile USA, Inc., is a publicly traded company. According to its website, Deutsche Telekom AG maintains a 67 percent ownership in the company's common stock.
– If you're a T-Mobile customer, the following is unlikely to deepen your love for your mobile carrier. The FTC today filed a complaint alleging that T-Mobile has for years "crammed bogus charges onto customers' bills," making hundreds of millions in the process, per a press release on the matter. The FTC claims that T-Mobile took a 35% to 40% cut of the typically $9.99 per month cost of subscriptions that were, in many cases, not authorized by its customers. What kinds of subscriptions? "Flirting tips, horoscope information, or celebrity gossip." The practice is known as "cramming," explains the AP: businesses stuff a customer's bill with bogus charges associated with a third party. And the FTC alleges there were "clear warning signs the charges it was imposing were fraudulent": In some months, T-Mobile saw as many as 40% of customers demanding refunds, a rate the FTC feels should have raised red flags. Further, internal company documents show the elevated level of complaints stretched back to at least early 2012. The FTC wants a court order barring T-Mobile from engaging in cramming, refunds, and "disgorgement of T-Mobile's ill-gotten gains." Writing for Consumerist, Chris Morran isn't impressed with T-Mobile CEO John Legere's response, which reads in part: "T-Mobile stopped billing for these Premium SMS services last year and launched a proactive program to provide full refunds for any customer that feels that they were charged for something they did not want." Writes Morran, "So there you go, America. T-Mobile shouldn't be sued for something it made a mountain of money from because it is no longer making that mountain of money and it’s offering refunds to customers who 'feel' they were charged for something they didn't order."
"Spicy's back!" That's how Melissa McCarthy brought back her beloved impression of Press Secretary Sean Spicer to NBC's "Saturday Night Live" on Saturday night. The actress, who was also this week's host, kicked off a sketch with Spicer in the bushes outside the White House before taking back the lectern from Aidy Bryant's Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. McCarthy's Spicer took questions from the White House press about President Donald Trump's firing of FBI Chief James Comey, as well as Russia. "Let me just put this whole Russian thing to bed once and for all, Trump is innocent," McCarthy's press secretary said. "How do we know? Because he told us so. Period." The sketch included "Spicer" attacking reporters with fire extinguishers and even structures of the White House itself before the reporters asked if Trump is lying to Spicer. Spicy heads to NYC to find Trump. pic.twitter.com/XYUgDnESme — Frank Pallotta (@frankpallotta) May 14, 2017 "He wouldn't do that," McCarthy's Spicer said. "He's my friend!" One reporter then asked Spicer that if Trump is such a good friend, why is everyone saying that Trump is about to replace Spicer with Sanders? To find out, McCarthy's dismayed Spicer took his moving lectern to the streets of New York to speak with Trump. Unfortunately, Trump was at "a golf course in New Jersey." Related: Alec Baldwin made 'SNL' great again, but Melissa McCarthy made it 'Spicy' "Have you ever told me to say things that aren't true?" McCarthy's Spicer asked Trump, played by Alec Baldwin. "Only since you started working here," Baldwin's Trump responded. Spicer then told Trump he couldn't do this anymore, which led the President to say how much he cares about Spicer and even request a kiss. "Is this like 'The Godfather' where you kiss me and no one ever sees me again?" McCarthy's Spicer asked. "Yes," Baldwin's Trump responded before going in for a long, deep kiss. That wasn't the only sketch for Baldwin's Trump. The faux President also opened the show in an interview with NBC anchor Lester Holt, who was played by Michael Che. Che's Holt asked "Trump" about how some had drawn comparisons between Trump and Richard Nixon this week. "No, no, no, I am nothing like Nixon ... I bet Nixon only got one scoop of ice cream for dessert. But I get two scoops, OK? Two scoops," Baldwin's Trump said, holding two fingers up on each hand in the air, reminiscent of Nixon's iconic pose. ||||| In this photo provided by NBC, Melissa McCarthy as White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, performs during "Spicer Returns" on the television show "Saturday Night Live," Saturday, May 13, 2017, in New... (Associated Press) NEW YORK (AP) — Melissa McCarthy once again brought comic spice plus Spicer to "Saturday Night Live." After a spate of guest appearances mocking White House press secretary Sean Spicer in recent weeks, she was back on Saturday's edition of the NBC satire show to preside as host. One sketch featured McCarthy as the hot-tempered Spicer commandeering his motorized podium through the streets of midtown Manhattan - a sequence spotted by the media on Friday while it was being filmed. The show began with Alec Baldwin reprising his piercing impersonation of President Donald Trump. Interviewed by NBC News' Lester Holt (actually cast member Michael Che), Trump was asked if he could assure the nation he wouldn't name someone "crazy" to replace ousted FBI Director James Comey. Trump said his choice would be "so bonkers" everyone would wish it were Judge Judy. McCarthy took repeated pies to the face as a hapless contestant on a game show called "Just Desserts!" Then things got even more physical with the latest White House press briefing spoof. The sketch began with cast member Aidy Bryant playing Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House aide who subbed for Spicer for a few days last week. But quickly Spicer jumped from the bushes just outside the press room to reclaim his spot, pushing Sanders aside. "Let me put this whole Russian thing to bed: Trump is innocent," he seethed at the press corps. "How do we know? Because he TOLD us so!" Then a reporter asked, "Were you surprised Trump fired Comey before he fired you?" Blowing his top, Spicer ripped down a support column and hurled it at the reporter. But was this true? Was Spicer's job really in jeopardy? Had Trump been feeding him lies? Spicer cranked up his motorized podium and hit the road for New York to confront Trump and find out. "Have you ever told me to say things that aren't true?" Spicer asked Trump after tracking him down. "Only since you started working here," Trump replied. Then they kissed and made up, literally, with Trump and Spicer locked in a tight embrace.
– Melissa McCarthy once again brought comic spice to Saturday Night Live: After a spate of guest appearances mocking White House press secretary Sean Spicer in recent weeks, she was back on Saturday's edition as host. McCarthy played the hot-tempered Spicer whizzing on his motorized podium through the streets of Manhattan—a sequence spotted on Friday as it was filmed, reports the AP. In the latest White House press briefing spoof, Aidy Bryant playing Sarah Huckabee Sanders, but Spicer jumped from the bushes just outside the press room to reclaim his spot, pushing Sanders aside. "Let me put this whole Russian thing to bed: Trump is innocent," he seethed. "How do we know? Because he TOLD us so!" A reporter asked, "Were you surprised Trump fired Comey before he fired you?" Blowing his top, Spicer ripped down a support column and hurled it at the reporter. But was this true? Was Spicer's job really in jeopardy? Had Trump been feeding him lies? Spicer cranked up his motorized podium and hit the road for New York to confront Alec Baldwin as Trump and find out. "Have you ever told me to say things that aren't true?" Spicer asked Trump after tracking him down. "Only since you started working here," Trump replied. Baldwin earlier played Trump in the show's Cold Open. Interviewed by NBC News' Lester Holt (Michael Che), Trump was asked if he could assure the nation he wouldn't name someone "crazy" to replace James Comey. Trump said his choice would be "so bonkers" everyone would wish it were Judge Judy. As for those Nixonian comparisons, per CNN, "No, no, no, I am nothing like Nixon ... I bet Nixon only got one scoop of ice cream for dessert. But I get two scoops, OK? Two scoops," Baldwin said, holding up two fingers and emulating Nixon's "V" sign.
The so-called "birther bill" won initial approval from the House of Representatives on Monday, advancing legislation that would require presidential candidates to produce a birth certificate before they can make the ballot in Arizona. The legislation originated from a fringe group that believes President Barack Obama is not a natural-born citizen of the United States and therefore ineligible to be president. Rep. Judy Burges amended Senate Bill 1024 to include a requirement that Arizona's Secretary of State inspect a presidential candidate's birth certificate before that candidate could qualify for the ballot. Similar laws have been proposed in Oklahoma, Florida and Missouri. None have been signed into law. Democrats criticized Burges' amendment, saying presidential candidates already had to prove their citizenship before they can run for the office. "Republicans continue to take Arizona down the wrong track by wasting taxpayers' time on frivolous legislation instead of working on important issues like health care for kids and seniors and education," said Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Phoenix, in a statement. Burges, a Skull Valley Republican, did not respond to a call for comment. Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett also expressed concern about Burges' amendment, saying that creating state-level eligibility requirements to run for federal office could violate the U.S. Constitution. "While everyone has an interest in ensuring that only eligible citizens run for president, there are obvious issues with states implementing what could become a patchwork of different tests for a presidential candidate to prove his/her citizenship," said Bennett's spokesman, Matthew Benson, in an e-mail. The amended bill still needs final approval from the House and will require another vote in the Senate before it can be transmitted to Gov. Jan Brewer. ||||| Web wide crawl with initial seedlist and crawler configuration from March 2011. This uses the new HQ software for distributed crawling by Kenji Nagahashi. What?s in the data set: Crawl start date: 09 March, 2011 Crawl end date: 23 December, 2011 Number of captures: 2,713,676,341 Number of unique URLs: 2,273,840,159 Number of hosts: 29,032,069 The seed list for this crawl was a list of Alexa?s top 1 million web sites, retrieved close to the crawl start date. We used Heritrix (3.1.1-SNAPSHOT) crawler software and respected robots.txt directives. The scope of the crawl was not limited except for a few manually excluded sites. However this was a somewhat experimental crawl for us, as we were using newly minted software to feed URLs to the crawlers, and we know there were some operational issues with it. For example, in many cases we may not have crawled all of the embedded and linked objects in a page since the URLs for these resources were added into queues that quickly grew bigger than the intended size of the crawl (and therefore we never got to them). We also included repeated crawls of some Argentinian government sites, so looking at results by country will be somewhat skewed. We have made many changes to how we do these wide crawls since this particular example, but we wanted to make the data available ?warts and all? for people to experiment with. We have also done some further analysis of the content. If you would like access to this set of crawl data, please contact us at info at archive dot org and let us know who you are and what you?re hoping to do with it. We may not be able to say ?yes? to all requests, since we?re just figuring out whether this is a good idea, but everyone will be considered.
– The Arizona House has given its initial blessing to a bill that would require Barack Obama to show his birth certificate before he can be put on the ballot in 2012, the Arizona Republic reports. The House voted 31 to 22 to add the so-called “birther bill” as an amendment to an unrelated Senate bill. Similar laws have also been proposed in Florida, Oklahoma and Missouri. House Democrats fruitlessly pointed out that presidential candidates already have to prove their citizenship before they can run for office. One rep called the bill “frivolous” saying it would make Arizona “the laughing stock of the nation.” The proposal's sponsor declined to comment; another Republican told the AP he believed Obama was a citizen, but supported the bill because it would help end any doubt.
JEFFERSON — State Police are investigating a report that a boa constrictor was spotted loose in the water of Lake Hopatcong Wednesday afternoon. State Police spokesperson Trooper Jeff Flynn said "a concerned citizen" called Jefferson Township police at 12:05 p.m. to report seeing the snake in the water near Capp Beach. Jefferson Police Capt. Eric Wilsusen said township police were notified, but since the snake was spotted in the water the matter was referred to the marine unit of the State Police located on Lake Hopatcong. Wilsusen and Flynn said the animal was reported to be greater than 14 feet in length, and that no one had called to report a missing snake. Wilsusen said it wasn't clear how the individual who reported the snake knew it was a boa constrictor, and not one of the native species of water snakes found in the lake. News of the snake sighting made its way onto social media as the Facebook page for Byram Cove Party posted an advisory Wednesday: "Lake Hopatcong friends please beware of a very large reported 15+ft Boa Constrictor that has been seen by several neighbors, last seen swimming toward Halsey Island. Animal control has been called." • More Morris County news: NJ.com/morris | Twitter | Facebook ||||| A boa constrictor as long as 20 feet is on the loose in Lake Hopatcong. (Credit: CBS 2) HOPATCONG, N.J. (CBSNewYork) — A new danger has been lurking in the waters of the largest lake in New Jersey, in the form of a potentially dangerous snake. As CBS 2’s Tracee Carrasco reported, a boa constrictor that could be up to 20 feet long is on the loose around Lake Hopatcong, and neighbors have been worried. “(My boyfriend) turned to me and said, ‘There’s a snake in the water,’ and I said, ‘There’s no way there’s a snake in the water,’” said area resident Michelle Poli. But there was indeed a snake in the water, and not a small, friendly garter snake either. Poli has been looking nervously into the murky waters outside her Lake Hopatcong home, knowing somewhere that there is a massive snake swimming around. “It’s scary, because you don’t know where he’s creeping from, so we just want it caught,” she said. In the last two weeks, Poli and her boyfriend have seen the snake swimming. The snake even made its way into their boathouse. Now, after a dozen different sightings, Hopatcong animal control officers believe the 15- to 20-foot-long boa constrictor is in the water, and they have warned lake goers to be alert. “What we’re afraid of is the animals, small dogs, cats, raccoons — and I would advise people not to put their baby in the lake,” said animal control Officer Dale Sloat. “A snake this size can probably swim about 25 miles an hour.” Sloat believes the boa constrictor was likely someone’s pet, and was released into the water when it became too big to care for. “We have to catch it,” Sloat said. While boa constrictors are not poisonous snakes, animal control officers said anyone who might happen to run into it in the water or on land should not try to capture it on his or her own. “You don’t want to touch it. You don’t want to go towards it. You don’t want to threaten it. It’s not going to come at a person unless it’s threatened, cornered, caught – then, it will squeeze you to death,” Sloat said. “This big a snake would be aggressive.” Poli is taking precautions herself. “We’re staying out of the water,” she said. “We’re really not using the backyard.” When the boa constrictor is captured, it will likely be taken to a snake sanctuary. Check Out These Other Stories From CBSNewYork.com:
– Move over, Nessie: There's a deadly monster in New Jersey's biggest lake, and there's no sign that this one's a hoax. A boa constrictor between 15 and 20 feet long has been spotted about a dozen times in Lake Hopatcong, CBS New York reports. One couple has seen it swimming and slithering into their boathouse. "What we’re afraid of is the animals, small dogs, cats, raccoons—and I would advise people not to put their baby in the lake," says an animal control official. "We have to catch it." He has some more advice for locals and visitors: "You don’t want to touch it. You don’t want to go towards it. You don’t want to threaten it. It’s not going to come at a person unless it’s threatened, cornered, caught. Then, it will squeeze you to death," he notes. “This big a snake would be aggressive." The official thinks the snake was a pet let loose when it got too big. State police are on the case, NJ.com reports. (Of course, Nessie could be real, too.)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Sunday he will offer details on how he would like to overhaul President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law in a speech to the U.S. Congress on Tuesday. U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during the Governor's Dinner in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, U.S., February 26, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts Since they now control the White House and Congress, Republicans are under pressure to fulfill their pledge to repeal and replace the Obamacare law although they have found no easy way to do it. The law has proven popular in many states, even those controlled by Republicans, and it enabled millions of previously uninsured people to get affordable coverage, although steep premium increases angered some. Trump is to talk about healthcare, among other topics, in a nationally televised address on Tuesday night to a joint session of Congress. Trump reiterated his pledge to repeal and replace the Obamacare law in remarks at a black-tie dinner for the National Governors Association. “We’re going to be speaking very specifically about a very complicated subject,” Trump said. “I think we have something that is really going to be excellent.” Republicans have yet to agree on a single detailed policy proposal to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. Some moderates want to revise the law and not abandon it entirely while conservatives want to repeal it completely. Still to be worked out are details including the future of Medicaid, the government health insurance program for the poor that was expanded in more than 30 states under Obamacare, and how a new healthcare law would be funded. Trump said he would be discuss healthcare on Monday when he meets some of the governors who are in Washington for the National Governors Association’s annual meeting. Trump cast his first weeks in office in a positive light despite stumbles including an executive order aimed at banning people from seven Muslim-majority nations that was immediately embroiled in a court challenge. “We’ve made a lot of promises over the last two years, and many of those promises already are kept so we’ve very honored by that,” he said. Trump turned the microphone over to Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat who chairs the governors association. McAuliffe is a long-time supporter of former President Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary, whom Trump defeated in the Nov. 8 presidential election. McAuliffe told Trump, “We want to work with you” on creating jobs and strong healthcare system. ||||| poster="http://v.politico.com/images/1155968404/201702/2990/1155968404_5339620683001_5339588189001-vs.jpg?pubId=1155968404" true Trump: ‘Nobody knew that health care could be so complicated’ The president appears to nod to the grim political reality around repealing and replacing Obamacare. President Donald Trump on Monday claimed that “nobody knew that health care could be so complicated,” and again flirted with the idea that Republicans should let Obamacare “implode” so that Democrats shoulder the blame. Even as he re-upped his commitment to repealing and replacing Obamacare during separate gatherings with governors and insurance CEOs, Trump appeared to nod to the grim political reality of yanking away the increasingly popular law. Story Continued Below "Let it be a disaster, because we can blame that on the Dems that are in our room -- and we can blame that on the Democrats and President Obama," Trump said in remarks to the National Governors Association. "But we have to do what's right, because Obamacare is a failed disaster." He also used some strained logic to explain why Obamacare’s popularity has continued to generally tick up, with a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll released last week finding that 43 percent of voters think the law was a good idea, while 41 percent said it was a bad idea. (It was a slight dip from January, in which 45 percent said the law was a good idea, but overall, the law’s popularity has been steadily rising over the past two years). Trump on Monday theorized that polls show the program’s approval rating climbing not because people like it, but because they know Republicans will soon repeal it. He did not offer more of an explanation for the claim. “People hate it, but now they see that the end is coming, and they're saying, ‘Oh, maybe we love it,’” Trump said. “There's nothing to love. It's a disaster, folks.” He also seemed to express surprise at the complexity of the reform process. “I have to tell you, it’s an unbelievably complex subject,” Trump said. “Nobody knew that health care could be so complicated.” Trump throughout his campaign publicly pledged to quickly kill and replace Obamacare, while never getting specific about what the alternative would look like. After the election, however, he’s appeared at times to waffle about yanking the law, tweeting on Jan. 4 that it would be more politically savvy to let Democrats own the Obamacare “disaster.” Recently he’s promised to release his Obamacare alternative plan by early to mid-March, but there’s been trepidation among some Republicans, especially after many GOP lawmakers were forced to confront angry constituents at recent town halls who are worried about losing their health care. Republicans, who have blamed Obamacare for industry problems like increases in premiums and say the law represents government overreach, are now running into trouble agreeing what to put in its place if they kill it. Some 20 million people depend on the law for their insurance, and Republicans worry about the further backlash they may face if some of those people lose their coverage under a new plan. On Monday, Trump gave more mixed signals, both expressing political reservations and emphasizing his commitment to repeal and replace former President Barack Obama’s signature achievement, which is formally known as the Affordable Care Act. As he met on Monday with insurance company chief executives, Trump reiterated his description of Obamacare as a "disaster" that is "only getting worse." He also discussed his own upcoming plan, pledging that it will be competitive and "great" for "the patients, for the people and hopefully for the companies." "Costs will come down, and I think the health care will go up very, very substantially," the president said. "I think people are gonna like it a lot. We've taken the best of everything we can take." Trump also told the group that he has instructed his health and human services secretary, Tom Price, to work with industry leaders to "stabilize the insurance markets and to ensure a smooth transition to the new plan." ||||| Donald Trump is learning. If there’s one thing almost everybody across the political spectrum knows about health-care reform, it’s that it’s really hard. People who study the issue closely know it. People who don’t follow the issue know. (That’s why lots of smart people don’t follow the issue closely — it’s really hard!) But there is apparently a category of people who did not realize until very recently that the issue is hard, and that category consists of Donald J. Trump, who told reporters today, “It’s an unbelievably complex subject. Nobody knew health care could be so complicated.” Health-care reform is extremely complicated even under the best of circumstances. But when you combine the inherent complexities of the subject with the ideological rigidities of the conservative movement, the problem goes from hard to prohibitively impossible. Providing access to medical care to the tens of millions of Americans who can’t afford it on their own, because they’re too poor or too sick, is arithmetically futile if you’re bound by a dogma that opposes redistribution from the rich and healthy to the poor and sick. House Republicans have decided to resolve the contradiction between party dogma and the promise not to harm the public in favor of the former. A study prepared by the National Governors Association, and which leaked to the media Saturday evening, finds that the House Republicans leadership’s formative plan to replace Obamacare will deprive millions of people of their insurance. The Wall Street Journal reports that Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell, lacking the votes for a plan that would create massive humanitarian and economic damage to the health-care sector and millions of voters who would lose their access to care, want to just push the bill ahead anyway. Their purported calculation is that they can force wavering Republicans to go along with the bill for fear of betraying the noble cause of Obamacare repeal that has animated the base for years. “You’re a Republican, you’ve been running to repeal Obamacare, they put a repeal bill in front of you … Are you going to be the Republican senator who prevents Obamacare repeal from being sent to a Republican president who is willing to sign it?” said Doug Badger, a longtime Republican leadership health-policy adviser, tells the Journal. Juliet Eilperin and Amy Goldstein report that many of the most orthodox members of Trump’s administration, including Mike Pence, who is close to Paul Ryan, side with this strategy. On the other hand, they report, numerous Trump advisers are concerned about the political fallout of blowing up the health-care system. These advisers include Jared Kushner, NEC director Gary Cohn, senior policy adviser Stephen Miller and chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon. And the reason they fear that is that Trump did not just run on repeal. He ran for president making irreconcilable promises on health care. To win support from voters, he promised “terrific” insurance that would “take care of everybody.” But to remain acceptable to Republican elites, he avoided embracing any policies that would violate party dogma against tax increases. The actual details of his health-care plan were fuzzy and usually ignored, but to the extent they existed at all, they consisted mainly of warmed-over conservative platitudes that would mostly resemble the old, pre-Obamacare system and do little or nothing to cover the uninsurable. Trump held together the contradiction by simply pretending the solution would reveal itself over time and would be extremely easy. Quite likely Trump believed this himself — as a committed nonreader, and a narcissistic devotee of his own negotiating prowess, he surely believed that he could broker a deal that would satisfy both the moral objective of universal coverage and the specific ideological hang-ups that had prevented his party from ever supporting a plan that would accomplish it in the past. The only thing that held Trump’s position together was a refusal to engage with the substance of the issue, and a magical belief that it could all be waved away. At best, he will keep either his promise to the Republican elite or his promise to the electorate. At worst he will keep neither. His offhand comment that the issue is hard is a window into the mind of a man who realizes the jig is almost up. ||||| Republican leaders who are preparing a bill to repeal Obamacare have a new strategy: betting that fellow GOP lawmakers will think twice about blocking it. WSJ's Louise Radnofsky explains on Lunch Break with Tanya Rivero. Photo: Reuters WASHINGTON—Republican leaders are betting that the only way for Congress to repeal the Affordable Care Act is to set a bill in motion and gamble that fellow GOP lawmakers won’t dare to block it. Party leaders are poised to act on the strategy as early as this week, after it has become obvious they can’t craft a proposal that will carry an easy majority in either chamber. Lawmakers return to Washington Monday after a week of raucous town halls in their districts that amplified pressure on Republicans to forge ahead with their...
– President Trump will lay out details of his plan to repeal and replace ObamaCare in his State of the Union speech Tuesday night, reports Reuters, but he acknowledged Monday that things are moving more slowly than he'd hoped. "I have to tell you, it's an unbelievably complex subject," he said during a meeting with governors at the White House, per Politico. "Nobody knew that health care could be so complicated." (That last line is drawing scorn from critics, as in this post at New York from Jonathan Chait. He faults Trump for "simply pretending the solution would reveal itself over time and would be extremely easy.") Still, Republican leaders remain committed to keeping their promise, and the Wall Street Journal reports that they're moving closer to a risky strategy in the House and Senate: Call a vote and "dare" rank-and-file Republicans to oppose them. The strategy is a gamble because GOP leaders can afford only two defections in the Senate and 22 in the House, and different factions have threatened to defect over a slew of reasons, including tax credits and Medicaid funding. But a GOP health policy adviser puts it this way: “You’re a Republican, you’ve been running to repeal ObamaCare, they put a repeal bill in front of you," says Doug Badger. "Are you going to be the Republican senator who prevents ObamaCare repeal from being sent to a Republican president who is willing to sign it?” Meanwhile, a new survey suggests that ObamaCare is more popular than ever, but Trump belittled that notion. "People hate it, but now they see that the end is coming and they're saying, 'Oh, maybe we love it,'" he said. "There's nothing to love. It's a disaster folks, OK? So you have to remember that."
It’s now really almost over. The hat trick of primaries in Wisconsin, Maryland and Washington, D.C., capped yet another no-drama evening in Mitt Romney’s march toward the GOP presidential nomination. Romney is now more than halfway toward the delegates he needs to win his party’s nod, and Rick Santorum lost his last shot at a big, momentum-changing Midwestern win. Text Size - + reset Romney takes three primaries Santorum speaks after loses Below are POLITICO’s five takeaways on the night. 1) The curtain is closing Santorum is vowing to fight on, with a defiant election night speech delivered in his home state of Pennsylvania, miles away from where the votes were cast, replete with Etch-a-Sketch references and other less than genial comments about Romney. He said the race is at “halftime,” even though most political watchers and Republican leaders think it’s in the fourth quarter. He has a path to deny Romney 1,144 delegates — the number needed to win the GOP nod — if he stays in the game through May and June. And the primary may indeed last another month or two. But right now, there is now even less of a path to 1,144 for Santorum. Romney was not poised for a blowout in Wisconsin, and Santorum can take some comfort from the margin there, having once again outperformed the final polls before the vote and the exit surveys. That speaks again to the fact that there is anti-Romney sentiment in the GOP, but the field has been too weak to take advantage of it. (Also on POLITICO: PHOTOS: 50 craziest quotes of the 2012 race) Romney was on track to amass at least 75 of the 98 delegates available on Tuesday night. There is no real role for Santorum other than spoiler as exit polls showed him doing well among voters who had backed him before — the “very conservative” and evangelicals, who made up a smaller portion of the Maryland and Wisconsin electorate than in Southern states. There is no real role for Santorum other than spoiler as exit polls showed Romney doing well among voters who had eluded him before — that is, the “very conservative” and evangelicals who made up a smaller portion of the Maryland and Wisconsin electorate than they did in Southern states. Nonetheless, Romney made gains, and the narrative about him struggling with conservatives will continue, but it will become tougher to sell, even as concerns about the front-runner remain within the base. Santorum now is going to find it harder to get media oxygen and donor support. “Since his wins in Alabama and Mississippi, Santorum has, essentially, had the two-man race he wanted, and he’s only won in one state, Louisiana,” said conservative strategist Keith Appell. “He can stay in as long as the money keeps coming in, but the delegate clock is ticking. No one can, or should, tell a candidate to get out of the race, and Santorum is also looking to the future.” Appell added a note of caution regarding Santorum’s future, a theme that many have sounded in recent weeks. “The Republican Party primary voters tend to be drawn to the so-called next person in line, and he could be that person if Romney wins the nomination but loses to Obama in the fall. If that’s part of his calculation, then he also has to consider how he conducts himself if he continues to lose and Romney looks more and more inevitable.” It’s understandable that Santorum would want a chance to run in his home state later this month. But last night’s votes are likely to dent his poll numbers there. And the party has already started running out of patience. ||||| Story highlights Evangelicals, tea partiers and others from Santorum's coalition voted for Romney Santorum's campaign now pins its hopes on Pennsylvania and Texas Big endorsements finally paid off for Romney campaign Republican presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney had a big night Tuesday, sweeping primaries in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Wisconsin and putting more distance between himself and closest pursuer Rick Santorum in the race for delegates. Here are five things we learned from Tuesday's vote: Santorum's coalition fell apart Wisconsin Republicans didn't just side with Mitt Romney on Tuesday -- they rejected Rick Santorum. Make no mistake: Santorum campaigned hard in Wisconsin, raising the stakes for the primary. JUST WATCHED Santorum looking ahead to PA primary Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Santorum looking ahead to PA primary 02:16 JUST WATCHED Obama looking ahead to Romney face-off? Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Obama looking ahead to Romney face-off? 03:29 He ignored Maryland, the night's other big prize, and hit the Wisconsin bowling alley-and-cheese curd circuit, telling voters how a win there would shake up the GOP race. "Wisconsin will send a sound around this country, like the sound of Lexington and Concord," Santorum said at a rally in Beaver Dam. "You will be the shot heard 'round the world." That shot was never fired, because the Santorum coalition actually voted for Romney. Big sweep for Romney Evangelicals, tea party supporters, those supporting "traditional values" and people calling themselves "very conservative" went Romney's way, exit polls showed. And one of Santorum's key messages -- that Romney can't stand up to Barack Obama because of his support for a health insurance mandate in Massachusetts -- also fell flat. On the exit poll question of "Who do you trust to handle health care?" it was Romney who came out on top. But Santorum will fight on Over the last 10 days, the media and the Republican establishment seemed to come to a consensus -- cheered on by the Romney campaign -- that a Santorum loss in Wisconsin would spell doom for his campaign. That may be true given Romney's wide delegate lead and his snowballing momentum, but Santorum showed no signs of quitting Tuesday, promising to forge ahead through May, when a slew of conservative Southern states will cast votes. Santorum: "It's halftime" He delivered his concession speech in the tiny town of Mars, Pennsylvania, boasting of his intimate connection with the state he represented in Congress for 16 years. In an interview on CNN, Santorum's chief strategist John Brabender claimed that wins in Pennsylvania on April 24 and Texas on May 29 would propel his boss to the nomination over Romney -- a dubious claim considering that victories in both states would do little to cut into Romney's delegate advantage. But even if a Pennsylvania win would somehow help secure the nomination for Santorum, the opposite is also true: A loss in his home state would cripple his campaign. It's possible that might happen, and the Romney campaign knows it, which is precisely why the frontrunner will ride his latest burst of momentum into Pennsylvania on Wednesday for two days of campaigning on Santorum's turf. Big-name endorsements finally had an impact We've written in this space before that endorsements have been the fool's gold of this election cycle: attention-grabbing and sought after, but ultimately not worth very much. This was not true in Wisconsin, Tuesday's marquee battleground. Romney was practically swimming in big-name endorsements in the run-up to the vote, thanks to a GOP establishment increasingly eager to end the Republican-on-Republican mayhem and pivot to the fall election against President Barack Obama. Top conservatives like Marco Rubio, Mike Lee and Wisconsin's own Paul Ryan jumped on the Romney train last week, as did former President George H.W. Bush. And leading Republicans as ideologically distant as Mitch McConnell and Jim DeMint expressed their desire to see the Republican primary fight wrap up, implicitly siding with Romney. Wisconsin was paying attention. More than 60% of Republicans said the Romney endorsements were a factor in their votes, and 33% called them an "important" factor. Most of those voters, of course, broke heavily toward Romney. The message these new surrogates were pushing -- that Romney is the likely nominee even if he doesn't have the delegates yet -- appeared to resonate. A huge majority of Wisconsin Republicans, 83%, said Romney is "most likely" to win the GOP nomination. Embattled governor has a posse Exit polling out of Wisconsin revealed some bad news for Democrats and their organized labor allies: Republicans adore Scott Walker, their embattled governor who faces a recall election in June. Walker's job is on the line thanks to his controversial push last year to roll back collective bargaining rights for state workers. But the Republican base has his back. According to exit polls, 82% of those who voted in Tuesday's primary approve of Walker as governor, and 71% "strongly" approve. That emphatic support will be crucial for Walker as he faces off against his probable Democratic opponent, former Milwaukee mayor Tom Barrett, in a race likely to be decided by a tiny slice of undecided voters. A poll from NBC News and Marist released last week showed that Wisconsin registered voters are evenly divided on Walker, with 48% percent approving of his job performance and 48% disapproving. Only 6% of Wisconsinites in the poll said they were undecided about which candidate to get behind. The formula for Walker, then, is pretty straightforward: sway most of the undecided voters, and get those who "strongly" approve of his record to the polls on June 5. Barack Obama will be the Democratic nominee OK, we already knew that. But according to CNN's delegate estimate, the president collected enough delegates in Maryland and the District of Columbia on Tuesday night to formally secure the Democratic nomination. Now we know for certain that Obama will accept his party's nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte. The news officially puts to rest the silly chatter about a Democratic primary challenger (Howard Dean! Russ Feingold!) that bubbled up in 2010 during the most dismal moments of Obama's presidency.
– Mitt Romney scored a hat trick, winning all three of yesterday's primaries in Wisconsin, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. CNN and Politico each offer five takeaways: Wisconsin rejected Rick Santorum: It was Santorum's last shot at winning a Midwestern state, and he ignored Maryland in order to hit what CNN calls the "bowling alley-and-cheese curd circuit" in Wisconsin. It didn't work: His typical supporters, including evangelicals, tea partiers, and the "very conservative," voted for Romney anyway. Even so, he's not going anywhere: Despite the fact that many seemed to believe a Wisconsin loss would mean the end for Santorum, he's still focused on denying Romney the magic number of 1,144 delegates—and, for the time being, he still has a path to do so. All eyes are on Pennsylvania: Both Romney and Santorum have set the bar high for the April 24 primary in Santorum's home state. Romney knows that a loss in Pennsylvania could really spell doom for Santorum, so he's in the state today for two days of campaigning. Polls are tight, and some Romney supporters hope that Santorum will ultimately leave the race ahead of the primary if he thinks he won't win. Endorsements are starting to make a difference: Romney's VIP supporters may have offered less-than-enthusiastic endorsements, but exit polls in Wisconsin show that more than 60% of Republicans—most of them Romney voters—were influenced by those endorsements. Things are looking good for Scott Walker and Barack Obama: Wisconsin exit polls show that the governor has a lot of support as he faces a recall election in June. Meanwhile, in Maryland and DC, Obama scored enough delegates to secure the Democratic nomination. Click to hear from all the pundits who declared that it's over and Romney's the nominee after last night.
MANILA (Reuters) - A Philippine ban on smoking in public places received broad support on Friday, with anti-tobacco activists hailing it as a victory and some smokers saying they were now prepared to kick the habit. A tricycle taxi driver smokes cigarette, while taking a break along a main street, in metro Manila, Philippines May 19, 2017. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco Even an industry lobby group, the Philippine Tobacco Institute (PTI), said it supported the regulation and acknowledged the health objectives. President Rodrigo Duterte this week signed an executive order delayed from last year due to corporate resistance. It sets strict guidelines on designated smoking areas. Shares in LT Group Inc, the Philippines’ top cigarette maker, fell as much as 4.4 percent to near one-month low following the news. The law takes effect 60 days after its publication in a newspaper. “This is a victory for us,” said Maricar Limpin, executive director of Action on Smoking and Health Philippines. “This (order) highlights the need to protect the people from the harsh exposure to second hand smoke.” The order imposes an “absolute ban” in schools, gas stations, hospitals, “food preparation areas” and stairwells, health officials said. It also covers existing bans on the sale, distribution and purchase of tobacco products to and from minors and restrictions on cigarette advertisements and promotions. Health Secretary Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial expressed optimism the ban would encourage people to quit. More than a million Filipinos quit smoking between 2010 and 2015, the biggest ever reduction in the world, she said. “By 2020, when we do the next survey, we expect almost or even higher reduction in cigarette prevalence,” she told CNN Philippines. Jojo Primivida, a 48-year-old courier driver and father of six, said he was ready to quit, aware of the tough regulations and penalties. “I know I can do it. I’m a heavy smoker before, but now I smoke only after meals,” he said, puffing a Marlboro at a public area near his workplace. Office worker Jobell Lisana said he has been smoking since school days but was willing to stop. “Quitting is easier said than done, but I will probably stop because now there will be fines and penalties.” Slideshow (2 Images) The PTI lobby group said it agreed with the new rules. “We have always supported regulation of public smoking as provided for under the national law including the designation of areas where smoking is allowed,” it said. The group represents tobacco companies such as Philip Morris Philippines Manufacturing Inc, Fortune Tobacco Corp, British American Tobacco, JT International (Philippines) Inc, among others. ||||| (CNN) First it was drugs, now it's cigarettes. Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte's war on vice is expanding, as the popular strongman politician looks to stamp out one of the country's most popular habits. Duterte signed an executive order this week for a nationwide smoking ban, prohibiting people from lighting up in all public places. The order also includes hefty punishments -- including jail time -- for anyone caught advertising or providing tobacco products to minors. Under the order, which takes effect in mid-July, the use of both regular and electronic cigarettes will only be allowed in "designated smoking areas" (DSAs) that are in open spaces or rooms with ventilation. Anyone under the age of 18 will be prohibited from entering. Previously, smoking was banned in schools, universities, health clinics and government offices, but not indoor offices and workplaces, bars, restaurants and cafes. Read More
– Smokers in the Philippines, look out. President Rodrigo Duterte, notorious for his brutal crackdown on drug users, now wants to wipe out smoking, too. Duterte issued a nationwide executive order Thursday banning smoking in all public places, including sidewalks. CNN reports that smoking was previously banned in schools, clinics, and government buildings, but not workplaces or restaurants. Now anyone with a cigarette, be it electronic or tobacco, must light up exclusively in designated smoking areas. The move is meant to reduce the high smoking rate in the Philippines, where, according to a WHO report, a quarter of the population smokes, including 11% of minors. Among other things, the order prohibits tobacco advertising within 330 feet of schools and playgrounds. The New York Times reports that offenders face $100 fines, a steep price in a nation where the average monthly salary is $400, and four months in jail. Duterte, who quit smoking after being diagnosed with two rare medical conditions years ago, called on civilians to partake in a “Smoke Free Task Force" and help catch offenders. While Reuters reports that the ban has garnered support among health officials, others fear that a public task force may inspire vigilantes to take the law into their own hands, as was seen in in Duterte's call to murder addicts and users in his war on drugs.
A bomb exploded Wednesday at a crowded bus stop outside the International Convention Center in Jerusalem, just opposite the central bus station. A 59-year-old woman was killed and at least 30 people were wounded in the incident, three of them seriously. All of the casualties have been evacuated to the Hadassah Hospital in Ein Karem. Israel rescue workers and paramedics work at site of explosion at a bus stop in Jerusalem, Wednesday, March 23, 2011. AP The blast could be heard throughout Jerusalem and blew out the windows of bus No. 74, traveling from Givat Shaul to Har Homa. The explosive device was apparently hidden in a bag next to a telephone pole. An owner of a kiosk near the scene of the bombing called the police moments before the blast to report a suspicious object near the bus station, and during the phone conversation the bomb exploded. An eyewitness in the area at the time of the explosion told Haaretz that she heard a loud blast close to the central bus station and second later sirens began to wail and security forces rushed to the scene. Meir Hagid, one of the bus drivers, said he heard a loud explosion as he drove by the site, located near the main entrance to Jerusalem and its central bus station. "I heard the explosion in the bus stop," he said. He halted his vehicle and people got off. He said nobody in his bus was hurt. Keep updated: Sign up to our newsletter Email * Please enter a valid email address Sign up Please wait… Thank you for signing up. We've got more newsletters we think you'll find interesting. Click here Oops. Something went wrong. Please try again later. Try again Thank you, The email address you have provided is already registered. Close View Terror attack in Jerusalem, March 23, 2011 in a larger map Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovich told Channel 2 that the bomb was about one to two kilograms (four pounds) and was planted in a small bag on the sidewalk. He said security services were on alert for additional attacks. The entrance to the city has been closed. Security forces were combing the area for other suspicious packages or objects. A Channel 2 reporter said that the Palestinian Red Crescent contacted the emergency services to offer assistance in evacuating the wounded. The 59-year-old woman who was killed in the explosion was believed to be a foreign citizen, and her name was not cleared for publication since her family has yet to be notified. The woman was seriously wounded as a result of the bombing, and rescue services transferred her to the emergency room in the Hadassah Ein Karem Hospital. Doctors fought for her life for about an hour and ultimately were forced to declare her dead. Officials in the hospital said that until the late evening hours no family or friends came to look for the woman, and noted that several documents that she possessed indicated that she was a foreign citizen. The bombing occurred just hours after Gaza militants fired two Grad-type Katyusha rocket at the southern city of Be'er Sheva and a barrage of mortar shells on the western Negev. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu postponed his scheduled trip to Moscow in the wake of the Jerusalem bombing. Jerusalem has been hit by a number of terror attacks over the last few years, two of them involving tractor drivers that ploughed down a central street. In the first incident in July 2008, a bulldozer driver hit a bus, pedestrian and cars before he was neutralized by a soldier and civilian who mounted his vehicle and overtook him and then shot and killed him. The second attack took place three weeks later. Twenty-four people were injured in the attack, one of which moderately to critically wounded. The terrorist hit five cars before he was shot by a civilian and an IDF military border guard officer that were at the scene of the attack. Three months later, 19 people were injured - two of them critically and four moderately -when an East Jerusalem resident veered off the street onto the sidewalk near the Old City of Jerusalem and crashed into pedestrians. Most of the pedestrians were soldiers. An officer among the group open fire and killed the terrorist. The capital suffered dozens of suicide bombings that targeted buses and restaurants during the second Palestinian uprising last decade. Jerusalem last experienced a suicide bombing in 2004. Emergency numbers: Hadassah Hospital hotline: 1255122 Sha'arei Zedek Hospital 1255125 Jerusalem municipality: 02 5314600 ||||| Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told the BBC Israeli police are looking for one suspect One person has died and more than 30 others are injured after a bomb blast at a crowded bus stop in Jerusalem. The bomb had been left in a bag by the side of the road near the central bus station, police said. Jerusalem suffered a spate of bus bombings by Palestinian militants between 2000 and 2004 but attacks had stopped in recent years. Israel's prime minister said the country would act aggressively to restore security. "Israel will act aggressively, responsibly and wisely to preserve the quiet and security that prevailed here over the past two years," Benjamin Netanyahu said. He said the attackers sought to test the country's will and determination and said the Israeli people had "an iron will" to defend their country. Shattered windows Witnesses said the force of the blast - just after 1500 local time (1300 GMT) - shook buildings over a wide area. Dozens of ambulances converged on the scene near the entrance to the city, and police sealed off the area. It is believed the bomb exploded as a bus pulled up at the stop, but it is not clear if passengers on the bus were among the casualties. Israeli officials initially said no-one had been killed in the blast but later confirmed that a woman had died from her injuries. At the scene The explosion happened right in the heart of west Jerusalem - a city that has, for many years, been relatively peaceful. The target was the No 74 bus - its windscreen blown out by the force of the blast. There was shrapnel damage everywhere. But, unlike previous incidents, police say this was not a suicide bombing and there is now an urgent man-hunt going on for someone who, according to police, left a device at the bus stop and then ran away. Dozens of paramedics and emergency vehicles were quickly at the scene - treating more than 30 wounded people. Such a bomb attack in Jerusalem may not have happened for many years, but it comes at a time of increased tension in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. Political leaders, Israeli and Palestinian, have condemned the upsurge in violence but many observers say these are tense moments and more violence may be inevitable. A correspondent for AFP news agency at the scene said people were lying on the ground covered in blood and many cars and buses had shattered windows. "(We believe) the device weighed about 1-2kg (2-4lb)," Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch told Israel's Channel 2 television. "It exploded in a small suitcase on the sidewalk next to the bus stop." Motti Bukchin, a volunteer with the Israeli emergency service Zaka, said he and his colleagues were in a meeting nearby when they heard the blast. "When we arrived at the site of the attack we saw two women lying in huge pools of blood on the pavement. We began resuscitation immediately and were soon joined by other medical personnel. The two women were evacuated to hospital in serious to critical condition," he said. Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told the BBC they were searching for a suspect and a vehicle believed to have been used in planting the bomb. Medics said many of the injured had shrapnel wounds. Three are seriously injured and five are in "a moderate condition, while the rest are less badly hurt", Uri Shacham, a senior paramedic told reporters. After the attack, Prime Minister Netanyahu met defence and security officials, delaying by a few hours a scheduled trip to Moscow where he is due to hold talks with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. 'Unacceptable' attack Jerusalem was hit by a series of bombings - mostly targeting buses and restaurants - during the second Palestinian uprising that began in 2000. However the attacks have stopped in recent years. Jerusalem last experienced a bus bombing in 2004. The latest attacks comes amid heightened tension in the Gaza Strip. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption US Foreign Secretary Hillary Clinton: "Israel... has to respond when this occurs" The BBC's Jon Donnison in Gaza says none of the militant factions there has said it was involved in the Jerusalem attack. But an Islamic Jihad leader said a Palestinian attack would be a "natural response" to this week's Israeli strikes in Gaza. On Wednesday, Israeli warplanes launched fresh air strikes east of Gaza City, after Palestinian militants fired two rockets into southern Israel. Islamic Jihad said it carried out the rocket attacks in reprisal for the killing of eight Palestinians near Gaza City on Tuesday. Four of those killed were members of one family and two of them were children. Hamas government spokesman Taher Nono has refused to comment on the Jerusalem explosion. Previous Jerusalem attacks July 2008: Three killed and more than 40 injured in bulldozer attack on Jaffa Street Three killed and more than 40 injured in bulldozer attack on Jaffa Street March 2008: Eight students killed when gunman opens fire at religious school in west of city Eight students killed when gunman opens fire at religious school in west of city February 2004: Eight killed and dozens hurt in suicide blast on bus, West Jerusalem Eight killed and dozens hurt in suicide blast on bus, West Jerusalem January 2004: At least 10 killed in suicide bombing on bus in West Jerusalem At least 10 killed in suicide bombing on bus in West Jerusalem Aug 2003: 20 people, including children, killed in suicide bus blast in ultra-Orthodox area of Shmuel Hanavi However, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad condemned the bombing, calling it "a terrorist attack". US President Barack Obama condemned the Jerusalem attack "as well as the rockets and mortars fired from Gaza in recent days". "We stress the importance of calm and urge all parties to do everything in their power to prevent further violence and civilian casualties," he said. Condemnation also came from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon who said "such attacks are unacceptable". The Mayor of Jerusalem, Nir Barkat, called on the public to be alert but to "return to regular routines as quickly as possible". "When terror attempts to disrupt our way of life, the best solution is to get back to normal as quickly as possible. Events in Jerusalem will not be cancelled and Jerusalem will not stop running," he said. UK Foreign Secretary William Hague described the attack as "shocking and deeply distressing". ||||| A bomb struck a crowded bus stop in central Jerusalem Wednesday, killing one woman and wounding more than 20 other people in what authorities said was the first major Palestinian militant attack in the city in several years. Israel Rescue workers and paramedics work next to a pool of blood following an explosion at a bus stop in Jerusalem, Wednesday, March 23, 2011. A bomb exploded near a crowded bus, wounding at least eight... (Associated Press) Holes on a bus window after an explosion in Jerusalem, Wednesday, March 23, 2011. A bomb planted at a telephone booth exploded at a crowded bus stop Wednesday in central Jerusalem, wounding many people... (Associated Press) Israel Rescue workers and paramedics clean a pool of blood at a bus stop in Jerusalem, Wednesday, March 23, 2011. A bomb exploded near a crowded bus, wounding at least eight people in what appeared to... (Associated Press) An injured ultra-orthodox Jewish man is carried on a stretcher after an explosion near a bus stop in Jerusalem, Wednesday, March 23, 2011. A bomb planted at a telephone booth exploded at a crowded bus... (Associated Press) A man injured after an explosion near a bus stop in Jerusalem, Wednesday, March 23, 2011 is treated on the street. A bomb planted at a telephone booth exploded at a crowded bus stop Wednesday in central... (Associated Press) Israel Rescue workers and paramedics treat a person wounded by an explosion at a bus stop in Jerusalem, Wednesday, March 23, 2011. A bomb planted at a telephone booth exploded at a crowded bus stop Wednesday... (Associated Press) Israel rescue workers and paramedics carry an injured woman to an ambulance after an explosion near a bus stop in Jerusalem, Wednesday, March 23, 2011. A bomb exploded near a crowded bus, wounding at... (Associated Press) The bombing brought back memories of the second Palestinian uprising last decade, a period in which hundreds of Israelis were killed by suicide bombings in Jerusalem and other major cities. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but Israeli police blamed Palestinian militants. The attack came against the backdrop of a rising wave of violence that has threatened to upset more than two years of relative calm that has prevailed since an Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip. Earlier this month, five members of a Jewish settler family were knifed to death in their sleep at their West Bank home. And in recent days, Israel has carried out reprisals in Gaza in retaliation for rocket and mortar fire launched into southern Israel. On Tuesday, an errant Israeli strike meant for Palestinian militants killed four members of a Palestinian family in Gaza. Adding to the tensions, peace efforts with Hamas' rival, the Western-backed Palestinian government in the West Bank, have been stalled for months. Palestinian leaders condemned the attack. Israel's Defense Minister Ehud Barak hinted that Israel would retaliate against Hamas, the militant group that rules Gaza. At least three rockets landed in the southern city of Beersheba on Monday, and mortar shells were landing in southern Israel late in the afternoon. "We will not tolerate the harming of Israeli citizens, not in the south and not in Jerusalem," Barak said. "Hamas is responsible for the firing of rockets toward Beersheba today and this responsibility has a price." The 3 p.m. bombing occurred near the main entrance to Jerusalem, next to the city's central bus station and main convention center, an area that is crowded with travelers and passers-by. The bomb went off next to the a food stand ironically called, in a Hebrew play on words, "a blast of a kiosk." The blast reverberated throughout Jerusalem and blew out the windows of two crowded buses. Rescuers removed bloodied people from the area on stretchers, as sirens from speeding ambulances wailed in the background. "We are talking about a terror attack," said police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld. He said a 60-year-old woman died from her wounds. Israel's national rescue service said some 24 others were wounded, including three in critical condition. Jerusalem's police chief, Aharon Franco, said that the bomb was about four pounds (one to two kilograms) and was planted in a small bag on the sidewalk. He said security services were on alert for additional attacks. He said authorities had no firm leads but were investigating a possible link to a small bombing earlier this month that wounded a garbage collector as he removed the device from a trash can. "I saw kids crying on the street, lying in blood on the side of the road," said one man who witnessed the blast. Crying on the telephone, he frantically tried to reach his daughter, calming down a bit when he found out she was safe. The man, trembling in shock, refused to give his name. Radio and TV stations posted emergency numbers for concerned citizens to inquire about relatives. Meir Hagid, one of the bus drivers, said he heard a loud explosion as he drove by the site, located near the main entrance to Jerusalem and its central bus station. "I heard the explosion in the bus stop," he said. He halted his vehicle and people got off. He said nobody in his bus was hurt. Samuel Conik, 20, said he ran to the scene when he heard the explosion and saw fire coming out of a phone booth. Nearby was a badly burned man with bloody legs and his skin peeling off. At the scene, a group of ultra-Orthodox Jews began chanting "Death to Arabs." Eli Yishai, Israel's interior minister, rushed to the scene and called for swift Israeli retaliation. "With these murderers, these terror organizations ... we must act, or we will lose our deterrence," he told Channel 2 TV. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the Israeli leader had decided to delay a planned trip to Moscow for several hours to deal with the crisis. Police, accompanied by sniffer dogs, broke into cars near the site to search for evidence and possible additional explosives. The Palestinians are divided between two rival governments, the Hamas regime in Gaza and the Western-backed Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. The West Bank government seeks peace with Israel, though talks broke down last September. In the West Bank town of Ramallah, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad condemned the bombing "in the strongest terms." His boss, President Mahmoud Abbas, who was traveling in Russia, issued a similar condemnation through his office. In the Gaza Strip, the Islamic Jihad militant group, which has carried out dozens of attacks, said it was not connected to the blast. But spokesman Khader Habib said the group "applauds all efforts to respond to the crimes committed daily against our people." Jerusalem suffered dozens of suicide bombings that targeted buses and restaurants during the second Palestinian uprising last decade. But the attacks have halted in recent years. Jerusalem last experienced a suicide bombing in 2004, and the last suicide bombing in Israel occurred in 2008 in the southern town of Dimona. Even so, the city has experienced other deadly violence. In early 2008, eight students at a Jerusalem seminary were killed when Palestinian gunmen entered the school and opened fire. Palestinians also carried out several attacks with construction vehicles against Jerusalem in the past few years that ended with fatalities when the drivers rammed their vehicles into bystanders.
– Today's bombing in Jerusalem has killed one woman and injured at least 24 other people, the AP reports. Police blamed Palestinian militants. The explosion happened near the main entrance to the city about 3pm local time and blew out the windows on two crowded buses. The lone fatality so far is a 60-year-old woman, though at least three of the injured are in critical condition. Haaretz adds that the blast was outside the International Convention Center and across from the central bus station. No claims of responsibility have been issued so far, though tensions have been rising between Israel and Hamas militants after two years of relative calm; Jerusalem's last suicide bombing was in 2004, notes the BBC.
WASHINGTON, DC — President Trump’s travel ban, the Second Amendment, religious liberty versus LGBT issues, and even the possibility of Justice Anthony Kennedy’s retirement will be addressed, as all eyes are on the Supreme Court on Monday. The nation’s highest court should decide two major cases on Monday. The first is Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia v. Comer, where the Court will decide whether Blaine Amendments — constitutional provisions in some states that bar churches and faith-based organizations from receiving any taxpayer money, including for secular programs like children’s playground programs — violate the First Amendment’s Free Exercise Clause. Another case that will be addressed is Hernandez v. Mesa, in which U.S. agents shot a Mexican national in a group of assailants on the Mexican side of the border. Agents said the assailants were throwing dangerous rocks at the agents. The issue is whether the slain foreigner’s family can sue the federal agents for a Fourth Amendment violation. A final word is also expected on whether the Court will take several major cases for next year. The first is the Trump v. International Refugee Assistance Project, the constitutional challenge to Executive Order 13,780, President Donald Trump’s travel-restriction order. It is almost inevitable that the Court will at least take that case, possibly on an accelerated basis. There are also two major Second Amendment cases, either one of which would be only the third such Supreme Court case in American history. The first is United States v. Binderup, concerning the constitutionality of the federal law making it a crime for convicted felons to own guns. The other is Peruta v. California, which explores whether the right to keep and bear arms extends beyond a person’s home to include places a person goes to in public. Another is a case pitting religious liberty against LGBT issues. The Court will decide whether the take the case of a Colorado baker who declined to bake a wedding cake for a same-sex wedding. But most consider the biggest question Monday to be whether there will be a Supreme Court retirement, which are often announced on the last day of the Court’s term. Specifically, the focus is on Justice Anthony Kennedy, who will turn 81 next month. It has long been expected that Justice Kennedy would retire if a Republican were elected president in 2016. The rumor mill is flying that he will leave the bench this year, although there is no way for anyone to know whether any of the rumors are based on private thoughts the justice has shared with close friends, versus how much is unfounded speculation. After June 26’s daily session, the Supreme Court will adjourn for the summer and is not expected to hold another public session until the first Monday in October — unless the Court holds a special hearing for President Trump’s executive order. Ken Klukowski is senior legal editor for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @kenklukowski. ||||| On Monday, the Supreme Court’s tumultuous 2016 term is scheduled to draw to an end. But will it? All of the briefing in the travel ban litigation has been filed, and the cases are ready for the Court’s ruling. There are (at least) six possible options for resolving this matter. 1. Hold a Special Session in July Two weeks ago, I wrote in the New York Times that the Court should hear arguments in the case over the summer. This option would bring finality to a significant national security matter. Further, by resolving the issue quickly, the Court could avoid any potential mootness issues that could arise if arguments are postponed until the fall. Alas, this option looks increasingly unlikely. If the Justices wanted immediate oral argument, they could have issued a scheduling order last week. As I understand the unwritten rules, five votes are required to expedite arguments. By waiting until Monday (or later) to even address the matter, a majority of the Court has signaled this case isn’t that urgent. 2. Hold a Special Session in September Another option would be to schedule a special session to hear arguments in September, prior to the traditional beginning of the term on the first Monday in October. There is precedent for this move. For example, in 2009 the Court held such a special session, to re-argue Citizens United v. FEC. In that case, a divided 5-4 decision was issued four months later in January 2010. The problem with this approach, as I and others have noted, is that the case arguably becomes moot by mid-September. Two weeks ago, the Ninth Circuit modified the injunction issued by the District Court in Hawaii. As result, the government can now take the full 90 days to consider how to revamp its vetting procedures. At that point, the stated justification for the travel ban vanishes. Perhaps, as I noted, delaying arguments is merely a stratagem to vacate the decisions of the Fourth and Ninth Circuits under the Munsingwear doctrine, without having to rule on the statutory and constitutional matters. Mark Tushnet called this an “easy out.” I would call it a naked punt. If the case is worth hearing in September, it is worth hearing in July. The Justices wouldn’t fool anybody paying close attention to this issue. 3. Hear the Case in January The Justices could also grant certiorari this week and schedule the case for late 2017. In the normal course, a petition for certiorari that is granted at the end of June would be scheduled for argument in November or December and there would likely not be a resolution until June 2018. It should not take a year to resolve this case. For example, the en banc Fourth Circuit managed to publish a 60-page opinion within three weeks of oral argument. The Justices have very smart law clerks. They can resolve the case with haste. If the Court takes this third approach, it would be an even more transparent effort to let the case moot itself before argument, at which point the petition could even be dismissed as improvidently granted. 4. Take No Action, and Relist the Case for the Long Conference In recent years, the Court has adopted a cautionary practice before granting review in a case: each petition would be “relisted” at least once to give all of the Justices and their law clerks an opportunity to scrutinize the pleadings and ensure there are no “vehicle problems.” If the Court decides to relist the travel ban petitions, the case would be held over for the so-called long conference on September 25, 2017. By that point, as noted earlier, the entire case may become moot. The petitions could simply be denied, and the judgments of the lower courts would stand as both judgments and binding circuit precedents. The travel ban would end not with a bang, but a whimper. 5. Deny Certiorari Now The Court could also simply cut to the chase. Because it takes four Justices to grant certiorari, if six Justices band together, the Court could deny review. Perhaps the sextet will reason that in the absence of a circuit split there is no reason to take the case. Or they will decide that since the case may become mooted in the fall, there is no reason to get involved. Or perhaps they would rather avoid this difficult case and not deal with President Trump’s unpopular action. Whatever the reason, it would take six Justices to deny review now. I predict such a denial would elicit one or more blistering dissents from denial of certiorari, and possibly even a response from the deniers. 6. Issue a Summary Reversal There is another possibility that I haven’t seen addressed elsewhere: the Court could issue a per curiam summary reversal of the Fourth and Ninth Circuits. Generally, summary reversals are employed for unargued cases where the lower court made plain errors. As I’ve contended at some length, there are many such errors in both IRAP and Hawaii v. Trump. If five Justices so choose, they could issue a per curiam decision—over one or more dissents—that the lower courts erred. For example, the cases could be reversed on any number of grounds: the Justices could determine the plaintiffs lack standing; that Presidential declarations under 8 U.S.C. § 1182(f) are not subject to judicial review or else are reviewed deferentially; that Kleindienst v. Mandel is limited to the facial validity of the policy, and courts that looked to the President’s statements erred; that Mandel is limited to the actual denial of a visas, and not an executive order; that the Establishment Clause does not apply to foreign policy decisions as it does in the domestic context; that denial of entry and issuance of visas are different doctrines; or that none of these claims are ripe because no one has been denied entry. In my view, the grounds for summary reversal are legion. This approach would allow the Justices to quickly resolve the case before it becomes moot, avoid the need to disrupt summer schedules to hold arguments, and bring finality to this difficult issue. *** This litigation has taken more twists and turns than I could have imagined when Trump issued his original executive order in February. During periods of regularity, an injunction barring the President’s signature national security policy would be an issue of the utmost importance for the Supreme Court. But these are not normal times. To reiterate a point I made in the Times, the issues in this appeal go far beyond the travel ban: Far beyond this interim order, all of President Trump’s foreign and domestic policies will be infected by these same critical disputes. The Supreme Court may be able to evade review here, but these issues are certain to repeat themselves. The nine justices cannot punt these complicated matters, hoping someone else deals with them. All of the issues are fully developed, and ready for resolution now. The buck stops here. ||||| The justices are expected to take the bench on Monday at 10 a.m. to issue opinions in argued cases. There are six decisions still outstanding, involving everything from cross-border shootings to the death penalty and public funding for playgrounds at religious preschools. To be sure, there is no guarantee that we will actually get opinions on the merits in all six of these cases: Three of the remaining cases were argued before Justice Neil Gorsuch took the bench in April, creating a not-insubstantial possibility that the justices are deadlocked. With Gorsuch now on the bench, the justices could order reargument in those three cases, which would presumably take place next fall. But we will know much more by the end of Monday morning. In any event, here is a brief summary of each of the six cases, organized by the sitting in which they were argued. December sitting (November 28 to December 7) Jennings v. Rodriguez: The question before the Supreme Court in this case is whether immigrants who are detained have a right to a bond hearing – that is, a chance to appear in front of an immigration judge and seek their release after making payments to ensure that they will appear at later proceedings in the case. The named plaintiff in the class action is Alejandro Rodriguez, who was held for more than three years without a hearing. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled that immigration judges must give immigrants who have been detained bond hearings at least every six months; at the hearing, the immigration judge must order an immigrant’s release unless the government can show convincingly that the immigrant is either a flight risk or a danger to public safety. When the case was argued on November 30, Kevin Johnson reported that the justices “appeared deeply divided.” The decision is likely to be written by either Chief Justice John Roberts or Justice Samuel Alito, because neither justice has written an opinion from the December sitting yet. (The justices try very hard to divide up the opinion-writing workload evenly, not only over the course of the term but also from sitting to sitting, which has the added benefit of allowing us to predict who might be writing the opinion with some degree of certainty.) January sitting (January 9 to 18) Sessions v. Dimaya: When someone who is not a citizen of the United States is convicted of a crime, he can be deported from the country if his crime was an “aggravated felony.” Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, an “aggravated felony” is defined to include a “crime of violence,” which is in turn defined as any felony that, “by its nature, involves a substantial risk that physical force against the person or property of another may be used in the course of committing the offense.” In 2015, the court ruled that the so-called “residual clause” in the Armed Career Criminal Act’s definition of “violent felony” – which was similar, although not identical, to the definition of a “crime of violence” – was so ambiguous that it violates the Constitution’s bar on vague criminal laws. The question is whether the same is true for the INA’s definition of a “crime of violence.” Justice Clarence Thomas is the only justice who has not yet written an opinion from the January sitting, so he is almost certainly writing this one. Thomas did not ask any questions at the January 17 oral argument, and he agreed with the result – but not the reasoning – in the court’s earlier ruling on the ACCA. In his separate opinion in that case, he indicated that he would have resolved the case based on the statute, rather than finding that the provision at issue violated the Constitution. He explained that he “would be wary of holding the residual clause to be unconstitutionally vague” because, in his view, “the vagueness doctrine shares an uncomfortably similar history with substantive due process, a judicially created doctrine lacking any basis in the Constitution.” February sitting (February 21 to March 1) Hernandez v. Mesa: In this case, the justices will decide what standard courts should use to determine whether the Fourth Amendment applies outside the United States. The case was brought by the family of Sergio Hernandez, a 15-year-old who was shot and killed by a U.S. Border Patrol agent, Jesus Mesa, as Hernandez played in a culvert on the Mexican side of the U.S.-Mexico border. The family’s lawsuit alleged (among other things) that the agent’s conduct violated the Fourth Amendment’s bar against excessive deadly force, but the lower court ruled that the protections of the Fourth Amendment do not extend to Mexican citizens like Hernandez, who lacked any real connection to the United States and who was in Mexico when he was shot. The justices also are considering two other questions: whether Mesa can be sued if he did not know at the time of the shooting that Hernandez was not a U.S. citizen; and whether Hernandez’s parents can rely on a 1971 case, Bivens v. Six Unknown Federal Narcotics Agents, which held that a violation of the Fourth Amendment by federal government officials could give rise to a lawsuit for damages. Two justices have not yet written any opinions from the February sitting: Alito and Justice Stephen Breyer. In a decision issued on Monday, the court – in an opinion by Justice Anthony Kennedy – ruled that Middle-Eastern men who were detained after the September 11 attacks could not rely on Bivens to sue high-level Department of Justice officials. Because Alito joined Kennedy’s opinion on Monday, and he had expressed concern at the February 21 argument about the family’s failure to provide what he regarded as a workable rule for determining when Bivens suits should be allowed, an Alito opinion would likely bode well for Mesa and poorly for Hernandez’s family. By contrast, Breyer took the rare step of dissenting from the bench on Monday to explain that he would have allowed the Bivens claims in those cases to go forward. And at the oral argument in this case, he suggested that the availability of a Bivens claim should be presumed unless there are special factors weighing against one. On the other hand, Breyer (like Alito) also pressed the lawyer for Hernandez’s family to articulate a clear and rational rule. So although a Breyer opinion would be better news for the Hernandez’s family than for Mesa, a favorable outcome would be far from certain for them. April sitting (April 17 to 26) California Public Employees’ Retirement System v. ANZ Securities, Inc.: In this case, the justices are considering questions related to the timeliness of individual securities fraud actions that are related to securities-fraud class actions – specifically, whether the filing of a would-be class action satisfies the statute of limitations for members of that class, or whether an individual class member would have to file his own complaint before the statute of limitations runs out. This is a key question whenever a class member decides that he wants to “opt out” of the class action and file a separate complaint. In this case, for example, CalPERS opted out of a settlement in a class action against underwriters of Lehman Brothers securities; although the class-action complaint had been filed on time, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit held that CalPERS’ individual complaint, which it filed after it opted out of the settlement, was too late. [Disclosure: Goldstein & Russell, P.C., whose attorneys contribute to this blog in various capacities, is among the counsel to the petitioner in this case.] Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia, Inc. v. Comer: In 2012, Trinity Lutheran Church applied for a state program that reimburses nonprofits for the purchase and installation of rubber playground surfaces made from recycled tires. Missouri’s Department of Natural Resources, which administers the playground program, ranked Trinity Lutheran’s application fifth out of the 44 that were submitted but nonetheless denied the church’s application, citing a provision of the state constitution which prohibits money from the state treasury from going “directly or indirectly, in aid of any church, sect, or denomination of religion.” The church went to court, arguing that the denial of its application violates the Constitution by discriminating against religious institutions. The state countered that the church members are free to exercise their religion, but the state does not have to pay for it. The state prevailed in the lower courts, but the Supreme Court agreed to weigh in last year, before Scalia’s death. The case remained on hold until April 2017, when the justices finally heard oral argument. At the oral argument, only Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor seemed to be squarely on the state’s side, with Justices Elena Kagan and Breyer perhaps leaning toward the church, making the delay in scheduling the case even harder to understand. Davila v. Davis: In 2012, the Supreme Court considered a case in which a defendant alleged that the lawyer who represented him in his state post-conviction proceedings provided inadequate assistance when he failed to properly raise the defendant’s claim of ineffective representation at his trial. In that case, Martinez v. Ryan, the court ruled that a defendant who receives inadequate representation from his lawyer in his post-conviction challenges is excused from having to present his underlying ineffective assistance claim adequately, so that a federal court can consider the merits of his original claim of ineffective assistance at trial. In this case, the question before the court is whether the same is true when the underlying ineffective assistance claim arises from the defendant’s appeal, rather than from the trial itself. There are three opinions still outstanding from April. Chief Justice John Roberts has not yet written for April, but it’s hard to know which one or how many of the three remaining decisions he will write. Ginsburg and Alito have each written two of the April opinions, so it is unlikely they will be writing again for that session. Recommended Citation: Amy Howe, And then there were six – the remaining cases, SCOTUSblog (Jun. 23, 2017, 3:30 PM), http://www.scotusblog.com/2017/06/six-remaining-cases/ ||||| Amid speculation that Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy may announce his retirement, presidential counselor Kellyanne Conway declined to say whether President Trump or the White House has heard from the justice about his plans. Interested in Supreme Court? Add Supreme Court as an interest to stay up to date on the latest Supreme Court news, video, and analysis from ABC News. Add Interest “I will never reveal a conversation between a sitting justice and the president or the White House,” Conway told ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos on “This Week” Sunday. The Supreme Court’s last day before summer recess is Monday, and there is speculation that any news out of the high court could come then. Conway said the White House is “paying very close attention” to decisions that may come down before the court adjourns for the summer. In the event of a vacancy, she said the president would look for a candidate with similar credentials to his previous nominee who was confirmed, Justice Neil Gorsuch. “I can tell you one thing just as the president did with Justice Neil Gorsuch, whenever there are vacancies, whenever that happens he will look for someone with the fidelity to the Constitution, who doesn’t make up the law as they go along,” Conway said. She added that she hopes Republicans can “get more than a handful of Democrat senators” to vote for our nominee. ||||| FILE - This Jan. 25, 2012, file photo, shows the U.S. Supreme Court Building in Washington. The Supreme Court enters its final week of work before a long summer hiatus with action expected on the Trump... (Associated Press) FILE - This Jan. 25, 2012, file photo, shows the U.S. Supreme Court Building in Washington. The Supreme Court enters its final week of work before a long summer hiatus with action expected on the Trump administration’s travel ban and a decision due in a separation of church and state case that arises... (Associated Press) FILE - This Jan. 25, 2012, file photo, shows the U.S. Supreme Court Building in Washington. The Supreme Court enters its final week of work before a long summer hiatus with action expected on the Trump administration’s travel ban and a decision due in a separation of church and state case that arises... (Associated Press) FILE - This Jan. 25, 2012, file photo, shows the U.S. Supreme Court Building in Washington. The Supreme Court enters its final week of work before a long summer hiatus with action expected on the Trump... (Associated Press) WASHINGTON (AP) — Before taking their long summer break, the Supreme Court justices are poised to act on the Trump administration's travel ban and a separation of church and state dispute involving a Missouri church playground. But something could overshadow rulings in those high-profile cases: If Justice Anthony Kennedy were to use the court's last public session on Monday to announce his retirement. Kennedy has given no public sign that he would step down this year and give President Donald Trump his second high court pick in the first months of his administration. Kennedy's departure would allow conservatives to take firm control of the court. But Kennedy turns 81 next month and has been on the court for nearly 30 years. Several of his former law clerks have said they think he is contemplating stepping down in the next year or so. Kennedy did not address the retirement rumors when he and his clerks gathered over the weekend for a reunion, according to three clerks who were there. The decision to push up the reunion by a year helped spark talk he might be leaving the court. The justices on Monday were expected to decide the case of Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia, Missouri, which was excluded from a state grant program to pay for soft surfaces on playgrounds run by not-for-profit groups. The case was being closely watched by advocates of school vouchers, who hope the court will make it easier to use state money to pay for private, religious schooling in states that now prohibit it. Missouri has since changed its policy under Republican Gov. Eric Greitens so that churches may now apply for the money. Also expected in the next few days, though there's no deadline by which the court must decide, was a ruling on whether to allow the administration to immediately enforce a 90-day ban on visitors from six mostly Muslim countries. Justice Neil Gorsuch, Trump's first Supreme Court nominee, could play a pivotal role in both the travel ban and church playground cases. In all, six cases that were argued between November and April remain undecided. Three of those, all involving immigrants or foreigners, were heard by an eight-justice court, before Gorsuch joined the bench in April. If the eight justices are evenly divided, those cases could be argued a second time in the fall, with Gorsuch available to provide the tie-breaking vote. ||||| Jonathan Ernst/Reuters The most important ruling of this Supreme Court term—by far—is likely to be the court’s decision in the travel ban case. The common assumption has been that the challenge to President Trump’s order barring entry into the United States for nationals from six countries will be the headline event next term. But that is very likely wrong: The court will most likely rule definitively on Trump’s action right now—by Monday or Tuesday morning at the latest. The appellate courts that have heard the challenges have held the president’s order to be invalid, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on statutory grounds and the 4th Circuit on constitutional grounds. Both courts upheld temporary injunctions against the enforcement of the visa ban, so it is not in effect at the moment. The government has asked the Supreme Court to grant review of the cases (with argument set for next October, when the court returns) and to issue a stay of the lower court injunctions against Trump’s ban. Advertisement The ban on entry from the six countries is set by the president’s order to last for 90 days. The stated purpose of the ban is to provide time for the president’s national security team to engage in an internal review of visa procedures from those six countries. The 9th Circuit has now held, however, that the internal review may proceed. Thus the internal review will be completed before the court returns next fall. What matters is what happens this summer, and that is what the court will announce in the next few days. The choices are (1) the Supreme Court can deny the government’s request and keep the temporary injunctions against the travel ban in place while the government does its internal review or (2) the Supreme Court can grant the government’s request and allow the Trump travel ban to go into effect (with potential chaos at airports all summer long) while that internal review is conducted. Again, whatever the court decides, the internal review will be finished by fall and the rationale for the existing travel ban (or travel “pause” as the administration likes to call it) will be extinguished. One caveat: The government suggested at one point that it would want to have a 90-day travel ban go into effect even after the internal review of visa procedures is complete. This argument, though, would keep the case alive while destroying the government’s original defense of the ban. Once decoupled from the period for internal review, a “free-floating” 90-day travel ban has lost its only articulated and even possibly legitimate rationale. (An extraordinary and indispensable set of writings on the case by professor Leah Litman of University of California–Irvine School of Law, Marty Lederman of Georgetown Law, and others can be found at this Take Care link. They merit reading in full.) Make no mistake: The travel ban cases are of immense importance even if the period that’s actually in question is essentially this summer. This is a signal moment for determining the scope of presidential powers over national security and the deference that should be accorded the president by the judiciary. When the first travel ban was announced, I thought that any judicial challenge would be difficult to sustain. Having served as an executive branch lawyer, my instinct was to believe that the complexities of national security render suspect any second-guessing of presidential determinations in this area. Advertisement The Trump administration, however, has made an unholy mess of the president’s authority over national security. Its irresponsible and preposterously pretextual arguments for deference to these travel bans threaten to weaken the national security authority of all future presidents. In thinking that the travel bans would present difficult cases for the courts, I assumed that there would of course be some reasoned executive branch process leading to a national security determination by the president. But when the first travel ban—adopted on the president’s seventh day in office—was subject to judicial review, it turns out the government was buck naked. The government’s lawyers had nothing. Nothing. It was an embarrassment for anyone who has served in administrations of either party to see there was nothing to counter the notion that this ban was in fact drafted by a couple of White House staffers with no national security experience and after no serious consultation with career officials at any of the relevant defense and national security departments. The second travel ban came with only a fig leaf of a simplistic and conclusory letter from the attorney general and the secretary of homeland security, a letter so thin the Department of Justice barely mentions it in its filings. What does it do for presidential credibility, now and in the future, if a solemn declaration of urgent national security necessity turns out to have been the work of two staffers named Steve? ||||| Ed. note : Please note the UPDATES I have added — and will continue to add — at the end of this story. Look, I love legal gossip as much as — actually, way more than — the next guy. I entered the world of legal media through the back door of judicial gossip, writing a blog called Underneath Their Robes under the pseudonym of “Article III Groupie” (because gossiping about judges by night while appearing before them by day, as a federal prosecutor, is not a good look). But to be a good gossip, you can’t just spread random rumors. You need to exercise discretion and discernment in what you disseminate — which brings me to the rampant rumors about Justice Anthony M. Kennedy’s supposedly imminent retirement, to be announced possibly as early as tomorrow. I won’t bury the lede, so here it is: based on reports I’ve received from former AMK clerks who attended his law clerk reunion dinner last night, it is highly unlikely that Justice Kennedy will announce his retirement tomorrow. But before getting into those reports, let me explain the origins of the latest speculation. Rumors of AMK retiring have been galloping around inside the Beltway for months now. On June 22, they gained momentum after Chris Hayes tweeted: Just a reminder: there's a chance Kennedy announces his retirement on Monday, paving the way for the end of Roe. — Christopher Hayes (@chrislhayes) June 22, 2017 Matt Drudge and the Drudge Report soon joined in the wishful thinking fun: The news cycle in 2017: I am now tweeting about a Drudge banner that links to a story about speculation that quotes one of my tweets. pic.twitter.com/qmigtvCyYW — Orin Kerr (@OrinKerr) June 24, 2017 Now, legal nerds and #appellatetwitter types might scoff at taking SCOTUS predictions from the likes of Hayes and Drudge. But Mark Sherman of the Associated Press and Ariane de Vogue of CNN, both highly respected Supreme Court correspondents, wrote stories yesterday flagging the speculation. From Sherman: The biggest news of all [from the Supreme Court] would be if Justice Anthony Kennedy were to use the court’s last public session on Monday to announce his retirement. To be sure, Kennedy has given no public sign that he will retire this year and give President Donald Trump his second high court pick in the first months of his administration…. But Kennedy turns 81 next month and has been on the court for nearly 30 years. Several of his former law clerks have said they think he is contemplating stepping down in the next year or so. Kennedy and his clerks were gathering over the weekend for a reunion that was pushed up a year and helped spark talk he might be leaving the court. From de Vogue: Will he stay or will he go? The rumors have swirled for months, and the 80-year-old justice has done nothing either personally or though intermediaries to set the record straight on whether he will step down. Adding fuel to the fire, this morning top Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway said on ABC’s “This Week” that she could not confirm or deny the AMK retirement talk: “I will never reveal a conversation between a sitting justice and the president or the White House.” Now, here’s my rebuttal. First, allow me to respectfully dissent from Ariane de Vogue’s comment that “the 80-year-old justice has done nothing either personally or though intermediaries to set the record straight.” Justice Kennedy, through the Court’s Public Information Office, previously has tried to dispel the rumors. Last November, I offered a detailed discussion of the AMK retirement rumors, identifying three factors fueling the rumors: (1) moving his law clerk reunion up a year, a departure from the customary schedule of every five years; (2) not teaching in summer 2016 at McGeorge Law’s Summer Program in Salzburg, suggesting a possible slowdown for Justice and Mrs. Kennedy; and (3) hiring just one law clerk for the upcoming Term, October Term 2017. (Active justices get four clerks, while retired justices get one clerk, and in the past, some justices have tipped their hands by hiring fewer clerks than usual.) If you’ve ever dealt with the Supreme Court Public Information Office, you know that the PIO likes to stay above the fray. It doesn’t chime in on every hiccup in the federal judiciary — it’s not Donald Trump’s Twitter feed, after all — and often it simply doesn’t comment on things. But the PIO did respond to my inquiry about Justice Kennedy, issuing this statement (presumably based on information received from the justice himself): Justice Kennedy is in the process of hiring clerks for 2017. The Justice didn’t go to Salzburg this past summer because it conflicted with some plans with his family, but he is scheduled to return to teach there in 2017. The reunion is scheduled for the end of this Term because the Justice’s law clerks wanted to hold it during the Justice’s 80th year to mark his birthday. Now, back when I shared this comment with my readers, I offered some caveats: Is it possible that Justice Kennedy actually is planning to retire next year, but doesn’t want the world to know just yet? Sure. Is it possible that he isn’t currently planning to retire next year, but then changes his mind later? Certainly. But, on balance, the PIO’s statement weighs in favor of AMK sticking around for a little while. Second, look at his law clerk hiring. In January 2017, a few weeks after the Public Information Office’s statement, Justice Kennedy hired his fourth and final clerk for the next Term. And wait, that’s not all. As I’ll mention in my next Supreme Court clerk hiring round-up, and as I’ve already tweeted via @SCOTUSambitions (which offers real-time SCOTUS clerk hiring news), Justice Kennedy recently hired one clerk for 2018: Clayton Kozinski (Yale 2017 / Kavanaugh), son of prominent Ninth Circuit judge Alex Kozinski (who clerked for Justice Kennedy back when he was Judge Kennedy of the Ninth Circuit, and who remains personally close to AMK). Now, hiring clerks for 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 is not dispositive evidence that a justice will remain on the bench. There’s a nice tradition at the Court of justices picking up “orphaned” hires of their colleagues (which is what happened with Justice Antonin Scalia’s displaced clerks), so the clerks aren’t necessarily left in the lurch. But as a matter of collegiality and consideration — and whether or not you like his jurisprudence, Justice Kennedy is collegial and considerate — it’s not nice to impose upon your colleagues by hiring clerks you know will never work for you, putting pressure on these colleagues to sacrifice their own hiring discretion to scoop up your leftovers (because of SCOTUS tradition). Finally, let’s turn to the dinner at the Kennedy law clerk reunion, which took place last night. As Kevin Daley noted over at the Daily Caller, Eliana Johnson of Politico and Lawrence Hurley of Reuters previously tweeted that AMK didn’t make a retirement announcement last night. I have more specifics of what he did say, which I’ll now share. I reached out to several AMK clerks who were in attendance, and those who got back to me all opined that they don’t think he will announce his retirement tomorrow. Here’s why (in addition to their “spidey sense” from his demeanor). First, Justice Kennedy generally made forward-looking rather than valedictory comments. For example, he talked about the three pairs of parent-child clerks he’s had — e.g., the Kozinskis — and how he hopes to have more in the future. This doesn’t sound like a justice who’s about to be slashing his clerk hiring to one a year (the allotment given to a retired justice). Second, Justice Kennedy made a joke about all the retirement buzz. At the end of his remarks, he said something along these lines: “There has been a lot of speculation about… a certain announcement from me tonight. And that announcement is: the bar will remain open after the end of the formal program!” Again — like the Supreme Court press office statement, and like the law clerk hiring — Justice Kennedy’s reunion remarks are not conclusive evidence of non-retirement. Indeed, a few of his former clerks have said — not in a mean way, just a matter-of-fact way — that AMK doesn’t care enough about his clerks to make the big announcement at the reunion. (Compare him to my former boss, Judge Diarmuid F. O’Scannlain of the Ninth Circuit, who announced his move to senior status at his law clerk reunion — right around the same time he told his colleagues on the bench, and in advance of the first news reports.) Let’s not mince words: as the so-called “swing justice” on the Supreme Court, Justice Kennedy is one of the most powerful people in the world, and nobody puts AMK in the corner. As both liberals and conservatives have discovered to their dismay over the years, he swings his gavel every which way. Trying to predict AMK’s actions is almost as challenging as, well, trying to predict the actions of the man who might appoint his successor. As one of my sources said, “I’d be shocked if he retired this Term after last night — but it wouldn’t be the first time he’s surprised me!” Truth be told, I would not be surprised if even Justice Kennedy himself hasn’t fully made up his mind (as another source of mine suggested to me). I would not be surprised if AMK has already drafted his letter to President Donald Trump, and if and when the spirit moves the justice, he’ll date it, print it, sign it, and have his chambers aide walk it over to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Kennedy, OUT! Liberals should hope and pray that the justice wakes up in a good mood tomorrow morning. Despite progressives’ issues with AMK — cough cough, Citizens United — he’s a heck of a lot better for them than any Trump pick, especially in a post-nuclear world. So anything is possible tomorrow when it comes to Justice Kennedy — but in terms of what’s probable, it’s highly unlikely that Associate Justice Anthony M. Kennedy will announce his departure from the Supreme Court of the United States. P.S. Despite these lawyerly caveats, I’m not betting both sides of the line; put me on record as saying AMK won’t retire tomorrow. If forced to assign a probability, I’d say there’s only a 10 percent chance of a retirement announcement. If Justice Kennedy does in fact retire, then yes, I’ll have a veritable three-egg omelet on my face. P.P.S. In terms of my own self-interest, I’m fervently hoping that Justice Kennedy doesn’t retire tomorrow morning. I’m in meetings or speaking engagements pretty much all day on Monday — come see me tomorrow night if you’re in Minneapolis — so I’ll be majorly annoyed if AMK drops the retirement bomb on a day when I’m mostly offline. UPDATE (6:40 p.m.): See also this earlier post by Adam Feldman, Why Justice Kennedy May Not Leave The Court Right Now, with which I agree. Some observers have suggested that AMK might not want to step down next year for fear of making himself an issue for the 2018 midterm elections. But with all due respect to the Supreme Court — and this is coming from me, a huge judicial junkie — there will be many, many other issues for the midterms besides SCOTUS. And, from the Democrats’ point of view, the American people’s indifference to what happened (or didn’t happen) to the Supreme Court nomination of Chief Judge Merrick Garland shows that the Court is not a major voting issue (or if it is, it motivates conservatives more than it motivates liberals and moderates). UPDATE (6:43 p.m.): A partial dissent from one source on the tone of Justice Kennedy’s speech: “there was a valedictory tone [to some of his comments], all the featured speakers were judges, and Justice Gorsuch was seated as ‘hand of the king’ [for the photo op]. Legacy-type stuff, in other words.” UPDATE (7:29 p.m.): Another attendee had this interesting observation: “note the two judges who did not give speeches: [D.C. Circuit Judge Brett M.] Kavanaugh and [Sixth Circuit Judge Raymond M.] Kethledge. Significance? Maybe nothing, but they are the AMK clerks most likely to get the nod if he retires, and speaking at his final banquet might be awkward.” So this point weighs in favor of a possible retirement (but not necessarily announced tomorrow, I’d argue, just a retirement during the Trump administration). UPDATE (7:46 p.m.): A good question from a reader: “Isn’t AMK’s hiring of one clerk for OT 2018 consistent with him retiring? Retired Justices frequently hire just one clerk, correct?” Answer: no, because Clayton Kozinski was a super-early hire for Justice Kennedy (but not surprising, given that AMK sometimes hires someone early from Judge Kozinski, to whom he’s very close). The justice typically hires in December or January for the following October Term. So if December 2017 or January 2018 rolls around and Clayton has no co-clerks, that would be a sign of possible retirement. UPDATE (6/26/2017, 7:47 a.m.): As reported by Jess Bravin of the Wall Street Journal (via SCOTUSblog), Justice Kennedy’s dinner remarks on Saturday addressed the following themes: The Supreme Court’s senior member–and frequently its deciding vote on cases involving gay rights, abortion access, capital punishment and other major issues–closed a private reunion of his law clerks with remarks touching on many of his longstanding concerns, according to several people who attended. He spoke of the impact of technological change, the need for civility in political discourse and the importance of public service plans. If AMK is concerned about “civility in political discourse,” then he should not create a SCOTUS vacancy at a moment in our history that’s this turbulent and politically charged. Just imagine the political armageddon that will immediately ensue if Justice Kennedy reveals his retirement this morning; it will make the Garland and Gorsuch battles look like sandbox squabbling. Sure, it’s possible that the state of our politics might not improve — but on the other hand, a lot can happen in a year. So even if I might raise my 10 percent estimate of a retirement announcement today to 20 or 30 percent (in light of some of the updates I’ve added here), I still think it’s far more likely that Justice Kennedy will retire next year as opposed to today. UPDATE (6/26/2017, 11:18 a.m.): Please allow me to take my victory lap. As I predicted, Justice Kennedy did not announce his retirement yesterday. Could Justice Kennedy announce his retirement later this summer — recall how Justice Sandra Day O’Connor announced her retirement on July 1, 2005, after the end of the Term — or later this year? It’s theoretically possible, but not probable. My guess is that AMK will not announce any retirement until around this time next year — i.e., the end of October Term 2017 — at the earliest. Big cases, retirement rumors as Supreme Court nears finish [Associated Press] Anthony Kennedy retirement watch at a fever pitch [CNN] Conway won’t confirm Justice Kennedy retirement rumors [The Hill] Why Justice Kennedy May Not Leave The Court Right Now [Empirical SCOTUS] Earlier: David Lat is the founder and managing editor of Above the Law and the author of Supreme Ambitions: A Novel. He previously worked as a federal prosecutor in Newark, New Jersey; a litigation associate at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz; and a law clerk to Judge Diarmuid F. O’Scannlain of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. You can connect with David on Twitter (@DavidLat), LinkedIn, and Facebook, and you can reach him by email at dlat@abovethelaw.com.
– The Supreme Court gathers Monday for the last scheduled day of the current term, with decisions on six cases—including one on the separation of church and state—still to come. Overshadowing all that, however, is speculation about whether Justice Anthony Kennedy will announce his retirement after 30 years on the bench. Details: Kennedy: If the 81-year-old is indeed stepping down, he would have told President Trump by now. But Kellyanne Conway wasn't giving any hints: "I will never reveal a conversation between a sitting justice and the president or the White House,” she said on ABC News Sunday. Don't bet on it: David Lat of Above the Law assesses the Kennedy rumors and weighs in on the chances of retirement: "Highly unlikely." The six cases: ScotusBlog provides quick snapshots of the six cases on which decisions are pending. A big one is Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer, which involves a Missouri church that sought to use state funds designated for nonprofits to build a playground. Travel ban: One wild card is that the court also could make an announcement related to Trump's travel ban. A post at Lawfare runs through six possibilities, including the announcement of a special session in July to hear arguments. One key question expected to be answered as soon as Monday: Will the justices keep lower courts' temporary injunctions in place or allow the ban to take effect until a decision is reached? Slate assesses. Back to drawing board? Three of the six cases still pending, all of which involve immigrants or foreigners, were argued before Trump appointee Neil Gorsuch took the bench, notes the AP. It's possible the court could decide that some or all be re-argued before the nine-member court. Among them is Hernandez v. Mesa, on whether the family of a Mexican teen who was killed by a US border patrol agent can sue over a Fourth Amendment violation regarding the use of deadly force. Next term: The court also is expected to announce whether some high-profile cases will be on the docket next year. Two notable ones involve gun rights and the Second Amendment, and Breitbart has details.
This is the official go fund me account for justice4Juan the hotdog vendor at UC Berkeley.We have garnered support from thousands of concerned and compassionate people. In this process we have learned that Beto has had a dream to own a Food Truck. Therefore, the goal has been modified to help him fulfill that dream. A new truck with new equipment fully permitted and wrapped cost around $150,000. Let's help make Beto's dream a reality! Spread the love and tell your friends.Check out www.streetvendorjustice.com We were streaming Live on Facebook on Saturday, September 23rdAt 11:00 am (Pacific Standard Time)For the Check Presentation to Beto (Justice4Juan Hotdog Vendor)Location:University of California at BerkeleyCenter for Latino Policy Research2547 Channing WayBerkeley, CABackground on the storyOn Saturday, September 9, 2017 I took my children to enjoy a Cal Beekeley football game. We had a great time. After the game I promised them that I would support the hotdog vendors by buying food from them. I captured this video as we were interrupted by UC Berkeley Police officer. Thank you for your compassion to support this effort. ||||| - University of California at Berkeley Vice Chancellor Scott Biddy said on Monday that the university is investigating a campus police officer's ticketing of a hot dog vendor Saturday evening after a Cal football game. Biddy said in a statement that he has instructed UC police to open a complaint investigation into the incident in which an investigator will be assigned "to look at both the procedural and management issues related to the incident." He said the investigation "will be completed in a timely manner." Biddy said, "I assure you that the well-being of our community members, including those from our marginalized communities of color, is most important to us and that we are deeply committed to building a climate of tolerance, inclusion and diversity, even as we enforce laws and policies." Outside the game, Cal alum and Los Angeles resident, Martin Flores, captured cellphone video of a campus police officer citing a street food vendor and going through his wallet before confiscating the cash inside. He can be heard on the video arguing with Officer Sean Aranas about why he felt he had to take the vendor's money away, when there were so many people walking around on campus drinking illegally. The video was shared thousands of times on social media with angry comments over the police officer taking the vendor’s money. Others were taking the side of the police, noting that it costs money to receive a permit, and that this vendor was skirting the law. A food vendor permit costs $240 in Berkeley and requires a lot of paperwork to fill out. Biddy said the context of the officer's ticketing of the hot dog vendor and the seizure of his money is that the university has instructed its officers to monitor illegal vending outside its event venues. He said, "This action has been motivated at least in part by issues of public health, the interests of local small businesses, and even human trafficking." Biddy said he can't comment on the specifics of the incident on Saturday but said the university's practice is to issue warnings before giving a citation. On Monday, UC Police Sgt. Sabrina Reich told KTVU that $60 was taken as "suspected proceeds of the violation and booked into evidence." She also said the "violation" occurred in the city of Berkeley at Piedmont Avenue and Bancroft Way. She didn't immediately explain why a UC officer issued the citation if it was on Berkeley property. “[This] visible evidence of a police officer going and taking this man’s hard earned money infuriates me,” said Cal senior Kenny Zhang, who saw the video this morning on Twitter. UC Berkeley police said they were cracking down on unpermitted, unregulated street food vendors. Police said only the man in the video was cited on Saturday. Cal student Brooke Lisowski said she was at the game and bought two hot dogs from a different street vendor. “I didn’t go to that specific guy, but there were like eight different ones all along Piedmont,” said Lisowski. Flores said he was in the process of buying three hot dogs when the officer stopped the transaction. Flores said he started recording the officer, because he felt the vendor was being unfairly targeted, while other vendors were ignored and he said witnessed cases of drinking alcohol in public and jay walking that went without a stop from officers. “I do think the police get a lot of hatred here at Berkeley, I feel a lot of people blow things that they do out of proportion, but yes, that film obviously looks kind of bad. He’s going through his wallet and I don’t think he has a right to do so,” said Lisowski. UC Berkeley police said they do have that right – if there is an arrest, or in this case a citation, officers can confiscate money. KTVU was told by police the vendor’s money was booked into evidence. The students KTVU spoke to, however, said police should focus their efforts elsewhere. “Actually seeing it on camera makes me so angry. Just seeing where their priorities are as opposed to campus assaults and robberies,” said Zhang. “This is where their priorities are – arresting innocent civilians doing nothing but selling food on the streets.” “They’ll see a guy selling a hot dog and it’s kind of their own risk if they want to buy it and eat it,” said Lisowski of her friends that know the street vendors’ food hasn’t been inspected by health inspectors. With a goal of raising $10,000, Flores set up a GoFundMe account called Justice4Juan & Street Vendors. By 5:30 p.m. Monday, people had contributed more than $42,000 to the fund. A student-led petition is calling for the Officer Aranas to be removed from the UC Police force. "If you consider yourself a good person and you're a police officer, there's still gonna be issues. But if you're someone like that who has joy in taking away someone's hard-earned money, then, you shouldn't even be a police officer. You shouldn't be a civil servant. You should not have any form of role of government. That's what I would tell him," said Cal Student Viana Roland. According to FBI crime statistics, UC Berkeley has reduced burglary and larceny. However, robbery, assault, weapons violations, rape and auto theft are up. The University claims concurrent jurisdiction within a mile of campus and says a judge will decide if and when the money is returned. Biddy said UC Berkeley police also detained three other people for vending without a license on Saturday, all in close proximity to the football stadium. He said each of those three people was released with a warning. Flores said in his Facebook post that any extra funds he receives to help the vendor who was ticketed will "cover other vendors who have been robbed of their hard-earned living through citations and removal of their carts." ||||| BERKELEY — Police said they were investigating this weekend’s citation and apparent confiscation of money earned by a hot dog vendor on the University of California campus after a Golden Bears football game. Get Pac-12 Conference news in your inbox. Sign up for the Pac-12 Hotline newsletter. At 5:32 p.m., a UC Berkeley police officer stopped and issued the citation to the vendor in the 2200 block of Piedmont Avenue just north of Bancroft Way. “We are aware of the incident,” UC Berkeley police Sgt. Nicole Sanchez said Sunday. “That officer was tasked with enforcing violations of vending without a permit on campus. We are looking into the incident.” Los Angeles resident Martin Flores posted video of the citation in a Saturday evening Facebook post that quickly went viral, producing more than 120,000 shares and more than 23,000 comments, with some expressing solidarity with the vendor and outrage at confiscation of earned funds and others offering support to the officer for enforcing the letter of the law. Like the Berkeley Voice Facebook page for neighborhood news and conversation from Berkeley and beyond. In the post, Flores said he took his children to enjoy the football game and promised them he would buy food from a vendor. When an officer arrived and interrupted his sale, he pulled out his phone and filmed what happened, including his exchange with the officer about other football game attendees’ display of open alcohol containers. Flores then set up a GoFundMe page with a goal of $10,000. That campaign had passed $23,000 by 7 p.m. Sunday. Flores updated the page to say he had managed to contact the vendor and would be working on media outreach, but did not respond to an email sent through the page Sunday evening. Although Flores’ video shows the officer’s name, UC Berkeley police were not available to confirm the officer’s identity and years of service, and a UC Berkeley police records supervisor was not reachable Sunday for data about vendor citations on campus. Two other campus police officers made arrests in separate and unrelated incidents during Saturday’s game, Sanchez said. Like our Facebook page for more conversation and news coverage from the Bay Area and beyond. Contact George Kelly at 408-859-5180. ||||| 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.
– Video footage of a University of California police officer taking money from a hot dog vendor on the campus of UC Berkeley has gone viral, and a GoFundMe campaign has raised tens of thousands of dollars for the vendor in just one day. On Saturday, Los Angeles resident and former Berkeley student Martin Flores was ordering food for his children after a Golden Bears football game when the officer interrupted the sale to give the vendor a citation, the East Bay Times reports. After he pulled out his phone and started recording, Flores got footage of the officer taking the vendor's wallet and pocketing the money he found. That night Flores posted the video on Facebook, where it has been viewed 11.4 million times, the Los Angeles Times reports. Thus far, Flores' GoFundMe page has raised more than $37,000 to cover the vendor's "legal and personal [losses]" and "to cover other vendors who have been robbed of their hard earned living through citations and removal of their carts." But UC police Sgt. Sabrina Reich told KTVU that the vendor was cited for selling without a permit and that the money, $60, was taken as "suspected proceeds of the violation and booked into evidence." Flores, however, says the officer gave the vendor the citation as people were drinking in public nearby, also a crime. "This was about identifying one vendor," Flores says. "If you want law and order, be law and order across the board."
In this Nov. 17, 2017 photo, Johnny Bobbitt Jr., left, Kate McClure, right, and McClure's boyfriend Mark D'Amico pose at a CITGO station in Philadelphia. When McClure ran out of gas, Bobbitt, who is homeless,... (Associated Press) PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A New Jersey woman who was helped by a homeless man after she ran out of gas on an interstate in Philadelphia has raised more than $60,000 for the good Samaritan. Kate McClure, 27, started the Gofundme.com campaign earlier this month after she said she ran out of gas on Interstate 95 and a homeless man, Johnny Bobbitt Jr., walked a few blocks and bought her some with his last $20. McClure said she didn't have any money to repay him at the time but returned to the road several times to give him cash, clothes and food. After a few visits, she started the fundraiser with the hopes of using the money toward housing and other expenses for the 34-year-old Bobbitt. "I wish that I could do more for this selfless man, who went out of his way just to help me that day," she wrote on the fundraising page. "Truly believe that all Johnny needs is one little break. Hopefully with your help I can be the one to give it to him." Donations have poured in, and the fundraiser has shattered its goal of raising $10,000 for Bobbitt. About 2,000 people had given to the campaign by Wednesday evening. ||||| Update:First off, we would like to thank everyone who had a part of this amazing ride we've been on for the last few days. Your kind words, donations and help getting the word out meant the world to Mark, Johnny and myself. This would've never happened with out all of you!Now lets get down to some business. We've received a lot of comments and questions about what johnnys plans are for this money and how it will be used. Hopefully this will answer them while keeping his privacy and the privacy of the people he is helping also. The first thing on the list is a NEW Home which Johnny will own!! He will never have to worry about a roof over his head again!! Second will be the dream truck he's always wanted... a 1999 ford ranger (yes I'm serious). There will also be 2 trusts set up in his name, one essentially giving him the ability to collect a small "salary" each year and another retirement trust which will be wisely invested by a financial planner which he will have access to in a time frame he feels comfortable with so when the time comes he can live his retirement dream of owning a piece of land and a cabin in the country. A bank account will be set up for him with funds for every day needs that will get him through until he finds a job. And lastly, he will be donating to a few organizations and people who over the last couple of years have helped him get through this rough patch in his life. This is a well thought out plan that Johnny his lawyer and financial advisor came up with in order to give Johnny the means to acclimate back into a "normal" life and also to protect him and ensure he has a bright future. I hope this will answer all the questions we have been getting about his plans. Once again, we couldn't thank all of you enough for the kindness you have shown. Mark and I are beyond humbled and grateful that you took our little project and turned it into a world wide cause that thousands of people supported. The next update you receive will be from Johnny himself. He finally got his new computer and he is dying to thank all you personally!! You guys are amazing, keep checking in with us from time to time———————————————————Original story :This is Johnny.Driving into Philly one night, I made the mistake of thinking that I would be able to make it all the way down I- 95 with my gas light on. Needless to say, I was wrong. I never ran out of gas before, and my heart was beating out of my chest. I pulled over as far as I could, and got out of the car to head to the nearest gas station.That’s when I met Johnny. Johnny sits on the side of the road every day, holding a sign. He saw me pull over and knew something was wrong. He told me to get back in the car and lock the doors. A few minutes later, he comes back with a red gas can.Johnny did not ask me for a dollar, and I couldn’t repay him at that moment because I didn’t have any cash, but I have been stopping by his spot for the past few weeks. I repaid him for the gas, gave him a jacket, gloves, a hat, and warm socks, and I give him a few dollars every time I see him.I wish that I could do more for this selfless man, who went out of his way just to help me that day. He is such a great guy, and talking to him each time I see him makes me want to help him more and more.One day I stopped to see him and had a few things in a bag to give him, one of which was a box of cereal bars so he could have something that he could carry around and eat. He was very appreciative as usual and the first thing he said was “do you want one?” Another time I dropped off 2 wawa gift cards and a case of water.. the first words that came out of his mouth were “I can’t wait to show the guys” (there are 2 others he hangs out with and they all take care of each other). If just those 2 statements alone do not give you a glimpse of the good heart this man has I’m not sure anything will.I am raising money for Johnny. With the money, I would like to get him first and last month’s rent at an apartment, a reliable vehicle, and 4-6 months worth of expenses. He is very interested in finding a job, and I believe that with a place to be able to clean up every night and get a good night’s rest, his life can get back to being normal.Truly believe that all Johnny needs is one little break. Hopefully with your help I can be the one to give it to him.Please help this man get into a home. It is already getting so cold out in Philadelphia, and I can’t imagine what it will be like to be out there all winter. Any little bit will help.
– A New Jersey woman who was helped by a homeless man after she ran out of gas on an interstate in Philadelphia has raised $116,000 for the good Samaritan. Kate McClure, 27, started a GoFundMe campaign earlier this month after she said she ran out of gas on Interstate 95. "That's when I met Johnny," she writes. "Johnny sits on the side of the road every day, holding a sign. He saw me pull over and knew something was wrong. He told me to get back in the car and lock the doors." The AP reports Johnny Bobbitt Jr. walked a few blocks and bought her some gas with his last $20. McClure said she didn't have any money to repay him at the time but returned to the road several times to give him cash, clothes, and food. After a few visits, she started the fundraiser with the hopes of using the money toward housing and other expenses for the 34-year-old Bobbitt. "I wish that I could do more for this selfless man, who went out of his way just to help me that day," she wrote on the fundraising page. "Truly believe that all Johnny needs is one little break. Hopefully with your help I can be the one to give it to him." Donations have poured in, and the fundraiser has shattered its goal of raising $10,000 for Bobbitt. About 4,000 people had given to the campaign by Thursday morning.
In a Wednesday March 18, 2015 file photo, Colonial interpreters walk in front of the Colonial courthouse along Duke of Gloucester street in the Colonial Williamsburg area of Williamsburg, Va. Colonial... (Associated Press) In a Wednesday March 18, 2015 file photo, Colonial interpreters walk in front of the Colonial courthouse along Duke of Gloucester street in the Colonial Williamsburg area of Williamsburg, Va. Colonial... (Associated Press) WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (AP) — Colonial Williamsburg plans to outsource many of its commercial operations and lay off some workers in response to declining attendance and hundreds of millions in debt. The living history museum at Virginia's 18th-century capital announced plans Thursday to contract with outside companies to run its golf, landscaping, retail and other operations. The restructuring will include some layoffs at the site, where costumed actors re-enact life in colonial times amid the historic buildings. The nonprofit Colonial Williamsburg Foundation said it suffered operating losses last year of $54 million - or $148,000 per day. President Mitchell Reiss says Williamsburg attracts half the visitors it did 30 years ago. It also had more than $300 million in debt at the end of 2016. ||||| Mitchell Reiss painted a dire portrait Thursday of Colonial Williamsburg’s future. As its president, Reiss came to Colonial Williamsburg in October 2014 with the charge of turning its flagging fortunes around. Under his watch, it has implemented various programs with varying levels of support – such as starting a musket range, putting an ice skating rink in Merchants Square, and introducing a mascot. Colonial Williamsburg has also invested tens of millions of dollars in its programming, as well as restoring and remodeling places such as its arts museums, Williamsburg Inn, Golden Horseshoe Golf Club and The Spa of Colonial Williamsburg. But in some ways, Colonial Williamsburg’s predicament is of its own making, Reiss and members of the Rockefeller family said. Reiss, working with the Board of Trustees, senior management and outside advisors, spent six months working on a restructuring plan that the board endorsed at its April meeting. “Ultimately, doing nothing or continuing business as usual would mean the end of this special place and our mission,” Reiss said Thursday in his presentation to foundation employees. The plan to is not business as usual: Reiss announced the layoff of 71 people, and the departure of another 262 people on the foundation’s payroll when contractors take over golf operations, product and retail management, landscaping and facilities management. The move will leave Colonial Williamsburg with slightly fewer than 2,100 employees. In a further acknowledgment of the foundation’s troubles, Reiss said the Kimball Theatre will close July 6, and Colonial Williamsburg will seek tax relief from the localities in which it does business — the city of Williamsburg, and James City and York counties. If the measures aren’t taken, Reiss said in an interview, Colonial Williamsburg will exhaust the portion of its endowment money available for operations. Despite having a $682 million endowment, only $365.2 million is available in 2017 for operations. If things don’t change, by 2025, the foundation would have spent all but $12 million of that endowment and would have a negative balance by 2026, he said. “We probably would run out of money well before then,” Reiss said, citing a graph he presented to employees. “because that graph assumes that the donors are going to continue to give us money at the same rate they have in the past. And at some point, we know that that’s not going to happen. Nobody is going to continue to subsidize us if we can’t manage our own finances better.” The foundation lost $54 million in operations in 2016 and $277 million in the past five years, according to a fact sheet made public by Colonial Williamsburg. In 2016, the foundation said it paid $17 million in debt service payments on debt of more than $300 million, with more payments coming due soon, Reiss said in his letter to the Colonial Williamsburg community. He said the foundation compounded annual operating losses, by borrowing heavily to improve its hospitality facilities and visitor’s center leading up to Jamestown’s 400th anniversary in 2007. Reiss said the foundation did not get an adequate financial return on those investments. The foundation’s 2016 annual report made public last week shows the organization collected revenues of $229 million, $4 million above 2015 totals. Operating revenues — inclusive of admission ticket sales, hotel and restaurant revenues, retail sales and rental of commercial and residential real estate in and around the Historic Area — were $2 million lower than in 2015, due to a 6 percent decline in merchandise revenue. Though the foundation has seen $10.4 million in savings over the past two years, taking these measures now, Reiss said, puts the foundation on a path to financial stability within 18 months. Here is a collection of photos from the Daily Press archives of crafts and trades that have been demonstrated in Colonial Williamsburg over the years. Virginia State Sen. Majority Leader Tommy Norment, R-James City, a member of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation board of trustees, said in a prepared statement that many factors have contributed to the foundation’s financial challenges. “The task now is to look to the future, leading with a renewed commitment to the foundation’s core mission,” Norment said. Looking for relief In an interview Thursday, Reiss said the foundation is responsible for more than 8,000 jobs and $500 million in economic activity yearly. “We have been extremely generous over the decades in supporting other charities and non-profits in the community,” Reiss said. “We have been a good neighbor, and today is a day when we need help from our neighbors, from the community.” Reiss hopes that help will come from the city of Williamsburg, as well as James City and York counties, in the form of relief of real estate taxes and some of the license fees for the next three years. He said he would send a letter Friday formally asking for the tax relief that would allow Colonial Williamsburg to stabilize itself. The savings for Colonial Williamsburg “would be significant,” Reiss said. Illuminations — firing guns into the air and lighting fireworks — were commonly used during the 18th century to celebrate major events such as great military victories, the birthday of the monarch or the arrival of a new colonial governor. Colonial Williamsburg carries on this tradition with Grand Illumination. At 5:45 p.m. the Fifes and Drums signals the beginning of Grand Illumination, from all four stages. At 6:15 p.m., candles are lit in public buildings, shops and homes, and fireworks are launched at three Historic Area locations: the Governor's Palace, Magazine and Capitol. After the fireworks, entertainment resumes on the outdoor stages and continues until 7:30 p.m. (Daily Press) (Daily Press) Colonial Williamsburg owns 302 properties in Williamsburg, with a value of more than $200 million dollars, according to Williamsburg property records. It owns 11 properties in James City County worth $8.3 million, according to James City County property records. Most of that property is on Pocahontas Trail, according to Paul Holt, county planning director. In York County, Colonial Williamsburg owns 25 properties worth about $4.5 million. Reiss also said he will entertain offers for the Kimball Theatre, which is slated to close July 6. “I very much hope that somebody will come forward to lease it and continue to run it as a theater,” Reiss said. “And if somebody wants to buy it, we’d love to entertain that also.” In his letter to the Colonial Williamsburg community, Reiss said a key reason the foundation loses significant amounts of money every year is the business decisions that have been made in the past. Three members of the Rockefeller family, while expressing their support for the changes, cited a similar reason for launching the Colonial Williamsburg Company in the 1980s, which created a for-profit enterprise that now manages stores, hotels, golf courses and restaurants as altering the financial structure of the foundation. “This ambitious and good-faith effort has not reaped its intended benefits, and pressures on financial resources were aggravated by the recession (of 2007),” the Rockefellers wrote in their letter. “The financial issues also became a distraction from the foundation’s mission of historic preservation and civic education.” Reiss said the foundation looked at selling off its commercial assets, and said they looked “at a dozen different options” but felt it was best to outsource, rather than sell them off or maintain the status quo in order to be financially stable by 2019. Outsourcing, he said, would allow Colonial Williamsburg to refocus on its core educational mission.
– Colonial Williamsburg plans to outsource many of its commercial operations and lay off some workers in response to declining attendance and hundreds of millions in debt, the AP reports. The living history museum at Virginia's 18th-century capital announced plans Thursday to contract with outside companies to run its golf, landscaping, retail, and other operations. The restructuring will include some layoffs at the site, where costumed actors re-enact life in colonial times amid the historic buildings. According to the Virginia Gazette, one major change includes closing the Kimball Theatre, which hasn't been profitable since 1999 and lost $782,000 last year. Under the restructuring, 71 employees will be laid off by the end of the year; another 262 could eventually be affected. The nonprofit Colonial Williamsburg Foundation said it suffered operating losses last year of $54 million—or $148,000 per day. President Mitchell Reiss says Williamsburg attracts half the visitors it did 30 years ago. It also had more than $300 million in debt at the end of 2016. “If we are going to rededicate ourselves to our core educational mission, we can no longer do everything the way we did in 1976, or 1986 or even 2006,” Reiss says.
Would you be willing to spend 30 hours in a coffin? Six Flags St. Louis is celebrating 30 Years of Screams during Fright Fest 2018 with the 30-Hour Coffin Challenge. Six coffin dwellers will be chosen to spend 30 hours in a coffin, from 1:00 pm on Saturday, October 13 until 7:00 pm on Sunday October 14. If you think you can spend 30 hours in a coffin, fill out the registration form below! This event is taking place at Six Flags St. Louis Coffin Dweller Requirements: Must be 18 years or older and have a photo ID for verification Cannot have any medical condition(s) that would make residing in a coffin for 30 hours a risk to your health or wellbeing. Complete and sign a waiver at check-in Must be able to completely lay in a 2’ x 7’ coffin Provide your own pillow and sleeping bag or blankets Check in at Six Flags St. Louis by 11:30 am on Saturday, October 13 Six Flags St. Louis will provide: Six, deluxe, 2’ x 7’, slightly used coffins Breakfast in bed…well all meals, snacks and drinks in bed actually One, six-minute bathroom break every hour. Random visits by our Fright Fest Freaks A Six Flags representative will be present at all times Phone charging stations Registration: Coffin Dwellers will be chosen on Thursday, October 4 and must accept by end of day Saturday, October 6. If all coffins are not filled, an alternate will be notified by Monday, October 8. One entry per person please. Multiple entries will not increase your chances. This event is taking place at Six Flags St. Louis ||||| 0 Six Flags St. Louis offers $300 for spending 30 hours in coffin In the 1942 film “The Corpse Vanishes,” actor Bela Lugosi explains that he finds a coffin “much more comfortable than a bed.” Six Flags St. Louis is seeking people who find lying in coffins within their comfort level. The Missouri theme park announced on its website Friday that to celebrate the 30th year of Fright Fest, it will host a 30-Hour Coffin Challenge. TRENDING STORIES: Six contestants will be chosen to spend 30 hours in “deluxe,” “slightly used” coffins measuring 2 feet wide by 7 feet long, the Post-Dispatch reported. Hours of repose will be from 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 13, until 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 14, at the park. Contestants will be allowed to bring a friend, the park said on its website, but only during Fright Fest operating hours. After hours -- from midnight Saturday until noon Sunday -- they will be on their own, but “some of our Fright Fest Freaks will be lurking about in the darkness.” There will be six-minute bathroom breaks every hour, but a contestant will be eliminated from the competition if he or she gets out of the coffin. Park officials did not specify whether this is an open or closed casket competition, but for health (and liability) reasons, we’ll assume it’s an open showing. However, to ensure comfort, contestants are encouraged to bring a pillow and blanket. The park will provide, food, drinks and snacks, and will provide cellphone charging stations to pass the time. Contestants who make it through the 30 hours will receive two 2019 Gold Season Passes and a Fright Fest Prize Package, which includes tickets to the haunted house and Freak Train. As for the $300 prize, if more than one person makes it through a drawing will be held to award the cash. But nobody goes home empty-handed. All winners will be allowed to keep the coffin, the park said on its website. After all, the challenge organizers want their contestants to rest in peace. © 2018 Cox Media Group. ||||| Six Flags St. Louis is celebrating 30 Years of Screams during Fright Fest 2018 with the 30-Hour Coffin Challenge. Six coffin dwellers will be chosen to spend 30 hours in a coffin, from 1:00 pm on Saturday, October 13 until 7:00 pm on Sunday October 14. >>We have nailed the final nail in the Six Flags coffin and are no longer accepting registrations. Stayed tuned for updates of our Coffin Dwellers! The Basics Coffin dwellers will be allowed to bring a friend along during Fright Fest operating hours, but they must brave the non-operating hours alone. Well, not exactly alone, some of our Fright Fest Freaks will be lurking about in the darkness. Anyone who gets out of their coffin for any reason, with the exception of the designated bathroom breaks, will be out of the contest. The Winnings All Coffin Dwellers remaining at the end of 30 hours will recieve: $300; Two 2019 Gold Season Passes; A Fright Fest prize package including two VIP Haunted House passes; A ticket for two to ride the Freak Train for Freaks Unleashed; And the coffin! That's right - the handcrafted coffin is yours to keep! In addition, there will be a random drawing among the Coffin Dwellers remaining after 30-hours for a $500 Mattress Direct voucher. If you think you can spend 30 hours in a coffin, fill out the registration form and submit it before midnight, October 3. ||||| Close Get email notifications on Erin Heffernan daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. Whenever Erin Heffernan posts new content, you'll get an email delivered to your inbox with a link. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
– If you've been dying to take a 30-hour nap in a coffin and wouldn't mind getting $300 at the end of your repose, Six Flags St. Louis has just the Halloween-themed happening for you. Per the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, that's how much the theme park is offering for one lucky person who completes its "30-Hour Coffin Challenge," a shoutout to the 30th anniversary of the Fright Fest it holds each fall. From 1pm on Oct. 13 to 7pm on Oct. 14, six contestants will each lie down in a 2-by-7-foot coffin, where they'll have to stay for the duration, save for one six-minute bathroom break each hour. What's allowed: a pillow and blanket, a cellphone to while away the time, and a friend, though that friend will have to leave when the park closes and can't come back till opening time the next day. Six Flags will provide meals, drinks, and snacks. WSB-TV notes it's unclear whether the coffin lid will be shut on participants or propped open, though it surmises ("for health and liability reasons") it will likely be an open-casket endeavor. If more than one contestant makes it the whole 30 hours, there will be a drawing to see who keeps the cash, but anyone who completes the task will receive two Gold Season Passes, free passes for certain Fright Fest attractions, and an extra prop for their Halloween decor: their casket. The deadline to register for a shot is midnight on Oct. 3.
Police have "solved" a decades-old missing person case — but the woman who vanished so long ago now has dementia and can't explain her own disappearance. New York authorities never thought they would solve the 42-year-old missing person case of Flora Stevens, but then a state police investigator contacted the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office last month about some skeletal remains that might fit the vanished woman’s profile. Sheriff's Detectives Ed Clouse, left, and Rich Morgan pose with Flora Harris. Sullivan County Sheriff's Office Those skeletal remains pushed Sheriff’s Detective Rich Morgan to look into whether Stevens — who was 36 when she disappeared — had any living relatives. By hunting through federal, state and local databases, he discovered someone was using Stevens' social security number in Massachusetts. After a short drive up to Lowell, Massachusetts, Morgan and partner Detective Ed Clouse met Flora Harris, 78, in a local nursing home. Related: Husband Confesses to Wife's Murder, Body Location in Suicide Note Harris recognized an old employee photograph of Stevens from the Concord Hotel, and the two police officers soon realized Stevens and Harris were the same woman — but much had changed. "She doesn’t speak in more than one or two words at a time," Sullivan County Undersheriff Eric Chaboty explained, noting that Stevens suffers from dementia. "But she looked at the ID and said, 'Me!'" The struggle to communicate indicates a late middle stage or end stage form of dementia, according to the Alzheimer's Association. But Chaboty said when investigators showed her old pictures of the Concord Hotel, Stevens lit up immediately. Flora Stevens appears in an employee photo from the Concord Hotel circa 1975. Courtesy of Sullivan County Sheriff's Office "One of the things we talk about for late stage care is to find alternative ways to connect with them," said Beth Kallmyer, vice president of constituent services at the Alzheimer's Association. "They’re still alive, they’re still living here, so that helps make their quality of life better when you can find ways to connect with them. One way to do that is to look through old photos or to tell them about old memories or past events." Stevens had spent time at nursing homes in New Hampshire and New York City, but the mental health records are relatively vague and no one is quite sure what caused her to leave the small New York town of Monticello 42 years ago, officials said. She has no living relatives who could fill police in, either, they said. “The main thing is that we know that Flora is safe," said Sullivan County Sheriff Mike Schiff. ||||| MONTICELLO, N.Y. (AP) — A woman who disappeared from upstate New York after being dropped off for a doctor's appointment 42 years ago has been found suffering from dementia and living in an assisted-living facility in Massachusetts, authorities said. The sheriff's office in Sullivan County, New York, said Flora Stevens, 78, was using the last name Harris when detectives tracked her down this week at the residence in Lowell, near Boston. Officials said they've been unable to figure out details of what happened to her between the time she disappeared in August 1975 and when she was finally found. "It's not too often we get to solve a 42-year-old missing-person case," Sheriff Mike Schiff said in a press release. "The main thing is we know Flora is safe." Police said Stevens was a 36-year-old employee of a Catskills resort when her husband dropped her off for a doctor's appointment at a hospital in Monticello, 75 miles (121 kilometers) northwest of New York City. When he returned to pick her up, she wasn't there. Police periodically reviewed her missing person case but kept hitting dead ends. They got a break in September, thanks to a query from a New York State Police investigator working on a different cold case. The unidentified remains of a woman had been found in neighboring Orange County, and the investigator said they roughly matched Stevens' general characteristics. The state police investigators asked Sullivan County for help tracking down any relatives who could provide a DNA sample for possible identification. During a records search, Detective Rich Morgan discovered someone was using Stevens' Social Security number in Massachusetts. Deputies tracked the number to the Lowell assisted-living residence, where staff confirmed the number belonged to a resident named Flora Harris, who has lived there since 2001. Morgan and another detective went there Tuesday and confirmed Harris was actually the Flora Stevens who had disappeared in 1975. Because of her condition, she couldn't provide details of her life since them, police said. But the detectives brought along Stevens' employee photo identification card from the now-defunct Concord Resort, and she recognized herself, officials said. Her medical records under her new name show she lived in nursing homes in New Hampshire and New York City before arriving in Lowell, police said. Stevens apparently has no living relatives, officials said.
– A woman who disappeared from upstate New York 42 years ago has been found suffering from dementia and living in a Massachusetts assisted-living facility, authorities say. The sheriff's office in Sullivan County, NY, says Flora Stevens, 78, was using the last name Harris when detectives tracked her down this week at the residence in Lowell, near Boston, per the AP. Officials say they've been unable to figure out what happened to her between her August 1975 disappearance and when she was found. Police say Stevens was a 36-year-old Catskills resort worker when her husband dropped her off for a doctor's appointment in Monticello. When he returned to get her, she wasn't there. Police periodically reviewed her case but hit dead ends. Thanks to a query from New York State Police working on a different cold case, they got a break in September. Remains had been found in a neighboring county; police thought it might be Stevens. During a records search, a detective found someone was using Stevens' Social Security number in Massachusetts. Deputies tracked it to the Lowell residence, where staff said it belonged to Flora Harris, there since 2001. Detectives confirmed Harris was Stevens. Cops say due to her condition, she couldn't offer details of her life, but she recognized herself in a photo ID card from the now-defunct resort. "She looked at the ID and said, 'Me!'" one of the detectives says, per the New York Daily News. Medical records under "Harris" show she previously lived in New Hampshire and NYC nursing homes. Stevens apparently has no living relatives. "It's not too often we get to solve a 42-year-old missing person case," Sheriff Mike Schiff says in a press release. "The main thing is we know Flora is safe."
Kim Kardashian's Exclusive New Strip! You voted her as your 2012 Hot 101 winner. So this week we present the lady you voted the hottest woman on planet Earth - KIM KARDASHIAN - in a new and exclusive shoot. You're welcome... GIRLS - Kim Kardashian strips in an incredible new shoot! - The amazing Sabine makes her topless ZOO debut! - Annie Cooper - the fittie from the Foster's ad - new strip pics! - Lauren Bougen's Facebook Fittie shoot! - Sam Kellett topless for Ireland in our Euro 2012 countdown! - Gracie Lewis, Jodie Marsh, Audrina Patridge and more in Headline Honeys! - Kezia Noble's advice on flirty housemates, hot step-sisters and getting your missus back! - Hot new girls next door peel off! - Awesome arses in our Bumblr (Tumblr)! BIG READS - The ZOO Football Awards 2012 - as voted for by you! - American Dad's ZOO shoot! UP FRONT - Jamie Carragher's exclusive views on Roy Hodgson! - How to train your dog like Pudsey! - The best new gags from Channel 4's Comedy Gala! - Funniest Man Of The Week: Dave Fulton! - Hyundai Veloster driven! - Robbie Savage talks Liverpool managers, Rio Ferdinand and going to the dogs! - Beckham's 'tache-likeys! - Mad skydivers at 4,000 metres above the ground! - Ghost Recon: Future Solider, DiRT Showdown, Dragon's Dogma and Men In Black 3 reviewed! - The best of the web this week! - Your best pics and general madness! - Hilarious new jokes and the week in pub-silencing trivia! - Your TV viewing essentials! - The best new spherical tech gear! - Quality new season spring knits! SPORT - Access All Areas: At home with Carl Froch! - The Kaiser Chiefs' Simon Rix talks about his team, Leeds United! - Lip Reading special from Man City vs QPR! - The inside line from the F1 grid with Jake Humphrey! - Player Cam snaps the week's sporting stupidity and madness! - Test your skills in our weekly sports quiz! ||||| #1 Bar Refaeli After Bar Refaeli was selected as No. 1 on Maxim’s Hot 100 this summer, the Israeli supermodel became the center of worldwide media attention. On one of the many stops on her victory tour, Bar told a shocked Conan O’Brien that men simply don’t ask her out. Considering that her perfect face and extraordinary body are known around the globe, it’s understandable that guys might be intimidated. ||||| These things aren't exactly scientific, but Kim Kardashian has been named the "Hottest Woman in the World" by the U.K.'s Zoo magazine. The honor of "hottest woman" was bestowed on the reality star by the magazine's readers. The 31-year-old, who is currently in London to launch her latest fragrance, appears on the cover of the magazine in nothing more than red satin lingerie. Kim's latest beau, Kanye West, was also in London this past week, to perform, and that gave Kim the opportunity to hang with some serious A-list stars. London's DSTRKT club was the location for Kanye and Jay-Z's "Watch the Throne" after-party on Sunday night. Jay-Z's famous friends Gwyneth Paltrow and husband Chris Martin came to party, as did designer Stella McCartney. PHOTO:
– Bar Refaeli is No. 1 on this year's Maxim Hot 100, but No. 92 is arguably more interesting: It's Foxy Knoxy herself, Amanda Knox. She's probably the most controversial entry, but the list also contains a cartoon character (Family Guy's Lois Griffin) and a man (Stephen Colbert, whose fans apparently staged a write-in campaign). Side note: Kim Kardashian didn't make it on Maxim's list, but she was voted "Hottest Woman in the World" by Zoo magazine ... which, sadly, is not actually a magazine about zoo animals. See that cover here. Maxim's top 10: Bar Refaeli Olivia Munn Mila Kunis Katy Perry Olivia Wilde Jennifer Lawrence Emma Stone Megan Fox Malin Akerman Adrianne Palicki Click to see all 100.
This crawl of online resources of the 112th US Congress was performed in Fall of 2012 and early winter of 2013 on behalf of NARA. ||||| POLITICO Playbook: Crisis Speaker Nancy Pelosi is essentially in open war with President Donald Trump. | Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images DRIVING THE DAY IS THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT IN A STATE OF CRISIS? … There’s no doubt we have gotten accustomed to lurching from standoff to standoff, diplomatic row to global skirmish. But over the past few days, it feels as if the crisis in our government has hit a new inflection point. -- WE ARE NOW ON DAY 27 of a government shutdown centered on whether the U.S. should build a new barrier on the southern border with Mexico. Hundreds of miles of barriers already exist. Neither Republicans nor Democrats have been willing to blink, and both sides appear to be growing increasingly dug in. The shutdown is continuing ad infinitum. Ratings agencies and economic forecasters have warned Congress to shape up, or face huge consequences. Ben White on the growing number of recession warnings -- AT THE SAME TIME, the Trump administration is forcing some workers to come back to work with no pay. The agents whom the government has hired to ensure people don’t board our airliners with bombs and weapons -- TSA employees -- are working without pay. So are the people protecting the president of the United States. NYT’s Katie Rogers and Alan Rappeport on people coming back to work without pay -- SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI is in open war with PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, and has essentially rescinded her invitation for the president to speak to the nation from the Capitol in the annual State of the Union. The situation she lays out is quite dire: She expressed concern that the government cannot protect the building, which will be filled with almost the entire government. It also had the additional political benefit of being a kick to the groin to the president. DHS SECRETARY KIRSTJEN NIELSEN said publicly DHS and the Secret Service are ready to protect the Capitol for this event. HOUSE MINORITY WHIP STEVE SCALISE (R-LA.) indicated if Trump shows up at the Capitol anyway, they’ll find a place for him to speak. -- MEANWHILE … A SENIOR HOUSE REPUBLICAN, Steve King of Iowa, was admonished by his leadership, and in some cases asked to leave Congress, because he voiced support for white supremacy. He has been stripped of his committee assignments. This comes after years of racist statements. LOOK AT ALL OF THE AVAILABLE EVIDENCE, and ask yourself a simple question: Do you believe the government is poised to function over these next two years? Do you believe that these two parties are poised to pass the USMCA -- the new trade deal with Canada and Mexico? Do you believe a big infrastructure package is right around the corner? How about the debt limit -- will that be lifted easily? Good Thursday morning. JOHN KASICH, who recently signed up as a CNN contributor, is raising money off of it. His email solicitation NEW PBS NEWSHOUR/NPR/MARIS POLL: “With the 2020 presidential election already underway, 57 percent of registered voters said they would definitely vote against President Donald Trump, according to the latest poll from the PBS NewsHour, NPR and Marist. Another 30 percent of voters said they would cast their ballot to support Trump, and an additional 13 percent said they had no idea who would get their vote.” PBS A message from the National Retail Federation: Tariffs imposed by Washington are having a negative impact on Main Street retailers in communities across the country. Scroll down to learn more. http://bit.ly/2TJDuvH THE PELOSI-VS.-TRUMP STORIES … -- JOHN BRESNAHAN, HEATHER CAYGLE and RACHAEL BADE: “‘She’s satin and steel’: Pelosi wages war on Trump”: “Donald Trump may have finally met his match in Nancy Pelosi. As the partial government shutdown grinds on with no end in sight, the struggle between the president and the speaker is becoming an unprecedented political fight — with the fallout likely to extend far beyond this episode. “Pelosi privately refers to Trump as the ‘whiner in chief.’ She’s questioned his manhood. She calls out Trump’s lies to his face and openly wonders whether he’s fit for the job. She mocks Trump for his privileged upbringing and his lack of empathy for the less fortunate. She jokes with other senior Democrats that if the American public saw how Trump acts in private, they’d ‘want to make a citizen’s arrest.’” POLITICO -- WAPO’S PAUL KANE, PHIL RUCKER and JOSH DAWSEY: “‘She wields the knife’: Pelosi moves to belittle and undercut Trump in shutdown fight” 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. INSIDE THE WHITE HOUSE -- NYT’S MAGGIE HABERMAN and ANNIE KARNI, “In a West Wing in Transition, Trump Tries to Stand Firm on the Shutdown”: “President Trump has insisted that he is not going to compromise with Democrats to end the government shutdown, and that he is comfortable in his unbendable position. But privately, it’s sometimes a different story. ‘We are getting crushed!’ Mr. Trump told his acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, after watching some recent coverage of the shutdown, according to one person familiar with the conversation. ‘Why can’t we get a deal?’ ... “Mr. Trump has told [his senior staffers] he believes over time the country will not remember the shutdown, but it will remember that he staged a fight over his insistence that the southern border be protected. ... Unlike his predecessors, according to White House officials, Mr. Mulvaney is not interested in challenging what has revealed itself to be the one constant in the Trump White House: the special status reserved for Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, the president’s family members and senior advisers, in the West Wing. “Mr. Mulvaney’s more hands-off approach to the family members has allowed Mr. Kushner to position himself among lawmakers on Capitol Hill as the person who can deliver to Mr. Trump what he wants. The dynamic, according to multiple White House officials, is similar to the opening days of the administration, when the staff to the new president was just beginning to meet with Washington officials and Mr. Kushner often told people that ‘everything runs through me.’” NYT THE ATLANTIC’S ELAINA PLOTT on SHAHIRA KNIGHT: “Trump’s Chief Shutdown Negotiator Is Unknown to Most Americans” SEXUAL HARASSMENT WATCH -- HOLLY OTTERBEIN and ALEX THOMPSON: “Sanders faces former staffers about sexual harassment on 2016 campaign”: “Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) met Wednesday with a group of former staffers who have raised concerns about allegations of sexual harassment and violence during his 2016 presidential campaign and have urged him to make reforms if he runs again next year. “Sanders did not respond to a reporter’s questions as he entered the meeting through a private door at a hotel in Washington. The former aides sought a meeting with Sanders to ‘discuss the issue of sexual violence and harassment on the 2016 campaign, for the purpose of planning to mitigate the issue in the upcoming presidential cycle,’ according to a copy of a letter first reported by POLITICO.” POLITICO -- BUZZFEED’S ZOE TILLMAN: “A Lawsuit Claims Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee Retaliated Against A Staffer Who Planned To Sue The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Over An Alleged Rape”: “A former staffer for Texas Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee claims in a new lawsuit that the lawmaker retaliated against her and fired her because she was planning to pursue legal action over an alleged rape by a former employee of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. The woman, identified in court papers by the pseudonym Jane Doe, alleges she was raped in October 2015, when she was a 19-year-old intern for the CBCF, by the foundation’s intern coordinator at the time, Damien Jones.” BuzzFeed AOC UPDATE -- “Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a social media star, to school House Democrats on Twitter use,” by USA Today’s Eliza Collins: “The House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee is hosting a session Thursday morning with Ocasio-Cortez of New York (@AOC – 2.42 million followers) and Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut (@jahimes – 76,500 followers) ‘on the most effective ways to engage constituents on Twitter and the importance of digital storytelling.’” USA Today THE INVESTIGATIONS … “Rudy Giuliani says Trump didn’t collude with Russia but can’t say if campaign aides did,” by CNN’s Caroline Kelly: “In an interview with CNN’s Chris Cuomo on ‘Cuomo Prime Time,’ Giuliani, a former New York mayor and Trump's attorney, said he doesn't know if other people in the campaign, including former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, were working with the Kremlin during the 2016 presidential race. “‘I never said there was no collusion between the campaign, or people in the campaign,’ Giuliani said. He added, ‘I said the President of the United States. There is not a single bit of evidence the President of the United States committed the only crime you can commit here, conspiring with the Russians to hack the DNC.’” CNN -- “GOP wants Mueller transparency — with caveats,” by Darren Samuelsohn: “Senate Republicans are sending signals they want it both ways on special counsel Robert Mueller’s final report: They are calling for transparency while still giving themselves an out if crucial parts are withheld. It’s a talking point that echoes the line William Barr, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, used in his confirmation hearing this week. Barr vowed to publicly release as much of Mueller’s findings as he can, ‘consistent with the regulations and the law.’” POLITICO -- ABC’S ELIANA LARRAMENDIA and JAMES HILL: “Michael Cohen fears Trump rhetoric could put his family at risk: Sources”: “Michael Cohen is having reservations about his highly anticipated public appearance before Congress next month, fearing that President Donald Trump’s frequent diatribes against him could put his family in danger, according to sources close to Cohen.” ABC A message from the National Retail Federation: CNN’S MANU RAJU and JEREMY HERB: “Effort to ease Russian sanctions boosted by former Louisiana senator”: “Former Republican Sen. David Vitter is lobbying on behalf of companies linked to a Russian oligarch with ties to President Vladimir Putin, aligning himself with Trump administration efforts to ease sanctions on his clients, according to documents filed with the Justice Department.” “Vitter, who has registered as a foreign agent, lobbied with several countries' ambassadors and the Treasury Department to ease punishing sanctions imposed on major aluminum firms tied to oligarch Oleg Deripaska. After the Treasury Department agreed last month and eased the sanctions, Vitter was spotted in the Senate ahead of critical votes taking aim at the Trump administration move.” CNN TRUMP’S THURSDAY -- The president will leave the White House at 10:45 a.m. to go to the Pentagon. At 11 a.m., Trump will participate in the missile defense review announcement. He will then return to the White House. PLAYBOOK READS PHOTO DU JOUR: Furloughed federal employees get free lunch at a pop-up staged by chef José Andrés during the partial government shutdown Wednesday. | Mark Wilson/Getty Images THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION -- “Top HUD official’s departure follows disagreements over housing policy and Puerto Rico disaster funds,” by WaPo’s Tracy Jan, Arelis Hernández, Josh Dawsey and Damian Paletta: “Deputy Secretary Pam Patenaude, second-in-command at the agency helmed by Ben Carson and widely regarded as HUD’s most capable political leader, is said to have grown frustrated by what a former HUD employee described as a ‘Sisyphean undertaking.’ ... “Trump told then-White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly and then-Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney that he did not want a single dollar going to Puerto Rico, because he thought the island was misusing the money and taking advantage of the government ... Patenaude told White House budget officials during an early December meeting in the Situation Room that the money had been appropriated by Congress and must be sent.” WaPo -- “Pentagon seeks to expand scope and sophistication of U.S. missile defenses,” by WaPo’s Paul Sonne: “The Trump administration is seeking to expand the scope and sophistication of American missile defenses on a scale not seen since President Ronald Reagan’s ‘Star Wars’ initiative in a new strategy that President Trump plans to roll out personally on Thursday alongside military leaders at the Pentagon.” WaPo Playbook PM Sign up for our must-read newsletter on what's driving the afternoon in Washington. Email Sign Up By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time. BANNON WATCH -- STEVE BANNON predicted Tuesday night that Trump will appoint four justices to the Supreme Court as president and that Clarence Thomas may retire so that the president could pick someone to replace him, according to two people at his speech at the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia. He also said in front of the 250 people gathered at the Loews Hotel that Trump will run in 2020; but if he doesn’t, a Nikki Haley/Mike Pompeo slate would be a winning ticket. Bannon’s a fan of Ocasio-Cortez and said he admires her “grit.” He also said that the U.S. economic war with China is just starting (and that he believes the U.S. is winning) and will grow to encompass more than just trade disputes. Pic A message from the National Retail Federation: TRUMP INC. -- “Federal agency ‘improperly’ ignored constitutional concerns before allowing Trump to keep lease to his hotel, internal watchdog says,” by WaPo’s Jonathan O’Connell and David Fahrenthold: “The General Services Administration ‘ignored’ concerns that President Trump’s lease on a government-owned building — the one that houses his Trump International Hotel in Washington — might violate the Constitution when it allowed Trump to keep the lease after he took office, according to a new report from the agency’s inspector general. Trump’s company won the lease several years before he became president. “After Trump was elected, the agency had to decide whether his company would be allowed to keep its lease. At that time, the inspector general found, the agency should have determined whether the lease violates the Constitution’s emoluments clauses, which bar presidents from taking payments from foreign governments or individual U.S. states. But it did not, according to the report issued Wednesday.” WaPo CHINA WATCH -- “Huawei Targeted in U.S. Criminal Probe for Alleged Theft of Trade Secrets,” by WSJ’s Dan Strumpf, Nicole Hong and Aruna Viswanatha: “Federal prosecutors are pursuing a criminal investigation of China’s Huawei Technologies Co. for allegedly stealing trade secrets from U.S. business partners, including technology used by T-Mobile US Inc. to test smartphones, according to people familiar with the matter. “The investigation grew in part out of civil lawsuits against Huawei, including one in which a Seattle jury found Huawei liable for misappropriating robotic technology from T-Mobile’s Bellevue, Wash., lab ... The probe is at an advanced stage and could lead to an indictment soon.” WSJ MEDIAWATCH -- NYT’s Michael Grynbaum: “David Haskell, a longtime deputy editor at New York magazine, will become its editor in chief on April 1, inheriting a glossy biweekly and a suite of websites devoted to pursuits like fashion, food, shopping and politics.” NYT PLAYBOOKERS SPOTTED: Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and his wife Louise Linton eating dinner with Bret Baier and his wife Amy at Prime Rib last night … Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) at Brothers and Sisters in Adams Morgan ... Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) having dinner at the Monocle with a few other people. HARVARD INSTITUTE OF POLITICS has named its spring 2019 fellows. Resident fellows include: former Reps. Barbara Comstock (R-Va.) and Carlos Curbelo (R-Fla.), Andrew Gillum, Aisha Moodie-Mills, Catherine Russell and Michael Zeldin. The spring visiting fellows include: Gary Cohn, former Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), Mitch Landrieu and Michael Nutter. BIRTHWEEK (was yesterday): Jim Durette, deputy COS for Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) (hat tip: Hank) BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Steve Rabinowitz, president and co-founder of Bluelight Strategies. How he got his start in politics: “Moved to Washington to volunteer, then work for my local congressman Mo Udall when he ran for president and I was but 18. Then worked, also nationally, for Presidents Jerry Brown, John Anderson, Gary Hart, Walter Mondale, Paul Simon, Mike Dukakis and Bob Kerrey’s presidential campaigns before finally working for that Bill Clinton guy. My non-political friends used to call me ‘the kiss of death.’ But I was the first among my political cohort to truly learn how a mult box worked and what the color temperature of light was.” Playbook Plus Q&A BIRTHDAYS: former first lady Michelle Obama is 55 ... Rebecca Buck, CNN political reporter (hubby tip: Brendan) … Maury Povich is 8-0 ... former FCC Chairman Newton Minow is 93 ... Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is 65 ... POLITICO’s Steve Shepard and Joanne Kenen ... John Wagner, WaPo national political reporter, is 5-0 ... Alyssa Franke of EMILY’s List ... Al Shofe … Nikki Schwab, Washington reporter at The Daily Mail ... NBC News’ Alex Moe ... POLITICO Europe’s Alba Pregja … Jim Free is 72 ... David Avella, chairman of GOPAC ... Chris Jones, SVP/senior director of U.S. talent acquisition at BCW Global ... Cynthia Kroet ... Stephen Gilmore ... Bill Galston is 73 … Jeremy Pelofsky of Finsbury ... Julie Alderman of Planned Parenthood (h/t Londyn Marshall) ... … Tommy Joyce (h/ts Lauren Ehrsam and Ed Cash) ... Kousha Navidar … Robert E. Lewis Jr. is 4-0 ... photographer Steven Purcell is 56 … Elizabeth Hays Bradley (h/t Jon Haber) ... Dan Gilbert is 57 ... Charlotte Rediker ... Becca Sobel ... Julie Barko Germany ... John Seabrook is 6-0 ... Mary Clare Rigali, analyst at Albright Stonebridge ... Edelman’s Katherine Wiet and Kurt Hauptman ... Haris Alic ... Karlygash Faillace ... Doug Wilder is 87 ... Alyssa Roberts ... Barbara Riley ... YouTube alum Vadim Lavrusik ... Taylor Barden ... Warren Cathedral is 58 ... Robbie Hughes is 37 ... Amit Jani ... John M. Gillespie ... Noelani Bonifacio ... Tegan Millspaw Gelfand ... Mark Pieschel … John Hoyt (h/t Teresa Vilmain) … Mike Spahn, COS to Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), is 4-0 (h/t Maureen Knightly) A message from the National Retail Federation: Tariffs imposed by Washington are coming directly out of the pocketbooks of American small business owners and consumers. As the owner of a Texas luggage shop said, "This could be such a detrimental impact on our business." Listen to the stories of local retailers impacted by tariffs at http://bit.ly/2TJDuvH. ||||| The Ryan proposal will help settle the fight over the government shutdown and the 2011 budget because it will remind everybody that the real argument is not about cutting a few billion here or there. It is about the underlying architecture of domestic programs in 2012 and beyond. Photo The Ryan budget will put all future arguments in the proper context: The current welfare state is simply unsustainable and anybody who is serious, on left or right, has to have a new vision of the social contract. The initial coverage will talk about Ryan’s top number — the cuts of more than $4 trillion over the next decade. But the important thing is the way Ryan would reform programs. He would reform the tax code along the Simpson-Bowles lines, but without the tax increases. (It’s amazing that a budget chairman could include tax policy in his proposal, since it’s normally under the purview of the Ways and Means Committee.) The Ryan budget doesn’t touch Medicare for anybody over 55, but for younger people it turns it into a defined contribution plan. Instead of assuming open-ended future costs, the government will give you a sum of money (starting at an amount equal to what the government now spends) and a regulated menu of insurance options from which to choose. 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 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. The Ryan budget will please governors of both parties by turning Medicaid into a block grant — giving states more flexibility. It tackles agriculture subsidies and other corporate welfare. It consolidates the job-training programs into a single adult scholarship. It reforms housing assistance and food stamps. It dodges Social Security . The Republicans still have no alternative to the Democratic health care reform , but this budget tackles just about every politically risky issue with brio and guts. Ryan was a protégé of Jack Kemp , and Kemp’s uplifting spirit pervades the document. It’s not sour, taking an austere meat ax approach. It emphasizes social support, social mobility and personal choice. I don’t agree with all of it that I’ve seen, but it is a serious effort to create a sustainable welfare state — to prevent the sort of disruptive change we’re going to face if national bankruptcy comes. It also creates the pivotal moment of truth for President Obama. Will he come up with his own counterproposal, or will he simply demagogue the issue by railing against “savage” Republican cuts and ignoring the long-term fiscal realities? Does he have a sustainable vision for government, or will he just try to rise above the fray while Nancy Pelosi and others attack Ryan? And what about the Senate Republicans? Where do they stand? Or the voters? Are they willing to face reality or will they continue to demand more government than they are willing to pay for? Paul Ryan has grasped reality with both hands. He’s forcing everybody else to do the same.
– However you feel about Paul Ryan's controversial budget plan to drastically cut government spending and redefine Medicare and Medicaid, it's clear this is not your usual dry debate about numbers: David Brooks, New York Times: Brooks praises Ryan's political courage and says he's stepping to the "vacuum created by the president's passivity." Ryan's plan "creates the pivotal moment of truth for President Obama," writes Brooks. "Will he come up with his own counterproposal, or will he simply demagogue the issue by railing against 'savage' Republican cuts and ignoring the long-term fiscal realities? Does he have a sustainable vision for government, or will he just try to rise above the fray while Nancy Pelosi and others attack Ryan?" Rachel Maddow, MSNBC: Maddow frames the debate within a big, big question, notes Mike Allen's Playbook blog at Politico. "Is government important?" she asked on her show last night. "Republicans picked today to announce their intentions to kill Medicare. This is a long slow curveball over the plate if the president and Democrats are willing to try to win this next election by winning the big argument." See the video clip in the gallery.
Joe Donnelly concedes, Mike Braun wins Indiana's US Senate seat To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Republican Mike Braun has defeated incumbent Joe Donnelly for Indiana's U.S. Senate seat. After the results of the race were clear, Donnelly spoke to his supporters in the Hyatt Regency Ballroom in Indianapolis. "I just want to tell you how grateful I am to all of you for the unbelievable opportunity to serve the people of Indiana. We have the opportunity to serve everybody across the state and try to make a difference in their lives with healthcare and a lot of different good things and the people of our state are so wonderful. I called Mike Braun to tell him I will do everything I can to ensure a smooth transition because that’s what the people of Indiana deserve," Donnelly said. "You’ve given me so much and I’m so grateful to all of you and please know this if there’s ever anything I can do for you count on me because of this: we love this country so much we need to make sure we work to bring our country together rather than two divided to make sure every American has a chance.” Donnelly urged his supporters to stay active, stay engaged and continue to fight for what they believe is right. Contributions to this story also made by: Melissa Hudson Share this article: email ||||| 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 ||||| CNN's live coverage of the 2018 midterm elections has concluded. Democrats on Tuesday captured the House of Representatives and are set to exert a major institutional check on President Trump, while breaking the Republican monopoly on power and ushering in a younger, more female and more racially diverse political generation. But the GOP solidified their Senate majority after an acerbic midterm election that enshrined America's deep divides and shaped a highly contentious battleground for the stirring 2020 presidential race. Stick with CNN Politics as we sort through the changed political landscape. ||||| Republicans retained control of the Senate on Tuesday, ousting Democratic incumbents in Indiana and North Dakota and handing President Donald Trump a triumph by ensuring they will remain as guardians of his conservative agenda for two more years. Despite Trump's deeply polarizing effect on voters, the GOP harnessed his rock-solid popularity with hard-right voters in rural, deep-red states. They held onto seats in the South, Midwest and West and ensured at least a 50-50 Senate — enough to give Republicans control because Vice President Mike Pence as president of the Senate would tip the balance to the GOP. Republicans paved their path to victory by defeating Democrats Joe Donnelly of Indiana and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota. They also held on to competitive seats in Texas, where Sen. Ted Cruz fended off Rep. Beto O'Rourke, the well-financed liberal darling, and in Tennessee, where Rep. Marsha Blackburn prevailed. The GOP Senate victory was magnified because Democrats stood a solid chance of wresting control of the House from Republicans. That would give the Senate the role of blocking House-passed Democratic initiatives on everything from health care to the potential repeal of tax cuts on the wealthy that the GOP enacted last year. It would also leave the Senate as the showcase for the GOP's goals of tax and spending cuts, trade, immigration restrictions, curbs on Obama's health care law and judicial nominations. Republicans entered the night commanding the Senate only narrowly, 51-49. But a crucial piece of math was in their favor Tuesday: The Democrats and their two independent allies were defending 26 seats, Republicans just nine. Blackburn, a conservative who is also an ardent Trump backer, defeated former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen, 74. Bredesen had promised a bipartisan approach if elected and had won the endorsement of music star Taylor Swift. Heitkamp lost to GOP Rep. Kevin Cramer, whom Trump persuaded to seek the Senate seat. Heitkamp was hurt late in her campaign by an ad that mistakenly named some women as victims of sexual abuse. The night's news wasn't completely disastrous for Democrats. Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin was re-elected in West Virginia, a state Trump captured by 42 percentage points in his 2016 election triumph. Democratic incumbents also prevailed in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, Midwestern states that Trump carried narrowly two years ago. Overall, Democrats were defending seats in 10 states that Trump took in 2016, including five he won by at least a huge 19 percentage points. Trump prevailed in Indiana by 19 points. Tuesday's midterm elections were among the most bitter in years. Democrats' longshot prospects for capturing a Senate majority were pinned on expectations that their supporters, roused by revulsion toward Trump, would surge to the polls. Fueling their intensity have been Trump's anti-immigration rhetoric and policies, his efforts to dismantle health care protections enacted under President Barack Obama and the #MeToo movement's fury over sexual harassment. "Ever since President Trump has been in office, it has just been not the country that I am used to or that I thought I would be in," said Sarah Roth, 22, a Democratic voter from Minnetonka, Minnesota. "And so this really was my opportunity to help this country in changing who is making the decisions." Democrats also had history on their side: 2002 was the only midterm election in the past three decades when the party holding the White House gained Senate seats. Republicans were banking on those dynamics being offset by a vibrant economy and by a president whose insult-laden approach to political discourse was as stirring for conservative voters as it was infuriating to liberals. Trump's racially tinged anti-immigrant rhetoric, while unpopular among college-educated urban and suburban voters, seemed helpful in deeply conservative areas. "I believe he values immigration, but he wants to make sure we're safe," said Tina Newby of Wetland, Michigan, a GOP voter. "I like the fact that he is not a politician, and I forgive some of the socially incorrect or politically incorrect things that he says." With so much at stake, Trump campaigned in over a dozen states with Senate elections since Labor Day, visiting some multiple times. He himself has characterized the election as a referendum on his presidency. AP VoteCast, a national survey of the electorate conducted by The Associated Press, highlighted the effect Trump was having on voters. Nearly 4 in 10 said they were casting ballots to express opposition to him, while just 1 in 4 said their vote was an expression of support for the president. In other results, Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders and Democrats Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Minnesota's Amy Klobuchar were easily re-elected. Along with Sherrod Brown, a pro-labor lawmaker re-elected in Ohio, the four are considered potential 2020 Democratic presidential hopefuls. GOP hopes of gaining a seat from New Jersey were dashed when Democrat Sen. Bob Menendez won a third Senate term. Menendez won in the heavily Democratic state despite a federal bribery indictment that prosecutors dropped this year after a mistrial. Also victorious was Republican Mitt Romney, the vanquished 2012 GOP presidential candidate who grabbed the Utah seat being vacated by the retiring GOP Sen. Orrin Hatch. Virginia Democrat Tim Kaine, his party's defeated 2016 vice presidential candidate, won re-election to the Senate. Amid the recent rash of letter bombs and the Pittsburgh synagogue massacre, Trump issued alarming and often unfounded warnings about caravans of migrants crossing Mexico toward the U.S., blaming Democrats, without evidence, for the threat he claimed they pose. AP VoteCast is a nationwide survey of more than 120,000 voters and nonvoters conducted for the AP by NORC at the University of Chicago ___ AP reporters Jeff Baenen in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and John Flesher in Traverse City, Michigan, contributed. ||||| Conservative Rep. Marsha Blackburn Marsha BlackburnTennessee New Members 2019 McConnell reelected as leader, Thune promoted to whip Rick Scott appears with GOP senators, ignores voter fraud question as recount continues MORE (R) has defeated former Gov. Phil Bredesen in Tennessee, likely quashing Democrats’ chances of taking control of the Senate. She will fill the seat vacated by Sen. Bob Corker Robert (Bob) Phillips CorkerGOP senators open door to tougher response on Saudi Arabia New book about White House stirs controversy GOP senator calls book labeling him among Trump's enemies 'pretty warped' MORE’s (R-Tenn.) retirement. Blackburn pulled ahead of Bredesen after the Senate’s divisive debate over Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh Brett Michael KavanaughSupreme Court's future rides on Ginsburg's health Number of abortions in US declines to lowest level since 2006 Avenatti: �?I will be fully exonerated’ MORE, which polarized the electorate in Tennessee and other battleground states that voted for President Trump Donald John TrumpFranklin Graham: Trump defends the Christian faith Trump slams '60 Minutes' over report on family separations GOP senators open door to tougher response on Saudi Arabia MORE. ADVERTISEMENT Bredesen in an interview with NBC’s Kasie Hunt over the weekend criticized Senate Democrats’ handling of the Supreme Court fight and argued that “coming out immediately against anyone who Trump put up was a mistake.” He tried to bolster his centrist credentials by announcing that he would have voted for Kavanaugh. He saw a small bump in the polls immediately before Election Day, but it wasn’t enough. Republican strategists in the state said Blackburn’s victory depended on Republicans in East Tennessee “coming home” and voting for the GOP nominee. They didn’t consolidate until late in the race because of lingering affection for Bredesen’s record as governor. Corker, who had long worked with him on issues affecting the state, gave Bredesen a small boost in April when he praised him as “a very good governor” and a “very good businessperson.” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellIngredients for successful prison reform are all here, if politics-as-usual doesn't spoil the batter Senate to get briefing on Saudi Arabia that could determine sanctions Five things to watch as Congress braces for end-of-the-year shutdown fight MORE (R-Ky.) later told Corker that those comments were unhelpful. Blackburn got off to a slow start in the race. An Emerson poll from July showed her trailing by 6 points and an NBC News/Marist poll from late August showed her behind by 2 points. A Republican strategist said voters initially confused her with Rep. Diane Black Diane Lynn BlackTennessee New Members 2019 Many authors of GOP tax law will not be returning to Congress Blackburn keeps Tennessee seat in GOP hands MORE (R-Tenn.), who ran an ill-fated campaign for governor and got beaten soundly in the GOP primary. Blackburn, a firebrand, is more conservative than Republicans elected to the Senate from Tennessee in recent years. Sen. Lamar Alexander Andrew (Lamar) Lamar AlexanderOvernight Health Care — Presented by The Partnership for Safe Medicines — GOP lawmaker pushes back on Trump drug pricing plan | Pfizer to raise prices on 41 drugs next year | Grassley opts for Finance gavel GOP lawmaker pushes back on Trump drug pricing proposal Congress needs to wake up to nuclear security threat MORE and Corker are seen as two relatively moderate members of the GOP conference. Before them, former Sen. Fred Thompson and former Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker were seen as moderates. Thompson supported campaign finance reform in 2002 and refused to support a constitutional amendment barring gay marriage. Baker was known as the “Great Conciliator” and Jules Witcover of The Baltimore Sun praised him as “the last of the Republican moderates” when he died in 2014. Blackburn is cut from a different cloth. She hammered home partisan divisions during the race, repeatedly referring to former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonHow the right can prepare for 2020 Fox's Pirro to Clinton on 2020: 'The only place that you need to run is back into the woods' Gowdy on Ivanka Trump's email investigation: 'I'm concerned anytime any president prejudges the outcome' MORE, and ran in support of additional tax cuts, border security and cracking down on so-called sanctuary cities. Corker, whom she will replace, by contrast, has said he’s opposed to additional tax cuts because of the impact they will have on the deficit. He was the only Republican to vote against the 2017 tax cut — which added hundreds of billions of dollars to the projected deficit — although he eventually voted for the final bill. ||||| Close Get email notifications on Kurt Erickson daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. 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– Republicans will keep control of the Senate for at least another two years—both CNN and the AP have called it. The GOP went into Tuesday's midterms with a 51-49 advantage, and the party appears to be on track to actually increase that margin. The bad news began early for Democrats when they lost a key race in Indiana: GOP businessman Mike Braun defeated incumbent Joe Donnelly, who had been seen as one of the most vulnerable Senate Democrats, reports ABC News. Democrats also lost another seat in North Dakota and failed to flip a vulnerable one in Tennessee. Meanwhile, the GOP's Ted Cruz won in Texas, while the race in Florida was too close to call. Notable if unsurprising winners elsewhere included Republican Mitt Romney in Utah and Democratic incumbent Tim Kaine in Virginia. More details: Missouri. Republican Josh Hawley defeated Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill by a 55-42 margin, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Tennessee: Republican Marsha Blackburn will keep the seat in GOP hands. She defeated Democrat Phil Bredesen to replace the retiring Bob Corker, a Republican, reports the Hill. Florida: Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson vs. Republican Rick Scott. This is shaping up to be a nail-biter based on partial returns. North Dakota: Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp lost her seat to Republican challenger Kevin Cramer. New Jersey: Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez defeated Republican Bob Hugin, per the AP. West Virginia: Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin defeated Republican Patrick Morrisey, reports CNN. Nevada. Incumbent GOP Sen. Dean Heller was defeated by Democrat Jacky Rosen. Closely watched races in Arizona and Montana are still outstanding.
Eric Trump speaking at the 2018 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland. (Gage Skidmore/Flickr) Middle Trump Son, Eric Trump went off on a strange rant about Kellyanne Conway’s husband, who recently started a Super PAC to attack the president. While George Conway has never been the biggest Trump fan, for a long time he remained quiet, but over time, his tweets have been ripping the president almost non-stop. Conway’s spouse works for Trump, which has prompted several “political relationships” fluff pieces in outlets wondering how the two can still be married over something so divisive. SPONSORED “Of all the ugliness in politics, the utter disrespect George Conway shows toward his wife, her career, place of work, and everything she has fought SO hard to achieve, might top them all. @KellyannePolls is great person and frankly his actions are horrible,” the younger Trump tweeted. Of all the ugliness in politics, the utter disrespect George Conway shows toward his wife, her career, place of work, and everything she has fought SO hard to achieve, might top them all. @KellyannePolls is great person and frankly his actions are horrible. — Eric Trump (@EricTrump) December 4, 2018 Disrespecting someone’s wife isn’t exactly unheard of in the Trump family. The president has been under fire from women for years and was even caught bragging about sexually assaulting women during an interview. Indeed, not long after Trump entered the White House, his affair and payoff of porn star Stormy Daniels was made public. Worse, the first lady had just given birth when the president had the affair. The internet was quick to light up the younger Trump for his comments. Check them out below: This is just “alternative respect” — BK (@bjkpharmd) December 4, 2018 why do you look like the urinal version of a mob boss named slick rick — alt_labor (@alt_labor) December 4, 2018 Wait. Did I miss something? Did George Conway pay money to have sex with a porn star right after his wife gave birth? https://t.co/c8J9CyUZSG — Reza Aslan (@rezaaslan) December 4, 2018 Your father was banging a porn star while his wife was home caring for their baby. — pourmecoffee (@pourmecoffee) December 4, 2018 dad might take the lock off your food bowl after that one — Brandon McCarthy (@BMcCarthy32) December 4, 2018 Utter disrespect is paying off porn stars while whichever one of your step moms just gave birth to yet another one of your siblings with yet another trophy wife. But that’s just my humble opinion… — What The What Now? (@WhatTheWhatNow1) December 4, 2018 Marriage advice from a Trump .. — Kavita Nair (@KavitaNair70) December 4, 2018 Bro, your dad though. — Dan Hilferty (@DanHilferty) December 4, 2018 I know right! Shame on George for accurately pointing out the President's attempts influence the testimony of witnesses in a criminal case! How dare he!https://t.co/wu5zJVh31L — Ryan Hill (@RyanHillMI) December 4, 2018 He did nothing but provide accurate and interesting legsl commentary. What are you hallucinating, Eric? — Speculawyer 🇳🇴-American (@speculawyer) December 4, 2018 This is a real tweet?! OMG… no Ts get to weigh in on marriage… — Mary (@MaryInTheBuff) December 4, 2018 Let George and Kellyanne work it out on their own. In the meantime, everyone who’s last name isn’t Trump and who didn’t vote for your dictator dad absolutely loves, loves, loves George Conway and the fact that he’s a burr under The Donald’s saddle. — EB Shenanigans (@janedoe53230467) December 4, 2018 On a positive note he’s never had multiple affairs with porn stars after his wife gave birth or leave his wife and mother of his children for some bimbo from Fox News…champ. You’re not the guy to lecture anyone on how a marriage should be respected. — Fred Wellman (@FPWellman) December 4, 2018 ||||| Trump has pushed back against George Conway's criticism, telling reporters that he is only speaking out to "get publicity for himself." Kellyanne Conway last month poked fun at the media's coverage of her husband by making her Twitter bio, "The ‘Kellyanne Conway’ in ‘Kellyanne Conway’s Husband.' " Conway in a Washington Post profile published over the summer called her husband's repeated criticisms of her boss "disrespectful." "I think it’s disrespectful,” she said. “I think it disrespects his wife.” She then walked back her comments by saying that "people see it that way." In the profile, she also said that "part of" her husband feels she "chose" Trump over him. “I feel there’s a part of him that thinks I chose Donald Trump over him,” she told the Post. "Which is ridiculous. One is my work and one is my marriage." Updated at 9:10 p.m. ||||| Donald J. Trump सत्यापित खाते @realDonaldTrump “I will never testify against Trump.” This statement was recently made by Roger Stone, essentially stating that he will not be forced by a rogue and out of control prosecutor to make up lies and stories about “President Trump.” Nice to know that some people still have “guts!”
– Eric Trump thinks George Conway's constant disagreement with President Trump is one of the ugliest things he's seen in politics. The Trump son—whose father's affair with Marla Maples kept tabloids busy in the early '90s—spoke out Monday at the "utter disrespect" Conway is showing to his wife, Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway, the Hill reports. "Of all the ugliness in politics, the utter disrespect George Conway shows toward his wife, her career, place of work, and everything she has fought SO hard to achieve, might top them all," Eric Trump tweeted. Kellyanne Conway is a "great person and frankly his actions are horrible," he added. George Conway—a respected conservative attorney—has spoken out against Trump's policies numerous times, and recently started a Super PAC to oppose the president, Raw Story reports. Eric Trump may have been angered Monday by a George Conway tweet in which he suggested Trump's praise of Roger Stone for vowing not to testify against him could be considered witness tampering. Conway later retweeted remarks mocking Eric Trump's tweet, including this one from Obama-era White House counsel Eric Bassin: "Of all the ugliness in politics, the utter disrespect the Trumps show toward the rule of law, the presidency and its place of work, and everything this nation has fought SO hard to achieve might top them all." (Earlier this month, Trump dismissed "Mr. Kellyanne Conway" as a publicity seeker.)
Chris Pratt and Anna Faris have decided to call it quits. “Anna and I are sad to announce we are legally separating,” Pratt wrote in a joint statement shared on Facebook on Sunday. “We tried hard for a long time, and we’re really disappointed. Get push notifications with news, features and more. “Our son has two parents who love him very much and for his sake we want to keep this situation as private as possible moving forward,” he continued. “We still have love for each other, will always cherish our time together and continue to have the deepest respect for one another.” Karwai Tang/WireImage The couple’s split comes after eight years of marriage. Pratt, 38, and Faris, 40, have one child together, Jack, who will turn 5 in August. The two met on the set of Take Me Home Tonight in 2007 and got engaged a year later before marrying in summer 2009. There had been rumors of tension between the couple over the past year, and Pratt was recently spotted without his wedding ring in public. A source tells PEOPLE Faris often seemed unhappy while Pratt was away filming and that the separation was often hard for her to bear. Last December, the actress opened up on an episode of her podcast, Anna Faris Is Unqualified, about “feeling so hurt” by rumors regarding her marriage. “I think it was a combination of things. I take pride in how great my relationship is with Chris, but having said that, of course in this crazy world where he’s off doing movies and I’m in L.A. raising our child, of course I’m going to feel vulnerable, like any normal human would,” she told her pal and actress Isla Fisher on the show. On April 10, Pratt shared a message about how much he loved Faris after she joined him for his press tour for Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2. “These press tours can be such a whirlwind,” he wrote. “I’m grateful to have you and the boy with me on this one. Although it’s 3:00am right now, I was just awakened by a square kick to the back as little man climbed into bed and then must have had a karate dream or something and now I can’t sleep. I’m on insta instead. All you dads and moms know what I’m talking about.” Pratt gushed about his relationship with Faris while accepting the MTV Award for best action performance in 2016 for Jurassic World. “Our son was destined to be tough, but thanks to you he will be smart, too,” he said of Jack, who was born prematurely. The actress opened up about her marriage to PEOPLE recently, saying they just like to relax when they’re home together. “Chris loves to work in the garage and I love to do laundry and watch reality television,” she said. “Just normal people.” Tommaso Boddi/WireImage Faris also addressed the struggles of being in the public eye with Pratt. “I don’t think that’s something, when you’re an actor, that you’re prepared for,” she said. “There are two different roles that you play — the one on-camera and the one in public. That’s the tricky part.” RELATED VIDEO: Aw! Chris Pratt Gives Son Jack His ‘First Tie-Tying Tutorial’ Before Receiving a Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame The actor previously told PEOPLE in 2015 he and Faris worked hard to not lose track of their own relationship amid work, family and fame. “It’s just as important, if not more important, to focus on your relationship with your partner because your children are going to leave one day [and] you have to maintain a relationship that’s going to outlast your child’s needs for you,” he said. “I have the support of a strong partner who’s been through this and understands it and whom I can share these experiences with. And we have a family that we’re starting that’s the focus of my attention.” ||||| Image copyright Reuters Image caption Anna Faris and Chris Pratt said that they "cherished" their time together US actors Chris Pratt and Anna Faris have announced that they are separating after eight years of marriage in joint statements shared on social media. The couple, who met in 2007 while filming the romantic comedy Take Me Home Tonight, said attempts to save their relationship had failed. "We tried hard for a long time, and we're really disappointed," Pratt wrote in a post on Facebook on Sunday. Pratt, 38, and Faris, 40, were married in 2009. They have a son named Jack. "Our son has two parents who love him very much and for his sake we want to keep this situation as private as possible moving forward," the statement said. The statement added that the two had "cherished" their time together and "continue to have the deepest respect for one another". Pratt, who played Andy Dwyer in the US comedy series Parks and Recreation, has become one of Hollywood's most sought-after leading men thanks to roles in Jurassic World and Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy. In April, he paid a lengthy tribute to Faris after receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. "Without you, none of this would mean anything," he said. Faris had earlier praised Pratt at the ceremony, introducing him to the stage with an emotional speech. "I know that if our circumstances were different, and we weren't as fortunate to be standing here and leading our Hollywood life, we would be happy in the woods together," she said. Faris found fame in 2000 with Scary Movie, the spoof horror film series in which she played Cindy Campbell in the first four instalments. She later co-starred alongside Sacha Baron Cohen in the controversial 2012 film The Dictator and told the BBC at the time that it was an "honour" working with him. She went on to play the role of Christy Plunkett, a single mother who has battled with alcoholism and drug abuse in Chuck Lorre's US sitcom Mom. The news of the couple's split was met with disbelief on social media as fans took to Facebook to share their sadness. "Lord, I pray that you restore this marriage. In Jesus' name. Amen," wrote Ann Stenbak Cole. Another Facebook user, Miriam Sinton, wrote: "I never thought I would see this announcement. I am sorry for you and your family."
– Sad news from one of Hollywood's favorite couples: Anna Faris and Chris Pratt are calling it a day after almost a decade together, including eight years of marriage, People reports. "Anna and I are sad to announce we are legally separating. We tried hard for a long time, and we're really disappointed," the couple said in a statement on Pratt's Facebook page. "Our son has two parents who love him very much and for his sake we want to keep this situation as private as possible moving forward," said the couple, who met on the set of Take Me Home Tonight in 2007. Their son, Jack, will be 5 years old this month. "We still have love for each other, will always cherish our time together and continue to have the deepest respect for one another," said the statement from Faris, 40, and Pratt, 38. Roles in movies including Jurassic World and Guardians of the Galaxy have made former Parks and Recreation actor Pratt one of the most popular leading men in Hollywood, the BBC reports. When he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in April this year, he paid tribute to Faris, saying: "Without you, none of this would mean anything."
Stephen Hawking: religious leaders dismiss 'God not needed' comments The Archbishop of Canterbury has dismissed the conclusion by Stephen Hawking, the retired Cambridge scientist, that the Big Bang was the result of the inevitable laws of physics and did not need God to create the Universe. Photo: GETTY IMAGES ||||| Substitute teachers and special needs assistants have lost out on some of their pay this month after the Department of Education failed to prepare for a new tax system on time. The department told The Times the process had been “hugely challenging” and that it was devoting all of its technical resources to resolving the problem “as a matter...Substitute teachers and special needs assistants have lost out on some of their pay this month after the Department of Education failed to prepare for a new tax system on time. The department told The Times the process had been “hugely challenging” and that it was devoting all of its technical resources to resolving the problem “as a matter...Substitute teachers and special needs assistants have lost out on some of their pay this month after the Department of...
– Angry religious leaders are slamming "Godless" physicist Stephen Hawking for saying the universe likely created itself without any divine intervention. “Belief in God is not about plugging a gap in explaining how one thing relates to another within the universe," the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams tells the Times of London."It is the belief that there is an intelligent, living agent on whose activity everything ultimately depends for its existence." Catholics, Jews and Muslims also piled on Hawking, who says in his latest book, The Grand Design, that "spontaneous creation" without divine intervention is possible because of the laws of physics. "Science is about explanation. Religion is about interpretation. The Bible simply isn’t interested in how the universe came into being,” said Britain's Chief Rabbi, Lord Sacks. For those having a difficult time wrapping their head around "spontaneous creation," Hawking has this tip: "If you like, you can call the laws of science 'God.'"
Saturday was Jacob Koscinski’s big day. His whole family, many from out of town, saw the Charleston, S.C., student graduate from his Christian-based home-school program with a 4.89 grade-point average and the coveted honor of summa cum laude. His mother, Cara Koscinski organized a graduation party for her 18-year-old son. For the occasion, she ordered a cake online from her nearest grocery store, Publix, which lets customers build their own cakes complete with a customized inscription, which they enter into a message box marked “cake message option.” Carefully, she typed in the words she wanted on the cake: “Congrats Jacob! Summa Cum Laude class of 2018.” Publix’s online system was unhappy with the word “cum.” In Latin, cum is the preposition “with,” as in summa cum laude, “with the highest distinction.” To the little box on the Publix website, however, the word meant something else and its strict algorithm, vigilant for naughty words, returned a message that said “profane/special characters not allowed.” Cum, which contains no special characters, was deemed profane. In place of cum, three hyphens appeared, as they do for some other profanities in family newspapers: Summa ––– Laude. The Post replicated her experience and got the same result: But there was still hope. The Publix form included a section for “special instructions” for the bakery, in which Koscinski explained that Summa Cum Laude was a Latin term for high academic honor and was not profane. She included a link to a website explaining the meaning of summa cum laude and said she didn’t think much about it afterward. Cake day arrived. Koscinski said she was so busy preparing things for the celebration, that she sent her husband and sister to the store to get some last minute items and to pick up the cake. When they returned, everyone gathered around the cake. When they opened the box, there it was: “Congrats Jacob! Summa — Laude Class of 2018.” Jacob was “absolutely humiliated,” Koscinski said to The Post. “It was unbelievable. I ordered the special graduation edition cake. I can’t believe I’m the first one to ever write “Summa Cum Laude” on a cake. Koscinski said she then had to explain why the grocery store censored “cum” from Jacob’s cake to her 70-year-old mother. Ok. I didn’t want to post but I cannot resist. I ordered Jacob’s graduation cake from Publix. A $70 cake!! He earned a... Posted by Cara Koscinski on Sunday, May 20, 2018 Jacob didn’t eat much of the cake after that but his mother says the chocolate and vanilla cake was delicious. Koscinski called Publix on Monday and explained the situation to the assistant manager. She said she doesn’t want this to happen to anyone else in the future. Publix offered to remake the cake. She declined. “No,” she said, “you only graduate once.” Publix gave her a $70 refund for the cake and a store gift card. But as The Washington Post test revealed, that particular “c” word remains profane by Publix standards. Jacob can now laugh about the situation and is focused on getting ready to attend Wingate University in North Carolina in the fall, where he received a full academic scholarship. “Maybe I should have just gotten him his favorite mint chocolate chip ice cream instead,” Koscinski said. More from Morning Mix How Philip Roth’s ‘Portnoy’s Complaint’ scandalized — and forever changed — American literature A marriage made at the Mall of America nearly 20 years ago is cut short sadly by cancer #IfIDieInASchoolShooting ‘it’s because I live in America’ and other sad realities ||||| The signs of a graduation party are still left around the house of the Koscinski family. Jacob graduated Saturday with the highest honors from a Christian-based home-schooling program. So, his mom ordered a cake. "He did not know we were getting a cake because he's not a big cake eater. So we were all standing there waiting to see it and when we opened it, it was a huge shock to all of us," said Cara Koscinski. She explained how she ordered the 3/4 inch sheet cake online through Publix. But when she requested the bakery include Jacob's honor, she was alerted that profane or special characters weren't allowed. Cara clarified her request with special instructions. "The website had censored me and this is a website that you can refer to for the Latin term for Summa Cum Laude which means highest honors," she said. Cara said when her husband picked up the cake from Publix on Savannah Highway and Main Road, he didn't know the bakery omitted the middle Latin word. It was replaced with hyphens. "The cake experience was kind of frustrating and humiliating because I had to explain to my friends and family like what that meant. And they were giggling uncontrollably. At least my friends were," said Jacob Koscinski. The Koscinskis said a manager from Publix apologized and offered a refund. For now, they're nibbling on the leftover dessert, and looking forward to Jacob's freshman year at Wingate University. "It's fine for us to be compensated for the cake. We're just happy that our son graduated school and has a bright future," said Cara Koscinski. Jacob's grade point average is an impressive 4.89. He plans to major in pre-med. ABC News 4 reached out to Publix to find out why the website confuses this honor with a profanity. But corporate officials didn’t respond to our question.
– Jacob Koscinski was certainly worthy of a grand graduation cake: The 18-year-old earned a 4.79 GPA in his Christian-based home-school program and is now set to head to North Carolina's Wingate University later this year on a full scholarship. But per WCIV, when partygoers got their first glimpse Saturday of the sheet cake for the South Carolina teen, it was a "huge shock" for everyone, his mom says. Cara Koscinski had ordered the cake online through Publix, requesting that it include the message "summa cum laude" to signal the high honors Jacob had received. But because Publix's algorithm apparently deemed the middle word (which means "with" in the Latin phrase) a profane one, it automatically generated three hyphens in its place: The cake revealed at the party read "summa --- laude." "Utterly ridiculous," Koscinski wrote on her Facebook page. The Washington Post tried to order a cake on the Publix site using the same phrase and got an alert that said "Profane/special characters not allowed." Koscinski notes when she got that message, she explained the meaning of the phrase in the "special instructions" field and included a link to a site that explained it more fully. The hyphenated replacement for the omitted word actually made things worse for Jacob, who called the whole thing "frustrating and humiliating." "I had to explain to my friends and family … what that meant," he tells WCIV. "They were giggling uncontrollably." Publix offered to redo the cake, but Jacob's mom turned it down, as the graduation party had already passed. Instead, she received a refund for the $70 she'd spent, as well as a store gift card. (Four words on a New Jersey high school's prom tickets caused a problem.)
Neuroscience Curiosity improves memory by tapping into the brain’s reward system The brain’s dopamine reward circuitry fires up when people are curious about finding answers, making learning more effective Curiosity may tap into the same neural pathways that make people yearn for chocolate, nicotine or a win at the races. Photograph: Frank Baron/Guardian Brain scans of college students have shed light on why people learn more effectively when their curiosity is piqued than when they are bored stiff. Researchers in the US found evidence that curiosity ramped up the activity of a brain chemical called dopamine, which in turn seemed to strengthen people’s memories. Students who took part in the study were better at remembering answers to trivia questions when they were curious, but their memories also improved for unrelated information they were shown at the same time. The findings suggest that while grades may have their place in motivating students, stimulating their natural curiosity could help them even more. Charan Ranganath, a neuroscientist at the University of California, Davis, said curiosity seemed to be piqued when people had some knowledge of a subject but were then faced with a gap in their understanding. “We think curiosity is the drive to fill that gap. It’s like an itch you just have to scratch,” he said. Matthias Gruber, a colleague of Ranganath’s who led the study, asked students to work through a series of trivia questions. He then had them rate how confident they were that they knew the correct answer and how curious they were to find out. He then created bespoke lists of questions for each student that left out those they already knew the answers to. The remaining questions ranged from ones the students were highly curious about to others they found totally boring. Gruber then used an fMRI scanner to monitor each student’s brain while their list of questions appeared one after another on a screen. After each question they faced a 14-second wait during which a random face flashed up for two seconds. The answer to the trivia question then appeared on the screen before the next question flashed up. The scans revealed that when people were more curious, brain activity rose in regions that transmit dopamine signals. The neurotransmitter is intimately linked to the brain’s reward circuitry, suggesting that curiosity taps into the same neural pathways that make people yearn for chocolate, nicotine and a win at the races. “When we compare trials where people are highly curious to know an answer with trials where they are not, and look at the differences in brain activity, it beautifully follows the pathways in the brain that are involved in transmitting dopamine signals,” said Ranganath. “The activity ramps up and the amount it ramps up is highly correlated with how curious they are.” In memory tests an hour later, the students were better at remembering the answers to questions they were curious about. On average, they remembered 35 of 50 answers when they were curious, compared with 27 out of 50 when they were not. The students also did better at recognising the faces that had flashed up on the screen when they were waiting for the answer to a question that made them curious. The improvement was slight, at 42% versus 38% for faces that flashed up before questions the students found boring. The study showed that – as expected – students had better memories when their curiosity was piqued. To find out if the effect was brief or longer-lasting, they ran another series of tests. Gruber invited a different group of students into the lab and put them through the same regime of reading trivia questions, watching faces flash up, and seeing the answers. This time Gruber tested their memories a full day later. The students still fared better when they had been curious, suggesting that the improvement in memory was more than momentary. “There are times when people feel they can take in a lot of new information, and other times when they feel their memories are terrible,” said Ranganath. “This work suggests that once you light that fire of curiosity, you put the brain in a state that’s more conducive to learning. Once you get this ramp-up of dopamine, the brain becomes more like a sponge that’s ready to soak up whatever is happening.” Ranganath said the findings are in line with theories that give dopamine a key role in stabilising or consolidating memories. The research is published in the journal, Neuron. Guillén Fernández at the Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging in the Netherlands said: “Understanding the mechanistic underpinning of how we learn is of utmost importance if we want to optimise knowledge acquisition in education. “The brain is the most individual organ we have. The authors of this report show nicely that individual differences in curiosity are associated with differential abilities to learn new information.” • This article was amended on 3 October 2014 to give the correct spelling of Charan Ranganath. ||||| Everyone knows it's easier to learn about a topic you're curious about. Now, a new study reveals what's going on in the brain during that process, revealing that such curiosity may give a person a memory boost. When participants in the study were feeling curious, they were better at remembering information even about unrelated topics, and brain scans showed activity in areas linked to reward and memory. The results, detailed yesterday (Oct. 2) in the journal Neuron, hint at ways to improve learning and memory in both healthy people and those with neurological disorders, the researchers said. [10 Ways to Keep Your Mind Sharp ] "Curiosity may put the brain in a state that allows it to learn and retain any kind of information, like a vortex that sucks in what you are motivated to learn, and also everything around it," Matthias Gruber, a memory researcher at the University of California, Davis, said in a statement. "These findings suggest ways to enhance learning in the classroom and other settings." Gruber and his colleagues put people in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner and showed them a series of trivia questions, asking them to rate their curiosity about the answers to those questions. Later, the participants were shown selected trivia questions, then a picture of a neutral face during a 14-second delay, followed by the answer. Afterward, the participants were given a surprise memory test of the faces, and then a memory test of the trivia answers. Not surprisingly, the study researchers found that people remembered more information about the trivia when they were curious about the trivia answers. But unexpectedly, when the participants were curious, they were also better at remembering the faces, an entirely unrelated task. Participants who were curious were also more likley than others to remember both the trivia information and unrelated faces a day later, the researchers found. The brain scans showed that, compared with when their curiosity wasn't piqued, when people were curious, they showed more activation of brain circuits in the nucleus accumbens, an area involved in reward. These same circuits, mediated by the neurochemical messenger dopamine, are involved in forms of external motivation, such as food, sex or drug addiction. Finally, being curious while learning seemed to produce a spike of activity in the hippocampus, an area involved in forming new memories, and strengthened the link between memory and reward brain circuits. The study's findings not only highlight the importance of curiosity for learning in healthy people, but could also give insight into neurological conditions. For example, as people age, their dopamine circuits tend to deteriorate, so understanding how curiosity affects these circuits could help scientists develop treatments for patients with memory disorders, the researchers said. Follow Tanya Lewis on Twitter and Google+. Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science. ||||| News in Science Curiosity puts brain in state to learn The curious mind Being curious fires up the brain's reward circuits, enhancing your ability to learn, MRI scans reveal. The finding, reported in the journal Neuron, provides the first scientific evidence to help explain why it is easier learn about something that you're interested in, than if you're bored stiff. Importantly, it seems that the enhanced learning ability is not limited to the thing that excites your curiosity: the curious state enables you to better learn about unrelated things too, says study co-author Professor Charan Ranganath of the University of California, Davis. "Our results suggest that when people are in a state of curiosity it induces a motivational state and that actually helps you suck in other information as well," he says. The researchers say their findings could point to ways to enhance learning in the classroom and may help understand memory problems in elderly people. The study looked at 19 university students aged between 18 and 31. The students were asked trivia questions. When they didn't know the answer, they were asked to rate how curious they were about the answer on a scale from 1 to 6. The researchers then put each student into a scanner which could measure the activity of various brain regions using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). While in the scanner, the students were asked only the questions that they were most or least curious about, in a random order. They had to wait 10 seconds for the answer, during which time they were distracted by being shown a photo of a person's face, and asked how likely that person was to know the answer to the question. Afterwards they were tested on their memory for the answers to the trivia questions. They were much better at recalling answers to questions they found interesting, than answers to questions they were not curious about. The researchers also tested how well the students could remember the faces they had been shown. Surprisingly, the students were more likely to remember the face of someone that they were shown while pondering a question that they were curious about. "It turns out that the faces, so to speak, come along for the ride," says Ranganath. Rewarding circuit "What's interesting is that the brain areas that are ramping up while they wait for the trivia answer are in the circuit that is generally involved in processing reward," he adds. These same areas will be activated if a person is offered a $20 note, or if they are shown a picture of food, he explains. "But here they are not anticipating any money, they're not anticipating any food, but they are anticipating something they are motivated to learn and we see a ramp-up that's very similar." Professor John Hodges of NEURA, who was not involved in the research, says it looks like a very good study. "Like a lot of research, they've investigated and found something that one would believe to be intuitively correct, but it's never been shown before -- that if you're interested in a topic then you are more likely to retain and learn," says Hodges. "They've shown that there is one brain system that's to do with arousal and curiosity and that has an influence on another brain system that is to do with memory and the two are interacting," he adds. He says the results show that the level of curiosity regulates the nucleus accumbens, a brain area associated with arousal and addiction. "The nucleus accumbens is implicated in drug addiction and in people who play video games." It's an important part of the brain's reward circuit, he explains. The study shows the nucleus accumbens is also more active if you are curious and interested and that it, in turn, is influencing the areas of the brain to do with memory, he says. Hodges says the work has been possible because brain imaging has improved dramatically and now changes in tiny structures like the nucleus accumbens can be seen. "This work has obviously got implications for teachers and how to teach adolescents," he adds. "The key thing is to make things interesting and increase people's curiosity and then they learn naturally." ||||| Image courtesy of Flickr user Allan Ajifo The more curious we are about a topic, the easier it is to remember not only information about that topic, but also other unrelated information shown at the same time. A study published in Neuron shows what happens inside our brains when our curiosity is sparked. Participants in the study were asked to rate how curious they were to find out the answer to a specific trivia question, such as: “What does the term ‘dinosaur’ actually mean?” The participants were then placed in an MRI machine that measures brain activity, based on changes in blood flow when the brain is performing certain tasks. The participants saw the trivia question again followed by the image of a person’s face and were asked to make a specific decision about the person. Finally, they were shown the answer to the trivia question, in the dinosaur case “terrible lizard.” After the MRI scan the participants completed a surprise test on the answers to the trivia questions and also on their ability to recognize the faces shown during the scan. Example trials from screening and study phases Gruber et al., States of Curiosity Modulate Hippocampus-Dependent Learning via the Dopaminergic Circuit, Neuron (2014) The research revealed three key findings. First, when people are curious to learn the answer to a question they are better at learning that information – not only in the very short term but also after a 24-hour delay. Most surprising though was that participants had greater recall of the completely unrelated information – such as the face – shown at the same time. It seems that in the curious mind, more information is taken in no matter the subject. “This shows that when the brain is engaged more, by making a task relevant and interesting, people learn more,” said Amy Reichelt, psychology research fellow at University of New South Wales. Secondly, when curiosity is stimulated, the research found that there is increased activity in the hippocampus, the region of the brain associated with memory. And lastly, there is increased activity in the regions of the brain associated with reward when curiosity is stimulated. Fiona Kumfor is a research officer at Neurosceience Research Australia and her work focuses on how emotional feelings you experience during an event determine whether that event is likely to be remembered. She says that the work in this Cell study agrees with her findings and confirms that other motivational states, such as curiosity, also influence whether information is likely to be remembered. “Importantly, this paper reveals that like emotion, curiosity does not only determine whether the information of interest will be remembered, but it may also influence memory for extraneous/incidental information present at the time,” she said. Motivations matter Behavioral neuroscientist Jee Hyun Kim, head of the Developmental Psychobiology Lab at Melbourne’s Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, said more could be done to see whether the different levels of curiosity and different motivations from person to person have an impact on memory and learning. “It would be more informative to see […] whether individuals with low curiosity respond better to extrinsic motivation (reward value, reduced cost), whereas individuals with high [intrinsic] motivation (self-motivation or curiosity) are better left to their own devices,” she said. “Finding such relationship, and how such intrinsic vs extrinsic motivations may change due to neurological disorders, will have more important practical implications.” Kumfor adds that research into extrinsic rewards on memory is an important research area. “Previous research has suggested that the beneficial effects of intrinsic reward and extrinsic reward are not additive,” she said. So providing additional external rewards, when an individual is already self-motivated is unlikely to have any extra benefit on memory. External rewards, however, may be useful if the subject matter to be learned is less interesting, and doesn’t have any inherent motivation. Stimulating curiosity Reichelt said the implications of this new research lie in both medicine and education. “Stimulating curiosity is really important across all ages, from schools, to the workplace and to elderly care,“ she said. “In patients with neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s or dementia, carrying out engaging tasks can help people remember things that are important, and also encourage new learning. “[For] children who may be struggling to learn and become frustrated. Stimulating curiosity before learning in an educational setting can enhance incidental learning and also increase the motivation to learn.” This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
– Curiosity isn't just the sign of a healthy mind—a new study suggests it actually helps the mind get stronger. Researchers in Australia found that people were better able to remember something if they were naturally curious about the subject, reports LiveScience. That wasn't too surprising. The more intriguing part of the study showed that once a person's curiosity is piqued about anything, the brain gets fired up and is better able to learn about other subjects, too, explains the Washington Post. Using MRI scans, the researchers discovered that regions of the brain associated with memory and reward light up when a person gets curious. “There are times when people feel they can take in a lot of new information, and other times when they feel their memories are terrible,” a researcher tells the Guardian. “This work suggests that once you light that fire of curiosity, you put the brain in a state that’s more conducive to learning." The brain, he adds, "becomes more like a sponge that’s ready to soak up whatever is happening.” Researchers followed up with their subjects a full day after their tests and found that the effects still held. Teachers ought to put the findings to use in the classroom, a scientist not involved with the study tells Australia's ABC. (Brain researchers also think they can rewire bad memories to become good ones instead.)
Flying with Children Did you know that the safest place for your child on an airplane is in a government-approved child safety restraint system (CRS) or device, not on your lap? Your arms aren't capable of holding your child securely, especially during unexpected turbulence. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) strongly urges you to secure your child in a CRS or device for the duration of your flight. It's the smart and right thing to do so that everyone in your family arrives safely at your destination. The FAA is giving you the information you need to make informed decisions about your family's travel plans. Media Kit Tips Sheet (PDF) Graphics About Child Restraint Systems (CRS) A CRS is a hard-backed child safety seat that is approved by the government for use in both motor vehicles and aircraft. FAA controls the approval of some but not all CRSs. Additional information is available in FAA guidance (PDF) and on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website. Not all car seats are approved for use in airplanes. Make sure your CRS is government approved and has "This restraint is certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraft" printed on it. Otherwise, you may be asked to check the CRS as baggage. Back to Top Installing a CRS on an Airplane To play this video, upgrade to a web browser that supports HTML5 video. Download Video: FAA Video – rtmp://ondemand.faa.gov/ondemand/mp4:Child_Safety_FAA (MP4) Back to Top A CRS must be installed in a forward-facing aircraft seat, in accordance with manufacturer's instructions. This includes placing the CRS in the appropriate forward- or aft-facing direction as indicated on the label for the size of the child. Booster seats and harness vests enhance safety in vehicles. However, the FAA prohibits passengers from using these types of restraints and belly belts during ground movement, take-off and landing because they do not provide the best protection. The FAA encourages parents to make the best safety choice by using an approved CRS during all phases of flight. While there is no regulatory prohibition from using a booster seat or harness vest (or other non-approved devices) for a lap child during the cruise portion of the flight only, airlines have policies which may or may not allow the use of those devices. Check with your airline. Back to Top FAA-Approved Child Harness Device (CARES) The CARES Child Safety Device is the only FAA-approved harness-type restraint for children weighing between 22 and 44 pounds. This type of device provides an alternative to using a hard-backed seat and is approved only for use on aircraft. The CARES Child Safety Device is not approved for use in motor vehicles. Learn more about CARES. If you're using a CARES child safety device, make sure it has "FAA Approved in Accordance with 14 CFR 21.8(d), Approved for Aircraft Use Only" or "FAA Approved in Accordance with 14 CFR 21.305(d), Amd 21.50 6-9-1980, Approved for Aircraft Use Only" on it. Installing a CARES Child Safety Device on an Airplane To play this video, upgrade to a web browser that supports HTML5 video. Download Video: FAA Video – rtmp://ondemand.faa.gov/ondemand/mp4:cares-install_FAA (MP4) Back to Top Tips for Parents Make sure your CRS or device is approved for use on airplanes. Measure the width of your CRS. It should fit in most airplane seats if it is no wider than 16 inches. Ask your airline for a discounted fare. Buying a ticket for your child is the only way to guarantee that you will be able to use a CRS. Reserve adjoining seats. A CRS must not block the escape path in an emergency. Many airlines have policies that require a CRS to be placed in a window seat. Do not place a CRS in an exit row. If you do not buy a ticket for your child, ask if your airline will allow you to use an empty seat. If your airline's policy allows this, avoid the busiest days and times to increase the likelihood of finding an empty seat next to you. Arrange for your airline to help you if you need help making a connecting flight. Carrying a CRS, a child, and luggage through a busy airport can be challenging. Pack a bag of toys and snacks to keep your child occupied during the flight. Always use a CRS when driving to and from the airport. Wear your seat belt at all times. A CRS must be installed in a forward-facing aircraft seat, in accordance with manufacturer's instructions. This includes placing the CRS in the appropriate forward- or aft-facing direction as indicated on the label for the size of the child. Back to Top Seat Fit If an approved CRS, for which a ticket has been purchased, does not fit in a particular seat on the aircraft, the airline is responsible for accommodating the CRS in another seat in the same class of service. The airline may have polices that dictate the specific safe seat locations for specific aircraft. See Regulatory Requirements Regarding Accommodation of Child Restraint Systems (PDF) to learn more. However, a CRS may not be used in oblique seats in certain premium class cabins. FAA guidance (PDF) to airlines explains this prohibition. Back to Top Children with Special Needs Children Under 18 with Special Needs Most young children who use a CRS weigh 40 lbs. or less. However, there are some children with physical challenges who weigh more than 40 lbs. and need the support and security of a CRS or device so they can travel safely on an airplane. Airlines must allow a child who is under the age of 18 to use an approved CRS that is properly labeled, appropriate for the child's weight, and as long as the child is properly secured in the CRS. Many companies manufacture CRSs approved for use on aircraft that are specifically designed for larger children who are physically challenged. See Child Safety Seat Ease of Use Ratings for more information. Adults with Special Needs Adults (18 years or older) who have physical challenges that require the support and security of a CRS or device in order to travel safely on an airplane may request an exemption to the FAA's regulations that require each passenger to be properly secured by a safety belt. This request may also be made by an airline on the passenger's behalf. Several companies manufacture restraint systems for adults with physical challenges. How to submit a petition for exemption Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=FAA-2007-0001-0001 Select a "Comment Now!" button Enter your comment Complete required fields Provide contact information Select category (i.e., to submit a comment on a Docket, choose "Public Comments(s)") To attach files/documentation (as part of your submission), select the "Choose file(s)" button. Once desired file(s) are uploaded, select the "Continue" button Select the "Continue" button Now you will see the "Your Preview" screen. This shows you how your comment will appear on Regulations.gov Read and agree to the disclaimer. To submit your petition/comment, check the disclaimer box for "I read and understand the statement above" Select the "Submit Comment" button To review previously granted exemptions on special needs travel, go to the FAA Automated Exemption System and type "7831", "8264" or "9834" in the "Exemption Number" search field and hit "enter" or click on "Search" on the left side of the screen. Highlight the document you wish to view and click on "View Document" on the left side of the screen. Back to Top Where Can I Find More Information? Other Sites and FAQs Back to Top ||||| EMBED More News Videos A Southern California family says they were kicked off an overbooked Delta airplane because they refused to yield a seat held by their young son. Brian Schear and his wife were ordered to yield the purchased seat of their infant son Grayson and hold him on their lap. A Southern California family says they were kicked off an overbooked Delta airplane because they refused to yield a seat held by their young son.The Schear family of Huntington Beach says they were flying from Hawaii to Los Angeles last week when airline staff asked them to give up a seat occupied by their 2-year-old son and carry him on their laps for the duration of the flight.They tried to refuse and argued with airline staff, but say they were threatened with being sent to jail."You have to give up the seat or you're going to jail, your wife is going to jail and they'll take your kids from you," Brian Schear recalled the airline staff telling him.Despite feeling they were in the right, that threat was terrifying, said Brian's wife, Brittany Schear."As a mother, you have a 1-year-old and a 2-year-old - it doesn't matter whether that's true or false. It put fear in me," she said.They filmed the encounter with airport staff and posted it on YouTube."You're saying you're gonna give that away to someone else when I paid for that seat?" Brian Schear says to an airline employee. "That's not right."Eventually he agreed to hold his son on his lap for the flight - but it was too late. The airline said the whole family had to leave.That was around midnight, and the couple and their two toddlers were left having to scramble for a hotel room and pay $2,000 for another flight the next day, on United.Schear says he originally bought the seat for his 18-year-old son Mason, but then decided to send him home on an earlier flight so that he could use the seat for his younger child, Grayson, who was placed in a car seat.The airline staff tells him they need the seat because the flight is overbooked and the original passenger whose name was on the seat isn't using it. One airline employee tells him that under FAA regulations, 2-year-old children are not supposed to have their own seats at all and are supposed to sit in parents' laps for the duration of the flight."With him being two, he cannot sit in the car seat," one airline employee tells him. "He has to sit in your arms the whole time."The accuracy of that statement is not entirely clear, as the websites for both the FAA and Delta appear to encourage parents to buy separate seats for young children and use a child safety restraint system."We want you and your children to have the safest, most comfortable flight possible," Delta's website advises parents. "For kids under the age of two, we recommend you purchase a seat on the aircraft and use an approved child safety seat."Schear says Grayson flew in his own seat on the original flight out to Hawaii without a problem. He says Delta knew he was planning to use the seat for his younger son when they boarded their return flight."You need to do what's right," he tells the airline employee. "I bought the seat and you need to just leave us alone."The encounter came as the airline industry is already facing bad publicity for video that showed a doctor being forcibly dragged off an overbooked Chicago flight on United, resulting in a concussion, broken nose and two lost teeth.The Schear family says the airline reached out to them earlier Wednesday to find out more information after they posted their encounter on Facebook and YouTube and began talking to Eyewitness News.Delta released the following statement to Eyewitness News:The airline also said the family was not kicked off the plane because the flight was overbooked but did not elaborate or offer any other details as to why the family was booted from the flight. ||||| SANTA ANA (CBSLA.com) — Add it to the list of recent airline fiascos caught on tape. An Orange County family is demanding an apology from Delta Airlines after they said they were kicked off a flight and threatened with jail time if they refused to get off an LAX-bound flight last month. The father is heard saying on tape, “Well, you should have thought of that before you oversold the flight. I bought that seat.” The flight was headed to LAX from Maui. Brian Schear of Huntington Beach says his family was kicked off the flight. Cellphone video captured the moment when they were asked to deplane. An employee appears to tell the father if he doesn’t comply, his entire family — wife and kids included — would find themselves in jail. “We’re going to be in jail?” he asks incredulously. Schear said his family was buckled up and ready to fly home. He was told he would have to give up his son’s seat. He says when he refused, the airline then told him the entire family would have to go. Schear was flying with his wife, his young son and daughter after a family vacation. The family bought four tickets. At the last minute, their teen took an earlier flight home. Their young children, aged 1 and 2, were initially going to sit on their parents’ laps, but the couple could keep the third seat that they bought and put one of the toddlers in a car seat. Schear said the airline told him that because his oldest son wasn’t using the ticket, they needed to give the seat to another passenger. He says the problem was the plane was overbooked. On video, he asks the employee, “So what are we supposed to do? I’ve got two infants, nowhere to stay, there’s no more flights. What am I supposed to do? Sleep in the airport?” “We never thought it was going to get to the point where they were actually getting us all off the flight,” Schear told CBS2’s Stacey Butler. “As we were leaving the plane, there’s four or five passengers waiting for our seat. The bottom line is, they oversold the flight.” Butler asked the airline if they caused the problem by overbooking the flight. They said in a statement: “We are sorry for what this family experienced. Our team has reached out, and we will be talking with them to better understand what happened and come to a resolution.” Schear said he lost their seats, got no refund and had to book a hotel room and buy three more plane tickets the next day. He told Butler he doesn’t want any money back – he just wants an apology from Delta. On Thursday, Delta issued the following statement: “We are sorry for the unfortunate experience our customers had with Delta, and we’ve reached out to them to refund their travel and provide additional compensation. Delta’s goal is to always work with customers in an attempt to find solutions to their travel issues. That did not happen in this case and we apologize.” ||||| A Southern California father said he and his family were booted from a Delta flight after they declined to give up a seat they had bought for their teenage son and were attempting to use for his 2-year-old sibling. Brian and Brittany Schear, of Huntington Beach, were on a red-eye flight April 23 from Maui to Los Angeles when they got into an argument with officials after being told that they had to give the seat to another passenger. “I bought the seat,” Brian Schear is seen telling the agents in a video of the incident, explaining that he initially purchased the seat for his 18-year-old son but sent the teen home early on another flight so that the toddler would have a seat on the plane. “It’s a red-eye. He won’t sleep unless he’s in his car seat. So, otherwise, he’d be sitting in my wife’s lap, crawling all over the place, and it’s not safe.” The couple said they were also traveling with a 1-year-old. [‘I tried to hold it’: A Delta passenger said he was kicked off a plane for using the restroom] Whether it's an overbooked flight or getting stuck on a tarmac, this is what you need to know about your rights when common flight troubles come up. (Claritza Jimenez/The Washington Post) An agent told Schear that unless he complied, he would have to leave the plane, which had yet to take off. “Then they can remove me off the plane,” he replied. “You and your whole family?” the agent asked. “Yeah, that’s fine,” he said. “So, then, it’s going to be a federal offense,” another agent quickly chimed in, “and you and your wife will be in jail and your kids will be —.” “We’re going to be in jail and my kids are going to be what?” Schear interrupted. “It’s a federal offense if you don’t abide by it,” she said. “I bought that seat,” Schear said. “You’re saying you’re going to give that away to someone else when I paid for that seat. That’s not right.” Later in the video, an agent can be heard telling Schear that according to Federal Aviation Administration regulations, his 2-year-old son could not occupy a seat during the flight and would need to sit in an adult’s lap. Schear explained that his toddler had been strapped into a car seat in his own seat on the destination flight, but the agent brushed him off. In actuality, the FAA states that children are safer in government-approved car seats — not on laps, saying, “Your arms aren’t capable of holding your child securely, especially during unexpected turbulence.” “The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) strongly urges you to secure your child in a CRS or device for the duration of your flight,” the agency states. “It’s the smart and right thing to do so that everyone in your family arrives safely at your destination. The FAA is giving you the information you need to make informed decisions about your family’s travel plans.” Even Delta urges parents to purchase seats for children younger than 2 and to use approved child-restraint systems during the flights. The issue, it seems, is transferring airline tickets from one passenger to another. Delta Air Lines maintains on its website that “all tickets are nontransferable per the fare rules. Name changes are not permitted.” [‘I’ll kill you!’ American arrested after brawling on flight from Tokyo.] Eventually, Schear asked whether he could concede, move the toddler and get in the air, but an agent told him it was too late, saying his family would either have to exit the aircraft or the crew would have to deplane all of the passengers. “So we’re getting off this plane no matter what now?” Schear asked. “I told you guys at the beginning you had two options and now it’s come too far,” an agent replied. “I have two infants,” he said, “and nowhere to stay. There’s no more flights. What are we supposed to do — sleep in the airport?” “At this point, you guys are on your own,” she said. Delta Air Lines said it was “sorry” for what the Schears went through. “Our team has reached out and will be talking with them to better understand what happened and come to a resolution,” Delta Air Lines said in a statement to The Washington Post. In another statement late Thursday, the airline said, “We are sorry for the unfortunate experience our customers had with Delta, and we’ve reached out to them to refund their travel and provide additional compensation. Delta’s goal is to always work with customers in an attempt to find solutions to their travel issues. That did not happen in this case and we apologize.” The incident occurred April 23 but didn’t make headlines until Wednesday, when Schear posted his video on YouTube. Fiascoes on airplanes are hardly uncommon — but they have been receiving increased attention in recent months. United Airlines became embroiled in a public relations crisis in April when security agents were seen brutally dragging a passenger from a plane because he would not give up his seat to a crew member. Videos showed 69-year-old David Dao being knocked against an arm rest and dragged down the aisle and back to the terminal at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. Days later, a passenger was booted from a Delta flight because he had to get up from his seat to make an emergency restroom run. United came under fire again when a giant rabbit that was being transported from Britain to Chicago died after its flight. On Tuesday, a video recorded on an All Nippon Airways flight captured a fistfight that broke out between two male passengers. [An airline passenger went off on a Trump supporter. Her rant got her kicked off the flight.] After the release of Schears’ video, his wife told ABC affiliate KABC that she and her husband were justified in refusing to give up the seat. But, she said, when agents threatened her with jail time, she was terrified. “As a mother, you have a 1-year-old and a 2-year-old — it doesn’t matter whether that’s true or false,” Brittany Schear said. “It put fear in me.” The FAA says it’s a federal crime to interfere “with the duties of a crewmember.” Brian Schears told CBS Los Angeles that he and his wife never expected the situation to escalate to the point where they would get booted from the plane. “We never thought it was going to get to the point where they were actually getting us all off the flight,” he said. “As we were leaving the plane, there’s four or five passengers waiting for our seat.” This story has been updated. Read more: An unruly couple forced their flight to turn back. Police boarded, and passengers cheered. A man got a middle seat on a 13-hour flight. Passengers recorded his ‘fit of rage,’ then arrest. A United pilot ranted about Trump, Clinton and divorce. Her passengers fled. United and man dragged from flight reach ‘amicable’ settlement Here’s what United will do differently after the infamous dragging incident ‘How much do you hate the American people?’: Airline executives get a brutal lashing in Washington
– "Did you know that the safest place for your child on an airplane is in a government-approved child safety restraint system (CRS) or device, not on your lap?" That's per the FAA, but Delta ordered a California family to go the lap route as they returned from a Hawaii trip last month. Per KABC, Brian Schear was with his wife and two babies after deciding to send their teen son, Mason, home on an earlier flight. They put 2-year-old Grayson, in his car seat, in Mason's seat instead. But the flight was overbooked and Delta wanted Mason's seat. Schear posted a YouTube video of the incident, in which a Delta staff member tells him Grayson has to sit on his lap for the entire flight. "It's not a Delta rule, it's FAA, because he's 2 and under," the woman says. "You and your wife will be in jail and your kids will be in foster care," another worker notes when Schear says he bought that seat and they'll have to remove him from the flight. The issue, as the Washington Post notes, is Delta tickets are "nontransferable," meaning because Mason wasn't there, the airline could take the seat back. As for Delta's lap-sitting mandate to Schear, FAA rules are murky (there's no age reference), but Delta's own site spells it out clearly. "You'll need to purchase a ticket for your child when you have a child that is age two or older … a reserved seat and ticket are required for the entire journey." The Schears finally agreed to hold Grayson, but by then the airline wanted them off. The family disembarked around midnight, tracked down a hotel, and coughed up another $2,000 for a flight home the next day on United. Per CBS Los Angeles, Schear said he doesn't want their money back—just an apology. Delta told CBS in a statement it was sorry for the family's experience and has "reached out" to them. (Another recent airline fiasco.)
Streisand is the only act with No. 1 albums in each of the last six decades. It's official: Barbra Streisand's Partners album debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, making the icon the first act to achieve No. 1 albums in each of the last six decades. Barbra Streisand's Top TV Performances to Date The Columbia Records effort sold 196,000 copies in the week ending Sept. 21 according to Nielsen SoundScan, and also marks Streisand's 10th No. 1 album. The rest of the new Billboard 200 chart's top 10 will be revealed Wednesday, Sept. 24. Partners' opening sum is the largest sales week for a female artist in 2014, and Streisand's biggest sales frame since Christmas week of 1997. Her last album to sell more in a week was Higher Ground, which shifted 402,000 in the frame ending Dec. 28, 1997. With a 10th No. 1, she ties for the fourth-most No. 1s in history with Elvis Presley. Ahead of them are the Beatles, with 19, Jay Z, with 13, and Bruce Springsteen, with 11. (Streisand continues to have the most No. 1 albums among women.) Streisand's first No. 1 album came almost exactly 50 years ago: People hit No. 1 on the chart dated Oct. 31, 1964. During the new album's release week, Streisand visited NBC's The Tonight Show on Monday, Sept. 15, where she was the only guest for the evening. She performed a medley of songs from the album with host Jimmy Fallon, chatted and then sang a solo number at the end of the show. It was her first proper appearance on a late-night talk show since 1963, when she was last on The Tonight Show. She also was interviewed on ABC's Good Morning America (Sept. 16) and ABC's The View (Sept. 18). ||||| Can't stay away: Celebs who threaten to retire With six kids between them, no one would blame Angelina Jolie or Brad Pitt if they decided to forget about making movies and live off "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" royalties instead. Both stars have hinted that they're ready to retire, with Pitt saying in 2011 that he gave himself about three more years , and Angelina Jolie saying in 2014 that she plans to give up acting entirely ... eventually. Neither has followed through with their threats; in fact, they're co-starring in a 2015 movie Jolie also wrote and directed called "By the Sea." These two aren't the only stars who've claimed to be ready to retire and didn't really mean it.
– The last time there was a decade without a Barbra Streisand No. 1 album in it, Dwight Eisenhower was president and stereo sound was still a novelty. The singer's new album Partners debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, making the 72-year-old the first artist to have a top album in each of the last six decades, starting with People in October 1964, almost exactly 50 years ago. The new album features duets with male artists that include Billy Joel, Lionel Richie, and even Elvis Presley, reports CNN. The latest No. 1 album puts Streisand—who already has the most top albums among women—tied with Presley at fourth for the most No. 1 albums in history with 10, behind only the Beatles, Jay Z, and Bruce Springsteen. (Weird Al Yankovic, another decades-long veteran of the music business, finally scored his first No. 1 album earlier this year.)
Much political commentary has, in recent days, revolved around a most unusual question: Should the Treasury Department mint a trillion-dollar platinum coin that can be used to pay off our debts in the event House Republicans refuse to raise the debt ceiling? The short answer is: No, it shouldn't. The long answer is also: No, it shouldn't. This is a fight we need to have. (Source: Bloomberg) The debt ceiling is now a time bomb beneath the U.S. economy. If the White House can render it harmless by encasing it in an indestructible tomb of platinum, then perhaps our problems are solved. And the arguments in favor of the coin are logically and legally sound. A straightforward reading of the law suggests that, whatever Congress's intent, the Treasury Department is clearly empowered to mint coins of unlimited value. A coin of unlimited value would allow us to pay off our debts. President Obama could even, as Bloomberg View's Josh Barro has suggested, offer to sign a bill eliminating both the debt ceiling and the Treasury Department's ability to mint coins of any value. And so, as Paul Krugman argues, we are "faced with a choice between two alternatives: one that’s silly but benign" -- the coin -- "the other that’s equally silly but both vile and disastrous" -- the debt ceiling. "The decision should be obvious." But there's nothing benign about the platinum coin. It is a breakdown in the American system of governance, a symbol that we have become a banana republic. And perhaps we have. But the platinum coin is not the first cousin of cleanly raising the debt ceiling. It is the first cousin of defaulting on our debts. As with true default, it proves to the financial markets that we can no longer be trusted to manage our economic affairs predictably and rationally. It's evidence that American politics has transitioned from dysfunctional to broken and that all manner of once-ludicrous outcomes have muscled their way into the realm of possibility. As with default, it will mean our borrowing costs rise and financial markets gradually lose trust in our system, though perhaps not with the disruptive panic that default would bring. Sadly, none of that is actually a reasonable argument against the platinum coin. The fact that we wish we were not a banana republic witnessing a full-blown meltdown of our treasured system of governance does not mean we are not, in fact, a banana republic witnessing a full-blown meltdown of our treasured system of governance. The argument against minting the platinum coin is simply this: It makes it harder to solve the actual problem facing our country. That problem is not the debt ceiling, per se, though it manifests itself most dangerously through the debt ceiling. It's a Republican Party that has grown extreme enough to persuade itself that stratagems like threatening default are reasonable. It's that our two-party political system breaks down when one of the two parties comes unmoored. Minting the coin doesn't so much solve that problem as surrender to it. The platinum coin is an attempt to delay a reckoning that we unfortunately need to have. It takes a debate that will properly focus on the GOP's reckless threat to force the United States into default and refocuses it on a seemingly absurd power grab by the executive branch. It is of no solace that many of the intuitive arguments against the platinum coin can be calmly rebutted. It's the wrong debate to be having. Worse, it is a debate that will that will strengthen the worst factions in the Republican Party. There are plenty of Republicans who are privately uncomfortable with the party's shift towards repetitive brinksmanship. Some of them are quite powerful. Recall that in 2011, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell basically tried to trick his party into giving up its power over the debt ceiling. Just last weekend, Newt Gingrich said the debt ceiling is "a dead loser" for the GOP and advised Republicans to find "a totally new strategy." Philip Klein, a columnist at the Washington Examiner, put it clearly: "As a conservative, I fear Republicans overplaying their hand, delaying a debt limit increase so long that financial markets begin to panic. As a result, small government ideology will be associated in the public mind with economic chaos and conservatism will be seen as incompatible with governance." The fact is that after losing the 2012 election, and with the business community mobilizing against the threat of default, the leadership of the Republican Party is going to have a terrible time holding its members together on the debt ceiling. Even more problematic, from the perspective of conservative hard-liners, is that many of the GOP's leaders are themselves scared of the debt ceiling and looking for a way out. There is a very good chance that this fight can be won and these tactics discredited. The moment the White House declares itself open to minting the coin, the Republican Party's extremists can breathe a sigh of relief. They may not have been able to hold the line for a strategy that sought unpopular Medicare cuts by threatening a disastrous default. But they can certainly hold the line against what will, among their members, be seen as a wild, unprecedented, inflationary power grab by an overreaching president. Making matters more difficult, it will become impossible for more cautious Republicans to break ranks. It's one thing to argue, as many are already doing, that inducing default risks destroying the Republican Party for a generation. It's another to abet such a blatantly unconstitutional, dangerous move from the executive branch. As Klein writes, "if Obama were to listen to liberals and go the coin route instead, it would be tossing a life preserver to Republicans." Nor is it entirely clear the platinum coin would end the issue. The working assumption of many of the coin's promoters is that Republicans would eventually give up and the coin could be melted down. The platinum coin, in this telling, removes the Republican Party's leverage and forces them to come to their senses. But as Ross Douthat asks, "is this generally how politics works of late? One party behaves irresponsibly, the other side counters with a wave of irresponsibility of its own (because that’s the only way to make those crazies see reason …), and then the first party recognizes the error of its ways and everyone returns to behaving reasonably? Does that pattern describe the polarized Washington that we’ve come to know and love?" It is likelier that the platinum coin would drive the Republican Party towards a much more dangerous and enduring standoff. If Republicans never permitted another debt increase, would we just keep minting platinum coins? Would the Federal Reserve abet the strategy and work to hold down inflation, effectively putting itself in the middle of a titanic political fight? Would the market eventually begin to panic because American governance has entered into unknown territory? There are two ways to truly resolve the debt-ceiling standoff. One is that the Republican Party needs to break, proving to itself and to the country that the adults remain in charge. The other is that America is pushed into default and voters -- and the world -- reckon with what we've become, and what needs to be done about it. Sadly, there's no easy way out. It's heads America wins, tails America loses. ||||| Stephen L Carter Stephen L. Carter is a professor of law at Yale, where he teaches courses on contracts, professional responsibility, ethics in literature, intellectual property and the law and ethics of war. Carter is the author of 12 books, including the novels "Jericho's Fall," "Palace Council" and "The Emperor of Ocean Park." His nonfiction titles include " The Violence of Peace: America's Wars in the Age of Obama," " The Confirmation Mess: Cleaning Up the Federal Appointments Process" and "Reflections of an Affirmative Action Baby." He has a bachelor's from Stanford University and a law degree from Yale. He was a clerk to Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall and for Judge Spottswood W. Robinson III of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. He grew up in New York, Washington and Ithaca, N.Y., and now lives in Connecticut. ||||| So, have you heard the one about the trillion-dollar coin? It may sound like a joke. But if we aren’t ready to mint that coin or take some equivalent action, the joke will be on us — and a very sick joke it will be, too. Let’s talk for a minute about the vile absurdity of the debt-ceiling confrontation. Under the Constitution, fiscal decisions rest with Congress, which passes laws specifying tax rates and establishing spending programs. If the revenue brought in by those legally established tax rates falls short of the costs of those legally established programs, the Treasury Department normally borrows the difference. Lately, revenue has fallen far short of spending, mainly because of the depressed state of the economy. If you don’t like this, there’s a simple remedy: demand that Congress raise taxes or cut back on spending. And if you’re frustrated by Congress’s failure to act, well, democracy means that you can’t always get what you want. Where does the debt ceiling fit into all this? Actually, it doesn’t. Since Congress already determines revenue and spending, and hence the amount the Treasury needs to borrow, we shouldn’t need another vote empowering that borrowing. But for historical reasons any increase in federal debt must be approved by yet another vote. And now Republicans in the House are threatening to deny that approval unless President Obama makes major policy concessions.
– Despite facing plenty of blowback from wags, wonks, and politicos over the past week—such as Ezra Klein in the Washington Post—Paul Krugman is continuing his push for the $1 trillion platinum coin option to bypass the looming debt ceiling debate. (Here's a summary of how it works). It's a "vile absurdity" that Congress has forced this fight in the first place, so "using an accounting trick to negate it is entirely appropriate," writes Krugman in the New York Times. If the debt limit is not raised, the president would either have to borrow money against the wishes of Congress or refuse to spend money Congress told him to spend, Krugman writes. Either way, he would be breaking the law. What's worse, defaulting on the nation's debt would be "disastrous" for the economy and markets. Rather than buckle to Republicans trying to hold the economy hostage, the $1 trillion platinum coin would be both legal and effective. It's "better to look slightly silly than to let a financial and Constitutional crisis explode," writes Krugman. Read the full column here. Or read Stephen Carter's take on why it's a terrible idea here.
Nearly four years after the allegations emerged, the victims are finally learning the amounts of their payments from a class action lawsuit in the case of Dr. Nikita Levy. The Johns Hopkins gynecologist, who killed himself in February 2013, after being accused of secretly photographing and videotaping women during exams. Advertisement Related Content Plaintiffs in Dr. Nikita Levy case will soon get money With more than 9,000 plaintiffs, it has been a long process, but it appears that work to divide up the $190 million in settlement money is complete. A judge approved the settlement more than two years ago. WBAL-TV 11 News has learned the next phase in the process is underway as determination letters were sent to the members of the Levy Settlement Class informing each plaintiff how much she's been awarded. There are 9,600 women in this class action case. "We understand that everyone would like their money as soon as possible and we are trying to accommodate that," retired Judge Irma Raker, part of the allocation team, says in a website video. The website was created to keep the class members up-to-date, the claims adjudicator -- Raker -- posted a video explaining the process and urging patience. "You have to remember, there are 9,600 women in this class action. It's probably one of the biggest, or the biggest class action of its type in the country," Raker said in the video. Settlement administrators and the chairman of the plaintiffs' steering committee for the class action did not return 11 News' calls and emails Thursday to confirm the amounts awarded. But administrators had previously said the plaintiffs would be divided into four categories based on severity of injuries. Documents obtained by 11 News, reportedly sent to plaintiffs, outline the payment allocations for members of four groups. The amounts listed in those documents range from about $1,800 to more than $26,000. - Category one, with 678 members, will receive $1,750 - Category two, with 2,121 members, will receive $11,629 - Category three, with 4,739 members, will receive $20,001 - Category four, with 806 members, will receive $26,048 Regardless of the final amount awarded, administrators have said all the victims will be paid at the same time. AlertMe ||||| BALTIMORE (AP) — More than 5,500 women who said they were secretly recorded during pelvic exams by a gynecologist at Johns Hopkins will each receive at least $20,000 as part of a $190 million settlement with the hospital system. WBAL-TV (http://bit.ly/2iNGfOc) reports that determination letters have been sent to the approximately 9,600 women who said they were victimized by Dr. Nikita Levy at a Johns Hopkins-affiliated clinic in Baltimore. The plaintiffs have been divided into four categories based on the severity of injuries. Citing documents it has obtained, the television station reports that about 8,300 of the plaintiffs will receive money ranging from about $1,800 to about $26,000. Levy killed himself in 2013 after the allegations emerged. Settlement administrators did not return the television station's calls Thursday to confirm the amounts awarded. ___ Information from: WBAL-TV, http://www.wbaltv.com
– More than 5,500 women who said they were secretly recorded during pelvic exams by a gynecologist at Johns Hopkins will each receive at least $20,000 as part of a $190 million settlement with the hospital system, the AP reports. WBAL-TV reports that determination letters have been sent to the approximately 9,600 women who said they were victimized by Dr. Nikita Levy at a Johns Hopkins-affiliated clinic in Baltimore. The plaintiffs have been divided into four categories based on the severity of injuries. Citing documents it has obtained, the television station reports that about 8,300 of the plaintiffs will receive money ranging from about $1,800 to about $26,000. Levy killed himself in 2013 after the allegations emerged. Settlement administrators did not return the television station's calls Thursday to confirm the amounts awarded.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (AP) — The U.S. Forest Service will postpone a tree-thinning project intended to decrease the wildfire risk at Lake Tahoe after a lawsuit raised concern about its effect on an endangered frog species. The agency had been removing and burning trees and brush on land near Upper Echo Lake, about 8 miles southwest of South Lake Tahoe, that is considered for designation as critical habitat for the Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog. Dennis Murphy, a renowned conservation biologist at the University of Nevada, Reno, filed the lawsuit last year. He said the logging threatens the survival of the frog, listed as an endangered species in April. The Forest Service agreed in a stipulation signed by a federal judge Wednesday to consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service about potential effects to the frog, the Tahoe Daily Tribune reported (http://bit.ly/1pJWztO ). It also said it would halt the project through this year and wait to resume thinning trees until finishing its consultation with wildlife officials. Forest Service spokeswoman Cheva Gabor declined to comment. "Once the matter is in the courts, we let the legal process unwind," she said. Murphy's attorney, Paul Weiland, said he was pleased with the outcome. "Certainly, it is welcome news that they were able to stop the project and address the issue with the project impacts with the Fish and Wildlife Service," he told the newspaper. The suit says the Forest Service violated the National Environmental Policy Act by failing to prepare an environmental impact statement or environmental assessment. "At a minimum, the Forest Service should have conducted surveys of the project area to determine whether its activities would harm the species and its habitat," Murphy, a research professor in biology at UNR, said in a statement. "But instead the agency put on blinders to the impacts of the project hoping no one would notice." ___ Information from: Tahoe Daily Tribune, http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/ ||||| The U.S. Forest Service has agreed to hold off on a fuels reduction project near Upper Echo Lake this year, as part of ongoing litigation that, until recently, accused the agency’s tree thinning operations of threatening a protected animal species. Land under the Upper Echo Lakes Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project is being considered as a designated critical habitat for the Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog, an animal that was recently placed on the endangered species list in April. If the agency was to continue removing or burning trees and brush at the lake — a region the plaintiff says doesn’t need it — the work could further “result in harmful effects on ecological and historical resources,” according to the lawsuit. “At a minimum, the Forest Service should have conducted surveys of the project area to determine whether its activities would harm the species and its habitat,” said plaintiff Dr. Dennis Murphy, a Pew Scholar in conservation and the environment and research professor in biology at the University of Nevada, Reno, “but instead the agency put on blinders to the impacts of the project hoping no one would notice.” In a stipulation signed by Senior U.S. District Judge Garland Burrell, Jr., on Wednesday, the Forest Service agreed to consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regarding potential impacts to the frogs. It has also committed to take no further on-the-ground action on the project through 2014 or resume activities before the consultation with the wildlife service is complete. The Forest Service was reached by phone Friday, but declined to comment on the case. “Once the matter is in the courts, we let the legal process unwind,” spokeswoman Cheva Gabor said. Following the Forest Service’s cooperation, Murphy, in a separate stipulation filed Friday, dismissed the claims that the agency violated the Endangered Species Act. His attorney, Paul Weiland, said he was pleased with the outcome. “Certainly it is welcome news that they were able to stop the project and address the issues with the project impacts with the Fish and Wildlife Service,” Weiland said. However, Murphy’s claim that the Forest Service violated the National Environmental Policy Act still stands in the lawsuit. Murphy says the Echo Lake fuel reduction project, which is intended to decrease fire risk on forest land near the lake, violated NEPA by moving ahead without preparing a proper environmental impact statement or environmental assessment. The Forest Service worked on the project for several weeks in fall 2013. Work was about 40 percent done when the government shutdown halted progress. Murphy, whose family has owned a seasonal residence on Upper Echo Lake for more than 80 years, filed the lawsuit in November. “The Project area is littered with dozens of slash piles, many that are in or adjacent to wetland, including ephemeral streams, meadows and seasonal ponds,” Murphy said in a statement. “The Forest Service has abrogated its duty (to) analyze the deleterious environmental impacts of the Project under the National Environmental Policy Act.” Weiland believes attorneys with the Forest Service will file a motion to dismiss the NEPA claims on Monday. But the federal agency said it could “neither confirm nor deny” those assumptions. If that is the case, however, Murphy said he and Weiland are prepared to file a response. “In plain English, the Forest Service has a lot of fuel reduction work they could be doing in the basin, but it doesn’t need to be done here,” he said. ||||| The Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog evolved in the fishless waters of Yosemite: "... advent of fish in a lake sooner or later nearly or quite eliminates the frogs. It seems probable that the fish prey upon the tadpoles, so that few or none of the latter are able to reach the stage at which they transform. The frogs which live along the streams probably spawn in small temporary pools in the meadows which the trout cannot reach."—Animal Life in the Yosemite by J. Grinnell and T.I. Storer, 1924 Basic Biology Endangered status: Federal Endangered species and California Threatened species Federal Endangered species and California Threatened species Physical description of adults: Pattern on back highly variable with ranging from a few large to many small discrete dark spots within a variably colored mosaic of pale spots of different sizes and shapes; back usually mixture of brown and yellow, but often gray, red, or green-brown; underside of hind legs yellow; throat is white or yellow Pattern on back highly variable with ranging from a few large to many small discrete dark spots within a variably colored mosaic of pale spots of different sizes and shapes; back usually mixture of brown and yellow, but often gray, red, or green-brown; underside of hind legs yellow; throat is white or yellow Size: Up to 3 ½ inches long Up to 3 ½ inches long Habitat: High mountain lakes, ponds, tarns and steams; rarely found more than 3 feet from water High mountain lakes, ponds, tarns and steams; rarely found more than 3 feet from water Reproduction: Eggs laid as snow begins to melt; egg mass may be as small as a walnut or as large as a grapefruit; tadpoles take up to 4 years to metamorphosis into adults Eggs laid as snow begins to melt; egg mass may be as small as a walnut or as large as a grapefruit; tadpoles take up to 4 years to metamorphosis into adults Population status: 95% decline 95% decline Threats: Non-native fish, disease, airborne contaminants At one time the rare Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog (Rana sierrae) was the most abundant amphibian in the high mountain lakes of the Sierra Nevada. Visitors hiking along lakeshores could encounter frogs by the hundreds. Populations have since declined approximately 95% in the Sierra Nevada, including in Yosemite. Recent surveys in 2005-2007 determined that the species is still in rapid decline and on a trajectory toward extinction. Because of the precipitous declines, the frog is proposed as an Endangered species for protection under the Federal Endangered Species Act. The ecological effects of the loss of the Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog from most of its range have been significant, as their former abundance made them a keystone predator and prey and a crucial agent of nutrient and energy cycling in Sierra Nevada aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Multiple factors have contributed to the decline of the frog, including the introduction of fish into naturally fishless waters throughout most of the park. As early as the turn of the 20th century, scientists in Yosemite noticed that frogs and fish rarely occurred in the same lake or stream. Non-native trout feed on eggs, tadpoles, and young adults and compete for natural food sources. Although fish stocking in Yosemite ceased in 1991, many non-native trout populations continue to exist. Studies suggest that the recently discovered amphibian chytrid fungus is a major contributor to observed declines in the Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog. Chytridiomycosis, an often fatal disease, was first discovered in the Sierra Nevada in 2001. Subsequent studies have found that the chytrid fungus has been present in the Sierra Nevada at least since the mid-'70s. The chytrid fungus appears to live on keratin—the same substance fingernails are made of—found on the external mouthparts of tadpoles, and in the outer skin layer of adults. The growth of the fungus on adult’s skin apparently disrupts the frog’s ability to breathe through its skin and osmoregulate—sustain an internal water balance; both effects resulting in nearly certain death. Much still needs to be learned about the chytrid fungus, what its origins are and how it is spread. Research suggests that the fungus is a "novel pathogen," meaning that it has recently spread from outside the geographic area to highly susceptible local species that did not evolve with the pathogen. Chytrid fungus has occurred in African clawed frog populations at least since the 1930s and is rarely fatal in this species. The African clawed frog has been transported around the world first for human pregnancy tests in the 1940s-1950s and later for laboratory testing and as pets. Release of animals into the wild could have infected new geographic areas. Also unknown is how the fungus moves between water bodies. While the fungal disease is highly fatal to Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frogs, there is some hope. A small number of frog populations have been able to persist and some populations have even increased in size despite the presence of the chytrid fungus. Ongoing research supported by the National Science Foundation is investigating why these few populations have been able to hang on. Such research will contribute to development of strategies to reestablish populations of frogs in the future. Additional causes of decline may include deposition of airborne contaminants, such as pesticides and other chemicals, from sources outside the park, other pathogens, and possibly a combination of these and other stressors. Two ongoing experimental projects are being conducted in Yosemite to determine the feasibility of expanding the distribution of the frog in the park. The park began a Yosemite Conservancy supported project in 2006 to re-introduce the frogs into several fishless lakes and started a project in 2007, supported by entrance fee funds, to restore habitat by removing non-native fish from a handful of remote sites. Fish removal has focused on 11 lakes in six areas. Six of these lakes are now considered fishless (Virginia Lake, Cold Mountain Area Lakes, and Bartlett Creek Lakes) and five more are currently being restored to their natural fishless state (Tiny McCabe, Ardeth, Miwok, Roosevelt, and Hutchings Creek Lakes). These lakes constitute 5% of the lakes that contain fish in the park. Research has shown that once fishless, the lakes are re-populated by native species, including frogs and invertebrates. SPECIES: View a list of Yosemite’s amphibian species and a list of the park’s special status animal species. Saving Yosemite's Frogs Can we save the Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog from extinction? Human introduced non-native species (fish and fungus) have been causing the frog to go from the most abundant amphibian in the Sierra Nevada to critically endangered. However, habitat restoration efforts in Yosemite are showing promising signs for the frog's recovery and long-term survival. Duration: 8 minutes, 27 seconds Date created: 2013-12-11 Download Original File: yose-savingfrogs.m4v 94,967 KB Fish Removal FAQ Why are fish being removed from lakes in Yosemite National Park? The primary reason fish are being removed from a small number of lakes is to provide more available breeding and overwintering habitat for the recovery and conservation of the federally endangered Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog. In addition, the restoration of mountain lakes to a fishless condition benefits ecosystem function as a whole, increasing insect diversity and abundance, which in turn benefits terrestrial wildlife species. Is Yosemite trying to remove fish from all waters within the park, and if not, how many lakes and streams will be affected? Yosemite has almost 2,700 lakes, of which about 250 currently contain fish. The National Park Service anticipates removing fish only from approximately 25 lakes (about 10% of lakes containing fish) total over the next 15 to 20 years. In addition, there are approximately 1,200 miles of streams in Yosemite of which 800 miles support fish. There are no plans to remove trout from stream locations other than short segments associated with lake inlets and outlets at restoration sites. Where is the best place to receive the latest information regarding the removal of fish in order to plan a visit to the park? The best place to receive the most current information for trip planning is at wilderness centers and permit stations. How do I express concerns, learn more about the fish removal program, and get on the mailing list for attending future public meetings with regards to plans involving fish removal? Superintendent Attn: High-Elevation Aquatic Ecosystem Recovery and Stewardship Plan Environmental Assessment P.O. Box 577 Yosemite, CA 95389 Phone: 209/379-1365 Fax: 209/379-1294 Email Learn more about the High-elevation Aquatic Ecosystem Recovery and Stewardship Plan Factsheet: High-Elevation Aquatic Ecosytem Recovery Plan [80 kb PDF]. Factsheet: Restoration of the Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog: Experimental Fish Removal - learn about the impact of non-native fish. [77 kb PDF] Factsheet: Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog - learn more about this frog's status. [299 kb PDF] Factsheet: Yosemite toad - learn more about protecting this species of concern. [74.5 kb PDF] Learn more about amphibians in Yosemite and how they have adapted to a more terrestrial lifestyle . amphibians in Yosemite and how they have adapted to a more terrestrial lifestyle Understand how Yosemite's air quality might affect aquatic animals. The Sierra Nevada Southern Cascades Contaminants (SNSCC) Workshop's 2009report [530 kb PDF] summarizes potential impacts of airborne contaminants on the Sierra Nevada ecosystems. SPECIES: View a list of Yosemite’s amphibian species and a list of the park’s special status animal species. View a list of Yosemite’s amphibian species and a list of the park’s special status animal species. SuperintendentAttn: High-Elevation Aquatic Ecosystem Recovery and Stewardship Plan Environmental AssessmentP.O. Box 577Yosemite, CA 95389Phone: 209/379-1365Fax: 209/379-1294
– US officials are balancing forest-fire risk against the need to preserve an endangered species near Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevadas, the Tahoe Daily Tribune reports. Per a stipulation signed by a judge last week, the US Forest Service will delay its tree-thinning project there until it consults with the US Fish and Wildlife Service on whether a particular frog is being put at risk. The yellow-legged frog, already an endangered species, has a "designated critical habitat" on land in the Upper Echo Lakes where officials have been burning or taking away trees to reduce the chance of wildfires. Biologist Dennis Murphy—whose lawsuit started the case, and who owns a seasonal home at Upper Echo Lake—said in a statement cited by the AP that the Forest Service "put on blinders to the impacts of the project hoping no one would notice." Murphy also accused officials of not doing their due diligence of studying how the tree-burning would affect the frog species and its natural habitat (the frog was once the "most abundant amphibian in the high mountain lakes of the Sierra Nevada," notes the National Park Service). The Forest Service, which declined to comment, wrapped up about 40% of the project before the government closed it down. (Elsewhere, say hello to the world's newest toad.)
DENPASAR, Indonesia (Reuters) - Indonesian police have launched a search for four foreign inmates, who escaped from an overcrowded prison on the resort island of Bali by crawling through a narrow tunnel dug under the walls, authorities said on Monday. “The tunnel is about 12 meters (39 ft) long and we suspect it took more than a week to build,” the head of Kerobokan prison Tony Nainggolan said, adding that police believed the men were still in Bali and not far from the prison. The four are Australian Shaun Edward Davidson, Bulgarian Dimitar Nikolov Iliev, Indian Sayed Muhammad Said and Malaysian Tee Kok King, Bali police spokesman Hengky Widjaja said. The tunnel had a diameter of 50 x 75 cm (20 x 30 inches) and was found filled with water on Monday morning, Widjaja said. Kerobokan houses a fairly large number of foreign inmates, given Bali’s status as an international holiday destination and transport hub. The four men were serving sentences for different crimes, from immigration rules violation to drug crimes, Widjaja said. The remaining jail time for 33-year-old Australian Davidson, who was sentenced to a year in prison for breaking immigration laws, was 2 months and 15 days, while 31-year-old Indian Said had 12 years and 3 months to serve for drug offences. The head of the prison said that 10 guards were on duty on Sunday night when the escape is believed to have taken place. Slideshow (2 Images) Indonesian prisons are frequently overcrowded and a war on drugs being led by the government of President Joko Widodo has triggered a spike in the number of convicted drug offenders, stretching an already overwhelmed jail system. The capacity of Kerobakan is 323 inmates, but it currently houses more than four times that number at 1,378, according to government data. Prison escapes are fairly common in Indonesia and authorities launched an investigation last month after around 350 inmates broke out of an overcrowded jail on Sumatra island in Riau Province. ||||| Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption A hole found in the outer wall connected to the tunnel Indonesian police are searching for four foreigners who escaped from Bali's Kerobokan Prison using a tunnel. The prisoners were identified as Australian Shaun Edward Davidson, Bulgarian Dimitar Nikolov, Indian Sayed Muhammad and Malaysian Tee Kok King. Prison governor Tony Nainggolan said he believed the men were still on the resort island. Prisons in Indonesia are dealing with an influx of people arrested for drug offences, and breakouts are common. The four men were serving jail terms for a mix of drug and fraud offences. They are believed to have escaped through a 50cm by 70cm hole found in the outer wall which connects to a 12m-long (36-foot) narrow tunnel, officials said. Some reports said it was an existing tunnel used for water drainage. Image copyright ABC Staff noticed they were missing on Monday morning during a routine check. Australian Shaun Davidson had less than three months left of his sentence to serve, according to the jail governor. About 200 prisoners broke out of an overcrowded jail on Sumatra island in May after being let out of cells for Friday prayers. Inmates had accused some guards of being violent and complained about their treatment in jail.
– Police in Indonesia are hunting for four foreigners who tunneled out of a prison in Bali, the BBC reports. The men escaped from Kerobokan Prison by crawling through a 39-foot-long tunnel dug under the walls, per Reuters. The prison chief says "we suspect it took more than a week to build" the 20-by-30-inch escape route. It was found filled with water on Monday morning. The inmates are believed to still be on the Indonesian resort island. Kerobokan houses 1,379 inmates, four times the official capacity, many of them foreigners. The men were serving sentences for drug, fraud, and immigration offenses, per Reuters. Australian escapee Shaun Edward Davidson, 33, had only two and a half months left to serve. The other men hailed from Bulgaria, India, and Malaysia. (Indonesia considered a prison guarded by crocodiles.)
Herman Cain, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich are in a dead heat as the top choices for Iowans likely to attend the Jan. 3 Republican presidential caucuses. A Bloomberg News poll shows Cain at 20 percent, Paul at 19 percent, Romney at 18 percent and Gingrich at 17 percent among the likely attendees with the caucuses that start the nominating contests seven weeks away. Economic issues such as jobs, taxes and government spending are driving voter sentiment, rather than such social issues as abortion and gay marriage, the poll finds. Only about a quarter of likely caucus-goers say social or constitutional issues are more important to them, compared with 71 percent who say fiscal concerns. The poll reflects the race’s fluidity, with 60 percent of respondents saying they still could be persuaded to back someone other than their top choice, and 10 percent undecided. Paul’s support is more solidified than his rivals, while Cain’s is softer. All of the major contenders have issue challenges to address. “In Iowa, it’s long been a two-person race between Romney and someone else,” said J. Ann Selzer, president of Selzer & Co., which conducted the poll for Bloomberg. “It is now a four- person race between Romney and three someone elses.” No Exciting Choices Poll participant Nate Warwick, 34, a machine operator at a packaging factory who lives in Story City, Iowa, is leaning toward Romney, primarily because he thinks he has the best chance of defeating President Barack Obama in 2012. Still, he’s not excited about his choices. “There’s nobody out there who is really grabbing my attention, wholly,” he said. “I don’t think the Republican Party has a candidate that can beat Obama right now.” Texas Governor Rick Perry and Minnesota Representative Michele Bachmann, who both once were strong contenders in polls of the Republican race, have seen support plummet. Perry, who is running ads in Iowa, gets 7 percent support in the Bloomberg survey; Bachmann, who won the Iowa Straw Poll in August, is backed by 5 percent. Former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, who has spent the most time campaigning in Iowa, is at 3 percent. Former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman Jr., who isn’t competing in Iowa, is backed by 1 percent. Better Barometers Polls in Iowa and New Hampshire -- site of the nation’s first primary -- are better barometers of the candidate field than national surveys because voters in those states are paying more attention and are aware of their early role in shaping the Republican race. The Bloomberg Iowa poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points and was taken Nov. 10-12. Selzer & Co. is the same West Des Moines-based firm that conducts the Iowa Poll for the Des Moines Register newspaper. The concern about economic issues comes even as Iowa is doing better than other states. Buoyed by rising farm commodity and land prices, its unemployment rate is 6 percent, below the national average of 9 percent. Iowa’s economic improvement, as measured by the Bloomberg Economic Evaluation of States Index, was ranked the 10th best nationally between the fourth quarter of 2008 and the second quarter of 2011. The index uses housing, jobs, tax and stock price data for its rankings. A Romney Opening The focus on the economy presents an opening for Romney, the former Massachusetts governor who in his campaign has spotlighted his background as a business executive. Romney has shown signs he may engage more directly in Iowa, a state where he invested $10 million in his 2008 presidential bid only to be rejected by social conservatives who rallied behind former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee in that year’s caucuses. “Iowa apparently is not looking for the next Huckabee this time around,” Selzer said. Romney’s support consists of 41 percent who backed him in 2008, the survey found, which means “the majority of his support comes from newcomers to his camp,” Selzer said. Among tax plans tested in the poll, a version that generally reflects Romney’s proposal to make former President George W. Bush’s tax cuts permanent and then work toward an overhaul wins the greatest support, backed by 32 percent. Cain’s so-called 9-9-9 plan is considered the best approach by 24 percent, while Perry’s flat-tax proposal is viewed that way by 14 percent. Health Care Vulnerability One area where Romney, 64, is vulnerable is his backing as governor support of a health insurance mandate in Massachusetts that is similar to the one in the federal health-care overhaul passed by Congress last year. More than half -- 58 percent -- of likely caucus participants said support of such a mandate would “rule out” their backing. In debates, Romney has said he would not impose a national mandate and would repeal the federal law. There’s good news in the poll for Paul, 76, a Texas congressman who has attracted ardent supporters. Among likely caucus-goers who say their minds are made up, Paul leads with 32 percent, followed by Romney at 25 percent and Gingrich, a former House speaker, at 17 percent. Among Paul supporters who backed him in the 2008 caucuses, 69 percent are still with him now. Poll participant Sarah Stang, 78, a retired teacher who lives in Osage, Iowa, said she switched parties four years ago so she could vote for Paul. “He doesn’t want to raise taxes on us middle- and low- income people,” she said, adding that she “loves” his challenges to the Federal Reserve. “They have way too much power. They should let the marketplace do what it’s supposed to,” she said. Cain Support Dips Support for Cain, 65, a former businessman who has been accused of sexually harassing four women in the 1990s, has dipped in Iowa by three percentage points since a similar survey done Oct. 23-26 by the Des Moines Register. In the Bloomberg poll, 29 percent of likely caucus participants say they believe Cain’s denials, while 37 percent are waiting for more information. More than a quarter are skeptical of his answers to the harassment allegations or don’t believe him. Cain does better among men than women in the poll, 23 percent to 15 percent. More than two-thirds of likely caucus participants say they wouldn’t rule out a candidate just because he had been accused of sexual harassment. Gingrich Gains Gingrich’s campaign appears to be benefiting from Cain’s recent struggles. The former Georgia congressman suffered an early political setback when more than a dozen of his staff members -- including his national co-chairman and campaign manager -- resigned in June following discord over strategy. Poll participant Tom Anderson, 63, a retired union carpenter from Sigourney, Iowa, said he is backing Gingrich after deciding against Perry and Cain. “He’s a smart guy and a problem-solver,” said Anderson. Still, almost half of respondents say they would rule out a candidate who has been married three times and had an extramarital affair. Gingrich, 68, is in his third marriage. And in a March 2007 interview with a Christian group, Focus on the Family, he admitted to having had an extramarital affair. Perry, 61, also has a stumbling block with caucus-goers. The poll found that 42 percent of likely Iowa caucus attendees said the Perry-signed Texas law allowing children of illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition rates would rule out their support. Even so, Perry, at 16 percent, and Paul, at 17 percent, ranked highest as candidates that “would do the most” to stop illegal immigration. Voter Contacts Although the top candidates are spending less time in Iowa than prior election cycles, likely caucus participants are hearing from them on a regular basis. Almost a fifth say they have been contacted by six or more of the campaigns through e-mail, direct mail, telephone or by someone coming to their door during the past year. Forty-four percent say they have been contacted by three to five campaigns. Paul’s campaign leads for voter contact, with about two thirds of respondents saying they’ve heard from his campaign, followed by 61 percent who said they’ve been reached by Bachmann’s campaign. Bachmann, 55, isn’t getting much benefit from those interactions, converting to supporters just six percent, according to the poll. In contrast, Gingrich’s campaign has made direct contact with 29 percent of likely caucus participants, and converted a third of them to his cause. -- With assistance from Ilan Kolet in Ottawa, Canada. Editor: Jeanne Cummings, Don Frederick To contact the reporter on this story: John McCormick in Chicago at jmccormick16@bloomberg.net To contact the editor responsible for this story: Mark Silva at msilva34@bloomberg.net ||||| There's reason to think that if Cain continues to fade, Gingrich will continue to gain. Among Cain's supporters 73% have a favorable opinion of Gingrich to only 21% with a negative one. That compares to a 33/55 spread for Romney with Cain voters and a 32/53 one for Perry. They like Gingrich a whole lot more than they do the other serious candidates in the race. Gingrich's lead caps an amazing comeback he's made over the last 5 months. In June his favorability nationally with Republican voters plummeted all the way to 36/49. Now he's at 68/23, representing a 58 point improvement in his spread since then. As recently as August Gingrich was mired in single digits at 7%, and even in September he was at just 10%. He's climbed 18 points in less than 2 months. Compared to a month ago Gingrich is up 13 points, while Cain has dropped by 5 points and Romney has gone down by 4. Although a fair amount of skepticism remains about the recent allegations against Cain there is no doubt they are taking a toll on his image- his net favorability is down 25 points over the last month from +51 (66/15) to only +26 (57/31). What is perhaps a little more surprising is that Romney's favorability is at a 6 month low in our polling too with only 48% of voters seeing him favorably to 39% with a negative opinion. Newt Gingrich has taken the lead in PPP's national polling. He's at 28% to 25% for Herman Cain and 18% for Mitt Romney. The rest of the Republican field is increasingly looking like a bunch of also rans: Rick Perry is at 6%, Michele Bachmann and Ron Paul at 5%, Jon Huntsman at 3%, and Gary Johnson and Rick Santorum each at 1%. Cain's base of strength continues to be with Tea Party voters, where he gets 33% to 31% for Gingrich, and only 11% for Romney. This is where you can really see that Gingrich will be the beneficiary if Cain continues to implode- Gingrich's favorability with Tea Partiers is 81/14. Romney's is 43/45. There's a lot of room for Gingrich to build up support with that key group of Republican voters. Cain's continuing to benefit from doubts about whether the allegations against him are true- 54% of primary voters think they are 'mostly false' to only 24 who believe they are 'mostly true.' Painting himself as a victim of the media is proving to be a good strategy for Cain so far- 61% think it has been 'mostly unfair' to him compared to 26% who say it has been 'mostly fair.' Only 26% of Republicans say they have a more negative opinion of him now than before the accusations surfaced, and just 27% think he should drop out of the race. All of that's fine but here's the bottom line- Cain's favorability numbers are declining and so is his support. If those trends continue he will fade as a candidate. The other Republican coming off a bad week is Rick Perry and his numbers have continued on their downward trajectory. Just 35% of GOP primary voters see him positively to 49% with a negative opinion. That's a 18 point drop compared to a month ago when he was at 42/38. And he's gone from 14% to 6% in the horse race, a bigger decline than Cain's. If there's any sign of hope for Perry and the other non-Gingrich/Cain/Romney voters it might be the rise of Gingrich. Gingrich has gained 18 points in only 2 months, suggesting that someone else might be capable of gaining 18 points in the 2 months before Iowa as well. And Perry's national favorability of 35/49 is pretty much identical to the 36/49 Gingrich had in June- Newt obviously came back and perhaps Perry can as well, although there's no doubt the clock is ticking. As for Romney he has not shown any ability to take advantage of the trouble his fellow candidates keep getting themselves into. In July Romney was at 20%, in August at 20%, in September at 18%, October at 22%, and now in November at 18%. He's been at 20 +/-2% for the last five months in our polling. While the flavor of the month has gone from Trump to Bachmann to Perry to Cain to Gingrich, Romney hasn't had a turn in that seat- he can only hope that his chance in that role will come in January, which is certainly the best time to have it. Full results here
– For the most part, people who liked Herman Cain before his sexual harassment scandal still like him—but they’re pretty much the only ones. According to a new ABC News/Washington Post poll, Cain’s unfavorability rating has shot up 17 points, with 44% of the public viewing him negatively and only 29% viewing him positively. “The results suggest that essentially everyone who’s formed an opinion of Cain in the past month has done so negatively,” ABC explains. What does all this mean for the race? Well, Cain still looks relatively strong in Public Policy Polling’s latest numbers, but he’s been overtaken by Newt Gingrich, who leads with 28% to Cain’s 25%—Mitt Romney trails both with 18%. Bloomberg has an even more shocking result, showing a four-way dead heat between Cain, Gingrich, Romney, and—yes, really—Ron Paul, who got a whopping 19%. Of course, Paul took only 5% in PPP’s poll, so Bloomberg’s number may be an outlier.
The peculiarly timed tweet is a plea for attention from a highly talented, unique artist – and just the craziest thing he could think of at the time Maybe Kanye West was feeling left out. Cam Newton, Donald Trump and Beyoncé are squeezing him out of the public consciousness one news cycle at a time. Even the things he’s done that have merited attention from the media in the past month have been rather mundane, considering his reputation for behaving like a puppy that just ate a bowl of candy corn laced with PCP. “Oh, Kanye says he’s releasing some more shoes no one can afford.” Snore. “Did you hear Kanye changed the name of his album? No, again.” Boring. “Kanye got into a Twitter fight with Wiz Khalifa over Amber Rose!” I’m listening … “Yeah, it’s over already. They made up.” Oh. So, with this peculiarly timed tweet that read “BILL COSBY INNOCENT!!!!!!!!!!” (I hope I got the number of exclamation points correct) we all have to pay attention again. Well, I guess we don’t have to, but we will anyway. I mean, I get paid to do this, so I have to. That’s right – I’m getting paid right now. Every minute I type about Kanye West is billable. I’m so glad I majored in blogging in college. Facebook Twitter Pinterest ‘BILL COSBY INNOCENT!!!!!!!!!!’ Photograph: Twitter But what does this all mean? Nothing, obviously. It’s a plea for attention from a highly talented, unique artist. It’s not like Kanye has some sort of evidence we aren’t aware of or knows a guy who knows a guy who can offer Cosby 37 alibis over the course of decades. It’s just the craziest thing he could think of at the time. After all, someone already beat him to a “the Earth is flat” tweet. He can’t tell us all he likes a finger in his bum. Again, someone beat him to it. Muslims should be prevented from entering the country? Taken. We should bomb Denmark? Swiped. A fluke monster lives inside our toilets? That was an episode of The X-Files. I have a sneaking suspicion Kanye West has a box full of note cards, and on those note cards there are transgressive statements written on them. Proclaiming Bill Cosby is innocent of raping 37 women is probably just one of them. I’m not sure he’s going to get off easily with this one. After all, if there’s one thing women don’t like (and women are, as you know, half the population of the planet) it’s Bill Cosby. Opinion vs facts: why do celebrities so often get it wrong? Read more For obvious reasons. I just hope that during his retraction, he offers some convoluted, nonsensical explanation for why he said what he said. Maybe “BILL COSBY INNOCENT!!!!!!!!!!” is the name of his new record? That’d be a hell of a concept album. Maybe his iPhone autocorrected “IS A MONSTER” to “INNOCENT” and he just hit send too fast. Or he might just actually believe what he said and has some intricate conspiracy theory that will make us all feel crazier than we already do. Whatever form his mea culpa takes, it’s bound to keep him firmly ensconced in the media crosshairs for the next couple weeks. The question I have is this: What must Kanye West say to remain in the news cycle long enough to get through the release of his album? I’ll leave you with a few guesses: “EATING HUMAN FLESH GIVES YOU SUPERPOWERS!!!!!!!!!!” “THE BIG BANG THEORY IS FILMED INSIDE A TURKISH PRISON!!!!!!!!!!” “GIRL SCOUT COOKIES CONTAIN TRACE AMOUNTS OF COCAINE!!!!!!!!!!” “THE GOVERNMENT OWNS THE PATENT FOR CLEAN-BURNING FUEL AND FLYING CARS AND HAS BEEN KEEPING THE TECHNOLOGY FROM THE PUBLIC FOR DECADES BECAUSE IT WOULD CRIPPLE THE OIL INDUSTRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!” (This one would probably have to wait until Twitter switches to a 10,000 character limit) “LOOK WHO’S TALKING TOO IS BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” “KID ROCK DESERVES YOUR RESPECT!!!!!!!!!!!!” ||||| Kanye West Get Off Cosby's Back ... He's NO Rapist! Kanye West: Get Off Bill Cosby's Back ... He's NO Rapist! Breaking News Kanye West thinks Bill Cosby is getting railroaded ... if Kanye's Twitter feed can be trusted, that is. Honestly, Kanye's been on one over the last few hours -- ranting about a bunch of things, but he just topped them all with ... "BILL COSBY INNOCENT !!!!!!!" It's unclear if 'Ye's been hacked, or if he's just getting stuff off his chest. What is 100% clear is his album drops on Thursday -- which makes this the perfect time to get as much attention as possible. We're sure Cosby is not complaining. ||||| Without sacrificing our journalistic objectivity or making direct claims as to whether Bill Cosby sexually assaulted the dozens of women who have accused him of such over the past few decades, we can safely report that it was extremely stupid of Kanye West to tweet the following: @kanyewest/Twitter A new album title? Maybe! But at this stage of West’s meltdown over the creative process and allegedly getting his booty fingered, survey says… he’s done. (Sorry, this embed was not found.) Kanye: BILL COSBY INNOCENT !!!!!!!!!! Me: pic.twitter.com/XaPaeQ0H25 — Drew Schnoebelen (@Dschnoeb) February 9, 2016 “Actually I didn’t even see the Kanye thing. I was too concerned with the Supreme Court order on carbon emissions.” pic.twitter.com/oPYVCEILMd — Mike Tunison (@xmasape) February 10, 2016 Huge week, and really a huge year, for finding out the terrible the things famous people believe. — David Roth (@david_j_roth) February 10, 2016 (Sorry, this embed was not found.) i wish i could refute this, but the argument is too strong pic.twitter.com/91gJwew5KR — Solipsist Snake (@alex_navarro) February 10, 2016 So much for Kanye 2020 — Zoe Camp (@jzcamp) February 10, 2016 (Sorry, this embed was not found.) (Sorry, this embed was not found.) Live footage of Kanye’s @ mentions pic.twitter.com/H38Kj011lT — Hayes Brown (@HayesBrown) February 9, 2016 (Sorry, this embed was not found.) (Sorry, this embed was not found.) Man, why did we ever follow this dude? Should’ve listened to 50 Cent. I just looked at kanye page what the fuck kind a spaced out tweets are those. fuck that I aint never looking at that shit again — 50cent (@50cent) August 28, 2010 Photo via Jason Persse/Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)
– Kanye West weighed in on the Bill Cosby sex case on Tuesday in his usual understated manner. "BILL COSBY INNOCENT !!!!!!!!!!" tweeted the star, with no further explanation. Observers weren't entirely sure what to make of the declaration, though many suspect that Kanye is saying outrageous things to keep his name in the news before his new album comes out on Thursday, TMZ reports. It certainly got a reaction; the Daily Dot rounds up the 16 best responses to the tweet. The tweet appears to be "a plea for attention from a highly talented, unique artist," writes Dave Schilling at the Guardian. It's not as if Kanye has new evidence or "knows a guy who knows a guy who can offer Cosby 37 alibis over the course of decades," he writes. "It's just the craziest thing he could think of at the time." (That new album has had at least four different titles.)
Gustavo C Machado , PhD student 1, Chris G Maher , director 1, Paulo H Ferreira , senior lecturer 2, Marina B Pinheiro , PhD student 2, Chung-Wei Christine Lin , associate professor 1, Richard O Day , professor 34, Andrew J McLachlan , professor 56, Manuela L Ferreira , associate professor 17 1The George Institute for Global Health, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia 2Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2141, Australia 3Department of Clinical Pharmacology, St Vincent’s Hospital and University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia 4School of Medical Sciences, Department of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2033, Australia 5Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia 6Centre for Education and Research on Ageing, Concord Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2139, Australia 7Institute of Bone and Joint Research, The Kolling Institute, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2065, Australia Correspondence to: G C Machado gmachado{at}georgeinstitute.org.au Accepted 4 February 2015 Abstract Objective To investigate the efficacy and safety of paracetamol (acetaminophen) in the management of spinal pain and osteoarthritis of the hip or knee. Design Systematic review and meta-analysis. Data sources Medline, Embase, AMED, CINAHL, Web of Science, LILACS, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from inception to December 2014. Eligibility criteria for selecting studies Randomised controlled trials comparing the efficacy and safety of paracetamol with placebo for spinal pain (neck or low back pain) and osteoarthritis of the hip or knee. Data extraction Two independent reviewers extracted data on pain, disability, and quality of life. Secondary outcomes were adverse effects, patient adherence, and use of rescue medication. Pain and disability scores were converted to a scale of 0 (no pain or disability) to 100 (worst possible pain or disability). We calculated weighted mean differences or risk ratios and 95% confidence intervals using a random effects model. The Cochrane Collaboration’s tool was used for assessing risk of bias, and the GRADE approach was used to evaluate the quality of evidence and summarise conclusions. Results 12 reports (13 randomised trials) were included. There was “high quality” evidence that paracetamol is ineffective for reducing pain intensity (weighted mean difference −0.5, 95% confidence interval −2.9 to 1.9) and disability (0.4, −1.7 to 2.5) or improving quality of life (0.4, −0.9 to 1.7) in the short term in people with low back pain. For hip or knee osteoarthritis there was “high quality” evidence that paracetamol provides a significant, although not clinically important, effect on pain (−3.7, −5.5 to −1.9) and disability (−2.9, −4.9 to −0.9) in the short term. The number of patients reporting any adverse event (risk ratio 1.0, 95% confidence interval 0.9 to 1.1), any serious adverse event (1.2, 0.7 to 2.1), or withdrawn from the study because of adverse events (1.2, 0.9 to 1.5) was similar in the paracetamol and placebo groups. Patient adherence to treatment (1.0, 0.9 to 1.1) and use of rescue medication (0.7, 0.4 to 1.3) was also similar between groups. “High quality” evidence showed that patients taking paracetamol are nearly four times more likely to have abnormal results on liver function tests (3.8, 1.9 to 7.4), but the clinical importance of this effect is uncertain. Conclusions Paracetamol is ineffective in the treatment of low back pain and provides minimal short term benefit for people with osteoarthritis. These results support the reconsideration of recommendations to use paracetamol for patients with low back pain and osteoarthritis of the hip or knee in clinical practice guidelines. Systematic review registration PROSPERO registration number CRD42013006367. Introduction Low back and neck pain (spinal pain) are leading causes of disability worldwide, and osteoarthritis of the hip or knee is the 11th highest contributor to global disability, when disability is measured by years lived with disability.1 The point prevalence of spinal pain is 9.4%, and osteoarthritis affects nearly 4% of the global population.2 3 4 The increasing healthcare expenditure for these conditions is mostly attributed to the increasing cost of prescription medicines, accounting for about 20% of the total cost.5 Prescription of drugs is the most common approach to treatment used by general practitioners for spinal pain and osteoarthritis,6 and guidelines consistently recommend the prescription of paracetamol (acetaminophen) as the first line analgesic for these conditions.7 8 9 10 11 There has, however, been controversy about keeping paracetamol in the most recent guidance on osteoarthritis from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence,12 mainly because of previous studies reporting small effects of paracetamol compared with placebo.13 14 15 Moreover, optimal therapeutic benefits of paracetamol might require regular doses of up to 4000 mg/day.16 There are some concerns regarding safety of the full recommended dose,17 18 although the evidence on safety is still debatable.19 Potential adverse effects and treatment schedule seem to also have a considerable effect on patient adherence20 as taking analgesics constantly and regularly three or four times a day is inconvenient at least. New randomised controlled trials15 21 have been conducted since the last meta-analyses of paracetamol for spinal pain and osteoarthritis of the hip or knee were published. There is still uncertainty, however, whether consideration of new data changes the conclusions regarding the efficacy and safety of paracetamol for these conditions. In this systematic review we investigated the efficacy and safety of paracetamol in patients with spinal pain or osteoarthritis of the hip or knee by including data from placebo controlled trials only, as these represent the highest standard of evidence to inform the optimal use of drugs.22 Methods Data sources and searches We conducted a systematic review following the PRISMA statement23 and prospectively registered the review on PROSPERO. We carried out a systematic electronic search in Medline, Embase, AMED, CINAHL, Web of Science, LILACS, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from inception to 8 December 2014. We used a combination of relevant keywords to construct the search strategy including paracetamol, acetaminophen, back pain, neck pain, osteoarthritis, osteoarthrosis, placebo, randomised, and controlled trial (see appendix 1). One author (GCM) conducted the first screening of potentially relevant records based on titles and abstract, and two authors (GCM and MBP) independently performed the final selection of included trials based on full text evaluation. Citation tracking was also performed on included studies and relevant systematic reviews, and relevant websites and clinical trials registries were searched for unpublished studies. Consensus between the two reviewers was used to resolve any disagreement. Study selection We included only randomised controlled trials comparing the efficacy of paracetamol versus placebo. To be eligible, trials had to include participants with non-specific spinal pain (neck or low back pain) or osteoarthritis of the hip or knee. We did not exclude trials in mixed populations of patients with spinal pain and osteoarthritis. The intensity and duration of symptoms were not restricted. There were also no restrictions for languages or publication date. Studies that included patients with a serious spinal pathology (such as cauda equina syndrome, tumour, or infection) were excluded. Studies with mixed populations of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis were also excluded, unless separate data were reported for osteoarthritis. Studies in which participants had previous spinal, hip, or knee surgery remained eligible, but trials evaluating analgesia in the immediate postoperative period were not included. We included only full reports in this systematic review (that is, no abstracts). Trials were eligible for inclusion when they reported at least one of the following primary outcome measures: pain intensity, disability status, and quality of life. Secondary outcome measures were safety (adverse effects), patient adherence, and use of rescue medication. Data extraction and quality assessment Using a standardised data extraction form, two reviewers (GCM and MBP) independently extracted study characteristics (details of participants, interventions, and outcomes) from the included trials, and a third author (MLF) resolved any disagreement. We extracted means, standard deviations, and sample sizes for our primary outcome measures. Mean estimates were extracted in the following hierarchical order: mean differences, change scores, and final values. For our secondary outcomes, we extracted the number of cases and the total sample size. The safety outcomes extracted from included trials were the number of patients reporting any adverse event, the number of patients reporting any serious adverse event (as defined by each study), the number of patients withdrawn from study because of adverse events, and the number of patients with abnormal results on liver function tests (hepatic enzyme activity ≥1.5 times the upper limit of the reference range). We contacted authors to provide further information when there were insufficient data reported in the paper. When authors were unavailable we estimated data using the recommendations in the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions.24 Two reviewers (GCM and MBP) independently assessed the risk of bias of the included studies using the Cochrane Collaboration’s tool.24 25 Consensus was used to resolve any disagreement. RevMan version 5.3.5 was used to generate figures and summaries. The quality of evidence was rated for each pooled analysis with the GRADE (grading of recommendations assessment, development and evaluation) system,26 with outcomes of interest being ranked according to their relevance for clinical decision making as of limited importance, important, or critical.27 The quality of evidence was downgraded by one level according to the following criteria: limitation of study design, inconsistency of results, imprecision, and publication bias. We did not consider the indirectness criterion in this review because we included a specific population with relevant outcomes and direct comparisons.28 Briefly, GRADE was downgraded by one level for limitation of study design when more than a quarter of the studies included in an analysis were considered at high risk of bias (that is, one or more bias domains were judged as high risk) according to the Cochrane Handbook and thus plausible to affect the interpretation of our results.24 29 Results were considered inconsistent if there was a wide variance of point estimates across studies or if the heterogeneity between trials was large (I2>50%).30 Imprecision was identified when the upper or lower limits of the 95% confidence interval crossed the minimal clinically important difference of 9 points (range 0-100).31 32 We visually judged a funnel plot (scatterplot of the effect of estimates from individual studies against its standard error) and used Egger’s test to investigate publication bias (small study effects).33 We included a total of 11 trials in the assessment of small study effects (nine trials including patients with osteoarthritis and two trials including patients with back pain, reporting data on immediate or short term pain intensity). If the Egger’s test result was significant (two tailed P<0.1) we would downgrade the quality of evidence (GRADE) by one level for all meta-analyses.34 The quality of evidence was defined as “high quality,” “moderate quality,” “low quality,” and “very low quality.”26 Data synthesis and analysis We grouped the outcomes into four time points of assessment: immediate term (≤2 weeks), short term (>2 weeks but ≤3 months), intermediate term (>3 months but ≤12 months), and long term (>12 months). If studies reported multiple time points within each category, we used the time point closest to one week for immediate term, eight weeks for short term, six months for intermediate term, and 12 months for long term. When studies reported more than one scale to measure pain we extracted the more severe estimate reported at baseline. Scores for pain and disability were converted to a common 0 (no pain or disability) to 100 (worse pain or disability) scale. Pain intensity measures to calculate treatment effects were numerical rating scale scores (range 0-10) or visual analogue scale scores (range 0-100). These two pain measures are highly correlated and can be used interchangeably when transformed.35 Other measures of pain were also obtained from visual analogue scale scores included in the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities osteoarthritis index (WOMAC) pain subscale (VA3 series range 0-100)36 and from the multi-dimensional health assessment questionnaire (MDHAQ) pain subscale (range 0-100).37 Disability measures in the meta-analyses were WOMAC function subscale or WOMAC total scores.38 One study reported pain and disability measures from the WOMAC Likert version (LK series), and the scores were also normalised to a scale of 0 to 100. To facilitate the interpretation of our pooled estimates, we defined the effects of paracetamol compared with placebo as ineffective when the 95% confidence interval crossed the no effect line, showing no significant difference between groups. We considered the minimal clinically important difference as a difference of 9 mm in a 0-100 mm visual analogue scale. This estimate has been used in past systematic reviews32 to investigate the efficacy of medicines compared with placebo for osteoarthritis and corresponds to the median minimal clinically important difference found in trials investigating patients with osteoarthritis. When our treatment effects were smaller than 9 mm, although significant, we considered the effect as small and not clinically important. We used the I2 statistic to assess heterogeneity between trials, and values higher than 50% were defined to identify high heterogeneity.39 We calculated weighted mean differences or risk ratios and 95% confidence intervals and used the random effects model to pool estimates for each analysis obtained with Comprehensive Meta-Analysis version 2.2.064 (Englewood, NJ, 011). Secondary exploratory analysis We performed sensitivity analyses to explore the influence of each risk of bias domain on pooled treatment effects. These stratified analyses were accompanied by meta-regression to generate a P value for interaction between the bias domain and estimate of treatment effect. For these analyses we used data from all osteoarthritis trials included in the meta-analysis on short term pain (seven trials). As a previous study reported that small trials in osteoarthritis tend to report more beneficial treatment effects than large trials,40 we also conducted a sensitivity analysis between large trials (sample size ≥100 per group) versus small trials (sample size <100 per group) for all trials investigating patients with osteoarthritis at immediate or short term follow-up. Negative differences in treatment effects indicate that small trials have more beneficial effects than large trials. Post hoc analysis We carried out a post hoc analysis to assess the potential impact of a new trial on the current evidence and thus to determine if a further new trial is justified. We used extended funnel plots (graphical augmentations of the funnel plots commonly used to investigate publication bias in meta-analyses)41 to assess the impact of a new trial in our meta-analysis. The extended funnel plots provide shaded contours that represent the contribution of a new trial to existing evidence based on statistical simulations.42 Addition of data from a new trial of a certain sample size and treatment effect could result in the new conclusion that the effect of intervention is clearly worthwhile or clearly not worthwhile, for instance. We conducted extended funnel plots to assess the impact a further trial of paracetamol for spinal pain and hip or knee osteoarthritis would have on the current evidence presented in this meta-analysis. Stata 13 (StataCorp, College Station, TX) was used for this analysis. Results Our search results yielded 5498 records, and after excluding duplicates we screened 4037 titles and abstracts. Two independent reviewers evaluated 116 potentially relevant studies, and 12 records (13 randomised controlled trials) met the criteria to be included in this review, with one article reporting results of two trials (fig 1⇓).43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 Ten trials reporting data from 3541 patients evaluated the efficacy of paracetamol in patients with osteoarthritis of the hip or knee,43 44 46 47 48 49 50 51 54 and three trials (1825 patients) investigated the efficacy of paracetamol in people with low back pain.45 52 53 We did not identify any trials in patients with neck pain. Overall, the included trials assessed 5366 patients. We identified two randomised trials published as abstracts and excluded them from this review.55 56 One randomised trial investigating the efficacy of paracetamol for low back pain did not report results for the placebo group, and attempts to access these data from the authors and the company that funded the study were unsuccessful.45 This trial was included in the review but not in the meta-analysis. Fig 1 Flow chart of trials investigating efficacy of paracetamol in spinal pain and osteoarthritis. Numbers of records from each database include duplicates. IPA=International Pharmaceuticals Abstracts, CENTRAL=Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials In the included studies paracetamol was primarily administered orally (as tablets/capsules). One trial, however, reported the use of intravenous paracetamol in participants with chronic low back pain.52 The total oral dose and dose regimens for paracetamol varied across trials, with 10 trials using a total dose of 3900-4000 mg/day and three trials using 3000 mg/day (table 1⇓). Two trials used a three arm design, one included a third group that received paracetamol as required,53 and another included a third group that received a lower dose of paracetamol (650 mg, one tablet, three times/day, 1950 mg total).50 All three treatment groups were included in the meta-analyses following the recommendation in the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions.24 The washout period before treatment started varied across trials, ranging from one day to six months. The washout periods were 12 weeks for corticosteroids,51 six weeks for intra-articular steroids,43 and ranged from three days to two weeks for non-steroidal anti-inflammatories.43 46 47 48 Patients stopped taking simple analgesics from one to 10 days.43 46 48 52 One trial reported that the washout for glucosamine drugs was six months,51 and two trials used “five half lives” to define this period.50 54 Table 1 Characteristics of randomised placebo controlled trials included in review of efficacy and safety of paracetamol for spinal pain and osteoarthritis View this table: We included six trials that reported data from people with chronic pain,44 48 49 51 52 and two studies that included people with acute pain only.45 53 The remaining studies did not report the duration of pain or disability. Nine trials used the diagnosis of osteoarthritis based on image evidence and clinical assessment,43 46 47 48 49 50 51 54 whereas one trial based the diagnosis solely on image evidence.44 Two trials used a clear definition of low back pain,52 53 and one trial used a simple question to define patients (“do the muscles of your low back hurt?”).45 Table 1 includes more detailed information on included trials.⇑ Figure 2 summarises the assessment of risk of bias for individual trials⇓. Twelve trials had at least one domain judged as unclear risk of bias. Four trials had at least one domain considered as high risk of bias, and only one trial had all bias domains judged as low risk of bias. Most trials (nine) failed to report the method used to generate the sequence allocation, though all reported being randomised studies. Three trials adopted an appropriate method of concealment of allocation, and only one trial failed to report blinding of patients, personnel, and outcome assessors. Eight trials were funded by companies that produce paracetamol and were considered as having unclear risk of bias for the other sources of bias domain. As only one study reported data for intermediate term follow-up, its results were pooled with trials reporting data for short term follow-up. None of the included trials reported data for long term follow-up. The inspection of the funnel plot and the lack of significance of the Egger’s test (P=0.21) suggested no serious small study effects (see appendix 2, fig A). We therefore considered that no meta-analysis presented serious publication bias according to the GRADE approach. Figure 3 summarises pooled effect sizes for pain and disability at immediate and short term follow-up⇓. Tables 2 and 3 present individual trial results and calculations of effect sizes⇓ ⇓. Fig 2 Risk of bias summary showing review authors’ judgments about each risk of bias domain in placebo controlled trials on efficacy of paracetamol for spinal pain and osteoarthritis. Randomised clinical trials are listed alphabetically by author name Fig 3 Weighted mean differences for pain and disability in placebo controlled trials on efficacy of paracetamol for spinal pain and hip or knee osteoarthritis. Pain and disability are expressed on scale of 0-100. Immediate term=follow-up ≤2 weeks; short term=follow-up evaluations >2 weeks but ≤3 months. Studies ordered chronologically within subgroups Table 2 Calculation of effect sizes for immediate and short term pain and disability outcome measures in people with spinal pain randomised to paracetamol or placebo View this table: Table 3 Calculation of effect sizes for immediate and short term pain and disability outcome measures in people with osteoarthritis randomised to paracetamol or placebo View this table: Spinal pain Immediate term follow-up Two trials including 1692 patients with low back pain tested the effect of paracetamol compared with placebo in pain reduction.52 53 Pooling showed no effect of paracetamol on pain (weighted mean difference 1.4, 95% confidence interval −1.3 to 4.1; “moderate quality” evidence, downgraded for limitation of study design). For disability, one trial evaluating 1652 patients found no difference between paracetamol and placebo (−1.9, −4.8 to 1.0).53 The quality of evidence for disability in the immediate term was rated “high quality” according to the GRADE approach. Short term follow-up Only one trial investigated the short term efficacy of paracetamol in 1652 patients with low back pain.53 This trial showed no effect of paracetamol on pain intensity (weighted mean difference −0.5, 95% confidence interval −2.9 to 1.9), disability (0.4, −1.7 to 2.5), or quality of life measured by the 12-item short form health survey (SF-12 version 2) (0.4, −0.9 to 1.7) at short term follow-up. The quality of evidence (GRADE) for all three outcomes was rated as “high quality.” Tables 4 and 5 summarise the findings and quality assessment (GRADE) for outcomes ranked as critical for decision making⇓ ⇓. Table 4 Summary of findings and quality of evidence assessment for outcomes classified as critical for clinical decision making in patients with spinal pain randomised to paracetamol or placebo View this table: Table 5 Summary of findings and quality of evidence assessment for outcomes classified as critical for clinical decision making in patients with osteoarthritis randomised to paracetamol or placebo View this table: Osteoarthritis Immediate term follow-up Five trials reported data from 1741 patients with hip or knee osteoarthritis and were included in a meta-analysis to evaluate the immediate effect of paracetamol in pain reduction.44 46 47 48 54 Pooling showed that paracetamol has a small benefit when compared with placebo in reducing pain (weighted mean difference −3.3, 95% confidence interval −5.8 to −0.8; “high quality” evidence). For disability, pooling of three trials with 1378 patients showed no immediate effect of paracetamol (−1.7, −6.0 to 2.6; “moderate quality” evidence, downgraded for inconsistency).46 48 54 Short term follow-up At short term follow-up, seven trials including 3153 patients with hip or knee osteoarthritis were pooled to estimate the efficacy of paracetamol in reducing pain and disability.46 48 49 50 51 54 Pooling showed a significant small effect favouring paracetamol for pain (weighted mean difference −3.7, 95% confidence interval −5.5 to −1.9). Similarly, a significant but small benefit of paracetamol was found for short term reduction in disability (−2.9, −4.9 to −0.9). The quality of evidence (GRADE) for both pooling was rated as “high quality.” Secondary outcomes Our secondary outcomes included adverse effects, patient adherence, and use of rescue medication. Figure 4 summarises the results⇓. Fig 4 Risk ratio for safety outcome measures, patient adherence, and use of rescue medication in placebo controlled trials on efficacy of paracetamol compared with placebo. Any=No of patients reporting any adverse event; serious=No of patients reporting any serious adverse event (as defined by each study); withdrawals=No of patients withdrawn from study because of adverse events; liver=No of patients with abnormal results on liver function tests. Studies are ordered chronologically within subgroups Adverse effects The type of adverse events reported by patients varied substantially between trials. Nine trials investigated the number of participants reporting any adverse event.43 44 47 48 49 50 53 54 There was no difference in the number of patients reporting adverse events between the paracetamol and placebo groups (risk ratio 1.0, 95% confidence interval 0.9 to 1.1; “moderate quality” evidence). The number of patients reporting any serious adverse event (as defined by each study) was also similar in both paracetamol and placebo groups (1.2, 0.7 to 2.1; “moderate quality” evidence).48 49 50 51 53 54 Ten trials reported data on the number of patients withdrawn from the study because of adverse events, with three of these trials reporting no drop outs from adverse events. We found no significant difference between groups for this outcome (1.2, 0.9 to 1.5; “high quality” evidence).44 46 48 49 50 51 Three trials evaluated the results of liver function tests to detect adverse effects of paracetamol (activities of alanine aminotransferase, and/or aspartate aminotransferase) in participants with osteoarthritis,50 51 54 where an abnormal test was defined as hepatic enzyme activity 1.5 times the upper limit of the reference range or over. Pooling showed that participants taking paracetamol are nearly four times more likely to have abnormal results on liver function tests than participants taking placebo (3.8, 1.9 to 7.4; “high quality” evidence). Patient adherence Two trials in patients with low back pain and osteoarthritis investigated adherence to study treatments, defined as the number of patients reporting consumption of more than 70%53 or 85%48 of the recommended dose. We found no difference in the number of participants adhering to study treatments between paracetamol and placebo groups from the pooling of two trials (risk ratio 1.0, 95% confidence interval 0.9 to 1.1; “moderate quality” evidence, downgraded for inconsistency). Use of rescue medication This was measured as the number of patients using a rescue medication (naproxen 250 mg, two tablets initially then one tablet every six to eight hours as needed,53 or ibuprofen 400 mg, one tablet every eight hours for a maximum of three days51) during the trial. Pooled analysis of two trials in low back pain and osteoarthritis showed no difference between the paracetamol and placebo groups (risk ratio 0.7, 95% confidence interval 0.4 to 1.3; “high quality” evidence). Secondary exploratory analysis The results from our secondary analyses on the potential impact of individual risk of bias domains on our treatment effects are presented in figure B in appendix 2. None of the individual domains had a significant influence on the estimated treatment effect. Our stratified analysis between small and large trials showed a difference of effects of 1.4 (95% confidence interval −2.8 to 5.6), indicating that smaller trials tend to report less beneficial effects, though this difference was not significant (P=0.51). Extended funnel plot assessment After consideration of the results we carried out a post hoc analysis to assess the effect of a new trial in our meta-analysis using extended funnel plots. Our results confirm that the results of a new trial added to current evidence would not change the conclusion that paracetamol does not deliver a clinically important benefit (at least 9 points out of a 0-100 range) for spinal pain and osteoarthritis (see fig C in appendix 2). Discussion There is “high quality” evidence that paracetamol has a significant but small effect in patients with hip or knee osteoarthritis compared with placebo in the short term. The small effects, <4 points on a 0-100 point scale, are not likely to be meaningful for clinicians or patients. “High quality” evidence shows that paracetamol is ineffective for low back pain, but we found no trials investigating neck pain. We also found “high quality” evidence that paracetamol increases the risk of having an abnormal result on liver function tests by nearly fourfold, although the impact of this on clinically relevant patient outcomes is unclear. Adherence to the treatment protocol was similar in both paracetamol and placebo groups, and there was also no difference in the use of rescue medication. Overall, our results are based on “high quality” evidence (GRADE), and therefore further research is unlikely to change this evidence. This systematic review should inform clinical practice and policy with regard to first line care of these patients. Strengths and weaknesses of the study This systematic review was prospectively registered, and we followed the protocol thoroughly. We included only placebo controlled trials in the review as they provide the best evidence on the efficacy of pharmacological treatment.22 We included 13 randomised trials, 10 in people with hip or knee osteoarthritis, and three investigating people with low back pain. We included two more trials than the last meta-analysis investigating people with osteoarthritis,15 and three more than the last review on people with spinal pain.21 To facilitate the interpretation of our results, we provide precise estimates and clinically interpretable scores on 0-100 point scales of pain and disability. Overall, the quality of evidence for our outcomes considered critical for clinical decision making was ranked “high” according to the GRADE system. Moreover, this is the first review to report evidence of changes in hepatic enzyme activity associated with paracetamol, patient adherence, and use of rescue medication in patients with osteoarthritis and spinal pain. Other strengths of our review included lack of restrictions to publication language or date and use of hand search of clinical trial registries (for example, ClinicalTrials.gov) and relevant websites for unpublished trials. The number of studies in each meta-analysis was relatively small because of small number of trials available on this topic (paracetamol versus placebo for spinal pain and osteoarthritis). For instance, in the meta-analyses investigating the efficacy of paracetamol on pain reduction for back pain we have included a maximum number of two trials, and for osteoarthritis we included a maximum number of seven trials in a meta-analysis. Moreover, none of the trials reported data for long term follow-up, and our results are limited to the immediate and short term efficacy of paracetamol. Although we included three trials investigating spinal pain, none of these trials included patients with neck pain. In addition, one of the included trials did not report results for the placebo group,45 and attempts to gain access to these data were unsuccessful. Most of the included trials used the maximum dose of 4000 mg/day recommended by the US Food and Drug Administration: seven trials used 4000 mg/day as the maximum dose, two trials used 3990 mg as the maximum dose, and two trials used 3900 mg as the maximum dose. Only two trials used 3000 mg/day as the maximum dose. Strengths and weaknesses in relation to other studies Previous meta-analyses have concluded that paracetamol significantly reduces pain in people with hip or knee osteoarthritis.13 14 15 One of these reviews reported no difference in toxicity, defined by the number of patients reporting any adverse event.14 All endorsed the use of paracetamol for pain reduction in such patients. Our review included two trials not previously identified in the most recent previous meta-analysis, and our results show only a small clinically irrelevant benefit of paracetamol for pain and disability at short term follow-up. Supratherapeutic doses of paracetamol can overwhelm the normal metabolic pathways and protective mechanisms in the liver and produce dangerous amounts of a toxic metabolite, N-acetyl-p-benzoquinoneimine.57 Most commonly this is seen in intentional overdoses, and the consequence can be liver failure. However, the drug has been used extensively for decades for chronic musculoskeletal conditions, and there is scant evidence for clinically significant toxicity with regular doses of up to 4000 mg/day in otherwise healthy adults, although some researchers contest this.17 The significant effect on hepatic enzymes that we show is well known,58 but a link with clinically important toxicity is still uncertain. Implications for clinicians and policymakers Interventions such as drugs that aim to provide symptomatic relief have been associated with improvement of physical function in people with osteoarthritis.59 60 Similarly, there is a high correlation of changes in pain scores and function scores in people with low back pain.61 62 This evidence supports the use of drugs for pain relief to improve function in these conditions, and, overall, we have shown consistent results across pain and disability outcome measures. We found that paracetamol is ineffective on both pain and disability outcomes for low back pain in the immediate and short term and is not clinically superior to placebo on both pain and disability outcomes for osteoarthritis. Although thresholds for clinically important differences between groups are unknown for osteoarthritis, a recent study has used a minimal clinically important difference of 0.9 on a 0-10 scale (or 9 on a 0 to 100 scale) based on the median difference found in previous large trials including patients with osteoarthritis.32 Our largest observed effect size of −3.7 points on a 0-100 pain scale, favouring paracetamol, is unlikely to be considered clinically important by patients or clinicians. Moreover, the lower boundary of the 95% confidence interval of this effect size was −5.5 and still did not reach the minimal clinically important difference of −9 defined in this review. Our results therefore provide an argument to reconsider the endorsement of paracetamol in clinical practice guidelines for low back pain and hip or knee osteoarthritis. Recent evidence on lower limb osteoarthritis shows that exercises (such as strengthening exercise) compared with no exercise control result in large treatment effects for pain reduction (mean difference −2.3, 95% confidence interval −2.8 to −1.26; on a 10 cm visual analogue scale).63 This effect size is much larger than the largest effect size from our pooled analyses on short term effects of paracetamol for hip or knee osteoarthritis. Paracetamol alone therefore might not be sufficient to treat hip or knee osteoarthritis and might need to be accompanied by other management strategies, such as exercises and advice/education. Future trials, however, are needed to assess the combined effect of these interventions in patients with osteoarthritis. Unanswered questions and future research This systematic review shows precise and clinically interpretable estimates of the size of the effect of paracetamol compared with placebo in the management of spinal pain and osteoarthritis of the hip or knee. Although our results provide “high quality” evidence that paracetamol does not provide a clinically important effect in the short term, the long term effect of this drug in the treatment of spinal pain and osteoarthritis remains unknown. Moreover, we found higher risk of abnormal results on liver function tests in patients taking paracetamol, though the clinical implications of this are uncertain. The effects of paracetamol for neck pain are unknown as we found no trials including participants with this condition. What is already known on this topic Clinical guidelines recommend paracetamol as first line analgesic drug for both spinal pain (neck and low back pain) and osteoarthritis of the hip and knee The evidence base supporting these recommendations has recently been called into question What this study adds High quality evidence suggests that paracetamol is ineffective in reducing pain and disability or improving quality of life in patients with low back pain There is high quality evidence that paracetamol offers a small but not clinically important benefit for pain and disability reduction in patients with hip or knee osteoarthritis Though high quality evidence shows that patients taking paracetamol are nearly four times more likely to have abnormal results on liver function tests compared with those taking oral placebo, the clinical relevance of this is unclear Notes Cite this as: BMJ 2015;350:h1225 Footnotes Contributors: GCM, MLF, CGM, PHF, C-WCL, ROD, and AJMcL were involved in the conception and design of the review. GCM, MLF, and MBP developed the search strategy and performed study selection. GCM and MBP extracted data from included studies. GCM and MLF were involved in the data analysis. GCM, MLF, CGM, PHF, C-WCL, ROD, and AJMcL were involved in the interpretation and discussion of results. GCM drafted the manuscript, and MLF, CGM, and PHF contributed to the drafting of the review. CCL, ROD, MBP, and AJMcL revised it critically for important intellectual content. All authors approved the final version of the article. All authors had access to all of the data in the study and can take responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis. MLF is guarantor. Funding: This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. GCM and MBP hold an international postgraduate research scholarship/postgraduate award from the Australian Government. CGM is supported by research fellowship from the National Health and Medical Research Council. MLF holds a fellowship from Sydney Medical Foundation/Sydney Medical School. CCL holds a career development fellowship from the National Health and Medical Research Council, Australia. RD is a chief investigator on NH&MRC Programme Grant No 1054146. AJM is an investigator on the NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence in Medicines and Ageing. Competing interests: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form at www.icmje.org/coi_disclosure.pdf and declare: AJM received support from GlaxoSmithKline for a PhD scholarship, and AJM, ROD, CGM, and C-WCL received support from GlaxoSmithKline for the PACE trial. ||||| Acetaminophen is the most widely used over-the-counter and prescription painkiller in the world. However, a new study published in the journal Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases suggests that the risks of this popular analgesic may have been underestimated by doctors. Although the study links adverse events with acetaminophen use, the researchers remind that the overall risks of adverse events remain small. Although the study links adverse events with acetaminophen use, the researchers remind that the overall risks of adverse events remain small. The mechanism behind the painkilling effect of acetaminophen, or paracetamol, is largely unknown, although recent studies suggest that the drug inhibits the central nervous system from producing prostaglandin. Generally, acetaminophen is considered to be safer than other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) and opiate analgesics. However, last year, Medical News Today looked at the results of a large randomized controlled trial published in The Lancet that found acetaminophen is no more effective than a placebo for managing acute lower back pain. The benefit of acetaminophen for managing osteoarthritis has also been questioned in recent studies, which led researchers to make the observation that there is no recent data available on the risks of acetaminophen at standard doses. To provide estimates on the true risks of standard doses of acetaminophen, researchers from the Leeds Institute of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine in the UK conducted a systematic review of eight existing studies that had investigated the association between acetaminophen use and adverse health effects. Two of the studies investigated risk of death associated with acetaminophen use, and one of them found an increased relative rate of mortality among people who had been prescribed the drug compared with people who had not. Four of the studies found an increased risk of adverse cardiovascular events to be linked with acetaminophen use, four studies reported adverse renal events, and one study found a link with adverse gastrointestinal events. Dose-response finding was consistent across studies, despite likely bias The Leeds Institute researchers say that the eight observational studies are likely to contain biases. They explain that people who take acetaminophen on a long-term basis often have multiple existing medical problems that may also require other painkillers and medications. Despite this potential confounding factor and the small number of studies included in the systematic review, the researchers say that they found a consistent dose-response relationship between acetaminophen use at standard doses and the kind of adverse events that are typically associated with other NSAIDs, including incidence of mortality and cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and renal adverse events. "While these limitations are important to consider," the researchers write, "the striking trend of dose-response is consistent across multiple outcomes and studies." The overall risks associated with these adverse events remain small, the researchers remind. They point out that with every decision to prescribe medication there is a risk versus benefit calculation and trade-off of efficacy versus tolerability. "Prescribers need to be aware of patients' individual responses to [acetaminophen] and the observed increased toxicity with regular and higher dosing within standard analgesic dose ranges," the authors write, concluding: ||||| An estimated 50 million Americans use acetaminophen each week to treat conditions such as pain, fever and aches and pains associated with cold and flu symptoms. To help encourage the safe use of acetaminophen, the makers of TYLENOL® have lowered the maximum daily dose for single-ingredient Extra Strength TYLENOL® (acetaminophen) products sold in the U.S. from 8 pills per day (4,000 mg) to 6 pills per day (3,000 mg). The dosing interval has also changed from 2 pills every 4 – 6 hours to 2 pills every 6 hours. Visit GET RELIEF RESPONSIBLY® for a list of other common medicines you may be taking that contain acetaminophen. If you have any questions, we encourage you to talk to your healthcare professional or contact our Consumer Call Center at 1-877-414-7711. Exceeding the Recommended Dosage In case of overdose, you should get medical help right away or contact the Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222. Quick medical attention is critical for adults as well as for children even if no signs or symptoms are noticed. ||||| Photo Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is widely recommended for the relief of back pain and the pain of knee and hip arthritis. But a systematic review of randomized trials has found that it works no better than a placebo. Australian researchers reviewed three randomized trials that compared acetaminophen with a placebo for the relief of spinal pain, and 10 trials that compared their use for easing the pain of osteoarthritis. All together, the analysis included 5,366 patients. Acetaminophen was given orally in doses between 3,000 and 4,000 milligrams a day, except for one study in which a dose of 1,000 milligrams was administered intravenously. The review, published online in BMJ, found high quality evidence that Tylenol is ineffective in treating low back pain or disability. It also found evidence that the drug quadruples the risk of an abnormal liver function test, but the clinical significance of that finding is unclear. The studies of pain from knee and hip arthritis found a small but clinically insignificant short-term pain-relief effect for acetaminophen compared with a placebo. Clinical guidelines from medical groups typically recommend acetaminophen for pain relief, but “the American guidelines were published in 2007, when the evidence was weaker,” said the senior author, Manuela L. Ferreira, an associate professor at the George Institute for Global Health in Sydney. “This new evidence — the highest quality evidence from papers all over the world — shows that it is time to review the recommendations on acetaminophen.” The lead author, Gustavo C. Machado, a Ph.D. candidate at the George Institute, added that patients should talk to their doctors and “discuss what are the best treatment options, and what are the harms and benefits. And they should be aware that this review shows that acetaminophen should not be recommended as a first line analgesic for these conditions.” ||||| Low back pain is a common reason for missed work time. (Evgeny Atamanenko/Shutterstock) ​​The commonly-prescribed drug acetaminophen or paracetamol does nothing to help low back pain, and may affect the liver when used regularly, a large new international study has confirmed. Reporting in today's issue of the British Medical Journal researchers also say the benefits of the drug are unlikely to be worth the risks when it comes to treating osteoarthritis in the hip or knee. "Paracetamol has been widely recommended as being a safe medication, but what we are saying now is that paracetamol doesn't bring any benefit for patients with back pain, and it brings only trivial benefits to those with osteoarthritis," Gustavo Machado of The George Institute for Global Health and the University of Sydney, tells the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. "In addition to that it might bring harm to those patients." Most international clinical guidelines recommend acetaminophen as the "first choice" of treatment for low back pain and osteoarthritis of the hip and knee. However, despite a trial last year questioning the use of acetaminophen to treat low back pain, there has never been a systematic review of the evidence for this. Machado and colleagues analyzed three clinical trials and confirmed that acetaminophen is no better than placebo at treating low back pain. An analysis of 10 other clinical trials by the researchers quantified for the first time the effect acetaminophen has on reducing pain from osteoarthritis in the knee and hip. "We concluded that it is too small to be clinically worthwhile," says Machado. He says the effects of acetaminophen on the human body are not well understood and just because it can stop headaches, it doesn't mean the drug will work in all circumstances. "There is probably a difference in the pain mechanisms in low back pain and osteoarthritis, compared to headache," says Machado. Liver effects Importantly, the new study was the first to show that patients using acetaminophen for low back pain and osteoarthritis were nearly four times more likely than those taking placebo to have abnormal results on liver function tests. Machado says it's unclear whether this means acetaminophen could cause liver damage in the long term. "But if you see elevation of enzymes in the short term, it's a concern for the long term," he says. Machado and colleagues point to another recent study suggesting acetaminophen raises the risk of cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and renal disease. They argue doctors should reconsider their recommendation that patients use the drug for low back pain and osteoarthritis of the hip or knee. Keep active advice "It's time the clinical guidelines are reviewed," says co-author of the new study associate professor Manuela Ferreira. "Paracetamol shouldn't be included in the guidelines for back pain." When it comes to treating osteoarthritis, Machado and Ferreira call on doctors to explain the actual risks and benefits. "If you ask me it's not worthwhile," says Ferreira. Ferreira says anti-inflammatories are the second choice of treatment for low back pain but they have greater side- effects. The researchers say other non-drug treatments recommended in the clinical guidelines should be used instead. These include reassuring patients that low back pain is generally benign and that the best remedy is to keep active. Exercise, strength training and weight management have been shown to be effective in treating osteoarthritis of the hip and knee," says Machado. Arthritis Research UK also said physical activity is probably a better and more effective way of keeping the pain of arthritis and joint pain at bay than taking painkillers. The arthritis group said it's been known for some time acetaminophen may not work for everyone with severe pain from their arthritis, but some people find it allows them to sleep and to exercise without discomfort. Low back pain and other musculoskeletal conditions account for one-third of missed work time in Canada.
– Thinking of popping a Tylenol? A new study suggests you may want to save yourself some money and take a sugar pill instead. Researchers looked at the usefulness of acetaminophen in managing low back pain and osteoarthritis of the hip or knee—and they found that in such cases, the drug works no better or, at most, only slightly better than a placebo. Specifically, acetaminophen was ineffective in helping with low back pain and only minimally beneficial—not enough to be considered clinically significant—for managing osteoarthritis, according to the study published in BMJ. The findings are significant, researchers note, since acetaminophen is generally recommended as the "first line analgesic" in these cases. "The American guidelines were published in 2007, when the evidence was weaker," the study's senior author explains to the New York Times. "It is time to review the recommendations." The researchers looked at a number of trials involving a total of 5,366 patients; oral dosage varied from 3000mg per day to 4000mg per day (one trial involved an IV dose of 1000mg). Tylenol currently recommends no more than 3000mg per day, down from the previous recommendation of 4000mg. The study also suggests that taking acetaminophen can nearly quadruple the risk of getting abnormal results on a liver function test; the lead author tells the CBC it's not clear whether that could lead to liver damage in the long term but that it is "a concern." Medical News Today noted last month that another large trial last year found similar results in terms of acetaminophen's usefulness in managing low back pain—and that a study this year found that doctors may be underestimating the risks of the drug, even at standard doses. (It's far from the first time acetaminophen has been questioned.)
Saving... Saving... Saving... Rebuzzed! This post has been added to your Feed I know, right? And there’s more where that came from. Totally! And there’s plenty more to love! Broken hearted? Maybe you’ll like something over here instead? Oops! It looks like you've already voted.. Sorry, you can only react up to three times. Please Validate Your Email Thanks for Registering! Before you can vote or contribute we need to quickly validate your email address. We’ve sent you a confirmation email with instructions. If you don’t receive the email in a few minutes, please check your spam folder. ||||| Before Twitter and Facebook hijacked our lives, before we read the news on a screen and Susan Boyle became an overnight celebrity, Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel pondered a simpler question for their "Today Show" viewers: "Can you explain what 'Internet' is?" a dumbfounded Couric asks during this hilarious vintage clip the folks at Buzzfeed were kind enough to resurrect today. The daytime TV hosts continue by expressing their bemusement at such features as the "@" symbol ("That little mark with the 'a' and the ring around it? Katie thought that was 'about.'") and e-mail messages ("What do you write to it? Like...mail?"). Check out the full segment below and feel nostalgic for a more innocent era. WATCH:
– Remember 1994? Neither does your Newser! But apparently it was a magical time of pre-crazy Mel Gibson, Dems getting trounced in midterm elections, and ... talking heads on the teevee trying to explain something called the "Internet." Observe as Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel wonder aloud: "What is the Internet anyway?!" Some sort of "giant computer network!" It'll probably never catch on. Clip unearthed by the folks over at Buzzfeed, via HuffPo.
England's Dele Alli, right, reacts to flies during the anthem prior the group G match between Tunisia and England at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the Volgograd Arena in Volgograd, Russia, Monday, June... (Associated Press) England's Dele Alli, right, reacts to flies during the anthem prior the group G match between Tunisia and England at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the Volgograd Arena in Volgograd, Russia, Monday, June 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein) (Associated Press) VOLGOGRAD, Russia (AP) — Little bugs were a big annoyance at the World Cup on Monday. During England's 2-1 victory over Tunisia, midges descended on the Volgograd Arena. Players from both sides, but particularly those from England, spent an undue amount of time trying to ward them off during the match. In Volgograd at this time of the year, midges are not uncommon. Set on the banks of the mighty Volga River, the seasonal change in weather unleashes millions of the little bugs. Although the insects are harmless enough, the swarms can be a distraction. For Harry Kane, who scored both of England's goals, they clearly were. "We got told before that there was going to be quite a lot of flies and when we went out for the warm-up it was a lot more than we all kind of thought," Kane said. "We had a lot of bug spray on before the game, halftime, which was important because there was some of them in your eyes, some of them in your mouth, but I guess that's part of just dealing whatever comes your way and the team coped with it well." England teammate Ashley Young was also a tad distracted by the flying insects. "Fairly annoying, but it's the same for both teams so you've got to get on with it," Young said. Not everyone was bothered, though. Tunisia coach Nabil Maaloul said he didn't feel them because he was "so focused on the team, on the game." ___ More AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/WorldCup ||||| Tunisia's Syam Ben Youssef, right, jumps as he fights for the ball with England's Harry Kane during the group G match between Tunisia and England at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the Volgograd Arena in... (Associated Press) Tunisia's Syam Ben Youssef, right, jumps as he fights for the ball with England's Harry Kane during the group G match between Tunisia and England at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the Volgograd Arena in Volgograd, Russia, Monday, June 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits) (Associated Press) VOLGOGRAD, Russia (AP) — Twice wrestled to the ground during the match, England captain Harry Kane finally evaded the Tunisian defense just as time was running out. Kane found an open area of space at the far post and used his head to meet Harry Maguire's flick-on, scoring the winning goal Monday in a 2-1 victory at the World Cup. It was relief for Kane and Gareth Southgate, who leapt into the air in delight as his World Cup debut as a coach got off to a winning start. "The best teams in the world keep that belief in what they're doing," Southgate said, "and in the end they break the opposition down." England shouldn't have found it so tough in its Group G opener against such opposition. Not after Kane got England off to a perfect start with an 11th-minute tap in. But after Kyle Walker softly conceded a penalty that Ferjani Sassi converted in the 35th, many of the fouls went against England. "Maybe there was a bit of justice at the end," Kane said. Finally, Kane showcased on the international stage the predatory instinct in front of goal that has served Tottenham so well. Only two years ago, the striker failed to find the net at the 2016 European Championship, which ended in humiliation with a loss to Iceland in the last 16. The team has been transformed by Southgate since then. For all the placidness and togetherness within the group, Southgate has added persistence and doggedness. "It shows the work we have put in these last few weeks," Walker said. "Togetherness and believing in ourselves." At the last World Cup, England couldn't even win a game. Low expectations for this year's overhauled team were dispelled early in Russia when Kane reacted quickly to score after John Stones' header was saved. But England struggled to finish it off. When Walker's flailing arm caught Fakhreddine Ben Youssef, a penalty was awarded and Sassi slotted it in to equalize. England's players later thought they deserved the same verdict when Kane was grappled to the ground twice by Tunisians on either side of the halftime break. Both times, the referee decided against punishing the culprits. Despite it all, Kane remained patient and delivered in the first minute of stoppage time. "You go until the last second," Kane said, "and I'm absolutely buzzing." NEAR MISSES England seemed destined for a familiar hard-luck story — dominance with little to show for it. Before Kane's opener, Jesse Lingard had a shot saved on the line before setting up Raheem Sterling, who fluffed his chance while staring at an unprotected part of the net. Chances to regain the advantage were squandered. When Dele Alli's header was turned onto the crossbar, Stones messed up the follow-up. Lingard later hit the post after breaking past goalkeeper Farouk Ben Mustapha. "The pleasing thing was the movement, the pace, the interchange," Southgate said. "The control from the back with the ball." STATISTICS However hard it was to break through, the English attack achieved its most shots on target in the first half at a World Cup since 1966 — the only time the team won the trophy. For Kane, wearing the captain's armband is only making him more prolific. He now has eight goals in six games as captain. INJURY WATCH Tunisia was forced into an early goalkeeping change. Mouez Hassen was caught by Lingard in the fifth minute but remained on the field and even pulled off a fine save — clawing away Stones' header from Ashley Young's corner — before Kane scored. Hassen, though, was forced off in the 15th and replaced by Ben Mustapha. GROUP DYNAMICS England and Belgium are the early front-runners as expected. But while England passed the sterner test, Belgium had the most comfortable start in its 3-0 victory over Panama. England will hope the World Cup newcomers roll over as easily when they meet on Sunday. BUGGING The late priority in the warm-up for England was needing insect repellent. Mosquitoes and little bugs have been swarming across the city, creating an annoyance for players. ___ Rob Harris is at https://twitter.com/RobHarris and https://facebook.com/RobHarrisReports ___ More AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/WorldCup
– Little bugs were a big annoyance at the World Cup on Monday. During England's 2-1 victory over Tunisia, midges descended on the Volgograd Arena. Players from both sides, but particularly those from England, spent an undue amount of time trying to ward them off during the match per the AP. In Volgograd at this time of the year, midges are not uncommon. Set on the banks of the mighty Volga River, the seasonal change in weather unleashes millions of the little bugs. Although the insects are harmless enough, the swarms can be a distraction. For Harry Kane, who scored both of England's goals, they clearly were. "We got told before that there was going to be quite a lot of flies and when we went out for the warm-up it was a lot more than we all kind of thought," Kane said. "We had a lot of bug spray on before the game, halftime, which was important because there was some of them in your eyes, some of them in your mouth, but I guess that's part of just dealing whatever comes your way and the team coped with it well." England teammate Ashley Young was also a tad distracted by the flying insects. "Fairly annoying, but it's the same for both teams so you've got to get on with it," Young said. Not everyone was bothered, though. Tunisia coach Nabil Maaloul said he didn't feel them because he was "so focused on the team, on the game."
Editor's note: Read this story in Arabic. (CNN) -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy has denied taking money from the Gadhafi family during his 2007 run for France's highest office, calling the allegation "grotesque." He said the late Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi was "known for talking nonsense," and challenged his son Saif al-Islam Gadhafi to produce records of the donations. Sarkozy was responding to allegations which surfaced on the Internet ahead of the French presidential election scheduled for April 22. "I am sorry that a big channel like TF1 is taking from information from the documents from Mr. Gadhafi or his son," Sarkozy said in the interview, which aired on Monday night on TF1. "When one quotes Mr. Gadhafi, who is dead, or his son, who is standing trial, the credibility is zero. And when you drag up their accounts with these questions you are asking, you quite degrade this political debate," he said in an attack on interviewer Laurence Ferrari. Gadhafi was toppled in a civil war last year and killed after several months in hiding. His one-time heir apparent, Saif al-Islam was captured by Libya's new authorities and is awaiting trial. It's the second time in as many weeks that Sarkozy has made headlines with a nationally televised interview. Last week, he said France has too many foreigners and is not integrating them properly. "Today we have a problem," Sarkozy said on France 2 TV on March 6. "Our system of integration is working worse and worse, because we have too many foreigners on our territory and we can no longer manage to find them accommodation, a job, a school," he said. France places a premium on national identity, pressing the population to put "Frenchness" before religion or national background. Sarkozy is running for a second term in office. He faces a strong challenge from Francois Hollande of the Socialist party and a range of candidates from smaller parties, including the far-right Marine Le Pen. If no candidate wins a majority in the first round, there will be a second round on May 6, with the top two finishers facing off. ||||| The “terms” for handing over the money were agreed in a meeting between the two men in Libya two years before Mr Sarkozy’s election, documents published by a French investigative website suggest.A memo obtained by the Mediapart site and handed to a judge alleges that the meeting on Oct 6, 2005 resulted in “campaign financing” of “NS [Nicolas Sarkozy]” being “totally paid”. At the time Mr Sarkozy was France’s interior minister with well-documented ambitions to succeed Jacques Chirac. Political financing laws ban candidates from receiving cash payments above €7,500 (£6,300) but Mediapart claims that €50 million mentioned in the memo were laundered through bank accounts in Panama and Switzerland. The Swiss account, it is alleged, was opened in the name of the sister of Jean-Francois Copé, the leader of Mr Sarkozy’s ruling UMP party and one of the most active campaigners for his re-election. The memo claims that “ZT”, believed to be an arms dealer called Ziad Takieddine, known to have close ties with several of Mr Sarkozy’s most loyal aides, was “in charge of arrangements”. It also mentions “several previous meetings” between Mr Takieddine and Saif-al Islam Gaddafi, Gaddafi’s son and former heir, who last year claimed that Libya had funded Mr Sarkozy’s election. “Sarkozy must first give back the money he took from Libya to finance his electoral campaign. We funded it. We have all the details and are ready to reveal everything,” said Saif-al Islam, currently held in Libya following the overthrow of his father’s regime. “The first thing we want this clown to do is to give the money back to the Libyan people. He was given the assistance so he could help them, but he has disappointed us. Give us back our money.” Mr Sarkozy provoked outrage among opposition figures and some members of his government when he welcomed Gaddafi to Paris in late 2007 when the Libyan dictator was permitted to pitch his tent next to the Elysée Palace. But he was the first to recognise the Libyan opposition last year and French jets were the first to strike Gaddafi’s tanks in a military campaign that ended with the Libyan leader’s death. The memo relates the testimony of Mr Takieddine’s former personal doctor, Didier Grosskopf, whom the dealer took on numerous trips to Libya, and who claimed he witnessed negotiations on party funding. Mr Takieddine cut off all relations with the doctor in 2006, when the memo was written. Fabrice Arfi, the co-author of the Mediapart report, told The Daily Telegraph that Mr Grosskopf “wanted to put down in writing what he had witnessed in case anything happened to him because of what he knew”. The memo also mentions the alleged presence of “BH”, Brice Hortefeux, one of Mr Sarkozy’s oldest friends who went on to become his interior minister and is now part of his campaign team. Mr Hortefeux confirmed yesterday that the 2005 meeting took place but that “never was there any question of political financing whatsoever”. The memo reached the investigating magistrate, Renaud Van Ruymbeke, as part of an inquiry into Mr Takieddine’s alleged role in party funding. Mr Sarkozy on Monday night angrily denied the allegations he had received money from Gaddafi. “If he (Gaddafi) had financed it, then I haven’t been very grateful,” Mr Sarkozy said. “Gaddafi, who is known for talking nonsense, even said that there were cheques. Well then the son should just go ahead and produce them then.” Mr Takieddine has denied involvement in any illegal party funding. When previously asked about Saif al-Islam’s claims, a spokesman for the Elysée Palace told Le Monde: “We deny it, quite evidently.” Mr Takieddine declined to comment about the latest allegations.
– Moammar Gadhafi helped bankroll Nicolas Sarkozy's rise to power, according to a French investigative website. Mediapart says it has seen documents suggesting the Libyan leader made a $66 million donation ahead of Sarkozy's election in 2007, the Telegraph reports. Gadhafi's son Saif-al Islam made similar claims a year ago, threatening to expose the French president. “The first thing we want this clown to do is to give the money back to the Libyan people," he said. "He has disappointed us." Sarkozy was one of the strongest supporters of action against Gadhafi's regime, although he raised eyebrows soon after his election by welcoming the Libyan leader to Paris and describing him as a "brother leader." Sarkozy, who is seeking re-election next month, described the allegations as "grotesque," CNN notes. "When one quotes Mr. Gadhafi, who is dead, or his son, who is standing trial, the credibility is zero," he said in a televised interview last night, adding that if Gadhafi had financed him, "then I haven’t been very grateful."
Hecklers interrupted former President Barack Obama multiple times during a speech at his campaign rally in support of the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Andrew Gillum on Friday. "Listen, here's the deal," Obama said after he was interrupted. "If you support the other candidates, then you should go support the other candidates." "One of the things I never understood was, why, if you're supporting the other guy, you come to my rally," Obama asked amid cheers from the crowd. "Go to their rally. Go talk about what you're for. Don't come hollering here." Obama's supporters drowned out shouts from hecklers by chanting "bring it home," the catchphrase Gillum, who is also the mayor of Tallahassee, called up on the campaign trail. "You know what, it's an old playbook," Obama said after another protester interrupted him. "It's one that the powerful and privileged turn to whenever control starts slipping away." President-elect Donald Trump and President Barack Obama arrive at the White House on January 20, 2017 in Washington, DC. Getty Images/Mark Wilson "They'll get folks riled up just to protect their power and their privilege, even when it hurts the country, even when it puts people at risk," Obama said. "It's as cynical as politics gets. But in four days, in four days Florida, you can reject that kind of politics." Obama campaigned in Miami to support Florida Democrats for the November 6 midterm election — among those candidates: gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum and Sen. Bill Nelson, who is vying for a Senate seat in the state. Speaking to a crowd of around 3,000 people, Obama also took shots at President Donald Trump by accusing him of "lying" and "fear-mongering." Meanwhile, Trump was out on a campaign trail of his own, hitting multiple states in the final days leading up to the Tuesday election. Trump took a rhetorical swing at Obama on Friday, claiming his predecessor had "a very small crowd." Trump, who is repeatedly called out for an unprecedented number of falsehoods and misleading statements, accused Obama of being dishonest. "Unlike President Obama," Trump said, "we live under a different mantra. It's called promises made, promises kept." One estimate shows that least 20 million people have voted in the election, with some states' early voting numbers on track to exceed the 2014 election, CNN reported. This election cycle has already set a new financial record, with campaigns and groups expected to spend over $5.2 billion, according to a study cited by CNBC. ||||| Former President Obama is in Georgia Friday evening to rally for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, who is locked in a tight race with Republican Brian Kemp, capping off a day of campaign events for Democrats. Mr. Obama emphasized this election could be the "most important of our lifetime" while also highlighting Abrams. "I'm hear for one simple reason: To ask you to vote," Mr. Obama said. "The consequences of any of us staying home are profound because America is at a crossroads ... The character of our country is on the ballot." In an earlier rally on Friday, Mr. Obama had said he doesn't understand why Mr. Trump and his supporters are "so angry all the time." At the Atlanta rally, Mr. Obama accused Republicans of using "constant, incessant, non-stop attempts to divide us. Rhetoric that is designed to make us angry — to make us fearful." Mr. Obama criticized Republicans — and especially Mr. Trump — for the "scare tactics" in the election. "Now in the year 2018, they are telling you the biggest threat to America are some impoverished refugees thousands of miles away," Mr. Obama said. "That's not enough to lie about it — they are sending our brave troops ... they are sending them down there for a political stunt when they could be with their families." Earlier on Friday, Mr. Obama traveled to Florida to rally for Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson and gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum, two days after President Trump visited the state to stump for their Republican opponents. Like Mr. Trump, Mr. Obama is engaged in a final campaign swing before the midterm elections. He is campaigning against Mr. Trump's agenda and Republican candidates less than two years after he left office, a departure from a historical norm in which former presidents tend to avoid openly criticizing their successors. Abrams' campaign has attracted support from prominent celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, who has canvassed and rallied with the candidate. Actor Michael B. Jordan has knocked on doors in Atlanta urging black voters to turn out and actor and comedian Will Ferrell has also canvassed for Abrams' campaign. Abrams has been largely focused on turning out communities which don't usually turn out in high numbers during midterm elections, such as black voters and young people. If elected, Abrams would be the first black woman elected governor in the country. Mr. Obama is rallying with Abrams at Morehouse College, a widely respected historically black college. The Georgia gubernatorial race has been roiled by claims of voter suppression. As Georgia secretary of state, Kemp oversees election infrastructure, which Democrats say presents a conflict of interest. Kemp's office has suspended processing 53,000 voter registrations, 70 percent of which are for black Georgians. He did so under the auspices of a 2017 state law passed under his urging, which requires an "exact match" between a voter registration form and government documents. If a person's voter registration form differs from government documents — even by a hyphen or a misspelling — their registration form is considered suspect. While Abrams has claimed Kemp is deliberately trying to suppress the votes of black Georgians, who typically vote Democratic, Kemp argues the issues with registration forms are due to shoddy work by liberal groups such as the Abrams-founded New Georgia Project, which works to register minority voters. However, the 53,000 voters with pending applications can still vote on election day, if they present photo identification at the polls. On Sunday, President Trump is rallying for Kemp. Vice President Mike Pence stumped for Kemp on Thursday, and criticized the star power Abrams' campaign has attracted. "I heard Oprah's in town today," Pence said. "I'm kind of a big deal too and I've got a message, I've got a message for all of Stacey Abrams' liberal Hollywood friends. This ain't Hollywood. This is Georgia." ||||| A protestor interrupted former President Obama's campaign speech on Friday, prompting him to ask why Republicans are angry all the time. "Why is it that the folks who won the last election are so mad all the time?” Obama joked, referencing President Trump Donald John TrumpHyde-Smith prevails in Mississippi runoff after 'public hanging' stumble Trump, Cuomo to meet at White House to discuss infrastructure project Ivanka Trump, Tim Cook visit Idaho school district MORE's election in 2016. “I mean, like, when I won the presidency, at least my side felt pretty good. It tells you something interesting, that even the folks in charge are still mad, because they’re getting ginned up to be mad." "Why is it that the folks that won the last election are so mad all the time?" former Pres. Obama asks at Miami rally. "When I won the presidency, at least my side felt pretty good." https://t.co/JUD0vlVS4e pic.twitter.com/p4UNVuulL1 — Evan McMurry (@evanmcmurry) November 2, 2018 Anger in the electorate has been a running theme throughout politics, with politicians interrupted at dinners by liberal protestors and both sides spouting anger on social media. In the last two weeks, fear about anger turning into violence has escalated after a man killed 11 people at a synagogue in Pittsburgh. The suspect had expressed anti-Semitic sentiment online and had also criticized the U.S. acceptance of refugees. ADVERTISEMENT Another man has been charged with crimes related to the delivery of mail bombs to prominent Democrats who have spoken out against Trump. Obama's comments came as he campaigned for figures such as Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum and Sen. Bill Nelson Clarence (Bill) William NelsonSchumer walking tightrope with committee assignments Leadership PACs used for 'bougie perks,' says government watchdog spokeswoman Congress: Improve Medicare home health reforms to protect patient care MORE (D-Fla.). Obama said that the reason why he came to Florida was because next Tuesday’s midterm elections may be the “most important election of our lifetimes.” “Politicians will always say that, but this time it’s actually true,” the former two-term president said. “The stakes really are that high.” His visit came as he tours the nation in an effort to whip up support for Democratic candidates ahead of Tuesday's midterms. He's made stops in states such as Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, among others.
– Barack Obama has been hitting the campaign trail, stumping for Democratic candidates and making "fiery speeches." He continued making the rounds Friday, and while rallying in Georgia for gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, who's running against Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp, the former president said he was there for just one reason. "To ask you to vote," he said, per CBS News, adding: "The consequences of any of us staying home are profound because America is at a crossroads. … The character of our country is on the ballot." At an earlier rally in Florida, where he threw his support behind Andrew Gillum in Gillum's race against Ron DeSantis for governor, Obama put out another thing that's been on his mind. "Why is it that the folks who won the last election are so mad all the time?" he asked, per the Hill. "When I won the presidency, at least my side felt pretty good. It tells you something interesting, that even the folks in charge are still mad, because they're getting ginned up to be mad." He went on to accuse the GOP and Trump of using "scare tactics" to sway voters, "constant, incessant, non-stop attempts to divide us. Rhetoric that is designed to make us angry—to make us fearful." Obama dealt with some heckling at the Florida rally, and his response was pointed, per Business Insider. "Listen, here's the deal," he said after one interruption. "If you support the other candidates, then you should go support the other candidates. ... Go to their rally. Go talk about what you're for. Don't come hollering here." The crowd helped him out, drowning out the hecklers with chants of "Bring it home," Gillum's catchphrase. (Obama says Trump and the GOP are "making stuff up.")
The devastated island of Puerto Rico will not have power fully restored until May, nearly eight months after Hurricane Maria ripped through the Caribbean, officials said Wednesday. Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló had pledged to have power restored to 95% of the US territory by December, but the US Army Corps of Engineers, which is leading restoration efforts, pegged the delay on logistical and territorial issues. "Rosello set an aggressive timeline, but we know it will take significant time to restore power to the majority of people due to the challenges of terrain, the state of the grid system before the storms and the extensive damage caused by the hurricanes," said Jay Field, a spokesperson with the US Army Corps of Engineers' power restoration team in Puerto Rico. Power restoration in Puerto Rico has faced intense scrutiny after the territory's electric power authority, PREPA, signed a $300 million contract with Whitefish Energy, a tiny, obscure firm from Montana without a competitive bidding process. After several federal and territorial investigations were launched into the deal, PREPA canceled the contract and its director resigned. In a Facebook Live video Wednesday, officials described a "logistical nightmare" of rugged, mountainous terrain wrought more inaccessible by debris and damaged roads. Thousands of power poles and other vital equipment are still needed to repair and restore electricity to about 35% of the island still living in the dark. "We need over 50,000 poles and only 12,000 have been delivered," said Jose Sanchez, who is leading the Army Corps' power grid restoration efforts. "Sometimes one crew will only get six to seven poles in in a day. We have hundreds of crews working but it's not easy." In an interview with the Associated Press, Sanchez noted that supplies have been slow to arrive. "Unfortunately, I don't think anybody was prepared here in Puerto Rico to address that magnitude of destruction and be able to administer the logistics associated with that," he said. "We are restoring power as quickly as possible." Nine of Puerto Rico's 78 municipalities are still without power three months after the powerful Category 4 hurricane slammed the island, with frustrated residents still forced to boil water and live without a refrigerator or electricity. The Army Corps expects that a majority of the remaining areas of the territory still without power will be out of the dark by late February or early March. Meanwhile, people online have been sharing their tips and struggles, detailing affordable solar lights on Amazon or where to find portable generators. ||||| Residents evacuate their homes near the Addicks Reservoir as floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey rise on Aug. 29 in Houston, Texas. | David J. Phillip/AP Mammoth disaster aid package could languish for weeks The far-reaching bill, with huge sums for FEMA, housing and public works programs, nearly doubles the White House’s own disaster request last month. The House on Thursday passed an $81 billion emergency aid bill to help communities in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and California rebuild after a spate of natural disasters this year. The House bill, which ultimately passed on a 251-169 vote, had help from 69 Democrats, including many from Texas, Florida and California. Story Continued Below But the massive assistance package has run into resistance in the Senate, making it nearly impossible for the aid to be delivered by year’s end. “Disaster is a lot more complicated, a lot more moving parts, a lot more varied interests, competition between various jurisdictions over who gets what. So it’s just not likely,” Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) said Thursday when asked about the chances of passage this week. “I would love it if we could, but that’s not likely.” Democratic leaders in both chambers have strongly condemned the House GOP’s aid package, signaling that the bill could sit for weeks until Congress returns in January. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York ticked off a long list of problems with the bill, mostly related to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Specifically, he called for more help for Puerto Rico’s cash-strapped Medicaid program and fixes to the GOP’s tax bill to prevent a disproportionate hike in taxes on the island. “Because of these inadequacies in the bill, the disaster supplemental may slip to next year,” Schumer warned on the Senate floor. Sign up here for POLITICO Huddle A daily play-by-play of congressional news 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. Rep. Nita Lowey, a top House Democrat, accused GOP leaders of wasting time by creating a “poor product that will not be enacted into law.” But Senate GOP leaders would need to get unanimous consensus to fast-track the disaster package on its own. If a lawmaker like Schumer objected, the chamber would need to go through the motions with 30 hours of debate. “It’d take us a whole week,” Cornyn said Thursday, just hours before both chambers planned to leave for Christmas. The far-reaching bill, with huge sums for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, housing and public works programs, nearly doubles the White House’s own disaster request from last month. Most of the aid is not immediately doled out to states. Instead, it will be distributed through grants over the next few months, after lengthy applications from local leaders. If approved, Congress will have spent a record $133 billion on natural disasters this year. This package would be the largest single outlay in U.S. history. GOP leaders say much of the funding would go toward recovery and rebuilding after the most disastrous storm and wildfire seasons in recent memory. The bill includes $27.6 billion for FEMA, $26.1 billion for Community Development Block Grants and $12.11 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers. The large size of this disaster bill has rattled House conservatives, who have demanded the cost to be offset with spending cuts to other domestic programs. Fifty-one House Republicans ultimately opposed the package, including Rep. Jeb Hensarling of Texas. It was more than just the conservative House Freedom Caucus who wavered. Even some reliable leadership allies told the GOP whip team this afternoon that they were “undecided” on the bill. Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.), who sits on the House Appropriations Committee, said he has issues with the total size of the bill, as well as a $12 billion mitigation fund. “When you're talking $37 billion above the [Office of Management and Budget] request, that’s a significant amount of money. And it’s not like it’s free money, this is borrowed money. So I think you’ve got to be careful,” Womack told POLITICO before the vote. He ultimately voted in favor. Influential conservative groups like Heritage Action and the Club for Growth also urged Republicans to oppose the bill, arguing that most of the funding is not for emergency purposes. That internal resistance gave House Republican leaders extremely tight margins, requiring them to lean on at least some Democrats to clear the package. House Speaker Paul Ryan and his deputies were under pressure to deliver the aid this week, with dozens of Republicans from Texas and Florida threatening to gum up the works on a spending bill. “It’s crucial for the folks that are struggling,” said Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.), who signed a letter along with 37 other lawmakers saying they wouldn’t leave town without aid for their home states. Diaz-Balart wouldn't say on Thursday whether he’d hold up that threat, however. “We have to step up, and I think we will,” he said. Seung Min Kim contributed to this report. ||||| Bayamón, Puerto Rico (CNN) In the world of forensic pathology, there's a morbid truism: Bodies are evidence, and you need a body in order to fully examine a death. That poses a potentially major challenge for the Puerto Rican government's re-examination of deaths related to Hurricane Maria , which Gov. Ricardo Rosselló ordered Monday after investigations into the official death toll by CNN and other news organizations. Thousands of people have died since the storm on September 20, according to the Puerto Rican government. Many, if not most, of those bodies have been buried or cremated. That fact will severely limit the US territory's efforts to re-analyze deaths, experts told CNN. "At this point, the bodies have been buried, and there is no way to do a thorough investigation of each individual case," said Eric Klinenberg, director of the Institute for Public Knowledge at New York University and author of a book about deaths following a Chicago heat wave. "You'd want to talk with next of kin and neighbors to find out what happened to the person, possibly with doctors as well. But that is very difficult even in the best of times, and right now (many) people still don't have power," he said. "It would require an enormous effort." Rosselló said Monday that Puerto Rico's Department of Public Safety and the Demographic Registry will re-examine every death that's occurred since the hurricane, regardless of whether the death certificate lists the hurricane as the possible manner of death. The statement from Rosselló's office, however, did not specify exactly how that review would be conducted. A panel of experts will be appointed to review the process, according to the governor. Neither the governor's office nor the Department of Public Safety agreed to an interview on the details of the review. On Wednesday, a spokeswoman for the governor told CNN that details on how the review would be conducted were still being determined and that the matter would be discussed at upcoming meetings. The official death toll from Hurricane Maria stands at 64. In reality, it may be many times higher. In November, CNN surveyed half of the funeral homes in Puerto Rico and identified 499 deaths that funeral home directors and staff say were hurricane-related. Later, The New York Times and academics calculated the number of "excess deaths" in 2017 compared with previous years. That analysis led the paper to suggest more than 1,000 people likely died in the storm. Puerto Rico's governor said Monday that statistical methods will not be used in reassessing the death toll. "A legal process of certification by a coroner or a doctor is necessary, and every family deserves that the case of their loved ones be looked at independently and thoroughly," he said. The Bureau of Forensic Sciences, in San Juan, the Puerto Rican capital, is the only laboratory on the island authorized to classify deaths officially as hurricane-related. Pathologists conduct visual assessment and autopsies on some corpses. Documents such as death certificates also can be reviewed, and in some instances family members of the deceased are interviewed. After Maria, the forensics bureau reviewed many deaths and autopsied bodies before burial or cremation. But CNN also reported that some deaths possibly related to the hurricane were never sent to the forensics office by doctors or other authorities and therefore never were analyzed. The Puerto Rican government could use death certificates to help re-examine deaths, but those documents alone are not enough to classify deaths as hurricane-related, said Dr. Gregory J. Davis, director of the University of Kentucky's Forensic Pathology Consultation Service. "Death certificates, unless filled out by an experienced medical examiner/forensic pathologist, are notoriously unreliable," Davis said. Other materials -- including "medical records, police reports, fire/EMS reports, and, though it takes a lot of effort, next-of-kin family statements" -- are needed to make full sense of a death, he said. "It's labor intensive, but if they want the right answers rather than rush answers, they'll do it," Davis said in an email to CNN. Scientific methods are the most reliable way to understand how and why a person died, said Dr. Brian L. Peterson, president of the National Association of Medical Examiners. And there always could be some dispute about the circumstances of a death -- especially regarding "indirect" hurricane deaths, or those that resulted from the conditions the storm created rather than the high winds and waters associated with the day of the storm, he said. "To properly certify a death as other than natural (with respect to manner), we like to have a medicolegal death investigation, an autopsy, and sometimes ancillary studies such as radiology, toxicology, etc.," he said. "More to the point, 'hurricane related' may be more a matter of perception, anyway. Traumatic deaths are easier. Natural deaths are harder to accurately place in the 'hurricane-related' category as death from natural disease may occur at any time." Exhuming bodies to do those tests would be expensive and unlikely, he said. It also may not help the research, said Davis, from the University of Kentucky. "Exhumation is incredibly expensive, involving multiple personnel digging, opening up the vault, bringing up the casket, all with no guarantee that the body won't be quite decomposed or skeletonized, especially in a wet, hot climate such as Puerto Rico's," he said. Still, Peterson said, "deaths can always be reviewed at any time" with whatever information is available. Davis said it's possible, although not ideal, to review a death without an autopsy. After CNN's investigation, Puerto Rico added two deaths CNN highlighted to the official toll attributable to Hurricane Maria -- that of Quintín Vidal, who died in a fire started by a lantern he was using because of prolonged power outages, and José Rafael Sánchez Román, whose family said he died of a heart attack or stroke during the storm. But three additional cases highlighted by the network show how much effort it would take the Puerto Rican government to reassess thousands of deaths that followed the hurricane. Earlier this week, the Department of Public Safety told CNN those three additional cases do not warrant inclusion on the list of official deaths. Juan B. Robles Díaz committed suicide because of a pre-existing medical condition, not because of the storm, according to a statement sent to CNN by the Department of Public Safety. In a November interview, however, Robles' son told CNN that his father suffered from night terrors in which he ran into the street screaming about how floodwaters were coming back. He sat by a window watching for the moment water would return to wash him away, Carlos Robles said. He told CNN there was no question his father committed suicide because of the stress of Hurricane Maria and its aftermath. Yes, he had been diagnosed with cancer, the son said, but that was beside the point. Puerto Rico did not add his death to the official tally. In the case of Pilar Guzmán Rios, whose family told CNN she died because a breathing machine she required couldn't run without power, and because the insulin that treated her diabetes could not be properly refrigerated, the case was never reviewed by the forensics office "because the doctor certified the deceased on the death certificate as natural," the department said. The doctor, Francisco Berio, however, told CNN he made that determination without having seen Guzmán's body, and partly because he wanted her family to be able to bury her more quickly and forensic review would slow that process and prolong grief. Investigators "tried to interview the son of the deceased, but the attempts were unsuccessful to the point where the relative did not respond to calls," an emailed statement said. About 15% of cellular sites remain nonfunctional because of the hurricane. It's often difficult to receive calls from the mountainous interior of the island, where Guzmán's family lives. "The death cannot be attributed to the hurricane," the Department of Public Safety said. Finally, José A. Molina's son, Luis Alberto Molina, told CNN in November that his father died of a heart attack because of the stress of running a funeral home after Hurricane Maria. The department said it "investigated the case and requested his medical file." "The gentleman had health conditions such as high blood pressure and cardiovascular disorders. On October 8, 2017, he arrived at the hospital due to a chest pain that he was suffering two days before receiving medical attention. Neither the patient nor the relatives in the interview conducted by the doctors in the hospital attribute his situation to Hurricane Maria. Molina died on October 11, 2017. The death cannot be attributed to the hurricane." Any death that resulted from the storm or the conditions it created should be counted as part of the official toll, according to Puerto Rican officials. Heart attacks and suicides are included on the official list of deaths that Puerto Rico is attributing to Hurricane Maria. The information matters not only for the accuracy of the count, and the public's understanding of the magnitude of the disaster, but also to families of the deceased. They may be eligible for money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to cover some funeral expenses. "Every life is more than a number, and every death must have a name and vital information attached to it, as well as an accurate accounting of the facts related to their passing. That's the law," the governor said in Monday's announcement. Davis, the University of Kentucky professor and medical doctor, said it's worth the effort to examine cases individually. And it's possible with proper funding. "It's never too late to try," he said. ||||| Update | Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló has a message for Washington. Prior to the Republican tax bill passage, the governor told Politico that the legislation would falter Puerto Rico’s already ailing economy as residents are still dealing with a crippling infrastructure and lack of power and water three months after Hurricane Maria. As a result, he’s intent on mobilizing 5.3 million Puerto Ricans living in mainland U.S. to change the political landscape during the midterm elections next year. Kevin Dietsch-Pool/Getty Images Rosselló also pointed out that Washington’s policy decision-making “go[es] in the opposite direction of where they should go,” especially after the damaging effects of Hurricane Maria. “We are a significant voting bloc in the United States that perhaps hasn’t been organized very well in the past,” he told Politico. “The diaspora, the Puerto Rican exodus has always wanted to help Puerto Rico, it hasn’t been crystal clear how they can do it. If we can establish that organization we have plenty of influence.” The new plan—which President Donald Trump touted as the largest tax cut in the history of our country—struck down tax and manufacturing rules that allowed Puerto Rico to have both foreign and domestic status, Politico reported. The island became a tax haven for drug and medical device creators who could incorporate in the territory as foreign subsidiaries but tag their products as if they were made within the continental U.S. Under the new legislation, business in Puerto Rico will be treated the same as those operating outside of the United States, meaning that they will see their taxes increase at 12.5 percent on intellectual property. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque The Democratic governor said Puerto Ricans should be able to sway congressional district votes in swing states like Florida, Ohio, North Carolina and Pennsylvania, as well as Virginia, South Carolina and Texas. His plan hopes to highlight the island’s legal status, which he considers a “big elephant in the room.” Rosselló and Trump seemed to have a warmer relationship weeks after Hurricane Maria. In October, he said in a meeting with the president at the White House that the U.S. “had answered all of our petitions.” When asked by Trump he did a good job, the governor replied, “You responded immediately,” but added that his island needed more resources. He also asked at the time that Puerto Rico should be treated equally. During a visit to Puerto Rico in October, Trump applauded Rosselló for not playing politics with the tempest. “He was saying it like it was and he gets the highest grades. And on behalf of the country, I want to thank you.” Correction: The headline of this story was changed to reflect that Governor Rosselló did not launch a personal attack on President Trump.
– Three months after Hurricane Maria decimated Puerto Rico, more than a third of the island is still without power. Now officials—citing a "logistical nightmare"—say the territory's electricity won't be fully restored until May, BuzzFeed reports. That's five months after Gov. Ricardo Rosselló original goal to have power restored to 95% of Puerto Rico. "It will take significant time to restore power to the majority of people due to the challenges of terrain, the state of the grid system before the storms, and the extensive damage caused by the hurricanes," a US Army Corps of Engineers spokesperson says. The Army Corps of Engineers is dealing with damaged roads, a lack of power poles, and more. Meanwhile, CNN reports Rosselló is calling for a re-examination of every death in Puerto Rico since Hurricane Maria—regardless of if the hurricane was listed as the official cause of death—in order to get a more accurate death toll. It's a tall order as it's possible most of the bodies have already been buried or cremated. Rosselló is also calling on the 5.3 million Puerto Ricans living on the mainland to come out in force in 2018 following the passage of the Republican tax bill, which he says will hurt Puerto Rico, Newsweek reports. “We are a significant voting bloc in the United States that perhaps hasn’t been organized very well in the past,” Rosselló says. He's targeting districts in Florida, Ohio, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, among others. The House passed an $81 billion emergency aid package for Puerto Rico—as well as California, Texas, and Florida—on Thursday, Politico reports. But the package will have a harder time in the Senate, and it's unclear if aid will be delivered before the end of the year.
DENVER – A missing elderly man who authorities discovered dead in an elevator at a Denver apartment complex last month may have reached out for help by pressing the elevator’s emergency button. Isaak Komisarchik, 82, had early-onset dementia and was last seen July 5. He was reported missing, and Denver Police made a concerted effort with Komisarchik’s family to locate him. Despite their efforts, Komisarchik’s body was located in an elevator car at the Woodstream Village apartments, 10050 East Harvard Avenue, on July 31. Tenants at the apartment complex complained of an awful smell coming from the parking garage elevator, leading to the discovery of the body. Denver Police continue an active investigation into the man’s death, and Denver Fire officials are now revealing new details about the events leading up to Komisarchik’s death. First reported by the Denver Post, Denver Fire officials say they’ve learned Komisarchik pressed an emergency button in the elevator twice on July 6 before he died. “Something is not right, and police are going to make a determination on what that is,” Capt. Greg Pixley, of Denver Fire, said. Pixley said the activation of the elevator’s emergency button was recorded electronically twice, although officials never received the call. Pixley said Denver Fire was never notified that the elevator was taken out of service and it met the appropriate fire code standards for 2016 and had the appropriate permits for operation in 2017. Tenants say the elevator wasn't working and that few people parked in the garage during summer months. If that's the case, it raises questions about why an elevator company wasn't called. Pixley said MEI Total Elevator Solutions monitors the elevator for Woodstream Village. The company issued the following response. "We are saddened by the tragic loss of life and extend our deepest condolences to Mr. Komisarchik's family and friends. The elevator cab where he was found is located in a parking garage that is under renovation construction and not currently in active use. We are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident with the local authorities," a Greystar Management Services representative said Thursday. Denver Police said MEI Total Elevator Solutions received the distress call from the elevator and notified Woodstream's management. However, police say apartment workers failed to check the parking garage elevator after checking two other elevators in the building. Police in Denver are now working to learn why Komisarchik wasn’t able to escape the elevator and why authorities weren't notified of the emergency call. Read past reporting here. ||||| An elderly man who died in a parking garage elevator pushed the emergency button twice during an 8-minute span on July 6, but got no response despite Denver code requiring elevator operators to monitor emergency notifications around the clock. Unable to escape the elevator car — possibly because of dementia — 82-year-old Isaak Komisarchik died some time between the morning of July 6 and Aug. 2, when elevator repair workers finally discovered the body after multiple residents of the apartment complex reported a terrible stench. When a Denver firefighter responded she watched an elevator maintenance worker push the button. The elevator doors opened. Elevator maintenance workers had just found Komisarchik’s body inside the car, Denver Fire Department spokesman Capt. Greg Pixley said. A criminal investigation confirmed the number of times the emergency button was pushed, Pixley said. Now detectives are trying to determine why no one responded. “Something is not right,” Pixley said. Komisarchik died in an elevator that served a parking garage at the Woodstream Village apartments, 10050 E. Harvard Ave., that had been closed for renovation. On Aug. 8, Pixley said MEI Total Elevator Solutions monitors the elevator for Woodstream. He later said that he may have misspoken. MEI is not Woodstream’s elevator’s monitor, he said on Aug. 16. On Aug. 15, Mike Klehr, MEI Vice President of Field Operations, sent an email to the newspaper saying that although the company provides maintenance for the elevators for Woodstream, the company does not provide the elevator emergency monitoring service. “On behalf of MEI – Total Elevator Solutions, we offer our deepest condolences to Mr. Komisarchik’s family. MEI has fully cooperated with local authorities in their investigation of this matter,” Klehr wrote in the message. “We are saddened by the tragic loss of life and extend our deepest condolences to Mr. Komisarchik’s family and friends,” Greystar Management Services, which manages Woodstream, said in a statement released by spokeswoman Lindsay Andrews. She wrote that the elevator was not in use due to the renovation and said Greystar is “continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident with the local authorities.” She declined to comment about why no one responded to the emergency calls. Denver Medical Examiner’s spokesman Steven Castro said the cause of Komisarchik’s death has not yet been determined. Pixley said it can be difficult to determine a cause of death when a body is badly decomposed. Numerous Woodstream residents complained to managers of a strong odor emanating from the garage area but nothing had been done. Andrews declined to comment about the complaints. The fact that Komisarchik pushed the emergency button twice adds a new perplexing dimension to the incident. It appears Komisarchik did what he needed to do to get help and yet the closely regulated system for rescuing people trapped in elevators failed. “The elevator wasn’t inoperable,” said John White, spokesman for Denver police, contradicting numerous reports that elevator was not working. “How he got in there and when he got in there is obviously what we’re trying to figure out.” Misconceptions about the discovery of Komisarchik’s body make it impossible to fully grasp just how bizarre the incident was, according to officials and residents of the apartment complex. Some officials initially reported that Komisarchik’s body was found in the elevator shaft, Pixley said. Komisarchik was last seen wearing pajamas at 2:30 p.m. on July 5 at a nearby nursing facility on the 9900 block of East Yale Avenue. His disappearance sparked a large dragnet in which missing persons posters were distributed and Denver firefighters searched five ponds near Woodstream in an attempt to find him. According to city codes adopted in 1981, the interior of all elevator cars must have signaling devices including an emergency switch labeled “alarm” adjacent to the car’s operating panel and a phone or intercom labeled “help” allowing two-way communication with security. In some cases the alarms are connected to the Denver Fire Department or an elevator monitoring company, which is responsible for investigating an emergency call. When the two-way communication phone or intercom is not connected to on-site security, a call must automatically be forwarded within 30 seconds to the elevator-monitoring company. Elevators are regularly inspected by the fire department. The garage elevator at Woodstream Village was last inspected in December and found to be in good working order, Pixley said. The fire department did not receive any emergency calls from that particular elevator car during the period of time Komisarchik was in it. When police checked, two elevator calls from the same elevator car where Komisarchik was found were electronically logged at 9:09 a.m. and 9:17 a.m. on July 6, the morning after he disappeared. Nearly a month later, a Denver fire lieutenant was inspecting an apartment complex adjacent to Woodstream that is also managed by Greystar when the maintenance manager received a call from elevator repair staff saying they thought there was a body in the elevator. The fire lieutenant followed the manager to the nearby parking garage, Pixley said, but when she reached the garage, she smelled an odor so intense that she knew it was a body. Updated Aug. 16, 2017 at 7:30 a.m. The following corrected information has been added to this article: Mike Klehr, MEI Vice President of Field Operations, said the company maintains the elevators at the apartment complex, but does not provide the emergency monitoring service.
– Investigators aren't sure exactly when 82-year-old Isaak Komisarchik died—but they know he died alone, trapped in an elevator, after calling for help and getting no response. The Denver man, who had dementia, was found dead in an elevator at an apartment complex on Aug. 2 after residents reported a terrible smell, the Denver Post reports. He had been reported missing almost a month earlier. Investigators found that Komisarchik pressed the emergency button in the elevator twice within 8 minutes on the morning of July 6 but received no response despite the city's requirement for emergency notifications to be closely monitored. The elevator led to a parking garage that was closed for renovations. "Something is not right, and police are going to make a determination on what that is," says Capt. Greg Pixley of Denver Fire, per the Denver Channel. Police say the elevator company notified the apartment complex's management after receiving the distress call, but workers failed to check the parking garage elevator after checking two other elevators in the complex. Komisarchik had last been seen wearing pajamas at a nearby nursing facility on the afternoon of July 5, and police searched a wide area, including several ponds, after his disappearance. "How he got in there and when he got in there is obviously what we're trying to figure out," police spokesman John White says.
(Photo: ABC10/KXTV) Leilani Thomas has been sitting out the Pledge of Allegiance since way before she knew who Colin Kaepernick was. The Native American high school student has been protesting silently since she was in second grade. “My mom and my dad brought up what it meant to us and our people,” Leilani said. “So I just started sitting down.” But for the first time a teacher at Lower Lake High School took issue with it and docked her participation grade for not standing. “She told me I was being disrespectful and I was pretty mad,” Leilani said. “She was being disrespectful to me also, saying I was making bad choices, and I don’t have the choice to sit during the pledge.” Konocti School District Superintendent Donna Becnel is standing by Leilani and the other student who chose to sit. When asked why, Becnel said because of the first amendment. “They have the same rights when they walk into the schoolhouse than anybody else does,” Becnel said. The superintendent said its district policy to respect the students’ free speech. The school switched Leilani and her friend to another teacher after learning about the incident. Leilani says she will continue to sit and is getting support from many of her classmates. “I’m understanding it more that it means a lot and to a lot of my people also,” she said. Copyright 2016 KXTV ||||| LOWER LAKE (KPIX 5) — A Lake County teacher is facing consequences for lowering participation grades of two students who opted out of reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in school. While the teen students had their grades suffer because of their stance, now the school district superintendent is standing behind the young women. Leilani Thomas won’t say the Pledge of Allegiance to the Lower Lake High School American flag, or any other American flag. She is a Native American and argues the Stars and Stripes aren’t hers. “It’s the reason, because of the history that happened here. On my land. My people’s land,” said Thomas. “I go by that and I don’t agree with it. So I’m not going to stand for the people who did this to my people.” • ALSO READ: High School Athletes Follow Kaepernick’s Lead, Protest National Anthem Since the first day of school, Thomas and her friend chose to exercise their rights as Americans not to recite the Pledge of Allegiance in their first period class. Their teacher took exception to it. When the girls got their grades Friday, their participation scores were docked from a five to a three because they refused to stand. Thomas recorded her teacher’s explanation in class. “Here’s the deal. If you really, really have an argument and feel so strongly about, then I need to see it written out — your argument — in an essay form,” the teacher is heard saying. “Like, why? Why, because here’s the thing; those people, they’re not alive anymore. Your ancestors.” Thomas and her father took that recording to school administrators. The girls have since been moved to another teacher. In the meantime, Thomas and her friend hope their stance serves as a real life lesson on free speech. “She says that it represents the military and that they risked their lives for us,” said Thomas. “And I always tell her, ‘Well, my people risked our lives for our land, for our freedom. For our rights.” The Lake County school district superintendent declined to speak on camera, but told KPIX 5 she is aware of the issue. In a statement, she said, “Students don’t lose their First Amendment rights when they walk in the door. We are dealing with the teacher on this.” At this point, it is too early to tell what the repercussions might be for the teacher and, because it is a personnel matter, the consequences may not be made public. Thomas, her family and her entire village will be attending the next school board meeting next month to make sure that something does happen. ||||| A Native American high school student in California says a teacher lowered her and a friend's participation grades after they refused to stand up for the Pledge of Allegiance. Leilani Thomas has been choosing not to stand during the Pledge of Allegiance since the second grade -- way before San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick started doing the same during performances of the national anthem at games, ABC affiliate KXTV in Sacramento reported. Thomas explained that she is Native American and that she has been sitting out the Pledge of Allegiance as a peaceful protest to the way Native Americans have been historically treated in the U.S. "My dad and my mom brought up what [the pledge] meant to us and our people and what happened -- you know, the history," she said. “So I just started sitting down.” Thomas added that she had never had a problem until recently, when her advisory period teacher at Lower Lake High School in Lower Lake, California, lowered her and a classmate's participation grades. KXTV The teacher "told me I was being disrespectful," Thomas told KXTV. "I was pretty mad because she was being disrespectful to me also, saying I was making bad choices and I don’t have the choice to sit down during the pledge." This past week, the issue came to the attention of Konocti Unified School District Superintendent Donna Becnel, who confirmed the incident took place. "One of the students let a principal know what happened and the principal then informed me," Becnel told ABC News today. "We've since transferred the two students to another [advisory period] class." The superintendent said she stands behind the students and their right to free speech. "Students here have First Amendment rights, and they do not lose that when they come to school," Becnel explained. "If any students have any concerns about their right to free speech, they can speak with a site administrator. We also have policies in place to protect their right." And while Becnel said she took the "unfortunate incident" seriously, she also hoped it "does not overshadow the great work that the rest of the district's staff and teachers have been doing." Becnel added that the teacher who lowered the students' participation grades had only started working for the district this school year and that the district has never had any First Amendment issues in the past. Bencel said she could not divulge what consequences, if any, the teacher could face, explaining that personnel matters were confidential. ABC News was not immediately successful in reaching Thomas or her parents for additional comment today.
– Since the start of the school year, Leilani Thomas and a friend have chosen not to stand during the Pledge of Allegiance at California's Lower Lake High School and seemingly faced no repercussions. Then came last Friday. Leilani—who is Native American and says the American flag represents the horrific suffering of her ancestors—says her teacher knocked the students' participation scores from a 5 to a 3 for their decision. "Those people, they're not alive anymore. Your ancestors," the teacher can be heard telling Leilani in a recording the teen made, per KPIX. "She says that [the flag] represents the military and that they risked their lives for us," adds Leilani, who says she's been sitting for the pledge since 2nd grade. "And I always tell her, 'Well, my people risked our lives for our land, for our freedom. For our rights.'" The teacher—whom ABC News notes only began teaching in the Lake County school district this school year—"told me I was being disrespectful," Leilani tells KXTV. Leilani says she, too, felt disrespected, having been told "I was making bad choices and I don't have the choice to sit down during the pledge." Leilani complained to a principal and she and her friend have since been moved to another class. "We are dealing with the teacher on this," says the school district superintendent, noting "students don't lose their First Amendment rights when they walk in the door." (A US soccer star is the latest of many sports figures to refuse to stand during the national anthem.)
1/20 Nasa releases stunning images of Jupiter's great red spot The storm bigger than the Earth, has been swhirling for 350 years. The image's colours have been enhanced after it was sent back to Earth. Pictures by: Tom Momary 2/20 A 3D reconstruction of an African grey parrot post euthanasia Included in Wellcome Image Awards, this 3D image of an African grey parrot shows the highly intricate system of blood vessels. Scott Birch. Wellcome Images 3/20 Baby Hawaiian bobtail squid Another Wellcome Images Award winner, this time of baby Hawaiian bobtail squid. The black ink sac and light organ in the centre of the squid’s mantle cavity can be clearly seen. Macroscopic Solutions. Wellcome Images 4/20 Skeletons of 5,000-year-old Chinese ‘giants’ discovered by archaeologists The people are thought to have been unusually tall and strong. The tallest of the skeletons uncovered measured at 1.9m YouTube 5/20 Nasa discovers 75,000 mile-wide hole in the Sun Sunspots are caused by interactions with the Sun’s magnetic field and are cooler areas on the star’s surface. Nasa 6/20 View(active tab) Apple News Breaking news email Edit Revisions Workflow Clear Cache NewsScience 132 million-year-old dinosaur fossil found at factory in Surrey Paleontologists Sarah Moore and Jamie Jordan believe they have discovered a Iguanodon dinosaur, a herbivore that was around three metres tall and 10 metres long Cambridge Photographers/Wienerberger 7/20 Discovering life on Mars is less likely as researchers find toxic chemicals on its surface The Echus Chasma, one of the largest water source regions on Mars Getty Images 8/20 The Grand Prismatic Spring, the largest in the United States and third largest in the world, is seen in Yellowstone National Park. The park is famous for its geothermal activity – which includes its spectacular, flowing springs as well as the famous "Old Faithful" geyser that sprays water out every hour or so. REUTERS/Jim Urquhart 9/20 An iris clip fitted onto the eye This images is apart of the Wellcome Images Awards and shows how an artificial intraocular lens is fitted onto the eye. Used for conditions such as myopia and cataracts. Cambridge University Hospitals NHS FT. Wellcome Images 10/20 The Syrian civil war has caused the first ever withdrawal from the 'doomsday bank' Researchers in the Middle East have asked for seeds including those of wheat, barley and grasses, all of which are chosen because especially resistant to dry conditions. It is the first withdrawal from the bank, which was built in 2008. Those researchers would normally request the seeds from a bank in Aleppo. But that centre has been damaged by the war — while some of its functions continue, and its cold storage still works, it has been unable to provide the seeds that are needed by the rest of the Middle East, as it once did. 11/20 Scientists find exactly what human corpses smell like New research has become the first to isolate the particular scent of human death, describing the various chemicals that are emitted by corpses in an attempt to help find them in the future. The researchers hope that the findings are the first step towards working on a synthetic smell that could train cadaver dogs to be able to more accurately find human bodies, or to eventually developing electronic devices that can look for the scent themselves. 12/20 Black hole captured eating a star then vomiting it back out Astronomers have captured a black hole eating a star and then sicking a bit of it back up for the first time ever. The scientists tracked a star about as big as our sun as it was pulled from its normal path and into that of a supermassive black hole before being eaten up. They then saw a high-speed flare get thrust out, escaping from the rim of the black hole. Scientists have seen black holes killing and swallowing stars. And the jets have been seen before.But a new study shows the first time that they have captured the hot flare that comes out just afterwards. And the flare and then swallowed star have not been linked together before 13/20 Dog-sized horned dinosaur fossil found shows east-west evolutionary divide in North America A British scientist has uncovered the fossil of a dog-sized horned dinosaur that roamed eastern North America up to 100 million years ago. The fragment of jaw bone provides evidence of an east-west divide in the evolution of dinosaurs on the North American continent. During the Late Cretaceous period, 66 to 100 million years ago, the land mass was split into two continents by a shallow sea. This sea, the Western Interior Seaway, ran from the Gulf of Mexico to the Arctic Ocean. Dinosaurs living in the western continent, called Laramidia, were similar to those found in Asia 14/20 'Male and female brains' aren't real Brains cannot be categorised into female and male, according to the first study to look at sex differences in the whole brain. Specific parts of the brain do show sex differences, but individual brains rarely have all “male” traits or all “female” traits. Some characteristics are more common in women, while some are more common in men, and some are common in both men and women, according to the study 15/20 Life on Earth appeared hundreds of millions of years earlier than previously thought Life may have come to earth 4.1 billion years ago, hundreds of millions of years earlier than we knew. The discovery, made using graphite that was trapped in ancient crystals, could mean that life began "almost instantaneously" after the Earth was formed. The researchers behind it have described the discovery as “a potentially transformational scientific advance”. Previously, life on Earth was understood to have begun when the inner solar system was hit by a massive bombardment from space, which also formed the moon's craters 16/20 Nasa confirms Mars water discovery Nasa has announced that it has found evidence of flowing water on Mars. Scientists have long speculated that Recurring Slope Lineae — or dark patches — on Mars were made up of briny water but the new findings prove that those patches are caused by liquid water, which it has established by finding hydrated salts. 17/20 Earth could be at risk of meteor impacts Earth could be in danger as our galaxy throws out comets that could hurtle towards us and wipe us out, scientists have warned. Scientists have previously presumed that we are in a relatively safe period for meteor impacts, which are linked with the journey of our sun and its planets, including Earth, through the Milky Way. But some orbits might be more upset than we know, and there is evidence of recent activity, which could mean that we are passing through another meteor shower. Showers of meteors periodically pass through the area where the Earth is, as gravitational disturbances upset the Oort Cloud, which is a shell of icy objects on the edge of the solar system. They happen on a 26-million year cycle, scientists have said, which coincide with mass extinctions over the last 260-million years 18/20 Genetically-engineered, extra-muscular dogs Chinese scientists have created genetically-engineered, extra-muscular dogs, after editing the genes of the animals for the first time. The scientists create beagles that have double the amount of muscle mass by deleting a certain gene, reports the MIT Technology Review. The mutant dogs have “more muscles and are expected to have stronger running ability, which is good for hunting, police (military) applications”, Liangxue Lai, one of the researchers on the project. Now the team hope to go on to create other modified dogs, including those that are engineered to have human diseases like muscular dystrophy or Parkinson’s. Since dogs’ anatomy is similar to those of humans’, intentionally creating dogs with certain human genetic traits could allow scientists to further understand how they occur 19/20 Researchers discover 'lost world' of arctic dinosaurs Scientists say that the new dinosaur, known as Ugrunaaluk kuukpikensis, “challenges everything we thought about a dinosaur’s physiology”. Florida State University professor of biological science Greg Erickson said: “It creates this natural question. How did they survive up here?” ||||| The seed for this crawl was a list of every host in the Wayback Machine This crawl was run at a level 1 (URLs including their embeds, plus the URLs of all outbound links including their embeds) The WARC files associated with this crawl are not currently available to the general public. ||||| Image copyright JOEL SAGET/AFP/GettyImages Image caption The new grass is a little easier on cows' tummies Scientists in Denmark are developing a new type of grass that's designed to reduce methane emissions from belching cows. Researchers at Aarhus University have used DNA technology to make the grass easier to digest, meaning less gas builds up in the bovines' stomachs, the Berlingske website reports. "It is simply a better diet for the cow, which can utilise the feed more efficiently and therefore doesn't release as much methane when it burps," says senior researcher Torben Asp from the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics. Methane doesn't last as long in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, but in the long term it has a far greater impact on climate change, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. The project has been given 13.5m kroner ($2m; £1.6m) in funding by Denmark's environment and food ministry, which is enthusiastic about the potential. "We know that cattle are one of agriculture's culprits when it comes to releasing greenhouse gases, so it's important that we explore how we can reduce cows' emissions," says Minister Esben Lunde Larsen. He says easier digestion will also lead the cows to produce more milk. According to the DR public broadcaster, the "super grass" will be available in seven or eight years. As for gas emissions from the beasts' opposite ends, Mr Asp clears up some confusion. He says that while it's a common misconception that cow farts are the problem, it's definitely the burps. 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– The grass is about to get greener thanks to DNA technology out of Denmark. Researchers say they've genetically modified a "super grass" that is easier on cow's stomachs, thereby helping them digest the grass more easily and thus belch out less methane gas, reports the BBC. (No, farting isn't the problem, as some mistakenly believe.) "It is simply a better diet for the cow, which can utilize the feed more efficiently and therefore doesn't release as much methane when it burps," says Torben Asp of Aarhus University's Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics. What's more, by being easier to digest, the grass is likely to help improve milk production, too. Denmark's’ environment minister Esben Lunde Larsen tells Berlingske that it's "a good example of future sustainable food production, in which there is a contradiction between growth and climate, but production goes hand in hand with nature." The US Food and Agriculture Organization predicts that agricultural methane emissions could jump 60% by the year 2030, much of it attributable to the world's 1.5 billion cows, reports the Independent. Denmark's genetically-modified grass is expected to be ready for mass production by 2024. (Check out what's behind this methane hot spot in the US.)
Waves breaking over sandy beaches are captured in countless tourist photos. But enormous waves breaking deep in the ocean are seldom seen, although they play a crucial role in long-term climate cycles. A University of Washington study for the first time recorded such a wave breaking in a key bottleneck for circulation in the world's largest ocean. The study was published online this month in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. The deep ocean is thought of as dark, cold and still. While this is mostly true, huge waves form between layers of water of different density. These skyscraper-tall waves transport heat, energy, carbon and nutrients around the globe. Where and how they break is important for the planet's climate. "Climate models are really sensitive not only to how much turbulence there is in the deep ocean, but to where it is," said lead author Matthew Alford, an oceanographer in the UW Applied Physics Laboratory. He led the expedition to the Samoan Passage, a narrow channel in the South Pacific Ocean that funnels water flowing from Antarctica. "The primary importance of understanding deep-ocean turbulence is to get the climate models right on long timescales," Alford said. Dense water in Antarctica sinks to the deep Pacific, where it eventually surges through a 25-mile gap in the submarine landscape northeast of Samoa. "Basically the entire South Pacific flow is blocked by this huge submarine ridge," Alford said. "The amount of water that's trying to get northward through this gap is just tremendous -- 6 million cubic meters of water per second, or about 35 Amazon Rivers." In the 1990s a major expedition measured these currents through the Samoan Passage. The scientists inferred that a lot of mixing must also happen there, but couldn't measure it. In the summer of 2012 the UW team embarked on a seven-week cruise to track the 800-foot-high waves that form atop the flow, 3 miles below the ocean's surface. Their measurements show these giant waves do break, producing mixing 1,000 to 10,000 times that of the surrounding slow-moving water. "Oceanographers used to talk about the so-called 'dark mixing' problem, where they knew that there should be a certain amount of turbulence in the deep ocean, and yet every time they made a measurement they observed a tenth of that," Alford said. "We found there's loads and loads of turbulence in the Samoan Passage, and detailed measurements show it's due to breaking waves." It turns out layers of water flowing over two consecutive ridges form a lee wave, like those in air that passes over mountains. These waves become unstable and turbulent, and break. Thus the deepest water, the densest in the world, mixes with upper layers and disappears. This mixing helps explain why dense, cold water doesn't permanently pool at the bottom of the ocean and instead rises as part of a global conveyor-belt circulation pattern. The Samoan Passage is important because it mixes so much water, but similar processes happen in other places, Alford said. Better knowledge of deep-ocean mixing could help simulate global currents and place instruments to track any changes. On a lighter note: Could an intrepid surfer ride these killer deep-sea waves? "It would be really boring," admitted Alford, who is a surfer. "The waves can take an hour to break, and I think most surfers are not going to wait that long for one wave." In fact, even making the measurements was painstaking work. Instruments took 1.5 hours to lower to the seafloor, and the ship traveled at only a half knot, slower than a person walking, during the 30-hour casts. New technology let the scientists measure turbulence directly and make measurements from instruments lowered more than 3 miles off the side of the ship. The researchers left instruments recording long-term measurements. The team will do another 40-day cruise in January to collect those instruments and map currents flowing through various gaps in the intricate channel. Co-authors of the paper are James Girton, Gunnar Voet and John Mickett at the UW Applied Physics Lab; Glenn Carter at the University of Hawaii; and Jody Klymak at the University of Victoria. The research was funded by the National Science Foundation. ||||| For the first time, scientist have recorded an enormous wave the size of a skyscraper breaking at a key location at the bottom of the South Pacific Ocean. (Photo : Tom Peacock, MIT | Wide Eye Productions) For the first time, scientists have recorded an enormous wave the size of a skyscraper breaking at a key location at the bottom of the South Pacific Ocean. Researchers from the University of Washington recorded the 800 foot wave breaking at a key bottleneck for ocean circulation where water of different density collides. Such massive underwater waves play a crucial role in long-term climate cycles, transporting heat, carbon, and nutrients around the world. Where and how these waves break is important to global climate as well as ocean circulation, the researchers said. Share This Story "Climate models are really sensitive not only to how much turbulence there is in the deep ocean, but to where it is," said lead author Matthew Alford, an oceanographer in the UW Applied Physics Laboratory. "The primary importance of understanding deep-ocean turbulence is to get the climate models right on long timescales." Alford led an expedition to the Samoan Passage, a narrow channel in the South Pacific Ocean that funnels water flowing from Antarctica. There, dense water around Antarctica sinks deep into the Pacific, eventually surging through a 25-mile gap in the submarine landscape northeast of Samoa. "Basically the entire South Pacific flow is blocked by this huge submarine ridge," Alford said. "The amount of water that's trying to get northward through this gap is just tremendous -- 6 million cubic meters of water per second, or about 35 Amazon Rivers." The surging water that flows through the gap forms giant submarine waves. Using instruments from their research vessel, Alford and his team observed waves breaking about three miles beneath the ocean's surface. The team's measurements show that when these giant waves break they produce an mixing effect that's 1,000 to 10,000 times greater than what occurs in surrounding slow-moving waters. "Oceanographers used to talk about the so-called 'dark mixing' problem, where they knew that there should be a certain amount of turbulence in the deep ocean, and yet every time they made a measurement they observed a tenth of that," Alford said. "We found there's loads and loads of turbulence in the Samoan Passage, and detailed measurements show it's due to breaking waves." Alford said that the Samoan Passage is important because it mixes so much water, but that deep-sea mixing occurs in waters around the globe, adding that the mixing effect explains why cold water does not permanently pool at the bottom of the ocean. With a better understanding deep-ocean mixing, Alford said it could help create better simulations of global ocean currents and identify key positions to place instruments to monitor changes. Alford and his colleagues' research is published online journal Geophysical Research Letters.
– Amazing, terrifying, or some combination of both? Scientists have recorded an 800-foot wave breaking at the bottom of the ocean for the first time, Nature World News reports. That's the size of a skyscraper, and these waves can take as long as an hour to break. University of Washington researchers went to the Samoan Passage, a narrow South Pacific Ocean channel that Nature World News and Science Daily refer to as a "bottleneck." That's where dense Antarctic waters funnel through and collide with water of a different density; the surge forms the huge underwater waves. "Basically the entire South Pacific flow is blocked by this huge submarine ridge," says the lead researcher. "The amount of water that's trying to get northward through this gap is just tremendous—6 million cubic meters of water per second, or about 35 Amazon Rivers." The team detected a wave breaking some three miles underneath the surface, producing a huge amount of turbulence and as much as 10,000 times more water mixing than is seen in adjacent waters. This is an important factor in ocean circulation; these waves shuttle heat, energy, carbon, and nutrients about the globe. (Click for another wild undersea discovery.)
Shannon Tavarez, the 11-year-old who played Young Nala in Broadway's "Lion King," has died, it was reported Monday. The little girl with the big voice fought a six-month battle against leukemia, but lost after getting a cord-blood transplant in August that doctors hoped would save her life, according to BroadwayWorld.com. "It's a great feeling, performing for people and being Young Nala, because she's tough and I feel like that's who I am through this whole experience," Shannon told ABC News last summer. "She's just a great kid," said Joel Karie, a Broadway cast member, at the time of her diagnosis. Play More than 8,000 people from around the country, including the rapper 50 Cent, volunteered to be bone marrow donors in her name, but no match ever was found. The fact that Shannon, who had no siblings, was part African-American and part Hispanic made it harder to find a bone marrow transplant. Of the 7 million Americans listed as potential donors, only 12 percent are minorities, according to DKMS Americas. The star also underwent chemotherapy last summer. Shannon was 5 years old when her mother realized she could sing. Play "She sang an Alicia Keys song, 'I Keep on Falling,' and when she sang it, it was just unbelievable!" said her mother, Odiney Brown, a contract analyst for the city of New York. By 11, the talented girl competed against thousands of other star-struck young girls to win the part of Young Nala, Simba's feisty feline girlfriend, in the Broadway production of "The Lion King." The little girl who loved Silly Bandz and "Twilight," was living her dream. But then the circle of life took a terrible turn. In April, when she was performing on stage, she knew something wasn't right. "It was hard to walk," Shannon told ABC News' "Good Morning America." "I was fatigued and tired a lot." She was diagosed with acute myeloid leukemia and immediately began chemotherapy, finishing fifth grade in Queens, N.Y., but missing her graduation and the big school dance. "That day, we never left," said her mother. "We were in the hospital for almost two months." Hoping to fight the disease with a bone marrow transplant, her cast mates came together to hold a drive at the Minskoff Theater in Times Square, but none ever was found. African-Americans and Hispanics are underrepresented in the registry of potential bone marrow donors. According to the National Bone Marrow Program, only 7 percent, or about 550,000, are African-American. Only 3 percent are Hispanic and 2 percent Asian. "We know minorities are underrepresented and have more varied DNA," said Katarina Harf, DKMS executive vice president. "It's like finding a needle in a haystack, looking for your genetic twin." Tavarez got the role of Simba's girlfriend in the popular musical after her first-ever open audition at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. She never had appeared in a professional production, only in school recitals and plays. Her mother said her daughter was "the feisty, fierce lion. She really fears nothing." Shannon attended Harlem School of the Arts for vocals and piano from the age of 3, and her coach saw the notification for try-outs. "I asked my mother if I could do it and she said, 'Sure, it will be fun,' said Shannon. "I didn't think that day that I would get it. There were thousands of kids." Leukemia Masked as Cold, Virus She made her debut in September 2009, playing four of the eight performances a week, alternating with another girl as understudy. She continued to attend public school. "I loved meeting all the great people and having so much support from everyone and being on stage in costumes and running around with other kids," she said. Shannon's contract was extended for six months and was supposed to be up in September of this year, but in April, she began to have unusual symptoms. At first, Brown thought that Shannon's sniffles and coughing were a cold or a virus. Her pediatrician said she would be fine. "But I started noticing she was very tired and fatigued and it wasn't normal," said Brown, 38. "She'd never been like that before. She looked peaked and that wasn't normal for her." Shannon had trouble getting out of bed to go to school and later told her mother that keeping up with the "Lion King" was tough, too. "She confessed to me that her legs and lower back were hurting while she was onstage and had to run up the stairs on the show," said Brown. "Then someone on the show said, 'Shannon needs rest. She seems tired.'" Blood tests revealed that Shannon had acute myelogenous (AML) leukemia, a cancer of the bone marrow and blood. "The day we found out, we immediately admitted our lives had just changed completely," said Brown. Leukemia is a rapidly-progressing disease that results in the accumulation of immature, functionless cells in the marrow and blood, according to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. In many cases, the bone marrow stops producing enough normal red cells, white cells and platelets. Anemia, a deficiency of red cells, develops in virtually all persons with leukemia. Some 245,225 Americans are living with leukemia and an estimated 44,790 new cases are diagnosed in adults each year. Another 3,509 children up to the age of 14 get the disease each year. ||||| Shannon Tavarez, who won a featured role on Broadway in “The Lion King” at an open audition for child actors, and who spent seven months performing in the show before receiving a diagnosis of leukemia in April, died on Monday. She was 11. Her death was reported in a statement from Steven and Alexandra Cohen Children’s Medical Center of New York, in New Hyde Park, where she died. Shannon was in the sixth grade at P.S. 176 in Queens. Her disease, acute myelogenous leukemia, is a rapidly advancing cancer, common among adults but rare in children, that develops in the bone marrow and inhibits the production of healthy blood cells. Her plight gained attention earlier this year when she was unable to find a suitable bone marrow donor and several entertainers, including Alicia Keys, Rihanna and 50 Cent, appealed to their fans to register as potential donors. Photo In August she had an umbilical-cord blood transplant, a procedure in which stem cells harvested from a donated umbilical cord are injected into the patient to encourage the formation of a new, healthy blood system. Advertisement Continue reading the main story “It has a good survival rate and it’s the next best thing” to a marrow transplant, said Katharina Harf, a co-founder and executive vice president of DKMS Americas, a bone marrow donor center.
– A young girl with a giant voice who won an open audition for a role in the Broadway production of The Lion King has died of leukemia at the age of 11. Shannon Tavarez spent seven months performing in the show before she was diagnosed in April. Thousands of people, including rapper 50 Cent, volunteered to donate bone marrow to help in her battle for health, but no match for the 6th-grader was ever found, ABC News reports. Her mixed Hispanic and African-American background made it harder to find a match. Tavarez competed against thousands of hopefuls to win the role of Young Nala. "She was fearless, as a performer and as a young woman,” the production stage manager for The Lion King tells the New York Times. “She was never intimidated and she was constantly happy. After she was diagnosed, all she talked about was when she could come back.”