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"She had to make a decision between the drugs and the babies," Roberts said Tuesday. He also said DNA testing on seven dead babies found stuffed into cardboard boxes at Huntsman's home in April confirmed that all of them — five girls and two boys — were fathered by her husband. The long-awaited results were difficult to obtain due to the condition of the remains. Forensic experts resorted to "nuclear DNA" testing to determine both gender and paternity. Nuclear DNA, found in the nucleus of most human cells, generally provides more genetic information — and from both parents — than the more commonly tested mitochondrial, or maternal DNA. Prosecutors contend that six of the infants were choked or smothered shortly after birth by Huntsman, 39, during the period from Jan. 1, 1996, to Dec. 31, 2006. Huntsman allegedly told investigators that she had killed six of the babies, but she claimed the seventh was stillborn. Huntsman, who was charged in Provo's 4th District Court with six counts of first-degree felony murder, remained in the Utah County Jail on Tuesday in lieu of $6 million cash-only bail. The long-kept, deadly secret began to unravel April 12, when Huntsman's now-estranged husband, 41-year-old Darren West — who had spent eight years in prison for drug crimes before being released into a Salt Lake City halfway house — was at their Pleasant Grove home retrieving some of his belongings. Inside the garage, West found the remains of a baby wrapped in plastic bags and a green towel and stuffed into a white box, sealed with electrical tape. Alerted to the grisly discovery, police later found six more infant corpses similarly stored inside other boxes. Huntsman will not face the death penalty under the near-decade-old murder statute in effect at the time of the crimes. Instead, she faces a maximum penalty for each count of five years to life. West and Huntsman have three living children together, all daughters, now ages 13 to 20. Huntsman is next set to appear in court July 21 to determine if she will waive a preliminary hearing. On May 16, Judge Darold McDade ordered that Huntsman be made available for a psychological evaluation, but no further details on whether that exam had yet been done, or if so what the results were, had been released as of Tuesday. remims@sltrib.com Twitter: @remims ||||| SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Utah mother told authorities that she killed six of her newborns and stored their bodies in a garage because she was addicted to drugs and didn't want to deal with the responsibility of raising them, police said Tuesday, revealing a suspected motive for the first time. FILE - This April 13, 2014 file photo shows police tape in front of the scene where seven infant bodies were discovered and packaged in separate containers at a home in Pleasant Grove, Utah. On Tuesday,... (Associated Press) FILE - In this April 21, 2014 file photo, Megan Huntsman, accused of killing six of her babies and storing their bodies in her garage, appears in court, in Provo, Utah. On Tuesday, July 8, 2014, authorities... (Associated Press) Megan Huntsman, 39, was heavily into a meth addiction when she strangled or suffocated the infants from 1996 to 2006, Pleasant Grove Police Capt. Mike Roberts told The Associated Press. She wasn't worried about potential health problems caused by her drug abuse while pregnant, she simply didn't want to care for them, he said. "It was completely selfish. She was high on drugs and didn't want the babies, or the responsibility," Roberts said. "That was her priority at the time." Authorities think a seventh baby found in her Pleasant Grove garage after an April search was stillborn. Police had previously declined to discuss a motive in the case, saying only that it had been uncovered during interviews with Huntsman. Huntsman has been held in Utah County Jail since April 13, and her bail has been set at $6 million. She has been charged with six counts of first-degree murder and is due in court in Provo on July 21. She has not yet entered a plea. Her lawyer, public defender Anthony Howell, declined comment Tuesday, saying office policy prevents him from discussing open cases. Huntsman's estranged husband, Darren West, spent more than eight years in federal prison after pleading guilty to meth charges. He was released to a halfway house in Salt Lake City in January. West made the grisly discovery April 12 while cleaning out the garage of the home he had shared with Huntsman. He told police he found a dead infant in a small white box covered with electrician's tape. Six other bodies were found after police obtained a search warrant. Documents show the newborns had been wrapped in shirts or towels inside individual boxes in the garage. West lived with Huntsman during the decade their children were killed before going to federal prison in 2006, but he isn't a suspect in the deaths, Roberts said. Investigators don't know how he could have been oblivious to the pregnancies or deaths, but they don't plan to bring him in for further questioning. Huntsman remains the only suspect in the investigation, which remains open, Roberts said. Results of a psychological examination of Huntsman haven't been disclosed. DNA results revealed Tuesday showed that all seven babies were full term and that five were girls and two were boys. Those tests also confirmed that West was biological father of the infants. Previous tests from the Utah state lab found that the babies were likely dead anywhere from two to 10 years or more, Roberts said. The day of the grisly discovery, Huntsman told police that were eight or nine dead babies in her home, a previously released search warrant affidavit showed. But Roberts said Huntsman was confused and was taking a ballpark guess. Roberts said Tuesday investigators continue to believe there were only seven.

– What could drive a mother to smother six babies as soon as she gave birth to them? Police in Utah say it was pure selfishness, driven by drug addiction. Megan Huntsman was a heavy methamphetamine user when she strangled or suffocated the newborns between 1996 and 2006, a police spokesman tells the AP. He says she wasn't concerned about potential health problems caused to the infants by her drug use—but did care about the cost of feeding her addiction. "It was completely selfish. She was high on drugs and didn't want the babies, or the responsibility," he says. "That was her priority at the time." "She had to make a decision between the drugs and the babies," says the police spokesman, who confirmed that the five girls and two boys found in boxes in her garage were all fathered by her husband, the Salt Lake Tribune reports. Investigators believe one of the babies was stillborn, so Huntsman faces six counts of first-degree felony murder. She has been in jail since April with bail set at $6 million. Her long-estranged husband, who spent eight years in federal prison on meth charges, was the one who alerted police after finding one of the dead infants and is not considered a suspect.

Most people adjust their watches and clocks according to the time displayed on their cell phone. But now you have a new guideline: the NIST-F2 atomic clock. Built by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the next-gen device will serve as the U.S. civilian time and frequency standard. The most accurate clock in the world, the F2 could run continuously for 300 million years and never stray from the perfect time for even one second. By nearly eliminating small errors caused by background radiation, researchers have have made this clock three times more accurate than the current NIST-F1—the standard since 1999. For now, NIST will run the F1 and F2 clocks simultaneously for comparison's sake. Both machines use a "fountain" of cesium atoms to determine the exact length of a second; they are just the latest in a long line of cesium-based atomic clocks developed by NIST since the 1950s. As the institute pointed out, everyday technologies like cell phones, GPS satellite receivers, and the electric power grid rely on high-accuracy atomic clocks, which help move innovation into the future. "If we've learned anything in the last 60 years of building atomic clocks, we've learned that every time we build a better clock, somebody comes up with a use for it that you couldn't have foreseen," NIST physicist and F2 lead designer Steven Jefferts said in a statement. NIST carries a heavy weight, providing timing and synchronization measurement services for a number of users, including to time-stamp hundreds of billions of dollars in U.S. financial transactions. NIST time is also circulated via the Internet Time Service, which receives 8 billion requests per day to sync clocks in computers and network devices. "When you can do something better than the earth gives you naturally with its rotation, then you go ahead and start down that road," Jefferts said of his work on the atomic clock. But the U.S. can't expect to keep the ridiculously accurate machine all for itself. A second version of NIST-F2, dubbed IT-CsF2, will be operated by the Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca Metrologica (INRIM), NIST's counterpart in Turin, Italy. Check out the science behind the F2 in NIST's video below. ||||| Congressional Research Service (CRS) is a "think tank" that provides research reports to members of Congress on a variety of topics relevant to current political events. However, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) does not provide direct public access to its reports, nor are they released to the public via the Federal Library Depository Program (FDLP). There are several organizations that collect and give access to subsets of published CRS Reports. This collection attempts to bring all CRS Reports together in one place. For more information on CRS, see the Sunlight Foundations CRS Reports backgrounder (http://bit.ly/CRSReports). Please contact James Jacobs (jrjacobs AT stanford DOT edu) if you know of additional sites hosting CRS reports. ||||| Video courtesy of NIST. With a new and improved atomic clock, the standard of time in America is about to change -- a teeny, tiny bit. For the first time in 15 years, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, or NIST, is adding a new official atomic clock, institute officials announced Wednesday -- at 10:02 a.m. PDT precisely. MORE: Medicines and machines, inspired by nature Since 1999 the civilian time and frequency standard in the United States has been NIST-F1, a clock that measures the number of oscillations in a cesium atom's resonant frequency. Throughout the world, a second is defined as exactly 9,192,631,770 oscillations or cycles of a cesium atom. The more accurately a clock can determine these oscillations, the more accurate the clock. And the new clock, NIST-F2, is three times more accurate than its predecessor. "If you could run either of these clocks for 100 million years, NIST-F1 would lose one second, NIST-F2 would lose 1/3 of a second," said Steven Jefferts, lead designer of the NIST-F2. This substantial, but subtle, improvement in national timekeeping won't affect anyone's life tomorrow, said Jefferts, but it could lead to new technologies down the road. For example, telecommunications and the electric power grid rely on clocks that can keep time to one-millionth of a second a day, said Tom O'Brian, chief of the NIST time and frequency division. He added that GPS synchronization depends on clocks that keep time to one-billionth of a second a day. "These technologies keep getting adopted for use in our society, so we have to keep inventing things and making them better," said Jefferts. Both NIST-F1 and NIST-F2 are what are known as fountain clocks. To accurately measure the length of a second, they start by tossing a ball of 10 million cesium atoms into the air, hitting it with microwaves, and then letting it fall down through a tube where it gets hit by microwaves again. These microwaves change the state of some of the atoms in the ball. Toward the end of the cesium atom ball's journey, it gets hit by another laser, which allows researchers to see how many of the atoms in the ball are in the new state. This whole cycle happens thousands of times an hour until a microwave frequency is found that changes the most cesium atoms into a new state. That frequency is the natural frequency of the cesium atom, or the frequency used to define a second. (Confused? The video at the top might help.) The key advantage NIST-F2 has over NIST-F1 is a vertical flight tube that is chilled to minus- 316 degrees Fahrenheit. In NIST-F1 this tube operates at about room temperature. The cooler tube dramatically reduces background radiation, the researchers said, which in turn reduces the very small measurement errors in NIST-F1. As exciting as this advance may seem, it is just the tip of the timekeeping iceberg. A revolution in timekeeping is afoot, with labs around the world racing to find ever more accurate ways of measuring the length of a second using different atoms in different frameworks. "Even as we celebrate the most accurate cesium clock in the world, we have research atomic clocks that are more precise," said O'Brian. Jefferts suggested even bigger changes may soon be afoot: "Not so far in the future we are going to end up redefining the second," he said. Time, the universe and everything! It's all so fascinating! Follow me on Twitter and let's learn more about science together. ALSO: LOL your way to transcendental bliss? Om, yeah! Switch from gasoline to ethanol linked to higher ozone levels Pig bladders help wounded humans regrow damaged muscle, scientists say

– The official US timekeepers are upgrading their systems. Since 1999, the National Institute of Standards and Technology has determined the time based on an atomic clock known as NIST-F1. Now there's a new and improved version of the clock—and it's "the most accurate clock of its kind in the world," the institute says. NIST-F2 boasts three times the accuracy of F1. "If you could run either of these clocks for 100 million years, NIST-F1 would lose one second; NIST-F2 would lose 1/3 of a second," says F2's lead designer. One second is defined worldwide in terms of oscillations of a cesium atom (9,192,631,770 of those oscillations, to be precise). Both clocks determine the time by tossing 10 million such atoms into the air and using lasers to analyze them, the Los Angeles Times explains. What's better about the new clock is that it uses chilled conditions to fight background radiation, thus improving its assessment. Why be so careful? Everything from cell phones to GPS use atomic clock measurements, researchers say, per PC Magazine. "If we've learned anything in the last 60 years of building atomic clocks, we've learned that every time we build a better clock, somebody comes up with a use for it that you couldn't have foreseen," says the designer.

You will use your email address to login. Passwords must be at least 6 characters in length. Timezone ||||| SANFORD, Fla. - Plans by George Zimmerman to sell the gun used to shoot and kill Trayvon Marin appeared to be in limbo early Friday, reports CBS Orlando, Florida affiliate WKMG-TV. Thursday night, a second auction website used to list the gun deleted a tweet saying it would remove the auction from the site. WKMG found bidding for the gun topping $200,000 early Friday. CBS News found it to be exponentially higher than that, but names given for bidders were all but certainly fake, and times listed for the bids were for hours later than when CBS News was on the site. CBS News could not verify the authenticity of anything on the page. The gun was set to be auctioned starting Thursday at 11 a.m. on GunBroker.com, but by 11:18 a.m., the website said the listing for Zimmerman's Kel-Tec PF-9 9mm weapon had been removed. GunBroker.com released a statement on its website Thursday afternoon that addressed the listing. info Close gunbroker.com "Listings on the GunBroker.com web site are user-generated, exactly like social media posts. Mr. Zimmerman never contacted anyone at GunBroker.com prior to or after the listing was created and no one at GunBroker.com has any relationship with Zimmerman," GunBroker.com wrote on its website. "Our site rules state that we reserve the right to reject listings at our sole discretion, and have done so with the Zimmerman listing. We want no part in the listing on our web site or in any of the publicity it is receiving." At around 2:30 p.m. Thursday, UnitedGunGroup.com listed the same gun for auction, with the same starting bid price at $5,000, posted by someone with the username George Zimmerman. The site, which calls itself a "social market place for the firearms community, then apparently went down a few minutes later. Thursday night, UnitedGunGroup.com posted this statement: "As an organization, we stand by the rule of law and, while no laws have been broken, we do not feel like it is in the best interest of the organization to continue to host this sale on our platform," company officials said in a press release. "Our mission is to esteem the Second Amendment and provide a safe and secure platform for firearms enthusiasts and law-abiding citizens; our association with Mr. Zimmerman does not help us achieve that objective." That online posting was later deleted. Todd Underwood, the founder of the group, later sent an email to CNN saying an official response would be released at 10 a.m. Friday. The initial auction description appeared to have the same text as the original auction posting, in which Zimmerman wrote: "I am honored and humbled to announce the sale of an American Firearm Icon. The firearm for sale is the firearm that was used to defend my life and end the brutal attack from Trayvon Martin on 2/26/2012." Zimmerman added that the gun had recently been returned to him by the Department of Justice. Zimmerman claimed that he was selling the gun to raise money to "fight Black Lives Matter violence against law enforcement" and "Hillary Clinton's anti-firearm rhetoric." Zimmerman said in the auction listing that he has received several offers for the gun, including from the Smithsonian Institution in Washington. The Smithsonian released a statement Thursday morning, saying: "The Smithsonian has never expressed interest in collecting George Zimmerman's firearm. The Smithsonian has no plans to ever collect or display this object in any of its museums." The Trayvon Martin Foundation said it had "no comment on the actions of that person," a report from The Guardian said. Martin was shot and killed by Zimmerman on Feb. 26, 2012, after an altercation in a Sanford community. Zimmerman was found not guilty of second-degree murder and manslaughter on July 13, 2013. The shooting sparked protests and a national debate about race relations. Anthony Ramos lives just doors down from Zimmerman in the same neighborhood where the shooting happened in 2012 and says he was stunned when he saw the gun up for auction Thursday morning. "He's a really bad person. I just see him as a really bad person," Ramos said. "He shouldn't be selling the gun that he used to kill someone else. I just don't think it's good." What Ramos wasn't shocked about though, was that Zimmerman was back in the news. Since his 2013 acquittal, Zimmerman has been arrested in connection to domestic violence claims and shot at a year ago. "He wants more attention, he wants more attention and that's what he's getting," Ramos said. Francis Oliver takes care of the Trayvon Martin memorial in Goldsboro section of Sanford. "It's exploitation," Oliver said. "It's for attention. He hadn't shot at anybody lately, he hadn't beat up on anybody lately, no one has shot at him in about a year, so it's time for him to raise the curtain on himself." ||||| George Zimmerman wants to sell the gun he used to kill Florida teenager Trayvon Martin to the highest bidder in an online auction. The firearm was initially placed on a listing on GunBroker.com, and included a description written by Zimmerman, a former neighborhood watch captain acquitted by a jury in the teen's 2012 shooting death. The killing sparked a national conversation about race and "stand your ground" laws. But around 11 a.m. ET — just as the auction was set to open — the page displayed a notification saying the "item you have requested is no longer in the system." A crime scene technician shows the gun used by George Zimmerman to shoot Trayvon Martin during Zimmerman's trial in 2013. Gary W. Green / Pool via EPA The firearm listed was a 9 mm Kel-Tec PF-9 pistol, and bidding was to start at $5,000. Zimmerman's post had described the firearm as "a piece of American History." Zimmerman's brother, Robert, earlier confirmed to NBC News that the gun sale was "legit." A few hours later, the same gun listing appeared on the website UnitedGunGroup.com. Todd Underwood, a spokesman for the website, told NBC News he spoke with Zimmerman personally by phone and that he contacted his website after GunBroker.com was overwhelmed with traffic and attention. “We offer a free service to anybody that that is of legal and age and legal background to utilize,” Underwood said. To his knowledge, the gun and its sale are completely legal, he said. GunBroker.com, which housed the initial listing, said in a statement Thursday afternoon that they “reserve the right to reject listings at our sole discretion, and have done so with the Zimmerman listing.” Zimmerman created the listing and posted it on the website, but did not contact anyone at GunBroker.com before or after it was posted, the statement said, adding that no one at the website has a relationship with Zimmerman. “We want no part in the listing on our website or in any of the publicity it is receiving,” the statement added. In the post, Zimmerman, 32, said the Justice Department had recently returned the gun to him, and he has received offers from people who want to purchase it or put it on display: "However, the offers were to use the gun in a fashion I did not feel comfortable with." Related: Jury Finds George Zimmerman Not Guilty A portion of the auction's proceeds are supposed to "fight BLM (Black Lives Matter) violence against Law Enforcement officers" as well as "ensure the demise of … Hillary Clinton's anti-firearm rhetoric." Clinton, the Democratic front-runner for president, said in a speech in April to the National Action Network that Zimmerman should never have had a gun. Zimmerman killed Martin after he saw the unarmed 17-year-old walking through his gated Sanford community on Feb. 26, 2012, and did not recognize him. He confronted the boy, leading to an altercation and the shooting. Zimmerman claimed self-defense.

– George Zimmerman's attempt to sell the gun he used to kill Trayvon Martin appears to be back on again, though bidders are clearly making a joke of it. Early Friday morning, the leading bid in the online auction at UnitedGunGroup came from "Weedlord Bonerhitler" at a bit more than $65 million (the listing now reads "deleted member"). An earlier lead bidder called himself "Racist McShootface," reports USA Today. On Thursday, Zimmerman first planned to sell the gun at GunBroker.com, but the website backed out. He then turned to UnitedGunGroup, but the site posted an online statement Thursday night saying, it, too, would reject the listing. However, it later deleted the post, and Zimmerman's auction remains active. The site is expected to issue a clarification Friday morning about its status, reports CBS News. The two people perhaps most stunned by the attempted sale are Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, the parents of Trayvon. "It's just shocking, it's shocking to me and it's shocking to everybody—and Trayvon to them is their child," their attorney tells NBC News. "To everybody else, it may be a cause or a hashtag, but this is their son. So somebody's actually talking about profiting from the loss of their child and it's just very hurtful to them." The gun is a 9mm Kel-Tec PF-9 pistol, and Zimmerman set the opening bid for his "American Firearm Icon" at $5,000.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common, complex, treatment resistant, and deadliest type of brain cancer, accounting for 45% of all brain cancers, with nearly 11,000 men, women, and children diagnosed each year. The time is now to make progress against this disease! The Defeat GBM Research Collaborative is a groundbreaking, research-based initiative that takes advantage of the convergence of exciting scientific advancements, an innovative business model, and support from biopharmaceutical companies to drive research forward with the aim of doubling the five-year survival rate of GBM patients. Building from the pioneering data discovered through The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the growing commitment to true collaboration across disciplines and institutions, we have entered a new era of possibilities. All members of the Defeat GBM Research Collaborative share real-time information of one another’s cutting-edge research to quicken the pace of translating discoveries into clinical stage research—cutting years out of the traditional clinical trial research and analysis procedure. Together with your support, we can bring change today! ||||| A woman in Spain who suddenly became very religious and believed she was speaking with the Virgin Mary turned out to have a brain tumor that appears to have caused her symptoms, according to a new report of the case. The 60-year-old women was said to be a happy, positive person who was not particularly religious. But over a two-month period, her friends and family noticed changes in her personality and behavior. She appeared sad and withdrawn, and also showed increasing interest in the Bible and other sacred writings, the report said. The woman started spending hours during the day reciting religious writings. She also had mystical experiences, in which she reported seeing, feeling and talking with the Virgin Mary, the report said. [8 Ways Religion Impacts Your Life] Those close to her thought the woman might be experiencing depression, because she was caring for a relative with cancer at the time. However, when her doctors performed an MRI, they saw several lesions in her brain. After taking a biopsy from one of the lesions, doctors diagnosed the woman with glioblastoma multiforme, a particularly aggressive form of brain cancer. The tumors were too large to treat with surgery, so the woman received chemotherapy and radiation for the cancer. Her doctors also prescribed antipsychotic drugs for her, because some studies have suggested this class of drugs may have an anti-cancer effect on glioblastoma. During the woman's five-week treatment, her religious visions gradually disappeared, the report said. In this patient's case, "it is clear that the religious experience represented a fracture" from her prior behavior that was "not preceded by a gradual change in her thinking and acting," the researchers, from the Hospital General Universitario Morales Meseguer in Murcia, Spain, wrote in their paper, published online Dec. 12, 2016, in the journal Neurocase. "Nor was there any kind of trigger or reason [for the behavior change] except for the disease, and hence, it can be considered a clearly pathological experience," they said. It's not clear how often people experience "hyper-religiosity" or other behavior changes as their first symptom of a brain tumor, the researchers said. One review found that up to 22 percent of all brain tumors may first appear along with psychotic symptoms. From this one case, it's not possible to pinpoint the part of the brain responsible for the women's religious experience, the researchers said. But, they note that the right temporal lobe, a brain region that has previously been linked to the development of mystical experiences, also appeared to be involved in the woman's case. The researchers also said that, before the woman's extreme religious behavior, she did believe in God, so this "was not a case of religious conversion." The woman's condition quickly declined — she experienced a stroke two months after she started treatment, the report said. Eight months after her cancer diagnosis, she died due to the progression of her tumor. The researchers also suspect that, before her cancer diagnosis, the patient may have experienced non-convulsive seizures, possibly as a result of her brain tumor. They suspected this because of particular changes they saw in her brain scan. Some cases of hyper-religious behavior have also been reported in people with epilepsy, according to the report. However, the researchers were unable to perform tests to confirm the epilepsy diagnosis. Original article on Live Science.

– Her friends and family felt something was wrong: The Spanish woman went from simply believing in God to believing she was seeing and talking with the Virgin Mary. And that's not all. The 60-year-old abruptly shifted from being happy and positive to sad and withdrawn, reports Live Science. Suspecting depression, they had her see doctors, and an MRI revealed glioblastoma multiforme, the aggressive type of brain cancer that Brittany Maynard suffered from. The National Brain Tumor Society doesn't mince words, calling it "the most common, complex, treatment resistant, and deadliest type of brain cancer, accounting for 45% of all brain cancers." With tumors so big they couldn't be surgically removed, the woman was treated with anti-psychotic drugs sometimes given to glioblastoma patients and chemo and radiation over five weeks; her religious visions ultimately ceased. The doctors write in the journal Neurocase that because she previously believed in God, hers "was not a case of religious conversion." And as there was no "trigger or reason [for the hyper-religiosity] except for the disease ... it can be considered a clearly pathological experience." The researchers suggest that this is not the first such case, writing that "in some cases, religiosity can appear as a pathological correlate in patients with brain lesions"; but they present no data as to how often this might occur. The patient died eight months after being diagnosed with cancer. (This man credits Facebook for helping spot his brain tumor.)

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Brown pleaded guilty to assaulting former girlfriend US singer Rihanna in 2009 Australia may block US singer Chris Brown from entering the country because of his domestic violence conviction. Brown's announcement last week he would tour in December sparked criticism on social media and an online petition. The Federal government said on Thursday it was reviewing Brown's visa application in light of his conviction. Australia's Minister for Women, Senator Michaelia Cash, said the government was not afraid to "say no". "People need to understand, if you are going to commit domestic violence and you want to travel around the world, there are going to be countries that say to you, 'You cannot come in because you are not of the character that we expect in Australia'", Senator Cash said. Image copyright Twitter Image caption A mystery activist in Melbourne has drawn attention to Brown's domestic violence conviction by placing an "I Beat Women" sticker on one of his promotional posters Her comments were made at a press conference in Melbourne where Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced a national domestic violence prevention program. The review of Brown's visa follows the government's decision earlier this year to refuse a visa for world champion boxer Floyd Mayweather on similar grounds. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Boxer Floyd Mayweather's visa to visit Australia was cancelled earlier this year Mayweather had been booked for dinner and nightclub appearances in Sydney and Melbourne in January. The 37-year-old American has a criminal record, which includes serving two months in jail in 2012, after pleading guilty to an assault on his former partner in front of their children. ||||| The intention of the campaign against Chris Brown was to use a celebrity with a well-known history of violence against women to ignite a discussion about attitudes towards gendered violence. Aspects of this succeeded but we now understand the campaign also supported a racist narrative that sees men of colour unfairly targeted, and stereotyped as more violent than their white counterparts. We all should stand up to any man who commits violence against women, but Australia has a history of arbitrary executive decisions and disproportionate exclusion of non-white people at its borders and upon reflection our approach contributed to this.GetUp is a community of nearly one million people who take action to create a more progressive society. Sometimes we make mistakes in our approach, and this campaign reflects that. One of the things we love about being part of this community, however, is that when we make a mistake, our members and peers will call us out on it. We are open to criticism, and open to change. It's imperative that as an organisation we listen to critical voices who call out behaviour that's racist, sexist, or works against building a diverse and welcoming community. We appreciate everyone who took the time to raise this issue with us.We'll continue to work on our ongoing campaign for the full funding of frontline family violence services and use opportunities to highlight the many men of power and influence who have abused women but continue to enjoy celebrated careers in the public eye. In the meantime, GetUp apologises unreservedly for the way in which this campaign played into a harmful, racist narrative. We're grateful for the feedback from our peers, our members and our community.If you'd like to get in touch with further feedback, reach us at [email protected]

– Chris Brown has had his fair share of travel troubles. In July, he was stranded in the Philippines for three days over a contract dispute. Before that, he was barred from entering both Canada and the UK. Now, Australia may follow the lead of its Commonwealth partners and refuse to allow the singer entry because of his 2009 domestic violence conviction, reports the BBC. The federal government says it's reviewing Brown's visa application after the singer announced a December tour in the country and Australian Minister for Women Michaelia Cash says they aren't "afraid to say no." After all, Australia in February barred boxer Floyd Mayweather, who served time in jail for an assault on a former partner in 2012, reports the Guardian. "People need to understand, if you are going to commit domestic violence and you want to travel around the world, there are going to be countries that say to you, 'You cannot come in because you are not of the character that we expect in Australia,'" says Cash, who spoke just as new Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced a $100 million national domestic violence prevention program. She adds her "strong recommendation" is to block Brown, though immigration minister Peter Dutton will have the final decision. An online petition asking Dutton to "refuse Chris Brown a visa to visit Australia" because "he is in breach of the Australian visa character test" has over 12,500 signatures. Meanwhile, Brown concert posters have been defaced with "I beat women" stickers, reports 9 News.

BEIJING (Reuters) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte announced his “separation” from the United States on Thursday, declaring he had realigned with China as the two agreed to resolve their South China Sea dispute through talks. Duterte made his comments in Beijing, where he is visiting with at least 200 business people to pave the way for what he calls a new commercial alliance as relations with longtime ally Washington deteriorate. “In this venue, your honors, in this venue, I announce my separation from the United States,” Duterte told Chinese and Philippine business people, to applause, at a forum in the Great Hall of the People attended by Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli. “Both in military, not maybe social, but economics also. America has lost.” Duterte’s efforts to engage China, months after a tribunal in the Hague ruled that Beijing did not have historic rights to the South China Sea in a case brought by the previous administration in Manila, marks a reversal in foreign policy since the 71-year-old former mayor took office on June 30. His trade secretary, Ramon Lopez, said $13.5 billion in deals would be signed during the China trip. “I’ve realigned myself in your ideological flow and maybe I will also go to Russia to talk to (President Vladimir) Putin and tell him that there are three of us against the world - China, Philippines and Russia. It’s the only way,” Duterte told his Beijing audience. Duterte’s remarks will prompt fresh concern in the United States, where the Obama administration has seen Manila as an important ally in its “rebalance” of resources to Asia in the face of a rising China. The administration agreed a deal with Duterte’s predecessor granting U.S. forces rotational access to bases in the Philippines and further doubts will be raised about the future of this arrangement. In Washington, the U.S. State Department said it was “baffled” by Duterte’s comments and would seek an explanation when Daniel Russel, the top U.S. diplomat for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, visits Manila this weekend. “We are going to be seeking an explanation of exactly what the president meant when he talked about separation from the U.S.,” said State Department spokesman John Kirby. “It’s not clear to us exactly what that means in all its ramifications.” Both the State Department and the White House portrayed Duterte’s comments as being at odds with the close, long-standing alliance between the two countries. They said Washington would welcome closer ties between Beijing and Manila, however. “The U.S.-Philippine alliance is built on a 70-year history, rich people to people ties and a long list of shared security concerns,” White House spokesman Eric Schultz told reporters, noting that the administration has not received any request from Filipino officials to alter bilateral cooperation. A few hours after Duterte’s speech, his top economic policymakers released a statement saying that, while Asian economic integration was “long overdue”, that did not mean the Philippines was turning its back on the West. “We will maintain relations with the West but we desire stronger integration with our neighbors,” said Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez and Economic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia in a joint statement. “We share the culture and a better understanding with our region.” RED CARPET WELCOME China has pulled out all the stops to welcome Duterte, including a marching band complete with baton-twirling band master at his official greeting ceremony outside the Great Hall of the People, which is not extended to most leaders. President Xi Jinping, meeting Duterte earlier in the day, called the visit a “milestone” in ties. Xi told Duterte that China and the Philippines were brothers and they could “appropriately handle disputes”, though he did not mention the South China Sea in remarks made in front of reporters. “I hope we can follow the wishes of the people and use this visit as an opportunity to push China-Philippines relations back on a friendly footing and fully improve things,” Xi said. Following their meeting, during which Duterte said relations with China had entered a new “springtime”, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin said the South China Sea issue was not the sum total of relations. “The two sides agreed that they will do what they agreed five years ago, that is to pursue bilateral dialogue and consultation in seeking a proper settlement of the South China Sea issue,” Liu said. President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping review the guard of honor as they attend a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, October 20, 2016. REUTERS/Thomas Peter China claims most of the energy-rich South China Sea through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. Neighbours Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims. In 2012, China seized the disputed Scarborough Shoal and denied Philippine fishermen access to its fishing grounds. Liu said the shoal was not mentioned and he did not answer a question about whether Philippine fishermen would be allowed there. He said both countries had agreed on coastguard and fisheries cooperation, but did not give details. SEA DISPUTE TAKES ‘BACK SEAT’ Duterte’s tone towards Beijing is in stark contrast to the language he has used against the United States, after being infuriated by U.S. criticism of his bloody war on drugs. He has called U.S. President Barack Obama a “son of a bitch” and told him to “go to hell”, while alluding to severing ties with the old colonial power. On Wednesday, to the cheers of hundreds of Filipinos in Beijing, Duterte said Philippine foreign policy was veering towards China. “I will not go to America anymore. We will just be insulted there,” Duterte said. “So time to say goodbye my friend.” The same day, about 1,000 anti-U.S. protesters gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Manila calling for the removal of U.S. troops from the southern island of Mindanao. Duterte’s abrupt pivot from Washington to Beijing is unlikely to be universally popular at home, however. On Tuesday an opinion poll showed Filipinos still trust the United States far more than China. Duterte on Wednesday said the South China Sea arbitration case would “take the back seat” during talks, and that he would wait for the Chinese to bring up the issue rather than doing so himself. Xi said issues that could not be immediately be resolved should be set aside, according to the Chinese foreign ministry. Slideshow (14 Images) China has welcomed the Philippines approaches, even as Duterte has vowed not to surrender any sovereignty to Beijing, which views the South China Sea Hague ruling as null and void. China has also expressed support for his drug war, which has raised concern in Western capitals about extrajudicial killing. ||||| China's president, Xi Jinping, and his Philippine counterpart, Rodrigo Duterte, agreed to resume bilateral talks in a bid to settle their territorial disputes in the South China Sea, a senior Chinese diplomat said. Photo: Zuma Press BEIJING—China scored a diplomatic victory at the expense of the U.S. as Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte set aside Manila’s South China Sea dispute with Beijing in favor of expanding economic links. Hours after a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday, Mr. Duterte announced his “separation” from the U.S., taking Manila’s shift away from its treaty ally to new rhetorical heights and in the process muzzling what had been Southeast Asia’s strongest voice against China’s escalating push to assert its maritime...

– Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is done with us. "I announce my separation from the United States," he declared Thursday on a visit to Beijing, adding that he will instead seek a military and economic alliance with China, Reuters reports. "I've realigned myself in your ideological flow," he told his audience, adding that he hopes to add another major player to the mix. "I will also go to Russia to talk to Putin and tell him that there are three of us against the world—China, Philippines and Russia," he said. "America has lost." The White House downplayed the move, with a spokesman saying the US remained a strong economic partner of the Philippines. Duterte has bristled at US condemnation of his bloody war on drugs, personally insulted President Obama, and threatened to leave the "stupid" UN. While he's been throwing barbs at the US, Duterte has apparently been sending flowers to Beijing. He was greeted by a full marching band upon his arrival in Beijing (Obama didn't even get a staircase), and his finance minister plans to ink $13.5 billion worth of economic deals while on the current visit to China. The deal is an especially important diplomatic victory for China, the Wall Street Journal reports, because it signals the Philippines is ready to come to the negotiating table and resolve what has been a major territory dispute over Chinese military bases in the South China Sea.

A single bald eagle found dead in southern Delaware last Saturday didn't raise red flags for state wildlife officials. But then a few hours later and a mile away, a startling scene unfolded: Eight bald eagles — distressed and disoriented — were discovered on the ground, barely moving on a fallow farm field. "Seeing one in a field wouldn't be irregular, but then so many of them — and they weren't sitting up," said Sgt. John McDerby of Delaware's Fish and Wildlife Natural Resources Police. "It was a devastating sight." Three of the eagles died, two were rescued and the rest flew away, officials said. The following day, another dead bird was found during a sweep. One of five eagles found in the Dagsboro, Delaware, area on March 19, 2016. DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police The cluster of deaths comes just a month after 13 bald eagles died about 35 miles away on the Eastern Shore of Maryland — the largest single die-off of bald eagles in the state in three decades. This mystery surrounding the bird species that has soared back from the brink of extinction has investigators and wildlife advocates asking: Is someone poisoning or intentionally harming these national symbols? At this point, investigators can't say, but they aren't ruling out a criminal act. In Maryland, necropsies indicated the birds did not die from natural causes, meaning diseases such as avian influenza can be ruled out. But they did not pinpoint a cause of death. Related: Bald Eagles Mystery Death Leads to Reward Poison is a popular theory since landowners use it to kill rats, foxes and other nuisances that tear up crops. Eagles, in turn, can eat the poisoned carrion. But Bob Edgell, who owns the Maryland farm where the eagles were found, told NBC News on Friday that he doesn't use poison on his property and isn't sure if anyone else in the area does. "Our investigation is now focused on human causes," Catherine Hibbard, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Agency, said in an earlier statement. Investigators hope to learn what killed 13 bald eagles in Federalsburg. Call 410-260-8888 with tips. pic.twitter.com/8U0vN36tLt — MD NRP (@MDNRPolice) February 22, 2016 McDerby said test results of the eagle carcasses in Delaware could be made available early this week. In the meantime, he added, there is no evidence of a serial eagle killer on the prowl or any direct connection between the Delaware and Maryland cases. The two birds rescued by the nonprofit Tri-State Bird Rescue of Newark, Delaware, are still under the group's care. Staff declined to provide information about their recovery because the investigation is ongoing, but said that if the creatures fully recuperate, they'll be released into the wild. One of the three eagles in the Delaware Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police's care, receiving treatment on Mar. 21, 2016. the Delaware Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police Edgell said he's not sure what took down the eagles on his land in Maryland. He found no evidence of tracks, after first thinking someone may have dumped the recognizable white-headed birds of prey on purpose. He also saw no indications they had been shot or had other signs of trauma. "I was dumbfounded, shocked and everything else," Edgell said. "I had never seen that many at one time, especially on my property." Anyone convicted of causing the death of the federally protected bald eagle could be fined as much as $100,000 and sentenced to up to a year in prison. Related: 13 Bald Eagles Found Dead at Maryland Farm Wildlife groups have banded together with the government to offer a reward for information leading to anyone who contributed to the birds' deaths. The Virginia-based American Bird Conservancy added another $5,000 to the pot last week, boosting the total to $30,000. Mike Parr, vice president and chief conservation officer for the group, said he's "completely baffled" as to what happened. "I can't see any possible explanation of any sort why anyone would deliberately do something like that. It's outrageous," Parr said. Play Facebook Twitter Google Plus Embed DC Eagle Cam gives bird's eye view of hatching eggs 1:08 autoplay autoplay Copy this code to your website or blog The deaths come as bald eagles have made an impressive resurgence in the past five decades. They were nearly killed off after losing habitat and being threatened by the pesticide DDT. Federal protection status as an endangered species in 1967, however, helped to ensure their survival. Even into the 1970s, bald eagles were shot fairly regularly, said Kevin McGowan, an ornithologist at the Cornell University Lab of Ornithology. "The decrease in shooting was part of the reason the eagles have recovered so spectacularly (but just one part)," McGowan said in an email. "Populations are probably at a 100-year high. Growth of the eastern population over the last 20 years alone has been impressive." Nationwide, the birds went from fewer than 500 breeding pairs in the Lower 48 in 1963 to over 11,000 pairs in 2007, when they were taken off the endangered species list, federal figures show. Now, bald eagles — beloved as a national symbol of the United States — are celebrated. A pair of babies born at the National Arboretum in Washington, D.C., took the Internet by storm this month thanks to a live cam. But the sudden loss of so many under strange circumstances should serve as a warning that the magnificent birds still need protection, experts say. "This is a significantly bad and unusual event," McGowan said. ||||| A worker at Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research feeds one of three bald eagles found ill in eastern Sussex County over the weekend, using a feeding tube during a morning round of medications on Monday, March 21, 2016. (Photo: COURTESY OF TRI-STATE BIRD RESCUE & RESEARCH) Shortly after 13 bald eagles were found dead in eastern Maryland, five dead bald eagles turned up in Sussex County over the weekend. And while some birders suspect pest poisoning, they and experts are still mystified. "There's not too many scenarios" that could explain what happened to the eagles, said Bill Stewart, the president of the Delmarva Ornithological Society and a director of conservation and community at the American Birding Association. "Deliberate poisoning is certainly one of them." The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control said one eagle was found dead near Dagsboro on Saturday morning. Then, three more birds were found disoriented in a farm field, and they soon died. Those three birds were found about a mile away from where the first eagle was discovered, in Piney Neck, a small peninsula on the western edge of the Indian River Bay, east of Dagsboro. A fifth bald eagle in the area was found dead Sunday, said Sgt. John McDerby of the Delaware Natural Resources Police. Just weeks ago, near Federalsburg, Maryland, 13 dead bald eagles were discovered in a field. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said last week that those bald eagles "did not die from natural causes," and offered a $25,000 reward to anyone who can lead authorities to the person or people responsible for their deaths. Shown here is one of the eagles recovered near Dagsboro on Saturday. The status of this particular bird is unknown. (Photo: DNREC) Another five eagles were found in Piney Neck, alive but sickened, over the weekend. They were taken to Tri-State Bird Rescue in Newark, where Lisa Smith, the director, said three of them were still alive Monday. Smith said the rescue center's staff are feeding and caring for the birds, hoping to release them back into the wild. "We get about 50 bald eagles in a year for treatment," Smith said. "In general – and we don't know yet what made these birds ill – any raptor or scavenger, they can get sick from ingesting any kind of prey that has ingested a toxin." Rat poison, she said, is a common culprit in those scenarios, but she stressed there's been no determination about what killed and sickened the eagles. STORY: Discovery of 13 dead bald eagles sparks investigation McDerby said DNREC does not know what caused the eagles found in Sussex to become sick and die. Lab tests of both the sick and the dead birds, McDerby said, are expected to be completed within a few days. Although bald eagles were removed from the federal endangered species list in 2007, they remain protected by several federal and state statutes. No hunting or taking of bald eagles is legally allowed. Buy Photo A heron lurks in the marsh near Pepper Creek off of Piney Neck Rd. near where five Eagles were found sickened. (Photo: JENNIFER CORBETT/THE NEWS JOURNAL) Stewart said there's essentially no underground market for bald eagle carcasses, and anyone who wanted to keep one would not have left the birds behind. "It could very much have been connected to accidental poisoning," Stewart said. "There’s a lot of rat poisoning used on farms, and eagles are well-known to eat carrion. And also lead shot, if they ingest lead shot from a deer or a duck that wasn’t collected. But that’s a much slower process, much more obvious, and it doesn’t happen to multiple eagles in the course of a day or two.” Once quite rare, the birds are now commonly seen around the state. "The population of eagles in Delaware is, frankly, remarkable," Stewart said Monday. "I was out Saturday afternoon in southern New Castle County. In one 360-degree view, we had seven bald eagles in trees. That’s what we expect, and more, every time we go out now." Wildlife officials say other eagles flew from the Piney Neck area Sunday before they could be captured and have their health evaluated. Officials are asking the public to report any eagles that appear to be sick to the Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police dispatch center at 800-523-3336. Anyone with information about the dead eagles is urged to contact Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police call 24-hour Operation Game Theft hotline at 800-292-3030. Calls to the hotline are confidential. The Associated Press contributed to this story. Contact James Fisher at (302) 983-6772, on Twitter @JamesFisherTNJ or jfisher@delawareonline.com. 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– Is somebody deliberately poisoning bald eagles in the mid-Atlantic states? Experts are still trying to find out what happened last month in Maryland, where 13 of the birds were found dead last month, and in Delaware, where five more were found dead last weekend. Mike Parr, vice president of the American Bird Conservancy, tells NBC News that he's "completely baffled" by the deaths. "I can't see any possible explanation of any sort why anyone would deliberately do something like that. It's outrageous," he says. The group is offering a $30,000 reward for information leading to anybody who contributed to the eagle deaths. Federal authorities say "human causes" were behind the Maryland deaths, while test results are still pending in the Delaware deaths. Another three birds found alive but sickened in the latter state were taken to Tri-State Bird Rescue in Newark, which deals with dozens of sick bald eagles every year, the News Journal reports. Bill Stewart, the president of the Delmarva Ornithological Society, says deliberate or accidental poisoning could explain what happened to the eagles. The public has been urged to report any apparently sick eagles they might see. (In happier bald eagle news, a livecam in Washington, DC, captured a baby emerging from its shell.)

Health Drug-Resistant Food Poisoning Lands In The U.S. i itoggle caption CDC/Science Source CDC/Science Source This time last year, a painful new virus was knocking on our doorstep. Travelers were bringing chikungunya to the U.S. And eventually, the mosquito-borne virus set up shop in Florida. Now the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says another nasty pathogen is hitching a ride to the U.S. with travelers: multidrug-resistant Shigella. Shigella is just about as bad as the word sounds. The bacteria infect your intestines and trigger crampy rectal pain, bloody or mucus-laced diarrhea and vomiting. Multidrug-resistant Shigella has caused several outbreaks over the past year in the U.S., the CDC reports Thursday in the journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. At least 243 people have gotten sick and about 20 percent were hospitalized. Those numbers may not sound like much — especially when you consider a half-million Americans get regular shigellosis each year. So what's the big deal? Well, this strain of Shigella is resistant to the go-to drug for the bacteria: ciprofloxacin. "If rates of resistance become this high, in more places, we'll have very few options left for treating Shigella with antibiotics by mouth," says epidemiologist Anna Bowen, who led the study. Then doctors will have to resort to IV antibiotics. Shigella is incredibly contagious. It spreads through contaminated food and water. "As few as 10 germs can cause an infection," Bowen says. "That's much less than some other diarrhea-causing germs." From May to February, the Cipro-resistant strain popped up in 32 states, with large clusters in California, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. Bowen and her team linked several of these outbreaks to international travel, including trips to India, the Dominican Republic and Morocco. But in many instances, people who got sick hadn't traveled outside the U.S. So the strain has already started to circulate in some states, she says. "This outbreak really highlights that multidrug-resistance in other countries is also a problem for the U.S.," Bowen says. "Cases [in the U.S.] have continued to accrue over the month since we put together this report. So we're monitoring it carefully," she adds. Most of the time, shigellosis will go away on its own after about seven days. In rare cases, it causes severe blood infections and death. Around the world, about 100 million people get infected with Shigella each year, and about 600,000 die from it. Cipro-resistant shigellosis is a growing problem globally, especially in Asia. Bowen says the best way to prevent Shigella is vigilant hygiene — wash your hands regularly while traveling and choose foods wisely. "Taking over-the-counter drugs, like Kaopectate and Pepto-Bismol, can prevent traveler's diarrhea," she says. And if you do get sick, don't reach for the Cipro first. Instead, Bowen says, go for an over-the-counter anti-diarrheal drug before trying an antibiotic. ||||| This website is archived for historical purposes and is no longer being maintained or updated. Press Release For Immediate Release: Thursday, April 2, 2015 Contact: Media Relations (404) 639-3286 International travelers are bringing a multidrug-resistant intestinal illness to the United States and spreading it to others who have not traveled, according to a report released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Shigella sonnei bacteria resistant to the antibiotic ciprofloxacin sickened 243 people in 32 states and Puerto Rico between May 2014 and February 2015. Research by the CDC found that the drug-resistant illness was being repeatedly introduced as ill travelers returned and was then infecting other people in a series of outbreaks around the country. CDC and public health partners investigated several recent clusters of shigellosis in Massachusetts, California and Pennsylvania and found that nearly 90 percent of the cases tested were resistant to ciprofloxacin (Cipro), the first choice to treat shigellosis among adults in the United States. Shigellosis can spread very quickly in groups like children in childcare facilities, homeless people and gay and bisexual men, as occurred in these outbreaks. “These outbreaks show a troubling trend in Shigella infections in the United States,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. “Drug-resistant infections are harder to treat and because Shigella spreads so easily between people, the potential for more – and larger – outbreaks is a real concern. We’re moving quickly to implement a national strategy to curb antibiotic resistance because we can’t take for granted that we’ll always have the drugs we need to fight common infections.” In the United States, most Shigella is already resistant to the antibiotics ampicillin and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. Globally, Shigella resistance to Cipro is increasing. Cipro is often prescribed to people who travel internationally, in case they develop diarrhea while out of the United States. More study is needed to determine what role, if any, the use of antibiotics during travel may have in increasing the risk of antibiotic-resistant diarrhea infections among returned travelers. “The increase in drug-resistant Shigella makes it even more critical to prevent shigellosis from spreading,” said Anna Bowen, M.D., M.P.H., a medical officer in CDC’s Waterborne Diseases Prevention Branch and lead author of the study. “Washing your hands with soap and water is important for everyone. Also, international travelers can protect themselves by choosing hot foods and drinking only from sealed containers.” CDC’s PulseNet lab network identified an increase in Shigella sonnei infections with an uncommon genetic fingerprint in December 2014. Further testing at CDC’s National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) lab found that the bacteria were resistant to Cipro. PulseNet detected several large clusters: 45 cases in Massachusetts; 25 cases in California; and 18 cases in Pennsylvania. About half of the PulseNet cases with patient information were associated with international travel, mostly to the Dominican Republic and India. The San Francisco Department of Public Health reported another 95 cases (nine of them among those identified by PulseNet), with almost half occurring among the homeless or people living in single-room occupancy hotels. Shigella causes an estimated 500,000 cases of diarrhea in the United States every year. It spreads easily and rapidly from person to person and through contaminated food and recreational water. It can cause watery or bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, and malaise. Although diarrhea caused by Shigella typically goes away without treatment, people with mild illnesses are often treated with antibiotics to stop the diarrhea faster. Until recently, Cipro resistance has occurred in just 2 percent of Shigella infections tested in the United States, but was found in 90 percent of samples tested in the recent clusters. Because Cipro-resistant Shigella is spreading, CDC recommends doctors use lab tests to determine which antibiotics will effectively treat shigellosis. Doctors and patients should consider carefully whether an infection requires antibiotics at all. To prevent the spread of shigellosis, CDC recommends that people wash their hands often with soap and water, especially after using the toilet and before preparing food or eating; keep children home from childcare and other group activities while they are sick with diarrhea; avoid preparing food for others while ill with diarrhea; and avoid swimming for a few weeks after recovering. Improving access to toilets and soap and water for washing hands may help prevent Shigella transmission among the homeless. Travelers to developing countries can take additional precautions to avoid diarrhea and minimize infection with resistant bacteria. Choose safe foods and beverages, such as food that is steaming hot and drinks from sealed containers (download CDC’s app “Can I Eat This?” to help you make safer food and beverage choices when you travel). Wash hands frequently, particularly before eating and after using the toilet. Take bismuth subsalicylate to prevent travelers’ diarrhea and treat it with over-the-counter drugs like bismuth subsalicylate or loperamide. Try to reserve antibiotics for severe cases of travelers’ diarrhea. Health care providers should test stool samples from patients with symptoms consistent with shigellosis, re-test stool if patients do not improve after taking antibiotics, and test bacteria for antibiotic resistance. For more information on Shigella, please visit: www.cdc.gov/shigella. Travelers can learn more about food and water precautions to prevent Shigella at: http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2014/chapter-2-the-pre-travel-consultation/food-and-water-precautions. To view the full MMWR report, please click here. ### U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES ||||| NEW YORK (AP) — A drug-resistant strain of a nasty stomach bug made its way into the U.S. and spread, causing more than 200 illnesses since last May, health officials said Thursday. This illustration made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows the Shigella bacteria. On Thursday, April 2, 2015, the CDC said a drug-resistant strain of a stomach bug made its... (Associated Press) Many cases were traced to people who had recently traveled to the Dominican Republic, India or other countries. Outbreaks of the shigella (shih-GEHL'-uh) bacteria are not unusual, but this strain is resistant to the antibiotic most commonly prescribed for adults. "This is the first time we've documented this large an outbreak of antibiotic-resistant (shigella) linked to international travel," said Dr. Anna Bowen of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Since last May, the imported superbug has sickened at least 243 people, with large recent outbreaks in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and California. Shigella is a common cause of diarrhea. The bacteria spread very easily through contaminated food or pools and ponds. Outbreaks also are common at daycare centers when staff members don't wash their hands well enough after changing diapers. For most people, it's an unpleasant but temporary illness that ends within a week and can be helped with over-the-counter medicines like Pepto-Bismol or Imodium. Sometimes antibiotics are used: usually azithromycin for children and ciprofloxacin, sold as Cipro, for adults. The past few years, health officials have been detecting shigella bugs resistant to azithromycin. The Cipro-resistant superbug has sickened people in 32 states and Puerto Rico. "It's moving itself around the country," but it's too early to know if the superbug has rooted in the United States for good, Bowen said. ___ Online: CDC report: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr

– Travelers from overseas have brought back an unwelcome present for us all: a particularly rough stomach bug that is now spreading across the US. Bonus: This strain of Shigella is resistant to the go-to antibiotic in such cases, ciprofloxacin, or Cipro. A CDC report says the agency has tracked 243 cases in 32 states between May of last year and February of this year. Massachusetts, California, and Pennsylvania have seen the worst of it, and 20% of patients had to be hospitalized. The CDC thinks the illness was brought back to the US from travelers to India, the Dominican Republic, Morocco, and elsewhere, reports NPR. But the disease is so contagious that it's quickly spreading beyond those initial contacts. "If rates of resistance become this high, in more places, we'll have very few options left for treating shigella with antibiotics by mouth," says lead researcher Anna Bowen. IV antibiotics would follow. Shigella causes diarrhea, cramps, and vomiting and spreads easily through contaminated food and water, including pools and ponds, reports the AP. In most cases, it goes away on its own after about a week. In its report, the CDC advises those traveling abroad to be extra vigilant about washing their hands, watching what they eat, and using over-the-counter treatments such as Pepto-Bismol before grabbing Cipro.

An LED fixture, bottom, is displayed next to an older streetlight, top, in Las Vegas, Nev. on Aug. 3, 2011. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images) If people are sleepless in Seattle, it may not be only because they have broken hearts. The American Medical Association issued a warning in June that high-intensity LED streetlights — such as those in Seattle, Los Angeles, New York, Houston and elsewhere — emit unseen blue light that can disturb sleep rhythms and possibly increase the risk of serious health conditions, including cancer and cardiovascular disease. The AMA also cautioned that those light-emitting-diode lights can impair nighttime driving vision. Similar concerns have been raised over the past few years, but the AMA report adds credence to the issue and is likely to prompt cities and states to reevaluate the intensity of LED lights they install. Nearly 13 percent of area and roadway lighting is now LED, according to a report prepared last year for the Department of Energy, and many communities that haven’t yet made the switch plan to do so. LEDs are up to 50 percent more energy-efficient than the yellow-orange high-pressure sodium lights they typically replace. They last for 15 to 20 years, instead of two to five. And unlike sodium lights, the LEDs spread illumination evenly. [Blue light from electronics disturbs sleep, especially for teenagers] The Energy Department released this video in 2012 explaining the difference between various types of lightbulbs and the energy costs associated with each option. (U.S. Department of Energy) Some cities say the health concerns are not convincing enough to override the benefits of the first-generation bright LED lights that they installed in the past three to eight years. New York is one of them, although it has responded to resident complaints by replacing the high-intensity, white LED bulbs with a lower- intensity bulb that the AMA considers safe. Scott Thomsen, a spokesman for Seattle City Lights, which is responsible for the city’s exterior illumination, dismissed the health concerns about bright-white LED lights, noting that they emit less of the problematic blue wavelengths than most computers and televisions. After a year and a half of discussion and sampling, Lake Worth, Fla., is replacing its sodium streetlights with about 4,150 LED lights with an amber glow. “We found a color that made sense for the health of our city, and we’re proud of the choice we’ve made,” Michael Bornstein, the city manager, said. Mark Hartman, Phoenix’s chief sustainability officer, said the city might go with a mix of the intense lights for major intersections and ballpark areas that need very bright light and a softer light for residential areas. He said the city would consider the health arguments, although he, too, mentioned the glow from computers and televisions. “Nobody says don’t watch television or use your computer after 9 p.m. because of blue lights,” he said. The first generation Almost as soon as outdoor LEDs were made available, the federal government encouraged states and municipalities to use them, calling LEDs highly efficient for such applications as traffic lights and exit signs. But critics say federal authorities were too quick to endorse LEDs. [What you need to know about OLED lighting] The Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency “put a lot of push into them,” said Michael Siminovitch, director of the California Lighting Technology Center at the University of California at Davis. “I call it a rush.” Las Vegas replaced 6,600 existing lights with the new energy-efficient LEDs. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images) Siminovitch said the light from early-generation LEDs “really negatively impacts people’s physiological well-being.” Lighting is measured by color temperature, which is expressed in “kelvin,” or “K.” The original LED streetlights had temperatures of at least 4000K, which produces a bright white light with a high content of unseen blue light. Now, LEDs are available with lower kelvin ratings and roughly the same energy efficiency as those with higher ratings. They don’t emit as much potentially harmful blue light, and they produce a softer, amber hue. When 4000K and 5000K LEDs were installed, they drew mixed responses. Police and traffic-safety officials and many motorists liked them because they created a bright light that sharply illuminated the ground they covered. But in many places, including New York City and Seattle, residents complained that the bright white light was harsh, even lurid. People described them as invasive, cold and unflattering. Even before the AMA warning, some researchers raised health concerns. Some noted that exposure to the blue-rich LED outdoor lights might decrease people’s secretion of the hormone melatonin. Secreted at night, melatonin helps balance the reproductive, thyroid and adrenal hormones and regulates the body’s circadian rhythm of sleeping and waking. “As a species, we weren’t designed to see light at night,” Siminovitch said. Meanwhile, the “dark sky” movement criticizes LEDs as a major contributor to what it calls the “light pollution” that humans cast into the night sky. Effect on sleep cycles In its warning, the AMA cited the melatonin issue, noting that studies have linked bright LEDs to reduced sleep time, poor sleep quality and impaired daytime functioning. It referred to evidence that exposure to high-intensity light at night might increase the risk of cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity. And it cautioned that intense LEDs have been associated with “discomfort and disability glare,” which might impair nighttime vision for drivers. [Nobel Prize in physics goes to three men who gave us blue LEDs] Finally, the AMA cautioned about the harmful effects of bright LEDs on wildlife, particularly nocturnal animals, birds and insects. “These lights aren’t just bad for us,” said Mario Motta, one of the authors of the AMA report, “they’re bad for the environment, too.” The AMA did commend LEDs for their energy efficiency and effectiveness, but it urged cities to minimize blue-rich outside lighting and recommended the use of LEDs no brighter than 3000K. Tony Dorsey, a spokesman with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, said that the organization’s environmental committee is studying the AMA’s report but that association members haven’t seemed concerned about the use of 4000K LEDs on roadways. The Department of Energy said LEDs should be used with “prudence” but praised their overall performance. It said the AMA had added “another influential voice” to the issue. Others, including the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., said the lights pose less risk than the AMA suggests. The research center pointed out that the AMA report is based on extended exposure to high-intensity LEDs and said the blue-light hazard of LEDs “is probably not a concern to the majority of the population in most lighting applications.” Motta stood by the AMA’s concerns about high-intensity LEDs and said there is no downside — either in cost or efficiency — to choosing a lower-intensity light. Sleeping in Seattle Some cities are satisfied with their higher-intensity LED streetlights. In Seattle, which has installed about 41,000 new lights since 2010, Thomsen, the spokesman for Seattle Light, attributed the early complaints to residents’ surprise at the sharp difference in brightness between the old sodium lights and the new LEDs. [What to order when you’re buying new (and pricey!) eyeglasses] Light from the new fixtures is comparable to moonlight and provides excellent visual acuity for drivers, Thomsen said. Police especially like them, he said, because they enable people to distinguish colors at night. “The police say they get much better witness descriptions,” Thomsen said. Thomsen also noted that even though the Seattle LEDs are rated at 4100K, that is significantly lower than most computer screens, laptops and televisions. But Pete Strasser, technical director at the International Dark-Sky Association, said moonlight contains far less blue light than do high-intensity LED lights. A little more than a year ago, Gloucester, Mass., was on its way to replacing its sodium streetlights with 4000K LEDs. But then city planner Matt Coogan began reading about health and environmental warnings. He also had residents sample the 4000K lights against 3000K models. Next month, the city is expected to finish installing its LEDs, but they will be 3000K rather than 4000K. Coogan knows the debate over the health risks of LEDs rages on. But he doesn’t want to be on the wrong side of history. “I didn’t want to get 10 or 15 years down the road and find out we had exposed our people to a health risk,” Coogan said. — Stateline Read more from health and science: Pain kept this young woman from eating for 5 years, and doctors didn’t know why We’re about to learn something exciting about Europa (even if it’s not aliens) That horrible morning sickness you’re having? It’s actually a good sign for the baby. A key part of Obama’s climate legacy finally gets its day in court ||||| Advertisement Cities in the United States are likely to reconsider the use of LED streetlights after a health organization's warning in June suggested a link to increased risk for serious medical conditions. In June, the American Medical Association (AMA) issued a report saying high-intensity LED streetlights emit invisible blue light that can supposedly interrupt sleep rhythms and up risk for heart disease and cancer. The group also warned that such light-emitting devices — which are used in Los Angeles, Houston, Seattle, New York and other cities — can damage drivers' nighttime vision. Such concerns have been raised in the past, but the AMA report [PDF] will likely prompt more states and cities to reevaluate the intensity of LED lights they install. Roadway Lighting A report by the Department of Energy revealed that almost 13 percent of roadway lighting in the country works on LED, and many communities that have not made the switch yet will do so in the future. LEDs are considered 50 percent more energy-efficient compared to sodium lights they usually replace. Unlike typical sodium lights, LEDs spread illumination evenly and last for 15 up to 20 years instead of just two to five years. Effects On Health In its June warning, the AMA explained that bright LEDs have been linked to poor sleep quality, impaired daytime functioning and reduced sleep time. According to the AMA, evidence suggests that exposure to very bright LED lights at night might increase the risk for diabetes, heart disease, obesity and cancer. Such lights might also be linked to disability and discomfort glare, which can impair nighttime vision for drivers. 'Not Convincing Enough' However, others believe the AMA warning is not convincing enough to override the benefits of bright LED lights installed in cities in the past eight years. New York is among them, but it has responded to complaints by replacing high-intensity LED bulbs with lower-intensity lights that AMA considers as safe. Scott Thomsen, a spokesperson for Seattle City Lights, dismissed the concerns about high-intensity LED lights, saying that these bulbs emit less of the problematic blue wavelengths than most televisions and computers. Still, some experts believe that such LED lights should be regulated the same way "classic" pollutants are controlled. "[T] here should also be regulations and rules for the pollution stemming from artificial light at night," said Professor Abraham Haim from University of Haifa. He conducted a study on the effects of "light pollution" on health in 2011. Meanwhile, the AMA asserts that authorities should consider the use of moderate-intensity lighting rather than high-intensity LED bulbs. Photo: Robert Ashworth | Flickr © 2016 Tech Times, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

– Many US cities have been making the move from sodium street lights to LEDs—the bulbs are not only up to 50% more energy efficient than their predecessors, but they last for as many as 20 years and distribute light more evenly. Unfortunately, numerous studies suggest that the levels of blue light in the high-intensity LED bulbs could have health ramifications, including sleep problems and even increased risk for cancer and heart disease. The evidence is apparently strong enough to prompt the American Medical Association to issue a warning in June that LED street lights can impair and even damage nighttime vision, reports Tech Times. Problem is, almost 13% of roadway lighting now uses LEDs, with many places planning a switch, reports the Washington Post. Seattle has been downright dismissive of any health concerns, while New York has gone so far as to switch to lower-intensity LED bulbs the AMA considers safe when residents complain. Lake Worth, Fla., meanwhile, has plans to replace its sodium street lights with more than 4,000 LED lights that have less of the potentially harmful blue light and more of an amber hue, while Gloucester, Mass., has consulted its own residents and decided to play it safe and go with less blue in their LEDs, which they'll finish installing next month. But not everybody's convinced the danger is real: "Nobody says don’t watch television or use your computer after 9pm because of blue lights," grouses one Phoenix official to the Post. (This major company is making the switch to LEDs.)

The implications of President Trump’s Muslim ban regarding higher education have incited campus protests across the country, and even prompted officials at seventeen top schools to file a brief in federal court. A new study is shedding light on how strict immigration policies could continue to impact American education for generations to come — revealing that nearly all of America’s top high school science students are children of immigrants. The report, published by the National Foundation for American Policy , a non-profit, non-partisan public policy research organization, attests to the incredibly strong and increasing influence that children of immigrants have on science and math in America. The study examined the backgrounds of the 40 finalists in the 2016 Intel Talent Search, the country’s most prestigious math and science competition for high school seniors, also known as the “Junior Nobel Prize.” The annual event, which takes place in Washington D.C., is organized by the Society for Science & the Public and was renamed the Regeneron Science Talent Search in 2017. Researchers found that out of the 40 finalists in 2016, an astounding 33 (83%) were children of immigrants . More specifically, 30 out of the 40 (75%) finalists had parents who were employed in the U.S. on H-1B Visas, compared to 7 competitors whose parents were both born in America. To put that into perspective, consider that former H-1B Visa holders make up less than 1% of the U.S. population, Steve Anderson, the study’s author, explained in Forbes . Yet, according to these findings, former H-1B Visa holders were four times more likely to have a child as a 2016 finalist than parents who were both born in the U.S. “These outstanding children of immigrants would never have been in America if their parents had not been allowed into the U.S.,” the report states. “Policymakers seeking to restrict high-skilled immigration should note that an important, underappreciated benefit of high-skilled foreign nationals is the contributions made by their children.” The countries of origin of the 2016 finalists’ parents were also very diverse. Out of the group of 40, 14 students had parents both born in India and 11 had parents both born in China. The U.S. came in third, with 7 of the finalists having parents both born in America. To put these numbers into perspective, consider that people of Indian and Chinese birth make up only about 1% of the national population, according to the Pew Research Center, the report notes. “In addition to China, India and the United States, the countries of origin for the parents of 2016 Intel Science Talent Search finalists represent a diverse set of countries, including Canada, Cyprus, Iran, Japan, Nigeria, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan,” per the report. Of the 40 finalists in 2016, 27 (68%) had a parent who came to America as an international student. But given the Trump administration's policies, both introduced and proposed, universities are concerned they'll no longer be able to attract the same caliber of students from abroad as in the past. “Seeing what my parents did to make a better life for their children has inspired me to do everything I can to succeed,” finalist Augusta Uwamanzu-Nna, whose father came to America on an H-1B visa, told Forbes . “This is the land of opportunity.” Related: Three Regeneron Science Talent Search Finalists Share Their Thoughts on Being Girls in STEM ||||| A Surprising Explanation For Why Some Immigrants Excel In Science Enlarge this image toggle caption Chelsea Beck/NPR Chelsea Beck/NPR Seventeen-year-old Indrani Das just won the top high school science prize in the country. Das, who lives in Oradell, N.J., took home $250,000 from the former Intel Science Talent Search, now the Regeneron Science Talent Search, for her study of brain injuries and neuron damage. In her spare time, she's already working with patients as a certified EMT. In last year's contest, according to one study, more than 80 percent of finalists were, like Das, the children of immigrants. As the Times of India pointed out, Das, a Jersey girl whose parents were born in Kolkata, was one of five Indian Americans among the competition's top ten finishers. What is it that spurs so many people with foreign roots to excel in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM disciplines? The cultural stereotype is broad; it sweeps in both immigrants and their children from many different parts of the world. Some invoke tropes like that of the "Tiger Mother," for an explanation. Not Marcos Rangel. For a new study published in the journal Demography, Rangel, an economist at Duke University, and his co-author, Marigee Bacolod of the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, looked at U.S. Census data for young adults who arrived in the United States before age 18. The data covers in detail the relative skills required for different occupations, such as physical strength, communication skills, social skills, math and reasoning. For those who went to college, they were also able to see what major they chose. What's unique about this study is that Bacolod and Rangel subdivided the immigrants in two ways. First, whether they arrived in early childhood, before age 10. Second, whether their native language was linguistically close to English — say, German — or less similar — say, Vietnamese. Most linguists agree that these two factors have a dramatic impact on someone's chances of becoming perfectly fluent in a second language. Immigrants in general, he found, were markedly more likely to choose jobs that require physical strength. This may reflect barriers to accessing higher education. However, they were also relatively more likely to choose jobs that require math and logic or social and emotional skills rather than relying on communication skills. And among the subset of immigrants who attended college, the ones who arrived later and from more linguistically distinct places — think the Vietnamese teen, not the German toddler — were many times more likely to major in a STEM field. "If it were just as easy for me to write with my left hand as with my right, I would be using both. But no, I specialize," Rangel says. In the same way, academically motivated students who have to play catch-up in English class may prefer to zoom ahead in the universal language of mathematics. Rangel, who came here from Brazil as a young father, has seen this dynamic play out in his own family. "The younger one, who went to Pre-K in English, is different from my kid who came at five already reading Portuguese," he says. The older one is more inclined toward math. To be clear, Rangel doesn't discount the notion that cultural values may also influence immigrants' career choices, or those of their children for that matter. But he is out to tell a more nuanced story — "a movie, not just a photograph," he says — of how people develop different skills and talents. Das exemplifies this nuance. A former spelling bee champion as well as a science whiz, she told one newspaper that she sought out medicine as a kind of rebellion after her parents tried to discourage her from the field. ||||| DURHAM, N.C. -- The future occupations of U.S. immigrant children are influenced by how similar their native language is to English, finds a new study by scholars at Duke University and the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School. "The more difficult it is for the child to learn English, the more likely they will invest in math/logic and physical skills over communications skills," said co-author Marcos Rangel, an assistant professor of public policy and economics at Duke's Sanford School of Public Policy. "It is really a story about what skills people who immigrated as children develop given the costs and benefits associated with the learning processes." Two factors strongly influence the skills immigrants use as adults, researchers found: immigration before the age of 10, and whether immigrants' native language is linguistically distant from English. Immigrants who arrive before the age of 10 pursue occupations very similar to those pursued by native-born Americans. They develop the same range of skills as native-borns, including communication, math/logic, socio-emotional and physical skills. But for those who are older when they immigrate, the picture is different. After age 10, learning a second language is more difficult, and a child's particular linguistic background matters more. Some languages, such as Vietnamese, are linguistically very distant from English. Children from those countries are more likely to major in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields than those whose native language is linguistically close to English, such as German. "Late arrivals from English-distant countries develop a comparative advantage in math/logic, socio-emotional and physical skills relative to communication skills which ultimately generates the occupational segregation we are used to seeing in the labor market," Rangel said. The choice of majors made it clear that where these immigrants ended up in the labor market was not just because of different treatment by employers. It was also due to "the way the immigrants themselves look ahead and invest their time in becoming skilled in different tasks," Rangel said. The study, published online in the journal Demography on March 20, provides insight into why "some U.S. immigrants find it more attractive to invest in brawn rather than in brain, in mathematics rather than in poetry, in science rather than in history," write Rangel and co-author Marigee Bacolod, associate professor of economics at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School's Graduate School of Business and Public Policy. "Public policy designed to improve the education of English-learners could potentially have distinct long-lasting effects over the assimilation of immigrant children and over the future distribution of skills within the U.S. workforce," the authors conclude. The researchers used data from the 1990 and 2000 U.S. Censuses, the 2009 to 2013 American Community Survey and the Dictionary of Occupational Titles and the Occupational Information Network. The researchers also used a measure developed by the Max Planck Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology to determine the distance of a language from English. ### CITATION: "Economic Assimilation and Skill Acquisition: Evidence from the Occupational Sorting of Childhood Immigrants" by Marigee Bacolod, U.S. Naval Postgraduate School and Marcos Rangel, Duke University. Demography, March 20 2017. DOI: # 10.1007/s13524-017-0558-2

– It's formally called the Regeneron Student Talent Search, but it's more casually known as the "Junior Nobel"—and the high schooler who wins the elite science prize walks with $250,000. A study on last year's finalists turned up something interesting, reports Teen Vogue: 83% of the 40 were children of immigrants. And as NPR reports, new research may suggest a possible contributing factor. Reporting in the journal Demography, the two researchers looked at US census data and found that immigrants tend to choose jobs requiring physical strength, suggesting obstacles to accessing to higher levels of education. But among immigrants with a college degree, the landscape is very different. Those who went to college, came to the States as older children, and hailed from a country more linguistically different than the US (think Vietnam vs. Germany) were much more likely to pursue a science, tech, engineering, or math (STEM) field. This is especially true for kids arriving after age 10. The researchers hypothesize in a press release that such immigrants may prefer working on a subject like math, a universal language. "The more difficult it is for the child to learn English [and it becomes trickier after 10], the more likely they will invest in math/logic and physical skills over communications skills," says co-author Marcos Rangel. It's not a full explanation, but they hope to highlight that there may be many nuances influencing why we pursue the fields we do. (Here's what migrant children are fleeing.)

MIAMI A Miami man remained hospitalized in serious condition after a crocodile for the first time in Florida history attacked a pair of late-night swimmers near an upscale suburb, a wildlife official said on Monday. Lisset Rendon, 23, was bitten in her left shoulder before she could struggle out of the crocodile's jaws, after she and Alejandro Jimenez, 26, jumped into a canal, Jorge Pino, a spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. “They started swimming and apparently at some point they came face-to-face with a nine-foot crocodile,” Pino said. After Rendon was attacked, Jimenez was bitten in the hands and torso as he scrambled toward safety at a nearby dock early Sunday morning, Pino said. Though Florida is well known for incidents involving its large alligator population, American crocodiles number less than 2,000 and live mostly in the southeastern region near the Everglades. The large reptiles are shy and reclusive, Pino said, and feed mostly between the hours of dusk and dawn. Another couple in an unconfirmed 2011 attack claimed a crocodile flipped their kayak as they paddled through the Florida Keys. Crocodiles live mostly in saltwater, but can survive in the brackish waters found in Florida when the ocean meets groundwater in a web of canals and waterways. The canal where Rendon and Jimenez went swimming is a known crocodile habitat, and wildlife officials spent the day warning residents about the dangers of wading into unfamiliar waters. “We certainly do not recommend you go swimming during their peak feeding hours,” Pino said. (Editing by David Adams and Leslie Adler) ||||| CORAL GABLES, Fla. (WSVN) -- The hunt is on for a crocodile who bit two people in a canal behind a Coral Gables neighborhood. Trappers had one of the crocodiles hooked Monday night, but it managed to wrestle itself free and swim away, so Tuesday the game of hide-and-seek continues. "We had one hooked for quite some time, but unfortunately he broke the line," said Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesperson Jorge Pino. FWC officials said a crocodile bit two swimmers who jumped into a canal sometime between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m., Sunday, at the end of a house party along the 1300 block of Lugo Avenue and Gables by the Sea. Pino said, "They were jumping in and out of the water. Perhaps that attracted the attention of the crocodile." Alejandro Jimenez and Lisset Rendon, who were guests at the party, decided to take a late-night swim in the canal, and that's when they were attacked by a crocodile lurking beneath the surface. "One crocodile came up and bit the female in the shoulder," said Pino. "She managed to get away and swim to the dock. The male that was also swimming also suffered some injuries or bites to his hands, but he also managed to make it to the dock safely." Both victims were transported and treated at South Miami Hospital. Jimenez's sister told 7News her brother is still recovering from the bite to his hand and other small cuts. Officials said residents in the area know there are crocodiles in the water. The same crocodile has made appearances in the past, one which was caught on camera in Fred Santiago's backyard. "Crocodiles started coming in after Hurricane Andrew," he said. "That was the first time I saw one across the canal, sunning himself and living here ever since." FWC officials said this was the first attack from a crocodile on a human ever reported in the United States. Once the animals are caught they will not be released back into the wild. Instead, the crocodiles will be taken to a rehab facility where they will remain for the rest of their lives. "We protect Florida's residents first," said Pino, "and we want to make sure that we remove these crocodiles from this area to avoid any hysteria or to avoid anybody from getting bitten in the future." One of the two crocodiles FWC is hoping to catch is nearly 12 feet long. "They do come into this area, and they've known to be in this area for quite some time," said Pino. "The one that we're trying to locate, that's the larger crocodile known to the residents as 'Poncho,' has actually been here for nine years." Trappers continued searching for the crocodiles late into Tuesday night but came up empty-handed. They plan to return to the scene Wednesday.

– Alejandro Jimenez, 26, and Lisset Rendon, 23, went for a swim at 2:30am Sunday in a Florida canal during a house party ... and exited the water with the honor of being the first people in the US bitten by an American crocodile. Residents of the South Miami neighborhood where the incident took place say they've actually named the three large crocodiles that live behind their homes—Pancho, Snaggletooth, and Streetwalker—and wildlife officials assume one of those three is to blame, the Guardian reports. Jimenez is still in the hospital recovering from bites on his torso and hands; Rendon is home recovering from a shoulder bite. One wildlife official says the couple struggled with the 9-foot crocodile and eventually made their way to shore, where other partygoers who heard the noise pulled them out of the water. Officials aren't calling it an attack, though, because "crocodiles are most active at dawn and dusk, they’re looking for food, and this one would have interpreted what was in the water as food," he said. "It’s common sense never to swim where you know there are crocodiles and alligators." Crocodiles typically avoid contact with humans, Reuters notes. Trappers are looking for the crocs and will move them to a rehab facility, WSVN reports. (In Australia last week, a crocodile known as "Michael Jackson" killed a fisherman.)

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, left, prepares to shake hands with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi prior to a meeting at EU headquarters in Brussels, Friday, June 1, 2018. The European... (Associated Press) European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, left, prepares to shake hands with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi prior to a meeting at EU headquarters in Brussels, Friday, June 1, 2018. The European Union and China say they will deepen ties on trade and investment and that they fully support global... (Associated Press) European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, left, prepares to shake hands with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi prior to a meeting at EU headquarters in Brussels, Friday, June 1, 2018. The European Union and China say they will deepen ties on trade and investment and that they fully support global... (Associated Press) European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, left, prepares to shake hands with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi prior to a meeting at EU headquarters in Brussels, Friday, June 1, 2018. The European... (Associated Press) WASHINGTON (AP) — Countries around the world fought back Friday against President Donald Trump's decision to slap tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, announcing retaliatory countermeasures and warning that the U.S. plan will hurt U.S. consumers. French President Emmanuel Macron said in a statement Friday that he told Trump in a phone call that the new U.S. tariffs on European, Mexican and Canadian goods are illegal and a "mistake." Macron pledged the riposte would be "firm" and "proportionate" and in line with World Trade Organization rules. Germany's Volkswagen, Europe's largest automaker, warned that the decision could start a trade war that no side would win. The European Union and China said they will deepen ties on trade and investment as a result. "This is stupid. It's counterproductive," former British trade minister Francis Maude told the BBC. "Any government that embarks on a protectionist path inflicts the most damage on itself," he added. Macron warned that "economic nationalism leads to war. This is exactly what happened in the 1930s." Trump's move makes good on a his campaign promise to crack down on trading partners that he claims exploit poorly negotiated trade agreements to run up big trade surpluses with the United States. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross says the tariffs — 25 percent on imported steel, 10 percent on aluminum from Canada, Mexico and the European Union — take effect Friday. The import duties threaten to drive up prices for American consumers and companies and are likely to heighten uncertainty for businesses and investors around the globe. Stock prices slumped amid fears of a trade war, with the Dow Jones industrial average falling nearly 252 points, or 1 percent, to 24,415.84. Mexico complained that the tariffs will "distort international trade" and said it will penalize U.S. imports including pork, apples, grapes, cheeses and flat steel. In Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday that the tariffs were "totally unacceptable." Canada announced plans to slap tariffs on $12.8 billion worth of U.S. products, ranging from steel to yogurt and toilet paper. "Canada is a secure supplier of aluminum and steel to the U.S. defense industry, putting aluminum in American planes and steel in American tanks," Trudeau said. "That Canada could be considered a national security threat to the United States is inconceivable." Trump had originally imposed the tariffs in March, saying a reliance on imported metals threatened national security. But he exempted Canada, Mexico and the European Union to buy time for negotiations — a reprieve that expired at midnight Thursday. Other countries, including Japan, America's closest ally in Asia, are already paying the tariffs. "This is protectionism, pure and simple," said Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission. The EU earlier threatened to counterpunch by targeting U.S. products, including Kentucky bourbon, blue jeans and motorcycles. David O'Sullivan, the EU's ambassador in Washington, said the retaliation will probably be announced in late June. Trump had campaigned for president on a promise to crack down on trading partners that he said exploited poorly negotiated trade agreements to run up big trade surpluses with the U.S. The U.S. tariffs coincide with — and could complicate — the Trump administration's separate fight over Beijing's strong-arm tactics to overtake U.S. technological supremacy. Ross is leaving Friday for Beijing for talks aimed at preventing a trade war with China. The world's two biggest economies have threatened to impose tariffs on up to $200 billion worth of each other's products. The steel and aluminum tariffs could also complicate the administration's efforts to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico, a pact that Trump has condemned as a job-killing "disaster." The White House released a statement from Trump Thursday night saying of NAFTA, "Earlier today, this message was conveyed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada: The United State (sic) will agree to a fair deal, or there will be no deal at all." Trump had offered the two U.S. neighbors a permanent exemption from the steel and aluminum tariffs if they agreed to U.S. demands on NAFTA. But the NAFTA talks stalled. Ross said there was "no longer a very precise date when they may be concluded," and that as a result, Canada and Mexico were added to the list of countries hit with tariffs. Likewise, the Trump trade team sought to use the tariff threat to pressure Europe into reducing barriers to U.S. products. But the two sides could not reach an agreement. The import duties will give a boost to American makers of steel and aluminum by making foreign metals more expensive. But companies in the U.S. that use imported steel will face higher costs. And the tariffs will allow domestic steel and aluminum producers to raise prices, squeezing companies — from automakers to can producers — that buy those metals. House Speaker Paul Ryan and several leading Republicans in Congress were critical of the administration's tariff action. Ryan said there are better ways to help American workers and consumers and that he plans to work with Trump on "those better options." ||||| Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said months of intense negotiations between his country, the United States and Mexico imploded Tuesday when Vice President Pence demanded that any deal expire automatically in five years. Trudeau said he was prepared to travel to Washington this week to try to finalize a rework of the North American Free Trade Agreement, but Pence, in the phone call, said a meeting would occur only if the “sunset” provision was agreed to in advance. [What’s a Trump hug really worth? Not a lot, Trudeau and Macron find out.] “I had to highlight that there was no possibility of any Canadian prime minister signing a NAFTA deal that included a five-year sunset clause, and obviously the visit didn’t happen,” Trudeau said Thursday. Trudeau’s comments came after President Trump enacted the most severe economic penalties he has imposed to date against U.S. allies, establishing tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada, Mexico and the European Union. The trade partners are expected to retaliate in what is becoming a fast-developing global trade war. [Trump has officially put more tariffs on U.S. allies than on China] A White House official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the back and forth between the countries, said Trudeau spoke to Trump last Friday, and then Trudeau called Pence on Monday to follow up. Pence called Trudeau back Tuesday “to discuss ongoing negotiations.” Thursday evening, Trump seemed to respond directly to Trudeau’s criticism, saying in a statement issued by the White House that “That United States has been taken advantage of for many decades on trade. Those days are over. Earlier today, this message was conveyed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada: The United States will agree to a fair deal, or there will be no deal at all.” There were still a number of differences between the United States and Canada as they reached the final stages of negotiation, but both sides seemed dug in on the idea of whether or not the whole agreement should expire after five years. The sunset issue was one of several that the White House wanted “clarity” on before any meeting took place, the White House official said. These tensions are expected to intensify. Trump, Trudeau and several other world leaders are scheduled to meet next week in Canada at a Group of Seven meeting. Trump has said the new tariffs on steel and aluminum imports are necessary to protect U.S. national security, but they have been widely criticized by foreign leaders, U.S. business groups and even some labor groups as being ill designed and potentially damaging to the U.S. economy. The tariffs had been delayed against Mexico and Canada while U.S. officials tried to finalize NAFTA talks, but it became clear in recent days that an agreement was out of reach. The White House has sought to include a sunset provision in the NAFTA renegotiation for months, but Canada and Mexico have been cool to the idea, saying it would remove any economic security and certainty for businesses trying to comply with trade rules. Trudeau said Thursday that he felt the United States, Mexico and Canada were on the verge of a renegotiated NAFTA that he described as a “win, win, win” before the talks stalled after the Pence phone call. For more than a year, Trump has threatened to take steps to withdraw from NAFTA, but during his first year in office he was coaxed out of taking dramatic steps by advisers such as National Economic Council President Gary Cohn and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Now, Cohn and Tillerson have left the White House, and Trump has gravitated toward seeking the counsel of trade hard-liners such as Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, senior adviser Peter Navarro, and U.S. Trade Representative Robert E. Lighthizer. Trump had taken a slightly less adversarial public approach with Canada and Mexico during the initial stages of the negotiations, but that ended several months ago. In March, Trump told a group during a St. Louis fundraiser that he didn’t have the facts in front of him and simply made up trade information during private discussions with Trudeau. And on Tuesday, Trump said during a rally that he was going to make Mexico pay for a wall along the U.S. border. That immediately elicited a terse response from Mexico’s president.

– Justin Trudeau says he was ready to fly to Washington to make a deal on NAFTA—until Mike Pence made a demand that he had no choice but to reject. The Canadian prime minister says the vice president told him there would have to be a "sunset clause" guaranteeing that the deal would expire in five years, the Washington Post reports. Trudeau says this would create far too much uncertainty for businesses. He says the visit was called off after he made it clear to Pence that no Canadian leader would sign a deal containing a sunset clause. Trump said in a statement Thursday that the US "has been taken advantage of for many decades on trade" and the message was conveyed to Trudeau that Washington will "agree to a fair deal, or there will be no deal at all." "FAIR TRADE!" he tweeted. Trudeau denounced new US tariffs on Canadian, Mexican, and EU imports as "totally unacceptable" and said Ottawa will slap tariffs on $12.8 billion worth of US goods, the AP reports. Trump previously framed our dependence on imported metals as a national security threat, and Trudeau addressed that: "Canada is a secure supplier of aluminum and steel to the US defense industry, putting aluminum in American planes and steel in American tanks. That Canada could be considered a national security threat to the United States is inconceivable." Mexico also vowed to penalize US imports, and French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday he had spoken to Trump and told him the tariffs were an illegal "mistake" that would draw a "firm" response.

This implementation project showed that routine reflex DNA screening for trisomies 21, 18, and 13 achieved a detection rate of 95% with a false-positive rate of 0.02% and an odds of being affected given a positive result of 25:1. Only 2 in 10,000 women with unaffected pregnancies had an invasive diagnostic test. No other method of prenatal screening for these disorders has such a high detection rate for such a low false-positive rate. While the detection rate is a few percentage points lower than with universal DNA screening,9,10,12 the greater proportional reduction in the false-positive rate results in a greater discrimination between affected and unaffected pregnancies. Chitty et al.3 described a similar two-step screening protocol but, instead of performing a reflex DNA test on a previously collected plasma sample, women with a combined test risk ≥1 in 1,000 were recalled for counseling with the offer of a DNA screening test or, if the risk was ≥1 in 150, the choice of a DNA screening test or an invasive diagnostic test. Twelve percent of women were recalled in this way and informed that they were in this higher risk group, and 18% chose to proceed directly to an invasive diagnostic test. This increases the false-positive rate and consequently also increases the number of invasive diagnostic tests in women with unaffected pregnancies; this is avoided with the reflex method. We can be confident that the reflex DNA screening strategy benefits women by reducing the chance that they will be made acutely anxious. Measuring anxiety levels directly in such circumstances is, in our view, neither appropriate nor necessary; imparting potentially distressing information when this can be completely avoided is self-evidently of benefit. The technical DNA test failure rate is a problem with DNA screening. The reflex DNA approach with 10% of women having a DNA test means that, among all women screened, about 2 per 1,000 (10% × 1.8%) needed to have an extra blood collection, a much lower recall rate than with contingent DNA screening without reflexing.3 The 68% reduction in the failure rate between tests using the first and second aliquot from the initial blood sample indicates that the failure is mainly technical, and not due to factors associated with the woman and her pregnancy. As the technical aspects of the test improve, the initial failure rate is likely to fall significantly. With the reflex DNA screening approach, all pregnancies have a screening result and in this implementation project only 3 pregnancies out of 2,480 reflexed to a DNA test (0.12%) had an integrated test after a DNA test failure using the second aliquot of the extra blood collection. Compared with established screening methods, reflex DNA screening reduces the clinical workload involved in counseling women with screen-positive results; in the implementation audit 105 (101 + 4 from Table 2) women required counseling following a screen-positive result whereas 635 (549 + 86) would have required counseling if the combined test alone or the two-step (recall) method 3 had been used. The two-step method 3 will further increase the clinical workload because in addition to counseling after a positive combined test result, some women would need counseling again after a positive DNA test result. Women identified as being screen positive in the implementation audit had a high odds of having an affected pregnancy (25:1, see Table 2), which is likely to reduce uncertainty over the decision to have an invasive diagnostic test (1:6 with the combined test alone, see Table 2). Reflex DNA screening can potentially achieve cost savings because of the reduction in the number of invasive diagnostic tests needed and the reduced need for patient counseling associated with the two-step approach. These savings could be used to pay for the reflex DNA screening tests to secure the clinical benefits. Depending on local costs, a combined test cutoff level could be selected so that the costs of the screening program are affordable and cost-effective. As the cost of reflex DNA screening declines, the combined test cutoff can be lowered, resulting in an increase in the proportion of women having a reflex DNA test and hence an increase in the detection rate. In this implementation project Streck tubes were used to reduce white blood cell lysis and cellular DNA leakage into the plasma of whole blood before plasma separation. The effect of such leakage would be to diminish the fetal fraction and possibly increase the proportion of failed tests. The use of inexpensive ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) tubes rather than the more expensive Streck tubes would lead to cost savings. Such a switch should be acceptable as there is evidence that the separation of plasma from cells up to at least 48 hours after blood collection does not significantly degrade the sample needed for DNA analysis.13,14 Integrating information from combined test markers with sequencing information from DNA analysis enhances screening performance. While the improvement in screening performance is small, with suitable interpretive software this can readily be implemented without additional cost. A source of false positives associated with the DNA test arises from maternal mosaicism,15 confined placental mosaicism,16 and maternal copy-number variation.17 Though they are rare occurrences, this problem is mitigated in reflex DNA screening. For example, if 10% of women have a reflex DNA test the problem is reduced 10-fold. A practical point affecting any reflex DNA screening program is that the invasive diagnostic test should be amniocentesis, not chorionic villus sampling, which will replicate the confined placental mosaicism observed in the maternal plasma. With universal DNA screening the detection rate would have been 99%, but an extra blood sample would be required for a repeat DNA test in 1.8% of pregnancies based on the failure rate in pregnancies tested at the Wolfson Institute (see Figure 3). With the reflex approach, in which 10% have a DNA test, the detection rate is 95% with a 10-fold lower rate of requesting an extra blood collection (0.18%) than universal DNA screening. There is a trade-off between small incremental increases in detection for increasing proportions of women required to provide an extra blood sample. In every 100,000 pregnancies undergoing reflex DNA screening, based on a 10% reflexing proportion, 180 would be recalled for an extra blood collection compared with 1,800 such return visits with universal DNA screening. The reflex DNA policy makes prenatal screening for trisomies 21, 18, and 13 safer than other policies because of the reduced false-positive rate. Taking the risk of fetal loss due to an invasive diagnostic test as 1 in 100,18 among 1 million unaffected pregnancies that undergo reflex DNA screening, 200 would have a diagnostic amniocentesis and about 2 of these would result in a fetal loss due to the diagnostic procedure. If all pregnant women were screened using the reflex DNA approach, this would amount to eight procedure-related unaffected fetal losses in the United States and about two in the United Kingdom, each year. If the fetal loss rate from an invasive diagnostic test is less than 1 in 100, these estimates of the number of procedure-related fetal losses would be even lower. As well as improved safety, 19 out of 20 pregnancies with trisomy 21, 18, or 13 are detected by reflex DNA screening. The benefits of reflex DNA screening arise mainly from the substantially lower false-positive rate compared with other methods of screening, the avoidance of recall-induced anxiety associated with non-reflex contingent screening, and a detection rate similar to universal DNA testing. These clinical benefits, together with the reduced cost compared with universal DNA testing, make the reflex approach a preferred method of screening. The results of this implementation project show that the benefits of reflex DNA screening were achieved in routine screening practice. ||||| Credit: CC0 Public Domain Medical scientists at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) have demonstrated for the first time that it is possible to incorporate DNA analysis into antenatal screening for three serious chromosome disorders, including Down's syndrome, in a way that is far more accurate than existing methods, and safer and less stressful for mothers. The new method, called antenatal "reflex DNA screening", which screens for Down's syndrome, Edwards syndrome and Patau syndrome, detected more affected pregnancies than the test it replaced, with far fewer false-positives. Reflex DNA screening combines conventional screening with new DNA testing. The method was implemented in five UK NHS maternity units, screening over 22,000 women between April 2015 and August 2016, and continues to be in use. The findings are published in the journal Genetics in Medicine. At present, women are offered screening for these three chromosome disorders at 10-14 weeks of pregnancy. The test combines an ultrasound scan and a blood test, and if it shows that a woman is at an increased risk of having an affected pregnancy, she is offered a diagnostic test, an amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling (CVS); these are invasive tests that involve inserting a needle through the mother's abdomen into her womb to collect samples of fluid surrounding the foetus or tissue from the placenta. With the new method, women provided a blood sample at about 11 weeks of pregnancy. The sample was divided into two; one used for the conventional screening test and one held in reserve. The first sample was used to assess the women's risk of any of the three disorders. If, on the basis of that test, the risk of having an affected pregnancy was 1 in 800 or a higher risk, the other blood sample was automatically retrieved for a DNA test (i.e. performed in a "reflex" manner), without having to recall the women to provide a fresh blood sample. This avoided needlessly worrying the women by informing them that the DNA test was required because of their increased risk of an affected pregnancy. Of the 22,812 women screened, 11 per cent had a reflex DNA test. It detected 101 out of the 106 pregnancies affected with one of the three disorders, with only four false-positives, yielding a 95 per cent detection rate (compared with 81 per cent using the existing conventional test alone), and a 0.02 per cent false-positive rate (100-fold reduction in false positives from 2.42 per cent for the combined test). Among pregnancies that tested positive and where the women were offered an invasive diagnostic test, 25 out of 26 were affected by one of the syndromes. Professor Sir Nicholas Wald, from QMUL's Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, who led the project, said: "The reflex DNA approach has substantial benefits to the well-being of the women screened. Not only are more affected pregnancies identified, but many fewer women will be made acutely anxious by being notified that they have a positive screening result, and among those women with a positive DNA screening result, almost all will have an affected pregnancy. Reflex screening is also safer than conventional screening as it avoids nearly all invasive diagnostic tests in unaffected pregnancies and miscarriages related to these procedures. "The reflex DNA approach has beneficial resource implications by reducing the number of women who need counselling on account of a positive screening result, and by avoiding about five out of six diagnostic amniocenteses that would otherwise be indicated. The extra costs of the DNA tests are offset against savings from fewer amniocenteses and associated counselling. The overall balance of costs and savings can be chosen by adjusting the proportion of women who have a reflex DNA test." He continued: "The National Screening Committee is considering a similar proposal, which involves recalling women with a positive initial result for a DNA test, some of whom will be sufficiently anxious to request a diagnostic amniocentesis rather than the DNA test. The reflex method avoids causing worry to this group, and avoids the dilemma in choosing between a DNA screening test and a diagnostic amniocentesis." Mr Joseph Aquilina, consultant obstetrician at Barts Health NHS Trust who participated in the project, said: "The new reflex DNA approach is transformational. Not only is the screening method better than current practice, but I have more time to devote to other clinical needs, as do the nursing and midwifery staff involved." The researchers are now approaching other hospitals in the UK to see if they would be interested in adopting the new test. In addition, they say that the test could be adopted by hospitals worldwide so long as they have access to labs that can perform the DNA analysis. "Ideally, the DNA testing would be performed in the existing screening laboratory in order for the testing process to be seamless," said Professor Wald. Explore further: Changes to prenatal screening for Down syndrome suggested More information: Nicholas J Wald, Wayne J Huttly, Jonathan P Bestwick, Robert Old, Joan K Morris, Ray Cheng, Joe Aquilina, Elisabeth Peregrine, Devender Roberts, Zarko Alfirevic. "Prenatal reflex DNA screening for trisomy 21, 18, and 13". Genetics in Medicine. DOI: 10.1038/GIM.2017.188 ||||| New test more accurate than current screening in detecting Down’s, Edwards and Patau syndromes and could simplify screening process, say researchers Doctors have developed a more accurate test for Down’s syndrome and two rarer genetic disorders that are so serious the children often die soon after birth. UK hospitals that adopted the test as part of a medical project found that it picked up nearly all affected pregnancies and slashed the number of women who wrongly tested positive, sparing them the anxiety of needless follow-up tests. Five NHS maternity units used “reflex DNA screening” between April 2015 and August 2016, during which nearly 23,000 pregnancies were checked for Down’s, Edwards and Patau syndromes. All of the conditions are caused by the presence of an extra chromosome in the baby’s cells. NHS to offer safer Down's syndrome test to pregnant women Read more According to a report in Genetics in Medicine, the new procedure detected 101 of 106 pregnancies affected by the disorders, or 95%, compared with 81% for the conventional test used in hospitals. The rate of false positives, where babies were wrongly identified as having a condition, fell 100-fold with reflex DNA screening to two in 10,000. Compared with regular screening, the new procedure avoided 530 invasive tests to diagnose the disorders. The conventional screening test for Down’s and other chromosomal disorders involves a blood test and an ultrasound scan at 10 to 14 weeks, which are combined with the mother’s age to work out her risk of carrying an affected baby. If the risk is more than one in 150, the woman is offered an invasive test to confirm the diagnosis. The diagnostic tests require a needle to be inserted into the woman’s womb to collect fluid around the foetus or tissue from the placenta. Reflex DNA screening draws on the same blood and ultrasound tests, but if the risk of an affected pregnancy is higher than one in 800, then some of the blood already taken from the mother is sent for DNA analysis. This looks for fragments of DNA that have leaked from the placenta, which reveal whether the baby has the extra chromosomes. The woman is only alerted to the risk if the DNA tests positive. The NHS plans to introduce a similar screening procedure in 2018, that will be offered to about 10,000 women a year who are considered to have a higher risk of giving birth to a baby with one of the conditions. Fears over new Down's syndrome test may have been exaggerated, warns expert Read more Nicholas Wald at the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine at Queen Mary, said reflex DNA screening had substantial benefits for women who are screened. “We don’t have to approach women to come back for a DNA test. This enormously reduces the false positive rate and the number of women needlessly made anxious as a result.” Wald said the procedure simplified the screening process and freed up clinic time because far fewer women had to be called back for follow-up tests. “This would potentially be offered to all pregnant women,” he added. Joseph Aquilina, a consultant obstetrician at Barts Health NHS Trust, one of the five units that tried reflex DNA screening, said it was “transformational”. “Not only is the screening method better than current practice, but I have more time to devote to other clinical needs, as do the nursing and midwifery staff involved,” he said. The doctors are now talking to other hospitals to see if they want to adopt the procedure. The five units that took part in the project are Barts Health NHS Trust, The Royal London, Whipps Cross and Newham, Kingston, and Liverpool Women’s Hospital.

– Doctors have discovered a more accurate way to prenatally test for chromosome disorders like Down syndrome, and it's less stressful for the mother to boot. Normally, if an ultrasound and blood test show a woman's risk of an affected pregnancy is high, doctors can perform additional tests to identify possible Down syndrome, Edwards syndrome, or Patau syndrome using a needle that collects fluid or tissue from a woman's womb. These procedures—either an amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling—aren't fun, nor are the weeks of worry that can precede them. But researcher Nicholas Wald says new "reflex DNA screening" led to a 100-fold reduction in false positives at five UK maternity wards and prevented "nearly all invasive diagnostic tests in unaffected pregnancies," per a release. In this method, described in Genetics in Medicine, doctors take a blood sample from a woman around 11 weeks of pregnancy and split it into two. If the first sample shows a woman's risk for an affected pregnancy is 1 in 800 or higher, doctors use the second sample to search for DNA from the placenta that would indicate a disorder, reports the Guardian. Over a 16-month study period involving 23,000 women, the test detected 95% of affected pregnancies, compared to 81% with the previous method. The rate of false positives, meanwhile, fell to 0.02% from 2.4%. In the end, only one of 26 women who underwent the diagnostic test had an unaffected pregnancy, adds Wald, who notes "the extra costs of the DNA tests are offset against savings from fewer amniocenteses and associated counseling."

This collection is comprised of contributions from curators and subject matter experts; and includes news articles, blogs, social media sites, and organizational websites related to the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing and its aftereffects ||||| 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

– NBA Commissioner Adam Silver dropped the hammer on LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling today, announcing that the league was banning Sterling for life from "any association with the Clippers organization or the NBA." Sterling will not be allowed to attend any NBA games or practices, be involved in Clippers personnel decisions, or attend board of governors meetings. He'll also be fined $2.5 million, which Silver said was the maximum allowed under the NBA constitution. In addition, Silver said he'll move to force the sale of the Clippers. Silver said the NBA had investigated the incident and interviewed Sterling, and concluded that Sterling was the man on infamous taped conversations, "and that the hateful opinions voiced by that man are those of Mr. Sterling." He said he would encourage the other owners to force Sterling to sell the team, which can be done with a three-quarters vote. "This has been a painful moment for all members of the NBA family," he said, adding that he felt "personal outrage" over the comments. In addition: Asked if an owner should be pushed out for comments made in private, Silver replied, "Whether or not these remarks were initially shared in private, they are now public, and they represent his views." Silver said he hadn't formally polled the owners, but that he'd spoken to several and "I have their full support." He said he was confident they would agree to oust Sterling. Asked if the league was seeking more African-American ownership, Silver said the league was diverse, but "I'd always like to see it become more diverse." Asked about Magic Johnson specifically, he said Johnson knows that "he is always welcome as an owner in this league ... and a close friend of the NBA family." Johnson tweeted out his approval of Silver's move. "In Commissioner Adam Silver we have a great leader leading our league," he said, adding, "The people who I'm happiest for are Coach Doc Rivers, the Clippers players, and fans." Silver had singled out Rivers and Chris Paul to thank them for their leadership.

The family of a Toronto man who was declared brain dead after suffering an asthma attack has obtained a temporary injunction to keep him on life support while it fights to have his death certificate revoked on religious grounds. Shalom Ouanounou’s father, who is also his substitute decision-maker, filed an application with the court arguing that the 25-year-old is not dead under the laws of Orthodox Judaism, the faith he practises. The injunction means Shalom Ouaounou will be kept on a ventilator and feeding tube as the family challenges the existing medical guidelines that lay out when a person is considered brain dead, the family’s lawyer said. The injunction granted Wednesday means Ouaounou will be kept on a ventilator and feeding tube as the family challenges the existing medical guidelines that lay out when a person is considered brain dead, the family’s lawyer said after a hearing in a Toronto court. Hugh Scher said the decision comes as a great relief to the family. “They were going to pull the plug tomorrow,” he said. The crux of the case is whether the Canadian guidelines on brain death should make accommodations for those whose religion “precludes and rejects the idea, the notion of brain death,” Scher said. Article Continued Below Similar accommodations are built into the legal definition of death in some parts of the U.S., including New York State and New Jersey, he said. The established Canadian guidelines define death as the irreversible cessation of brain function and of the capacity to breathe, while Orthodox Judaism considers death to be complete cardiac and respiratory failure, according to the family’s application. The application argues that disregarding those beliefs would represent a serious assault on Ouanounou’s human dignity and religious liberty. “Shalom would suffer the ultimate irreparable harm in the event that this application is not granted,” the document says. “He would be declared dead in a manner contrary to his religious values and would be deprived of accommodation of his most fundamental constitutional and human rights when he is most dependent on them.” Ouanounou, 25, had an asthma attack at home on Sept. 27 and was taken by ambulance to Humber River Hospital, where he was placed on a respirator, the document says. Three days later, doctors determined that he met the standards for death by neurological criteria, better known as brain death, it says. A death certificate was issued shortly afterward. Ouanounou’s family is not asking that he be kept on life support indefinitely and is aware that he could meet his religion’s definition of death before the case is resolved, Scher said. Article Continued Below Nonetheless, the lawyer said, “both the family and the community are committed to having this question addressed because it does have broader implications.” The hospital did not immediately respond to a request for comment. ||||| A Canadian man who was declared brain dead after suffering as asthma attack in September will be kept on life support as per a judge’s order sought by his Orthodox Jewish family. Toronto native Shalom Ouanounou, 25, was intubated on Sept. 27 and his death certificate was later issued when medical staff determined he met the conditions of a neurological death. His family wants the certificate revoked, arguing that their religion does not accept death until the heart stops beating. The injunction — issued Wednesday — stipulates that Ouanounou is to remain on life support until the religious freedom case is decided. Parents at odds over whether baby should stay on life support The patient’s father, Maxime Ouanounou, argued on his son’s behalf, saying, “Shalom’s belief is that discontinuing life support in these circumstances is murder and therefore contrary to his fundamental belief in the sanctity of human life,” a court affidavit shows, The BBC reported. “Anything less than continuing Shalom’s life support is a failure to accommodate his lifelong, firmly held religious beliefs.” Shalom Ouanounou: Canada judge keeps patient on life support https://t.co/sTU2CDa1h5 pic.twitter.com/PW3AEDPiaN — Bret Carbone (@BretCarbone) November 2, 2017 Hundreds of Orthodox Jewish supporters rallied at the courthouse Wednesday to support the Ouanounou family. Hugh Sher, a lawyer for the Ouanounou family, argues that Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which protects against religious discrimination, should extend to end-of-life care, The BBC reported. California mom given one week to keep toddler on life support “The definition of death in Canada must reflect the accommodation of religious difference,” he told The BBC. “This is not unique or out-of-this world proposition.” New York, Illinois, New Jersey and California laws provide exemptions for people that subscribe to religions that reject the concept of brain death. Some medical experts argue that the provisions can do more harm than good. Sign up for BREAKING NEWS Emails privacy policy Thanks for subscribing! ||||| Image copyright Hugh Sher Image caption Shalom Ouanounou was intubated after an asthma attack A Canadian judge has allowed an Orthodox Jewish family to keep their son on life support after he was declared brain dead by doctors. Shalom Ouanounou, 25, of Toronto, was intubated after he suffered an asthma attack on 27 September. A death certificate was issued once medical staff determined he met the conditions of "neurological death". But his family want it revoked, arguing their religion does not accept death until the heart stops beating. Wednesday's temporary injunction will keep the patient on life support until the religious freedom case is decided. His father, Maxime Ouanounou, said in a court affidavit: "Shalom's belief is that discontinuing life support in these circumstances is murder and therefore contrary to his fundamental belief in the sanctity of human life. "Anything less than continuing Shalom's life support is a failure to accommodate his lifelong, firmly held religious beliefs." Hundreds of Orthodox Jewish supporters rallied inside and outside of the court on Wednesday in support of the family. Hugh Scher, one of the lawyers representing the patient's case, told the BBC that Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects people from discrimination of religion and that this should extend to end-of-life care. "The definition of death in Canada must reflect the accommodation of religious difference," he said. "This is not a unique or out-of-this world proposition." In the US, New York, Illinois, New Jersey and California have all passed laws allowing for religious exemptions for those whose faiths do not accept the concept of brain death. But many medical experts say that such provisions are not scientifically sound and would ultimately do more harm than good. The Canadian Critical Care Society, which represents healthcare professionals who specialise in the areas of death determination, organ donation, and end-of-life care, says that without brain function, technological interventions should not give false hope.

– A man will remain on life support in Canada for the time being, despite the fact that his death certificate has already been issued. Toronto's Shalom Ouanounou, 25, was declared brain dead three days after suffering an asthma attack on Sept. 27, reports the Canadian Press. But while Canadian guidelines define death as the irreversible end of brain function and breathing ability, Ouanounou's Orthodox Jewish family is fighting to keep Ouanounou on life support based on their religion's assertion that death occurs only when the heart stops beating. Though the case has yet to be decided, a judge granted a temporary injunction Wednesday to keep Ouanounou on a ventilator and feeding tube at Humber River Hospital. The family's lawyer says the move came just in time. "They were going to pull the plug tomorrow," Hugh Scher told the Canadian Press on Wednesday. Had that happened, Ouanounou would've suffered "the ultimate irreparable harm," his father wrote in a court affidavit. The BBC quotes it as explaining that "Shalom's belief is that discontinuing life support in these circumstances is murder and therefore contrary to his fundamental belief in the sanctity of human life." "Both the family and the community are committed to having this question addressed," Scher says, while acknowledging Ouanounou could meet his religion's definition of death before that happens. He adds "the definition of death in Canada must reflect the accommodation of religious difference," per the New York Daily News. Hospital officials haven't commented. (Read the latest development in the somewhat similar case of Jahi McMath.)

RPD would like to share the following information provided by Goddard High School administration: RPD and RFD Emergency Medical Response were called to Goddard High School today (Jan. 23) in reference to students feeling ill. It was discovered the ill students were engaging in prohibited behavior. Some of the students were transported to a local hospital as a precautionary measure. School administration and RPD are continuing to investigate the incident. ||||| ROSWELL, N.M., March 29 (UPI) -- Police in New Mexico were able to track down one of the suspects involved in the theft of a model flying saucer from a Roswell museum. Roswell police shared surveillance video of the UFO theft, as they announced that a 17-year-old boy was arrested at his home in South Roswell on Saturday in connection with the theft. "On Saturday morning, we arrested a 17-year-old boy who was one of the three suspects in the theft of the spaceship," Roswell Police spokesman Todd Wildermuth told KRQE. Three men were seen stealing the flying saucer, which was later found in pieces two miles outside of Roswell, from the International UFO Museum & Research Center as it was being stored for repair. Police said the teen would not reveal any details about the motive for the theft and are still seeking the other two suspects. "If people have information about that, we want them to call so we can go after these other two as well," Wildermuth said. ||||| See more of Roswell Police Department, RPD on Facebook

– An unidentified flying object of sorts was found in pieces two miles outside Roswell, New Mexico—after some teens swiped it from a local museum. According to the Roswell Police Department, three teens swiped the decoration from the UFO Museum & Research Center on March 19. It had just been repaired following damage caused by a snow storm. Police released surveillance video, and a 17-year-old was arrested in connection with the theft on Saturday, UPI reports. Police are looking for the other two teens seen in the video. Government agents still don't know why the teens stole the UFO or why they destroyed it—at least that's what they want us to think.

Are you there? Send us your images, but please stay safe. Cairo (CNN) -- Egypt, including its capital Cairo, teetered on the edge early Thursday as clashes persisted following the bloodiest day since the revolution two years ago that was envisioned to bring peace and democracy to Egypt -- but has not. The violence Wednesday pitted Egypt's military and current government against backers of deposed President Mohamed Morsy, though others also were caught in the fray. At least 278 people were killed, including 235 civilians, state TV reported, citing an Egyptian emergency official. Interim Interior Minister Gen. Mohammed Ibrahim said that an additional 43 police officers died. "It's an open war," said a protester who escaped one of two Cairo camps that were raided. The intensity and violence lingered into Thursday morning, when state TV reported Morsy backers were attacking police stations, hospitals and government buildings despite a government-mandated curfew. More Egyptian troops were being deployed at entrances to Cairo and Giza, with the unrest prompting the closure Thursday of banks and the nation's stock market. The 2011 revolution that led to the ouster of Hosni Mubarak, who'd kept a firm grip on power for 30 years, was followed by Egypt's first democratic elections. Morsy -- a leader of the Islamist group the Muslim Brotherhood -- won the presidency in that 2012 vote, but was forced out by the military last month. Morsy hasn't been seen since he was taken into custody. Yet his supporters have very public in voicing their opinions, massing on the streets of Cairo and elsewhere to slam military leaders and demand Morsy's return to the presidency. Egypt's new government refused to back down, criticizing elements of the protest movement and specifically ordering them to leave two spots where they'd been gathering in Cairo for six weeks, or else they'd force them out. On Wednesday, they did. Bloody 'war zone' as security forces clear Cairo square The story of what exactly transpired -- who attacked whom, who opened fire, who was to blame -- varied 180 degrees depending on where one stood in the debate over Egypt's past, present and future. On the one side, there were Morsy supporters, one of whom accused government forces of waging a "full-on assault" on what they said had been, to-date, peaceful demonstrations. On the other, there were those like Ibrahim, who professed to being "surprised" by the "Muslim Brotherhood's (decision) to attack the security forces." What couldn't be mistaken was the chaos, the bloodshed and the sense -- even with Prime Minister Hazem Elbeblawi's pledge "we hopefully will rebuild our nation" -- that the already volatile situation in Egypt could be getting worse. "I think what we're seeing right now is just the beginning of what is promising to be a very, very long and bloody battle as the interim government and the security forces try to regain control of the streets," CNN's Arwa Damon reported from Cairo. Diplomats condemn violence, calling it 'deplorable' The government on Wednesday, according to state TV, issued a month-long state of emergency. This a loaded term in Egypt, given that Mubarak long ruled under such a decree that barred unauthorized assembly, restricted freedom of speech and let police jail people indefinitely. The prime minister said the government felt compelled to act to ensure stability, praising security forces for their "calm" and claiming some activists had intent to undermine the government. "We are here to build a democracy based on justice," Elbeblawi said. "... We have to reason and use common sense. We are all part of this nation." Yet not everyone expressed faith in his government. Mohammed ElBaradei -- a secular leader who was one of Morsy's biggest critics before joining the government that replaced him -- submitted his resignation Wednesday as vice president of foreign affairs, saying he didn't agree with decisions being carried out by the ruling government and "cannot be responsible for a single (drop of) blood." His decision spurred scorn from some former allies, with youth groups and June 30th coalition members questioning his stepping down "at this critical and historic phase," according to state-run EGYNews. Kenneth Roth, the executive director of Human Rights Watch, sharply criticized "ongoing violence" by Brotherhood supporters against Coptic Christian churches in the country. He also chastised the government's crackdown on the Islamist group. "Didn't have to happen," Roth tweeted. "MB had right to protest. No need for massive lethal force." World urges Egypt to show restraint, protect civilians The European Union's top diplomat, Catherine Ashton, urged "security forces to exercise utmost restraint and ... the interim government to end the state of emergency as soon as possible, to allow the resumption of normal life." In light of the ongoing violence, the United States is considering canceling next month's planned biennial military training exercise with Egyptian forces, an official in President Barack Obama's administration said. Pressing Egypt's government "to respect basic human rights," U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said that Wednesday's "deplorable" events "run counter to Egyptian aspirations for peace, inclusion and genuine democracy." "The path toward violence leads only to greater instability, economic disaster and suffering," he said. 'They're prepared to die' For weeks, the two makeshift Cairo protest camps had become cities unto themselves -- with people sleeping in tents, vendors hawking everything from haircuts to masks, and children playing in inflatable castles and splashing in kiddie pools. At dawn on Wednesday, they came under siege. Security forces rushed in, bulldozing tents and escorting away hundreds. Some mothers and fathers managed to whisk away their children, gas masks on their faces. Within three hours, the smaller camp -- Nahda, near Cairo University -- was clear, except for shreds of torn-down tents that remained. But the larger protest, near the Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque in eastern Cairo, proved trickier. Facing heavy resistance, the military called in special forces. Chaos ensued. Along with smoke, bursts of rapid gunfire filled the air, as did people's wails. Many protesters refused to leave, even in the face of bulldozers and surrounded by the injured and dead. "They said they're prepared to die," CNN's Reza Sayah reported. State TV reported that snipers from the Muslim Brotherhood -- Morsy's party -- exchanged gunfire with Egyptian security forces near a university building. The dead included cameraman Mick Deane, who'd worked for UK-based news channel Sky News for 15 years and for CNN before that. Habiba Abdel Aziz of Gulf News, who was in Egypt on her own time having celebrated the Eid holiday, also died, editor-at-large Francis Matthew told CNN. And Reuters photojournalist Asmaa Waguih was shot and wounded, the news agency told CNN. She was being treated in a hospital. 'Walking on the blood of the victims' Ibrahim, the interim interior minister, claimed armed protesters were the aggressors -- including trying to storm police stations, the Ministry of Finance building and other targets in Cairo. The fighting wasn't limited to the capital. Morsy backers reportedly besieged churches in Sohag, setting fire to Saint George's Church, a tour bus and a police car, EGYNews said. Naguib Sawiris, an Egyptian billionaire who helped found the anti-Morsy Free Egyptian Party, said his party had video of Muslim Brotherhood members "shooting machine guns on civilians, on police. So anyone who wants to call this a peaceful demonstration would be wrong." But Ahmed Mustafa, a Muslim Brotherhood spokesman, told CNN that Sawiris was trying to misrepresent video of masked people with weapons. Besides claiming they'd been shot at, the Muslim Brotherhood also accused police of throwing Molotov cocktails at makeshift clinics. Security forces pushed doctors out of one hospital at gunpoint, a witness said, and a CNN crew at one point was "literally walking on the blood of the victims." Yet Ibrahim said government forces had done what they could to limit casualties, with his ministry insisting, "Egyptian security forces are committed to the utmost self-restraint in dealing with the protesters." Divisions rife, future uncertain in Egypt Rather than uniting Egypt after Mubarak's fall, divisions remained rife -- and, in some ways, intensified -- during Morsy's time as president. Critics accused him of being authoritarian, trying to force the Brotherhood's Islamic agenda, not being inclusive and failing to deliver freedom and justice. 'Nail in coffin' for Arab Spring? The military coup to dismiss him, they said, was necessary since Morsy didn't fairly represent all Egyptians. So, too, were the efforts to force his supporters off the streets. "We believe in human rights," said Shehab Wagih, a spokesman for the Free Egyptian Party speaking in favor of the military. "But at the same time, we cannot accept the idea of having a state inside a state." Morsy's backers, meanwhile, accuse the military -- and the government it appointed -- of undermining the people's will, as expressed at the polls. The deposed president wasn't given a fair chance, they say, and his supporters have been unfairly targeted for expressing their opinion. Talking Wednesday on CNN, Abdul Mawgoud Dardery of the pro-Morsy Anti-Coup National Alliance blamed "corrupt elements" in the Egyptian army for the bloodshed, calling their actions a "crime against humanity" and "state terrorism." "All presidents make mistakes, but you don't have the army to remove them," Dardery said of Morsy. "... What are we telling to the rest of the Arab world, the Muslim world -- that bullets are better than ballots?" Opinion: Morsy holds key to Egypt's future CNN's Ian Lee reported from Cairo; CNN's Greg Botelho and Josh Levs reported from Atlanta; CNN's Saad Abedine, Holly Yan, Barbara Starr, Ali Younes, Slma Shelbayah and Salma Abdelaziz contributed to this report. ||||| Sky News cameraman Mick Deane has been shot and killed in Egypt this morning. Mick, 61, had worked for Sky for 15 years, based in Washington and then Jerusalem. The married father of two was part of our team covering the violence in Cairo. The rest of the team are unhurt. The Head of Sky News John Ryley described Mick as the very best of cameramen, a brilliant journalist and an inspiring mentor to many at Sky. Mick Deane was described as an inspiring mentor "Mick Deane was a really lovely, lovely guy," he said. "He was great fun to work with, he was an astonishingly good cameraman who took some brilliant pictures. "But he also had a first class editorial brain. He had brilliant ideas. "He was also good fun after the job was done. He was laid back, and I'm really going to miss him, like lots of people here." Sky's Foreign Affairs Editor Tim Marshall called Mick "a friend, brave as a lion but what a heart… what a human being". He added: "Micky was humorous in a dry way, he was wise and when you're on the road with small teams, people like that are diamonds to be with. "Our hearts go out to his family. He died doing what he'd done so brilliantly for decades." Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted: "I am saddened to hear of the death of cameraman Mick Deane, covering Egyptian violence. "My thoughts are with his family and the Sky News team." ||||| White House condemns crackdown in Egypt, state of emergency By Justin Sink and Julian Pecquet - The White House on Wednesday condemned violence in Egypt that has killed more than 100 people and said it opposed the state of emergency declared in that country. The escalating violence poses a challenge to the Obama administration, which refused to declare it a coup when Egypt's military toppled Mohamed Morsi, who had been democratically elected president. A growing number of lawmakers are raising concerns that the Egyptian military is ignoring U.S. calls for moderation as it continues to crack down on the Muslim Brotherhood, which is alligned with Morsi. President Obama was briefed about the latest violence at Martha's Vineyard, where he is vacationing. National Security Adviser Susan Rice briefed Obama, who then headed out for a vacation round of golf. The White House said Obama would receive subsequent briefings later on Wednesday. The U.S. embassy in Cairo announced via Twitter that it would remain shuttered after closing early on Wednesday amid the unrest. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said actions taken by Egypt's military run "directly counter to pledges" by the interim government to "respect basic rights." "We will continue to hold the interim government accountable for the promise they have made to speed the transition to a civilian democratic government," Earnest said, calling the violence a "step in the wrong direction." The White House spokesman wouldn't detail what form that accountability would take, but stressed that administration officials had been in contact with their counterparts in Egypt in the buildup to the crackdown and said conversations would continue in the coming days to "remind them of the promises they have made." Earnest would not say whether the president or any other senior administration officials had called officials in Egypt in the immediate aftermath of the violence. Labeling the military's ouster of Morsi a coup which would have automatically frozen the $1.3 billion in annual military aid to the country. By not calling it a coup, the adminsitration believes it will preserve U.S. leverage and contracts with Americans arms-makers. Earnest repeated on Wednesday that the White House was not likely to make a determination about whether a coup had occurred. "It has been determined by senior foreign policy officials in this administration to not make a determination" on the subject, Earnest said. The violence comes days after Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) met with military leaders in Egypt and urged them to hold new elections and quickly shift to civilian rule. McCain said on Sunday that Congress should consider cutting aid to Egypt if the military violently cracked down on the protesters. “If they go ahead and crack down in a violent way,” McCain told Fox News, “I’m afraid the Congress of the United States would have to consider carefully the elimination of aid.” The United Nations quickly condemned in the “strongest terms” the army's move against pro-Morsi sit-ins that has left dozens dead, as did the British government. “The Secretary-General condemns in the strongest terms the violence today in Cairo that occurred when Egyptian security services used force to clear Cairo of sit-ins and demonstrations,” Ban Ki-moon's spokesman said in a statement. “While the UN is still gathering precise information about today's events, it appears that hundreds of people were killed or wounded in clashes between security forces and demonstrators.” British Foreign Secretary William Hague shared similar sentiments in a statement carried by the British embassy in Washington. “I am deeply concerned at the escalating violence and unrest in Egypt, and regret the loss of life on all sides,” Hague said. “The UK has been closely involved in intensive diplomatic efforts directed at reaching a peaceful resolution to the standoff. “I am disappointed that compromise has not been possible. I condemn the use of force in clearing protests and call on the security forces to act with restraint. Leaders on all sides must work to reduce the risk of further violence. Only then will it be possible to take vital steps towards dialogue and reconciliation.” — This story was first posted at 10:54 a.m. and has been updated. ||||| Protesters throw stones at Egyptian security forces trying to clear a sit-in by supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in the eastern Nasr City district of Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, Aug.... (Associated Press) Firefighter attempt to put out fires as Egyptian security forces clear a sit-in by supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in the eastern Nasr City district of Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday,... (Associated Press) Injured supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi lie on the ground after Egyptian security forces clear a sit-in camp set up by supporters of Morsi in Nasr City district, Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday,... (Associated Press) Egyptian security forces clear a sit-in by supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in the eastern Nasr City district of Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2013. Egyptian security forces,... (Associated Press) A member of the Egyptian security forces speaks to a woman holding a stick at they clear a sit-in by supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, at the smaller of the two camps, near the Cairo... (Associated Press) A police vehicle is pushed off of the 6th of October bridge by protesters close to the largest sit-in by supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in the eastern Nasr City district of Cairo,... (Associated Press) Egyptian security forces clear a sit-in by supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in the eastern Nasr City district of Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2013. Egyptian security forces,... (Associated Press) Egyptian security forces clear a sit-in camp set up by supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in Nasr City district, Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2013. Egyptian security forces, backed... (Associated Press) Egyptian security forces detain protesters as they clear a sit-in by supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in the eastern Nasr City district of Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2013.... (Associated Press) A wounded protester lies on the ground as Egyptian security forces clear the smaller of the two sit-ins by supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, near the Cairo University campus in Giza,... (Associated Press) A member of the security forces lies on the ground as protesters gather, and one strikes him with his shoe, after his police vehicle was pushed off the 6th of October bridge by protesters, near the largest... (Associated Press) ||||| “I firmly condemn the attacks against the cultural institutions of the country and the looting of its cultural property,” said the Director-General of the UN Scientific, Educational and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Irina Bokova. “This constitutes irreversible damage to the history and identity of the Egyptian people. ” ||||| CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian security forces crushed the protest camps of thousands of supporters of the deposed Islamist president on Wednesday, shooting almost 200 of them dead in the bloodiest day in decades and polarizing the Arab world's most populous nation. At least 235 people were killed in all, including at least 43 police, and 2,000 wounded, a health official said, in fierce clashes that spread beyond Cairo to towns and cities around Egypt. Deposed president Mohamed Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood said the death toll of what it called a "massacre" was far higher. While bodies wrapped in carpets were carried to a makeshift morgue near the Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque, the army-backed rulers declared a one-month state of emergency, restoring to the military the unfettered power it wielded for decades before a pro-democracy uprising toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak in 2011. Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim said 43 police were among the dead. Security forces had completely cleared two protest camps in the capital and would not tolerate any further sit-ins, he said, vowing to restore Mubarak-era security. Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi defended the use of force, condemned by the United States and European governments, saying the authorities had no choice but to act to end "the spread of anarchy". "We found that matters had reached a point that no self-respecting state could accept," he said in a televised address. The authorities imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in Cairo and several other cities including Alexandria, Egypt's second city on the Mediterranean coast. The use of force prompted Mohamed ElBaradei, a former U.N. diplomat and the most prominent liberal supporter of Mursi's overthrow, to resign as vice president, saying the conflict could have been resolved by peaceful means. "The beneficiaries of what happened today are those call for violence, terrorism and the most extreme groups," he said. Thousands of Mursi's supporters had been camped at two major sites in Cairo since before he was toppled on July 3, and had vowed not to leave the streets until he was returned to power. The assault, ending a six-week stand-off, defied international pleas for restraint and a negotiated political solution. Straddling the Suez Canal, a vital global trade route, Egypt is a key U.S. ally at the heart of the Middle East and was the first Arab state to make peace with Israel. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon all deplored the use of force and called for the state of emergency to be lifted as soon as possible. VIOLENCE SPREADS A U.S. official told Reuters that Washington was considering cancelling the biennial "Bright Star" joint military exercise with Egypt, due this year, after the latest violence, in what would be a direct snub to the Egyptian armed forces. Violence rippled out from Cairo, with Mursi supporters and security forces clashing in the cities of Alexandria, Minya, assiut, Fayoum and Suez and in Buhayra and Beni Suef provinces. The bloodshed also effectively ended for now the open political role of the Brotherhood, with the harshest crackdown on a movement that survived underground for 85 years to emerge after the 2011 uprising and win every election held since. Security officials initially said senior Brotherhood figures Mohamed El-Beltagi and Essam El-Erian had been arrested, joining Mursi himself and other Brotherhood leaders in jail, but later acknowledged they had not been captured. Beltagi's 17-year-old daughter was among the dead. Beltagi warned of wider conflict, and urged people to take to the streets to oppose the head of the armed forces, who deposed Mursi on July 3 following mass protests. "I swear by God that if you stay in your homes, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will embroil this country so that it becomes Syria. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will push this nation to a civil war so that he escapes the gallows." ElBaradei's political movement, the anti-Islamist National Salvation Front, did not share his qualms, declaring that "Egypt has held its head high in the sky announcing victory over political groups that abuse religion". Since Mursi was toppled, the security forces had twice before killed scores of protesters in attempts to drive Mursi's followers off the streets. But they had held back from a full-scale assault on the tented camp where followers and their families have lived behind makeshift barricades. After the assault on the camp began, desperate residents recited Koranic verses and screamed "God help us! God help us!" while helicopters hovered overhead and armored bulldozers ploughed over their makeshift defenses. Reuters journalists on the scene saw masked police in dark uniforms pour out of police vans with sticks and tear gas canisters. They tore down tents and set them ablaze. "They smashed through our walls. Police and soldiers, they fired tear gas at children," said Saleh Abdulaziz, 39, a secondary school teacher clutching a bleeding wound on his head. DEAD BODIES, SMASHED SKULLS After shooting with live ammunition began, wounded and dead lay on the streets among pools of blood. An area of the camp that had been a playground and art exhibition for the children of protesters was turned into a war-zone field hospital. Seven dead bodies were lined up in the street, one of them a teenager whose skull was smashed, with blood pouring from the back of his head. At another location in Cairo, a Reuters reporter was in a crowd of Mursi supporters when he heard bullets whizzing past and hitting walls. The crowd dived to the ground for cover. A man was killed by a bullet to the head. The government insists people in the camp were armed. Television stations controlled by the state or its sympathizers ran footage of what appeared to be pro-Mursi protesters firing rifles at soldiers from behind sandbag barricades. Reuters journalists and other Western media did not witness such incidents. The crowds appeared to be armed mainly with sticks, stones and concrete slabs against police and troops with rifles. The violence was the worst in Egypt since war with Israel in 1973 and forces tough decisions upon Egypt's Western allies, especially Washington, which funds Egypt's military with $1.5 billion a year and has so far refused to label the army's overthrow of Mursi a "coup". "The United States strongly condemns the use of violence against protesters in Egypt," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. "We extend our condolences to the families of those who have been killed, and to the injured. We have repeatedly called on the Egyptian military and security forces to show restraint." "We also strongly oppose a return to a State of Emergency law, and call on the government to respect basic human rights such as freedom of peaceful assembly, and due process under the law. The world is watching what is happening in Cairo." The United States and Europe had pressed hard for Egypt's generals not to crush the demonstrators. A diplomatic effort to open talks between the Brotherhood and the authorities, backed by Washington, Brussels and Arab states, collapsed last week. CHURCHES TORCHED Outside of Cairo, state media said Mursi supporters had besieged and set fire to government buildings and attacked several churches. Christians, who make up 10 percent of the population of 85 million, have feared reprisals from Islamists since the Coptic Pope Tawadros endorsed the military takeover. Among the dead in Cairo were at least two journalists. A Reuters photographer was shot in the foot. At a makeshift morgue at the camp field hospital, a Reuters reporter counted 29 bodies, with others still arriving. Most had died of gunshot wounds to the head. A 12-year-old boy, bare-chested with tracksuit trousers, lay out in the corridor, a bullet wound through his neck. His mother was bent over him, rocking back and forth and silently kissing his chest. One of the nurses was sobbing on her hands and knees as she tried to mop up the blood with a roll of tissue. Adli Mansour, the judge appointed president by the army when it overthrew Egypt's first elected leader on July 3, announced a state of emergency for one month and called on the armed forces to help police enforce security. Rights activists said the move would give legal cover for the army to make arrests. Turkey urged the U.N. Security Council and Arab League to act quickly to stop a "massacre" in Egypt. Iran warned of the risk of civil war. The European Union and several of its member countries deplored the killings. Mursi became Egypt's first freely elected leader in June 2012, but failed to tackle a deep economic malaise and worried many Egyptians with apparent efforts to tighten Islamist rule. Liberals and young Egyptians staged huge rallies demanding that he resign, and the army said it had removed him in response to the will of the people. Since he was deposed, Gulf Arab states have pledged $12 billion in aid, buying the interim government valuable time to try to put its finances back in order. By late afternoon, the campsite where Mursi's supporters had maintained their vigil for six weeks was empty. One man stood alone in the wreckage reciting the central tenet of Islam through a loudspeaker: "There is no God but Allah." He wept, and then his voice broke off into silence. (Additional reporting by Michael Georgy, Tom Perry, Shadia Nasralla, Omar Fahmy and Ashraf Fahim in Cairo, Adrian Croft in Brussels and Carolyn Cohn in London; Writing by Peter Graff and Paul Taylor) For an interactive look at Egypt in crisis, please click on link.reuters.com/quw49t

– It's been a bloody, chaotic day in Egypt: Security forces raided two pro-Mohamed Morsi protest camps in Cairo, and reports of casualties are rising quickly. The country's health ministry now says 149 are dead and about 1,400 injured in Cairo and elsewhere, reports AP. The Muslim Brotherhood says the figures are even higher. Nobel prize winner Mohamed ElBaradei resigned from his post as vice president in protest of the violent crackdown, reports Reuters. The government put into place a one-month state of emergency and ordered the army to help police enforce it, reports the BBC. The White House condemned both the violence and the emergency declaration, adds the Hill. "We will continue to hold the interim government accountable for the promise they have made to speed the transition to a civilian democratic government," said a spokesman. Trains to Cairo have been halted, and the Muslim Brotherhood says the move is to prevent outside aid from arriving. Protesters had held the two camps for some six weeks now, and they were braced for an eventual raid following the end of Ramadan last week, reports CNN. Among those reported killed is the 17-year-old daughter of Mohamed al-Beltagy, a leading figure in the Muslim Brotherhood. Sky News is confirming that cameraman Mick Deane was also among those killed, and a Reuters reporter saw at least 20 protesters shot in the legs.

When Lynne Schultz first heard that her oldest child, Scout, had been shot and killed by a Georgia Tech police officer late Saturday night, she assumed it occurred at a protest rally. Scout, she says, was politically active in progressive causes. Scout, a brilliant student despite numerous medical issues, suffered from depression and had attempted suicide two years ago, Lynne Schultz said. According to Georgia Tech police, Scout was seen walking toward police and ignored numerous orders to drop what appeared to be a pocket knife. Photos of the knife taken at the scene reveal the blade was not extended. Related: Georgia Tech student dies after shooting on campus Photos: Scene at fatal shooting of Georgia Tech student Video of the incident showed Scout, 21, shouting “Shoot me!” to the four officers on the scene. A minute later, one of them did. “Why didn’t they use some nonlethal force, like pepper spray or Tasers?” Lynne Schultz told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Sunday. That’s among the questions the GBI will be asking as the state agency investigates the shooting. A Georgia Tech student was shot by police in an incident on the campus late Saturday night. (Photos by Dalton Touchberry / www.daltontouch.com) Police said the shooting was prompted when Scout Schultz failed to comply with their repeated commands to drop the knife. Chris Stewart, the attorney for the student’s parents, said it appears the officer who shot Scout overreacted. “I think (Scout) was having a mental breakdown and didn’t know what to do,” said Stewart, who wondered why nonlethal force wasn’t used. “The area was secured. There was no one around at risk.” Scout Schultz was shot in the heart and was pronounced dead 30 minutes later at Grady Memorial Hospital, Lynne Schultz said. Two years ago, Scout attempted suicide by hanging, the student’s mother said. Stewart said he doesn’t believe Scout was attempting “suicide by cop.” RELATED: How Atlanta police handle calls involving mentally ill Scout was majoring in computer engineering and was already taking courses for a master’s degree in biomedical engineering, with plans to design biomedical devices for a living. Scout identified as non-binary, meaning neither male nor female, Lynne Schultz said. The accepted pronoun for non-binary individuals is “they.” Most of Scout’s stress was related to school, the student’s mother said. “Scout was always a perfectionist,” Lynne Schultz said. “They always worried he was going to fail a test but got all A’s and only two B’s at Tech.” “(Scout) had a lot of empathy for people, active in a lot of causes. And very smart. Scary smart, really.” A more complete story will appear later today on myAJC.com. ||||| This collection contains content included in or referenced by the Georgia Institute of Technology's web presence. The materials in the collection document the teaching, research, cultures, and communities of Georgia Tech. ||||| by: Steve Gehlbach, Matt Johnson, Nefertiti Jaquez Updated: Sep 18, 2017 - 11:48 AM ATLANTA - Update: Parents of Scout held a news conference Monday where they asked the Georgia Tech police why they had to kill their child. ---------- The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is handling the case of an officer-involved shooting that happened on the campus of Georgia Tech. According to the GBI, the Georgia Tech Police Department responded to a 911 call about a person with a knife and gun in the area of Eighth Street on the campus at about 11 p.m. Saturday. Officers arrived and found Scott Schultz, 21, armed with a knife outside a Georgia Tech dormitory. Schultz was not cooperative and would not comply with officers' commands to drop the knife, the GBI said. They said Schultz approached the officers, despite continuous commands. Scout Shultz served as president of the Georgia Tech Pride Alliance GT Progressive Student Alliance The GBI said that is when one of the officers shot Schultz. Schultz was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital and later died, the GBI said. Schultz's family is speaking about the incident at a law firm in Atlanta Monday. We have a reporter and photographer at the news conference for live reports on Channel 2 Action News at Noon. Georgia Tech released a statement Sunday morning, saying Schultz was a four-year computer engineering student from Lilburn. Schultz was a leader in the LGBT pride community on campus was known as "Scout." The student-activist served as the president of the Pride Alliance on Georgia Tech's campus. Schultz's profile on the Pride Alliance website states "I'm bisexual, non-binary and intersex," adding "they" and "their" as the appropriate pronouns to address Schultz instead of "he" or "she." The profile also states Schultz enjoyed playing the role-playing game "Dungeons and Dragons" and is politically active. In a statement from the Pride Alliance's board, Schultz is remembered as a driving force behind the group. As you might have heard, last night we lost our President, Scout Schultz. We are all deeply saddened by what has occurred. They have been the driving force behind Pride Alliance for the past two years. They pushed us to do more events and a larger variety events, and we would not be the organization we are known as without their constant hard work and dedication. Their leadership allowed us to create change across campus and in the Atlanta community. Scout always reminded us to think critically about the intersection of identities and how a multitude of factors play into one's experience on Tech's campus and beyond. We love you Scout and we will continue to push for change. With love, Pride Alliance A vigil will be held to honor Schultz's life at 8 p.m. Monday at the Georgia Tech Campanile. In an exclusive interview with our partners at the Atlanta-Journal Constitution, Scout's mother Lynne says her oldest child was active in progressive causes and was a brilliant student despite having medical problems. She told the paper, "(Scout) suffered from depression and attempted suicide two years ago." Channel 2 Action News was at the scene when the knife Schultz was suspected of holding was still on the ground. It appeared to be a metal, flip-open, multitool knife that would likely include a small blade. "I mean things happen off campus, but it's kind of shaking for it to happen right so close to home," one student said. TRENDING STORIES: Several of the students nearby did see the incident, and two who recorded it on their cellphones shared video of the incident with Channel 2 Action News. One video shows the tense moments as Georgia Tech police officers confront what looks like a barefooted person holding something in their right hand. The person yells at police to shoot. "Shoot me!” they yell. Police yell back: “Drop the knife! Drop the knife!" Officers can be heard repeating the command more than a dozen times. "Nobody wants to hurt you man. Drop the knife," an officer says. Another angle from further away shows three officers in front and another off to Schultz's left, at the entrance to Curran parking deck. It pans away to show another officer walking up from behind as you hear only one gunshot. Channel 2 Action News has chosen, both on-air and online, to not to show the moment of the shooting. The video does show Schultz walking forward, toward police slowly, with hands still at his side when one of the officers fired. Students received an emergency alert from the university shortly after the shooting. The school tweeted around 11:30 p.m. for everyone to seek shelter in a secure location. About 20 minutes later, the school sent another tweet saying there was no longer a threat to campus. Schultz's family attorney confirmed to Channel 2's Nefertiti Jaquez he is currently conducting his own investigation into exactly what happened during the shooting. The attorney is expected to address the media on Monday morning. Georgia Tech confirms shooting on campus. No ongoing threat. pic.twitter.com/DgLFB2mCNY — Matt Johnson (@MJohnsonWSB) September 17, 2017 BREAKING: Witnesses report officer involved shooting on Georgia Tech campus. pic.twitter.com/fgS9N4bkAd — Matt Johnson (@MJohnsonWSB) September 17, 2017 APD & Georgia Tech Police on the scene on campus near Curran parking deck. Witnesses heard “drop the knife” before police shot a man. pic.twitter.com/k04z9lWyx3 — Matt Johnson (@MJohnsonWSB) September 17, 2017 © 2017 Cox Media Group. ||||| The call that led Georgia Tech campus police to respond to a man reportedly wielding a knife was made by the student who was later shot and killed by officers, police investigators said Monday night. That student, Scout Schultz, left three suicide notes behind in a dormitory room, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The developments added further layers of complexity to the death of Schultz, a 21-year-old who led the university’s Pride Alliance and had a history of mental illness. In the call to police Saturday night, Schultz described a suspicious person “as a white male, with long blond hair, white T-shirt & blue jeans who is possibly intoxicated, holding a knife and possibly armed with a gun on his hip,” according to a statement from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Investigators said a multipurpose tool that contained a knife was recovered from the scene. The statement did not say whether the knife was displayed but said no firearms were recovered. An attorney for Schultz’s family said in a statement Monday night the knife remained in its holder and Scout’s arms were at the student’s side. “It’s tragic that as Scout was battling mental health issues that pushed them to the edge of desperation, their life was taken with a bullet rather than saved with non-lethal force,” said the statement from L. Chris Stewart, the Schultz family attorney. The parents of Schultz said their child, who identified as neither male nor female, had suffered from anxiety and depression, and had spent time in counseling after attempting suicide by hanging two years ago. But Scout’s death stunned Lynne and Bill Schultz, who described Scout as “a very loving and caring and empathetic person.” “I don’t think there was a single person that didn’t love them and cherish them for their involvement in the different causes,” Bill Schultz said. On Monday night about 50 people marched to the campus police department following a memorial vigil, according to University spokesman Lance Wallace. Three people were arrested after protesters set one police vehicle on fire and injured two officers. Schultz’s family urged protesters to act peacefully in a statement released through their attorney, according to the Associated Press. “Answering violence with violence is not the answer. Our goal is to work diligently to make positive change at Georgia Tech in an effort to ensure a safer campus for all students.” The shooting in Atlanta comes as police nationwide continue to face protest and media scrutiny over the use of deadly force. Police across the country shoot and kill an average of three people each day, a rate virtually unchanged in recent years despite calls from police leaders and the public for reform. Mental illness remains a major factor in fatal police shootings, playing a role in at least one-fourth of all such shootings — at least 159 so far in 2017 — according to a Washington Post analysis. Police reform groups have long emphasized the need for officers to undergo specialized crisis intervention training to learn best practices for interaction with people who are in the midst of a mental health crisis, but many police departments still do not require such training. Since January 2015, police nationwide have shot and killed at least 392 people who were armed with knives, blades or other edged weapons — an average of about one such shooting every four days — according to the Washington Post’s database of fatal police shootings. At least 102 of those cases, including the shooting of Schultz, occurred in 2017. Fatal shootings of people armed with knives account for about 14 percent of the nearly 2,700 deadly police shootings tracked by The Post since the beginning of 2015. Officers from Georgia Tech’s campus police force encountered Schultz, a computer engineering student, in a parking lot outside a dormitory, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Schultz wasn’t holding a gun in video captured from a window above the parking lot shortly before midnight, as the campus was placed on lockdown. Stewart, the attorney, said Schultz was shot once and that the bullet pierced the heart. Stewart said only one officer fired and that none of the other officers who responded from the Georgia Tech police department had been issued Tasers. A spokesman for Georgia Tech told CNN that campus police do not carry stun guns. “That’s baffling to me that on a college campus you’d rather give the officers the most deadly weapons and not equip them with less lethal weapons,” Stewart said, noting that Schultz’s family is hoping the death leads to reforms within the department, including better training. Video shows officers repeatedly telling Schultz to drop the weapon as the student advances. “Come on, man, let’s drop the knife,” an officer with his gun drawn says in the graphic video. But Schultz walks toward him. “Shoot me!” The officer keeps backing up, moving behind a parking barricade and imploring again: “Nobody wants to hurt you, man.” At least four officers had surrounded Schultz, according to WSB-TV. In the video, one of the officers called out to the student, who turned away from the barricade and began to move toward the new voice. “What are we doing here?” the officer asked. No reply. “Do not move!” [After Minneapolis police officer fatally shoots Australian woman, her relatives plead for answers] “Drop it!” someone said finally, as Schultz takes three more steps toward an officer, followed by the report of a gunshot and many screams. Schultz died Sunday at an Atlanta hospital. While the state’s investigative bureau referred to Schultz as a male — “Scott Schultz” — the student and the student’s family used the pronoun “them,” and on the Pride Alliance website Schultz used the description “bisexual, nonbinary and intersex.” “When I’m not running Pride or doing classwork I mostly play D&D and try to be politically active,” Schultz wrote. Bill Schultz said recently that Scout had expressed interest in the anti-fascist political movement and frustration with news coverage of police-involved shootings. “I will say this, that recently Scout has been slightly involved with the anti-fascist community and had expressed a number of anti-fascist ideas to me,” he said. “I tend to think that if there was a cause it might have been anger at the police over all the shootings and all the long litany of police shootings.” In a statement, Pride Alliance called its late president the “driving force” behind the LGBT group for the past two years. “They pushed us to do more events and a larger variety events, and we would not be the organization we are known as without their constant hard work and dedication,” the statement reads. “We love you Scout and we will continue to push for change.” Scout, a fourth-year student at Georgia Tech, was born in Rockville, Md., and spent time in Iowa, Missouri and Florida before moving to the Atlanta area six years ago. Bill Schultz, a retired computer engineer, said Scout came by an interest in engineering earnestly and was scheduled to graduate a semester early. “Scout was definitely a chip off the old block,” he said. Both parents remembered well the time that Scout came out to them. “It wasn’t a shock because we’re welcoming and loving parents,” Bill Schultz said. “It shouldn’t have been hard for Scout to come out but I think there were some issues involved there which is why they did a session in therapy.” Lynne Schultz said that any of Scout’s mental health issues appeared to have been resolved and that friends had told them that Scout seemed fine in recent weeks. “We had no clue that there was an issue in the last four weeks,” she said. Lynne Schultz said that they have received an outpouring of support from members of the community and that more than 30 friends showed up to the hospital in the middle of the night when Scout was shot. “Scout had a lot more friends than I realized,” she said. Bill Schultz said Scout was “all justice for everyone. Now, we have to seek justice for Scout.” “We’re proud of them for standing up for what they believe in,” Lynne Schultz said. Had a great time tabling for Pride at FASET today! Always fun to greet the incoming first-years and get a glance at the… Posted by Pride Alliance at Georgia Tech on Monday, July 17, 2017 Read more: Police and protesters clash in St. Louis after former officer who shot black driver acquitted on murder charges Justice Department ends program scrutinizing local police forces Seven transgender women have been killed this year. Democrats want Jeff Sessions to investigate.

– The president of Georgia Tech's Pride Alliance group was shot dead on campus Saturday night after suffering what a lawyer says appears to have been a mental breakdown. Police say Scout Schultz, who identified as non-binary instead of male or female, was shot after they responded to a 911 call about a person armed with a knife and gun outside a dormitory, WSB reports. Schultz doesn't appear to have had a gun, but police say the student was shot after refusing orders to drop a knife. Graphic video of the incident shows the 21-year-old walking toward officers and shouting "Shoot me!" around a minute before being shot by one of four nearby officers, reports the Washington Post. Video shows that Schultz's hands were down when the student approached officers, and photos from the scene show a utility tool that apparently included a blade, though it wasn't extended. A lawyer for Schultz's family accuses officers of overreacting. It appears Schultz "was having a mental breakdown and didn't know what to do," the lawyer says. "The area was secured. There was no one around at risk." Schultz's mother tells the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that her eldest child, who was born Scott, suffered from depression and attempted suicide two years ago. "Why didn't they use some nonlethal force, like pepper spray or Tasers?" she wonders.

The New York Observer -- a newspaper owned by Donald Trump's son-in-law that is perhaps best known for publishing a sex column in the mid-1990s -- took issue with a piece I wrote in The Huffington Post about ghost tours in New Orleans. This was the writer's opening sally: James Franco, the real voice of our generation, has taken time out from his busy schedule of Art and Teaching and also Learning to begin a Huffington Post diary. It's about time! So what important issue of our times is Mr. Franco tackling? President Obama's stance on gay rights? The construction of Marina Abramovic's performance space over on the Hudson? His new album, perhaps? Those are all great guesses, but James Franco is actually here to talk to us today about a matter close to his heart: Haunted tours in New Orleans that he took with his Nana. (Which is the name of his Japanese hairdresser, not his grandmother.) Yes, this is all true. I didn't write about the president's stance on gay rights -- I figured there was enough talk about that already. (Plus, who wants to hear an actor's take on it anyway?) I didn't write about Marina, but only because we are doing an episode of Iconoclasts for the Sundance Channel together and I figured everything one would want to know about her would come out then. And yes, I am working on an album with my art school band, but I wouldn't want to write an article for HuffPost that promotes my own work. Instead, I wrote about New Orleans and ghost tours because I think there is something interesting about the way we are repelled by violence, on one hand, and attracted to it for its entertainment value, on the other. Maybe the great journalists at the New York Observer should stop wondering why I am not covering Obama or Abramovic -- and start asking themselves why, instead of covering pressing world issues, they are covering my writing, which they claim to consider petty. Which leads me to my next topic: commencement speeches. I figure people don't really want to hear what I have to say about politics, or sports, or geography. But I do feel entitled to write about film and performance, the way that our lives are shaped by these things, and how I personally am engaged with them. Most people have never given a commencement speech -- there just aren't a ton of those offers going around. So because I just gave a commencement speech at UT Arlington -- which is in Texas, if you didn't know -- I want to write about it to shine a little light on what the experience was like. Commencement speeches suck. To set the scene: About four years ago, I was asked to give the commencement speech at U.C.L.A. in front of all the members of the graduating class and their families. In all, it's more than 10,000 people, enough to fill the stands and the floor of Pauley Pavilion. Because I had only just earned my B.A. from U.C.L.A. -- I had returned when I was in my late 20s to finish my English degree -- some of the students felt that I hadn't accomplished enough to inspire them. They created a Facebook group, which attracted about 220 members from a class of 6,000 -- enough to earn them some local news coverage and an invitation for the creator of the page to speak on NPR. I'm sure it must have seemed odd that someone who had been in their classes the previous year was asked to give the speech, but I couldn't help noticing that not one of the protesters had bothered to sign up for the selection committee that actually chooses the commencement speaker each year. My guess is that they didn't really care who gave their commencement speech; they were just taking advantage of the opportunity to blow off some steam. Because if there's one thing I've learned, it's that no one remembers their commencement speaker's speech. Around the time of the Internet protests, I happened to meet President Obama at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. Because his choice as a commencement speaker was being protested at Notre Dame, and since he wasn't given an honorary degree after speaking at Arizona State because the officials felt like he hadn't accomplished enough, I asked him how he dealt with such detractors. He said, "humor." I tried to take his advice. I wrote a speech for UCLA where I planned to flip off the protestors as a model for how to deal with empty negativity, but it seemed ill-conceived. Obama had something I didn't: the snub from the Arizona State officials was laughable because he had obviously accomplished so much. I was an actor who had been in some big movies, but I guessed that most people chalked that up to good looks or blowing some casting directors. Since I was speaking only because it was an honor to have been asked, I decided not to object when the film I was contracted to work on demanded that I fly to Ireland early for rehearsals. I bowed out of the speech, and the school got a member from the band Linkin Park to speak in my stead. I once asked Tina Fey if she ever gave commencement speeches, and she said she only speaks at high schools -- there's too much pressure at the college level. And when UT Arlington invited me to speak, I had a ton of reservations. Mainly, I didn't want to give a thankless speech to a bunch of ungrateful people who would criticize me and then forget the speech anyway. Commencement speeches are the worst kind of speech, because you need to be enthusiastic and inspiring in your own voice. There is nothing cheesier than that. No wonder Will Ferrell and Sacha Baron Cohen gave their Harvard speeches in character. Liberated from the burden of being Tony Robbins, they were free to simply entertain. If I thought about the famous commencement speeches I knew -- Ralph Waldo Emerson's, David Foster Wallace's, Steve Jobs' -- I realized they either contained excellent advice or told a good story. But I wouldn't dare to give any concrete advice about how to live, and the only story I had to tell was that I had been a commercially successful actor who wasn't happy with the work I was doing, so I went back to school to focus on my other interests. Then again, I suppose that's not the worst message -- the message being, you can change your life. I have no shame about getting help with anything I do, especially something as quickly forgotten as a commencement speech, so I had my friend Deenah Vollmer work on a draft and then I passed it on to Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, who passed it on to their writer friends Kyle and Ariel, who punched up some of the jokes. Here's the best part: I hope you all realize how lucky you are to be in this position right now. Looking up on stage, at a man with deep brown eyes, a flawless head of hair, chiseled good looks, staring right back at you. And I'm just talking about Arlington U president James D. Spaniolo!!! (Note: point to Spaniolo) You're leading the charge, Spaniolo. Great stuff. (OPTIONAL: When I say James, y'all say Spaniolo! James! Spaniolo! James! Spaniolo!) In all seriousness, you guys are incredibly lucky. There's no better feeling than the sense of accomplishment that comes with graduating. It's such a good feeling that I've been chasing it for the last 6 years. I have a BA, a few Masters, and I'm currently pursuing a PhD. Seriously. I think I'm developing a bit of a problem. It's gotten to the point where if I don't graduate something within a 6-month period, I start getting the shakes, I break out with hives. I wake up with cold sweats. Cotton mouth is becoming a pesky little issue. So I feel very privileged to be here today just to get a taste of that sweet graduation feeling. If I'm being completely honest, I'm already starting to get a contact high off it. So thank you for that. I know a lot of you are probably looking at me on stage and thinking, "Why should we listen to you? You've never enrolled in our school, you're not from Texas, you have no connection to us whatsoever. You're just a spoiled actor, celebrated the world over." But the truth is, I'm not just a spoiled actor. I'm also a filmmaker, an author, a teacher, a lover of pets, and an organ donor. The point is, I try to be a lot of things. I've been fortunate enough to explore various areas of interest in my life, and I hope the same for all of you. The crowd was so into it, they cheered when I said, "Good evening." I guess all the worry was for nothing. ||||| Writing for new 'Nicolas Cage and 'The Human Centipede'' vertical James Franco, the real voice of our generation, has taken time out from his busy schedule of Art and Teaching and also Learning to begin a Huffington Post diary. It’s about time! So what important issue of our times is Mr. Franco tackling? President Obama’s stance on gay rights? The construction of Marina Abramovic‘s performance space over on the Hudson? His new album, perhaps? Those are all great guesses, but James Franco is actually here to talk to us today about a matter close to his heart: Haunted tours in New Orleans that he took with his Nana. (Which is the name of his Japanese hairdresser, not his grandmother.) As you would expect, Nicolas Cage is name-checked several times over the course of this hard-hitting piece of journalism : I had great memories of living in the Quarter a decade ago, when I acted in Nicolas Cage’s directorial debut, Sonny. I guess New Orleans is the place actors go to direct their first films. We were shooting Sonny when Mardi Gras came around, and Nic was crowned King of Bacchus in the Krewe of Bacchus parade. I was on a different float, but I threw plenty of beads. I had a similar experience during the Sonny shoot, when Nic Cage and I purposely took the two haunted rooms in the Bourbon Orleans Hotel, itself a former convent. My room was said to house the spirit of a nun who had leapt from the window. After unpacking my bags, I heard the sound of rushing water and realized that the sink in the bathroom was running full blast. It hadn’t been on when I entered the room, and its knob wasn’t the least bit loose. We also visited a strange mansion that at one point was owned by Nicolas Cage. It was the site of horrific medical/carnival experiments on slaves in the vein of Human Centipede. About 200 years ago, the mansion belonged to a rich socialite with red hair. A fire broke out during one of her parties, and the fireman who answered the call discovered a chamber that smelled so bad it brought them to their knees, retching. Inside were living and dead victims of a variety of mutilations: amputations, limbs exchanged between people, sexes switched (meaning dicks were sewn onto women), skin flayed in designs to turn the victims into “human caterpillars” and other grotesque monstrosities. The house is still occupied, but it has not had a single owner for more than a five-year period. In conclusion: human centipedes, Nicolas Cage, New Orleans, ghosts. Let’s just hope that this experience doesn’t inspire Mr. Franco’s syllabus at NYU next semester with over-eager undergrads. Or even scarier…a new book collection. Follow Drew Grant via RSS.

– Internet Fight Alert: James Franco is in a bit of a tiff with a New York Observer writer over his series of columns on the Huffington Post. Writer Drew Grant took issue with the fact that Franco addressed New Orleans ghost tours in his column, rather than something more substantive like politics. Franco responded in yesterday’s column, where he first slammed the Observer for being “a newspaper owned by Donald Trump's son-in-law that is perhaps best known for publishing a sex column in the mid-1990s.” He goes on to explain that he didn’t discuss politics—specifically President Obama’s stance on gay marriage—because there’s “enough talk about that already,” and “plus, who wants to hear an actor’s take on it anyway?” He chose his topic because it seemed interesting, he concludes, and the real question is why “the great journalists at the New York Observer” are, “instead of covering pressing world issues, … covering my writing, which they claim to consider petty.” Click for his full column, which somehow segues into the topic of commencement speeches.

Animal rights activists have dismissed as "absurd" and "cruel" the American government's plans to bombard Guam from the air with toxic dead mice in a bid to curtail the spread of invasive snakes. The US air drop over the the Pacific island is due to commence in the spring, and is aimed at addressing the problems caused by non-native brown tree snakes. Having hitched a ride to the island some 60 years ago on military ships, the colony of reptiles have been deemed responsible for killing off native bird species, biting human inhabitants and knocking out electricity by slithering onto power lines. Meanwhile, in Hawaii – some 3,000 miles away – environmentalists fear a similar invasion from the snakes, possibly through unwitting transportation in aircraft that have spent time on Guam. But the US Department of Agriculture's plans to reduce the number of brown tree snakes in Guam – population estimates reach up to 2m – have been attacked by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta). Martin Mersereau, director of cruelty investigations at the animal rights organisation, described the plan as a "clumsy dangerous massacre". "Brown tree snakes did not ask to be stowaways on planes or ships and then forced to survive on a foreign island," he said. But irrespective of how they got to be on Guam, some residents say the snakes – which are native to Australia and Papua New Guinea – are a menace. They can grow to be more than 10ft (3m) in length and can climb poles and trees. Attacks on people have been reported, but their venom is not lethal to humans. Birds on the other hand are not so lucky. Experts believe that the reptiles have been responsible for the destruction of Guam's native birds, who are defenceless against the nocturnal, tree-based predators. As well as taking a toll on native wildlife, the snakes also threaten the tourist industry of Guam, some fear. The US territory – home to some 160,000 people – relies heavily on holiday-making to support its economy. The solution, government scientists believe, is to take advantage of the creature's two big weaknesses – its unfussiness when it comes to food and its susceptibility to a common painkiller, acetaminophen. The drug – sold under the brand name Tylenol in the US – is harmless to humans, but is lethal to the snakes. And unlike other snakes, the brown tree variety do not turn their noses up at prey that has already been killed. Scientists believe that stuffing dead mice with the drug and then conducting an air drop on areas known to be inhabited by the snakes would be an effective way to reduce their numbers. "We are taking this to a new phase," said Daniel Vice, assistant state director of US Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services in Hawaii, Guam and the Pacific Islands. "There really is no other place in the world with a snake problem like Guam," he added. The mice drop – due to take place in April or May – will focus on Guam's sprawling Andersen air force base, from which it is feared snakes could hitch a ride off the island. Using helicopters, the dead mice will be dropped by hand, one by one. In a bid to mitigate any danger to other animals, they will be fitted with mini-parachutes meant to catch on the branches of trees. Supporters of the scheme say the impact on other animals will be minimal, especially as the snakes have successfully killed off many bird species. But the brown tree snakes do have their defenders. "Although the snakes are considered invasive, no animal should be forced to endure cruel death," Mersereau said. If consumed, the drugged mice would cause renal and liver failure in the snakes, Peta claimed. "For reptiles, death could take days or even weeks," Mersereau said. Moreover the method being used is "exceeding indiscriminate" and could cause "great risk to carnivours and scavengers and also to birds". But it is a risk that US officials seem prepared to take. They point at the potential cost of allowing further colonies to breed in other Pacific islands like Hawaii. A 2010 study conducted by the National Wildlife Research Center suggested that brown tree snakes would cause between $593m and $2.14bn in economic damage each year if they became established in Hawaii. Power outages would cause the most damage, followed by a projected decline in tourism. To date, only a few brown tree snakes have ever been found in Hawaii, and none over the past 17 years. The mice drop is intended to keep the number of stowaways to an absolute minimum. Even if they are to have their numbers reduced, Peta disagrees with the method. Mersereau believes that it would be better to have the snakes trapped by trackers and then euthanised humanely than given a deadly last meal of toxic mice. ||||| In this photo taken on Feb. 5, 2013, U.S. Department of Agriculture wildlife specialist Tony Salas holds a Brown Tree Snake outside his office on Andersen Air Force Base on the island of Guam. The U.S.... (Associated Press) Dead mice laced with painkillers are about to rain down on Guam's jungle canopy. They are scientists' prescription for a headache that has caused the tiny U.S. territory misery for more than 60 years: the brown tree snake. Most of Guam's native bird species are extinct because of the snake, which reached the island's thick jungles by hitching rides from the South Pacific on U.S. military ships shortly after World War II. There may be 2 million of the reptiles on Guam now, decimating wildlife, biting residents and even knocking out electricity by slithering onto power lines. More than 3,000 miles away, environmental officials in Hawaii have long feared a similar invasion _ which in their case likely would be a "snakes on a plane" scenario. That would cost the state many vulnerable species and billions of dollars, but the risk will fall if Guam's air-drop strategy succeeds. "We are taking this to a new phase," said Daniel Vice, assistant state director of U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services in Hawaii, Guam, and the Pacific Islands. "There really is no other place in the world with a snake problem like Guam." Brown tree snakes are generally a few feet (1 meter) long but can grow to be more than 10 feet (3 meters) in length. Most of Guam's native birds were defenseless against the nocturnal, tree-based predators, and within a few decades of the reptile's arrival, nearly all of them were wiped out. The snakes can also climb power poles and wires, causing blackouts, or slither into homes and bite people, including babies; they use venom on their prey but it is not lethal to humans. The infestation and the toll it has taken on native wildlife have tarnished Guam's image as a tourism haven, though the snakes are rarely seen outside their jungle habitat. The solution to this headache, fittingly enough, is acetaminophen, the active ingredient in painkillers including Tylenol. The strategy takes advantage of the snake's two big weaknesses. Unlike most snakes, brown tree snakes are happy to eat prey they didn't kill themselves, and they are highly vulnerable to acetaminophen, which is harmless to humans. The upcoming mice drop is targeted to hit snakes near Guam's sprawling Andersen Air Force Base, which is surrounded by heavy foliage and if compromised would offer the snakes a potential ticket off the island. Using helicopters, the dead neonatal mice will be dropped by hand, one by one. U.S. government scientists have been perfecting the mice-drop strategy for more than a decade with support from the Department of Defense and the Department of the Interior. To keep the mice bait from dropping all the way to the ground, where it could be eaten by other animals or attract insects as they rot, researchers have developed a flotation device with streamers designed to catch in the branches of the forest foliage, where the snakes live and feed. Experts say the impact on other species will be minimal, particularly since the snakes have themselves wiped out the birds that might have been most at risk. "One concern was that crows may eat mice with the toxicant," said William Pitt, of the U.S. National Wildlife Research Center's Hawaii Field Station. "However, there are no longer wild crows on Guam. We will continue to refine methods to increase efficiency and limit any potential non-target hazards." The mouse drop is set to start in April or May. Vice said the goal is not to eradicate the snakes, but to control and contain them. Just as the snakes found their way to Guam, they could stow away on a ship, or more likely the cargo hold of an airplane, and begin breeding on other islands around the Pacific or even the U.S. West Coast. That "snakes on a plane" scenario has officials in Hawaii on edge. The islands of Hawaii, like Guam, lack the predators that could keep a brown tree snake population in check. Native Hawaiian birds "literally don't know what to do when they see a snake coming," said Christy Martin, a spokeswoman for the Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species, a partnership of Hawaii government agencies and private organizations. A 2010 study conducted by the National Wildlife Research Center found brown tree snakes would cause between $593 million and $2.14 billion in economic damage each year if they became established in Hawaii like they are on Guam. Power outages would cause the most damage, followed by a projected decline in tourism. The cost of treating snake bites would account for a small share. "Once we get snakes here, we're never going to be able to fix the situation," Martin said. Though the snakes are native to Australia and Papua New Guinea, Guam is much closer to Hawaii and its snake population is much more dense, meaning it is the primary threat for snake stowaways. So far, Guam's containment seems to be working. Only a few brown tree snakes have ever been found in Hawaii, and none over the past 17 years. "If we continue doing what we are doing, the chance of success is very high," Vice said. "If what we are doing stops, I think the possibility of the snakes getting to Hawaii is inevitable." ___ AP writer Audrey McAvoy contributed to this report from Honolulu, Hawaii.

– The US has a plan to deal with Guam's overwhelming snake population, and it's not sitting well with animal rights activists: In April or May, dead mice stuffed with acetaminophen will be parachuted into Guam. As the AP explains, the plan is built around the brown tree snakes' two main weaknesses: They'll chow down on prey they didn't kill themselves and are highly vulnerable to the painkiller (it's the active ingredient in Tylenol). And by attaching the mice to parachutes, which will be dropped by hand one at a time, researchers say they'll lodge in trees, away from other animals. The mice drop has been attempted before, but a Department of Agriculture official says that now, "We are taking this to a new phase. There really is no other place in the world with a snake problem like Guam." That's because the snakes, which invaded the island during World War II via military ships in the South Pacific, have killed off most of the island's native bird species, are dinging tourism, and could do serious financial harm should they make their way to Hawaii. But PETA is not happy, the Guardian reports. The plan is a cruel one, it says, because death by renal and liver failure "could take days or even weeks."

WASHINGTON — President Obama and the Republican House speaker, John A. Boehner , once again struggled against resistance from their respective parties on Thursday as they tried to shape a sweeping deficit-reduction agreement that could avert a government default in less than two weeks. Congressional and administration officials said that the two men, who had abandoned earlier talks toward a deal when leaks provoked Republicans’ protests, were closing in on a package calling for as much as $3 trillion in savings from substantial spending cuts and future revenue produced by a tax code overhaul. If it could be sold to Congress, the plan could clear the way for a vote to increase the federal debt ceiling before an Aug. 2 deadline. But the initial reaction to the still-unfinished proposal hardly suggested a quick resolution. This time, the flak came mostly from senior Congressional Democrats, who are angry at some of Mr. Obama’s concessions and at being excluded from the talks. The president worked to ease concerns from members of his party, inviting Democratic leaders to a White House meeting on Thursday evening that lasted nearly two hours. The participants would not comment afterward. Mr. Obama and Mr. Boehner had maintained tight secrecy to prevent a recurrence of the Republican rebellion that stymied their effort earlier this month. With only a few top advisers involved, the news that they were nearing an accord broke only after administration officials told Democratic Congressional leaders on Wednesday night about the outlines of the Obama-Boehner discussion, following talks earlier in the day between the president, Mr. Boehner and Representative Eric Cantor of Virginia, the No. 2 House Republican. Hours before the Congressional Democrats met with Mr. Obama, they had expressed alarm publicly to reporters that the emerging proposal seemed too reliant on deep spending cuts compared to new revenue. In private, some vented their criticism at Mr. Obama’s budget director, Jacob J. Lew, during a heated party lunch of Senate Democrats on Thursday. “The president always talked about balance: there had to be some fairness in this, this can’t be all cuts,” said Senator Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader, as he left the meeting with Mr. Lew. “The caucus agrees with that. I hope the president agrees with that, and I’m confident he will.” But the president and Mr. Boehner were moving ahead with their plan, aides said, trying to agree on matters like how much new revenue would be raised, how much would go to deficit reduction, how much to lower tax rates and, perhaps most critical, how to enforce the requirement for new tax revenue through painful consequences for both parties should they be unable to overhaul the tax code in 2012. The White House wants a trigger that would raise taxes on the wealthy; Mr. Boehner wants the potential penalty for inaction to include repeal of the Obama health care law’s mandate that all individuals purchase health insurance after 2014. Officials on all sides of the tense negotiations warned that no firm deal to raise the nation’s $14.3 trillion borrowing ceiling was in hand, and tried to play down progress — if only to stave off attempts to change the deal’s shape or to kill it by hard-liners on both sides of the debate. “While we are keeping the lines of communication open, there is no ‘deal’ and no progress to report,” said Kevin Smith, a spokesman for Mr. Boehner. The White House also denied that any agreement was imminent. Jay Carney, the White House press secretary, said: “There is no deal. We are not close to a deal.” The same issues that foiled earlier negotiations between Mr. Obama and Mr. Boehner remain. Many Republicans oppose abandoning the party’s no-compromise stand against any new taxes, while many Democrats fear a “grand bargain” will undercut their party’s ability in the 2012 campaigns to use Republicans’ support of deep cuts in Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security against them. Congressional Democrats already are suggesting the potential Obama-Boehner deal is more tilted toward Republican priorities than a bipartisan plan suggested this week by the so-called Gang of Six senators, three Republicans and three Democrats. House Republicans, too, expressed wariness. While initial reports suggested the emerging plan would appear to meet Republican demands for less reliance on new revenue than Democrats had insisted on, Republicans could be uneasy about accepting a deal tied to higher revenue through tax changes. “The trick on this has always been the tax issue,” one Republican said. Alternative solutions in Congress appeared to be faltering as the Senate on Thursday took up and prepared to reject on Friday a conservative House Republican plan to slash spending by $5.5 trillion, deeper cuts than anything proposed before. A backup plan being prepared in the Senate by Mr. Reid and his Republican counterpart, Mitch McConnell, the minority leader, was meeting stiff resistance from the House. That plan would allow a debt ceiling increase without the approval of Congress, in effect, but also without the guarantees of deep spending cuts that Republicans wanted in tandem. Mr. Reid and Mr. McConnell summoned the Gang of Six — rather, the Gang of Eight with the addition of Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado, a Democrat, and Senator Mike Johanns, Republican of Nebraska — to a meeting on Thursday. Both party leaders were unhappy with the group’s re-emergence this week, and with Mr. Obama’s immediate warm words for the group, because it complicated their own efforts to reach a solution to the debt-limit impasse. As Mr. Boehner called for some action to avert a default, he said Thursday that he was confident that many in the conservative House majority would ultimately be willing to accept some compromise. “At the end of the day, we have a responsibility to act,” Mr. Boehner told reporters. But he also made clear that he was not inclined to take any steps that could be considered a tax increase. “I’ve never voted to raise taxes,” he said, “and I don’t intend to.” As the capital markets continued to assess the possibility of American default on its debt, R. Bruce Josten, the executive vice president for government affairs of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, wrote a blog post warning that such a potential default “has real, immediate, and potentially catastrophic consequences.” ||||| Just as Senate Democrats were sitting down Thursday to a scheduled meeting with White House budget director Jacob J. Lew, rumors of a new debt-limit deal between President Obama and House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) flashed across their BlackBerrys. One after another, Sens. John F. Kerry (Mass.), Barbara A. Mikulski (Md.), Maria Cantwell (Wash.) and others demanded that Lew explain what the president was doing. The Democrats were winning, the senators said. The American people were with them on tax increases for the rich and the notion of “shared sacrifice.” Why give up now? Why cut a deal without guarantees of new tax revenue? For 45 minutes, the cross-examination went on, with few details offered. When Lew left, Mikulski turned to her colleagues and said, “I haven’t seen a meeting like this in my 35 years in Congress.” Outside the room, Lew said he was “not aware of a deal.” For the first time in weeks of debt negotiations that have focused on rifts within the Republican Party, Thursday brought forward long-simmering tensions between Obama and his Democratic allies on Capitol Hill. With more concerns than details, Democrats lashed out, saying that deep cuts to federal agency budgets and entitlements were too steep a price to pay. They questioned whether Obama shared their core values, and they sought reassurance — at a hastily arranged evening meeting at the White House that lasted nearly two hours — that the final legislative package would be the balanced approach that the president had promised. “There has to be a balance. There has to be some revenue and cuts. My caucus agrees with that. I hope that the president sticks with that,” Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (Nev.) told reporters. In the House, rank-and-file Democrats said the situation had grown dire. “It would concern me greatly if these folks — the tea party group — have been able to convince the president to go along with a deal that basically gives them everything they want but yet still takes away from those who are our most vulnerable,” said. Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (Md.), a former chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus. “The people that I’m talking about, when you’re talking about Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security — and I’m sure they’re all mixed up in there in this $3 trillion — those are people, a lot of whom are in my district, who have no alternatives,” he continued. “They’re not the guys who own the planes; they’re not the ones who fly off to Paris for vacation.” Rep. Raul M. Grijalva (Ariz.), a leader of the House Progressive Caucus, said: “We feel like the programs we care about are on the table. The other side’s priorities that the American public thinks should be dealt with — tax cuts, corporate subsidies — are not on the table.” Often kept in check out of loyalty for their president, congressional Democrats have grown increasingly suspicious of Obama’s motives over the past year. Many in the House didn’t appreciate what they saw as meager support for Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) in her final, embattled months as House speaker before the 2010 midterm election. Among Senate Democrats, there is still bitterness about the deal Vice President Biden negotiated in secret in December with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) that extended all of the George W. Bush-era tax cuts, including those for the wealthy. The T-word — “triangulation” — began to circulate across Capitol Hill as lawmakers recalled how President Bill Clinton distanced himself from his party’s liberal base and from conservatives as he positioned himself for a reelection run. White House officials rejected the idea Thursday that they were abandoning their allies and said Obama was still seeking fresh tax revenue in a final deal. “It is absolutely essential that any ‘grand bargain,’ if you will, any significantly sized deficit-reduction package be balanced; that it contain — that it address all the drivers of our long-term debt and our significant deficits,” White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters. Pelosi, now the House minority leader, stayed largely silent ahead of the White House meeting, which was designed in part to ease nerves on the left. One of her top advisers suggested that it was still too soon to think the president would agree to such a proposal, given that the final deal is likely to need dozens of Democratic votes because so many House Republicans remain opposed to raising the debt ceiling under any circumstances. “If they think they can do it with 218 Republicans, let's see it,” said Rep. Steve Israel (N.Y.), chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Republicans didn’t mind seeing a little open feuding on the other side of the aisle. Throughout July, the Capitol has been absorbed by a GOP soap opera as Boehner has privately jousted with his younger leadership lieutenants. In the Senate, allies of McConnell have made clear his concern that the speaker would pursue a deal that includes new tax revenue. Exiting his own GOP luncheon Thursday, a smiling McConnell greeted reporters by confirming only that he “had lunch,” deflecting questions about the debt talks. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (Va.), the most outspoken GOP critic of any broad deal, also found nothing to denounce. “There are all kinds of options on the table,” he told reporters. Among the Democrats, it was the senators who were most vocal in their criticism of a president who used to be one of them. Reid’s statement — unusual in its form, delivered at an impromptu setting just off the Senate floor minutes after Lew’s hasty exit — set the tone for how his caucus felt about any deal without tax increases of some form. Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (N.J.) noted “a little separation” between Obama and his former Senate caucus. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Calif.) pleaded to return to negotiations over a Reid-McConnell plan that contained no tax increases and no entitlement cuts. “This is a very sensitive time,” she said, trying not to directly criticize the White House. Did she think the White House was working off the same page as her? “No,” she replied. Read more on PostPolitics Obama to talk at UMd. townhall THE FIX: Democrats, Divided Huntsman campaign loses manager Staff writers Rosalind S. Helderman and Felicia Sonmez contributed to this report. ||||| Administration, GOP downplay reports of deal WASHINGTON — With time running short to raise the nation's $14.3 trillion debt limit, President Obama and congressional leaders worked through another tumultuous day of negotiations Thursday with little public progress for weeks of work to reach a compromise that would let the government to keep borrowing money while cutting spending and, perhaps, increasing taxes. Democratic sources close to the negotiations said the potential agreements discussed by the White House and Republicans include up to $3 trillion in spending cuts over 10 years and a tax code rewrite by the end of 2012 that would bring in up to $1 trillion, also over the course of a decade. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly. However, administration officials and congressional Republicans spent much of the day downplaying such reports. "There is no progress to report," White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters just 12 days before the Aug. 2 deadline set by the Treasury Department to raise the debt limit or face a first-ever government default on its loans — and, economists and Obama have warned, economic catastrophe. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, also told conservative radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh that "there is no deal. No deal publicly. No deal privately. There is absolutely no deal." Obama, in an op-ed for USA TODAY, reiterated that he wants to strike a "big and meaningful" deal that combines spending cuts with asking "the wealthiest individuals and biggest corporations to pay their fair share through fundamental tax reform." That means that "before we stop funding clean energy research, we should ask oil companies and corporate jet owners to give up the tax breaks that other companies don't get," Obama wrote. "Before we ask college students to pay more, we should ask hedge fund managers to stop paying taxes at a lower rate than their secretaries. Before we ask seniors to pay more for Medicare, we should ask people like me to give up tax breaks they don't need and never asked for." The president noted that "there will be plenty of haggling over the details" in the days ahead — and that haggling continued with another evening meeting with Democratic congressional leaders at the White House that lasted almost two hours. Democrats, whose concerns were voiced by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, were angered by the reports of the nebulous deal that included spending cuts now and revenue increases tied only to a review of the tax code next year. Reid said any deal to curb the nation's debt and growing deficits must include new revenue to balance cuts to programs that would affect the poor, the middle class and the elderly. "There has to be a balance," he said. "There has to be some revenue." Meanwhile, Reid moved up plans for the Senate to dispense with a House-passed "Cut, Cap and Balance" bill that would increase the nation's debt limit by $2.4 trillion as long as the increase is met by immediate spending cuts and a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said the Friday vote would be a chance for lawmakers to "go on record in support of balancing our books or against it." Democrats charged that the bill would impose draconian cuts on Medicare and Social Security, crucial entitlement programs for the elderly. "The radical right is more worried about protecting their next election than protecting the greatest generation," Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., said. Obama has threatened to veto the bill, but that won't be necessary. Reid, who scheduled the Friday vote, said it "doesn't have one chance in a million of passing in the Senate." With that bill off Congress' plate, lawmakers presumably can move ahead on other ideas. Among them: a "Gang of Six" proposal put forth by a bipartisan group of senators to cut spending and raise about $1 trillion in taxes over 10 years. That plan is opposed by conservatives such a House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., who say it could increase taxes by as much as $2 trillion. Boehner expressed some confidence that Republicans and the White House can eventually make a deal. Although there are some House Republicans who will only support the "Cut, Cap and Balance" bill, "I do not believe that would be anywhere close to the majority," he said. Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to For more information about reprints & permissions , visit our FAQ's. To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com . Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com

– Sam and Diane. Ross and Rachel. And now the latest "will-they-or-won't-they?" couple seems to be President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner. After speculation renewed yesterday that they were working on a deal, the New York Times maintains a deal is close, while the USA Today says both sides are far apart, with Boehner telling Rush Limbaugh yesterday that "there is no deal. No deal publicly. No deal privately. There is absolutely no deal." Meanwhile, Congressional Democrats appear to be digging in, too, growing increasingly miffed that the president could blow a winning hand, according to the Washington Post. “There has to be a balance. There has to be some revenue and cuts. My caucus agrees with that. I hope that the president sticks with that," said Harry Reid. “It would concern me greatly if these folks—the tea party group—have been able to convince the president to go along with a deal that basically gives them everything they want but yet still takes away from those who are our most vulnerable,” said Maryland Rep. Elijah E. Cummings.

Newt Gingrich’s campaign declined to purchase a lot today to participate in the Ames straw poll, a national spokesman confirmed in an interview with The Des Moines Register. The decision is not a reflection of a troubled campaign but rather an effort to run a more focused grassroots organization, said spokesman R.C. Hammond. The campaign is still assessing whether it will participate, Hammond said. “We’re not going to have the type of financial resources some others will have,” Hammond said. “That’s not the type of campaign we will run. We will work to turn people out, not because we have an air conditioned tent but because we have good ideas.” The Ames Straw Poll on Aug. 13th is a major event for presidential candidates and a well-known fundraiser for the Republican Party of Iowa. The location of the candidates is considered critically important. Today’s bidding briefly took an emotional turn with several campaigns walked out in protest when a representative for U.S. Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, R-Mich., initially asked to bid without naming the congressman. Gingrich’s campaign sent an Iowa State student as its representative at the auction, Hammond said. The campaign may participate in the event but wasn’t interested in spending money for a premium spot, he said. After today, candidates can no longer purchase lots but may still participate in the straw poll, according to current rules. Gingrich’s campaign has gone through a number of recent transitions that fueled national speculation that his campaign is on the rocks. Within a span of about 1½ weeks ending June 9, all seven of Gingrich’s Iowa staff resigned, and so did several top national aides, some speaking publicly about what they described as a lackadaisical approach to fundraising and campaigning. And earlier this week the campaign announced that two key fundraising staff members had also resigned. The most paid for a straw poll spot came from Texas congressman Ron Paul. He spent $31,000 on a spot occupied by by the Mitt Romney campaign at the 2007 straw pol, said A.J. Spiker, vice chairman of Paul’s Iowa campaign. Bidding started at $15,000. “The congressman is interested in getting in front of Iowans,” Spiker said. “He realizes Iowa is extremely important to the presidential cycle and that Iowans have a very special position to the presidential process.” In addition to McCotter and Paul, the four others buying today include: former Godfather’s Pizza CEO Herman Cain; former Minnesota Gov.Tim Pawlenty; Rick Santorum and Minnesota congresswoman Michele Bachmann.. Minnesota Sen. Michele Bachmann. ||||| 5 years ago Washington (CNN) - Six Republican presidential campaigns secured spots Thursday to participate in the high stakes Ames Straw Poll in Iowa. Multiple GOP sources told CNN that the former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, businessman Herman Cain, former Sen. Rick Santorum, Texas Rep. Ron Paul and, surprisingly, Michigan Rep. Thaddeus McCotter each paid a minimum of $15,000 to rent space outside the arena where the August 13 straw poll will take place. Newt Gingrich’s reportedly cash-strapped campaign, which had long-planned to run a robust Iowa effort, did not bid on a spot. Gingrich spokesman Joe DeSantis confirmed the decision, but said the candidate is “committed to the caucuses” and plans to return to the state several times in the coming weeks. McCotter, a guitar-playing conservative with a quirky reputation on Capitol Hill, has not made an official decision about running for president. But his investment in Ames is the most serious sign to date that he plans to join the ever-widening Republican field. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman are each keeping their sights on New Hampshire rather than Iowa and have already announced plans to skip the straw poll. The contest, a fundraiser for the Iowa Republican Party that is traditionally seen as a test of each campaign’s organizational strength in the state, is hardly predictive. In 2007, Romney spent heavily to win the straw poll only to come up short in the caucuses to the Republican who finished second in the straw poll, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. Expectations are key: A strong showing can do wonders for lesser-known candidates, as it did for Huckabee in 2008. Conversely, an underwhelming performance can unravel a campaign hoping to do well in the caucuses. Iowa GOP officials ran a bidding process Thursday to auction off lots closest to arena, where each campaign will set up tents and stages to rally their supporters with food, music and swag before the vote. Positions closer to the Hilton Coliseum at Iowa State University, where the straw poll balloting occurs, are most expensive. Sources told CNN that Paul’s campaign outbid the competition and landed the premier location at the event site. Bachmann’s team is also said to have secured a first-rate spot. Bachmann spokesman Alice Stewart said her campaign is “pleased” with the space they landed. “It’s a pretty good spot,” she said. But in a sign that the Bachmann team views Pawlenty as one of their main rivals in the caucuses, Stewart immediately sought to raise expectations for the former governor in the straw poll. “Pawlenty has made a big investment there for two years,” Stewart told CNN. “He will be tough to be beat but we will be ready to spend a lot of time in Iowa. We are looking forward to it.”

– Newt Gingrich has opted not to pony up the $15,000 necessary to be a main competitor in August's Ames Straw Poll in Iowa, reports the Des Moines Register. The poll doubles as a GOP fundraiser, and candidates can essentially rent space for their supporters. Gingrich's tottering campaign is reportedly strapped for cash, and his rep did not bid at yesterday's auction. The top bidder was Ron Paul, who paid $31,000 for prime real estate. The big surprise was the No. 2 bid, which went to conservative Congressman Thaddeus McCotter of Michigan for $18,000. McCotter has not formally announced he is joining the GOP field and tried to make his auction bid anonymously, but his representative was outed. The other four who paid to participate: Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Rick Santorum, and Tim Pawlenty. Meanwhile, Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman skipped for strategic reasons, notes CNN; they're focusing on New Hampshire.

As the anniversary of 9/11 nears, the world will be reminded of the tragedy that occurred on that crisp, clear September day. But over the last 10 years, New Yorkers have confronted the loss every day as they look at the skyline and register the conspicuous absence of the towers, which rose above the surrounding buildings like oversize Lego blocks. A new Kickstarter project will re-create that image with a free app for iPhone users. The project, called 110 Stories, is the work of Brian August, a lifelong New York resident, who has been mulling over the concept for a decade. "It occurred to me that there are going to be a whole generation of people growing up and people who never visited New York who will have no conception whatsoever of how big the towers were, how beautiful they were, and how iconic they were, and how many different vantage points there were where you could see them," August says. The technology to give everyone the opportunity to simulate the towers on their phones didn’t exist 10 years ago, nor did crowd-funding, which August has used to raise more than his initial goal of $25,000. With two more days of fundraising left, he has raised his target to $35,000 in order to adapt the app for Android users. The app works in three steps: It guides the user to point the phone to where the towers once stood. Once properly oriented, it generates an image of the towers — a pencil-like outline during the day, shimmering light at night. The user can then tweak the picture and submit a personal story to www.110stories.com, which will display each photo submission as a pin on a New York City map. Users can scroll over a pin to read the corresponding story. August hopes to release the app by early September. If you’d like to fund the project, you may do so here before Saturday. ||||| We Did It! In a mere 21 days, we cracked the $25,000 barrier - a truly impressive goal that wouldn't have happened without all of you! So, Thank You! A special shout out -- none of this would be even remotely possible without the tireless and brilliant work of my development team at Zero Innovates, and more recently, the AR experts at doPanic. Fundraising does not stop here -- instead, I'm aiming for a new goal of $35,000. With the additional funding we're planning on developing for Android, building a better web experience for those outside of NYC, and of course making an even more spectacular app. As a special Thank You for our backer's, I've uploaded a "behind the scenes" walkthrough of the app as it stands today. To see that update, click here. Thanks again for your continued support. Please tell your friends & family about the project, and I'll be back in touch in a few days. -Brian 8/6 About 110 Stories Hello. I'm Brian August, and I've been obsessed with 110 Stories for almost 10 years. When I started thinking about the idea, Augmented Reality didn't exist, nor did iPhones. But they both do now, and I've assembled a talented team to build the 110 Stories Augmented Reality iPhone App and launch it by the beginning of September. I'm asking for your help to make my obsession a reality. Every penny I am raising will be used to design, build and launch the app. The app will be FREE. The project itself is not intended to make a profit. Orient. Augment. Comment. Activate the app on your iPhone and you'll be guided towards the World Trade Center. Once properly oriented, augmented reality kicks in and renders their silhouette -- in a pencil-like outline during the day and in shimmering light at night. Snap a picture, fine tune the image, add a personal story, and submit it to www.110stories.com. Once on the website, you'll see a 50 mile, doppler radar-like radius map of New York City, with lower Manhattan in the center. Each photo submission appears as a pin on the map. Scroll over any pin, click, and read that story. Comment and share, via Twitter and Facebook. Users beyond visual range of the Towers can still enjoy 110 Stories by seeing the images of those who are within. For those of us who are lifelong New Yorkers, its easy to tick off iconic views of the Twin Towers -- emerging disoriented from the West 4th Street subway station, finding the towers, and using them as a compass. On a Fire Island roof deck, 45 miles away, seeing two tiny toothpicks on the horizon, backlit by the setting sun. On I-95, heading home from New Jersey, seeing the Towers looming over the Palisades. Stuck in traffic on the helix approaching the Lincoln Tunnel, marveling at the downtown skyline. The list goes on. These lost views conjure vivid memories in much the same way as hearing a favorite song from the past. "Seeing" the towers come to life through your iPhone will transport you back in time. 110 Stories lets each of us show and tell our personal stories and share them with the world. Simply tell your story, contextualized around a view of the Twin Towers, magnified by the power of crowd-sourcing. The interactive augmented reality iphone app is merely the beginning of 110 Stories. It will hopefully continue with Phase 2 -- a series of physical art installations. At 110 locations around the NY metropolitan area, there will be identical benches, in locations from which you could once see the Towers. The purpose of each installation is simple - create a structure that, when viewed from the bench, visually places the outline of the Towers, where they once stood, in the right apparent size. Its the real-world cousin of the app, and equally compelling. DEVELOPMENT: [zero] innovates VIDEO: @danieldelaney AR TECHNOLOGY: doPanic PR: Lane Buschel, First-Person Communications CREATIVE CONSULTANTS: CultureShockNY LEGAL: Prof. Jonathan Askin and Team Brooklyn Law School HOSTING SERVICES: Atlantic Metro Communications EVENT CONSULTANTS: DigitalFlashNYC MUSIC: Timmy Thomas "Why Can't We Live Together" 1973 ADVISORS: Natalie Clark Barratt, Jimm Meloy, Mark Skwarek, Kirsten Gronberg, David Barratt, Freddie Laker, Bill Belliveau, Jason Hirschhorn, Gary Vaynerchuk, Marc Ecko, Bill Weir, Debra Anderson, Hugh McGrory

– A smartphone app currently in the works will offer a view of the New York City skyline as it once was. The app will tell you how to aim your phone toward Ground Zero; it then superimposes an image of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center as they looked before the 9/11 attacks, FastCoDesign reports. Once you have your image, the app will allow you to share your thoughts with others via a personal story. The program, which will be free on iPhone, is the work of lifelong New Yorker Brian August. “It occurred to me that there are going to be a whole generation of people growing up and people who never visited New York who will have no conception whatsoever of how big the towers were, how beautiful they were, and how iconic they were, and how many different vantage points there were where you could see them,” he says. Using the Kickstarter crowd-funding site, he’s raised more than $25,000 to work on the project, called 110 Stories. He aims to release the program in time for the 10th anniversary of 9/11.

A movement of a Beethoven string quartet, lost in 1799, is to be given its premiere in Manchester on Thursday, after its discovery and reconstruction by Barry Cooper, professor of music at the University of Manchester. The original slow movement of Beethoven's Quartet in G, Op 18 no 2, was written in 1799 when the composer was 28 years old, for his Bohemian patron, Prince Lobkowicz. It was only his second string quartet and, when he had completed a group of six such works – the Op 18 quartets – he went back to the two first and revised them substantially in 1800, discarding the whole of the second movement of the quartet in G. The original slow movement exists in the form of fragmentary sketches – often with only music for the higher instruments written out in full, and not in sequential order. But Cooper has, he said, "made the jigsaw fit, and also made it performable" – that is by working out the correct order for the music, and filling out the lower musical lines that Beethoven left blank. "What we have now is something like – not exactly like, but pretty similar to – what Beethoven wrote," said Cooper. The movement as revised by Beethoven begins with a smoothly flowing, intense melody with an elegantly decorated first violin line, followed by aplayful, fast central section. But, according to Cooper, Beethoven's first thoughts were rather different. Though the gorgeous melody of the revised version is not dissimilar to the original, the first version has three rather than four beats to the bar. There is also a quite different middle section, in C minor – "stormy, angry, with shimmering tremolandos and rushing scales, very tense and anguished", according to Cooper. "There's also a lovely modulation where he takes you through some weird keys very quickly." It is a matter of speculation why the composer decided to change the character of the movement so radically. "It is possible that it too much anticipated the stormy mood of the C minor quartet," said Cooper, referring to the fourth quartet in the Op 18 group. Cooper tactfully refused to be drawn on which version was the better. "They both have an enormous amount to offer," he said. "It's like asking whether you prefer apples or oranges: they are different. Any other composer would have been pleased with the first version – but Beethoven was a perfectionist." The premiere will be given by the Quatuor Danel at a seminar open to the public at the University of Manchester. ||||| A movement from a Beethoven composition for a string quartet which was discarded by the composer and replaced by a new version has been reconstructed by a musical expert in Manchester. The piece got its first ever public performance in more than 200 years, possibly ever, at Manchester University. The lost piece of music was part of the String Quartet in G, Opus 18 Number 2, and Professor of Music at the university, Barry Cooper, painstakingly reconstructed the movement based on surviving detailed sketches for every one of its 74 bars. He was unable to attend the public recital due to unexpected surgery, his work was presented by his colleague Professor of Music David Fanning. Fanning said: "It might interest readers to know that at the seminar from which the video is taken, the audience – consisting of students, composers, musicologists and experienced chamber music-goers – found Professor Barry Cooper’s reconstruction entirely plausible. This, we agreed, was an impressive endorsement for his work. The project is in any case very different from his ‘Tenth Symphony’ reconstruction, which involved a good deal more conjecture. "I myself might have pointed to a few bars that sounded a bit skeletal. But even here, I can think of passages in other Beethoven works (such as the ‘Harp’ Quartet) where the same effect is clearly calculated and effective. At worst, my impression would be explicable as a scholar’s erring on the side of caution. "Equally, when the direct comparison was made, the more compact ‘standard version’ with its mercurial central section, totalling a little over five minutes as compared to the Cooper reconstruction’s nearly nine, was found to be both more ‘radical’ (according to a composer in the audience) and more effective within the context of the work as a whole (according to the Quatuor Danel). "In sum, the reconstructed Beethoven movement is certainly beautiful in its own right, and knowing it surely tells us something important about him as a craftsman, as well as enriching our view of the work. But I stand by my comment in the video that what we have here is something analogous to the appendix to a play: a version of a scene that is convincing enough but supplanted by the revision. "I write as Barry Cooper’s colleague, but without – so far as I’m aware – any guardedness or spin. Unfortunately Barry himself was indisposed for the seminar, and although I had access to his notes, I cannot pretend to have been speaking on his behalf or to do so now. Happily he’s making a quick recovery, and I fully expect him to add his own reactions at a future date." The existence of the sketches was established in 1977, but they have never been found. What is known is that the then aged 28 year old composer had delivered the manuscripts for three new quartets in October 1799. The works - Op 18 Nos 1-3 - were sold to a Prince Lobkowitz for 200 florins. But the following year Beethoven revised Nos 1 and 2, including a completely new slow movement for No 2 in which little of the original material remained and the rhythm was completely different. The reconstruction cannot be absolutely accurate, but it's believed to be as close as one can get when working only with sketches. The slow movement was played by the Quatuor Danel String Quartet. Beethoven cut down his original version by 3 minutes and replaced the original stormy and angry middle section with a calmer one.

– After Beethoven scrapped a movement from a string quartet, it was lost to the world’s ears for two centuries. No longer: A music professor in Britain has recreated the piece using the composer’s sketches for every measure. The movement of String Quartet in G, Opus 18, No. 2 was performed for the first time in 200 years—perhaps the first time ever—at Manchester University, the Telegraph reports. After Beethoven had written a group of six string quartets, he reworked the first two, the Guardian notes, ditching the second movement of the Quartet in G. Only the sketches for the movement remain; Professor Barry Cooper filled out missing parts and put them in order. He “made the jigsaw fit, and also made it performable,” Cooper says. “What we have now is something like—not exactly like, but pretty similar to—what Beethoven wrote.”

Tunisian authorities are putting property confiscated from ousted Tunisian dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali up for auction. That includes a pair of miniature gold sphinxes, a diamond-encrusted pen and a staggering 39 luxury cars. Officials hope the sale, which was inaugurated by Tunisia's Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali in Tunis Saturday, will fetch some 20 million dinar ($12.9 million) for the state. One of the rarities up for grabs is a super-pricy Mercedes that belonged to Ben Ali's nephew. Mohammed Lassaad Hamayed of Tunisia's confiscation committee calls the car "a handmade gem made of carbon fibers that costs more than (EURO)2 million ($2.6 million)." He says "only Mohamed VI (the King of Morocco) has a similar one." Ben Ali was ousted by a popular uprising in January 2011. ||||| Ever wanted to recreate the lifestyle of an authoritarian despot but weren't sure how? Now is your chance. In what is billed as a "sale of ill-gotten gains", Tunisia's finance ministry is seeking to ease its stretched current account by selling off cars, jewellery, furniture, pictures and assorted bling confiscated from the deposed president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali and his family. Heavy security is in place around the Cleopatre exhibition space in Gammarth, a wealthy resort north of Tunis, for the opening on Saturday of a display of sale items including 34 luxury cars – semi-armoured Cadillac limousines, BMWs, Mercedes, two Lamborghini Gallardos, Bentleys, Aston Martins – and some 300 pieces of jewellery. Among the paintings, clothes, furniture and knick-knacks on show, the prevalence of gilded falcons and swallows in flight perhaps betrays the taste of the former first lady Leila Trabelsi, Tunisians speculate. Cash dispensers and currency exchange desks stand at the ready. Smaller items will be sold at a fixed price, while anything priced at more than £4,000 will go to the highest bidder. Many pieces come from the Ben Ali family's sumptuous palace with a Mediterranean view at nearby Sidi Dhrif. The residence is itself now topping Tunis estate agents' lists as the authorities seek a wealthy Gulf buyer. During the revolution that sparked the Arab spring two years ago, villas in Gammarth abandoned in haste by other members of the Ben Ali circle were looted, but the items on display there now came into public hands through the courts. The bling is just the most colourful part of a sell-off that includes confiscated shareholdings in a bank, two car importers and a cement plant. As Tunisians face up to the fact that their country is rather poorer than Ben Ali had them believe, the authorities have emphasised that the 20m dinars (£8m) they hope to raise from the Gammarth sale will go towards school buses for rural children and new roads. The organisers evidently hope to attract not just well-heeled but public-spirited buyers looking for that special gift with a story behind it, but also members of the public ready to pay the 30 dinar entrance ticket to marvel at their former ruler's nouveau-riche excesses. Times are hard for many this winter, however. Protests in poorer regions continue to discourage investment, taking unemployment to new highs in some towns and adding weight to arguments that the Islamist-led government lacks economic expertise. A shortage of milk in supermarkets is adding to the sombre public mood; parents of small children solicit tips as to which corner shops are handing out imported milk from under the counter. The government has just announced a new finance minister, Elyes Fakhfakh of the centre-left Ettakatol party. His predecessor resigned last summer, claiming that spending on jobseekers' allowances and work schemes, and planned compensation payments to former political prisoners, would be unsustainable. The finance ministry also said on Thursday that to make ends meet in 2014 it may have to resort to a $2.5bn (£1.5bn) credit line from the IMF. This year's total budget of £10.6bn includes financial help from well-wishers including the World Bank, the EU, Qatar, and neighbouring Libya (which praised the generosity Tunisians showed towards refugees from the war there last year). Ben Ali, Trabelsi and the couple's young son begin their third year of exile in Saudi Arabia in January. The Saudi government has declined to extradite them to Tunisia, where they have been convicted in absentia on charges including misuse of state funds. A once-favoured son-in-law, the 31-year-old Sakhr al-Materi (husband of Ben Ali's daughter Nesrine from a previous marriage), was questioned on 14 December at the airport in the Seychelles, after leaving his previous safe haven, Qatar. The Seychelles authorities later said he had left their territory. A Ben Ali brother-in-law and former kingpin of the Tunisian business world, Belhassen Trabelsi, is meanwhile wintering with his family in Canada, where he has applied for political asylum.

– It's one thing to lose your job as dictator in a popular uprising. But to see all your belongings—from your 40 luxury cars to your miniature golden sphinxes to your wife's treadmill—go to the highest bidder? That's the fate being suffered by former Tunisian leader Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, reports AFP. The nation today beings a 30-day auction of all his "ill-gotten" belongings and hopes to bring in about $13 million, reports AP. Ben Ali, now in exile in Saudi Arabia, was the first leader to fall in the 2011 Arab Spring. The Guardian notes that the jubilation that followed his ouster has long since subsided: "Times are hard for many this winter, however. Protests in poorer regions continue to discourage investment, taking unemployment to new highs in some towns and adding weight to arguments that the Islamist-led government lacks economic expertise. A shortage of milk in supermarkets is adding to the sombre public mood ..."

<img class="styles__noscript__2rw2y" src="https://dsx.weather.com/util/image/w/trespasswarning.jpg?v=at&w=485&h=273&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0" srcset="https://dsx.weather.com/util/image/w/trespasswarning.jpg?v=at&w=485&h=273&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0 400w, https://dsx.weather.com/util/image/w/trespasswarning.jpg?v=ap&w=980&h=551&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0 800w" > (Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office) At a Glance As Floridians put together their final preparations for Hurricane Michael, a sheriff's office took advantage of a common joke during hurricane season. The Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office posted a false "Trespass Warning" for The Weather Channel's Jim Cantore. The office noted the warning was just a joke and that they like Cantore, just not in times like this. While Floridians put together their final preparations for Hurricane Michael as it grows nearer in the Gulf of Mexico, one sheriff's office took advantage of a common joke during hurricane season in the Sunshine State by issuing a "Trespass Warning" for The Weather Channel's Jim Cantore. The Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office posted to its Facebook page a fake trespass warning for Cantore Monday evening, playing off the joke that when he shows up in your area, the weather is bound to turn bad soon. <img class="styles__noscript__2rw2y" src="https://dsx.weather.com/util/image/w/fullwarning.jpg?v=at&w=485&h=273&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0" srcset="https://dsx.weather.com/util/image/w/fullwarning.jpg?v=at&w=485&h=273&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0 400w, https://dsx.weather.com/util/image/w/fullwarning.jpg?v=ap&w=980&h=551&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0 800w" > (Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office) "Everyone knows what's in store when Jim Cantore shows up, so we issued a little notice," the post read, listing Cantore's preferred visiting months during the winter. (FORECAST: Latest Timing, Intensity Expectations for Hurricane Michael ) "Non-business related visits only," the warning writes under their special conditions section. The sheriff's office did note at the bottom that it was just a joke and not a real trespass. "We like Jim, just not under these conditions." Santa Rosa County sits just east of Pensacola in the Florida Panhandle and is currently under a hurricane warning. Latest forecasts show Hurricane Michael making landfall between the Panhandle and the Big Bend Wednesday into Wednesday night. ||||| ... n gulf breeze through the National Seashores. Roadway closures are expected. Please seek alternate routes through that area. This update was at 1:07pm. Traffic Alert Hwy 98 There is a major accident currently on Hwy 98 i ||||| The Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office issued a fake "no trespassing" notice for The Weather Channel's Jim Cantore ahead of Hurricane Michael. (Photo: Courtesy of Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office) The Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office has a playful message for The Weather Channel's Jim Cantore: Stay away from here. As the Panhandle braces for a serious storm with Hurricane Michael, the law enforcement agency took a friendly jab at the meteorologist who has a reputation for being the one guy you really don't want to see when there's a weather disaster in your area. The SRSO turned to Facebook to issue a fake trespass warning for Cantore. The warning — complete with photos and a physical description of the weather man — identifies Cantore as a "person of interest" and adds that the SRSO would prefer he make "non-business related visits only" and "winter months preferred." Bracing for the storm: Hurricane Michael is 'monster storm' expected to get more dangerous Get ready now: Hurricane Michael: How to prepare before a hurricane "Everyone know what's in store when Jim Cantore shows up. So we issued a little notice," reads the SRSO Facebook post, which had been shared more than 7,200 times as of 9 p.m. Monday. The Sheriff's Office makes it clear the trespassing warning isn't real, adding a line at the bottom of the warning that reads, "This is not a real trespass. We like Jim, just not under these conditions." Jokes aside, officials are cautioning Panhandle residents to brace for a massive storm as Hurricane Michael approaches the Gulf Coast. The hurricane could pick up speed Tuesday and start affecting the Gulf Coast before making landfall as a Category 3 hurricane Wednesday. Read or Share this story: https://www.pnj.com/story/news/2018/10/08/jim-cantore-no-trespassing-hurricane-michael-florida-santa-rosa-county-sheriffs-office/1573951002/

– The Weather Channel's Jim Cantore is usually on the scene when there's a big storm—so, as Florida prepares for Hurricane Michael, one sheriff's office is letting the meteorologist know he's not welcome. The Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office posted a "Trespass Warning" for Cantore on Facebook Monday as a joke, writing, "Everyone know whats in store when Jim Cantore shows up. So we issued a little notice." The fake warning says Cantore is welcome to make "non-business related visits only," preferably during the winter months, and it notes at the bottom: "We like Jim, just not under these conditions." Hurricane Michael is expected to make landfall Wednesday between the Florida Panhandle and the Big Bend, Weather.com reports. It could be a Category 3 storm when it does, notes the Pensacola News Journal.

Michael A. Ross, the author of a well-regarded study of the Supreme Court during the Civil War, thought of himself as a “meat and potatoes” legal historian. But a decade ago in a New Orleans archive, something a bit spicier caught his eye: an 1870 newspaper article describing the “voodoo abduction” of a white toddler by two mysterious black women. “I thought to myself, ‘This can’t possibly be true,’ ” Mr. Ross recalled recently by telephone. The voodoo angle turned out to be hysterical rumor. But as he read on, Mr. Ross, now a professor at the University of Maryland, discovered an all-but-forgotten story of a sensational investigation and trial that gripped New Orleans and the national press for almost seven months. “There were so many other twists and turns that I was hooked,” he said. Those twists, recounted by Mr. Ross in “The Great New Orleans Kidnapping Case: Race, Law and Justice in the Reconstruction Era,” published this week by Oxford University Press, include psychic consultations, a shadowy “House of Secret Obstetrics” and the derring-do of a crack Afro-Creole police detective versed in the latest “French” techniques — seemingly the first black detective in the United States to take part in a case that received national attention, Mr. Ross says. ||||| Finding Marlowe I t was hot and I was late for lunch. I was feeling mean, like I’d been left out in the sun too long. We were meeting at a joint on La Brea, the kind of place where the booths have curtains you can pull shut if you need a little privacy. I slid across cool leather and got my first good look at Louise Ransil, a wisp of a redhead with high cheekbones and appraising eyes. She sat with her hands folded on the worn table, a stack of old paperbacks next to her. Ransil had a script she’d been peddling to the studios. I’d started reading it — a detective caper set in 1930s Los Angeles — and wanted to find out about the claim on the title page. “BASED ON A TRUE STORY: From case files of P.I. Samuel B. Marlowe.” The screenwriter Louise Ransil, a former Hollywood executive, says she spent “hundreds of hours going through Marlowe’s files, then intensive hours interviewing family members” before writing her film script, “Marlowe.” Watch a behind-the-scenes video with Daniel Miller and Louise Ransil » Ransil didn’t waste any time. Marlowe, she said, was the city’s first licensed black private detective. He shadowed lives, took care of secrets, knew his way around Tinseltown. Ransil dropped the names of some Hollywood heavies — Clark Gable, Jean Harlow, Howard Hughes. But it got better. Marlowe knew hard-boiled writers Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett, she said. The private eye had written them after reading their early stories in the pulp magazine Black Mask to say their fictional gumshoes were doing it all wrong. They began writing regularly, or so her story went. The authors relied on Marlowe for writing advice, and in the case of Chandler, some real-life detective work. So his name was Samuel Marlowe … and their most famous characters were Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe. That was no accident, she was sure of it. Maybe, maybe not. At the very least, it was a hell of a coincidence. But the letters that would prove it all had gone missing — if they even existed. ADVERTISEMENT Marlowe’s relatives were searching for them. There was talk of a secret compartment in a home in West Adams. Or maybe they were hidden at a shuttered thrift shop in South Los Angeles. Ransil flashed a wry smile. Was I interested? Lost letters worth thousands. A family trying to uncover the truth about a man all mixed up in the glamour and the seediness of L.A. between the wars. And a Hollywood screenwriter who stood to gain a lot from any story I might write. This was L.A. noir. I didn’t know if I could trust Ransil, a former executive with Orion Pictures and New Line Cinema who lived alone in a penthouse with a pet parrot. Samuel Marlowe The Jamaican immigrant and World War I veteran is said to have corresponded with writers Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett for decades. Obituary A paid notice for Marlowe appeared in The Times after he died in 1991, a few weeks before his 101st birthday. But she had gotten to me. Chandler and Hammett created two characters that shaped the archetype of the noir detective as a world-weary white man, and she was saying they might have been named after a black private eye. I started checking out Ransil’s story, looking up the paid obituaries in The Times and the Los Angeles Sentinel from when Marlowe died in 1991. Marlowe was born Aug. 3, 1890, in Montego Bay, Jamaica. According to The Times obituary, he served in Britain’s Egyptian Expeditionary Force, a World War I fighting brigade that guarded the Suez Canal. After the war, Marlowe immigrated to the U.S., settling in Los Angeles, where he soon became a private detective. Both obituaries made the same bold — and almost certainly untrue — claim: “In L.A., he was the first licensed P.I. west of the Mississippi.” The notices were larded up with the private eye’s civic achievements, even referencing a few organizations — like the Old Black Screen Actor’s Guild, from his days as a bit actor — that I couldn’t verify ever existed. I needed to turn to Marlowe’s family members. And to Ransil. She said that after reading the obituaries, she reached out to the gumshoe’s son, Samuel Marlowe Jr., who gave her access to his father’s archives. Over the course of several months in 1991 and 1992, Ransil said, she examined the PI’s papers at the younger Marlowe’s home — rifling through old case files, invoices and correspondence — and took notes in Stenoscript shorthand. She showed me dozens of pages of them. Ransil said she didn’t photocopy anything because it would have amounted to hours of work and she figured there’d be plenty of time to examine it all. She eventually set aside the project, distracted by her day jobs. By the time she picked it up again in 2006, Marlowe Jr. was dead. Ransil, 61, acknowledged that doubters could say she’s playing fast and loose with the truth to score a movie deal. She’s adamant that her motives are pure. At least Ransil wasn’t the only person who claimed to have seen the letters. Willie Rawls, 74, a Marlowe family friend, said she examined them around 2001 just before they went missing. And one of Marlowe’s great-grandsons, Antoine Durousseau, said he saw them too. “A lot of them were handwritten — letters between Marlowe and the authors,” he said. “Marlowe kept a pretty good file cabinet.” The descendant Relatives say Marlowe handled security for South L.A. speak-easies during Prohibition, and great-grandson John Cummings said the PI “had a life committed to the underworld.” More on the shuttered shop that housed some of Marlowe’s possessions » I followed a lead to a big man drenched in sweat. He was picking through battered steamer trunks and moldy cardboard boxes. John Cummings was searching for the lost letters — or anything else that could prove the man he knew as a boy was a trusted advisor to two literary lions. “He had a gold-capped tooth right here,” Cummings said of his great-grandfather, pointing at one of his own front teeth, “and was addicted to cigars, horses and women.” As the sun beat down on a dilapidated South L.A. building, Cummings, 48, took a break. He wasn’t satisfied with the objects he’d unearthed at the property, once a thrift shop operated by his late father, who had retrieved some of Marlowe’s personal effects when the private eye died. For Cummings, it’s personal. He wants to prove what a 1980s story in the Sentinel asserted: When Marlowe became a PI in 1921, he was the “first black man to have a licensed detective agency in the state of California.” “I am more interested in Sr.’s legacy, and the legacy of African American men who have blazed a trail and gone unrecognized,” said Cummings, speaking in a cigar-ravaged rasp. The California Department of Consumer Affairs, which issues private detective licenses, has no record of Marlowe, but an agency spokesman said that older files are often incomplete or missing. USC history department researcher Angelica Stoddard, whose work centers on L.A.’s first licensed black private eyes, says Marlowe is the earliest one she’s heard of. Cummings ducked into a rusty white Ford Econoline van parked out back and emerged with a heavy cardboard box. He set it on the ground and plunged his hand in, pulling out a pistol, bullets, stale cigars. There was an address book with an entry for Universal Studios’ payroll department and a placard that read, “This property is protected by the Samuel B. Marlowe Detective Agency.” I started re-reading Chandler’s and Hammett’s novels, gulping down their stories of crooks and femmes fatales, dizzy with all that hard language coursing through my head. Hammett’s debut novel, “Red Harvest,” was published in 1929 — the same year Marlowe wrote the author to complain about his writing, Ransil said. The following year, Hammett released “The Maltese Falcon,” with its iconic, white private detective, Sam Spade. Marlowe claimed that Spade’s first name was an homage to him, and that the character’s surname was Hammett’s “winking inside joke,” because “spade” was a derogatory term for a black person, Marlowe Jr. told Ransil. In 1933, Hammett published “Nightshade,” a little-known, four-page tale that appeared in Mystery League magazine and is his only work to feature a black protagonist. In the story, the lead character, Jack Bye, helps a blond out of a jam with two toughs. Afterward, they visit an African American speak-easy called Mack’s. Once she leaves, the barman tells Bye: “I like you, boy, but you got to remember it don’t make no difference how light your skin is or how many colleges you went to, you’re still a n—.” Ransil said that Marlowe’s cache of letters from Hammett included a carbon copy of a draft of “Nightshade” with an index card clipped to it suggesting the story was inspired by the private eye: “I came across this and thought you might like to have it. You’ll see I changed a few of the details, but I think it still works.” Marlowe, family members say, provided security for illegal speak-easies during the Prohibition era, when Hollywood types liked to frequent the Dunbar Hotel and other nightspots on South L.A.’s Central Avenue — long the center of African American life in Los Angeles. Great-grandson Durousseau said that he’d been told by older relatives that film studios also paid the gumshoe to “pick up actors and actresses who were in the wrong part of town at speak-easies and juke joints.” The work on Central Avenue, and a walk-on part in the 1933 epic “King Kong,” introduced Marlowe to a slew of movie industry players. Among those who relied on Marlowe were Howard Hughes and Charlie Chaplin — both of whom used him to keep tabs on women they were seeing, Ransil said. In 1936, Paramount Pictures hired Marlowe to investigate an attempt to blackmail actress Marlene Dietrich, Ransil’s notes show. Marlowe went to a train station to stake out the delivery of $8,000 in hush money provided by the studio to a “young man.” He turned out to be the son of Dietrich’s makeup artist. “Dietrich refused to have the makeup woman and son arrested because she and the makeup woman had been lovers,” Ransil’s notes show. The detective also started doing a little work for Chandler after the author wrote the PI asking if he could retrieve some police files, Ransil said. Marlowe’s billing files, she said, show that he was also Chandler’s guide on research expeditions to the “tough parts of town.” Marlowe gave Chandler a bit of advice on how to think like a PI: “Believe no one, even the person hiring you — especially the person hiring you,” according to Ransil’s notes. In 1939, Chandler released “The Big Sleep,” his first Philip Marlowe novel. It turned the writer into a literary star. Chandler followed up “The Big Sleep” a year later with “Farewell, My Lovely,” considered by some to be his greatest work. Ransil believes that the South L.A. vignette that opens the book depicts a side of the city that Chandler would have been unfamiliar with unless he had a guide like Marlowe. The novel opens on Chandler’s Philip Marlowe emerging from a barbershop on Central Avenue. He watches the felon Moose Malloy throw a black man out of a bar called Florian’s. Later, Malloy and Marlowe come across an African American bouncer at Florian’s who says, “No white folks, brother. Jes’ fo’ the colored people. I’se sorry.” “Where did he get that? Why Central Avenue?” asked Judith Freeman, author of the biography “The Long Embrace: Raymond Chandler and the Woman He Loved.” The research institutions that house the two writers’ papers said none mention Marlowe. And scholars have plenty of other ideas about where the characters’ names might have come from. Freeman said the connection would be plausible — “if one could find even the smallest direct link.” I thundered down the 110 toward Compton, my coupe shuddering over the highway’s tar-smeared seams. I was hoping for an audience with Marlowe’s oldest living relative — his nephew. Samuel Joseph Marlowe lives in a pink, wood-sided house with a security gate at the front door. It was a Sunday, and down the block a church was flooded with parishioners who spilled out onto a porch. I parked across the street, where two steely-eyed men sitting in a late-model sedan clocked me as I hustled up the driveway. My visit was unannounced; I’d had a mind to doorstep Samuel Joseph, who didn’t answer my letters or have a working phone. Inside I found a withered man lolling deep in a stained couch, as comfortable as an old shoe. His speech had been muddied by a recent stroke, but Samuel Joseph, 88, was eager to talk. He spoke of his journey from Jamaica to Los Angeles in 1947 and how his uncle got him a job at a cold storage facility. Marlowe was willing to lend a helping hand, but when Samuel Joseph needed help filing his taxes, the flinty PI charged him $10. “When he finished my income tax I went by the house and he said, ‘Your paperwork is finished,’ so I reached up to get it,” Samuel Joseph said. “He said, ‘You can pay me $10 first.’ I picked it up anyway. He pulled out his little pistol and said, ‘No, you put it back until I get my money.’ He was joking, but he was meaning it too. He didn’t pity no man.” Samuel Joseph smiled at the story but told me that he didn’t know about Marlowe’s connection to the writers. He said in a bashful sort of way that I knew more about his uncle than he did. “Oh, what should I say about Uncle Sam?” he trailed off, squinting at something unseen. I had hit another dead end. Marlowe kept things close to the vest, even with his relatives. But as he grew older, he hinted at his glory years, back when he called himself the “Answer Man.” Durousseau remembers watching television with Marlowe years after he’d retired. The old man’s eyes lighted up when the film adaptation of “The Maltese Falcon” came on the screen. Watching Humphrey Bogart hunt down the jewel-encrusted falcon statuette, the elderly former detective gestured at the television and said “he knew that guy from the movie,” Durousseau recalled. The private eye died two weeks before his 101st birthday. He’s buried at the Inglewood Park Cemetery. I visited with Durousseau and watched as he cleaned the grave marker in row 1190 of the cemetery’s Resthaven section, sluicing it with water from a fast-food restaurant cup. “He outlived his family members, he’d seen Los Angeles [transform] from nothing to everything,” said Durousseau, 44, stifling tears. “He just felt he was ready to go.” After the detective died, some of his possessions were transferred to his son’s house in West Adams. The old Dutch Colonial became the focus of a family legal battle when Marlowe Jr. died in 2003, and that may have led to the loss of the private eye’s files. After three years of legal skirmishing, the house was put on the market — and the feuding heirs never retrieved the files from it. When buyer Ethan Polk toured the property before making an offer, it was filled with the belongings of the late PI and his son. As part of the transaction, Polk stipulated that it be cleaned out. “The real estate agent hired a crew of people to clean out the house,” Polk said. “They basically dumped everything.” It had been a year of hard work but even harder luck when I met Ransil for lunch again, this time at an Italian place on Hillhurst Avenue. She appeared more frail than I’d remembered. As I walked in, the faint sound of an army of air conditioners registering their protests set me on edge. We were in the middle of a ferocious heat wave and AC units had been surrendering all across the city. Ransil ordered a tuna melt with fried potatoes and picked at the food. I barely gave her time to eat. I peppered her with questions, asking again why she hadn’t photocopied Marlowe’s files. I told her about the real estate agent’s crew, and what they’d done. I needed a good night’s sleep, I needed a change of scenery, and I needed a break in the case. It didn’t look like any were coming. Ransil slumped back into the green leather booth. She said she felt ashamed that she’d let the story slip through her fingers. “It's a long and twisted tale that didn't turn out the way I’d hoped,” she said. “I'm kicking myself in a lot of ways.” There was another lead to pursue, and I wasn’t some soft-boned flatheel who’d give up without a fight. The Dutch Colonial once owned by Marlowe’s son is a husk, shedding roof shingles and sloughing off its white clapboard exterior. But it could hold the private detective’s secrets. Word is, the house contains at least one hidden compartment where the younger Marlowe had stashed valuables. Ransil said that the private eye’s daughter, Rena Hughes, once told her about this. A former resident, Stacie Ottley, recalled one in a bedroom too. The Dutch Colonial The West Adams residence once owned by the PI’s son is purported to have at least one secret compartment where valuables were stored. “There’s a room that had a little thing in the floor,” Ottley said. “One of the floorboards moved.” Could the letters still be there? I asked Polk, the current owner, if he’d mind if I tore up a room. He gave me a look and, laughing a little, agreed. I called up my handyman, a street-smart Cincinnatian named Dan Boster who keeps his salt-and-pepper hair short. I asked for a favor. A week later, the two of us stooped in one of the house’s closets. Boster yanked up musty carpet. He rapped his fingers on the hardwood floor. A hollow thump. Sweating now, he leaned in and edged a steel scraper between two boards. The wood gave way. Cool air rose from below. I swallowed and looked down. Nothing. I’d spent a year chasing dead men. They weren’t talking. Maybe they never would. But I just got another tip. I’m in too deep to quit now. daniel.miller@latimes.com Twitter: @danielnmiller | Illustrations by Morgan Schweitzer | Photography by Gina Ferazzi | Design and production by Armand Emamdjomeh and Lily Mihalik

– Two great American crime novelists may have relied on a man unknown to history—a black detective in Los Angeles—to help them get their facts straight, the LA Times reports. Samuel Marlowe, said to be the city's first black gumshoe, worked for celebrities, studios, and speakeasies in the 1930s, trailing the girlfriends of wealthy clients and pulling movie stars out of bars on the "wrong" side of town, according to his descendants and a Hollywood screenwriter. Marlowe also reportedly corresponded with Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett, the authors of noir classics like The Long Goodbye and The Maltese Falcon, respectively, with insights into detective-life and Prohibition-era Los Angeles. Only problem: All of Marlowe's correspondence has vanished. The screenwriter, Louise Ransil, says she saw the handwritten letters at Marlowe's old house before a real estate agent apparently had them dumped when selling the property. Now one of Marlowe's great grandsons is digging through an old building where his dad ran a thrift shop, but the letters still haven't turned up. Nor has proof that Marlowe was LA's first black detective: "I am more interested in [his] legacy, and the legacy of African American men who have blazed a trail and gone unrecognized," he says. A propos, there's a new book out (The Great New Orleans Kidnapping Case, by Michael Ross) about a case in Reconstruction-era New Orleans that was investigated by John Jourdain—possibly the first black detective to receive national attention, the New York Times reports.

Despite the increasing number of those who hold other faiths or no faith, Christians still wield substantial influence on our nation's cultural and ethical norms. After all, 73% of Americans still identify as Christian, according to a 2012 Pew Forum Study. So the fact that many churchgoers have changed their views about gay civil rights in recent years is one of the major under-reported reasons why same-sex marriage is now legal in nine states. It is also one of the reasons that the constitutional challenge to Proposition 8, which took away gay Californians' right to marry, may get a hearing in the Supreme Court this term (an announcement is expected on Monday). According to the Pew Forum, a majority of mainline Protestants and Roman Catholics now favor legalizing same-sex marriage. So when our more conservative Christian kin claim that gay marriage is against God and against the Bible, we beg to differ. And since Christians are a "people of the Word," we look to the Bible to justify our thinking. That's essential to Christianity, although all too often we get it wrong, at least at first. In various eras, those who claimed to follow Christ used specific Bible passages to argue that the Inquisition was God's will, the Crusades were a good idea, slavery was legitimate, women should not be allowed to own property or have the right to vote, disabled people must have sinned to deserve their disabilities and God hated Jews. TIMELINE: Gay marriage chronology Although each of these beliefs was based on the literal words of a particular Bible passage, all of them were in opposition to the message and life of Jesus and the prophets. So when Christians eventually rejected these positions, they returned to the Scriptures, in their original form, to reconsider the text. This time around, it's the same process. Most New Testament Greek scholars now point out that there are only three passages that deal with homosexuality in the New Testament — Romans 1:23-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and 1 Timothy 1:9-10 — and those passages don't deal with homosexuality as we define it today but rather with temple prostitution and other abuses. Because of dated (and often loved) translations, many versions of the Bible imply otherwise. As for the Old Testament, some Christians cite Leviticus 20:13, which commands death for men who lie with men. But most of us acknowledge that if we took all of the Old Testament's orders literally, at least half of us wouldn't make it to age 40, because of commands to kill those who commit adultery (Leviticus 20:10), kill rebellious sons who disobey their parents (Deuteronomy 21:18-21), kill anyone who works on the Sabbath (Exodus 31:15) and the like. Jesus never addressed the subject of homosexuality, other than what can be inferred from his example of loving and accepting everyone, especially the oppressed and those whom the religious establishment considered unclean. Some Christians will disagree, pointing out that Jesus said marriage was between a man and a woman. What they are referring to is Mark 10:2-12, where Jesus protested the practice of men getting rid of inconvenient wives by simply handing them a certificate of divorce. In this passage Jesus is objecting to a system that excessively penalized women, often causing financial devastation, loss of children and other unjust consequences. He was not saying anything about same-sex marriage, which didn't exist at the time. Jesus never spoke against homosexuality, but he did speak very clearly against divorce. Yet the majority of churches today — including those who view same-sex marriage as a sin — not only accept divorced members but also allow them to be church leaders. Why? Because marriage and divorce were different institutions in the time of Christ, and there are valid reasons for contemporary cultures to allow divorce in certain cases. If you surmise that in 30 AD two men or two women marrying would have been anathema had it even been under consideration, you're probably right. But why not make the same cultural allowances for gay couples 2,000 years later that Christian churches have long made for the divorced (as well as women, the disabled, and others who faced discrimination back then)? Literalism, says LGBT activist and Episcopal priest Susan Russell, leads to using Bible passages as weapons. "Instead of taking the Bible literally," she says, "we should take it seriously, with deep faithfulness to the Old and New Testaments' core values of compassion, justice and peace." An ever-growing number of Christian clergy and lay people now believe that rejecting gay civil rights because of a literal adherence to certain verses directly contradicts these themes. They point out how these views are hurting all of the church, especially its most vulnerable members: young gay people who are convinced that their very essence is sinful. Furthermore, they can no longer support unjust laws that penalize committed same-sex couples and their families. As more and more church members thoughtfully and prayerfully confront the evidence, it will only be a matter of time before the majority of Christians of all stripes become allies rather than antagonists for justice and equal rights for gay people. Then we will come out on the right side of history once again. C.S. Pearce is the author of "This We Believe: The Christian Case for Gay Civil Rights," and the director of media relations for Claremont School of Theology and Claremont Lincoln University. ||||| The Supreme Court, after taking most of the day to prepare new orders, took no action Friday on the ten same-sex marriage pleas now on the docket. It did agree to rule on whether taking a human gene out of the body for research is a process that can be patented. That case is Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, with the grant limited to that issue. The Justices also agreed to rule on legal protection for makers of generic drugs (Mutual Pharmaceutical v. Bartlett). The next opportunity for the Court to issue orders will be at 9:30 a.m. Monday. Nothing has ruled out the possibility that some actions on same-sex marriage could be announced at that time, although there is no indication that that will occur. It may be that the Court needs more time to decide what it wants to do next on any of the cases. If the Court has chosen to deny review of all of the cases, even that might not come out on Monday, since the chances are that there would be dissents from some of the denials, and it would take some time to prepare dissenting opinions. But denial of all of the cases is an extremely remote possibility anyway. If no orders on any of these cases emerge on Monday, the next indication of what the Court may be doing with the issue could come with re-setting them for the private Conference that will be held next Friday. It is not uncommon, in cases that have some complexity, for the Court to require more than one Conference sitting to decide how to proceed. Ordinarily, the Court re-schedules cases after releasing orders and opinions from a Conference. Thus, that could happen on Monday or Tuesday of next week — orders are due Monday, one or more opinions Tuesday, but only in cases already heard. At this point, any prediction about where the same-sex marriage cases stand at the Court is subject to serious error. The Court does not explain inactions, so silence can mean many alternative possibilities. The Court, though, does tend to follow fairly fixed patterns of activity. The announcement of grants on Friday is usually linked to a desire to get enough cases put on the decision docket to fill the next openings in the argument calendar. As of this morning, the Court still had eight slots open for argument during the March session. By announcing grants this afternoon, the Court gave counsel a few more days to prepare briefing in the two newly granted cases. Lawyers and other public Court watchers knew that the same-sex marriage cases were being considered at this morning’s Conference, because that fact was listed on the public docket page for each case. The Court had been due to consider the cases as early as September, but that was first put off until November 20, when all documents in all ten files would be available, and then to today’s Conference. When the Court re-sets a case or cases, it does not explain why. The same-sex marriage cases are complex because they involved a variety of constitutional issues, a series of procedural complexities, and then some scheduling considerations — such as who is to line up on which side of any granted case. If the Court is prepared to hear one or more of the cases, they still may want to re-write the questions in a form that they prefer to address, and that usually takes a bit of time. Although some of the Justices presumably have spent some time thinking about these cases, and perhaps having their clerks read some of the papers (and maybe doing so themselves), Friday’s Conference was very likely the first time that all nine Justices had a group conversation about them. If granting any cases was going to be easy, the chances are that an order saying so would have come out by early in the afternoon. The fact that no order emerged until after 3 p.m. was the strongest indication that the Court had been spending extra time on these ten cases, without reaching a conclusion. It would not have taken much time to write the order on the two cases that did get granted. On the two cases that the Justices did grant, the human gene patent case shapes up as a major case with potentially wide impact on scientific research, medical practice, and women’s health, in particular. The case involves the extraction of DNA from human body cells, in the form of “isolated” biological material, for purposes of study. An examination of mutant forms of two genes that are now held under patent monopolies can give a strong indication of whether a woman is at risk for hereditary breast or ovarian cancer. This case was before the Justices last Term, but the Court, rather than grant review of the human gene patentability, sent the case back to the specialized patent court — the Federal Circuit Court — for a new look in the wake of a decision last Term limiting the opportunity to patent claimed inventions on the application of the laws of nature. An invention that is nothing more than a recitation of a law of nature is not eligible for a patent; the Court said there must be a clear application of such a law, perhaps in a research or diagnostic setting, before it could be eligible for a patent. When the case returned to the Federal Circuit, it once again ruled that “isolated DNA” was patentable. In taking the case back to the Supreme Court this Term, a group of doctors, researchers, clinicians, and geneticists and their organizations asked the Court not only to rule on whether a human gene can be patented, but also whether the Federal Circuit was wrong in upholding a method patent held by Myriad Genetics, and whether it also was wrong in setting a narrow definition of who may sue to challenge the legality of a patent. The Justices, in granting review, limited their review to the single issue of gene patentability. The second case granted Friday is also a reprise of prior activity on a similar issue two Terms ago, along with some earlier Court precedents in the field of claims of harm done from drugs, medical devices or other consumer products. The issue in the case is whether federal law bars lawsuits claiming that a drug made by a generic manufacturer was defective in its design. A generic firm, Mutual Pharmaceutical Co., Inc., told the Court in its petition for review that the First Circuit Court was wrong in concluding that a generic company whose design had been challenged in court could avoid conflicting with federal law by simply ceasing to make its products. It appears that both of the cases will be scheduled for oral argument in March. Recommended Citation: Lyle Denniston, No action on same-sex marriage, SCOTUSblog (Nov. 30, 2012, 3:16 PM), http://www.scotusblog.com/2012/11/no-action-on-same-sex-marriage/

– Conservative Christians make the case that the Bible forbids gay marriage, so why have so many middle-of-the-road churchgoers changed their minds to support the idea? Because a familiar pattern on church matters is repeating itself, writes CS Pearce in the Los Angeles Times. It starts when more conservative members cite Bible passages to justify their cause—as they did for the Inquisition, the Crusades, slavery, women's suffrage, and now gay marriage. Over time, however, most Christians reject the literal interpretation for one more in keeping with the Bible's "core values of compassion, justice and peace." Pearce says most scholars agree that only three New Testament passages address homosexuality, though not "as we define it today but rather with temple prostitution and other abuses." And yes, the Old Testament says it merits execution, but the same applies to unruly sons and those who work on Sundays. "It will only be a matter of time before the majority of Christians of all stripes become allies rather than antagonists for justice and equal rights for gay people," writes Pearce. "Then we will come out on the right side of history once again." Read the full column here. (The Supreme Court may decide to take up the issue as early as Monday, reports SCOTUSblog.)

The rebels were attempting to identify the trajectory of the missile which was fired from Col Gaddafi's stronghold of Sirte even as his envoys headed for new talks with the opposition and a United Nations special envoy in Tunisia. Despite rumours that he is preparing to flee, the opposition fear Col Gaddafi is preparing a desperate last stand in Tripoli and towns still loyal to him in the face of recent rebel advances on two fronts which has cut off his crucial supply routes. In the early hours of Monday morning, the defiant Libyan leader addressed his people, calling on them to take up arms and "defend their fatherland" and predicting a swift end for "the rats" and the "coloniser" - the rebels and Nato. But in a further sign of his weakening position, his deputy interior minister, said to be a long-time devoted loyalist, then apparently defected. Nasser al-Mabrouk Abdullah arrived in the Egyptian capital Cairo with nine members of his family claiming he was taking a holiday. The launch of the ballistic Scud missile, which has a range of more than 200 miles, was detected by a US Aegis destroyer in the Mediterranean on Sunday, officials told The Daily Telegraph . The regime is thought to possess more than 100 of the Scud B variant missiles. It agreed to destroy them in a deal to end sanctions a decade ago, but rows over their replacement mean the systems remain intact. Although military planners believe that the majority of the missiles were taken out in recent air strikes, several mobile brigades are thought still to exist. The missile fired may have been targeting rebel troop formations around Ajdabiyah, a key junction town seized from the regime earlier this year and home to the advance military headquarters of the rebels. It is believed the missile landed in the desert. "That it didn't hit anything or kill anyone is not the point. It's a weapon of mass destruction that Col Gaddafi is willing to train on his own people," said one Western official. Sirte, which was Col Gaddafi's birthplace and lies between Misurata and the rebels' eastern front line in Brega, is a potential site for a last stand if Tripoli comes under attack. While consolidating their hold on most residential parts of Brega, the rebels are also now just 30 miles from Tripoli to the west, having taken part of the town of Zawiyah, and 50 miles to the south, after claiming to have taken the garrison town of Gharyan. From Sirte, the regime could still move Scuds through the desert to target the main rebel strongholds such as Misurata and Zintan. Col Gaddafi has a history of using Scud missiles to lash back at attacks. The missiles were fired at the southern Italian island of Lampedusa after the 1986 bombing of Tripoli by President Ronald Reagan. Western officials pointed to the seizure by rebels of much of Zawiyah at the weekend and the apparent defection of Nasser al-Mabrouk Abdullah as a sign of Col Gaddafi's weakening position. Mr Abdullah was appointed a minister in June, part of a reshuffle following earlier defections. He had been director of intelligence and was interior minister until 2006, when the shooting dead of 11 Islamist protesters outside the Italian embassy was deemed "disproportionate use of force" even for Libya and he was sacked. Nevertheless, he remained among the most hardline loyalists of the Gaddafi apparatus. Meanwhile, Libyan loyalists and rebels met yesterday as efforts to negotiate an end to the conflict intensified. They was also some confusion about the presence of a UN envoy holding a meeting in Tunis over the coming days. Libyan government and opposition representatives have reportedly been meeting in a Tunisian hotel, but a regime spokesman continued to rule out any negotiated departure for the Libyan leader. Col Gaddafi himself gave a live broadcast in the early hours of yesterday morning by telephone, defiantly predicting victory over the "rats". "The Libyan people will remain and the revolution will remain," he shouted. "Be prepared, go forth, get your weapons, to liberate Libya inch by inch from the traitors and from NATO." His troops continued to put up resistance in Zawiyah after the attack that dislodged them from the south of the town, including the main road from Tripoli to the western border with Tunisia, on Saturday. Rebels claimed to have control of 80 per cent of the city of 300,000 people, but admitted that government snipers were still inflicting serious casualties. Doctors in the rebel garrison town of Zintan said that they had treated dozens of men injured in the fighting. Fourteen men were killed on Sunday alone. "We are treating many wounded in the battle, they have gunshot wounds from snipers mainly," said a urologist who had flown in from Qatar to treat casualties. ||||| Rebel fighters burn a Gadhafi flag at the town of Brega, Libya, Monday, Aug. 15, 2011. Most of the town has been liberated from Moammar Gadhafi's forces, with fights going on only at the oil terminal,... (Associated Press) Libya's rebels threatened to isolate Tripoli by blocking key supply routes and cutting oil pipelines after a dramatic weekend advance put them in the strongest position since the 6-month-old civil war began to attack Moammar Gadhafi's stronghold. In Washington, the Obama administration said Monday the U.S. was encouraged by the rebel advances and hoped they had broken a monthslong stalemate with Gadhafi's forces. "We are closing the roads for Gadhafi so there is no way for him to bring anything to Tripoli," a rebel field commander, Jumma Dardira, told The Associated Press. The rebels' push into the strategic city of Zawiya on Saturday brought them within 30 miles (48 kilometers) of Tripoli, the closest they have ever gotten. Also Monday, U.S. defense officials said Libyan government forces tapped into their stores of Scud missiles this weekend, firing one for the first time in this year's conflict with rebels, but hurting no one. The missile launch was detected by U.S. forces shortly after midnight Sunday and the Scud landed in the desert about 50 miles (80 kilometers) outside Brega, said one official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations. Rebel and regime forces have battled over the strategic port city of Brega throughout the conflict, and control has swung back and forth between the two sides. According to the military, the Scud missile was launched from a location about 50 miles (80 kilometers) east of Sirte, a city on the Mediterranean coast about 230 miles (370 kilometers) east of Tripoli. Noting that Scuds are not precision guided missiles, officials said they couldn't tell if Brega was the target. Early in the conflict, NATO and U.S. forces targeted sites around the country where Gadhafi stored surface-to-surface missiles like Scuds, largely because they worried that he would use them to target areas beyond his control. Two senior U.S. officials said it is too soon to tell whether the Scud strike was a singular incident or if it represents a new phase of fighting. Scuds have a range of up to 500 miles (800 kilometers). After three days of fierce battles for Zawiya, a city of 200,000 on the Mediterranean coast, rebel commanders said they controlled the south and west of the city and were fighting for the refineries. Oil-rich Libya's only functioning refineries are in Zawiya. Nuri el-Bouaisi, an oil production engineer in the city, said rebels had cut off pipelines that transport gasoline and diesel fuel to Tripoli. "We shut down all four pipelines to Tripoli," said el-Bouaisi, whose claim could not be verified. The rebels are also determined to cut key supply routes to Tripoli from the Ras Ajdir border crossing with Tunisia in the west and from the south, where Libya borders Chad and Niger. These are critical lifelines with NATO imposing a no-fly zone over the country. Over the past two days, a number of rebel officials have claimed that they either cut or were close to cutting those two routes. However that could not be immediately confirmed. In addition to gaining a foothold in Zawiya, the rebels claimed Sunday to have taken two towns near Tripoli on those key supply roads _ Gharyan, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of the capital and Surman, less than 10 miles west of Zawiya. Dardira, manning a defensive position just south of Surman, said rebels were still clashing in the Sabratha area, 20 miles (32 kilometers) west of Zawiya on the coast. The rebel advance was raising fears among Tripoli residents over the prospect that fighting might soon reach the capital. Long convoys of cars carrying civilians from the capital and other cities along the coast headed south to the western mountain range, a rebel stronghold near the border with Tunisia now considered a safe haven. "We are afraid of whatever is coming," said Mohammed Bilkheir, an accountant escaping Tripoli with his family. He said he was leaving to stay with relatives in the western mountains, fearing battles would break out in Tripoli. Tripoli residents heading south said life was becoming increasingly difficult, with rising food prices, shortages of fuel and cash, as well as power cuts. Drivers took backroads to avoid being stopped by regime forces, they said. Toward the end of their journey, they stopped at a desert checkpoint near the mountain range, registering their names with rebel troops before moving on. More than 150 families have made the drive south on Monday, said a rebel fighter keeping the list. In neighboring Egypt, the head of Libyan public security and a former interior minister flew in with nine family members on a private plane in an apparent defection. Nassr al-Mabroul Abdullah entered on a tourist visa. If confirmed, it would be the latest in a string of high profile defections from Gadhafi's regime. "It's becoming increasingly clear that Gadhafi's days are numbered," White House press secretary Jay Carney said. U.S. officials speaking on condition of anonymity say there is reason to think the rebels may now have enough momentum to wrest full control of the country. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the fast-moving developments. Still rebel advances earlier out of the east of the country, which is controlled by the opposition, have been repelled before by Gadhafi's better trained, equipped and financed forces. The western and eastern rebels, separated by hundreds of miles with the middle ground held by the regime, are coordinating their efforts only loosely. In an audio message broadcast early Monday on Libyan state TV, Gadhafi urged his supporters to dig in and fight. He called on loyalists to take arms and battle "traitors and NATO." He said that as the number of "martyrs" increases, so does Libyan resolve. It is his first message since rebels launched their offensive toward Tripoli. Gadhafi forces fought the rebels hard in Zawiya on Monday to try to push them back and prevent them for consolidating their gains. Col. Jumma Ibrahim, a rebel spokesman, said regime troops still controlled the eastern part of the city, including the main hospital there. Gadhafi's troops fired dozens of artillery shells and Grad rockets, and the loud booms sounded across the city. Six shells hit in quick succession in Bir Ghanam Street, which leads from the city center to the south. One shell struck a highway overpass and another hit near a small mosque along the street. Dead and wounded were rushed to a small clinic on the outskirts of the city. Reporters at the clinic saw at least four dead bodies and at least 20 people with serious injuries, including one man with a leg torn open by shrapnel. Rebels consolidated positions in some parts of Zawiya, but appeared to have lost ground in others, including on Bir Ghanam Street. On Sunday, the street bustled with cars, despite the crackle of nearby gunfire. However, on Monday, dozens of men sat pressed against walls for cover. Some of the men said they were waiting to join the fight, but that there were not enough weapons and ammunition. Pickup trucks loaded with fighters shouting "Allahu Akbar," or God is Great, dashed to and from the city center. Other fighters rushed into the battle on foot, trying to hitch rides to get closer to the front lines. On the diplomatic front, the U.N. special envoy for Libya, Abdelilah Al-Khatib, who has been trying to promote a cease-fire and political settlement of the conflict, held talks in Tunis Monday with Tunisia's prime minister and was scheduled to meet later with the foreign minister, U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said. Asked whether he could confirm that officials from rebel-held Benghazi and government-controlled Tripoli were in Tunis to meet Al-Khatib, Haq replied: "What I can say is that he might meet with some Libyan personalities residing in Tunisia on the sidelines of his other meetings." ____ Hadeel Al-Shalchi and Maamoun Youssef in Cairo, Bouazza Ben Bouazza in Tunis, Tunisia, Edith Lederer in New York and Lolita C. Baldor in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report.

– Yet another minister defected. Rebels are just 30 miles from Tripoli. The curtain is falling on Moammar Gadhafi, reports the Telegraph, and the Libyan strongman seems to be prepping for a violent—and "final"—last stand. The paper's proof? Officials tell the Telegraph that a US destroyer detected the firing of a Scud missile on Sunday. It was apparently directed toward rebel territory but landed in the desert, and the rebels say it originated in Sirte—which could be where this final showdown will occur if Tripoli is attacked. "That it didn't hit anything or kill anyone is not the point. It's a weapon of mass destruction that Col. Gadhafi is willing to train on his own people," said one Western official. Though Gadhafi agreed to do away with his Scud B variant missiles 10 years ago, he was believed to still have more than 100 of them, though many were likely destroyed in recent airstrikes. The Telegraph notes that Gadhafi would be able to target the rebel strongholds of Misrata and Zintan with Scuds from Sirte.

Dan Kneen at the start of his 2015 season. (Jon Jessop Photography/dankneen.com) Every spring, the Isle of Man — a tiny island hanging between Ireland and Great Britain — becomes a high-velocity, all-stakes speed zone. About 40,000 outsiders cram onto the island annually to watch and participate in what organizers call “the most dangerous race in the world.” The Isle of Man Tourist Trophy (TT) is a series of motorcycle races. For two weeks, bikers blitz the public roads looping around the island at speeds approaching 200 mph. More than 400 turns and corners kink the raceway, according to Sports Illustrated, making the contest among the most difficult high-speed races on earth — and one of the most deadly. Since the event began in 1907, more than 140 racers have died in the TT. Combined with spectators killed at the event and fatalities at other races held on the same route, the island’s knotty 37.7-mile circuit has taken more than 250 lives, TheDrive reported. “As thrilling as the racing is, at times I’ve thought it shouldn’t be legal,” racer Dave Roper told Sports Illustrated in 2003. “Looking back, I can’t believe I even survived.” On Wednesday, as the first week of qualifying races was underway, the high whine of bike engines suddenly halted in the evening. According to the event’s organizers, all racing was stopped after 30-year-old Dan Kneen was killed in a crash during his first lap. The 2018 race’s first death underscores the danger of the event, which has led detractors to call it the “Isle of Manslaughter.” But that daredevil gamble is also the appeal. “We all know that we accept the risks,” past TT champion John McGuinness told the Guardian in 2007. “Maybe we’re a bunch of hard-nosed bastards.” When the races first started last century, the island was selected because of the region’s lack of speed limits, according to the Guardian (the Isle of Man still has no speed limits). The first champion, Charlie Collier, had an average speed of 38 mph. In 1911, when a racer topped 41 mph in one lap, observers cried the race must be shut down — that kind of speed was too dangerous, they claimed. In 1913, protesters laid broken glass across the track to disrupt the race, and organizers worked overnight to clear the raceway for the next day’s start, Sports Illustrated reported. As in the early days, the TT today presents many different obstacles because it winds along various landscapes. The course blasts through farmlands and villages, runs past hedgerows and stone fences and lifts from sea level to 1,300 feet on the island’s Snaefell Mountain. As bike technology has improved — and gotten faster — the TT course has thrown those obstacles at racers faster, leaving less and less time to react. “If Roger Federer misses a shot, he loses a point,” former TT champion Richard Quayle told the New York Times last year. “If I miss an apex, I lose my life.” By 1976, the race’s body count put it out of favor with many mainstream international racing organizations. As the Times reported, many people believed the event’s 100th anniversary in 2007 would be the last race. Instead, Paul Phillips, a former finance professional, came on as the head of the event. Upping the safety standards, enlisting better quality drivers, and marketing the TT as an X Games-like event helped resuscitate the TT. “Before my tenure here, there was an underlying there’s-nothing-to-see-here kind of mentality, and to the wider world, to me, it felt like we came across as a group as kind of bloodthirsty and ignorant,” Phillips told the Times. “Now, all of our marketing is about: ‘This is the most dangerous race in the world. These guys are the gladiators.’ ” But the danger continues. Last year, three racers were killed in two days at the TT, TheDrive reported. Isle of Man rider Dan Kneen after winning Enkalon Trophy showpiece at Bishopscourt in Northern Ireland in 2017. (dankneen.com) Dan Kneen grew up amid the TT’s engine roar and death in Onchan, a village on the Isle of Man’s east coast. He made his racing debut on the home track in 2008, at the Manx Grand Prix, another event on the TT’s route. That year he won three races, according to TT organizers. He started in the main TT race a year later, going on to start in 39 races at the annual event, the Belfast Telegraph reported. Last year he finished third in the TT’s Superstock race. Kneen’s father, Richard, and younger brother, Ryan, were also motorcycle racers. “Dan Kneen and his family — they’re a racing family,” a friend told Isle of Man TV this week. “Everybody knows the dangers, and nobody put a gun to Dan Kneen’s head to ride or any other rider’s head. They want to do this. The thrill of road racing is there.” Going into this year’s TT, Kneen was riding for an Ireland-based team, Tyco BMW. During Tuesday’s trials, Kneen set his own record on the TT circuit, going 132.258 mph, according to the Telegraph. The timing put him third among the racers in the qualifying matches for next week’s official competition. On Wednesday evening, as Kneen was starting his first lap of the course, he crashed near Churchtown, race organizers said. Authorities told all other riders on the course to stop, quieting the island. From the silence, racers and observers knew something had happened. “You can feel that eerie feeling coming right down over the paddock,” an observer told Isle of Man TV. “Everybody just changed their whole demeanor. It’s a sad place to be, this paddock, when something goes wrong.” A second racer, Steve Mercer, was struck by a course car on its way to Kneen’s accident site. Mercer was taken to the hospital and is expected to recover. Kneen died at the scene. His father released a statement on Facebook, the Telegraph reported. “Dan lived for his racing and wild horses wouldn’t have torn him away from it. I was happy for him; he was in his element and loving it,” the father wrote. “Best wishes for all the other TT competitors. The TT show will go on.” More from Morning Mix: Thousands of South Carolinians won the lottery on Christmas — or so they thought. Now some are suing. Decades ago he abandoned his family and assumed a new identity. An Ancestry.com search unraveled his lies. ||||| Superbike rider Dan Kneen has died following a crash at the Isle of Man TT. The 30-year-old suffered fatal injuries in the incident during the event’s Superbike practice session on Wednesday. Organisers said the accident happened at the Churchtown section on the first lap of the session. Kneen died at the scene. He had been riding for Northern Ireland-based team Tyco BMW, and had set his fastest ever lap of the TT Mountain Course on Tuesday night, posting a top speed of 132.2mph. Team manager Philip Neil said: “We are all numb at the minute if I’m honest. Our thoughts are with Dan’s family and friends. He was a popular, hard-working lad who loved his racing and he will be sorely missed by all who knew him.” Tyco BMW (@TycoBMW) TAS Racing are utterly devastated to announce the loss of Dan Kneen this evening. Our heartfelt sympathies to his partner Leanne, Dan’s family and friends.https://t.co/MoX6wWNy31 pic.twitter.com/7Q8bgHcAyM Kneen, from Onchan in the Isle of Man, was the 2014 Irish Superbike champion, and also won the 2014 Ulster Grand Prix, securing his first international victory in the UGP Superstock Race. As a newcomer at the Manx Grand Prix in 2008, he won an unprecedented three races - the Junior, the Newcomers C and the Ultra Lightweight MGP Races. His first TT podium came in last year’s Superstock race, where he finished third. The organisers of the Isle of Man TT said in a statement: “ACU Events Ltd wishes to pass on their deepest sympathy to Dan’s partner Leanne, his family and his many friends in the road racing community and beyond.” ||||| The world’s deadliest race has claimed another life. Motorcycle racer Dan Kneen was killed on Wednesday during qualifying for the Isle of Man TT, an event consisting of several races held on public roads on the independent British island in the Irish Sea. The BMW rider died at the scene after crashing in the Churchtown section of the 37.7-mile course. Kneen was the 147th competitor to lose his life in the 111-year history of the event, and the 256th rider to die on the course, which is set up for two events each year. Three entrants died during the 2017 edition of the TT. The Isle of Man is a self-governing crown dependency of the U.K. Considered a tax haven, it is famous for having no speed limits on many of its winding roads. The 30-year-old Kneen lived on the island and finished third in the Superstock TT class last year. He was competing in the Superbike class this time around. A second rider, Steve Mercer, was critically injured on Wednesday after colliding with a course vehicle. The event is scheduled to run through June 8. 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– One of the most difficult high-speed motorcycle races on earth—and one of the most deadly—is underway and has already claimed one life, reports the Washington Post. Each spring, the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy draws about 40,000 spectators to a tiny island perched between Ireland and Great Britain, in the Irish sea. They come to watch racers careen around a 37.7-mile circuit with more than 400 turns, at speeds of up to 200 mph, in an event sometimes called the “Isle of Manslaughter." More than 140 racers have been killed in the 111-year history of the event, according to Fox. The latest casualty is Dan Kneen, 30, who lost control of his BMW on the first lap of the event’s Superbike practice session, reports the Guardian. During the trials, Kneen had posted a speed of 132.258, which was the third highest qualifying time. The course runs through a kaleidoscope of scenery: tiny villages, greenbelts, and the highest mountain on the island. For racers, the danger is part of the appeal. “We all know that we accept the risks,” past TT champion John McGuinness told the Guardian in 2007. “Maybe we’re a bunch of hard-nosed bastards.” Kneen’s father paid tribute to his son on Facebook: “Dan lived for his racing and wild horses wouldn’t have torn him away from it. I was happy for him; he was in his element and loving it,” he wrote. “Best wishes for all the other TT competitors. The TT show will go on." The event, which is actually a series of races, will run through June 8.

West Carrollton resident Tony Yahle died Aug. 5. In fact, he was dead for nearly one hour. As he slept that night, his breathing alarmed his wife, Melissa. She called for help, and he was rushed to Kettering Medical Center. A team of medical personnel attempted to stimulate his heart, but it stopped beating for 45 minutes. He was declared dead. As nurses prepared him to be seen by his family, Yahle began to show signs of life. Yahle was taken by medical helicopter to Ohio State University’s medical facility, where he awakened five days later. + Lisa Powell Tony Yahle of West Carrollton was declared dead after his heart stopped functioning for more than 40 minutes. He and his ... read more Lisa Powell × A 37-year-old diesel mechanic, Yahle said he had no awareness of what happened until family members told him. He said he did not have any afterlife experience that he can recall. “I have no memory of anything. I went to bed … woke up five days later in the hospital.” What caused Yahle’s heart to stop that night is still unknown. His cardiologist said it is beyond rare. “In the last 20 years, I’ve never seen anybody we have pronounced dead … and then for him to come back … I’ve never seen it,” said Dr. Raja Nazir. “Actually, I’ve never heard of it.” Nazir said Yahle has been a topic of discussion among medical circles. “They couldn’t find any defects in my heart,” Yahle said. “The last guess they had was that it was a possible viral infection.” Yahle’s son, 18-year-old Lawrence, said he spoke to his father after his death, right before he revived. “I pointed at him and said, ‘Dad, you’re not going to die today.’ I stood there for a few more seconds. I was about to walk back to comfort the family, and that’s when he started showing signs of a heartbeat. “It went from hopeless to hope in an instant,” Lawrence Yahle said. Melissa Yahle said that throughout the incident, she felt God’s presence. “People can believe it or not, but God actually spoke to me and said, ‘If you have faith, it will be done.’ From that moment on, I never doubted,” she said. “It has definitely strengthened my faith, and my family’s faith,” Tony Yahle said. ||||| When 17-year-old Lawrence Yahle learned his father was dead earlier this month at Kettering Medical Center in Ohio, he ran down the hall to see nurses around his father's body. They weren't trying to revive him anymore. Distraught, Lawrence pointed and shouted, "Dad, you're not going to die today." Moments later, Anthony Yahle's heart monitor showed signs of life, Dr. Raja Nazir, his cardiologist at Kettering Medical Center, told ABCNews.com. It wasn't a regular heart beat, but once or twice a minute, the monitor would pick up tiny electrical movements. "When I looked at the electrical activity, I was surprised," Nazir said. "I thought we'd better make another effort to revive him." Nazir gave one of Yahle's hanging medicine bags a squeeze to restore his blood pressure and the team began working on him again. "Very slowly, the heart rate was picking up," Nazir said. That was more than a week ago, on Aug. 5. Doctors thought Yahle, a 37-year-old diesel mechanic, would need a heart transplant or be in a vegetative state the rest of his life, but he's home resting and seems fine. "I'm calling it a miracle because I've never seen anything like it," Nazir said. Yahle's near-death experience started at 4 a.m. that day, when his wife, Melissa Yahle, woke up and realized his breathing didn't sound right. Melissa, who has been a nurse for seven years, said she tried unsuccessfully to wake him up. Melissa and Lawrence performed CPR until an ambulance could arrive, and first responders found a heartbeat after shocking Yahle several times. At the hospital, doctors expected Yahle's arteries to be clogged, but they were clear. Things were looking positive until later that afternoon, when Yahle's heart stopped. He "coded" for 45 minutes as doctors tried to revive him, but eventually Nazir realized it was time to call the time of death. "We looked at each other," Nazir said. "We'd given him all the medicine we had in our code cart. At some point, you have to call it off." Nazir said he wasn't sure exactly how long Yahle was "dead," before Lawrence ran down the hall to tell his father he couldn't die that day. "Suddenly that trickle of a thing came back," Nazir said. "We were lucky we saw and reacted to it, and that brought him back." Nazir said it was "mind boggling." Melissa said she, Lawrence and the people from their church who were praying with them witnessed a miracle. Yahle was transferred to Ohio State University, and he returned home to West Carrollton on Aug. 10 with a defibrillator in his chest. He doesn't remember any of the experience after he went to bed on Aug. 4. "He doesn't have one broken rib," Melissa said. "He's not sore. These are things that just clinically don't happen." Yahle is set to go back to work on Monday, and doctors may do a heart biopsy to find out more about what happened. Read about a woman who woke up right before doctors harvested her organs.

– It's apparently the week of astounding brought-back-to-life stories. The latest person to return from the dead is Anthony Yahle, whose case is being hailed a miracle by doctors. The Ohio man was rushed to the hospital on Aug. 5 after his wife realized he was breathing oddly in his sleep and found herself unable to wake him. Since his arteries were clear, doctors were optimistic—until his heart stopped beating. They spent 45 minutes trying to revive the 37-year-old before declaring him dead. But his 17-year-old son wasn't about to give up. "I pointed at him and said, 'Dad, you're not going to die today,'" reports WFAA. "Suddenly that trickle of a thing came back," says cardiologist Raja Nazir. He tells ABC News that what he observed wasn't a normal heartbeat, but a small electrical blip not much more often than twice a minute. "I though we'd better make another effort to revive him," he says—and a regular heartbeat was eventually restored. Yahle fully awoke five days later, and though doctors thought he'd need a heart transplant, he appears in fine health. "He doesn't have one broken rib," his wife says. "He's not sore. These are things that just clinically don't happen." Though doctors now point to a possible viral infection, Yahle (who has no memory of the event nor of any sort of "afterlife" moment) tells the Dayton Daily News, "Nobody really has an explanation for it." He adds: "A miracle happened. If it strengthened everyone's faith, I'll take the lumps for it." (Click for the story of an Australian woman who was also brought back from the dead earlier this month.)

CLOSE Historians have long believed they knew which six men raised the flag in the iconic Iwo Jima photo. The Marines have now confirmed that one of the men was misidentified, and have released the identity of a new Marine. KC McGinnis In this Feb 23, 1945 file photo, U.S. Marines of the 28th Regiment, 5th Division, raise the American flag atop Mt. Suribachi, Iwo Jima, Japan. (Photo: Joe Rosenthal, AP) Corrections & clarifications: An earlier version of the Iwo Jima graphic accompanying this story misstated the country of birth for Marine Sgt. Michael Strank. WASHINGTON — The Marine Corps acknowledged Thursday it had misidentified one of the six men in the iconic 1945 World War II photo of the flag-raising on Iwo Jima. The investigation solved one mystery but raised another. The Marine Corps investigation identified a man who has never been officially linked to the famous photo: Pvt. 1st Class Harold Schultz, who died in 1995 and went through life without publicly talking about his role. “Why doesn’t he say anything to anyone,” asked Charles Neimeyer, a Marine Corps historian who was on the panel that investigated the identities of the flag raisers. “That’s the mystery.” “I think he took his secret to the grave,” Neimeyer said. U.S. Marine Corps Pfc. Harold Schultz (Photo: Courtesy of The Smithsonian Channel) The Marine Corps investigation concluded with near certainty that Schultz was one of the Marines raising the flag in the photo. The investigation also determined that John Bradley, a Navy corpsman, was not in the photograph taken on Japan's Mount Suribachi by Joe Rosenthal, a photographer for the Associated Press. The Feb. 23, 1945, photo that has been reproduced over seven decades actually depicts the second flag-raising of the day. The three surviving men identified in the photo, John Bradley, Ira Hayes and Rene Gagnon, went on a tour selling war bonds back in the United States and were hailed as heroes. Bradley’s son James Bradley and co-author Ron Powers, wrote a best-selling book about the flag raisers, Flags of our Fathers, which was later made into a movie directed by Clint Eastwood. John Bradley had been in the first flag-raising photo on Iwo Jima and may have confused the two, Neimeyer said. Schultz, who enlisted in the Marine Corps at age 17, was seriously injured in fighting on the Japanese island and went on to a 30-year career with the U.S. Postal Service in Los Angeles after recovering from his wounds. He was engaged to a woman after the war, but she died of a brain tumor before they could wed, said his stepdaughter, Dezreen MacDowell. Schultz married MacDowell's mother at age 63. Analysts believe Schultz, who received a Purple Heart, knew he was in the iconic image, but chose not to talk about it. “I have a really hard time believing how it wouldn’t have been known to him,” said Matthew Morgan, a retired Marine officer who worked on a Smithsonian Channel documentary on the investigation. The filmmakers turned over their evidence to the Marine Corps to examine. Schultz may have mentioned his role at least once. MacDowell now recalls he said he was one of the flag raisers over dinner in the early 1990s when they were discussing the war in the Pacific. “Harold, you are a hero,” she said she told him. “Not really. I was a Marine,” he said. She described him as quiet and self-effacing. It’s difficult to fathom his desire to keep his role quiet in an era when many Navy SEALs and other servicemen are rushing books into print about their exploits. During World War II many veterans were reluctant to speak about their experiences because it reminded them of the horrors of war. One of the flag raisers, Ira Hayes, initially asked to remain anonymous, but the Marines were under orders from President Franklin Roosevelt to identify the Marines so they could go on a war bonds tour. The photo appeared in thousands of newspapers and raised the morale of a nation that had grown weary of the bloody slog in the Pacific. “We were winning the war but it was the hardest part of the war,” historian Eric Hammel said of the Pacific island-hopping campaign. “It went viral in the 1945 equivalent of the word,” Neimeyer said. The new investigation was prompted by growing doubts about the identity of Bradley in the photo. Two amateur historians, Eric Krelle and Stephen Foley, went further and were able to identify Schultz as a possible flag raiser. They examined the Rosenthal photo and compared it to others taken the same day, including a film that was shot at the same time as Rosenthal took his photo. Their research was highlighted in a lengthy 2014 Omaha World-Herald article. More than a year later the Marine Corps agreed to investigate the claim, appointing a nine-person panel headed by Jan Huly, a retired Marine Corps three-star general. The faces in Rosenthal’s photos are mostly obscured, but investigators were able to identify distinctive ways the Marines wore their equipment and uniforms in the photo and then compared it to other photos taken of the unit on the same day. “It’s obvious to the untrained eye,” said Michael Plaxton, a consultant who examined the photographs for a documentary, "The Unknown Flag Raiser of Iwo Jima," which will air on the Smithsonian Channel on July 3. “People have pointed out the inconsistencies over the years,” Plaxton said. He said it required more careful and independent analysis to draw any firm conclusions, however. Plaxton’s report and other material uncovered by the Smithsonian Channel was used by the Marine Corps in their investigation. Neimeyer said the Marine Corps didn’t immediately launch an investigation because it frequently receive competing claims about the presence of people in famous war photos. Once the Marine Corps realized how compelling the evidence was in this case, it agreed to look into the issue earlier this year. It wasn’t the first time the Marines had to correct the record. A Marine Corps investigation in 1947 determined that Henry Hansen had been misidentified as a flag raiser instead of Harlon Block. Both men had been killed in action on the island, as were two other men identified in the photo, Franklin Sousley and Michael Strank. It's not surprising there has been confusion about the identities of the Marines. Rosenthal gave the shot very little thought as he took it, and the men raising the flag took little notice as well. The Marine Corps effort to identify the men was further hindered by the confusion over the fact there were two flag-raisings, the chaos of one of the war’s bloodiest battles and the faces in the photos were obscured. The Marine Corps said the results of the investigation don’t undermine what the photo and memorial depicting it represent. The photo helped cement the Marines’ reputation as one of the world’s toughest fighting forces. "Although the Rosenthal image is iconic and significant, to Marines it's not about the individuals and never has been," Gen. Robert Neller, commandant of the Marine Corps, said in a statement. "Simply stated, our fighting spirit is captured in that frame, and it remains a symbol of the tremendous accomplishments of our Corps -- what they did together and what they represent remains most important. "That doesn't change," Neller said. Marines landed on Iwo Jima, a tiny Pacific atoll about 760 miles from mainland Japan, on Feb. 19, 1945, beginning a bloody five-week fight for every inch of the island against an entrenched Japanese force that refused to surrender. Few Marines escaped unscathed. Of the 70,000 Americans who participated in the battle, 6,800 were killed and about 20,000 were wounded. Some infantry units sustained much higher casualty rates. About 20,000 Japanese soldiers, most of the force, died trying to defend the tiny island. The first flag-raising, which occurred shortly after 10 a.m., captured the attention of the Marines fighting on the island. In the midst of brutal battles throughout the island they looked up to see the flag flying over Mount Suribachi, the highest point on the island. Marines paused to cheer. Navy ships sounded their horns. Hours later the Marines decided to replace that flag with a larger one. Rosenthal was there, snapping a photo so quickly he didn’t have time to look through his viewfinder. After Schultz's death, MacDowell found only a few items that her stepfather kept from his Marine Corps days. Included in the metal box of military records was a group photo that Rosenthal took of Marines on Iwo Jima around the same time as the famous photo. But there was no answer to the mystery of why Schultz remained largely silent about his brush with history. “He probably wouldn’t be really happy with us revealing this now,” Neimeyer said. Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/28OHSlc ||||| One mystery is over, but another is born: The Marine Corps said Thursday that Navy Corpsman John Bradley was not in the iconic photograph of the flag-raising on Iwo Jima, USA Today reports Thursday, but the man who the Corps identified as having participated in the moment spent his life in relative anonymity. A Marine Corps investigation found Private 1st Class Harold Schultz was among the six men who raised the flag on Mount Suribachi on February 23, 1945. The others are: Ira Hayes, Franklin Sousley, Harlon Block, Michael Strank, and Rene Gagnon. Schultz died in 1995, but never publicly talked about his role, USA Today added. Marines believe this man was the one pictured in the iconic Iwo Jima photo: https://t.co/52667z1TUc (Smithsonian) pic.twitter.com/jpdLTl1URQ — USA TODAY (@USATODAY) June 23, 2016 More on Schultz: Schultz, who enlisted in the Marine Corps at age 17, was seriously injured in fighting on the Japanese island and went on to a 30-year career with the U.S. Postal Service in Los Angeles after recovering from his wounds. He was engaged to a woman after the war, but she died of a brain tumor before they could wed, said his stepdaughter, Dezreen MacDowell. Schultz married MacDowell's mother at age 63. Analysts believe Schultz, who received a Purple Heart, knew he was in the iconic image, but chose not to talk about it. “Why doesn’t he say anything to anyone,” Charles Neimeyer, a Marine Corps historian who was on the panel that investigated the identities of the flag raisers, told the newspaper. “That’s the mystery.”

– A long-standing debate behind World War II's iconic Iwo Jima photo appears to have been settled. A Marine Corps investigation used facial recognition technology and other photos taken that day to conclude, with "near certainty," that one of the six men IDed in the famous image taken by photographer Joe Rosenthal was not a Navy corpsman by the name of John Bradley, but Pvt. 1st Class Harold Schultz, a Marine who died in 1995, USA Today reports. As for Bradley, it appears he's not in the photo at all, but Charles Neimeyer, a Marine Corps historian who was on the panel that scrutinized the image, says Bradley may have legitimately thought he was in the photo: There had been two US flag-raisings on Feb. 23, 1945, and Rosenthal's picture captures the second one. Bradley may have been involved with the first; the gear he was wearing that day doesn't sync with what is captured in the photo. Although Schultz, who received a Purple Heart for his war efforts, never publicly acknowledged any possible role, his stepdaughter tells the New York Times that one fleeting dinner conversation about Iwo Jima in the early 1990s led her to believe he was in the photo. "My mom was distracted and not listening and Harold said, 'I was one of the flag raisers,'" Dezreen MacDowell says. "I said, 'My gosh, Harold, you're a hero.' He said, 'No, I was a Marine.'" She said he never brought it up again, being a "self-effacing Midwestern person." Schultz's name will be swapped in for Bradley's in any references to the photo. The other five men in the photo are, per the Atlantic, Ira Hayes, Franklin Sousley, Harlon Block, Michael Strank, and Rene Gagnon.

Hippos are threatened by habitat loss, hunting and climate change. Credit: The University of Hong Kong Global wildlife trade is pushing many species to the brink of extinction. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was established to regulate this trade, but inadequate monitoring may facilitate or lead to unsustainable levels of exploitation. A recent study by the School of Biological Sciences of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) examined the case of hippo teeth and revealed discordance in trade volumes declared between importers and exporters - a scenario that could threaten the survival of the species. The findings have been published in the African Journal of Ecology. "If authorities do not more diligently monitor the international trade in threatened species, those species could be exposed to unmanageable exploitation levels, which could lead to extinction," said Alexandra Andersson from the School of Biological Sciences, who led the study. Since CITES trade records began in 1975, over 770,000 kg of hippo (Hippopotamus amphibius) teeth have been traded internationally - and 90% of this trade has passed through Hong Kong. Of that imported to Hong Kong, over 75% has come from just two countries: Tanzania and Uganda. CITES records show significant discrepancies between hippo teeth trade volumes declared by the main exporters, Uganda and Tanzania, and the main importer Hong Kong, which points to potential mismanagement - since all CITES parties are duty-bound to accurately report trade in threatened species. Since Tanzania joined CITES in 1980, records show that, cumulatively, Hong Kong has received a total of 3,176 kg more hippo teeth than declared exported by Tanzania. Similarly, in the 19 hippo teeth trade transactions between Hong Kong and Uganda since the latter joined CITES in 1991, Hong Kong received less hippo teeth than declared exported by Uganda. Discrepancies in declared trade volumes amount to over 14,000 kg of hippo teeth, representing more than 2,700 individual hippos, or 2% of the global population. Meanwhile, hippo populations have declined significantly. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature estimates a 7-20% decline in the past decade, and predicts a further 30% decrease in the next 30 years - a rate at which hippos will disappear within 100 years. In Uganda's Queen Elizabeth National Park the population has plummeted from 21,000 in the 1950s to 2,326 in the most recent count in 2005. "This gross mismatch in trade records challenges the persistence of hippo populations in Africa," said co-author Dr Luke Gibson, also from HKU. "This is a common problem - hippos are not the only species to face such mismanagement." Hippo teeth products for sale in an ivory shop in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong. Credit: Alexandra Andersson Since 2000, Hong Kong has received over 100,000 more live, wild-caught Southeast Asian box turtles (Cuora amboinensis) compared to trade records from exporting nations Indonesia and Malaysia. Since 2006, Hong Kong imported 2,400 fewer live, wild-caught humphead wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus) than exported from, mainly, Indonesia and Malaysia - demonstrating that data mismatch is common across many species. "It is imperative that authorities in both exporting and importing nations cross check the volumes of threatened species declared on paper to those actually received, work together to understand the cause of any discrepancies, as well as correct any reporting errors or fraudulent declarations" added Andersson. "The fate of hippos - and a plethora of other species - could depend on it." "As a hub of legal commerce in rare animals and parts, authorities in Hong Kong must have a precise knowledge and control of endangered species being imported, sold or exported in its territory," she said. Explore further: Check it out: a baby pygmy hippo More information: Alexandra Andersson et al. Missing teeth: Discordances in the trade of hippo ivory between Africa and Hong Kong, African Journal of Ecology (2017). DOI: 10.1111/aje.12441 ||||| As the global epicentre of wildlife trade, Hong Kong plays an important role in the preservation or demise of biodiversity, including species found continents away. If mismanaged, legal trade in threatened species can lead to unsustainable exploitation. Inaccurate and incomplete trade records from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) undermine the regulation of this trade. We examine the trade of hippo (Hippopotamus amphibius) teeth to illustrate the extent of mismatched data between key trading nations. More than 90% of global hippo teeth trade is imported to, and re‐exported from, Hong Kong. Of that imported, over 75% originated in Tanzania or Uganda, but there are notable disparities in declared trade volumes. In most transactions, Hong Kong declares more volume imported than the volume declared exported by Uganda. Overall, Hong Kong has reported the import of 3,176 kg more hippo teeth than declared exported by Tanzania. This indicates that actual trade levels may exceed internationally agreed quotas. In total, over 14,000 kg of hippo teeth is unaccounted for between Uganda and Hong Kong, representing more than 2,700 individual hippos—2% of the global population. This gross discordance in trade data undermines regulatory measures and challenges the persistence of hippo populations in Africa.

– It isn't only elephants that are suffering from humans' insatiable thirst for ivory. A new study notes hippopotamuses, already predicted by some to disappear within 100 years, may be dying at unexpected rates to fuel the trade of ivory ornaments made from hippo teeth. Since 1975, 1.7 million pounds of hippo teeth have been traded around the world, with 90% of that trade passing through Hong Kong, according to researchers at the University of Hong Kong. Of that 90%, 75% has come from Uganda and Tanzania. Like Hong Kong, both African countries report their legal trade volumes to CITES, an organization that monitors trade in threatened species. What irks researchers, however, is that the reported volumes don't add up. CITES data shows Hong Kong has actually received more hippo teeth from Tanzania since 1980 than Tanzania claims it exported, and less hippo teeth from Uganda since 1991 than Uganda claims it sent, notes the study in the African Journal of Ecology. The result is 30,860 pounds of hippo teeth—the equivalent from 2,700 hippos, or 2% of the animal's global population—overlooked, reports Quartz. "If authorities do not more diligently monitor the international trade in threatened species, those species could be exposed to unmanageable exploitation levels, which could lead to extinction," says study author Alexandra Andersson in a release. "The fate of hippos—and a plethora of other species—could depend on it." (People are also getting ivory from … woolly mammoths.)

The numbers sum up the frenzy that has taken over the Golden State since it joined the madness over Powerball, which has seen its jackpot soar to $550 million for Saturday's drawing. Ronald Marin rubs his lottery tickets on the wings of a "bluebird" statue for good luck at the Bluebird Liquor store in Hawthorne, Calif. Thursday, May 16, 2013. The multi-state lottery's website said... (Associated Press) A man looks at the electronic ad for Powerball Jackpot of $475 million at the Bluebird Liquor store in Hawthorne, Calif. Thursday, May 16, 2013. The multistate lottery's website said the Powerball drawing... (Associated Press) Powerball tickets, right, along with other lotto tickets are seen Thursday, May 16, 2013, at a convenience store in Orlando, Fla. The prize estimated around $475 million is the third largest in lottery... (Associated Press) Lilly Sanchez holds up lotto tickets she purchased including a Powerball ticket seeking a payout of around $475 million, Thursday, May 16, 2013, in Orlando, Fla. The prize is the third largest in lottery... (Associated Press) FILE - In this May 15, 2013, file photo Dean Davis displays the Powerball ticket she bought in Omaha, Neb., Wednesday, May 15, 2013. No one matched the winning numbers in Wednesday's $360 million jackpot... (Associated Press) Customers purchase Powerball tickets seeking a payout of around $475 million at a convenience store, Thursday, May 16, 2013, in Orlando, Fla. The prize is the third largest in lottery history, and the... (Associated Press) California has sold $83 million worth of Powerball tickets since April, when it joined 42 other states that offer the game. Since then, the most populous state has accounted for 11 percent of the game's sales, fueling such fast-growing mega-jackpots like the latest one that has the potential to be a record-breaker. The state expects to generate well above the originally estimated $50 million for public education, California lottery director Robert O'Neill told The Associated Press. "One thing California has brought Powerball is sunshine and good fortune," he said. "It has surprised us. We're very happy." Californians have Nevadans to thank for some of that good fortune. California's biggest ticket-seller is the Primm Valley Lotto Store, which straddles the state line in tiny Nipton, a 19th century mining and ranching town on the edge of the Mojave desert whose booming lottery sales have put it on the map in modern times. Roxie Handley figured all 80 of its residents would have a ticket in hand by Saturday. That's if they can find the time. "Here in Nipton, it's crazy," said Handley, 59, who manages the Nipton Trading Post, which also sells Powerball tickets. "We're stocking up on everything. Last night, I heard some people had to wait nine hours in line." The town is about 35 miles from Las Vegas on the main interstate from the Los Angeles area. Residents of the nation's No. 1 gambling state do not have access to the lottery. The Nevada state constitution contains a prohibition on lotteries, which are seen as competition to the casino industry. Norma Wagoner was among the Nevadans trying their luck. She and a group of friends pooled their money to buy 20 tickets and sent one over the state border to endure the long lines. "Everybody has dreams," she said. "All it takes is one ticket." Officials expect the jackpot to keep growing before Saturday's drawing that could break Powerball's November 2012 record of $587.5 million. The latest kitty leapt nearly $200 million since Wednesday's drawing, which was an estimated $360 million. The $550 million jackpot is the second largest in Powerball history and third biggest overall. Lottery officials expect jackpots to continue growing faster and bigger, thanks in part to a game redesign in January 2012 that increased the odds of winning some kind of prize of a lesser amount. On Wednesday, $1 million prizes were won in 16 states, and $2 million prizes were won in two states. California had six tickets among the winning ones Wednesday, including one sold in Nipton. More than half of the all-time jackpot records have been reached in the last three years. The top two all-time jackpots _ $656 million from a Mega Millions jackpot and $587.5 million from a Powerball jackpot _ were achieved in 2012. Some states, like California, now sell tickets for both games. The last major jackpot win came when a New Jersey man won a $338.3 million jackpot March 23. It is now considered the fourth largest Powerball jackpot in history. For Nipton, folks feel they've already won thanks to the boom in business. "It kind of disrupts our peace and quiet," said Handley, although she admits she too plans to snap up a ticket. Most of the talk she hears around town these days, she says, is of people daydreaming about quitting their jobs and traveling with their millions: "Everybody wants a piece of the pie." But she said she would likely give most of it away. "Having a lot of money I think would be a lot of headache," she said. "Nipton has a lot of history. It's the place to come if you want to get away. We have a five-room bed and breakfast with no phones, no TVs, where you can sit and watch the trains go by. It's our little piece of heaven. I have things money can't buy." ___ Rodriguez reported from Des Moines, Iowa, and can be found at http://twitter.com/bcrodriguez. Associated Press writer Hannah Dreier in Las Vegas contributed to this report. ||||| Ricardo Cerezo of Geneva won $4.85 million from the Illinois Lotto after finding a winning ticket in his cookie jar. Maybe you've heard this story before. Or dreamed it. A man cleans out old lottery tickets from a cookie jar, and instead of throwing them away takes them to the 7-Eleven to check them out. And finds one of them is worth millions. It gets better for Ricardo Cerezo of Geneva. He says his family was facing eviction, and he'll use part of the winnings — $4.85 million — to pay off the home. "It couldn't have happened at a better time," said Cerezo, a management consultant. "I just thought, this is how God works." Cerezo said his wife was cleaning out the kitchen and mentioned the lottery tickets that had accumulated over the past month in a glass cookie jar. "It was either take them, get them checked, or she was going to trash them that night," he said. Cerezo said he took the tickets to a 7-Eleven in Aurora and scanned them. The first eight or nine tickets weren't winners, he said. "The following one was $3, so I was excited. I get to pay for my Pepsi. And then the last one said file a claim," he said, which meant it was worth at least $600. Cerezo went online and found that the numbers matched the Feb. 2 Lotto drawing. "As each number kept matching, the smile kept going higher and higher. And when I realized we had all six numbers, it was that shocking moment of , 'Whoa, can this really be?'" he said at a news conference Wednesday. "Fast forward to the next day, Monday: Called in sick from work, went down into Chicago. It's one of those feelings where it's OK if they fire me." After he waited about half an hour, Cerezo said, lottery officials brought him into a room and said his ticket was worth $4.85 million. Just three months earlier, Cerezo appeared at a foreclosure hearing where a judge gave him a few more months to find a new home before they would be evicted. "That was on Feb. 12, so we were sitting on $4 million at that time in this jar," he said. "We will have our home paid off." Cerezo said February holds special significance for him and his family because his daughter Savannah was born in that month. She died from a sudden illness last year at 14. WGN-TV contributed.

– Ricardo Cerezo's wife was cleaning the kitchen when she told the Illinois man he'd better get the lottery tickets that had been piling up in a cookie jar for the past month checked—or she was going to throw them away. Good thing, because that prodded Cerezo to take the tickets in, where he found one was worth $4.85 million. Now the family—which had been facing foreclosure—will be able to pay off their home, reports the Chicago Tribune. Most of the tickets he took from the jar to the 7-Eleven weren't winners, but one scored him $3—"I was excited. I get to pay for my Pepsi," he says—and then, "the last one said file a claim," meaning it was worth $600 or more. He went online and discovered all six numbers matched the Feb. 2 drawing. On Feb. 12, Cerezo recalls, he was at a foreclosure hearing: "So we were sitting on $4 million at that time in this jar," he says. Touching side note: Cerezo says he considers the windfall a gift from his youngest daughter Savannah, who bought the cookie jar for him a few months before a series of seizures killed her in August at age 14, NBC Chicago reports. (It's been quite a week for lotto winners: In Virginia, a man won his third six-figure amount. Meanwhile, tomorrow's Powerball now stands at $550 million, the AP reports.)

OKMULGEE, Okla. (AP) — A man shot dead after being told to leave a flooded area had grabbed a trooper and shoved him to the ground, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said Monday. At a news conference, the agency showed a police video in which two men — the Fischer brothers — tramp through water toward a pair of police officers. OHP spokesman Capt. Paul Timmons said Nehemiah Fischer, 35, knocked over one trooper before being shot Friday night. Fischer's father, J.R. Fischer, told The Associated Press on Monday that the behavior didn't sound like that of his son, who was an assistant pastor at a Tulsa church who studied the Bible daily. The father described his son as "gentle as a dove with people who needed a hand." "When it came to being a Christian man, he was the real deal," he told The Associated Press Monday in a telephone interview. "He walked the talk." The other brother, Brandon Fischer, 41, was arrested on complaints of assaulting a police officer and public intoxication. Brandon bonded out of jail around 5:20 p.m., flanked by several people trying to shield him from reporters. He did not respond to questions. An attorney who appeared at the bond hearing on behalf of the family declined to comment on the case, saying he had only received the information Monday morning. According to police, the brothers were near a vehicle surrounded by floodwaters in Okmulgee County, about 20 miles south of Tulsa. The troopers told the men to get out of the water, Timmons said. Before the video was shown to the public, J.R. Fischer said it wasn't clear if his sons knew who had told them to get out of the water. "If my son would have known that this was an officer, he would have never assaulted him," he said. But Timmons said the video makes it clear that the troopers identified themselves as the men approached the officers. Only one trooper is visible in the video after the scuffle begins, and his gun is raised. Timmons said both officers fired their weapons, including Trooper Mark Southall, who had been knocked to the ground. The other officer involved was Trooper Michael Taylor. Both were placed on administrative leave, Timmons said. One officer has 8 years' experience and the other has 1 year, though Timmons said he wasn't sure which trooper had been with the force longer. Troopers said they recovered a weapon belonging to Nehemiah Fischer at the scene. J.R. Fischer told the AP that his son had received a .380 handgun for his birthday. Before the video was shown, Emma Foster, who served as the maid of honor at Nehemiah's wedding, described the victim in an interview with AP as a man who "has never been in a physical fight his entire life." __ Associated Press journalists Kelly P. Kissel and Ken Miller contributed to this report from Oklahoma City; AP photographer Sue Ogrocki contributed from Okmulgee. ___ This story corrects that Brandon Fischer was being held on complaints of assaulting a police officer and public intoxication, not formally charged within Oklahoma's court system and that J.R. Fischer talked to the AP via telephone, not near the scene of the shooting. ||||| Sorry, this zipcode is not in our deliverable area for this subscription service. Re-enter zip code or sign up for digital access. Get digital access ||||| 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

– An assistant pastor killed during an encounter with Oklahoma troopers Friday night played a key role in his own demise, according to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. In a short press conference Monday, Capt. Paul Timmons said the shooting victim, Nehemiah Fischer, attacked a trooper and pushed him to the ground. Timmons also presented a 35-second clip of what the Tulsa World reports is 30 minutes of dash-cam footage. The clip shows two OHP troopers shouting at the assistant pastor and his brother, Brandon Fischer. The two had been fishing on their dad's property in rural Okmulgee County when their truck stalled on a flooded road; the troopers showed up at around 9:30pm to find the men apparently standing in rising floodwaters trying to push the truck. "Come on! Get out of that water! Boys, state troopers!" trooper Mark Southall shouts in the video. "Settle down, you understand me? Settle down." The brothers can be seen entering the video; Nehemiah rushes Southall and the two move off-camera; the other trooper is filmed drawing his gun, then the clip ends. Timmons said both officers fired their guns at Nehemiah. The AP reports that the troopers recovered what they said was a weapon belonging to Nehemiah at the scene. The 35-year-old's father says he gave his son a .380 handgun as an April 14 birthday gift, a weapon he says Nehemiah generally carried while fishing and as a defense against snakes. The troopers—Southall has eight years' experience, the other has one—are on administrative leave. Meanwhile, Brandon, 41, appeared in district court Monday via video feed over two complaints: public intoxication and assault and battery on an officer. (Friends continue to say Nehemiah's alleged behavior doesn't make any sense.)

That belief has spawned a nationwide movement to improve the quality of the teaching corps by firing the bad teachers and hiring better ones. “Creating a New Teaching Profession,” a new collection of academic papers, politely calls this idea “deselection”; Joel Klein , the New York City schools chancellor, put it more bluntly when he gave a talk in Manhattan recently. “If we don’t change the personnel,” he said, “all we’re doing is changing the chairs.” The reformers are also trying to create incentives to bring what Michelle Rhee, the schools chancellor in Washington, calls a “different caliber of person” into the profession. Rhee has proposed giving cash bonuses to those teachers whose students learn the most, as measured by factors that include standardized tests — and firing those who don’t measure up. Under her suggested compensation system, the city’s best teachers could earn as much as $130,000 a year. (The average pay for a teacher in Washington is now $65,000.) A new charter school in New York City called the Equity Project offers starting salaries of $125,000. “Merit pay,” a once-obscure free-market notion of handing cash bonuses to the best teachers, has lately become a litmus test for seriousness about improving schools. The Obama administration’s education department has embraced merit pay; the federal Teacher Incentive Fund, which finances experimental merit-pay programs across the country, rose from $97 million to $400 million this year. And states interested in competing for a piece of the $4.3 billion discretionary fund called the Race to the Top were required to change their laws to give principals and superintendents the right to judge teachers based on their students’ academic performance. Incentives are intuitively appealing: if a teacher could make real money, maybe more people would choose teaching over finance or engineering or law, expanding the labor pool. And no one wants incompetent teachers in the classroom. Yet so far, both merit-pay efforts and programs that recruit a more-elite teaching corps, like Teach for America, have thin records of reliably improving student learning. Even if competition could coax better performance, would it be enough? Consider a bar graph presented at a recent talk on teaching, displaying the number of Americans in different professions. The shortest bar, all the way on the right, represented architects: 180,000. Farther over, slightly higher, came psychologists (185,000) and then lawyers (952,000), followed by engineers (1.3 million) and waiters (1.8 million). On the left side of the graph, the top three: janitors, maids and household cleaners (3.3 million); secretaries (3.6 million); and, finally, teachers (3.7 million). Moreover, a coming swell of baby-boomer retirements is expected to force school systems to hire up to a million new teachers between now and 2014. Expanding the pool of potential teachers is clearly important, but in a profession as large as teaching, can financial incentives alone make an impact? Lemov spent his early career putting his faith in market forces, building accountability systems meant to reward high-performing charter schools and force the lower-performing ones to either improve or go out of business. The incentives did shock some schools into recognizing their shortcomings. But most of them were like the one in Syracuse: they knew they had to change, but they didn’t know how. “There was an implementation gap,” Lemov told me. “Incentives by themselves were not going to be enough.” Lemov calls this the Edison Parable, after the for-profit company Edison Schools, which in the 1990s tried to create a group of accountable schools but ultimately failed to outperform even the troubled Cleveland public schools. Lemov doesn’t reject incentives. In fact, at Uncommon Schools, the network of 16 charter schools in the Northeast that he helped found and continues to help run today, he takes performance into account when setting teacher pay. Yet he has come to the conclusion that simply dangling better pay will not improve student performance on its own. And the stakes are too high: while student scores on national assessments across demographic groups have risen, the percentage of students at proficiency — just 39 percent of fourth graders in math and 33 percent in reading — is still disturbingly low. And there is still a wide gap between black and white students in reading and math. The smarter path to boosting student performance, Lemov maintains, is to improve the quality of the teachers who are already teaching. But what makes a good teacher? There have been many quests for the one essential trait, and they have all come up empty-handed. Among the factors that do not predict whether a teacher will succeed: a graduate-school degree, a high score on the SAT, an extroverted personality, politeness, confidence, warmth, enthusiasm and having passed the teacher-certification exam on the first try. When Bill Gates announced recently that his foundation was investing millions in a project to improve teaching quality in the United States, he added a rueful caveat. “Unfortunately, it seems the field doesn’t have a clear view of what characterizes good teaching,” Gates said. “I’m personally very curious.” When Doug Lemov conducted his own search for those magical ingredients, he noticed something about most successful teachers that he hadn’t expected to find: what looked like natural-born genius was often deliberate technique in disguise. “Stand still when you’re giving directions,” a teacher at a Boston school told him. In other words, don’t do two things at once. Lemov tried it, and suddenly, he had to ask students to take out their homework only once. It was the tiniest decision, but what was teaching if not a series of bite-size moves just like that? Elizabeth Green is a Spencer fellow in education reporting at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and the editor of GothamSchools.org. This is her first article for the magazine. ||||| The relative decline of American education at the elementary- and high-school levels has long been a national embarrassment as well as a threat to the nation's future. Once upon a time, American students tested better than any other students in the world. Now, ranked against European schoolchildren, America does about as well as Lithuania, behind at least 10 other nations. Within the United States, the achievement gap between white students and poor and minority students stubbornly persists—and as the population of disadvantaged students grows, overall scores continue to sag. SUBSCRIBE For much of this time—roughly the last half century—professional educators believed that if they could only find the right pedagogy, the right method of instruction, all would be well. They tried New Math, open classrooms, Whole Language—but nothing seemed to achieve significant or lasting improvements. Yet in recent years researchers have discovered something that may seem obvious, but for many reasons was overlooked or denied. What really makes a difference, what matters more than the class size or the textbook, the teaching method or the technology, or even the curriculum, is the quality of the teacher. Much of the ability to teach is innate—an ability to inspire young minds as well as control unruly classrooms that some people instinctively possess (and some people definitely do not). Teaching can be taught, to some degree, but not the way many graduate schools of education do it, with a lot of insipid or marginally relevant theorizing and pedagogy. In any case the research shows that within about five years, you can generally tell who is a good teacher and who is not. It is also true and unfortunate that often the weakest teachers are relegated to teaching the neediest students, poor minority kids in inner-city schools. For these children, teachers can be make or break. "The research shows that kids who have two, three, four strong teachers in a row will eventually excel, no matter what their background, while kids who have even two weak teachers in a row will never recover," says Kati Haycock of the Education Trust and coauthor of the 2006 study "Teaching Inequality: How Poor and Minority Students Are Shortchanged on Teacher Quality." Nothing, then, is more important than hiring good teachers and firing bad ones. But here is the rub. Although many teachers are caring and selfless, teaching in public schools has not always attracted the best and the brightest. There once was a time when teaching (along with nursing) was one of the few jobs not denied to women and minorities. But with social progress, many talented women and minorities chose other and more highly compensated fields. One recent review of the evidence by McKinsey & Co., the management consulting firm, showed that most schoolteachers are recruited from the bottom third of college-bound high-school students. (Finland takes the top 10 percent.) At the same time, the teachers' unions have become more and more powerful. In most states, after two or three years, teachers are given lifetime tenure. It is almost impossible to fire them. In New York City in 2008, three out of 30,000 tenured teachers were dismissed for cause. The statistics are just as eye-popping in other cities. The percentage of teachers dismissed for poor performance in Chicago between 2005 and 2008 (the most recent figures available) was 0.1 percent. In Akron, Ohio, zero percent. In Toledo, 0.01 percent. In Denver, zero percent. In no other socially significant profession are the workers so insulated from accountability. The responsibility does not just fall on the unions. Many principals don't even try to weed out the poor performers (or they transfer them to other schools in what's been dubbed the "dance of the lemons"). Year after year, about 99 percent of all teachers in the United States are rated "satisfactory" by their school systems; firing a teacher invites a costly court battle with the local union. Over time, inner-city schools, in particular, succumbed to a defeatist mindset. The problem is not the teachers, went the thinking—it's the parents (or absence of parents); it's society with all its distractions and pathologies; it's the kids themselves. Not much can be done, really, except to keep the assembly line moving through "social promotion," regardless of academic performance, and hope the students graduate (only about 60 percent of blacks and Hispanics finish high school). Or so went the conventional wisdom in school superintendents' offices from Newark to L.A. By 1992, "there was such a dramatic achievement gap in the United States, far larger than in other countries, between socioeconomic classes and races," says Kate Walsh, president of the National Council on Teacher Quality. "It was a scandal of monumental proportions, that there were two distinct school systems in the U.S., one for the middle class and one for the poor." In the past two decades, some schools have sprung up that defy and refute what former president George W. Bush memorably called "the soft bigotry of low expectations." Generally operating outside of school bureaucracies as charter schools, programs like KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) have produced inner-city schools with high graduation rates (85 percent). KIPP schools don't cherry-pick—they take anyone who will sign a contract to play by the rules, which require some parental involvement. And they are not one-shot wonders. There are now 82 KIPP schools in 19 states and the District of Columbia, and, routinely, they far outperform the local public schools. KIPP schools are mercifully free of red tape and bureaucratic rules (their motto is "Work hard. Be nice," which about sums up the classroom requirements). KIPP schools require longer school days and a longer school year, but their greatest advantage is better teaching.

– The American education system has been falling behind for a while, and the reason is obvious: Teachers can't be fired. Recent studies have shown that teacher quality is one of the top predictors of a student’s success, write Evan Thomas and Pat Wingert in Newsweek. Yet education unions are so powerful that it’s nearly impossible to dismiss subpar teachers. Two or three years of service is enough to earn lifetime tenure in most states. The number of strong teachers is falling. Women once had few other vocational options; today, greater opportunities for the best and brightest mean most teachers come from the bottom third of college-bound high school students. But change may be coming. Efforts to recruit and train better teachers are on the rise, the New York Times reports. And despite Democrats’ traditional alliance with teachers unions, the Obama administration has been fighting them, arguing, for example, for more charter schools.

Google started giving back Thursday with an announcement on its official blog that it has begun testing on a smart contact lens. Yeah, you read that right: a smart contact lens. And while that might initially seem like a mad scientist’s side project, it’s actually incredibly cool: The smart contact lens is designed to assist diabetes patients by measuring glucose levels in their tears, using a mini glucose sensor, and transmitting that data to a phone via a tiny wireless chip. Both the chip and the sensor are embedded between two layers of soft lens material, and the prototypes can generate a reading once per second. While clinical research studies have already been completed, Google is still in discussions with the FDA, and the company is also looking for partners to help bring the lens to market. Google is additionally seeking partners who can help leverage the technology to develop apps that would make glucose levels available to both patients and their doctors. Additionally, there’s some interest in integrating LED lights which would light up to indicate various glucose levels. The blog post reports that one of every 19 people on the planet suffers from diabetes, and many patients do not test their glucose levels often enough because the methods to do so have been cumbersome, or painful. While this is an amazing medical advancement, and certain to help scores of people, it seems curious that the initial feedback to the announcement is so positive overall, in contrast to the blowback from Google’s purchase of Nest earlier this week—which was met with dozens of privacy concerns. Perhaps we’re just less worried about what we put in our eyes? This story, "Googly eyes: Smart contact lens would test glucose in diabetics' tears" was originally published by TechHive . ||||| Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Google said the sensors on the smart contact lens are so small they look like bits of glitter Google has said it is testing a "smart contact lens" that can help measure glucose levels in tears. It uses a "tiny" wireless chip and a "miniaturised" glucose sensor embedded between two layers of lens material. The firm said it is also working on integrating tiny LED lights that could light up to indicate that glucose levels have crossed certain thresholds. But it added that "a lot more work" needed to be done to get the technology ready for everyday use. "It's still early days for this technology, but we've completed multiple clinical research studies which are helping to refine our prototype," the firm said in a blogpost. "We hope this could someday lead to a new way for people with diabetes to manage their disease." 'Exciting development' It is likely to spur a range of other innovations towards miniaturizing technology and using it in wearable devices to help people monitor their bodies better Manoj Menon, Frost & Sullivan Many global firms have been looking to expand in the wearable technology sector - seen by many as a key growth area in the coming years. Various estimates have said the sector is expected to grow by between $10bn and $50bn (£6bn and £31bn) in the next five years. Within the sector, many firms have been looking specifically at technology targeted at healthcare. Google's latest foray with the smart contact lens is aimed at a sector where consumer demand for such devices is expected to grow. According to the International Diabetes Federation, one in ten people across the world's population are forecast to have diabetes by 2035. People suffering from the condition need to monitor their glucose levels regularly as sudden spikes or drops are dangerous. At present, the majority of them do so by testing drops of blood. Google said it was testing a prototype of the lens that could "generate a reading once per second". "This is an exciting development for preventive healthcare industry," Manoj Menon, managing director of consulting firm Frost & Sullivan told the BBC. "It is likely to spur a range of other innovations towards miniaturizing technology and using it in wearable devices to help people monitor their bodies better." Open innovation? Google said it was working with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to bring the product to mainstream use. It added that it would look for partners "who are experts in bringing products like this to market". Google said it would work with these partners to develops apps aimed at making the measurements taken by the lens available to the wearer and their doctor. Mr Menon said it was "commendable" that Google was willing to work with other partners even before the product was commercially ready. Image copyright Sensible Baby Image caption Sensible Baby showcased a prototype baby sleep monitoring system at this year's CES "Their open innovation approach is going to help accelerate the development of this product and get it out to the market much faster," he said. Other firms have also been looking towards wearable products that help monitor the health of the wearer. Earlier this month, a gadget called Sensible Baby was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. It is a sensor put in an infant's night clothes that tracks their temperature, orientation and movement. It sounds a smartphone app alarm if it detects a problem. Several smartwatches that can monitor data by studying key indicators such as the the wearer's heart rate and temperature have also been launched. Last year, Japanese firm Sony filed a patent for a 'SmartWig', with healthcare cited as one of its potential uses. It said the wig could use a combination of sensors to help collect information such as temperature, pulse and blood pressure of the wearer.

– After an acquisition that brings it deep into people's homes, Google is getting up close and personal with people's bodies. The latest project from the firm's secretive Google X facility is a "smart" contact lens that monitors the glucose levels of diabetics with a tiny wireless chip and sensor, reports PC World. It notes that the move into the rapidly expanding field of wearable medical technology brings Google even further away from its online software roots. "We've always said that we’d seek out projects that seem a bit speculative or strange, and at a time when the International Diabetes Federation is declaring that the world is 'losing the battle' against diabetes, we thought this project was worth a shot," Google said in a blog post. The company says a lot more work needs to be done before the lens can reach consumers, but it is already looking for partners who can help bring it to market, reports the BBC. (In other Google news, a Google Glass legal precedent was set yesterday.)

Yesterday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ratcheted up her rhetoric on Mexico's drug cartel problems, offending Mexican politicians by comparing their state to violence-wracked Colombia in the 80s and 90s. "We face an increasing threat from a well-organized network, drug-trafficking threat that is, in some cases, morphing into, or making common cause with, what we would consider an insurgency," Clinton said yesterday. "It's looking more and more like Colombia looked 20 years ago." According to the BBC, no senior administration official has ever explicitly compared the two countries. Even just last week, a State Department official said it was not accurate to refer to the gangs as an insurgency. Apparently, President Obama is now doing a little damage control. In an interview with the Spanish-language newspaper La Opinion, he refuted Clinton's comparison. "Mexico is an ample and progressive democracy, with a growing economy and because of that you can't compare what is happening to Mexico with what happened in Colombia 20 years ago," he said. Since 2006, 23,000 people have been killed in the drug violence in Mexico. The LA Times speculates that Clinton's comment parallels a shifting mood in which "senior U.S. officials have grown increasingly alarmed in recent months at the expanding power and influence of the cartels, which now dominate swaths of the country." Read our take on the lessons Mexico can learn from Colombia's drug war here. (Photo: Clinton at the Council on Foreign Relations yesterday. AP) ||||| 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.

– President Obama took Hillary Clinton’s foot out of the administration’s mouth yesterday, taking back her comments that likened Mexico to the Colombia of the ‘80s and ‘90s. “Mexico is an ample democracy, with a growing economy,” Obama said in an interview with the Spanish-language La Opinion newspaper, translated by Yahoo, “and because of that you can’t compare what is happening to Mexico with what happened in Colombia 20 years ago.” Yesterday, of course, Clinton made precisely that comparison in a gathering of foreign policy experts. Mexico’s drug traffickers are “morphing into … what we would consider an insurgency,” Clinton said. “It’s looking more and more like Colombia looked 20 years ago.” Those comments offended Mexican politicians, according to the Christian Science Monitor. Many worried the comments presaged a Plan Colombia-style US military intervention.

Article Excerpt President Barack Obama holds an edge over Mitt Romney in Florida and Ohio, the two largest battlegrounds in determining who will win the White House on Tuesday, new polls show. The Wall Street Journal/NBC News/Marist Poll surveys of likely voters released Friday show Mr. Obama maintaining a foothold little changed from four weeks ago, when the Journal surveyed voters in both states just after Mr. Romney's strong debate performance in Denver. The surveys found the two battling neck-and-neck in Florida, with Mr. Obama drawing 49% support among likely voters to Mr. Romney's 47%. Mr. Obama held a firmer lead in ... ||||| Reaching for the finish line, Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama embarked Saturday on the final 72-hour haul of their long, grinding quest for victory, swatting at one another over what should motivate Americans to vote and making closing arguments that offer dueling pictures of what the next four years can and should bring. President Barack Obama is seen boarding Air Force One before his departure from Andrews Air Force Base, Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012. Obama traveling for the campaign events in Ohio, Wisconsin, Iowa and Virginia... (Associated Press) The crowd cheers as Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and wife Ann Romney campaign at Portsmouth International Airport, in Newington, N.H., Saturday, Nov. 3,... (Associated Press) Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney carries one of his grandsons as he steps off his campaign plane at Pease International Airport in Portsmouth, N.H., early Saturday,... (Associated Press) President Barack Obama visits the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for an update on the recovery from Hurricane Sandy that hit New York and New Jersey especially hard earlier this week, Saturday... (Associated Press) Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney picks up Levi Vandenberg, five months, of Dover, N.H., as he greets a ropeline of supporters as he campaigns at Portsmouth International... (Associated Press) Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and wife Ann Romney wave to the crowd as they campaign at Portsmouth International Airport, in Newington, N.H., Saturday, Nov.... (Associated Press) Romney opened a three-state campaign day in New Hampshire by faulting Obama for telling supporters a day earlier that voting would be their "best revenge" "Vote for revenge?" the GOP candidate asked, oozing incredulity. "I'd like to tell him what I'd tell you: Vote for love of country. It's time to lead America to a better place." The GOP nominee released a TV ad carrying the same message Obama tended to presidential business before politics as he led a briefing at the government's disaster relief agency on the federal response to Superstorm Sandy. He said the recovery effort still has a long way to go but pledging a "120 percent effort" by all those involved. Then he began his own three-state campaign day in Ohio, the biggest battleground of Campaign 2012. After holding mostly small and midsize rallies for much of the campaign, Obama's team is planning a series of larger events this weekend aimed at drawing big crowds in battleground states. Still, the campaign isn't expecting to draw the massive audiences Obama had in the closing days of the 2008 race, when his rallies drew more than 50,000. Obama's closing weekend also includes two joint events with former President Bill Clinton: a rally Saturday night in Virginia and an event Sunday in New Hampshire. The two presidents had planned to campaign together across three states earlier this week, but that trip was called off because of Sandy. And, of course, there is always Ohio. In a whiff of 2008 nostalgia, some of Obama's traveling companions from his campaign four years ago were planning to join him on the road for the final days of his last campaign. Among them are Robert Gibbs, who served as Obama's first White House press secretary, and Reggie Love, Obama's former personal aide who left the White House earlier this year. Likewise, virtually Romney's entire senior team has left the campaign's Boston headquarters to travel with Romney for the contest's final three days. Most will connect with Romney at his Saturday morning New Hampshire event. Their presence for the campaign's waning hours is an admission that the strategy and planning is largely complete. His schedule has been set, the ads have been placed, and Romney's message has been decided. The tight inner circle that has worked with him for several years in most cases plan to enjoy the final moments on the campaign trail as Romney's side. "It's been a long road," Ann Romney told reporters aboard the campaign plane, offering breakfast pastries to Secret Service agents and reporters alike. After campaigning on her own for the past month, she hooked up with her husband for the final swing. Romney hosted a massive rally Friday night in West Chester, Ohio, drawing more than 10,000 people to the Cincinnati area for an event that featured rock stars, sports celebrities and dozens of Republican officials. It was a high-energy event on a cold night designed to kick off his own sprint to the finish. Romney arrived in New Hampshire close to midnight on Friday after an 18-hour day on the campaign trail that took him from Virginia to Wisconsin to Ohio. After his morning rally on the New Hampshire seacoast, he was making an afternoon appearance in Iowa, and two more in Colorado. He shifted an original plan to campaign in Nevada on Sunday in favor of a schedule likely to bring him back to Iowa, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia. On Saturday, Obama's first stop was in Mentor, Ohio, then he was campaigning in Milwaukee and Dubuque, Iowa, and ending the day in Bristow, Va. On Sunday, he was taking his campaign to New Hampshire, Florida, Colorado and, yes, Ohio. Polling shows the race remains a toss-up heading into the final days. But Romney still has the tougher path; he must win more of the nine most-contested states to reach 270 electoral votes: Ohio, Florida, Virginia, North Carolina, Colorado, Nevada, Wisconsin, Iowa and New Hampshire. Romney has added Pennsylvania to the mix, hoping to end a streak of five presidential contests where the Democratic candidate prevailed in the state. Obama won Pennsylvania by more than 10 percentage points in 2008; the latest polls in the state give him a 4- to 5-point margin. Romney will campaign in the Philadelphia suburbs on Sunday. Obama aides scoff at the Romney incursion, but they are carefully adding television spending in the state and are sending Clinton to campaign there Monday. In crucial early voting, Obama holds an apparent lead over Romney in key states. But Obama's advantage isn't as big as the one he had over John McCain four years ago, giving Romney hope that he could make up that gap in Tuesday's election. About 25 million people already have voted in 34 states and the District of Columbia. No votes will be counted until Election Day, but several battleground states are releasing the party affiliation of people who have voted early. So far, Democratic voters outnumber Republicans in Florida, Iowa, Nevada, North Carolina and Ohio. Republicans have the edge in Colorado. ___ Kuhnhenn reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Julie Pace and Stephen Ohlemacher in Washington and Kasie Hunt in New Hampshire contributed to this report. Follow Jim Kuhnhenn on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/jkuhnhenn ||||| “I will lead America to a better place, where confidence in the future is assured, not questioned,” the GOP challenger told an ebullient crowd at the Wisconsin state fairgrounds here. “This is not a time for America to settle. We’re four days away from a fresh start, four days away from the first day of a new beginning.” From the start, the two campaigns have had different theories of the race — Romney’s being that it would be a referendum on Obama; Obama’s that it would be a comparative choice between the two candidates. But in the final days, both sides appear to have realized that this election is both. The challenger seeking to unseat an incumbent must make a case for himself. The incumbent seeking to hold on to his office must convince voters not only that the alternative would be worse but also that he has earned the right to another term. So Obama found himself heading into Election Day in the traditional posture for an incumbent under siege — the fighter, not the conciliator, wiser for the experience. “I’m a very nice guy, people will tell you. I really am,” Obama said. But if “the price of peace in Washington” means cutting deals to slash student financial aid or give health insurance companies more power, “I’m not going to make that deal,” the president said at a high school gym in Springfield, Ohio, at the second of three rallies Friday in that crucial state. He added: “I am a long ways away from giving up on this fight. I got a lot of fight left in me. I don’t get tired. I don’t grow weary. I hope you aren’t tired either, Ohio.” Though the polls show the race to be close, it is not because the voters lack a contrast, and both candidates are using their last hours of frenzied campaigning to highlight that choice. Romney ended the day in West Chester, a suburb of Cincinnati, where he came together with his wife, Ann; their five sons; his running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.); and more than 40 top surrogates for a huge rally before they fanned separately across battleground states for the three-day sprint to Election Day. Of them all, Ohio looms largest. “Your state is the one I’m counting on, by the way. This is the one we have to win,” Romney told the energetic crowd of more than 18,000, the biggest of his campaign. From there, Romney set off on a swing from New Hampshire to Iowa to Colorado and, on Sunday, to Pennsylvania. Romney is making an eleventh-hour gamble to contest the Keystone State, which leans Democratic but, with 20 electoral votes, could give him an alternate path to victory. Meanwhile, he is dispatching Ryan to Minnesota, another leaning-Democratic state that Romney is trying to snatch away from Obama. Obama is setting off on a whirlwind tour of his own, with plans to stump on Saturday in Iowa, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin and on Sunday in a slew of other states. At various stops, he will be joined by former president Bill Clinton and singers Katy Perry, Dave Matthews and John Mellencamp. ||||| 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.

– Quick, rattle off as many of the "battleground states" as you can. Points for Ohio, Florida, Virginia, North Carolina, Colorado, Nevada, Wisconsin, Iowa, and New Hampshire. Partial credit for Pennsylvania, where Mitt Romney is still hoping for an upset, reports AP. And now you have a good idea where President Obama and Romney will be spending the final three days of the campaign—expect them to hit three or four states a day and to change schedules on the fly. Other tidbits: Ohio, Florida: A Wall Street Journal/NBC poll has Obama up by 51-45 in Ohio and by a scant 49-47 in Florida. The latter state is especially important to Romney's chances, so he might take heart in knowing that a Tampa Bay Times poll has way better Florida numbers for him: He's up 51-45 in that one. Themes: The Washington Post sums up how the campaign strategies have crystallized, that it's no longer enough to make it about the other guy. "The challenger seeking to unseat an incumbent must make a case for himself. The incumbent seeking to hold on to his office must convince voters not only that the alternative would be worse but also that he has earned the right to another term." No more: If you just can't take any more politics, you can always do this.

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 ||||| On Tuesday, mourners gathered in Pittsburgh to honor the victims of the harrowing attack on the Tree of Life synagogue. Days earlier, as they observed Shabbat, 11 Jews were murdered. Robert Bowers, the alleged suspect, later told a SWAT officer that he wanted all Jews to die. (Bowers has since pleaded not guilty.) The tragedy united thousands of Jews in Pittsburgh, who peacefully protested Donald Trump’s visit to the synagogue earlier this week. It also consumed a far larger constituency, which remained aghast that the alleged killer was motivated by fear fanned by the president of the United States. Michael Cohen, the president’s former lawyer, was among those closely following the story. The son of a Holocaust survivor, Cohen has remained largely silent since the F.B.I. executed search warrants on his home, hotel room, and office this past spring. In August, he pleaded guilty to charges related to campaign-finance violations and tax fraud, and at the advice of counsel, he has not spoken publicly about his case or his relationship with the president ever since. Privately, he has been cooperating with investigators in the Southern District of New York, the special counsel’s office, and New York State. (He faces sentencing in the Southern District next month.) Yet Cohen wanted to express himself in the wake of the tragedy. Shortly after the sun rose on Tuesday, he tweeted, “In honor of those sadly being buried today resulting from #AntiSemitism #PittsburghSynagogueShooting, let’s follow the wisdom and thoughtful words of #RabbiJeffreyMyers ‘it can’t just be to say we need to stop hate. We need to do, we need to act to tone down rhetoric.’” Like many, Cohen has observed the president’s scorched-earth campaign tactics as the midterm elections approach, and as the prospect of a Democratic House majority beckons, with its attendant promise of investigations and inquiries. He has heard Trump’s constant invocation of the migrant caravan moving through Central America; he’s noticed the president threaten to revoke birthright citizenship; he’s noted Trump’s tweet calling Florida’s African-American gubernatorial candidate, Andrew Gillum, a “thief,” without any evidence. He also watched Trump shirk responsibility after it was discovered that Bowers invoked the caravan in posts online ahead of the mass murder in Pittsburgh, and after one of his ardent supporters was charged last week with mailing pipe bombs to notable Democrats and other frequent Trumpian targets. (The suspect plans to plead not guilty.) On Twitter and during rallies, Trump has referred to the media as “the enemy of the people,” blaming the free press for “the anger we see today in our society.” That message rang hollow to those most familiar with the president and his language, including Cohen, who said he has spent the last several months quietly reflecting on his former boss and his own role in the Trump Organization. Amid the president’s recent tirades, Cohen has re-registered as a Democrat and urged people on Twitter to vote in the midterm elections, calling it possibly “the most important vote in our lifetime.” He said that events also activated within him an urge to reveal details from his tenure at the Trump Organization, during which he said the president privately uttered chilling, racist language in one-on-one conversations. On Tuesday, the day of the first funerals in Pittsburgh, he shared some of these memories. Certainly, Cohen is aggrieved, and his credibility has been questioned by the president, his lawyers, and others. His allegations could inflame the very divisions that he’s said he wants to diffuse. Through the president’s public attacks against him, he stayed silent, as his lawyers advised, and he’s taken a risk in sharing these recollections on the record. When I asked him why he was coming forward now with such uncomfortable claims, Cohen was clear: he knew that the president’s private comments were worse than his public rhetoric, and he wanted to offer potential voters what he believed was evidence of Trump’s character in advance of the midterm elections. During our conversation, Cohen recalled a discussion at Trump Tower, following the then-candidate’s return from a campaign rally during the 2016 election cycle. Cohen had watched the rally on TV and noticed that the crowd was largely Caucasian. He offered this observation to his boss. “I told Trump that the rally looked vanilla on television. Trump responded, ‘That’s because black people are too stupid to vote for me.’” (The White House did not respond to multiple requests for comment.) This conversation, he noted, was reminiscent of an exchange that the two men had engaged in years earlier, after Nelson Mandela’s death. “[Trump] said to me, ‘Name one country run by a black person that’s not a shithole,’ and then he added, ‘Name one city,’” Cohen recalled, a statement that echoed the president’s alleged comments about African nations earlier this year. (White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders denied those comments at the time. She added that “no one here is going to pretend like the president is always politically correct—he isn’t.” She subsequently noted that it was “one of the reasons the American people love him.”) Cohen also recounted a conversation he had with Trump in the late 2000s, while they were traveling to Chicago for a Trump International Hotel board meeting. “We were going from the airport to the hotel, and we drove through what looked like a rougher neighborhood. Trump made a comment to me, saying that only the blacks could live like this.” After the first few seasons of The Apprentice, Cohen recalled how he and Trump were discussing the reality show and past season winners. The conversation wended its way back to the show’s first season, which ended in a head-to-head between two contestants, Bill Rancic and Kwame Jackson. “Trump was explaining his back-and-forth about not picking Jackson,” an African-American investment manager who had graduated from Harvard Business School. “He said, ‘There’s no way I can let this black f-g win.’” (Jackson told me that he had heard that the president made such a comment. “My response to President Trump is simple and Wakandan,” he said, referring to the fictional African country where Black Panther hails from. “‘Not today, colonizer!’”) In retrospect, Cohen told me that he wishes he had quit the Trump Organization when he heard these offensive remarks. “I should have been a bigger person, and I should have left,” he said. He didn’t, he said, because he grew numb to the language and, in awe of the job, forgave his boss’s sins. Cohen, in fact, even defended the president publicly against charges of racism. Last year, he explicitly tweeted as much. Cohen explained that he defended the president because he thought the magnitude of the office would eventually force him to be more judicious with his words. “I truly thought the office would change him,” he said. But it hasn’t, Cohen continued. In fact, he said, it has exacerbated his rhetoric. Cohen’s claims would damage most presidents. Trump, however, survived the Access Hollywood tape in the run-up to the presidential election in 2016. His supporters stayed with him after his jarring “both sides” comment regarding the racial violence in Charlottesville, and didn’t bend when Omarosa Manigault Newman accused him of using vile racial language after she left the White House. (Trump referred to her as “that dog” after her book came out.) When Trump portrayed Brett Kavanaugh as a man under siege, his poll numbers went up. Trump seems to perform best with his base when he appears like his back is up against the wall. For Cohen’s part, he said he is hoping that people bear his words in mind as they cast their ballots on Tuesday. He will. More Great Stories from Vanity Fair — Why Fox doesn’t have much of a choice when it comes to Trump — How long can Mark Zuckerberg keep convincing teens that Instagram is cool? — Is the Trump administration ever going to hold Saudi Arabia to account? — Why working at Netflix sounds terrifying — Amazon’s flirtation with ICE appalls its workers Looking for more? Sign up for our daily Hive newsletter and never miss a story.

– After the Pittsburgh synagogue shootings, Michael Cohen tweeted about the need to "tone down rhetoric" and leveled an accusation against President Trump: that his former boss had made racist remarks when they worked together. "I should have been a bigger person, and I should have left," he tells Vanity Fair. The former Trump "fixer"—now a registered Democrat who has pleaded guilty to several charges, including bank fraud and campaign finance violations—made the following accusations: After a 2016 Trump rally, Cohen watched the event on TV and told Trump that his supporters were mostly white. "I told Trump that the rally looked vanilla on television," says Cohen. "Trump responded, 'That's because black people are too stupid to vote for me.'" On that note, Cohen recalled an earlier exchange with Trump after Nelson Mandela died. "[Trump] said to me, 'Name one country run by a black person that's not a shithole,' and then he added, 'Name one city.'" In the late 2000s, the pair were going to Chicago for a board meeting at Trump International Hotel. "We were going from the airport to the hotel, and we drove through what looked like a rougher neighborhood," says Cohen. "Trump made a comment to me, saying that only blacks could live like this." A few years into The Apprentice, Cohen and Trump talked about why certain contestants had won and others lost—and why Bill Rancic had beaten Kwame Jackson (a black investment manager with a Harvard degree) on the show's first season. "Trump was explaining his back-and-forth about not picking Jackson," says Cohen. "He said, 'There's no way I can let this black f---ing win.'" A source in the Trump Organization has responded to Cohen's accusations, telling NBC News: "This is a guy who told the Daily Beast it's not illegal to rape your wife and tweeted threatening comments about members of the media, but now has suddenly found God. The only person to blame for Michael's situation is Michael." Speaking of Cohen's situation, he has started a GoFundMe page.

Global dietary guidelines should change to suggest people can eat more fat than previously thought, with a view to preventing overconsumption of carbohydrates, according to a new international study led by Canadian researchers. "Our findings do not support the current recommendation to limit total fat intake to less than 30 per cent of energy," said the paper published in the Lancet on Tuesday. "Individuals with high carbohydrate intake might benefit from a reduction in carbohydrate intake and increase in the consumption of fats." Mahshid Dehghan, a nutritional epidemiology expert at McMaster University in Hamilton, and her team were set to present the results of their study at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Barcelona on Tuesday. (Population Health Research Institute) Scientists from McMaster University in Hamilton and other researchers used questionnaires to document the fat, carbohydrate and protein intake of 135,335 people in 18 countries, then followed them over an average of about seven years. The research team, led by Mahshid Dehghan, a nutrition epidemiologist at McMaster, was set to present the results of the study at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Barcelona on Tuesday. The researchers looked at whether or not participants of the epidemiological study developed heart disease or stroke. They also documented the number of deaths due to cardiovascular disease as well as other causes, including cancer, and respiratory and infectious diseases. Contrary to popular thinking over the last few decades, the researchers found no significant association between eating more than the recommended amount of fat and developing heart disease or having a stroke. In addition, a fat intake of about 35 per cent of total calories was associated with a lower overall risk of dying compared to a lower percentage of fat in the diet. In contrast, people who ate a lot of carbohydrates (more than 60 per cent of their total calorie intake) were at higher risk of death overall, as well as death not related to cardiovascular disease. "When you recommend lowering fat, by default, people increase their carbohydrate consumption," said Dehghan. "And increasing consumption of carbohydrates results in higher risk of mortality." Moderation is the solution. Don't eat too much of any single thing. - Richard Bazinet, U of T's Department of Nutritional Sciences That's why nutritional guidelines around the world need to change, Dehghan told CBC News. "Relaxing current restrictions on fat and emphasizing on carbohydrate intake ... is more likely to be beneficial." The study did not find that a certain type of fat — saturated or unsaturated — had any significant impact on cardiovascular disease. In fact, both saturated and unsaturated fats were associated with a lower risk of total mortality and stroke. However, the authors note that they were unable to specifically measure trans fat consumption — a potentially important limitation in the study. Cardiologists have recognized the specific danger of trans fats, which are artificial and also known as partially hydrogenated oils. Canada is moving toward banning trans fats — something New York City has already done in its restaurants and bakeries. There has been mounting scientific evidence over the last five years challenging the long-held notion that fat is to blame for cardiovascular disease and death, said Richard Bazinet, of the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto, who was not involved in the Lancet-published study. In the last couple of decades, that notion led to a slew of low-fat and fat-free products on grocery store shelves. The problem, Bazinet said, is many of those products contain high levels of sugar and carbohydrates, substituting other sources of calories that pose health risks. Richard Bazinet, a scientist with the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto, says the vast scope of the Lancet study adds to mounting evidence that fat is not the main cause of cardiovascular disease. (Keith Burgess/CBC) "We're seeing that play out maybe with people thinking that things like juices are fine and sweetened, you know, foods that say low in fat are a great choice. A cookie's still a cookie even if it doesn't have saturated fat or high fat content." Dehghan, the study's lead author, emphasized that the research looked solely at cardiovascular disease and mortality, and did not look at the effects of fats and carbohydrates on obesity — a health issue of particular concern in North America. According to Statistics Canada, more than half of adult Canadians were overweight or obese, based on body mass index (BMI), in 2014. Although Bazinet largely agrees with the study's findings, he said the constant onslaught of research focused on specific nutrients like fat or carbohydrates and "blaming one versus the other" may be "missing the mark" in educating the public on how to make healthy food choices. "Moderation" is the solution, he said. "Don't eat too much of any single thing." ||||| Low-fat diets could raise the risk of early death by almost one quarter, a major study has found. The Lancet study of 135,000 adults found those who cut back on fats had far shorter lives than those enjoying plenty of butter, cheese and meats. Researchers said the study was at odds with repeated health advice to cut down on fats. Those doing so tended to eat far too much stodgy food like bread, pasta and rice, the experts said, while missing out on vital nutrients. Participants eating the highest levels of carbohydrates – particularly refined sugars found in fizzy drinks and processed meals – faced a 28 per cent higher risk of early death. The NHS cautions against having too much saturated fat, on the grounds it raises cholesterol levels, increasing the risk of heart disease. But the latest research, presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress, in Barcelona found those with low intake of saturated fat raised chances of early death by 13 per cent compared to those eating plenty. And consuming high levels of all fats cut mortality by up to 23 per cent. The Canadian study tracked eating patterns and death rates across 18 countries.

– Fat, it turns out, is good for you. Or at least it's not as bad as we previously thought, per a sweeping new study that suggests low-fat diets could increase the risk of early death, the Telegraph reports. The surprising findings published in the Lancet suggest that instead of limiting fat intake, we should be counting carbs. Low-fat diets "put populations at increased risk for cardiovascular disease," says Dr. Andrew Mente from Canada's McMaster University. Overturning dietary guidelines the world over, the research of Mente and his team indicates that a higher consumption of fats, even saturated fats like those found in meat and butter, reduces chances of dying earlier. The scientists who tracked 135,000 adults in 18 countries found that those who got more than 60% of their calories from carbohydrates, such as sugary drinks and processed foods like pasta and bread, had a 28% chance of dying early. Those who consumed high levels of fats, even the saturated kind, saw their risk of early death drop by 23%. Contrary to conventional wisdom, the seven-year study found no link between fat consumption alone and heart disease or stroke, CBC News reports. But in a notable limitation, researchers were unable to measure levels of trans fat, often linked to heart disease, in study subjects. Study co-author Dr. Mahshid Dehghan says that when lowering fat consumption, people "by default" eat more carbs. He called for "relaxing current restrictions on fat and emphasizing ... carbohydrate intake." The "sweet spot," Mente adds, per the Telegraph, is maintaining a balanced diet, with about 35% of calories coming from fat. (For a longer life, go Japanese.)

Donald J. Trump 认证账号 @realDonaldTrump The Mayor of San Juan, who was very complimentary only a few days ago, has now been told by the Democrats that you must be nasty to Trump. ||||| (CNN) "Hamilton" creator Lin-Manuel Miranda did not mince words in his message to Donald Trump following the President's Saturday morning Twitter attacks on San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz. "You're going straight to hell, @realDonaldTrump," the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright tweeted at the President. "No long lines for you. Someone will say, 'Right this way, sir.' They'll clear a path." You're going straight to hell, @realDonaldTrump. No long lines for you. Someone will say, "Right this way, sir." They'll clear a path. https://t.co/xXfJH0KJmw — Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) September 30, 2017 "She has been working 24/7. You have been GOLFING," Miranda added in a follow-up tweet. "You're going straight to hell. Fastest golf cart you ever took." She has been working 24/7. You have been GOLFING. You're going straight to hell. Fastest golf cart you ever took. https://t.co/5hOY23MBvQ — Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) September 30, 2017 "Did you tweet this one from the first hole, 18th hole, or the club? Anyway, it's a lie. You're a congenital liar," he wrote in response to a third tweet from Trump, adding with a link to a donation site for a Latino nonprofit. Did you tweet this one from the first hole, 18th hole, or the club? Anyway, it's a lie. You're a congenital liar.https://t.co/pxx7qvHPdf https://t.co/edFgHSHe3y — Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) September 30, 2017 Miranda has been active in his efforts to try to help the hurricane-ravaged island. Read More ||||| Acting Homeland Secretary Elaine Duke, center, is briefed on the Hurricane Maria response during a flight to Puerto Rico on Friday, Sept. 29, 2017. President Donald Trump on Thursday cleared the way for... (Associated Press) BRANCHBURG, N.J. (AP) — President Donald Trump on Sunday scoffed at "politically motivated ingrates" who had questioned his administration's commitment to revive Puerto Rico after a pulverizing hurricane and said the federal government had done "a great job with the almost impossible situation." The tweets coming from a president ensconced in his New Jersey golf club sought to defend Washington's efforts to mobilize and coordinate recovery efforts on a U.S. territory in dire straits almost two weeks after Hurricane Maria struck. San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz on Friday accused the Trump administration of "killing us with the inefficiency" after the storm. She begged the president, who is set to visit Puerto Rico on Tuesday, to "make sure somebody is in charge that is up to the task of saving lives," and appealed for help "to save us from dying." Trump's weekend tweets have shown him to be contemptuous of their complaints of a laggard U.S. response to the natural disaster that has imperiled the island's future. "We have done a great job with the almost impossible situation in Puerto Rico. Outside of the Fake News or politically motivated ingrates," he tweeted on Sunday. He said "people are now starting to recognize the amazing work" done by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the military. The day before, Trump had tweeted: "Such poor leadership ability by the Mayor of San Juan, and others in Puerto Rico, who are not able to get their workers to help." He added: "They want everything to be done for them when it should be a community effort," Trump wrote from his club. His critical response was an unusually pointed rebuke from the president in the heat of a disaster — a time when leaders often put aside partisan differences in the name of solidarity. But it was a reminder of Trump's unrelenting penchant for punching back against critics, whatever the circumstances. Trump has said he's doing everything possible to help the "great people of PR!" and has pledged to spare no effort to help the island recover from Maria's ruinous aftermath. He has also repeatedly applauded his government's recovery efforts, saying military personnel and first responders have done "an amazing job," despite the significant logistical challenges. Thousands more Puerto Ricans have received water and rationed food as an aid bottleneck has begun to ease. But many, especially outside the capital, remain desperate for necessities, including water, power and fuel. Trump's administration has tried in recent days to combat the perception that he failed to quickly grasp the magnitude of Maria's destruction and has given the U.S. commonwealth less attention than he'd bestowed on states like Texas, Louisiana and Florida after they were hit by hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Trump had repeatedly praised the residents of those states as strong and resilient, saying at one point that Texas could "handle anything." Administration officials have held numerous press conferences providing updates on relief efforts and Trump on Saturday spoke by phone from New Jersey with FEMA Administrator Brock Long, Puerto Rico's governor, Ricardo Rosselló, and other several other local officials. But after a week of growing criticism, the president's patience appears to be waning. "The Mayor of San Juan, who was very complimentary only a few days ago, has now been told by the Democrats that you must be nasty to Trump," the president charged, without substantiation. Long added: "The problem that we have with the mayor unfortunately is that unity of command is ultimately what's needed to be successful in this response," he said, requesting that she report to a joint field office. Cruz declined to engage in the tit for tat, instead calling for a united focus on the people who need help. "The goal is one: saving lives. This is the time to show our 'true colors.' We cannot be distracted by anything else," she tweeted, along with photos of herself meeting with residents and rescue workers, wading hip-deep through a flooded street and comforting an elderly woman. After a day of tweets criticizing the news media, Trump seemed to echo the sentiment: "We must all be united in offering assistance to everyone suffering in Puerto Rico and elsewhere in the wake of this terrible disaster." Trump's Saturday tweets are the latest example of his insistence on "punching back," even against those with far less power. After a deadly terror attack in London in June, for instance, Trump singled out London Mayor Sadiq Khan, suggesting he wasn't taking the attacks seriously enough. Natural disasters sometimes bring moments of rare bipartisan solidarity. In the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, which wreaked havoc along the East Coast in 2012, New Jersey's Republican governor, Chris Christie, praised Democratic President Barack Obama for his personal attention and compassion at a joint press conference. Still, the fight over relief money became politicized and contentious, with numerous Republicans voting against a delayed relief bill. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Andrew, tensions between local and federal officials also ran high. Then-New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin pleaded with the government to send help in sometimes colorful terms, while Terry Ebbert, the city's Homeland Security director, called relief efforts a "national disgrace."

– President Trump says his administration has "done a great job with the almost impossible situation in Puerto Rico" after Hurricane Maria struck the island. He's going after what he calls "politically motivated ingrates" and says "people are now starting to recognize the amazing work" by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the military, reports the AP. The tweets coming from a president ensconced in his New Jersey golf club sought to defend Washington's efforts to mobilize and coordinate recovery efforts on a US territory in dire straits almost two weeks after Maria. Trump's critical response was an unusually pointed rebuke from the president in the heat of a disaster—a time when leaders often put aside partisan differences in the name of solidarity. But it was a reminder of Trump's unrelenting penchant for punching back against critics, whatever the circumstances. San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz on Friday accused the Trump administration of "killing us with the inefficiency" after the storm. She begged the president, who is set to visit Puerto Rico on Tuesday, to "make sure somebody is in charge that is up to the task of saving lives," and appealed for help "to save us from dying." Another person swinging at the president, per CNN: Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, whose parents are from Puerto Rico. "You're going straight to hell, @realDonaldTrump," he tweeted. "No long lines for you. Someone will say, 'Right this way, sir.' They'll clear a path." Miranda also came to the defense of Yulin Cruz, tweeting, "She has been working 24/7. You have been GOLFING. You're going straight to hell. Fastest golf cart you ever took."

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. ||||| Injection of human iPS cells into a pig blastocyst. A laser beam (green circle with a red cross inside) was used to perforate an opening to the outer membrane (zona pellucida) of the pig blastocyst to allow easy access of an injection needle delivering human iPS cells. (Salk Institute) For the first time, scientists have grown an embryo that is part-pig, part-human. The experiment, described Thursday in the journal Cell, involves injecting human stem cells into the embryo of a pig, then implanting the embryo in the uterus of a sow and allowing it to grow. After four weeks, the stem cells had developed into the precursors of various tissue types, including heart, liver and neurons, and a small fraction of the developing pig was made up of human cells. The human-pig hybrid — dubbed a “chimera” for the mythical creature with a lion's head, a goat's body and a serpent's tail — was “highly inefficient,” the researchers cautioned. But it's the most successful human-animal chimera and a significant step toward the development of animal embryos with functioning human organs. In a study published a day earlier, an international team of researchers demonstrated that organs for transplant can be grown in chimera embryos that are part-mouse, part-rat. Writing in Nature, the researchers reported Wednesday that they were able to grow a mouse pancreas inside a rat embryo, then transfer insulin-secreting tissue from that organ into diabetic mice, alleviating their illness without triggering an immune response. It was the first demonstration that such an interspecies organ transplant is possible. Researchers hope that one day doctors may be able to grow human tissue using chimera embryos in farm animals, making organs available for sick humans who might otherwise wait years for a transplant. [Human embryo experiment shows progress toward 'three-parent' babies] The technique is already the subject of a vigorous debate about the ethics of introducing human material into animals; since 2015, the National Institutes of Health has had a moratorium on funding for certain human-animal chimera research. (The new study was performed in California at the Salk Institute without federal funds.) Some argue that, since stem cells can become any kind of tissue, including parts of the nervous system, chimeras raise the specter of an animal with a human brain or reproductive organs. Others think there's a symbolic or sacred line between human and animal genetic material that should not be crossed. But Vardit Ravitsky, a bioethicist at the University of Montreal's School of Public Health, said that the two studies published this week could help make a case for further human-animal chimera research by demonstrating the field's potential benefits. “I think the point of these papers is sort of a proof of principle, showing that what researchers intend to achieve with human-non-human chimeras might be possible,” she said. “The more you can show that it stands to produce something that will actually save lives … the more we can demonstrate that the benefit is real, tangible and probable — overall it shifts the scale of risk-benefit assessment, potentially in favor of pursuing research and away from those concerns that are more philosophical and conceptual.” [NIH may allow funding for human-animal stem cell research] In an effort to address the world's growing organ shortage — an estimated 22 people a day die waiting for transplants, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services — scientists have been trying to grow organs outside the human body. But organs developed in petri dishes are not identical to the ones that grow inside a living thing. “That's where the rationale of this kind of experiment comes in,” said Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte, a developmental biologist at the Salk Institute and the senior author on the study of the human-pig chimera. “What if we let nature do the work for us? What if we just put human cells inside the embryo and the embryo knows what do to?” An illustration of a potential process for harvesting human organs from pigs using chimera embryos. (Hiro Nakauchi) The model for using chimeras for organ transplant would probably look something like the technique reported in Nature. In that experiment, researchers took induced pluripotent stem cells (ordinary cells that have been reverted to an early embryonic state, so that they have the potential to develop into any tissue type) from mice. These cells were then injected into rat embryos that had been genetically modified so that they were unable to grow their own pancreas — “emptying a niche” for the mouse stem cells to fill. The embryonic rats developed normally and were born healthy. Each had a rat-sized pancreas made of mouse cells. The whole pancreases were too big to transplant into tiny mice, so the researchers extracted just the islets — the region of the pancreas that produces hormones like insulin — and planted them in mice that had been induced to have diabetes. Because the transplanted cells were grown from stem cells taken from mice, the animals required just five days of immunosuppressive drugs to keep their bodies from rejecting the new tissue. After that, they were able to live normally with healthy blood glucose levels for over a year — half a lifetime in human terms. The study showed that interspecies organ transplants are not only possible, but they can be done effectively and safely, said Hiromitsu Nakauchi, a stem cell researcher at Stanford University and the University of Tokyo who is the senior author of the study. “This is a form of transplantation we could do in the clinic with human patients someday,” he said. [Stem-cell clinics face new scrutiny from federal regulators] Nakauchi also conducts research on human-chimera embryos, but his efforts to inject human stem cells into sheep embryos have largely been unsuccessful — the evolutionary distance between humans and livestock may be making it difficult to get human stem cells to take hold in those animals. Other researchers have achieved human-mouse chimeras that developed to full size and grew to adulthood, but there is debate about how substantially human cells can contribute to mice, which are much more distantly related. He said he was cheered to read the Cell study, which represents the most significant progress on human-animal chimeras yet, though the technique is still nowhere near ready for an experiment like the one performed in Nakauchi's mice. “If you read the paper, the contribution of human cells is very limited, is very, very minor, and only in the early embryonic phase, so we’re still not sure if we can make human chimeras,” he cautioned. “But I'm glad that they're doing this research.” Though researchers have had great success producing rat-mouse chimeras (top), it has been more difficult to achieve chimerism with human and pig cells (bottom). (Wu et al./Cell 2017) The Cell study was the result of four years of work involving some 1,500 pig embryos. These embryos were not genetically modified, like Nakauchi's rat embryos, but the Salk scientists used a similar technique to inject human stem cells. Pigs are an ideal animal for chimera research, said co-author Pablo Ross, an associate professor in the department of animal science at the University of California, Davis. Their organs are roughly the same size as those of humans (recall that the pancreases grown in Nakauchi's rats were rat-sized, even though they were grown with mouse cells), but they reach their full size far more quickly than humans and other primates. “You go from one cell [at] fertilization to 200 pounds, the average size of an adult [pig], in nine months,” Ross said. “I think that's very reasonable, when you think about the fact that the average wait for a kidney transplant is about three years.” [Scientists turned mouse skin cells into egg cells — and made babies] Still, pigs' rapid gestation means that their organs develop much more rapidly than those of humans. If researchers want to create a successful chimera, they have to consider timing. So Ross and his colleagues used three different types of stem cells for their experiment: “naive” cells that were at the very earliest stages of development, “primed” cells that have developed further (but are still pluripotent), and “intermediate” cells that are somewhere in between. Dozens of cells of each type were injected into pig embryos, which were then implanted in sows and allowed to develop for three to four weeks (about a quarter of a pig's gestation period). The primed cells never really took hold in the host embryo. The naive cells were initially incorporated into the growing animal, but were indistinguishable in the developing pig four weeks later. The intermediate cells were most successful; by the time the embryos were removed from the sow and analyzed, about one in every 100,000 cells was human rather than pig, lead author Jun Wu estimated. The human cells were distributed randomly across the chimera: Many wound up in what would become the heart (where they made up about 10 percent of tissue), some in the kidneys and liver (1 percent or less). A few developed into the precursors of neurons, a fear of bioethicists who worry about creating an animal with human or even humanlike consciousness. But Izpisua Belmonte said that prospect is still a long way off. The contribution of human cells to the chimera was tiny, and research protocols were in place to prevent the development of any human-animal chimera to maturity. “We were just trying to answer the yes or no question of, can human cells contribute at all?” he said. “And the answer to that question is yes.” Salk Institute scientists Jun Wu (seated) and Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte, authors of the new Cell paper. (Salk Institute) The Cell study researchers also discussed progress with rat-mouse chimeras. Though they have not performed an interspecies organ transfer, they were able to grow hearts, eyes and pancreases in chimeric embryos. They also grew a rat gall bladder inside a mouse embryo, even though rats don't grow gall bladders during normal development — suggesting that rats have the genetic coding for gall bladders but those genes are suppressed by their developmental environment. That's another important aspect of chimera embryo research, Izpisua Belmonte said, one that is sometimes overlooked in the focus on organ transplants. Chimera embryos can be used to understand development, examine genetic diseases and test drugs without risking the health of humans. In August, NIH released a draft of a policy that would change the guidelines to allow funding of certain human animal chimeras. Under the proposed new rule, the taxpayer funds could be used for experiments that introduced human stem cells to early stage embryos of all animals except other primates. Some nonhuman primate research would also be allowed, but only using embryos at later stages of development and only after an extra layer of review by a special NIH committee. But the policy change is still under review. Neither Nakauchi's nor Izpisua Belmonte's study was funded by NIH grants. Nakauchi said he hoped that recent progress in the field might garner support for easing the ban. “Finally we’re able to provide a proof of principle that ... this approach of making organs … is possible and also safe and efficient,” he said. “So I hope people will understand this.” He continued, “Many people think this is a kind of science fiction story. But this is becoming reality.” Read more: Trump administration continues to give scientists the cold shoulder, alarming researchers Elon Musk is going to tunnel from his desk to LAX — or so he’s tweeted Wolf-sized otters prowled prehistoric China A 466-million-year-old space collision is still raining shrapnel on Earth Dear Science: Why is everything backward in a mirror? ||||| Image copyright Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte Image caption The embryos were allowed to develop for 28 days Embryos that are less than 0.001% human - and the rest pig - have been made and analysed by scientists. It is the first proof chimeras - named after the mythical lion-goat-serpent monster - can be made by combining material from humans and animals. However, the scientific report in the journal Cell shows the process is challenging and the aim of growing human organs in animals is distant. It was described as an "exciting publication" by other researchers. To create a chimera, human stem cells - the type that can develop into any tissue - are injected into a pig embryo. Image copyright Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte Image caption The spherical pig embryo is held in place while a tiny needle is used to inject human cells The embryo - now a mix of human and pig - is then implanted into a sow for up to one month. The process appears very inefficient - of the 2,075 embryos implanted only 186 continued to develop up to the 28-day stage. But crucially there were signs that human cells were functioning - albeit as a tiny fraction of the total tissue - as part of a human-pig chimera. "This is the first time that human cells are seen growing inside a large animal," Prof Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte, from the Salk Institute, told the BBC News website. Image copyright Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte Image caption Human cells, coloured green, were found in the four-week-old embryo Commenting on the inefficiency, Prof Belmonte said: "Humans and pigs are separated by a long time in evolution." Development in the womb is also much faster in pigs - pregnancy lasts less than four months compared with about nine in people. "It is like a freeway with one car going much faster than another - you're more likely to have an accident," Prof Belmonte said. He added there was a "long distance" between now and growing animals with human organs - such as a heart, pancreas or liver, that can be transplanted. However, in the meantime the Salk researchers argue that making chimeras with more human tissue could be useful for: screening drugs before human trials studying the onset of human diseases understanding the earliest stages of human embryo development. explaining differences between organs in different species Dr Jun Wu, part of the research team, told the BBC: "[Getting the efficiency] in the range of 0.1% to 1% human cells should be enough. "Even at this early stage [28-days], billions of cells in the embryo would have millions of human cells, then testing would be meaningful and practical." There was no evidence that human cells were integrating into the early form of brain tissue. Organ breakthrough On Wednesday, a study in the journal Nature showed how organs could be grown in one species for use in another: by making some room. Rats were genetically modified so they could not produce a pancreas - the organ crucial for controlling blood sugar levels. Mouse stem cells were injected in the deficient rat embryos, promptly took advantage of the missing pancreas and grew a mouse one there instead. This was then transplanted back into mice to treat diabetes. The work to try this in humans and pigs is already under way. Although in the long term cows look likely to be a better host for human organs as both cow and human pregnancies last about nine months. The field is also ethically charged, the US National Institutes of Health at one point imposed a moratorium on funding the experiments. The researchers have done only research that is legal, but they are aware of the controversy. Prof Belmonte said: "We are restricting development to one month in the pig, the reason is this is enough for us now to understand how cells mix, differentiate and integrate. "One possibility is to let these animals be born, but that is not something we should allow to happen at this point. "Not everything that science can do we should do, we are not living in a niche in lab, we live with other people - and society needs to decide what can be done. Dr Wu said: "When the public hears the world chimera it is always associated with Greek mythology, there is always this associated fear. "But angels are chimeras, it can be a positive image and hopefully help with a worldwide shortage of organs, not create a monster." Image copyright Thinkstock Image caption Chimeras are named after the fire-breathing beast of Greek mythology Prof Bruce Whitelaw, the interim director of the Roslin Institute where Dolly the sheep was cloned, said: "This is an exciting publication. "It clearly demonstrates that human stem cells introduced into the early pig embryo can form a human-pig chimera. "This is the first scientific publication to achieve this result. "This is a first in the development of chimeric animal production and paves the way for significant advances in our understanding of development in the embryo and hints towards future novel biotech applications." Prof Robin Lovell-Badge, from the Francis Crick Institute, said: "An ability to make interspecies chimeras would be valuable in terms of providing basic understanding of species differences in embryo development and organ function. "It would also offer the possibility of growing human tissues or organs in animals for transplants - although this is still a long way off. "The goals of this study are therefore highly laudable." Follow James on Twitter.

– Researchers have created part-human-part-pig embryos in what other scientists are calling an "exciting" step toward proving the viability of human-animal chimeras, the BBC reports. The researchers injected human stem cells into pig embryos, then implanted those embryos into adult pigs. After a month or so, the developing pig was part human, and the stem cells were turning into the makings of a heart, liver, and neurons, according to the Washington Post. Researchers published their findings Thursday in Cell. Still, the embryos were less than 0.001% human. And Seeker reports the host pigs were "euthanized and incinerated" after four weeks to prevent the accidental creation of super-smart pigs or something equally horrifying. The goal of the research is to eventually be able to grow human organs inside "large host animals." Approximately 22 people in the US die every day while waiting for an organ transplant. Researchers say this new process could allow organs to be grown on demand, ending organ shortages. But they warn that's far in the future. In the meantime, it could be used to research diseases and test drugs in animals. But there are still moral questions surrounding the creation of animal-human chimeras, with some scientists expressing concern about making animals with human brains or reproductive organs. (A "human chimera" resulted in a dad learning that his unborn twin "fathered" his son.)

Afghan security personnel take a position near the Shamshad Television after an attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2017. Jan Agha, a police officer, says a gun man attacked on the local TV.... (Associated Press) Afghan security personnel take a position near the Shamshad Television after an attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2017. Jan Agha, a police officer, says a gun man attacked on the local TV. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul) (Associated Press) KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Two attackers, one of them a suicide bomber, struck a local TV station in Kabul on Tuesday, killing at least two guards, officials said. The Islamic State group quickly claimed responsibility for the assault. Najib Danish, spokesman for the Interior Ministry, said the casualties were a male and a female security guard at Shamshad TV. "There were two attackers and both have been killed," Danish said shortly after the attack, adding that the police have sealed off the station and were combing the premises. He said the police rescued some of the TV staff as the attack was unfolding but he did not elaborate. Wahid Mujro, spokesman for the public health ministry, said 21 people wounded in the attack were taken to hospitals. "The attackers ... had military uniforms on," said Gen. Salim Hassas. One attacker blew himself up at the gate of the station's compound while the second reached the second floor of the TV building form where he engaged the security forces. The attacker was later killed there, Hassas said. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid denied their involvement in the attack. The IS-linked Aamaq news outlet said the Islamic State group was behind the attack, reported the SITE Intelligence Group, which tracks militant postings. Afghanistan's Islamic State affiliate has carried out several attacks in recent years, mainly targeting the country's Shiite minority, which the Sunni extremists view as apostates. The IS affiliate is largely made up of disenchanted insurgents who left the much larger and more well-established Taliban. Last Tuesday, an IS suicide bomber struck near the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, killing five and wounding at least 20. The bombing took place in a heavily-guarded area housing several diplomatic missions and the offices of international organizations. Also Tuesday, gunmen killed two people in the city of Herat, the provincial capital in western Herat province, including a provincial council member, said Gelani Farhad, spokesman for the provincial governor. "Fazel Jamshedi and his bodyguard were shot and killed by possibly two gunmen riding a motorcycle," said Farhad. No one immediately claimed responsibility for that attack. ___ Associated Press writer Rahim Faiez in Kabul, Afghanistan, contributed to this report. ||||| Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Afghan security used explosives to reach the TV station attackers An Afghan television station has returned to air just hours after an attack by militants left at least one staff member dead. Gunmen disguised as police officers stormed the Shamshad TV building in the Afghan capital Kabul. So-called Islamic State later said it was behind the attack. But soon after Afghan security forces brought the raid under control, a Shamshad anchor was back on the channel, reporting on the assault. At least three attackers were involved, armed with guns and grenades. The station said one blew himself up at the entrance gate while another went up to the roof to fire at security forces. Staff were trapped inside, with some jumping out of windows and others escaping through a neighbouring building. Normal programmes were replaced with a still image. Special forces had to blast their way through a wall protecting the station to enter. 'An attack on freedom' A security guard has been confirmed killed and 20 people wounded. The mother of a female journalist at the station told the BBC she had received no news of her daughter, hours after the attack. One of the news presenters, with his hand bandaged from cutting himself on broken glass, gave details of the assault to viewers. "We have all come back [to work], all our journalists and colleagues are back on duty," he said. "This is an attack on freedom of media but they cannot silence us," the station's news director Abid Ehsas told another outlet, Tolo News. Shamshad TV broadcasts a wide variety of programmes including news and current affairs in the Pashto language. It is one of the BBC's partner stations. Kabul has been targeted repeatedly in recent months by the Taliban and IS. The threat to journalists Afghanistan is one of the world's most dangerous countries for journalists and media workers. The first six months of 2017 saw a surge in violence against journalists, with local monitor the Afghan Journalists Safety Committee recording 73 cases, an increase of 35% in comparison to the same period in 2016.

– A TV station in Kabul was hit by a deadly attack Tuesday but managed to get back on air just moments after Afghan security forces ended the raid. "The attack has ended. According to the commander of the special forces all the staff who were inside the building have been rescued," an injured anchorman told viewers, per the Guardian. Authorities say two grenade-throwing attackers, including a suicide bomber, killed two security guards in the raid on the Shamshad TV building, the BBC reports. Around 20 people were injured. "This is an attack on freedom of media but they cannot silence us," Shamshad TV's news director said while visiting wounded colleagues. "I was in my office when gunmen wearing police uniforms attacked the building," he said. "They killed one of our guards and entered the building and started firing. Most of us were able to flee but some were wounded and some jumped out of the window." The AP reports that the Taliban denied responsibility, while an ISIS-linked news outlet said that group was behind the attack.

Study shows marijuana’s long-term effects on the brain The effects of chronic marijuana use on the brain may depend on age of first use and duration of use, according to researchers at the Center for BrainHealth at The University of Texas at Dallas. In a paper published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), researchers for the first time comprehensively describe existing abnormalities in brain function and structure of long-term marijuana users with multiple magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques. Findings show chronic marijuana users have smaller brain volume in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), a part of the brain commonly associated with addiction, but also increased brain connectivity. “We have seen a steady increase in the incidence of marijuana use since 2007,“said Dr. Francesca Filbey, Associate Professor in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences at the University of Texas at Dallas and Director of the Cognitive Neuroscience Research in Addictive Disorders at the Center for BrainHealth. “However, research on its long-term effects remains scarce despite the changes in legislation surrounding marijuana and the continuing conversation surrounding this relevant public health topic.” The research team studied 48 adult marijuana users and 62 gender- and age-matched non-users, accounting for potential biases such as gender, age and ethnicity. The authors also controlled for tobacco and alcohol use. On average, the marijuana users who participated in the study consumed the drug three times per day. Cognitive tests show that chronic marijuana users had lower IQ compared to age-and gender-matched controls but the differences do not seem to be related to the brain abnormalities as no direct correlation can be drawn between IQ deficits and OFC volume decrease. “What’s unique about this work is that it combines three different MRI techniques to evaluate different brain characteristics,” said Dr. Sina Aslan, founder and president of Advance MRI, LLC and adjunct assistant professor at The University of Texas at Dallas. “The results suggest increases in connectivity, both structural and functional that may be compensating for gray matter losses. Eventually, however, the structural connectivity or ‘wiring’ of the brain starts degrading with prolonged marijuana use.” Tests reveal that earlier onset of regular marijuana use induces greater structural and functional connectivity. Greatest increases in connectivity appear as an individual begins using marijuana. Findings show severity of use is directly correlated to greater connectivity. Although increased structural wiring declines after six to eight years of continued chronic use, marijuana users continue to display more intense connectivity than healthy non-users, which may explain why chronic, long-term users “seem to be doing just fine” despite smaller OFC brain volumes, Filbey explained. “To date, existing studies on the long-term effects of marijuana on brain structures have been largely inconclusive due to limitations in methodologies,” said Dr. Filbey. “While our study does not conclusively address whether any or all of the brain changes are a direct consequence of marijuana use, these effects do suggest that these changes are related to age of onset and duration of use.” The study offers a preliminary indication that gray matter in the OFC may be more vulnerable than white matter to the effects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive ingredient in the cannabis plant. According to the authors, the study provides evidence that chronic marijuana use initiates a complex process that allows neurons to adapt and compensate for smaller gray matter volume, but further studies are needed to determine whether these changes revert back to normal with discontinued marijuana use, whether similar effects are present in occasional marijuana users versus chronic users and whether these effects are indeed a direct result of marijuana use or a predisposing factor. The research was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse to Dr. Filbey (R01 DA030344, K01 DA021632). ||||| The existing literature on the long-term effects of marijuana on the brain provides an inconsistent picture (i.e., presence or absence of structural changes) due to methodological differences across studies. We overcame these methodological issues by collecting multimodal measures in a large group of chronic marijuana using adults with a wide age range that allows for characterization of changes across lifespan without developmental or maturational biases as in other studies. Our findings suggest that chronic marijuana use is associated with complex neuroadaptive processes and that onset and duration of use have unique effects on these processes. Abstract Questions surrounding the effects of chronic marijuana use on brain structure continue to increase. To date, however, findings remain inconclusive. In this comprehensive study that aimed to characterize brain alterations associated with chronic marijuana use, we measured gray matter (GM) volume via structural MRI across the whole brain by using voxel-based morphology, synchrony among abnormal GM regions during resting state via functional connectivity MRI, and white matter integrity (i.e., structural connectivity) between the abnormal GM regions via diffusion tensor imaging in 48 marijuana users and 62 age- and sex-matched nonusing controls. The results showed that compared with controls, marijuana users had significantly less bilateral orbitofrontal gyri volume, higher functional connectivity in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) network, and higher structural connectivity in tracts that innervate the OFC (forceps minor) as measured by fractional anisotropy (FA). Increased OFC functional connectivity in marijuana users was associated with earlier age of onset. Lastly, a quadratic trend was observed suggesting that the FA of the forceps minor tract initially increased following regular marijuana use but decreased with protracted regular use. This pattern may indicate differential effects of initial and chronic marijuana use that may reflect complex neuroadaptive processes in response to marijuana use. Despite the observed age of onset effects, longitudinal studies are needed to determine causality of these effects. ||||| Experimental mice have been telling us this for years, but pot-smoking humans didn't want to believe it could happen to them: Compared with a person who never smoked marijuana, someone who uses marijuana regularly has, on average, less gray matter in his orbital frontal cortex, a region that is a key node in the brain's reward, motivation, decision-making and addictive behaviors network. More ambiguously, in regular pot smokers, that region is better connected than it is in non-users: the flow of signal traffic is speedier to other parts of that motivation and decision-making network, including across the superhighway of "white matter" that connects the brain's hemispheres. The researchers who conducted the study speculate that the orbital frontal cortex's greater level of "connectedness"--which is especially pronounced in people who started smoking pot early in life--may be the brain's way of compensating for the region's under-performing gray matter. Whether these "complex neuroadaptive processes" reverse themselves when marijuana use stops is an important unanswered question, they added. The new findings, reported Monday in the journal PNAS, confirm findings about chronic marijuana use from rodents. But scientific evidence in humans has been more mixed. Even now, however, the authors of the study acknowledge that they cannot discern whether a pot smoker's smaller orbital frontal cortex is the cause or the result of chronic marijuana use. A 2012 study found that subjects with a smaller orbital frontal cortex at age 12 were more likely to start using marijuana by age 16, suggesting that deficits in this crucial region may predispose one to substance-abuse behaviors. This study, conducted by researchers from the University of Texas' Center for Brain Health and the Albuquerque-based Mind Research Network, did not follow subjects over time, so it is at a disadvantage in showing cause and effect. Instead, it compared 48 "chronic" marijuana users (at least four times a week over the past six months) with 62 non-using control subjects who were matched for age and gender with the using group. Subjects were an average age of 28 to 30 years old. Researchers noted that the IQ of the marijuana-using group was significantly lower than that of the non-using group--not a finding of the study, but an incidental factor that might be indirectly linked to marijuana use. Follow me on Twitter @LATMelissaHealy and "like" Los Angeles Times Science & Health on Facebook. ||||| An unidentified man smokes medical marijuana during karaoke night at the Cannabis Cafe in Portland, Ore. (Rick Bowmer/Associated Press) If you're confused about what marijuana use really does to people who use it, you're not alone. For years, the scientific research on health effects of the drug have been all over the map. Earlier this year, one study suggested that even casual marijuana use could cause changes to the brain. Another found that marijuana use was also associated with poor sperm quality, which could lead to infertility in men. But marijuana advocates point to other research indicating that the drug is far less addictive than other drugs, and some studies have found no relationship between IQ and marijuana use in teens. Researchers at the Center for Brain Health at the University of Texas in Dallas sought to clear up some of the confusion with a study that looked at a relatively large group of marijuana users and evaluated their brains for a slew of different indicators. What they found was complex, but the pattern was clear: The brains of marijuana users were different than those of non-marijuana users. The area of the brain responsible for establishing the reward system that helps us survive and also keeps us motivated was smaller in users than in non-marijuana users. But there was also evidence that the brain compensated for this loss of volume by increasing connectivity and the structural integrity of the brain tissue. Those effects were more pronounced for marijuana users who started young. "The orbitofrontal cortex is one of the primary regions in a network of brain areas called the reward system," explained Francesca Filbey, lead author of the study and an associate professor of the neurogenetics of addictive behavior at the University of Texas in Dallas. "It helps us determine what is good for us and what keeps us sustained. "In this case, the orbitofrontal cortex plays a role in drug use because drug use and things associated with it --paraphernalia for example -- are associated with the rewarding effects of drugs." The study, published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, used MRI scans to look at the brains of 62 non-marijuana users and 48 regular marijuana users, 27 of whom used marijuana but not other drugs. The marijuana users reported ingesting the drug about three times a day -- very heavy use -- and had used it for an average of about 10 years. Looking first at atypically heavy marijuana use is necessary to identify structural effects, if there are any, Filbey said. Subsequent research would look at varying levels of use to find out if differences compared to non-users are still observed. For example, in Colorado, only about 22 percent of marijuana users reported using the drug about once a day at most. Relative to other studies, this one had a fairly large sample size; it also excluded participants who had symptoms of psychosis, brain injury or neurological disorders in order to reduce the likelihood that the tests would pick up on other confounding factors. And it looked at three brain characteristics: the volume of the orbitofrontal cortex, how connected that part of the brain was to other areas, and the structural integrity of the white matter. "We found that while the orbitofrontal cortex was smaller, there was greater functional and structural connectivity," said Filbey. "The white matter seemed to have greater integrity than the [non-marijuana using group]. And the connection between the orbitofrontal cortex and other areas were stronger." That's potentially positive news suggesting that whatever impact marijuana use might have on the size or volume of that part of the brain, it may be offset by better connectivity and structural soundness. "It suggests that there is definitely a more complicated pattern that the brain seems to be able to compensate for any kind of loss in order to keep that network maintained," Filbey said. However, Filbey's research also indicated that some of these findings could be affected by how young the person was a the time that they started using marijuana and how long marijuana use continued. People who started younger appeared to show more protective effects -- stronger connectivity and integrity in their white matter. But the longer the person used the drug, those features began to erode. After about six or seven years of use, connectivity and integrity begin to erode. "So whatever compensatory effects that there may be originally seemed to diminish with prolonged use," she added. There is no proven connection between the structural characteristics of this area in the brain and certain behaviors in humans. And it is possible that the small orbitofrontal cortex observed in marijuana users predated their marijuana use. A 2012 study found that smaller orbital frontal cortex volume at 12 years of age appeared to predict the initiation of marijuana use later in life. Further long-term research is needed to determine what if any effects cessation has on brain structures of marijuana users. [This post has been udpated.]

– A new study out of the University of Texas' Center for BrainHealth and the Mind Research Network is showing brain differences in regular pot users—differences that have already been reported in lab mice. The study, published in PNAS, found that 48 "chronic" users who smoked at least four times a week had less gray matter in the orbitofrontal cortex than 62 control subjects who didn't use pot, reports the Los Angeles Times. The orbitofrontal cortex "helps us determine what is good for us and what keeps us sustained," the lead author tells the Washington Post. It's unclear whether these "shrunken brains" are the result of chronic use or contribute to the tendency to use in the first place. Researchers also found that the orbitofrontal cortex is better connected in chronic users, with a faster signal flow throughout the motivation- and decision-making network and even across the white matter connecting the brain's left and right hemispheres. One possible explanation? That increased "connectedness" might be compensating for the not-up-to-snuff gray matter. That finding was more pronounced for users who started smoking pot young, "which may explain why chronic, long-term users 'seem to be doing just fine' despite smaller OFC brain volumes," according to a release. An earlier study from 2012 found that 12-year-olds with smaller orbitofrontal cortices were more likely to start using pot by age 16, indicating a possible predisposition to marijuana use in those with deficits in this part of the brain. (Marijuana use has also been linked to heart problems.)

Unforgiven The Transformation of Consumer Debt Update, Aug. 14, 2015: Since this story was published, USA Discounters has closed most of its stores and is going out of business. This article was co-published with The Washington Post. Army Spc. Angel Aguirre needed a washer and dryer. Money was tight, and neither Aguirre, 21, nor his wife had much credit history as they settled into life at Fort Carson in Colorado in 2010. That's when he saw an ad for USA Discounters, guaranteeing loan approval for service members. In military newspapers and magazines, on the radio, and on TV, the Virginia-based company's ads shout, "NO CREDIT? NEED CREDIT? NO PROBLEM!" The store was only a few miles from Fort Carson. "We ended up getting a computer, a TV, a ring, and a washer and dryer," Aguirre said. "The only thing I really wanted was a washer and dryer." Aguirre later learned that USA Discounters' easy lending has a flip side. Should customers fall behind, the company transforms into an efficient collection operation. And this part of its business takes place not where customers bought their appliances, but in two local courthouses just a short drive from the company's Virginia Beach headquarters. A USA Discounters location in Norfolk, VA. The retailer has locations near military bases across the country, but uses the local courts near its Virginia headquarters to file lawsuits against service members who fall behind on their loans. (Photo by Matt McClain/ The Washington Post) From there, USA Discounters files lawsuits against service members based anywhere in the world, no matter how much inconvenience or expense they would incur to attend a Virginia court date. Since 2006, the company has filed more than 13,470 suits and almost always wins, records show. "They're basically ruthless," said Army Staff Sgt. David Ray, who was sued in Virginia while based in Germany over purchases he made at a store in Georgia. Timothy Dorsey, vice president of USA Discounters, said the company provides credit to service members who would not otherwise qualify and sues only after other attempts to resolve debts have failed. As for the company's choice of court, he said it was "for the customer's benefit." In Virginia, the company isn't required to use a lawyer to file suit. USA Discounters' savings on legal fees are passed on to the customer, he said. "This company is committed to ensuring that the men and women who serve and sacrifice for our country are always treated with the honor and respect they deserve," Dorsey said. The federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, or SCRA, was designed to give active-duty members of the armed forces every opportunity to defend themselves against lawsuits. But the law has a loophole; it doesn't address where plaintiffs can sue. That's allowed USA Discounters to sue out-of-state borrowers in Virginia, where companies can file suit as long as some aspect of the business was transacted in the state. The company routinely argues that it meets that requirement through contract clauses that state any lawsuit will take place in Virginia. Judges have agreed. "This looks like somebody who has really, really researched the best way to get around the entire intent of the SCRA," said John Odom, a retired Air Force judge advocate and expert on the SCRA. For Lenders, Gaps in Federal Law Make Suing Soldiers Easy by Paul Kiel, ProPublica, July 25, 2014 Courts are required to appoint attorneys for service members if they are sued and can’t appear. But the law says little about what those lawyers must do. Some companies have taken advantage. More » Once a judge awards USA Discounters a judgment, the company can begin the process of garnishing the service member's pay. USA Discounters seizes the pay of more active-duty military than any company in the country, according to Department of Defense payroll data obtained by ProPublica. Consumer advocates say the strategy cheats service members who may have valid defenses. It's "designed to obtain default judgments against consumers without giving them any real opportunity to defend themselves," said Carolyn Carter of the National Consumer Law Center. To investigate USA Discounters' practices, ProPublica reviewed 70 of the company's contracts for service members and non-military borrowers, all of which had been filed in court. A reporter also identified 11 recent court cases against active-duty service members to examine their treatment. The same courts in Norfolk and Virginia Beach are favored by two similar companies headquartered in the area - Freedom Furniture and Electronics and Military Credit Services - that offer high-priced credit to military clientele. Together with USA Discounters, the three companies have filed more than 35,000 suits since 2006. Officials with Freedom and Military Credit Services did not respond to repeated phone calls and e-mails. USA Discounters opened its first store in 1991 in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, where more than 70,000 military personnel are stationed. Many sailors start their careers at the sprawling Naval Station Norfolk, "bringing their pay and their naiveté," said Dwain Alexander, a senior civilian attorney with the Navy in Norfolk. USA Discounters, which is privately owned, now has 31 locations, including seven free-standing jewelry stores that go by the name Fletcher's Jewelers. While the company does not exclusively lend to service members, it has a location just a short drive from each of the country's 11 largest military bases. The company's showrooms are packed with bedroom sets, TVs and tire rims, but that's not the main draw. "You're not selling the furniture. You're not selling the appliances," said one former sales employee. "You're selling our financing program." The former employee, and others quoted in the story, spoke on condition of anonymity because they feared USA Discounters could adversely affect future employment. Younger soldiers such as Aguirre are drawn in by the guaranteed credit - something not offered by cheaper big-box stores. "A lot of the time, this would be the first time they get a paycheck over $1,000," said a former store manager. The company can confidently extend credit to such customers, former employees said, because the loans are almost always repaid through the military's allotment system. Part of the service member's paycheck automatically goes to the company every month. A USA Discounters ad that ran in the May 9, 2014 edition of The 1st Infantry Division Post, a newspaper produced by Fort Riley, KS. Despite the company's name, USA Discounters' items sometimes come at a substantial markup. An iPad Mini, for example, last year sold at USA Discounters for $699 when Apple's retail price was $329. On top of these costs, the loans typically are layered with fees for a warranty and a program that cancels the debt under certain circumstances. The plans are optional, but are included on the vast majority of loans, former employees said. Dorsey, the USA Discounters executive, said the company's cost of purchasing goods was higher than big-box retailers with greater buying power. As for the add-ons, he said they are clearly disclosed as optional. The company's typical interest rate is "less than 20 percent," he said. The final tally on the loans can be staggering for some young service members. In 2009, Army Pvt. Jeramie Mays, then 26, walked into the USA Discounters near Fort Bliss in Texas to buy a laptop before being deployed to Iraq. He chose a model that typically retailed for $650. At USA Discounters, it sold for $1,799. On top of that came $458 in add-ons. After another $561 in interest charges, Mays walked out owing $2,993 in payments over 23 months, according to a copy of his contract. For Aguirre, it was only later, when he and his wife tried to get their finances under control, that he realized just how much he owed. The total loan amount is clearly listed on all USA Discounters' contracts, but customers often don't grasp how long they'll be paying, said a financial counselor who advises soldiers and sailors. The military generally provides credit counseling for young service members. But for some, the allure is too great, particularly when the companies bill themselves as military friendly. "After the horse is out of the barn, there's not a lot you can do about it," said Lynn Olavarria, the financial readiness program manager at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. Aguirre said he was told by his superiors that his struggles with debt have kept him from being promoted. Late last year, after he had fallen far behind on his loan, he got a notice in the mail. USA Discounters was suing him in a Virginia court, more than 1,500 miles away. When he didn't show up, the company won a judgment of $8,626. On every active-duty service member's contract ProPublica examined, just below various disclosures, it says the buyer "is subject to the jurisdiction of the state courts of the COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA." To receive financing, customers must agree. Such a demand is "abusive" and is not typically found in contracts involving consumers, said Carter of the National Consumer Law Center. The Federal Debt Collection Practices Act prohibits such suits if they are filed by a third party, such as a law firm. Because USA Discounters uses a company employee to file its debt collection suits, the law doesn't apply. Dorsey said if customers ask to be sued elsewhere, the company will honor their requests, despite the contract. The clause is only included in the contracts of service members, according to ProPublica's review. Gene Woolard, the chief judge of Virginia Beach General District Court, said under state law, the terms of a contract are binding. If a defendant can't afford to travel to Virginia to contest a suit, "you can't do much about that," he said. And while he's sympathetic to debtors, Woolard said, "That's not a legal defense." Norfolk Chief Judge S. Clark Daugherty declined to respond to questions. Court records show USA Discounters has obtained judgments in 89 percent of the suits it has filed in Norfolk's and Virginia Beach's courts since 2006. Dorsey said the high success rate is to be expected - the customers owed money they hadn't paid. "[I]t is not surprising that they do not appear in collections proceedings in court - in any state in which we file," he said. As for the federal law protecting active-duty service members, its requirements are easily met by USA Discounters. If a service member can't be located, the law requires a 90-day delay. Once that passes, the way is clear to obtain a judgment. If a service member doesn't appear in court, an attorney is appointed to represent the defendant. But the law does not specify what that lawyer must do. In Virginia courts, the creditor can suggest the attorney to be appointed. USA Discounters appears to request the same lawyer for all its cases involving service members. In each of the 11 cases ProPublica examined, the court appointed Tariq Louka of Virginia Beach. In response to written questions, Louka said that he represents "in the range of 300-400" service members each year. His primary duty, he said, is to inform his clients they have a right to request a delay, which he does by mail. "MY ONLY OBLIGATION IS TO REVIEW YOUR RESPONSE AND REQUEST AN ADDITIONAL STAY OR CONTINUANCE IF I FEEL IT IS APPROPRIATE GIVEN YOUR ANSWERS," his letters say in capital letters. USA Discounters said that it had no business relationship with Louka or his firm. Armed with judgments, creditors can attempt to garnish borrowers' wages or bank accounts. As of January 2014, 230 service members were involuntarily paying USA Discounters a portion of their pay, Department of Defense data shows. Altogether, those service members have paid more than $1.4 million to the company. Next on the list of most active creditors were the two other local companies, Military Credit Services and Freedom, which together had seized the pay of 92 service members for a total of $289,000 as of January, according to the data. USA Discounters also aggressively pursues funds in service members' bank accounts. Mays, the Army private who signed the nearly $3,000 contract for a laptop, said he initially stopped payment after the computer broke in Iraq. But other financial pressures, mainly costs associated with the care of his disabled mother, eventually made him decide to file for bankruptcy, he said. Before he could, he was deployed to Germany and Afghanistan. USA Discounters brought suit against him while he was in Germany. After winning a judgment, he said, the company sought to seize both his pay and funds in his credit union account. The action froze his account for several weeks, Mays said. Mays, currently based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, said that for most of last January, he could not withdraw funds. "Trying to take care of two kids and my mother and myself on nothing doesn't help," he said. Around the same time, he finally filed for bankruptcy. His debt with USA Discounters was discharged last March, protecting any assets from seizure. Dorsey of USA Discounters declined to respond without written, signed waivers from customers. Reached recently, Mays said he was in training and would not have an opportunity to provide a waiver. Other USA Discounters' customers either had their waiver rejected as incomplete by the company or could not provide one because of personal circumstances. In Virginia, court judgments on debts can remain in force for decades. Court records show USA Discounters pursues debts for years, regardless of whether a service member has retired, or where he or she might live. While in the Army, Sgt. LaShonda Bickford and her then-husband racked up an enormous debt with the company. After they fell behind, USA Discounters won a judgment in Virginia for $15,747. The 2011 judgment has continued to grow at the contract's interest rate of 18 percent, as Virginia law allows, and by late 2013, the debt stood at $21,291. Every two weeks, USA Discounters gets about a quarter of her paycheck from a medical transport company, which pays Bickford about $27,000 a year. What's left barely supports Bickford, now divorced, and her 6-year-old son. "It's a stretch to do everything I need to do every month," she said. Assuming the garnishment continues, Bickford has at least three more years of stretching ahead of her. "It's hard, it really is." Have you been sued over a debt? You can help our reporting by filling out our questionnaire or email [email protected]. ||||| With stores near military bases across the country, the retailer USA Discounters offers easy credit to service members. But when those loans go bad, the company uses the local courts near its Virginia headquarters to file suits by the thousands. • Army Special Angel Aguirre needed a washer and dryer. Money was tight, and neither Aguirre, 21, nor his wife had much credit history as they settled into life at Fort Carson in Colorado in 2010. That’s when he saw an ad for USA Discounters, guaranteeing loan approval for service members. In military newspapers and magazines, on the radio, and on TV, the Virginia-based company’s ads shout, “NO CREDIT? NEED CREDIT? NO PROBLEM!” The store was only a few miles from Fort Carson. “We ended up getting a computer, a TV, a ring, and a washer and dryer,” Aguirre said. “The only thing I really wanted was a washer and dryer.” Aguirre later learned that USA Discounters’ easy lending has a flip side. Should customers fall behind, the company transforms into an efficient collection operation. And this part of its business takes place not where customers bought their appliances, but in two local courthouses just a short drive from the company’s Virginia Beach headquarters. From there, USA Discounters files lawsuits against service members based anywhere in the world, no matter how much inconvenience or expense they would incur to attend a Virginia court date. Since 2006, the company has filed more than 13,470 suits and almost always wins, records show. Armed with judgments, creditors can attempt to garnish borrowers’ wages or bank accounts. As of January 2014, 230 service members were involuntarily paying USA Discounters a portion of their pay, Department of Defense data shows. “They’re basically ruthless,” said Army Staff Sergeant David Ray, who was sued in Virginia while based in Germany over purchases he made at a store in Georgia. Timothy Dorsey, vice president of USA Discounters, said the company provides credit to service members who would not otherwise qualify and sues only after other attempts to resolve debts have failed. As for the company’s choice of court, he said it was “for the customer’s benefit.” In Virginia, the company isn’t required to use a lawyer to file suit. USA Discounters’ savings on legal fees are passed on to the customer, he said. “This company is committed to ensuring that the men and women who serve and sacrifice for our country are always treated with the honor and respect they deserve,” Dorsey said. The federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, or SCRA, was designed to give active-duty members of the armed forces every opportunity to defend themselves against lawsuits. But the law has a loophole; it doesn’t address where plaintiffs can sue. That’s allowed USA Discounters to sue out-of-state borrowers in Virginia, where companies can file suit as long as some aspect of the business was transacted in the state. The company routinely argues that it meets that requirement through contract clauses that state any lawsuit will take place in Virginia. Judges have agreed. “This looks like somebody who has really, really researched the best way to get around the entire intent of the SCRA,” said John Odom, a retired Air Force judge advocate and expert on the SCRA. Once a judge awards USA Discounters a judgment, the company can begin the process of garnishing the service member’s pay. USA Discounters seizes the pay of more active-duty military than any company in the country, according to Department of Defense payroll data obtained by ProPublica. Consumer advocates say the strategy cheats service members who may have valid defenses. It’s “designed to obtain default judgments against consumers without giving them any real opportunity to defend themselves,” said Carolyn Carter of the National Consumer Law Center. To investigate USA Discounters’ practices, ProPublica reviewed 70 of the company’s contracts for service members and non-military borrowers, all of which had been filed in court. A reporter also identified 11 recent court cases against active-duty service members to examine their treatment. The same courts in Norfolk and Virginia Beach are favored by two similar companies headquartered in the area—Freedom Furniture and Electronics and Military Credit Services—that offer high-priced credit to military clientele. Together with USA Discounters, the three companies have filed more than 35,000 suits since 2006. Officials with Freedom and Military Credit Services did not respond to repeated phone calls and emails. USA Discounters opened its first store in 1991 in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, where more than 70,000 military personnel are stationed. Many sailors start their careers at the sprawling Naval Station Norfolk, “bringing their pay and their naiveté,” said Dwain Alexander, a senior civilian attorney with the Navy in Norfolk. USA Discounters, which is privately owned, now has 31 locations, including seven free-standing jewelry stores that go by the name Fletcher’s Jewelers. A USA Discounters ad that ran in the May 9, 2014, edition of The 1st Infantry Division Post, a newspaper produced by Fort Riley, Kansas. While the company does not exclusively lend to service members, it has a location just a short drive from each of the country’s 11 largest military bases. The company’s showrooms are packed with bedroom sets, TVs, and tire rims, but that’s not the main draw. “You’re not selling the furniture. You’re not selling the appliances,” said one former sales employee. “You’re selling our financing program.” The former employee, and others quoted in the story, spoke on condition of anonymity because they feared USA Discounters could adversely affect future employment. Younger soldiers such as Aguirre are drawn in by the guaranteed credit—something not offered by cheaper big-box stores. “A lot of the time, this would be the first time they get a paycheck over $1,000,” said a former store manager. The company can confidently extend credit to such customers, former employees said, because the loans are almost always repaid through the military’s allotment system. Part of the service member’s paycheck automatically goes to the company every month. Despite the company’s name, USA Discounters’ items sometimes come at a substantial mark-up. An iPad Mini, for example, last year sold at USA Discounters for $699 when Apple’s retail price was $329. On top of these costs, the loans typically are layered with fees for a warranty and a program that cancels the debt under certain circumstances. The plans are optional, but are included on the vast majority of loans, former employees said. Dorsey, the USA Discounters executive, said the company’s cost of purchasing goods was higher than big-box retailers with greater buying power. As for the add-ons, he said they are clearly disclosed as optional. The company’s typical interest rate is “less than 20 percent,” he said. The final tally on the loans can be staggering for some young service members. In 2009, Army Private Jeramie Mays, then 26, walked into the USA Discounters near Fort Bliss in Texas to buy a laptop before being deployed to Iraq. He chose a model that typically retailed for $650. At USA Discounters, it sold for $1,799. On top of that came $458 in add-ons. After another $561 in interest charges, Mays walked out owing $2,993 in payments over 23 months, according to a copy of his contract. For Aguirre, it was only later, when he and his wife tried to get their finances under control, that he realized just how much he owed. The total loan amount is clearly listed on all USA Discounters’ contracts, but customers often don’t grasp how long they’ll be paying, said a financial counselor who advises soldiers and sailors. The military generally provides credit counseling for young service members. But for some, the allure is too great, particularly when the companies bill themselves as military friendly. “After the horse is out of the barn, there’s not a lot you can do about it,” said Lynn Olavarria, the financial readiness program manager at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. Aguirre said he was told by his superiors that his struggles with debt have kept him from being promoted. Late last year, after he had fallen far behind on his loan, he got a notice in the mail. USA Discounters was suing him in a Virginia court, more than 1,500 miles away. When he didn’t show up, the company won a judgment of $8,626. On every active-duty service member’s contract ProPublica examined, just below various disclosures, it says the buyer “is subject to the jurisdiction of the state courts of the COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA.” To receive financing, customers must agree. Such a demand is “abusive” and is not typically found in contracts involving consumers, said Carter of the National Consumer Law Center. The Federal Debt Collection Practices Act prohibits such suits if they are filed by a third party, such as a law firm. Because USA Discounters uses a company employee to file its debt collection suits, the law doesn’t apply. Dorsey said if customers ask to be sued elsewhere, the company will honor their requests, despite the contract. The clause is only included in the contracts of service members, according to ProPublica’s review. Gene Woolard, the chief judge of Virginia Beach General District Court, said under state law, the terms of a contract are binding. The federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, or SCRA, was designed to give active-duty members of the armed forces every opportunity to defend themselves against lawsuits. But the law has a loophole; it doesn’t address where plaintiffs can sue. If a defendant can’t afford to travel to Virginia to contest a suit, “you can’t do much about that,” he said. And while he’s sympathetic to debtors, Woolard said, “That’s not a legal defense.” Norfolk Chief Judge S. Clark Daugherty declined to respond to questions. Court records show USA Discounters has obtained judgments in 89 percent of the suits it has filed in Norfolk’s and Virginia Beach’s courts since 2006. Dorsey said the high success rate is to be expected—the customers owed money they hadn’t paid. “[I]t is not surprising that they do not appear in collections proceedings in court—in any state in which we file,” he said. As for the federal law protecting active-duty service members, its requirements are easily met by USA Discounters. If a service member can’t be located, the law requires a 90-day delay. Once that passes, the way is clear to obtain a judgment. If a service member doesn’t appear in court, an attorney is appointed to represent the defendant. But the law does not specify what that lawyer must do. In Virginia courts, the creditor can suggest the attorney to be appointed. USA Discounters appears to request the same lawyer for all its cases involving service members. In each of the 11 cases ProPublica examined, the court appointed Tariq Louka of Virginia Beach. In response to written questions, Louka said that he represents “in the range of 300-400″ service members each year. His primary duty, he said, is to inform his clients they have a right to request a delay, which he does by mail. “MY ONLY OBLIGATION IS TO REVIEW YOUR RESPONSE AND REQUEST AN ADDITIONAL STAY OR CONTINUANCE IF I FEEL IT IS APPROPRIATE GIVEN YOUR ANSWERS,” his letters say in capital letters. USA Discounters said that it had no business relationship with Louka or his firm. Armed with judgments, creditors can attempt to garnish borrowers’ wages or bank accounts. As of January 2014, 230 service members were involuntarily paying USA Discounters a portion of their pay, Department of Defense data shows. Altogether, those service members have paid more than $1.4 million to the company. Next on the list of most active creditors were the two other local companies, Military Credit Services and Freedom, which together had seized the pay of 92 service members for a total of $289,000 as of January, according to the data. USA Discounters also aggressively pursues funds in service members’ bank accounts. Mays, the Army private who signed the nearly $3,000 contract for a laptop, said he initially stopped payment after the computer broke in Iraq. But other financial pressures, mainly costs associated with the care of his disabled mother, eventually made him decide to file for bankruptcy, he said. Before he could, he was deployed to Germany and Afghanistan. USA Discounters brought suit against him while he was in Germany. After winning a judgment, he said, the company sought to seize both his pay and funds in his credit union account. The action froze his account for several weeks, Mays said. Mays, currently based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, said that for most of last January, he could not withdraw funds. “Trying to take care of two kids and my mother and myself on nothing doesn’t help,” he said. Around the same time, he finally filed for bankruptcy. His debt with USA Discounters was discharged last March, protecting any assets from seizure. Dorsey of USA Discounters declined to respond without written, signed waivers from customers. Reached recently, Mays said he was in training and would not have an opportunity to provide a waiver. Other USA Discounters’ customers either had their waiver rejected as incomplete by the company or could not provide one because of personal circumstances. In Virginia, court judgments on debts can remain in force for decades. Court records show USA Discounters pursues debts for years, regardless of whether a service member has retired, or where he or she might live. While in the Army, Sergeant LaShonda Bickford and her then-husband racked up an enormous debt with the company. After they fell behind, USA Discounters won a judgment in Virginia for $15,747. The 2011 judgment has continued to grow at the contract’s interest rate of 18 percent, as Virginia law allows, and by late 2013, the debt stood at $21,291. Every two weeks, USA Discounters gets about a quarter of her paycheck from a medical transport company, which pays Bickford about $27,000 a year. What’s left barely supports Bickford, now divorced, and her six-year-old son. “It’s a stretch to do everything I need to do every month,” she said. Assuming the garnishment continues, Bickford has at least three more years of stretching ahead of her. “It’s hard, it really is.” This post originally appeared on ProPublica as “Thank You for Your Service: How One Company Sues Soldiers Worldwide” and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

– On the bright side, the Virginia-based retailer USA Discounters offers loans to customers who have no credit. The downside? Those loans may be predatory, and customers who fail to pay will get sued in Virginia courtrooms no matter where they live, Pacific Standard reports. An added wrinkle: Many of the customers are in the US military. "They’re basically ruthless," an Army staff sergeant said after he bought items at a Georgia outlet and was sued in Virginia while serving in Germany. Yet the company still attracts service members by offering them credit counseling in stores near military bases. And "after the horse is out of the barn, there’s not a lot you can do about it," says a finance expert. Take Army Private Jeramie Mays: He bought a $650 laptop for $2,993 (including add-ons and interest over 23 months) at a USA Discounters in Texas, then failed to pay and eventually filed for bankruptcy. His story isn't so unusual, either: USA Discounters has won 89% of its 13,470 Virginia lawsuits since 2006, court records say, and seizes more pay from military service members than any other US company, ProPublica reports. For its part, the company says its practices are clear in the contract, and active-military customers can seek trial outside of Virginia upon request. "This company is committed to ensuring" that service members "are always treated with the honor and respect they deserve," said a USA Discounters executive.

It’s too bad there isn’t more of him in “Molly’s Game,” because, despite Ms. Chastain’s charisma and gift for delivering Mr. Sorkin’s fast talk, Molly isn’t interesting. Things happen to her, but most of the action and fun is at the table. Mr. Sorkin has written some sharp characters and cast them accordingly, tapping actors like Mr. Strong, Chris O’Dowd and a terrific Bill Camp, the protagonist in an affecting mini-tragedy in three acts (stoicism, disintegration and heartbreak). All the while, Molly smiles on the side, suffers a setback, moves to New York and racks up big money from card games that, at their best, turn into condensed pocket-size dramas, by turns triumphant and catastrophic. Mr. Sorkin tries to deepen Molly’s story and the stakes in several ways, partly through her legal troubles. Soon after the movie opens, the F.B.I. busts her, which leads her to Charlie Jaffey (Idris Elba), an expensive lawyer who becomes her passionate champion. This gives Mr. Sorkin a second line of action (and an office for discussions), allowing him to switch between Molly’s high-flying past (shuffle, deal, play) and her present-day troubles. As the story unfolds, the past catches up to the present and Mr. Sorkin keeps trying to invest Molly’s story with meaning, mostly through a little family psychodrama and some deeply unpersuasive feminism, including by casting her as a victim of men. It’s hard not to guffaw when, after Molly loses one game, she speaks of her “powerlessness over the unfair whims of men.” But while it’s silly it’s also patronizing, because by attempting to portray Molly as any kind of female victim — and by glossing over her culpability — Mr. Sorkin only ends up denying this character her agency. Just as dubiously, when Molly is at her most vulnerable, he trots out a series of male authority figures, including her estranged father (Kevin Costner), who speak at and for her, who excuse her past, vouch for her character and enthuse about her future. They replace all the slick bros at the poker table and, taken together, make quite a paternal choir. It’s a striking progression for a movie that tries, altogether too feebly, to put a feminist spin on a woman who made bank through an illegal gambling ring. Empowerment is one way to look at this story, though only if you sentimentalize its main character. It is hard not to wonder how this movie might have turned out if Mr. Sorkin had decided his protagonist was as much a weasel as the one he wrote for “The Social Network,” another story of an American striver. It’s hard not to wonder, too, how this story might play if its protagonist wasn’t a woman who, as this movie sees it, needed so much male defending. ||||| Close Get email notifications on Calvin Wilson daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. Whenever Calvin Wilson 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. ||||| Published on Oct 5, 2017 Molly's Game Trailer #2 (2017): Check out the new trailer starring Idris Elba, Jessica Chastain, and Chris O'Dowd! Be the first to watch, comment, and share trailers and movie teasers/clips dropping soon @MovieclipsTrailers. ► Buy Tickets: https://www.fandango.com/molly'sgame_... Watch more Trailers: ► HOT New Trailers Playlist: http://bit.ly/2hp08G1 ► What to Watch Playlist: http://bit.ly/2ieyw8G ► Even More on COMING SOON: http://bit.ly/H2vZUn Molly Bloom, a young skier and former Olympic hopeful becomes a successful entrepreneur (and a target of an FBI investigation) when she establishes a high-stakes, international poker game. About Movieclips Trailers: ► Subscribe to TRAILERS:http://bit.ly/sxaw6h ► We’re on SNAPCHAT: http://bit.ly/2cOzfcy ► Like us on FACEBOOK: http://bit.ly/1QyRMsE ► Follow us on TWITTER:http://bit.ly/1ghOWmt The Fandango MOVIECLIPS Trailers channel is your destination for hot new trailers the second they drop. The Fandango MOVIECLIPS Trailers team is here day and night to make sure all the hottest new movie trailers are available whenever, wherever you want them. ||||| Molly Bloom’s 2014 memoir “Molly’s Game” was more of a tell-some than a tell-all. In the book, the former freestyle skiing Olympic hopeful discussed the accident that derailed her athletic career. Mainly, she wrote about her improbable career running a pricey, underground poker game in Los Angeles and, later, in New York City, where she ran afoul of mobsters, drugs and the feds, who arrested Bloom as part of a mafia investigation. Her book named names, up to a point. Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Affleck and Tobey Maguire were among her A-list regulars, blowing through cash like Kleenex. But her memoir left a lot out, and that’s where writer-director Aaron Sorkin’s movie “Molly’s Game,” taking place before and after the publication of her book, comes in. It’s a good, brash biopic. For the first hour it’s very nearly terrific. Jessica Chastain plays Molly, driven hard by her taskmaster father (Kevin Costner), growing up in a fiercely competitive family. Years later in LA, Molly gets a job working for an industry bottom-feeder (Jeremy Strong, clearly fresh off a Giovanni Ribisi weasel workshop) who hosts a weekly poker game. Molly’s duties include recruiting high-rollers who might want to pal around with movie stars over huge, steaming piles of chips. Michael Cera plays one such star, euphemized in Sorkin’s script as “Player X.” The names of the real-life gamblers in Bloom’s book have been changed, presumably, to protect the litigious. Like Sorkin’s Oscar-winning “Social Network” screenplay, this one’s a shrewd welter of flashbacks and present-day scenes. Everything builds to the moment when Molly determines whether to plead guilty to the feds’ charges. Along the way she locks horns and trades high-speed banter with her silky-smooth attorney. Idris Elba is a godsend in this role, one that requires a fast mouth (it’s Sorkin), a lively wit and fire in the eyes. That last quality’s particularly helpful when there’s a ton of legalese to carve up and serve to the audience. Chastain’s aces in “Molly’s Game,” capturing both the Colorado free spirit and, as Elba’s character says, “the Cinemax version” of herself once she establishes a reputation as the notorious “poker princess” riding for a fall. “I’d always figured sophistication would be easy to learn if I ever needed it,” Molly reckons in voice-over. The “fall” part rarely is as easy, or as fun, as the “rise” in a fact-based chronicle of ambition, greed and moral compromise. In the second half of this longish film (140 minutes with credits), Sorkin struggles to accommodate Molly wrestling with her father issues, and her mission to have “power over powerful men.” Here the writing gets blunt and a little less artful. These later scenes hark back to some of the lesser sequences in Sorkin’s “Steve Jobs” script. The best of “Molly’s Game,” however, is more on the “Social Network” level, edgy and rhythmic. This is Sorkin’s feature directorial debut, and I’m happy to say it doesn’t look that way. Michael Phillips is the Chicago Tribune film critic. "Molly's Game" -- 3 stars MPAA rating: R (for language, drug content and some violence) Running time: 2:20 Opens: Monday (Dec. 25) RELATED: Michael Phillips review of 'The Social Network,' Aaron Sorkin's Oscar-winning docudrama » Aaron Sorkin's portrait of a belligerent titan: 'Steve Jobs' » Aaron Sorkin talks about 'Molly's Game,' his directorial debut » Check out the latest movie reviews from Michael Phillips and the Chicago Tribune. ||||| 'Molly's Game' Is Aces Enlarge this image toggle caption Michael Gibson/STXfilms Michael Gibson/STXfilms Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain) is a fighter. When a freak accident on the slopes sidelines her bid to become an Olympic skier — an accident from which she insists upon walking away — she moves to Los Angeles and gets a job as a cocktail waitress. The entire arc of her brief skiing career is established in the film's snappily paced, frenetically edited opening sequence. I counted more than a hundred shots in 90 seconds; director Aaron Sorkin is letting us know that he knows what he's doing. (Sorkin, of course, has created many fast-talking characters on The West Wing and in movies like A Few Good Men and The Social Network; this is his first time sitting in the director's chair — though given the breakneck pacing of Molly's Game, it's hard to believe there was a lot of sitting involved.) Molly meets Dean (Jeremy Strong) while working at the bar, and gets hired as his office assistant. He's got rich friends — famous actors and international businessmen — for whom he organizes a regular high-stakes poker game. Molly's great at running the game for Dean, but when they part company, she starts her own game, with even higher stakes, taking his movie stars and high rollers with her. She gets so successful that she's soon running a game in New York, writing a book ... and getting shut down by the FBI. She finds a lawyer (Idris Elba) who can keep up with her, and their trademark, Sorkinian back-and-forth dialogue is exhilarating, even if it doesn't reveal a lot about their interior lives. If Molly has a boyfriend, or a sweet tooth, or a cat, you won't find out from what's onscreen. But Sorkin makes the finer points of poker — and legal maneuvering — crystal clear. Some of the clarity comes from that snappy dialogue, some from voiceovers that fill in when the folks onscreen have to catch their breath. And even though this is Sorkin's directing debut, quite a bit of the clarity comes from the visuals, annotated when necessary, precisely shot and edited with nearly every trick known to contemporary filmmaking. It doesn't hurt that Sorkin's cast is as whip-smart as the lines they're delivering. Molly's Game is a dense, complicated movie, made by a guy who excels at — who positively glories in — making the dense and complicated enormously entertaining.

– Aaron Sorkin makes his directorial debut in Molly's Game, derived from Molly Bloom's tell-all book of the same name. It chronicles the real-life events surrounding Bloom's weekly high-stakes poker game frequented by celebrities before it was busted by the FBI. Critics give the film starring Jessica Chastain an 82% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Here's what they're saying: "This is a 'Game' that couldn't be more fun to watch," writes Calvin Wilson at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "Sorkin crafts a fast-moving tale of risky business, crammed with the kind of snappy dialogue for which he's famous" in a "stylish and absorbing" debut. "But the film wouldn't work quite as well without Chastain," who "gets deep inside Molly's skin," he writes. It's "an Oscar-worthy performance." "Despite Ms. Chastain's charisma and gift for delivering Mr. Sorkin's fast talk, Molly isn't interesting," writes Manohla Dargis at the New York Times, detecting a "patronizing" air in the way the protagonist receives "so much male defending." "By attempting to portray Molly as any kind of female victim—and by glossing over her culpability—Mr. Sorkin only ends up denying this character her agency," Dargis writes. Michael Phillips, however, thinks Molly's Game is "a good, brash biopic" and "very nearly terrific" through the first hour. Moving between the past and present, it sees Chastain nail the role of Bloom, while Idris Elba is "a godsend" as her attorney with "a lively wit and fire in the eyes," Phillips writes at the Chicago Tribune. He argues the film falters in the second half when "the writing gets blunt and a little less artful." Bob Mondello was impressed throughout. Thanks to a "whip-smart" cast, the "Sorkinian back-and-forth dialogue is exhilarating" and helps make "the finer points of poker—and legal maneuvering—crystal clear," a necessity in such a "dense, complicated movie," he writes at NPR. The visuals, "precisely shot and edited with nearly every trick known to contemporary filmmaking," are just as good, he adds.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama plans to leave around 8,400 U.S. troops in Afghanistan when he finishes his term, people briefed on the plan said Wednesday, an increase from his previous plan that reflects the difficulty for the U.S. in drawing down the conflict. Obama had planned to drop troop levels from 9,800 to 5,500 troops by the end of 2016. But a Taliban resurgence has led Washington to rethink its exit strategy. The individuals briefed on the plan spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to disclose the numbers before the president's announcement. Obama planned to announce the numbers during a statement from the Roosevelt Room. He'll appear with Defense Secretary Ash Carter and the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, Gen. Joseph Dunford. The numbers reflect a compromise between Obama's original plan and what many military commanders had recommended. Last month a group of more than a dozen former U.S. ambassadors and former commanders of U.S. forces in Afghanistan wrote to Obama urging that he sustain the current level of U.S. troops through the remainder of his term in office. They included Gen. John F. Campbell, who had been the top U.S. commander in Kabul until four months ago, and retired Gen. David Petraeus. "Unless emergency conditions require consideration of a modest increase, we would strongly favor a freeze at the level of roughly 10,000 U.S. troops through January 30," they wrote in a June 1 letter. "This approach would allow your successor to assess for herself or himself and make further adjustments accordingly." Obama's announcement will help shape his legacy. A president who came into office promising to end the wars he inherited, has instead found himself wrestling with continued conflicts in both Iraq and Afghanistan and new conflicts in Syria and Libya. ___ Associated Press writers Kathleen Hennessey and Lolita C. Baldor and AP National Security Writer Robert Burns contributed to this report. ||||| President Barack Obama salutes as he walks down the stairs from Air Force One on Tuesday, July 5, 2016, upon his arrival at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. Obama is returning from Charlotte, N.C., after a... (Associated Press) President Barack Obama salutes as he walks down the stairs from Air Force One on Tuesday, July 5, 2016, upon his arrival at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. Obama is returning from Charlotte, N.C., after a... (Associated Press) WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on developments regarding U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan (all times local): 10:38 a.m. President Barack Obama is slowing the drawdown of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, leaving 8,400 troops there into next year. Originally he had planned to drop troop levels to 5,500 by the end of the year. The numbers reflect a compromise between Obama's original plan and what many military commanders had recommended. Obama says the security situation in Afghanistan remains precarious. And he says Afghan security forces are not as strong as they need to be. His decision fixes the number of troops who will remain in Afghanistan through the end of his presidency. ___ 10:20 a.m. President Barack Obama plans to keep about 8,400 U.S. troops in Afghanistan when he leaves office. That's according to individuals briefed on Obama's plan. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to disclose the numbers before the president's announcement later Wednesday The numbers reflect a compromise between Obama's original plan and what many military commanders had recommended. Obama had planned to drop troop levels from 9,800 to 5,500 troops by the end of 2016. But Taliban resurgence has forced Washington to rethink its exit strategy. Obama plans to announce the numbers during a statement from the Roosevelt Room. He'll appear with Defense Secretary Ash Carter and the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, Gen. Joseph Dunford.

– President Obama is slowing the drawdown of US troops in Afghanistan, leaving 8,400 troops there into next year, he announced Wednesday. Originally he had planned to drop troop levels from 9,800 to 5,500 by the end of 2016. The numbers reflect a compromise between Obama's original plan and what many military commanders had recommended given a Taliban resurgence, reports the AP. Obama says the security situation in Afghanistan remains precarious and that Afghan security forces are not as strong as they need to be. Last month a group of more than a dozen former US ambassadors and former commanders of US forces in Afghanistan wrote to Obama urging that he sustain the current level of troops through the remainder of his term in office, per the AP. "Unless emergency conditions require consideration of a modest increase, we would strongly favor a freeze at the level of roughly 10,000 US troops through January 30," they wrote in a June 1 letter. "This approach would allow your successor to assess for herself or himself and make further adjustments accordingly."

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Please click below to Get Started. ||||| × Expand Jordan Green Big League Politics editor Patrick Howley takes the witness stand in Orange County court on November 15. The scene was chaotic at McCorkle Place on the campus of UNC-Chapel Hill on the evening of August 20. Students and antiracist activists were angry after brief skirmishes with the university police, but they were mostly determined that the Confederate monument Silent Sam would come down. They were also on edge as neo-Confederates and other far-right activists milled around the periphery in the semi-darkness, watching with grim resignation. Some walked up to students holding banners and verbally sparred; one has been accused of charging a student protester, while another has been accused of threatening someone with a knife. Among the crowd at the base of Silent Sam before the statue was pulled down that night was Dwayne Dixon, a forty-six-year-old UNC teaching assistant professor, and a group of friends. Dixon might be the most renowned antifascist activist in the state because of his role with the left-wing militia Redneck Revolt in providing armed security for a park held by antiracist activists during the August 12, 2017, Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, and then a week later when he carried a rifle in response to a threatened Ku Klux Klan rally in Durham. He had been charged with going armed to the terror of the people and bringing a weapon to a downtown demonstration for his involvement in the Durham incident, but a judge dismissed the charges, finding that they were unconstitutional. Some of the far-right activists stationed at the periphery of the crowd recognized Dixon at the Silent Sam protest on August 20. “There’s Dwayne Dixon, that communist leader!” one man exclaimed angrily. More than one person stalked Dixon with a camera phone, accusing him of “chasing” James Fields Jr. with a rifle and causing him to kill Heather Heyer when he rammed his car into a crowd of people in Charlottesville. One of the accusers, who declined to give his name, was captured on video accosting Dixon. Another was Patrick Howley, the twenty-eight-year-old editor of the alt-right website Big League Politics. The hideous falsehood—that Dixon caused Fields to kill Heyer—is among the most durable hoaxes to grow out of Unite the Right. Popularized by the far-right outlets InfoWars and Gateway Pundit, along with Howley’s outfit Big League Politics, the hoax has been widely embraced as a deflection of responsibility by Unite the Right participants. On the evening of August 20, Howley approached Dixon near the base of Silent Sam. “Dwayne, why did you chase James Fields with a rifle right before he hit those people?” Howley asked. The sixty-eight-second video posted on YouTube by Big League Politics reporter Peter D’Abrosca shows the two men arguing; at one point the lens is obscured and the shot jumps as if the person holding the phone was jostled. The next day, Howley published an article on the Big League Politics site with the title “VIDEO: UNC Antifa Professor Assaults Big League Editor At Statue Tear-Down.” × Accompanied by his friend, a Chapel Hill-based political consultant named Noel Fritsch, Howley later went to a local magistrate’s office and swore out a warrant resulting in a misdemeanor charge against Dixon for simple assault. In a victim statement, Howley wrote that Dixon “rushed me, grabbed my left hand and armed with my phone in it, and struck me repeatedly.” Dixon stood trial in Orange County District Court on November 15. His lawyer, Scott Holmes, mounted an elaborate defense, attempting to impeach Howley’s credibility as a witness by building a case that Howley’s coverage is driven by ideology and monetizes a pattern of falsehoods based on dubious sourcing. Holmes also argued that the video contradicted Howley’s testimony about the alleged assault, resulting in a “fatal variance.” But Judge Samantha Cabe didn’t have to rule on any of those questions. Holmes was holding an ace card—an apparent typo by the magistrate that the District Attorney’s Office failed to correct before taking the case to trial. “Finally, the reason that it’s really defective is that it names Dwayne Dixon as the victim and not only the perpetrator,” Holmes said. “They have not proven that Mr. Dixon assaulted himself.” Judge Cabe quickly announced that she was dismissing the charge because of a “fatal flaw” in the charging document. × Expand Jordan Green UNC professor Dwayne Dixon addresses the media on the steps of the Orange County courthouse before standing trial. Flanked by supporters before the start of the trial, Dixon gave a brief statement on the steps of the courthouse in Hillsborough. He accused Howley and his colleagues of continuing “to create falsehoods in order to create a narrative to maintain power—a power that they can only finally ever acquire by actually killing people, by killing Heather Heyer, by killing the eleven people who died in the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. This is the truth that needs to be told: that these individuals are working in collusion with the very killers who are now incarcerated for murder.” Although he benefited from skillful representation, Dixon made it clear that whatever the outcome of the trial, he viewed the legal process as illegitimate from the start. “I have no truck with this legal system,” he said. “I have no faith in it. And yet, if we as a larger society are going to be in agreement about something, it’s that putting people in the ground is not the way to create a healthy, beneficial, and open life for all of us. So when I go in today, the things that are going to happen today are largely immaterial. I’m not concerned. This was completely based on untruths.” Holmes cross-examined Howley for more than an hour—roughly seven times the length of the time used by the prosecutor for direct examination and showing the video of the incident. Throughout the trial, Howley displayed evasion and even defiance. On eight different occasions, Judge Cabe admonished him to answer Holmes’s questions, and three times she told him to not speak unless he was responding to a question. The judge also expressed impatience with Holmes, sharply ordering him to “move on” at one point. Holmes reminded Howley that August 20 was not the first time he had approached Dixon with a camera phone and attempted to ask him about James Fields. Howley admitted that when he and Noel Fritsch accosted Dixon in the hallway of a UNC academic building in February, he did not have an appointment to meet Dixon and did not give him notice that he was coming. And although Howley publicly accused Dixon of assaulting Noel Fritsch—identified on the site as a “Big League cameraman”—Howley testified that Fritsch opted to not pursue charges. Howley presented himself as a neutral interlocutor who remains open-minded while attempting to pose questions. He said that, in addition to asking Dixon about James Fields, he wanted to ask Dixon if he stood “behind the violence that Redneck Revolt has perpetrated across this country”—another leading question based on a faulty premise. Howley, like other activists and media figures on the far right, latched on to a Facebook comment by Dixon—since deleted—in retort to an anti-Antifa viral social media post by the firearms maker Spike’s Tactical, in which Dixon said he was proud to have carried a Spike’s firearm when he “chased off James Fields” from the block he was patrolling when Fields drove past, shortly before Fields rammed into a crowd of antiracist marchers three blocks south. Later, Dixon clarified in a talk at Harvard University that Fields “paused right in front of me, and I waved him off with my rifle.” During the trial, Holmes asked Howley if he had seen the video presented by prosecutors in the Fields case that showed the defendant putting his car in reverse for more than a block, and then accelerating into the crowd. Howley’s responses were evasive, and after Holmes asked a third time, he finally said, “I saw the video. That’s your interpretation of what happened.” Judge Cabe said she didn’t understand “the purpose of rehashing what happened in Charlottesville.” “It shows how his level of competency as a witness—to somehow accuse Mr. Dixon of—to have seen the video of what happened and want to go to UNC campus and stick a camera in his face and accuse him of any responsibility shows that this person lacks all credibility whatsoever,” Holmes replied. Holmes called Howley’s attention to an article in which he described Dixon as “the de facto leader” of the August 20 rally that ended with the toppling of Silent Sam. After initially refusing to answer the question of how many sources he had for the statement, Howley finally responded, “Based on my research, I count myself as a source on that. I did my research. There are many sources who would say that Dwayne Dixon is the leader of this network. There are two sources that I can think of right now.” Holmes also asked Howley about a statement he published that “Dixon mostly carried out his activist plots in anonymity until Charlottesville,” asking Howley if he “had any knowledge of anonymous plots that Mr. Dixon participated in.” After deflecting by referencing events in Charlottesville and at the Silent Sam protests, Howley finally conceded that one “source said Mr. Dixon was acting anonymously prior to Charlottesville and him being exposed in Charlottesville forced him to change his strategy.” His final testimony dropped any reference to “plots” prior to Unite the Right. Howley acknowledged on the stand that he was put on suspension from Breitbart News for four days, prior to founding Big League Politics. “And that incident working with Breitbart News had to do with an incident where a reporter was accusing someone else of assaulting them,” Holmes said. “Isn’t that correct?” Howley acknowledged the incident, in which he expressed skepticism in a series of tweets about the allegation that Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski assaulted his Breitbart colleague Michelle Fields during a campaign event in March 2016. According to screen-grabs of deleted tweets that were shared by CNN reporter Hadas Gold, Howley insinuated that Fields’s allegation was manufactured to sabotage Trump in the mainstream press. × After initially brushing aside the question as “irrelevant,” Howley reluctantly testified that Big League Politics is partially owned by Mustard Seed Media, “which is owned by my friend, Reilly O’Neal.” Howley testified that Big League Politics receives revenue through advertisements, but when asked if the site has a list of subscribers, he responded, “I really don’t want to get into that.” “Is it true or untrue that you have subscribers?” Cabe asked impatiently. “True.” “Isn’t it true that one of the sources of your revenue is selling your subscriber list to political campaigns?” Holmes asked. “I believe it is possible. You’d have to ask my business partner.” O’Neal, a Raleigh-based political consultant who owns Tidewater Strategies, could not be reached for comment. Tidewater Strategies has worked on campaigns for far-right Republican candidates, including Greg Brannon, who ran for the U.S. Senate against Thom Tillis in the 2014 primary; Corey Stewart, who decisively lost his U.S. Senate race this year in Virginia to Democrat Tim Kaine; Alabama U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore; and Paul Nehlen, who unsuccessfully sought to replace House Speaker Paul Ryan in Wisconsin’s First Congressional District. Howley has publicly sought to play down his right-wing ideological orientation. “I consider myself to be an independent,” he testified. “I consider myself to be a populist and a citizen. I’m not a conservative or a liberal.” Tidewater Strategies is more straightforward about its orientation. “We are a full-service political consulting firm working exclusively with conservative candidates and organizations across the country,” its website announces. Some of the messaging in the campaigns that O’Neal has worked on align with Big League Politics’ drumbeat of coverage promoting the idea of antifascists being violent and out of control. In response to an inquiry from WBTV 3 in Charlotte, O’Neal acknowledged that he helped set up a political action committee called Principled Leadership Project, which ran a controversial ad in support of Republican Karen Handel during the 2017 special election to fill the vacant Sixth Congressional District seat in Georgia. The ad, which ran after a Bernie Sanders supporter shot Republican U.S. Representative Steve Scalise at a congressional baseball game, urged voters to “stop” Handel’s opponent, Democrat Jon Ossoff, while claiming that the “unhinged left is endorsing and applauding shooting Republicans.” “When will it stop?” a narrator asks. “It won’t if Jon Ossoff wins on Tuesday, because the same unhinged leftists cheering last week’s shooting are all backing Jon Ossoff. And if he wins, they win.” Fritsch, the cameraman who accompanied Howley to confront Dixon inside an academic building in February, is also a political consultant, who, like O’Neal, has worked on the Nehlen, Stewart, and Moore campaigns. Howley gave a contradictory explanation of Fritsch’s involvement with Big League Politics during his testimony. “Does he work for Big League Politics?” Holmes asked. “No, he’s my friend,” Howley said. “He works with me. … Yes, I suppose you could say he’s a photographer for Big League Politics.” “You just said he wasn’t,” Holmes said. “Well, I changed my answer. He is.” Howley was listed as a witness in the charging document for the August 20 incident but was not called to testify. After Judge Cabe’s dismissal of Dixon’s charge, Howley stood up in the courtroom and walked out, uttering aloud: “Unbelievable. Wow.” As Dixon and his supporters were leaving, Howley returned with his cell phone. Howley turned on his camera near the courthouse’s security checkpoint and started filming Dixon as he stood near the front entrance. Howley’s question was predictable. “Can I ask you a question now about Charlottesville?” he asked. “Can we get an officer of the court to intervene here please?” Dixon asked. Frustrated once again, Howley turned his ire on the court system, and the mainstream media. “Obviously it was rigged on a technicality, but the facts are clear that Dwayne Dixon did assault me and he is a very violent person,” Howley said. “And I think that people in Chapel Hill are put in harm’s way by the radical, violent riots he and his friends cause on campus and elsewhere in this country. And until the media, sir—until the media starts reporting on this violence, we’re not gonna be able to come together and have rational conversations in this country because we’re just gonna descend into street fighting out there. And is that what the media wants? That’s not what I want.” Howley and Big League Politics gave ample coverage about the case in the run-up to the trial. Since the verdict, both the site and its editor’s Twitter account have remained silent about the charge’s disposition. ||||| Lawyers for James Alex Fields, 21, the Ohio man charged with the first-degree murder of Heather Heyer and accused of plowing his Dodge Challenger into a crowd of demonstrators on Fourth Street August 12, 2017, suggested he may argue self defense in early questioning of potential jurors. Fields, a self-described neo-Nazi, is also charged with five counts of aggravated malicious wounding, three counts of malicious wounding and one count of leaving the scene. He appeared in court unshaved and wearing a dark suit and tie. The case—and the swarms of white supremacists and neo-Nazis in the streets of Charlottesville for the Unite the Right rally—made national news. Fields’ attorney, former commonwealth’s attorney Denise Lunsford, earlier had requested a change of venue. Judge Rick Moore took the motion under advisement, but seemed confident he could find 12 impartial jurors and four alternates. Questionnaires went out to 360 potential jurors, the largest pool ever in Charlottesville, and by 10am November 26, around 60 were sitting in Charlottesville Circuit Court. Jury selection got off to a slow start. Potential jurors were put in a group of 28 for the first round of questioning to determine juror bias. One was dismissed because she no longer lived in Charlottesville. Nearly all of the 28 raised their hands when asked if they’d heard about the case through the media. The prosecution said it planned to call 40 witnesses, including victims Marcus Martin and Marissa Blair, and former Daily Progress reporter Ryan Kelly, whose photo of the Fourth Street crash won a Pulitzer prize. Lunsford listed around 15 possible witnesses, including Officer Tammy Shifflett, the school resource officer who left her position blocking Fourth Street at Market when she became fearful for her personal safety, and Fields’ mother, Samantha Bloom, who has called police in the past because she was frightened by her son’s behavior. The trial is expected to last three weeks.

– It looks like the man accused of deliberately ramming his car into a crowd of people in Charlottesville will try to sway jurors with a self-defense strategy. Lawyers for James Fields suggested as much Monday as jury selection got underway in the closely watched murder trial in Virginia, reports C-ville. For one thing, attorney John Hill asked potential jurors their views on whether violence could be justified in cases of self-defense, reports the Daily Progress, which notes that University of North Carolina professor Dwayne Dixon is on the witness list. Dixon is affiliated with the Antifa movement, and he has publicly talked about seeing Fields on the block he was patrolling shortly before the crash. In a speech at Harvard, Dixon said Fields "paused right in front of me, and I waved him off with my rifle," per IndyWeek. Far-right conspiracy theorists have used Dixon's comments to make the case that Fields was fleeing when he drove into the crowd, per the Daily Progress. Prosecutors plans to show jurors video showing that Fields backed up, then accelerated into the counter-protesters, killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer. Also on the witness list: an officer, one who normally worked as a school resource officer, who left her position before the crash because she feared for her personal safety. The trial is expected to last three weeks, though jury selection could take days.

Daron Bryden becoming one of two sixth-graders added to Rivals.com's database this week was an accomplishment years in the making. Whether that's good or bad depends on who you ask. Bryden is a 5-foot-2, 105-pound "pro-style" quarterback from Enfield, Conn. In the widely circulated photo on his Rivals profile, he looks every bit like the kid he is. National media outlets like The Washington Post and SI.com recently wrote about him, but that's an old hat for Bryden. He's already appeared on ESPN and "Kids Do the Darndest Things," where he competed against NFL quarterback Matt Hasselbeck in an accuracy competition. He was only 10-years old. None of those feats happened by accident. Craig Bryden, Daron's father, has been generating media attention for his son for years. He built a website devoted to Daron, featuring an alleged quote from former NFL quarterback Kordell Stewart saying Daron "is the man fa real." He created a highlight tape and hired a private quarterback coach for Daron when his son was only six-years old. In fact, Daron now works with two quarterback coaches - one in New Jersey and one in Connecticut. This isn't a cheap endeavor. Reputable quarterback coaches can charge hundreds of dollars per session. But Craig, who is deaf and never played football, is pleased with the results. "He has been able to learn a little from each coach and professional that he has met throughout this journey so far," he said in an email. "He has incorporated the tips and skills that are offered to him, and has displayed them in his play on the field." Not everyone is convinced. Ken Mastrole is a well-respected quarterback coach in Florida who has worked with NFL quarterbacks Teddy Bridgewater and EJ Manuel, as well as Alabama's Blake Sims, among others. He doesn't work with any kids younger than 10-years old, saying you can teach six-year olds basic concepts, but it's difficult to provide a real service to anyone that young and he's leery of the Pushy Parent Effect. "Ten is a good age to start but you have to let the kid be a kid," Mastrole said. "The Jennifer Capriatis of the world are burnt out by 16 because parents are driving them into the ground." Daron has been "trained out the wazoo," according to Alan Popadines, who covers youth football for Youth1.com. The New Jersey-based expert has seen the youngster at numerous camps. "He does have some ability," he said, but noted that he actually should be in the seventh grade and not sixth. He was held back a year, Popadines believes, for football reasons. Is sixth grade too soon to track? JC Shurburtt, a national recruiting analyst for 247Sports, understands why Rivals put up profiles of the two sixth-graders, but believes it could be dangerous for the players. He remembers towering over kids growing up - he jokes he was "Too Tall Jones" in middle school - but eventually his peers caught up, and some even surpassed him in high school. "It's a dangerous precedent to get data on a sixth grader out there because it might follow you around," Shurburtt said. Daron is no longer just any 12-year old. He's the 12-year old who was one of the first two sixth-graders to get a profile on Rivals.com. That brings heightened expectations every time he steps on a football field, and will for years to come. With that comes the fear of anointing a player before he's mentally ready to handle the attention and pressure. There are numerous examples of young athletes crowned as the next big thing only to never meet the hype. In basketball, players like Brooklyn's Lenny Cooke and Mississippi's Renardo Sidney were at one point the top players in the country, but turned into busts. "Phenom," "prodigy" and "next Tom Brady" are just a few of the ways Daron has been described on various websites. Three years ago, one site ranked him as the top nine-year old quarterback in the country. That can be dangerous, says Shurburtt. "It's a very slippery slope and fundamentally insulting to the game of football when we try to anoint kids in the seventh grade as phenoms," he said. Craig Bryden believes his son has handled the media attention well, thus far. He says Daron is "very mature beyond his years" and hasn't developed an ego from his television appearances. Bryden has already invested thousands of dollars in getting his son exposure and coaching. He estimates he spends between $1,000 to $2,000 a year on various camps and combines. He's already taken his son to college camps at UMASS and Temple. The NextGen Boston camp that landed him on Rivals.com cost $99. Such camps are one very expensive aspect of youth football. They can cost as much as $500, according to Popadines, and that doesn't include travel, transportation or food costs. Parents can pay a few hundred dollars to get their son into an exclusive camp and suddenly he's labeled as an all-star. One reason why Bryden is in the national spotlight, beyond natural ability, is that his parents have the financials mean to get him noticed. "How do you tell the dad he shouldn't be doing this?" Mastrole said. "If you have the financial means to do it, it's a great opportunity." Bryden has seen the criticism. But he doesn't let it bother him because he believes he's helping his son achieve his dream of a scholarship to play college football. "This is Daron's dream and he works extremely hard at it, while maintaining good grades and being a great kid and big brother," he said. "My wife and I will do whatever we can to help him reach his dream." What precedent is Rivals setting? Rivals isn't the first recruiting website to highlight the talents of a sixth-grader, but it is the most reputable organization to do so. Other fringe recruiting websites have financially capitalized on middle-schoolers for years, but Rivals' decision was historic. Bud Elliott, who covers recruiting for SB Nation, believes it was a smart business move. "We have a lot of competing recruiting networks out there and I think they are primarily doing this to establish relationships with these kids and their families at an earlier age," he said. Mike Farrell, the national recruiting director for Rivals.com, didn't respond to multiple requests for comments. Shurburtt said he hopes 247Sports doesn't follow Rivals' lead, though he's fine with the competing network's decision. Popadines, who rates seventh and eighth grade prospects for Youth1.com, sees no issue with Rivals adding the sixth-graders to its database. He has built a relationship with Farrell over the years and thinks he played a small role in getting the recruiting behemoth to add the pre-teens to its website. "Partly it's me for nagging on them for over a year now," he said. "I'm covering these kids as seventh and eighth graders; some are calling it too young but three months later they are populating your database as freshmen. What's the big difference between July before freshman year versus November of freshman year?" He expects other recruiting networks to follow suit. His goal is to "give some light to the kids that put in all this time, money and work to be good football players." To him, players should not have to wait until they are in high school to highlight their abilities and accomplishments. The concern, according to Shurburtt, is not only could such early attention create unwanted scrutiny, it's also extremely difficult to accurately evaluate sixth-grade prospects. David Sills created national headlines when he committed to USC as a seventh-grader, but he never lived up to the hype. He and USC ultimately went separate ways after Lane Kiffin was fired, and he ended up signing with West Virginia. At one point he was billed as a prodigy, but finished as a three-star prospect. Rivals hasn't rated Bryden or Tyson Thornton, the other sixth-grader, but it is unquestionably putting both youngsters on a pedestal among their peers. "Football is such a physical sport that prepubescent rankings are not likely to be all that accurate because you don't know how a kid is going to grow," SB Nation's Elliott said. "Parents, players and some of the guys that are hangers on, who want to evaluate middle schools and turn it into an enterprise, all need to take a step back and say this isn't good," Shurburtt said. "There are massive amounts of headaches that can go into it." It is very difficult to evaluate the mental capacity and heart of high school and college football players, despite years of game film, interviews and other tools. It's a big reason why plenty of top-rated recruits and first-round draft picks don't pan out. So, can anyone accurately predict the future of a sixth-grader? We'll see - in about six years. Check out Bryden's most recent highlight tape below: ||||| Athletes emerge at NextGen More than 150 athletes battled yet another huge snowstorm in the Northeast to compete at NextGen Boston, a camp for 6th, 7th and 8th graders. Boston was the first stop on the nationwide search for the top middle school prospects in the nation and plenty of talent turned out. And led by linebacker Bryce Gallagher, a few New Englanders put on a show. There were a lot of impressive performances. The events are split into three parts, starting with combine-like testing, position specific evaluations, and controlled 1-on-1s. There are six events in our combine workout: 40-yard dash, 20-yard dash, standing broad jump, pro shuttle, 3-cone shuttle and a push-up test. After competing in the combine testing, athletes move to position drills, where they are further evaluated. The evaluation finishes with 1-on-1s, that culminate in a Best Against The Best 1-on-1 Showcase. The three-tier approach to the camp is crucial because middle school athletes are unique. The camp provides several ways for them to be evaluated. When my son, Brennan Williams was that age, he was really big and wasn't very coordinated. He had a horrible 40 time at that age, but he was impressive in position drills, and extremely competitive in 1-on-1s. That's why it's necessary to provide multiple platforms for young athletes to shine. If his evaluation was solely on combine-like drills he wouldn't have fared well. However, it was the other areas where he excelled allowed him to gain the confidence to move on to North Carolina, and the NFL. NextGen is committed to identifying the next generation of great football players. And #TheSearch found exactly that during last weekend's showcase in Boston. There were some impressive performances in all three facets of the event. Eighth grade athletes Anthony Berksza and Sam Kaprellian were top performers every combine event while sixth grader Sam LaMothe did more than hold his own against the older competition. He placed in the top 5 in both the 20 and 40 dash. Michael Manning also showed a high ceiling as an athlete at the event. As impressive at those performances were, there were seven athletes that have had their profiles added to the Rivals.com recruiting database. Tyson Thornton and Daron Bryden will be the first 6th grade prospects the website will actively monitor. Thornton is a 5-foot-11, 167-pound running back with great explosiveness and surprisingly good body control for a kid his size and age. Bryden, a small quarterback with a big arm is incredibly composed and very polished -- and he can make every throw. And with a father standing nearly 6-foot-7, he may soon have the body to match his arm. Both of these young players were so impressive they were moved up to compete against the eighth-grade prospects. You may recognize Daron Bryden as he starred on "Kids Do The Darndest Things" hosted by L.L. Cool J and competed against NFL quarterback Matt Hasselbeck when he was 10-years-old and beat him head-to-head in an accuracy competition. Arguably the toughest group to evaluate at this age are linemen. Rarely do they impress in combine drills because of their lack of body control. There were several impressive linemen that could have a future at the next-next level. Offensive line prospects Zachary Goodwin and Scott Elliot competed very well in 1-on-1 drills. Six-foot, 280-pound Joseph Asare impressed on both sides of the line. He was explosive off the ball, showing great quickness in the combine, change of direction drills and running a solid 20-yard dash at just over three seconds. But the kid that schools will be need to watch closely was 6-foot-2, 240-pound, long-armed and quick-footed Segun Okunlola. If he continues to grow, he's going to be special. He has all the tools, the tools just need to be polished. He absolutely dominated 1-on-1 drills. This is a kid that will be fun to watch develop. The event's top performing quarterback looks the part of a future FBS prospect. At 6-foot-3, Connecticut's Trey Dawson was impressive. The 8th grader is a raw prospect with a strong arm, but also displayed touch and showed accuracy. When he grows into his body and gains full control, he's going to be dangerous. He threw well both in the pocket and on the run. As good as the other athletes were, there were two that battled for best in show. Eighth graders Eddie Duggan Jr. and Bryce Gallagher not only impressed in combine drills as they finished Nos. 1 and 2 in almost every event but also in 1-on-1s. Duggan, listed as an athlete, chose not to compete at quarterback but played tight end/wide receiver and was impossible to cover. Duggan measured in at 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds and ran a 4.8 forty. But it was his nine-foot standing broad jump that caught eye of the evaluators on hand. He followed up his impressive combine performance by dominating the receiver drills, and winning every 1-on-1 battle he entered. Gallagher was equally impressive on the other side of the ball. The 6-foot-2, 175-pound linebacker was so dominant covering running backs and tight ends that the evaluators moved him outside to cover receivers. With the fastest 40 time of the day, speed was no issue as he made it look easy. Bryce moves with a fluidity well beyond his years. Both Duggan and Gallagher will be added to NextGen's Freak List, a list that will tally the most impressive athletes attending their Showcase events. While the other four -- Bryden, Thornton, Asare and Okunlola -- will be placed on the watch list and may be added as the showcase tour continues. The next stop is New Jersey and then Georgia, Virginia, Texas, Florida and Ohio. The series will see about 5,000 athletes in 12 cities this year. Two West Coast events in California and Washington have been added. More than 200 video evaluation requests have been sent from athletes since last Friday asking for a recommendation to attend an upcoming event. #TheSearch continues... Brent Williams is the founder of NextGen and a former NFL defensive end. Talk about it in The Main Board ||||| Join now! Be a part of the Rivals community for $8.33/month. ||||| (Scott Halleran / Getty Images) The largest Web site devoted to the recruiting of college athletes is now monitoring the progress of two sixth-grade prospects. Rivals.com announced Friday that it was adding two prospective members of the Class of 2021 to its database, which is either kind of creepy or a sign of apocalyptic things to come. The two to keep an eye on (because you know you want to know) are Tyson Thornton, a 5-11 running back from Springfield, Mass., and Daron Bryden from Enfield, Conn. With no trace of irony, it notes that is a 5-2 pro style quarterback. The two came to Rivals’ attention at the NextGen camp for sixth, seventh and eighth graders. They were “so impressive” that they were skipped ahead to compete against eighth graders. Now that they’re in the database, they will be “actively monitored,” Rivals announced. Rivals announces it will now monitor 6th graders for football (H/T @JeffDLowe, @USATODAYsports) pic.twitter.com/BIElTQ1Z7Q — Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) February 16, 2015 Bryden has some experience, despite his tender age. When he was all of 10, he beat Indianapolis Colts backup quarterback Matt Hasselbeck in accuracy competition on “Kids Do the Darndest Things.” Thornton, according to Rivals, weighs 167 pounds and has “great explosiveness and surprisingly good body control for a kid his size and age.” Bryden has a big arm, is “incredibly composed and very polished.” More importantly, it did not escape Rivals’ notice that he also has a father who is 6-foot-7. It’s tough to know whether tracking 11-year-olds is the beginning of the end of civilization as we know it or whether we’ll all be remembering this golden moment when the two are playing in Super Bowl 70. In an age of “diaper dandies,” maybe we should be happy it took this long and that these kids at least made it to middle school before being spotlighted. This much is certain, though: as the NFL scouting combine gets underway, we should all be reminded that past success is no guarantee for the future, where college success and the NFL draft are largely a crapshoot. So far, Rivals has listed 15 eighth graders from the 2019 class and none from 2020. H/T Sporting News ||||| Daron Bryden is regarded as one of the best pro-style quarterbacks of his class. This is true. It's also necessary, however, to highlight other factual information as it pertains to this recruit—or should we say, "recruit." Bryden is currently listed at 5'2" and 105 pounds. He is in sixth grade. He is 12 years old. He won't graduate high school—I repeat, high school—until the year 2021. All of this information can be found on Bryden's official Rivals page, which is something that actually exists. His father's not concerned at all about this, but we'll get to that. Bryden and fellow sixth-grader Tyson Thornton, a 170-pound running back, can be found in the Rivals database. Following appearances at NextGen Boston—a live showcase for sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders, and another surprising thing that exists—Bryden and Thornton were highlighted on Rivals.com. As impressive as those performances were, there were seven athletes that have had their profiles added to the Rivals.com recruiting database. Tyson Thornton and Daron Bryden will be the first sixth-grade prospects the website will actively monitor. Thornton is a 5-foot-11, 167-pound running back with great explosiveness and surprisingly good body control for a kid his size and age. Bryden, a small quarterback with a big arm, is incredibly composed and very polished—and he can make every throw. And with a father standing nearly 6-foot-7, he may soon have the body to match his arm. Both of these young players were so impressive they were moved up to compete against the eighth-grade prospects. For further perspective, consider this: Dylan Moses, the top player in the class of 2017 on 247Sports—and another young athlete who garnered incredible interest and even scholarship offers before ever dominating in high school—will be out of college by the time Bryden plays his first collegiate game, if he ultimately heads down that path. That's where we are with the timeline. I can't help but look at my infant daughter and wonder what she'll be like in 2021. What will I be like? Where will I be living? What will I be doing? It's an eternity. With this kind of football forecast, there are no guarantees. There are no promises of development. Everything should be left open-ended, and there's a mutual understanding that it is. That won't change the fact that children are now, at least to a degree, being recognized by major recruiting outlets before puberty knocks down the door and announces its presence. This development came with a tsunami of disgust and outrage. The general reaction was appropriate: Sixth grade? We've dipped our toes in the notion of early recruits before. (See David Sills, who verbally committed to Lane Kiffin at USC at the age of 13.) Moses, as mentioned above, garnered similar buzz before he dominated high school competition. Similar moral conversations regarding early-aged recruiting are not new to the sport—they're simply becoming more frequent. But this is different, or at least it feels that way. This is a 12-year-old crashing through a threshold that seems unreasonable, even for a lucrative industry that has been constructed on the unreasonable lionizing of athletes at a young age. Those who follow recruiting accept these general oddities, but this is out of the comfort zone of even the most passionate fans. Once more, with feeling: Sixth grade? Craig Bryden, Daron's father, doesn't view this sudden surge in recruiting interest as a negative. Perhaps this is to be expected. As a father, it's only natural to be flattered when people—especially professionals—recognize your son for being good at something at any age. For Craig, despite his son's youth, this flattery stretches back well beyond a few days. Just last year, Daron appeared on Kids Do the Darndest Things and competed in a throwing competition with NFL quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. Generate a scouting report at your own risk. Appearing on a television show and getting thrust into the recruiting world are two very different matters. One is strictly constructed for entertainment, at least from the guest's perspective, and the other is a business that has grown teeth over time, which is not something any sixth-grader should ever be concerned with. But again, Craig Bryden doesn't interpret this "interest" in the same way many others might. "While I understand the position of some saying the kids are too young, they aren't done growing and they may not pan out, that is exactly why they call them prospects," Bryden told Bleacher Report. "Rivals is merely identifying potential future talent. This is Daron's dream and he works extremely hard at it. And he's done so while maintaining good grades, being a great kid and a great big brother." Daron has already had multiple quarterback coaches. He has also, according to his father, spoken to several college coaches and schools about attending college camps. These aren't intense scholarship-focused conversations or anything beyond simple meet-and-greets. "They are encouragement to keep grinding," Bryden said of these talks. But he's still 12. We've gone over this, yes? Regardless of the surface-level discussions, it's difficult to see beyond his age, weight and height. "Talent is being identified and sometimes even offered as early as eighth and ninth grade," Bryden said. "Early recruiting already exists for basketball, baseball and gymnastics as well. Football is mirroring the recruiting trends of those sports." Image via Craig Bryden Pointing to other sports to validate this latest youth movement shouldn't suddenly transpose your stance from one side to the other, although other athletic avenues—tennis, for example—glorify recruiting and rankings at remarkably young ages, and with much more acceptance. In fact, if you wanted, you could align yourself with an esteemed tennis coach, toss away hundreds of thousands of dollars and essentially begin the recruiting process far earlier than sixth grade. This is common practice for those with the time, means and desire. This doesn't necessarily make it right, of course. There's equal absurdity in plenty of other sports not as reliant on physical development. This isn't just a football issue or a Rivals issue; it deals with the way youth is interpreted. "Sixth-grader draws interest from a recruiting outlet" is a meaty headline, especially when it involves the meatiest sport. But what, in reality, does it mean? What negatives—beyond the general shock of seeing a sixth-grader on a website with his measurables out in the open—truly come with a ranking-less presence online? If the child and family have a firm grasp on the situation and understand the obvious infancy of the journey, is that enough? Should they be put in a position to decide? These questions will garner a wide variety of emotional responses. This online presence won't suddenly make Bryden a better player. It won't change his life altogether. He won't be swarmed with text messages and phone calls from coaches. He's barely five feet tall. Sills didn't pan out to be the "can't-miss" quarterback prospect many thought he would be at 13, although he still signed and enrolled at West Virginia in January. He had a long journey to arrive at that moment, but the early frenzy surrounding his recruitment and verbal agreement played a role in determining his football fate. It probably helped it. And that's a good thing, right? This poses a question that should be asked above all: If there is a mutual understanding that scouting sixth-graders doesn't add much value, why do it in the first place? That's a safe place to start, though that doesn't mean it's the pure evil it's being billed as—not when all realistic outcomes are taken into consideration. Is it odd? It sure is. Will it become the norm? Likely not, especially considering the feedback it has prompted. It could ultimately be bad for business, which is what this is all about. That's a callous way to approach a delicate situation, but ultimately it will shape how this industry is viewed moving forward. Outrage isn't the appropriate emotion for this. This requires something more, something much harder to define. But if this sudden revelation is what finally pushed you over the edge with recruiting—saying the whole thing has finally reached a new intolerable threshold—I have one simple question. Where have you been? Unless noted otherwise, all quotes obtained firsthand. ||||| ncaa-football February 17, 2015 4:02pm EST February 15, 2015 9:02pm EST Just when you thought college recruiting couldn’t get any more in-depth, think again. Rivals.com has announced it is now following Tyson Thornton and Daron Bryden — two sixth graders. The two appear to be the head of the 2021 high school signing class. Sixth-grader Daron Bryden Getty Images HAYES: When too young is too much | MORE: SN Top 50 players | Early Top 10 | 5 top QB recruits The two youngsters both participated in NextGen Boston, a camp for sixth, seventh and eighth graders. Bryden, a pro-style quarterback from Enfield, Conn., is listed at 5-foot-2, 105 pounds. He’s no stranger to the limelight, as he appeared on “Kids Do The Darndest Things” and beat Matt Hasselback in a head-to-head accuracy competition. Thornton is already 5-foot-11 and 167 pounds with “great explosiveness and surprisingly good body control” for a player his size and age.

– College football recruiting site Rivals.com is watching Tyson Thornton and Daron Bryden. Tyson, it said in a recent talent report, has "great explosiveness and surprisingly good body control for a kid his size and age," while Daron (who once beat NFL QB Matt Hasselbeck in an accuracy contest) has "a big arm [and] is incredibly composed and very polished." Sounds good—except the youngsters are sixth-graders and are being "actively" monitored in Rivals' database. The boys participated in a training camp for sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-graders, Sporting News reports, and were "so impressive" they were promoted to play against eighth-graders. "It's tough to know whether tracking 11-year-olds is the beginning of the end of civilization as we know it or whether we'll all be remembering this golden moment when the two are playing in Super Bowl 70," Cindy Boren writes for the Washington Post. AL.com notes some of the reasons there's been pushback, such as dangers to players whose peers suddenly grow much bigger, a kid not being able to live up to expectations when he's branded a wunderkind too early, and the difficulty of predicting how a youngster will evolve as a player. Bryden's dad doesn't have an issue with it, though, telling Bleacher Report "that is exactly why they call them prospects. … Rivals is merely identifying potential future talent. This is Daron's dream and he works extremely hard at it." But Ken Mastrole, a Florida coach who's worked with NFL QBs, tells AL.com that "you have to let the kid be a kid. The Jennifer Capriatis of the world are burnt out by 16 because parents are driving them into the ground." A youth football expert who's observed Daron on the field tells AL.com "he does have some ability," but notes he should be in seventh grade: He was reportedly held back for football.

Following her conviction last month, an Indiana judge has sentenced 33-year-old Purvi Patel to what effectively amounts to 20 years (of a possible 70) in prison for feticide and neglect of a dependent. Patel comes from a family of Indian immigrants who settled in Granger, Indiana, a suburb of South Bend. In July 2013, she showed up at the emergency room of St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in the town of Mishawaka, bleeding heavily. Doctors quickly realized she’d lost a pregnancy, and she confessed that she’d left the fetus in a dumpster. Patel became a criminal suspect and was later interrogated in the hospital after receiving surgery to remove her placenta. Across Women's LIves Follow us on Twitter @womenslives and #womenslives Or join the conversation on the Across Women's Lives Facebook page. Patel’s defense argued that Patel, who’d gotten no prenatal care, had had a sudden miscarriage and that the fetus was not born alive. Much of Patel’s trial centered on the alleged gestational age of the fetus: Patel's defense argued the fetus was no more than 22-24 weeks old, and thus not viable even in a medical setting. Prosecutors argued Patel’s pregnancy was up to 30 weeks along and the baby had been born alive. Prosecutors did not respond to repeated requests for comment for this story. In addition to the charge of neglect, prosecutors later added a charge of “feticide” based on text messages found on Patel’s phone showing that she took miscarriage-inducing drugs purchased online. Toxicologists could not find any trace of such drugs in her body or that of the fetus, but the evidence was enough to convince a jury that Patel had committed feticide, a charge normally used against those who harm pregnant women, not pregnant women themselves. Patel is the first woman convicted of feticide in Indiana, and only the second to be charged. Chinese immigrant Bei Bei Shuai faced feticide charges two years ago in the state, and both cases highlight an emerging “gray area” for pregnant women within the US legal system. There are also concerns Patel may be a victim of wider political dynamics in Indiana. The judge in Patel’s case, Elizabeth Hurley, was the first superior court appointee by Indiana’s conservative governor, Mike Pence. Judge Hurley allowed the jury to view a video of police interrogating Patel in post-operative recovery, despite defense arguments that Patel’s Miranda rights were ignored and she was recovering from sedation and severe blood loss during the questioning. At the sentencing on Monday, local supporters of Patel wore purple and white and were joined by members of the Indiana Religious Coalition for Reproductive Freedom and Apna Ghar, a Chicago-based group advocating for Southeast Asian women’s rights. Patel’s defense is expected to file an appeal. Previously: How can Indiana jail a woman for decades for a stillbirth? ||||| ST. JOSEPH COUNTY - A frantic but careful search through dumpsters for a missing newborn. Jurors heard testimony about that search from a doctor and five police officers Tuesday in day three of Purvi Patel’s feticide and neglect trial. Jurors also saw disturbing pictures of the baby at the center of the trial. Patel is accused of taking pills to abort the infant, then putting it in a dumpster behind a restaurant her family owns. The state put those pictures up on a projector screen. The baby had a full head of hair, ears, a nose, arms, legs and feet. It was lying on its side on top of a plastic bag. Jurors seemed somewhat stoic; a few appeared to have tears in their eyes. Patel quietly cried while the doctor who unwrapped that baby from plastic bags testified he thought the infant looked “normal” and could have been born alive. That obstetrician testified he was called in to St. Joseph Regional Medical Center on July 13, 2013 to give a second opinion on Patel – who was admitted to the labor and delivery unit bleeding with a protruding umbilical cord. “This was not a simple miscarriage,” testified Dr. Kelly McGuire. ”I drew a conclusion that there should have been a baby at the end of the umbilical cord.” McGuire told jurors he called police and found out Patel told another doctor she’d put the baby in a dumpster behind Super Target in Mishawaka. Then, McGuire rushed there in his own car. “I thought time was of the essence and if they found the baby then potentially I could help with the resuscitation if needed,” he testified. “Did you believe this baby could still be alive?” asked deputy prosecuting attorney Mark Roule. “Yes,” McGuire replied. While McGuire and several police officers carefully searched dumpsters, a St. Joseph County officer testified he was at Patel’s Granger home. Patel's father answered the door and let officers inside. Police say they explained to them why they were there -- looking for the baby. That officer told jurors they found blood droplets upstairs and some other bloody evidence, so they asked the family to leave because the house was potentially a crime scene. The officer testified he saw a yellow SUV in the driveway of the home with the words “Moe’s Southwest Grill” on it. He advised others over the radio to search dumpsters there and that’s where police ultimately found the infant, wrapped in plastic bags. “I concluded that the baby was dead. The baby was cold and lifeless but I thought it was an otherwise normal, healthy appearing baby. There were no other signs of trauma to the baby,” Dr. McGuire said. McGuire also testified, based on his 15 years experience delivering babies and the size of Patel’s umbilical cord and uterus, he gave a “rough estimate” that the baby was about 30 weeks gestation – about 10 weeks premature. He also told jurors he would expect a baby that age to exhibit signs of life when it was born, such as movement and possibly crying, but he also noted the baby would need medical care in order to have a chance of survival. The jury also heard from police who searched the dumpsters – including the officer who found the baby. “You could immediately see paper towels, paper products, cloth products that had blood all over them. When (the doctor) first opened the bag that’s when I was able to see the infant,” testified St. Joseph County Police Officer Neil Hoover. “(The doctor) removed a napkin or maxi pad off the forehead or face of the baby...he tried to check it for any signs of life. The baby itself was almost a grayish-blue in color. It had no signs of life.” A crime scene technician also testified he found a United Airlines boarding pass with Purvi Patel’s name on it next to the infant. The trial is expected to last at least through the end of this week. ||||| PRESS RELEASE, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, March 30, 2015 Contact:Lynn Paltrow, (212) 255-9252; Kathrine Jack, Indiana Counsel (317) 477-2300; Sara Ainsworth, NAPW (212) 255-9252 NATIONAL ADVOCATES FOR PREGNANT WOMEN DECRIES PURVI PATEL SENTENCE OF 20+ YEARS First Conviction and Sentence for the Crime of Feticide Because a Woman Sought to Terminate Her Own Pregnancy South Bend, Indiana: Today, a St. Joseph County judge sentenced Purvi Patel to more than 20 years for the crimes of feticide and neglect of a dependent. While Patel consistently maintained that she experienced a miscarriage, prosecutors claimed that she attempted to terminate her own pregnancy but gave birth to a baby who she then neglected and allowed to die. Today's sentence followed from the court's decision to allow Indiana's feticide law to be used as a mechanism for prosecuting women who attempt to terminate a pregnancy and from the prosecution's use of discredited and invalid scientific testimony to persuade the jury that the baby had been born alive. National Advocates for Pregnant Women (NAPW) Executive Director Lynn Paltrow expressed deep disappointment at the extreme sentence: "While no woman should face criminal charges for having an abortion or experiencing a pregnancy loss, the cruel length of this sentence confirms that feticide and other measures promoted by anti-abortion organizations are intended to punish not protect women." Ms. Patel is not the first woman in the U.S. to have been arrested and charged with a crime for terminating her own pregnancy or based on allegations that she had attempted to do so. This case, however, is the first time any woman has been charged, convicted, and sentenced for the crime of feticide for having attempted to end her own pregnancy. ### ||||| A judge sentenced a northern Indiana woman Monday to 20 years in prison after saying she had abused her position of trust when she gave birth prematurely, threw the baby in the trash and then lied to hospital personnel about giving birth. "The crux of this case lies in the choices you made after you delivered that baby and you realized the outcome was different than you hoped it would be or expected it would be," St. Joseph Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Hurley said. Prosecutors argued that 33-year-old Purvi Patel of Granger, a suburb of South Bend, took drugs from China to end the pregnancy, saying she found that more convenient than having a medical abortion. Defense attorney Jeff Sanford said prosecutors never proved she took any drug to end the pregnancy and said his client has been vilified. "I don't think Miss Patel is the monster she's portrayed to be," Sanford said. Patel was found guilty in February of neglect of a baby whose body was found on July 14, 2013, in a trash bin behind her family's restaurant in Mishawaka and of feticide, which in Indiana is defined as knowingly or intentionally terminating a pregnancy with an intention other than to produce a live birth. Chief Deputy Prosecutor Mark Roule asked Hurley to sentence Patel to 30 years on the neglect charge and 10 years on the feticide, saying she failed to seek medical help when the baby was born alive. "The mother did nothing but leave him on the floor to die and threw him in the trash," he said. Patel declined to speak when given the opportunity by Hurley. Sanford asked Hurley to depend on a letter Patel had written showing her remorse. Hurley sentenced her to 30 years on the neglect charge, suspending the final 10 years, and ordered her to serve a concurrent six-year sentence on the feticide conviction. She also was ordered to serve five years' probation. Hurley said she didn't find any aggravating factor in the feticide and said Patel's lack of a criminal background was a mitigating factor. But she said was troubled by Patel's decisions and said an aggravating factor was Patel's "treatment of the child literally as a piece of trash." "You, Miss Patel, are an educated woman of considerable means. If you wished to terminate your pregnancy safely and legally, you could have done so," Hurley said. "You planned a course of action and took matters into your own hands and chose not to go to a doctor." Patel nodded yes when Hurley asked her if she plans to appeal her conviction. Patel entered the courthouse wearing a scarf around her face as she tried to avoid television cameras. After the verdict was handed down, she hugged her parents, who were crying, and left the courtroom handcuffed. Sanford declined comment on the sentence. Associated Press ||||| Purvi Patel faces between six and 20 years in prison but critics say ‘no woman should be arrested for the outcome of her pregnancy’ A 33-year-old woman from Indiana, has been charged with the feticide and fetal murder of her unborn child after she endured a premature delivery and sought hospital treatment. Purvi Patel faces between six and 20 years in prison for feticide and up to 50 years imprisonment for neglect of a dependent when she goes to trial, currently scheduled for 29 September. She is the second woman in Indiana to be charged with feticide following the prolonged criminal prosecution of Bei Bei Shuai, who lost her baby when she tried to kill herself. Women’s rights advocates see the decision by prosecutors of St Joseph County, Indiana, to apply feticide laws against Patel as part of the creeping criminalization of pregnancy in America. At least 38 of the 50 states have introduced fetal homicide laws intended to protect the unborn child and in a growing number of states – including Alabama, Mississippi and South Carolina – those laws have been turned against mothers. Lynn Paltrow of the group National Advocates for Pregnant Women said that “once again prosecutors in Indiana are using this very sad situation to establish that intentional abortions as well as unintentional pregnancy losses should be punished as crimes. In the US, as a matter of constitutional law and human decency, no woman should be arrested for the outcome of her pregnancy.” Kathrine Jack, an Indiana attorney and activist who is following the Patel case closely, said that the state’s feticide law had never been intended to apply to pregnant women. It was initially framed to catch illegal abortion providers, and later expanded to include men who domestically abused their pregnant partners. “To use feticide charges in this way is bad for public health. Women will become afraid to go to their doctors for fear of arrest,” Jack said. Legal documents lodged with the St Joseph superior court record that Patel was first charged with endangering the life of a dependent. On 13 July 2013 she turned up at the ER room in St Joseph hospital in Mishawaka, Indiana, bleeding from her vagina. The court documents allege that she initially denied that she had given birth but later told medical staff that she had delivered a baby at home but believed that it was dead. She said she put the dead body in a bag and placed it in a dumpster behind a local store. The body of a premature baby was found shortly afterwards in a dumpster at that location. Police homicide detectives subsequently interrogated Patel and carried out searches under warrant of her home and mobile phone. They allege that they found text messages between the defendant and a friend in which Patel discussed her pregnancy and admitted obtaining drugs from Hong Kong that she took in an attempt to abort the baby. The two charges that Patel now faces – the initial count of neglect of a dependent, and the new charge of feticide – appear to be legally contradictory. Under Indiana law, a woman can only be convicted of neglecting a dependent if it can be proved that she gave birth to a live baby. By contrast, feticide requires the baby to have been born dead. Its definition in Indiana law is that the woman “knowingly or intentionally terminates a human pregnancy with an intention other than to produce a live birth or to remove a dead fetus”. Asked about this apparent contradiction, Patel’s lawyer, Jeffrey Sanford, said: “I don’t think the state can prove a live birth.” In a pre-trial court hearing on Tuesday, Sanford asked for a delay in the trial date to give his team more time to prepare a defence against the new feticide charge. The contentious legal issue of whether women can be held criminally liable for the outcome of their pregnancies remains unsettled in Indiana law following the resolution of the Bei Bei Shuai case. Shuai, a migrant to the US from China, spent more than a year in jail awaiting trial for murder and feticide following the death of her baby, Angel, who was born after Shuai took rat poison in a suicide attempt. In August 2013, prosecutors agreed to reduce the charges to criminal recklessness, and Shuai was released from jail on time served having pleaded guilty. The outcome failed to resolve any of the pressing legal and constitutional questions that were raised by the case. Sue Ellen Braunlin, an Indiana doctor who is co-president of the state’s Religious Coalition for Reproductive Justice, said that the treatment of what happened to Patel and her baby as a criminal matter “feels like an intrusion of law enforcement into the realm of healthcare. This is a distortion of the law.” ||||| Purvi Patel is taken into custody after being sentenced to 20 years in prison for feticide and neglect of a dependent on March 30 at the St. Joseph County Courthouse in South Bend, Ind. Patel was found guilty in February of neglect of a baby whose body was found two years ago in a trash bin behind her family’s restaurant in Mishawaka. (Robert Franklin/South Bend Tribune via AP) This post has been updated. When Purvi Patel showed up in the St. Joseph Regional Medical Center’s maternity ward, bleeding and showing a protruding umbilical cord, Dr. Kelly McGuire immediately knew something was wrong. “There should have been a baby at the end of the umbilical cord,” he testified in an Indiana court room. McGuire, who is obligated to report cases of suspected child abuse, called the police, he told PRI. Informed that officials were heading to her home, Patel told her doctors that she’d had a miscarriage and had left her stillborn fetus in a dumpster behind a shopping center. Still in his hospital scrubs, McGuire followed police cars to the scene and examined the fetus, which he pronounced dead on arrival. Patel was charged with child neglect, and later with killing her fetus, and on Monday she was sentenced to 20 consecutive years in prison. The verdict makes Patel the first woman in the U.S. to be charged, convicted and sentenced for “feticide” for ending her own pregnancy, according to the group National Advocates for Pregnant Women (“NAPW”). Though Patel said she had had a miscarriage, she was found guilty of taking illegal abortion drugs. The Indiana statute under which Patel was convicted bans “knowingly or intentionally terminat[ing] a human pregnancy” with any intention other than producing a live birth, removing a dead fetus or performing a legal abortion. Monday’s sentencing brought an end to Patel’s trial, but it may be only the beginning of the public debate about the details of her case. Patel’s conviction has many pro-choice activists alarmed that feticide laws, initially passed as a means of protecting pregnant women from providers of dangerous illegal abortions and other sources of harm, are now being used against them. “Prosecutors in Indiana are using this very sad situation to establish that intentional abortions as well as unintentional pregnancy losses should be punished as crimes,” Lynn Paltrow, executive director for NAPW, told the Guardian in August of 2014. “… No woman should be arrested for the outcome of her pregnancy.” According to local CNN affiliate WSBT, Patel, a 33-year-old from a family of Indian immigrants in South Bend, Ind., told a police detective she had been aware of her pregnancy for three weeks when she left work early because of cramping back in July 2013. Eventually the pain sent her into the bathroom, where “it all came out,” she said. Among the blood, she found her fetus, which looked lifeless. She tried to open the baby’s mouth and resuscitate it, but was unsuccessful. When asked why she didn’t call 911, Patel said she was in shock at the amount of blood she was losing. Because she “didn’t know what else to do,” she put the body in a plastic bag and took it to a dumpster, then showed up at the emergency room of St. Joseph Regional Medical Center. Later in her interview with the detective, Patel said she didn’t want her parents, who are strict Hindus, finding out. “About the encounter with [the father] or about tonight?” the detective asked. “All of it,” she replied. Though Patel said her baby died in a miscarriage, prosecutors argued that she had attempted to induce her own abortion, basing their argument on text messages found on Patel’s phone in which she told a friend she was taking abortion drugs online. But a toxicologist was unable to find evidence of drugs in Patel’s or her baby’s body. Meanwhile, prosecutors pursued a second charge of child neglect, arguing that Patel’s baby had been born alive. McGuire, the doctor who examined the fetus when it was first found by police, said that the baby was about 30 weeks old and could probably have survived after birth. A pathologist for the prosecution also testified that the baby’s lungs passed a “floating test” — the science of which has been contested — indicating that the baby had drawn breath. Patel’s defense attorney, along with plenty of commenters in the media, argued that the prosecution couldn’t simultaneously accuse Patel of killing her unborn child and of abandoning a living one. “It really should have to be one or the other. … That the jury convicted Patel of two crimes when only one was possible suggests that this was an attempt to punish Patel for failing to meet a social ideal of pregnancy more than any actual crime,” Amanda Marcotte wrote in Slate after Patel’s conviction. But Indiana prosecutor Ken Cotter said that a person can be found guilty of feticide even if the fetus survives, and Judge Elizabeth Hurley ultimately rejected the defense’s argument. A jury found Patel guilty on both counts in early February, though Patel’s attorney plans to appeal the verdict. At the sentencing Monday, Hurley said that Patel was in a position to legally end her pregnancy, but opted for an illegal method, and later “ensured that baby’s death by placing him in the trash can with the other bathroom trash.” The decision has activists like Sara Ainsworth, director of legal advocacy at National Advocates for Pregnant Women, worried that women will be less likely to seek out doctors in cases of abortions or miscarriages. “Indiana should not join these countries where young pregnant girls are committing suicide at alarming rates; pregnant women are avoiding medical care for fear that any problem in pregnancy will be reported to law enforcement; and mothers are not only going to jail for having abortions, but also for suffering miscarriages and stillbirths,” she said in a statement after Patel was charged. David Orentlicher, a medical ethics specialist and former Indiana state representative, echoed that fear. “Any time a pregnant woman does something that can harm a fetus, now she has to worry, ‘Am I going to be charged with attempted feticide?’” he told PRI. “If you discourage pregnant women from getting prenatal care, you’re not helping fetuses, you’re harming fetuses.” More from Morning Mix: Getty heir, Andrew Getty, found dead in latest tragedy for famous family Singer-songwriter hospitalized after being found unconscious ||||| / Updated / Source: NBC News By Jennifer Chowdhury On Monday, the state of Indiana sentenced 33-year-old Purvi Patel to 20 years in prison on charges of feticide - an act that causes the death of a fetus - and neglect of a dependent. She received a 30-year-sentence on the felony neglect charge, 10 of which were suspended. A six-year sentence for feticide will be served concurrently. Patel is the first woman in the U.S. to be charged, convicted and sentenced on a feticide charge. Reproductive rights activists are outraged. “What this conviction means is that anti-abortion laws will be used to punish pregnant woman,” says Lynn Paltrow, Executive Director for National Advocates for Pregnant Women. Patel was arrested in July 2013 after she went to the emergency room, bleeding heavily, at St. Joseph Hospital in Mishawaka, Indiana. Despite initially denying the pregnancy, Patel eventually admitted to medical authorities that she had a miscarriage and threw the stillborn fetus in a dumpster. According to Sue Ellen Braunlin, doctor and co-president of the Indiana Religious Coalition for Reproductive Justice, Purvi was most likely 23-24 weeks pregnant, although prosecutors argued Patel was 25 weeks along in the state's opening argument. The prosecution confirmed on Monday that the baby died within seconds of being born. Patel's lawyers argued that she panicked when she realized she was in labor. Patel comes from a conservative Hindu family that looks down on sex outside marriage, and the pregnancy was a result of an affair Patel had with her co-worker. “Purvi Patel's conviction amounts to punishment for having a miscarriage and then seeking medical care, something that no woman should worry would lead to jail time,” said Deepa Iyer, Activist-in-Residence at the University of Maryland's Asian American Studies Program and former director of South Asian Americans Leading Together. Despite Patel’s claim that she gave birth to a stillborn child, prosecutors argued that Patel gave birth to a live fetus and charged her with child neglect. Prosecutors also claimed that Patel ordered abortion-inducing drugs online and tried to terminate her pregnancy, but a toxicology report failed to find evidence of any drugs in her system. “Instead of receiving the medical support and counseling she so desperately needed, the state charged her with murder and attempted feticide." Patel is the first woman to be sentenced under Indiana’s feticide laws but she isn’t the first woman to be charged. In 2011, Bei Bei Shuai, a Chinese American-woman, was held in prison for a year before feticide charges against her were dropped as part of a plea deal. Shuai was reportedly suffering from depression and tried to commit suicide while pregnant. She survived, but the fetus did not. “Instead of receiving the medical support and counseling [Shuai] so desperately needed, the state charged her with murder and attempted feticide,” said Iyer. Iyer says that the fact that the only two women charged with infanticide are Asian American is important to note because women of color often lack access to basic health care, counseling, and other reproductive health resources. “Immigrant women of color, such as Bei Bei and Purvi, remain vulnerable to the exploitation of laws like these in a myriad of ways, as we have seen in how they have been treated by the state of Indiana,” said Iyer. “The cultural issues that the prosecution decided to drag into this case reflect stereotypes about Asian-American women and reproductive health which may not necessarily be true in this case.” The Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law’s 2013 study on arrests and forced interventions on pregnant women in the U.S. found that approximately 71 percent were low-income women and 59 percent were women of color.

– On Monday, 33-year-old Purvi Patel became the first US woman to be "charged, convicted, and sentenced for the crime of feticide for having attempted to end her own pregnancy," according to a press release issued by National Advocates for Pregnant Women. In its report, the Washington Post notes that while the 20-year sentence she is due to serve "brought an end to Patel’s trial ... it may be only the beginning of the public debate about the details of her case." The case began in July 2013, when Patel went to St. Joseph Hospital in Mishawaka, Indiana, bleeding and with a protruding umbilical cord, a doctor testified. Patel later revealed that she had a miscarriage and had left the fetus, which she says was stillborn, in a dumpster. Prosecutors argued the baby was born alive, hence the child neglect charge. The feticide charge (which PRI frames as "normally used against those who harm pregnant women") was based on text messages Patel sent indicating she had taken drugs purchased from China in an attempt to abort her fetus, reports the AP; tests showed no such drugs in her or the fetus, however. She was in February found guilty on both counts, though many have argued the two charges were "legally contradictory." PRI reports that the gestational age of the fetus was fiercely debated at the trial. Her defense argued it was at most 24 weeks old, and would not have survived even with medical intervention; NBC News reports prosecutors argued she was 25 weeks along in their opening statement, and the aforementioned doctor testified that he thought the fetus was as many as 30 weeks. Patel indicated she would appeal. (In Indiana, a man was charged with attempted feticide after police say he spiked a woman's drink with special herbs.)

The oldest prisoner on death row in Texas was executed tonight. Lester Bower Jr. received a lethal dose of pentobarbital for killing four people in an airplane hangar on a ranch about 60 miles from Dallas in 1983. He was executed hours after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected an appeal from his lawyers. "Much has been said about this case,” he said while strapped to the death chamber gurney. “Much has been written about this case. Not all if it has been the truth. But the time for discerning truth is over and it's time to move on.” The Associated Press reported Bower snored quietly half a dozen times after receiving the injection and then stopped moving. He was pronounced dead 18 minutes later. Bower, 67, has maintained his innocence, saying the men were alive when he left after buying an airplane. Prosecutors said he wanted to buy the airplane from one of the men, but in an attempt to hide the purchase from his wife, he went to the hangar and stole it. Tony Gutierrez/AP Photo PHOTO: Trial evidence that was used in the case against Lester Leroy Bower is shown in the Grayson County District Clerk's office Wednesday, July 2, 2008, in Sherman, Texas. Bower initially lied to his wife and investigators. He later admitted that he had been to the ranch where the four victims -- Bob Tate, Philip Good, Jerry Brown and Ronald Mayes -- were found. Good was a sheriff's deputy and Mayes was a former police officer. Parts of the plane were later found in his home and he was unable to produce a receipt for the airplane. Bower is the eighth inmate in Texas to be executed this year. Texas Department of Criminal Justice PHOTO: Texas death row inmate Lester Leroy Bower is pictured in an undated booking photo from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The Associated Press contributed to this report. ||||| Lester Bower in an undated picture released by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. (Reuters) UPDATE: Texas executed Bower on Wednesday evening. A state official said that Bower was pronounced dead at 6:36 p.m. local time. Bower was the 15th inmate executed in the United States this year, and more than half of those executions took place in Texas. On Wednesday, the state of Texas plans to do something it has been trying to do for decades: Execute Lester Bower. Bower, 67, has spent nearly half of his life on death row. He was convicted of shooting and killing a man while attempting to steal an ultralight plane that the man was trying to sell in 1983, and then fatally shooting three other men when they unexpectedly showed up at the aircraft hangar, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. His attorneys argue that Bower was convicted due to circumstantial evidence, and that since his trial, new evidence has emerged undermining the prosecution that sent Bower to death row. “This is a case in which there is a significant lingering doubt regarding guilt or innocence,” his attorneys argued in a filing last week. The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday afternoon denied his requests for a stay of execution, with the full court rejecting his requests without explanation. Attorneys for Bower also pointed to other arguments that they hope will keep Bower from the execution chamber, including an issue involving his sentencing. Bower’s execution had been scheduled for Feb. 10, but the week before, the Supreme Court granted his request for a stay while it considered whether to hear his case. In March, the justices decided against hearing the appeal and lifted the stay. [Nebraska just became the 19th state to abolish the death penalty] After the court said it would not hear the case, Justice Stephen Breyer wrote in a dissent that the court should hear it because of the sentencing issue. When Bower was convicted, the jury helping decide his sentence did not consider potentially mitigating evidence, something the Supreme Court later said was unconstitutional. As a result, Beyer says this should allow for a new sentencing hearing for Bower. “I recognize that we do not often intervene only to correct a case-specific legal error,” Breyer wrote in the dissent, which was joined by two other justices, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor. “But the error here is glaring, and its consequence may well be death.” Bower’s attorneys have also argued that his long stint on death row should help him avoid lethal injection. The average death row inmate in Texas spends a decade there, while death row inmates nationwide have spent an average of 14 years under their sentences. Bower, earlier this year. (Michael Graczyk/AP) If Bower is executed, he will be the oldest inmate executed in Texas history. And his 30 years on death row will make him the second-longest-serving inmate put to death by Texas, trailing only David Lee Powell, executed in 2010 after 31 years on death row for shooting and killing a police officer during a traffic stop. Texas state officials have argued against granting Bower a reprieve, saying that because Bower has been fighting his looming execution in the courts for so long, his lengthy tenure on death row “is purely of his own making.” “Bower’s claims are nothing more than a meritless attempt to postpone his execution,” the office of Ken Paxton, attorney general of Texas, said in a filing to the Supreme Court. “The families of the victims of Bower’s quadruple murder have been waiting to see Bower’s sentence carried out for over thirty years now.” In another filing, Paxton’s office wrote: “Bower already had his bite at the apple, and a second bite is not warranted.” [Americans support the death penalty, are pretty sure innocent people can get put to death] Nationwide, there were nearly 3,000 inmates on death row at the end of 2013, according to federal statistics. One in eight had spent at least a quarter of a century on death row. The country’s death row population has shrunk considerably since 2000, with more people leaving death row than arriving each year, but not because more people were being executed. In fact, the United States has been carrying out fewer and fewer executions since that time, reaching a 20-year low last year. Consider 2013. There were 115 inmates removed from state and federal death rows that year. Most left death row because a court overturned their sentences or convictions, while almost as many inmates died from other causes (31) as were executed (39). A federal judge in California last year called that state’s death penalty system unconstitutional and “completely dysfunctional.” U.S. District Judge Cormac J. Carney wrote in a stern order that the state’s system is so riddled with delays that death sentences are “actually carried out against only a trivial few of those sentenced to death.” In that case, Carney was writing about an inmate sentenced to death two decades earlier. Carney said that executing the inmate so long after his sentencing violated the Eighth Amendment’s ban against cruel and unusual punishment. California and Texas, along with Florida, have the largest death row populations in the country. This post was first published on June 2. It has been updated with news that the Supreme Court rejected the stay requests. ||||| Death row inmate Lester Bower is seen in an undated picture released by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in Huntsville, Texas. AUSTIN, Texas Texas on Wednesday executed Lester Bower, one of the longest-serving inmates on the state's death row who had said he was wrongly convicted of killing four men in 1983 and had spent three decades trying to halt his capital punishment. Bower was pronounced dead at 6:36 p.m. CDT after being given a lethal injection at the state's death chamber in Huntsville, a prisons official said. A former chemical salesman with two children, Bower became the oldest death row inmate put to death in Texas since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976. The state has executed 526 people in the period, the most of any state. A few hours before the execution, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a last-minute appeal filed by lawyers for Bower, who had already faced imminent execution six times, according to court papers. "Much has been written about this case, not all of it has been the truth. But the time is over and now it is time to move on. I want to thank my attorneys for all that they have done. They have afforded me the last quarter of a century," he was quoted as saying in a last statement by prisons officials. Lawyers have made numerous appeals questioning his conviction with no incriminating fingerprints found at the crime scene, no murder weapon recovered and no witness to the crime. He was found guilty of killing contractor Bob Tate, former police officer Ronald Mayes, sheriff's deputy Philip Good and interior designer Jerry Brown in a deal for a $4,000 ultra-light airplane that went bad. Prosecutors said Bower killed Tate to steal the airplane Tate was selling and then killed the other three when they unexpectedly showed up at the hangar. Investigators said they found parts from Tate's airplane at Bower's residence and that he had made calls to Tate. They said Bower, who also sold firearms, had acquired a gun and exotic ammunition similar to what was used in the killings. In an interview published this week in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Bower, who had no criminal record prior to his arrest, said he did not commit the crimes and was wrongly convicted. "What's more, I feel we have had a reasonable number of people come forward with credible stories to say I did not commit these murders," the newspaper quoted him as saying. (Reporting by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Bill Trott and Sandra Maler) ||||| Lester Bower became the oldest prisoner executed by Texas in the modern era on Wednesday after the US supreme court rejected the 67-year-old’s last-day appeal. Bower spent 31 years on death row after being convicted of killing four men at an aircraft hangar near Dallas in 1983. He has always maintained his innocence and had appeals pending for the vast majority of his three decades behind bars. After six previous stays of execution, he finally ran out of options and was put to death with a lethal dose of the sedative pentobarbital at the state penitentiary in Huntsville, near Houston. “Much has been written about this case, not all of it has been the truth,” Bower said in his final statement, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. “But the time is over and now it is time to move on. I want to thank my attorneys for all that they have done. They have afforded me the last quarter of a century. “I would like to thank my wife, my daughters, family and friends for unwavering support, and all of the letters and well wishes over the years. Now it is time to pass on. I have fought the good fight, I held the faith. I am not going to say goodbye, I will simply say until we meet again. I love you very, very much. Thank you warden.” Bower is the eighth Texas prisoner executed this year using compounded pentobarbital from an unknown source. Legal challenges and problems finding suitable drugs have restricted the death penalty’s application to all but five states in 2015. Only Texas and Missouri have carried out executions since Warren Hill died in Georgia on 27 January. Texas, though, has another four executions scheduled between 18 June and 6 October. Since 1976, when capital punishment was reinstated in the US, nine prisoners have been on death row in Texas longer than Bower but only David Powell, executed in 2010 after 32 years, has been killed by the state after serving more time there. Bower argued that he was innocent, that the duration of his stay amounted to cruel and unusual punishment that violated the US constitution and that jurors were improperly prevented from taking his previously unblemished character into account during the his sentencing. At the time of the crime, he was a married and college-educated chemicals salesman with two children and no criminal record. Prosecutors said he killed Bob Tate, Jerry Brown, Philip Good and Ronald Mayes while stealing an ultralight aircraft he had agreed to buy for about $4,500 (£3,000). They were shot in the head at close range. Bower said he tried to keep his planned purchase of the aircraft a secret from his wife because she would have disapproved. He initially lied to investigators about his connection to it and the men. But there was no hard evidence linking him to the crime scene, the weapon was not recovered and witnesses came forward in later years who said that he had nothing to do with the murders. Witness statements and documents cited in Bower’s appeals suggested the killings stemmed from a drug deal that went wrong, which was one of the investigation’s early theories until they settled on Bower. But prosecutors insisted in court filings that they had the right man. In an interview with the Guardian last week, Bower said that the nature of the legal system meant it was very difficult for death row prisoners to earn a new trial or lesser punishment without strong evidence of innocence or serious prosecutorial misconduct, even if appeals and investigations raise questions about the fairness of the original trial. In 2012, a state judge wrote that evidence that might have persuaded the original jury of Bower’s innocence was not good enough to earn him a fresh trial. In denying an appeal, James Fallon said that though Bower’s latest evidence “could conceivably have produced a different result at trial, it does not prove by clear and convincing evidence that [Bower] is actually innocent”. Bower said prosecution claims at the original trial that his attorneys had since debunked have lingered all the same, casting an unfair shadow over his attempts to clear his name. “Once it gets in the record you can’t get it out. Like a bad case of termites, you just can’t get rid of it,” he said. “I don’t think there’s anything that I can tell people other than that it’s been shown there are innocent people who are coming off death row all the time.”

– More than 30 years after Lester Bower was sentenced to die for a quadruple murder, Texas has finally carried out the sentence. The 67-year-old, the oldest prisoner on the state's death row, was executed hours after the Supreme Court rejected an appeal, ABC News reports. Prosecutors said that in 1983, Bower shot contractor Bob Tate to steal an ultralight aircraft, then killed three other men who unexpectedly arrived at the hangar, reports Reuters. But Bower always maintained his innocence, and his execution was stayed six times, most recently in February. "Much has been written about this case, not all of it has been the truth," he said in his final statement. "But the time is over and now it is time to move on." He was pronounced dead at 6:36pm yesterday. When Bower was arrested, he was working as a chemical salesman, had no criminal record, and was married with two daughters. In his appeals, his lawyers argued that there was no hard evidence connecting him to the crime and the killings had actually occurred after a drug deal gone wrong, the Guardian reports. His lawyers also argued that the long time Bower spent on death row constituted cruel and unusual punishment, but state officials countered that his claims were a "meritless attempt to postpone his execution" and the length of time on death row was "purely of his own making" because he had spent so long fighting his conviction in the courts, reports the Washington Post. (In 2010, a 94-year-old death row inmate in Arizona died of old age.)

For months, investigators at Microsoft Corp. hunkered down in front of their computer monitors, patiently stalking the shadowy figures behind what the company says is a major Web ad-fraud machine. Then, on Thursday, they pounced. Armed with a court order and law enforcement help overseas, the team took steps to cut off communication links to European-based servers considered the mega-brain for an army of zombie computers known as... ||||| Microsoft and law enforcement agencies said Thursday that they disrupted a botnet that defrauded online advertisers of US$2.7 million a month but that the malicious network hasn’t been completely eliminated. The “ZeroAccess” botnet infected computers with malicious software that interfered with search results in a browser, directing people to websites where cybercriminals profited from bogus clicks on ads, according to a news release. Microsoft, working with A10 Networks, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Europol, the European Union’s law enforcement agency, said they did not expect to completely stop the botnet due to its complexity. As it has done in other botnet interventions, Microsoft filed a civil suit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas against eight unnamed “John Doe” defendants. The lawsuit, filed on Nov. 25, alleges that the defendants also used the infected computers to commit identify theft and DDoS (distributed denial-of-service) attacks. A notice announcing the lawsuit is written in both English and Russian, indicating the suspected language of some of the accused. Online advertiser spend hit $20.1 billion in the U.S. in the first half of this year, according to the lawsuit. The industry’s “size and rapid growth combined with its highly technical and organizational complexity has made online advertising a rich environment for cybercriminals,” the suit said. In click-fraud scams, advertisers end up paying for bogus clicks generated by software. The traffic from infected computers is sold by cybercriminals to other people running websites, who benefit by collecting fraudulent advertising revenue. The U.S. federal court allowed Microsoft and investigators to block communication between the botnet and U.S.-based computers and take control of 49 domain names used by the botnet. Europol, working with Latvia, Luxembourg, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Germany, executed search warrants and seizure orders on various computers related to 18 IP addresses connected with ZeroAccess. As many as 1.9 million computers were infected with the botnet code in October, Microsoft said, citing research from the University of California at San Diego. About 800,000 computers infected with ZeroAccess are active on the Internet on a given day. ZeroAccess disables security software on a computer, making it difficult to remove, Microsoft said. Microsoft has published general instructions for how people can keep their computer free of malware.

– A major hacking operation involving a worldwide "army of zombie computers" hit a snag yesterday when the FBI, Europol, and Microsoft teamed up to shut it down. A months-long investigation by Microsoft found the ZeroAccess botnet infecting some 2 million computers with malware that generated bogus clicks on ads, netting criminals $2.7 million a month from online advertisers. Microsoft cut connections between infected machines in the US and European-based servers, while Europol seized servers tied to 18 IP addresses in Latvia, Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, the Wall Street Journal reports. "These aren't just kids operating in their parent's basement," explains an advertising technology exec. "What we have here are organized crime groups in foreign countries targeting the ad world." Microsoft's Digital Crimes Unit spent months studying ZeroAccess in a Redmond, Washington, lab, learning that the botnet isn't controlled by a dedicated server, but can respond to commands issued by any infected computer. But even after Microsoft's move, which included filing a civil suit against eight "John Doe" defendants, ZeroAccess isn't necessarily dead for good, notes PC World. Investigators didn't expect to stop the botnet completely, and a previous attack by Symantec only disrupted the operation. "If we can't put the bad guys in jail," says a Microsoft investigator, "at least we can take away some of their money."

A recently released video shows the dramatic testimony of a domestic violence victim emotionally pleading with a judge as she is sentenced to jail time for ignoring a subpoena to appear at her alleged abuser's trial. On July 30, when the video was taken, the mother of a 1-year-old child appeared before Judge Jerri Collins in a Seminole County courtroom for a contempt of court hearing. "Your honor, I'm very sorry for not attending the last one," she said through tears. "I've been dealing with depression and just a lot personally since this happened. My anxiety is like, this is everyday for me." According to court documents, the victim was holding her child inside a Florida residence April 2 when the child's father allegedly choked her and grabbed a kitchen knife. He was arrested. In a statement, the State Attorney's Office said the man accused in the case had a prior domestic violence battery conviction. Court documents said that in June, the woman was served with a subpoena to appear in court for the July 22 trial. She did not appear. During that July 30 contempt of court hearing, the woman said she had gone to a domestic abuse class and had asked for the charges to be dropped. The woman said, in her defense during the hearing, that she did not want the alleged abuser to be convicted because when he'd been jailed previously, he'd lost his job and had been unable to pay child support. She said she'd lost her house and was now homeless. "We're trying to separate. ... I'm trying to move on with my life. ... I'm living at my parents' house. ... I had to sell everything I owned. I'm just not in a good place right now," she said. The judge found her in contempt of court and sentenced her to three days in jail. "You were required to be here by a court order," Collins said before issuing her decision. "You disobeyed a court order, knowing that this was not going to turn out well for the state." According to the Department of Justice, victims' refusal to cooperate is "the prime reason prosecutors drop or dismiss domestic violence cases." On the video, the victim can be heard wailing as she is handcuffed. "Judge, I'll do anything. ... I have a 1-year-old son and I'm trying to take care of him by myself. I'm begging you, please, please don't," she said. The State Attorney's Office said in a statement that domestic violence victims' cooperation with the criminal justice system was "integral" to the successful prosecution of abuse crimes. "The case was poised for trial and a jury was sworn. The victim refused to attend court the day of trial, going so far as to tell the State Attorney's Office that she didn't care if she was arrested as a result of her not complying with the court's subpoena. The victim's decision to thwart the court process by refusing to cooperate, despite a properly issued subpoena for her to appear in court, triggered the State to pursue an Order to Show Cause against her, and the Court's subsequent sentence," the office said. The State Attorney's Office said the alleged abuser had received 16 days in jail for simple battery and was ordered to pay court costs. Jeanne Gold, the CEO of SafeHouse, an organization that offers shelter to abuse victims, said she'd approached Collins after the hearing in July and had told the judge the victim should have been given community service, not jail time. She believes the judge went too far. "There's no -- absolutely nothing that I could think of that would be the reason to re-victimize this person by putting her in jail, and so I don't understand where that thinking came from," Gold told ABC News. The victim has since left the alleged abuser and continues to live with her parents. ||||| Channel 9 has obtained video from a Seminole County courtroom where an emotional domestic violence victim was sentenced to three days in jail for failing to show up for her abuser's trial. During her contempt of court hearing in July, the woman told the judge she had been having anxiety for months after she was attacked by the father of her child. She said she told the state's victim's advocate that she wanted to drop the charges and move on with her life rather than testify, but she was still called in to court. After she failed to show, she received no pity from the judge during the brief hearing. "You need to tell the court why I should not hold you in contempt of court, I can sentence you to jail," Judge Jerri Collins said . Raw: Judge sends domestic violence victim to jail "I just, things were..." the sobbing woman said. "Why didn't you show up to court?" Collins asked. "I'm just, my anxiety, and I'm just..." the woman replied. "You think you're going to have anxiety now? You haven't even seen anxiety," Collins told the woman. "I know," the woman said. "Those statements you told to the police on the day of this incident, is it true? The incident that happened on April 2, is it true?" "Yes," the woman said. "Then why wouldn't you come to testify?" Collins asked. In April, the woman called for help after she said the father of her child choked her and grabbed a kitchen knife. Channel 9 found that the man has a past domestic violence conviction. The state was pushing for a conviction. "I'm just not in a good place right now," the woman told the judge during the contempt hearing. "And violating your court order did not do anything for you. I find you in contempt of court. I hereby sentence you to three days in the county jail," Collins said. Channel 9's Karla Ray showed the courtroom video to Jeanne Gold. Gold is the CEO of SafeHouse, an organization that offers shelter to abuse victims. "That's just appalling. It's horrible. Shame on that judge," Gold said. Gold said she worries that action like the one in the Seminole County courtroom could scare victims from calling for help in the future. The woman's abuser spent 16 days in jail for simple battery. The victim now has a misdemeanor conviction too. "She'll never call again. Look what happened to her. She could be lying, broken in a ditch somewhere, and she would probably not call police because of what happened to her in this place," Gold said. Channel 9's Karla Ray was told that prosecutors had the option of not calling for a jury case with an uncooperative witness, but prosecutors told Ray that they had an obligation to pursue the case. Channel 9 legal analyst Belvin Perry was the former chief judge for Florida's Ninth Judicial Circuit. Perry said that even though the judge was within the law, he doesn't believe she acted properly. "(The victim) was traumatized, and she was just traumatized again by being sentenced to three days in jail," Perry said. Perry said many domestic violence victims don't believe the system will help them and said that in situations like the one involving a victim, like the woman sentenced to jail, the judge could use more training. "Sometimes the judges, in the hast of trying to do their jobs, forget the big picture," Perry said. Gold said she knows the judge in the case and intends to talk to her about how domestic violence victims should be handled. Channel 9's Karla Ray will have more on this story tonight on Eyewitness News starting at 5 p.m.

– A Florida woman reported being choked by the father of her son while she held the 1-year-old on April 2. The man served 16 days for simple battery—but she ended up in jail herself for three days. A now-viral video has surfaced well after it was shot in a Seminole County courtroom; it shows Judge Jerri Collins showing the victim "no pity," as WFTV puts it, for failing to appear in court for her alleged abuser's trial. ABC News references court documents that say the woman was served with a subpoena in June, but was a no-show on July 22; on July 30 she was made to attend a contempt of court hearing. Crying, she apologized for not appearing, said she's been battling depression and anxiety, and said she had earlier asked that the charges against the man be dropped. Collins found her in contempt of court and ordered her to jail. "You disobeyed a court order, knowing that this was not going to turn out well for the state," said Collins. WFTV also quotes Collins as saying, "You think you're going to have anxiety now? You haven't even seen anxiety." The wailing woman begs Collins to change her mind, saying she has to care for her son. She had previously explained that her child's father had been jailed once before, causing him to lose his job and miss child support payments; she had to "sell everything I own" and, homeless, move in with her parents. The State Attorney's Office issued a statement saying the woman had told the office "she didn't care if she was arrested as a result of her not complying with the court's subpoena." The CEO of SafeHouse, which houses abuse victims, is gobsmacked. "There's no—absolutely nothing that I could think of that would be the reason to re-victimize this person by putting her in jail." (In another case, a mother received a longer jail term than the man who raped her son.)

The troubled actress from That ’70s Show died at the age of 43 after a long struggle with sobriety and a congenital heart defect — drinking up to a half-gallon of vodka every day in 2011. Lisa Robin Kelly passed away in her sleep last Wednesday while in a rehab treatment facility, for the 22nd time. “You can’t do to the human body what Lisa did, for the length of time that she did, and expect to survive,” Lisa’s estranged husband, Robert Gilliam, told the National Enquirer. “Not with the congenital heart defect, which Lisa had. Her poor little body just couldn’t take all that abuse anymore.” As Radar previously reported, the actual cause of Lisa’s death is still unknown following an autopsy and toxicology reports are expected to yield some answers but will take another eight to 10 weeks. PHOTOS: Celebs Who Died Young “Lisa called me in May 2011 and asked me if I would detox her,” Gilliam told the tabloid. “She was drinking more than a half-gallon of vodka a day. I got her off everything in six weeks.” After marrying Lisa in 2012, Gilliam says she then fell off the wagon again — which was followed by a downward spiral of DUIs, a hospital stay with a blood alcohol level of .387 and domestic violence and assault charges. To find out more about what Gilliam believes might have saved Lisa’s life, pick up the latest issue of the National Enquirer, on newsstands Thursday. ||||| What caused Lisa Robin Kelly to die in her sleep Wednesday is still unknown, following an autopsy on the That 70s Show star. Toxicology tests have been ordered and it will take another eight to 10 weeks for the results, said Los Angeles County Coroner Lt. Cheryl MacWillie. The actress had voluntarily checked herself into a treatment center after several years of battling substance abuse problems. Kelly was only 43 at the time of her death. PHOTOS: Celebs Who Died Young PHOTOS: The Most Shocking Celebrity Drug Transformations ||||| Poor Lisa Robin Kelly. Fans of That '70s Show were shocked to hear that the actress, who once played Topher Grace's older sister, Laurie Forman, died from cardiac arrest on Wednesday. She had long been battling drug and alcohol addiction, and her depressing train of mugshots, showing her more and more disheveled and distressed with each one, was a huge red flag about how much trouble she was in. But she had recently checked into a rehab facility, and her agent said that she was determined to slay her demons once and for all. The drug and alcohol demon is incredibly difficult to slay -- but so is the bad partner demon. And Lisa looks like she may have had that too. Lisa had been married to Robert Gilliam, but they got divorced last year. It sounds like the polar opposite of a healthy relationship. Both of them had been arrested for assault on each other -- a mere month after getting married. And Gilliam was eventually jailed on assault charges for battering Lisa. But apparently the two were still in contact. Lisa's new boyfriend even went so far as to blame Lisa's drinking relapse on her ex-husband -- saying they had gotten into a huge fight over That '70s Show residuals. But TMZ is reporting that Gilliam is blaming Lisa's recent troubles on her new boyfriend. It was the boyfriend who helped Lisa check into a California rehab facility on Monday, but according to Gilliam, she really wanted to get away from him. Gilliam reportedly told TMZ: He's trying to cover his own ass. In the last two weeks, she called me 22 times to get away from him. Gilliam says he offered to help rescue her, but only if she checked into a rehab facility close to where HE lived, in North Carolina. She apparently agreed and Gilliam was working to get her out when she unexpectedly died. The boyfriend says these claims are untrue and that it was years of abuse at the hands of Gilliam that caused Lisa's drinking demons. Who knows what the truth is here, but one thing is for sure: Lisa may have been better off being single. Someone with alcohol issues can easily be triggered by stress and these relationships are sounding pretty stressful. Do you think relationships can contribute to substance abuse? Image via Fox

– That '70s Show actress Lisa Robin Kelly was pronounced dead by a doctor at her LA rehab facility at 8:07am Thursday, but the county coroner reportedly didn't learn of the death until noon ... when someone from the office read about it on TMZ. Law enforcement sources tell TMZ no one from the rehab facility called the county coroner—and now both the coroner and the LA County Sheriff's Department are suspicious and are investigating Kelly's death. Another cause of their suspicion: The rehab doctor said an embolism caused Kelly's death, but the coroner says there's no way he could have known that without doing an autopsy. Kelly's autopsy was completed over the weekend, but her official cause of death is not yet known. The doctor also told the coroner Kelly was on detox drugs when she died, sources say, but it won't be clear whether they played a role in her death until the toxicology report is in. Meanwhile, Kelly's estranged husband (who earlier blamed Kelly's new boyfriend for the actress' recent troubles) is blabbing away about her death in a National Enquirer article picked up by Radar. He says the 43-year-old had a congenital heart defect, and that back in 2011 she was drinking as much as a half-gallon of vodka per day. "You can't do to the human body what Lisa did, for the length of time that she did, and expect to survive," he says. Click for more.

Scientists say the molar tooth found in Denisova Cave in Siberia estimate the tooth is at least 20,000 years older than previously examined Denisovan fossils. DNA in a fossil from a young girl has revealed that a mysterious extinct human lineage occupied the middle of Asia longer than previously thought, allowing more potential interbreeding with Neanderthals, a new study finds. Although modern humans are the only surviving human lineage, other hominins — which include modern humans, extinct human species and their immediate ancestors — once lived on Earth. These included Neanderthals, the closest extinct relatives of modern humans, as well as the Denisovans, who lived across a region that might have stretched from Siberia to Southeast Asia. In 2010, researchers analyzed DNA from fossils to reveal the existence of the Denisovans, suggesting the lineage shared a common ancestor with Neanderthals. However, the Denisovans were nearly as genetically distinct from Neanderthals as Neanderthals were from modern humans, with the ancestors of Denisovans and Neanderthals splitting about 190,000 to 470,000 years ago. [Denisovan Gallery: Tracing the Genetics of Human Ancestors] The 2010 study also revealed that the Denisovans might have interbred with modern humans thousands of years ago just as Neanderthalsdid. Subsequent research suggested that genetic mutations from Denisovanshave influenced modern human immune systems, as well as fat and blood sugar levels. However, much remains unknown about the Denisovans, since all fossil evidence of them until now was limited to just three specimens: one finger bone and two molars. All three fossils were unearthed from Denisova Cave, after which the Denisovans are named, in the Altai Mountains in Siberia. Now, scientists have revealed that they have a fourth Denisovan fossil — a "baby tooth" that likely fell from the jaw of a 10- to 12-year-old girl, said study lead author Viviane Slon, a paleogeneticist at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany. "Any additional Denisovan individual that we can identify at this point is very exciting for us," Slon told Live Science. The crown of the "baby" molar was almost completely worn away when researchers unearthed it. To help preserve the fossil, the researchers used 3D X-rays of the tooth to help find the best way to extract as little powder from the molar as possible. Next, they analyzed what little surviving DNA they could from about 10 milligrams of tooth powder, confirming that the fossil belonged to a Denisovan girl. The deep layer of sediment in which this molar was found ranges from 128,000 to 227,000 years old. This age makes the tooth one of the oldest human specimens discovered in central Asia to date, and about 50,000 to 100,000 years older than the first known Denisovan fossil. "This would indicate that Denisovans were present in the Altai area for a very long time — at least as long as modern humans have been in Europe, if not much more," Slon said. Such a long span of time increases the chances that the Denisovans and the Neanderthals may have interacted and interbred, the researchers added. These new findings, combined with previous data, suggest that there may have been low levels of genetic diversity among the Denisovans, comparable to the lower range of modern human genetic diversity seen among small or secluded populations. "The low genetic diversity we infer for the Denisovans can most probably be linked to their small population size," Slon said. "This is similar to what has been inferred for Neanderthals. Both groups of archaic hominins seem to have had a far smaller population size than humans today." Still, the researchers noted that because all four Denisovan fossils unearthed to date come from the same place, it is possible that they represent an isolated population and that Denisovan genetic diversity across their entire geographic range was greater than that seen in these isolated samples. Additional fossils from Denisovans from other locations would help scientists more comprehensively gauge Denisovans' genetic diversity across space and time, Slon said. The scientists detailed their findings online July 7 in the journal Science Advances. Original article on Live Science. ||||| More than 100,000 years ago in a Siberian cave there lived a child with a loose tooth. One day her molar fell out, and fossilized over many millenniums, keeping it safe from the elements and the tooth fairy. But she wasn’t just any child. Scientists say she belonged to a species of extinct cousins of Neanderthals and modern humans known today as the Denisovans. And in a paper published Friday in the journal Science Advances, a team of paleoanthropologists reported that she is only the fourth individual of this species ever discovered. “We only have relatively little data from this archaic group, so having any additional individuals is something we’re very excited about,” said Viviane Slon, a doctoral candidate at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, and lead author of the study. ||||| The presence of Neandertals in Europe and Western Eurasia before the arrival of anatomically modern humans is well supported by archaeological and paleontological data. In contrast, fossil evidence for Denisovans, a sister group of Neandertals recently identified on the basis of DNA sequences, is limited to three specimens, all of which originate from Denisova Cave in the Altai Mountains (Siberia, Russia). We report the retrieval of DNA from a deciduous lower second molar (Denisova 2), discovered in a deep stratigraphic layer in Denisova Cave, and show that this tooth comes from a female Denisovan individual. On the basis of the number of “missing substitutions” in the mitochondrial DNA determined from the specimen, we find that Denisova 2 is substantially older than two of the other Denisovans, reinforcing the view that Denisovans were likely to have been present in the vicinity of Denisova Cave over an extended time period. We show that the level of nuclear DNA sequence diversity found among Denisovans is within the lower range of that of present-day human populations. In addition to Denisova 3, two permanent molars (Denisova 4 and Denisova 8) have been identified as originating from Denisovans on the basis of DNA sequence data ( 2 , 17 ); and mtDNA fragments of the Denisovan type were identified in sediments deposited at Denisova Cave ( 26 ). Here, we present analyses of DNA sequences retrieved from a tooth (Denisova 2) that, on the basis of the stratigraphy of the site, is one of the oldest hominin remains discovered at Denisova Cave ( 27 , 28 ). While Neandertals inhabited Europe and West Asia, Denisovans, who have been identified only from Denisova Cave to date ( 2 , 3 , 16 , 17 ), inhabited Asia ( 2 ) where they overlapped geographically with Neandertals in the Altai region and possibly elsewhere. The two groups must have interacted, as analyses of their genomes have shown that Denisovans interbred with Neandertals and with an unknown archaic hominin group that diverged earlier from the human lineage ( 7 ). Denisovans, or a group related to them, have also contributed genetically to present-day populations in Southeast Asian islands and Oceania and at lower levels to populations across mainland Asia and the Americas ( 2 , 3 , 7 , 18 – 22 ). Denisovan admixture has contributed to several traits in present-day humans ( 20 , 23 , 24 ), including, for example, the adaption of Tibetan populations to life at high altitude ( 25 ). Genetic analyses of the remains of archaic hominins have yielded insights into their population history and admixture with each other and with modern humans [for example, ( 1 – 12 )]. DNA retrieved from fossils also allows their attribution to a hominin group in the absence of clear archaeological context or informative morphology [for example, ( 13 – 15 )]. One example is a hominin phalanx (Denisova 3) excavated in Denisova Cave (Altai, Russia) in 2008. Although its mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) was found to fall outside the range of variation of both present-day humans and Neandertals ( 16 ), nuclear sequences retrieved from the specimen showed that it came from a member of a previously unknown sister group of Neandertals, thenceforth named “Denisovans” ( 2 ). The population split time between Neandertals and Denisovans has been estimated to be at least 190 thousand years ago (ka) and perhaps as much as 470 ka ( 7 ). RESULTS The Denisova 2 specimen A worn deciduous molar (figs. S1 and S2) was discovered in 1984 in layer 22.1 of the Main Gallery of Denisova Cave and was initially described as a right lower first deciduous molar (dm 1 ) (29). However, Shpakova and Derevianko (30) believed that the tooth was more likely a lower second deciduous molar (dm 2 ), and we concur with their opinion on the basis of the lack of a tuberculum molare and the large size. The crown of the tooth is almost completely worn away, and only a thin rim of enamel is preserved buccally, mesially, and lingually. The only feature of crown morphology preserved is a small remnant of the buccal groove. The roots are mostly resorbed, with only short stumps remaining mesiobuccally and mesiolingually. The exposed pulp cavity shows five diverticles entering the crown. The resorption of the roots and the fact that the specimen exfoliated naturally indicate an age equivalent to about 10 to 12 years in modern humans (for details, see section S1). The strong wear makes most morphological comparisons impossible. However, the cervical mesiodistal and buccolingual diameters are very large, falling outside of the range of variation seen in modern humans and in the range of Neandertals (table S1 and fig. S3). DNA extraction and sequencing We extracted DNA (31) from ~10 mg of powder removed from the Denisova 2 specimen (fig. S2). One aliquot of the extract was used to produce a single-stranded DNA library, as previously described (32, 33). Another aliquot was converted into a single-stranded DNA library using a modified version of a protocol that enriches the library for DNA molecules carrying uracil residues (34), which result from deamination of cytosine bases in ancient DNA (35–37). This protocol (“mini-U-selection”) enriches for uracils only at the 3′ ends of fragments, but it requires fewer reaction steps and allows for a simpler library preparation than the original method (34). Out of a total of 701 million and 604 million DNA fragments sequenced from the two libraries, 0.06 and 0.46% of all sequences could be mapped to the human genome and exhibited a cytosine (C)–to–thymine (T) substitution at the first or last alignment position (table S2). These substitutions, especially when they occur close to the ends of sequences, are highly indicative of the presence of uracils, which are read as thymines by DNA polymerases (36). The percentage of fragments carrying C-to-T substitutions at the unselected 5′ ends was 9.4% in the former library and 7.3% in the library enriched for uracils. These percentages were 11.1 and 53.8% for the 3′ ends of fragments, respectively (table S3 and figs. S4 and S5), suggesting that authentic ancient DNA is present in both libraries (section S2). Mitochondrial DNA We used oligonucleotide probes matching a modern human mtDNA sequence to enrich for mtDNA fragments from the library that was not selected for uracil residues (4, 38). Initial inspection of the sequences suggested that the library contained a mixture of contaminating present-day human mtDNA and endogenous sequences that are more similar to a Denisovan mtDNA than to modern human or Neandertal mtDNAs (section S3 and table S4). We therefore aligned the sequences from the mitochondrial capture as well as DNA fragments sequenced without enrichment from all libraries to the Denisova 3 mtDNA genome (16) and identified 86,788 unique mtDNA fragments (table S2). To mitigate the influence of contamination by present-day human mtDNA (section S2), we filtered the 21,537 fragments (table S2) that carried C-to-T differences relative to the Denisova 3 mtDNA genome near the start or end position of sequence alignments (first three or last three positions for sequences from the standard library and first two or last two positions for sequences from the mini-U-selection protocol) (39). Using these fragments, we reconstructed the Denisova 2 mtDNA genome with an average mtDNA coverage of 51-fold (fig. S6). When a given position was required to be covered by at least three fragments and when at least two-thirds of fragments overlapping a position were required to carry an identical base (39), all but 14 positions in the mtDNA genome were resolved (section S3). A maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree shows that the mtDNA of Denisova 2 clusters with the three previously determined Denisovan mtDNAs, to the exclusion of Neandertal and modern human mtDNAs (Fig. 1). It carries 29 nucleotide differences from Denisova 8, 70 nucleotide differences to Denisova 4, and 72 nucleotide differences to Denisova 3 (table S5). Fig. 1 Maximum likelihood tree relating the Denisova 2 mtDNA to other ancient and present-day mtDNAs. The Denisova 2 mtDNA (in red) clusters with the three previously determined Denisovan mtDNAs, to the exclusion of Neandertals and modern humans. Present-day human mtDNA sequences are noted in italics. The tree was rooted using a chimpanzee mtDNA sequence (not shown). Support for each branch is based on 500 bootstrap replications. The tree is drawn to scale, with branch lengths measured in the number of substitutions per site. Accession codes for the comparative data and the geographical origins of ancient individuals are presented in table S5. Relative mtDNA dating The tree in Fig. 2 shows the relationships of the four currently known Denisovan mtDNAs using the Middle Pleistocene hominin mtDNA from Sima de los Huesos (39) as an outgroup. A total of 22.5, 33.5, 49.5, and 51.5 substitutions are inferred by parsimony (fractions reflect ambiguous character reconstructions) to have accumulated between the common ancestor and the mtDNAs of Denisova 2, 8, 4, and 3, respectively. In agreement with previous observations (17), Denisova 8 appears to be substantially older than Denisova 3 and 4. The mtDNA of Denisova 2 is more closely related to that of Denisova 8 than to the other two mtDNAs. Notably, 20 substitutions are inferred to have accumulated on the terminal edge leading to Denisova 8, whereas only 9 substitutions are estimated to have done so on the terminal edge leading to Denisova 2, indicating that Denisova 2 is older than Denisova 8. Fig. 2 Phylogenetic tree relating the Denisova 2 mtDNA to other Denisovan mtDNA sequences. The number of substitutions on each branch was inferred by maximum parsimony, and the Middle Pleistocene mtDNA from Sima de los Huesos was used as an outgroup. The schematic representations of the specimens are drawn to scale, shown in the lower right corner. Using a mutation rate of 2.53 × 10−8 substitutions per site per year (95% highest posterior density, 1.76 × 10−8 to 3.23 × 10−8) (6), we estimate that the Denisova 2 individual is between 54.2 and 99.4 thousand years (ky) older than the Denisova 3 individual and between 20.6 and 37.7 ky older than the Denisova 8 individual, whereas the Denisova 3 and 4 individuals were roughly contemporaneous (between 3.7- and 6.9-ky difference). Although the absolute time estimates are dependent on whether the mutation rate of Denisovan mtDNA differs from that of modern human mtDNA, the difference in the number of substitutions between these individuals indicates that Denisova 2 is likely to be older than Denisova 8 and substantially older than Denisova 3 and 4. Nuclear DNA and sexing For nuclear DNA analyses, DNA sequences from the Denisova 2 specimen were aligned to the human reference genome. We determined the sex of the Denisova 2 individual by counting the number of putatively deaminated DNA fragments that map to the X chromosome and the autosomes. The ratio of sequence coverage per base between the X chromosome and the autosomes is 1.06, indicating that Denisova 2 was a female (fig. S7). To minimize the effect of present-day human contamination (section S2 and table S3), we retained only sequences carrying a C-to-T substitution to the human reference genome at their first or last position (39), leaving 1.08 million DNA sequences (table S2) spanning 47 Mb of the human genome for further analysis. Attribution to a hominin group Genetic, archaeological, and anthropological evidence indicate that Denisovans, Neandertals, and anatomically modern humans were present in Denisova Cave (2, 3, 7, 16, 17, 28, 40, 41). We computed the proportion of DNA fragments from the Denisova 2 specimen that share derived alleles specific to each branch in a phylogenetic tree relating the high-coverage genomes of a Denisovan (3), a Neandertal (7), and a present-day human from Africa (7). A total of 69,315 fragments overlapped phylogenetically informative positions at which a randomly drawn allele from at least one of these high-coverage genomes is derived (12). Of fragments that overlap positions where both the Denisovan and the Neandertal genomes are derived, 84% (1888 of 2246) share the derived allele. Of fragments that overlap positions where only the Denisovan genome is derived, 49% (2051 of 4160) carry the Denisovan-like allele, whereas the corresponding values for the sharing of Neandertal- and modern human–specific alleles are 6% (252 of 4231) and 5% (307 of 5924), respectively (Fig. 3A). We thus conclude that the Denisova 2 specimen originated from a Denisovan individual. Fig. 3 Attribution of Denisova 2 to a hominin group. (A) For each branch of a phylogenetic tree relating the high-coverage genomes of a Denisovan, a Neandertal, and a present-day human from Africa, the 95% binomial CIs of the proportion of DNA fragments from the Denisova 2 specimen that share a derived allele with that branch are given. (B) The fraction of substitutions inferred to have occurred after the split from the Denisova 2 genome along the branch from the human-chimpanzee (Ch) ancestral sequences to the high-coverage genomes of a Denisovan, a Neandertal, and 12 present-day humans (“X” in the schematic phylogenetic tree shown in the inset) is given. Error bars denote 95% CIs. The corresponding values for two previously sequenced Denisovan teeth, Denisova 4 and Denisova 8 (17), are 92 and 93% of sequences sharing derived alleles with the Neandertal-Denisovan branch, 72 and 60% with the Denisovan branch, 5% with the Neandertal branch, and 2% with the modern human branch, respectively (fig. S8). Thus, Denisova 2 shares fewer derived alleles with the high-coverage Denisova 3 genome than the other two Denisovan genomes (χ2 = 7.6257, P = 0.003 and χ2 = 43.015, P = 2.717 × 10−11 for Denisova 4 and 8, respectively), showing that Denisova 2 is more distantly related to Denisova 3 than Denisova 4 and Denisova 8.

– Scientists are "very excited" to learn more about a baby tooth that only the most sophisticated DNA dating tech can analyze. Some 150,000 years ago, a young girl lost her baby tooth, and it fell into the sediment of a cave in Siberia from which the first three (and thus far only) other fossils identified in 2010 as being Denisovan were found, reports Live Science. Before then, the hominin group that's as genetically distinct from modern humans as Neanderthals was completely unknown. This fourth fossil is the oldest, per the paper in the Science Advances journal, suggesting that the mysterious group lived in Central Asia so long ago that there was likely greater interaction with, and thus more potential to interbreed with, Neanderthals—something we humans appear to have done, too. Five years ago, scientists would have probably had to destroy the tooth to study its genetic fingerprints, but recently Viviane Slon at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany was able to scrape the tooth's surface and drill into its root to collect 10 milligrams of material that contained the DNA her team ultimately studied. "We only have relatively little data from this archaic group, so having any additional individuals is something we're very excited about," she tells the New York Times. The other three fossils, a finger bone and two molars, were also unearthed in the Denisova Cave in the Altai Mountains of Siberia. The baby tooth, found in deep sediment as much as 227,000 years old, is one of the oldest human specimens ever found in Central Asia. (Dirt samples from seven caves had a lot to say about the Denisovans.)

— Republican City Councilman Kevin Faulconer won a decisive victory over Democratic Councilman David Alvarez in the San Diego mayor’s race Tuesday, signaling a new chapter for the city after the scandal-plagued tenure of former Mayor Bob Filner. Faulconer had 54.5 percent compared to Alvarez’s 45.5 percent of the vote with all precincts reporting. A Faulconer victory breathes new life into the local Republican Party by restoring its control of the Mayor’s Office that its candidates have occupied for much of the past four decades. Faulconer also becomes the only Republican mayor of a top 10 U.S. city, making him one of the party’s highest-profile leaders in the state. The results dashed the hopes of Alvarez to become San Diego’s first Latino mayor and its youngest in nearly 120 years. It also blunted a push by Democrats to have a like-minded mayor join the party’s 5-4 majority on the City Council to shepherd a new era of progressive politics for America’s Finest City. The runoff election will fill the vacancy left by Democrat Bob Filner’s Aug. 30 resignation stemming from a sexual harassment scandal. Faulconer will finish the remaining 33 months on Filner’s term and be up for re-election in 2016. Surrounded by supporters, candidate Kevin Faulconer makes his way to the podium at his election night party at the U.S. Grant Hotel downtown after late results give him a comfortable lead. Share Photo   Reddit ✉ Surrounded by supporters, candidate Kevin Faulconer makes his way to the podium at his election night party at the U.S. Grant Hotel downtown after late results give him a comfortable lead. A jubilant Faulconer appeared before supporters about 10:40 p.m. but stopped short of declaring victory. “We know that this city has gone through a lot in the last year, but we knew that as San Diegans that we were better than that and that we were going to come together when we had the opportunity to do that and come together we have,” he said. Faulconer added, “And so tonight our message to every single San Diego neighborhood: We will invest where we need to help, we will get our city back on track on the services that San Diegans expect and that they deserve.” Mayoral candidate David Alvarez addresses Supporters during his election night party at the San Diego Public Market, alongside his wife Xochitl Alvarez and daughter Izel Alvarez. Assembly member Toni Atkins (2nd R) and Interim Mayor Todd Gloria (R) join them onstage. — John Gastaldo Share Photo   Reddit ✉ Mayoral candidate David Alvarez addresses Supporters during his election night party at the San Diego Public Market, alongside his wife Xochitl Alvarez and daughter Izel Alvarez. Assembly member Toni Atkins (2nd R) and Interim Mayor Todd Gloria (R) join them onstage. — John Gastaldo Alvarez spoke to his supporters around 10:15 p.m. thanking them for their hard work on his campaign and remained optimistic despite the poor showing. “While there are still votes to be counted tonight — the night is young — one thing is for certain: we are here, poised to move our city forward because of every single one of you here,” he said. Alvarez later told U-T San Diego that the issues confronting the city won’t change, regardless of the election results. “We still have a lot of work ahead regardless of the outcome,” he said. “I look forward to that as mayor or as a member of the council.” He later said on Twitter that he called Faulconer and conceded the election. “I want to congratulate Kevin Faulconer. It’s clear that he will be the next mayor of San Diego. I look forward to working with him,” he wrote. Faulconer responded to Alvarez via Twitter: "Thank you for a respectful campaign. As mayor, I look forward to working with you to move our city forward." Conventional wisdom held that Faulconer would have a lead among the mail ballots collected before Election Day, but the 13-point edge he held at 8 p.m. when those results were released was much larger than most pundits expected. An early advantage for Faulconer was anticipated because Republican-leaning voters have historically been consistent and reliable voters in most elections, especially in special ones. ||||| SAN DIEGO -- Republican Councilman Kevin Faulconer defeated Democratic Councilman David Alvarez, 54.5% to 45.5%, to become the city's next mayor, according to unofficial results tallied by the county registrar of voters. The tally includes all absentee votes and votes from all 582 precincts. Unofficial turnout for the special election was 37%. Alvarez, 33, said he called Faulconer to offer his congratulations and say that he looks forward to working with the new mayor. If elected, Alvarez would have been the youngest and first Latino mayor in modern San Diego history. Faulconer, a former public relations executive before entering politics, promised that he and Alvarez will work together "to move our city forward." Acting Mayor Todd Gloria, a Democrat who endorsed Alvarez, praised the Alvarez campaign: "Son of a janitor and fast-food worker; his story is proof that anything is possible in San Diego." Faulconer, 47, told cheering supporters Tuesday night that he "can't wait to be the next mayor of this fabulous and great city." He also allowed himself a not-so-veiled reference to the now-passed era of ex-Mayor Bob Filner, who resigned Aug. 31 after months of a chaotic management style at City Hall followed by multiple accusations of sexual harassment. "This city has gone through a lot in the last year, but we knew that as San Diegans we were better than that," Faulconer said. Faulconer is to be sworn in March 3 to serve the final 33 months of Filner's term. Filner, 71, was the city's first Democratic mayor in two decades. He is now serving a 90-day home-confinement sentence after pleading guilty to three charges of mistreating women. ALSO: Long Beach woman who set off Amber Alert faces criminal charges Griffith Park body parts: Suspect faces extradition hearing in Texas Southern California weather: Gusty winds prompt fire danger alert tony.perry@latimes.com Twitter: @LATsandiego

– More than five months after Bob Filner resigned as mayor, San Diego has chosen a new one: Republican Kevin Faulconer, a city councilman. Yesterday's special election saw a clear win for Faulconer, who beat fellow councilman David Alvarez 54.5% to 45.5%, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. Faulconer will replace Filner, who resigned in August amid a sexual harassment scandal. "We know that this city has gone through a lot in the last year, but we knew that as San Diegans that we were better than that," Faulconer said last night. "We will get our city back on track on the services that San Diegans expect and that they deserve," said Faulconer. The victory makes him one of California's leading Republicans, the Union-Tribune notes. Had Alvarez won, the Democrat would have become the city's first Latino mayor, as well as its youngest in more than a century. Alvarez was endorsed this weekend by President Obama, KPBS notes. Faulconer will be sworn in March 3, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Abstract Bisphenol A (BPA) is an endocrine disrupting environmental contaminant used in a wide variety of products, and BPA metabolites are found in almost everyone’s urine, suggesting widespread exposure from multiple sources. Regulatory agencies estimate that virtually all BPA exposure is from food and beverage packaging. However, free BPA is applied to the outer layer of thermal receipt paper present in very high (~20 mg BPA/g paper) quantities as a print developer. Not taken into account when considering thermal paper as a source of BPA exposure is that some commonly used hand sanitizers, as well as other skin care products, contain mixtures of dermal penetration enhancing chemicals that can increase by up to 100 fold the dermal absorption of lipophilic compounds such as BPA. We found that when men and women held thermal receipt paper immediately after using a hand sanitizer with penetration enhancing chemicals, significant free BPA was transferred to their hands and then to French fries that were eaten, and the combination of dermal and oral BPA absorption led to a rapid and dramatic average maximum increase (Cmax) in unconjugated (bioactive) BPA of ~7 ng/mL in serum and ~20 µg total BPA/g creatinine in urine within 90 min. The default method used by regulatory agencies to test for hazards posed by chemicals is intra-gastric gavage. For BPA this approach results in less than 1% of the administered dose being bioavailable in blood. It also ignores dermal absorption as well as sublingual absorption in the mouth that both bypass first-pass liver metabolism. The elevated levels of BPA that we observed due to holding thermal paper after using a product containing dermal penetration enhancing chemicals have been related to an increased risk for a wide range of developmental abnormalities as well as diseases in adults. Citation: Hormann AM, vom Saal FS, Nagel SC, Stahlhut RW, Moyer CL, et al. (2014) Holding Thermal Receipt Paper and Eating Food after Using Hand Sanitizer Results in High Serum Bioactive and Urine Total Levels of Bisphenol A (BPA). PLoS ONE 9(10): e110509. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0110509 Editor: David O. Carpenter, Institute for Health & the Environment, United States of America Received: August 13, 2014; Accepted: September 23, 2014; Published: October 22, 2014 Copyright: © 2014 Hormann et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Data Availability: The authors confirm that all data underlying the findings are fully available without restriction. All relevant data are within the paper and its Supporting Information files. Funding: This work was supported by a grant from The Passport Foundation (no URL available) and by NIEHS grant ES018764 to FvS (NIEHS website http://www.niehs.nih.gov). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. Introduction Bisphenol A [BPA; bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane; CAS #80-05-7] is one of the highest volume chemicals in commerce with 15-billion pounds produced per year [1], and based on the presence of BPA metabolites in urine, it can be concluded that virtually everyone is exposed [2], [3]. BPA has estrogenic and other endocrine disrupting activities [4], [5]. BPA molecules are polymerized to make polycarbonate plastic used for food and beverage containers, epoxy resins used to line cans, and dental composites and sealants, but free (unpolymerized) BPA is also used as an additive (plasticizer), such as in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) products. Our interest is in the use of BPA in thermal paper, which is used for airline ticket, gas, ATM, cash register and other types of receipts (Figure 1). The print surface of thermal paper is coated with milligrams of free BPA per gram paper as a heat-activated print developer [6], and it appears that free BPA is readily transferred to other materials that the thermal paper contacts [7]. PPT PowerPoint slide PowerPoint slide PNG larger image ( ) larger image ( ) TIFF original image ( ) Download: Figure 1. Schematic diagram of thermal receipt paper identifying the thermal reactive layer that contains BPA as a developer and a leuco dye, as well as stabilizers and binders (not shown). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0110509.g001 While small lipophilic compounds such as BPA (logP = 3.4; molecular weight 228 Da) can pass through skin [8], [9], regulatory agencies have assumed that this route of human BPA exposure should not be significant in spite of the lack of data and acknowledged “significant uncertainties” around the issue of human exposure to BPA from thermal paper [10]. However, a factor that has not been considered in estimating transdermal exposure to BPA from thermal paper is that hand sanitizers are now commonly used, particularly in fast-food restaurants where people may handle thermal receipts before eating or ordering food. Hand sanitizer and other skin care products may also be used by cashiers while working. Exposure to BPA from thermal paper goes beyond just transdermal exposure and consumption of food that is picked up and eaten with a BPA-contaminated hand. The transfer of a chemical directly from hand-to-mouth (mouthing behavior) has been proposed to be an important variable for estimating total chemical exposure in humans [11], particularly in young children [12]. The use of hand sanitizers and other skin-care products, including soaps, lotions and sunscreens, is significant because some contain mixtures of chemicals that are also used as dermal penetration enhancers to increase the transdermal delivery of drugs. Drugs and chemicals that are suitable for transdermal delivery and are impacted by dermal penetration enhancers have a LogP>1.5 and a molecular weight <500 Da [9]. There are many factors that impact the ability of compounds to pass through skin in addition to molecular weight and lipophilicity, including differences arising from the location of skin on the body, gender and age [13]. Mixtures of dermal penetration enhancing chemicals can act synergistically to increase by up to 100 fold the dermal penetration of small lipophilic molecules such as estradiol [8], [9], with which BPA shares physical-chemical and biological properties [4]. For example, Purell hand sanitizer (Gojo Industries), which we used in the current study, contains a number of dermal penetration enhancers, such as isopropyl myristate and propylene glycol, and is (63% w/w) ethanol. The use of hand sanitizers has increased in recent years and is now about a 200 million dollar a year industry just in the USA [14]. The impact of the use of personal care products such as moisturizing lotions that contain dermal penetration enhancing chemicals on exposure to environmental chemicals has been identified as a concern [15]. To assess the relevance of this research to real-world behavior, we conducted a preliminary observational study in fast-food restaurants, food courts and shopping malls in Columbia Missouri. Receipt contact time varied widely, but was sometimes substantial. In one restaurant, we found that receipt contact time ranged up to 65 sec for people purchasing food that was eaten in the restaurant; the 75th percentile for time holding the receipt was >12 sec, and the 90th percentile >32 sec. In a fast-food restaurant that is part of an international chain, take-out food was placed into a bag and the top of the bag was folded, then the thermal receipt was stapled to the top of the bag; the result was that the print surface of the receipt (coated with BPA) was grabbed when the bag was picked up. The contact time between the hand and thermal receipt was thus considerably longer than would be the case for food eaten in the restaurant. In a food court we observed that some fast-food restaurants had hand sanitizer dispensers available for use by customers next to the cash register, and customers were observed using the hand sanitizer before handling the thermal receipt. The estimate is that 50 million people eat in a fast-food establishment every day in the USA [16]. Finally, our experiments here are also relevant to occupational exposures, because we observed in a national chain big-box store that all cash registers had a hand sanitizer dispenser next to them for use by the cashiers. Our objectives were to examine the impact of having dry hands vs. wet hands due to using a popular hand sanitizer that contains dermal penetration enhancing chemicals on extraction of BPA from the surface of thermal receipt paper coated with BPA. We also measured (using a LC/MSMS assay) unconjugated, bioactive BPA (uBPA) and its conjugated metabolites, BPA-glucuronide (BPA-G) and BPA-monosulfate (BPA-S), in serum and urine in adult male and female subjects after holding a thermal receipt. To determine the proportion of thermal receipts that contained BPA, we examined receipt papers for the presence and amount of BPA. We also examined receipts for the most commonly used BPA replacement chemical, bisphenol S [bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)sulfone; BPS; CAS #80-09-1]. Methods Ethics statement The University of Missouri School of Medicine Institutional Review Board approved all procedures involving human subjects, and sample collection was conducted by licensed personnel in the Clinical Research Center (CRC) within the University of Missouri School of Medicine. Subjects were informed of the procedures, and provided written consent. The signed consent forms were retained. The University IRB approved the consent procedure. Subjects Participants for the different experiments in this study were recruited through a weekly University of Missouri campus-wide email newsletter. Candidates (men and women) were pre-screened by age, height, weight, and health status. Participants selected were 20–40 years old (average 27.0 yrs), and an attempt was made to select those with average height, weight and normal-range body-mass index. Participants selected were not taking any prescription or non-prescription medication other than oral contraceptives; the type of oral contraceptive used was recorded. To ensure that pregnant women were excluded from the study, all women were administered a pregnancy test when they arrived at the CRC. For all studies participants were asked to refrain from touching thermal paper receipts, consuming food or beverages stored in polycarbonate or other types of plastic containers as well as canned food and beverages during the 48 hr prior to participating in the study, in order to reduce background BPA levels in body fluids as much as possible. The participants also filled out a questionnaire concerning their activities during the prior 48 hr (see Section S3 in File S1 for questionnaire). For experiments in which there was hand contact with thermal receipt paper, subjects were required to wash their hands with soap and water, rinse thoroughly, and then dry using Kimwipes (Kimberly-Clark, Irving, TX). A number of soaps were screened for BPA content and/or chromatographic interference prior to the start of the study, and the soap chosen was Softsoap “Aquarium series” (Colgate Palmolive Company, Manhattan, NY), which showed no detectable BPA or chromatographic interference with the assay of BPA. Standard brown laboratory paper towels were tested and found to contain BPA at around 6 µg/towel. Because of this, Kimwipes, which tested negative for BPA, were used throughout for drying hands. Water from faucets used in the CRC was tested and found to be below the limit of detection (LOD) for BPA content (detection limit was 10 pg/mL by HPLC with CoulArray detection based on C-18 extraction of 250 ml of water). Sample analysis Analysis of BPA in extracted samples occurred within an accredited facility (Veterinary Medicine Diagnostic Laboratory) within the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Missouri. Reagents. Solvents (methanol, acetonitrile) and water were HPLC grade, and were obtained from Fisher Scientific. BPA, bisphenol S (BPS), and BPA monosulfate (BPA-S) were obtained from Sigma-Aldrich (St. Louis MO; purity >99%, 98% and 95% respectively). C13-BPA was obtained from Cambridge Isotope Laboratories Inc. (Andover, MA; purity 99%), and both BPA-G (purity 98%) and BPA D-glucuronide (BPA-DG; purity >99%) were provided by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), Research Triangle Park, NC. Ethanol (200 proof) used for hand swipes was obtained from Decon Labs, Inc. (King of Prussia, PA). Total receipt BPA and BPS content. Weighed samples of each receipt (3×3 cm) were incubated overnight in methanol at room temperature. The methanol extracts were diluted in methanol, typically to a final dilution of 1/10,000, and BPA content was analyzed by HPLC with CoulArray detection (see Section S1 in File S1 for details). We also analyzed the same receipt sample extracts for BPS using LC/MSMS (see Section S1 in File S1 for details). BPA levels in Kimwipe hand swipes. Kimwipe swipes were incubated in methanol at room temperature overnight, and aliquots were taken from the methanol extract for analysis. BPA in the methanol extract was determined by HPLC with CoulArray detection. BPA levels in French fries. French fries were incubated individually in methanol overnight. The fries were then removed, and the samples centrifuged briefly to separate any solid and/or oily matter, and a sample of the clear methanol extract was assayed. Equal volumes from the 10 extracts from the 10 French fries touched by each participant were pooled, and a single measurement was made for each participant. Quantitation was made by HPLC with CoulArray detection. Serum sample collection and extraction. Multiple-point blood samples were collected via IV catheter into 10 mL syringes, and the syringes were emptied into the same uncoated vacutainer tubes (for details and catalog numbers of collection materials Section S1 in File S1). Single point blood samples were collected by venipuncture into uncoated glass vacutainer tubes (Becton Dickinson, Franklin Lakes, NJ). All blood samples were allowed to clot at room temperature for 15–30 min and then refrigerated until centrifugation at 4°C for 15 min. The serum was transferred with glass Pasteur pipets into 15 mL centrifuge tubes and then frozen at −20°C. Samples were extracted using C18 SPE as previously described [17]; see Section S1 in File S1. Procedural blanks were also run alongside the samples to monitor for reagent contamination or interference. Serum extracts were analyzed by LC/MSMS. Urine sample collection and extraction. All urine samples were collected directly into Samco polypropylene specimen cups (Fisher Scientific, Waltham, MA) and were immediately refrigerated (4°C for 2–5 hours) until they could be transferred to the research laboratory, at which point they were frozen at −20°C. The total BPA concentration (representing a combined measure of unconjugated and conjugated BPA) was measured by LC/MSMS (see Section S1 in File S1). Assay of creatinine in urine. To calculate creatinine-corrected urine BPA concentrations, urine creatinine was measured using an ELISA kit (R&D Systems Inc., Minneapolis, MN), according to manufacturer’s instructions. Sensitivity of this assay is 0.02 mg/dL. Field blanks. The possibility of BPA leaching from each piece of equipment used in the collection or processing of samples identified above was determined by passing BPA-free water through all collection equipment, which was then handled and assayed for BPA as described below for the actual samples. All equipment and sample handling was determined to not leach detectable BPA before any sample collections occurred. Statistical methods and calculation of pharmacokinetic parameters For both uBPA and BPA-G, the area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) up to the last measured serum concentration above the LOQ, i.e. AUC (0–90 min), was calculated by using the linear trapezoidal rule. The average AUC (0–90 min) (ng/mL) was calculated by dividing AUC (0–90 min ng/mL)/90 min. Time (Tmax) of maximal plasma BPA concentration (Cmax) was directly obtained from the raw data. Comparisons of men and women were conducted using the Mann-Whitney U test or ANOVA. Statistical significance was set a P<0.05, two-tailed test. All data are presented as mean±SEM. Experiment 1: Measurement of BPA and BPS in 50 used thermal receipt papers The objective of this experiment was to determine the amount of BPA and BPS in thermal receipt paper and to determine the proportion of receipts that contained BPA or BPS, which is the most commonly used BPA replacement chemical. Thermal paper sales receipts were obtained by purchasing items from 41 different vendors in Columbia, MO and from a further 9 vendors in Southern Missouri (50 receipts total). Weighed portions of each paper were extracted and assayed for BPA by HPLC with CoulArray detection and for BPS by LC/MSMS. After screening, an unused roll was obtained from a vendor from which a BPA-positive receipt had been identified. The BPA content of paper from this roll was confirmed prior to being used for testing with human subjects in Experiments 2, 3 and 4. Experiment 2: BPA transferred to a hand with and without using hand sanitizer due to holding a thermal receipt for different lengths of time The objective of this experiment was to determine the amount of BPA extracted by a hand from a standard piece of thermal receipt paper immediately after using Purell hand sanitizer (Experiment 2-A) or with dry hands (Experiment 2-B). Subjects in both experiments cleaned and dried their hands prior to the experiment and between each trial. For Experiment 2-A the subjects (2 men and one woman) each held the thermal paper for different lengths of time: 2, 15, 30, 45, 60 or 240 sec (in 6 separate trials for each subject). Both hands were wetted by applying three “squirts” of Purell to each hand, and the hands were then briefly rubbed together to distribute the hand sanitizer evenly across both palms and fingers, but the sanitizer was not allowed to dry prior to holding the receipt paper. In experiment 2-B the subjects (2 men and 2 women) held the receipt with dry hands for 60 or 240 sec (2 separate trials for each subject). In both experiments an 8×12 cm portion of thermal paper cut from an unused receipt roll that was obtained from a local merchant (previously identified as containing 27.2 mg BPA/g paper) was placed BPA-coated (print surface) side down into the right hand. The hand was swiped 3 times each with 3 ethanol-soaked Kimwipes, and BPA was extracted from the Kimwipes with methanol and measured by HPLC with CoulArray detection. Experiment 3: Serum and urine BPA in men and women before and after transdermal and oral exposure to BPA from thermal receipt paper after using hand sanitizer The objective of this experiment was to measure the transfer of BPA from thermal paper receipts to hands, and the amount of BPA remaining on the surface of a hand 90-min later, after using Purell hand sanitizer (as described in the prior experiment) in 5 male and 5 female subjects. In addition, we measured the amount of BPA transferred from a BPA-contaminated hand to 10 French fries, and measured blood and urine concentrations of uBPA, BPA-G and BPA-S before and after ingestion of the French fries and BPA absorption through skin. The design of the study is shown in Figure 2. PPT PowerPoint slide PowerPoint slide PNG larger image ( ) larger image ( ) TIFF original image ( ) Download: Figure 2. Schematic diagram of the protocol for Experiment 3 in which thermal receipt paper containing BPA was held with a hand wet from using Purell hand sanitizer, after which the subjects picked up 10 French fries and ate them, resulting in both oral and transdermal routes of exposure. Of the 5 male and 5 female subjects, 7 subjects had serum collected from the cubital vein in the arm with a contaminated hand that contained the BPA from holding thermal paper. Three subjects had blood collected from the cubital vein in the unexposed arm that did not have BPA on the hand throughout the 90-min test period during which blood was collected. Urine samples were obtained before and at the end of the test period. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0110509.g002 The background level of BPA on the dominant hand was determined when the subjects first arrived at the CRC. The dominant hand was swiped 3 times with 3 separate Kimwipes soaked with ethanol, from which we extracted BPA for analysis by HPLC with CoulArray detection, and the hands were then cleaned. The subjects’ weight and height were determined, after which they provided a baseline urine specimen, an IV port was inserted into the cubital vein, and a baseline blood sample was collected. Purell hand sanitizer was applied to the hands as described in Experiment 2. An 8×12 cm piece of thermal paper cut from an unused receipt roll (used in Experiment 2) was then placed BPA-coated side down into each hand with the hands still wet. The subjects held the receipt papers for 4 min in each hand. The dominant arm of each subject was determined based on whether the person was right or left handed, and in this experiment the non-dominant hand remained contaminated with BPA for the duration of the experiment. Blood was collected from the cubital vein in the contaminated arm of one set of subjects (N = 7) and from the cubital vein in the non-contaminated arm of other subjects (N = 3). We note that the phlebotomist did not handle the thermal paper for either Experiment 3 or Experiment 4. The study coordinator who did handle the paper wore gloves to do so and did not touch the blood tubes of other equipment. A separate person swiped the subjects’ hands after thermal paper exposure and wore fresh gloves for each swipe session and discarded them immediately afterwards. French fries that had been purchased from a local fast food restaurant and had been found to not contain detectable BPA were briefly warmed in a toaster oven. Immediately after holding the thermal receipts in each hand, the subjects picked up a French fry in each hand, and held both fries for 10 sec. The fry held in the dominant hand was placed into a labeled glass tube, and the fry that was held in the non-dominant hand was eaten. A total of 10 French fries was handled by each hand and either placed in a test tube or eaten using this same procedure. Approximately 4 min elapsed between removal of the receipt paper from the hand and consumption of the last French fry. Thus, it took about 8 min from the time that the thermal receipt paper was first touched and consumption of the last French fry. After the last French fry was consumed, the subject’s dominant hand was swiped with 3 ethanol-soaked Kimwipes to clean BPA off the hand and for determination (by extracting BPA from the Kimwipes) of the amount of BPA remaining on the hand immediately after holding the 10 French fries that were placed into test tubes. The non-dominant hand was not cleaned after holding the receipt paper and eating French fries, and thus was a continuing source of transdermal BPA exposure over the following 90-min period of blood collection. Blood samples were collected from the cubital vein from the still contaminated arm of 7 subjects, 4 males and 3 females, and from the uncontaminated arm of 3 subjects, one male and 2 females. The blood collected from the BPA-contaminated arm provided direct information about BPA absorbed from the hand on which BPA remained for 90 min, since the cubital vein is one of the major veins draining the hand; this blood is not subject to first-pass liver metabolism prior to going to the heart and being transported in the arterial circulation to tissues. The blood collected from the uncontaminated arm provided information about BPA in the systemic (mixed) circulation. Blood was collected from the IV port before holding the thermal paper (baseline) and at 15, 30, 60 and 90 min after consumption of the last French fry. The non-dominant contaminated hand (from which the French fries were eaten) was not allowed to touch anything during the 90-min after holding the receipt paper and then picking up the 10 French fries; this hand was swiped with 3 ethanol-soaked Kimwipes after the final 90-min blood collection at the end of the study. After these swipes were obtained, both hands were thoroughly cleaned and a second urine sample was collected. Experiment 4: Serum and urine BPA in men and women before and after transdermal exposure to BPA from thermal receipt paper with dry hands The objective of this study was to examine the amount of BPA transferred to a clean dry hand and then present in serum and urine without using hand sanitizer. In this study we examined 12 adult men and 12 adult women subjects. The subjects washed and dried their hands and provided a baseline blood and urine sample as described in Experiment 3. The non-dominant hand was swiped 3 times each with 3 ethanol-soaked Kimwipes to obtain a baseline measure of BPA on the hand prior to holding a thermal receipt. After the hand was dry, subjects held an 8×12 cm piece of thermal receipt paper (from the roll used in Experiment 1) with the non-dominant dry hand for 4 min. Thirty minutes later a second blood sample was collected from the contaminated arm, after which the BPA was swiped from the contaminated hand with ethanol-soaked Kimwipes as described previously. As above, the contaminated hand was not allowed to touch anything during the 30-min period prior to the second blood collection. The hands were washed, and a second urine sample was collected 60 min after holding the receipt paper. Conclusions Thermal paper requires a chemical in the surface coating as a print developer. The current preferred developers, BPA and BPS, have both been shown to have estrogenic activity [45], [46]. This is leading to widespread exposure to both of these endocrine-disrupting chemicals [7], [47], and BPS is more persistent in the environment relative to BPA and is thus an unacceptable replacement for BPA [18], [48]. A recent EPA report examined 19 alternative chemicals, including BPS, that could potentially replace BPA as a developer in thermal paper and concluded that “No clearly safer alternatives to BPA were identified in this report; most alternatives have Moderate or High hazard designations for human health or aquatic toxicity endpoints” [18]. The report identified that “decision makers may wish to consider alternative printing systems”. Two of the papers screened for our current study employed a developer other than BPA or BPS that was not estrogenic in a MCF-7 human breast cancer cell proliferation assay (data not shown), but lack of estrogenic activity does not imply safety, as indicated in the EPA report. Thermal paper is a major source of BPA contamination in recycled paper, and its use results in the widespread contamination of other products and the environment [49] due to the presence of large amounts of free, unpolymerized BPA in the surface coating of thermal paper (Figure 1). Further, our findings are consistent with other data reporting that BPA can be transferred from the surface of thermal paper to items it contacts. Because no safe alternatives to the use of BPA or its primary replacement chemical BPS in thermal paper have been identified, our findings provide support for the EPA’s recommendation that thermal paper should be replaced with other safer technologies [18]. Our study provides the first data that thermal paper may be a significant factor in accounting for high levels of bioactive BPA in human serum and total BPA in urine that have been associated with diseases that are increasing in frequency in human populations [21], [34]. Our findings also suggest that the impact of the use of dermal penetration enhancing chemicals in skin care products on transdermal absorption of environmental contaminants should be taken into consideration in risk assessments and should be a priority for future research. Supporting Information File S1. Section S1: Sample handling, extraction and assay methods. Section S2: Table of individual BPA and BPS values for 50 thermal receipt papers. Section S3: List of questions asked each subject. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0110509.s001 (DOCX) ||||| Bisphenol A (BPA) is used to manufacture polycarbonate plastics. This type of plastic is used to make some types of beverage containers, compact disks, plastic dinnerware, impact-resistant safety equipment, automobile parts, and toys. BPA epoxy resins are used in the protective linings of food cans, in dental sealants, and in other products. How People Are Exposed to BPA General exposure to BPA at low levels comes from eating food or drinking water stored in containers that have BPA. Small children may be exposed by hand-to-mouth and direct oral (mouth) contact with materials containing BPA. Dental treatment with BPA-containing sealants also results in short-term exposure. In addition, workers who manufacture products that contain BPA can be exposed. How BPA Affects People’s Health Human health effects from BPA at low environmental exposures are unknown. BPA has been shown to affect the reproductive systems of laboratory animals. More research is needed to understand the human health effects of exposure to BPA. Levels of BPA in the U.S. Population In the Fourth National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals (Fourth Report), CDC scientists measured BPA in the urine of 2,517 participants aged six years and older who took part in CDC’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) during 2003–2004. By measuring BPA in urine, scientists can estimate the amount of BPA that has entered peoples’ bodies. CDC scientists found BPA in the urine of nearly all of the people tested, which indicates widespread exposure to BPA in the U.S. population. Finding a measurable amount of BPA in the urine does not imply that the levels of BPA cause an adverse health effect. Biomonitoring studies on levels of BPA provide physicians and public health officials with reference values so that they can determine whether people have been exposed to higher levels of BPA than are found in the general population. Biomonitoring data can also help scientists plan and conduct research on exposure and health effects. Additional Resources Department of Health and Human Services Bisphenol A (BPA) Information for Parents https://www.hhs.gov/safety/bpa/ Food and Drug Administration Food Ingredients & Packaging | Bisphenol A https://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodIngredientsPackaging/ucm166145.htm https://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodIngredientsPackaging/ucm166145.htm Bisphenol A (BPA): Use in Food Contact Application https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/PublicHealthFocus/ucm064437.htm National Toxicology Program ||||| The Facts About Bisphenol A In 2008, the possible health risks of Bisphenol A (BPA) -- a common chemical in plastic -- made headlines. Parents were alarmed, pediatricians flooded with questions, and stores quickly sold-out of BPA-free bottles and sippy cups. Where do things stand now? Have plastic manufacturers changed their practices? How careful does a parent need to be when it comes to plastics and BPA? Here's the latest information we have about possible BPA risks. BPA Basics BPA is a chemical that has been used to harden plastics for more than 40 years. It's everywhere. It's in medical devices, compact discs, dental sealants, water bottles, the lining of canned foods and drinks, and many other products. More than 90% of us have BPA in our bodies right now. We get most of it by eating foods that have been in containers made with BPA. It's also possible to pick up BPA through air, dust, and water. BPA was common in baby bottles, sippy cups, baby formula cans, and other products for babies and young children. Controversy changed that. Now, the six major companies that make baby bottles and cups for infants have stopped using BPA in the products they sell in the U.S. Many manufacturers of infant formula have stopped using BPA in their cans, as well. According to the U.S. Department of Health, toys generally don't contain BPA. While the hard outer shields of some pacifiers do have BPA, the nipple that the baby sucks on does not. BPA Risks What does BPA do to us? We still don't really know, since we don't have definitive studies of its effects in people yet. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration used to say that BPA was safe. But in 2010 the agency altered its position. The FDA maintains that studies using standardized toxicity tests have shown BPA to be safe at the current low levels of human exposure. But based on other evidence -- largely from animal studies -- the FDA expressed "some concern" about the potential effects of BPA on the brain, behavior, and prostate glands in fetuses, infants, and young children.

– Thought you'd cut your risk of BPA exposure by ditching plastic water bottles? You might have to add "stop asking for receipts at the store" to the list. Scientists tested the skin, blood, and urine of people before and after they handled receipts and other thermal papers that use bisphenol A as a print developer—and found that levels of the chemical rose, Forbes reports. Although the CDC won't definitively acknowledge BPA's risks—"More research is needed" is the official hedge on its fact sheet—WebMD points to various studies that have linked BPA to a variety of health issues, including a higher risk of cancer, heart problems, and brain and behavioral issues in babies and young children. Researchers who conducted the new study in PLoS One had participants handle receipt paper, then asked some of them to eat French fries using their hands. BPA levels in the skin spiked to 581 micrograms of BPA within 45 seconds (and 40% of that was absorbed in just two seconds). Urine and blood BPA levels were also strikingly higher 90 minutes after holding the receipts—and numbers here were on par with those from previous studies that were linked to Type 2 diabetes and heart disease, Forbes notes. Levels were even higher for subjects who had used hand sanitizer before handling the receipts; scientists attribute this to sanitizers (and toiletries like sunscreen and lotion) making hands more absorbent. Forbes notes the study was "quite small and more research will be needed," while a spokesman for the American Chemistry Council notes the study's "unrealistic experimental conditions" and that "much of the data presented in this new study has very limited relevance to the potential for human exposure to BPA from handling thermal receipt paper." (Your BPA-free water bottle may still not be safe.)

Ivory Coast is one of the few African countries where same-sex acts are legal and have never been criminalised By Nellie Peyton DAKAR, June 29 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Six gay men in Ivory Coast were abused and forced to flee their homes after they were pictured signing a condolence book for victims of the recent attack on a gay nightclub in Florida, a rights group said on Wednesday. The U.S. embassy in the Ivorian capital of Abidjan hosted an event a fortnight ago to honour the Florida victims and published a photo of the six men on its website with the caption: 'LGBTI community signing the condolence book'. A gunman pledging allegiance to the Islamic State militant group killed 49 people at Orlando's Pulse nightclub on June 12 in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. Days after the tribute in Abidjan, Louna, one of the men in the photo, was walking in his neighbourhood when a mob pushed him to the ground, stole his phone and wallet, and beat him. "I don't have a life anymore," said the 36-year-old, who only gave his nickname for fear of further attacks. Louna said he did not know the photo had been posted online until a friend called him and told him that he had seen it. "I can't go out. I don't know who might recognise me," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone from Abidjan, adding that he fears he will never be able to return home. Another man in the picture was also attacked after the photo was circulated on Facebook and other websites, said the head of an Abidjan-based gay rights group, who asked to remain anonymous. The other four men in the photo were verbally abused, and all six fled their homes, he added. While the director of the rights group gave the U.S. embassy permission to post the photo on their website, he said he would not have done so if he had known what the caption would say. "We are afraid now. There is no security," he said. Ivory Coast is one of the few African countries where same-sex acts are legal and have never been criminalised. While it is considered one of the most tolerant countries for sexual minorities in the region, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people face widespread abuse, stigma, and violence, rights groups say. The photo remained on the U.S. embassy's website as of Wednesday. Embassy officials were not immediately available to comment. (Reporting By Nellie Peyton, Editing by Kieran Guilbert and Katie Nguyen.; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, corruption and climate change. Visit news.trust.org) Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. ||||| ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) — Gay men in Ivory Coast say they've been assaulted and forced to flee their homes after the U.S. Embassy published a photo of them signing a condolence book for victims of this month's killings at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida. The photo, published on the embassy's website, shows the faces of six men with the caption "LGBTI community signing the condolence book." It was taken at the embassy on June 16, the same day Prime Minister Daniel Kablan Duncan and other officials signed the book in honor of the 49 people killed in the Orlando attack. The photo has been widely shared on social media and two of the men said that in the days after it was published an angry mob punched and kicked them while shouting anti-gay slurs. The men spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity for their safety. Four of the six men, including the two attacked, said they have fled their homes under pressure from family and friends who had been unaware of their sexual orientation. The men said they were not contacted before the photo was published. However the U.S. embassy did contact the heads of three Ivory Coast organizations that advocate for the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, according to press officer Elizabeth Ategou. Those activists gave their approval, but they were not in the photo or at the embassy event. Ategou said the embassy "deeply regrets that any individuals were attacked based on any kind of orientation they might have." She said the embassy was in contact with the men and encouraged them to report the attacks to police. The head of one gay rights group who approved the photo, and who also insisted on anonymity for his safety, said he would not have approved it had he known those pictured would be identified so explicitly as members of the "LGBTI community." The photo remained on the embassy's website Wednesday. Ategou said the embassy had received no requests to take it down. Same-sex relations are not a crime in Ivory Coast, but there are no legal protections for sexual minorities. In January 2014, a mob ransacked the Abidjan headquarters of the country's most prominent gay rights organization. The U.S. Embassy in Abidjan has strengthened ties with the country's LGBT activists following an Obama administration memorandum in 2011 that empowered "all agencies engaged abroad" to promote and protect the human rights of sexual minorities. ||||| The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) allows citizens of participating countries* to travel to the United States without a visa for stays of 90 days or less, when they meet all requirements.

– Gay men in Ivory Coast are being attacked by angry mobs and forced from their homes, and they blame the US embassy. The AP reports the US embassy recently published on its website a photo of six men signing a "condolence book" at the embassy in Abidjan for victims of the massacre at Orlando gay club Pulse. The photo's caption identifies the men as members of the "LGBTI community." The men say when the photo was shared around social media, it destroyed their lives. "I don't have a life anymore," one of them tells the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "I can't go out. I don't know who might recognize me.” He says he was confronted by a mob while walking near his home. They beat him and stole his phone and wallet. Two of the six men say they were attacked by mobs yelling anti-gay slurs. Four say they were forced out of their homes by friends and family who didn't know they were gay before the photo was published. All six have left their homes. A press officer for the US embassy, which hasn't removed the photo, says it "deeply regrets that any individuals were attacked based on any kind of orientation they might have." The embassy was given permission to publish the photo by the director of an Ivory Coast gay rights group. He now says he wouldn't have given permission if he was aware the men would be outed in the caption. Homosexuality isn't illegal in Ivory Coast, but violence against the gay community is common despite the country's reputation for relative tolerance of sexual minorities.

Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, the highly anticipated documentary about the relationship between the late Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, debuted on HBO Saturday. Billed as “an intimate portrait of Hollywood royalty in all its eccentricity,” the 95-minute film documented nearly a year of the Hollywood icons lives, leading up to Reynolds’ 2015 acceptance of her Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award, which Fisher presented. Get push notifications with news, features and more. It was an emotional project to watch, especially after the recent deaths of both women. Fisher, 60, died on Dec. 27 after suffering a heart attack during an 11-hour flight from London to Los Angeles four days prior. Reynolds died a day after her daughter, at the age of 84. Directed by Alexis Bloom and Fisher Stevens, the documentary was filled with amazing tidbits and treats. Here are some of its biggest reveals about the lives of the mother-daughter duo. 1. The two were an unbreakable pair, even though Fisher recognized that bond came with its downsides. Frank Trapper/Corbis via Getty Reynolds and Fisher’s close bond has long been well known. But Bright Lights gave insight into just how important it was for Fisher to see her mother happy. “If my mother’s unhappy, it lives on my grid,” she explained. “So I both want to and have to help my mother. She was very good to her mother and her mother didn’t deserve it. Debbie deserves it.” “I think I’m my mom’s best friend, more than a daughter,” Fisher continued. “My mother really wants me to be an extension of her wishes — an extension of her. And to a great degree, far more sometimes than I ever would want to, I know what my mother feels and wants. And there’s a lot of it.” The need to make sure her mother was also content weighed heavily on Fisher — especially as Reynolds got older. At one point in the film, Fisher breaks down in tears thinking about the fragile state of her mother’s health and the obstacles she’s going to have to overcome to make it to the Screen Actors Guild Awards. “Age is horrible for all of us, but she falls from a greater height,” she said. “Everything in me demands that my mother be what she always was — even if that was is irritating. She just can’t change, that’s the rule.” Fisher admitted that she had made attempts to distance herself from the codependent thought. “I’m trying to let go,” she said. “I should be trying to let go of my daughter, and instead, I’m trying to let go of my mom. So everything is backwards.” 2. Performing was Reynolds’ passion — and she did not want to retire. Loomis Dean/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images One of the topics Bright Lights spends the most time exploring is just how much Reynolds loved performing and how heartbreaking it was for her when age prevented her from doing so. Discovered by a talent scout from Warner Bros. at 16 and signed to a contract with the powerhouse studio, Reynolds had one of the longest and most illustrious careers in Hollywood — showcased throughout the documentary in stunning archival footage from some of her biggest onscreen hits like Singin’ in the Rain and The Unsinkable Molly Brown. But it wasn’t just film. Reynolds had a popular cabaret act that she performed in Vegas and toured the country with for years — though age made it extremely difficult for Reynolds to continue on in her final years. In her two live performances shown in Bright Lights (one in Connecticut and one in Vegas), she struggles to walk to and from the stage and needs assistance from those around her. “I have caught up with a few people in age,” Reynolds said. “But like George Burns said, ‘I’m going to stay on stage until I drop dead.’ “ “She’ll forget that she’s not 35,” Fisher said. “It doesn’t make sense to her that her body isn’t cooperating. And she just thinks if she ignores it, it’ll go away. It’s very frustrating for her because inside, my mom is the same person. And she doesn’t want to retire. She does not want to retire.” “She loves doing it when she’s doing it, but afterwards, she [is] laying on the floor,” Fisher added. “But in a good, dignified, movie star way.” Talking Reynolds out of performing seemed impossible, though.”That is like throwing yourself in front of a tsunami,” Fisher joked. “She’s a tsu-mommy… Performing gives her life. It feeds her in a way that family can not. That’s why I think that we’re frustrating. People aren’t cooperative — audiences are.” 3. Reynolds desperately wanted Fisher to be a singer. COURTESY FISHER FAMILY ARCHIVES/HBO Reynolds’ love of song is something she hoped to transfer over to her daughter. She groomed Fisher for the business, putting her in her nightclub act when she was 12 or 13. But though the two spent much of Bright Lights breaking into song together — Fisher even joining her mother’s Vegas show to sing The Unsinkable Molly Brown‘s “I’ll Never Say No,” Fisher never pursued the business professionally. “The biggest thing that broke my mother’s heart was to not do a nightclub act,” Fisher said. “My mother would say, ‘Do drugs — do whatever you do — but why don’t you sing?’ That was my big rebellion.” Her mother wasn’t the only one who had a musical background. Fisher’s father, Eddie Fisher, was a famous singer too. Looking back, Reynolds realized that her daughter’s choice not to sing was really decision to be independent. “I guess she doesn’t want to be Eddie and she doesn’t want to be Debbie,” Reynolds said. “So she’ll do it her own way.” Still, the thought of what could have been nearly brought Reynolds to tears. “Love that voice,” she said. “Isn’t that a great voice? Wish I had it.” 4. It took years for Fisher to embrace the Star Wars fandom. Lucasfilm/20th Century Fox/REX/Shutterstock Star Wars may have brought Fisher immediate worldwide fame, but it took her little longer to accept the public’s love for Princess Leia. Even towards the end of her life — as she reprised the character for Star Wars: The Force Awakens — it was still a line she struggled to walk. Bright Lights documents Fisher attending a comic-book convention, where she meets fans, poses for pictures, and signs memorabilia — all for cash (autographs cost $70 a person, for example). It’s something her assistant said she resisted for years but does at least once a month. She called them “celebrity lap dances.” “Celebrity lap dances — which is where celebrities of all shapes and ages sign autographs for cash prizes,” she explained. “It’s sort of like going to a strip club, except they don’t stuff cash in your underwear. But that’s kind of it.” Afterwards, Fisher reflected on the experience and the fan reactions she received throughout the day. “They love [Leia], and I’m her custodian,” she said. “She’s me and I’m her and I’m as close as you’re going to get. They talk to me like I’m Princess Leia who happens to have all these difficult experiences she’s gone through. And that’s like me fighting for the Force. “It’s nice,” she added. “They’re nice.” 5. Fisher’s mental health was “a constant battle” for Reynolds. Fisher was a passionate mental health advocate after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1985. Managing the illness with medication and electroconvulsive therapy, the actress and writer was outspoken about her treatment, and the lessons she learned by embracing the disorder throughout her life. But for Reynolds, watching her daughter go through the negative side effects associated with the disease was tough. “Manic depressive is a disease,” Reynolds said. “Now that wasn’t diagnosed then, so nobody knew what was going on with Carrie. When she was 13, her personality changed. So it’s a constant battle — it takes all of us to assure her that she’s loved.” “It’s hard,” she said, through tears. “It’s hard. That’s the hardest part.” Bright Lights showed archival video of Fisher experiencing a manic episode while visiting the Great Wall of China. The film’s cameras also caught her in an episode while at home. “You know what would be cool? To get to the end of my personality,” Fisher joked with the camera, and she broke up her rambling to admit being in the middle of a manic trip. “It’ll go out of style soon, and then I’ll just be quirky.” In another video, Fisher revealed the two personalities she experiences and the nicknames she uses to distinguish between the two. “I have two moods,” she said. “Roy is ‘Rollicking Roy’ — wild ride of a mood. Pam is ‘Sentiment Pam,’ who stands on the side and sobs. One mood is the meal, the next, the check.” Perhaps saddest was Fisher’s struggle to understand herself amid her disorder — a fight she seemed to continue to have until the very end. “Where am I in all of this?” she asked. ||||| Documentarians Fisher Stevens and Alexis Bloom started filming mother/daughter team Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds back in April 2014, and used a year and a half’s worth of footage to weave a loving portrait of Hollywood royalty with the film Bright Lights. HBO decided to air the film earlier than intended in order to honor Fisher and Reynolds in the wake of their deaths, which came one day apart at the end of December. That small scheduling decision effectively transformed what was already a poignant story into the perfect public elegy for these two women. If you haven’t already, please check out Bright Lights on one of HBO’s various platforms. Once you have, here’s a rundown of the moments that are loaded with devastating significance. Inside Jokes: According to Fisher and Bloom, Bright Lights was actually Carrie Fisher’s idea. The writer/actress wanted to pay homage to how her mother was still working so many decades into her career—so the film is bookended with footage of the 80-something Reynolds performing on stage. During one of her acts—which involves a combination of stand-up and singing—Reynolds says that Carrie once joked that after her parade of bad husbands, Eddie [Fisher] (who famously left her for Elizabeth Taylor) was starting to look like “the good one.” If you’ve seen Carrie’s one-woman show Wishful Drinking, you might remember that Fisher dropped a nearly identical joke in it—though she does credit her mother with the quip. It doesn’t really matter who originally came up with the joke—though one suspects it was probably Carrie. What matters is that these women shared everything, from soufflés to onstage banter. Setting the Scene: One of the joys of Bright Lights is going inside the homes of Carrie Fisher, Todd Fisher, and Debbie Reynolds. Their houses are crowded with oddities—but one of the most charming, tiny details is the “Yes Dear” pillow that adorns a chair in Reynolds’s living room. If you’ve heard a single Debbie Reynolds impression—whether from daughter Carrie, granddaughter Billie Lourd, or Shirley MacLaine who played a fictionalized version of her in Postcards from the Edge—you’ll know the word “dear” is an essential component. Obviously, somebody who knew Reynolds enough to tease her for that verbal tic got her that pillow. Postcards from the Edge: Speaking of the 1990 film based on Fisher’s eponymous, there’s a fun little parallel between MacLaine’s character and Reynolds in Bright Lights. When the film co-starring Meryl Streep as the Fisher character first came out, both Reynolds and Fisher claimed it wasn’t very autobiographical at all. But in Bright Lights, Fisher admits that some elements of Postcards from the Edge “actually happened.” And as if there were any doubt, in Bright Lights we see Reynolds perform the Stephen Sondheim belter “I’m Still Here,” which just happens to be the same showstopper MacLaine sings in Postcards. The song’s message—about enduring both a long career in show business and emotional devastation—couldn’t possibly be a more perfect anthem for Reynolds. Billie in the Background: Those mourning the loss of Fisher and Reynolds have, understandably, fixated on Fisher's daughter, Billie Lourd, as a symbol of grief. Lourd’s recent Instagram tribute to her family has earned nearly 300K likes and over 14K comments of support. Lourd is barely in Bright Lights, but she can be briefly seen accompanying her mother and grandmother to the Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2015 and, early in the documentary, helping Reynolds off the stage after a performance. Beaming with pride, she gives her grandmother a private round of applause. Carrie’s Tumultuous Ride: In the wake of her death, Fisher has received an outpouring of admiration for her honest advocacy for people living with mental illness. And the documentary doesn’t shy away from how Fisher’s manic depressive disorder made both her life and the lives of those who care about her much more challenging. In fact, Reynolds—who is stubbornly stoic about her own failing health throughout—has her most vulnerable moment when talking about Carrie’s mental health. With Reynolds’ breakdown, nightmarish old footage of Carrie (high? manic?) dancing around the Great Wall of China, and a more subdued example of a present-day manic episode from Carrie towards the end of the documentary, the film paints an efficient and non-exploitative portrait of Carrie’s illness. Fisher, exhausted by her own manic episode, tells the camera, “I just want to get to the end of my personality and just lay in the sun.” Carrie’s Fan Base: Fisher burned “very bright,” as her Force Awakens co-star Adam Driver recently put it—so naturally, she’s accrued a devoted fan base. The cameras follow her to a few paid convention photo and autograph sessions (which Carrie jokingly calls “lap dances”) and, as her assistant points out, Fisher fans line up from “nine in the morning to nine at night just to have two seconds with her.” While one male fan, predictably, talks about how he had a crush on Fisher his whole life, the most profound moment comes from a female fan in tears after meeting Fisher, who says the actress’s post-Star Wars career has really inspired her. “They talk to me like I’m Princess Leia, who has had all these difficult experiences to go through,” Fisher jokes before admitting, in a way, she is. Prophetic Words: At several points Fisher and Reynolds both (joking or otherwise) talk about their own deaths. Each reference lands with a little chill. But the most devastating moment—one the documentary wisely saves for the end—comes when Reynolds refuses to crack jokes with Todd and Carrie about her lifetime achievement honor from the Screen Actor’s Guild. “It’s too special,” the exhausted Reynolds keeps murmuring. When her children ask if she’ll be up for another lifetime achievement award when, surely, the other Hollywood guilds and academies come knocking, Reynolds says gently, and accurately, “I won’t be here then.” Debbie’s Fall: And just as Debbie allows herself to be vulnerable when speaking about Carrie’s mental illness, Fisher only lets her tough, funny mask slip when talking about her mother’s failing health. Having to confront that her mother—famous for being sprightly and athletic—can no longer physically cope with either the rigors of performing on-stage or accepting an award is devastating to Fisher. And knowing what we do about how Reynolds prided herself on muddling through life’s challenges—three divorces from three disappointing men, financial troubles, a mentally ill daughter, a failed memorabilia museum project—with a smile on her face, it’s clear that her own frailties bother Reynolds as well. But she refuses to show it. Funny for Eddie: In archival footage from when Carrie was filming Wishful Drinking in 2010, she visits her ailing father, Eddie. He would die three months later. She reveals to him that her tendency to make jokes was originally an effort to impress him. (He left Debbie and the kids when Carrie was a toddler.) In that light, every single one of Carrie’s wisecracks take on a slightly tragic tinge. A Love Story: Ultimately, Bright Lights paints a lively and sometimes painful portrait of a true Hollywood romance. Todd was right to call the tale of Debbie and Carrie a “beautiful love story”. Let down by the men in their lives, Debbie and Carrie ultimately clung to each other. They lived on the same property—though in very different houses—finished each other’s sentences, continuously broke into song together, and built a pleasant, cozy life on the other side of very public disappointments. And for just a moment, Bright Lights let us share it with them. Get Vanity Fair’s HWD Newsletter Sign up for essential industry and award news from Hollywood. E-mail Address Subscribe

– HBO's Carrie Fisher-Debbie Reynolds documentary premiered Saturday; People and Vanity Fair list some of the biggest reveals and emotional moments from Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds: Their bond was incredibly close and complicated. Says Fisher at one point in the documentary, "I’m trying to let go. I should be trying to let go of my daughter, and instead, I’m trying to let go of my mom. So everything is backwards." Fisher disappointed her mom in one big way. Reynolds really wanted her to be a singer: "The biggest thing that broke my mother’s heart was to not do a nightclub act," Fisher says in the film. "My mother would say, ‘Do drugs—do whatever you do—but why don’t you sing?’ That was my big rebellion." Mother and daughter struggled with Fisher's mental health challenges. "Manic depressive is a disease," says a teary Reynolds in the film. "Now that wasn’t diagnosed then, so nobody knew what was going on with Carrie. When she was 13, her personality changed. So it’s a constant battle—it takes all of us to assure her that she’s loved. It’s hard. It’s hard. That’s the hardest part." Fisher struggled with Reynolds' failing health. Vanity Fair says Reynolds is most vulnerable in the film while discussing Fisher's mental health, and Fisher is most vulnerable when discussing the physical ailments her aging mother had been struggling with. They both joked prophetically about the future. At multiple points, both Fisher and Reynolds talk about their eventual deaths. VF points to one moment in particular, when Fisher and brother Todd ask her if she'll be up for another lifetime achievement award (much of the film centers around her award from the Screen Actor's Guild) someday in the future. Reynolds' response: "I won't be here then." (Fisher's urn is apparently shaped like a giant Prozac pill.)

the industry Five Options for Releasing Mel Gibson’s The Beaver, and Why None Are Good Mel Gibson’s next movie, The Beaver, was set to be released by Summit Entertainment in the spring or fall of 2011. Or at least that seemed like a fine game plan until the mother of his child, Oksana Grigorieva, accused him of physically abusing her and their baby, and released recordings of phone calls that purportedly show him crazily gasping to fill his lungs in order to more effectively call her three nasty names over and over again. Now, Summit finds itself what’s the technical term they use in Hollywood? Oh yes: superfucked. Execs at the company privately admit that even they don’t know what to do with the Jodie Foster–directed movie, the story of a depressed man who suffers a psychotic break when his family abandons him and becomes best friends with a beaver hand puppet that he imbues with an alternate personality with a British accent. One Summit suit calls the situation “unprecedented.” So what are their options? We’ve laid them out below, and as you’ll see, none of them are good. OPTION 1: Send The Beaver Directly to DVD. Why it could work: The Beaver might never earn back from theaters what it would cost to market the movie in the first place, so why not go to DVD, where you don’t have the huge publicity costs to make up for? Why that will never work: First, going straight to video sends audiences a message that the film is in the same league as cheapo junk like American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile. For another, you can’t count on home video the way you used to for ancillary profits. The Los Angeles Times today reports that for the first half of the year, DVD sales were down about 15 percent, while DVD rental spending declined nearly 5 percent — thanks to a 55 percent jump in revenue at $1 per night kiosks like Red Box. OPTION 2: Market The Beaver As a Jodie Foster Film, Not a Mel Gibson Movie. Why it could work: Everybody loves Jodie Foster! She’s an American institution! And who doesn’t remember Little Man Tate fondly? Why it will never work: Yes, Foster directed and played his wife. But insiders tell us Gibson is in 90 percent of the scenes in the movie, making it all but impossible to hide his involvement. What are you gonna do, kick him out of the poster? Look at how well that worked with Tom Cruise and Knight and Day. OPTION 3: Sell The Beaver As a "Message Movie" About Mental Illness and Have Mel Publicly Say He Is, in Fact, Mentally Ill Why it could work: Imagine all the interviewers asking, “Mel, have you ever felt like you were going crazy?” Then he could make a little joke, “Whatever could you be talking about?” then everyone chuckles, and he leans forward and says, “But seriously, mental illness affects everyone, as you see in this movie. Heck, it even happens to movie stars. And thank goodness I was able to get help. Everyone’s not so lucky.” Why it will never work: Gibson recently lost his longtime agent and trusted confidant, Ed Limato, to lung cancer and was promptly cut loose by Limato’s former agency, William Morris Endeavor. Without Limato, who was well-known for his straight talk with clients, Gibson seems bereft of the professional advice that might preserve his career: He seems genuinely committed to the idea that he can still win custody of his youngest child and be consumed with hatred for its mother. Plus, when it comes to audience empathy for mental illness, there is a big difference between the clinically depressed and people who bellow “I DESERVE TO BE BLOWN!” OPTION 4: Really Commit and Release The Beaver As an Oscar Contender and Hope for the Best. Why it could work: Summit insiders (unsurprisingly) say that the Gibson film is quite good. (It’s not impossible: Wagner, after all, was a racist and an anti-Semite, but no one is suggesting The Ring Cycle wasn’t a mammoth operatic achievement.) The script by Kyle Killeen (creator of Fox’s buzzy new fall show Lone Star) topped the 2008 Black List, the annual list of best unproduced screenplays in Hollywood. And the Motion Picture Academy loves Foster: She has been nominated for four Oscars and won two, and the fact that she’s been acting for 41 years means they look at her like proud parents, even though she’s 47. Why it will never work: Audiences stayed away in droves from Gibson’s last starring vehicle, Edge of Darkness, and that was before he allegedly punched Grigorieva while she was holding his child. And while Foster has won both Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress Academy Awards, she’s never been nominated for her directing, even for Little Man Tate. And let’s say, miracles of miracles, it becomes an Oscar contender. That’s hardly a box-office indicator: Despite The Hurt Locker being named last year’s Best Picture, Summit still only managed to squeeze an extra $1.7 million out of audiences after the Oscars. OPTION 5: Put the Film on the Shelf Until the Moment Is Right. Why it’s the best option: Scientists predict that in the year 2843, the human race will be overtaken by a race of cyborgs with the prime directive that they deserve to be blown. And they will need a summer tentpole.

– Mel Gibson hopes to shore up his fading career with his latest role as a depressed dad who cures himself by talking to a beaver puppet that lives on his own hand. Sounds pretty pathetic, but word is that the movie—directed by Gibson friend and fellow actor Jodie Foster—is quite good ... and the preview has finally hit US televisions (watch it in gallery). But for Mel, who reportedly suffers from alcoholism and bipolar syndrome, playing a crazy dad might not be the right career choice just now as he's battling for custody of his baby daughter with Oksana Grigorieva, notes Jon Swaine in the Telegraph. The film is supposed to be out in spring, postponed from its initial planned summer release. Producers are reportedly a bit worried about reception. New York Mag previously predicted a minefield when Gibson meets the press on promotional tours for the film: "Imagine all the interviewers asking, 'Mel, have you ever felt like you were going crazy?'" Talk to the hand, Mel.

Our recent analysis, Super Spending: U.S. Trends in High-Cost Medication Use, examines prescription drug use among patients with exceedingly high annual medication costs under the pharmacy benefit to help clients identify new opportunities to improve care, quality of life and health outcomes for the patients who rely on these costly, complex therapies. An estimated 576,000 Americans spent more than the median household income on prescription medications in 2014. This population of patients grew an astounding 63% from 2013. Further, the population of patients with costs of $100,000 or more nearly tripled during the same time period, to nearly 140,000 people. The total cost impact to payers from both patient populations is an unsustainable $52 billion a year. Profile of a High-Cost Population The patients in these extremely high-cost patient populations are overwhelmingly taking specialty medications, and have multiple comorbidities, prescriptions and prescribers. In fact, nine out of 10 patients with drug costs of $50,000 used specialty medications. Among patients whose costs reached $100,000 or higher: More than one-third of these patients were being treated for ten or more different medical conditions. The most common co-morbidities included high blood pressure, high cholsterol, diabetes and depression. Of note, the use of antidepressants was more than twice as prevalent as it is in the general population. Approximately 60% took 10 or more different medications. Approximately 72% had prescriptions written from at least four prescribers. 58% of the population were Baby Boomers, aged 51-70. Men represent 56% of patients with annual prescription costs exceeding $100,000. Top Therapy Classes Cost Drivers Compounded therapies, hepatitis C and cancer medications, comprise nearly two-thirds of drug spending in patients whose costs exceed $100,000 in 2014. Among patients in this highest-cost tier, 32% were taking cancer medications, and the number of patients receiving medication treatment for hepatitis C jumped 733% in 2014. Compounded medication use was the third-largest contributor to these extremely high medications costs. Among Americans with annual drug costs above $100,000, the proportion of patients using compounded medications grew 30% in 2014, while their costs on these compounded medications quadrupled. Patients Pay a Small Fraction of the Total Expense Insurance plans and employers covered more than 98% of the costs for patients whose prescription drug bills exceeded $100,000 in 2014, paying an average of $156,911 of these patients’ 2014 pharmacy costs. Patients within this highest-cost tier were responsible for less than 2% of their total 2014 pharmacy costs, paying an average $2,782 out-of-pocket in 2014. This reflects an annual decrease in the out-of-pocket percentage these patients paid in 2013. Average Annual Cost Per Patient Payer Preparedness The size, complexity and make-up of the patients in this population are a significant challenge for payers and require swift and effective solutions to improve care for these costliest patients. Reducing waste can create headroom for affordable coverage for patients who desperately need treatment. For example, addressing wasteful spending on compounded therapies that add little value to patient outcomes, and in a growing number of cases, may actually put a patient’s health at risk, can eliminate a significant contributor to high-cost medication use while protecting patients. Programs that improve medication adherence, particularly for patients with cancer and diabetes, can improve outcomes and help additional medical spending that result from less than optimal management of these conditions. Lastly, use of Express Scripts home delivery pharmacy and Accredo specialty allows us to treat the whole patient by providing a home pharmacy that offers integrated, coordinated care with specialist pharmacists, physicians, nurses, nutritionists and other specialists. We deliver more efficient, effective and personalized patient care for these vulnerable patients. And we guarantee it. The rapid growth of these patient populations threatens the affordability of medical coverage for patients and plan sponsors. A comprehensive management approach that effectively improves patient care and outcomes while reducing costs – and especially cost associated with wasteful spending – will help ensure new, innovative medications are readily available and affordable to the patients who need them most. Author Bio Glen Stettin, MD Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus ||||| ORLANDO, Fla., May 13, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- As pharmaceutical companies introduce more high-cost medications for larger populations, employers, health plans and others are increasingly challenged to control the significant increase in spending that happens as a result, according to new research released this week by Express Scripts (NASDAQ: ESRX) during its annual Outcomes Symposium. The new report, Super Spending: U.S. Trends in High-Cost Medication Use, examines prescription drug use among patients with exceedingly high annual medication costs under the pharmacy benefit. The number of U.S. patients estimated to have annual medication costs greater than $50,000 jumped 63 percent between 2013 and 2014, from 352,000 to 576,000 Americans. The population of patients estimated to be taking at least $100,000 worth of medication nearly tripled in the same time period, from 47,000 to 139,000 Americans. "The profile emerging from this research shows these patients are overwhelmingly taking specialty medications, and have multiple comorbidities, prescriptions and prescribers," said Glen Stettin, M.D., Senior Vice President, Clinical, Research and New Solutions at Express Scripts. "These insights highlight clear opportunities for payers to work with their PBM to improve care, quality of life and health outcomes for the patients who rely on these costly, complex therapies." Comorbidities, Polypharmacy Complicate Care Nine out of 10 patients with drug costs of $50,000 used specialty medications, which are expensive treatments for complex conditions. However, the analysis reveals patients at the top of the pyramid of prescription spending are often afflicted with numerous comorbidities that add to the complexity and cost of their care. Among patients whose costs reached $100,000 or higher: More than one-third were being treated for 10 or more different medical conditions; Approximately 60 percent took 10 or more different medications; and Approximately 72 percent had prescriptions written from at least four prescribers. Depression was one of the most common comorbidities among patients with more than $50,000 in annual costs, with about one-in-three patients having at least one prescription for an antidepressant in addition to their other therapies. The prevalence of antidepressant use among patients taking a specialty medication was 2.3 times higher compared to the national average. "Patients in these highest-spend categories are treating a complex condition along with other more common chronic conditions, such as diabetes or depression, which can leave them at risk for medication safety concerns and increased medical costs," said Dr. Stettin. "When we treat the whole patient, as we do in the Express Scripts Therapeutic Resource Centers® and our specialty pharmacy, Accredo, we provide a home pharmacy that offers integrated, coordinated care with other members of the patients' healthcare team. The result is more efficient, effective and personalized patient care." Costs driven by Hepatitis C, Cancer and Compounded Treatments Compounded therapies, hepatitis C and cancer medications, comprise nearly two-thirds of drug spending in patients whose costs exceeded $100,000 in 2014. Among patients in this highest-cost tier, 32 percent were taking cancer medications, and the number of patients receiving medication treatment for hepatitis C jumped 733 percent in 2014. Compounded medication use was the third-largest contributor to these extremely high medication costs. Among Americans with annual drug costs above $100,000, the proportion of patients using compounded medications grew 30 percent in 2014, while their costs on these compounded medications quadrupled. "Unlike high-priced hepatitis C and oncology therapies, most compounded medications add little-to-no value to patient outcomes, and in a growing number of cases, may actually put a patient's health at risk," said Dr. Stettin. "Tightly managing the use of compounded medications offers a significant opportunity for payers to improve patient safety and reduce spending." Majority of Patients in the Highest Spend Category are Baby Boomers Baby Boomers, ages 51-70, surpassed all other age groups as the highest-cost medication users, making up 58 percent of the population with annual drug costs exceeding $100,000, an increase of 243 percent from 2013 to 2014. Among Boomers in this high-cost category, 50 percent were being treated for cancer, 77 percent were being treated for hepatitis C, and 46 percent were taking compounded drugs. Patients Pay a Small Fraction of the Total Expense Insurance plans covered more than 98 percent of the costs for patients whose prescription drug bills exceeded $100,000 in 2014, paying an average of $156,911 of these patients' 2014 pharmacy costs. Patients within this highest-cost tier were responsible for less than 2 percent of their total 2014 pharmacy costs, reflecting an annual decrease in the out-of-pocket percentage these patients pay. Methodology The analysis examined de-identified prescription drug claims of 31.5 million insured Americans between 2013 and 2014. The research included beneficiaries with pharmacy coverage through commercial insurers, Medicare and Medicaid. To review the full report, please visit lab.express-scripts.com. About Express Scripts Express Scripts manages more than a billion prescriptions each year for tens of millions of patients. On behalf of our clients — employers, health plans, unions and government health programs — we make the use of prescription drugs safer and more affordable. Express Scripts uniquely combines three capabilities — behavioral sciences, clinical specialization and actionable data — to create Health Decision ScienceSM, our innovative approach to help individuals make the best drug choices, pharmacy choices and health choices. Better decisions mean healthier outcomes. Headquartered in St. Louis, Express Scripts provides integrated pharmacy-benefit management services, including network-pharmacy claims processing, home delivery, specialty benefit management, benefit-design consultation, drug-utilization review, formulary management, and medical and drug data analysis services. The company also distributes a full range of biopharmaceutical products and provides extensive cost-management and patient-care services. For more information, visit Lab.Express-Scripts.com or follow @ExpressScripts on Twitter. Media Contacts: David Whitrap, Express Scripts 314-517-3605 DWhitrap@express-scripts.com Jennifer Luddy, Express Scripts 908-794-9226 Jennifer_Luddy@express-scripts.com Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20080827/EXPRESSSCRIPTSLOGO SOURCE Express Scripts ||||| Pricey cancer drugs, expensive new cures for hepatitis and made-to-order drugs have driven U.S. prescription costs to new highs for some Americans, according to a report issued Wednesday. It finds that more than half a million Americans each took home $50,000 or more worth of prescription drugs last year. And the number of super-high spenders prescribed $100,000 or more worth of medications nearly tripled from 47,000 to 139,000, pharmacy benefits manager Express Scripts says. These are often very sick people, the report found. “Among patients whose drug costs reached at least $100,000, more than one-third were treated for at least 10 conditions and more than 60 percent were taking at least 10 different prescription medications,” the report reads. “Among patients whose drug costs reached at least $100,000, more than one-third were treated for at least 10 conditions." For those spending $100,000 or more a year, specialty, made-to-order drugs known as compounded therapies, as well as drugs for hepatitis C and to treat cancer accounted for two-thirds of the costs, Express Scripts found. The hepatitis C drugs include Gilead Science’s Sovaldi, which can cure the liver-destroying virus. Gilead charges $84,000 for the three-month drug course, and argues that it costs less than treating patients for a lifetime of liver disease. Play Facebook Twitter Embed Report: Drug costs top $50,000 for 575,000 Americans 0:20 autoplay autoplay Copy this code to your website or blog Express Scripts, which has actively fought drug companies over their pricing, has refused to cover Gilead’s other expensive hepatitis C drug Harvoni, and instead negotiated a deal with rival drugmaker Abbvie to get its hepatitis C drug Viekira at a discount. The benefits manager, which covers about 85 million Americans, has also complained about pricey cancer drugs. Bristol-Myers Squibb’s melanoma drug Yervoy can keep patients with terminal melanoma alive for a year or longer but it costs $120,000 for a course of treatment. Patients are almost never bearing these high costs. Insurance plans covered more than 98 percent of the costs for patients whose drugs cost $100,000 or more in 2014. “Across the cost spectrum, patients in 2014 paid an average of 13.5 percent of their total medication costs, down from 14.9 percent in 2013,” the report reads. "Patients are overwhelmingly taking specialty medications, and have multiple comorbidities, prescriptions and prescribers." Express Scripts used data from 31.5 million insured Americans covered by commercial insurers, Medicare and Medicaid for its report. “The profile emerging from this research shows these patients are overwhelmingly taking specialty medications, and have multiple comorbidities, prescriptions and prescribers,” said Dr. Glen Stettin, senior vice president for clinical research at Express Scripts. The report found that 90 percent of patients with drug costs of $50,000 used specialty medications, which are expensive treatments for complex conditions. More than a third of them were being treated for 10 or more different medical conditions. ||||| More than a half-million U.S. patients had medication costs in excess of $50,000 in 2014, an increase of 63 percent from the prior year, as doctors prescribed more expensive specialty drugs for diseases such as cancer and hepatitis C, according to an Express Scripts report released on Wednesday. Of the estimated 575,000 Americans who used at least $50,000 in prescription medicines last year, about 139,000 used at least $100,000 worth of medication, nearly triple the 47,000 who hit that mark in 2013, the report said. The total cost to health plans for U.S. patients with prescription drug expenses in excess of $50,000 was $52 billion in 2014, Express Scripts said in its report: "Super Spending: Trends in High-Cost Medication Use." "These patients are overwhelmingly taking specialty medications, and have multiple (health problems), prescriptions and prescribers," Glen Stettin, Express Scripts Holding Co's head of clinical, research and new solutions, said in a statement. Health insurance covered 97.4 percent of the drug expenses among patients prescribed at least $50,000 worth of medicines in 2014, according to Express Scripts, the largest U.S. pharmacy benefit manager. By contrast, patients with less than $1,000 in total prescription medication costs paid 35 percent of the bill out of pocket. Among baby boomers aged 51 to 70 in the high-cost category, 77 percent were being treated for hepatitis C, for which costly new cures were introduced last year. Fifty percent were being treated for cancer, for which several expensive new drugs were approved in the last two years. The new drugs for those diseases alone can cost upwards of $90,000 per patient. About 60 percent of patients in the super-spending report were taking at least 10 medicines from at least four different prescribers. "Patients in these highest-spend categories are treating a complex condition along with other more common chronic conditions, such as diabetes or depression," Stettin said. Anti-depressant use among those also taking a specialty medicine was more than twice the national average, the report found. The report looked at prescription drug claims of 31.5 million Americans with either commercial health insurance or coverage through federal and state Medicare and Medicaid plans. Pharmacy benefit managers like Express Scripts negotiate prescription drug pricing for employers and health plans and run large mail-order pharmacies. (Reporting by Bill Berkrot; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)

– Prescription drugs are pricey: According to a report released Wednesday by benefits manager Express Scripts, more than 500,000 people in 2014 took home meds costing a total of $50,000 or more per year, while the number of big spenders who took home at least $100,000 worth of drugs annually jumped from 47,000 to 139,000 between 2013 and last year, NBC News reports. About 60% of the patients in the $100,000 group were taking at least 10 medicines from no fewer than four different prescribers, Reuters reports. "Patients in these highest-spend categories are treating a complex condition along with other more common chronic conditions, such as diabetes or depression," an Express Scripts' head researcher says in a statement. A significant factor in the 63% increase of those dropping at least $50,000: More prescriptions are being issued for pricey specialty drugs for diseases such as hepatitis C and cancer, Reuters notes. Using info from 31.5 million insured Americans (covered by either commercial insurers or Medicaid/Medicare), the report also figured out the cost to payers for these pricey prescriptions: what the report labels "an unsustainable" $52 billion per year. But insurance picks up most of the tab, with plans covering almost 98% of the bill in the $100,000-plus group, per a press release. (What one expert calls "highway robbery": the trend of manufacturers to hike drug prices as soon as they buy them from other companies.)

A former Olympic rower and mutual-fund salesman — missing since November 2015 — has turned himself in to police. Harold Backer, whose clients have accused him of defrauding them of millions of dollars before he disappeared, walked up to a counter at Victoria Police Department headquarters on Thursday afternoon and identified himself. He is now facing two counts of fraud over $5,000. He remains in custody and will appear in court Tuesday. “It came as a surprise,” Victoria police spokesman Const. Matt Rutherford said. “He was safe and he came on his own accord.” Backer rowed in the Olympics in 1984, 1988 and 1992 before becoming an investment dealer, most recently with Investia Financial. He disappeared Nov. 3, 2015, after telling his family he was going on a bike ride. The last known image of Backer came from a security camera in Port Angeles, Washington, showing him riding his bike away from the Coho ferry terminal in the early afternoon. In November 2016, a Port Angeles resident told the Times Colonist she had seen him in town two days after the photos were taken. Backer wrote a letter to several of his clients expressing remorse for decisions he made that cost them money and taking responsibility for the financial losses. He admitted to running a pyramid scheme and said there was no way he could ever pay back the losses his clients experienced. The letter was sent to 15 clients and arrived at their homes within a day or two of his disappearance. At that point, the missing person case turned into a fraud investigation, Rutherford said. While the total amount is unknown, just two families are out a total of more than $2 million. Investia has denied responsibility, saying the transactions were carried out by Backer off their books, under his private company, My Financial Backer. Betty and Boris Klavora say they lost more than $800,000. Boris was Backer’s rowing coach in the 1980s and the couple regularly hosted Backer and other elite Canadian rowers for dinner at their Vancouver home. Betty said the couple was surprised to receive a phone call from Victoria police on Friday about noon. “We thought we’d never see him anymore,” she said. “My husband said he will visit him in jail, look him in the eye and ask him what was this all about. Because he was a personal friend.” That’s no longer the case, she said. “We are disappointed.” Port Angeles Police Chief Brian Smith said his department had no new information about Backer before reading that he had turned himself in. Smith said there was still a “missing person” alert out for Backer Friday afternoon, which means that if he crossed a border, his name would be flagged for police and border officials. Missing persons are not arrested, but police are typically notified, he said. “The question is: If he turned himself in in Victoria, how did he get back into Canada?” Smith said. Backer’s arrival meant investigators scrambled into the early hours of Friday morning to put together lengthy documentation for his telebail hearing the same day. While Backer currently faces two charges, that could change, Rutherford said. “Investigations like this are very complex, especially with the amount of investors Mr. Backer had. So it’s going to take some time and that number may change.” He thanked residents and the media for sharing information about Backer after he went missing. — with files from Andrew A. Duffy asmart@timescolonist.com ||||| A Vancouver Island investment adviser who seemingly vanished in 2015 has turned himself in to police. Harold Backer went missing after he told his wife he was going for a bike ride on Nov. 3 of that year. His disappearance sparked a frantic search on Vancouver Island and in Washington state after surveillance footage showed a cyclist fitting Backer's description getting off the Coho ferry in Port Angeles, Wash. Some believed he may have been injured or lost, but the search took on a different tone when investment clients — including several close friends and Backer's brother — received letters from the adviser explaining he had lost their investments. Video footage of Harold Backer moments after the Coho ferry docked in Washington state on Nov. 3, 2015. (Port Angeles Police) On Friday, more than 520 days after his disappearance, police in Victoria, B.C., said Backer had turned himself in and was being held in custody. He's facing two counts of fraud over $5,000 with a court appearance scheduled for Tuesday. Officers told CBC News it's not clear why Backer turned himself in and that officials are still investigating where he's been since November 2015. In a written statement, the department said financial crime investigators started looking into the My Financial Backer Corporation and Backer himself shortly after the adviser vanished. The RCMP and B.C. Securities Commission have also conducted investigations into Backer's conduct as an adviser. Past investments Backer's former rowing coach, Tony Carr, told The Fifth Estate he'd invested nearly $800,000 with the adviser — money from his retirement fund as well as his wife's inheritance. Carr found out Backer had disappeared shortly after the ferry sighting. "Another rowing coach phoned me and said, 'Do you know Harold's missing?' And as soon as I heard that, I thought, 'so is my money,'" the coach told CBC's The Fifth Estate in a documentary that aired earlier this year. Backer continued to coach rowing after he retired as a professional athlete. (Finding Harold Backer/Facebook) CBC News reached out to the Carrs for comment on Backer's arrest, but they didn't make themselves available to media. Luke Mills, who started a Facebook page to spread the word about Backer's disappearance in 2015, said he was "shocked" when he heard Backer turned himself in. ​"I was happy to hear he was OK, obviously, alive.... As a person with family, it was really hard for me — and a lot of other people — because we just didn't know about his physical safety or state of mind," he said. Mills said he and Backer were acquaintances, but that they hadn't spoken for a few years before Backer's disappearance. He never invested any money with the adviser. "But the fact that he's back and has obviously turned himself in ... the proof is in the pudding that he's come back to deal with any consequences he may have." Backer, who was 53 when he went missing, was an Olympic rower before he went into finance — although he never made the podium in three trips to the Games. He returned to Mill Bay, B.C., after retiring as a professional athlete. He lived there with his wife and children until he disappeared. With files from CBC's The Fifth Estate and Megan Batchelor

– Missing Olympian rower Harold Backer walked into a police station in Canada last week, ending a 528-day mystery—but the remaining mysteries include his whereabouts during all that time, and the whereabouts of the millions of dollars that clients of his investment business say he stole from them. Backer, who was 53 when he disappeared, was charged with two counts of fraud after he surrendered himself to authorities in Victoria, BC, the CBC reports. The last confirmed sighting of him had been Nov. 3, 2015, when he told his wife he was going for a bike ride. Surveillance footage revealed that he had taken a ferry from Canada to Port Angeles in Washington state. The disappearance of Backer, who rowed for Canada in the 1984, 1988, and 1992 Olympics, became a criminal investigation within days after 15 investment clients—including friends, his brother, and his former coach, who lost $800,000—received letters confessing that his business was a pyramid scheme. He said he had lost their money in the dot-com crash 15 years earlier and couldn't get it back. Police haven't commented on where they think Backer spent the last 18 months. Port Angeles Police Chief Brian Smith says his name would have been flagged if he had tried to cross the border. "The question is: If he turned himself in in Victoria, how did he get back into Canada?" he tells the Victoria Times Colonist.

Newly released police video sheds light on what may have happened moments before three teenage girls drowned in a St. Petersburg, Florida pond. The dash cam footage, released by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office on Monday, shows deputies in a car chase with the teenagers, aged 15 and 16, who were driving in a Honda Accord they had allegedly stolen. The chase ends in a marshy pond at the Royal Palm cemetery where all three girls drowned. "We are in the process of reviewing everything," the girls' lawyer, Will Anderson, told ABC News. He added that his team, led by Michelle Whitfield, has questions about law enforcement statements. “In my opinion, this has been a rush to judgment,” Anderson told ABC News affiliate WFTS. “In my opinion, this has been a smear campaign.” Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said deputies did everything by the book, even attempting to save the girls' lives after their car plunged into the pond. "I'm not going to stand by and let these people cast a false narrative, " Gualtieri said. "They're reaching, and they want to be spin masters." Gualtieri added that because the pond was "thick with sludge," it was difficult for officers to get to the teenagers. Following the release of the dash-cam video, which does not show the full incident, the truthfulness of the officers' statements about trying to assist the girls has been called into question. The Sheriff's office contends that the officers tried to enter the pond to save the girls, but the video only shows them standing near the pond. The Sheriff's office maintains their position that the officers did all they could. "The officers got in the pond and just because it's not on cam doesn't mean it didn't happen," Gualtieri said. "As you walk up to the pond you can clearly see the path the vehicle took driving into the pond," a police report from the sheriff's office states. "There was a path of down tall grass and cattails leading into a heavily vegetative pond. The PCSO Dive team was able to locate the vehicle approximately 60 yards into the pond. Divers advised the pond was approximately 15 feet deep where the vehicle was resting facing east. They were able to secure a tow line but were unable to see anything due to poor visibility." Police say the teenage girls stole a car in a Walmart parking lot on March 31, and evaded law enforcement who were pursuing them in the allegedly stolen vehicle before tragedy struck. They say the girls had a long history of delinquent behavior. "They've been arrested seven times in the last year on just auto theft charges," Gualtieri said. "These are not good kids. These are kids who are heavily engaged in criminal activity. I didn't make it up. I didn't make it up that at 4 o'clock in the morning they were driving a stolen car." Anderson says his law office is strengthening its case and reviewing the information from the sheriff's office before making an official statement. “My daughter was not perfect,” Natasha Winkler, mother of Laniya Miller, one of the girls who drowned, told WFTS. "What 15-year-old is?” ||||| Pinellas County sheriff's cruisers, police dogs and a helicopter converged on the pond as the Honda Accord slowly sank in the muddy depths. The helicopter hovered high above the pond, pointing a spotlight into the dark muck. "The car is bobbin' around. They're trying to crawl out," a deputy on the ground said. "Looks like someone at a window. I see a foot coming out." Moments later, he radioed the pilot: "Can you see anyone swimming away? What do you see?" "From up here," the pilot answered, "… I don't see anybody swimming away." The Sheriff's Office released new details Monday of the grim March 31 morning when three teenage girls died in a stolen car that sank in a pond near Gandy Boulevard. Recordings of radio chatter reveal confusion as deputies realize the passengers, three teen girls, are trapped. More than a week later, many of the critical moments leading to their deaths are still in dispute. Michele Whitfield, a Clearwater attorney representing the family of one of the three girls, Laniya Miller, held a Monday afternoon news conference to raise questions about the way Pinellas sheriff's deputies handled the crash. "We're seeking answers for Laniya's mother," Whitfield said. "She deserves answers. There are inconsistencies that need to be addressed, and we're asking for those answers to come." Pinellas Sheriff Bob Gualtieri defended his agency from criticism by Whitfield and another attorney, Will Anderson. He said the investigation report, which is still open pending toxicology results, has yet to be released. "Just wait until they have all the facts," Gualtieri said. "It will speak for itself." Hours after the fatal wreck, Gualtieri provided a time line of the moments before the crash. Whitfield said her firm is conducting its own investigation. Gualtieri summarized what happened this way: On March 30, Miller, 15, was with two other girls, Ashaunti Butler, 15, and Dominique Battle, 16, all of St. Petersburg. A man was giving them a ride to Childs Park. When he stopped at a Walmart, the girls drove off in his Honda. About 3:30 a.m., a sheriff's sergeant spotted the Honda with its headlights off as it headed east on Sunset Point Road in Clearwater, west of U.S. 19. The sergeant turned on his vehicle's emergency lights. The Honda then ran a red light. Five miles later, another Pinellas sergeant ran the tag number and confirmed it was stolen out of St. Petersburg. He followed the car at a distance. Under Pinellas County Sheriff's Office policy, deputies cannot pursue stolen cars. The Honda ran another red light and headed toward Royal Palm North Cemetery off Gandy Boulevard, a dead end. Deputies called for stop sticks to be placed on the road leading to the cemetery. At speeds between 30 and 35 mph, the Honda navigated the narrow roads of the cemetery. At a sharp bend in the road about 4 a.m., the car stayed on a straight course and then went into a pond. Deputies waded in to save whoever was inside, Gualtieri said. But the mud was too thick. Within five minutes, the Honda submerged in about 15 feet of water. On Monday, the Sheriff's Office released dash cam footage from one patrol car, but it was inconclusive. Whitfield said she and Anderson visited the cemetery and saw that the details Gualtieri provided "did not match the scene." She wouldn't elaborate. Whitfield and Anderson highlighted comments the sheriff made in the March 31 news conference, when Gualtieri said the girls were evading deputies. "You can't evade someone who's not chasing you," Anderson said. The sheriff maintains that his deputies never pursued the car. The girls' families are also upset the Sheriff's Office disclosed their criminal records, which includes grand theft motor vehicle arrests, Whitfield said. "What's been talked about is their mug shots. What's been talked about is their criminal history," Whitfield said. "And that's the legacy that has been portrayed of Laniya Miller and that is an incorrect legacy." The mothers of Miller and Battle spoke briefly Monday about their daughters. "All three of these girls were best friends. They all hung out together. They all took care of each other," said Yashica Clemmons, Battle's mother. "(I'm) going to get to the bottom of this." But Gualtieri said his deputies have done nothing wrong. "She was on a bad path, that child," Gualtieri said of Battle, who had the longest criminal history among the girls. "I'm sympathetic to the mother's situation and her devastation and I feel for her, but don't throw that back on us." Miller's mother, Natasha Winkler, said her daughter wanted to become an attorney. Sometimes, she pretended to be hungry so that she could give food to her friends. "My daughter was not perfect. What 15-year-old is?" she said. "She should not be remembered as a thief. That's not who she was. "None of these kids deserved to die." Contact Laura C. Morel at lmorel@tampabay.com. Follow @lauracmorel.

– The families of three Florida teens who drowned in a stolen car are suggesting sheriff's deputies could have done more to save them, the Miami Herald reports. The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office has forcefully rebutted those allegations in this Facebook post. The office released hours of dashboard footage of the March 30 tragedy, which shows that officers took off clothes and equipment in an attempt to rescue the girls, but also shows one deputy watching from the bank of the pond and talking about hearing screams for help. "We are in the process of reviewing everything," says Will Anderson, a lawyer for the girls' families, per ABC News. Dominique Battle, 16, Ashaunti Butler, 15, and Laniya Miller, 15, allegedly stole a Honda Accord from a Walmart parking lot that night. Deputies followed and saw them plunge into a pond, but the sheriff's office says their rescue attempts were hampered by darkness and thick mud. "They’re done. They’re done," a deputy says in one of the clips. Another says, "I thought I heard yelling." The other responds, "As it was going down. But now, they're done." Anderson also accused the sheriff's office of conducting a "smear campaign" for revealing the girls' past records; they had seven felony charges over the previous year for auto theft. Pinellas Sheriff Bob Gualtieri expressed sympathy for the families, but says they shouldn't "disparage the deputies who were trying to rescue three kids." The deputies "got in the pond, and just because it's not on cam doesn't mean it didn't happen." (This clip shows deputies walking by the camera, one of them shirtless.) Laniya's mother, Natasha Winkler, admits her daughter "was not perfect" but says she doesn't want her remembered as a thief, the Tampa Bay Tribune reported earlier this month.

Republicans are projected to hold on to control of the House of Representatives, but Democrats are projected to make single-digit gains, chipping away at the GOP's 247-seat majority, the party's largest since 1928. Interested in Midterm Elections? Add Midterm Elections as an interest to stay up to date on the latest Midterm Elections news, video, and analysis from ABC News. Add Interest But even with the Democrats picking up a handful of seats, Republicans maintained a strong firewall, even in districts where they feared moderate voters would oust GOP candidates. ABC projected the House would stay in Republican hands around 8:35 p.m., including in our calculation several seats in districts with later poll-closing times, which our analysts believe will not affect the outcome. As of Wednesday morning, Republicans were projected to come away with 235 seats and Democrats 194, with 6 seats undecided. Democrats had thus far picked up a net of seven seats, and Republicans current 247-member majority got 12 members smaller. GOP Rep. Barbara Comstock won re-election by double digits in her Northern Virginia district full of suburban women, even though Republican strategists said last week that they would be satisfied with a single-digit win there. In Florida, Republicans held on to Rep. Carlos Curbelo's seat in Miami, which was at the top of Democrats' wish list this year, and won a toss-up race in the Fort Lauderdale area that will send to Washington Brian Mast, an Afghanistan War veteran and double amputee. The GOP also held strong in Denver's suburban 6th Congressional District, where Republican Rep. Mike Coffman taught himself Spanish and still works with a tutor to help him connect with the large Hispanic population there. Despite the Democrats' modest gains in the House, the even slight reduction in the Republican majority in the chamber will likely make it harder for House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin to persuade his members to compromise, as a larger ratio of GOP members will be hard-line conservatives. "We need to have a healthy majority and a strong majority," he recently told The Wall Street Journal's editorial page. "If we have a razor-thin majority, then every vote can be problematic. Every vote on everything can be difficult." Democrats needed a nearly clean sweep of competitive districts to reach the 218 seats necessary to regain the majority of the chamber. Just 17 races were toss-ups, according to an ABC News analysis of House races. ABC News' Ben Siegel contributed to this report. ||||| The Republican Party will keep control of the House of Representatives, extinguishing Democrats’ hopes of a new progressive era in Washington. Plenty of races still haven't been officially called, but the odds of the remaining Democrats running the table are so vanishingly small as to be practically impossible. Democrats needed to pick up 30 seats to regain a majority, but now it’s clear they’ll fall short of that goal. (Two news networks, ABC News and NBC News, have projected that the Republicans will keep the House.) Failing to retake the House is a sign that liberals will have to somewhat temper their expectations after Election Day. With both branches of Congress and the White House, Democrats could have passed a cap-and-trade bill to combat climate change. They may have tried thrusting through immigration reform. There could have been a real chance at implementing a nationwide paid family leave program or universal pre-K. Perhaps there were enough congressional Democrats to dramatically raise the minimum wage, or pass campaign finance reform, or tackle any of the rest of the party's key agenda items. All of that is now probably off the table. At the very least, the odds of any of those things happening are massively diminished. From the conservative perspective, of course, this is great news. Republicans already fear the consequences of a Hillary Clinton administration. Having her totally unchecked by the legislative branch would allow an expansion of a federal government that they already think has grown far too big and does far too much. But that's not the only reason keeping the House is such welcome news for Republicans. The GOP now has a foothold in the federal government even if Donald Trump loses and Democrats retake the Senate. Speaker Paul Ryan won’t just be able to effectively block any big-ticket legislation — he’s also poised to extract significant concessions from a Clinton White House. And all of the evidence suggests his power is only set to grow from here. Why Democrats failed to retake the House: history, gerrymandering, poor recruitment, and a huge uphill climb There was always little reason to believe Democrats could pull off the huge number of gains they needed. For one, there have only been a handful of "wave elections" in modern American history in which a party wins that many seats or more — and they’re typically backlashes against an unpopular incumbent. Lyndon Johnson’s landslide reelection in 1964 is the only time since World War II that the incumbent president’s party gained as many House seats as Democrats need to secure a majority in 2016. That’s the feat Clinton and the Democrats were trying to pull off this year, and they didn’t do it. They had a lot of factors working against them. Four of the best political science models built around the "fundamentals" in elections (things like GDP growth, the employment rate, and the president’s approval rating) all suggested Democrats were only on track to pick up between five and 15 seats. We still need to wait for the final tally to come in, but that’s more or less what looks likely to happen. Making matters even more difficult was that the Democratic Party struggled in 2015 to recruit enough House candidates for what then looked like suicide missions. Trump’s wild unpopularity made a lot more House seats look winnable later on in the election, but Democrats were largely stuck with the candidates they had found earlier in the cycle — a beekeeper in California, an unemployed man with a checkered history of failed debt payments in New Jersey, and a Kansas commodities trader with no experience running for elected office. All of those pale in comparison to what was the most important obstacle for Democrats: gerrymandering. Because of the extraordinarily safe seats in districts drawn by Republican-controlled state legislatures in 2010, the GOP can receive millions fewer total House votes and still win a majority of seats. It looks like that fortress was strong enough to withstand the Trump bulldozer. In 2017, the House GOP is probably going to be even more opposed to Democrats It is true that there will be more Democrats in the House in 2017 than there are right now. And in a theoretical sense, that should increase their bargaining power and influence in the legislative chambers. But what’s not clear is if the House overall will be more willing to pass the kind of legislation progressives want. If anything, there’s reason to believe that Democrats will be dealing with an even more ferociously opposed opposition party in 2017. The results are still being counted, but the House Republicans are likely to lose today among the most moderate members of their caucus. In turn, that will only increase the relative influence of the 15 or so “Freedom Caucus” hard-liners making up the Republicans’ most conservative faction, according to Georgetown political scientist Michele Swers. “Let’s say the GOP loses 10 seats or 15 seats — that’s just 10 or 15 more Freedom Caucus votes Ryan is going to need to get his bills passed,” said Swers, a congressional expert, in an interview in October. “And the Freedom Caucus members are in safe seats, so they won’t be the Republicans who lose.” Perhaps the growth of the Freedom Caucus will force Ryan to negotiate with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi because he’ll need Democrats to pass bills. After all, if Ryan wants to restore the Republican Party’s standing after Trump, maybe he’ll have an incentive to be a responsible steward of government — and reject some of the high-wire acts we saw from the GOP’s extreme right flank over the past few years. But that seems like wishful thinking for liberals. Given that the House GOP caucus is both moving right and retaining power, the prospects for progressive legislation may be scarcely less bleak in January than they are right now. And the long-term outlook for things to get is much worse. Democrats have no good plan for winning back the House As difficult as the map was for Democrats this year, 2016 still represented the best chance they had at winning back the House of Representatives for at least four years — and probably more. There are a few reasons for that, but the most obvious one is that the party that controls the White House almost always gets “shellacked” — to use President Obama’s phrase from the 2010 elections — during the midterms. In fact, the president’s party has lost House seats in all but four midterm cycles dating all the way back to the 1860s, according to Roll Call. “The most recent anomalies happened in 2002 and 1998, thanks in large part to unique circumstances,” said Kyle Trygstad of Roll Call. “But even those midterms in the wake of dramatic events produced just single-digit gains for the president’s party.” Democrats already have a built-in structural disadvantage in midterm years. The party does better when turnout overall is high, but voter participation falls by as much as two-thirds when there’s no presidential race. That’s one reason Democrats have lost so badly in recent congressional elections, as Princeton professor Sam Wang wrote for the American Prospect in 2014. Then there’s the fact that midterm elections often function as referenda on the sitting president. Hillary Clinton, who is already the second-least-popular presidential nominee in history, seems likely to be a millstone around the necks of many Democratic House candidates. “When it comes to choosing candidates for Congress, it is opinions of the president’s performance that matter,” writes Alan Abramowitz, an Emory political scientist, looking at data from the Bush years. It’s a grim picture for the Democrats. Republicans look almost certain to make big gains in the House in 2018. The path to big progressive legislation looks narrower now than it has in years. ||||| A voter goes into the Boulder County Clerks Office to cast their ballot on Election Day in Longmont, Colo., on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016. (Cliff Grassmick /Daily Camera via AP) (Associated Press) WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on congressional races on Election Day 2016 (all times EST): 11:19 p.m. Republican Liz Cheney of Wyoming has won her father's old House seat. She's the eldest daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney. The 50-year-old Cheney succeeds Cynthia Lummis who decided not to seek re-election to Wyoming's lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. ___ 11 p.m. Attorney General Kamala Harris wins the open Senate seat to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer in race that featured two Democrats in California. Thanks to California's unusual primary system, in which the two top finishers from the June primary advance to the general election, voters were deciding between Harris and Democratic Rep. Loretta Sanchez. The victory for 51-year-old Harris makes her the first Indian-American senator. Harris was backed by President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and other top Democrats. Sanchez, a 10-term congresswoman, tried to consolidate support from Republicans and Latinos, but with little success. ___ 11 p.m. Democratic Sen. Patty Murray won a fifth term in the Senate, becoming one of the longest-serving senators in Washington state history. Murray defeated Republican Chris Vance in the Democratic-leaning state on Tuesday. Murray dismissed Vance's criticism that she is responsible for congressional gridlock and the failure to address deficit spending and shore up Social Security and Medicare. She pointed to her work with Republicans on the budget and on education. In 2013, Murray teamed with GOP Rep. Paul Ryan, now the House speaker, to craft a national budget deal and worked with Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander on education reform. She has steadily risen in power and is now part of the Senate's Democratic leadership, with a chance to become the party's No. 2 or 3 official next year. If Democrats take control of the Senate, Murray could chair the Appropriations Committee or health, education and labor. ___ 11 p.m. Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon has won a fourth full term. Wyden has been in Congress since 1981, and has served in the Senate since 1996. He faced little-known Republican Mark Callahan, a former Democrat. Wyden is the ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee and would become chairman if his party regains control of the chamber. Wyden briefly served as chairman in 2014. He also has served as chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. ___ 11 p.m. Republican Sen. Mike Crapo cruised to a fourth term in the ruby-red state of Idaho. He was among Republicans whose support for Trump began to crumble after a recording emerged of Trump using vulgar terms to describe women and talking about how his fame allowed him to force himself on women. Crapo first called on Trump to step down after that recording was disclosed but then reversed course and said he would vote for the GOP's presidential nominee. Crapo was opposed by Democrat Jerry Sturgill, a lawyer and managing director of a financial firm. ___ 11 p.m. Democratic Sen. Brian Schatz won re-election in Hawaii, defeating Republican John Carroll in heavily Democratic Hawaii to earn his first full term in the Senate. Schatz was appointed to replace the late Sen. Daniel Inouye in December 2012 and won election to the remainder of his term in 2014. Schatz is one of the most liberal members of the Senate, pushing legislation to reduce use of fossil fuels blamed for global warming and helping lead an all-night Senate "talkathon" on the dangers of climate change. Schatz has said he wants to make clean energy the same priority in Washington as it is in Hawaii. The state leads the nation in initiatives to become energy independent by 2045 ___ 10:47 p.m. Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado has won re-election against a tea party-aligned opponent, conservative Darryl Glenn. At the campaign's start, Bennet was considered one of the most vulnerable Democratic senators in this cycle. GOP leaders criticized Bennet's support for President Barack Obama's deal to ease economic sanctions against Iran and his support for Obama's proposal to close the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba. But the Republican field was a crowded one, and of the five candidates who made the GOP primary, none had previously held statewide office. ___ 10:46 p.m. Eight years after losing his bid for president, five-term GOP Sen. John McCain turned away a determined challenge from Democratic Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick. McCain publicly struggled with whether to support GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, who called McCain a loser and criticized him for being captured during the Vietnam War. The 80-year-old McCain reluctantly stood by Trump for months despite the personal insults, but ended his tepid support last month after the release of a 2005 recording in which Trump used crude, predatory language to boast about groping women. McCain said Trump's behavior and "demeaning comments about women" made it impossible to support him. The decision angered some Republicans, who routinely boo when Trump mentions McCain's name. ___ 10:34 p.m. West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin denies press reports that he's considering switching political parties. He calls himself a born-in-the-wool West Virginia Democrat. He tells The Associated Press the reports are wrong. Manchin is the senior senator from West Virginia. He previously served as governor in the state. In November 2010, he won a special election to fill the seat once held by Robert Byrd, the longest-serving senator in U.S. history until his death. ___ 10:11 p.m. Incumbent Republican Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina has turned away a strong challenge from former state Rep. Deborah Ross. It was one of the nation's most closely watched Senate races as Democrats sought to regain control of the upper chamber on Tuesday. The 60-year-old Burr has been in Congress since 1994. Ross is a lawyer and former state director of the ACLU who energized Democrats and hoped to score an upset. Burr was forced to apologize recently after saying he was surprised that a gun magazine with a photo of Hillary Clinton on the cover hadn't put a bull's-eye over her face. Ross had called the comments "dangerous and irresponsible." ___ 10 p.m. Republican Charles Grassley of Iowa won a seventh Senate term and retained a seat his party has held for six decades. Democrats had been optimistic that their candidate, Patty Judge, could break that winning streak on Tuesday, given her previous elections to statewide office as agriculture secretary and lieutenant governor. Grassley chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee. He's sought to tamp down talk among Republicans about blocking nominees to the Supreme Court if Hillary Clinton becomes president. Grassley said Republicans "can't just simply stonewall" nominees to the high court, reaffirming the Senate's traditional advise-and-consent role on judicial picks. The court has had a vacancy for months since the death of Justice Antonin Scalia in February. ___ 10 p.m. Utah's junior senator, Republican Mike Lee, has sailed through his first re-election battle. Lee is a popular conservative in a state that hasn't elected a Democratic senator in four decades. He was first elected in 2010, propelled by a swell of tea-party voters who helped him oust longtime Republican Sen. Bob Bennett. Lee earned national attention for his sharp criticism of GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump. Even so, Lee has been floated as a possible Supreme Court pick by Trump. An ally of Texas Sen Ted Cruz, Lee helped spearhead an unsuccessful fight to derail President Barack Obama's health care law that led to the 2013 government shutdown. Lee was challenged in Tuesday's election by Misty Snow, 31-year-old a transgender woman and grocery store clerk who says she ran because millennial and progressive voices weren't being heard. ___ 9:55 p.m. Just moments after securing a fourth term in the U.S. Senate Chuck Schumer began looking forward to gaining even more clout. But he promised Tuesday not to ignore New York. He told a crowd that even as he's on the cusp of becoming the majority leader in the Senate, "I'll be working for New York as ever because I love New York and it's in my bones." He also fired up the crowd for Democrat Hillary Clinton. She won the state of New York and its 29 electoral votes. ___ 9:33 p.m. Twelve-term Republican Rep. John Mica has been bested by Democrat Stephanie Murphy in a district that has gained more Democratic voters in recent years. Mica hadn't had a strong Democratic opponent since being elected in 1992. But redrawn congressional maps made his central Florida district more competitive, and Democrats pumped money into the race. Going into Tuesday's election, Republicans held a 247-188 advantage in the House of Representatives, including three vacancies. Democrats need a net gain of 30 seats to capture control of the House. ___ 9:19 p.m. Georgia Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson has won a third term against Democrat Jim Barksdale and Libertarian Allen Buckley. Isakson, a conservative, has criticized some of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's remarks while saying he will support the GOP ticket. Barksdale, who owns an Atlanta investment firm, gave $3.5 million toward his first political campaign, but struggled to gain momentum against Isakson, the state's senior senator and chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. Buckley's presence on the ballot complicated the race. Under state law, Isakson needed at least 50 percent of the vote Tuesday to avoid a January runoff election. ___ 9:10 p.m. Arkansas Republican Sen. John Boozman has won a second term, fending off a challenge by Democrat Conner Eldridge, a former federal prosecutor. Boozman served five terms in the House before winning a Senate seat in 2010. He campaigned as someone who puts Arkansas first, while Eldridge touted his work prosecuting a county judge for corruption. Eldridge trailed Boozman in fundraising and faced an uphill challenge in Arkansas, where Republicans hold all statewide and federal offices. ||||| Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, now a Democrat, will defeat Republican Rep. David Jolly in Florida’s 13th District, The Associated Press projects. Crist led Jolly 52 percent to 48 percent with nearly 99 percent of precincts reporting. [Election Results 2016] Jolly was the most vulnerable incumbent on Roll Call's top 10 list of endangered House members. He spent much of the past year running for the Senate, but dropped out of the GOP primary after Sen. Marco Rubio decided to run for re-election. Jolly then decided to run for re-election in his district, which had become much more Democratic in redistricting. The reconfigured district now includes most of Pinellas County in the Tampa Bay area, including several parts of St. Petersburg. Making a pledge not to directly solicit campaign contributions, Jolly struggled with fundraising. He's no friend of the National Republican Congressional Committee and couldn't count on outside GOP support to help him. [Florida’s David Jolly Running for Re-Election to the House] Over the course of the fall, though, Jolly appeared less vulnerable after deciding to run for re-election, which forced Democrats to keep spending in the district. Coming into Election Day, the race was rated Leans Democratic by The Rothenberg & Gonzalez Political Report/Roll Call. Under the old district lines, Jolly won a special election in 2014, after former GOP Rep. C.W. Bill Young passed away. He narrowly defeated former Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink by 2 points. [House GOP to David Jolly: We’re Not Sure We Want You Back] Crist has emerged as a centrist Democratic voice and an advocate for pragmatic deals like those he embraced in Florida as a Republican governor, attorney general and state legislator over two decades. He brushes aside Republican charges of opportunism, saying that he wants to avert gridlock and encourage “more civility to tackle issues like the rising cost of health care, gun violence, failing schools, and protecting our environment.” As governor, Crist embraced President Barack Obama in February 2009 in support of economic stimulus funding. The gesture sparked a backlash, culminating in Crist’s exit from the GOP during an unsuccessful 2010 Senate campaign, in which he ended up running as an independent and finished second to Rubio. With a background in criminal justice, Crist has eyes on a seat on the House Judiciary Committee. He has also voiced an interest in panels dealing with environmental, transportation and veterans issues. Crist became a Democrat in 2012 and endorsed Obama for re-election. He was defeated in 2014 by GOP Gov. Rick Scott in a bid for his old job. Contact Bowman at bridgetbowman@rollcall.com and follow her on Twitter @bridgetbhc. ||||| Republicans will hold on to control of the House, NBC News projects, overcoming a top-of-the-ticket drag from Donald Trump that had Democrats expressing cautious optimism at their chances of taking back the chamber. Republicans are still expected to lose anywhere from five to 20 seats on Tuesday due in large part to the controversial GOP nominee, who has created unexpected headaches for some typically safe members. In particular, the release of the controversial 2005 video in which Trump bragged about groping women in lewd terms, which caused Republicans to abandon their nominee in droves, fueled Democratic optimism. But with a 247-188 majority, 30 or more House Republicans would have to lose to deliver control to Democrats. Indeed, as the race tightened at the top of the ticket over the past few weeks, in part due to the new revelations in the FBI investigation into Hillary Clinton’s email use, Democratic hopes for taking back the House waned. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi told reporters Tuesday she felt FBI Director James Comey’s initial letter announcing potential new evidence in the investigation — which the FBI announced this weekend was ultimately inconsequential — took the House off the map. “I would say that when the director of the FBI, Mr. Comey, released that letter two Fridays ago, he became the leading Republican political operative in the country,” she said. “But we can see very clearly that, and I think most people would've agreed, the success, the opportunity to win the House was predicated on a big victory for Mrs. Clinton. When her numbers narrowed, so did that prospect,” Pelosi added.

– An analyst declared days ago that "the race for the House is over," with "zero chance" of it going to the Dems, and it appears that prediction has now come to fruition. Both ABC News and NBC News have projected the GOP will keep control of the House of Representatives, effectively "extinguishing Democrats' hopes of a new progressive era in Washington," per Vox. Although there are some races still up in the air, it isn't expected those will have any significant effect in terms of handing control over to the Democrats, who needed to gain 30 seats to flip the current 247-188 majority. That’s not to say the GOP won't suffer losses: Per NBC, the party will lose between five and 20 seats "due in large part" to Donald Trump as its nominee. What may now be slipping out of Dems' grasp, thanks to this development: the chance to push through a climate change cap-and-trade bill, immigration reform, or a hike in the minimum wage, Vox reports. A notable win in the state of Florida, where it's a white-knuckle race on the presidential side: The AP projects former Gov. Charlie Crist, running as a Democrat, will defeat GOP Rep. David Jolly in the state's 13th District, per Roll Call. And Republican Liz Cheney, daughter of former VP Dick Cheney, won her dad's former House seat in Wyoming, per the AP.

They flew home from Iraq together on a spring day in 2010 on a C-17 cargo plane, the dog in a metal kennel on the floor at the soldier’s feet. When they reached the United States, the soldier went home to his farm in Fountain, Colo., and the dog was transported to the Army’s military kennels at Fort Carson, about 12 miles north. Sergeant 1st Class Matthew Bessler and the Belgian Malinois named Mike had been part of a canine tactical team with the 10th Special Forces Group based at Fort Carson. On the ground in Iraq, their work had been phenomenal, earning Bessler two Bronze Stars, among the most coveted commendations in the military. During their second tour as part of an elite Special Operations group in a particularly deadly phase of the war, the pair had spent every day and night together for eight months. Now back home, the days were never longer than when they were apart. It was as if one’s existence was proof of the other’s survival. Both the soldier and the dog had come home with symptoms of post-traumatic stress. Mike was retiring as a combat dog, although his PTSD would get worse before it got better. And although Bessler had been in denial about his PTSD for some time, it would soon become clear that it had become too severe for him to return to war. Bessler had already planned to adopt Mike, but in time he would wind up training him for a new job — this time as a service dog to help protect Bessler from the unpredictable menace of PTSD. “Michael is a brother,” said Bessler, who served more than half of his 20-year military career in Special Operations, with an expertise in engineering and intelligence gathering. “He needs me just as much as I need him.” [MORE: After the earthquakes: Here’s what the Nepal rescue dogs do when they’re not working] For his service, including the detection of thousands of pounds of explosives and bomb-making materials that likely no human or machine could have located, Mike had been promoted to the rank of Major. That was part of the Army’s long tradition of bestowing ranks upon war dogs; the dog’s rank was usually at least one above the soldier’s to encourage respect and discourage abuse. To Bessler, Mike was a soldier, and their bond was as strong or stronger than the love that can grow between soldiers during combat. Bessler would lose touch with many of his battle brothers over time, but Mike would become a constant in a world spinning with chaos. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD, was not a new diagnosis for soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan at that time. But PTSD, traumatic brain injury and the physical and mental needs of the 2.1 million veterans of those long wars would soon become part of an all-out crisis for America. It was no surprise that Bessler, a highly decorated Army Ranger who fought for long stretches in some of the most violent of America’s recent wars and conflicts — Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia, Iraq — could return home damaged. But Canine PTSD was a new diagnosis, only then emerging as a possible explanation for some of the troubling behaviors some veteran combat dogs exhibit. A key to diagnosing a war dog with post-traumatic stress is noting whether the dog’s behavior has changed in the same setting, according to Dr. Walter F. Burghardt Jr., the chief of Behavioral Medicine at the Daniel E. Holland Military Working Dogs Hospital at Lackland Airforce Base in Texas. So if a dog consistently searches for bombs, for example, and suddenly stops in the midst of working, with no change in his environment, that would be a clear sign of trauma. “It usually involves a situation where the dog is not working as we expect it to,” Dr. Burghardt said. An estimated 5 to 10 percent of the 650 military working dogs who served in combat are expected to show symptoms of Canine PTSD, he said. Looking back, Bessler believes he can pinpoint the exact moment that pushed Mike over the edge. [MORE: Meet the Belgian Malinois, the highly-trained military dogs that guard the White House] After Bessler and Mike returned home from Iraq, Bessler put in the papers to adopt his wartime companion, whose official military name was K-9 Mike 5 #07-257. While the adoption was pending, Bessler would get up at dawn and drive to Fort Carson, near Colorado Springs, to see Mike at the kennel, inside a shabby beige structure called Building 6001. The dog was refusing to eat unless Bessler was there with him. So first Mike would eat from a bowl of dry food, and then Bessler would let the 52-pound Belgian Malinois out of his barren steel cage. Mike would be elated as soon as he spied Bessler. The dog’s lean and muscular body would shake with anticipation — his ears perking up, his long tail wagging furiously, his giant pink tongue hanging out. And Mike would know what was coming next: chasing and chewing on his cherished tennis balls. The Belgian Malinois, nicknamed “the malligator,” is known for its propensity to chew and the incredible strength of its bite. Mike was trained with the “ball reward system,” and tennis balls were his prize for doing his duty in Iraq. During Bessler’s early morning visits to the kennel in Ft. Carson, the two would go around the side of the building to an old basketball court where Mike could chase the ball. Bessler would return to the kennels in the middle of the day to play ball, come back at night, and think of Mike during the hours in between. One day a trainer called Bessler. Mike was refusing to work with any other handler. In effect, the dog was insisting that he stay with his human brother. “He’s waiting for you to come back,” he told Bessler. “Come pick up your dog.” The adoption was official, three weeks after Mike and Bessler had arrived home from Iraq. [MORE: Finding hope in a trash can: How a North Korean boy saved himself from starving and made it to America] On Bessler’s farm, Mike was surrounded by other dogs, cats, horses, chickens, a billy goat — and all the tennis balls he wanted. He was out of that grim cage at Fort Carson and enveloped by love. But soon after Mike settled in, the dog began anxiously chewing on rocks instead of tennis balls, crushing his teeth and destroying his gums and a chunk of his lip. He was hyper and hypervigilant, unable to focus and easily spooked by loud noises. He was having accidents in the house. Mike’s gum and lip injuries got so bad that Bessler and his ex-wife took him to the emergency room several times. A veterinarian in Colorado helped perform a series of successful surgeries to essentially reconstruct his nose and mouth. Mike’s veterinarian in Colorado, Carin Ramsel, said that Mike’s condition met the criteria for a PTSD diagnosis, and she prescribed 20 milligrams of Prozac a day for anxiety. Although his symptoms had become horrifyingly worse, Mike had first starting show signs of PTSD about six months into his last tour with Bessler. Bessler and Mike had been posted at a small, makeshift base in the swamplands of Basra Province, in southeastern Iraq. Bessler recalled that he had received intel about a pocket of insurgent activity within about two miles of the post. But in order to get there, he and Mike, along with an Iraqi Intelligence officer and two other members of the 10th Special Forces Group, had to cross a river in a small inflatable boat at night. The soldiers loaded up all their gear into the boat and made their way about halfway across the river when the boat started taking on water. It was near the point of capsizing when Bessler and the other soldiers began throwing their rucksacks, rifles, ammo and other gear overboard. The Iraqi intelligence officer shouted to the other soldiers that he couldn’t swim. Bessler told him not to panic. He grabbed Mike’s 15-foot leash and both he and the dog went overboard, sinking down into the river, which was filled with muck and kelp. Bessler jumped into the water and swam toward them. He got hold of Mike first and then tried to grip the intelligence officer’s right arm and pull him along with the dog toward the shore. But the arm slipped through Bessler’s hand and the man went under. He realized then that Mike, who was trained to rappel from an airplane and had mastered other highly advanced tasks, had no training in the water and was on the verge of drowning. But Bessler was holding onto Mike for dear life, gasping for air and pushing his way upward through the morass of kelp. The boat was floating away. The two other soldiers had made it to shore and the intelligence officer was dead under the water as Bessler and Mike made their way to the riverbank. Bessler followed the faint glare of a light that was flashing friendly code. The feeling of the Iraqi intelligence officer’s arm slipping from his fingers was as haunting as any of the bad deaths Bessler had witnessed or tried to stop. But this time Mike’s life had been at stake. It had felt beyond terrifying. Soon after that Mike stopped searching for bombs. Instead he was jumpy, on high alert, looking around to try and keep Bessler safe but no longer sniffing for explosives, a key requirement of his job. So Bessler took Mike to the 10th Group’s lead dog trainer in Baghdad, who spent some time with the dog and then told Bessler: “He’s done working.” [MORE: After her husband’s Parkinson’s diagnosis, she created a product to help millions] Back in Colorado, once Mike had been on Prozac for six months or so, he became calmer, more focused, more trusting, Dr. Ramsel said. Still, like many returning veterans, Mike needed a purpose. He was a rock star in Iraq until he stopped searching for bombs. Now he was an unemployed Type A dog. At that point Bessler was slowly coming to terms with his own disabling trauma and the fact that he would not be able to return to war. He knew what service dogs could do for struggling veterans and decided to learn everything he could about training one. Mike has been his service dog for three years now. Facing a recent painful and legally messy divorce, Bessler moved from Colorado back to his hometown of Powell, Wyo., where he was a star wrestler in high school and where his father and other relatives live. The connection began so long ago, it’s no stretch to say that Mike can read Bessler’s mind –only he does it with his nose, picking up on the scents of his moods. Now when Bessler goes to Wal-Mart, where it can feel like a minefield of overstimulation is waiting for him in every aisle, if he starts to panic he’ll walk with Mike into a corner. And Mike will stand on his feet. The physical pressure is recognized as one of many ways service dogs can help reduce anxiety. There is also a science to Mike’s ability to help Bessler with his anxiety and fear: the hormone oxytocin, which creates feelings of safety and calm, and is stimulated in both dogs and humans when they interact with each other. Besides PTSD, Bessler also lives with chronic headaches and migraines, shoulder and back pain — most likely from years of carrying a 60-to-70 pound rucksack — and tinnitus, a continuous, distracting and often painful ringing in the ears. He also suffers from memory and speech problems and blurred vision. You wouldn’t know Bessler had so many medical and mental health issues from looking at him. That’s why experts say the signature wounds of these wars are mostly invisible. Thick with muscle, heavily tattooed but with a low-key manner, Bessler could simply be the likable guy in a baseball cap riding around in his pickup truck with a cool dog and a really cute puppy in the front seat. The puppy, Ziva (a Hebrew name that means brilliance and splendor ) is a black lab that was a present from a neighbor for Valentine’s Day. But Bessler’s moods change day-to-day and sometimes hour-by-hour. Sometimes medications work, sometimes they don’t. Out of nowhere, he’ll be overcome by a flashback. He’ll get so fed up with the nightmares and sleepless nights — “Why even bother to nap or sleep?” he said by telephone the other night — he’ll think the only thing that can stop all the physical and psychic pain is death. Then Mike will pick up on Bessler’s depressive state, and as well-trained service dogs do, interrupt him, stop the demons from taking over. The dog will climb on top of Bessler as if to make sure his master can not go anywhere and hurt himself. Or, he’ll drop a tennis ball or a stuffed toy in Bessler’s lap and refuse to leave until he gets to chase one of them. And Bessler will consider that taking his own life would mean leaving Mike behind. A credo in the military is to leave no soldier behind. “That’s not being fair to the dog, not being fair to that partner who’s stood beside me forever,” he said, crying. “When you can escape yourself for a minute, and stop being selfish and think about the things you have, in my world it’s that dog.” Want more inspiring news and stories to improve your life? Sign up for the Inspired Life Saturday newsletter here​.​ ||||| In this file photo, Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Bessler of Powell is pictured in Iraq with Mike, the dog he adopted after the pair served together in the U.S. Army. The dog was killed on Saturday by a bicyclist who said he was attacked, but Bessler is disputing that claim. A retired military dog was shot and killed outside of Powell on Saturday by a bicyclist who says the dog attacked him. The dog, named Mike, also was a service dog for Army veteran Matthew Bessler of Powell, who raised the 10-year-old Belgian Malinois since he was a puppy. Bessler, who was out of town at the time, disputes the bicyclist’s account. “As a dog and a companion, he was probably one of the most loyal animals to anyone he came across,” Bessler said of Mike in a Wednesday interview. “If he knew you and you were in my house, he was by your side, leaning up against you.” Bessler hopes Mike can have a burial with military honors. “Mike was a retired major in the Army that saved a number of lives because of his work in bomb detection and everything he had done,” Bessler said. Mike served alongside Bessler in Iraq in the U.S. Army, and both came home with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Mike then became a service dog for Bessler. That transition — from a combat dog to a service dog — made the canine especially unique and led to a profile in the Washington Post in July. “As far as we know, this is the first and only case that they have,” Bessler told the Tribune in July. An online fundraising campaign to help pay for Mike’s funeral costs was launched on Tuesday by Jess Campbell. “We are a community coming together to mourn the loss of a brave military service dog, who deserves the honor to be laid to rest with a military funeral and burial,” the page reads. “Major Mike is a former military combat dog that had served two tours of duty in Iraq. Please help us fund a funeral that will do this military war veteran the respect he deserves.” Extra donations will go toward a program that honors and supports war veterans, Campbell said. For more information about the campaign, visit www.gofundme.com/ew6cjw7k. The 59-year-old Powell man who shot Mike has not been cited for any wrongdoing. “Essentially, if you feel your life is in danger or threatened by an animal, you can act against it,” Park County Sheriff Scott Steward said Wednesday. Steward said that, according to the man’s statements and his actions, he felt threatened. The man was not injured in the incident. According to the account the bicyclist gave to the Sheriff’s Office, he was turning north onto Road 5 from Lane 9 when he was “attacked” by a “German shepherd-looking dog.” The Powell man got off of his bike and began using it as a shield, circling back and forth and keeping the bike between him and the dog, he told the Sheriff’s Office. Eventually, he was able to grab a revolver from his bicycle-mounted holster, and he shot the dog. The dog ran away and the man called 911, the Sheriff’s Office said. “(The man) said he was genuinely in fear of his life and well-being, and the dog was ‘definitely in full attack mode and not backing down at all,’” Park County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Lance Mathess summarized of the report later compiled by a deputy. When he shot the animal, it was about 5-10 feet away, the man said. He had not thought the single round of bird shot had killed the dog, Mathess said of the man’s account. No other people witnessed the incident, though a neighbor heard the shot and came outside to see the dog limping away. Bessler had been hunting in the Big Horn Mountains at the time. The friend who was caring for Mike told the Sheriff’s Office they had no idea how the dog had escaped from Bessler’s residence, Mathess said. Bessler questions many parts of the bicyclist’s account. “He has his story,” Bessler said. “I know my dog. I have my story.” The man told the Sheriff’s Office, and the dog’s wounds show, that he shot the dog in the rear. “In my mind, it’s inconsistent with a dog that’s attacking somebody,” Bessler said, saying that two pellet marks went directly toward Mike’s heart. Bessler described Mike as a nice dog who was gentle with children, enjoyed being petted and always wanted to play ball. “He would never attack someone,” he said. “The only time he ever protected property was when somebody stepped on to my property and looked into the back of my truck.” Bessler added that Mike effectively had no teeth from years of chewing rocks out of anxiety. Bessler said Mike “never gets out on the road” and would only briefly run alongside people passing by. “I believe the gentleman just shot the dog on my property,” Bessler said, adding, “I don’t buy his story.” The man said the encounter took place in the road, and Steward said that’s consistent with what the neighbor told the deputy. “She comes out, and laying in the intersection was this guy’s bike and him standing there,” Steward said. The man initially reported he’d been attacked by a “pack of dogs,” but he later admitted that — while several other dogs came near him — only Mike threatened him, Mathess said. Bessler said the three other dogs with Mike when the incident occurred were smaller than Mike, including a puppy, and that none of them are aggressive. “If it went down the way the guy said it did, then so be it,” Bessler said. “But I’m disgusted with the fact that the guy hasn’t even shown his face to say, ‘I’m sorry this happened.’” Steward said the Sheriff’s Office plans to follow up on a few inconsistencies, such as whether bird or buck shot was used, but he said “everything’s pretty consistent with what the victim’s telling us.” Bessler said his next step will be having an autopsy performed and “memorializing, remembering Mike and taking care of services.” “I don’t know,” he said. “I’m still so flabbergasted over the whole thing of why a person would be carrying the types of things he (the bicyclist) was carrying.” Steward doesn’t think it’s that unusual for someone to be carrying a weapon. “A lot of people, when they walk or ride bikes around here, they’ve got pepper spray, a gun or a stick,” he said. “And that’s because dogs come out and chase bikes (and) people.” The sheriff called it “tragic all the way around.” ||||| We are a community coming together to mourn the loss of a brave military service dog, who deserves the honor to be laid to rest with a military funeral and burial. This soldier was found fatally wounded by his owner and friend Matt Bessler (also a military war veteran) after Matt returned home from a hunting trip. Major Mike is a former military combat dog that had served two tours of duty in Iraq. Please help us fund a funeral that will do this military war veteran the respect he deserves.Any extra donations will be distributed to a military based program that honors and supports military war veterans.I have been contacted by gofundme for validation purposes and to make sure that the donors are not being taken advantage of due to the size of this campaign and the national attention of the story. Which is absolutey fine and helps to reassure the purpose of this account.Here are the questions asked with my answers:1. Who you are: my name is Jessica Campbell2. Where you're from: I was born and raised in Frannie, WY. I now reside in Cowley Wy and own and operate a business in Powell,WY. Now these towns are about only 15 minutes apart.3. Your relationship to the parties you're raising funds for: Matt and Major Mike (more Matt then Mike but Mike was always welcome) both attended and trained at my gym on and off for the the past 1.5-2 years.4. How the funds will be spent (be specific as possible): the funding will be spent on funeral services, necropsy (animal autopsy), an other support and any other costs that Matt may have in association with the shooting incident and the funeral for Major Mike (military honors, etc.). Any and all left over funds will be donated to an organization for war veterans that Matt works with and will be of his choosing. I will update every one every time there is a change or where the funds are spent.5. How you intend to get the funds to those in need: I do not have access to the funds. That is why I chose gofundme, these funds will go directly to Matt as needed for use and then to the organizations of Matt's choosing.Please follow the link below to read a recent article written in the Washington Post telling the story of two amazing soldiers who went through hell together both in Iraq and back home here in the U.S. ||||| Stock image of a Belgian Malinois. (Photo: Milan Maksic, Getty Images/iStockphoto) POWELL, Wyo. — An Army veteran is asking for a burial with military honors for his dog that was shot and killed outside Powell. Matthew Bessler's 10-year-old Belgian Malinois named Mike was shot and killed last Saturday by a bicyclist who says the dog attacked him. Mike served with Bessler in Iraq in the U.S. Army acting as a combat dog and in bomb detection. When the pair returned from their deployment, Bessler adopted Mike. The dog helped Bessler transition from combat to normal life as he suffered post-traumatic stress disorder. “I raised him and trained him as a puppy, and the ability he has to sense some of the issues that I have with seizures, with my PTSD, my TBI (traumatic brain injury) and severe anxiety disorders, how he can calm me down just by him being in my presence ... He can help take the focus and help change the focus of what’s going on with me and help me calm down or relax me,” Bessler told the Billings Gazette. According to the Powell Tribune, the bicyclist who shot Mike told the sheriff's office that he felt threatened by a pack of dogs that he encountered while on the road. The man said he first used a bicycle as a defense but then grabbed a revolver from his bicycle-mounted holster and shot the dog. However, Bessler — who was out of town at the time of the shooting — disputes the cyclist's account. “If the guy was actually fending the dogs off with a bicycle, (Mike) would have really been barking, and there was no barking," Bessler said. "All there was was just a shot. The guests who were at the house, they said the same thing. There was no barking. It was just a gunshot.” The 59-year-old Powell man who shot Mike has not been cited for any wrongdoing. Iraq Bronze Star combat dog is shot and killed by bicyclist in Wyoming http://t.co/yGvBCf3g0o — Daily Mail US (@DailyMail) October 17, 2015 The Associated Press contributed to this report. Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1ROoR3t

– A US military veteran wants his service dog to receive burial with military honors after it was shot dead by a cyclist in Powell, Wyoming, USA Today reports. Matthew Bessler says Mike, his 10-year-old Belgian Malinois, was a combat dog who did bomb detection in Iraq before transitioning to civilian life, albeit with canine PTSD. "I raised him and trained him as a puppy, and the ability he has to sense some of the issues that I have with seizures, with my PTSD, my TBI [traumatic brain injury] and severe anxiety disorders, how he can calm me down just by him being in my presence," the Army veteran tells the Billings Gazette. "He can help take the focus and help change the focus of what’s going on with me and help me calm down or relax me." (The unique pair were featured in a Washington Post story this summer.) Now Bessler is questioning the official story that a passing cyclist killed Mike when the dog tried to attack him, the Powell Tribune reports. Bessler was away on a hunting trip when the cyclist passed the veteran's house, drew a bike-mounted revolver, and opened fire (with birdshot, the cyclist says). The cyclist "said he was genuinely in fear of his life and well-being, and the dog was 'definitely in full attack mode and not backing down at all,'" says a sheriff's spokesman. Yet Mike was shot in the backside from 5 to 10 feet away, per the sheriff's office. Bessler says he's considering taking civil action, and is "flabbergasted" that "a person would be carrying the types of things [the bicyclist] was carrying." Meanwhile, a GoFundMe page has reached its $10,000 goal to get Mike an animal autopsy and have him "laid to rest with a military funeral and burial."

The House ethics committee put another dent in the armor of embattled Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel Thursday, admonishing him for violating House gift rules by accepting corporate-funded trips to the Caribbean through an organization called the Carib News. But in a tale that promises to provide more intrigue, the committee also found that a former counsel to the Ethics panel, Dawn Kelly Mobley, “improperly communicated confidential internal committee information” to the Carib News and it referred to the Justice Department allegations that employees of the organization – Karl Rodney, Faye Rodney and Patricia Louis – “submitted false or misleading information” to the committee to win prior approval of the trips and later during sworn testimony. Mobley served as the Ethics Committee’s counsel under the late Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones and was chief of staff to Tubbs Jones’ successor, Rep. Marcia Fudge, as recently as September of 2009, according to House disbursement records published online by Legistorm. The ruling, which raises questions about the Ethics Committee’s own practices, drew a sharp rebuke from Rangel, who twice hauled Ethics Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) and ranking Republican Jo Bonner of Alabama into his private office steps from the House floor before facing reporters at a Capitol news conference. Despite the admonition, the committee determined that the New York Democrat had no direct knowledge that false or misleading information was given to the committee in its investigation of the trips. Four other lawmakers who went on the same trips were not found to be in violation of House ethics rules. The committee essentially found that Rangel is responsible for the transgressions of aides who knew of the corporate sponsorship of the trips. “The committee did not find sufficient evidence to conclude, nor does it believe that it would discover additional evidence to alter its conclusion, that Rep. Rangel had actual knowledge of the memoranda written by his staff,” an Ethics statement says. “However, the report finds that Rep. Rangel was responsible for the knowledge and actions of his staff in the performance of their official duties.” But Rangel, who read the findings aloud at a news conference, took issue with the concept that staffers’ actions could be “imputed” to him. “I don’t want to be critical of the committee, but the common sense dictates that members of Congress should not be held responsible for what could be the wrongdoing of, or mistakes occur, as a staff unless there’s reason to believe the member knew or should have known. And there’s nothing in the record to indicate the latter,” he said. “So I have to now deal with my lawyer as to what the hell do they mean that something’s imputed. Does it mean that no matter what a staff member does if the member doesn’t know it that the member could be charged and admonished publicly for it?”

– Though House ethics committee sources say Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel knowingly accepted Caribbean trips in violation of House rules that forbid hidden financing by corporations, the New York congressman tells Politico tonight he’s merely being “admonished” by the committee. I’m satisfied that when you read the report, that you will see that I have not been found guilty of anything.” “We were approved, the trip was approved. Whether or not it should have been approved is a serious issue,” he said of the 2007 and 2008 travel by members of the Congressional Black Caucus. Rangel added that “the critical part in the report is they’re saying the ethics committee should not have authorized it if they had known all the facts—that some private funds were involved in the payment of the conference.”

The Republic | azcentral.com Wed Mar 27, 2013 11:39 AM Hours after Jared Loughner was arrested in the Jan. 8, 2011, mass shooting in Tucson, his father told police he’d confiscated his son’s shotgun on the advice of Pima Community College officials. Randy Loughner recalled the night campus police came to his house and told him that his son had been suspended for filming a video they considered alarming. “That totally set him over. I think,” Randy Loughner said as police interviewed him in his house less than four hours after the shooting. After the college disciplined Jared Lougher, his father said he acted on their advice. “When Pima College come to the house, I took the gun away,” he said. “They suggested that if I had any firearms, to take them away. And I did. The other gun that’s in there is an old antique gun I’ve had for 30 years. They’re both in the trunk of, of my car,” he said. His statement to police raises new questions about how concerned campus officials were about the 22-year-old’s potential for violence. Jared Loughner shot and killed six people and wounded 13 others with a .9 mm Glock pistol. His father told police he was only aware of the shotgun and vintage gun. Loughner’s father was concerned, too. Randy wanted to confront his son after he took his car the morning of the shooting. When Jared returned, he wouldn’t talk. He grabbed a dark backpack out of the trunk and took off running toward the desert. “And I’ve had a bad feeling that he’s went. You know, I can’t say nothing. He’s 22 years old.” ||||| Documents released Wednesday detailing the shooting of former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords show how the gunman had grown increasingly erratic and delusional in the months leading up to the rampage as he alienated friends and family and became paranoid that police were out to get him. FILE - This photo released Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2011, by the U.S. Marshal's Service shows Jared Lee Loughner, who pleaded guilty in the Tucson, Ariz., shooting rampage that killed six people and left several... (Associated Press) FILE - In this Jan. 8, 2011 file photo, Emergency personnel and Daniel Hernandez, an intern for U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, second right, move Giffords after she was shot in the head outside a shopping... (Associated Press) FILE - In this Jan. 30, 2012 file photo, former Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was seriously injured in the mass shooting that killed six people in Tucson, Ariz., in January 2011, is aided by her... (Associated Press) FILE - In this Jan. 8, 2011 file photo, emergency personnel attend to a shooting victim outside a shopping center in Tucson, Ariz., where U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., and others were shot as... (Associated Press) The roughly 2,700 pages included witness and survivor accounts from people who helped save Giffords' life after she was shot in the head outside a Tucson supermarket in 2011 during a meet-and-greet with constituents. Six people were killed and 11 others were wounded. The files also provide the first glimpse into gunman Jared Lee Loughner's family. His parents have said nothing publicly beyond a brief statement after the attack, but records show they were trying to deal with a son who had grown nearly impossible to communicate with. "I tried to talk to him. But you can't. He wouldn't let you," his father, Randy Loughner, told police. "Lost, lost and just didn't want to communicate with me no more." "Sometimes you'd hear him in his room, like, having conversations," said his mother, Amy Loughner. "And sometimes he would look like he was having a conversation with someone right there, be talking to someone. I don't know how to explain it." Randy Loughner said his 24-year-old son had never been diagnosed with mental illness. Despite recommendations from officials at Pima Community College, which expelled Loughner, that he undergo a mental evaluation, his parents never followed up. However, Loughner's parents grew worried enough about their son that they drug tested him. The results were negative, said Amy Loughner, who was particularly worried that her son might have been using methamphetamine. She said Loughner had told his parents that he had not had a drink of alcohol in five months but that he had tried marijuana and cocaine in the past. The father said his son kept journals, but they were written in an indecipherable script. Several weeks before the shooting, Loughner visited Anthony George Kuck, who had known him since preschool. Kuck said he was alarmed to find he had shaved his head and was armed with a handgun. "I kicked him out of my house because he showed me his gun," Kuck told police, adding that Loughner said he bought it for protection. "I tried to talk to him about why it's not smart to have a gun," Kuck said. "He obviously didn't listen to me." Kuck told police he had seen Loughner's mental state deteriorate over time, starting with drinking problems in high school, trouble with authorities and being kicked out of college, noting Loughner had gotten tattoos of bullets and a gun on his shoulder. "I know he has some crazy thoughts where he ... just believes the government is corrupt, and he has all these assumptions on things, that he doesn't really know what he's talking about," Kuck told investigators. While he never heard him mention Giffords "he just seemed to have some kind of ... hate for government," Kuck added. Kuck's roommate, Derek Andrew Heintz, who has known Loughner since he was about 12, said he was cooking when Loughner showed up with a gun and removed it from his belt. It was loaded with 32 rounds. He asked Loughner why he had the weapon. "There's no need for it here," Heintz told him. "I just want to show you,'" Loughner replied. Loughner then left Heintz with a souvenir _ one bullet. On the day of the Jan. 8, 2011, shooting, a friend, Bryce Tierney, told investigators Loughner called him early in the morning and left a cryptic voice mail that he believed was suicidal. "He just said, `Hey, this is Jared. Um, we had some good times together. Uh, see you later.' And that's it," Tierney said. He recalled for detectives a time when Giffords visited Pima Community College, where the two attended classes together. Loughner asked her, "What is government and stuff?" Tierney said. "She couldn't give him the answer. ... I feel like he had ... something against Gabrielle Giffords." Tierney also described Loughner's apparent spiral into madness, saying his behavior was growing strange "in a dark way." He said Loughner would send him text messages that he called "nihilistic ... the belief in nothing." Onetime Loughner friend Zachary Osler also described the shooter's increasing isolation from his other friends and acquaintances in the years leading up to the shooting. He explained how he worked at a sporting goods store where Loughner bought the Glock 9 mm handgun used in the shooting. He was questioned about seeing Loughner shopping there, sometime before Thanksgiving, and described his awkward encounter with the man. "His response is nothing. Just a mute facial expression. And just like he, he didn't care," Osler told authorities. Osler also told investigators he had grown uncomfortable with Loughner's strange personality. "He would say he could dream and then control what he was doing while he was dreaming," Osler said. Still, he said he was shocked to learn Loughner had carried out such an attack. "And I was like, `I know this person. Why would he do it? What would his motive be?'" he added, noting that Loughner had never mentioned Giffords in the past. When he was arrested at the scene, Loughner was wearing peach-colored foam earplugs, authorities wrote in the documents. He was polite and cooperative as detectives began their hours-long initial interview. As Loughner sat in restraints in an interview room, the conversation was confined mainly to small talk. Little was said over the first four hours. Loughner asked if he could use the restroom, then at one point complained he felt sore. "I'm about ready to fall over," he said. Giffords intern Daniel Hernandez described how constituents and others were lining up to see Giffords that morning. He helped people sign in and recalled handing the sheet on a clipboard to Loughner. "The next thing I hear is someone yell, `Gun,'" said Hernandez, who rushed to tend to Giffords' gunshot wound to the head. "She couldn't open her eyes. I tried to get any responses from her. It looked like her left side was the only side that was still mobile," Hernandez told authorities. "She couldn't speak. It was mumbled. She was squeezing my hand." Hernandez explained how he had some training as a nurse and first checked for a pulse. "She was still breathing. Her breathing was getting shallower," he said. "I then lifted her up so that she wasn't flat on the ground." The documents detailing the event and ensuing investigation had been kept private until being released by the Pima County Sheriff's Department. News organizations seeking the records were repeatedly denied access in the months after the shooting and the arrest of Loughner, who was sentenced in November to seven consecutive life sentences, plus 140 years, after he pleaded guilty to 19 federal charges. Last month, U.S. District Judge Larry Burns cleared the way for the release of the records after Star Publishing Company, which publishes the Arizona Daily Star in Tucson, sought their release. The judge said Loughner's fair-trial rights were no longer on the line now that his criminal case has resolved. Loughner's guilty plea enabled him to avoid the death sentence. He is serving his sentence at a federal prison medical facility in Springfield, Mo., where he was initially diagnosed with schizophrenia and forcibly given psychotropic drug treatments. Arizona's chief federal judge and a 9-year-old girl were among those killed in the rampage. Giffords was left partially blind, with a paralyzed right arm and brain injury. She resigned from Congress last year and has since started, along with her husband, a gun-control advocacy group. The Star said it wanted the records because they contain information about how a mass shooting occurs, including how long it took Loughner to fire gunshots _ an issue raised by some advocates in the debate over high-capacity pistol magazines. Phoenix Newspapers Inc., which publishes The Arizona Republic, and KPNX-TV had joined Star Publishing in the latest effort to get the records released after The Washington Post's initial request was denied in March 2011. ___ Associated Press writers Michael R. Blood and Justin Pritchard in Los Angeles contributed to this report. ||||| TUCSON — The parents of Jared L. Loughner , the man who killed six people and wounded 13 others during a meet-and-greet event hosted by former Representative Gabrielle Giffords in 2011, told the authorities after the mass shooting that they had become so concerned about their son’s strange behavior in the previous months that they had taken away his shotgun, insisted he get psychological counseling and had even begun to disable his car so that he could not go out at night, according to thousands of pages of documents related to the case released Wednesday. The records, about 2,700 pages of police reports, witness statements and other material, detail the events leading up to the attack, from Mr. Loughner’s purchase of ammunition at a Walmart on the morning of the shooting to the response of Pima County Sheriff’s deputies to a bloody Safeway parking lot, where Mr. Loughner had been subdued by bystanders while reloading his 9-millimeter Glock semiautomatic. The documents, released by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department after Freedom of Information requests from news organizations, reveal the depth of the worries that Mr. Loughner’s parents had about their son’s rapidly deteriorating psychological stability. The parents, Amy and Randy Loughner, have not spoken publicly about the attack, for which Mr. Loughner, 24, was sentenced in November 2012 to seven consecutive life terms plus 140 years in prison. Mr. Loughner, who pleaded guilty to 19 federal charges, had been given a diagnosis of schizophrenia after his arrest, but was deemed competent to agree to the plea deal. The arrangement makes him ineligible for parole or to appeal his conviction. Two days after the January 2011 shooting, Randy Loughner told a group of F.B.I. and sheriff’s investigators that he had grown so worried about his son’s odd behavior in the months since Jared had been forced to withdraw from a community college because of campus officials’ fears about the safety of the staff and students that he had begun to keep his son in at night by rendering his Chevrolet Nova inoperable. But, Randy Loughner told the investigators, he had not done so before the morning of the attack, when his son drove away at 6 a.m. to secretly buy ammunition for the Glock he purchased at a local sporting goods store about six weeks before. When his son returned home a couple of hours later, Randy Loughner said, he questioned him about what he was carrying in his backpack, which prompted Jared Loughner to turn and run, eventually fleeing into the desert. About two hours later, he had apparently used some of that ammunition, emptying a 33-round magazine in about 19 seconds, and killing, among others, a federal judge and a 9-year-old girl and seriously wounding Ms. Giffords, who was shot in the head at close range. In her interviews with law enforcement officials, Amy Loughner described her son as a “loner” who talked to himself. She said she had insisted that he be tested for drugs because she believed he was using methamphetamine despite his denials. She told Pima County sheriff’s detectives that she and her husband had taken a shotgun away from their son in the months before the shooting and told him he needed to get psychological help. “Sometimes you’d hear him in his room, like, having conversations,” Ms. Loughner said about her son during an interview with investigators. “And sometimes he would look like he was having a conversation with someone right there. Be talking to someone. I don’t know how to explain it. I don’t.” Ms. Loughner said that she told Jared that “he needed to go see someone about it” but that he never did. She told deputies, “His behavior is not normal.” Ms. Loughner said her son had denied using methamphetamine, but had acknowledged smoking marijuana and trying cocaine. A police report by one of the arresting deputies, whose full name was not disclosed in the documents, said that when he arrived in the Tucson supermarket parking lot where the January 2011 shooting had occurred moments before, two or three people were holding Mr. Loughner down on the ground. The officer said that after handcuffing Mr. Loughner he had found two fully loaded Glock ammunition magazines in Mr. Loughner’s pockets, along with a folding knife with a four-inch blade. The deputy said Mr. Loughner repeatedly said that he pleaded “the Fifth,” even though the deputy said he had not asked him any questions. The deputy said he had removed a pair of disposable earplugs that Mr. Loughner had been wearing during the shooting. Once in custody, Mr. Loughner told F.B.I. agents that “I’d like to sign something, a paper,” according to a police report. When told he did not need to sign anything, he responded, “All righty,” the report said. The documents chronicle several particularly chilling moments from the morning of the shooting. The first occurred when Mr. Loughner was stopped by a state Game and Fish officer for running a red light shortly after 7:30 a.m. According to the officer, when Mr. Loughner learned the officer was not going to give him a ticket, he began to cry. He then thanked the officer and shook his hand, explaining, “I’ve just had a rough time,” the officer told investigators. Soon after, a clerk at a convenience store told an F.B.I. agent, Mr. Loughner came in and asked for them to call him a cab. As Mr. Loughner nervously waited, the clerk told the investigator, Mr. Loughner looked at a clock in the store and said aloud: “9:25. I still got time.” The cab eventually arrived, and within 45 minutes, Mr. Loughner had gunned down 19 people, killing six of them. Sarah Garrecht Gassen reported from Tucson, and Timothy Williams from New York. ||||| Story highlights Jared Loughner's parents took away his shotgun and told him he needed help Loughner bought six or seven boxes of ammunition, documents show He purchased a 9mm before Christmas 2010, investigators say Loughner ran from parents just before the shooting rampage, mom says Jared Loughner's behavior was so disturbing that his father confiscated his shotgun and took to disabling his car every night to keep him home in the months leading up to an Arizona shooting rampage that left six people dead, according to investigative documents released Wednesday. Loughner's parents even went so far in the days and weeks before to tell their son he needed to get help "(be)cause his behavior is, um, been not normal," his mother, Amy, told investigators, according to transcripts of recorded interviews by investigators. The documents reveal vivid details about the events leading up to and surrounding the January 8, 2011, shooting during a meet-and-greet with U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords outside a Tucson, Arizona, grocery story. Giffords, who was shot in the head, was among 13 people wounded in the shooting. The statements by Loughner's parents were among the more than 2,700 pages of previously sealed documents released by the Pima County Sheriff's Department in response to a Freedom of Information requests filed by CNN and other news agencies. JUST WATCHED New details on Giffords shooting Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH New details on Giffords shooting 03:05 JUST WATCHED Dad: Loughner was difficult to talk with Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Dad: Loughner was difficult to talk with 01:43 JUST WATCHED Gabby Giffords visits place she was shot Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Gabby Giffords visits place she was shot 00:59 Loughner, 24, is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole after pleading guilty last year to 19 charges in exchange for the government not seeking the death penalty. Photos: Tucson shooting victims Photos: Tucson shooting victims Dorwan Stoddard, 76 – Witnesses told CNN that Stoddard, a retired construction worker, tried to shield his wife, Mavy, during the incident. They said he was shot in the head and fell onto his wife. She was shot three times in her legs but is expected to make a full recovery. Hide Caption 1 of 6 Photos: Tucson shooting victims Christina Green, 9 – The youngest victim of the Tucson shooting, Christina attended the event hosted by U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords because she had recently been elected to the student council at Mesa Verde Elementary School. She was born on September 11, 2001. Hide Caption 2 of 6 Photos: Tucson shooting victims Dorothy Morris, 76 – Dorothy Morris, or "Dot" as friends called her, was in line with her husband to meet Giffords when Jared Loughner opened fire, according to CNN affiliate KGUN. Morris and her husband had been married for 55 years. Hide Caption 3 of 6 Photos: Tucson shooting victims John Roll, 63 – A native of Pennsylvania, Roll was a federal judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona and had served the legal system for nearly 40 years. He began his career as a bailiff in Pima County Superior Court and rose to be chief judge for the District of Arizona, a position he had held since 2006. Hide Caption 4 of 6 Photos: Tucson shooting victims Phyllis Schneck, 79 – Phyllis Schneck was a 79-year-old grandmother who had retired to Arizona from New Jersey. She was known for her volunteer work and for her fabulous holiday dinners. Hide Caption 5 of 6 Photos: Tucson shooting victims Gabe Zimmerman, 30 – Zimmerman, a Tucson native, served as director for community outreach on Giffords' staff. He was engaged to be married. Hide Caption 6 of 6 Photos: Photos: One year since Arizona shooting Photos: Photos: One year since Arizona shooting One year since Arizona shooting – Rep. Gabrielle Giffords leads the crowd in the pledge of allegiance during a vigil on Sunday, January 8, 2012, in Tucson, Arizona, marking one year since a shooting rampage left her and 12 others wounded and six people dead. Hide Caption 1 of 11 Photos: Photos: One year since Arizona shooting One year since Arizona shooting – Safeway employee Sherrie Brown is comforted by Leroy Wood while participating in a ringing of the bells ceremony earlier Sunday. Several events were held to mark the one-year anniversary of the shooting at the La Toscana Village Safeway. Hide Caption 2 of 11 Photos: Photos: One year since Arizona shooting One year since Arizona shooting – Rebecca Kraft, 4, places flowers at a memorial site in the Safeway parking lot on Sunday. Hide Caption 3 of 11 Photos: Photos: One year since Arizona shooting One year since Arizona shooting – A commemorative plaque marks the site of the shooting at the La Toscana Village Safeway. Hide Caption 4 of 11 Photos: Photos: One year since Arizona shooting One year since Arizona shooting – A group of local children light candles at the Safeway memorial site. Hide Caption 5 of 11 Photos: Photos: One year since Arizona shooting One year since Arizona shooting – A memorial along the highway in Tucson commemorates each of the six people who lost their lives. Hide Caption 6 of 11 Photos: Photos: One year since Arizona shooting One year since Arizona shooting – Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, right, attends an interfaith memorial service at St. Augustine Cathedral in Tucson on Sunday. Hide Caption 7 of 11 Photos: Photos: One year since Arizona shooting One year since Arizona shooting – Members of the Tucson Dance Academy perform at St. Augustine Cathedral on Sunday. Hide Caption 8 of 11 Photos: Photos: One year since Arizona shooting One year since Arizona shooting – During Sunday's memorial service, Teresa Bier makes a flower offering in honor of Christina Taylor-Green, a 9-year-old who was killed. Hide Caption 9 of 11 Photos: Photos: One year since Arizona shooting One year since Arizona shooting – Ron Barber, who was wounded in last year's shooting, exits after attending an Sunday's interfaith service. Hide Caption 10 of 11 Photos: Photos: One year since Arizona shooting One year since Arizona shooting – Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, Mark Kelly, stand at the Gabe Zimmerman Trailhead memorial site on Saturday, January 7. Zimmerman, one of the congresswoman's aids, was killed in the shooting. Hide Caption 11 of 11 Many of the details surrounding the rampage are well known, from the heroic efforts to save Giffords and others to the tackling of the gunman. But the documents shed light on Loughner's erratic behavior leading up the shooting, from fleeing from his father the morning of the shooting to his repeated effort to buy ammunition for a 9mm handgun that he ultimately used in the rampage. Loughner's parents told authorities that their son, who they described as a "loner," took a turn following his dismissal from Pima County College months earlier -- after he posted a disturbing video online that officials described as threatening. Loughner's parents told authorities they took away his shotgun after college police warned them their son may be a danger to himself or to others. Efforts for ammo, tears at traffic stop Her son never followed up on getting a mental health evaluation that was required for being readmitted to the college, Amy Loughner said. According to the documents, unbeknownst to his parents Loughner purchased a 9mm handgun sometime before Christmas 2010 and showed it off to a friend. On the morning of the rampage, he went to at least two Walmarts in an attempt to buy ammunition. He was turned away at one by an employee who told investigators that he was behaving strangely. "I kind o' felt uneasy, to be honest with you," the employee was quoted as saying in the transcripts. At another Walmart, Loughner was described as friendly as he inquired whether there was a limit on the amount of ammunition he could purchase. "And then I guess he asked for six boxes, seven boxes," an employee said. "Rang them up. Checked his ID. Wasn't any problem. So I double-bagged it for him.' Just hours before the rampage, Loughner broke down and cried to an Arizona Game and Fish officer when he pulled over for running a red light. "It's bad for your health, you're gonna kill somebody, you're gonna kill yourself," Game and Fish Officer Alen Edward Forney told Loughner, according to the transcript of Forney's statements to investigators. "I said, 'I'm not gonna write you a citation for this.' And when I said that to him, his face got kinda screwed up and, and he started to cry. "That struck me as a little odd," Forney continued. "So I asked him if he was OK. And he said, 'Yeah, I'm OK, I've just had a rough time and I really thought I was gonna get a ticket and I'm really glad that you're not.' " But Forney was worried whether Loughner could drive safely. "I again made sure that he was OK. I asked him ... three or four times. He was probably getting tired of me asking if he was OK," Forney said. "He said yeah, he was fine. He was just heading home, it wasn't too far away and he'd be OK," Forney said. Two and a half hours later, Loughner opened fire on a crowd of people at an outdoor event where Giffords was greeting constituents. When Forney got home that night and heard about the shooting, he went online, he said. "I opened up the Internet and there was his picture," Forney said. "Man, my heart just went up in my throat." About an hour after the traffic stop, Loughner returned to his parents' home in his 1969 Chevrolet Nova, his mother, Amy Loughner, told authorities. When his parents asked him what was in his backpack, he ran out the door, his mother said. His father, Randy Loughner, dropped his coffee and ran after his son but couldn't catch him, the mother said. A short time later, a neighbor told them there were news reports Giffords had been shot. They later learned from authorities their son was believed to be the shooter. Shooting rampage Kenneth Veeder, a bystander to the shooting, suffered a gunshot wound to the calf as he was talking to a family lined up to meet Giffords. Veeder, a Vietnam War combat officer who served three tours of duty, was wearing an Infinity Airborne shirt. "I heard pop, pop, pop, pop," Veeder said. Loughner was running and knocked him down, he said. When Loughner was reloading his gun, one man grabbed him, and Veeder grabbed Loughner's gun that fell to the ground, Veeder said. Veeder wanted to reload the gun, but a woman talked him out of it. "She goes, 'You can't do that,' " Veeder said in the transcript. "The hell I can't -- because I would have shot him. That's how angry I was. It was a combat reaction," he said. Deputy Sheriff Thomas Audetat Jr. recounted how he arrested Loughner. He saw two or three people holding down Loughner on a sidewalk between a Safeway grocery and Walgreens. Audetat put his knee on Loughner's back and handcuffed him. A bullet had earlier grazed the left side of the head of one person holding down Loughner, Audetat said. Right behind him was a woman who was also a gunshot victim. Audetat searched Loughner. "In his left front pocket, I found two magazines which I immediately observed to be for a Glock," Audetat said. "I was not sure of the caliber at that point, but they were Glock magazines and they were both fully loaded." Audetat also found a foldable knife with a 4-inch blade in Loughner's front pocket. Loughner said he was feeling hot, so the deputy removed Loughner's beanie and hooded sweatshirt. Audetat found Loughner wearing earplugs, and Loughner also stated several times that he pleaded the Fifth Amendment, documents said. "At that point, he said, 'I just want you to know that I'm the only person that knew about this,'" Audetat said. "That was the only thing, pretty much, that he said to me almost all day."

– Jared Lee Loughner started acting so erratically in the months leading up to his 2011 shooting spree that his parents confiscated his shotgun on the advice of the community college that expelled him, reports the Arizona Republic. (Loughner used a different weapon in the Tucson rampage.) His father even worked on disabling Loughner's car so he couldn't get out at night, reports the New York Times. The revelations come from a trove of newly released documents on the case that show Loughner in a downward spiral that worried his family and acquaintances, reports AP and CNN: His mother: "Sometimes you'd hear him in his room, like, having conversations," she told police. "And sometimes he would look like he was having a conversation with someone right there, be talking to someone. I don't know how to explain it." She said she urged her son to get psychological help, but he didn't do it. Crying at traffic stop: Loughner got pulled over hours before the shooting for running a red light, and when the officer said he'd let him go with a warning, Loughner started to cry. "So I asked him if he was OK," said the officer. "And he said, 'Yeah, I'm OK, I've just had a rough time and I really thought I was gonna get a ticket, and I'm really glad that you're not.'" His father: "I tried to talk to him. But you can't. He wouldn't let you. Lost, lost and just didn't want to communicate with me no more." On confiscating the gun: "That totally set him over, I think." Childhood friend: "I kicked him out of my house because he showed me his gun," Andrew Kuck told police, recalling a visit several weeks before the shooting when Loughner showed up armed. Loughner explained he had the gun for protection—he had grown paranoid about the police and others being out to get him—and gave Kuck's roommate a souvenir bullet. Gabby Giffords connection: Another friend says Loughner, who had developed a hatred of government, once asked the visiting congresswoman, "What is government and stuff?" and didn't get an an answer he liked. "I feel like he had ... something against Gabrielle Giffords." Suicide call? The same friend says Loughner left him a phone message the morning of the shooting: "He just said, 'Hey, this is Jared. Um, we had some good times together. Uh, see you later.' And that's it."

A Westminster man trapped for three days between two walls of a Longmont business unsuccessfully attempted to pass distress notes outside. One of them was written on his probation officer's business card. "You can't make this stuff up," Longmont police Sgt. Cage said late Tuesday. The Longmont Fire Department on Tuesday morning spent about a half hour freeing Paul Felyk from a vacant space between interior and exterior walls at the Marshalls Store at 205 Ken Pratt Blvd., eventually employing a K-12 saw and cutting a large hole in the side of the building. A man trapped in a wall at the rear of Marshalls, 205 Ken Pratt Blvd., crawls out of a hole cut by Longmont firefighters Tuesday morning. (Lewis Geyer/Times-Call) ( Lewis Geyer ) Marshalls employees told police that they had heard a man yelling on Monday but didn't know where he was. On Tuesday, they again heard the man yelling and determined he was yelling through a hole in a back wall. He sounded like he was in pain, and a manager called police. Cage said Felyk was unable to push the notes under the interior wall, and they were later found by first responders. "They were hard to read, but they definitely said 'help,'" Cage said, adding that Felyk, 35, had ineffectively attempted to describe his position inside the building in one of the notes. "I'm not sure he knew where he was," Cage said. Felyk dated one of the notes Nov. 8, leading police to believe that he had been stuck in between the walls since Saturday. After firefighters opened the hold in the exterior wall, Felyk crawled out, lay down on a gurney and was whisked away to Longmont United Hospital. Cage said the incident is being investigated as a possible burglary or trespassing and that charges are pending. Police also are looking into suspicious incidents at neighboring businesses involving their heating and electrical systems. A spokeswoman for TJX Companies, the parent company of Marshalls, declined to comment other than to say Marshalls was cooperating with law enforcement during the investigation. Cage said Felyk had fallen about 20 feet after entering the building through the roof. Felyk remained in the hospital Tuesday afternoon with injuries to his lower extremities, the extent of which were not immediately known, Cage said. LUH would not confirm that Felyk was at the hospital Tuesday night. Marshalls opened at 9:30 a.m. every day Felyk was believed to be trapped inside. Businesses which share the building with Marshalls told the Times-Call that they had problems with phone lines, Internet and heating systems on Monday. Police are investigating whether Felyk had any involvement in those problems. April Garcia, an employee at Edible Arrangements, which is several store fronts east of Marshalls, said the phones and heat went out at her store on Monday and that after the incident Tuesday, employees began to suspect that there was a connection between the two. "It was just too much of a coincidence," she said. "We started putting two and two together." Michelle Najar, a recruiter at Employment Solutions, which is next door to Edible Arrangements, said police were searching a vehicle in the alley outside of her business on Tuesday and that a nearby breaker box appeared to have been tampered with. Najar said she came into work on Monday to find the phones and Internet not working. Later in the day, employees realized the heat had been turned off. "It really put a dent in our business," she said. "Monday is our busiest day." Felyk, who has so far not been charged with any crime in relation to the incident, has prior convictions for robbery, trespassing, assault, driving while ability impaired, theft and criminal mischief. John Bear: 303-684-5212, bearj@times-call.com or twitter.com/johnbearwithme. ||||| LONGMONT, Colo. - A man was found stuck in a wall at a Marshalls store in Longmont Tuesday morning. Really. Even crazier, the man may have been in there for three days, according to Sgt. Matt Cage with the Longmont Police Department. Fire crews had to break down part of the exterior wall to rescue the man. "I've had a few strange calls -- this was definitely one of the strangest," said Longmont Fire Department spokesperson Molly Meehan. "He was extremely anxious to get out. He was extremely cold and wanted out." The man may have gained access to the store on Ken Pratt Boulevard from the roof and got lodged in the wall, Cage said. Apparently, the man created enough noise to be heard by people inside the store. "Store employees had heard screaming and couldn't figure out the origin," said Molly Meehan. The man is in his 40s and may be a transient, Cage said. A man trapped in a wall at the rear of the #longmont Marshalls crawls out of a hole cut by Longmont F.D. pic.twitter.com/qPJvKxlvoH — Lewis Geyer (@LGeyerTC) November 11, 2014 Once crews freed the man, he was transported to the hospital to be checked out. A man trapped in a wall with a leg injury crawls onto a backboard at the rear of the #longmont Marshalls. pic.twitter.com/QPmdq2IxE6 — Lewis Geyer (@LGeyerTC) November 11, 2014 Police will investigate the incident as a trespassing case. If convicted, some of us feel he should get credit for time served. "This definitely could have been a call that didn't end on a good note," said Meehan. "He needed to get out -- it was very cold today," said Lt. Troy Reed with the Longmont Fire Department. "It's a huge team effort. You know we're proud of everybody that was involved." MORE | Additional photos from the Longmont Times Call

– Employees at a Marshalls store in Colorado swore they heard a voice coming from somewhere yesterday, but they couldn't quite find the source. Today it got a little louder, resulting in the rescue of a man trapped in a void between the store's interior and exterior walls, reports the Denver Channel. Fire officials in Longmont say Paul Felyk, 35, might have been stuck in there for three days, reports the Longmont Times-Call. He was hospitalized at least briefly, though it's not clear whether he suffered any injuries. Authorities think Felyk got into the building through a roof vent and fell about 20 feet into his cramped location. They did not speculate about why he was apparently trying to get into the store in such a weird way, but the case remains under investigation. No charges have been filed so far. (It's not the only roof-related rescue this week.)

Such a radical method may be unrealistic with the elusive nature of the schwa . This article will introduce schwa types, a categorization that typifies schwas according to their sounding (how they are carried out), regardless of their notation. A type 1 schwa refers to when the penultimate syllable of a word is sung as written, without elongating its value, and the onset of the schwa is rhythmically accurate. The penultimate syllable is consistently elongated, the onset of the schwa delayed, and its duration shortened to a fraction of its value. ||||| Hidrosis is the medical term for which bodily function? pain pathic culation hidrosis pain 1 + - + + + + N 2 + - + + + - N 3 + - + + + + N 4 + + + + + + N 5 + + + + + + N 6 + - + + + + N Case ADs ADs SSR/ Treatment no. ||||| Today, 'Smyrna' fig growers in the Middle East and California hang braids of inedible caprifig fruits in their orchards at pollinating time. In this research, Hardwood cuttings of 4 uniferous (one production per year) fig cultivars ("Bayoudhi," "Jemaaoui," "Ragoubi," and "Zidi"), one biferous (two productions per year) ("Bither"), and one caprifig (male fig) ("Bouharrag") were used as plant material. ||||| Spelling Bee Pregame: Why Are Some Words So Hard? Enlarge this image toggle caption Alex Wong/Getty Images Alex Wong/Getty Images The Scripps National Spelling Bee is under way outside Washington, D.C., and over the next few days, 275 kids from ages 8 to 15 will put their spelling skills to the test. "These kids are spending sometimes a few hours a day going through word lists" to learn the most difficult words in English, linguist Ben Zimmer tells NPR's Renee Montagne. "Very often, they are coming from immigrant families that really prize learning English as part of becoming assimilated into American culture. So, my hat's off to all of these young spellers." Zimmer, the executive producer of VisualThesaurus.com and Vocabulary.com, offers his analysis of the difficult words that come up during spelling bees: Words that stump even the precocious finalists at the Scripps Bee are often foreignisms that follow non-English spelling rules, like pickelhaube (German), hypozeuxis (Greek), abatis (French) and appoggiatura (Italian). Often, the kids who come out on top at the Bee are steeped in the linguistic rules of foreign languages. The competitors tend to be a pretty cosmopolitan bunch, with many speaking languages other than English. The trickiest words in the Bee often have obscure foreign origins, even though they're in Merriam-Webster's unabridged English dictionary. Spellers, On Your Marks The Scripps National Spelling Bee website includes a sample test of 25 words. At the site, hit "Play" to hear the first word. Take The Spelling Bee Sample Test The winner of last year's National Spelling Bee, Anamika Veeramani, won on a German word she had studied: stromuhr (an instrument for measuring viscous substances). That was fitting, since the year before she had settled for fifth place after tripping over the German word fackeltanz (a royal wedding dance). Top spellers also can be led astray by words that sound like they should follow a more familiar spelling pattern — but have an orthographic quirk to them. For instance, isarithm (a contour line on a map) sounds like it should end in "-rhythm," while hidrosis (excretion of sweat) sounds like it should start with "hydro-." Both of those show up among the very hardest words in the Visual Thesaurus Spelling Bee. The Bee competitors often worry about "the dreaded schwa." When there's an unstressed vowel in a word that they haven't studied, they might not know whether it's spelled with an a, e, i, o, or u. Last year's finalists were stumped by words like fustanella (a skirt worn by men in some Balkan countries, misspelled as "fustinella"), caprifig (a wild variety of fig, misspelled as "caprofig") and meperidine (a synthetic narcotic drug, misspelled as "meperedine"). The schwa is also the stumbling block in some of the most common spelling confusions, like acclimation vs. acclamation, or imminent vs. immanent. Researchers have found that words are most often misspelled when we follow a pattern suggested by other words, but the pattern-matching ends up being mistaken. So we guess that liquefy is spelled as "liquify" based on liquid, or that sacrilegious is spelled as "sacreligious," based on religious. The most adept spellers know when to trust analogical reasoning and when to look for exceptions to the common patterns of spelling. ||||| Syntactic mirroring ( hypozeuxis ), for instance, singles out some structural patterns in "The Pedersen Kid," In the following excerpt, the hypozeuxis is based on (a and b) coordination I underlined In the following excerpt, repetition is magnified due to epizeuxis, which provides a pattern of subsequent repetition, as well as hypozeuxis emerging in the use of both the infinitive and the negative ("neither", "rot", "nothing"); ||||| As a further provision for the efficacy of the federal powers, they took an oath mutually to defend and protect the united cities, to punish the violators of this oath, and to inflict vengeance on sacrilegious despoilers of the temple. The knife was quite near to Tarzan's breast now, but it halted for an instant as the high priestess raised her eyes to shoot her swift displeasure at the instigator of this sacrilegious interruption. The sacrilegious hands of the British soldiers had torn it down, and kindled their barrack fires with the fragments. Now, these two luminaries are objects of veneration to the African tribes, and they determined to oppose so sacrilegious an enterprise. Meantime, Gabriel, ascending to the main-royal mast-head, was tossing one arm in frantic gestures, and hurling forth prophecies of speedy doom to the sacrilegious assailants of his divinity. But when she saw that Pierre's sacrilegious words had not exasperated the vicomte, and had convinced herself that it was impossible to stop him, she rallied her forces and joined the vicomte in a vigorous attack on the orator. She would have thought it rather sacrilegious to leave it off--as bad as forgetting her Bible or her collection dime. that my sacrilegious fist should ever have been applied to the ear of the Lord's anointed This holiest of spots was defended from profanation by the strictest edicts of the all-pervading 'taboo', which condemned to instant death the sacrilegious female who should enter or touch its sacred precincts, or even so much as press with her feet the ground made holy by the shadows that it cast. There was a question she wanted to ask, but it seemed almost sacrilegious in the face of the love of these two men and the terrible suffering they had endured while she sat laughing and happy beside a godlike creature of the forest, eating delicious fruits and looking with eyes of love into answering eyes. Not only was such an act sacrilegious in its nature, but it was fraught with peril. ||||| The first speller has stepped to the microphone at the 84th annual Scripps National Spelling Bee in Maryland. Twelve-year-old Kevin Lazenby of Opelika, Ala., correctly spelled "dolorifuge" (doh-LOHR-uh-fyooj) to begin the second round of the competition Wednesday morning. There are 275 spellers from across the United States and around the world competing to advance to Thursday's semifinals, followed by the finals Thursday night broadcast in primetime on network television. The winner will get more than $40,000 in cash and prizes. (This version CORRECTS APNewsNow. Corrects that second round began, not the third round.) ||||| The children, who had made use of this idea of Tess being taken up by their wealthy kinsfolk (which they imagined the other family to be) as a species of dolorifuge after the death of the horse, began to cry at Tess's reluctance, and teased and reproached her for hesitating. ||||| stromuhr [ strōm´oor ] an instrument for measuring the velocity of the blood flow. strom·uhr ( strōm'ūr ), ), An instrument for measuring the quantity of blood that flows per unit of time through a blood vessel. [Ger. Strom, stream, + Uhr, clock] stromuhr /stro·muhr/ ( /stro·muhr/ ( strōm´oor ) [Ger.] an instrument for measuring the velocity of blood flow. ) [Ger.] an instrument for measuring the velocity of blood flow. stro·muhr ( shtrōm'ur ) An instrument for measuring the quantity of blood that flows per unit of time through a blood vessel. [Ger. Strom, stream, + Uhr, clock]

– The 84th annual Scripps National Spelling Bee is under way, and before a winner is crowned on national television tomorrow night, thousands of really obscure words will be tackled by 275 kids ages 8 to 15. Twelve-year-old Kevin Lazenby of Opelika, Ala., kicked off round two today, notes the AP, correctly spelling "dolorifuge." If that seems like a tough one, brace yourself: NPR talks to linguist Ben Zimmer, who explains which words are really the tough ones. Foreign words that are in Merriam-Webster's unabridged English dictionary but adhere to non-English spelling rules, like the Greek hypozeuxis and the German stromuhr (last year's winning word). Words that sound like they should follow a typical spelling pattern, but don't: hidrosis sounds like it should be spelled "hydrosis"—but, of course, it isn't. "The dreaded schwa": These neutral vowels can be extremely tricky. Caprifig, for instance, is often misspelled as caprofig. Words that don't follow the spelling suggested by a like word: Though it's "religious," it's sacrilegious, not sacreligious.

CLOSE 2-year-old Eden Carlson's road to recovery has defied the odds and is possibly the first medical case of its kind. USA TODAY Eden Carlson's parents were told she wouldn't ever walk or talk again. Thanks to oxygen and hyperbaric therapies, she's doing both. (Photo: Eden Carlson Miracles, YouTube) A 2-year-old from Arkansas who nearly drowned in her family's swimming pool is on the mend thanks to a type of oxygen therapy. In February 2016, Eden Carlson broke through her baby gate and headed into the family pool. Her mother, who believed the child was safe playing with older siblings, was in the shower, WDSU News reports. Eden was found after struggling in cold water for at least 10 minutes, without a heartbeat, the station reports. She was not expected to survive, but she did. Eden was left with severe brain damage. She couldn't speak or walk. Her parents were told she would never talk, walk, eat on her own or react to her surroundings. They couldn't accept that, and looked at other options. Fifty-five days after Eden's near drowning, Paul Harch of Hyperbaric Medicine at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine started hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Oxygen administered at sea-level pressure filled Eden's nose for 45 minutes, twice a day. Eden started hyperbaric oxygen therapy about a month later, breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber, five days a week. The treatment isn't new, but it is experimental and not approved by the FDA. In May, the miraculous happened: Eden laughed. She moved her arms, hands and eyes. She could speak. Today, she's able to climb up stairs on a play set by herself. The new responses happened gradually, but to much surprise. Her brain damage started to reverse — what could be a first in medical history. “The startling regrowth of tissue in this case occurred because we were able to intervene early in a growing child, before long-term tissue degeneration,” Harch said in a statement. Eden's mom, Kristal Carlson, says the treatments saved her daughter, and could help others suffering from brain injuries. "She’s getting so much better all the time," Carlson told USA TODAY. "In a couple of years, it’s going to be like she never had an accident." Harch and Edward Fogarty, at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine, documented her progress in a report published in Medical Gas Research. To learn more about Eden's journey, visit Eden's Miracles on Facebook. Related: Follow Ashley May on Twitter: @AshleyMayTweets Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2uNcbIc ||||| In what is believed to be a world first, scientists have reversed brain damage in a toddler that drowned in a swimming pool. Using oxygen therapy, scientists were able to restore her ability to walk and talk just months after the accident, in which she spent 15 minutes submerged in a swimming pool and two hours where her heart did not beat on its own. The accident took place in February 2016. Two-year-old Eden Carlson had managed to get through a baby gate and fall into the family swimming pool and was in the 5 degree Celsius water for up to 15 minutes before being discovered. Read more: First Double-Hand Transplant Allows Child to Eat, Dress and Write After being resuscitated and treated in hospital for just over a month, she was unresponsive to all stimuli. She was immobile and constantly squirmed and shook her head. MRI scans showed deep injury to the brain’s gray matter, as well as loss of white and gray matter. In a bid to reverse the brain damage, researchers at the LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine and the University of North Dakota School of Medicine began treating her with two types of oxygen therapy. This includes normobaric oxygen therapy, where levels of oxygen given are the same as at sea level, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), where they are given pure oxygen at pressures higher than that of the atmosphere within a special chamber. Fifty five days after the drowning accident, doctors started giving Eden normobaric oxygen for 45 minutes twice per day. This appeared to make her more alert and awake, and she stopped squirming. She started laughing more and was able to move her arms and hands, and grasp with her left. Scientists also noted eye-tracking movements and some speech. Read more: A New Theory on Cancer—What We Know About How It Starts Could All Be Wrong After 78 days, Eden began HBOT therapy, with 45 minute sessions five days per week for four weeks. After 10 sessions, her mother said she was almost back to normal other than motor function. After 39 sessions—coupled with physical therapy—Eden was able to walk and her speech had returned to normal. Her cognitive abilities had improved and motor function was almost restored to pre-drowning levels. An MRI scan a month after the 40th HBOT session showed almost complete reversal of the brain damage initially recorded. Researchers believe the oxygen therapy, coupled with Eden having the developing brain of a child, had activated genes that promote cell survival and reduce inflammation—allowing the brain to recover. The case report is published in the journal Medical Gas Research. Paul Harch, who treated Eden, said in a statement: “The startling regrowth of tissue in this case occurred because we were able to intervene early in a growing child, before long-term tissue degeneration. Although it’s impossible to conclude from this single case if the sequential application of normobaric oxygen then HBOT would be more effective than HBOT alone, in the absence of HBOT therapy, short duration, repetitive normobaric oxygen therapy may be an option until HBOT is available." Concluding, the researchers say that to their knowledge, this is the first reported case of gray matter loss and white matter atrophy (types of brain damage) reversal with any therapy and that treatment with oxygen should be considered in similar cases. “Such low-risk medical treatment may have a profound effect on recovery of function in similar patients who are neurologically devastated by drowning."

– When a 2-year-old girl in Arkansas managed to make her way through a baby gate and fall into the family swimming pool, she was submerged in 41-degree water for as many as 15 minutes before she was found. Having technically drowned and suffered a heart attack, Eden Carlson was resuscitated after the February 2016 accident but completely unresponsive to stimuli for a month. Now, in what appears to be a world first, per Newsweek, researchers at the LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine and the University of North Dakota School of Medicine report in Medical Gas Research that they have managed to reverse much of her white and gray matter brain damage using two types of non-invasive oxygen therapy. "The startling regrowth of tissue ... occurred because we were able to intervene early in a growing child, before long-term tissue degeneration," says Paul Harch, who treated her, in an LSU release. MRI showed deep gray matter injury and both gray and white matter loss, and Eden was unresponsive, couldn't walk or talk, and constantly squirmed. Since researchers started giving her normobaric oxygen therapy (sea-level amounts of oxygen) and hyperbaric oxygen therapy (pure oxygen at higher pressure) for 45 minutes twice a day, she stopped squirming, appeared more alert, began to laugh, and can now talk, climb stairs, and play, reports USA Today. An MRI after her 40th HBOT session showed "near-complete reversal of cortical and white matter atrophy." "She’s getting so much better all the time," her mother says. (Drowning doesn't always involve dying.)

ANALYSIS: Despite its population of more than 320 million, the weight of democracy in the USA now seems to rest on the shoulders of one man – the "self-effacing, immensely polite" Anthony Kennedy, often described as the swing vote between conservatives and liberals on the US Supreme Court. When the court this week decided to hear a challenge to the partisan gerrymandering that skews election results across the country, lawyers and analysts dusted off a messy, inconclusive decision by the court in 2004. Back then, the bench split five ways. But there was a single line in Kennedy's reasoning on which the latest challenge turns. CARLOS BARRIA/REUTERS The US Supreme Court is trying to disentangle the roles of race and partisanship when drawing congressional district maps. A Ronald Reagan-era appointee to the court, Kennedy declared he might be amenable to a challenge if there was "a workable standard" by which it might be proved that the rigging of electoral boundaries crossed a constitutional line – but that no-one had shown him such a standard. READ MORE: * Trump: 'Solar wall' on Mexican border will pay for itself * Trump: There are no tapes of Comey talks * Trump turns rally into a vent session * Obamacare replacement bill unveiled, tough debate expected Lawyers and academics now believe they have devised a standard Kennedy can accept. They'll spend the northern summer honing their briefs, along with an army of "friends of the court" who'll be for and against any reform, and there'll be oral argument in October - on which more later. First, we must confront the existing reality. A democracy that holds itself up as a shining example to the world, that "city on a hill" invoked by John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan, tolerates the effective disenfranchisement of millions of voters and the stealing of dozens of congressional seats at every election by whichever party wins control of the political process at state level. It's called gerrymandering, after an 1812 redistricting effort by then-Massachusetts governor Elbridge Gerry, whose map-bending produced a district shaped like a salamander. But one of the so-called US Founding Fathers did it first. In 1788, before there was a Congress, independence hero Patrick Henry had boundaries altered in colonial Virginia in a bid to thwart James Madison, his rival and later the fourth US president. Today's gerrymandering ruthlessly harnesses technology and big data to "pack" and "crack" voters in districts as bent and twisted as the names bestowed on them: "Goofy kicking Donald Duck" [Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional district]; the upside-down elephant [Texas' 35th]; the Latin earmuffs [Illinois' 4th]; Bart Simpson holding a fishing pole [Michigan's 14th]; and the praying mantis [Maryland's 3rd]. Ideally, all votes should have equal weight. But when "packed", electors of a particular persuasion are piled into one electorate so as not to dilute the majorities of the opposing party in adjoining seats. If "cracked". they are sprinkled among voters of the opposing party in numbers which ensure their candidate never wins. Florida's 5th district, into which non-white voters are "packed", narrows at one point to cross a bridge – lest the GOP majorities in the adjoining 3rd and 6th districts be diluted. Michigan's GOP-drawn districts are so gerrymandered that only 21 of the state's 148 legislative seats are truly competitive – that is, they were won by less than five points. Ohio usually is split about 50-50 in presidential polls, but the boundaries have been drawn to give Republicans 12 of the state's 16 seats. The impact on American democracy is staggering. At the 2016 elections, the average winning margin for seats in Congress was more than 37 per cent. Only 17 of 435 seats were decided competitively – which is to say by less than five points. This process has its own coarse and colourful jargon; creating new boundaries that put two legislators from one party into a single seat, forcing one to quit, is called "scorpions in a bottle". The US Supreme Court has visited the issue of partisan gerrymandering on at least three occasions – in 1986, 2004 and 2006 – variously branding the practice illegitimate; seriously harmful; incompatible with democratic principles; and a "manipulation of the electorate". Yet the court has never ruled against it, though it has ordered that boundaries be redrawn when gerrymandering was found to be race-based. But its refusal to call out rigging along partisan lines has become a tool in the mapmakers' arsenal: defending the boundaries of its 12th district, North Carolina recently argued that it was helping Republicans, not punishing blacks. A few states, including California and Arizona, have switched to independent redistricting commissions. Among the 10 most ugly redistricting efforts, eight are the handiwork of Republican state governments. The Democratic Party earns a place in the hall of shame for its current efforts in Maryland – and historically, for more rampant efforts from the 1960s through to the 1990s. In 2010, the GOP caught the Democrats resting on their laurels. In the wake of the so-called wave election in 2008, Barack Obama was in the White House; Democrats had majorities in the House and Senate; the party was in control of both chambers in 27 states and one chamber in each of another six states. Republican strategists devised a devilish plot. Karl Rove opted for no less than the op-ed page of The Wall Street Journal to reveal the thrust of what was to be known as the REDMAP Project. Beneath a heading that read: "He who controls redistricting can control Congress", Rove explained that the 2010 census was about to be taken, necessitating a round of redistricting, and the GOP would focus on state legislatures in 2010 and in 2012 – flipping any they could to ensure mapmaking pencils would be in Republican hands. It was as black and white - or as red and blue - as that. In 2010, the Republicans gained almost 700 seats in state legislatures, enough to swing 20 chambers to their control. At the 2012 elections, Obama held the state of Pennsylvania by about 300,000 votes and Democrats outpolled Republicans there by almost 100,000 votes – but of the state's 18 congressional seats, 13 were won by Republicans. And in the 2014 midterm elections, redistricting delivered Democrats their worst defeat in more than 70 years. So what can the Supreme Court do about all this? Its decision to review the constitutionality of the Republicans' approach to district boundaries in Wisconsin could revolutionise electoral politics and rob Republicans of their advantage in the aftermath of the 2020 census. On gaining full control of the Wisconsin legislature for the first time in decades in 2010, the GOP rejigged district boundaries in such a way that on winning just 48.6 per cent of the vote, the party walked away with 60 of the 90 State Assembly seats; and at the next elections, they picked up 52 per cent of the vote but bagged 63 seats. The maps, a lower appeal court found, were "designed to make it more difficult for Democrats ... to translate their votes into seats". Or as Princeton professor Samuel Wang said, they were proof again that legislative 'foxes' were being allowed to design electoral "henhouses". New York University constitutional law professor Richard Pildes is disturbed by the seeming indifference of many Americans to such an open scam. But Pildes offers two explanations, based on feedback from his speaking engagements: "There's a major distrust of any body that is relatively independent, and the American culture of democratic participation leads many to believe we're better off with people who can be voted out of office doing the redistricting." At the Brennan Centre for Justice, counsel Michael Li fears an all-out redistricting war after the 2020 census. "Globally, no other country leaves redistricting in the hands of self-interested parties," he said. "And Wisconsin is particularly pernicious because of how it locks in such a disproportionate share of seats for one party. "The evidence is especially strong, in terms of emails and depositions on what people were trying to do – and there's reason to believe that [Justice] Kennedy is still the sweet vote." But American justice is a fickle business – often it's what is legal that is shocking, more than what is illegal. And Paul Smith, who will argue the Wisconsin case before the Supreme Court in October, is taking nothing for granted. "We've got to this point before – and lost," he said. Smith, vice-president for litigation and strategy at the Campaign Legal Center, argued the 2004 case that split the bench five ways. He frames the question for the court as finding a compromise somewhere between the "wildly unrealistic" possibility of eliminating all politics and allowing "a certain amount" of politics in the process. "There have never been five justices who will agree on where that line should be drawn ... but maybe now they'll be more willing to draw a line between 'troublesome' and the really bad stuff." The standard which backers of the case hope will find favour with Justice Kennedy is a complex equation called the Efficiency Gap (EG), that seeks to measure partisanship by tallying "wasted votes": those of Democrats "packed" into districts in numbers that exceed the number needed for a Democratic candidate to win. Based on the work of University of Chicago law professor Nicholas Stephanopoulos, the figures are massaged district by district to calculate the EG, which is measured as a percentage. Arguing that an EG in excess of 7 should be deemed unconstitutional, the Wisconsin EG was found to be 13.3 in 2012 and 9.6 in 2014. A 2015 study that applied the formula nationally, found that over a 43-year period, one-third of all redistricting in 41 states exceeded the 7 per cent standard and that elections in 2012 and 2014 produced EGs exceeding 10 points in Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Former Wisconsin state senate leaders Timothy Cullen, a Democrat, and Dale Schultz, a Republican, have joined the Wisconsin fight. In a jointly written op-ed in The Washington Post, they argue: "Fighting gerrymandering is about fighting abuse of power, no matter who does it. If our side wins the lawsuit, we will establish a principle that reins in not only Republicans in states such as Wisconsin and North Carolina but also Democrats in states such as Maryland and Illinois." So, all eyes will be on Justice Kennedy. This case is proceeding because of the glimmer of light he shined on the redistricting scandal back in 2004. But now some are wondering if he's swinging the other way. The court's decision this week to take the Wisconsin case was a political bombshell. But it came with a rider – it also allowed the disputed Wisconsin district maps to stand, which means they will be used for at least one more cycle of elections. And who signed off on that little wrinkle? No surprise that the court's four reliable conservatives were on board – justices John Roberts, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch. And the fifth? Ah yes – that was Justice Anthony Kennedy. ||||| Tweet with a location You can add location information to your Tweets, such as your city or precise location, from the web and via third-party applications. You always have the option to delete your Tweet location history. Learn more ||||| President Trump will stick with the same list of potential nominees for the next Supreme Court vacancy, he told The Washington Times in an exclusive interview in which he also waved aside the lack of a honeymoon from Capitol Hill, saying Republicans are “going to get there” and Democrats are still smarting over losing an election they thought they couldn’t lose. Speaking in the Oval Office, Mr. Trump said a repeal of Obamacare would have passed the House last week if Republican leaders had put it up for a vote. He now expects a vote early in May, which he acknowledged is outside the 100-day time frame he had hoped for but still much shorter than the 15 months it took President Obama to have the national health care bill enacted. He also said he expects the near-universal opposition to his agenda from congressional Democrats to wane. “I notice it calming down,” he said. Reflecting on his first weeks, the businessman turned statesman took pride in having upended traditional procedures in Washington. He said he has already notched foreign policy successes that eluded Mr. Obama — such as the release of Egyptian-American charity worker Aya Hijazi from detention in Egypt — and has made his mark at home with the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch. “You’ll have hundreds of cases decided by 5-4, and you got that. So that’s a great legacy,” the president said, noting that at 49, Justice Gorsuch has decades of important decisions ahead of him. Mr. Trump shook the election campaign last year when he announced a list of 21 potential Supreme Court nominees, selected with the help of the Federalist Society and The Heritage Foundation. The list was an instant hit with conservatives and helped cement the candidate’s support among the Republican base. “It’s a great list. From the moment I put that list out, it solved that problem. And I was proud to say it was my idea,” he said. Mr. Trump said he has heard rumors that one of the justices will retire when the current court session ends in June but that he doesn’t have any inside knowledge. “I don’t know. I have a lot of respect for Justice Kennedy, but I just don’t know,” Mr. Trump said, referring to the senior member of the bench, Justice Anthony M. Kennedy. “I don’t like talking about it. I’ve heard the same rumors that a lot of people have heard. And I have a lot of respect for that gentleman, a lot.” Mr. Trump said conservative voters should be assured that his next choice will be “really talented and of our views.” Asked specifically whether he would pick from the list of candidates he put forward in the campaign, Mr. Trump was unequivocal: “Yes,” he said, adding, “That list was a big thing.” Democrats rallied near-unanimous opposition and mounted a filibuster in the fight over Justice Gorsuch, forcing Senate Republican leaders to trigger the “nuclear option” and take a shortcut to change the rules. Fighting the Democrats It was just one of the areas where Democrats have vowed to resist Mr. Trump at every turn. The president took a dealmaker’s view of the obstructions he had faced on Capitol Hill, particularly from Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, a fellow New Yorker. Last week, as the federal government teetered on the verge of a partial shutdown, Republican leaders said Mr. Schumer was refusing to even talk to Mr. Trump — particularly about permitting any money for Mr. Trump’s Mexico border wall. The president, though, said Mr. Schumer is coming to the table. “He’s negotiating. I spoke to him three days ago. He’s negotiating from a standpoint where the Democrats have been decimated,” the president said. “They thought they were going to win. It’s almost impossible for the Democrats to lose. And I think we’re much stronger today than I was on election night. You’ve seen some polls come out where I’m stronger today than I was on election night. So they’re not happy, they’re very angry.” The Senate Democratic leader, though, said Sunday that it is Mr. Trump who isn’t ready to talk about serious issues on Democrats’ terms. “On the issues so far — taxes and health care — he doesn’t consult us at all,” Mr. Schumer said on “Fox News Sunday.” “He puts together a plan that is very hard-right, special-interest [and] wealth-oriented and says the way to be bipartisan is to just support his plan. That’s not the way America works.” Mr. Trump has struggled to forge unity within Republican ranks, too, hindering his efforts to notch early-term accomplishments. But the president said he wasn’t put off by the lack of a honeymoon even from his own party. “It’s a tight margin. These are really terrific people, and they’ve been very good to me in the sense that they say, ‘We want to do this for our president,’” he said, adding that includes both the right and the centrists. “I will say, they have their views, their views are somewhat spread out, I believe they’re going to get there,” he said, pivoting to the debate over repealing Obamacare. “I believe over the next week or two or three, I said take your time. You said Obama had a honeymoon. The truth is Obamacare took 17 months to get approved. I only started working this a month and a half in. We could have taken a vote today, I think it could have made it, but who wants to take the chance? So we’ll wait till next week. This is an artificial barrier, which I helped cause to a certain extent, but we’ve done a lot.” Fighting the press A constant during Mr. Trump’s first 100 days in office has been his running battle with the media. Despite his efforts to bypass the media by posting frequent messages on Twitter, Mr. Trump said his job approval ratings would be better if he weren’t confronting a steady stream of what he calls “fake news.” “I think I’m polling really, really well, considering if you watch television. … You’d say, ‘How can this guy be at 48 percent?’” Mr. Trump said. “Anywhere in that [range], how can you do that when every single story is a hit?” One of Mr. Trump’s biggest foreign policy challenges so far has been the threat posed by North Korea’s ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs. White House National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster said Sunday that the U.S. would pay for the $1 billion THAAD missile defense system in South Korea, despite Mr. Trump’s comments to The Times two days earlier about making Seoul pick up the tab. “What I told our South Korean counterpart is until any renegotiation, that the deals in place, we’ll adhere to our word,” Mr. McMaster said on “Fox News Sunday.” Mr. Trump’s comments had caused unease in Seoul, which was already nervous about the belligerent exchanges between Washington and Pyongyang. Mr. McMaster sought to reassure the ally in call earlier Sunday and told Fox that he was not contradicting Mr. Trump. “The last thing I would ever do is contradict the president of the United States. And that’s not what it was,” he said. “What the president has asked us to do, is to look across all of our alliances and to have appropriate burden-sharing, responsibility-sharing. We’re looking at that with our great ally South Korea, we’re looking at that with NATO.” Mr. McMaster also stressed that North Korea poses a “grave threat” to the U.S. and allies in the region and that Mr. Trump was determined to resolve the issue “one way or another.” Mr. Trump also said in the interview with The Times that he wants to renegotiate or withdraw from the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement known as Korus, which enters a review period this week. The current version, first begun under the George W. Bush administration, took effect in March 2012 under the Obama administration. “It’s been a very bad deal for the United States, negotiated by [former Secretary of State] Hillary Clinton,” Mr. Trump said. ⦁ S.A. Miller contributed to this report. Copyright © 2018 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission. ||||| Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy and his clerks moved up a long-planned reunion event for his staffers by a year, sparking rumors that the 30-year veteran of the high court was contemplating retirement. Should Kennedy step down, it would remove one of the Supreme Court's key swing votes and give President Trump the opportunity to give it a durable conservative majority. The justice has not given any public indication of his plans. Nevertheless, inside-the-beltway gossip has speculated for months that Kennedy, 80, may soon step down. Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Chuck Grassley of Iowa, both Senate Judiciary Committee members, have said that they expect another vacancy on the court to occur this summer. The rumors intensified following the news that the weekend reunion event's date was advanced as well as a tweet by George Washington University law professor Orin Kerr, a former Kennedy clerk, on Friday: "Soon we'll know if rumors of Kennedy's retirement are accurate." In a tweet Saturday Kerr indicated that his comment was just speculation: "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." If Kennedy were to step down it would be certain to lead to an intense fight on Capitol Hill regarding Trump's eventual nominee to replace him. Past nominations that merely replaced one Supreme Court justice with a similar like-minded one were nevertheless hard-fought battles. Kennedy's replacement has the potential to shift the balance of the court for decades. Roger Stone, a longtime adviser to President Trump, said earlier this year in an interview with Infowars host Alex Jones that the likely pick to replace Kennedy was "clearly Neil Hartigan from the Western District of Pennsylvania," one of the judges Trump reportedly considered to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia before settling on Justice Neil Gorsuch. The Washington Examiner previously noted that while it is possible that Stone was referring to the former Democratic Illinois Attorney General Neil Hartigan, it's more likely he messed up the name of Judge Thomas Hardiman, a 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals judge who appeared on Trump's Supreme Court short lists. ||||| 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... (Associated Press) WASHINGTON (AP) — 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 from a Missouri church playground. The biggest news of all, though, 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. 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 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. "Soon we'll know if rumors of Kennedy's retirement are accurate," one former Kennedy clerk, George Washington University law professor Orin Kerr, said on Twitter Friday. When the justices take the bench Monday, they are 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 is 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, is 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. ||||| Washington (CNN) Justice Anthony Kennedy, the man who so often determines the outcome of the most controversial Supreme Court cases, is himself the center of brewing speculation. 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. Helping drive the speculation, dozens of Kennedy's former law clerks traveled to Washington this weekend to participate in a private clerk reunion that occurs regularly -- and many of them wondered if it will be their last chance to meet with him while he is still on the bench. At the end of a dinner with the former clerks Saturday night, Kennedy addressed the crowd, saying he had heard some speculation about an announcement tonight, "and here it is," he said: The "bar will be open after dinner." But sources close to Kennedy say that he is seriously considering retirement, although they are unclear if it could occur as early as this term. His departure would cause a seismic shift and offer President Donald Trump a chance to continue reshaping the court. Trump's first nominee -- Justice Neil Gorsuch, himself a former Kennedy clerk -- joined the court earlier this year. President Reagan meeting with Judge Anthony Kennedy in the Oval Office Why is Kennedy so important? Like no other justice in recent history, Kennedy has cast the vital swing vote in cases that grab the countries' attention. To liberals he is a hero for Obergefell v. Hodges -- a landmark opinion that cleared the way for same-sex marriage in 2015 and will likely be his most lasting legacy. "They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law and the Constitution grants them that right," Kennedy wrote. To the delight of abortion rights supporters, Kennedy voted to reaffirm the core holding of Roe v. Wade in 1992. "As the court's most important Justice -- at the center of the institution's ideological balance -- Justice Kennedy's ability to bridge the divide between left and right on critical issues such as the right to access abortion cannot be overstated," said Elizabeth Wydra, president of the Constitutional Accountability Center. "Replacing Justice Kennedy with a Trump nominee would almost certainly sound the death knell for Roe, just as candidate Trump promised during the 2016 campaign." But nine years later, he sided once again with the liberals on the court to strike down a Texas law that abortion rights supporters thought was the most strict nationwide. Without Kennedy's vote, the law would have been allowed to go into effect, inspiring other states to pass similar legislation. In the same term, Kennedy pivoted on the issue of affirmative action when he voted for the first time in favor of a race-conscious admissions plan at a public university. After that term, former acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal said, "It is very much Justice Kennedy's Court." "You can't understand how important his affirmative action opinion is without understanding his earlier jurisprudence," said Katyal. "For decades, he has been the court's most eloquent voice on the need to be color blind -- why he changed his mind is something historians will debate for decades." Photos: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy Anthony Kennedy, the longest-serving member of the current Supreme Court, has announced that he will be retiring at the end of July. Kennedy, 81, was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1988. He is a conservative justice but has provided crucial swing votes in many cases. Hide Caption 1 of 38 Photos: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy Kennedy was born in Sacramento, California, on July 23, 1936. In this photo, circa 1939, he sits between his mother, Gladys, and his sister, Nancy. Hide Caption 2 of 38 Photos: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy Kennedy wears his Cub Scout uniform as he poses with his brother, Tim, circa 1946. Hide Caption 3 of 38 Photos: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy Kennedy, third from right in the front row, stands with other Cub Scouts in the 1940s. Hide Caption 4 of 38 Photos: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy Kennedy, right, spent time with the California Army National Guard after finishing law school in 1961. The man on the left, John J. Hamlyn Jr., also became a lawyer like Kennedy. Hide Caption 5 of 38 Photos: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy Kennedy, right, and Hamlyn pose for a photo after basic training. Hide Caption 6 of 38 Photos: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy After more than a decade as a lawyer, Kennedy became a judge on the US Court of Appeals in 1975. He was nominated by President Gerald Ford on the recommendation of California Gov. Ronald Reagan. Hide Caption 7 of 38 Photos: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy This courtroom photo of Kennedy was taken in 1976. Hide Caption 8 of 38 Photos: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy Kennedy has breakfast with his wife, Mary, and his son Gregory in 1984. Hide Caption 9 of 38 Photos: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy Kennedy and his wife walk together in Sacramento, California, in 1987. Hide Caption 10 of 38 Photos: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy From 1965 to 1988, Kennedy was also a professor of constitutional law at the University of the Pacific's McGeorge School of Law. Hide Caption 11 of 38 Photos: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy In 1987, Kennedy was nominated by President Reagan to fill the Supreme Court seat vacated by Lewis Powell's retirement. The nomination came after the confirmation failures of nominees Robert Bork and Douglas Ginsburg. Hide Caption 12 of 38 Photos: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy Kennedy, center, talks with US Sens. Ted Kennedy, left, and Joe Biden before a confirmation hearing in Washington. The two Kennedys are not related. Hide Caption 13 of 38 Photos: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy Kennedy meets with President Reagan in the Oval Office. Hide Caption 14 of 38 Photos: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy Kennedy is joined by his wife as he is sworn in by Chief Justice William Rehnquist on February 18, 1988. Reagan is on the right. Hide Caption 15 of 38 Photos: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy Kennedy, top right, appears in a formal Supreme Court portrait in April 1988. In the front row, from left, are Thurgood Marshall, William Brennan Jr., Chief Justice William Rehnquist, Byron White and and Harry Blackmun. In the back row, from left, are Antonin Scalia, John Paul Stevens, Sandra Day O'Connor and Kennedy. Hide Caption 16 of 38 Photos: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy Kennedy speaks at the McGeorge School of Law in 1991. He delivered the inaugural address in a lecture series named for the late Archie Hefner, whose portrait is behind Kennedy. Hefner was a prominent Sacramento attorney active in numerous civic and charitable groups. He died in 1988. Hide Caption 17 of 38 Photos: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy Kennedy is on the far right in this Supreme Court portrait from 1998. In the front row, from left, are Antonin Scalia, John Paul Stevens, Chief Justice William Rehnquist, Sandra Day O'Connor and Kennedy. In the back row, from left, are Ruth Bader Ginsburg, David Souter, Clarence Thomas and Stephen Breyer. Hide Caption 18 of 38 Photos: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy In 2004, Kennedy speaks to high school students at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. Hide Caption 19 of 38 Photos: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy Kennedy speaks during a Senate subcommittee hearing in 2002. Hide Caption 20 of 38 Photos: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy Kennedy discusses the court's budget requests with a House committee in April 2005. Hide Caption 21 of 38 Photos: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy Kennedy participates in a panel discussion in Washington in November 2005. Hide Caption 22 of 38 Photos: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy Kennedy receives an honorary degree at New York University in May 2006. Hide Caption 23 of 38 Photos: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy Kennedy delivers the commencement address at New York University. Hide Caption 24 of 38 Photos: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy In February 2007, Kennedy testifies at a Senate committee hearing on judicial security and independence. Hide Caption 25 of 38 Photos: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy Kennedy testifies before a House subcommittee in March 2007. He and fellow Justice Clarence Thomas spoke about concerns with the ongoing remodeling of the court building, the reduction of paperwork due to electronic media, and the disparity of pay between federal judges and lawyers working in the private sector. Hide Caption 26 of 38 Photos: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy The Supreme Court meets with President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden in September 2009. From left are Samuel Alito, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Kennedy, John Paul Stevens, Chief Justice John Roberts, Obama, Sonia Sotomayor, Biden, Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, Stephen Breyer and retired Justice David Souter. Hide Caption 27 of 38 Photos: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy Kennedy leaves after a Catholic Mass in Washington in October 2009. Hide Caption 28 of 38 Photos: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy Kennedy joins the President and other officials at a memorial for the victims of a shooting in Tucson, Arizona, in 2011. Hide Caption 29 of 38 Photos: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy Kennedy smiles as he is introduced to faculty members at the University of Pennsylvania Law School in October 2013. Kennedy was teaching there for a week. Hide Caption 30 of 38 Photos: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy Kennedy is saluted by sailors as he tours the USS John C. Stennis in 2015. Hide Caption 31 of 38 Photos: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy Kennedy testifies about a Supreme Court budget request during a House subcommittee meeting in 2015. Hide Caption 32 of 38 Photos: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy President Obama greets Kennedy and other Supreme Court justices before his final State of the Union address in January 2016. Hide Caption 33 of 38 Photos: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy Kennedy, second from left, joins other Supreme Court justices in February 2017 during President Donald Trump's first address to a joint session of Congress. Hide Caption 34 of 38 Photos: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy As President Trump looks on, Kennedy administers the judicial oath to new Justice Neil Gorsuch in April 2017. Hide Caption 35 of 38 Photos: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy Kennedy and Trump walk together after Gorsuch's swearing-in ceremony. Hide Caption 36 of 38 Photos: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy Trump stands with the Supreme Court at Gorsuch's formal investiture ceremony in June 2017. From left are Elena Kagan, Samuel Alito, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Kennedy, Chief Justice John Roberts, Trump, Gorsuch, Clarence Thomas, Stephen Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor. Hide Caption 37 of 38 Photos: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy Several members of the Supreme Court pose for a portrait before taking part in a procession to mark Harvard Law School's bicentennial in October 2017. On the top row, from left, are Kennedy, Roberts, Breyer and Gorsuch. In front of them are Kagan and retired Supreme Court Justice David Souter. Hide Caption 38 of 38 Still a conservative However, sometimes Kennedy voted with the four conservatives on the bench. It was Kennedy who penned the majority opinion in Citizens United v. FEC -- striking down election spending limits for corporations and unions in support of individual candidates. He's also sided with the right side of the bench on issues such as gun control and voting rights. Kennedy joined Chief Justice John Roberts' 2012 opinion, Shelby County V. Holder striking down a key provision of the Voting Rights Act. And Kennedy sided with George W. Bush in the case that essentially decided the 2000 presidential election for the GOP candidate. Why now? On one side is his age -- a desire to spend more time with his grandchildren is driving any decision, and in many ways he has already established an enduring legacy on the court. In terms of a replacement, Kennedy might take comfort in the list of 20 judges Trump has vowed to draw from when considering the next vacancy on the court. Another consideration is that if Kennedy were to delay his retirement for a year, his replacement would face confirmation during the mid-term election year, something that could further inject politics into an already controversial process. On the other hand, Kennedy is well aware of his role on the court and could be alarmed by how politicized the confirmation process has become. Indeed, Republicans were forced to change Senate rules to make it easier to confirm Gorsuch after Democrats objected. Kennedy might think it would make sense to remain on the bench until the political climate simmers down -- although there's no guarantee that would ever happen. Retiring at 81 would not be all that much different than retiring at 80 and he would get to serve longer with Gorsuch as well as take up a case on next term's docket concerning partisan gerrymandering -- an issue that might once again keep Kennedy in the spotlight. ||||| Getty Images The speculation is hardly new. For months now, Supreme Court watchers have been wondering whether Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, who is often the deciding vote in controversial cases, will be stepping down. (Slate’s Dahlia Lithwick looked into the issue almost a month ago.) Now as the Supreme Court gets ready for its final week of work before the summer holiday, some are wondering whether Kennedy will use the court’s last public session on Monday to announce his retirement. Kennedy himself hasn’t actually said anything about the issue, but the prospect that President Donald Trump will be able to fill up a second Supreme Court seat is terrifying many liberals who are afraid that would allow conservatives to take decisive control over the highest court in the land. So where is all this speculation coming from? The Associated Press summarizes: 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. “Soon we’ll know if rumors of Kennedy’s retirement are accurate,” one former Kennedy clerk, George Washington University law professor Orin Kerr, said on Twitter Friday. Soon we'll know if rumors of Kennedy's retirement are accurate, which makes this post on time limits timely again. https://t.co/Qw1hFJWAvC pic.twitter.com/NHMgtC0Ejx — Orin Kerr (@OrinKerr) June 23, 2017 Advertisement Kerr seemed to dismiss the attention his tweet received, writing on Saturday that he was just thinking out loud and had no inside information on the issue. “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,” Kerr wrote. 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 To be clear, I have zero inside knowledge about if Kennedy will retire. I was just noting speculation in tweet about case for term limits. — Orin Kerr (@OrinKerr) June 24, 2017 CNN talks to “sources close to Kennedy” who say the justice is seriously considering retirement, but they aren’t sure about timing and whether it will happen this term. Several of his former clerks who will be attending this weekend’s reunion are reportedly concerned this will be the last time they will see Kennedy as a justice.

– CNN uses the term "fever pitch." At this point it's only speculation, but the big question swirling around the Supreme Court has nothing to do with one of its cases. It's whether Justice Anthony Kennedy plans to step down—and whether he may do so Monday. What you need to know: Slate points out that the speculation isn't fresh, but with Monday being the court's final public session of the term, that would be the time to do it if the 80-year-old is going to do it now. Another reason the speculation is ramping up: A number of reports on the topic cite unnamed sources close to him as well as his former law clerks who say they think he's thinking about it. CNN uses the phrase "seriously considering." And this from the AP: "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." Bill Kristol put it at "at least 50-50" in a Saturday tweet. The Washington Examiner throws one more log on the fire, reporting Senate Judiciary Committee members Ted Cruz and Chuck Grassley previously expressed that they expect a seat to open up this summer. A piece from New Zealand's Stuff calls Kennedy "the man with the weight of America's goofy-shaped democracy on his shoulders," and that points to just how pivotal he has been. CNN frames it like so: "Like no other justice in recent history, Kennedy has cast the vital swing vote in cases that grab the [country's] attention." Among the biggest: Obergefell v. Hodges, which allowed for same-sex marriage nationwide. On the flip side, CNN notes he wrote the majority opinion in Citizens United v. FEC, which axed election spending limits for corporations. Should the retirement announcement come to pass, who might Trump replace him with? Trump addressed that question in a late April interview with the Washington Times, saying he'd pick from the list of candidates he put out during the election. Trump also addressed the Kennedy rumors, saying, "I don’t like talking about it. I've heard the same rumors that a lot of people have heard. And I have a lot of respect for that gentleman, a lot." Read one of the "most powerful" paragraphs written by Kennedy.

3-year-old left in car for hours dies; mother's friend could face charges PHOENIX -- Police are investigating the death of a 3-year-old boy who was apparently left in a car outside a church for three hours Saturday afternoon. Officers were called to the Abundant Life Church at 1914 E. Roeser Road at about 2 p.m. Saturday in regard to an injured child. According to police, the toddler, Hayden Nelson, and his mother spent the night with a 27-year-old friend. Both adults were scheduled to attend choir practice at the church, but Hayden's mother had to be there earlier than her friend. That friend arrived at the church with Hayden and two other children at about 11 a.m. "Indications are the suspect was a bit late and she and the other children exited the car," Officers James Holmes wrote in an email to media outlets. "The suspect went immediately into the church for practice." When the practice ended at about 2 p.m., Hayden's mother realized her child was nowhere to be found. "Everyone began searching the church for the victim and the suspect went to the parking lot; it was then that she found the child still inside the vehicle and in medical distress," according to Holmes. The outside temperature was between 95 and 97 degrees, which means the temperature inside the car was much higher. "It's obvious that the 27-year-old forgot that the child was in the car," Holmes said Monday morning. "She was in a hurry. She had something that she had to do, and she didn't take a minute to make sure." Hayden was rushed to a local hospital, but doctors could not save him. "You cannot imagine what this young lady is going through right now, what this family is going through ...," Holmes said. Police released the woman, whose name has not been released. The Maricopa County Attorney's Office will determine if she will face charges in connection with Hayden's death. As of Friday, 27 children have died of heatstroke after being left in hot cars this year, according to KidsandCars.org, a national nonprofit group dedicated to keeping kids safe in and around cars. Hayden is No. 28, but the first in Arizona this year. According to Amber Rollins of KidsandCars.org, a total of 32 children have died in hot cars in Arizona, making the state fourth in the country for child hot car deaths. Two of those deaths happened last year. Editor's note: Police originally reported that Hayden Nelson was 3 months old. The department later advised media outlets that he was 3 years old. ||||| CLOSE Pastor Kelvin Hines of Abundant Life World Ministries in Phoenix, offers sympathies after a 3-year-old died in a hot car over the weekend. A 3-year-old child died Sunday after being left inside a car for several hours, officials said Monday. Phoenix Police and Fire departments personnel were called to Abundant Life Church on Saturday afternoon after the child was discovered to have been left in a car for three hours. (Photo: Photo by: 12 News) Phoenix police say prosecutors will weigh any potential charges in the death of a 3-year-old boy brought on by heatstroke from being left in a car at a church parking lot. Courtney Arnold, a family friend, reportedly left 3-year-old Hayden Nelson in a hot car Saturday afternoon outside Abundant Life Church in Phoenix, where she and the child's mother, Tiffani Nelson, were attending choir practice, according to a police statement released Monday. Police said Nelson stayed at Arnold's house overnight with Hayden and his 8-year-old sister. Because Hayden's mother needed to arrive early to choir practice, Arnold agreed to bring the children, including her own 5-year-old daughter, at a later time. Arnold, whom police identified as a 27-year-old woman, was reportedly running late when she pulled up to the church with the children in tow. All but Hayden exited the car, where heat built up for the next three hours as temperatures outside reached 96 degrees. Members of the church helped Nelson look for Hayden after choir practice. He wasn't breathing when they found him, police said. RELATED: 3-year-old boy dies after being left in car in Phoenix On Monday, the parking lot to the medium-sized church was empty except for one car belonging to the church's pastor. People who saw news vans while driving along Roeser Road near 20th Street hollered out, asking what had happened. One man stopped to say he was there on Saturday when the incident occurred. "It's just a really sad situation," Ernest McCray said. McCray isn't a member of the Abundant Life's congregation, but said he knows the pastor and dropped in on Saturday when he saw police vehicles outside the church. The pastor informed him of what was going on. By then, Hayden had been taken to a hospital in critical condition, where he would die on Sunday. "I didn't think she intended at any moment to harm the child," McCray said about Arnold. McCray said there could have been plenty of reasons why it took so long for someone to realize the child had been left in the car, adding that he doesn't blame Nelson and imagines her grief is overwhelming. "This is going to stay with her for the rest of her young life," he said. On Monday afternoon, community and civil-rights advocate the Rev. Jarrett Maupin and criminal defense attorney Benjamin Taylor met with Nelson and Arnold. Taylor represented a Phoenix mother who knowingly left her two small children in a car in Scottsdale while she interviewed for a job in Scottsdale earlier this year. Shanesha Taylor was charged with child abuse, but a judge said those charges will be dropped if she successfully completes a diversion program. Maupin said Monday that he was contacted by members of the church who were concerned for Nelson and Arnold. "I don't have any reason to doubt that this was an accident," Maupin said. Read or Share this story: http://azc.cc/1vKZc22 ||||| Stats Data Source: KidsAndCars.org Database - These data vastly underestimate the true magnitude of non-traffic fatal incidents involving children. This chart represents the incidents KidsAndCars.org has documented involving children < 15 years of age. Location specific data available upon request. 2014 Nontraffic Fatalities (as of 6/18/15): Heatstroke: 32 Backovers: 71 Frontovers: 63 Vehicle set in motion: 5 Underage Driver: 16 Drowning: 3 Power Window Strangulation: 2 Fall from Vehicle: 1 Other: 1 Total: 194 Not-in-Traffic Surveillance Reports : The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is not required to collect data about nontraffic incidents as per the provision we helped adopt as part of the 2005 Federal Transportation bill (SAFETEA-LU). NHTSA refers to this new database as the “Not-in-Traffic-Surveillance” system or NiTS. Below are the reports they have published. Child Fatality and Injury Statistics in Nontraffic Crashes 2008 to 2011- April, 2014 Fatality and Injury Statistics in Nontraffic Crashes 2008 to 2011 - April, 2014 Not-in-Traffic Surveillance 2007 – Children - June, 2009 Not-in-Traffic Surveillance 2007 – Highlights – January, 2009 Updated Charts Coming Soon!

– America has seen its 28th death of a child left in a hot car this year, according to the Kids and Cars nonprofit, with the latest death occurring on Saturday in Phoenix. In that case, 3-year-old Hayden Nelson was allegedly left in a car outside Abundant Life Church for several hours by a family friend. Police explain the timeline, via the Arizona Republic: The child, mother Tiffani Nelson, and an 8-year-old sister spent the night at Courtney Arnold's home. Arnold and Nelson both had choir practice to attend; because Nelson had to get there early, Arnold, 27, agreed to bring her own daughter, along with Nelson's kids, later. AZFamily.com reports that Arnold arrived around 11am. In an emailed statement, police say "indications are the suspect was a bit late and she and the other children exited the car. The suspect went immediately into the church for practice." Hayden was somehow left behind and spent three hours in the vehicle before his mother and churchmembers began searching for him. Outside temps at the time were as high as 96 degrees. The boy had stopped breathing, and died Sunday in the hospital. Prosecutors are still considering whether to bring charges against Arnold, though Officer James Holmes paints it as a tragic accident: "It's obvious that the 27-year-old forgot that the child was in the car. She was in a hurry. She had something that she had to do, and she didn't take a minute to make sure."

Video: Jewish News One Few people are indifferent when it comes to cheese. It is seen as either the perfect example of artisanal food or as a strange, smelly dairy product best avoided unless it's topping a pizza or hamburger. Of course, it’s not really that simple. Cheese has been an important source of protein for centuries. It has a long shelf life and can be produced indefinitely if you have a healthy, milk-producing animal. Where cows aren't readily available, goat's milk is a typical substitute. However, the world's most expensive and unusual cheese comes from neither cows nor goats. Pule cheese (pronounced pullay) is made only in Serbia and fetches the highest price of any cheese on Earth. In 2012, a batch of pule was sold for the “discounted” price of $576 per pound. On the open market, gourmands can expect to pay well over $1,000 per pound. The milk used to make this cheese comes from a very unusual source: the endangered Balkan donkey. The process of producing pule is what makes it literally worth its weight in gold. For starters, there are no automated milking machines for donkeys. The animals have to be milked by hand three times per day. They also produce a very small amount of milk; it takes more than 15 donkeys to yield 1 gallon of milk per day, and roughly 3.5 gallons of milk make 1 pound of pule. The story behind pule's spike in popularity goes beyond its source. A rumor involving one of Serbia's most famous sons earned the little-known cheese plenty of media buzz in 2012. Tennis star Novak Djokovic was said to have used his tournament winnings to purchase the entire supply of pule — a rumor that later turned out to be false. The world's supply of pule comes from a herd of Balkan donkeys that live on the Zasavica Special Nature Preserve. Once extensively used as pack animals by rural Serbs, the domesticated donkeys were replaced with modern modes of hauling and slaughtered or turned out during tough economic times. Today, workers at the Zasavica preserve see pule production as a way to promote the conservation of the endangered species. In addition to cheese, donkey's milk is also an ingredient in beauty products. Ancient Egyptian queen Cleopatra is famously said to have used the milk as a skin treatment. So how exactly does pule taste? A crumbly white cheese, it is known for its intense flavor and natural saltiness. It will likely appeal to cheese aficionados, but for others, a block of cheddar or Swiss from the local supermarket is probably money better spent. Related stories on MNN: ||||| Photo Donkey cheese is irresistible, or at least articles about it are. A week ago, several British newspapers, notably The Daily Telegraph and The Daily Mail, reported that Novak Djokovic, the top-ranked men’s tennis player, had bought the entire world supply of pule, a Serbian donkey cheese, for his restaurants. The cheese, produced on a lone farm on Zasavica, a nature reserve west of Belgrade, had already made a small splash for its exorbitant price. At 1,000 euros per kilo, or about $600 per pound, it seemed to have inched past moose cheese to top the list of the world’s most expensive cheeses. Now it was poised for stardom, lofted skyward by Mr. Djokovic’s golden racket. On Sunday, it made an appearance on the NPR quiz show, “Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me!” It was offered as the one true story among three wildly improbably choices. One problem. Mr. Djokovic has never bought so much as a gram of pule. Responding to a series of e-mail questions about pule, Jovan Vukadinovic, a manager at Zasavica, concluded with a rather deflating piece of information. “Novak Djokovic never bought our cheese,” he wrote. What happened, he explained, was this: Slobodan Simic, the farm’s donkey breeder, left a sample of the cheese with the manager of Mr. Djokovic’s restaurant in Belgrade, offering to let the restaurant have an exclusive on the product. He still awaits a reply. “That is the only truth, and the rest are made up by journalists,” Mr. Vukadinovic wrote. The Daily Mail, hot on the trail of pule, sent a reporter named Robert Hardman to Serbia for a tasting. When he discovered that the Djokovic story was shaky, he buried the bad news deep in the story and swathed it in a few layers of obfuscation, suggesting that Mr. Simic is now “waiting to clinch the deal.” The waiting seems more likely than the clinching. But if Mr. Djokovic does want to corner the donkey-cheese market, the farm plans to produce 100 kilos of it next year. That would set Mr. Djokovic back about $132,000, or about two serves and a cross-court return. About the cheese. Pule, which means “foal” in Serbo-Croatian, made its international debut in September at the annual cheese show in Frome, Somerset. Connoisseurs scratched their heads. The Balkan asses that produce the milk are traditional, but the cheese itself is new, an idea hatched by Mr. Simic as a way of bringing attention to his donkeys. He supplies the milk, and Stevo Marinkovic, a cheesemaker at Beocapra, a nearby goat farm and dairy, makes the cheese. Charles Campion, a British food writer who sampled pule at the show, described it as tasting not unlike a Spanish manchego, but with “a fusty-musty flavor.” A quick survey of cheese shops, markets, cheese publications and Serbian restaurants in the United States and abroad uncovered a knowledge deficit. Rare was the expert who had even heard of donkey cheese, much less tasted it, with the notable exception of Roland Barthélemy, the president of the International Cheese Guild. We reached out to Greg O’Neil, an owner of Pastoral, a specialty cheese shop in Chicago, which has the largest Serbian population in the United States. “We have never been asked for it, and I’m not sure if it’s salable in the U.S.,” he said. “I’ve eaten yak cheese from Mongolia,” he added, helpfully. “Very gamy.” Most of those who were queried either fell silent or laughed in disbelief. One or two knew of it by hearsay. “It’s kitschy, expensive and Eastern European,” said Julia Lowry, a cheesemonger at Cowgirl Creamery in San Francisco. At City Fresh Market in Chicago, Danny Kovacevic and his brother, Ray, specialize in Eastern European foods. They have feta cheeses in all varieties. They have kaymak, a soft cheese sold salted and unsalted. They do not have donkey cheese. “Back home, from Montenegro all the way down the Dalmatian coast, people drank the milk,” Danny Kovacevic said. “It was a home remedy, especially for kids with bronchitis. I have an 86-year-old aunt who drank it. But cheese?” His voice trailed off. Well, there’s cheese now. And Mr. Simic is said to be working on a line of donkey-milk liqueurs. ||||| “Well and what’s cheese? Corpse of milk,” said James Joyce. Cheese is probably the most popular dairy product in the world and there are a lot of “corpses of milk” around: some of which are rare and incredibly expensive. Here are the 5 highest priced cheeses in the world. 5. Caciocavallo Podolico – 70 euro/kg; US $42/pound This cheese, meaning “Horse Cheese,” is traditional and very popular in the south of Italy. It is not made from horse’s milk, rather its name originates from the fact that in the past, it was hung from horses so it could be transported during curing. Caciocavallo has a pear shape and a creamy white filling. It comes from the milk of a rare Italian breed of cow (only 25,000 exist) called the Podolica, which only lactates from May to June. 4. Bitto storico – 245 euro/kg; US $150/pound This rare Italian cheese is aged and prestigious: the oldest block is from 1996 and is stored in the Sanctuary of Bitto, in Gerola Alta, where the cheese is produced. A whole cheese aged 16 years and weighing 20 kg (44 pounds) was sold to ProFood Hong Kong, which will distribute small portions of the cheese to several resellers all around China. 3. Moose Cheese – Over 500/kg; US $300/pound Produced in Sweden by the Moose House, this cheese is made only from the milk of Gullan, Haelga, and Juno. These three cows were abandoned by their mother and adopted by the Johannson family. Moose only lactate from May to September and require the most tender of handling during milking since disturbances can cause the animals to get flustered and dry-up. Each animal produces about 5 liters (1.3 gallons) of milk per day, so each year the farm can only offer 300 kg (660 pounds) of cheese. The cheese contains 12 percent fat and 12 percent protein. 2. White Stilton Gold – 700 euro/kg ; US $420/pound One of the few British cheeses labeled PDO (Protected Denomination Origin), White Stilton Gold is made by Clawson, the producer of White and Blue Stilton. Stilton is called ‘The King” of British cheeses and only six creameries in the world are allowed to make it. The White Gold, suitable for dessert, is as creamy as the plain White, with the difference that it is crumbly—and it contains real gold. 1. Pule (or “donkey’s pet” in Serbian) – 1,000 euro/kg; US $600/pound Only available on demand, this unique cheese strengthens the immune system, since it is low in fats and rich in vitamins and proteins. It is made of smoked donkey’s milk, and is produced only in the Balkans by Zasavica Special Nature Reserve, home to a hundred donkeys. They affirm that the high price is due to the amount of milk required to make 1 kg of cheese: 25 liters (3 gallons to make 1 pound). Female donkeys are milked manually, since there are no suitable machines to do the job. ||||| Slobodan Simić lounged on the crude wooden bench in Zasavica Special Nature Reserve’s dining room like the caterpillar from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, holding court and puffing on the quarter-bent Calabash-style briar pipe that dangled delicately from his teeth. Tanned creases ran down his face like tributaries, and his eyes sparkled with mischief. “Rakia?” he said, offering me a shot of the strong Balkan brandy that is often drunk in the morning, even before coffee. “Ne, hvala,” I replied, shaking my head and thanking him. Instead, I accepted a cup of thick Turkish coffee accompanied by a shot glass of donkey milk from Zasavica’s herd. It was my first time tasting the sweet milk; I was even more eager to try the donkey cheese, a delicacy I’d learned about a few years back when rumours swirled that Serbian tennis ace Novak Djokovic was buying up their entire stock for his restaurants. Although the rumours were untrue, they brought global attention to Zasavica – and Serbia. Despite being a nature lover, Simić never set out to create a farm. Twenty years ago, the former MP-turned-conservationist remembered that he’d heard about some wetlands in west-central Serbia. His ex-wife’s parents, who lived in a nearby village, took him to see them. “I fell in love immediately,” he said. Zasavica, named after the river that runs through it, is located just 90km northwest of Belgrade, but the 1,825-hectare area was virtually undiscovered. The place is ripe for bird watching, and in the summer, hues are so vibrant they seem otherworldly. With the help of his political contacts, Simić transformed the wild marshland into a nature reserve in 1997. Three years later, Simić was at a fair in the nearby town of Ruma and saw some abused Balkan donkeys. No longer needed for work or transportation, they’d been beaten and were in bad shape. He had the idea to rescue them and bring them to Zasavica. Today, 180 Balkan donkeys, smaller than most donkeys and marked with crosses on their backs, roam the verdant marshland. Other native animals were added, including the Mangalica, related to the Hungarian “curly pig”, and the Podolian cow, originating from the European wild cow. Beavers were also reintroduced to the area. “We lost contact with animals, and we need that contact,” Simić said. But I’d come for the donkeys. More specifically, for the donkey milk cheese, which is the most expensive cheese in the world due to the extremely low milk yield of the magarica (female donkey): just 300 millilitres per day. Rich in vitamins and minerals, donkey milk is believed to slow down the ageing process and has been used as an immunity booster in the Balkans since ancient times. Cleopatra allegedly even bathed in it. It is also purported to boost virility. “If you drink our milk, you can even sleep with your own wife,” joked Simić, who has been married three times. Simić had the notion to produce donkey milk cheese a few years ago. “He is full of crazy ideas, but he is always right,” said farm manager Jovan Vukadinović, a formidable former traffic police chief with a near-white moustache that resembled a bristle brush. No one had produced cheese from donkey milk before, and it took some experimentation. Stevan Marinković, a dairy technologist, was brought in to consult. Donkey milk doesn’t have enough casein to make cheese, so he compensated by adding goat milk to the mix. The winning formula, which Marinković is in the process of patenting, turned out to be 60% donkey milk and 40% goat milk. But despite there being no established rules for donkey milk (or donkey milk cheese) in Serbia, concerns arose over the use of unpasteurized milk, and Zasavica was forced to stop factory production of the cheese. In the meantime, until official regulations are determined, local cheese makers Zoran Nedić, Momčilo Budimirović and his assistant, Milena, are producing small amounts of donkey cheese with milk pasteurized at low levels for Zasavica in a room adjacent to Budimirović’s kitchen in the nearby village of Glušci. I sat at Budimirović’s dining table with Nedić, Vukadinović and Simić, who were chatting in rapid Serbian. Domaće crno vino (domestic red wine) and a wedge of white cheese were on the table. “Is this donkey cheese?” I asked. Vukadinović shook his head. “Goat cheese, so you can taste the difference.” It was tangy and crumbly, with a dark kora od hrast (oak bark) rind. Then, without much ceremony, Budimirović brought out a much smaller bell-shaped chunk of magareći sir (donkey cheese). It had a yellowish tinge, and was less crumbly than the goat cheese. This piece, the size of a cupcake, would sell for 50 euros, I was told. Nedić cut me a slice. Its flavour was sweet, clean and mild, unlike any cheese I had ever tasted. We headed to the cheese room to see how it was made. That day, the trio of cheese makers were crafting goat cheese, but they explained donkey cheese is essentially made the same way – although the exact method is a secret. Rennet is added to the milk to help it coagulate, and the curds are strained and hand packed into moulds. The cheese stays in the mould for 24 hours, then it is removed and refrigerated in a large trailer cooler in Budimirović’s yard. This media cannot be played on your device. Zasavica also sells donkey milk cosmetics, such as donkey milk soap and anti-ageing face creams, which contain essential fatty acids and high levels of vitamin A; and donkey milk liqueur that tastes like milky Limoncello. The reserve, which has been supported by international grants, is working to become self-sustaining. Selling animal products is part of that plan, as is camping: Zasavica was rated among the 100 best campsites in Europe in 2013 and 2014. We made something in the middle of the nothing “We made something in the middle of the nothing,” Vukadinović said. “We always have to find new ways to survive. It’s easy when they say ‘sustainable tourism’, but it’s not easy. We want to be the best. We know we can’t change the world, we can’t change Serbia, but we always want to do just a little better than normal. That is our mission.” Just before I left, Vukadinović and I took a walk through the reserve. Donkeys grazed on shrubbery and frolicked in the grass. They nuzzled, cleaned each other and nursed. A grey donkey ambled toward me. “She’s pregnant,” Vukadinović said. “A magarica can be pregnant for more than a year.” I reached out and rubbed her forehead, fingering her coarse hair. She nuzzled my hand and leaned her body into mine. When we turned to leave she followed me, nudging for more attention. “They are very intelligent and social,” Vukadinović said. He bent down and hugged her neck. “This is very good for the stress.” We sat down at a picnic table for lunch. Sun illuminated the flat landscape, highlighting various shades of green – moss, pine, fern ­­– against a clear blue sky. Frogs sang. A stork soared overhead, landing on her nest atop Zasavica’s 18m-high watchtower. Vukadinović brought out a plate of cured meats: Mangalica sausage, speck and donkey sausage. I cringed a little. “Try it,” he urged, gesturing to the donkey sausage. This was one of their products I had not planned to sample. “How do you choose which donkeys are made into sausage?” I said. He explained that male donkeys sometimes become interested in their daughters, and then “it’s sausage time for them.” I speared a mottled slice with a toothpick. The fatty meat was tough and slightly gamey. Even eating an incestuous donkey felt wrong after communing with these gentle creatures – but Zasavica embraces the cycle of life, replete with its imperfections. Here you can go back to a way of living that has all but disappeared, when people cured their own meats and made their own cheese. You can experience virgin nature. You can believe, even for a moment, the local legend: on this land there was too much sun from Christ, which forever marked the Balkan donkey with a cross pattern on its coat, running down its spine. If you liked this story, sign up for the weekly bbc.com features newsletter, called “If You Only Read 6 Things This Week”. A handpicked selection of stories from BBC Future, Earth, Culture, Capital, Travel and Autos, delivered to your inbox every Friday.

– What goes great with donkey cheese? Donkey sausage, of course. That's the repast writer Kristin Vukovic enjoyed at the Zasavica Special Nature Reserve in Serbia, where milk from the beasts of burden is used to make the world's most expensive cheese. A small cupcake-sized mound of the stuff will set you back some $55. Writing for the BBC, Vukovic describes the cheese, which can cost $600 to more than $1,000 a pound, as "sweet, clean, and mild, unlike any cheese I had ever tasted." (Another writer described the flavor of the "magareci sir," aka "pule cheese," as "fusty-musty," per a 2012 New York Times piece.) Former politician Slobodan Simic started the Zasavica reserve about two decades ago. A few years after that, he rescued some abused Balkan donkeys. Now, the females in his herd of about 180 animals are responsible for supplying all the milk for the world's donkey cheese supply, per the Mother Nature Network. Vitamin-rich, donkey milk has long been heralded as an immunity booster, anti-aging serum, and a kind of natural Viagra. More recently, Simic had the idea to start making cheese with the milk of donkeys. Because the milk is low in a protein needed to make cheese, it is mixed with goat's milk—60/40, favoring donkey milk. Production of the donkey cheese is similar to that of goat cheese, Vukovic writes, but the "exact method is a secret." As for why it's so expensive, it takes 3 gallons of donkey milk to produce a pound of cheese, and female donkeys (who must be milked manually three times a day) don't produce much milk. The cheese—which made headlines in 2012 on a rumor that tennis star Novak Djokovic was buying the whole year's supply—isn't the only donkey product Zasavica makes. The farm's offerings include soap, face creams, and a donkey-milk liqueur. As for the sausage, Zasavica's farm manager tells Vukovic that it is made from male donkeys that have taken on a taboo interest in their female offspring. (This 340-year-old shipwreck cheese resembles "granular Roquefort.")

The leader of the nation’s largest police organization issued an extraordinary statement Monday apologizing for the “historical mistreatment of communities of color” by police agencies. Speaking at the International Association of Chiefs of Police annual meeting in San Diego, Chief Terrence M. Cunningham of Massachusetts also called on police and the swelling number of protesters to work together to break “this historic cycle of mistrust” that has plagued relations between law enforcement and minority communities. >> Database has info on 383 police shootings in San Diego County Cunningham made his remarks at the General Assembly for the association, which has been meeting at the San Diego Convention Center since Saturday. It will wrap up its annual conference Tuesday. His apology on behalf of an organization that has a membership of more than 20,000 police officials comes at a fraught time of relations between law enforcement and local communities in the wake of controversial police shootings, most involving African-American men. The remarks were welcomed by local law enforcement leaders, but drew a mixed response from civil rights leaders at the forefront of recent protests in El Cajon over the Sept. 27 police shooting of Alfred Olango, who was black. The incident led to street protests in the East County city that are continuing. Dr. Andre Branch, president of the San Diego branch of the NAACP civil rights organization, said he was glad Cunningham appeared to be taking responsibility for what what Branch said were “horrific acts against people of color” historically by police departments. Yet he said such an apology was diluted because it was unclear what Cunningham was apologizing for, or for what period of time. “What specific action of the past is he referring to?” Branch said. “Excessive force? Illegal stops by law enforcement? Fatalities of African-Americans in police encounters? “One would want to know before we start jumping up and down and getting excited about an apology, is he referring to historical treatment of people of color as last week? Or last month? Or the last century?” Cunningham, the chief of Wellesley, Mass., also called on police critics to take steps to improve relations by not blaming officers who are currently serving for the mistakes and errors of the past. He said the questioning of police actions has undermined trust between cops and communities. He then referred both to the hard and honorable work of police — “a noble profession” — and acknowledged “the history of policing has also had darker periods.” He said police have been required to carry out discriminatory laws and policies, and too often have become what Cunningham called “the face of oppression” to non-white communities nationally.That built a generational history of mistrust, he said. He called for a change in that dynamic in the future — then issued an apology. “For our part, the first step in this process is for law enforcement and the IACP to acknowledge and apologize for the actions of the past and the role that our profession has played in society’s historical mistreatment of communities of color,” he said..”At the same time, those who denounce the police must also acknowledge that today’s officers are not to blame for the injustices of the past. If either side in this debate fails to acknowledge these fundamental truths, we will be unlikely to move past them.” His remarks were greeted with applause inside the convention center hall where he spoke. In a statement, San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore said the comments were insightful and thought-provoking. “We, in law enforcement must acknowledge that we were the face of many discriminatory laws passed at all levels of government,” he said. “It should also be recognized these laws do not exist any longer, and the police officers of today are not responsible for the injustices of yesterday.” The Rev. Shane Harris, president of the National Action Network in San Diego that had been at the forefront of protests over the Olango shooting, said Cunningham’s statement was significant. “It’s a game-changer in policing,” he said. “It’s a huge step for someone of his caliber and leadership of that organization. I hope that what he has said will spark the nerve and the guts of other chiefs and police unions to admit there is an issue in policing today.” On the same day Cunningham spoke, the NAACP filed a lawsuit in federal court against El Cajon police and the Sheriff’s Department for violating the free speech rights of 14 protesters when they broke up demonstrations over the Olango shooting. Olango, 38, was shot four times and Tasered once by two El Cajon officers in a taco shop parking lot. Police were called by family members who said Olango was acting strangely. They fired when he assumed a shooting stance and pointed a silver colored vaping device at them as they confronted him. The shooting, captured on videotape, remains under investigation. In a statement about Cunningham’s remarks, San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman said, "The best way for our country to improve community police relations is to acknowledge our past, gain a better understanding of each others’ viewpoints, and find a common path forward for better relationships." Twitter: @gregmoran greg.moran@sduniontribune.com ||||| (CNN) The head of a major international law enforcement organization on Monday apologized for "the actions of the past and the role that our profession has played in society's historical mistreatment of communities of color." International Association of Chiefs of Police President, Terrence M. Cunningham, struck a conciliatory tone, acknowledging the deep-seated, generational mistrust between minorities and the police. Cunningham, speaking at a meeting of the group in San Diego, said law enforcement's history is "replete with examples of bravery, self-sacrifice and service to the community." But Cunningham said at the same, "the history of policing has had darker periods." "There have been times when law enforcement officers because of the laws enacted by federal, state and local governments have been the face of oppression to far too many of our fellow citizens. In the past, the laws adopted by our society have required police officers to perform many unpalatable tasks, such as ensuring legalized discrimination or even denying the basic rights of citizenship to many of our fellow Americans," Cunningham said. Apology 'the first step' Cunningham, chief of police in Wellesley, Massachusetts, added: "We must forge a path that allows us to move beyond our history and identify common solutions to better protect our communities. For our part, the first step in this process is for the law enforcement profession and the IACP to acknowledge and apologize for the actions of the past and the role that our profession has played in society's historical mistreatment of communities of color." Cunningham's remarks come at a tense moment in the history of relations between law enforcement and many communities across the United States. Activists and others have decried the shooting of unarmed black men at the hands of police. Protests have erupted in cities such as Ferguson, Missouri; Charlotte, North Carolina; Chicago and elsewhere over shooting deaths. Names such as Philando Castile, a black man fatally shot in a traffic stop in July in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Walter Scott, another black man shot by a police officer in North Charleston, South Carolina, have become rallying cries for those who say police reform is needed. Words 'meaningless' if nothing changes Police body cam videos and cell phone videos have captured some of these deaths, or the aftermath. Cunningham's remarks were met with praise, but also acknowledgment that this is just the first step. In a tweet, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund said: "Some next steps: require anti-bias training; discipline officers who engage in bias policing." Good 1st step. Some next steps: require anti-bias training; discipline officers who engage in bias policing https://t.co/fINWw9iL61 — Legal Defense Fund (@NAACP_LDF) October 17, 2016 National Action Network President Al Sharpton welcomed the apology but said he wanted Cunningham's words "backed by action." "Rev. Al Sharpton is keenly aware of the power of words but knows they are meaningless if nothing changes," the group said in a statement. Sharpton's hope is that Cunningham "will urge officers around the United States to back his words up with action and legislation to protect communities of color from the onslaught of police misconduct that has disturbed the country." He said "this dark side of our shared history has created a generational, almost inherited mistrust" between many communities of color and the police officers who serve them. "Many officers who do not share this common heritage often struggle to comprehend the reasons behind this historic mistrust," Cunningham said. "As a result, they're often unable to bridge this gap and connect with some segments of their communities." Cunningham, whose association has more than 23,000 members in 98 countries, noted "those who denounce the police must also acknowledge that today's officers are not to blame for the injustices of the past." "Overcoming this historic mistrust requires that we must move forward together in an atmosphere of mutual respect," said Cunningham. "All members of our society must realize that we have a mutual obligation to work together to ensure fairness, dignity, security and justice." On Sunday, FBI Director James Comey told police chiefs at the same association's convention that those who think there is an epidemic of shootings of black people aren't well-informed. FBI chief: We need more accurate information Comey touched on a theme he has pursued for more than a year: trying to get law enforcement to embrace the need to report statistics on officer-involved shootings. Comey argued that better numbers would help the nation understand whether there is an epidemic of police killings of black men -- or if the advent of viral videos shared in social media is giving the impression there are more lethal confrontations between police and minorities. "A small group of videos serve as an epidemic" Comey argued Sunday. The FBI is trying to change that, recently announcing a pilot program to collect numbers from police departments in 2017. On Monday, the FBI chief tempered his earlier remarks. "I'm not trying to debunk anything, except to say I hope all of us want actual information about what's going on, whatever that will show."

– It is time to break the "historic cycle of mistrust" between police and minority groups in America, the leader of America's biggest association of police chiefs said at the group's annual meeting in San Diego Monday, offering an unprecedented apology. There is much to be proud of in the history of law enforcement, but policing has also "had darker periods," International Association of Chiefs of Police President Terrence Cunningham said, per CNN. "There have been times when law enforcement officers, because of the laws enacted by federal, state, and local governments, have been the face of oppression to far too many of our fellow citizens," said Cunningham, chief of police in Wellesley, Mass. To move forward, Cunningham said, it will require "the law enforcement profession and the IACP to acknowledge and apologize for the actions of the past and the role that our profession has played in society's historical mistreatment of communities of color." The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that civil rights leaders have welcomed the apology, but they'd like Cunningham to clarify whether he's talking about the 19th century, the 20th century, or last week. "What specific action of the past is he referring to?" wonders Andre Branch, head of the San Diego chapter of the NAACP. "Excessive force? Illegal stops by law enforcement? Fatalities of African-Americans in police encounters?"

I panicked. It is not an exaggeration to say it was one of the most stressful moments of my life. Nine o'clock on a Friday night in an unfamiliar city, and I was marooned with two young boys. We would be sleeping on the streets for the night. "I'm sorry. There is no way you can stay in a hostel in Bogotá without a passport," the woman said. "It's a very strict rule and no hostel will let you stay." I was stranded in Bogotá, Colombia with my two children and no place to sleep. "Do you have a computer I can use?" I asked. There was a slim chance this would make a difference, but when you're grasping at straws, you grasp them all. My hands shook as I typed out my plea to the twitterverse: "I need help desperately. Know anyone in Bogota, Colombia? Please RT" And then I waited to see what happened next. My husband and I have long been travelers. Back in 1990, we hopped on a plane and pedaled remote roads in Pakistan and India. There was no Internet then (well, we didn't use it anyway). And to travel meant to be completely out of touch with the world save the four mail drops we arranged. Every month or so we wrote a long letter and sent it home. The disconnection was powerful and profound, the loneliness both an obstacle and a thrill. As the Internet and 4G networks and Skype have marched across the globe, and even the most teeny-tiny, out-of-the-way places have been wired, it's hard not to feel a shred of ambivalence. Gone are the days when you are out of reach or out of range. It's a bit sad: The world doesn't seem so big anymore. But then again, that's wonderful, too. Twenty years after our first epic journey, my husband and I decided to pack up our boys for another adventure. We would bike ride across the Americas together, from Alaska to Argentina. (I wrote about this for Salon in 2010.) By the time we started in June 2008, the Internet wasn't a novelty; it was a given. Of course we'd chitchat with friends and family from the road. Of course we'd post updates on our Web page and Facebook. It wasn't something I thought about at all -- until that night in Bogotá. We had been cycling through Colombia for nearly two months. I'm sure some parents just choked on their coffee at the thought of putting their kids in such danger, but after more than a year of travel I assure you what was remarkable about our journey is just how safe we've been. Ours is a journey marked by rewarding rides and unforgettable sightseeing. It's one long family vacation. But after so much time on the road, certain precautionary measures had started to slip. In the two months we'd been in Colombia, we'd never had to show our passports. Each time we checked into a hotel, I presented photocopies, which had always been sufficient. Our passports remained buried at the bottom of our bicycle panniers and hadn't seen the light of day since we checked into the country. When the boys and I decided to leave our bikes and gear with my husband in Manizales and take a bus for the eight-hour journey to Bogotá to visit friends, I didn't even think to pack our passports. If we hadn't needed them for the past two months -- why would we need them now? But that's when things started to go wrong. Thanks to a minor miscommunication, I was unable to get hold of my friend when we arrived in the capital. That was no problem; we could easily stay the night in a hostel and meet up the next day. But then, our next speed bump arrived: The passport photocopies wouldn't work. What to do? Where to go? Here it was: Our first real catastrophe after more than a year on the road. When I got on the hostel computer, I logged on to Twitter and Facebook. All the scams and hoaxes out there online -- I wouldn't blame people for ignoring the plea. But they didn't. I sent my tweet -- and within minutes got a reply: "What's happening? What do you need?" "We have no place to sleep," I typed back. "Desperately need somebody who can let us sleep in their house tonight." Tweets ricocheted through cyberspace. Questions poured in, and as I chewed on my lip, I typed out responses -- our story in 140-character bits, all of which boiled down to these three: We needed help. I didn't know anyone from Colombia, or know anyone who knew the country. My only hope was a blind one that somehow, somewhere, in the vast seven-degrees-of-separation social network that began with the blinking cursor on my screen -- someone would. It was 45 minutes of agony. But finally, the tweet came back. "My best friend lives in Bogota. What do you need?" I dared not get my hopes up, but my heart skipped a beat or two when I saw it. I got the name of the friend and ran to the desk to ask for the number. Maybe, just maybe, this could work. When the phone rang, and the hostel worker handed it to me, the floodgate broke and tears flowed down my cheeks. I started sobbing into the phone, "I need a place to stay." "I'll be there in a few minutes," he responded. Indeed, only a few minutes later a handsome Colombian man walked into the hostel and took us to his apartment. Then he took off to spend the night with a friend, leaving the apartment to my sons and me. There aren't words to describe how grateful I felt. My boys learned all kinds of lessons on our adventure. Not just to cycle, but also to pacify and challenge themselves, to make goals and meet them. They learned how stunning the Americas really are, the differences between the country and the city and riding up a mountain and across a valley. But I'm glad to know they learned a lesson about the Internet, too. It is not simply a convenience and a comfort. It is a connection that can save you. It certainly saved us. ||||| Every Walker's Journey is Personal Why I walk... What I tell my girlfriends and what I will tell anyone is that walking 60 miles on a 3‑Day will empower you to do anything. There will be nothing in your life that you don't feel that you can do after you've done something like that. It's hard. It really and truly is hard. But the joy, the camaraderie, the blessing that you get from that three days is beyond measure. It's absolutely beyond measure.

– When Conan O'Brien picked Sarah Killen at random to be the person he'd follow on Twitter, it wouldn't have been a huge surprise if she milked her fame and turned "into a real douche," writes Mary Elizabeth Williams. And while Killen has indeed become a bit of a media darling and even raked in a new iMac and other pieces of swag, she's also used her celebrity to raise money for breast cancer and help a charity that feeds children. "Sure, there's a pleasure in the fame of it all for her, too," writes Williams at Salon. "But there's something lovely and breathtakingly generous about someone with newfound notoriety leveraging into something other than just more notoriety." She may have been picked at random, but Killen was an "inspired choice."

MOSCOW (AP) — The latest on Saturday's crash of a Russian plane in Egypt that killed 224 people. All times local. Russia's emergency situations top officials arrive for a conference call with representatives of Egypt and St. Petersburg led by Russia's emergency situations minister Vladimir Puchkov to discuss the... (Associated Press) A man reacts as he stands next to flowers and toys at an entrance of Pulkovo airport outside St. Petersburg, Russia during a day of national mourning for the victims of Saturday's plane crash over Egypt... (Associated Press) A man and his daughter put flowers and a toy at an entrance of Pulkovo airport outside St.Petersburg, Russia, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2015. A Russian official says families have identified the bodies of 33... (Associated Press) The Kremlin guards pass flowers and toys laid at the memorial stone with the word Leningrad (St. Petersburg) at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier outside Moscow's Kremlin Wall in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday,... (Associated Press) Portraits of plane crash victims are placed near flowers and toys at an entrance of Pulkovo airport outside St. Petersburg, Russia, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2015. A Russian official says families have identified... (Associated Press) People stand near to floral tributes for the victims of a plane crash, at an entrance of Pulkovo airport outside St. Petersburg, Russia, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2015. A Russian official says families have... (Associated Press) A woman lights a candle at an entrance of Pulkovo airport outside St. Petersburg, Russia during a day of national mourning for the victims of Saturday's plane crash over Egypt Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2015.... (Associated Press) A couple stands next to flowers and toys at an entrance of Pulkovo airport outside St. Petersburg, Russia, during a day of national mourning for the victims of Saturday's plane crash over Egypt Wednesday,... (Associated Press) A woman with her baby reacts as she stands near to floral tributes for the victims of a plane crash, at an entrance of Pulkovo airport outside St. Petersburg, Russia, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2015. A Russian... (Associated Press) 8:05 p.m. The British government says it increasingly concerned that a Russian jet was brought down by a bomb and is suspending flights to and from Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. Prime Minister David Cameron's office says British aviation experts are travelling to the Sinai resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, where the flight that Saturday originated from, to assess security before British flights there will be allowed to leave. No British flights are flying there Wednesday. Cameron's office at Downing St. says "we have become concerned that the plane may well have been brought down by an explosive device." The British government's crisis committee is due to meet later Wednesday. The crash in the Sinai killed all 224 people on the Metrojet Airbus plane. ___ 5:55 p.m. Egypt's Islamic State group affiliate has allegedly reiterated its claim to have downed a Russian passenger plane over the Sinai Peninsula last week, killing all 224 people on board. In an audio recording circulated among militant supporters online Wednesday, a speaker said the crash coincided with the anniversary of the group's pledge of allegiance to the IS group. The dates of the crash and the pledge roughly coincide according to the Islamic calendar. Experts say the militants lack the sophisticated arms needed to shoot down a plane at cruising altitude. The speaker did not say how the militants brought down the jet. The AP could not independently verify the recording but it resembled previous statements issued by the group. The U.S.-based SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadi websites, picked up the recording and circulated a translation. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi said an earlier IS claim was "propaganda" aimed at damaging Egypt's image. ___ 4:35 p.m. Authorities are making another attempt to evaluate information from the voice recorder of the Russian plane that crashed in Egypt, after damage to the device prevented an earlier try. Germout Freitag, spokesman for the German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation, said the plane's flight data recorder had been analyzed Tuesday though results had not yet been reported. He says the plane's cockpit voice recorder could not be immediately evaluated because of damage to it, but investigators were working on it again Wednesday. Two Germans are helping with the investigation because the aircraft was manufactured in Germany, while French experts were involved because the plane was designed in France. All 224 people on board the plane died when it crashed Saturday into Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. ___ 10:30 a.m. A Russian official says families have identified the bodies of 33 victims killed in Saturday's plane crash over Egypt. The Russian jet crashed over the Sinai Peninsula early Saturday, killing all 224 people on board. Most of them were holidaymakers from Russia's St. Petersburg. Igor Albin, deputy governor of St. Petersburg, said in a televised conference call that as of Wednesday morning families have identified 33 bodies. Emergency Situations Minister Vladimir Puchkov said rescue teams in Egypt have expanded the search area to 40 square kilometers (15 square miles). Russian officials have refrained from announcing the cause of the crash, citing the ongoing investigation. ||||| Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond: ''There will be no UK passenger flights out to Sharm el-Sheikh from now'' The UK has halted all flights between Britain and Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt, saying there is a "significant possibility" an explosive device caused the Russian plane crash at the weekend. The decision was taken after experts reviewed the airport's security, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said. Officials are working with airlines on special flights to bring UK tourists at the resort home as soon as possible. Russian Airbus 321 crashed on Saturday, killing all 224 people on board. The Metrojet flight bound for St Petersburg from Sharm el-Sheikh came down in Egypt's Sinai desert. Mr Hammond said: "We have concluded there was a significant possibility that that crash was caused by an explosive device on board the aircraft." The US also said initial intelligence suggested the plane was brought down by a bomb. 'Emergency procedures' The UK government was "very reluctantly" advising against all but essential travel through Sharm el-Sheikh airport, Mr Hammond said. However, Mr Hammond stressed the Foreign Office was not changing the travel advice with regard to the Sharm el-Sheikh resort itself, which it views as safe. There are currently about 20,000 British nationals in Sharm el-Sheikh, of which the Association of British Travel Agents estimates at least 9,000 are holidaymakers. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Passenger Sarah Cotterill: ''It looks like we are definitely going to be here all night'' Officials were working with airlines and Egyptian authorities to put in place "emergency procedures" for additional screening and security to be put in place to allow British holidaymakers to fly home safely, Mr Hammond added. BBC political correspondent Chris Mason said he understood the British government's aim was to ensure flights could start leaving Sharm el-Sheikh for the UK as soon as possible - perhaps as early as Friday. UK officials at the airport will act as extra security and effectively sign off planes as safe to travel, he said. Egypt's foreign minister, Sameh Shoukry, earlier said he was very disappointed by the decision to suspend flights, accusing the UK government of making "a premature and unwarranted statement" on the crash. Egypt's President Sisi is currently in the UK and is due to meet Prime Minister David Cameron on Thursday. Analysis Image copyright AFP By Frank Gardner, BBC security correspondent Almost from the moment it was confirmed that Metrojet Flight 9268 had crashed into the Sinai desert, British counter-terrorism officials have been looking at what could have brought it down and what the implications were for the safety of Britons abroad. The analysis has brought together aviation and anti-terrorism experts. The Egyptian authorities were quick to dismiss claims by so-called Islamic State that they brought the plane down. However, British officials now say "new intelligence" has come to light pointing increasingly towards the possibility of terrorism. They have not revealed what that new intelligence is, or where it came from. But the government says it cannot take a risk with the safety of so many Britons flying to and from such a popular resort. What we know about crash Four theories on Sinai plane crash Their findings were considered in a one-hour meeting of the government's Cobra emergency committee on Wednesday evening, chaired by Mr Cameron, ahead of Mr Hammond's statement. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Ibrahim Mustapha in Sharm el-Sheikh: ''Confusion is reigning here'' Mr Hammond apologised for the "immense disruption and inconvenience" caused by the decision. "I also recognise the immense impact that this will have on the Egyptian economy," he added. "But we have to put the safety and security of British nationals above all other considerations." Extra consular staff have been deployed to the airport, Downing Street earlier said. A number of travel operators have responded to the government's announcement: Thomas Cook has cancelled its flight and holiday programme to Sharm el-Sheikh until 12 November Thomson Airways along with First Choice, have cancelled all outbound flights to Sharm el-Sheikh up to and including 12 November British Airways has postponed its Thursday flights to and from Sharm el-Sheikh until Friday EasyJet has cancelled all flights to and from the resort on Thursday and is keeping future flights "under review" Monarch has cancelled all flights in and out of Sharm el-Sheikh on Thursday The Irish Aviation Authority said it had directed Irish airlines not to fly to or from the area until further notice British holidaymaker Craig Peacock, who has been in Egypt for nine days, said finding out he may not be able to return home is "not the greatest news". But, he said, postponing flights was "the right thing", adding: "We don't want a repeat of what happened last week". However, Helen Collins, on holiday in Luxor, said the government had made a "bad decision". "I think that nowadays, this could happen anywhere in the world, and I feel really sorry for the Egyptians because I know that they have had a real drop in the number of tourists that are coming to Egypt." ||||| 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. ||||| Flights between UK and Sharm el-Sheikh suspended as British foreign secretary says there is ‘strong possibility’ plane was brought down by onboard explosion Bomb may have caused Russian plane crash in Egypt, say US and UK officials The British government has suspended all flights between the UK and the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh after US and UK officials said they believe the Russian plane that crashed over the Sinai peninsula may have been brought down by an explosive device. The UK foreign secretary, Philip Hammond, said his government is now advising against all but essential travel through Sharm el-Sheikh airport in Egypt as there is a “significant possibility” that the plane was brought down by an explosion on board, the strongest remarks yet by an official on the cause of the crash. US officials have also suggested a bomb was planted on the plane by Islamic State (Isis) or an Isis affiliate, according to several media reports citing unnamed sources. “A bomb is a highly possible scenario,” a US official told AFP, four days after the Airbus crashed in Sinai, killing all 224 people on board. 'Significant possibility' that Isis downed Russian plane, UK says – live updates Read more The British government ordered a moratorium on flights to and from the beach resort while security assessments were carried out, after receiving specific intelligence in the last 24 hours about the plane. It believes there are currently up to 20,000 Britons on holiday in Sharm el-Sheikh, who might have to be evacuated if the UK decides it is not satisfied with Egyptian security. Within hours of the UK announcement, CNN reported an anonymous US official saying the latest intelligence suggested a bomb was planted on the plane by Isis or one of its affiliates. Two US officials and one European official told Reuters that intelligence reporting is leaning toward terrorism as a cause of the crash, but cautioned there was no conclusive proof yet. Adam Schiff, the ranking member of the US House of Representatives permanent select committee on intelligence, struck a further note of caution. “I have been briefed and I guess I would urge people not to jump to any conclusions yet,” he told CNN. “We are still trying to confirm what the cause of the crash was. It is certainly possible that it was an explosive, but it’s also possible that this was a structural problem with the plane. With the tail section of the plane. So at this point, I don’t think we’re prepared to draw any conclusions. But obviously we’re investigating it, and directing our intelligence resources to try to determine the cause of the crash.” The White House’s National Security Council declined to speculate on the cause of the crash, citing a need not to prejudice the outcome of the investigation. Earlier in the day, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said: “US officials have been in touch with both Egyptian and Russian officials and have offered assistance.” But Earnest said the US would not be following Britain’s measures because no US airlines regularly operate out of Sharm el-Sheikh. Since March, the US has advised civil aviation to avoid flying at lower altitudes – under 26,000 feet – over Sinai because of the potential risk. How could a bomb have brought down the Russian airliner in Egypt? Read more Hammond said there was a “significant possibility” the plane was brought down by a bomb, after a meeting with the UK’s crisis response committee, Cobra, chaired by the prime minister, which concluded to advise against all but essential travel by air through Sharm el-Sheikh airport. Hammond apologised to those who would not be permitted to fly and said he recognised it would cause “immense disruption and inconvenience” to people, but also stressed that the UK is not changing its assessment about the threat level in Sharm el-Sheikh resort. Hammond said he recognised that it would cause immense harm to the Egyptian economy but the UK government had to put the safety of its citizens first. Egypt’s foreign minister attacked the move as a “premature and unwarranted” step which would damage his country’s tourism industry. Both Egypt and Russia have downplayed suggestions that the crash is linked to terrorism and dismissed claims of responsibility by an Islamist group in Sinai. The UK has intervened despite playing no part in the crash’s official investigation committee, which is formed from representatives from Ireland, Russia, France and Germany. Ireland later followed the UK’s lead and suspended flights to the same airport. The unilateral decision to delay the flights comes on the eve of talks in Downing Street between Cameron and Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, the Egyptian president. The plane had taken off from Sharm el-Sheikh early on Saturday morning and disappeared from the radar about 25 minutes later, at around 6.20am local time. Everyone on board was killed. Earlier the prime minister’s spokeswoman said: “While the investigation is still ongoing we cannot say categorically why the Russian jet crashed. But as more information has come to light we have become concerned that the plane may well have been brought down by an explosive device. “In light of this and as a precautionary measure we have decided that flights due to leave Sharm for the UK this evening will be delayed. That will allow time for a team of UK aviation experts, currently travelling to Sharm, to make an assessment of the security arrangements in place at the airport and to identify whether any further action is required. “We expect this assessment to be completed tonight. In terms of flights from the UK to Sharm, there are no more departures [scheduled] today.” Facebook Twitter Pinterest Drone films crash site of Sinai plane crash – video The UK’s decision came just as Egypt itself issued a statement saying that further analysis of the crash was needed before drawing conclusions. Egypt’s civil aviation ministry announced on Wednesday evening that the plane’s black box had been retrieved, and would be subject to “detailed analysis” by the investigators. A senior government official declined to comment directly on the UK’s decision to ground flights, but suggested that it was premature to attribute the crash to a bomb. “We are waiting for the international investigations team to produce their latest report on the black boxes,” said Egyptian cabinet spokesman Hossam el-Qawish. Investigators have taken samples from the bodies of passengers killed in the crash, and they are being analysed by forensic experts for any further clues as to what might have brought down the plane, he added. Asked about the decision taken on Wednesday to ground flights between the UK and Sharm el-Sheikh, a source inside the airport told the Guardian: “It’s something new, this kind of order affecting all airlines has never happened before. Even during the January 2011 revolution, nothing happened, everything was smooth here in Sharm, all the flights were operating normally.” “You pass three or four security checks normally, plus an additional one for British flights, so that’s five security X-rays and screenings. It would be incredibly hard to put a bomb on the plane. They even scan the catering entering the airport for restaurants. I went to check this after what happened [Saturday’s crash] – they check catering staff and everything that goes into restaurants inside the terminal.” However, a Russian aviation source told Reuters that the official investigation is looking into the possibility of an object stowed on board causing the disaster. “There are two versions now under consideration: something stowed inside [the plane] and a technical fault. But the airplane could not just break apart in the air - there should be some action. A rocket is unlikely as there are no signs of that,” the source said. Russian officials have said the plane broke up in mid-air. The plane’s owner has said it was in “excellent technical condition”. The head of Russia’s aviation authority said it was too early to determine what caused the crash. James Clapper, the US director of national intelligence, has said “no direct evidence” has yet emerged pointing to terrorism being involved in the crash, but a terrorist attack could still not be ruled out. A US military satellite picked up a heat flash in the final moments of the plane’s flight, the New York Times reported. That the explosion was strong enough to be picked up by satellite increased the likelihood that it was caused by a manmade device, but a mechanical failure was still possible, the paper quoted a military intelligence official as saying. Images of the wreckage appear to show the skin of the fuselage peeling outwards, which some sources suggest points to an onboard explosion. The Russian state news agency RIA Novosti quoted an unnamed investigator as saying that the pattern of injuries to passengers could indicate that a strong explosion occurred on the plane before it hit the ground. Investigators have yet to officially release data or findings, but according to unverified reports from Russia, cockpit recordings reveal unusual sounds at the moment the plane went off the radar and confirm there was no distress call from the pilots. At least there’s no point-scoring with the Sinai plane crash – unlike MH17 | Mary Dejevsky Read more Cameron’s decision to suspend flights from Egypt comes ahead of Sisi’s visit to Britain this week. The Egyptian president has overseen the killing and jailing of thousands of opposition members, and his critics fear that his state visit to Britain gives him more legitimacy than he deserves. A leading global security expert, Philip Baum, editor of Aviation Security International, said that Sharm el-Sheikh airport was no riskier than most airports – but warned that current practice across the industry was “fallible” and imprecise. He said Britain’s move to assess security at the Egyptian airport did not necessarily indicate a bomb was confirmed. He said: “They have to move as if all possibilities are realities. I would like to think they would be working on that premise two days ago. “But it is going to be tokenistic and not going to make any difference if we don’t know where the bomb was – in cargo, catering, luggage? We need to know where it was to know where to begin in the airport. If we’re relaying on x-raying baggage, then we’re in trouble wherever we are,” he said. AFP and Reuters contributed to this report.

– US officials have reported that the heat flash in the area where Metrojet Flight 9268 went down in Egypt may have been from a bomb—and the UK thinks that's an increasingly likely scenario, the AP reports. London is worried enough that it suspended flights to and from the Sinai Peninsula, with PM David Cameron's office saying Wednesday that "we have become concerned that the plane may well have been brought down by an explosive device." A Cameron rep tells the Guardian that the "precautionary measure" (not a ban on travel to the area) halting flights to and from the resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh will give UK aviation experts heading there time to assess security at the city's airport and "to identify whether any further action is required." That assessment should be done by Wednesday night. The Egyptian president has said that ISIS' claims it was behind the crash are "propaganda," and experts tell the AP that the militants don't have the firepower needed to take down a plane flying that high. But the news agency also notes an audio recording has been making its way across the Internet Wednesday, with the speaker saying the crash coincided with the anniversary of the pledge Egypt's ISIS affiliate made to the parent group. The AP adds it hasn't been able to verify the recording, but it says it sounds like other recordings the group has made. The British government says it realizes the canceled flights "may cause concern" for UK citizens vacationing in Egypt and that travelers should contact their airlines or tour operators, per the BBC. The UK's move may cause some discomfort Thursday between Cameron and Egypt's president when they meet, notes the Telegraph.

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. - The El Paso County Sheriff's Office issued a release at 10 p.m. Saturday updating its investigation into horses at a barn in Black Forest. The release reads as follows: There has been a great deal of outcry about the situation involving the horses in the Black Forest area. We recognize this to be an emotional issue for many citizens, and in light of that, the Sheriff's Office would like to provide some additional facts about the case. Friday, September 19, 2014, members of our Investigations Division and our Mounted Unit, skilled in the investigation of animal cruelty and neglect cases involving horses, responded to the property off of Burgess Road to conduct the initial investigation. After our investigators arrived on scene, they determined that while the appearance of the animals was visually disturbing, none of the horses were in immediate danger and none of them had to be euthanized. As such, investigators had no legal right to seize the horses at that time. We are looking into the cause of death of the deceased animals. Members of our Mounted Unit are in contact with the horse owner, who is cooperating and receptive to working on a plan of action for continuing care of the animals and improving their living conditions. They have been provided with fresh food and water, (which they had along along) and the owner is making arrangements to further clean up the property. Rest assured, had any of the animals been in imminent jeopardy, they would have been removed from the location. The Sheriff's Office has had to do that in previous instances and would not have hesitated in this case should it have been necessary. We have a number of large animal rescue groups we work with in those cases. The Sheriff's Office truly appreciates the outpouring of concern the citizens have shown in this case and will make use of the generous offers should they become necessary. Sgt. Gregory White El Paso County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer/Legislative Liaison ||||| More Video... A horse owner in Black Forest who is facing animal cruelty charges pleaded not guilty in court Wednesday, according to The Gazette. The horses and llamas were rescued from a barn in Black Forest in September. The animals appeared to have been badly abused for a long time. A trial for Sherri Brunzell has been set for February 2015. At the time the animals were discovered, the state humane society took the horses to an undisclosed animal rescue facility. The llamas were taken to a separate facility. Brunzell, has been charged with animal cruelty. Due to these being misdemeanor charges, Brunzell was ticketed; she was not arrested. The animals were discovered living among the remains of nearly a dozen dead horses. The 10 surviving horses and four llamas did not look healthy, though authorities said none appeared to be in immediate danger. Denise Pipher had been living on the Burgess Road property since August, but was not aware of what was in the barn until Friday afternoon when one of her German Shepherds ran into the barn. Pipher's daughter-in-law followed the dog in and made the gruesome discovery. "Diana went in to get her [the dog] because I couldn't climb over the pallets, and then she just started stepping all over...she sees all these bones and the feces are like 6 feet deep in there," Pipher told 11 News. "The people that rented this barn were very private, and now I know why," Pipher's daughter-in-law Diana Ragula said. "I asked her when I first met her, I said, 'Do you need any help in the barn? If so let me know.' She said 'no,' I said, 'okay.' ... She didn't want anyone near the barn." Pipher and Ragula remain horrified and baffled at what was happening in their barn. "They just laid down and died, and decomposed right where they laid. And there's tarps over these and there's feces on top of these bodies that were just covered," Pipher said. "They [the surviving animals] couldn't say nothing, they can't yell for help, they're stuck in there behind these walls and nobody else gets to see them," Ragula said. Thanks to Pipher and Ragula, authorities were called, and four days later the surviving animals left the property for good. Neighbors say they have been gutted by what they learned was allegedly happening behind closed doors on that property, and were relieved to watch the rescue Monday. "It's despicable and it's been haunting me since I saw the news on Friday that it's in my community," Laura Easom said. "I don't know why anyone would have an animal--whether it's a mouse, a horse or an elephant--and treat them like this. They count on us so much." "To see them being rescued and whinnying and moving...very thankful. I'm sure I speak for all of our Black Forest residents and all of our riding clubs," Linda Moneymaker said. The El Paso County Sheriff's Office says the reason for the four-day delay between the discovery of the abused animals and their rescue was because one of their veterinarians, who had worked on similar cases, had to make an assessment first. Once the vet did so, the sheriff's office says they then had the legal right to seize the horses, and made arrangements to do so. "In order to seize somebody's livestock, there's a very specific set of criteria that we have to follow," Sgt. Greg White with EPSO explained. White said Brunzell was being "very cooperative." 11 News spoke with the suspect in September, who maintains that she did nothing wrong. Brunzell says her horses died of old age last winter, but because the ground was frozen she was unable to bury them. Brunzell told 11 News she instead put down a tarp and used a product to dissolve their bodies. When 11 News asked why, eight months later, the horse carcasses were still in the barn, she said she had other things going on and was "going to take care of it." Brunzell said the other horses appeared thin because it's between seasons, but that they are healthy. If Brunzell is found guilty of animal abuse, she could face anywhere from six to 18 months in jail, or a $500 to $5,000 fine. The El Paso County Sheriff's Office is currently heading up the investigation, but at Tuesday's county commissioners meeting District Attorney Dan May said his office would like to be involved. County Commissioner Darryl Glenn said he had received more than 1,500 emails in a 24-hour span from people all over the world inquiring about the horses.

– Authorities say a special unit that responds to animal abuse will handle a case involving more than a dozen dead and malnourished horses found in a Colorado barn. KRDO-TV reports that the El Paso County Sheriff's Office mounted unit is investigating the Friday discovery of the horses in Black Forest, near Colorado Springs. A woman renting the property says she found the dead horses—some no more than skeletons—under Lye and tarps, when one of the German Shepherds she's raising broke free into the barn, KKTV reports. At least eight horses were alive but in extremely poor health. Sgt. Gregory White says investigators could not legally seize the living horses because they were not in immediate danger. Authorities gave them water and food. White says the woman who owns the horses has been cooperative in making a plan to improve their health and conditions and has agreed to clean the property. She isn't facing charges but is "under supervision" by authorities, KKTV reports. (Read about an elephant sanctuary founder who was "crushed by an old friend.")

He argued that Republican candidates should not try to run away from Mr. Trump “because he has a base that is important.” The suggestion, by Mr. Mulvaney, that Republicans might fare better without Mr. Trump as the dominant factor in voters’ minds is a far cry from the president’s personal approach to the campaign. He has held rallies across the country in recent days, focusing on red states where Democratic senators are seeking re-election, and warning conservative voters in intensely personal terms that a victorious Democratic Party would try to hound him from office. And Mr. Mulvaney’s comments came at the end of a week that dramatized just how difficult it might be to nudge any particular issue, aside from Mr. Trump, to the center of the campaign. The president began the week raging against a coming book by the journalist Bob Woodward that depicts Mr. Trump as a hapless leader atop an administration in chaos, and concluded with Mr. Trump urging the Justice Department to root out the identity of an administration official who wrote an anonymous Op-Ed in The New York Times reinforcing that picture. Yet if he broke in places with the president’s political posture, Mr. Mulvaney, in his weekend comments, came closer to matching the private strategic thinking of Republican congressional leaders. The budget chief, who has been seen at points as a potential White House chief of staff, acknowledged that Republicans had nominated poor candidates in some important races and might struggle to defend a huge number of open seats in the House, where dozens of Republican lawmakers decided not to run for re-election. Democrats must gain 23 seats in the House to take control of the chamber. Senior Republican strategists have grown sharply concerned about a collection of open seats where they have put forward flawed nominees, including in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and North Carolina. Mirroring in some respects the Republican campaigns of 2010, Democratic candidates have been running on a message of blocking Republican health care and economic policies, and reining in an unpopular White House. The Senate appears more secure for Republicans at this point. Even though they hold only a slim, 51-seat majority, Democrats are defending far more seats than Republicans, and many of the Democratic incumbents up for re-election are running in conservative states. ||||| Race Analysis 10/26/18 -- As predicted, this race seems to have broken away from Democrats. Ted Cruz is not going to win by 20 points like Greg Abbott, but a win is a win, especially in a largely negative environment for Republicans. 9/25/18 -- The latest Quinnipiac puts Cruz ahead by a comfortable 54-45 margin. If you look at the polling data as a whole, the polls with more undecideds tend to show a close race, while pollsters who push undecideds harder show a Cruz lead. This is consistent with a storyline suggesting that there are a large number of undecideds, perhaps intrigued by the Beto phenomeon, but who nevertheless lean Republicans. But in this chaotic environment, we should still consider the race a tossup overall. 9/13/18 -- Beto O’Rourke has kept the race close, albeit in part on the basis of an Emerson poll showing over 20 percent of the electorate undecided. Nevertheless, this race is going to drain Republican resources, and Ted Cruz could very much lose this. ----------Race Preview---------- The rise of the Republican Party in the Lone Star State is a fascinating tale of how one party consistently bit off its nose to spite its face. Texas always had a small Republican Party in the panhandle, in the German counties north of San Antonio, and later in the growing suburbs of Dallas and Houston. But the two-party system mostly played out among Democrats. It was divided between conservative Tory Democrats, who plotted to depose Franklin Roosevelt as the Democratic nominee in 1944 and who supported President Eisenhower in the 1950s, and the liberal Democrats. When LBJ was elected vice president, a conservative Democrat was appointed to replace him. In the ensuing special election, liberal Democrats either stayed home or cast a protest vote for Republican John Tower, whom they figured they could easily defeat down the road. The same dynamic played out in 1966, and by 1972 Tory Democrats were defecting to the Republican Party, while the Republicans' native base in the suburbs continued to grow. Today the Republicans have controlled the governorship for 18 straight years, and both Senate seats for 19. The Democratic Party still maintains strength, and may even regain majority party status in the future. Sen. Ted Cruz faces a credible challenge against Democratic Rep. Beto O’Rourke, and the state swung heavily toward Hillary Clinton last fall. The state is also, contrary to many expectations, heavily urban, so a swing toward Democrats in the suburbs could have an outsize effect here. O’Rourke starts as the underdog, but this one is worth watching.

– Two top Republicans put it simply: A wave of political "hate" for President Trump is driving the midterm elections and could even unseat Sen. Ted Cruz, the New York Times reports. Speaking at a closed-door GOP event in New York City, the two conservatives—Mick Mulvaney, federal budget director, and Ronna McDaniel, RNC chairwoman—said the GOP has the money and infrastructure to repel a November "blue wave" but admitted that enthusiasm is high among Democrats. "There’s a very real possibility we will win a race for Senate in Florida and lose a race in Texas for Senate, OK?" said Mulvaney in a recording obtained by the Times. "I don't think it's likely, but it's a possibility. How likable is a candidate? That still counts." He criticized Democrats for fueling a "movement of hate" against Trump and lacking a "signature piece of legislation." And when McDaniel spoke, she derided the DNC for raising only $116 million compared to $227 million by the GOP. But they did note high Democratic turnout in the midterm primaries and conceded a widespread dislike for Trump. Their warning echoed recent comments by Republican strategists who say the GOP has offered weak nominees for races in the House, where Democrats need 23 seats to take over. As for Cruz—who is holding a 4.4% polling lead over rival Beto O'Rourke, per Real Clear Politics—he dismissed the budget chief's words: "I don't worry about what some political guy in Washington says," said the senator. "I worry about what the people of Texas say."

Plastic surgeon Denis Boucq displays silicone gel breast implants as he poses at his office in a clinic in Nice December 16, 2011. Silicone gel breast implants, manufactured by French company Poly Implant Prothese (PIP), are displayed at the office of plastic surgeon Denis Boucq in a clinic in Nice December 16, 2011. Plastic surgeon Denis Boucq (R) operates on a patient to remove her silicone gel breast implants, manufactured by French company Poly Implant Prothese (PIP), at a clinic in Nice December 21, 2011. Alexandra Blachere, who heads an association of women with faulty breast implants, displays silicone gel breast implants during an interview in Paris December 20, 2011. PARISThe French government urged 30,000 women in France on Friday to seek removal of defective breast implants that a now-defunct company exported worldwide but it said there was no evidence that the product raised the risk of cancer. The government said public healthcare funds would be used to finance the removals, which were recommended because of the risk of ruptures that could cause inflammation and irritation, at a cost which health officials estimated at 60 million euros. Around 30,000 women in France have had breast implants made by the company Poly Implant Prothese SA (PIP), which is accused of using industrial-grade silicone normally used in anything from computers to cookware. PIP, founded by one-time butcher Jean-Claude Mas, produced about 100,000 implants a year before its products were ordered off the market in early 2010. As many as 300,000 women worldwide may have received PIP implants, which were exported to Latin American countries such as Brazil and Argentina, and Western European markets such as Britain, Germany, Spain and Italy. Britain said on Friday it was not following the French recommendation and played down any cancer risks. France has had reports of eight cases of cancer in women with breast implants made by PIP, but health officials stressed at a news conference that the product was not suspected of increasing cancer risk. A health ministry statement said advice from medical experts showed that: "There is as of now no increased risk of cancer for women using implants of the PIP brand versus other implants." The statement addressed to French women said new implants would be paid from public funds in cases where the initial implant was inserted for medical reasons, typically for reconstruction after breast cancer treatments. Associations representing women with PIP implants have been demanding that all replacements, including cases of implants that were purely cosmetic, be publicly funded. "This announcement is just a smokescreen and the victims of PIP are angry," said Alexandra Blachere, head of the association of PIP implant users in France. "PIP implants are dangerous even excluding cancer. The state can't simply order them to be removed and then leave women to get by afterwards." Philippe Courtois, a lawyer for a French association of PIP implant users, gave a cautious welcome to Friday's government announcement, saying: "It's a common sense decision even if it unfortunately comes a bit late." CHEAP SILICONE PIP was placed into liquidation in March 2010 with losses of 9 million euros after the French medical safety agency, AFSSAPS, recalled its implants when surgeons reported abnormally high rupture rates. During a subsequent inspection of its manufacturing site, officials found PIP was using a type of silicone that was not approved by health authorities, but was about 10 times cheaper. An investigation found a majority of implants made by PIP since 2001 contained the unapproved gel. A spokesman for the German company TUV Rheinland which provided quality certification of PIP's production facilities until March 2010 said its remit was to check the production process not the content of the silicone. TÜV Rheinland sued PIP in February 2011, claiming it was "thoroughly and continuously misled" by PIP about a change in the silicone that was used. Authorities in Britain, where women using PIP implants have also announced a court case, also played down any cancer risk. "Women with PIP implants should not be unduly worried. We have no evidence of a link to cancer or an increased risk of rupture. If women are concerned they should speak to their surgeon," British Chief Medical Officer Dame Sally Davies said. More than 2,000 women in France have filed legal complaints and another 250 women have recently done likewise in Britain, where the authorities have stopped short of recommending implant removals and sought to reassure on cancer risks too on Friday. Several as yet unidentified executives of the company founded by Mas, are expected to face charges of aggravated fraud in an ongoing court case in France, which exposes them to possible sentences of up to five years in prison. French judicial inquiries tends to be extremely protracted and often highly secretive affairs. The PIP scandal was rekindled in recent weeks by the death of a cancer victim who had such implants, prompting prosecutors to open another preliminary inquiry that will assess whether there are grounds for more serious charges of involuntary manslaughter. (Additional reporting by Alexandria Sage in Paris, Jean Francois Rosnoblet in Marseilles, Kate Kelland in Britain, Ludwig Burger in Frankfurt) ||||| PARIS — French health authorities issued an extraordinary guideline on Friday urging 30,000 French women to have defective breast implants removed, deepening concerns in half a dozen countries and adding more unwelcome light to failings in French medical oversight. While trying to dampen fears that the implants were linked to any kind of cancer, the French health minister, Xavier Bertrand, recommended that recipients have an “explant” procedure as a preventive, nonemergency measure, even if there were no clinical indications that the implants had been leaking substandard silicone. Medical experts said they were unable to think of any prior action on implants on the scale of the French decision. The implants — made by a French company, Poly Implants Prothèses, that was closed last year — used an inferior, industrial-grade silicone and are more likely to rupture or ooze than those made from surgical silicone. The French authorities stressed that the leaked gel carries no known link to cancer, focusing instead on how it can irritate body tissues and cause damaging inflammation. Questions over how low-grade silicone could have gone undetected in hundreds of thousands of implants sold in Western Europe, Australia and South America come on the heels of France’s largest public health scandal in years. That involves a diabetes medication, Mediator, that was also used as a diet drug. It remained in circulation despite at least a decade of warnings, and health officials say it may have caused as many as 2,000 deaths. The maker, Servier, has been charged with defrauding the health-care system and is being investigated for consumer fraud and manslaughter. No PIP implants were known to have been used in the United States, but there are concerns over an unknown number of women who traveled to South American for less-expensive implants. So far, no country has reported a rupture rate as high as France’s — 5 percent — and most have issued statements meant to reassure implant recipients. Anxieties rose sharply last month when a French woman whose implant had ruptured died from a rare cancer called anaplastic large-cell lymphoma, and French media reported that she was the eighth woman with the PIP implants to have died of cancer, a figure for which the statistical significance is unclear. On Friday, the health authorities in Britain, where some 40,000 women received the implants, said it was not recommending “routine removal. ” “We recognize the concern that some women who have these implants may be feeling, but we currently have no evidence of any increase in incidents of cancer associated with these implants and no evidence of any disproportionate rupture rates other than in France,” the British agency said in a statement. In Brazil, where about 25,000 implants were used, the National Agency of Sanitary Vigilance recommended that recipients be examined by their doctors. Chile’s Public Health Institute asked doctors who performed implants to contact patients to explain the emerging concerns. The healthy ministry in Venezuela, one of the region’s largest plastic surgery markets, did not comment, nor did that in Colombia, where nearly 15,000 women have had PIP implants. Breast implants have had a contentious history, with critics saying they are overused and that women in the pursuit of a narrowly defined ideal of beauty end up subject to uncertain dangers from silicone leaks, including auto-immune problems and what animal studies suggest are possible links to cancer. In the United States, a 14-year moratorium in the United States on all silicone implants was lifted only in 2006, after two decades of litigation in American courts failed to show a conclusive link to cancer in humans. The United States Institute of Medicine and the Food and Drug Administration eventually determined that there was no evidence that standard silicone implants were harmful. A spokeswoman for the French health products safety agency, known as Afssaps, said it was possible that the rupture rates in other countries were lower because reporting was still low, or because complaints had not yet reached some governments. “We began in March 2010 to alert the authorities in the countries that had imported those implants,” she said. “But the question is whether they passed on the information to the population. We don’t know.” France will foot the bill for the implant removals, but will only pay for new implants in women who had them for reconstructive surgery after breast cancer. Women who choose not to undergo the removal should have an ultrasound examination every six months, the authorities said, and should remove any implant that ruptures. Some foreign doctors expressed approval for the French approach.

– The French government today advised women who got breast implants from Poly Implant Prothèse to have them removed post-haste, and even offering up public health care funds to finance the operation, over fears that they might rupture or cause irritation. The PIP boobs were yanked off the market last year, over accusations that they were filled with industrial-grade silicone—the stuff used in things like computer chips and spatulas, Reuters explains. France said that there was no evidence that the implants boosted cancer risk, but more than 1,000 French women have suffered ruptures, so they’re recommending their removal as a preventative measure. Some 30,000 women in France and 300,000 worldwide received PIP implants, though mainly in Europe and Latin America—none were sold in the US, according to the New York Times. Britain today added that it was not echoing France’s recommendation, citing the lack of cancer risk.

Could the TouchPad make a permanent comeback? Probably not, but it's fun to think about. (Credit: Hewlett-Packard) commentary If Hewlett-Packard is flip-flopping on the PC business, it should go all the way and bring WebOS and the mobile business back as well. After an evaluation of the business, HP said today that it would keep its personal systems group, aka its consumer PC business, calling it the best move for shareholders, consumers, and the company. The decision caps off a dizzying few months for HP, which today is putting the kibosh on the complete transformation of the company from a consumer electronics product manufacturer to a business-class software and consulting services provider. In its bid to get out of anything dealing with consumers, HP essentially put WebOS on ice. While WebOS and HP's mobile devices business have their fair share of problems, it may be prudent for the company to thaw out WebOS and attempt a comeback. If the company wants to remain a major player in the consumer technology business, it will need to have a mobile strategy. WebOS remains a viable one, if the company can actually get its act together. That, however, remains far from a certainty. HP has become like the crazy uncle in the technology family; you just can't predict what it's going to do. As a result, the fate of WebOS is still up in the air. New CEO Meg Whitman said WebOS isn't directly tied to the PC business, so keeping one doesn't necessarily mean keeping the other. The leadership team is still working on a decision about WebOS, and Whitman said she hopes to have a decision in the next couple of months. "Coming to a town near you soon, I hope," she said during a conference call today to discuss the PC business decision. Admittedly, HP bungled its handling of WebOS in the first go-around. The company took too long to roll out its products, didn't set realistic prices, and failed to properly promote its mobile lineup. Killing off its WebOS initiative right when it was getting off the ground probably didn't win the company a lot of fans. But the platform could still be useful if the company wants control over the fate of its mobile devices ambitions. While never commercially successful, WebOS won a lot of praise for its ease of use and intuitive interface. It was an elegant platform, often burdened with disappointing hardware. It would be a waste to let the platform fall by the wayside. There were other positives with WebOS, too. HP's TouchPad tablets flew off the shelves after the company and retail partners offered them for $100 apiece. Granted, the company was operating at a loss with each sale, but there is now a base of WebOS users in the market, which could be used as a foundation to reintroduce a WebOS-powered smartphone. This time, HP really needs to focus on the quality of the product. The original Pre, launched by Palm, suffered because it was positioned as a flagship product built with cheap materials. HP didn't improve too much upon that with its initial product offerings. The company also needed to be more aggressive in courting developers for the platform. Like Palm, it never really understood the importance of getting the developer community behind WebOS. So far, HP has been mum on the notion of a smartphone. When asked about them, Todd Bradley, who runs the personal systems group, only focused on the ultrabook segment of thin laptops. Whitman, meanwhile, acknowledged that HP needs to be in the tablet business. "We're going to make another run at this," she said. But Whitman and Bradley only talked about Windows 8, which isn't expected to hit the market any time soon. The iPad, meanwhile, has established itself as the tablet to buy for consumers, with Android tablets making only minor headway with consumers. Bradley scoffed at the idea that HP was behind on its tablet business. "We're at the beginning stages of a new segment in personal computing," Bradley said. "I hardly believe that a few months in we can be classified as too late." But with more Android tablet markets flooding the market and the iPad likely to cement its position further with another iteration early next year, Bradley may want to reassess that comment. If HP wants to get into the tablet game faster, it may want to take a closer look at WebOS. ||||| This post has been updated. Hewlett-Packard will continue making PCs after all. In August, the hardware giant dropped a bombshell announcement that it would kill off its tablet and smartphone products and would consider spinning off its PC business as it moved to complete a massive deal to acquire software company Autonomy. After weeks of deliberation, the world's biggest PC-maker has finally decided the fate of its PC arm. In a statement release on October 27, HP said it would not spin off or sell its personal computer business (called Personal Systems Group, or PSG). “HP objectively evaluated the strategic, financial and operational impact of spinning off PSG. It’s clear after our analysis that keeping PSG within HP is right for customers and partners, right for shareholders, and right for employees,” said Meg Whitman, HP president and chief executive officer, according to HP's press release. “HP is committed to PSG, and together we are stronger.” A former eBay chief, Whitman replaced Leo Apotheker as HP's CEO in September. "We are at a critical moment and we need renewed leadership to successfully implement our strategy and take advantage of the market opportunities ahead,'' the HP board's newly-appointed Executive Chairman Ray Lane said of Whitman's appointment at the time, according to Reuters. HP's decision to keep its PSG branch flies in the face of departed CEO Apotheker's vision to “transform” HP from a hardware leader to a company focused primarily on “enterprise information management." Citing what he called a "tablet effect," Apotheker suggested a shift in consumers' preferences away from PCs and toward tablet devices such as Apple's iPad and the numerous Android offerings in that space. Analysts also cited intense competition from heavy hitters Apple and Google as a major influence on HP's decision to kill off its tablet and smartphone devices, a move that HP did not say it will reverse. “HP was competing for developer attention against companies that, as in the case of Apple, have a large head start and a strong base of developers,” NPD analyst Ross Rubin told the Huffington Post in August. The October 27 press release states that the PC unit's revenue for the 2010 fiscal year was $40.7 billion. Figures released this month by research firm Garner revealed that HP's PC market share actually grew by 3.2 percent in the third quarter of 2011. In early October, HP finalized its $12-billion purchase of Autonomy, whose software "searches unstructured data like emails, phone calls and tweets that do not fit into traditional databases," reports Reuters. Netflix recently issued a huge backtrack of its own, announcing that it would kill the yet-to-launch Qwikster service, which would have been a standalone DVD rental site. The launch would have split Netflix into two separate businesses, with the original "Netflix" site becoming a streaming-only service. Developing... ||||| Well, that's the end of that. HP CEO Meg Whitman says "HP is committed to [Personal Systems Group, HP's computer arm], and together we are stronger." There you have it. HP will keep making computers as usual. We'll have more on this a bit later today after HP fields a conference call on the decision at 5 PM EST. Update: During today's call to discuss the decision to keep PSG as part of HP proper, new CEO Meg Whitman and her cohorts made the same basic point several different ways: spinning off PCs from HP didn't make any freaking sense. Or as Whitman put it: "HP and PSG are better together. A separation would not create incremental shareholder return or customer value... At the end of the day the costs and risks of a separation are simply greater than any value we could create." What this signals on a larger scale is a possible retreat on HP's part from recently ousted CEO Leo Apotheker's doomed mission to turn HP into the next IBM. So you've backtracked on the PSG sale, HP. Nicely done! Now on to getting us our our next batch of bargin bin TouchPads. They're still keeping mum on what the ultimate fate of webOS is, but surely there's a warehouse stocked with unshipped models, right? Maybe? In other HP tablet news, the company did confirm that they need to be in the tablet business, and that they're "going to be there with Windows 8." [HP]

– The world's biggest PC maker has decided to keep making PCs. New Hewlett-Packard CEO Meg Whitman announced today that the company is backtracking from her ousted predecessor's strategy to spin off the $41 billion computer division and, in the words of Gizmodo, "turn HP into the next IBM." Whitman said an analysis showed the move wouldn't make sense. Still unclear is what will happen with the mobile operating system known as WebOS and the popular TouchPad tablet that HP announced it was discontinuing earlier this year. "While WebOS and HP's mobile devices business have their fair share of problems, it may be prudent for the company to thaw out WebOS and attempt a comeback," writes Roger Cheng at CNET. "If the company wants to remain a major player in the consumer technology business, it will need to have a mobile strategy. WebOS remains a viable one, if the company can actually get its act together." Click for more on HP.

MADISON, WI — The Wisconsin State Assembly has just passed Gov. Scott Walker’s budget repair bill, including its controversial provisions to eliminate almost all collective bargaining rights for public employee unions as well as many other provisions to weaken union organizing. After much buildup in the 61-hour debate — of Republicans wanting things to be over, and Democrats railing against Republicans who they said would cut off debate — at about 1 AM Speaker Pro Tempore Bill Kramer (R) announced that he would hear a voice vote for a roll call on final passage. Immediately, the majority Republicans shouted their ayes, and the Democrats were booing, as they tried to be recognized to demand a separate motion to cut off debate. Then Kramer called the vote. Within seconds, the digital vote system on the wall announced 51 ayes and 17 nays, and voting was suddenly closed. With a total of 96 members, that got to a majority for the bill but left 28 members who hadn’t had a chance yet to vote. At that point, the Democrats got up, chanting “Shame! Shame! Shame!” and similar exclamations, as the Republicans filed out of the room. There were many Democrats I spoke to and overheard in the chamber, who said they didn’t get a chance to vote, or that they were pushing the “No” button at their desks as hard as they could — keep in mind that a majority of their 38-member caucus was recorded as casting no votes at all. (Interesting to note there were also four Republicans who voted no — after having joined every party-line vote against Democratic amendments. Some Dems speculated that the GOP leadership had allowed some Assembly Republicans in marginal districts to skip the vote or vote ‘no’ on the final tally.) Some of the Democrats I spoke to, such as state Rep. Kelda Roys, maintained that the vote was illegal. Let’s see whether they pursue such avenues in court. Soon after the vote, as local CBS affiliate reporter Jessica Arp showed me in a video replay in the press room, an unidentified Democratic legislator could be seen throwing his papers and a beverage of some kind into the air in the heat of passion, as the booing broke out after final passage. Afterwards, the Dems filed out into the rotunda, to cheers of “Thank you! Thank you!” from the protesters who have filled the halls of the Capitol for over a week. An interesting question has been whether the day and night Capitol building protests would end after this vote. But as I write this in the Capitol’s press room, it’s up in the air to me whether the protesters will even clear out at all. I can still hear them chanting and singing songs out in the halls — including at least one round of “Hell no, we won’t go!” Keep in mind that this is not the end of the issue — far from it. The 14 state Senate Democrats remain in exile in Illinois, preventing the state Senate from having the three-fifths quorum required to take a vote on the budget. For now, Wisconsin has become ground zero in an unexpected but pitched battle over the political future of the labor movement and the question of whether the Tea Party-fueled GOP resurgence of 2010 will trigger a backlash all its own. Watch the moment the surprise vote went down: Eric Kleefeld Eric Kleefeld joined TPM as an intern for the final months of the 2006 midterm elections, and then kept showing up for work. His other interests include guitars, old comic books and the politics of various English-speaking countries. ||||| To jeers of "Shame!" yelled by the Assembly Democrats, Assembly Republicans (foreground) immediately walk out of the chamber after cutting off debate and voting to pass the budget repair bill at the state Capitol early Friday morning. Credit: Associated Press By of the Madison - After a bitter, 61-hour debate that was the longest in living memory, the sleep-starved state Assembly voted in just seconds early Friday to approve a watershed proposal repealing most union bargaining rights held by public workers. Just after 1 a.m., Republicans cut off debate on Gov. Scott Walker's bill and in pell-mell fashion the body voted 51-17 to pass it. In the confusion, nearly one-third of the body - 28 lawmakers including 25 Democrats, two Republicans and the body's lone independent - did not vote on the bill at all. All Democrats voted against the proposal along with four Republicans - Dean Kaufert of Neenah, Lee Nerison of Westby, Richard Spanbauer of Oshkosh, and Travis Tranel of Cuba City. Democrats erupted after the vote, throwing papers and what appeared to be a drink in the air. They denounced the move to cut off debate, questioning for the second time in the night whether the proper procedure had been followed. "Shame! Shame! Shame!" Democrats shouted in the faces of Republicans as the GOP lawmakers quietly filed off the floor and a police officer stood between opposing lawmakers. "Cowards all! You're all cowards," yelled Rep. Brett Hulsey (D-Madison) as another Democrat tried to calm him down. Most Republicans had no comment on the vote afterward and some were escorted out under police protection. Earlier in the night, Majority Leader Scott Suder (R-Abbotsford) said that Democrats had been given more than two full days and nights to make their case - effectively turning the debate into a filibuster - and that Republicans had done nothing wrong. "It seems clear our side wants to vote and I challenge anyone watching to say we have not held out for an adequate debate," Suder said. “The democrats were clearly stalling,” said Rep. Joel Kleefisch (R-Oconomowoc). “That’s why Assembly rules allow for a vote on final passage. We took that vote and did what the people of this state asked us to do on Nov. 2 – get spending under control.” Democrats said they still had 15 speakers and had not heard Republicans invoke and carry out the rarely used rule to end the debate before voting on the bill. That rule requires a motion seconded by 15 members and then a roll call vote. Assembly Chief Clerk Patrick Fuller said afterward he was not sure whether that had occurred, saying he had heard the order to start a vote on the final passage of the bill and had done so. Later Rep. Kelda Helen Roys (D-Madison) said, "We never imagined they would do it as they did, not even properly using the nuclear option." Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca (D-Kenosha) said Democrats would "explore every option" in deciding whether or not to challenge the vote. The measure would give the Walker administration broad powers to reshape health programs covering 1 million low-income Wisconsin residents and use borrowing and cuts to employee benefits to fill a $137 million hole in the two-year state budget ending June 30. The national spotlight and the full pressure of continued protests now returns to the state Senate, where one GOP senator has said he wants to amend Walker's plan and where Democrats have blocked a vote on the proposal by holing up in Illinois. In the Assembly, the session was rocky, with the tired and unshaven lawmakers hurling harsh words at one another and Democrats unsuccessfully attempting to remove the body's presiding official. Republicans hailed the bill as a bold effort to tackle government spending on employee benefits and help solve the state's more than $3 billion budget deficit over the next two years. "In the end, we're going to head the state in the right direction. It's not going to be pretty," said Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald (R-Horicon). "But two years from now if we're in a better place with the state's fiscal house, we're going to be much better off." Democrats said the bill gutted public unions in the state that had first recognized them. They said unions had already agreed to make cuts to their pension and health benefits that Walker says will save the state nearly $330 million through mid-2013. "What a sad day for this state when we are willing to ignore the traditions that people died for in this state, that people fought bitterly for," Barca said. "We ignore our forefathers who made this a great state." Walker and the GOP-led Senate have only a few days to pass the bill and have it signed into law before a key part of the proposal is lost. A refinancing of state debt that would free up $165 million must be done by early next week or it will fall through and Republicans will have to find more cuts to balance the budget. But Walker stood firm late Thursday on eliminating most public employee bargaining rights, saying massive layoffs of state and local workers hung in the balance. Failure to approve his budget-repair bill intact, the Republican governor said, could mean job losses of up to 12,000 state and local employees. In a Capitol news conference, Walker spoke of the need for urgency in passing his bill to prevent local governments from enacting any more labor contracts without including increased health and pension contributions for workers. His office said a half dozen local government contracts had been approved or proposed in recent weeks with no worker concessions, while some included pay raises. "I'd do almost anything to avoid laying people off," Walker said during a 30-minute news conference at the Capitol. "We need to avoid those layoffs for the good of the workers, the good of the people." In the Assembly late Thursday, Democrats exploded and jumped to their feet after Republican lawmakers moved Walker's bill toward a vote on final passage. Democrats said Republicans had used an improperly quick vote in order to advance the bill to a stage in which they could shut down debate on the proposal. An unidentified Democratic lawmaker yelled an obscenity. Outside, the hundreds of protesters still in the Capitol surged to within a short distance of the chamber and shouted, "Kill the bill!" Inside Barca yelled, "We must stop the corruption in this body!" Also citing a Friday vote that Democrats also said was improper, Barca unsuccessfully sought the removal of Assembly Speaker Pro Tem Bill Kramer (R-Waukesha), who oversees debate on the floor. It was then that Suder made his point that Republicans had done everything possible to give Democrats a chance to debate, saying it was "poppycock" that the minority party hadn't had a chance to properly speak to the bill. During the debate Democrats offered more than 100 amendments, and Republicans voted to block about 84 of them before shutting down consideration of the rest of them. The amendments included measures to restore collective bargaining rights, eliminate the health-care provisions, and add more safeguards to the sale of state power plants. In the increasingly contentious debate, Rep. Brett Hulsey (D-Madison) said, "We are becoming a national laughingstock." At one point, Rep. Louis Molepske (D-Stevens Point) asked Republican leaders to take a break to allow lawmakers to sleep, saying he was so tired his speech was slurring. But Rep. Robin Vos (R-Rochester) said that Republicans need to move forward and do what was needed to balance the budget without raising taxes. "It's painful. This debate has ripped families apart. It has ripped communities apart. These are tough choices," Vos said. "We're making this decision because this is the best of the bad choices." At his Thursday news conference, Walker gave no indication that he would negotiate changes or lay aside the controversial portions of his state budget-repair bill. He also brushed off a question about a prank caller conversation that surfaced Wednesday, saying he hadn't said or done anything improper. A recording of the call showed Walker had considered planting troublemakers among Capitol protesters but decided against it. Madison Police Chief Noble Wray said Thursday he wanted to hear more about what the governor had considered, noting he found it "very unsettling and troubling that anyone would consider creating safety risks for our citizens and law enforcement officers." Senate Democrats, meanwhile, continued their sojourn in Illinois, giving no sign of returning as Walker has demanded. "(Walker) just seems to say he can wait it out and not feel any consequences and be impervious to public opinion," Senate Minority Leader Mark Miller (D-Monona) said in a telephone interview. "He's got to realize there's more to leadership than just demanding your own way." The Republican governor softened his rhetoric somewhat on the Senate Democrats, saying it's "still my belief that in the end, they'll come home." Journal Sentinel reporters Cary Spivak and Don Walker contributed to this report.

– Wisconsin's assembly approved a controversial bill stripping public sector workers of collective bargaining rights early Friday morning after a grueling 61-hour debate. Just after 1am, Republicans abruptly cut off debate and announced a voice vote. Chaos erupted—Republicans shouted their ayes, Democrats booed, and within seconds the electronic vote system had closed the voting at 51-17—leaving 28 lawmakers, including 25 Democrats, with no recorded vote. Democrats went wild, throwing papers and even a drink into the air, and screaming “Shame! Shame! Shame!” the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. “Cowards all! You’re all cowards!” shouted one Rep. Several Democrats told Talking Points Memo that they believe the vote was illegal. Some Republicans were led out of the chamber under police protection. “The Democrats were clearly stalling,” says one Rep. The measure now goes to the Senate, where 14 Democrats are still refusing to show up. Click for the latest on Wisconsin.

In this Nov. 12, 2015 photo provided by Kevin Dumont, he is seen chained to the top of a water park in Candia, N.H. Dumont had been chained to the top of the waterslide, sleeping in a tent and staving... (Associated Press) In this Nov. 12, 2015 photo provided by Kevin Dumont, he is seen chained to the top of a water park in Candia, N.H. Dumont had been chained to the top of the waterslide, sleeping in a tent and staving... (Associated Press) CANDIA, N.H. (AP) — The owner of a New Hampshire waterpark who chained himself to a slide tower 17 days ago to try to prevent the park's auction has ended his quest because of failing health and the lack of a financial savior. Kevin Dumont climbed the slide at Liquid Planet on Nov. 9 in a bid to attract investors interested in saving the business. He said Wednesday on Facebook there were no takers and that a doctor believes he is developing pneumonia. "Dear friends and supporters, it is with profound sadness that I must tell you that my attempts to find a partner in time to save the waterpark from auction has failed," he wrote. "I had a number of interested parties but there just wasn't enough time to get the details worked out before the December 2nd auction. I tried my best to have the auction delayed but unfortunately I could not make it happen." Dumont, a genial 46-year-old Army veteran with nine years of service, opened the park in 2008. Two wet summers kept crowds away and a series of financial problems immediately followed. Late this season, the state temporarily shut down two of his new waterslides when they were found to have high levels of bacteria. The state also said he put up the slides without a required review. "We've done things, taken short term loans, worked for free to try to keep it going," Dumont told The Associated Press the day before he ended his effort. "But unfortunately, our loan just wasn't performing. The bank had to call our loan." A GoFundMe page raised just $1,945 toward a $1 million goal, and interest from four potential investors didn't lead to a rescue. A total of $1.6 million was needed to keep the property — including his home — off the auction block. Matthew Coggins, a spokesman for Lowell, Massachusetts-based Enterprise Bank, said the bank could not comment on its customers. Up on his perch, Dumont stayed warm with an electric heater, had food of his own and enjoyed the occasional pizza and beer from friends. He used a portable toilet, the kind used by campers. He stayed mostly chained to the tower though he threw off the shackles to sleep. He passed the time by reading, answering text messages, feeding his Facebook page and, most importantly, trying to find a way to save his business. "I experienced a few moments of loneliness and sadness but mostly overwhelming love and gratitude for the support you all have shown to me," he said on Facebook. "I know I have lost this battle but I also know I tried my best. I think my parents would be proud of me." ___ This story has been corrected to show the amount raised on GoFundMe was $1,945, not $1,665. ||||| To help personalize content, tailor and measure ads, and provide a safer experience, we use cookies. By clicking or navigating the site, you agree to allow our collection of information on and off Facebook through cookies. Learn more, including about available controls: Cookies Policy ||||| Hello friends. I am writing to all of today to say two things. 1. I am not crazy but I have chained myself to the top of the waterpark slide tower here at Liquid Planet waterpark in Candia, NH. I am doing this in an attempt to save all that I have created. The bank has foreclosed on me and is auctioning the property on December 2nd so I am staying up here to try and save it. 2. You all can help immensely by helping to spread the word. Through social media, word of mouth, the press or anything else you can think of. I am looking for a person, a group of people or a company that would partner with me, pay off the bank debt and save yet another small business from failing. I will be up here 24 hours a day so I will post Info throughout the day. It's very beautiful up here but also pretty lonely, please feel free to call or text or even visit. 603 682 5865 All my love and thanks, Kevin Dumont Help spread the word! Share Tweet 967 total shares total shares

– The owner of a New Hampshire water park who chained himself to a slide tower 17 days ago to try to prevent the park's auction has ended his quest because of failing health and the lack of a financial savior. Kevin Dumont climbed the slide at Liquid Planet on Nov. 9 in a bid to attract investors interested in saving the business. He said Wednesday on Facebook there were no takers and that a doctor believes he is developing pneumonia. "Dear friends and supporters, it is with profound sadness that I must tell you that my attempts to find a partner in time to save the waterpark from auction has failed," he wrote. "I had a number of interested parties but there just wasn't enough time to get the details worked out before the December 2nd auction. I tried my best to have the auction delayed but unfortunately I could not make it happen." Dumont, a genial 46-year-old Army veteran with nine years of service, opened the park in 2008. Two wet summers kept crowds away and a series of financial problems immediately followed. Late this season, the state temporarily shut down two of his new waterslides when they were found to have high levels of bacteria. The state also said he put up the slides without a required review. "We've done things, taken short term loans, worked for free to try to keep it going," Dumont told the AP the day before he ended his effort. "But unfortunately, our loan just wasn't performing. The bank had to call our loan." A GoFundMe page raised just $1,945 toward a $1 million goal, and interest from four potential investors didn't lead to a rescue. A total of $1.6 million was needed to keep the property—including his home—off the auction block. Click for more on how Dumont spent the 17 days (including how he went to the bathroom).

Two California women break away from tour group to scratch their initials into ancient amphitheatre, where defacing walls is strictly forbidden Tourists are once again getting into trouble in Italy, with two American women caught carving their names into Rome’s Colosseum. The Californians, aged 21 and 25, snuck away from their tour group on Saturday and began scratching their initials into the amphitheatre with a coin. They managed a “J” and an “N” around 8cm high, before taking a selfie with their handiwork. Police were quick to catch the two Americans and report them for damaging the ancient site. The women may now go in front of a judge and face a penalty. Defacing the walls is strictly forbidden, as pointed out on signs in both English and Italian. But some visitors think little of breaking the rules as they view the crumbling monument differently from other top sites such as the Vatican, said a spokesman for the Special Superintendency for the Archaeological Heritage of Rome. “There’s a difference in perception. Museums are treated like churches, sacred places where there are things of great value. Whereas the Colosseum is an incomplete building which has already been robbed,” the spokesman said. The Colosseum fell into disrepair after its heyday of hosting 73,000 spectators, watching gladiator fights to the death, and was at one point quarried for its stone. While the amphitheatre was completed in AD80, the section defaced on Saturday dates to the 1800s when the pope initiated restoration work. “It’s not an original wall but it’s nevertheless antique,” the spokesman said. Antonio Camertoni, impersonating a Roman centurion outside the Colosseum, agreed the tourists were wrong to carve into the stone. “It’s a piece of cultural heritage. They don’t do it at home, but they do it here,” he said, musing that perhaps the site should be closed to tourists altogether. But the two unruly tourists are an incredibly small minority of around six million people who visit the Colosseum and Roman Forum each year. Johnny Hansen, on holiday from Denmark, said he certainly didn’t intend to leave his mark on the site. “Everyone should have respect for it. They should be fined to make an example. It’s heritage, so you must protect it,” he said. The sheer number of visitors to the Colosseum, coupled with staffing cuts, makes it increasingly challenging to catch tourists behaving badly. Security was upped at the Colosseum and other sites last month, following threats against Rome by Islamic State, but the focus is on stopping terrorists not rule-breaking tourists. Police vehicles parked by the amphitheatre and metal detectors at the entrance reflect the new security measures, while inside Colosseum staff continue trying to keep order among the visitors. “The security is not inadequate from the point of view of terrorism, but the shortage of personnel and the great mass of tourists is a problem, also for other sites,” the Superintendency said. The Californians’ lawbreaking comes little over three months after a Russian tourist was caught carving a 25cm letter into the Colosseum. The 42-year-old was given a four-month suspended prison sentence and a €20,000 fine, although owing to a lack of funds he has not paid the penalty. The Russian was the fifth person to be stopped for defacing the ancient monument last year, with others hailing from Australia, Brazil and Canada. ||||| Crawl of outlinks from wikipedia.org started March, 2016. These files are currently not publicly accessible. Properties of this collection. It has been several years since the last time we did this. For this collection, several things were done: 1. Turned off duplicate detection. This collection will be complete, as there is a good chance we will share the data, and sharing data with pointers to random other collections, is a complex problem. 2. For the first time, did all the different wikis. The original runs were just against the enwiki. This one, the seed list was built from all 865 collections. ||||| ROME (CBS SF) — Two tourists from California were caught scratching their initials into the Colosseum in Rome and snapping a selfie. Police say the women, 21 and 25 years old, left two letters, about eight inches large scratched onto a brick wall on the first wall of the ancient structure, La Stampa reported. The women apologized for their actions, saying they “did not imagine it was something so serious. We’ll remember for a lifetime.” Colosseo, incidono le iniziali sul monumento: denunciate due turiste americane http://t.co/EWgP0hMItj pic.twitter.com/k7c5PMyamp — la Repubblica (@repubblicait) March 7, 2015 The pair were charged with aggravated damage on a building of historical and artistic interest. It was not clear if the women would face any punishment.

– Rome's storied Colosseum—an "incomplete building that has already been robbed," as one spokesperson recently put it—is certainly no stranger to depraved behavior, in its prime hosting gladiators fighting to the death and as many as 73,000 unruly spectators. The latest in its storied history are two women from California, reports the Guardian. The women, 21 and 25, managed to break away from their tour group Saturday and use a coin to scratch the initials "J" and "N" about 3 inches high into one of the walls before snapping a selfie. They were, of course, caught, and have since apologized, reports Italian news site La Stampa: "We did not imagine it was something so serious," translates CBS Local. "We’ll remember for a lifetime." It's unclear whether they will be punished. Last year a Russian, two Australians, a Canadian, and a Brazilian were all caught defacing the monument, though the unruly five tourists comprise an extremely small minority of the site's 6 million annual visitors. "Everyone should have respect for it," a visiting Dutchman told the Guardian. "They should be fined to make an example. It’s heritage, so you must protect it." Security is high right now in the wake of Islamic State threats against Rome, but the newly hired personnel are looking for terrorists, not vandals. (These American sisters got caught taking pictures of their bare butts at a sacred temple.)

For 45 minutes, 40-year old Ruby Graupera-Cassimiro had no pulse. Now she is alive and healthy with no brain damage. (Photodisc) They are calling it "a miracle." Doctors at Boca Raton Regional Hospital in Florida have no way to explain how 40-year-old Ruby Graupera-Cassimiro survived after spending 45 minutes without a pulse and enduring three hours of attempts to bring her back from near-death on Sept. 23. Graupera-Cassimiro, now a mother of two, had just come out of a cesarean section procedure to deliver her new daughter. Then suddenly, she went from chattering with her family to struggling for her life, according to the Sun Sentinel. She was suffering from a rare complication called an amniotic fluid embolism, in which the fluid that surrounds the baby in the womb enters the mother's blood stream. The condition can cause life-threatening blood clots. As Graupera-Cassimiro slipped into unconsciousness, doctors and nurses rushed back to her room in a desperate effort to save her life. After more than two hours later, her heart stopped. Doctors and nurses began chest compression that would continue for 45 minutes. They took turns to avoid exhaustion and used electric shock paddles. But nothing worked. Finally, they decided to call her family into the room to say their goodbyes. "Once we say that's it, that's it," said anesthesiologist Dr. Anthony Salvadore, according to the Sun Sentinel. Her family left the room to pray. And doctors were on the verge of declaring her dead when suddenly there was a blip her heart monitor. That was followed by another and another. Nurse Claire Hansen came out of the operating room with a shocking message, the Sun Sentinel reported. "Keep praying," she told Graupera-Cassimiro's assembled family, "because her heart just started." "She essentially spontaneously resuscitated when we were about to call the time of death," said Thomas Chakurda, the hospital spokesman told the Associated Press. A day later, Graupera-Cassimiro was taken off of life support. And today she is "the picture of health," Chakurda said. On Tuesday, she and her newborn baby returned to the hospital to thank nurses and doctors for their life-saving efforts. "Had you guys maybe stopped before the 45 minutes of compressions -- I mean, I don't know. All I know is that I'm grateful to be here," Graupera-Cassimiro she told them, according to the Sun Sentinel. "I don't know why I was given this opportunity, but I'm very grateful for it." Childbirth complications like Graupera-Cassimiro's are rare -- it is estimated that between 1 and 12 cases of amniotic embolism occur with every 100,000 births, according to the Mayo Clinic. Scientists don't fully understand why complications occur for some mothers but not for others, but pregnancy at an older age, c-sections, and medically induced labor may increase the risk to some women. But not only did Graupera-Cassimiro survive, but she suffered no brain damage or physical injuries from efforts to revive her. "There's very few things in medicine that I've seen, working in the trauma center myself and doing all the things that I do, that really were either unexplainable or miraculous," said the president of the hospital's medical staff, Dr. Anthony Dardano, according to the Sun Sentinel. "And when I heard this story, that was the first thing that came to my mind." Related: What death looks like to people who have been there and returned to life Our unrealistic views of death, through a doctor’s eyes ||||| Our general interest e-newsletter keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics. Definition By Mayo Clinic Staff Amniotic fluid embolism is a rare but serious condition that occurs when amniotic fluid — the fluid that surrounds a baby in the uterus during pregnancy — or fetal material, such as fetal cells, enters the mother's bloodstream. Amniotic fluid embolism is most likely to occur during delivery or immediately afterward. Amniotic fluid embolism is difficult to diagnose. If your doctor suspects you might have amniotic fluid embolism, you'll need immediate treatment to prevent potentially life-threatening complications. ||||| Ruby Graupera-Cassimiro had gone 45 minutes without a pulse when doctors called her family into the operating room and told them there was nothing more they could do. A team of more than a dozen doctors and nurses had been working desperately to revive her. But now they'd lost hope that the 40-year-old Deerfield Beach woman, whose heart had given out without warning after a routine C-section at Boca Raton Regional Hospital, was going to make it. Devastated, Graupera-Cassimiro's husband, mother and sister said goodbye to her just hours after they'd welcomed a healthy baby girl. The medical team stopped all lifesaving procedures. They watched a heart monitor, preparing to record a time of death. And then the impossible happened: A blip of a heartbeat showed up. Then another, and another. Within a few hours, Graupera-Cassimiro, a human resources manager and now a mother of two, was tugging at the breathing tube on her face and scribbling notes to family. "There's very few things in medicine that I've seen, working in the trauma center myself and doing all the things that I do, that really were either unexplainable or miraculous," said Dr. Anthony Dardano, president of the hospital's medical staff. "And when I heard this story, that was the first thing that came to my mind." "The Second Miracle on Meadows Road," a mother who in September went 45 minutes without a pulse after giving birth at a hospital -- and who by all accounts likely would have died -- has made a full recovery. In what hospital staff are calling the "Second Miracle on Meadows Road," Graupera-Cassimiro has made a complete recovery. She was taken off the life-support machine a day after the Sept. 23 near-death experience. It was caused, doctors say, by an amniotic fluid embolism. The rare, serious condition occurs when fluid that surrounds a baby in the uterus enters a mother's bloodstream and heart, clogging it. Sudden and unpredictable, it creates a vacuum and stops circulation. Doctors say it's hard to put a number on the odds of Graupera-Cassimiro's survival. In many cases, amniotic fluid embolism is not diagnosed until after death. But living through 45 minutes without a pulse is extremely unusual. And the decision to call in Graupera-Cassimiro's family wasn't made lightly. "Once we say that's it, that's it," anesthesiologist Dr. Anthony Salvadore said. Amazingly, doctors say, Graupera-Cassimiro suffered no complications. No reduced brain function from the loss of circulation. No burns from the repeated shocks doctors delivered in hopes of restarting her heart. No bruises, even, from the chest compressions they took turns giving her to keep her blood flowing. Within days she was back at home. "I don't know why I was given this opportunity," Graupera-Cassimiro said, "but I'm very grateful for it." She was back at the hospital Tuesday for a tearful reunion with the medical team that fought to save her. She hugged the doctors and nurses — who cooed over her daughter, dressed head to toe in pink — and thanked them. "God had the right people in the right place," Graupera-Cassimiro said as she cradled the sleeping baby, named Taily. The baby had just been delivered by obstetrician Dr. Michael Fleischer during a scheduled, "unremarkable" C-section when disaster struck the afternoon of Sept. 23. Fresh from the operating room, Graupera-Cassimiro "went from talking to being unconscious," while in a recovery room at the hospital's Toppel Family Place, anesthesiologist Dr. Jordan Knurr said. Doctors and nurses sprung to action, starting CPR, intubating Graupera-Cassimiro and calling in help from other parts of the hospital. Fleischer, on his way to other duties after the successful operation, hurried back. Anesthesiologists, intensivists and more nurses flowed into the room and spent over two hours trying to revive her. "Suddenly," Fleischer said, "the heart just stopped." They kept pumping Graupera-Cassimiro's chest for 45 minutes, taking turns to avoid exhaustion. They repeatedly tried shocking her. Nothing worked. A distraught Fleischer told Graupera-Cassimiro's family she faced slim chances of pulling through, and brought them into the operating room. There, her mother cried out for God to "please take me instead." Her sister grabbed and hugged her. The family left the room with nurse Julie Ewing after saying their goodbyes. They held hands and prayed, Ewing on her knees. Then another nurse, Claire Hansen, came out of the operating room. "Keep praying," she said, "because her heart just started." Screams filled the hallway as Graupera-Cassimiro's family took in the news. They jumped up and down and cried. Her sister ran into the operating room. "It was a complete miracle of God. It was answered prayer," Ewing said Tuesday. "We all were there. We all witnessed it." Graupera-Cassimiro woke up in the intensive care unit with no idea what had happened. She thought she was just coming to after the C-section and was bewildered by the voices she heard telling her to open her eyes. She wondered why they wouldn't they let her sleep. When she did open her eyes, she saw her family was crying and relatives had come in from Miami. She realized something must have gone wrong. In the next few hours, Graupera-Cassimiro said, she remembered something she thought had been a dream: what she described as an encounter with the spirit of her late father, who told her it wasn't her time. It dawned on her that it may not have been a dream. When Dr. Shawn Iverson, a resident from Florida Atlantic University, checked in on her the next morning, she gestured upward and nodded. And when Fleischer came to take off the breathing tube, Graupera-Cassimiro told him: "You don't have to be afraid of dying." bshammas@tribpub.com, 561-243-6531 or Twitter @britsham First 'Miracle on Meadows Road' Ruby Graupero-Cassimira's story is called by doctors the "Second Miracle on Meadows Road," because hospital employees already refer to a prior event as the first: The building of the hospital itself. The hospital is situated at 800 Meadows Road in Boca Raton. A grass roots effort born out of the tragic deaths of two children raised a million dollars to bring a hospital to the city, then home to just 10,000 people. ||||| BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) — A Florida mother is home and tending to her new infant less than a month after surviving without a pulse for 45 minutes following complications from a routine cesarean section. A spokesman for Boca Raton Regional Hospital told The Associated Press on Sunday that a team of medical workers spent three hours attempting to revive the woman after a rare amniotic fluid embolism. Spokesman Thomas Chakurda says the doctors were preparing to pronounce her death when a blip on a monitor indicated a heartbeat. Despite going 45 minutes without a pulse, she suffered no brain damage during the Sept. 23 ordeal. "She essentially spontaneously resuscitated when we were about to call the time of death," said Thomas Chakurda, the hospital spokesman. Doctors had called the family into the operating room and told them there was nothing more they could do for 40-year-old Ruby Graupera-Cassimiro. Graupera-Cassimiro gave birth to a healthy daughter before amniotic fluid entered her bloodstream and heart and created a vacuum, stopping circulation. Doctors say condition is often fatal. Chakurda said the woman's survival is a story of two miracles — her resuscitation and the fact that she survived without serious brain damage. Medical workers used shock paddles and chest compressions throughout the emergency to try and restore heart beat and circulation, Chakurda said. "Today she is the picture of health," he said. Doctors had no immediate explanation for her survival, Chakurda said, calling her case one of "divine providence." Graupera-Cassimiro did not return a phone message left by The Associated Press on Sunday.

– An amniotic fluid embolism is a rare and easily fatal complication following childbirth that occurs when amniotic fluid enters the mother's bloodstream. When a 40-year-old Florida woman suffered from one after a routine cesarean section in late September, medical staff caught it in time to perform CPR. After 45 minutes taking turns doing chest compressions to manually keep her heart beating and shocking her intermittently to try to jump-start her pulse, they were ready to pronounce the time of death and called in the woman's distraught family. Then, just as they stopped all life-saving procedures and turned to the heart monitor, Ruby Graupera-Cassimiro's heart started beating on its own, reports the South Florida Sun Sentinel. "She essentially spontaneously resuscitated when we were about to call the time of death," the hospital spokesman tells the AP. What's more, he adds, "Today she is the picture of health," without any detectable brain damage. In fact, both she and her healthy daughter were sent home from the hospital a few days later. "I don't know why I was given this opportunity," Graupera-Cassimiro says, according to the Washington Post, "but I'm very grateful for it." According to CBS 12, Staff are calling it the hospital's "second miracle." The first was the building of the hospital itself, which was a grass-roots effort—sparked by the tragic deaths of two children—to raise money to build the city's first hospital back when Boca Raton was home to just 10,000 people. (See how a "miracle" baby recently helped save her mom's life.)

Ask Engadget: Is 5G worth waiting for? The next generation of mobile connectivity is almost here. So, should you hold off on that new smartphone? ||||| AFP/Getty Images It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for. Well, some of you, at any rate. Verizon Wireless announced that it will be getting Apple Inc.’s iPhone, as The Wall Street Journal has reported. Although the coming of the Verizon iPhone is one of the worst-kept secrets in the tech world, there were a few details we were looking out for: Will there be a white iPhone? (No mention of it.) Will there be any word about 4G? (Yes — This phone won’t have it.) Below, highlights from the event:

– After plenty of waiting and speculation, the Verizon iPhone is officially (almost) here. Verizon president Lowell McAdam made the announcement as anticipated today, telling the assembled press that "the iPhone 4 will be available early next month." The Wall Street Journal and Engadget live-blogged the event; both noted that the various execs in attendance (no, Steve Jobs was not there) made sure to emphasize how prepared Verizon is for the "unprecedented volume" of iPhone users. (Unlike, say, AT&T?) McAdam also hinted at more to come from Verizon's partnership with Apple, including video and 4G. Existing Verizon customers can pre-order the iPhone starting Feb. 3; ordering will be opened to the general public on Feb. 10. Like AT&T's version, a 16GB model will cost $199 and a 32GB will cost $299 with a two-year contract. Unlike AT&T's version, that pesky antenna should actually work: "We had to make changes to work on the CDMA network," says Apple COO Tim Cook. "It's going to work great." (Gossipy aside: John Oliver was in attendance, apparently taping a Daily Show bit in which he must be reacting to the announcement, shouting "F*** yeah! Thank you! Oh thank God! Thank you!")

As the password makes its slow fade towards extinction, many technologies are jockeying for position as the next method for securing online accounts. We’ve told you about brain waves, fingerprints, even magic rings, but a new technique is literally getting to the heart of the matter. PHOTOS: Stunning Maps Help Visualize Complex Data A wristband dubbed Nymi confirms a user’s identity via electrocardiogram (ECG) sensors that monitor the heartbeat and can authenticate a range of devices, from iPads to cars. Developers at Bionym, the Toronto-based company that makes the device, say the peeks and valleys of an individual’s heartbeat are harder to imitate than the external features of biometric systems, like fingerprints or facial recognition. To register their identity, uses touch a sensor on top of the wristband for about two minutes while Nymi records an ECG signature. Once it’s stored, it will only recognize that signature. VIDEO: Passwords Suck! New Tech Provides Better Security Accessing a device is simple: users touch the top of the wristband for a few seconds while Nymi cross-references the heartbeat. Once authenticated, the system communicates via Bluetooth to an app running on a designated device. When the wristband is removed, linked devices automatically lock. Nymi even appears to have gesture control capabilities. For example, a wave of the hand or a flex of the wrist could correspond with unlocking the driver’s-side or passenger-side door. A secure payment feature is also slated, where users could swipe their wrist in a check-out lane to have funds directly debited from their bank account. The wristband will also include vibrations, alerting wearers to email or social media messages that will appear on a small LED screen. BLOG: First Human Brain-to-Brain Mind Meld Achieved Pre-orders of Nymi begin on September 4. Launch prices start at $79 and are expected to remain under $100. First editions will be compatible with iOS, Android, Windows and Mac OS X devices. Catch a glimpse of Nymi in Bionym’s promo video. via New Scientist Credit: Bionym ||||| These, however, are all variations on a theme -- logging in, account by account, to the data or service you are trying to access. A new device called the Nymi has a different idea in mind for how to verify your identity, and with it, its creator Bionym prefigures a time where you don't so much as log in as present yourself. Other than passwords, there are a host of other tricks, all with that same goal in mind: verifying that you are you. Two of the most common are security questions ( silliness ) and two-step verification such as Gmail's, which involves a secondary code that only you have access to. But everyone knows that passwords are pretty weak barriers, in part because people are bad at choosing them ( tending to use innovative combinations such as "password" and "123456" ) and because computers are good at breaking them. Passwords are the most basic tactic for confirming your identity. If you can come up with your secret string of numbers and letters, you must be you. Nearly all of computer security boils down to one question: How can a device know that you are you? What is this device? It's a little bracelet you wear that makes sure you are you by verifying your unique heartbeat. It then can unlock your accounts and devices, just by its presence. If someone else wears the device, no dice. (Rumors of a similar Apple device have circulated for years.) A promotional video from Bionym shows how this ought to work and imagines a few scenarios beyond your run-of-the-mill email login for which this could be quite handy: What happens when you exercise or are under stress? The company explains on its site that the Nymi only verifies once -- when you put it on. And they recommend you put it on in a relaxed state that you could replicate easily (first thing when you wake up, say). Once it has identified you, it won't lose track of you until it is removed. When you put it on again, it will need to check you anew. Currently the company is accepting pre-orders which it hopes to ship in early 2014. Whether it works as well in reality as it does in the video will be determine whether this becomes a viable option for people concerned about their online security who have many accounts and devices to constantly log in to. Of course, many of the functions demonstrated in the video will require some programming and possibly even some specialized hardware on the receiving end, but the conceit at least gives a sense of another way identity verification could work in an age when machines constantly need to know who you are. ||||| A security startup has unveiled a wearable device that's designed to replace the hassle of passwords by using a person's unique heartbeat signature to log on to computers and unlock car doors. While the device is intriguing, the dearth of key technical details makes it impossible to assess the marketers' promise that it provides "complete security without compromising convenience." The Nymi is a small bracelet equipped with a sensor that reads the electrocardiogram (ECG) of the person wearing it. Once it has verified that the heart signature belongs to the person who registered it, it provides a means of authentication that can in theory be used to access a virtually endless supply of electronic devices, including airport kiosks, hotel room doors, and sensitive computer networks. It relies on three factors of authentication—that is, two things the user has in the form of the bracelet and a paired mobile device, and one thing the user has in the form of a verified ECG. A slick promotional video shows someone gliding from bed to airports to hotels to cafes, effortlessly logging into devices and unlocking doors without once having to enter a password or procure a key. Sure sounds tempting. Alas, there's not enough information available about the Nymi's inner workings to know if it is truly groundbreaking or another dose of the kind of snake oil that's all too common in the security circuit. Karl Martin, CEO of the Nymi creator Bionym, said the device hasn't yet undergone a formal security audit. That means even he can't say just how impervious it is to the kinds of sophisticated attacks that would inevitably target a universal sign-on gizmo, although he gave some high-level details that are encouraging. That said, there are several classes of hacks that might be used to compromise the security assurances of the device. The first is what's known as a replay attack. If the attacker is able obtain a person's unique ECG signal and bracelet, the attacker may be able to hook it up to a simple circuit that replays the heartbeat. A variation on this attack is to capture the data packets that the person's bracelet sends during the authentication procedure and use another set of hardware to resend that data. Replay attacks are similar to obtaining a copy of the key to a target's home or office. If the attacker can clone the secret data the user beams to the device he's logging in to, the security of the system can be undermined. A related hack is known as a relay attack. If a someone uses Nymi to unlock her smartphone while eating in a restaurant, what's stopping a nearby attacker from relaying those signals to unlock the user's car in the parking lot? Yet another closely related hack is to mount a man-in-the-middle attack, in which the attacker sits in between the user bracelet and the device she's logging into. The hacker intercepts the signal her Nymi sends to the computer and sends it himself. The hacker then takes any response sent from the computer and relays it to the user. Once the authentication is complete, it's the attacker who has been authenticated, not the user. "You're not telling the thing authenticating that it's your computer that you want to authenticate to," said Josh Dustin, who is the director of security at a company called HireVue and an expert in authentication. "So if somebody is able to rebroadcast that to your car... then you can unlock it." Martin, the Bionym CEO, wrote in an e-mail that the device has been designed to withstand such attacks. Specifically, it uses elliptic curve cryptography to ensure data traveling between the bracelet and the device can't be monitored by anyone else. He also said the encryption secures the handshake performed between the bracelet and the devices being unlocked. Depending on how the technology is implemented, it might make replay attacks infeasible. One possible way to do this is for the car door to send a "challenge" in the form of random data that's encrypted with the users' public key. The car door only unlocks if the user's "response" includes that data after it has been decrypted using the corresponding private key. A fact sheet goes on to say the Nymi is able to sense the proximity of the device being unlocked, another measure that could help prevent hacking. What about convenience? Even if the Nymi is able to withstand sophisticated attacks, there are other important considerations. For one, what happens when a user misplaces either his bracelet or the paired mobile device that has to be nearby when a user first puts on the wristband? Just about everyone loses phones, car keys, or other important devices from time to time. Nymi means a user has two things to hold on to. If either is lost, people will demand a workaround so they can check e-mail and open car doors until the devices are replaced. Engineers have a delicate balancing act ahead of them. Create a temporary measure that's too rigid and users will be furious that they're locked out of their digital domains. Create one too loose, and it will become a loophole that attackers will exploit to bypass the system. It's also unclear how the device might work in the event that the user has a heart attack or other severe medical condition. There are plenty of other unanswered questions. For instance, just how unique are ECGs and how hard are they to be passively read by others? For instance, can an ECG be read by other pieces of custom-made jewelry? And how will the databases that store these signatures be maintained in a way that makes them secure but also provides the ubiquity needed to link them to a wealth of devices and services? The device is still available mostly for developers who may want to consider folding it into their third-party products or services. Martin said the company plans to publish technical details in the coming months as the hardware and software designs are finalized. He also said the software development kits made available so the service can be folded into third-party products and services will be open source so the technical underpinnings can be scrutinized. Until then, readers should consider Nymi an intriguing device that may or may not live up to the lofty promise of providing security without the typical login and authentication headaches. "This could be a very nice technology and an upgrade over password security for most users," Joe Bonneau, a researcher who recently completed a PhD thesis on passwords and personal identification numbers. "I'd like to see something like this work out. I just hope that they get some security experts to vet this before people trust it for anything important."

– Keep forgetting your password? A Canadian startup says it can give you a password that you won't lose for the rest of your life. The firm's "Nymi" wristband checks your heartbeat—which is as unique as your fingerprints—and uses it to unlock everything from computer accounts to cars, Discovery reports. The company says the device only needs to verify your pulse once when you put it on, meaning that stressed or exercising people don't need to fear being suddenly locked out, the Atlantic notes. Experts say the wristband shows promise as a replacement for passwords, though they warn hackers are certain to target it—and could be able to intercept the signal and make off with somebody's car while they're logging into their smartphone. "This could be a very nice technology and an upgrade over password security for most users," a security researcher tells Ars Technica. "I'd like to see something like this work out. I just hope that they get some security experts to vet this before people trust it for anything important."

The McMurdo Dry Valleys form the largest ice-free region in Antarctica. They also make up the coldest and driest environments on the planet. Yet, despite these extreme conditions, the valleys' surface is home to a large diversity of microbial life. Now, new evidence suggests that a vast network of salty liquid water exists 1,000 feet below the surface — a finding that lends support to the idea that microbial life may exist beneath Antarctica's surface as well. The finding isn't just exciting for Earth ecologists, however; planetary scientists are intrigued as well. Indeed, finding salty liquid water below Antarctica provides strong support for the idea that Mars, an environment that resembles Antarctic summers, may have similar aquifers beneath its surface — aquifers that could support microscopic life. "We didn't know to what extent life could exist beneath the glaciers." "[Before this study], we didn't know to what extent life could exist beneath the glaciers, beneath hundreds of meters of ice, beneath ice covered lakes and deep into the soil," says Ross Virginia, an ecosystem environmentalist at Dartmouth College and a co-author of the study, published in Nature Communications today. This study opens up "possibilities for better understanding the combinations of factors that might be found on other planets and bodies outside of the Earth" — including Mars. Approximately 4.5 billion years ago, 20 percent of the Martian surface was likely covered in water. Today, Mars may still be home to small amounts of salty liquid water, which would exist on the planet's soil at night before evaporating during the daytime. Taken together, these findings are pretty exciting for those who hope to discover life on Mars — water, after all, is a requirement for life. Unfortunately, researchers have also pointed out that the Martian surface is far too cold for the survival of any known forms of life. That's why some scientists have started to wonder about what may lie beneath the Martian surface. If the extreme environment conditions found in Antarctica's subsurface contains all the elements necessary for life, it's possible that the Martian subsurface might as well. J. Mikucki In the study, researchers flew a helicopter more than 114 square miles over Taylor Valley — the southernmost of the three dry valleys. Below the helicopter, researchers suspended a large antenna. The technology, called SkyTem, acted as an airborne electromagnetic sensor that generated an electromagnetic field capable of penetrating through ice or into the soil in the dry valley. As the antenna surveyed the valley, the electromagnetic field reflected back information that was altered from the original signal depending on whether it encountered a brine or frozen soil or ice, Virginia explains. "So basically we're inferring the distribution of those types of materials based on what is reflected back to these helicopters flying over the surface of Antarctica." "probably much more extensive subsurface environments in Antarctica where life might exist." The results of this study indicate that unfrozen brines — salty and slightly thick water solutions — form an extensive system of interconnected aquifers beneath frozen soils, lakes, and glaciers. The brines may be the result of ancient ocean deposits. They may also be the remnants of an evaporated or frozen ancient lake. "By flying this technology for the first time in Antarctica, we were able to determine that there is this extensive subsurface environment that isn't frozen that contains water and salt at temperatures at which microbial life is expected to exist," Virginia says. And that means that "there are probably much more extensive subsurface environments in Antarctica where life might exist." an extensive system of interconnected aquifers beneath frozen soils The idea that life may exist in unfrozen brines below Antarctica didn't pop out of nowhere. Jill Mikucki, a microbiologist at University of Tennessee and a co-author of this study, has spent some time analyzing brines samples in Blood Falls — an area in the Antarctic that exudes red-colored subglacial brines that are pushed to the surface. "Without drilling, this is our own natural portal for looking at what these brines might be about," Virginia says. Thanks to this work, Mikucki found that the brines are about twice as salty as ocean water. "They also contain densities of microbial cells that are similar to groundwater found in other areas," he says. Moreover, the researchers confirmed their findings regarding the composition of the subsurface by comparing their results to those obtained by researchers who were allowed to drill boreholes into the soil in a small area of the Antarctic in the 1970s. "We took the instrument and flew it over the same zones, and found very similar patterns and results," Virginia says. Now that this initial study is complete, Virginia and his team are hoping to return to survey a larger area using more recent technology. This kind of research is important because it provides an opportunity to ask a set of new questions about what the limits to life are, where life exists on Earth, and how widespread these ecosystems might be, Virginia says. "I think that habitats suitable for life are just about everywhere on this planet, and learning about these environments is important not only for understanding life on Earth but also for understanding life on other planets," he says. "Fundamentally this type of work just tells us more about ourselves." Besides, "we need to understand Earth, to understand Mars." ||||| Although it's often thought of as a vast space of nothing but ice, Jill Mikucki found Antarctica to be a place of overwhelming beauty. Mikucki, an assistant professor of microbiology at the University of Tennessee, said she's led to research there by the many unanswered questions. "Antarctica is still one of those places where you can still ask, ‘Is there life here?' " Mikucki said. Although life on the frozen continent has long been studied, Mikucki was lead author for a research team that looked for life beneath the surface. Their research included time spent in Antarctica during 2011. The continent's glaciers conceal a whole subsurface ecosystem. What Mikucki and the international team of researchers found shows the impact of ancient climate change and points to life that could survive extreme conditions, including on other planets. The team found areas beneath the surface of the ice that can sustain life, and they believe microbes live in the newly found areas. The team used an electromagnetic mapping sensor system called SkyTEM that was mounted to a helicopter and flew over several glaciers to find brines, or water saturated with salt, which formed waterways beneath glaciers. The sensor was developed at the University of Aarhus in Denmark, one of the institutions with participating researchers in the study, and was used for the first time for the study. Brine can also reflect previous climate change and have an imprint that's still left today, Mikucki said. She said what's below the surface could be entering the ocean, and that affects what's available in those waters, changing the ocean food webs. One of the areas the team studied was the Taylor Glacier and a part of the glacier called Blood Falls, the water of which has a red coloring. The coloring comes from iron in the water that surfaces and oxidizes like rust, Mikucki said. Potential life in the brine at Blood Falls is a sign that life can survive in extreme conditions. Mikucki said those organisms would be capable of living in freezing temperatures, in salty liquid and in the dark beneath the glacier. So knowing organisms can live in those conditions shows what types of organisms could be on such other planets as Mars, Mikucki said. She said the research, a collaborative effort by scientists from various disciplines, sets the stage for more research to be done about where organisms live in Antarctica. "Where next?" she said. ||||| Antarctica's Dry Valleys are the most arid places on Earth, but underneath their icy soils lies a vast and ancient network of salty, liquid water filled with life, a new study finds. The Dry Valleys are almost entirely ice-free, except for a few isolated glaciers. The only surface water is a handful of small lakes. Inside the canyons, the climate is extremely dry, cold and windy; researchers have stumbled upon mummified seals in these gorges that are thousands of years old. Yet there is life in this extreme landscape. For instance, bacteria living under Taylor Glacier stain its snout a deep blood red. The rust-colored brine, called Blood Falls, pours into Lake Bonney in the southernmost of the three largest Dry Valleys. The dramatic colors offer shocking relief to senses overwhelmed by the glaring white ice and dull brown rocks. [The 10 Driest Places on Earth] Now, for the first time, scientists have traced the water underneath Taylor Glacier to learn more about the mysterious Blood Falls. In the process, the researchers discovered that briny water underlies much of Taylor Valley. The subsurface network connects the valley's scattered lakes, revealing that they're not as isolated as scientists once thought. The findings were published today (April 28) in the journal Nature Communications. "We've learned so much about the dry valleys in Antarctica just by looking at this curiosity," said lead study author Jill Mikucki, a microbiologist at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. "Blood Falls is not just an anomaly, it's a portal to this subglacial world." Mikucki led an international research team that tested a newly developed airborne electromagnetic sensor in Taylor Valley. The flying contraption is a large, six-sided transmitter suspended beneath a helicopter. The instrument creates a magnetic field that picks up conductivity differences in the ground to a depth of about 1,000 feet (300 meters). "Salty water shone like a beacon," Mikucki said. A helicopter flies a transmitter across Lake Frxyell, Antarctica. Credit: L. Jansan The researchers found liquid water underneath the icy soil in Taylor Valley, stretching from the coast to at least 7.5 miles (12 kilometers) inland. The water is twice as salty as seawater, the scientists reported. There is also briny water underneath Taylor Glacier as far back as the instrument could detect, about 3 miles (5 km) up the glacier, the researchers said. Eventually, the ice was too thick for the magnetic field to penetrate. "This study shows Blood Falls isn't just a weird little seep," Mikucki told Live Science. "It may be representative of a much larger hydrologic network." Water underneath Taylor Valley could have turned extremely salty in two ways: The brines could be due to freezing and evaporation of larger lakes that once filled the valley. Or, ocean water may have once flooded the canyons, leaving remnants behind as it retreated. The new findings will help researchers pin down the valley's aquatic history. "I find it a very interesting and exciting study because the hydrology of the Dry Valleys has a complicated history and there's been very little data abut what's happening in the subsurface," said Dawn Sumner, a geobiologist at the University of California, Davis, who was not involved in the study. Scientists are also intrigued by the new results because the Dry Valleys are considered one of the closest analogs to Mars that are located on Earth. Similar briny groundwater could have formed on Mars when the planet transitioned from having liquid water to a dry environment, Sumner said. Finally, the findings may change views of Antarctica's coastal margins, Mikucki said. Now that scientists know Taylor Valley's groundwater seeps into the ocean, further research may reveal that coastal regions are important nutrient sources for Antarctica's iron-depleted seas, she said. Follow Becky Oskin @beckyoskin. Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Originally published on Live Science. ||||| The McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica are some of the most extreme desert regions on the planet. But new research indicates that the region may actually be full of salty, extremely cold groundwater. The water may even connect surrounding lakes into a massive network, and it probably hosts extreme microbial life. The findings were reported Tuesday in Nature Communications. Despite McMurdo's apparent dryness on the surface, it's always hinted at something more: The region is home to the magnificently creepy Blood Falls, a red ooze that shines bright against the otherwise desolate surface. For a while scientists believed that red algae gave this mysterious, bloody ooze its vibrant color. But even though iron oxide is responsible for the hue, analysis has shown that the feature does contain strange bacterial life. Blood Falls seeps from the end of the Taylor Glacier into Lake Bonney. The tent at theleft provides a sense of scale for just how big the phenomenon is. (Peter Rejcek, National Science Foundation) Scientists knew that ooze had to be coming up from somewhere, but were surprised to find just how extensive the valley's briny waterways might be. "I’ve been studying Blood Falls for quite some time, and it’s always been a mystery," said lead study author Jill Mikucki of the University of Tennessee. As a microbiologist, she's long been interested in the communities that live in the oozy brine. [Critters found in Antarctic ice show how tenacious life is] A helicopter flies the AEM sensor over Lake Frxyell in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica. (L. Jansan) She and her colleagues used an electromagnetic sensor mounted on a helicopter to scope out the area, testing the conductivity of the ground below. Water increases its resistivity as it freezes, meaning that it's less conductive of electrical currents. But salty water -- which can stay liquid at lower temperatures -- have very low resistivity. "We found, as expected, that there was something sourcing Blood Falls," Mikucki said, "and we found that these brines were more widespread than previously thought. They appear to connect these surface lakes that appear separated on the ground. That means there's the potential for a much more extensive subsurface ecosystem, which I'm pretty jazzed about." It's possible that this extensive brine isn't unique to the valley, Mikucki explained, and that subsurface ecosystems of extreme microbes might be connected to visible lakes, and perhaps even interact with the ocean. "It turns out that as beautiful and visceral as Blood Falls is in these valleys, it's actually just a blip. It's a little defect in this much more exciting feature," she said. [This tiny animal can survive basically anything, including the vacuum of space] She hopes that the team will be able to go back and survey more areas to see just how connected the lakes of Antarctica are, and how much these subsurface brines interact with oceans at the coast. As with all work in the Dry Valleys, everything her team does is as useful for space exploration as it is for research on Earth. "Scientists have been using the Dry Valleys to test instruments since the Viking missions," Mikucki said. "So how we detect the brines and access them is relevant to work on places like Mars." [Why NASA’s top scientist is sure that we’ll find signs of alien life in the next decade] And if we find life on another planet, it's most likely going to look like the life we find in Antarctica. The subsurface lake Vostok, which is now thought to contain extensive (and quite alien) life, is often cited as an example of what might be found on Europa, Jupiter's ice-and-ocean covered moon. Recent studies on Mars found evidence of brines on that planet, which could presumably have supported life once as well. On our planet, these subsurface waters host only the most extreme forms of life. But elsewhere in the universe, the same conditions might be as hospitable as a planet gets. "The subsurface is actually pretty attractive when you think about life on other planets. It’s cold and dark and has all these strikes against it, but it’s protected from the harsh environment on the surface," Mikucki said. Want more science? Give these a click: Two new exoplanets are more Earth-like than any we’ve found before New NASA research says Mars once had a large ocean 150,000 of these bacteria could fit on the tip of a hair (and that’s about as small as life can get)

– The chillingly named Blood Falls is a fascinating feature of Antarctica's landscape: Interrupting the blanket of frozen white, the falls is a liquid, rusty red. (It's no coincidence that the falls looks rusty: The water gets its color from oxidized iron it carries.) And, as a researcher tells LiveScience, it also provides a gateway to a "subglacial world." Under Taylor Glacier, home to the falls, is briny water: In fact, the area under what's known as Taylor Valley contains salty water that links lakes around the region. "This study shows Blood Falls isn't just a weird little seep," researcher Jill Mikucki says. "It may be representative of a much larger hydrologic network." There appears to be a whole ecosystem down there, suggests Mikucki, per the Knoxville News Sentinel. Her team says it probably hosts microbes, and experts believe conditions in the area are among the most similar on Earth to conditions on Mars. So microbes that live there could offer "possibilities for better understanding the combinations of factors that might be found on other planets," co-author Ross Virginia tells the Verge. Mikucki's team made its findings using an electromagnetic sensor that dangled from a helicopter. It was able to detect salty water, scanning for conductivity as deep as 1,000 feet. Salt water has relatively high conductivity, the Washington Post reports, and Mikucki tells LiveScience it "shone like a beacon." (Remarkable technology has also recently been used to study the thickness of Antarctic ice.)

Are chimpanzees naturally violent to one another, or has the intrusion of humans into their environment made them aggressive? A study published Wednesday in Nature is setting off a new round of debate on the issue. The study’s authors argue that a review of all known cases of when chimpanzees or bonobos in Africa killed members of their own species shows that violence is a natural part of chimpanzee behavior and not a result of actions by humans that push chimpanzee aggression to lethal attacks. The researchers say their analysis supports the idea that warlike violence in chimpanzees is a natural behavior that evolved because it could provide more resources or territory to the killers, at little risk. But critics say the data shows no such thing, largely because the measures of human impact on chimpanzees are inadequate. While the study is about chimpanzees, it is also the latest salvo in a long argument about the nature of violence in people. In studying chimpanzee violence, “we’re trying to make inferences about human evolution,” said Michael L. Wilson, an anthropologist at the University of Minnesota and a study organizer. Photo There is no disagreement about whether chimpanzees kill one another, or about some of the claims that Dr. Wilson and his 29 co-authors make. The argument is about why chimpanzees kill. Dr. Wilson and the other authors, who contributed data on killings from groups at their study sites, say the evidence shows no connection between human impact on the chimpanzee sites and the number of killings. He said the Ngogo group of chimpanzees in Uganda “turned out to be the most violent group of chimpanzees there is,” even though the site was little disturbed by humans. They have a pristine habitat, he said, and “they go around and kill their neighbors.” Photo Robert Sussman, an anthropologist at Washington University who supports the idea that human actions put pressure on chimpanzee societies that results in killings, was dismissive of the paper. “The statistics don’t tell me anything,” he said. “They haven’t established lack of human interference.” Brian Ferguson, an anthropologist at Rutgers University who has written extensively on human warfare and is working on a book about chimpanzee and human violence, also argued that the measures of human impact were questionable. The study considered whether chimpanzees were fed by people, the size of their range and the disturbance of their habitat. But, Dr. Ferguson said, impact “can’t be assessed by simple factors.” “I’m arguing for the opposite of the method that’s being used here,” he said, adding that a detailed historical analysis was needed for each site. Behind the discussion of violence among chimpanzees is a long-running dispute over whether chimpanzee behavior offers insights about human behavior. Richard Wrangham of Harvard, the senior author of the new paper and Dr. Wilson’s onetime doctoral adviser, is the co-author of a 1996 book, “Demonic Males: Apes and the Origins of Human Violence.” Although the issue is not mentioned in this paper, he argues that chimpanzee behavior “is a reasonable start for thinking about primitive warfare in small-scale societies.” But, he added, “I certainly wouldn’t want to say that chimps have anything much to say directly about what’s going on in Syria.” Dr. Sussman, who is skeptical of drawing connections between chimpanzee and human violence, said, “War has nothing to do with what chimpanzees do.” ||||| ANN ARBOR--Man's nearest relatives kill each other in order to eliminate rivals and gain better access to territory, mates, food or other resources--not because human activities have made them more aggressive. That is the conclusion of an international analysis of lethal aggression among different groups of chimpanzees in Africa studied over five decades. The research appears in the current issue of Nature. "Observations that chimpanzees kill members of their own species have influenced efforts to understand the evolution of human violence," said University of Michigan anthropologist John Mitani, who helped to initiate and conceive the ambitious study that was conducted with 30 colleagues from around the world. The study provides compelling evidence to counter the contention that such killing is not a natural behavior but an incidental outcome of aggression worsened by human activities such as deforestation or the practice of feeding groups of chimps that are being studied. Instead, the research provides strong support for the view that killing is an evolved tactic, according to Mitani, who has been studying the behavior of wild chimpanzees in Uganda's Kibale National Park for two decades. In this view, killing is an adaptive strategy that provides important reproductive benefits in the evolutionary sense, increasing access to resources such as territory, food or mates and thus making it more likely that individuals will survive long enough to reproduce and pass on their genes to future generations. Mitani and colleagues assessed which factors were correlated with observed or inferred killings in 18 chimpanzee communities over decades. Attackers were invariably males acting in groups, and victims were mainly males and nursing infants of other communities, who were unlikely to be close kin. When infants were killed, attackers sometimes removed them from mothers under circumstances in which they appeared capable of killing the mother as well, but did not do so. The researchers assessed human impact by whether the community had been fed, whether the protected area they inhabited was large or small, and whether the area had been disturbed or deforested. They found that the killings were most common in the east African communities of chimpanzees that were least affected by human interference of any kind. One community, which was part of Mitani's long-term research project, had a high population density and large numbers of males who banded together in coalitions to conduct raids on neighboring troops. No killings occurred at the site most intensely modified by humans in Guinea. "Patterns of lethal aggression in Pan show little correlation with human impacts," the authors write, "but are instead better explained by the adaptive hypothesis that killing is a means to eliminate rivals when the costs of killing are low." According to Mitani, there is nothing in the findings that suggest that the human propensity to kill others is hard-wired and unavoidable. "There is considerable variation in rates of killing by chimpanzees living in different populations, so even in chimpanzees killing is not inevitable," he said. "And, of course, we are humans and not chimpanzees. We have the ability to shape and alter our behavior in ways that they can't. We can alleviate considerable human suffering by harnessing that ability." ### John Mitani: http://sites. lsa. umich. edu/ mitani ||||| Substantial variation exists in rates of killing across chimpanzee study sites2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12. The human impact and adaptive strategies hypotheses both seek to explain this variation, but have contrasting predictions, which we test here (Tables 1 and 2). The human impact hypothesis states that killing is an incidental outcome of aggression, exacerbated by human activities such as deforestation, introducing diseases, hunting or providing food. Accordingly, lethal aggression should be high where human disturbance is high8. In contrast, the adaptive strategies hypothesis views killing as an evolved tactic by which killers tend to increase their fitness through increased access to territory, food, mates or other benefits1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17. Kin selection18 and evolutionary game theory19 yield a set of specific predictions for how benefits and costs should vary with the context, age, sex, and genetic relatedness of the attackers and targets. Lethal aggression occurs within a diverse set of circumstances, but is expected to be most commonly committed by males; directed towards males; directed towards non-kin, particularly members of other groups; and committed when overwhelming numerical superiority reduces the costs of killing. Previous studies have developed and tested these specific hypotheses2, 5, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17; the present study represents the first effort to test multiple hypotheses simultaneously with a comprehensive data set. We assembled data from communities of eastern (n = 12) and western (n = 6) chimpanzees20 studied over 426 years (median = 21 years; range: 4–53) and from 4 bonobo communities studied for 92 years (median = 21; range: 9–39; Extended Data Fig. 1). We rated each case of killing as observed, inferred, or suspected (see Methods; Extended Data Tables 1, 2, 3, 4). To be conservative, we limited our analyses to those rated ‘observed’ and ‘inferred’ unless otherwise noted. We examined contrasting predictions relating to overall patterns of killings (Table 1) and variation among communities (Table 2). Bonobos are consistently found to be less violent than chimpanzees2, 21, and lower rates of killing are reported for western than eastern chimpanzees2, 11. The human impact hypothesis could in theory ascribe these variations to different levels of disturbance. In contrast, in behavioural ecology, distinct populations are expected to respond to prevailing ecological circumstances through biological evolution and/or phenotypic flexibility. For bonobos and western chimpanzees, ecological factors apparently allow relatively high gregariousness, which reduces the risk of experiencing a lethal attack2, 11. Our data set covers all major studies of both species of Pan, which include sites with and without a history of provisioning, and with high and low levels of human disturbance, a rating estimated independently by each site’s director(s) (Methods; Extended Data Figs 1a and 2a). We documented killings by chimpanzees in 15 of 18 communities (58 observed, 41 inferred, and 53 suspected cases; Extended Data Tables 1, 2, 3, 4) (Fig. 1). For bonobos, we documented only a single (suspected) case, which occurred at Lomako, a never-provisioned site with a low disturbance rating. No killings were recorded at other bonobo sites, including one with a history of provisioning and a high disturbance rating (Wamba). Controlling for years of observation, chimpanzees had a higher rate of killing than bonobos; this difference was statistically significant for eastern but not western chimpanzees (Poisson regression: n = 22 communities; estimated coefficients ± s.e. for chimpanzees compared to bonobos: β 0 = −4.5 ± 1.0; β east = 3.4 ± 1.0, z = 3.3, P = 0.0008; β west = 0.65 ± 1.2, z = 0.56, P = 0.57; overall effect of clade: χ2 = 80.8, df = 2, P < 0.0001). This difference persisted when ‘suspected’ cases were included (Extended Data Table 5a). Figure 1: Number of victims killed per year by members of study communities. Bars indicate the annual rate of observed (black), inferred (grey), and suspected (white) killings by each community for bonobos (B; n = 4), eastern chimpanzees (E; n = 12), and western chimpanzees (W; n = 6). Communities with a history of provisioning are indicated by (P). Full size image (224 KB) Download PowerPoint slide (274 KB) Figures/tables index Next To investigate which factors best explained variation in killing rates among chimpanzee communities, we used an information theoretic approach22, controlling for years of observation. We considered three variables for the human impact hypothesis: provisioned (whether the community had been artificially fed); area (size of protected area, with smaller areas assumed to experience more impacts); and disturbance. We also considered three variables for the adaptive strategies hypothesis: clade (eastern and western chimpanzees may have different histories of selection for violence); males (number of adult males, which may influence rates of killing via intensity of reproductive competition and/or coalitional fighting power), and density (number of individuals per km2, which may affect frequency of intercommunity encounter and/or intensity of resource competition). We consider density to reflect natural food abundance. For example, at Ngogo (4.5 chimpanzees per km2), vegetation sampling revealed high forest productivity23 and chimpanzees have high C-peptide levels24, indicating high energy balance; whereas at Fongoli (0.37 chimpanzees per km2), chimpanzees range widely across a dry savannah with sparse food25. Density was unrelated to disturbance (general linear model, F 1,16 = 1.4, P = 0.26). Of the 16 models we considered (Table 3), four of the five models in the resulting 95% confidence set included combinations of the adaptive variables; the fifth model included the three human impact variables. The best model included only males and density, and was supported 6.8 times more strongly than the human impact model (evidence ratio = w i /w j = 0.40/0.059 = 6.8). Considering model-averaged parameter estimates22, increases in males and density increased the number of killings; for all other parameter estimates, the 95% confidence intervals included zero (Table 3 and Fig. 2). Excluding one community (Ngogo) that had both an unusually high killing rate and unusually many males resulted in similar values for model-averaged parameters, but only the estimate for density excluded zero from the 95% confidence interval (Extended Data Table 5b; n = 17). Table 3: Summary of model selection: number of killings per community Full table Previous table Figures/tables index Figure 2: Number of killings per year for each community versus number of males and population density. Rates for each community are indicated by black diamonds (chimpanzees; n = 18) and open squares (bonobos; n = 4). Black lines indicate simple linear regression for chimpanzee data for illustrative purposes only; statistical tests were done using Poisson regressions. a, Number of killings versus number of males. b, Number of killings versus population density (individuals per km2). Full size image (159 KB) Download PowerPoint slide (206 KB) Previous Figures/tables index Opposite to predictions from the human impact hypothesis (Table 2), provisioned and disturbance both had negative effects; the estimates for these parameters included zero in the 95% confidence intervals (Table 3 and Extended Data Fig. 2b). The highest rate of killing occurred at a relatively undisturbed and never-provisioned site (Ngogo); chimpanzees at the least disturbed site (Goualougo) were suspected of one killing and inferred to have suffered an intercommunity killing; and no killings occurred at the site most intensely modified by humans (Bossou). As a test of confidence, we investigated the effects of including suspected cases and data from bonobos. Including suspected cases changed western and provisioned from negative to positive (Extended Data Table 5b). Nonetheless, even with these suspected cases, none of the estimates for human impact variables excludes zero from the 95% confidence interval. Including bonobo data widened the confidence intervals for density (Extended Data Table 5b), probably because two bonobo communities had high densities (Extended Data Fig. 1a). With either suspected cases or bonobo data added, only for males did the 95% confidence intervals exclude zero (Extended Data Table 5b). Thus, although demographic variables explain variation in rates of killing better than human impact variables, the confidence intervals are sensitive to including suspected cases or data from another species (bonobos). These analyses combine killings committed for varied reasons by individuals in different age–sex classes. A full explanation of these events requires a finer grained analysis. To this end, we examined variation over time and among different categories of attacker and victim. Increasing human impacts have been proposed to cause increasing numbers of killings in recent years8. However, controlling for changes in the number of communities observed per year (communities), the rate of killing has not changed over time (year). Using an information theoretic approach22 to compare three different models (year; communities; and year plus communities), the best model contained only communities; considering model-averaged parameters, the 95% confidence interval excluded zero for communities, but not year (Poisson regression: n = 52 years; model-averaged parameters and 95% confidence interval: β 0 = 10 (−38 to 58); β year = −0.0058 (−0.022 to 0.010); β communities = 0.18 (0.10–0.26); Extended Data Table 5c). Killings involved a median of five male attackers (range: 0–19) and no females (range: 0–6). Considering all cases for which the number of attackers was observed (n = 58) or could be inferred (n = 6), males constituted 92% of participants in attacks (338/366). Controlling for observation time and community composition, males were much more likely to participate in killings than females (negative binomial mixed model: n = 36 observations (fixed effects: sex with 2 levels; random effects: community with 18 levels); β 0 = −6.9 ± 0.98; β males = 2.6 ± 0.59, z = 4.42, P < 0.0001). Females sometimes joined males in attacking grown individuals (n = 3), but when acting without males, females killed only young infants (n = 8). Controlling for observation time and community composition, males and infants had the highest probability of being killed (Extended Data Table 6). Notably, during infanticides, attackers sometimes removed infants from mothers under circumstances in which they appeared capable of killing the mother as well, but did not do so. Most victims were members of different communities from the attackers (n = 62 of 99 cases; 63%) and thus not likely to be close kin26. This difference is particularly striking given that chimpanzees could potentially attack members of their own community on a daily basis, but rarely encounter members of other communities (for example, 1.9% of follow days at Kanyawara27). Intercommunity killings mainly involved parties with many males (median = 9 males, range: 2–28, n = 36 cases with known numbers of attackers) attacking isolated or greatly outnumbered males or, more often, mothers with infants (median = 0 males, range: 0–3, n = 30; median = 1 female, range: 0–5, n = 31). For 30 cases in which the number of adult and adolescent males and females on each side were known, attackers outnumbered defenders by a median factor of 8 (range: 1–32; Extended Data Table 7). Most intercommunity killings thus occurred when attackers overwhelmingly outnumbered victims. Several robust patterns emerge from these data. Killing was most common in eastern chimpanzees and least common among bonobos. Among chimpanzees, killings increased with more males and higher population density, whereas none of the three human impact variables had an obvious effect. Male chimpanzees killed more often than females, and killed mainly male victims; attackers most frequently killed unweaned infants; victims were mainly members of other communities (and thus unlikely to be close kin); and intercommunity killings typically occurred when attackers had an overwhelming numerical advantage. The most important predictors of violence were thus variables related to adaptive strategies: species; age–sex class of attackers and victims; community membership; numerical asymmetries; and demography. We conclude that patterns of lethal aggression in Pan show little correlation with human impacts, but are instead better explained by the adaptive hypothesis that killing is a means to eliminate rivals when the costs of killing are low. ||||| Chimpanzees in the wild become violently aggressive on their own, rather than being driven to warlike behaviors as a result of proximity to or interaction with humans, according to a new study published Wednesday in the journal Nature. This runs contrary to a previous, high-profile study, which said interference from man was a key predictor of chimpanzee violence against other chimps. The new work, by some 30 ape researchers, looked at data from 18 chimpanzee communities over five decades and had 152 killings by chimpanzees to analyze. One of the scientists taking part was David Morgan, research fellow with the Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. For 14 years, Morgan has studied chimpanzees in the forests of Republic of Congo. We caught up with Morgan via e-mail to ask about the study. Q: How do your new findings change our understanding of chimpanzees? David Morgan: What is important about this study of aggression is that it was a collaboration among all long-term chimpanzee and bonobo field sites and as such provided the best yet opportunity to address this important topic. We have known for decades chimpanzees can show extreme aggression, but these new findings suggest this aggression is adaptive rather than a product of human disturbance. Until now, this topic had not properly been addressed at this level. My wife (Crickette Sanz) and I provided data from our study site in the Goualougo Triangle in Republic of Congo. Our site was important for this work for several reasons. First. it is it the only site representative from Central Africa in the study. Second, it is the least disturbed or human impacted site included in this collaboration. Q: For the layperson, what will be the most eye-catching aspect of this research? A: I think most will find it surprising that humans were thought the root cause of violence between chimpanzees. Many are not aware chimpanzees can show such aggression. Q: Are you worried about the work diminishing public sympathy toward the animals and conservation efforts regarding them? A: I am not worried that these findings will diminish public sympathy toward chimpanzees. Most people interested in conservation and supporting such work with chimpanzees realize they can be dangerous and that the chimpanzee remains endangered. I think we need to continue efforts to educate the public about chimpanzees being wild animals that should not be kept as pets and should be respected as such. At the same time we need to work harder with those people living in close proximity to chimpanzees. Humans it turns out are not at the root cause of violence in chimpanzees but as overlap between humans and chimpanzees in most regions of Africa increases, aggressive interactions are likely to continue. We need to do a better job at trying to avoid these conflicts, and it starts by sharing information about these apes at the community or village levels. Q: What, if anything, do these findings tell us about humans, or potentially tell us? A: The similarities between chimpanzee intergroup aggression and human warfare has received a great deal of attention. Until now, the "chimpanzee model" of aggression was called into question because detractors suggested the violence observed in chimpanzees was a product of human disturbance rather than adaptive strategy. Based on our findings this is not the case. Whether the common ancestor of chimpanzee and humans showed similar types of aggression and if it was adaptive is not known but our results bring us a step closer. Aggression in human societies receives a great deal of attention but these findings remind me how special and different from chimpanzees we really are in terms of cooperation and empathy. Chimpanzees will cooperate but not at the scale or degree of humans.

– Chimpanzees are "natural born killers," and their tendency toward lethal aggression is not a result of human influence, a new study finds. The study, published in Nature, looked at chimp-on-chimp killings in 18 chimp communities over a span of five decades and assessed how much those communities had been affected by human activities. Researchers found killings to be most common in the east African communities that had been least touched by humans, according to a press release. At the site most affected by human interference, in Guinea, no killings took place. "Patterns of lethal aggression ... show little correlation with human impacts," the authors say, "but are instead better explained by the adaptive hypothesis that killing is a means to eliminate rivals when the costs of killing are low." Researchers concluded that, in addition to eliminating rivals, chimps kill to get better mates, food, resources, or access to territory. The study bolsters evidence that such killings are an evolved, adaptive tactic as chimps seek to pass on their own genes, rather than a consequence of deforestation or humans studying and feeding chimps. The findings are particularly interesting because, as the Washington Post reports, chimpanzees are the only animals other than humans who "go to war" with each other. But the study—which refutes another high-profile study blaming human interference for chimps' warlike tendencies, the Chicago Tribune reports—has inspired some debate. Two anthropologists tell the New York Times the researchers didn't actually establish that any of the communities studied were truly free from human interference. (Another fascinating recent study finds that primates are capable of abstract thought.)

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. ||||| Credit: CC0 Public Domain A combined team of researchers from the University of Lyon/Saint-Etienne in France and the University of Sussex in the U.K. has found that the pitch of a baby's cries can be an indicator of voice pitch at age five. In their paper published in the journal Biology Letters, the group outlines their study and what they found. The pitch of a person's voice is one of the characteristics by which humans are judged by others. For example, those with a high pitch are often found to be annoying, while those with a low pitch are seen to be commanding. Also, scientists have discovered in recent years that what happens in the womb can have a major impact on personal and physical traits—one of which is voice pitch. In this new effort, the researchers wondered if there might be a connection between the pitch of a baby's cries, and the voice they come into as children. To find out, they pulled voice recordings made during a prior longitudinal study of babies crying and compared them with the same individuals five years later. The researchers found that the voice pitch of a crying baby could be correlated to speaking pitch five years later. Or put another way, the pitch of a crying baby could be used to predict what that child would sound like as a five-year-old. This finding led them to revisit the findings of another team who had found that right-hand finger ratios could be used to predict pitch in both children and babies. That team had found that if the index finger on the right hand is longer than the ring finger, a baby will likely to grow up to have a high-pitched voice. Conversely, if it is shorter, they will be more likely to have a lower-pitch voice. The researchers note that prior studies suggested this was due to hormone levels present in the womb. And this, they suggest, indicates that such levels are likely the cause of the impact on voice pitch. The researchers also note that more work will need to be done to better understand the connection between the cries of a baby and how they will sound as children, because they only had 15 volunteer samples in their study. Explore further: Pregnancy temporarily lowers a woman's voice – new study More information: Florence Levrero et al. The pitch of babies' cries predicts their voice pitch at age 5, Biology Letters (2018). DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2018.0065 Abstract Voice pitch (fundamental frequency, F0) is a key dimension of our voice that varies between sexes after puberty, and also among individuals of the same sex both before and after puberty. While a recent longitudinal study indicates that inter-individual differences in voice pitch remain stable in men during adulthood and may even be determined before puberty (Fouquet et al. 2016 R. Soc. open sci. 3, 160395. (DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160395)), whether these differences emerge in infancy remains unknown. Here, using a longitudinal study design, we investigate the hypothesis that inter-individual differences in F0 are already present in the cries of pre-verbal babies. While based on a small sample (n = 15), our results indicate that the F0 of babies' cries at 4 months of age may predict the F0 of their speech utterances at 5 years of age, explaining 41% of the inter-individual variance in voice pitch at that age in our sample. We also found that the right-hand ratio of the length of their index to ring finger (2D : 4D digit ratio), which has been proposed to constitute an index of prenatal testosterone exposure, was positively correlated with F0 at both 4 months and 5 years of age. These findings suggest that a substantial proportion of between-individual differences in voice pitch, which convey important biosocial information about speakers, may partly originate in utero and thus already be present soon after birth. ||||| The next time you hear a baby cry, take a good listen. It might tell you something about how its voice will sound decades later as an adult. Research has already shown that the pitch of a person’s voice stays basically the same during adulthood and that how we sound as adults may be determined before puberty. A recent study indicated that the pitch of a boy’s voice at age 7 can mostly predict what he will sound like as an adult. So when do our voices start emerging? One group of researchers hypothesized that differences in pitch would emerge very early — even in babies who haven’t yet learned how to speak. Now, their new research — published last week in the journal Biology Letters — indicates that the pitch of babies’ cries at 4 months old may predict the pitch of their speech at age 5. In fact, the researchers said, the differences identifiable in babies’ whines can explain 41 percent of the differences in voice pitch that appear by age 5.

– Whether you have a high-pitched voice or a lower one, a new study suggests that it was probably evident when you were just a baby. As previous research has suggested voice pitch is unchanging in adulthood and nearly set in stone by age 7, researchers in France and the UK set out to explore just how early the pitch of one's speech might be determined, per a release. Their study, published in the journal Biology Letters, reveals the pitch of babies' cries is "a significant and substantial predictor of the pitch of their speech" at age 5, per the New York Times. Given that research suggests a high-pitched voice is tied to less testosterone exposure in the womb, and vice versa, researchers say it's possible that "a substantial proportion" of differences in voice pitch are determined in utero. "In utero, you have a lot of different things that can alter and impact your life—not only as a baby, but also at an adult stage," says researcher Nicolas Mathevon, who compared the "mild discomfort cries" of 4- and 5-year-olds (six French girls and nine French boys) with the same children's cries as infants. The results leads Discover to predict a future reality show following "celebrity judges as they scour maternity wards … for the iconic voice of a new generation." But though the study is "intriguing" based on its suggestion "that individual differences in voice pitch may have their origins very, very early in development," Carolyn Hodges of Boston University notes the small sample size raises the risk "that it is not representative of the population as a whole." (Women may hear their voice drop after pregnancy.)

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. ||||| FILE - This undated file photo provided by Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department shows Bei Bei Shuai, who is charged with murder in the Jan. 2, 2011, death of her 3-day-old daughter Angel Shuai.... (Associated Press) FILE - This undated file photo provided by Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department shows Bei Bei Shuai, who is charged with murder in the Jan. 2, 2011, death of her 3-day-old daughter Angel Shuai.... (Associated Press) Prosecutors who charged a mother with murdering her infant because she ate rat poison while pregnant have asked the Indiana judge trying the case to take steps that critics say could stifle any sympathy jurors might have for the woman. Bei Bei Shuai's story has generated a wave of support from advocates who fear that her case could establish an unequal system that would effectively make pregnant women beholden to stricter rules than others under Indiana law. Shuai, a 36-year-old Chinese immigrant from Shanghai, was eight months pregnant and heartbroken after a breakup when she ate rat poison in December 2010. She was hospitalized and doctors detected little wrong with the fetus' health for the first few days. Shuai gave birth to Angel Shuai on Dec. 31. Three days later, the baby died from bleeding in the brain. Medical staff reported her to the police; her lawyers said it was a suicide attempt. Prosecutors charged her in March 2011 with murder and feticide, saying her suicide note proved she intended to kill herself and her unborn baby. Shuai's lawyers say Indiana's fetal murder law was intended to apply only to people who attack pregnant women. Her trial is scheduled to start April 22. Prosecutors have asked Judge Sheila Carlisle to bar courtroom spectators from wearing buttons expressing opinions about Shuai and to bar defense attorneys from questioning witnesses about their religious beliefs or from asking questions or presenting testimony that could create sympathy for Shuai. During Shuai's bond hearing in April 2011, a friend testified that Shuai seemed happy after she gave birth to her child and that she wept as she cradled the dying baby after she was removed from life support. Shuai was treated for depression for months before she her arrest. Prosecutors say motions such as the one they filed last week are standard. Shawn Boyne, a professor at the Indiana University School of Law in Indianapolis and an expert on trial procedure, said that while the type of motion is "relatively routine," its scope is unusual. Boyne said she understood the motive behind efforts to block questions that could elicit sympathy. "In some cases, merely asking a question may plant a question in a juror's mind," she said. Shuai's attorney, Linda Pence, said she didn't know how she could adhere to such a restriction. "You can't ask a court or ask a lawyer to word their questions to avoid sympathy. That's something the jury determines, not the lawyers." Boyne said witnesses' religious beliefs could be relevant if they motivated doctors and nurses to report Shuai to police. As for the spectators, Boyne said the U.S. Constitution and legal precedent protect their free speech rights, provided they're not disruptive. "Since it is the defendant's right to a fair trial that we are concerned with, I don't understand why the state would be prejudiced by this speech," she said in an email. A spokeswoman for Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry said the motion was intended to make sure Shuai is tried based on the evidence. "We don't want to try this case in the media. We feel the case is best handled in the courtroom on its merits," said Curry's spokeswoman, Peg McLeish. A petition on change.org urging the state to drop the charges against Shuai has nearly 11,000 signatures. "This case aims to set a precedent that reduces pregnant women to walking wombs under total state control and surveillance at all times, subject to getting thrown in jail if for whatever reason we can't or don't obey," said Brooke M. Beloso, an assistant professor in gender studies at Butler University in Indianapolis who started the petition. A group that is helping to defend Shuai said the issue is one of equality. "I think the motion is an admission by the prosecutor that the case is recognized by a growing number of people in Indiana who recognize he is setting up a separate and unequal system of treatment that is going to affect all pregnant women, not just Bei Bei Shuai," said Lynn Paltrow, executive director of the New York-based National Advocates for Pregnant Women. McLeish declined to discuss the motivation for the motion. "The prosecution is simply requesting that the Rules of Evidence be adhered to throughout the proceedings and to clarify those standards and expectations at the outset before any concerns arise. Ultimately, the state wants this and any case to be tried on its merits," she said in a statement. As concerns the evidence against Shuai, Carlisle ruled in January that the doctor who performed the autopsy on Angel can't testify that rat poison was the cause of her death because she didn't consider other possibilities, including a drug Shuai received in the hospital. Curry hasn't said whether he'll seek another medical opinion.

– An unusual murder case in Indiana has prompted an unusual request from prosecutors: They want the judge to bar spectators in the courtroom from wearing buttons that express support or sympathy for accused killer Bei Bei Shuai, reports AP. They also want the defense to refrain from asking questions of witnesses that might elicit sympathy for Shuai, who is charged with killing her child by eating rat poison while 8 months' pregnant. It was a suicide attempt. Friends got Shuai to the hospital in time to save her, but not baby Angel, who was born days later. The trial starts April 22. The 2010 case has drawn international headlines. Shuai's supporters say that she was suffering depression when she attempted suicide and that convicting her of murder and feticide will theoretically open up such charges to any mother accused of providing improper care for her fetus. (A Change.org petition calling for Shuai's freedom has about 11,000 signatures.) Prosecutors say the case is straightforward: Shuai's suicide note made clear she was trying to kill her fetus along with herself, and that warrants the murder charges.

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. ||||| This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Find out more. ||||| Photo: Paramount Pictures Say you meet someone new whose speech is peppered with likes and you knows and I means. Chances are, your first impression of this new person will not be a great one. We tend to associate likes and you knows with airheads and Valley Girls, not thoughtfulness. But new research is suggesting that we may have that backwards, because people who use a lot of “filler speech” actually tend to be more conscientious. The researchers explain their findings, published recently in The Journal of Language and Social Psychology: The possible explanation for this association is that conscientious people are generally more thoughtful and aware of themselves and their surroundings. When having conversations with listeners, conscientious people use discourse markers, such as ‘I mean’ and ‘you know,’ to imply their desire to share or rephrase opinions to recipients. Thus it is expected that the use of discourse markers may be used to measure the degree to which people have thoughts to express. In other words, this is a person who is truly paying attention, to you and the conversation at hand. Conscientious people are careful, diligent individuals who are very concerned with doing things correctly — including, apparently, idle chitchat. As psychologist Christian Jarrett writes, “discourse fillers are a sign of more considered speech, and so it makes sense that conscientious people use them more often.” The study authors go on to suggest that this could be a quick but accurate way to size up the personality of someone you’ve just met. I mean, it’s a sign of being a thoughtful, hard-working type, you know?

– Those who speak by packing their sentences with words such as "you know," "I mean," and "like" aren't being ditzy as pop culture would suggest—they're being conscientious. So suggests a new study in the Journal of Language and Social Psychology whose authors say that such "filler words" tend to be used by people who are more thoughtful than most, reports Research Digest. "When having conversations with listeners, conscientious people use discourse markers, such as ‘I mean’ and ‘you know,’ to imply their desire to share or rephrase opinions to recipients," write the researchers. At New York, Melissa Dahl paraphrases: "This is a person who is truly paying attention, to you and the conversation at hand," she writes. "Conscientious people are careful, diligent individuals who are very concerned with doing things correctly—including, apparently, idle chitchat." They want to make sure their conversation partners are sticking with them and use such "discourse fillers" to help guide them along or to seek consensus. (Another recent study on language found that learning a foreign one can help keep your brain young.)

FILE - In this April 15, 2015 file photo, Rose McGowan arrives at the LA Premiere Of "DIOR & I" held at the Leo S. Bing Theatre on Wednesday, April 15, 2015, in Los Angeles. McGowan’s Twitter account... (Associated Press) FILE - In this April 15, 2015 file photo, Rose McGowan arrives at the LA Premiere Of "DIOR & I" held at the Leo S. Bing Theatre on Wednesday, April 15, 2015, in Los Angeles. McGowan’s Twitter account has been suspended, temporarily muting a central figure in the allegations against Harvey Weinstein.... (Associated Press) FILE - In this April 15, 2015 file photo, Rose McGowan arrives at the LA Premiere Of "DIOR & I" held at the Leo S. Bing Theatre on Wednesday, April 15, 2015, in Los Angeles. McGowan’s Twitter account has been suspended, temporarily muting a central figure in the allegations against Harvey Weinstein.... (Associated Press) FILE - In this April 15, 2015 file photo, Rose McGowan arrives at the LA Premiere Of "DIOR & I" held at the Leo S. Bing Theatre on Wednesday, April 15, 2015, in Los Angeles. McGowan’s Twitter account... (Associated Press) NEW YORK (AP) — Twitter on Thursday restored Rose McGowan's account after temporarily suspending it and causing an outcry it had muted one of the central figures in the allegations against Harvey Weinstein. The episode, Twitter said Thursday, was because McGowan tweeted a private phone number, a practice it said violated its service terms. The company said it will "be clearer about these policies and decisions in the future." McGowan's suspension caused an enormous backlash on social media, with many criticizing Twitter for a move that would silence an alleged victim of sexual harassment by Harvey Weinstein. Jessica Chastain and Anthony Bourdain were among those who questioned Twitter's action. On her Instagram account, McGowan announced her suspension late Wednesday, warning that "there are powerful forces at work." "Be my voice," wrote McGowan. McGowan has been among the most vocal in Hollywood about sexual abuse in the industry. The New York Times earlier reported that McGowan was among the numerous women sexually harassed by Weinstein, who paid McGowan a financial settlement in 1997. That settlement included provisions about speaking about the case in the future. While McGowan has avoided addressing her past with Weinstein directly, she has often seemingly referenced it. She last year said that she had been raped by a "studio head." After the New Yorker expose ran Tuesday, which included the report that Weinstein had allegedly sexually assaulted three women, McGowan tweeted "now I am allowed to say rapist." "Any allegations of non-consensual contact are unequivocally denied by Mr. Weinstein," Weinstein representative Sallie Hofmeister said Wednesday. McGowan also recently called Ben Affleck "a liar" on Twitter and suggested the actor knew about Weinstein's conduct. Representatives for Affleck haven't responded to messages regarding that allegation. ||||| 1) @ jeffbezos I told the head of your studio that HW raped me. Over & over I said it. He said it hadn’t been proven. I said I was the proof. ||||| FILE - In this May 25, 2017 file photo, producer Harvey Weinstein appears at the amfAR charity gala during the Cannes 70th international film festival, Cap d'Antibes, southern France. New York City prosecutors... (Associated Press) FILE - In this May 25, 2017 file photo, producer Harvey Weinstein appears at the amfAR charity gala during the Cannes 70th international film festival, Cap d'Antibes, southern France. New York City prosecutors say they didn’t have enough evidence to prove model Ambra Battilana Gutierrez’s claim that... (Associated Press) FILE - In this May 25, 2017 file photo, producer Harvey Weinstein appears at the amfAR charity gala during the Cannes 70th international film festival, Cap d'Antibes, southern France. New York City prosecutors say they didn’t have enough evidence to prove model Ambra Battilana Gutierrez’s claim that... (Associated Press) FILE - In this May 25, 2017 file photo, producer Harvey Weinstein appears at the amfAR charity gala during the Cannes 70th international film festival, Cap d'Antibes, southern France. New York City prosecutors... (Associated Press) NEW YORK (AP) — The Latest on sexual harassment allegations against Harvey Weinstein (all times local): 5:10 p.m. Rose McGowan is stating more frankly what she has long suggested. The actress says in a tweet "HW raped me," apparently referring to Harvey Weinstein. Weinstein representative Sallie Hofmeister has said Weinstein "unequivocally denies" ''any allegations of non-consensual contact" In a series of tweets Thursday, McGowan addresses Amazon chief Jeff Bezos and says that she repeatedly told an Amazon Studios executive that "HW raped me." McGowan says the executive told her it wasn't proven and she said "I am the proof." McGowan last year said that she had been raped by a "studio head." The New Yorker expose that ran Tuesday reported that Weinstein had allegedly sexually assaulted three women. The New York Times earlier reported that Weinstein paid a financial settlement to McGowan in 1997. Representatives for Amazon did not immediately comment. McGowan was suspended from Twitter late Wednesday. The ban was lifted Thursday afternoon. ___ 2:40 p.m. The eastern branch of the Writers Guild of America says it will take steps to make it easier for women to report sexual harassment and assault. In a statement Thursday, guild President Beau Willimon and Executive Director Lowell Peterson condemned Harvey Weinstein's "deplorable" behavior and said that "sexual harassment and assault have long been hallmarks of the entertainment industry." The guild said it will review what it can do to facilitate prevention of harassment going forward. The statement acknowledged that accusers often speak out at and face great professional and emotional risk. ___ 2:25 p.m. A woman who once interviewed with Harvey Weinstein for a nanny job has gone public with her story about how he interviewed her wearing only boxer shorts and an undershirt. Actor, comedian and writer Sarah Ann Masse said her nanny agency referred her to Weinstein in 2008 for a part-time position to care for his three children from his first marriage. She said that when she rang the bell of Weinstein's Westport, Connecticut, home she was shocked to see him in nothing but the undergarments when he answered the door. Masse said she remained calm as he led her to a couch and sat down on a couch across from her and went ahead with standard interview questions. At one point, Masse said, two of the children wandered into the room and "he screamed at them to leave." He then asked whether she felt it was a conflict to be his nanny while pursuing an acting career and smirked when he asked whether she would "flirt" with his friends to get ahead. When the interview was finished, Masse said, Weinstein hugged her tight and said, "I love you." About a week later she was told by a Weinstein assistant she didn't get the job because she was an actor. Masse first told her story Wednesday to Variety, saying she was in part inspired by the bravery of other women who had come forward. ___ 12:40 p.m. British media say London police are investigating a sexual assault allegation against Harvey Weinstein. London's Metropolitan Police force says it has received an allegation of sexual assault from the Merseyside force in northwest England. It says the claim will be assessed by detectives from the sexual offenses team. Merseyside Police says the allegation was made Wednesday and concerns "an alleged sexual assault in the London area in the 1980s." British police do not identify suspects who have not been charged. British media including Sky News, The Guardian and the BBC identified the alleged assaulter as Weinstein. New York City police said Thursday that detectives are taking a fresh look at sexual assault allegations against Weinstein. ___ 12:30 p.m. Actress Kate Beckinsale says she was 17 years old when Harvey Weinstein greeted her in his bathrobe for a meeting in a room at the Savoy Hotel. In an Instagram post Thursday, Beckinsale says she left the meeting uneasy but unscathed. Beckinsale recalls that a few years later Weinstein asked her if he had tried anything with her at the first meeting. She says she realized "he couldn't remember if he had assaulted me or not." The actress says she said no to Weinstein professionally many times over the years, and that Weinstein would often respond with anger, profanity and threats. Beckinsale calls for a new paradigm in the industry and says "let's stop allowing our young women to be sexual cannon fodder." ___ 12:15 p.m. Twitter says that Rose McGowan's account was suspended because of a tweet that included a phone number and has announced that the actress's account is now unlocked. In a statement, Twitter said Thursday it was a tweet by McGowan with a personal phone number that violated its service terms. The company said it will "be clearer about these policies and decisions in the future." McGowan's suspension caused an enormous backlash on social media, with many criticizing Twitter for a move that would silence an alleged victim of sexual harassment by Harvey Weinstein on its service. McGowan has been among the most vocal in Hollywood about sexual abuse in the industry. ___ 11:50 a.m. Hachette Book Group, one of the country's top publishers, says that it has "terminated" its deal with Weinstein Books. Hachette and the book publishing arm of the Weinstein Company had a co-publishing arrangement that included works by Dick Van Dyke, Larry King and Tim Russert. According to Hachette, titles under the Weinstein imprint will be published through the Hachette Books imprint. The staff of Weinstein, which had released around 10 books a years, will be folded into Hachette Books. ___ 10:55 a.m. New York City police detectives are taking a fresh look into sexual assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein. Police spokesman Peter Donald said Thursday that investigators are reviewing police files to see if any women previously reported being assaulted or harassed by the media mogul. So far, no past complaints have been found, other than one well-known case that prompted an investigation in 2015. The department is also encouraging anyone with information to come forward. A law enforcement official says detectives also plan to contact women who spoke about their encounters with Weinstein in a New Yorker article this week. The official wasn't authorized to speak publicly on an ongoing probe and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Weinstein has denied any nonconsensual sexual conduct with any women. ___ 9:49 a.m. Rose McGowan's Twitter account has been suspended, temporarily muting a central figure in the allegations against Harvey Weinstein. McGowan says that Twitter had suspended her from tweeting after the social media company said she broke its rules. On her Instagram account, McGowan says "there are powerful forces at work" and pleads for others to "be my voice." Representatives for Twitter declined to comment Thursday. The New York Times earlier reported that McGowan was among the numerous women sexually harassed by Weinstein, who paid McGowan a financial settlement in 1997. McGowan on Tuesday tweeted "now I am allowed to say rapist." McGowan also recently called Ben Affleck "a liar" on Twitter and suggested the actor knew about Weinstein's conduct. Representatives for Affleck haven't responded to messages regarding that allegation. ___ 9:43 a.m. Film mogul Harvey Weinstein says he's "not doing OK" in a video posted on TMZ, but he is hoping for a "second chance" amid the fallout surrounding allegations of widespread sexual abuse. Weinstein spoke in front of media Wednesday as he emerged from a Los Angeles home and got into a vehicle. In remarks captured on video, he says he needs to "get help" and "we all make mistakes." He concludes with an obscenity-laced remark. ___ 5:11 a.m. Cannes film festival officials say they have been "dismayed" to learn about the accusations of sexual violence against Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein. Pierre Lescure, the festival president, and general delegate Thierry Fremaux, wrote in a joint statement: "These actions point to a pattern of behavior that merits only the clearest and most unequivocal condemnation." Weinstein attended the world-famous festival many times and several movies he produced have been selected in the competition. "Our thoughts go out to the victims, to those who have had the courage to testify and to all the others," Fremaux and Lescure said. "May this case help us once again to denounce all such serious and unacceptable practices." ___ 3:46 a.m. The Harvey Weinstein sex abuse scandal has entangled a former president, a former presidential candidate and now a former presidential adviser. Steve Bannon, the former Trump White House chief strategist and current head of Breitbart News, is the latest politico touched by the scandal. Bannon, whose website has hammered Democrats for accepting Weinstein's political donations, himself profited from a relationship with the movie mogul, in an ill-fated joint venture more than a decade ago. Bannon served as chairman of a small company that distributed DVDs and home videos, and went into business in 2005 with The Weinstein Co., led by Harvey Weinstein and his brother Bob.

– Rose McGowan is stating more frankly what she has long suggested. The actress, whose temporary suspension from Twitter was lifted Thursday afternoon, said in a tweet upon her return to the social media service, "HW raped me," apparently referring to Harvey Weinstein, the AP reports. Weinstein representative Sallie Hofmeister has said Weinstein "unequivocally denies" ''any allegations of non-consensual contact." In a series of tweets Thursday, McGowan addressed Amazon chief Jeff Bezos and said that she repeatedly told an Amazon Studios executive that "HW raped me." McGowan says the executive told her it wasn't proven and she said "I am the proof." McGowan last year said that she had been raped by a "studio head." The New York Times' Weinstein exposé reported that Weinstein paid a financial settlement to McGowan in 1997. Meanwhile, the eastern branch of the Writers Guild of America says it will take steps to make it easier for women to report sexual harassment and assault. In a statement Thursday, guild President Beau Willimon and Executive Director Lowell Peterson condemned Harvey Weinstein's "deplorable" behavior and said that "sexual harassment and assault have long been hallmarks of the entertainment industry." The guild said it will review what it can do to facilitate prevention of harassment going forward. The statement acknowledged that accusers often speak out at and face great professional and emotional risk. Cannes film festival officials also condemned Weinstein's alleged actions Thursday, and Hachette Book Group, one of the country's top publishers, says that it has "terminated" its deal with Weinstein Books. (Twitter has revealed why McGowan's account was suspended.)

A man has died after falling into a woodchipper on a rural property near Gympie, north of Brisbane. Emergency services arrived to find the man with critical injuries on the Goomboorian property, north-east of Gympie, about 8pm yesterday. The 54-year-old was clearing trees on private property with three others when he was accidentally pulled into the chipper, police said. "Unfortunately one of those persons has gone into the machine and has been fatally injured,” Maryborough Forensics Inspector Steve Webb said. Emergency services found the man with critical injuries. (9NEWS) () The man died at the property near Gympie. (Getty stock image) () The forensic team spent the morning at the site, to determine exactly how this tragedy occurred. It's believed two of the men were working further up the road when the man was killed. "They are all friends and they were doing a favour for the lady that owns the property sadly," Insp. Webb said. Queensland Workplace Health and Safety is investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident, as police examine the machinery. A report is being prepared for the Coroner. © Nine Digital Pty Ltd 2019 ||||| A man who died after falling into a woodchipper on Sunday had been helping a family friend by clearing small trees in her front yard, police said Emergency services were called to Tinana Road in Goomboorian, near Gympie, about 7.40pm on Sunday after a man had become caught in a woodchipper. He died at the scene. SHARE Share on Facebook SHARE Share on Twitter TWEET Link A man has died in what police have described as 'a tragic accident' near Gympie on Sunday. Photo: Nine News Queensland - Twitter Gympie Patrol Group Acting Inspector Paul Algie said the victim, 54, and two friends had spent the past three weekends at the rural property "doing a favour" for the resident. Police were yet to determine how the man fell into the wood chipper, but Acting Inspector Algie said he was killed "within a few seconds". The resident was home at the time of the incident, but didn't witness the tragedy. Police said the man's friends didn't see him enter the woodchipper but they did find him inside the machine and tried to pull him out. "It's just a tragic accident ... there is no suggestion of foul play," Acting Inspector Algie said. Advertisement “His friends are very, very traumatised about what’s happened and we are offering them referrals to support services in the community.” The trio was using a hired woodchipper, which has been removed from the scene and towed to an inspection yard, where a full safety assessment will be carried out by a specialist engineer in the coming days. The Forensic Crash Unit and Workplace Health and Safety Queensland attended the scene, while the Disaster Victim Identification squad was also called to help confirm the identity of the victim. Workplace Health and Safety Queensland investigators were also at the scene. Acting Inspector Algie emplored people, whether they may be at a work site or at home, to follow safety instructions and maintain the machinery they used. While the man is yet to be officially identified, next of kin have been informed and a report will be prepared for the coroner. With Jorge Branco

– A man trying to do a favor for a family friend ended up dead in a tragic accident in Australia Sunday night that local authorities are calling one of the worst scenes they've come across. Emergency services were called to a rural property in Queensland, where they found the 54-year-old with fatal injuries after having fallen into a wood chipper, 9 News reports. He and three others were clearing trees on the property when he was somehow pulled into the machine. Authorities are investigating exactly how the accident occurred. "They are all friends and they were doing a favor for the lady [who] owns the property, sadly," says one inspector. Another inspector says the men had been out there working for the past three weekends, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. "He was placing a tree into a tree shredder; [he became] entangled within the machine," one inspector tells the Gympie Times. His friends, who were said to be "traumatized" by the accident, per the Herald, frantically tried in vain to pull him out, but he was dead "within a few seconds." (A teen died in a wood chipper on his first day at work.)

FILE - In this Dec. 4, 2011 file photo, actress-singer Barbara Cook, left, reacts to remarks from President Barack Obama, next to fellow 2011 Kennedy Center Honors recipient singer and songwriter Neil... (Associated Press) NEW YORK (AP) — Barbara Cook, whose shimmering soprano made her one of Broadway's leading ingenues and later a major cabaret and concert interpreter of popular American song, has died. She was 89. Cook died early Tuesday of respiratory failure at her home in Manhattan, surrounded by family and friends, according to publicist Amanda Kaus. Her last meal was vanilla ice cream, a nod to one of her most famous roles in "She Loves Me." Throughout her nearly six decades on stage, Cook's voice remained remarkably supple, gaining in emotional honesty and expanding on its natural ability to go straight to the heart. On social media, powerhouse singers paid their respect, including Betty Buckley, who called Cook "one of the great artists & lovely being," and Lea Salonga, who wrote "Rest In Peace" on Twitter. New Tony Award winner Ben Platt from "Dear Evan Hansen" wrote: "Thank you Barbara Cook for the beautiful songs, the indelible characters, and the masterful storytelling. Heaven must sound glorious today." On Broadway, Cook was best known for three roles: her portrayal of the saucy Cunegonde in Leonard Bernstein's "Candide" (1956); librarian Marian opposite Robert Preston in "The Music Man" (1957); and Amalia Balash, the letter-writing heroine of "She Loves Me" (1963). Yet when Cook's pert ingenue days were over, she found a second, longer career in clubs and concert halls, working for more than 30 years with Wally Harper, a pianist and music arranger. Harper helped in shaping her material, choosing songs and providing the framework for her shows. To celebrate her 80th birthday, she appeared with the New York Philharmonic in two concerts in November 2007 and then had a similar birthday salute in London. In 2011, she was saluted at the Kennedy Center Honors and remained a singer even in her 80s. "Of course, I think I've gotten better at it," she said in an interview with The Associated Press in her Manhattan home in 2011. "I still think this is a work in progress. I do. Seriously. As the years go by, I have more and more courage to go deeper and deeper and deeper." Born in Atlanta in 1927, Cook always hated vocal exercises, never had a vocal coach and had an effortless skill of creating beauty by just opening her mouth. "I don't remember when I didn't sing. I just always sang," she said in 2011. "I think I breathed and I sang." Her father was a traveling salesman who sold hats; her mother worked for Southern Bell. Her baby sister died of pneumonia when she was 3 and her father left when she was 6. She was raised by her far-too-clingy mother, who blamed young Barbara for both the death and the abandonment. Cook made her Broadway debut in "Flahooley" (1951), a short-lived musical fantasy about a mass-produced laughing doll. The show became a cult classic for musical-theater buffs, primarily because it was recorded, keeping its memory alive long after the production closed. Cook then appeared in a pair of Rodgers and Hammerstein classics, playing Ado Annie in a City Center revival of "Oklahoma!" and then on tour in 1953. She followed that by portraying Carrie Pipperidge in a 1954 revival of "Carousel." It led to Cook's first original musical success, a yearlong Broadway run in "Plain and Fancy" (1955), in which she portrayed an innocent, unworldly Amish girl. The following year, she starred in "Candide," which ran only 73 performances but later became a staple of opera houses around the world. In the musical, Cook got to sing "Glitter and Be Gay," a fiendishly difficult coloratura parody of the "Jewel Song" from Charles Gounod's "Faust." Meredith Willson's "The Music Man" was Cook's biggest Broadway hit, opening in December 1957 and running for more than 1,300 performances. She won a Tony Award for her portrayal of the prim librarian who realizes Professor Harold Hill (Preston) is a con man selling band instruments and uniforms to the gullible residents of a small Iowa town. Cook scored a personal triumph in "She Loves Me," a Jerry Bock-Sheldon Harnick-Joe Masteroff musical based on the film "The Shop Around the Corner." It told of two squabbling employees in a Budapest perfume shop who, unknown to each other, are romantically inclined pen pals. Harnick and Cook became lifelong friends after teaming up on the show. "Barbara was a superb singer, a fine actress and, as a person, the soul of candor. I'll miss her in all three capacities," he said Tuesday. In the show, Cook sang a number extolling a gift of "Vanilla Ice Cream," which became a signature number for the performer when she began appearing in cabaret. Laura Benanti, who starred in Cook's old role on Broadway in a 2016 revival, posted a photo of her and Cook on Tuesday and wrote: "Thank you for inspiring so many of us. You will not be forgotten." Cook turned to solo shows after her Broadway career withered in the late 1960s as she battled alcoholism and weight gain. In her 2016 memoir "Then & Now," Cook describes hitting rock bottom as a drunk: "I was so broke that I was stealing food from the supermarket by slipping sandwich meat in my coat pocket." But she gave up drinking in the 1970s and, with the help of Harper, reinvented herself as a solo artist, working in small New York clubs and finally Carnegie Hall. Her first concert album, "Barbara Cook at Carnegie Hall" (1975), became a classic. Cook and Harper, who died in 2004, worked methodically and carefully on her shows, mixing show tunes with standards not from musical theater. Often the programs were constructed around themes, specific composers such as Stephen Sondheim, lyricists such as Dorothy Fields, or directors such as Harold Prince and Gower Champion. Sondheim became one of her biggest champions. Cook starred, along with Lee Remick, Mandy Patinkin and George Hearn, in a legendary 1985 concert version of "Follies" at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall. Her marriage to acting teacher David LeGrant ended in divorce. Cook is survived by a son, Adam LeGrant. When asked what her advice usually was to aspiring singers, she told The AP it boiled down to three words that she learned early on herself and have been her guide. "You are enough. You are always enough. You don't ever have to pretend to be anything other than what you are. All you have to do is deeply embrace who you are and you'll be fine," she said. "In life, aren't you drawn to the more authentic people? Of course. You're not drawn to phonies." ___ Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits ||||| Uploaded by 65Seasons on Song: Ice Cream Singer: Barbara Cook Composer: Jerry Brock Album: She Loves Me - Original Broadway Cast 1963 She Loves Me is a musical and movie with a book by Joe Masteroff, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and music by Jerry Bock. The musical is the fifth adaptation of the play Parfumerie by Hungarian playwright Miklos Laszlo, following the 1940 James Stewart-Margaret Sullavan film The Shop around the Corner and the 1949 Judy Garland-Van Johnson musical version In the Good Old Summertime. It would surface yet again in 1998 as the Tom Hanks-Meg Ryan feature You've Got Mail. The plot revolves around Budapest shop employees Georg Nowack and Amalia Balash who, despite being consistently at odds with each other at work, are unaware that each is the other's secret pen pal met through lonely-hearts ads. The original Broadway production played in 1963, and the show enjoyed a West End production and award-winning revivals on each side of the Atlantic in the 1990s. ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ If you haven't watched the musical, you would just might also enjoy the movie version of it, starring Gemma Craven and Robin Ellis. Someone (Bronxmom) has uploaded in YT the whole BBC Masterpiece Theater (TV movie sponsored by Mobil). This song is sung by Gemma Craven in Bronxmom's uploaded video - She Loves Me (Part 8) and the song starts at 6:55 of that video. Here's the link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pB6oEPyg7o0 I still have the European standard (PAL, not NTSC) Sony Beta cassette of that movie, that I happened to have copied in early 80s. ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ video scenery: Featured in this video are some streets in Toulouse, France. - Enjoy! - 212

– Barbara Cook, whose shimmering soprano made her one of Broadway's leading ingenues and later a major cabaret and concert interpreter of popular American song, has died, the AP reports. She was 89. Cook died early Tuesday of respiratory failure at her home in Manhattan, surrounded by family and friends, according to her publicist. Her last meal was vanilla ice cream, a nod to one of her most famous roles in She Loves Me. On Broadway, Cook was best known for three roles: her portrayal of the saucy Cunegonde in Leonard Bernstein's Candide (1956); librarian Marian, opposite Robert Preston in The Music Man (1957); and Amalia Balash, the letter-writing heroine of She Loves Me (1963). Yet when Cook's ingenue days were over, she found a second, longer career in clubs and concert halls, working for more than 30 years with Wally Harper, a pianist and music arranger. Born in Atlanta in 1927, Cook hated vocal exercises and never had a vocal coach. "I don't remember when I didn't sing. I just always sang," she said in 2011. "I think I breathed and I sang." Cook made her Broadway debut in 1951's Flahooley, a short-lived musical fantasy that became a cult classic, then turned to solo shows after her Broadway career withered in the late 1960s as she battled alcoholism and weight gain. She gave up drinking in the 1970s and, with the help of Harper, reinvented herself as a solo artist, working in small NYC clubs and finally Carnegie Hall. When asked what her advice usually was to aspiring singers, she once told the AP it boiled down to three words: "You are enough. You are always enough. You don't ever have to pretend to be anything other than what you are." Her marriage to acting teacher David LeGrant ended in divorce. Cook is survived by son Adam LeGrant.

Paul Ryan has had a charmed political career. Congressman at 29, then chairman of two powerful committees, vice-presidential nominee and speaker of the House by 45. Newsflash to Janesville: That streak could be coming to an end. Story Continued Below With GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump cratering in the polls and the House Republican majority at serious risk, Ryan's post-election career could take a number of different turns after Nov. 8 — none of them especially attractive. And as Ryan goes, so will Washington governance over the next few years. Here's a look at the three strongest possibilities for his immediate future: Ryan retains slim House majority The most likely scenario is that the House GOP loses from 10 to 20 seats on Election Day but maintains a slimmed down majority. That would make Ryan’s job — hardly a walk in the park now — a whole lot trickier. If Trump loses to Clinton in a landslide, a sizable number of Republicans could go down with him. That would leave Ryan scrambling to round up the votes to keep his gavel. He needs 218 Republicans to vote for him on the floor to become speaker in the next Congress. And while goodwill helped him clear that bar last year, the honeymoon is over. Conservatives give kudos to Ryan for opening the lines of communication in the House, and other Republicans in tough races lavish him with praise for raising record amounts of cash to help protect their seats and raise their profiles. But Ryan also angered a handful of lawmakers by distancing himself from Trump earlier this week, and some of the conservatives don’t like how he’s running the House. With a smaller majority, Ryan will have little margin for error in a floor vote over his nomination for speaker. That’s not much of a buffer: Nine Republicans voted against him last year when he took over from John Boehner. And while some members of the House Freedom Caucus are retiring, other members who backed him last time have declined to say whether they would do so again. The hard-line group of several dozen Republican lawmakers is already discussing demanding rule changes in exchange for voting for Ryan. Ryan’s staff has said he won’t be held hostage. Ryan has one overwhelming plus going for him, however: There's no apparent candidate who could garner the support to win the speakership. Ryan, many insiders say, is the only person who has the stature to lead such a divided conference, and that alone can guarantee him support. If he makes it to 218, the speakership election would be just the start of Ryan’s problems. Being in charge of a smaller majority would force Ryan to completely own any deals he cuts with a Clinton White House. That's certain to create friction in his ranks — and could complicate his political future. The rabble-rousing Freedom Caucus will make up a larger percentage of a diminished conference, which could push the House GOP to the right as the rest of Washington lurches to the left. Ryan would have a weak hand in negotiations with Democrats, too. It’s already become Washington conventional wisdom that House Republicans don’t fall in line behind their leader — a dynamic which could give his negotiating partners a leg up. “You’re going to get a very unpopular president … and you’re going to have a smaller yet more conservative House majority,” said a former House leadership staffer. “And the margin for error for Republican leaders is going to be so, so thin. … It will be difficult for them to do the basics of governing, from funding the government to reauthorizing noncontroversial programs.” Ryan leaves Congress There's a chance — an outside chance, most of his allies say — that Ryan could call it quits. One theory is that Ryan will step aside if Republicans balk at returning him to the speaker's chair, or make him jump over impossibly high hurdles to get there. This was never Ryan's dream job, and he's unlikely to allow conservatives to twist his arm. “Paul will never be taken hostage by those guys,” said a top GOP lawmaker, speaking on the condition of anonymity. “He will either be able to govern or he will give up the job.” The Wisconsin Republican's allies point to Ryan’s demand for GOP solidarity when he took over in November 2015 in the midst of the crisis sparked by Boehner's exit. Even then, nine Republicans voted against him. Consider this: None of the previous six speakers left of their own volition. Boehner, Newt Gingrich, Jim Wright, Tom Foley and Dennis Hastert were more or less forced out or lost their majority. Nancy Pelosi lost her gavel after an electoral bloodbath and stayed on as minority leader. Retirement could actually help Ryan if he wants to run for president. He'd be free of the shackles of the Freedom Caucus, the Senate and a Democrat in the White House. He could continue to speak out on his pet issues and causes, on his own timetable: Being speaker forces Ryan into many battles he doesn’t want, often in reaction to events. On the other hand, he'd lose an enormous national platform and have to fight every day for media attention that he’s guaranteed as speaker of the House. A sign reading, 'Shackle Ryan', is worn during a campaign rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on October 13, in West Palm Beach, Fla. | Getty Still, Ryan could use the time away from Congress to fill holes in his presidential résumé, especially on foreign policy. Overseas trips and meetings with foreign leaders could give him exposure. He could write a book — paging Bob Barnett! — laying out his vision for U.S. foreign policy. The ultimate policy wonk could lay out “big ideas” for remaking government, based in part on positions he's already espoused. Ryan, who's developed a national fundraising network, could continue to raise money even if he's out of office and keep sending cash to down-ballot Republicans. Ryan isn’t hard up for cash: He and his wife have a minimum net worth of nearly $3 million, according to his most recent financial disclosure report. If Ryan wanted to get into the private sector, the offers would come in rapid fire. He could teach, do some advocacy, start a nonprofit and consult in the private sector. That could also allow him to spend more time with his family, which he's long said is a priority. Minority Leader Paul Ryan It’s become gallows humor in the House Republican Conference: Maybe, just maybe, Ryan would be better off as minority leader. If Democrats take the majority, their margin is certain to be small, which means a House Minority Leader Paul Ryan would remain a serious force on Capitol Hill as the head of an empowered and aggrieved minority. There's a recent precedent for this: Pelosi slid from speaker to minority leader after the GOP's blowout win in 2010. Ryan's own predilection is toward incremental progress. His minority would likely consist of 200-odd votes, which would give him a strong hand in negotiations with President Hillary Clinton and Pelosi. From what we know of Ryan’s legislative profile, he wouldn’t be like former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), who decided to oppose President Barack Obama's 2009 stimulus package chiefly for political purposes. Ryan’s governing mantra is this, as voiced by the speaker himself in 2013 after he cut a massive budget deal with Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.): “We came here to get something done. We always lock horns. We always argue. We never agree. I think it is about time, for once in a long time, we find common ground and agree.” “Positive steps in the right direction,” Ryan is also known to say. Think small-bore corporate tax reform or modest entitlement tweaks, or something of that nature, in return for a boost in infrastructure spending. That's a deal Ryan could cut. Ryan would also be freed from the internal political constraints that would otherwise hobble him in the majority. He would only have to earn half the conference’s support in an internal election to win the minority leader slot, as opposed to the 218 votes it takes to become speaker. Being minority leader could also help him if decides to run for president in 2020. Being the guy who gets things done, but also stands up to Clinton, could allow him to straddle the two poles of the Republican Party and put his opponents in a tough spot. It’s not easy to run for the White House from the House minority, but Ryan has defied expectations before. Of course, it would take a lot of dominoes to fall into place for this to happen. Democrats need to win 30 seats to boot the Republicans from the majority. Right now, top Republicans peg their losses somewhere between 10 and 20 seats. But they warn that 20 seats could quickly turn into 30 if Trump continues to focus on speaking to a narrow slice of the electorate that’s already supporting him. ||||| For Democrats, winning back the House won't be easy. Here's how it might happen. The ongoing implosion of the Donald Trump campaign, after release of a tape capturing the Republican presidential nominee's demeaning remarks about women along with claims by women that they had been groped by the candidate, has touched off widespread concern about the fallout on the rest of the GOP ticket. This week, dozens of down-ballot candidates running for House and Senate seats have repudiated the standard-bearer in a wave of defections not seen in decades. House Speaker Paul Ryan has effectively told down-ballot Republican candidates to put their own campaigns first. Ordinarily, changing control of the House is an uphill battle for the party out of power. That's because of the longstanding power of the incumbency brought about by decades of redistricting. Over the years, both parties have rewritten the boundaries of their districts to solidify their support by drawing a line around highly concentrated pockets of voters, insuring that congressional districts stay in each parties hands. In many districts, the daunting reality of the long odds in unseating an incumbent also makes it harder for the party out of power to field strong candidates. Even when an incumbent retires or moves on to run for Senate, a party's hold on a given district can be tough to break. This year, of the 40 House seats that are open to newcomers on both sides, more than half are considered "safe" for the party in power. As a result, party control typically shifts each two-year cycle in only about 15 percent of congressional districts. That means the battle for control is fought in just a few dozen contested seats. This time around, the breakdown favors Republicans, with just 38 of the 435 seats considered real contests. ||||| Close Get email notifications on Matthew DeFour | Wisconsin State Journal daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. Whenever Matthew DeFour | Wisconsin State Journal 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. ||||| It was October 1998, and Hillary Clinton’s midterm campaign swing for Democratic candidates brought the first lady on a Saturday afternoon to a middle-school gymnasium in Janesville, Wis. A 28-year-old conservative upstart from the town was running for Congress — and Clinton, rallying 1,200 people with a rip-roaring denunciation of Republicans, was trying to stop him. Clinton’s efforts failed, of course. Paul D. Ryan went on to win, and he has held his House seat in Wisconsin’s industrial southeastern corner for nearly two decades as he has risen to become the highest-ranking Republican in the country. Clinton and Ryan did not know each other then, and they barely have a personal rapport now. When they served together on Capitol Hill, they did not collaborate. They have crossed paths only a few times, in perfunctory meetings while she was secretary of state. Clinton, 68, and Ryan, 47, also have no apparent social ties — although they do share a book agent, Washington super-lawyer Robert Barnett. Nonetheless, their relationship could become Washington’s most important in determining whether the federal government functions over the next four years, should Clinton win the presidency and Ryan retain his majority — as polls show is probable, although not certain, for both. Ryan’s uneasy relationship with Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump — one that appeared to reach its breaking point this week — has been front and center in this year’s melodrama of a campaign. It’s less clear what a Clinton-Ryan relationship would look like. House Speaker Paul Ryan said on July 6 that Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton may have been given preferential treatment from the FBI in its investigation of her use of a private email server and should not receive classified information during her campaign. (Reuters) “It’s fine,” Ryan said flatly when asked about his relationship with Clinton at a late-September breakfast hosted by the Economic Club of Washington. “I’ve only had two or three conversations with her. . . . I can’t really say I know her very well.” The relationship would hinge on how Clinton decides to begin her presidency. She could claim an electoral mandate and launch a pitched battle to pass the more progressive parts of her agenda. Or she could start with a relatively incremental push on a menu of domestic issues on which she and Ryan have shared interests, including infrastructure investment, criminal-justice issues and anti-poverty measures. “Do they want to begin it at loggerheads or with some signal to a very frustrated electorate that there is ground to be gained by focusing on the overlap between their two agendas?” asked William A. Galston, an official in President Bill Clinton’s administration and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. Mixed views about partnership There is a glaring fault line between optimism and pessimism about Clinton and Ryan forging a productive partnership. Some see the pair as policy wonks with pragmatic instincts who are poised to break the logjam. Others say their political caution and entrenched ideologies would prevent them from defying their bases to resolve disputes and build agreements. “To assume Washington is going to work next year is to assume she’s not Clinton and he’s not Ryan,” said former House speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), who has been advising Trump and had made legislative pacts with Bill Clinton on issues such as welfare and spending. “Paul Ryan will not be dealing with Bill Clinton,” Gingrich said. “I had a guy I could talk to who had been the governor of Arkansas and dealt with that state’s legislature and helped to found a centrist organization,” he added, referring to the Democratic Leadership Council. “Hillary, on the other hand, is someone who is hard left. They are totally different people with different instincts.” The other power broker in the Clinton-Gingrich negotiations, Republican former Senate leader Trent Lott (Miss.), has a far different assessment. Donald Trump started attacking members of his own party in a series of tweets Tuesday after many Republicans rescinded their support for the presidential nominee. The Fix's Chris Cillizza weighs in on the unprecedented unraveling of the GOP. (Jayne Orenstein/The Washington Post) Lott pointed to the lessons Hillary Clinton took away from watching her husband negotiate with Congress, as well as the warm relationships she built with Lott and other Republicans when she served in the Senate. He said Ryan has an even temperament and eagerness to shed his party’s reputation as obstructionist, as evidenced by the budget deal he struck with Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) in late 2013. “Paul Ryan’s nature is to try and find a way to make things work,” Lott said. “And Hillary has seen how important communication is. She understands they’re not just a bunch of rogues up there. . . . You’ve got to be willing to give a little to get a little. That’s how Bill Clinton and I made deals across the board.” Ryan’s biggest obstacle to partnering with Hillary Clinton would probably be the House Freedom Caucus, a group of dozens of hard-line conservatives whose threats of rebellion led Ryan’s predecessor, John A. Boehner (R-Ohio), to resign and who have become a thorn in Ryan’s side. One member, Rep. Dave Brat (R-Va.), who ousted then-House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in a primary two years ago, vowed to work with Clinton on issues such as fighting terrorism, but he said, “I don’t see a love fest.” “For us, it’s not about Paul Ryan,” Brat said. “It’s about constraining anyone who’s opposed to stopping the expansion of the federal government.” House Republican leaders have said that if Clinton is elected, they intend to continue their investigation into her use of a private email server as secretary of state, forecasting a stormy atmosphere. “Next year could be very much like 1998, when we impeached Bill Clinton,” Gingrich said. Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), who worked with Ryan on the House Budget Committee, said “the jury is still out” on the prospects for common ground. “The question for Paul Ryan is, is he going to be a speaker who wants to try and govern with President Clinton or continue to kowtow to the tea party faction?” Van Hollen said. “I think that battle within the Republican caucus is unavoidable. . . . If he wants to get stuff done, he’s going to have to be willing to have that showdown.” On top of the possible tensions between the speaker and Clinton could be a Senate with a narrow majority, with Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) or Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) as majority leader, depending on election results this fall. People who know Ryan said his amiable disposition can do only so much to help him connect with Clinton. “He’d be gracious and a gentleman, sure — less confrontational than Newt, and he’d be smoother than John Boehner,” said William J. Bennett, a close friend of Ryan’s and a former education secretary under President Ronald Reagan. But, Bennett said, “these aren’t people who are going out to dinner.” Further complicating Ryan’s calculations could be his political ambitions — namely, whether Ryan, the GOP’s vice-presidential nominee in 2012, would try to position himself to run against Clinton in 2020. Clinton probably would face similar pressures. She is distrusted by the Democratic Party’s liberal wing, which fueled the formidable primary challenge of Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.). Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and their followers have signaled they would try to halt any move to the middle by a President Clinton on bedrock programs such as Social Security and Medicare, which Ryan has long targeted for sweeping changes. Finding mutual goals? For Republicans, Clinton presents potentially a far different negotiating partner than President Obama. Obama came to office with little record of bipartisanship and with a disdain for the social rituals that have historically greased relations at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue. Clinton’s allies said she would be more sensitive to the political realities of divided government. “One of my favorite expressions about leadership is, ‘The best way to persuade is with your ears,’ and she truly understands that — the need to listen,” said Democratic former Senate leader Thomas A. Daschle (S.D.). Daschle led Senate Democrats through Clinton’s first four years in the chamber, and he recalled her painstakingly cultivating alliances across the aisle. For instance, she befriended Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), who only a few years earlier had argued the impeachment case against her husband. They traveled together overseas and worked on issues such as military benefits. And in 2006, when Clinton appeared in Time’s “100 Most Influential People” issue, it was Graham who penned a glowing tribute. “How do you build relationships?” Daschle asked. “It’s inclusion. It’s invitations to Camp David. It’s regular meetings at the White House. It’s socializing. It starts with that.” In his failed attempts at a “grand bargain” with Boehner, Obama’s approach was to appeal to Boehner’s sense of reason and convince him that a deal was best for the country, even if he suffered a backlash on the far right. But Clinton’s associates said she would approach similar talks like a mechanic, understanding Ryan’s constraints and identifying areas of mutual advantage. One such area could be an infrastructure spending bill, which Clinton has said would be an immediate priority. Ryan, too, has in the past year privately reached out to top Democrats about beginning infrastructure talks, which the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other pillars of the Republican establishment have championed. Clinton also would seek to work immediately on an overhaul of immigration law, an issue that Ryan has advocated but that has become anathema in parts of the Republican conference. It is possible that a Trump loss in November could shift political winds in the GOP, creating momentum for Ryan to consider starting discussions. “It’s got to be done in stages and pieces, not some big, massive bill that ends up collapsing under its own weight,” Ryan said at the Economic Club about the prospect of an immigration pact next year. There are other areas of mutual agreement, such as on criminal justice. Clinton and Ryan have expressed concern about mass incarceration and advocated changes to sentencing laws, and there are bipartisan efforts afoot. Another issue is fighting poverty, something Clinton and Ryan prioritize, although they have clear disagreements on the solutions. Ryan sees it as his personal mission and thrust it to the forefront of the GOP policy agenda. His confidants said he would feel invested in reaching an anti-poverty accord with Clinton. Bob Woodson, a veteran community organizer who has mentored Ryan, said he could envision Clinton and Ryan touring beleaguered urban neighborhoods together. “Paul and I have taken many of these kinds of trips, and he does it in a way where politics isn’t part of it,” Woodson said. “It won’t be easy. She’s going to want more government; he’s going to want more choice in education and different ways of spending money to tackle these problems. But he’s the kind of person who could sit down and come up with five or six concrete steps where there is overlap.” Clinton’s selection of Ken Salazar, a former Interior Department secretary and senator from Colorado, as co-chairman of her transition team was seen by some in Washington as a telling signal. “Ken was well known for his ability to work across the aisle,” Daschle said. “Just selecting Ken was a strong statement about her desire to govern.” Ryan’s friends say a glimmer of hope may be the speaker’s aversion to the caustic animus toward the Clintons within his party’s ranks — a trait they say traces to his days as a staff member. The Midwesterner has never been comfortable about Clinton conspiracies or sordid accusations, despite his opposition to the Clintons’ policies. “He wasn’t like a lot of conservatives his age in the ’90s who wanted to dig up Clinton dirt and scandals,” said Vin Weber, a former Minnesota congressman who worked with a just-out-of-college Ryan at Empower America, a think tank that has since shuttered. “Rather than talk about Monica Lewinsky, he’d want to crusade against tax increases.” Ryan’s unease about Clinton barbs has been evident on the campaign trail and in private fundraisers, where he goes after her policies but not after her personally. “He’s with his party, but he never said that he can’t work with her,” Weber said. “That’s a key distinction. He’s certainly not for her — but he has never said he’s unwilling to engage.” Read more: Trump declares war on GOP, says ‘the shackles have been taken off’ Here’s how good a shot Democrats have of actually winning the House ‘Donald Trump will protect you’: Some fear he is running to be a dictator ||||| Ever since last Friday's Access Hollywood bombshell, Speaker Paul Ryan has treated Trump's campaign as a sinking ship and has sounded an alarm to donors to shift resources towards saving the majority. Meanwhile, we have been inundated with questions about whether the majority is now in play. We've long been skeptical, but purposefully waited a few days to gather as much fresh data as possible before offering our view. A week later, Donald Trump's behavior towards women continues to consume the news. But there's little evidence of a wholesale shift in the House landscape. The prospect that GOP voters staying home clearly increases the party's downside risk, but neither side's polling suggests the "bottom dropping out" for congressional Republicans. Democrats need a 30 seat gain to retake the House, but that's very difficult to do when there are only 37 competitive races -- including six already held by Democrats. Today, even if they won all 6 seats in Lean Democratic and all 18 seats in Toss Up, they would still need to win 11 of 13 races in Lean Republican to win the majority. By the time the Mark Foley scandal broke in late September 2006, the hill for Democrats was much less steep. To help keep the House in perspective amid the madness, consider a few things: 1. Trump hasn't dragged Republicans all that far down - Trump was already on a downward slope after the first debate, and new polls show the tape has increased Clinton's lead to anywhere from 7 points (Fox News) to 9 points (NBC/Wall Street Journal) to 11 points (Atlantic/PRRI). Democrats' advantage on the generic generic congressional ballot has widened too, but not by as much as Trump has fallen since mid-September. Both the Fox News and NBC/Wall Street Journal polls peg Democrats' generic advantage at 48 percent to 42 percent, up a few points from last month. But as Amy Walter pointed out, Democrats' lead on the this question in the NBC/Wall Street Journal poll was 15 points at this point in 2006 and 13 points in 2008. Given the redistricting that's taken place since, a 6 point national lead isn't enough to give Democrats the majority. 2. The voters Trump has bled are the likeliest ticket-splitters - According to the freshly released NBC/Wall Street Journal and Fox News polling memos, Trump's ebb over the past few week has come disproportionately from traditionally GOP-leaning college-educated whites, particularly women. These voters seem to float in and out of the Trump coalition depending on whether Trump or Clinton is dominating headlines. Importantly, these suburban-dwellers are also the voters likeliest to stick with Republicans down-ballot because a) they are fundamentally Republicans b) they turn out at very high rates and c) they are likelier than other demographic groups to know who their local congressional candidates are. That's a distinct scenario from the GOP than Trump's base staying home, which would hurt much more. And that's good news for the House GOP. 3. Republican members ditching Trump isn't new - Over the weekend, a parade of Republican elected officials announced they would not vote for Trump, bringing the total of GOP governors, representatives and senators opposing him up from 19 to 63. But most GOP members in the most Democratic districts had previously opposed him, and the vast majority of recent House defectors never endorsed him to begin with. We've been through the same cycle after each Trump outrage: the shock wears off, the focus shifts back to Clinton, and Trump is renormalized as a candidate. That may or may not happen this time. But the more Democrats shift to tying House GOP candidates to Trump - as Tom Nelson has begun to do in WI-08 - the more Republicans may shift to running as a "check" against Clinton and appeal to "anticipatory balancing." 4. Real separation between white-collar and blue-collar districts is underway - The shockwaves in the presidential race aren't felt evenly everywhere. In the past month, the races that have moved the most dramatically in Democrats' favor are taking place in white-collar districts where GOP incumbents haven't done much to distance themselves from Trump: Reps. Darrell Issa (CA-49), John Mica (FL-07), Kevin Yoder (KS-03) and Scott Garrett (NJ-05). Meanwhile, Trump's toxicity hasn't been as severe in downscale areas as it has been in wealthy suburbs. Democrats haven't yet broken through against Reps. Tim Walberg (MI-07) or Tom Reed (NY-23). And they aren't in as good shape as they would like to be against Rep. Rod Blum (IA-01) and Bruce Poliquin (ME-02). Same goes for open seats like MN-02 and WI-08. We were beginning to notice this separation even before the Trump tape. 5. The Trump-Ryan split has ramifications beyond November - Paul Ryan's decision to throw Trump under the bus to save his majority, and Trump's decision to lash out at Ryan as "weak and ineffective," could have even greater ramifications in January than November. That's because if Democrats cut Ryan's majority in half, the GOP's losses are much likelier to come from the ranks of Ryan loyalists than Trump loyalists or the Freedom Caucus. Such an outcome could make Ryan's job miserable in 2017. If Clinton wins, would Ryan even want to run for speaker when the job would probably entail breaking the "Hastert Rule" just to keep the government open or avoid debt default - incurring the wrath of his own party? And if Trump blames Ryan's stiff-arm for his loss, could Ryan even muster enough Republicans to win the race for speaker without resorting to pursuing Democratic votes? Bottom line: A week ago we were about to revise our House outlook of a 5 to 20 seat Democratic gain downward because it looked like Republicans were on track to keep their losses to single digits. Trump's "unshackled" antics could hurt GOP turnout and substantially increase the odds Democrats score a gain in the 10 to 20 seat range. But the playing field remains narrow, and 30 seats is still a reach today.

– With scandal swirling around Donald Trump, do the Democrats have a chance at retaking control of the House of Representatives? An analysis at the Cook Political Report finds that it's still quite a long shot to think that Democrats could manage the 30-seat gain they'd need. David Wasserman lays out a multitude of reasons why this is, but the numbers speak for themselves: There are only 37 competitive House races, and six of those are seats already held by Democrats. Of the rest, 18 are "toss up" states and 13 are "lean Republican" states. Even assuming the GOP maintains its majority in the House, questions are also swirling about what will become of Paul Ryan—like, for example, if Hillary Clinton wins the presidency, will he even want to run for what could be a "miserable" term as speaker? More reading on both subjects: CNBC concurs that winning back control of the House wouldn't be easy for Democrats, but argues that the hope of doing so "isn't so far-fetched." Politico lays out the plausible scenarios for Ryan's future. One of them: If he does run for speaker again, he could have a hard time getting enough votes. There's also the chance, albeit slim, he could quit Congress entirely. The Washington Post, however, talks to an assortment of insiders for a story suggesting that Ryan and a hypothetical President Clinton could find a way to work together. Ryan himself spoke Friday in Madison, Wis., against that hypothetical president, the Wisconsin State Journal reports. He did not mention Trump by name once, but decried Democrats' "hubris" and focused on Republicans maintaining control of the Senate. Speaking of the Senate, Bloomberg notes that though it's an easier shot than the House (a net gain of four seats is needed), it will still be challenging for Democrats to retake that chamber. (This man could be president with just six electoral votes.)

Comments are filtered for language and registration is required. The Times makes no guarantee of comments' factual accuracy. Readers may report inappropriate comments by clicking the Report Abuse link next to a comment. Here are the full legal terms you agree to by using this comment form. ||||| The Ravens claimed their place in National Football League history on January 28, 2001 with one final dissertation on great defense. >> Archived coverage Welcome to The Baltimore Sun's Ravens game story database. Use the search prompts below for access to Baltimore Sun stories for every game in Ravens history.

– Former Baltimore Colt John Mackey, one of football's great tight ends and one of the fiercest advocates for the rights of NFL players, has died from dementia at the age of 69. Mackey, who revolutionized his position during his playing days, won better pensions and benefits for players as head of the NFL Players Association in the early '70s. "All of the benefits of today's players come from the foundation laid by John Mackey," Baltimore Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome tells the Baltimore Sun. "He took risks. He stepped out. He was willing to be different." After Mackey became ill and the cost of his care exceeded his pension, the league initially resisted paying disability income, claiming there was no link between football and brain injuries, reports the Los Angeles Times. The former No. 88's struggles led to the creation of the "88 Plan" to aid former players suffering from dementia or Alzheimer's. Even in death, Mackey will be helping sportsmen: He is among scores of retired players who pledged to donate their brains to a Boston University program studying sports brain injuries.

A former executive with Tiffany & Co. stole a little blue box bounty from the jeweler's midtown Manhattan headquarters and resold it for more than $1.3 million, federal authorities said Tuesday. Ingrid Lederhaas-Okun was arrested Tuesday at her home in Darien, Conn. She was to appear later in the day in federal court in Manhattan to face charges of wire fraud and interstate transportation of stolen property. As vice president of product development, Lederhaas-Okun had authority to "check out" jewelry from Tiffany to provide to potential manufacturers to determine production costs. Authorities allege that after she left Tiffany in February, the company discovered she had checked out 164 items that were never returned. According to a criminal complaint, the missing jewelry included numerous diamond bracelets in 18-carat gold, diamond drop and hoop earrings in platinum or 18-carat gold, diamond rings in platinum, rings with precious stones in 18-carat gold, and platinum and diamond pendants. When confronted about the missing jewelry, Lederhaas-Okun claimed that she had left some of it behind at Tiffany and that some had been lost or damaged, the complaint said. But an investigation found that Lederhaas-Okun resold the goods to an unidentified international dealer for more than $1.3 million, it said. Bank records showed that since January 2011, the dealer wrote 75 checks to her or her husband for amounts of up to $47,400, the complaint said. Investigators also recovered purchase forms signed by Lederhaas-Okun that said the items were her personal property. Authorities allege Lederhaas-Okun purposely checked out items valued at under $10,000 apiece to avoid detection. The company takes a daily inventory of all checked-out items worth more than $25,000. If convicted, Lederhaas-Okun faces up to 20 years in prison. The name of her attorney wasn't immediately available. Tiffany representatives declined to comment Tuesday. ||||| A former Tiffany exec was busted by the feds this morning in the theft of more than $1 million worth of bling from the famed jewelry company. Ingrid Lederhaas-Okun, who oversaw product development for the blue box bauble business, allegedly resold the valuable trinkets to an unidentified Midtown jewelry company and concocted a series of stories to account for the loss. The loot included more than 165 pieces, including “numerous diamond bracelets, platinum or gold diamond drop and hoop earrings, platinum diamond rings, and platinum and diamond pendants,” according to the feds. Lederhaas-Okun, 46, was nabbed by the FBI this morning at her home in ritzy Darien, Conn., and charged with wire fraud and interstate transportation of stolen property. The charges carry a maximum punishment of 30 years in the slammer. “As alleged, Ingrid Lederhaas-Okun went from a vice president at a high-end jewelry company to jewel thief,” Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara said. “Her arrest shows that no matter how privileged their position in a company, employees who steal will face the full consequences of the law.” According to a profile posted on linkedin.com, Lederhaas-Okun started working at Tiffany as an assistant buyer in 1991 and rose through the ranks over the following years. She was canned in February “as part of an overall downsizing at the jewelry company,” according to court papers. A Tiffany spokeswoman said: “In deference to the US Attorney’s investigation, we are not in a position to comment at this time.” Lederhaas-Okun is due in court later today.

– It's not the kind of jewelry heist screenwriters dream about, but this alleged plot seems to have gotten the job done: A former executive at Tiffany's is accused of taking 165 pieces of jewelry, pretty much one piece at a time, and then reselling them to an international dealer for about $1.3 million, reports AP. Ingrid Lederhaas-Okun had access to the loot as part of her job as VP in charge of product development. An investigation found that she checked out from storage everything from diamond bracelets to precious stones to gold earrings, items that somehow never found their way back to the company. Her excuses about things getting lost or damaged didn't stand up to scrutiny, especially when authorities found 75 hefty checks written by the unidentified dealer to her or her husband. (The New York Post says the dealer is a company in Midtown Manhattan.) The 46-year-old suspect, who lost her job at Tiffany's during downsizing in February, faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

Shortly after November's electoral defeat for the Democrats, pollster Mark Penn appeared on Chris Matthews's TV show and remarked that what President Obama needed to reconnect with the American people was another Oklahoma City bombing. To judge from the reaction to Saturday's tragic shootings in Arizona, many on the left (and in the press) agree, and for a while hoped that Jared Lee Loughner's killing spree might fill the bill. With only the barest outline of events available, pundits and reporters seemed to agree that the massacre had to be the fault of the tea party movement in general, and of Sarah Palin in particular. Why? Because they had created, in New York Times columnist Paul Krugman's words, a "climate of hate." Pima County, AZ Sheriff Clarence Dupnik held a press conference during which he blamed vitriolic political rhetoric for provoking the mentally unstable, and lamented Arizona's becoming the "mecca of prejudice and bigotry." Video courtesy of AFP. The critics were a bit short on particulars as to what that meant. Mrs. Palin has used some martial metaphors—"lock and load"—and talked about "targeting" opponents. But as media writer Howard Kurtz noted in The Daily Beast, such metaphors are common in politics. Palin critic Markos Moulitsas, on his Daily Kos blog, had even included Rep. Gabrielle Giffords's district on a list of congressional districts "bullseyed" for primary challenges. When Democrats use language like this—or even harsher language like Mr. Obama's famous remark, in Philadelphia during the 2008 campaign, "If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun"—it's just evidence of high spirits, apparently. But if Republicans do it, it somehow creates a climate of hate. There's a climate of hate out there, all right, but it doesn't derive from the innocuous use of political clichés. And former Gov. Palin and the tea party movement are more the targets than the source. Jared Lee Loughner, the man suspected of a shooting spree that killed a Federal Judge and critically wounded Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, had left a trail of online videos in which he railed against the government. WSJ's Neil Hickey reports. American journalists know how to be exquisitely sensitive when they want to be. As the Washington Examiner's Byron York pointed out on Sunday, after Major Nidal Hasan shot up Fort Hood while shouting "Allahu Akhbar!" the press was full of cautions about not drawing premature conclusions about a connection to Islamist terrorism. "Where," asked Mr. York, "was that caution after the shootings in Arizona?" Set aside as inconvenient, apparently. There was no waiting for the facts on Saturday. Likewise, last May New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and CBS anchor Katie Couric speculated, without any evidence, that the Times Square bomber might be a tea partier upset with the ObamaCare bill. Enlarge Image Close Associated Press Rep. Gabrielle Giffords So as the usual talking heads begin their "have you no decency?" routine aimed at talk radio and Republican politicians, perhaps we should turn the question around. Where is the decency in blood libel? To paraphrase Justice Cardozo ("proof of negligence in the air, so to speak, will not do"), there is no such thing as responsibility in the air. Those who try to connect Sarah Palin and other political figures with whom they disagree to the shootings in Arizona use attacks on "rhetoric" and a "climate of hate" to obscure their own dishonesty in trying to imply responsibility where none exists. But the dishonesty remains. To be clear, if you're using this event to criticize the "rhetoric" of Mrs. Palin or others with whom you disagree, then you're either: (a) asserting a connection between the "rhetoric" and the shooting, which based on evidence to date would be what we call a vicious lie; or (b) you're not, in which case you're just seizing on a tragedy to try to score unrelated political points, which is contemptible. Which is it? I understand the desperation that Democrats must feel after taking a historic beating in the midterm elections and seeing the popularity of ObamaCare plummet while voters flee the party in droves. But those who purport to care about the health of our political community demonstrate precious little actual concern for America's political well-being when they seize on any pretext, however flimsy, to call their political opponents accomplices to murder. Where is the decency in that? Mr. Reynolds is a professor of law at the University of Tennessee. He hosts "InstaVision" on PJTV. ||||| POLITICO launched Arena in 2008 with the hopes of creating a vibrant forum where Washington’s sharpest minds could debate and dissect the issues of the day. And Arena became just that. Over the past four years, Arena has hosted thousands of constructive, serious, provocative and civil debates on issues facing Washington and the nation. But the spirit of innovation that led to the creation of Arena now drives us to think about new ways in which POLITICO can present outside opinion with maximum impact. And as we plan our next steps in the opinion space, we’ve decided to draw the curtains on Arena. We’re grateful to everyone who participated in Arena over the years – as contributors, as moderators, as producers and as readers. Thanks for making Arena a success, and we look forward to continuing the conversation in the pages of POLITICO soon. ||||| I should have said this a few days ago, when my friend Glenn Reynolds introduced the term to this debate. But I think that the use of this particular term in this context isn’t ideal. Historically, the term is almost invariably used to describe anti-Semitic myths about how Jews use blood — usually from children — in their rituals. I agree entirely with Glenn’s, and now Palin’s, larger point. But I’m not sure either of them intended to redefine the phrase, or that they should have. ||||| In a recent video, Sarah Palin used the phrase "blood libel" to discuss the media's reaction to the Gabrielle Giffords shooting: "[E]specially within hours of a tragedy unfolding, journalists and pundits should not manufacture a blood libel that serves only to incite the very hatred and violence they purport to condemn. That is reprehensible."In this case, Palin is likely using the phrase "blood libel" to mean a false accusation. But it's a somewhat strange thing to say, given that the history of the phrase is itself quite bloody -- and loaded.Historically, blood libel refers to anti-Semitic accusations from the Middle Ages, when some believed that Jews made Passover matzo from the blood or organs of murdered Christian children. Democratic consultant Hank Sheinkopf told Politico, "The blood libel is something anti-Semites have historically used in Europe as an excuse to murder Jews -- the comparison is stupid. Jews and rational people will find it objectionable."The first example of blood libel, which is sometimes called "blood accusation," surfaced, as far as we know, in the writings of a monk. In 1173, Thomas of Monmouth wrote " The Life and Miracles of St. William of Norwich ," which told the story of a young boy who was allegedly killed in England around Easter 1144. According to Thomas of Monmouth, the town believed that local Jews were responsible. Afterward, a Jewish man was murdered. Since Thomas of Monmouth was the only one to write about the story, we have no idea whether the events, or some form of them, ever took place.Despite the questionable origins, the rumors took hold in Europe, lasting through approximately the 14th century. Some Jews were tortured, even executed, after being accused of such abductions and murders of Christian children; others converted to Christianity to save themselves.Though blood libel allegations declined after the Middle Ages, they still cropped up occasionally, even in the United States: In 1928, in upstate New York, the Jewish community of the town of Massenna stood accused when a 4-year-old girl disappeared. It was Yom Kippur, and the police questioned the town rabbi to see whether the local Jews might have been responsible. Even when the girl reappeared, having been lost, the Jewish community was still looked at with suspicion.The phrase was first used this week by Instapundit blogger Glenn Reynolds in an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal. Reynolds wrote, "So as the usual talking heads begin their 'have you no decency?' routine aimed at talk radio and Republican politicians, perhaps we should turn the question around. Where is the decency in blood libel?"In the National Review Online, blogger Jonah Goldberg questions Palin's and Reynolds' use of the phrase this week. "I agree entirely with Glenn's, and now Palin's, larger point. But I'm not sure either of them intended to redefine the phrase, or that they should have," he writes.But at least one political writer thinks that Palin was using the phrase to be intentionally provocative, fully aware of its associations. Politico's Ben Smith tweeted

– Sarah's Palin's "blood libel" is the phrase of the day, even setting off an online debate at Politico about her loaded word choice on victimhood. Palin didn't invent the phrase: As AOL News explains, it goes back to the Middle Ages, usually in reference to the myth that Jews used the blood of Christian children in rituals. It first got used in context with Arizona in a Wall Street Journal op-ed on Monday, in which Glenn Reynolds blasted the criticism of Palin and others, asking, "Where is the decency in blood libel?" Much of the debate centers on whether Palin intentionally used it to be provocative, perhaps a testament to how her every utterance can drive a media conversation: Jonah Goldberg, National Review: "I agree entirely with Glenn’s, and now Palin’s, larger point. But I’m not sure either of them intended to redefine the phrase, or that they should have." Ben Smith, Politico (via tweet): "A quick 'blood libel' thought. Palin's aides, including @thegoldfarb, get the context—so this is a pot being stirred, not an accident." Ernest Istook, Heritage Foundation: "It is but one term within Sarah Palin's thoughtful discourse about the Arizona shootings and our ability to discuss our differences vigorously but without violence. Anyone who listens to her entire comment should appreciate that."

About a quarter of American adults (24%) say they haven’t read a book in whole or in part in the past year, whether in print, electronic or audio form. Who are these non-book readers? Several demographic traits correlate with non-book reading, Pew Research Center surveys have found. For instance, adults with a high school degree or less are about five times as likely as college graduates (37% vs. 7%) to report not reading books in any format in the past year. Adults with lower levels of educational attainment are also among the least likely to own smartphones, even as e-book reading on these devices has increased substantially since 2011. (College-educated adults are more likely to own these devices and use them to read e-books.) Adults with annual household incomes of $30,000 or less are about three times as likely as the most affluent adults to be non-book readers (36% vs. 13%). Hispanic adults are about twice as likely as whites (38% vs. 20%) to report not having read a book in the past 12 months. But there are differences between Hispanics born inside and outside the U.S.: Roughly half (51%) of foreign-born Hispanics report not having read a book, compared with 22% of Hispanics born in the U.S. Older Americans are a bit more likely than their younger counterparts not to have read a book. Some 28% of adults ages 50 and older have not read a book in the past year, compared with 20% of adults under 50. There are modest differences when looking at gender and whether people live in urban, suburban or rural areas. The share of Americans who report not reading any books in the past 12 months has bounced around a bit since 2011, when Pew Research Center first began conducting surveys about book-reading habits. That year, 19% of adults reported not reading any books. The share of non-book readers hit a high point of 27% in 2015. The same demographic traits that characterize non-book readers also often apply to those who have never been to a library. In a 2016 survey, we found that Hispanics, older adults, those living in households earning less than $30,000 and those who have a high school diploma or did not graduate from high school are the most likely to report they have never been to a public library. Note: This is an update of a post originally published on Nov. 23, 2016. Topics: Education, Demographics, Libraries, Leisure Activities ||||| Prompted by some recent stats from the Pew Research Center about how many books Americans read, Jimmy Kimmel decided to do some investigating. SEE ALSO: Celebrities reading texts from their moms is hilariously awkward According to the study, about one in four Americans didn't read a book last year. Kimmel wagered that that figure was actually too high, and sent his team to ask pedestrians to name literally any book. A lot of people blanked entirely, or gave answers like The Lion King. To be fair, it is a weirdly broad question. ||||| Published on May 17, 2018 According to a recent study from the Pew Research Center, almost one in four Americans has not read a book in the past year. So to find out if that is true, we sent a team to the street to ask pedestrians to name a book, and here are the very sad results. Diane Keaton Kisses Jimmy Kimmel https://youtu.be/Vzb53v28z_Q SUBSCRIBE to get the latest #KIMMEL: http://bit.ly/JKLSubscribe Watch Mean Tweets: http://bit.ly/KimmelMT10 Connect with Jimmy Kimmel Live Online: Visit the Jimmy Kimmel Live WEBSITE: http://bit.ly/JKLWebsite Like Jimmy Kimmel on FACEBOOK: http://bit.ly/KimmelFB Like Jimmy Kimmel Live on FACEBOOK: http://bit.ly/JKLFacebook Follow @JimmyKimmel on TWITTER: http://bit.ly/KimmelTW Follow Jimmy Kimmel Live on TWITTER: http://bit.ly/JKLTwitter Follow Jimmy Kimmel Live on INSTAGRAM: http://bit.ly/JKLInstagram About Jimmy Kimmel Live: Jimmy Kimmel serves as host and executive producer of Emmy-winning "Jimmy Kimmel Live," ABC's late-night talk show. "Jimmy Kimmel Live" is well known for its huge viral video successes with 5.6 billion views on YouTube alone. Some of Kimmel's most popular comedy bits include - Mean Tweets, Lie Witness News, Jimmy's Twerk Fail Prank, Unnecessary Censorship, YouTube Challenge, The Baby Bachelor, Movie: The Movie, Handsome Men's Club, Jimmy Kimmel Lie Detective and music videos like "I (Wanna) Channing All Over Your Tatum" and a Blurred Lines parody with Robin Thicke, Pharrell, Jimmy and his security guard Guillermo. Now in its sixteenth season, Kimmel's guests have included: Johnny Depp, Meryl Streep, Tom Cruise, Halle Berry, Harrison Ford, Jennifer Aniston, Will Ferrell, Katy Perry, Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum, George Clooney, Larry David, Charlize Theron, Mark Wahlberg, Kobe Bryant, Steve Carell, Hugh Jackman, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Bridges, Jennifer Garner, Ryan Gosling, Bryan Cranston, Jamie Foxx, Amy Poehler, Ben Affleck, Robert Downey Jr., Jake Gyllenhaal, Oprah, and unfortunately Matt Damon. Can You Name a Book? ANY Book??? https://youtu.be/wJdNrCeUdhc ||||| 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.

– Jimmy Kimmel is taking issue with a recent study claiming 24% of Americans haven't read a book in the past year. He thinks the figure should be higher and, on his show Thursday, offered some corroboration in interviews with people on the street. Asked to name any book—the Bible would've been acceptable—plenty of people, even a former librarian, drew blanks. One man claimed to have read a book titled Horse by a guy named Moby Dick. Another answered, The Lion King. Asked one woman, "Do magazines count?" In their defense, "it is a weirdly broad question," Mashable notes. The segment ends with a clip from a 1990s NBA commercial. "When you know how to read, adventures come to you," says Shaquille O'Neal. "That's right. Thank you, Shaq," Kimmel concludes.