Datasets:

vblagoje

/

cc_news

like 45

Israel survey finds deep divisions, displeasure with leaders

JERUSALEM (AP) — With the prime minister facing a slew of corruption allegations, the peace process at a standstill and the government moving to stifle critics, it is no secret that Israel is a deeply polarized nation. But a new survey released on Tuesday shows just how divided the country has become. The annual Israeli Democracy Index found that 45 percent, or just under half of Israelis, believe the country’s democratic system of government is in serious danger. But the survey found very different sentiment among different parts of the population. Just 23 percent of Jewish right-wing and religious voters, the base of support for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, fear that Israel’s democracy is in danger. Yet among Jewish left-wing voters found in the opposition that number jumps to 72 percent, even higher than the 65 percent of Arab citizens of Israel who feel that way. Netanyahu’s government, which took office in 2015, is dominated by religious and nationalist parties, many of whom have taken an increasingly hard line against perceived critics of the government. His culture minister, for example, has moved to block funding to theaters that produce plays critical of the government or that refuse to perform in West Bank settlements. In recent months, Netanyahu and his supporters have responded to various corruption investigations by attacking Israel’s media, law enforcement, judiciary and other so-called “elites” he believes are bent on his removal. Netanyahu’s tactics have drawn comparisons to his friend, U.S. President Donald Trump, whose own war against the media and liberal critics propelled him to victory in last year’s election. According to Tuesday’s survey, nearly three-quarters of Jewish right-wing voters believe “the leftist judiciary, media and academia interfere with the elected right wing’s ability to rule.” On the other hand, 79 percent of secular Jews believe “the religious population is gradually taking control of the state.” Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute, a respected think tank that sponsors the survey, said the country is riven by “fundamental differences of opinion,” not only between Arabs and Jews and not only on questions of security. “Within the Jewish Israeli public, deep and ongoing disagreements exist regarding the proper balance between Jewish and democratic values of the state,” he said. The survey found widespread dissatisfaction with the country’s politicians. It found 68 percent of all respondents felt that parliament members do not perform their duties properly, and 80 percent believe politicians are more concerned with their personal interests than those of their constituents. Tamar Hermann, an Israeli professor who led the research, said that while the dissatisfaction levels were similar to last year’s survey, this year there was a marked increase in people who believe the country’s overall situation is good, to 48 percent from 36.5 percent last year. Nearly three-quarters of Israelis are satisfied with their personal situations. Hermann, academic director of the institute’s Guttman Center for Public Opinion and Policy Research, said this contrast was striking. “You see the politicians as if they live on another planet, whereas the public lives on this planet,” she said. “In a way, it is possible to live a quite good life on the public planet, whereas on the politicians’ planet the situation is quite dismal.” The study interviewed 1,024 people and had a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points. The margin increased to 3.4 points for Jewish respondents and 7.9 points for the smaller Arab sample size. The research was conducted in May, but took months to analyze and publish. Hermann said, however, that public opinion on such issues is “pretty stable.”

newcountry923.fm

2017-12-12 02:36:51

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/12/12/israel-survey-finds-deep-divisions-displeasure-with-leaders/

Hawaii man says he's devastated about sending missile alert

HONOLULU (AP) — A former Hawaii state worker who sent a false missile alert last month said Friday he’s devastated about causing panic but was “100 percent sure” at the time that the attack was real. The man in his 50s spoke to reporters on the condition that he not be identified because he fears for his safety after receiving threats. He says an on-duty call that came in on Jan. 13 didn’t sound like a drill. However, state officials say other workers clearly heard the word “exercise” repeated several times. “Immediately afterward, we find out it was a drill and I was devastated. I still feel very badly about it,” he said. “I felt sick afterward. It was like a body blow.” He’s had difficulty eating and sleeping since, he said: “It’s been hell for me the last couple weeks.” The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency fired him after the incident. The man’s superiors said they knew for years that he had problems performing his job. The worker had mistakenly believed drills for tsunami and fire warnings were actual events, and colleagues were not comfortable working with him, the state said. His supervisors counseled him but kept him for a decade in a position that had to be renewed each year. The ex-worker disputed that, saying he wasn’t aware of any performance problems. While starting a Saturday shift at the emergency operations center in a former bunker in Honolulu’s Diamond Head crater on Jan. 13, the man said, a co-worker took a phone call over the U.S. Pacific Command secure line that sounded like a real warning, he said. “When the phone call came in, someone picked up the receiver instead of hitting speaker phone so that everyone could hear the message,” he said. The man said he didn’t hear the beginning of the message that said, “exercise, exercise, exercise.” “I heard the part, ‘this is not a drill,'” he said. “I didn’t hear exercise at all in the message or from my co-workers.” Federal and state reports say the agency had a vague checklist for missile alerts, allowing workers to interpret the steps they should follow differently. Managers didn’t require a second person to sign off on alerts before they were sent, and the agency lacked any preparation on how to correct a false warning. Those details emerged Tuesday in reports on investigations about how the agency mistakenly blasted cellphones and broadcast stations with the missile warning. It took nearly 40 minutes for the agency to figure out a way to retract the false alert on the same platforms it was sent to. “The protocols were not in place. It was a sense of urgency to put it in place as soon as possible. But those protocols were not developed to the point they should have,” retired Brig. Gen. Bruce Oliveira, who wrote the report on Hawaii’s internal investigation, said at a news conference. Hawaii Emergency Management Agency Administrator Vern Miyagi resigned as the reports were released. Officials revealed that the employee who sent the alert was fired Jan. 26. The state did not name him. The agency’s executive officer, Toby Clairmont, said Wednesday that he stepped down because it was clear action would be taken against agency leaders after the alert. Another employee was being suspended without pay, officials said. The incident “shines a light” on the state’s system failures, the man who sent the alert said, adding that he believes the federal government should handle such alerts. Testing of the alert system began in November and protocols were constantly changing, he said. “As far as our level of training was concerned, I think it was inadequate,” he said. Hawaii state Department of Defense spokesman Lt. Col. Charles Anthony declined to comment on what the former worker said. Officials said the man refused to cooperate with state or federal investigations beyond providing a written statement. He wasn’t trying to impede any investigations, he said: “There really wasn’t anything else to say.” ___ This story has been corrected to say a co-worker took the call, not the man who sent the alert.

newcountry923.fm

2018-02-03 10:31:13

https://newcountry923.fm/2018/02/03/hawaii-man-says-hes-devastated-about-sending-missile-alert/

London firefighters search for more building inferno victims

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

newcountry923.fm

2017-06-15 01:42:52

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/06/15/london-firefighters-search-for-more-building-inferno-victims/

The Latest: Kristen Bell stays warm before Globes noms

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

newcountry923.fm

2017-12-11 07:05:06

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/12/11/the-latest-kristen-bell-stays-warm-before-globes-noms/

Microscopic organisms turn Istanbul shores turquoise

ISTANBUL (AP) — The waters around Istanbul have turned a striking shade of turquoise. A natural phenomenon called a “phytoplankton bloom” has turned the normally dark waters of the Bosporus and Golden Horn into an opaque tone of light blue. It’s caused by microscopic organisms that have inundated the Black Sea, just north of Turkey’s largest city. Berat Haznedaroglu, an environmental engineer, says it’s a normal annual event. He said: “This year we got a lot of rain events that carried nutrients from the Saharan desert to the Black Sea, which created an optimal environment for this phytoplankton to bloom.” Haznedaroglu works at the Institute of Environmental Sciences at Istanbul’s private Bogazici University. The Bosporus, a strait that separates Europe from Asia, also connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara.

newcountry923.fm

2017-06-15 04:53:41

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/06/15/microscopic-organisms-turn-istanbul-shores-turquoise/

Mother of G League player who died sues NBA, Pistons

DETROIT (AP) — The mother of a G League player who died in March after collapsing on the court during a game has filed a federal lawsuit accusing the NBA and the Detroit Pistons of negligence. Zeke Upshaw played for the Grand Rapids Drive, a G League affiliate of the Pistons. He collapsed during a game at Grand Rapids on March 24 and died two days later . The lawsuit was filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The NBA and Pistons are named as defendants, along with SSJ Group and The DeltaPlex Arena. Jewel Upshaw, the player’s mother, is the plaintiff, both individually and on behalf of Zeke Upshaw’s estate. The lawsuit alleges medical personnel at the game failed to attempt lifesaving measures in a timely fashion. “Remarkably, for much longer than four full minutes, no cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was initiated, no chest compressions were started, no oxygen mask was placed on his nose and mouth, no airway was cleared and secured, and no defibrillator sensors and electric delivery patches were attached and secured to Zeke’s chest,” the suit says. The suit also says the defendants failed to provide the G League team “the resources, policies, and procedures reasonably necessary” to prevent or handle Upshaw’s collapse. “The NBA family continues to mourn the tragic passing of Zeke Upshaw,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said. “We received a copy of the complaint and are reviewing it.” Upshaw started his college basketball career at Illinois State. He graduated with a degree in apparel, merchandising and design. The Chicago native then transferred to Hofstra, where he played in 2013-14. Upshaw was undrafted and played internationally in Slovenia and Luxembourg. He spent most of the last two seasons with the Drive. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball ___ Follow Noah Trister at www.Twitter.com/noahtrister

newcountry923.fm

2018-05-30 16:52:50

https://newcountry923.fm/2018/05/30/mother-of-g-league-player-who-died-sues-nba-pistons/

IS claims it's taken bin Laden's Afghan hideout of Tora Bora

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Islamic State group is claiming its fighters have captured Osama bin Laden’s infamous Tora Bora mountain hideout in eastern Afghanistan. IS released an audio recording saying its signature black flag is flying over the hulking mountain range. The message was broadcast on the militants’ Radio Khilafat station in the Pashto language late on Wednesday. It also says IS has taken over several districts and urged villagers who fled the fighting to return to their homes and stay indoors. The Tora Bora mountains hide a warren of caves in which al-Qaeda militants led by bin Laden hid from U.S. coalition forces in 2001, after the Taliban fled Kabul. Afghan officials earlier said fighting between IS and the Taliban, who controlled Tora Bora, began on Tuesday but couldn’t confirm its capture.

newcountry923.fm

2017-06-15 01:26:04

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/06/15/is-claims-its-taken-bin-ladens-afghan-hideout-of-tora-bora/

Rodman gives North Korean official Trump's 'Art of the Deal'

PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) — Former NBA star Dennis Rodman, on low-key return to Pyongyang, has given the North Korean sports minister a copy of President Donald Trump’s book “The Art of the Deal.” It wasn’t signed by Trump, who was Rodman’s boss for two seasons of the “Celebrity Apprentice” reality TV show. Rodman’s arrival on Tuesday came just hours after the North decided to release Otto Warmbier, an American university student who had been imprisoned for 15 years with hard labor for trying to steal a propaganda banner. Warmbier, who had been confined for 17 months, has apparently fallen into a coma not long after his confinement began. Pyongyang said Thursday saying it decided to let him go for “humanitarian reasons.” Officials in Washington and Pyongyang said Rodman played no role in the release.

newcountry923.fm

2017-06-15 00:32:45

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/06/15/rodman-gives-north-korean-official-trumps-art-of-the-deal/

California aims to quash immigration detention growth

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — California is aiming to quash the growth of immigration detention in the state in a proposed budget measure to push back against the Trump administration’s plans to boost deportations. The state’s $125 billion budget — which is set to be approved Thursday — has a related measure to prevent local governments from signing contracts with federal authorities for immigration detention facilities or expanding existing contracts. It would also have the state attorney general review conditions at immigration detention facilities in California. “I think we send a very clear message in this budget that California is going in the opposite direction of Trump’s administration,” said Sen. Ricardo Lara, a Democrat from Bell Gardens. The budget was negotiated by Gov. Jerry Brown and Democratic legislative leaders. Immigration and Customs Enforcement declined to comment on pending legislation. The proposal is the latest in a series of moves by California lawmakers aimed at protecting immigrants in the country illegally from President Donald Trump’s efforts to ramp up immigration enforcement. State lawmakers are also weighing proposals to provide lawyers to immigrants in deportation proceedings and limit communication between local police and federal immigration agents. There are currently nine immigration detention facilities in California. All but one of them — the Otay Mesa Detention Center near the U.S.-Mexico border — contract through local government agencies. ___ Associated Press writer Jonathan J. Cooper in Sacramento contributed to this report.

newcountry923.fm

2017-06-14 18:06:33

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/06/14/california-aims-to-quash-immigration-detention-growth/

Red Sox rookies Devers, Benintendi key win over Yanks in 10

NEW YORK (AP) — So much for inexperience. Red Sox rookies Rafael Devers and Andrew Benintendi can simply swing the bat. Devers hit a stunning homer off Aroldis Chapman to tie the game in the ninth inning, and Benintendi singled home the go-ahead run in the 10th as Boston beat the New York Yankees 3-2 on Sunday night. “No pressure at all,” veteran teammate Hanley Ramirez said. “I think they know what the big leagues are about.” Chris Sale struck out 12 in his latest dominant performance, but Boston trailed 2-1 before the 20-year-old Devers connected on a 103 mph fastball and became the second left-handed hitter to homer off Chapman in his eight-year career. “An incredible swing,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said. “He doesn’t fear the moment. He’s jumped feet first into this rivalry. It couldn’t have come at a better time.” By winning a battle of hard-throwing bullpens, the Red Sox upped their AL East lead to a season-high 5 1/2 games over rival New York. Boston (67-50) took two of three in the series and is a season-best 17 games over .500 after winning 10 of its past 11. “This is what we live for,” Sale said. “A little bit more fun being at Yankee Stadium, where it’s enemy territory.” The teams meet again next weekend at Fenway Park. But first, the scuffling Yankees face the crosstown-rival New York Mets in the Subway Series beginning Monday night. With one out in the 10th, Chapman (4-2) plunked Jackie Bradley Jr. with a 101 mph pitch and walked Eduardo Nunez. Tommy Kahnle walked Mookie Betts before the 23-year-old Benintendi, who had a pair of three-run homers in Saturday’s victory, singled to right field. Todd Frazier gave the Yankees a 2-1 lead in the eighth with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly off Matt Barnes. Chapman entered throwing smoke in the ninth, but couldn’t close it out. Devers, playing his 15th major league game after entering as a pinch hitter in the sixth, drove a 1-2 fastball the other way into the Red Sox bullpen in left-center. He clapped his hands as he rounded first on his fourth home run, which handed Chapman his fourth blown save in 19 chances. “It was a good pitch,” Chapman said through a translator, acknowledging he was a little surprised to see Devers take him deep. The left-hander was lifted in the 10th and walked off the mound to boos. “I treat every pitcher the same,” Devers said through a translator. “I felt more emotion rounding the bases knowing that I had tied the game.” The only other left-handed hitter to homer off Chapman in his eight-year career was Luke Scott for Baltimore in 2011 against Cincinnati. “It’s not easy to stay in there with a guy throwing 103. So, it just kind of shows you the player that he is,” Benintendi said about Devers. Craig Kimbrel (4-0) struck out Brett Gardner with a runner on third to end the ninth and then tossed a perfect 10th. Sale went seven innings and increased his major league-leading strikeout total to 241. He allowed four hits and one run — which could have been prevented by better defense. The AL ERA leader has 16 double-digit strikeout games this season, three versus New York. Each No. 9 batter had a two-out RBI in the fifth. Bradley put Boston ahead with a single before Austin Romine answered with his first career triple, a drive that glanced off the mitt of Betts, a 2016 Gold Glove winner, as he backed into the right-field wall. “It’s a frustrating loss, there’s no doubt about it,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. HEAD GAMES Cool and clear-headed, New York rookie Jordan Montgomery matched Sale for 5 1/3 innings and left to a warm hand from a sellout crowd of 46,610 that included actor Leonardo DiCaprio, who was wearing a Yankees cap. The day before, Montgomery was hit on the head by a fly ball while signing autographs as the Red Sox took batting practice. He bled from a cut on his ear, but was OK to pitch Sunday. TRAINER’S ROOM Red Sox: LHP David Price (elbow inflammation) threw from 90 feet. He is scheduled for a day off Monday before resuming his throwing program Tuesday. … RHP Carson Smith (elbow) tossed a scoreless inning with two strikeouts Saturday in his third rehab outing, second for Triple-A Pawtucket. Farrell said the “early phase” of Smith’s rehab assignment has been encouraging, but the reliever is expected to remain in the minors for several weeks. Smith is recovering from Tommy John surgery in May 2016. Yankees: 1B Greg Bird (right ankle surgery) is scheduled to work out with the team Tuesday and begin a minor league rehab assignment Wednesday. … All-Star 2B Starlin Castro (strained right hamstring) plans to work out with the club Thursday and start a rehab assignment Friday. … DH Matt Holliday (back) was slated to take batting practice. UP NEXT Red Sox: RHP Doug Fister (2-5, 5.03 ERA) faces AL Central-leading Cleveland at Fenway Park on Monday night in the makeup of an Aug. 2 rainout. Trevor Bauer (10-8, 4.79 ERA) pitches for former Red Sox manager Terry Francona and the Indians. Yankees: Host the depleted Mets (53-62) in the first of two games in the Bronx, followed by a pair at Citi Field. Ex-Mets farmhand Luis Cessa (0-3) will be recalled from the minors to start the opener in place of injured Masahiro Tanaka. Rafael Montero (1-8) pitches for the Mets. ___ More AP baseball coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

newcountry923.fm

2017-08-14 00:38:54

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/08/14/red-sox-rookies-devers-benintendi-key-win-over-yanks-in-10/

After NYC subway bombing, Trump slams 'chain migration'

NEW YORK (AP) — A would-be suicide bomber’s rush-hour blast in the heart of the New York City subway system failed to cause the bloodshed he intended, authorities said, but it gave new fuel to President Donald Trump’s push to limit immigration. Hours after Monday’s explosion in an underground passageway connecting two of Manhattan’s busiest stations, Trump cited the background of the alleged bomber in renewing his call for closer scrutiny of foreigners who come to the country and less immigration based on family ties. The man arrested in the bombing, Akayed Ullah — who told investigators he wanted to retaliate for American action against Islamic State extremists — came to the U.S. from Bangladesh in 2011 on a visa available to certain relatives of U.S. citizens. “Today’s terror suspect entered our country through extended-family chain migration, which is incompatible with national security,” Trump said in a statement that called for various changes to the immigration system. Earlier, White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump’s proposed policies “could have prevented this.” In a scenario New York had dreaded for years, Ullah strapped on a crude pipe bomb with Velcro and plastic ties, slipped unnoticed into the nation’s busiest subway system and set off the device, authorities said. The device didn’t work as intended; authorities said Ullah, 27, was the only person seriously wounded. But the attack sent frightened commuters fleeing through a smoky passageway, and three people suffered headaches and ringing ears from the first bomb blast in the subway in more than two decades. “This is one of my nightmares … a terrorist attack in the subway system,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo told cable channel NY1. “The good news is: We were on top of it.” Ullah was being treated for burns to his hands and abdomen but spoke to investigators from his hospital bed, law enforcement officials said. He was “all over the place” about his motive but indicated he wanted to avenge what he portrayed as U.S. aggression against the Islamic State group, a law enforcement official said. The officials spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the blast. Ullah’s low-tech bomb used explosive powder, a nine-volt battery, a Christmas light and matches, the officials said. Investigators said the suspect was seen on surveillance footage igniting the bomb. In the end, it wasn’t powerful enough to turn the pipe into deadly shrapnel, the officials said. Law enforcement officials said Ullah looked at IS propaganda online but is not known to have any direct contact with the militants and probably acted alone. Cuomo said there was no evidence, so far, of other bombs or a larger plot. The Democrat said officials were exploring whether Ullah had been on authorities’ radar, but there was no indication yet that he was. The attack came less than two months after eight people died near the World Trade Center in a truck attack that, authorities said, was carried out by an Uzbek immigrant who admired the Islamic State group. Since 1965, America’s immigration policy has centered on giving preference to people with advanced education or skills, or people with family ties to U.S. citizens and, in some cases, legal permanent residents. Citizens have been able to apply for spouses, parents, children, siblings and the siblings’ spouses and minor children; the would-be immigrants are then screened by U.S. officials to determine whether they can come. Trump’s administration has called for a “merit-based” immigration system that would limit family-based green cards to spouses and minor children. Ullah lived with his father, mother and brother in a Brooklyn neighborhood with a large Bangladeshi community, residents said. He was licensed to drive a livery cab between 2012 and 2015, but the license was allowed to lapse, according to law enforcement officials and New York City’s Taxi and Limousine Commission. His family was “deeply saddened” by the attack but also “outraged by the way we have been targeted by law enforcement,” the family said in a statement sent by the New York Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. A teenage relative was pulled out of class and questioned in school without a parent, guardian or lawyer, the statement said. Security cameras captured the attacker walking casually through a crowded passageway when the bomb went off around 7:20 a.m. A plume of white smoke cleared to show the man sprawled on the ground and commuters scattering. Port Authority police said officers found the man injured on the ground, with wires protruding from his jacket and the device strapped to his torso. They said he was reaching for a cellphone and they grabbed his hands. The last bomb blast in the subway system was believed to be in December 1994, when an explosive made from mayonnaise jars and batteries wounded 48 people in a car in lower Manhattan. Prosecutors said unemployed computer programmer Edward Leary set off the explosion to try to extort $2 million from the city’s transit agency; he claimed insanity. He was convicted of attempted murder and sentenced to 94 years in prison. ___ Associated Press writers Tom Hays, Jake Pearson, Kiley Armstrong, Larry Neumeister and David James Jeans in New York, Michael Balsamo in Los Angeles, Matt Pennington in Washington, D.C., and AP researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York contributed to this report.

newcountry923.fm

2017-12-12 00:05:21

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/12/12/after-nyc-subway-bombing-trump-slams-chain-migration/

Trump cites memo as evidence he's in the clear

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is claiming complete vindication from a congressional memo that alleges the FBI abused its surveillance powers during the investigation into his campaign’s possible Russia ties. But the memo also includes revelations that might complicate efforts by Trump and his allies to undermine special counsel Robert Mueller’s inquiry. The memo released Friday contends that the FBI, when it applied for a surveillance warrant on a onetime Trump campaign associate, relied excessively on an ex-British spy whose opposition research was funded by Democrats. At the same time, the memo confirms that the investigation into potential Trump links to Russia actually began several months earlier, and was “triggered” by information involving a different campaign aide.

newcountry923.fm

2018-02-03 23:15:37

https://newcountry923.fm/2018/02/03/trump-cites-memo-as-evidence-hes-in-the-clear/

Drinking problem: Ryanair wants UK airports to curb alcohol

LONDON (AP) — Ryanair is calling on British airports to curb alcohol sales following sharp increases in the number of incidents involving disruptive passengers. The budget airline issued a statement Monday calling for a ban on alcohol sales before 10 a.m. and for limiting the number of drinks in bars and restaurants to a maximum of two. The airline cited Civil Aviation Authority statistics showing a 600 percent increase in disruptive incidents between 2012-2016 and said most involved alcohol. Ryanair’s Kenny Jacobs says it’s unfair “that airports can profit from the unlimited sale of alcohol to passengers and leave the airlines to deal with the safety consequences.” The airline says it has taken steps to prevent disruptive behavior on its flights, including preventing consumption of duty-free alcohol purchases on board.

newcountry923.fm

2017-08-14 10:12:21

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/08/14/drinking-problem-ryanair-wants-uk-airports-to-curb-alcohol/

AP source: Ex-FBI No. 2 official wrote memo on Comey firing

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe drafted a memo on the firing of his onetime boss, James Comey. That’s according to a person familiar with the memo, who insisted on anonymity to discuss a secret document that has been provided to special counsel Robert Mueller. The person says the memo concerned a conversation McCabe had with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein about Rosenstein’s preparations for Comey’s firing. The Associated Press reported in March that McCabe had drafted multiple memos, including about his interactions with President Donald Trump. The New York Times first reported on the content of this particular memo. McCabe became FBI acting director following Comey’s firing last May. He was fired as deputy director in March amid an inspector general finding that he had misled internal investigators.

newcountry923.fm

2018-05-30 21:03:48

https://newcountry923.fm/2018/05/30/ap-source-ex-fbi-no-2-official-wrote-memo-on-comey-firing/

Asian shares mixed as some recover from earlier slump

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares were mixed Tuesday as some indexes recouped earlier losses set off by an overnight decline on Wall Street. Investors are awaiting the first Federal Reserve meeting under the new chairman, Jerome Powell, and anticipating the first rate increase of the year. KEEPING SCORE: Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 lost 0.5 percent to finish at 21,380.97. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.4 percent to 5,936.40, while South Korea’s Kospi inched up 0.2 percent to 2,479.81. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was virtually unchanged at 31,524.83, while the Shanghai Composite edged 0.3 percent higher to 3,289.80. FACEBOOK DROP: The technology rout on Wall Street on Monday was set off by Facebook’s worst loss in four years. The social media giant’s plunge followed reports that Cambridge Analytica, a data mining firm working for President Donald Trump’s campaign, improperly obtained data on 50 million Facebook users without their permission. Legislators in the U.S. and Europe criticized Facebook, and investors are wondering if companies like Facebook and Alphabet will face tighter regulation. WALL STREET: The S&P 500 index sank 1.4 percent to 2,712.92. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 1.3 percent to 24,610.91. The Nasdaq composite gave up 1.8 percent to 7,344.24 and the Russell 2000 index of smaller-company stocks declined 1 percent to 1,570.56. FEDERAL RESERVE: The U.S. Federal Reserve’s first meeting under Jerome Powell’s leadership ends later this week, likely with an announcement that the Fed will resume modest interest rate hikes. A healthy U.S. job market and a relatively steady economy have given the Fed the confidence to think the economy can withstand further increases. And the financial markets have been edgy for weeks. ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude rose 55 cents to $62.68 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It lost 28 cents on Monday. Brent crude, used to price international oils, also gained 55 cents to $62.60 per barrel in London. CURRENCIES: The dollar recovered to 106.27 yen from 105.92 late Monday. The euro rose to $1.2341 from $1.2267. ___ AP Markets Writer Marley Jay, who contributed to this report, can be reached at http://twitter.com/MarleyJayAP His work can be found at https://apnews.com/search/marley%20jay Follow Yuri Kageyama on Twitter at https://twitter.com/yurikageyama Her work can be found at https://www.apnews.com/search/yuri%20kageyama

newcountry923.fm

2018-03-20 01:59:40

https://newcountry923.fm/2018/03/20/asian-shares-mixed-as-some-recover-from-earlier-slump/

5 things to watch in Alabama's high stakes Senate race

WASHINGTON (AP) — As Alabama votes to fill the seat vacated by Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the choice between Republican Roy Moore and Democrat Doug Jones has taken on outsized significance. Moore has faced allegations of sexual misconduct with teenagers, dividing the GOP and giving Democrats hope of picking up a seat in a reliably red state. Here is what to look for in Tuesday night’s results: WHAT IS THE TRUMP DRAW? Alabama has once already proven the bounds of President Donald Trump’s political influence. He endorsed Moore’s GOP rival, Sen. Luther Strange, in the September primary, campaigning for him in Alabama hours before he was trounced by the state’s conservative voters. Now Trump has wagered a greater sum on Moore’s candidacy. The president resisted calls from his party’s senior leadership to abandon Moore after the sexual misconduct allegations surfaced. He directed the Republican National Committee to re-enter the race on Moore’s behalf, repeatedly attacked Jones, and recorded last-minute robo-calls on the Republican’s behalf. A GOP defeat in the deep-red state would speak to the limits of Trump’s ability to sway and motivate Republican voters. WILL DEMOCRATIC TURNOUT EFFORTS PAY OFF? In recent days, Democrats have pulled out the stops for Jones, including recorded calls from former President Barack Obama and visits from high-profile surrogates. They’re trying to boost turnout among those most likely to be aggravated by Moore’s controversial past, including black voters, and make inroads with suburban women_who proved to be pivotal to Democratic victories last month. Strong turnout and Democratic gains on both those fronts could point to trouble for Moore, and for the GOP going into next year. WILL DEMOCRATS END THEIR SPECIAL ELECTION BAD LUCK? Despite a ripe political climate, high-profile coverage, and huge injections of cash, Democrats are winless in five contests for vacant Republican congressional seats this year. All have been held in reliably Republican strongholds, but the defeats have still taken their toll on a party in a struggle for its identity. Wins in Virginia, New Jersey, and Maine in the November off-year election have provided some sorely-needed optimism for the 2018 midterms, and a Senate seat pick-up in Alabama would add pep to the party’s step. HOW WILL IT AFFECT RETIREMENTS? Sensing a difficult midterm election looming, 16 Republican members of the House and two in the Senate have already announced they will not run again next year. The retirement gap_only six Democrats in the House and one in the Senate have said they won’t run_can be an early indicator of what’s to come in a midterm election. (A more even split of retirements exists for lawmakers retiring from Congress to seek other office.) Republican leaders are anticipating more retirements on their side from lawmakers in competitive seats where members are facing challenging and expensive contests. A Democratic victory statewide in Alabama could foretell a dire year ahead for Republicans, which could send more Republicans to announce their departures on their own terms. WAS MOORE WORTH IT? The Republican Party’s decision to maintain support for Roy Moore stands to be a defining choice for years to come. The party chose to embrace a one-time pariah for reasons of political expediency, and then doubled-down in the face of troubling allegations of sexual assault and harassment. For the president, it’s a matter of practicality_a loss would narrow the GOP’s thin majority in the Senate even further at a time when his agenda faces critical tests. But other Republicans worry it’s a short-term ploy that has sacrificed their moral authority and that may come back to haunt them in the coming year. Republican lawmakers have spent the past months struggling to answer questions about Moore and his long history of divisive comments, and should he win, his presence will loom large in the Capitol and on the campaign trail. If Moore keeps the Senate seat in Republican hands, it may justify the backlash for some GOP officials. If he loses, the GOP has stuck by a candidate despite accusations of sexual impropriety, and who has alienated vast swaths of the electorate, with nothing to show for it.

newcountry923.fm

2017-12-12 02:35:41

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/12/12/5-things-to-watch-in-alabamas-high-stakes-senate-race/

Corsican nationalists protest ahead of French leader's visit

CORSICA, France (AP) — Corsica’s nationalist leaders are demonstrating along with unions and students ahead of a visit next week by French President Emmanuel Macron. The newly elected leaders on the French Mediterranean island hope that Saturday’s march will spur on fresh talks with the French government about demands including equal status for the Corsican language and the release of Corsican prisoners held in mainland prisons. In December, Corsican nationalists swept the election for a new regional assembly, crushing Macron’s young centrist movement and traditional parties. The nationalists want more autonomy from Paris but unlike some in Spain’s nearby Catalonia, they aren’t seeking full independence — yet. They also want protections for locals buying real estate on the destination that the French refer to as the “Island of Beauty,” which is famed as Napoleon’s birthplace.

newcountry923.fm

2018-02-03 09:58:02

https://newcountry923.fm/2018/02/03/corsican-nationalists-protest-ahead-of-french-leaders-visit/

Van Gogh 'Sunflowers' reunited online

LONDON (AP) — Five versions of a Vincent van Gogh masterpiece are being reunited for the first time Monday in a “virtual exhibition.” Van Gogh painted his “Sunflowers” series in the south of France in 1888 and 1889. Five versions of the work reside in five different museums on three continents. On Monday, they all will be streamed to a global audience in a Facebook Live broadcast. The 1 hour and 35 minute broadcast begins in London’s National Gallery at 1650GMT (12:50 p.m. EDT.) It then continues at Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum, the Neue Pinakothek in Munich, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Tokyo’s Seiji Togo Memorial Museum of Art. A curator from each museum will describe, in 15-minute segments, what makes their version unique. The museums launched a virtual-reality experience last week that shows viewers all five “Sunflowers” in one room. The paintings are so treasured and such big draws it would be difficult to bring them together in real life. “We’re at a moment in time where new kinds of experience are becoming possible for art galleries and museums all around the world,” Chris Michaels, the National Gallery’s digital director, said. London’s version of “Sunflowers” is one of the museum’s most popular paintings. It’s famous for its blue and yellow swirls, textured surface and rare glimpse into the happy times of Van Gogh’s life in Arles, France. More than 50,000 viewers watched a preview for Monday’s event online. Michaels is hopeful his team will bring more of the National Gallery’s famous pieces to online audiences. It’s an added attraction and a way to connect with other galleries. “But it’s not a replacement,” he said. “It’s another type of thing that art museums can do and an amazing one for us to explore in the future, in partnership with amazing museums around the world.”

newcountry923.fm

2017-08-14 16:22:07

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/08/14/van-gogh-sunflowers-reunited-online/

10 Things to Know for Today

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today: 1. PUTIN MAKES SURPRISE STOP IN SYRIA EN ROUTE TO CAIRO The Russian president visits a Russian military air base in Latakia and announces a partial pullout of his forces from the country. 2. DIVERGENT VIEWS ON WHAT ALABAMA SENATE VOTE MEANS The matchup between Roy Moore and Doug Jones mixes both the Deep South state’s tortured history and the nation’s current divisive, bitterly partisan politics. 3. MYANMAR MILITARY’S RAPE OF ROHINGYA MUSLIMS SWEEPING, METHODICAL In interviews with the AP, more than two dozen women and girls bolster the U.N.’s contention that the Myanmar armed forces are systematically using rape as a “calculated tool of terror” to exterminate the Rohingya people. 4. FOR TRUMP, GOP A MOMENTOUS 2 WEEKS Republicans are determined to deliver the first revamp of the nation’s tax code in three decades and agree on a spending bill to avert a government shutdown over the holidays. 5. WHAT ARE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF WORKPLACE SCANDALS Some women, and men, worry the same climate that’s emboldening women to speak up about sexual misconduct could backfire by making some men wary of female colleagues. 6. FIREFIGHTERS BRACE FOR 2ND WEEK OF CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES Southern California fire officials anticipate more growth and danger due to continued strong wind gusts, no rain and decades-old dry vegetation. 7. DEADLINE WEEK CRUNCH FOR HEALTH LAW SIGN-UPS Friday is the last day for millions of people still eligible to enroll in subsidized private coverage in 39 states served by the federal HealthCare.gov website. 8. BITCOIN FUTURES RISE AS VIRTUAL CURRENCY HITS MAJOR EXCHANGE The futures contract that expires in January surges more than $3,000 to $18,580 eight hours after trading for the popular virtual currency launched on the Chicago Board Options Exchange. 9. WHO ARE FAVORITES FOR POST-WEINSTEIN GOLDEN GLOBES Steven Spielberg’s Pentagon Papers drama “The Post” and Christopher Nolan’s World War II tale “Dunkirk” are expected to lead the film categories, while Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” and HBO’s “Big Little Lies” could be in for a big day on the TV side. 10. STEELERS CLINCH AFC NORTH Ben Roethlisberger throws for 506 yards and two touchdowns, becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to top 500 yards passing three times, as Pittsburgh (11-2) rallies past Baltimore 39-38.

newcountry923.fm

2017-12-11 05:11:19

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/12/11/10-things-to-know-for-today-10/

US official: Russia deployed missile in violation of treaty

WASHINGTON (AP) — Russia has deployed a cruise missile in violation of a Cold War-era arms control treaty, a Trump administration official said Tuesday, a development that complicates the outlook for U.S.-Russia relations amid turmoil on the White House national security team. The Obama administration three years ago accused the Russians of violating the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty by developing and testing the prohibited cruise missile, and officials had anticipated that Moscow eventually would deploy it. Russia denies that it has violated the INF treaty. U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed that the missile became operational late last year, said an administration official, who wasn’t authorized to publicly discuss the matter and demanded anonymity. The deployment may not immediately change the security picture in Europe, but the alleged treaty violation may arise when Defense Secretary Jim Mattis attends his first NATO meeting in Brussels on Wednesday. It also has stirred concern on Capitol Hill, where Sen. John McCain, the Senate Armed Services Committee chairman, called on the Trump administration to ensure U.S. nuclear forces in Europe are ready. “Russia’s deployment of nuclear-tipped ground-launched cruise missiles in violation of the INF treaty is a significant military threat to U.S. forces in Europe and our NATO allies,” McCain, R-Ariz., said in a statement Tuesday. He said Russian President Vladimir Putin was “testing” Trump. Trump’s White House is in a difficult moment, with no national security adviser following the forced resignation Monday night of Michael Flynn. He is accused of misleading Vice President Mike Pence about contacts with a Russian diplomat while President Barack Obama was still in office. Meanwhile, a U.S. defense official said Tuesday that a Russian intelligence-collection ship has been operating off the U.S. east coast, in international waters. The official was not authorized to discuss an intelligence matter and so spoke on condition of anonymity. The ship had made a port call in Cuba prior to moving north, where it has been monitored off the coast of Delaware, the official said. The New York Times, which was first to report the missile deployment, said the Russians have two battalions of the prohibited cruise missile. One is at a missile test site at Kapustin Yar and one was moved in December from the test site to an operational base elsewhere in the country. The State Department wouldn’t confirm the report. It noted that last year it reported Russia was in violation of its treaty obligations not to possess, produce or flight-test a ground-launched cruise missile with a range of between 500 and 5,500 kilometers, or to possess or produce launchers for such missiles. “The administration is undertaking an extensive review of Russia’s ongoing INF treaty violation in order to assess the potential security implications for the United States and its allies and partners,” State Department spokesman Mark Toner said. John Tierney, executive director of the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, said strategic stability on the European continent is at stake. “If true, Russia’s deployment of an illegal ground-launched cruise missile represents a very troubling development and should be roundly condemned,” Tierney said. Sen. Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican, sees little reason for the U.S. to continue adhering to the INF treaty, in light of Russia’s violations. He has recommended building up U.S. nuclear forces in Europe, which currently include about 200 bombs that can be delivered by aircraft. The U.S. withdrew land-based nuclear-armed missiles from Europe as part of the INF deal. The treaty has special significance in the recent history of arms control agreements. Signed in December 1987 by President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, it has been credited with helping accelerate an end to the Cold War and lessening the danger of nuclear confrontation. It stands as the only arms treaty to eliminate an entire class of U.S. and Russian weapons — nuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles of intermediate range. The Obama administration had argued for maintaining U.S. compliance with the treaty while urging the Russians to halt violations. At the same time, the Pentagon developed options to counter Russian cruise missile moves, some of which would have involved bold military action. At his Senate confirmation hearing in February 2014, Ash Carter, who headed the Pentagon until last month, said disregard for treaty limitations was a “two-way street,” opening the way for the U.S. to respond in kind. He called Russia’s violations consistent with its “strategy of relying on nuclear weapons to offset U.S. and NATO conventional superiority.”

newcountry923.fm

2017-02-14 18:30:41

http://newcountry923.fm/2017/02/14/official-russia-has-deployed-missile-in-violation-of-treaty/

http://newcountry923.fm/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/NC_512x512.png

The Latest: UK anti-terror police join probe into substance

AMESBURY, England (AP) — The Latest on the major incident near Salisbury, England, in which two people have been left in a critical condition (all times local): 12:20 p.m. British police say counterterrorism officers are working with local detectives after two people were sickened by an unknown substance in southwest England. The Metropolitan Police says “officers from the counter terrorism network are working jointly with colleagues from Wiltshire Police” on the incident in Amesbury. Police say a man and a woman in their 40s were hospitalized after being found unconscious at a residential building in Amesbury. The town is eight miles (13 kilometers) from Salisbury, where ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned with a nerve agent on March 4. Police say they are keeping an open mind and do not yet know whether a crime has been committed. ___ 6 a.m. British police declared a “major incident” Wednesday after two people were left in critical condition from exposure to an unknown substance a few miles from where a former Russian spy and his daughter were poisoned with a nerve agent. The Wiltshire Police force said a man and a woman in their 40s were hospitalized after being found unconscious at a residential building in Amesbury, eight miles (13 kilometers) from Salisbury, where Sergei and Yulia Skripal were poisoned on March 4. Police cordoned off the building and other places the two people visited before falling ill, but health officials said there was not believed to be a wider risk. The man and woman were hospitalized Saturday at Salisbury District Hospital, where authorities initially believed they might have taken a contaminated batch of heroin or crack cocaine. “However, further testing is now ongoing to establish the substance which led to these patients becoming ill and we are keeping an open mind as to the circumstances surrounding this incident,” police said. “At this stage, it is not yet clear if a crime has been committed.”

newcountry923.fm

2018-07-04 06:24:58

https://newcountry923.fm/2018/07/04/the-latest-uk-anti-terror-police-join-probe-into-substance/

AP source: Memphis to announce Penny Hardaway as next coach

A person familiar with the situation says Memphis will announce Penny Hardaway as its men’s basketball coach Tuesday. The person spoke to The Associated Press Monday on condition of anonymity because Memphis hasn’t publicly announced the hire. Memphis has scheduled a news conference for Tuesday to introduce its next coach. The 46-year-old Hardaway replaces Tubby Smith, who was fired after going 40-26 in two seasons with Memphis. Hardaway is a four-time NBA All-Star and three-time All-NBA player who will be making his college coaching debut with the Tigers. He has been coaching for years with his own AAU program, Team Penny, and won his third straight Tennessee high school championship at Memphis East last weekend. ___ AP Sports Writer Teresa M. Walker in Nashville, Tennessee, contributed to this report. ___ More AP college basketball: https://collegebasketball.ap.org ; https://twitter.com/AP_Top25 and https://www.podcastone.com/ap-sports-special-events

newcountry923.fm

2018-03-19 15:07:20

https://newcountry923.fm/2018/03/19/ap-source-memphis-to-announce-penny-hardaway-as-next-coach/

Britney Spears' niece visits school after ATV crash

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The 8-year-old niece of pop star Britney Spears, who was injured in an all-terrain vehicle accident, still isn’t well enough to return to school but was able to take Valentine’s Day treats to her class in Louisiana Tuesday. Eight-year-old Maddie Spears-Aldridge is the daughter of Spears’ sister, actress and singer Jamie Lynn Spears. According to a post on Jamie Lynn Spears’ Instagram account, the girl was happy to see her friends again. Jamie Lynn Spears wrote that her daughter still isn’t ready to go back to school but doctors cleared her for the Valentine’s Day visit. The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office says Maddie was submerged in a pond inside the all-terrain vehicle Feb. 5 and nearby family members couldn’t free her. An ambulance service arrived and pulled her out. She was released from the hospital last Friday.

newcountry923.fm

2017-02-15 05:28:49

http://newcountry923.fm/2017/02/15/britney-spears-niece-visits-school-after-atv-crash/

http://newcountry923.fm/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/NC_512x512.png

Gunmen attack UN base in Mali, killing 7 and wounding 7

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Unidentified gunmen attacked the headquarters of the U.N. peacekeeping force in the northern Mali city of Timbuktu on Monday, killing seven people and injuring seven others in what the U.N. peacekeeping chief called a “terrorist attack.” Earlier Monday, gunmen attacked two neighboring U.N. camps in Douentza in the Mopti region of central Mali, killing a Malian soldier and a U.N. peacekeeper and lightly wounding another peacekeeper. The head of the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Mali, Mahamat Saleh Annadif, also called that incident a “terrorist attack.” The U.N. peacekeeping mission in Mali is the deadliest of the U.N.’s 16 global peacekeeping operations, and this was one of the worst losses of mission employees. In the Timbuktu attack, the mission said five Malian security guards and a Malian contractor working for the mission were killed along with a member of the Malian gendarmerie. It said six U.N. peacekeepers were wounded, two seriously, along with one Malian security guard. The mission, known as MINUSMA, said it dispatched a quick reaction force and attack helicopters to secure the Timbuktu headquarters. It said U.N. troops killed six assailants. In Douentza, MINUSMA said a group of attackers fired on a U.N. camp from an adjacent hill and Malian troops returned fire. Another armed group shot at peacekeepers in a neighboring camp who also returned fire, the mission said. The U.N. mission said two attackers were killed in the exchanges. Annadif, the MINUSMA commander, called for those responsible for “these terrorist attacks” to be arrested and brought to justice.

newcountry923.fm

2017-08-14 17:46:20

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/08/14/gunmen-attack-un-base-in-mali-killing-7-and-wounding-7/

China says it will protect its interests in Trump probe

BEIJING (AP) — China’s government criticized U.S. President Donald Trump’s order for a possible investigation into whether Beijing is improperly obtaining foreign technology and said Tuesday it will “resolutely safeguard” Chinese interests. A Commerce Ministry statement said Trump’s order Monday violates international trade agreements. It said Beijing will take action if Chinese companies are hurt but gave no details of possible responses. Trump told American trade officials to look into whether Beijing improperly requires foreign companies to hand over technology in exchange for access to Chinese markets. Trade groups for technology companies welcomed the action but the Commerce Ministry criticized it as “strong unilateralism” that violates the spirit of international trade agreements. “If the U.S. side disregards the fact it does not respect multilateral trade rules and takes action to damage the economic and trade relations between the two sides, then the Chinese side will never sit back and will take all appropriate measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the Chinese side,” the ministry said in a statement. Trump said in April he was setting aside disputes over market access and currency while Washington and Beijing worked together to persuade North Korea to give up its pursuit of nuclear weapons technology. But American officials have resumed criticizing Chinese policy in recent weeks. “We believe the U.S. side should strictly adhere to commitments and should not become the destroyer of multilateral rules,” said the statement. Ahead of Monday’s announcement, the Chinese foreign ministry appealed to Trump to avoid a “trade war.”

newcountry923.fm

2017-08-14 22:29:31

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/08/14/china-says-it-will-protect-its-interests-in-trump-probe/

Americans celebrating Independence Day with food, fireworks

NEW YORK (AP) — With fireworks thundering across night skies and backyard barbecues, Americans are celebrating Independence Day by participating in time-honored traditions that express pride in their country’s 242nd birthday. But this quintessential American holiday will also be marked with a sense of a United States divided for some — evidenced by competing televised events in the nation’s capital. From New York to California, July Fourth festivities will be at times lively and lighthearted, with Macy’s July Fourth fireworks and Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest. The day’s events will also be stately and traditional, with parades lining streets across the country and the world’s oldest commissioned warship firing a 21-gun salute to mark the 242 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. For some Western states, however, the holiday will be a bit more muted as high wildfire danger forces communities to cancel fireworks displays. Here are highlights of Wednesday’s festivities so far: ___ A HISTORIC PARADE Crowds are lining the streets in a Rhode Island town to see what’s billed as the nation’s oldest continuous Fourth of July celebration. Begun in 1785, the Bristol parade typically attracts about 100,000 people to the seaside town. This year’s will be a scorcher. When the parade kicked off at 10:30 a.m., the temperature was hovering near 90 degrees. The Providence Journal reports there will be water stations along the 2.5-mile route and medical personnel will watch the marchers for signs of heat illnesses. The fire chief told the newspaper it has been a few years since it has been this hot during the parade. Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo, U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, U.S. Rep. David Cicilline and other officials plan to march. ___ The USS Constitution will sail in Boston Harbor and fire her guns again to mark Independence Day. The plan was for the world’s oldest commissioned warship to leave its berth at the Charlestown Navy Yard on Wednesday and glide through the harbor to mark 242 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The ship nicknamed “Old Ironsides” was to travel to Fort Independence on Castle Island and fire a 21-gun salute. The 101st Field Artillery from the Massachusetts National Guard was to return the salute. An additional 17-gun salute will fire as the Constitution passes the U.S. Coast Guard Station, the former site of the shipyard where the vessel was built in 1797. ___ DUELING CELEBRATIONS The country’s longest-running live national July Fourth TV tradition — PBS’ broadcast of music and fireworks from the U.S. Capitol’s West Lawn — is facing new counterprogramming from the White House, which is hosting its own concert and view of the National Park Service’s fireworks show. Both shows feature different “American Idol” alums. First lady Melania Trump said in a statement that the White House show would allow Americans to “tune in from their homes and be part of the festivities.” PBS declined to comment. ___ LIGHTING UP THE NIGHT SKIES In New York, the Macy’s fireworks show over the East River promises 25 minutes of sparkle and “ahhhh,” plus the West Point Band and entertainers including Kelly Clarkson, Ricky Martin and Keith Urban on NBC’s broadcast. But some places in the West have canceled their planned July Fourth fireworks because of high wildfire danger and others are doing drone light displays instead of pyrotechnics. In Colorado, the wildfire danger forced some communities to cancel their fireworks. However, other shows will still go as planned in Denver, Colorado Springs and Fort Collins. The small mountain town of Silverton, in southwestern Colorado, called off the fireworks part of its annual Independence Day party, but the rest of Wednesday’s celebration is still on, including live music and a parade that ends with a water fight with firefighters. Aspen will have a fire-proof drone light display above town.

newcountry923.fm

2018-07-04 10:59:21

https://newcountry923.fm/2018/07/04/on-july-4-americans-celebrate-their-union-rue-divisions/

Crank or Stank! Granger Smith "Happens Like That"

Weeknights at 6:30, we play a brand new song! Call, text or vote here! If you love it, tell us to CRANK IT! If you don’t love it, tell us it STANKS!

newcountry923.fm

2017-12-11 19:00:59

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/12/11/crank-stank-granger-smith-happens-like/

Science Says: Lightning is zapping fewer Americans, not more

WASHINGTON (AP) — Lightning — once one of nature’s biggest killers —is claiming far fewer lives in the United States, mostly because we’ve learned to get out of the way. In the 1940s, when there were fewer people, lightning killed more than 300 people annually. So far this year, 13 people have died after being struck, on pace for a record low of 17 deaths. Taking the growing population into account, the lightning death rate has shrunk more than forty-fold since record-keeping began in 1940. People seem to be capturing the phenomenon more on camera than before, making it seem like something new and sizzling is going on in the air. Separate videos last month of a Florida lifeguard and an airport worker being hit by lightning went viral. Both survived. Lightning strikes have not changed — they hit about the same amount as they used to, said Pennsylvania State University meteorology professor Paul Markowski. A big difference: Fewer of us are outside during bad weather. If we’re not huddled indoors, we’re often in cars. Vehicles with metal roofs — not convertibles — are safe from lightning, experts say. “As a society we spend less time outside,” said Harold Brooks, a scientist at the National Weather Service’s National Severe Storms Laboratory. “Especially farmers. There aren’t just many farmers around.” Decades ago, farmers would be in fields and were the tallest object, making them most likely to get hit, said National Weather Service lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. That helps explain the drop in yearly lightning deaths from about 329 in the 1940s to about 98 in the 1970s. The numbers have kept plunging since. From 2007-2016, average yearly deaths dropped to 31. Improved medical care also has played a key role, including wider use of defibrillators and more CPR-trained bystanders. When Dr. Mary Ann Cooper started out in the emergency room in the 1970s, there was nothing in textbooks about how to treat lightning victims. Now instead of treating lightning patients the same way as people who touch high-voltage wires and are burned, doctors focus more on the neurological damage, said Cooper, professor emerita of emergency medicine at the University of Illinois in Chicago. Perhaps the biggest reason deaths are down is because of efforts to teach people not to get hit in the first place. “We’ve equipped the public by saying, ‘When thunder roars, go indoors.’ Three-year-olds can remember that,” Cooper said. Men are four times more likely to be killed by lightning in the U.S. than women, statistics show. Men do riskier things that get them in trouble in storms, Cooper and Jensenius said. “Our victims are at the wrong place at the wrong time. The wrong place is anywhere outside. The wrong time is anywhere that you can hear thunder,” said Jensenius. In July — the deadliest month for lightning in the U.S. — vacationers Andre Bauldock and Lamar Rayfield were on a beach in Florida when a thunderstorm rolled in. “We ignored it. We were just thinking it was going to pass over soon,” recalled Bauldock. “We could see the sun in the distance. I was admiring the lightning out in the ocean and I thought it was far away.” The next thing Bauldock remembers is waking up in a parking lot surrounded by people. He was told the lightning struck his friend’s stomach and then hit him. They both fell over. Rayfield eventually died. An analysis of 352 U.S. lightning deaths from 2006 to 2016 found people were most often doing something near water — fishing, camping and beach activities— when they were hit. Golf doesn’t even crack the top dozen activities, but soccer does, said Jensensius. James Church was hit earlier this year in Florida as his first cast of the day flew through the air. “I woke up. I couldn’t move. It was like an elephant sitting on me, not a single muscle would work,” Church recalled. “My eyes were working, my brain was working … I couldn’t feel anything.” ___ Video journalist Joshua Replogle contributed to this report. Follow Seth Borenstein on Twitter at @borenbears. His work can be found here. ___ This Associated Press series was produced in partnership with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

newcountry923.fm

2017-08-15 02:46:16

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/08/15/science-says-lightning-is-zapping-fewer-americans-not-more/

Oklahoma college board member chided for anti-gay comments

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A former Oklahoma City mayor and member of the University of Oklahoma Board of Regents was rebuked Monday for comparing gay people to pedophiles and politicians who’ve recently resigned amid allegations of sexual misconduct. Kirk Humphreys made the comments during a local TV public affairs show that aired over the weekend on KFOR-TV. An alumni group has called for his resignation, and the student body president encouraged the campus to voice its opinion on Humphreys’ “ignorant” words. Humphreys and others were discussing allegations against Minnesota Sen. Al Franken, who has announced he’ll resign, and President Donald Trump when Humphreys began to ramble about other subjects. He said he was “going to make a lot of people mad today.” “Is homosexuality right or wrong? It’s not relative, there’s a right and wrong,” Humphreys said. “If it’s OK, then it’s OK for everybody and, quite frankly, it’s OK for men to sleep with little boys.” LGBTQ advocacy groups Freedom Oklahoma called for Humphreys’ removal from the Board of Regents if he didn’t apologize. Executive Director Troy Stevenson said Humphreys’ comments were disheartening and dangerous for LGBTQ youth who are already harassed and bullied. A staffer at Humphreys’ office said Humphreys was out of town Monday and unavailable to comment. Humphreys did not immediately reply to a voicemail left on his cellphone or an email seeking comment. University of Oklahoma President David Boren released a statement saying Humphreys was not speaking on behalf of the university. Boren said the school was committed to diversity and inclusiveness, adding: “I do not share his views on this matter.” OU board of regents chair Clay Bennett, who also is chairman of the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder, said in statement Monday the rest of the panel disagrees with Humphreys’ views. Bennett said the board values students’ diverse perspectives, backgrounds and experiences. Student government President J.D. Baker, in an open letter Sunday, called Humphreys’ comments “outright disrespectful, out of line and ignorant.” Baker said Monday that it wasn’t up to him to say whether Humphreys should step down. “I hope that he’s a mature enough individual to understand the impact of his words and that he’ll make the decision for himself,” Baker said. The president of the school’s LGBTQ Alumni Society called for Humphreys to resign. A state lawmaker who appeared with Humphreys pushed back at him on the show, saying it was wrong to compare sexual misconduct and crimes to the legal behavior of consenting adults. “Mr. Humphreys’ comments were disgusting, offensive, and just plain wrong,” Rep. Emily Virgin, a Democrat from Oklahoma City, later said on her Facebook page. “I unequivocally stand with the LGBT community. Stevenson said his group planned to protest an Oklahoma City real estate project that belongs to Humphreys’ family business if he doesn’t apologize. Humphreys, 67, was mayor of Oklahoma City from 1998 to 2003.

newcountry923.fm

2017-12-11 17:36:51

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/12/11/oklahoma-college-board-member-chided-for-anti-gay-comments/

Romney seeks Marriott post he can't hold as a US Senator

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Mitt Romney is running for re-election to Marriott International’s board of directors, but his campaign said Monday that he’ll resign from that post if elected in November to the U.S. Senate, which bars senators from serving as an officer or board member of any publicly-held company. The Utah Senate candidate and former Republican presidential candidate is one of 14 members of Marriott’s board running for another yearlong term, according to the hotel chain’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday. The board members will be up for re-election at the corporation’s annual stockholder meeting on May 4. The Republican, who is well-known and popular in Utah, is expected to win the race to replace retiring Sen. Orrin Hatch. Romney’s spokeswoman MJ Henshaw said Monday that Romney would comply with U.S. Senate rules and resign from the Marriott board if elected in November. Marriott spokeswoman Connie Kim declined to comment. Romney, who has longstanding ties to the Marriott family, has served on Marriott’s board off-and-on since 1993. He resigned from the board in 2002 to campaign for Massachusetts governor. He later rejoined the board in 2009 but left again in 2011 to start his campaign for U.S. president. Romney, whose full name is Willard Mitt Romney, was named after Marriott founder J.W. Marriott, a close friend of Romney’s father. Marriott’s full name was John Willard Marriott. If Romney stayed on the board, the now 71-year-old would run up next year against the company’s mandatory retirement for board members at age 72. The company’s SEC filings show Romney was paid $247,299 in 2016 in cash, stocks and other compensation. The filings were first reported by Bloomberg on Friday.

newcountry923.fm

2018-03-19 17:53:41

https://newcountry923.fm/2018/03/19/romney-seeks-marriott-post-he-cant-hold-as-a-us-senator/

LEADING OFF: Astros head home to face red-hot Red Sox

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

newcountry923.fm

2018-05-31 03:00:06

https://newcountry923.fm/2018/05/31/leading-off-astros-head-home-to-face-red-hot-red-sox/

Pope Francis: Native people have rights over their lands

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis insisted Wednesday that indigenous groups must give prior consent to any economic activity affecting their ancestral lands, a view that conflicts with the Trump administration, which is pushing to build a $3.8 billion oil pipeline over opposition from American Indians. Francis met with representatives of indigenous peoples attending a U.N. agricultural meeting and said the key issue facing them is how to reconcile the right to economic development with protecting their cultures and territories. “In this regard, the right to prior and informed consent should always prevail,” he said. “Only then is it possible to guarantee peaceful cooperation between governing authorities and indigenous peoples, overcoming confrontation and conflict.” The Cheyenne River and the Standing Rock Sioux tribes have sued to stop construction on the final stretch of the Dakota Access pipeline, which would bring oil from North Dakota’s rich Bakken fields across four states to a shipping point in Illinois. The tribes say the pipeline threatens their drinking water, cultural sites and ability to practice their religion, which depends on pure water. The last piece of the pipeline is to pass under a reservoir on the Missouri River, which marks the eastern border of both tribes’ reservations. The company building the pipeline, Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners, has insisted the water supply will be safe. Francis didn’t cite the Dakota pipeline dispute by name and the Vatican press office said he was not making a direct reference to it. But history’s first Latin American pope has been a consistent backer of indigenous rights and has frequently spoken out about the plight of Indians in resisting economic development that threatens their lands. “For governments, this means recognizing that indigenous communities are a part of the population to be appreciated and consulted, and whose full participation should be promoted at the local and national level,” Francis told the indigenous leaders Wednesday. In the waning days of the Obama administration, amid protests over construction that led to some 700 arrests, federal agencies that have authority over the reservoir said they would not give permission for pipe to be laid until an environmental study was done. U.S. President Donald Trump reversed course and last month instructed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to proceed with building the pipeline. Francis’ reference to prior consent is enshrined in the U.N. Declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples, which was adopted by the U.N. General Assembly in 2007 over the opposition of the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Francis’ strong backing for indigenous groups and refugees, his climate change concerns and criticism of the global economy’s profit-at-all-cost mentality highlight the policy differences with the Trump administration that may come out if the U.S. president meets with Francis while in Italy for a G-7 summit in May. There has been no confirmation of any meeting to date, however. ___ AP writer Daniela Petroff contributed.

newcountry923.fm

2017-02-15 06:54:29

http://newcountry923.fm/2017/02/15/pope-francis-native-people-have-rights-over-their-lands/

http://newcountry923.fm/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Vatican_Pope_US_Pipeline_92619-995x498.jpg

Kessel, Malkin lead surging Penguins past Capitals, 7-4

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Phil Kessel scored twice and picked up assist, Evgeni Malkin added two goals and two assists, and the surging Pittsburgh Penguins rolled past the Washington Capitals 7-4 on Friday night. Bryan Rust, Carl Hagelin and Patric Hornqvist also scored for the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions, who won their fourth straight to pull within four points of first-place Washington in the crowded Metropolitan Division. Sidney Crosby had two assists to push his scoring streak to 11 games, the longest active streak in the NHL. Matt Murray stopped 29 shots for Pittsburgh, which won its seventh consecutive home game by jumping on the Capitals early then pulling away late. Alex Ovechkin scored twice to push his season total to an NHL-best 32 and Dmitry Orlov and Evgeny Kuznetzov also scored for the Capitals, but Washington couldn’t keep pace with the Penguins. Braden Holtby finished with 27 saves but gave up three goals in the opening 8 minutes of the third period before being pulled in favor of Phillpp Grubauer as Pittsburgh broke open a tight game. The Penguins came in rolling, ripping off an NHL-high nine wins in January to climb from 10th in the Eastern Conference to within striking distance of the division-leading Capitals with still two months to go before the postseason. The prospect of another potential playoff showdown looms for the longtime rivals, even if the rivalry tends to be one-sided when they meet in the spring, when the series usually ends with the Penguins skating on to the next round and Washington left to wonder how it let it get away once again. Pittsburgh never trailed and never wavered after the Capitals erased 2-0, 3-2 and 4-3 deficits. Kuznetzov tied it at 3 when he flipped a bouncing puck in the slot by Murray 11:57 into the second to give Washington a shot at picking up its seventh victory this season in a game in which it trailed by at least two goals. Not this time. Malkin put in his own rebound 1:01 into the third to put the Penguins back in front. Ovechkin evened it just 49 seconds later after a slick cross-ice feed from Kuznetzov, but Pittsburgh simply kept on coming. Rust picked up his third goal in his last two games to put the Penguins ahead to stay, Kessel followed with his second of the night and 23rd of the season to chase Holtby. Malkin finished the outburst with his team-leading 28th of the season, 14 of which have come since Jan. 1. NOTES: Pittsburgh F Carter Rowney played 9:05 in his return after missing a month with an upper-body injury. … The Penguins scratched D Chad Ruhwedel, D Matt Hunwick and injured F Conor Sheary (lower-body). … Washington scratched D Taylor Chorney and F Jakub Vrana. … Pittsburgh went 3 for 4 on the power play. The Capitals were 0 for 3 with the man advantage. UP NEXT Capitals: Host Las Vegas on Sunday. Penguins: Play at New Jersey on Saturday. ___ More AP hockey: https://apnews.com/tag/NHLhockey

newcountry923.fm

2018-02-02 20:55:28

https://newcountry923.fm/2018/02/02/kessel-malkin-lead-surging-penguins-past-capitals-7-4/

The Latest: Experts say Cambridge isn't alone in data mining

NEW YORK (AP) — The Latest on Cambridge Analytica’s use of Facebook data (all times local): 1:15 p.m. Experts are saying that Cambridge Analytica, the political firm under fire for inappropriately obtaining data from Facebook, isn’t alone in its data-mining capability. Robert Ricci, a marketing director at Blue Fountain Media, says what makes this case more insidious is its connection with possible elections meddling, something Facebook has been under scrutiny for. Ricci says marketers are already using similar profiling techniques to sell products and services. What’s different here is the use of data to try to influence who you are voting for — or whether you are voting at all. Cambridge Analytica, whose clients have included Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, reportedly used the data of 50 million Facebook customers without permission to build psychological profiles so voters could be targeted with ads and stories. ___ 1 p.m. The head of the European Union’s parliament says the bloc will investigate Facebook over the use of its data by a Trump-affiliated data-mining firm. Cambridge Analytica, whose clients have included Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, reportedly used the data of 50 million Facebook customers without permission to build psychological profiles so voters could be targeted with ads and stories. Antonio Tajani tweeted on Monday: “Allegations of misuse of Facebook user data is an unacceptable violation of our citizens’ privacy rights. The European Parliament will investigate fully, calling digital platforms to account.” Tajani, who is president of the EU parliament, hasn’t provided details. U.K. lawmakers have already called on Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify before a parliamentary committee about this case. ___ 12:35 p.m. Facebook is having its worst trading day since 2012 as details emerge about how a data mining company working for the Trump campaign improperly obtained and kept data on tens of millions of users during the 2016 election. A former employee of Cambridge Analytica said Monday on NBC’s “Today” that the group identified voters who might be swayed and “injected content” that may or may not be true. Late Friday, Facebook said it would ban Cambridge Analytica, saying the company improperly obtained information from 270,000 people who downloaded a purported research app described as a personality test. Facebook first learned of the breach more than two years ago, but hasn’t disclosed it until now. Facebook shares sank $13.43 in midday trading, putting the stock on pace for its biggest one-day fall since August 2012 and dragging down the rest of the technology sector, with fears rising of increased government regulation. Alphabet, Google’s parent company, lost almost 3 percent and Microsoft fell almost 2 percent. _______ 11:30 a.m. A former employee of a Trump-affiliated data-mining firm says it used algorithms that “took fake news to the next level” using data inappropriately obtained from Facebook. Chris Wylie says the firm, Cambridge Analytica, secured personal data in order to learn about individuals and then used it to create an information cocoon to change their perceptions. He says the firm used “informational dominance” to capture every channel of information around a person to surround them with curated information, changing their perception of what’s actually happening. In an interview Monday on NBC’s “Today,” Wylie said Cambridge Analytica aimed to “explore mental vulnerabilities of people. While Wylie said he doesn’t know to what extent Trump’s campaign used the techniques, he said Trump’s former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski was meeting with Cambridge Analytica in 2015, before Trump even announced his run for office.

newcountry923.fm

2018-03-19 12:15:50

https://newcountry923.fm/2018/03/19/the-latest-experts-say-cambridge-isnt-alone-in-data-mining/

Russian journalist reported killed in Ukraine shows up alive

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko turned up at a news conference in the Ukrainian capital Wednesday less than 24 hours after police reported he had been shot and killed at his Kiev apartment building. The country’s security services said Babchenko’s death was faked to foil a plot to take his life. Ukrainian police said Tuesday that Babchenko, a strong critic of the Kremlin, was shot multiple times in the back Tuesday and found bleeding there by his wife. Authorities said they suspected he was killed because of his work. Vasyl Gritsak, head of the Ukrainian Security Service, announced at a news conference Wednesday that the security agency and the police had solved Babchenko’s slaying. He then startled everyone there by inviting the 41-year-old reporter into the room. To the applause and gasps of the press, Babchenko took the floor and apologized to the friends and family who mourned for him and were unaware of the plan. “I’m still alive,” he said. Before ushering Babchenko into the room, Gritsak said investigators had identified a Ukrainian citizen who had been recruited and paid $40,000 by the Russian security service to organize and carry out the killing. The unidentified Ukrainian man in turn hired an acquaintance who had fought in the separatist war in eastern Ukraine as the gunman. Babchenko, one of Russia’s best-known war reporters, fled the country in February 2017 after receiving death threats. He spoke and wrote about leaving the country because of the threats against him and his family.. He said his home address was published online and the threats he received were made by phone, email and social media. Ilya Ponomarev, a former Russian lawmaker who also moved to Ukraine, said Wednesday that Babchenko continued being threatened after he settled last fall in Kiev, where he worked as a host for the Crimean Tatar TV station. Babchenko did not take the intimidation too seriously, according to Ponomarev. Moscow’s annexation of Crimea and support for separatist insurgents in eastern Ukraine were topics on which the journalist was scathingly critical of the Kremlin. ___ Ayse Wieting in Istanbul and Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report.

newcountry923.fm

2018-05-30 09:54:49

https://newcountry923.fm/2018/05/30/russian-journalist-reported-killed-in-ukraine-shows-up-alive/

Japanese siblings accept WWII soldier's flag from US veteran

HIGASHISHIRAKAWA, Japan (AP) — The former U.S. Marine knew the calligraphy-covered flag he took from a fallen Japanese soldier 73 years ago was more than a keepsake of World War II. When Marvin Strombo finally handed the flag back to Sadao Yasue’s younger brother and sisters Tuesday, he understood what it really meant to them. Tatsuya Yasue buried his face into the flag and smelled it, then he held Strombo’s hands and kissed them. His elder sister Sayoko Furuta, 93, sitting in her wheelchair, covered her face with both hands and wept silently as Tatsuya placed the flag on her lap. Strombo said their reaction struck him. He reached out to Yasue’s elder sister and gently rubbed her shoulder. “I was so happy that I returned the flag,” Strombo said. “I can see how much the flag meant to her. That almost made me cry … It meant everything in the world to her.” The flag is a treasure that will fill a deep void for Yasue’s family. It is the first trace of their brother. The Japanese authorities only gave them a wooden box containing a few rocks, a substitution for the remains that have never been found. The flag’s white background is filled with signatures of 180 friends and neighbors in this tea-growing mountain village of Higashishirakawa, wishing Yasue’s safe return. “Good luck forever at the battlefield,” a message on it reads. Looking at the names and their handwriting, Tatsuya Yasue clearly recalls their faces and friendship with his brother. The smell of the flag immediately brought back childhood memories to the soldier’s younger brother. “It smelled like my good old big brother, and it smelled like our mother’s home cooking we ate together,” Tatsuya Yasue said. “The flag will be our treasure.” The return of the flag brings closure, the 89-year-old farmer and a younger brother of the fallen soldier, told The Associated Press at his 400-year-old house on Monday. “It’s like the war has finally ended and my brother can come out of the limbo.” Yasue last saw his older brother alive the day before he left for the South Pacific in 1943. Tatsuya and two siblings had a small send-off picnic for the oldest brother outside his military unit over sushi and Japanese sweet mochi, which became their last meal together. At the end of the meeting, his brother whispered to Tatsuya, asking him to take good care of their parents, as he would be sent to the Pacific islands, harsh battlegrounds where chances of survival were low. A year later, the wooden box containing the stones arrived. Months after the war ended, the authorities told Yasue that his brother died somewhere in the Marianas presumably on July 18, 1944, the day Saipan fell, at age 25. “That’s all we were told about my brother. We never knew exactly when, where or how he died,” he said. Yasue and his relatives wondered Sadao might have died at sea off Saipan. About 20 years ago, Yasue visited Saipan with his younger brother, imagining what their older brother might have gone through. The only person who can provide some of those answers, Strombo said he found Yasue’s body on the outskirts of Garapan when he got lost and ended up near the Japanese frontline. He told Yasue’s siblings their brother likely died of a concussion from a mortar round. He told them that Sadao was lying on the ground, his leftside down, looking peacefully as if he was sleeping and without severe wounds. At least the flag and his story suggest Yasue died on the ground, which also raises hopes of retrieving his remains. The remains of nearly half of 2.4 million Japanese war-dead overseas have yet to be found 72 years after the World War II ended. It’s a pressing issue as the bereaved families reach old age and memories fade. Allied troops frequently took the flags from the bodies of their enemies as souvenirs, as Japanese flags were quite popular and fetched good price when auctioned, Strombo said. But to the Japanese bereaved families, they have a much deeper meaning, especially those, like Yasue, who never learned how their loved ones died and never received remains. Japanese government has requested auction sites to stop trading wartime signed flags. Strombo said Tuesday that he originally wanted the flag as a souvenir from the war, but felt guilty just taking it, and that’s why he never sold it and committed himself to a lifelong journey to return the flag to its real home. He had the flag hung in a glass-fronted gun cabinet in his home in Montana for years, a topic of conversation for visitors. He was in the battles of Saipan, Tarawa and Tinian, which chipped away at Japan’s control of islands in the Pacific and paved the way for U.S. victory. In 2012, he was connected to an Oregon-based nonprofit Obon Society that helps U.S. veterans and their descendants return Japanese flags to the families of fallen soldiers. The group’s research traced it to the tea-growing village of 2,300 people in central Japan by analyzing family names. ___ Follow Mari Yamaguchi on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/mariyamaguchi Her work can be found at APNews at https://www.apnews.com/search/mari%20yamaguchi

newcountry923.fm

2017-08-15 01:15:07

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/08/15/us-wwii-vet-in-japan-to-return-flag-to-fallen-soldier-family/

Steve Wynn settled with second woman over sex allegations

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Attorneys for embattled casino mogul Steve Wynn say in court documents that he brokered a settlement with a second woman who accused him of sexual misconduct more than a decade ago. The documents received earlier this month in state court in Las Vegas say Wynn recently went to the FBI to accuse the woman of trying to extort him by threatening to go public with details from the 2006 settlement. Lawyer Lisa Bloom, who represents the woman, says her client denies the extortion allegations. The Associated Press generally doesn’t name people who say they are victims of sexual misconduct. Wynn resigned as chairman and CEO of Wynn Resorts last month amid allegations from several women that he denied. The FBI declined to confirm Monday whether it has investigated.

newcountry923.fm

2018-03-19 13:11:13

https://newcountry923.fm/2018/03/19/steve-wynn-settled-with-second-woman-over-sex-allegations/

After the hand and the bite, Suarez gets his head right

NIZHNY NOVGOROD, Russia (AP) — First, it was his hand. Then, his teeth. Luis Suarez’s feet and football ability are yet to take center stage for Uruguay at a World Cup. Maybe this time, now that his head is right. Like Barcelona teammate and close friend Lionel Messi, Suarez could be playing for his World Cup legacy in Russia. At best he has three games left, starting with Friday’s quarterfinal against France. Messi’s failures at the World Cup have been well documented. Suarez’s experiences have been far rawer. At both his previous tournaments, the Uruguay striker hasn’t just left disappointed, he’s left in disgrace, labeled a cheat in one and the world’s dirtiest player in the other. “You mature, you learn things and you live in the present,” Suarez said at Uruguay’s team base in Russia in the buildup to the France game. In South Africa in 2010, Suarez’s defining act was to block a goal-bound header from Ghana with his hand in the dying seconds of extra time in their quarterfinal. Suarez was sent off for the intentional handball but Ghana missed the resulting penalty. Suarez’s clear cheating and wild celebrations on the side of the field incensed a continent as it helped Uruguay reach the semifinals at the expense of Africa’s last hope. Four years ago in Brazil, there was an even more shocking exit: Suarez bit Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini in a group game — leaving visible teeth marks in Chiellini’s left shoulder — and FIFA banned him for nine matches and four months, ending his tournament. It was the third time Suarez had been banned for biting an opponent. Suarez, now 31, is back for another go at the World Cup, maybe his last. At Uruguay’s base he appeared unaffected by his ignominious history at the tournament, answering questions from journalists about previous disciplinary breakdowns with no outward signs of discomfort. There seemed to be no attempts to hide anything, either. Suarez has taken steps to address his on-field behavior for Uruguay, he said, with the help of Oscar Tabarez, the coach and former teacher who has been in charge for Suarez’s entire international career. “Tabarez helps a lot. He’s one of the best coaches in the world because of his personality, the way he helps players,” Suarez said. “Personally, he has helped me a lot. Before games, he always talks to me about what goes on in my head. That’s important to me. That talk I have with him is important.” For over a decade, Tabarez has worked to develop a specific team mantra in the Uruguay squad, putting emphasis on humility, work ethic and respect for others. That has manifested itself at the team’s World Cup base in Russia, a sports center on the outskirts of Nizhny Novgorod where the players’ accommodation is more like school dormitories than five-star luxury. From the camp, stories emerge of Uruguay’s best players and biggest stars being asked to clear away their own plates and cutlery after meals, wash their own boots, carry training equipment to and from the field, and, in a nod to plain good manners, start press conferences by greeting journalists with a “good morning” or “good afternoon.” Suarez also spoke about the “serenity” Tabarez brought to the squad and referred to himself, once the troublemaker, as now a veteran and a role model. “Now I’m one of the oldest, an example … the younger ones look up to us,” Suarez said. “You get nervous (in games), but at the same time you are one of the ones who has to remain calm. You have to set a good example to the younger ones. You have learned how to handle these situations.” ___ More AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/WorldCup

newcountry923.fm

2018-07-04 12:16:44

https://newcountry923.fm/2018/07/04/after-the-hand-and-the-bite-suarez-gets-his-head-right/

New offshore wind farm project will dwarf nation's 1st one

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

newcountry923.fm

2018-05-30 15:38:05

https://newcountry923.fm/2018/05/30/new-offshore-wind-farm-project-will-dwarf-nations-1st-one-2/

New York Police Department says it is responding to report of explosion near Times Square

NEW YORK (AP) — New York Police Department says it is responding to report of explosion near Times Square. Share this: Facebook Twitter Google Reddit Pinterest

newcountry923.fm

2017-12-11 06:56:09

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/12/11/new-york-police-department-says-it-is-responding-to-report-of-explosion-near-times-square/

Judge rules against ending program to protect Dreamers

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has ruled against the Trump administration’s decision to end a program protecting some young immigrants from deportation. U.S. District Judge John D. Bates in Washington says the Department of Homeland Security’s decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program “was unlawful and must be set aside.” Bates is giving DHS 90 days to “better explain its view” that DACA is unlawful. After that, he says, DHS “must accept and process new as well as renewal DACA applications.” DACA temporarily shielded from deportation so-called Dreamers — immigrants brought illegally to the U.S. as children. President Donald Trump announced last year that he would end the program. Bates’ ruling Tuesday night comes in a pair of cases whose lead plaintiffs are the NAACP and Princeton University.

newcountry923.fm

2018-04-24 21:17:43

https://newcountry923.fm/2018/04/24/judge-rules-against-ending-program-to-protect-dreamers/

Religious freedom could top Sessions civil rights priorities

WASHINGTON (AP) — When President Donald Trump spoke to the National Prayer Breakfast this month, he underscored his vow to defend the religious rights of the conservative Christians who helped propel him to power. Now, they expect the Justice Department under new Attorney General Jeff Sessions will reposition itself as a champion of what they see as that religious freedom. It would be a welcome change for conservative Christians who say their concerns were marginalized under the Obama administration in favor of First Amendment and LGBT issues. Exactly how Sessions will approach the issue remains to be seen, but he has given them plenty of reasons to be hopeful. As a Republican senator from Alabama, Sessions, a devout Methodist, argued that the separation of church and state is unconstitutional, and that the First Amendment’s bar on an establishment of religion has been interpreted too strictly, while its right to free exercise of religion has been diminished. Asked at his confirmation hearing whether a “secular person” has “just as good a claim to understanding the truth as a person who is religious,” Sessions replied, “Well. I’m not sure.” That backdrop suggests Sessions’ Justice Department could more eagerly insert itself into religion-oriented cases such as that of the bakery fined for refusing to make a gay wedding cake, or the high-school football coach fired for praying on the field after games, who Trump repeatedly mentioned during his campaign. “Religious conservatives have sort of been the forgotten people,” said Hiram Sasser, deputy chief counsel for First Liberty Institute, a law firm that specializes in issues of religious liberty. “Now, we have a refreshing sort of reboot to be able to have at least a voice, and to be able to once again have a seat at the table.” Sessions could bring major changes throughout the Justice Department. But the department’s civil rights division traditionally is subject to the most radical shift in agendas with each change in presidential administration. Where the Obama Justice Department wanted to leave its mark on reforming troubled police departments, Sessions will likely use its resources differently. On his first full day on the job, Sessions signaled a shift away from Obama priorities when the Justice Department changed its legal position in a case involving transgender rights. The department is no longer asking a judge to limit an injunction restricting the federal government from telling schools that students should be able to use bathrooms and locker rooms corresponding to their gender identity. Transgender rights were a focus of the department under former Attorney General Loretta Lynch, who sued the state of North Carolina over a bathroom bill that the government said discriminated against transgender people. Such a move would be improbable in an administration like Trump’s, which has already signaled its deference to states’ rights. It’s unclear exactly what priorities Sessions will pursue when it comes to the civil rights division. The Justice Department declined to comment on his plans for enforcement of religious freedom. He has faced intense criticism of his record on civil rights with regard to race. A renewed focus on religious causes would be “especially troubling in light of the fact that increasing numbers of Americans are not religious,” said Marci Hamilton, a Yeshiva University legal expert on religious liberty. “This landscape is radically different.” But it would help satisfy Trump’s campaign promise to his Christian political base. While the appointment of Sessions is a promise fulfilled, some religious conservatives remain concerned that Trump won’t deliver. When he was Indiana’s governor, Vice President Mike Pence signed a religious freedom law but softened it after criticism that it was discriminatory, a move that disappointed some conservatives. Trump still has not signed an executive order to boost protections for those with religious objections to gay marriage and create a working group within the Justice Department to protect “the religious freedom of persons and religious organizations.” Groups ranging from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to Sasser’s First Liberty Institute have launched campaigns urging Trump to enact broad protections for religious objectors to laws such as gay marriage and abortion. His civil rights division could bear a close resemblance to that of the Bush administration, which took a keen interest in matters of religious freedom. It touted its work on human trafficking, an issue of importance to religious conservatives, as a counter to claims that it was weak on civil rights enforcement. Such trafficking cases could again dominate the civil rights division’s criminal caseload, while prosecutions of police officers for rights violations, for example, might move to the back burner, said William Yeomans, who spent 24 years as a lawyer in the civil rights division during Democratic and Republican administrations. The department could insert itself in federal lawsuits on behalf of faith-based groups, among other actions. It could aggressively enforce the provision of the Civil Rights Act that bans workplace bias based on religion, and also a law designed to let churches and other religious institutions skirt zoning restrictions, which the Obama administration used to sued several cities that refused to allow the construction of mosques. Said Mat Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel: “You’re going to see a big effort to protect religious freedom. It’s a welcome change.”

newcountry923.fm

2017-02-15 02:42:40

http://newcountry923.fm/2017/02/15/religious-freedom-could-top-sessions-civil-rights-priorities/

http://newcountry923.fm/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Attorney_General_Religious_Freedom_37339-995x498.jpg

'O Monstro' Thiago Silva back to his best in Russia

KAZAN, Russia (AP) — Four years after Brazil’s humiliation at its home World Cup, Thiago Silva is back to his best in Russia, a country where his then-burgeoning career was almost tragically cut short years ago. The 33-year-old Brazil center back — who is nicknamed “O Monstro” for his exceptional physical abilities — is probably playing in his final World Cup, and he has been enjoying a perfect tournament so far. While forward Neymar attracted negative comments for his antics on the field, Silva has been irreproachable. The captain arguably has been the best center back of the tournament, alongside Uruguay captain Diego Godin. Like Uruguay, Brazil has conceded only one goal in Russia so far, from a set piece in its opening 1-1 draw with Switzerland . And the Selecao’s rivals have managed only five shots on target in their four matches against the five-time champions. Silva has been playing a key role in helping Brazil achieve those impressive statistics, anchoring the defense with authority and class. During the 2-0 win against Mexico that guaranteed Brazil advanced to the quarterfinals for the seventh consecutive time, Silva was decisive both in the air and on the ground, blocked several shots and made two clearances. “It’s a huge joy to be doing an excellent cup and to be growing with every game,” Silva said. “I’m happy about my performance, and the performance of the team.” Happiness and joy have been hard to come by during some stretches of Silva’s career. The native of Rio de Janeiro went through hard times after Brazil’s 7-1 loss to Germany at the last World Cup. Silva did not play in that game because he was suspended, but he was harshly criticized and branded a cry baby for his emotional outbursts as he was pictured in tears before a penalty shootout against Chile in the round of 16. After the tournament, he was stripped of the team’s captaincy by new coach Dunga, then left off the regular roster after the 2015 Copa America. He returned from exile in September 2016 for World Cup qualifiers after being called up by Dunga’s successor, Tite. Those professional ups and downs are nothing compared to the ordeal Silva went through back in 2005, when he spent about six months in a Moscow hospital after he contracted tuberculosis. Regarded at the time as one of the world’s most promising defenders, Silva had been sent on loan from Porto to Dynamo Moscow alongside several teammates. “It was probably the worst episode of my life,” Silva said. It was during a training camp in Portugal that doctor Yuri Vassilkov, who had traveled along with the team, noticed that Silva had a persistent cough. “He had temperature and we thought it was a simple cold,” Vassilkov said in an interview with L’Equipe newspaper this week. “I gave him some medication but he did not improve. I was a bit worried and I sent him for exams at the British hospital in Lisbon. The diagnosis was terrible: tuberculosis. It was a shock.” Vassilkov believes that the diagnosis was so late that Silva was weeks away from dying. Silva was brought back to Moscow, where he was hospitalized in a center specializing in tuberculosis treatment. At the time, Silva did not speak English or Russian and went through a bout of depression. “The cold, the lack of natural light, the fact that I could not speak to anybody … All this was very difficult to handle,” Silva remembered in an interview with Belgian Sport/Foot magazine. After Russian doctors at one point considered removing part of his lungs, Silva survived and fully recovered. He never played a game for Dynamo, and these painful events are just bad memories now. “That would have ended my career. I needed guardian angels to take me away,” Silva said. “I was a bit overwhelmed in a friendly we played against Russia this year. It is different for me to play there. I hope I can erase that by lifting the World Cup trophy.” ___ Associated Press writer Luis Andres Henao in Samara contributed to this report. ___ More AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/WorldCup

newcountry923.fm

2018-07-04 10:46:20

https://newcountry923.fm/2018/07/04/o-monstro-thiago-silva-back-to-his-best-in-russia/

Boeing vote tells next chapter in Southern unionization

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Nearly 3,000 production workers at Boeing’s South Carolina plant are deciding Wednesday on whether they want to unionize, writing the next chapter in efforts to organize labor in large manufacturing plants across the South. If successful, the balloting on whether employees should join the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers would send a significant message to politicians both in the region and Washington that workers here are demanding the same protections and benefits as their colleagues in other areas. And, to the leaders trying to recruit businesses by promoting their states’ lack of union presence, it’d make their jobs more difficult. But this most recent test of Southern acceptance of collective bargaining movements is an uphill battle for the union and its backers. The global aviation giant, which came to South Carolina in part because of the state’s minuscule union presence, did so with the aid of millions of dollars in state assistance made possible by officials who spoke out frequently and glowingly with anti-union messages. “It is an economic development tool,” Gov. Nikki Haley, now President Donald Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations, said in a 2012 address of how she sold companies on why they should come to the state. “We’ll make the unions understand full well that they are not needed, not wanted and not welcome in the state of South Carolina.” At least that part of the tactic has worked. While some South Carolina workers have representation — just more than 1,900, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2016 figures — most don’t. Other major manufacturers in the state, including BMW and Michelin, aren’t unionized or haven’t experienced major campaigns to do so. The Machinists initially petitioned for a vote at Boeing in 2015 but withdrew the request because of what the union called a toxic atmosphere and political interference. Southern states for decades have recruited manufacturers by promising freedom from the influences of labor unions, which except for some textile mills have been historically rejected by workers as collective action culturally foreign to a South built around family farms, said Jeffrey Hirsch, a law professor who specializes in labor relations at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A successful union vote at Boeing would have a greater impact on the general view of labor in the South than efforts by autoworkers to unionize Volkswagen in Chattanooga, Tennessee, as a foothold for organizing other Southern car plants. Anti-union advocates could always cite VW as an aberration since representatives of one of its key unions in Germany hold seats on the company’s board of directors, Hirsch said. “Boeing is very, very different,” Hirsch said. “No one will ever accuse Boeing of being pro-union.” A “yes” vote would be meaningful throughout the region, said Daniel Cornfield, sociology professor and labor expert at Vanderbilt University. “Given the dynamism of industrialization in the Southern region now, especially the development … of the U.S. automotive industry, any type of heavy-industry union victory would certainly inspire other workers in related industrial sectors in the South to think about unionizing.” What strikes Cornfield about the Boeing case is the company’s silence over consequences for workers. “The company has not been threatening to relocate its operations in the event of a unionization,” he said. “It is often the case that companies try to relocate outside of the United States to find cheaper labor and avoid U.S. unions altogether.” Boeing already may have abstained from those kinds of threats because of its huge South Carolina plant investment and billions of dollars in federal defense contracts. Threatening to move manufacturing would come after Trump blasted Boeing for its cost of building a new presidential Air Force One for future presidents. “Costs are out of control,” Trump tweeted in early December. “Cancel order!” Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg met with Trump two weeks later. “Given the recent pronouncements of President Trump about keeping manufacturing in the United States,” Cornfield said, “it would be interesting and an ironic twist that President Trump is possibly defanging large corporations in their efforts to resist unionization by encouraging companies to stay in the United States, giving workers a leg up and unions a leg up in the campaign period.” Catherine Templeton, South Carolina’s former labor director and successful anti-union lawyer, is no stranger to this fight. When Haley picked Templeton to lead South Carolina’s labor department, the governor played up Templeton’s union-fighting background and saying she needed her help to “fight the unions” at Boeing. “They cannot legally deliver higher wages, better benefits or a different working environment. Even if they are promising it, they certainly can’t deliver it,” Templeton said. On Monday, in a final gathering before the vote, several hundred Boeing employees gathered in a hotel ballroom just a mile from the Boeing plant, hearing from activists and members of other unions urging them to vote “yes” on Wednesday. “Suppressing working people is the old way of doing business in South Carolina,” Machinists organizer Mike Evans said, to cheers from the crowd. “It’s not going to be this way anymore.” ___ Associated Press writer Emery P. Dalesio in Raleigh, North Carolina, contributed to this report. ___ Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP . Read more of her work at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/meg-kinnard/ .

newcountry923.fm

2017-02-15 03:12:37

http://newcountry923.fm/2017/02/15/boeing-vote-tells-next-chapter-in-southern-unionization/

http://newcountry923.fm/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/NC_512x512.png

Bowen remains in NBA draft amid ongoing federal probe

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Faced with sitting out at least another year at South Carolina as the federal investigation into college basketball continues, a “devastated” Brian Bowen felt he had no choice but to remain in the NBA draft. Bowen announced Wednesday he’s leaving the school after the NCAA told South Carolina officials he would miss at least all of next season with the Gamecocks. The NCAA based its decision on alleged benefits received by the Bowen family at his former school Louisville and the governing body’s transfer requirement of a year off the court. “I am completely devastated by the NCAA’s ruling,” Bowen said in a statement. The 6-foot-7 Bowen, from Saginaw, Michigan, transferred to South Carolina in January following his suspension from Louisville amid the federal probe after news of an alleged payment involving the Cardinals and his father to get him to join that school. The federal complaint stated that Adidas representative James Gatto and others attempted to funnel $100,000 to a recruit’s family to gain his commitment to play for Louisville. Bowen was not named in documents, but details made clear that investigators were referring to the freshman. Bowen has denied knowledge of any payment. Among those indicted were were one-time South Carolina assistant coach Lamont Evans, who coached with Martin for four seasons before leaving for Oklahoma State. Bowen took part in practices and was out for pre-game events with South Carolina from January through March. He finished with semester with a 3.5 GPA and, coach Frank Martin said, was a model teammate whose goal was to play in college. South Carolina officials said the NCAA told the school its decision a few days ago and then, Bowen, his family and attorney Jason Setchen considered his options. “All I ever wanted to do was continue my education and play college basketball,” Bowen said. “However, after learning of the ruling, and discussing it with my family and attorney, I’ve decided to pursue my professional career.” Martin said in January there was a chance Bowen might never suit up for the Gamecocks , given his potential at the pro level. While Bowen took part in the NBA’s combine earlier this month, there’s no guarantee he will be selected in next month’s draft. Bowen would have had to miss the first semester next season due to the NCAA transfer rules. The governing body made it clear to South Carolina officials that Bowen might have had to sit much, much longer based on the corruption probe. Auburn sophomore Austin Wiley missed all of last season because of his family’s alleged acceptance of thousands of dollars from an adviser that was set up by former Tigers assistant coach Chuck Person. Person was also among those indicted. Setchen posted on Twitter that Bowen’s case was “a tragedy of epic proportions. I cannot express the magnitude of my dismay in the NCAA’s “ruling” in this matter. Unlike in the biblical tale of David and Goliath, in this case (at least for now) Goliath has prevailed.” Martin and South Carolina athletic director Ray Tanner praised Bowen’s work ethic and character and wished him well as a pro. Bowen thanked Martin for giving him a chance to join the team and get himself back in a good space after his time at Louisville. “I’m grateful to the University of South Carolina and coach Frank Martin for believing in me,” he said. ___ More AP college basketball: http://collegebasketball.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP_Top25

newcountry923.fm

2018-05-30 17:41:00

https://newcountry923.fm/2018/05/30/bowen-remains-in-nba-draft-amid-ongoing-federal-probe/

Ethiopian runner who protested in Rio reunites with family

The Ethiopian marathoner crouched down low in the hallway at the Miami airport as he carried a bouquet of red roses. Feyisa Lilesa’s daughter spotted him first and ran in for a hug. Then, his young son and lastly his wife. On Valentine’s Day, the Olympic silver medalist who became an international figure when he crossed his wrists in protest at the finish line in Rio de Janeiro finally reunited with his family. He was a little late (traffic), but what’s a few extra minutes when he’s already waited six long months to see them. As he made his way out of the airport, his son perched on his shoulders and his daughter rode on the luggage, carrying the flowers he brought as a gift. “The biggest gift is us seeing each other again — and me seeing them again,” Lilesa said through a translator in a phone interview Tuesday. “It’s all been very tough.” The 27-year-old eventually settled in Flagstaff, Arizona, after making an anti-government gesture during the Olympic marathon that drew global attention to the deadly protests in his home region of Oromia. He never returned home after Brazil out of fear of what might happen to him. He’s constantly been worrying about the family he left behind in Ethiopia. His nearly 6-year-old daughter, Soko, and 3 ½-year-old son, Sora, always asked when they will see him again. Finally, he was able to answer. Lilesa remains in the U.S. on a special skills visa. His family arrived on visas as well, secured through his attorney. The plan now is this: A few days of beach time and then it’s off to Flagstaff where the family will settle into everyday life in their rental house. One weight off his mind. Still, he can’t forget what his country is going through, with the Oromia region experiencing anti-government protests over recent months. Violent anti-government protests spread to other parts of Ethiopia and led to a state of emergency that was declared in October. Since his gesture, many have described Lilesa as a national hero. “My mind is pretty much occupied by what is happening back home,” Lilesa said. “Whether I’m running or I’m sleeping or I’m laying back, my family and what is happening in Ethiopia — and what is happening to my people — that’s constantly on my mind.” Most days since his arrival in America have been spent training. It was his best cure for loneliness. “I come from a very big family, and I’ve never lived alone,” Lilesa said. “I’ve always been surrounded by people I know. This has been the complete opposite. Here, I’m removed from all of that.” Still, he would protest all over again. “I think me taking the risk and putting family in that position and putting them potentially in harm’s way, it was a good lesson for a lot of people that you need to sacrifice in order for you to win some concessions and change your situation,” Lilesa said. “In that sense, it inspires people to fight for their rights and resist the government in Ethiopia. It also led to greater awareness about the situation in Ethiopia. “Now, you see more coverage of the human rights violations. I speak with people wherever I go. Even outside the media limelight, people are interested in knowing. They heard the story because of my protest.” Someday, he would like to go back to Ethiopia. “But as long as this current government is in power, I don’t have hope of going back to Ethiopia,” he explained. “I do know change is inevitable.” He also wants to compete at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Whether that’s wearing the colors of Ethiopia, he doesn’t know. “I’m not too hopeful the system will be changed in the next three years and I will be in a position to run for Ethiopia. We will have to wait and see,” said Lilesa, who plans to run in the London Marathon in two months. For now, Lilesa’s priority is getting his family settled. “I knew that we would meet somehow, but I didn’t expect it would happen under these circumstances over here,” Lilesa said. “When I think about my family, it takes me back to why I did this and why I’m here. I missed my family, but this was a big bother to me — the plight of my people.” ___ AP Photographer Wilfredo Lee in Miami contributed to this report.

newcountry923.fm

2017-02-14 17:36:56

http://newcountry923.fm/2017/02/14/ethiopian-runner-who-protested-in-rio-reunites-with-family/

http://newcountry923.fm/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Ethiopian_Marathoner-Family_Reunion_99243-995x498.jpg

The Latest: Student leaders say campuses should be safe

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — The Latest on violent protests connected to a white nationalist rally in Virginia (all times local): 9:45 p.m. Student leaders at dozens of U.S. universities are decrying the weekend violence in Virginia in a statement that says campuses should be safe for students, not “places of violence, hate and racism.” The statement signed by the undergraduate student body president at Ohio State University and his counterparts at more than 120 schools in 34 states and Washington, D.C., stretching from California to Florida and New Jersey. It expresses support for University of Virginia students in Charlottesville, where a driver is accused of slamming into a crowd of people protesting a white nationalist rally. One woman died. The student leaders’ statement expresses support for “marginalized students” and advocates for what it describes as “peaceful resistance to violence, racism, white supremacy, bigotry and acts of terrorism.” ___ 8:05 p.m. Protesters in North Carolina have toppled a long-standing statue of a Confederate soldier. Activists on Monday evening used a rope to pull down the monument outside a Durham courthouse. Video footage posted online shows protesters — some white, some black — kicking the crumpled bronze statue as dozens of people in the crowd cheered and chanted. The Durham protest was in response to a white nationalist rally held in Charlottesville, Virginia, over the weekend. Authorities say one woman was killed Saturday after one of the white nationalists drove his car into a group of peaceful counterprotesters. A United Daughters of the Confederacy website says the Confederate Soldiers Monument was erected in 1924. ___ Several hundred people are marching through the streets of an Ohio city where the man accused of running down protesters in Virginia had been living. The anti-white supremacists rally Monday in Maumee (maw-MEE) is happening just a few miles from where James Alex Fields Jr. lived the past year. Fields is in jail in Virginia, where he’s accused of ramming his car into counterprotesters at a white nationalist rally Saturday, killing one person and injuring 19. At the Monday march in Ohio, Chris Thomas of Sylvania says residents need to stand up and say that Fields doesn’t represent their community. She says we need to stand up and say we’re all Americans and that the nation was built on diversity. ___ 6:45 p.m. A Texas lawmaker says Texas A&M University won’t host a “white lives matter” rally on the campus next month. Republican state Rep. John Raney said Monday that university chancellor John Sharp told him the event had been canceled due to “hate messages” on social media and police concerns of violence. The event had been scheduled for Sept. 11. Raney made the announcement on the floor of the Texas House of Representatives just hours after lawmakers said they were working to stop the rally from taking place. Texas A&M officials confirmed the event had been canceled. The event was organized by a former A&M student who said he was inspired by a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Saturday. That event erupted in violence as protesters and counter protesters clashed. Police say a 20-year-old man rammed in his car into a group of the counter protesters, killing a woman and injuring at least 19. A former teacher of the man says he idolized Adolf Hitler and was fascinated with Nazism. ___ 6 p.m. Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe is directing his administration to conduct an “extensive review” of how police prepare and respond to rallies like the one that ended with deadly violence in Charlottesville. The Democratic governor has adamantly supported how police handled Saturday’s protests. His office said Monday in a statement that he wants his administration to review how permits for such rallies are granted. McAuliffe also said he had directed his administration to form a commission focused on racial reconciliation. The governor said he wants “actionable recommendations” on what the state can do to promote unity and public safety. ___ 6 p.m. The driver charged with killing a woman at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville worked as a security officer in Ohio. Securitas Security Services USA, Inc. said in a statement on Monday that James Alex Fields Jr. worked for the company for two months starting in May 2016 and again from November to the present. The company says the state of Ohio issued Fields a security officer license and that the man “performed his duties satisfactorily.” Securitas says Fields was on previously requested vacation leave when police say he rammed his car into a crowd of counter-protesters on Saturday, killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer. The company says Fields’ employment has been terminated. Fields has been charged with second-degree murder and other offenses. ___ 6 p.m. Accident investigators say there was no distress signal from a Virginia state police helicopter that crashed over the weekend near Charlottesville, where neo-Nazi and so-called alt-right demonstrators clashed with counter-protesters. The National Transportation Safety Board said Monday that the helicopter was providing video to police of activities in downtown Charlottesville before it broke off to lend support to a motorcade for Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe. Within two minutes there was a 911 call reporting the crash, which happened 7 miles (10 kilometers) southwest of the Charlottesville airport. Both state troopers on board were killed. The board said the helicopter’s vertical flight path was about 45 degrees when it descended into trees. The tail boom separated from the main wreckage and became lodged in a tree. The Richmond-Times Dispatch reports that a National Transportation Safety Board report says the helicopter sustained “substantial damage” in a 2010 rough landing after losing power. ___ 6 p.m. The mother of a University of Virginia student injured when a car rammed through counter-protesters at a white nationalist rally says she hopes her daughter can be returned to Houston for medical treatment and recovery. Ericka Chaves said Monday that her 20-year-old daughter, Natalie Romero, suffered a skull fracture and other injuries on Saturday in Charlottesville, which is home to the university. Chaves says it’s “really hard” for her daughter to talk, but she’s tough. Chaves says she hopes her daughter doesn’t return to the university after she heals. Romero is attending the school on a scholarship. She was a leader at Houston’s Bellaire High School’s Junior ROTC program and was named outstanding ROTC cadet in 2016. ___ 4:45 p.m. Charlottesville Police Chief Al Thomas told a news conference Monday that a hotline was being set up to enable people to report assaults and other criminal activity that may have occurred at a weekend rally of white nationalists. He also said “alt-right” rally attendees had failed to follow an agreed-upon plan on entering Emancipation Park. The attendees were gathering to protest plans to remove a Confederate statue. The event also drew counter-protesters – and Thomas said the crowds became more aggressive and “mutually engaged combatants” became more violent. When asked whether he had any regrets, he said: “Absolutely I have regrets. We lost three lives this weekend.” He was referring to 32-year-old Heather Heyer, who died after a car police say was driven by James Alex Fields Jr. rammed into a crowd of counter-protesters. Two Virginia State Police officers also died when their helicopter, which was dispatched to the area, crashed just outside of Charlottesville. ___ 3:30 p.m. Google says it’s canceling the registration of neo-Nazi website The Daily Stormer for violating its terms of service, after it posted an article mocking the woman who was run over and killed at a white nationalist rally in Virginia. The site was briefly down Monday — following a move by registration company GoDaddy to also cancel the site’s domain name. But after a short time it was back up, including a post from the website’s publisher, Andrew Anglin, saying he had retaken control of the site. The site claimed it was briefly controlled by a member of the “Anonymous” group of hackers. The article about Heather Heyer criticizes her appearance, that she had no children, and that she couldn’t move fast enough to avoid the charging car. The 32-year-old Heyer died after a car police say was driven by James Alex Fields Jr. rammed into a crowd of counter-protesters. The group was demonstrating against white nationalists who had gathered to oppose the removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee from a park in Charlottesville. ___ 3 p.m. Records from 911 calls show the driver charged with killing a woman at a white nationalist rally was previously accused of beating his mother and threatening her with a knife. Authorities say 20-year-old James Fields drove his car into a crowd of counter-protesters on Saturday in Charlottesville. At least two dozen were wounded in addition to the woman killed. The records the Florence Police Department in Kentucky show the man’s mother had called police in 2011. Records show Fields’ mother, Samantha Bloom, told police he stood behind her wielding a 12-inch knife. Bloom is disabled and uses a wheelchair. In another incident in 2010, Bloom said that Fields smacked her in the head and locked her in the bathroom after she told him to stop playing video games. Bloom told officers Fields was on medication to control his temper. ___ 3 p.m. A spokeswoman for a hospital in Virginia says 10 patients treated there after a car ran into counter-protesters at a white nationalist rally have been released. Nine others are in good condition. UVA Health System spokeswoman Angela Taylor gave the update Monday. Twenty people were taken to UVA Medical Center after the car ran into the crowd Saturday in Charlottesville, Virginia. One, Heather Heyer, died. Five were initially in critical condition. The hospital has said it treated additional patients related to Saturday’s events beyond those 20, but that it can’t give an exact number. ___ 1:30 p.m. A former classmate of the man accused of plowing his car into counter-protesters at a white nationalist rally says the suspect once said he went on a school trip to Germany so he could “get to the Fatherland.” Keegan McGrath told The Associated Press on Monday that he was roommates with James Alex Fields Jr. on that trip in 2015. McGrath says he challenged Fields on his beliefs and went home early because he couldn’t handle being in a room with Fields. He says Fields seemed fairly normal before that at their school in Union, Kentucky. Fields is charged with second-degree murder after authorities say he drove into a crowd in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Saturday, fatally injuring one woman and hurting 19 others. A judge said Monday he’ll appoint an attorney to represent Fields. ___ 10:40 a.m. A judge has denied bond for an Ohio man accused of plowing his car into a crowd at a white nationalist rally. Judge Robert Downer said during a bond hearing Monday he would appoint a lawyer for James Alex Fields Jr. Fields is charged with second-degree murder and other counts after authorities say he drove into the crowd, fatally injuring one woman and hurting 19 others. The rally was held by white nationalists and others who oppose a plan to remove from a Charlottesville park of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. Fields has been in custody since Saturday. A high school teacher said Fields was fascinated with Nazism, idolized Adolf Hitler and had been singled out by school officials in the 9th grade for his “deeply held, radical” convictions on race. ___ 9:45 a.m. A group that hosts a ceremony every year to re-dedicate an Atlanta monument depicting a Confederate soldier vows that it will be repaired after protesters spray-painted it and broke a chunk from it. John Green, past commandant of the Old Guard of the Gate City Guard, said Monday it appears his group must now raise money to repair the 105-year-old statue damaged during a Sunday protest after the deadly weekend violence in Virginia. City officials haven’t commented on any plans for repairs or whether city funds would be used for that. Green said removing the statue from Piedmont Park, a city park, is not an option. He said the angel standing over the soldier represents peace, and it was created to help bring the nation back together after the Civil War. ___ 7:40 a.m. A prominent white nationalist website that promoted a Virginia rally that ended in deadly violence Saturday is losing its internet domain host. GoDaddy tweeted late Sunday night that it has given the Daily Stormer 24 hours to move its domain to another provider because the site has violated GoDaddy’s terms of service. GoDaddy spokesman Dan Race tells the New York Daily News that the Daily Stormer violated its terms of service by labeling a woman killed in an attack at the event in Charlottesville “fat” and “childless.” Heather Heyer was killed Saturday when police say a man plowed his car into a group of demonstrators protesting the white nationalist rally. Shortly after GoDaddy tweeted its decision, the site posted an article claiming it had been hacked and would be shut down. ___ 7:30 a.m. Protesters spray-painted and broke a chunk off a statue depicting a Confederate soldier at an Atlanta park after they marched through the city to protest the weekend violence in Charlottesville, Virginia. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that a lone policeman at Piedmont Park on Sunday night was surrounded by black-clad protesters shouting “pig” as demonstrators used chains to try and destroy the Peace Monument. The statue depicts a winged angel standing over a Confederate soldier. Video from local news outlets showed red spray paint covering much of the monument following the demonstration. The Atlanta protest was among several around the nation over the weekend that were organized after a chaotic white supremacist rally in Virginia ended with deadly violence. ___ 7:30 a.m. The German government is condemning the white nationalist rally in Virginia that turned violent Saturday, expressing solidarity with peaceful counter-protesters. Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman Steffen Seibert told reporters Monday that it was an “absolutely repulsive scene at this extreme-right march.” He said “there was outrageous racism, anti-Semitism and hate in its most despicable form to be seen, and whenever it comes to such speech or such images it is repugnant.” He added that it’s “completely contrary to what the chancellor and the German government works for politically, and we are in solidarity with those who stand peacefully against such aggressive extreme-right opinions.” Seibert says Merkel also regrets the death of a counter-protester and sent her sympathies to those injured. ___ 3 a.m. An Ohio man accused of plowing his car into counter-protesters at a white nationalist rally in Virginia is set to make his first court appearance. Col. Martin Kumer, superintendent at the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail, says 20-year-old James Alex Fields Jr. has a bond hearing Monday morning. Fields is charged with second-degree murder and other counts after authorities say he drove into the crowd, fatally injuring one woman and hurting 19 others. Fields has been in custody since Saturday. Jail officials told The Associated Press they don’t know if he’s obtained an attorney. A high school teacher said Fields was fascinated with Nazism, idolized Adolf Hitler and had been singled out by school officials in the 9th grade for his “deeply held, radical” convictions on race.

newcountry923.fm

2017-08-15 00:12:42

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/08/15/the-latest-bond-denied-for-suspect-in-virginia-rally-death/

The Latest: Gowdy disputes claim of spy on Trump campaign

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the special counsel’s investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia (all times local): 3:55 p.m. A senior House Republican briefed on the FBI’s Russia probe is disputing President Donald Trump’s allegation that the agency spied on his 2016 campaign for political purposes. Rep. Trey Gowdy told “CBS This Morning” and Fox News that there is no evidence of FBI misconduct or that the agency planted a “spy” in Trump’s campaign. Gowdy’s statements contradict the president, who has said the FBI planted a “spy for political reasons and to help Crooked Hillary win.” Trump, meanwhile, noted Gowdy’s comment that the president could have picked someone other than Jef Sessions to lead the Justice Department. Trump tweeted, “And I wish I did!” __ 9:25 a.m. President Donald Trump, still nursing resentment against Attorney General Jeff Sessions for recusing himself from the Russia investigation, says he wishes he’d picked a different leader of the Justice Department. Trump on Wednesday tweeted a quote from Republican congressman Trey Gowdy, who said Sessions should have told Trump before accepting the job that he planned to recuse himself from the investigation. It comes amid fresh news reports that Trump had asked Sessions to rescind his recusal. Sessions recused himself for possible conflict of interest, leading to the appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller. Gowdy told “CBS This Morning” on Wednesday that “there are lots of really good lawyers in the country. He could have picked somebody else.” Trump added at the end of his tweet, “And I wish I did!” ___ 9 a.m. A senior House Republican briefed by the FBI on its Russia probe is disputing President Donald Trump’s allegation that the agency spied on his 2016 campaign for political purposes. Rep. Trey Gowdy told “CBS This Morning” and Fox News there is no evidence of FBI misconduct or that the agency planted a “spy” in Trump’s campaign. His statements appeared to contradict the president, who has said the FBI planted a “spy for political reasons and to help Crooked Hillary win.” Gowdy told Fox on Tuesday that after receiving classified briefing on the subject “I am even more convinced that the FBI did exactly what my fellow citizens would want them to do” in acting on information. Lawmakers demanded the briefing following reports a government informant approached Trump campaign officials.

newcountry923.fm

2018-05-30 21:14:49

https://newcountry923.fm/2018/05/30/the-latest-trump-says-he-wishes-hed-picked-a-different-ag/

Mary Blige, Mariah Carey, Nick Jonas get Golden Globe nods

NEW YORK (AP) — Mary J. Blige is dancing into the Golden Globe Awards as a double nominee — for her acting and songwriting — while Mariah Carey, Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood and Nick Jonas are some of the other popular musicians also nominated. Blige earned nominations Monday for her work in the Dee Rees’ period film “Mudbound.” She’s up for best supporting actress in a motion picture and best original song for “Mighty River,” which she co-wrote. “I feel so good. I’ve been thanking God all morning long. I’ve been up since my phone has been ringing,” the 46-year-old singer said in a phone interview with The Associated Press. “Mudbound,” released on Netflix last month, follows two neighboring families — one black, one white — on a hardscrabble farm in 1940s Mississippi. Blige plays the role of Florence Jackson, a mother and sharecropper’s wife. They filmed last summer in New Orleans, around the time Blige announced she was divorcing from her husband and former manager. She said she took all of the emotion from her personal life and put it into the film. “I would come over to (my acting coach’s) house and I would be going through it. And she would say, ‘Take all of that mess and give it to Florence. Give everything to Florence.’ And I just gave Florence everything that was good, bad, vulnerable, that was strong, that was sad, that was disappointing,” she said. Blige detailed the very public breakup and infidelity claims on her album, “Strength of a Woman,” released in April. “2016 was the year that I didn’t know what the heck was going on. As women we have intuition, we don’t know exactly what’s happening, we just feel everything. I know I feel everything. And I just gave … everything I was feeling to Florence,” she added. Blige, who grew up in New York, said trips to the South to visit her family also helped her connect to the character: “I would see my grandmother and my aunts and they were this woman Florence, so I saw this woman a lot. I think I probably have her in my DNA.” She also said it was tough transforming from Mary J. Blige, the 9-time Grammy-winning R&B superstar, to Mary J. Blige, the actress. “I wear a lot of wigs and weaves and things like that, but for this I had to wear my own textured hair, which I was never really wanting to do, especially without a perm,” Blige said. “And (Dee Rees) was like, ‘No, I want nappy edges. I want Florence to look like she’s a sharecropper’s wife, and it was a little hard disconnecting from Mary J. Blige because she’s been around for a minute. So it was hard to get rid of her, but once I got rid of her Florence actually liberated Mary. So it was sad but beautiful at the same time.” Blige’s two nominations are the only ones “Mudbound” earned Monday. The singer shares her best original song nomination with Taura Stinson and Raphael Saadiq, the singer-songwriter-producer who has worked on hits for Solange, D’Angelo, Erykah Badu and himself. Blige’s competition includes Carey, who is nominated for the Christmas tune “The Star,” from the animated movie of the same name. Carey co-wrote the song with Marc Shaiman. “Listen, I’ve been a fan of Mariah Carey since Mariah Carey came out. It’s a beautiful thing to see all of your peers at the same time being blessed and nominated and recognized for our work,” Blige said. Jonas is also up for best original song for “Home” from the animated film “Ferdinand.” “For me songwriting is my outlet, the way that I express myself and the way that I share my stories. It’s been the through line of my life since I was about seven years old,” said Jonas, who shares his nomination with Justin Tranter and Nick Monson. “To be recognized for … a song about my family and my loved ones makes it that much sweeter.” Jonas and Carey are first-time Globe nominees; Blige was up for an award at the 2012 show for “The Living Proof” from the film, “The Help.” Other best original song nominees include Oscar-winning composers. Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, the husband-and-wife songwriting duo behind “Let It Go” from “Frozen,” are nominated for “Remember Me” from the film “Coco,” while Benj Pasek and Justin Paul — who earned an Oscar this year for “City of Stars” from “La La Land,” are up for “This Is Me” from “The Greatest Showman.” Greenwood earned a nomination for best original score for “Phantom Thread.” Other nominees include Hans Zimmer for “Dunkirk,” Alexandre Desplat for “The Shape of Water,” Carter Burwell for “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” and John Williams for “The Post.” The 75th annual Golden Globes will air live on January 7, 2018.

newcountry923.fm

2017-12-11 14:40:17

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/12/11/mary-blige-mariah-carey-nick-jonas-get-golden-globe-nods/

Political feud erupts between Australia and New Zealand

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Like squabbling siblings, New Zealand and Australia have close ties but also a rivalry that can sometimes turn ugly. That tension spilled into politics on Tuesday, when Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop accused New Zealand’s opposition Labour Party of conspiring to undermine her government, a claim New Zealand lawmakers say is “false” and “utter nonsense.” The unlikely dispute involves Barnaby Joyce, Australia’s deputy prime minister. Joyce said Monday he’d been advised he was a New Zealand citizen and an Australian court was being asked to determine if he should be kicked out of parliament because Australia’s constitution bans lawmakers from being dual citizens. Bishop says Australia’s opposition Labor Party used their New Zealand counterparts to raise questions about Joyce in the New Zealand parliament.

newcountry923.fm

2017-08-14 23:28:12

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/08/14/political-feud-erupts-between-australia-and-new-zealand/

No suspensions for Seahawks after Jacksonville meltdown

RENTON, Wash. (AP) — The Seattle Seahawks will not face any suspensions for the melee that broke out at the conclusion of Sunday’s loss to Jacksonville. The league is still reviewing the fracas that broke out in the closing moments of Jacksonville’s 30-24 victory for potential discipline, but no suspensions will be coming. Michael Bennett, Sheldon Richardson and Quinton Jefferson were all flagged for personal fouls. Jefferson and Richardson were both ejected, and all three should face hefty fines for their involvement in the ugly conclusion. Jefferson attempted to climb into the stands after fans threw what appeared to be bottles at him as he was leaving the field. He was pulled back by team staff. The Jaguars issued a statement Monday they were reviewing video and were conducting interviews with spectators and security staff in the area to identify those involved. The Jaguars said those involved may lose the right to purchase future tickets or have their season tickets revoked. ___ For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP_NFL

newcountry923.fm

2017-12-11 16:30:24

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/12/11/no-suspensions-for-seahawks-after-jacksonville-meltdown/

Saudi Arabia to allow movie theaters after decades of ban

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Saudi Arabia says it will allow movie theaters to open in the conservative kingdom next year, for the first time in more than 35 years. It’s the latest move as part of the young crown prince’s efforts to socially reform the country. The kingdom says a resolution was passed on Monday paving way for licenses to be granted to commercial movie theaters. Movie theaters were shut down in the 1980’s during a wave of ultraconservatism in the country. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has pushed for greater social openings, including lifting a ban on women driving next year and bringing back concerts and other forms of entertainment to satiate the desires of the country’s majority young population. The government says the first cinemas are expected to open in March 2018.

newcountry923.fm

2017-12-11 02:56:51

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/12/11/saudi-arabia-to-allow-movie-theaters-after-decades-of-ban/

The Latest: 3 Turkish soldiers killed in Afrin operation

BEIRUT (AP) — The Latest on the situation in Syria (all times local): 5:45 p.m. The Turkish military says two of its soldiers have been killed in Syria and a third was killed on the Turkish side of the border in an attack by Syrian Kurdish militiamen. The military says Saturday’s deaths were related to Turkey’s operation against the Syrian Kurdish-held enclave of Afrin, codenamed Olive Branch. One of the soldiers was killed when a Turkish tank was hit in Afrin. A total of eight Turkish soldiers and at least 24 allied Syrian opposition fighters have died so far in Ankara’s offensive, which started on Jan. 20. The Turkish operation aims to clear Afrin of the U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish militia, known as the People’s Protection Units or YPG, which Turkey considers to be a terrorist group and an extension of the Kurdish insurgency within its borders. Ankara also says it is fighting the Islamic State group in the area. ___ 4:50 p.m. Syrian opposition activists say rebels have shot down a warplane in the country’s northwest where government forces and their allies are advancing under the cover of intense airstrikes. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the warplane was downed on Saturday afternoon near the rebel-held town of Sarqeb, which Syrian troops have been trying to reach under the cover of Russian airstrikes. The Observatory’s chief Rami Abdurrahman says it’s possible the warplane could be Russian. He added that the pilot ejected and landed alive on the ground. The opposition’s Aleppo Media Center says it was a Russian-made SU25 but did not say whether it was Russian. There was no immediate word from Moscow. ___ 4:30 p.m. Turkish presidential spokesman says Turkey will not tolerate the presence of a Syrian Kurdish militia “anywhere” along its southern border, hinting that Ankara might expand its military operation underway in the Syrian enclave of Afrin eastward. The spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, said on Saturday that Turkey’s first demand is to see the Syrian Kurdish militia — the People’s Protection Units or YPG — move east of the Euphrates River and leave the town of Manbij, where American troops backing the Syrian Kurdish fighters are stationed. Turkey launched an incursion into Syria on Jan. 20 and is currently fighting the YPG in the northwestern enclave of Afrin. It considers the YPG a “terrorist group” and an extension of Kurdish rebels inside Turkey. Kalin called on the United States to “disengage” from the YPG and said Turkey will continue communications with “our American allies to avoid any confrontation.” Turkey shares a 911-kilometer border with Syria. The YPG controls much of the territory along the border and an uninterrupted strip from Manbij to the Iraqi border. ___ 2:20 p.m. A Syrian monitoring group and the media arm of al-Qaida-linked militants are reporting intense airstrikes on a rebel-held stronghold in Syria’s northwest. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported more than 35 airstrikes on Saraqeb since late Friday, adding that many of its residents are fleeing. The Ibaa News Agency of the al-Qaida-linked Levant Liberation Committee, said Russian and Syrian warplanes and helicopter gunships have been pounding Saraqeb and Tel Mardeekh village in Idlib province since the early hours of Saturday. Syrian government forces and their allies pushed into Idlib, an opposition stronghold, inching closer to a key highway that connects Syria’s two largest cities, Damascus and Aleppo. The U.N. says more than 270,000 have been displaced in Idlib because of the government onslaught since Dec. 15.

newcountry923.fm

2018-02-03 09:50:41

https://newcountry923.fm/2018/02/03/the-latest-3-turkish-soldiers-killed-in-afrin-operation/

Crank or Stank! Jordan Davis "Singles You Up"

Weeknights at 6:30, we play a brand new song! Call, text or vote here! If you love it, tell us to CRANK IT! If you don’t love it, tell us it STANKS!

newcountry923.fm

2017-06-14 19:00:13

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/06/14/crank-stank-jordan-davis-singles/

Judge tells Alabama to release lethal injection information

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A federal judge has ordered Alabama to release information about its lethal injection process. U.S. Judge Karon O. Bowdre on Wednesday ruled the “public has a common law right of access” to those records. Bowdre says the state can keep some information secret, such as the names of low-level prison employees involved in executions. She ordered the state to tell her by June 7 if there is any sensitive identifying information in any of the records the court plans to make public. The office of Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall says it’s reviewing the order. The Associated Press and other news outlets had filed a motion seeking release of the information. For years Alabama has refused to divulge details of its execution process or where it obtains the drugs used.

newcountry923.fm

2018-05-30 19:05:57

https://newcountry923.fm/2018/05/30/judge-tells-alabama-to-release-lethal-injection-information/

India launches more than 100 satellites into orbit

NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s space agency said it successfully launched more than 100 foreign nano satellites into orbit Wednesday aboard a single rocket. The Indian Space Research Organization said the nano satellites — those weighing less than 10 kilograms (22 pounds) — were sent into orbit on board its polar satellite launch vehicle in southern India. The agency said the launching of the 104 satellites was a record, overtaking Russia’s feat of sending 37 satellites in a single launch in 2014. The nano satellites belong to various companies in the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, the Netherlands and Kazakhstan, according to the ISRO. “All 104 satellites were successfully placed in orbit,” the Press Trust of India news agency quoted ISRO Chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar as saying. They included an Indian earth observation satellite. Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that the “remarkable feat by ISRO is yet another proud moment for our space scientific community and the nation.” India has been striving to become a player in the multibillion-dollar space launch market, and has successfully placed light satellites into orbit in recent years. It hopes to eventually send astronauts into space. In September 2014, India successfully guided a spacecraft into orbit around Mars. Only the United States, the former Soviet Union and the European Space Agency had been able to previously do that.

newcountry923.fm

2017-02-15 00:10:18

http://newcountry923.fm/2017/02/15/india-launches-more-than-100-satellites-into-orbit/

http://newcountry923.fm/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/NC_512x512.png

Taylor Swift hopes verdict inspires assault victims

DENVER (AP) — Immediately after a jury determined that Taylor Swift had been groped by a radio station host before a concert in Denver, the singer-songwriter turned to one of her closest allies — her mother — and later said she hoped the verdict would inspire other victims of sexual assault. Swift hugged her crying mother after the six-woman, two-man jury said in U.S. District Court on Monday that former Denver DJ David Mueller had groped the pop star during a photo op four years ago. Per Swift’s request, jurors awarded her $1 in damages — a sum her attorney, Douglas Baldridge, called “a single symbolic dollar, the value of which is immeasurable to all women in this situation.” Swift released a statement thanking her attorneys “for fighting for me and anyone who feels silenced by a sexual assault.” “My hope is to help those whose voices should also be heard,” she said, promising to make unspecified donations to groups that help victims of sexual assault. Nancy Leong, a law professor at the University of Denver, said the verdict is important because “we are getting to the point in society that women are believed in court. For many decades and centuries, that was not the case.” Leong, who also teaches in the university’s gender studies program, said the verdict will inspire more victims of sexual assault to come forward. “The fact that she was believed will allow women to understand that they will not automatically be disbelieved, and I think that’s a good thing,” Leong said. Swift and her mother initially tried to keep the accusation quiet by reporting the incident to Mueller’s bosses and not the police. But it inevitably became public when Mueller sued Swift for up to $3 million, claiming the allegation cost him his $150,000-a-year job at country station KYGO-FM, where he was a morning host. “I’ve been trying to clear my name for four years,” he said after the verdict in explaining why he took Swift to court. “Civil court is the only option I had. This is the only way that I could be heard.” Swift countersued for assault and battery, and during an hour of testimony blasted a low-key characterization by Mueller’s attorney, Gabriel McFarland, of what happened. While Mueller testified he never grabbed Swift, she insisted she was groped. “He stayed attached to my bare ass-cheek as I lurched away from him,” Swift testified. “It was a definite grab. A very long grab,” she added. Mueller emphatically denied reaching under the pop star’s skirt or otherwise touching her inappropriately, insisting he touched only her ribs and may have brushed the outside of her skirt as they awkwardly posed for the picture. That photo was virtually the only evidence besides the testimony. In the image shown to jurors during opening statements but not publicly released, Mueller’s hand is behind Swift, just below her waist. Both are smiling. Mueller’s then-girlfriend is standing on the other side of Swift. Swift testified that after she was groped, she numbly told Mueller and his girlfriend, “Thank you for coming,” and moved on to photos with others waiting in line because she did not want to disappoint them. But she said she immediately went to her photographer after the meet-and-greet ended and found the photo of her with Mueller, telling the photographer what happened. Swift’s mother, Andrea Swift, testified that she asked radio liaison Frank Bell to call Mueller’s employers. They did not call the police to avoid further traumatizing her daughter, she said. “We absolutely wanted to keep it private. But we didn’t want him to get away with it,” Andrea Swift testified. Bell said he emailed the photo to Robert Call, KYGO’s general manager, for use in Call’s investigation of Mueller. He said he didn’t ask that Mueller be fired but that “appropriate action be taken.” Jurors rejected Mueller’s claims that Andrea Swift and Bell cost him his job. On Friday, U.S. District Judge William Martinez dismissed similar claims against Taylor Swift, ruling Mueller’s team failed to offer evidence that the then-23-year-old superstar did anything more than report the incident to her team, including her mother. ___ Associated Press writer Thomas Peipert contributed to this report.

newcountry923.fm

2017-08-15 02:03:47

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/08/15/taylor-swift-hopes-verdict-inspires-assault-victims/

US Women's Open field battling wet conditions, each other

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

newcountry923.fm

2018-05-30 15:59:48

https://newcountry923.fm/2018/05/30/us-womens-open-field-battling-wet-conditions-each-other/

Pick for Medicare post faces questions on Indiana contracts

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — President Donald Trump’s pick to oversee Medicare and Medicaid advised Vice President Mike Pence on health care issues while he was Indiana’s governor, a post she maintained amid a web of business arrangements — including one that ethics experts say conflicted with her public duties. A review by The Associated Press found Seema Verma and her small Indianapolis-based firm made millions through consulting agreements with at least nine states while also working under contract for Hewlett Packard. The company holds a financial stake in the health care policies Verma’s consulting work helped shape in Indiana and elsewhere. Her firm, SVC Inc., collected more than $6.6 million in consulting fees from the state of Indiana since 2011, records show. At the same time, records indicate she also received more than $1 million through a contract with Hewlett, the nation’s largest operator of state Medicaid claims processing systems. Last year, her firm collected an additional $316,000 for work done for the state of Kentucky as a subcontractor for HP Enterprises, according to documents obtained by AP through public records requests. In financial disclosures posted this week, Verma reported she has an agreement to sell SVC Inc. to Health Management Associates of Lansing, Michigan, within 90 days of her confirmation. In a statement, a spokesman for Verma said there was no conflict of interest and added that she has the support of former officials who served with her under Pence. Her firm was “completely transparent in regards to its relationship with HP and that there was never a conflict of interest,” spokesman Marcus Barlow said in a statement. A spokesman for Pence did not respond to a request for comment. Verma faces a Senate Finance Committee hearing on Thursday. Democrats in Washington are aware of many of her consulting arrangements, and have broader concerns about her philosophy about government entitlement programs, lack of background in Medicare and inexperience leading a large organization. As a trusted adviser to Pence, she had an office in the state government center and took on duties usually reserved for state administrators. Verma was also widely respected for her grasp on policy and designed a federal Medicaid waiver that allowed Pence to undertake his own conservative expansion of the program while still accepting money made available through the Affordable Care Act. Verma did not specifically address how she would handle decisions related to HP in a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services that was released this week. The letter outlined her plan for managing potential conflicts of interest should she be confirmed by the Senate to lead the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Her relationship with HP was first reported by the Indianapolis Star in 2014. Legal and ethics experts contacted by AP say Verma’s work for Hewlett, and offshoot HP Enterprises, raised questions about where her loyalties lay — to the company, or to state taxpayers. Richard Painter, former President George W. Bush’s chief ethics lawyer, called Verma’s arrangement a “conflict of interest” that “clearly should not happen and is definitely improper.” Such arrangements are typically prohibited for rank-and-file state employees under Indiana’s ethics rules and laws, but they’re murkier when it comes to consulting work. Contractors have often replaced state employees in a GOP bid to drive down the number of public employees, distinctions between the two can be hard to discern. “She was cloaked with so much responsibility and so much authority, people thought she was a state employee,” said Debra Minot, a former head of Indiana’s Family and Social Services Agency under Pence who worked with Verma. Indiana University law professor David Orentlicher compared Verma’s dual employment to an attorney who represents both the plaintiff and the defense in a lawsuit. It’s also similar to federal contract negotiator with a side job for a company they regularly negotiate with, he said. “If you have one person on both sides of the negotiating, they can’t negotiate hard for both sides,” said Orentlicher, a former Indiana Democratic state lawmaker. There was at least one instance where Verma crossed the line in Indiana when she was dispatched by HP to help smooth over a billing dispute, said Minot. “It was never clear to me until that moment that she, in essence, was representing both the agency and one of our very key contractors,” said Minot, who was removed as head of the agency by Pence over her disagreements with Verma. “It was just shocking to me that she could play both sides.” State contracts show Verma’s duties to Indiana and Hewlett have overlapped at times. One agreement she held with the state’s social services agency required her to “provide technical assistance” to state contractors, as well as the governor’s office. Another duty was “contract development and negotiation” with vendors, which included HP and HP Enterprises Verma reported her salary with SVC is $480,000 and her business income from the company as nearly $2.2 million. ___ Johnson reported from Chicago.

newcountry923.fm

2017-02-15 07:03:49

http://newcountry923.fm/2017/02/15/pick-for-medicare-post-faces-questions-on-indiana-contracts-2/

http://newcountry923.fm/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Trump_Medicaid_Nominee_97543-995x498.jpg

Granderson snaps tie with 300th HR, Mets rally past Cubs 9-4

NEW YORK (AP) — On a night when Matt Harvey fizzled and so much went wrong for the New York Mets, they still rallied late for a rousing win. Curtis Granderson opened a five-run eighth inning with his 300th homer, a tiebreaking shot that helped the Mets bail out an ailing Harvey in a 9-4 victory Wednesday over the Chicago Cubs. Harvey lost the zip on his fastball and gave up three homers in four innings — including Anthony Rizzo’s latest leadoff shot and a titanic drive by Kyle Schwarber . After the game, the former ace said he’s at a pretty low point physically and plans to see a doctor Thursday. “My arm was just not working at all,” said Harvey, who had a rib removed last year during surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome. “I think the last time I threw 87 (mph) with a fastball was probably freshman year of high school.” “It’s been very difficult. A very difficult year,” he added. “A lot of ups and downs. A lot of discomfort and trying to battle through weaknesses and strengthening areas that I’m not used to. It’s been rough. I have one less rib. I had pretty major surgery. There’s going to be discomfort with that.” New York also lost second baseman Neil Walker to a left leg injury , the latest issue to befall a team hampered by a long list of health problems the past two seasons. But replacement Lucas Duda hit a three-run homer off Hector Rondon in the eighth, and T.J. Rivera capped the outburst with an RBI single for his third hit. With sluggers Yoenis Cespedes and Michael Conforto on the bench to begin the game, the resurgent Mets came back from a 4-1 deficit and took two of three from the World Series champions heading into a pivotal four-game series against NL East-leading Washington. New York (30-34) has won five of six overall. “This is a big win for us, especially going into tomorrow night,” manager Terry Collins said. Granderson received a standing ovation and came out for a curtain call after connecting in the eighth off Carl Edwards Jr. (2-1). The veteran outfielder had the souvenir ball from home run No. 300 in his locker after the game. Jerry Blevins (4-0) struck out three of his four batters, and Addison Reed retired Rizzo with the bases loaded for the final out. Juan Lagares hit a tying triple on an 0-2 pitch from Pedro Strop with two outs in the sixth, the start of a meltdown by Chicago’s bullpen. The Cubs (32-33) hit back-to-back homers to begin the game but played some sloppy defense and lost for the eighth time in their past nine visits to Citi Field, including the 2015 NL Championship Series. “There’s a certain unpredictability about us. That’s why we’re a .500 ballclub right now,” manager Joe Maddon said. “I believe in our group, but we have to prove it on the field. Very simple.” Chicago has dropped six of eight following a five-game winning streak. “We developed guys last year and won the World Series. No team has ever done that, I don’t think,” Rizzo said. “So, you’ve got to take your lumps.” Cubs rookie Ian Happ, who hit a grand slam Tuesday night, followed Rizzo’s leadoff shot with his seventh home run and Chicago had a 2-0 lead after seven pitches. Schwarber’s 467-foot shot over the Shea Bridge, a walkway for Citi Field fans above and beyond the bullpens in right-center, made it 4-1 in the fourth. LEADING MAN Batting leadoff Tuesday for the first time in his career, Rizzo homered on Zack Wheeler’s second pitch to spark a 14-3 rout by the Cubs. The 240-pound slugger did himself one better this time, connecting on the first pitch from Harvey and prompting excited high-fives from giddy teammates in the dugout. “I am statistically the greatest leadoff hitter of all-time,” Rizzo said. “I would like to retire there just to talk smack to everyone that tries to do it.” BIG STICK With the bases loaded in the fourth and the Mets short on the bench, Collins sent up pitcher Steven Matz to pinch hit for Harvey. Matz legged out an RBI infield single off starter Mike Montgomery, and Lagares trimmed it to 4-3 with a sacrifice fly. TRAINER’S ROOM Cubs: 2B-OF Ben Zobrist (left wrist) was out of the lineup for the second consecutive game but available to pinch hit, Maddon said. After a day off Thursday, the team hopes Zobrist can start Friday night in Pittsburgh. If not, the disabled list could become a consideration. … RHP Kyle Hendricks (hand tendinitis) was scheduled to have a second MRI. Mets: Walker pulled up lame trying to beat out a bunt in the third inning and will have an MRI on Thursday. Duda entered in the fourth at first base, with Rivera shifting from first to second. And it appears the Mets once again will hold off on calling up hot-hitting shortstop prospect Amed Rosario from Triple-A Las Vegas: Second baseman Gavin Cecchini was scratched from the 51s lineup after Walker got hurt. UP NEXT Cubs: Begin a three-game series Friday night in Pittsburgh with RHP Eddie Butler (3-2, 4.03 ERA) on the mound against Pirates rookie RHP Trevor Williams (3-3, 5.13). Mets: With the Mets using a six-man rotation during a long stretch between days off, rookie RHP Robert Gsellman (5-3, 4.95 ERA) gets another start Thursday night in the series opener against Washington. Gsellman threw 6 2/3 shutout innings Saturday in Atlanta and has won a career-best three straight outings. He faces Nationals LHP Gio Gonzalez (5-1, 2.91), who is 9-1 with a 1.62 ERA in 14 starts at Citi Field — including a 3-1 win over Jacob deGrom on April 22 during Washington’s three-game sweep. ___ More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

newcountry923.fm

2017-06-15 00:27:13

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/06/15/granderson-snaps-tie-with-300th-hr-mets-rally-past-cubs-9-4-2/

Black woman golfer: It was like we had targets on our backs

YORK, Pa. (AP) — When she walks onto a golf course as one of the few black women on the links, Sandra Harrison fills with pride and hopes her play will dispel stereotypes and disarm her fellow players — who are often white and male. What she felt playing at the Grandview Golf Club as a new member in her community could not have been more opposite, Harrison said. The 59-year-old retiree said she was traumatized, rattled and hurt after she said she and the group of black women she was playing with were run off the course before police were called when a white man claimed the women were playing too slowly. “It was like we were playing with targets on our backs,” Harrison said. “What other reason could there be other than we were guilty of being black while golfing?” No charges were filed, but the confrontation Saturday touched a raw nerve after two other somewhat similar incidents. Two black men in Philadelphia were handcuffed and arrested on April 12 after a Starbucks employee called police because they hadn’t bought anything in the store. And employees of an LA Fitness in New Jersey wrongly accused a black member and his guest of not paying to work out and called police, prompting an apology from the company. Harrison and Sandra Thompson said they were at the second hole when representatives of the Grandview Golf Club told the group they were playing too slowly. “We knew we snapped those balls and moved right ahead,” Thompson said in an interview with The Associated Press. According to Thompson, one of the other women said she was confronted by a man with a posturing, aggressive demeanor who said, “You need to move forward! I’m the owner!” Not wanting to lose the day, the group attempted to power through the front nine, Harrison said, but the confrontations made them increasingly upset and unable to concentrate on the game. After the ninth hole, three of the women dropped out and headed home. “I said, ‘I don’t want to do this anymore,'” Harrison said. “I was traumatized.” Down to two players, Thompson figured she and her partner could continue without being bothered. Again, they were approached. The message this time: “Get off our property.” The women were informed the police had been called. After they were questioned, police declined to proceed further. Thompson said she was offered a check refunding her membership, but refused. On Sunday, club co-owner JJ Chronister told the York Daily Record she called the women personally to “sincerely apologize.” On Monday, she issued a second statement to the newspaper saying players who are slow typically leave the course when asked by club personnel. “In this instance, the members refused to leave so we called police to ensure an amicable result,” the statement reads. It says the women skipped holes and took an extended break. “During the second conversation we asked members to leave as per our policy noted on the scorecard, voices escalated, and police were called to ensure an amicable resolution,” it reads. It’s part of golf etiquette that slow-moving players let groups behind them play through if they are holding things up, and often golf courses have employees who monitor the pace of play, letting golfers know when they are taking too long. The five are part of a larger group of local women known as Sisters in the Fairway. The group has been around for at least a decade, and all of its members are experienced players who have golfed all over the country and world. They’re very familiar with golf etiquette. “Our name implies that we want to live life in a fair way,” Harrison said. We want to be sisters in the fairway, in golf and in life.” Normally, clubs don’t allow groups larger than four. Sandra Thompson was the last member to arrive, and checked with a clerk to see if it was OK to join the four others, knowing a fifth member might be an issue. The clerk said it was fine, said Thompson, an attorney and president of the York branch of the NAACP. Thompson posted a video on her Facebook page showing the interaction with club co-owner Jordan Chronister, his father, former York County Commissioner Steve Chronister, and several other white, male employees. In it, Jordan Chronister tells the women he’s been timing them and that they must leave the premises. The women respond that they took an appropriate break and that the men behind them were still on their beer break and not ready to tee off. The women are then told that the police have been called. And so they wait. Northern York County Regional Police arrived, conducted interviews and left without charging anyone. “We were called there for an issue, the issue did not warrant any charges,” Northern York County Regional Police Chief Mark Bentzel told the York Daily Record. JJ Chronister, who owns the club with her husband Jordan Chronister, told the newspaper Sunday that she called the women personally to apologize. She said she hopes to meet with them to discuss how the club can use what happened as a learning experience and do better in the future. ___ AP writer Alexandra Villarreal contributed to this report from Philadelphia.

newcountry923.fm

2018-04-24 20:42:42

https://newcountry923.fm/2018/04/24/black-woman-golfer-it-was-like-we-had-targets-on-our-backs/

Official: 12 Turkish agents to be charged for DC melee

WASHINGTON (AP) — Police are set to announce charges against a dozen Turkish security agents who were involved in a violent altercation when Turkey’s president visited Washington last month, a U.S. official said Wednesday. The DC police are expected to say that seven men are being charged for felonies, and another five for misdemeanors. The official wasn’t authorized to speak publicly on the matter and spoke only on condition of anonymity ahead of a Thursday news conference that includes Washington’s mayor and police chief. The action is likely to exacerbate what has become a major irritant in U.S.-Turkish ties. Relations were severely strained even before the May 16 clash, which happened as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived at the Turkish ambassador’s residence in Washington after a White House meeting with President Donald Trump. The NATO allies are still at odds over a U.S. decision to arm Syrian Kurdish rebels fighting the Islamic State group in Syria. Turkey considers the fighters to be an extension the Kurdish insurgency in Turkey known as the PKK, and claims without evidence that protesters who showed up during Erdogan’s visit to Washington last week were themselves associated with the group. U.S. officials have said law-abiding Americans were affected. Erdogan’s security detail returned with him to Turkey after his visit, so it is unclear if any will face legal repercussions in the United States. However, they could end up being threatened with arrest if they return to the U.S. If any are still in the country, they could be expelled if Turkey refuses to waive diplomatic immunity. Video of the protest showed security guards and some Erdogan supporters attacking a small group of protesters with their fists and feet. Men in dark suits and others were recorded repeatedly kicking one woman as she lay curled on a sidewalk. Another wrenched a woman’s neck and threw her to the ground. A man with a bullhorn was repeatedly kicked in the face. After police officers struggled to protect the protesters and ordered the men in suits to retreat, several of the men dodged the officers and ran into the park to continue the attacks. In all, nine people were hurt. Earlier Wednesday, police said two men were arrested for their role in the fracas. The Metropolitan Police Department said in a brief statement that Sinan Narin had been arrested in Virginia on an aggravated assault charge. It said Eyup Yildirim had been arrested in New Jersey on charges of assault with significant bodily injury and aggravated assault. Yildirim made his first appearance before Federal Magistrate James Clarke in Newark, N.J., who ordered him held without bail pending his next court date in Washington. Public defender David Holman sought home confinement, arguing that Yildirim wasn’t a flight risk and had never been convicted of anything before. Clarke said he was less concerned with him being a possible flight risk and more concerned about the nature of the crime. Holman told the judge that Yildirim has received death threats because of the case. He said Yildirim is a business owner with three kids and ties to the local community. Prosecutors told the judge Yildirim had been arrested twice in the late 90s on simple assault charges, but the charges were later dismissed. Narin and Yildirim were both participants in the protests, according to a U.S. official familiar with the case. On the day of the violence, police detained two members of Erdogan’s security detail but released them shortly afterward. Two other men were arrested at the scene — one for aggravated assault and the other for assaulting a police officer. The U.S. official, who was not authorized to speak publicly to the matter and demanded anonymity, said DC police had identified 34 of 42 people who were involved in the fight, and are seeking their arrests. Police are expected to release photos of the other eight possible suspects and appeal to the public for information on their identities, the official said. American officials strongly criticized Turkey’s government and Erdogan’s security forces for the violence; the State Department summoned Turkey’s U.S. ambassador to complain. The Turkish Foreign Ministry then summoned America’s ambassador to address about the treatment of the detained security guards. Turkey’s U.S. embassy alleged the demonstrators were associated with the PKK, which has waged a three-decade-long insurgency against Turkey and is considered a terrorist group by the United States. Turkey’s official Anadolu news agency said they chanted anti-Erdogan slogans, and that the Turkish president’s team moved in to disperse them because “police did not heed to Turkish demands to intervene.” The Turkish Embassy claimed the demonstrators were “aggressively provoking Turkish-American citizens who had peacefully assembled to greet the president. The Turkish-Americans responded in self-defense and one of them was seriously injured.” ___ David Porter in Newark contributed to this report.

newcountry923.fm

2017-06-14 18:18:17

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/06/14/dc-police-say-2-arrests-made-in-turkish-embassy-melee-case/

New Yorker fires reporter Ryan Lizza for sexual misconduct

NEW YORK (AP) — The New Yorker magazine says it has cut ties with its well-known political reporter Ryan Lizza for alleged sexual misconduct. A New Yorker spokeswoman said Monday that the magazine recently learned Lizza had “engaged in what we believe was improper sexual conduct.” A CNN spokeswoman says Lizza will not appear on the cable news network, where he is a contributor, while it looks into the matter. Lizza says in an emailed statement that the magazine’s decision was a “terrible mistake” and that he is “dismayed” that it was characterizing a “respectful relationship with a woman I dated as somehow inappropriate.” Lizza is known for a memorable interview with Anthony Scaramucci , in which the former White House communications director bashed colleagues in vulgar language. Scaramucci was ousted shortly afterward.

newcountry923.fm

2017-12-11 16:05:30

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/12/11/new-yorker-fires-reporter-ryan-lizza-for-sexual-misconduct/

Toyota hopes revamped plug-in sells better than first model

TOKYO (AP) — Toyota has revamped its plug-in hybrid with a longer cruising range and quicker charging, including from a regular home plug, hoping it will sell better than the first model from five years ago that officials acknowledged had flopped. Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corp.’s Prius PHV plug-in went on sale in Japan on Wednesday. Sales in the U.S., where it’s called Prius Prime, started late last year. It is set to launch in Europe and other countries in March. Toyota hopes to sell 2,500 PHV cars in Japan a month. It gave no overseas targets. It sold only 22,000 of the earlier PHVs. The lackluster sales contrast with Toyota’s leadership in hybrid vehicles; it has sold 10 million globally since the first Prius went on sale in 1997. Nearly half of the vehicles Toyota sells in Japan are hybrid models. Toyota, which also makes the Camry sedan, offers hybrids across the entire spectrum of models, including sport-utility vehicles and Lexus luxury cars. But Toyota suffered a setback in another ecological technology, fuel cells, which run on hydrogen fuel. All 2,800 Mirai fuel-cell vehicles on roads — 1,200 in the U.S., 1,500 in Japan and 140 in Europe — were recalled globally Wednesday for defective software. If the gas pedal is pushed fully after the vehicle makes a long descent using cruise control, a surge in voltage can cause the fuel system to stop running, according to Toyota. A hybrid switches between a gas engine and an electric motor. A plug-in hybrid can travel further as a pure electric vehicle, which is zero-emission, but needs recharging when its battery is spent. The cruising range of the new plug-in as an EV is 68.2 kilometers (42.4 miles), about five times the earlier model’s 26.4 kilometers (16.4 miles). It also charges about twice as fast, in two hours and 20 minutes, from a 200-volt outlet and in 14 hours at a 100-volt outlet. At a special charging machine, it reaches an 80 percent charge in just 20 minutes. Toyota Chairman Takeshi Uchiyamada, known as “the father of the Prius,” said he had no idea how long it will take for global plug-in sales to reach a million. He acknowledged hybrid sales have suffered as the recent drop in gas prices helped sales of sport-utility vehicles. But in the long run, consumers will opt for ecological vehicles because of growing worries about the environment, he said. By 2050, Toyota foresees reducing emissions by 90 percent from 2010 levels — meaning that almost every vehicle on roads will be running on some kind of green technology, be it hybrids, electric, plug-in or fuel cell. “PHV is key to that step in making eco-cars widespread,” Uchiyamada said. “This is a product we are proud of.” ___ Follow Yuri Kageyama on Twitter at https://twitter.com/yurikageyama Her work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/yuri-kageyama

newcountry923.fm

2017-02-15 03:27:25

http://newcountry923.fm/2017/02/15/toyota-hopes-revamped-plug-in-sells-better-than-first-model/

http://newcountry923.fm/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Japan_Toyota_Prius_PHV_86195-995x498.jpg

Former French president Sarkozy quizzed over allegations he received illegal financing from Libya, says judicial source

Former French president Sarkozy quizzed over allegations he received illegal financing from Libya, says judicial source

newcountry923.fm

2018-03-20 02:50:25

https://newcountry923.fm/2018/03/20/former-french-president-sarkozy-quizzed-over-allegations-he-received-illegal-financing-from-libya-says-judicial-source/

The Latest: Official: 200 dead in Sierra Leone mudslides

FREETOWN, Sierra Leone (AP) — The Latest on xxxxxxx (all times local): Relatives dug through the mud in search of their loved ones and a morgue overflowed with bodies Monday after heavy rains and flooding early in the day killed at least 200 people in Sierra Leone’s capital. Bodies were spread out on the floor of a morgue, Sinneh Kamara, a coroner technician at the Connaught Hospital mortuary, told the national broadcaster. “The capacity at the mortuary is too small for the corpses,” he told the Sierra Leone National Broadcasting Corp. Kamara urged the health department to deploy more ambulances, saying his mortuary only has four. Sierra Leone’s national television broadcaster interrupted its regular programming to show scenes of people trying to retrieve their loved ones’ bodies. Others were seen carting relatives’ remains in rice sacks to the morgue. Military personnel have been deployed to help in the rescue operation currently ongoing, officials said. Many of the impoverished areas of Sierra Leone’s capital are close to sea level and have poor drainage systems, exacerbating flooding during the West African country’s rainy season.

newcountry923.fm

2017-08-14 08:10:45

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/08/14/the-latest-official-200-dead-in-sierra-leone-mudslides/

2 big insurance break-ups on Valentine's Day

It was a rough day for the already-roiled U.S. health insurance market: One giant merger was abandoned, another is threatened by infighting, and a major insurer announced it will stop selling coverage on public exchanges in 11 states. Both merger deals had already been rejected by federal regulators and judges, but the companies were considering appeals to those decisions. Now they both appear to be off. Aetna said it was abandoning its planned $34 billion purchase of Medicare Advantage provider Humana early Tuesday. Then, later in the day, Cigna said it is suing Anthem to kill a $48 billion acquisition bid. The deals were conceived as a way to help the insurers increase their enrollment and cut down on expenses in part so they could operate profitably in the public insurance exchanges established as part of the Affordable Care Act. Big insurers have been hit with substantial losses from the exchanges, even though they represent a relatively small part of their overall business. Many have already cut back their offerings, and that has slashed customer choices in many markets around the country. The collapse of one deal and the uncertain future of the other could hurt shoppers on the exchanges next year by leaving them with even fewer options and potentially higher prices. Humana told investors late Tuesday that it was abandoning it exchanges in all 11 of its states as of the beginning of next year. Humana, based in Louisville, Kentucky, was the only insurer on exchanges in 16 Tennessee counties, according to data compiled at the start of the 2017 open enrollment period by the Associated Press and health care consulting firm Avalere. That means customers in those counties may have no way to buy coverage with help from government tax credits next year unless another insurer decides to enter those markets. Every exchange in the U.S. had at least one insurer selling coverage on it for 2017, according to Larry Levitt of the non-profit Kaiser Family Foundation, which studies health care issues. Morningstar insurance analyst Vishnu Lekraj said it’s possible all the four insurers involved in the deals could leave the exchanges. Aetna Chairman and CEO Mark Bertolini raised that possibility months ago. He said that if his company’s planned, was blocked, “we believe it is very likely that we would need to leave the public exchange business entirely,” according to court documents filed in that case. Aetna, based in Hartford, Connecticut, says it lost $450 million last year on ACA-compliant coverage, while the company booked an overall profit of $2.27 billion. Its loss on ACA-compliant business was $100 million more than it expected. Bertolini said recently that his company would announce by April 1 whether it will remain in any of its exchanges. “We’re looking at everything,” he said. Government and industry officials have said President Donald Trump’s administration and congressional Republicans are weighing measures to stabilize the wobbly exchanges. Insurers have been pushing them to act soon. “The clock is definitely ticking for the Trump admin to provide some clarity around what the rules will be,” Levitt said. In suing to end its tie-up, Cigna, based in Bloomfield, Connecticut, it wants more than $13 billion in damages from its onetime-companion Anthem, the Blue Cross-Blue Shield insurer, which is based in Indianapolis. Cigna says it is seeking a $1.85 billion termination fee from Anthem and billions more in damages for what it says were Anthem’s breaches of the merger agreement. The insurer says the damages include the amount Cigna shareholders would have received if the merger had not failed. It noted that Anthem assumed full responsibility for litigation strategy and getting the necessary regulatory approvals, suggesting that it was Anthem’s responsibility to push the deal through. “Cigna fulfilled all of its contractual obligations and fully cooperated with Anthem throughout the approval process,” the insurer said in a statement. An Anthem spokeswoman says Cigna has no right to end the deal, and it remains committed to closing the transaction. The insurer had just filed on Monday paperwork to appeal the federal court ruling. Anthem and Aetna put their acquisition bids together in 2015 and touted them as a way to grow enrollment and reap savings that they would then pass on to consumers. The deal would have given Aetna the opportunity to significantly expand its presence in Medicare Advantage coverage, which involves privately run versions of the federal Medicare program for people who are over 65 or disabled. But the Department of Justice had sued last summer to stop the deals, due to concerns about how they may affect prices and consumer choices. Federal judges then rejected the acquisitions in separate rulings filed earlier this year. The deals would have combined four of the nations’ five largest insurers. UnitedHealth Group is the largest. ___ AP Data Journalist Meghan Hoyer contributed to this report from Washington, D.C.

newcountry923.fm

2017-02-14 16:54:56

http://newcountry923.fm/2017/02/14/2-big-insurance-break-ups-on-valentines-day/

http://newcountry923.fm/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Cigna_Rejects_Anthem_30262-995x498.jpg

The Latest: Berdych loses to Chardy at French Open

PARIS (AP) — The Latest from the French Open (all times local): ___ 3:50 p.m. Jeremy Chardy first wasted a two-set lead and then bounced back to beat 17th-seeded Tomas Berdych to reach the second round of the French Open. Chardy led by two sets when their match was stopped by darkness on Tuesday, but Berdych mounted a comeback when they returned. Chardy played well in the decider and broke Berdych twice to advance with a 7-6 (5), 7-6 (8), 1-6, 5-7, 6-2 win. “At two sets all, it was difficult in my head, and physically, too,” said Chardy, who had never beaten Berdych in five previous matches. “I fought hard, all my body was shaking.” ___ 3:25 p.m. Former French Open champion Novak Djokovic posted another straight-set win to reach the third round of the clay-court tournament. Facing Spanish qualifier Jaume Munar, the Serb delivered a solid display to prevail 7-6 (1), 6-4, 6-4 and move into the third round for the 13th time. Djokovic, who underwent right elbow surgery earlier this year, is the 20th-seeded player in Paris, his lowest Grand Slam seeding since the 2006 U.S. Open. ___ 3:10 p.m. The Williams sisters are back in Grand Slam doubles action for the first time in nearly two years. A day after Serena Williams made her return to singles play at a major following a 16-month absence, winning her first-round match at the French Open, she is out on Court 3 at Roland Garros alongside her older sister, Venus. They are facing the 14th-seeded pairing of Shuko Aoyama and Miyu Kato of Japan. The American siblings, owners of 14 Grand Slam doubles titles, received a wild-card entry. They haven’t played doubles together at a major since winning Wimbledon in 2016. Serena Williams hadn’t competed at any Grand Slam tournament since the Australian Open in January 2017. She gave birth to a daughter last September. ___ 1:20 p.m. Marco Trungelliti’s long, strange trip as a French Open “lucky loser” has come to an end with a second-round exit. Trungelliti is the 190th-ranked Argentine who headed home to Barcelona after losing in qualifying at Roland Garros, then drew headlines for making the 10-hour, 650-mile (1,000-kilometer) drive back to Paris in a rental car with his 88-year-old grandmother, mother and brother once he found out he could get into the main draw. He then won his first-round match. But Trungelliti was beaten Wednesday by 72nd-ranked Marco Cecchinato of Italy 6-1, 7-6 (1), 6-1 in a match that lasted just under 2 hours. Still, Trungelliti leaves with 79,000 euros (about $90,000) in prize money — and a great story to tell. ___ 12:50 p.m. Top-ranked Simona Halep put aside a terrible start and came back to claim 12 of the last 14 games, beating 83rd-ranked Alison Riske of the United States 2-6, 6-1, 6-1 to reach the second round of the French Open. It was the last match of the tournament’s opening round. Halep, the runner-up at Roland Garros in 2014 and a year ago, played poorly in the first set, with only four winners and 16 unforced errors. But she had 16 winners and 12 unforced errors the rest of the way, while Riske made more and more mistakes. ___ 12:30 p.m. Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova is through to the third round of the French Open, making light work of 91st-ranked Lara Arruabarrena of Spain in a 6-0, 6-4 win on Court 1. The eighth-seeded Kvitova lost in the second round last year when she was coming back to the tour after a knife attack in her home in 2016 that left her needing surgery on her left hand, her playing hand. The Czech player made the semifinals at Roland Garros in 2012. ___ 12:20 p.m. Simona Halep has turned things around in her first-round match at the French Open and is headed to a third set against 83rd-ranked Alison Riske of the United States. After dropping the first set 6-2 at Court Philippe Chatrier, Halep grabbed 19 of the first 22 points en route to a 5-0 lead in the second, which she eventually took 6-1. Halep, the runner-up at Roland Garros in 2014 and a year ago, cleaned up her game in the second set, with only five unforced errors after making 16 in the opener. Riske, meanwhile, had only two winners and 12 unforced errors in the second set. ___ 12 p.m. Top-seeded Simona Halep is in trouble in her weather-delayed first-round match at the French Open, losing the first set 6-2 to 83rd-ranked Alison Riske of the United States. Riske raced to a 5-0 lead and then broke Halep again in the eighth game to take the set. In their only previous meeting on clay, in Rome in 2015, Halep dropped only three games in a 6-3, 6-0 victory. But Riske is giving the Romanian a far tougher test this time. ___ 11:20 a.m. Play is underway on Day 4 of the French Open, with top-seeded Simona Halep facing 83rd-ranked Alison Riske of the United States in the last remaining match of the women’s first round. The encounter on Court Philippe-Chatrier was postponed from Tuesday amid gathering evening storms. Halep, a two-time finalist at Roland Garros, needs to reach the semifinals or better this year to have a chance of holding onto her No. 1 ranking. She won both of her previous matches against Riske. On the men’s side, 2016 champion Novak Djokovic will face qualifier Jaume Munar of Spain in the second round. The second-seeded players in both the men’s and women’s draws, Alexander Zverev and Caroline Wozniacki, will also be in action. ___ More AP tennis coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/apf-Tennis

newcountry923.fm

2018-05-30 08:59:11

https://newcountry923.fm/2018/05/30/the-latest-trungellitis-unusual-french-open-road-trip-ends/

Families sue Chiquita over deaths of Americans in Colombia

MIAMI (AP) — The families of six Americans kidnapped and killed in Colombia during the 1990s by the terrorist organization known as FARC are seeking potentially tens of millions of dollars in damages from banana giant Chiquita Brands International because of payments the company made to the group. Trial is scheduled to begin with jury selection Monday in West Palm Beach federal court in lawsuits that accuse Chiquita of violating the Anti-Terrorism Act. Chiquita has admitted paying FARC — the Spanish acronym for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia — about $220,000 but insists it did so only to protect its employees and interests from violence. One $10,000 payment to the guerrillas was hidden in a spare tire on the back of a Jeep, according to court documents. The families claim Chiquita’s financial support of FARC, as a known terrorist group, means it should be held responsible for the Americans’ deaths and pay damages. The families must prove that Chiquita executives knew FARC was engaged in violent terror acts that could affect Americans and that the deaths of their loved ones were foreseeable when the payments were made, said plaintiffs’ attorney Gary Osen. “These are folks who have been through an enormous amount in their lives. They’ve waited 10 years for their day in court,” Osen said. In a statement issued in January, Switzerland-based Chiquita said its only motivation in paying FARC was protecting its own employees from violence. “We have been clear that, at all times, the company prioritized the safety of its employees and their families, and acted accordingly,” the statement said. FARC and other paramilitary groups were engaged in a decades-long civil war in Colombia that took thousands of lives. The bloodshed finally ended in 2016 when a peace accord was signed. Chiquita also admitted paying $1.7 million to a right-wing group opposed to FARC, eventually pleading guilty in 2007 to a U.S. crime and paying a $25 million fine. It was only after that case became public that family members of the six Americans slain by FARC learned that Chiquita had also paid FARC, leading to the lawsuits. Five of the Americans killed by FARC were members of a missionary group based in Sanford, Florida, called New Tribes Mission: David Mankins, Rich Tenenoff, Mark Rich, Stephen Welsh and Timothy Van Dyke. The sixth, Frank Pescatore Jr., was a geologist for an Alabama company working on a project in Colombia who was shot trying to escape his kidnappers, according to court documents. Tania Julin of Winter Springs, Florida, was married to Rich the night he was kidnapped on Jan. 31, 1993 in the village of Pucuro, Panama, about 15 miles from the Colombian border. She said armed men burst into their home — where their two young daughters were sleeping — tied Rich up and ordered he, Mankins and Tenenoff to march into the jungle. She never saw her husband again. “It was so terrifying. I just never imagined. It was so out of the blue and unexpected. I was only 23 years old, with two little kids,” said Julin, who now teaches kindergarten. “I was just terrified of what might happen and so confused about why anyone would do this to us. We were only there to help people.” “I have never been so afraid in all of my life.” Later, FARC demanded a $5 million ransom for the three, but it soon became apparent the men had likely been killed, Julin said. It took years for the families to find out for sure, and they never received any remains. “The years of not knowing were so difficult. Christmases would go by and the one thing the girls wanted for Christmas was for their dad to come home. It was lots of years of disappointing heartaches and hard to watch to girls grow up without their dad,” she said. Well before their deaths in the 1990s, Chiquita had established about 35 banana farms in the Uraba region of Colombia that employed about 3,000 people. It was well known that FARC was active in the area and routinely used extortion and threats to obtain payments from people and businesses — a practice called “vacuna,” which is Spanish for “vaccine.” FARC’s initial payment demand from Chiquita came in 1989, when the group sought $10,000. Court papers show Chiquita executives decided to make the payment, the first of 57 it would give to FARC over the next decade. A consulting company called Control Risks that worked with Chiquita outlined the dire nature of the issue in a memo at the time, court documents show: “You have to pay. These people are serious. The military is not able to control them,” the memo said. “You can’t just turn them in, give their names to someone. Because they will take retribution for that, and you can expect violence.” Ultimately, a Chiquita executive traveled to Colombia with $10,000 in cash, exchanged it for Colombian pesos and arranged to deliver the money hidden in the Jeep spare tire to a FARC guerrilla, court documents show. Despite their insistence the money was paid to protect employees, Chiquita executives at the time discussed it in terms of a cost of doing business — and the company had no intention then of ending its banana operations in Colombia, the documents show. “We’re not going to stop doing business in Colombia because, you know, we’re going to have to spend an extra $25,000. That’s not realistic. Right?” one executive was quoted as saying. U.S. District Judge Kenneth Marra, who will preside over the estimated four-week trial, ruled in January that Chiquita cannot use a defense that the payments were made solely under duress. “There is no evidence of a specific ultimatum or threat from a FARC commander at any time during the nine-year continuum in which it paid money to the FARC,” Marra wrote. “Chiquita had reasonable, legal alternatives to maintaining and expanding its fruit operations in Colombia. It could have withdrawn and could have sought government intervention in Colombia or the United States.” Although the lawsuit asks for no specific damages, plaintiffs’ attorney Osen says other similar cases have resulted in verdicts in the tens of millions of dollars — in part because any damages awarded are automatically tripled. “Family members of terror victims suffer uniquely because of the shocking and unexpected nature and the malice and cruelty involved,” Osen said. Julin said after all this time she is anxious but also optimistic now that the case is heading for trial. “I finally am going to get my day in court,” she said. “There’s a sense of a little bit of nerves but a sense of some wrongs being made amends for.” _____ Follow Curt Anderson on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Miamicurt

newcountry923.fm

2018-02-03 09:56:07

https://newcountry923.fm/2018/02/03/families-sue-chiquita-over-deaths-of-americans-in-colombia/

Florida school shooting suspect foretold intention in videos

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — In chilling cellphone videos released Wednesday, the suspect in February’s massacre at a Florida high school announcing his intention to become the next school shooter, aiming to kill at least 20 people and saying “you’re all going to die.” The three videos released by prosecutors were found on the cellphone of suspect Nikolas Cruz after the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that killed 17 people and injured 17 others. Cruz, wearing a ball cap, introduces himself in the first video and says he is “going to be the next school shooter of 2018.” He goes on to say that he wants to use an AR-15 to kill at least 20 people and specifies the high school in Parkland. The videos are undated, but on one he says, “Today is the day. Today it all begins. The day of my massacre shall begin.” “When you see me on the news, you’ll all know who I am,” he says in another and then laughs. “You’re all going to die. … Can’t wait.” In a second video, Cruz briefly discusses logistics, including that he will take Uber to campus about 2:40. He then says he’ll walk onto campus, go up some stairs, open his bag to take out his weapon and start firing. School surveillance video shows that was almost exactly what he did —the only difference being that he arrived at the school at 2:19 p.m. In the third video, the camera apparently pointed at pavement, he talks about his loneliness, anger and hatred, and announces that the “day of my massacre shall begin.” “I live a lone life. I live in seclusion and solitude. I hate everyone and everything. But the power of my AR you will all know who I am. I had enough of being told what to do and when to do,” he says. “I had enough of being told what to do and when to do. I had enough of being told that I’m an idiot and a dumbass. You’re all stupid and brainwashed by the political and government programs.” He also referenced a former girlfriend, saying “I hope to see you in the afterlife.” Cruz, 19, is charged with 17 counts of murder and 17 counts of attempted murder in the attack. His lawyers have repeatedly said Cruz would plead guilty if guaranteed a sentence of life without parole, but prosecutors refuse to waive the death penalty. Cruz is a former Stoneman Douglas student. The Broward State Attorney’s Office released the video because under Florida law, with few exceptions, evidence becomes a public record when it is turned over to the defendant’s attorneys as part of the pretrial discovery process. Cruz’s attorneys say they did not request evidence such as video from inside the building where the massacre happened and autopsy reports so they would not become public and “further hurt and inflame the victims’ families and the community.” “This is an awful case and today is more of that awfulness and further shows how severely broken a human being the defendant is,” Broward County Public Defender Howard Finklestein, whose office is representing Cruz, said in a statement. Cruz spent several years at a school for children with emotional disabilities before being allowed to transfer into Stoneman Douglas. He spent several months there before being kicked out. His late mother also called 911 on him almost 20 times over the years and he had a history of killing animals then posting images on the internet and taking body parts as souvenirs.

newcountry923.fm

2018-05-30 18:18:25

https://newcountry923.fm/2018/05/30/florida-school-shooting-suspect-foretold-intention-in-videos/

A stronger Medicaid emerges from GOP health overhaul debate

WASHINGTON (AP) — Medicaid, a 1960s Great Society pillar long reviled by conservatives, seems to have emerged even stronger after the Republican failure to pass health overhaul legislation. The federal-state health insurance program for low-income Americans hasn’t achieved the status of Social Security and Medicare, considered practically untouchable by politicians, like an electrified “third rail.” But it has grown to cover about 1 in 5 U.S. residents, ranging from newborns to Alzheimer’s patients in nursing homes, and even young adults trying to shake addiction. Middle-class working people are now more likely to personally know someone who’s covered. Increased participation — and acceptance — means any new GOP attempt to address problems with the Affordable Care Act would be unlikely to achieve deep Medicaid cuts. “This was an important moment to show that people do understand and appreciate what Medicaid does,” said Matt Salo, executive director of the National Association of Medicaid Directors, a nonpartisan group that represents state officials. “The more people understand what Medicaid is and what it does for them, the less interested they are in seeing it undermined.” With Republicans in control of the White House, both chambers of Congress, and 34 out of 50 governorships, it would have been hard to imagine a more politically advantageous alignment for a conservative overhaul of Medicaid. President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act expanded Medicaid to cover more low-income adults, many of them working jobs without health insurance. Thirty-one states have accepted the ACA’s expansion, covering about 11 million people. The GOP bills would have phased out funding for the Obama expansion, but they also placed a limit on future federal spending for the entire program — a step now seen as overreach. The per-beneficiary spending caps in the House and Senate bills translated to deep cuts that divided Republicans. Also, GOP governors who had expanded the program couldn’t swallow the idea of denying coverage to hundreds of thousands of constituents. Some Republican governors went public with their opposition, while others quietly warned their congressional delegations about dire consequences. “I think there is a recognition among many that Medicaid is not just a welfare program but an underpinning of our social system,” said Diane Rowland of the Kaiser Family Foundation. An AP-NORC poll taken last month found the public overwhelmingly opposed to GOP Medicaid cuts, by 62-22. “You just can’t do this to people who are in situations that they didn’t put themselves in,” said Sara Hayden of Half Moon Bay, California. Unable to work as a data journalist due to complications of rheumatoid arthritis, she was able to get health insurance when her state expanded Medicaid. Hayden estimates that one of the medications she takes for the disease would cost about $16,000 a month if she were uninsured. She pays nothing with Medi-Cal, as the Medicaid program is known in California. “If they are going to repeal and replace, then I am dead in the water,” she said. Brian Kline of Quakertown, Pennsylvania, works as a customer service representative, and got coverage after his state expanded Medicaid in 2015. Early last year he was diagnosed with colon cancer following a colonoscopy. After treatment that Medicaid paid for, his last CT scan was clear. “You just wonder if the Republican bill had passed…what would have happened to me?” said Kline. “Would I have had access to my doctors and the tests to make sure my cancer didn’t come back? I’m not sure what the answer to that question would have been.” Many Republicans view Obama’s Medicaid expansion as promoting wasteful spending, because the federal government pays no less than 90 percent of the cost of care, a higher matching rate than Washington provides for the rest of the program. “That is not a good recipe for encouraging states to implement better, lower-cost models of care,” said Mark McClellan, who oversaw Medicare and Medicaid under former President George W. Bush. Nonetheless, the debate showed Congress can’t just elbow its way to a Medicaid overhaul. ‘You are going to have to be gentle and thoughtful, working in a bipartisan way to see what ideas will reach across the aisle,” said Republican economist Gail Wilensky, also a former Medicare and Medicaid administrator. The push for Medicaid changes will now shift to the states. Some on the political right are seeking federal approval for work requirements and drug testing. But activists in the 19 states that have not yet expanded their programs are contemplating revived campaigns. An area that could find bipartisan support is health promotion, since Medicaid beneficiaries tend to have higher rates of smoking and other harmful lifestyle factors. Katherine Hempstead, who directs health insurance research for the nonpartisan Robert Wood Johnson Foundation says Medicaid has come out a “winner” in the debate. “Medicaid has shown itself to be very much appreciated by a broader constituency than we might have originally thought,” she said. “And that is an important takeaway.”

newcountry923.fm

2017-08-14 02:51:08

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/08/14/a-stronger-medicaid-emerges-from-gop-health-overhaul-debate/

Syrian TV: President Bashar Assad met with Vladimir Putin at Hmeimeem base in Syria this morning

Syrian TV: President Bashar Assad met with Vladimir Putin at Hmeimeem base in Syria this morning

newcountry923.fm

2017-12-11 04:11:06

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/12/11/syrian-tv-president-bashar-assad-met-with-vladimir-putin-at-hmeimeem-base-in-syria-this-morning/

Wild night in Miami: Heat top Nuggets 149-141 in 2 OTs

MIAMI (AP) — James Johnson scored a career-high 31 points, Kelly Olynyk added 30 off the bench and the Miami Heat set a franchise single-game scoring record by beating the Denver Nuggets 149-141 in double overtime Monday night. Miami’s total was also an NBA season-high and helped the Heat get back to the No. 7 spot in the Eastern Conference standings. Houston and Oklahoma City each scored 148 in games earlier this season. Wayne Ellington scored 29 points for the Heat. Nikola Jokic had 34 for Denver, while Wilson Chandler added 26 for the Nuggets. “That was as playoffs as it comes right there,” Olynyk said. The NBA’s stat system crashed late in the first overtime, and crews were scrambling to determine the final numbers long after the buzzer. All that ultimately mattered was the score — one that moved the Heat closer to a playoff berth and left the Nuggets two games back in the Western Conference race. Neither team was at full strength. For Miami, Dwyane Wade (left hamstring strain) missed his fourth consecutive game, and Hassan Whiteside (left hip pain) sat out his fifth straight contest. Denver was without leading scorer Gary Harris, sidelined again by a strained right knee that could keep him out several more days. Denver led 16-5 after 3 1/2 minutes, and that was the only double-digit lead by either side for about the next three hours. It was airtight until the very final moments, almost to an absurd degree. After one quarter, Denver led by one. Halftime, Miami led by one. After three, Miami still by one. After regulation, tied. After one overtime, still tied. Back and forth they went all night, two teams who played a one-point game at Denver back in November — that one not being decided until Dion Waiters’ missed jumper as time expired sealed the Nuggets’ win — and now are fighting with playoffs in mind. The Heat are essentially playing for a seed; the Nuggets are playing for a berth. Denver led by six midway through the fourth before Miami used a 10-2 run to reclaim the lead. Nikola Jokic tied it for Denver with 10 seconds left in regulation, Josh Richardson missed for Miami at the end and to overtime they went tied at 118. The Heat thought they merited a trip to the line when Johnson missed at the end of the first overtime, but no whistle came. So in the second overtime, they seized control and outscored the Nuggets 18-10 in the final five minutes. Wayne Ellington rattled in a 3-pointer to start the second extra session, and the Heat didn’t trail again. TIP-INS Nuggets: Including the franchise’s ABA days, all 28 previous Nuggets teams to finish .500 or better made the playoffs. … Denver fell to 19-5 in games where it scores at least 115 points. The Nuggets are now 17-30 when allowing more than 105. Heat: It was the highest-scoring first four quarters of an overtime game in Heat history. The previous before-OT high was 115 at Golden State on Dec. 1, 2008. … A pregame moment of silence was held for the six victims of last week’s bridge collapse near Florida International University. … The previous scoring record was 141 points, done twice. NEVER FORGET The Heat continue paying tributes to the 17 victims of the shooting last month at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland, Florida. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra and several players spent their day off Sunday at the Parkland Rec League Basketball Championship, honoring the lives of victims Joaquin Oliver, Luke Hoyer and Alex Schacter by announcing scholarships in their names — as well as a $500,000 donation. ROAD TRIP This seven-game trip for the Nuggets is their longest since a seven-gamer in the 2011-12 season. As if a late-season two-week trip wasn’t tough enough, Denver’s remaining schedule is brutal; after visiting Chicago on Wednesday, the Nuggets will have 10 games left — all against teams currently in the playoff mix. TOURNEY TIME There’s serious NCAA talk in the Heat locker room, with many players seeing their schools in the Sweet 16. The Heat-backed teams — Kentucky (Bam Adebayo), Duke (Justise Winslow), Nevada (Luke Babbitt), Kansas State (Rodney McGruder), Gonzaga (Kelly Olynyk), Syracuse (Dion Waiters) and Michigan (Derrick Walton Jr.). UP NEXT Nuggets: Visit Chicago on Wednesday. Heat: Host New York on Wednesday. ___ More AP basketball: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

newcountry923.fm

2018-03-19 21:55:58

https://newcountry923.fm/2018/03/19/wild-night-in-miami-heat-top-nuggets-149-141-in-2-ots/

Reports say Mueller probe now examining possible obstruction

WASHINGTON (AP) — The special counsel appointed to investigate Russian influence in the 2016 presidential campaign is now examining whether President Donald Trump tried to obstruct justice, The Washington Post reported Wednesday evening. Accusations of obstruction arose last month when Trump fired FBI Director James Comey. Comey testified in a Senate hearing last week that he believed he was fired “because of the Russia investigation.” Comey also testified he had told Trump he was not under investigation. The Post and The New York Times both reported that Mueller was seeking interviews with three Trump administration officials who weren’t involved in Trump’s campaign: Dan Coats, the director of national intelligence; Michael Rogers, the head of the National Security Agency; and Richard Ledgett, the former NSA deputy director.

newcountry923.fm

2017-06-15 03:17:07

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/06/15/reports-say-mueller-probe-now-examining-possible-obstruction/

Idaho folk singer who recorded 20 albums dies at 83

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Rosalie Sorrels, a Grammy-nominated folk singer and native of Idaho who recorded more than 20 albums and performed at top folk festivals around the country, has died. She was 83. Sorrels died on Sunday in Reno, Nevada, at the home of her daughter, Holly Marizu. Marizu said Wednesday that her mother had been diagnosed with colon cancer in 2016 and had dementia. A cause of death hadn’t been determined. Sorrels’ marriage broke up in 1966 and she started performing on the road, traveling across the country with her five children rather than go on welfare, Marizu said. “There weren’t a lot of options for women in the 1960s,” she said. Still, Marizu recalled having fun most of the time. “We got to live in all sorts of really cool places. There were times where we went to three or four different schools in a school year,” she said. Sorrels’ albums “Strangers in Another Country” and “My Last Go Round” were nominated for Grammys. Eric Peltoniemi, retired president of Red House Records in Minneapolis, worked with Sorrels on four albums, including two that were nominated for Grammys, and other projects. “She didn’t just sing a song, she embodied it,” Peltoniemi told the Idaho Statesman. “She was one of the most passionate performers I’d ever seen. When she recorded something it was an event. People like Bonnie Raitt and Kate McGarrigle would come and play.” Sorrels’ music often touched on social themes. “I take the news from place to place,” Sorrels told Idaho Public Television in a 2005 interview. “I do it with music. I do it with poetry and stories and I try to connect.” Sorrels met top music and literary figures of her day, including Jimi Hendrix, The Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia, and writers Ken Kesey and William Kennedy. Rosalie Ann Stringfellow was born June 24, 1933, in Boise, where her mother ran a downtown bookshop and her father worked as an engineer with the Idaho Transportation Department. She spent much of her music career moving about the country and became known as the “Travelin’ Lady.” She returned to Idaho in the early 1980s and eventually lived in a cabin near Idaho City about 60 miles (96 kilometers) northeast of Boise that had been homesteaded by ancestors. She continued to travel and perform. Sorrels moved to Reno to live with Marizu in 2013 as her health declined, and in recent months had been under home hospice care. “She was an amazing mother,” Marizu said. “She taught me how to love and forgive people all the time.” Sorrels is survived by three children, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. The family is planning several memorial services where Sorrels lived, the first in Boise sometime around June 24, which would have been her 84th birthday.

newcountry923.fm

2017-06-14 16:54:27

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/06/14/idaho-folk-singer-who-recorded-20-albums-dies-at-83/

LEADING OFF: Sale goes for No. 9; Hoffman tries for 5th

A look at what’s happening all around the majors Thursday: ___ SURGING SALE Red Sox ace Chris Sale goes for his eighth straight win and ninth of the season in the finale of a three-game series at Philadelphia. It would tie Sale, 7-0 in his last eight starts, with Houston’s Dallas Keuchel (9-0), Kansas City’s Jason Vargas (9-3) and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw (9-2) for the major league lead in wins. STAYING UNBEATEN Colorado rookie Jeff Hoffman will look for his fifth straight win when the Rockies host San Francisco in the opener of a seven-game homestand. Hoffman is 4-0 with a 2.10 ERA in four starts. SIXTH MAN With the New York Mets using a six-man rotation during a long stretch between days off, Robert Gsellman gets another start in the opener of a four-game series against NL East-leading Washington. After making two relief appearances, the rookie right-hander is 3-0 with a 2.16 ERA in four starts. He faces Nationals lefty Gio Gonzalez, who is 9-1 with a 1.62 ERA in 14 starts at Citi Field. FIRST START Matt Strahm makes his first career start in the opener of Kansas City’s four-game series at the Los Angeles Angels. The left-hander was 1-3 with a 4.05 ERA in 20 appearances out of the bullpen this season. ___ More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

newcountry923.fm

2017-06-14 22:32:53

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/06/14/leading-off-sale-goes-for-no-9-hoffman-tries-for-5th/

Investigations into Russia to continue after Flynn's exit

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. intelligence agencies and Congress will continue to investigate Russia’s involvement in the 2016 presidential election, even after President Donald Trump fired his national security adviser for providing inaccurate accounts of his contacts with the Russian ambassador last year. Democrats said an independent investigation was the best way to answer questions about the Trump administration’s ties to Russia. But Republican leaders continue to refuse to consider that option and said three congressional investigations underway were enough. Trump’s national security adviser, Michael Flynn, was fired late Monday. The White House said he misled Vice President Mike Pence about his contacts with the Russian ambassador. This isn’t the first time Trump has distanced himself from an adviser in light of relationships with Moscow. In late August, Paul Manafort resigned as Trump’s campaign chairman after disclosures by The Associated Press about his firm’s covert lobbying on behalf of Ukraine’s former pro-Russia governing political party. Trump has long held a friendly posture toward the long-time U.S. adversary and has been reluctant to criticize Russian President Vladimir Putin, even for Putin’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea region in 2014. “This isn’t simply about a change in policy toward Russia, as the administration would like to portray. It’s what’s behind that change in policy,” said California Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee, one of the congressional bodies investigating. Under the Obama administration, U.S. intelligence agencies said Russia interfered in the 2016 election with the goal of electing Trump. Trump has acknowledged that Russia hacked Democratic emails but denies it was to help him win. The New York Times reported late Tuesday that members of Trump’s campaign, including Manafort, had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence officials during the year before the election. The U.S. knew about these contacts through phone records and intercepted calls, the Times said. Reached late Tuesday, Manafort told The Associated Press he has not been interviewed by the FBI about these alleged contacts. “I have never knowingly spoken to Russian intelligence officers and I have never been involved with anything to do with the Russian government or the Putin administration or any other issues under investigation today,” Manafort said. Officials who spoke with the Times anonymously said they had not yet seen any evidence of the Trump campaign cooperating with the Russians on hacking or other attempts to influence the election. The investigations and the unusual firing of the national security adviser just 24 days into his job have put Republicans in the awkward position of investigating the leader of their party. The congressional probes are ultimately in the hands of the Republican committee chairmen, and the executive branch’s investigation is now overseen by Trump appointees. Republican leaders focused on the idea that Flynn misled Pence about the nature of his contacts with the Russian ambassador — not on any questioning of the relationship between Flynn and the ambassador. Democrats said a key issue is whether Flynn broke diplomatic protocol and potentially the law by discussing U.S. sanctions with Moscow before Trump’s inauguration. Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee, said the committee had not yet seen the transcripts of Flynn’s calls. The Justice Department had warned the White House late last month that Flynn could be at risk for blackmail because of contradictions between his public depictions of the calls with the Russian ambassador and what intelligence officials knew about the conversations. “You cannot have a national security adviser misleading the vice president and others,” said Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin. California Rep. Devin Nunes, chairman of the House intelligence committee, said he was concerned Flynn’s rights were violated in the interception of his conversations with the Russian ambassador. “I’m just shocked that nobody’s covering the real crime here,” Nunes said. “You have an American citizen who had his phone call recorded and then leaked to the media.” The FBI has wide legal authority to eavesdrop on the conversations of foreign intelligence targets, including diplomats, inside the U.S. Flynn did not concede any wrongdoing in his resignation letter, saying merely that he “inadvertently briefed the vice president elect and others with incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian ambassador.” While North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr, chairman of the Senate intelligence committee, said much of the panel’s investigation will occur behind closed doors, Oregon Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden said he planned to push to make the findings and hearings public. White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Trump did not direct Flynn to discuss U.S. sanctions with the Russians. “No, absolutely not,” Spicer said. ___ Associated Press writers Eric Tucker, Erica Werner, Richard Lardner, Chad Day and Deb Riechmann contributed to this report.

newcountry923.fm

2017-02-15 02:20:22

http://newcountry923.fm/2017/02/15/investigations-into-russia-to-continue-after-flynns-exit/

http://newcountry923.fm/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/APTOPIX_Trump_Flynn_15862-995x498.jpg

Syria's Assad threatens to attack area under US-backed Kurds

BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian President Bashar Assad is threatening to attack a region held by U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters in northeastern Syria if talks fail to bring the area back under Damascus’ authority. Assad said in an interview with Russia Today television which aired on Thursday that the U.S. troops, who operate air bases and outposts in the Kurdish-administered region, will have to leave country. He says he has opened the door to negotiations with the Kurdish-run administration while also preparing to “liberate by force.” Forces loyal to Assad, who is backed by Russia and Iran, and the Syrian Kurds have clashed sporadically over the eastern oil province of Deir el-Zour. They led rival fronts against Islamic State militants last year, and they maintain a protracted front against each other along the Euphrates River.

newcountry923.fm

2018-05-31 02:38:39

https://newcountry923.fm/2018/05/31/syrias-assad-threatens-to-attack-area-under-us-backed-kurds/

Judge won't reinstate girls after boys' basketball dispute

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — A judge has refused to overturn a decision to banish two sisters from their Roman Catholic school in New Jersey after a dispute over one of them wanting to play on the boys basketball team. Superior Court Judge Donald Kessler on Monday lashed out at the girls’ parents for making the dispute public and said the family didn’t cite any law that would allow the court to interfere with the religious school’s decision. Cardinal Joseph Tobin testified that he decided not to allow 13-year-old Sydney Phillips and her younger sister, Kaitlyn, to re-enroll because their parents’ behavior was not in the best interest of St. Theresa School in Kenilworth. The dispute began when Sydney Phillips wasn’t allowed to play on the boys’ team. The girls’ father said it was a “sad day to be a Catholic.”

newcountry923.fm

2017-08-14 18:31:46

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/08/14/judge-wont-reinstate-girls-after-boys-basketball-dispute/

Prosecutors drop charge vs. commentator Lucian Wintrich

STORRS, Conn. (AP) — Prosecutors have dropped a breach of peace charge filed against conservative commentator Lucian Wintrich after a confrontation with protesters last month during an appearance at the University of Connecticut. Wintrich, the White House correspondent for the right-wing website Gateway Pundit, was charged after grabbing a woman who took his notes from the lectern as he prepared to give a speech titled “It’s OK To Be White.” That woman, 35-year-old Catherine Gregory, of Willimantic, turned herself in Sunday to face charges of attempted larceny and disorderly conduct. Gregory, who is free on a $1,000 bond, is due in court on Wednesday. Wintrich, who had argued that he had every right to retrieve his property, tweeted on Monday that justice was finally being served.

newcountry923.fm

2017-12-11 09:55:00

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/12/11/prosecutors-drop-charge-vs-commentator-lucian-wintrich/

Houston 18-year-old arrested on charges of trying to aid IS

HOUSTON (AP) — A Houston 18-year-old has been arrested and charged with illegally distributing explosive-making information and attempting to support the Islamic State organization. The U.S. Justice Department said Monday that Kaan Sercan Damlarkaya, a U.S. citizen, was arrested on Dec. 8 following an undercover FBI operation. A statement says Damlarkaya said he intended to travel overseas and fight for IS and said he tried to get to Syria twice. He told agents that he would commit a U.S. attack if efforts to travel overseas failed. It also says Damlarkaya provided to alleged IS supporters a formula for explosive Triacetone Triperoxide and instructions how to use it in a pressure cooker device containing shrapnel. If convicted, he faces a possible 20-year maximum prison term. The U.S. has designated IS as a terrorist organization.

newcountry923.fm

2017-12-12 01:28:38

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/12/12/houston-18-year-old-arrested-on-charges-of-trying-to-aid-is/

SpaceX launching research to space station _ plus ice cream

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — SpaceX is about to launch a few tons of research to the International Space Station — plus ice cream. An unmanned Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to blast off at 12:31 p.m. Monday from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. Experiments make up most of the 6,400 pounds of cargo. That includes 20 mice. The Dragon capsule is also doubling as an ice cream truck this time. There was extra freezer space, so NASA packed little cups of vanilla, chocolate and birthday cake ice cream for the station’s crew of six, as well as ice cream candy bars. Those treats should be especially welcomed by U.S. astronaut Peggy Whitson, in orbit since November. As usual on these cargo flights, SpaceX will try to land its leftover booster back at Cape Canaveral.

newcountry923.fm

2017-08-14 09:01:31

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/08/14/spacex-launching-research-to-space-station-_-plus-ice-cream/

Federer withdraws from Cincinnati; Nadal to become new No. 1

MASON, Ohio (AP) — Wimbledon champion Roger Federer withdrew Monday from the Western & Southern Open, which he has won seven times, citing a back injury. Tournament officials announced Federer’s withdrawal on the first full day of matches at the event in Cincinnati. The 19-time major champion said in a statement that he “tweaked” his back last week at the Rogers Cup in Montreal, where he lost Sunday to Alexander Zverev in the final. The Swiss star, No. 3 in the ATP Tour rankings, becomes the fifth of the top six players to skip Cincinnati because of injuries. He joins top-ranked Andy Murray, No. 4 Stan Wawrinka, fifth-ranked Novak Djokovic and sixth-ranked Marin Cilic, the defending champion. Only second-seeded Rafael Nadal, the tournament’s top-seeded player, remains in the draw. “It’s just coincidence,” said Nadal, 31, pointing out that all of the missing players except Cilic are 30 or older. “We’re not 20 years old any more. We’re not playing all the weeks. It’s part of our sport. I’ve been in their position lots of times. I’ve missed more events than the other players. It’s part of the game. I wish them all a speedy recovery. We need them in the game. I hope they get back soon.” Federer’s withdrawal means Nadal, who lost in the third round at Montreal, will return to No. 1 when new ATP rankings are released on Aug. 21. The Spaniard will be No. 1 for the first time since July 6, 2014. Nadal has spent 141 weeks as the men’s No. 1 player since first ascending to the top spot after reaching the Western & Southern semifinals in 2008. “It’s been tough to get back to No. 1,” he said. “I’m happy to have the chance to be in that position.” In early first-round men’s play Monday, Richard Gasquet and wild card Tommy Paul advanced in straight sets. Gasquet eased past qualifier John-Patrick Smith 6-4, 6-4, while Paul beat fellow American Donald Young 6-4, 7-6 (4). Ivo Karlovic needed three sets to knock out Jiri Vesely 6-3, 3-6, 7-5. Also advancing in straight sets were Fabio Fognini with a 7-6 (5), 6-4 win over Daniil Medvedev, qualifier Mitchell Krueger with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Benoit Paire, and Feliciano Lopez with a 7-6 (5), 6-1 win over Hyeon Chung. In women’s action, 14th-seeded Petra Kvitova shook off a first-set loss to beat Anett Kontaveit 1-6, 7-6 (2), 6-3, while Beatriz Haddad Maia advanced with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Lauren Davis. Lesia Tsurenko also crafted a comeback win, defeating Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 5-7, 7-6 (6), 6-0. Kristina Mladenovic became the first seeded player to be eliminated. The 13th seed lost to Daria Gavrilova 6-0, 7-6 (6).

newcountry923.fm

2017-08-14 15:05:22

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/08/14/federer-withdraws-from-cincinnati-nadal-to-become-new-no-1/

TOP 25 THIS WEEK: Villanova ready for burden of being No. 1

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Villanova coach Jay Wright has seen his team deal with all the things that go along with being the nation’s top-ranked school, from the extra attention to handling an upset loss. It’s why Wright figures his Wildcats — who are sitting atop the AP Top 25 for the third straight season — are prepared for what awaits. “I think we’ve got the experience now to understand it’s a great honor,” Wright told The Associated Press, “but a lot of responsibility comes with it.” After a tumultuous week in which unanimous No. 1 Duke and No. 2 Kansas lost, the Wildcats (10-0) earned 41 of 65 first-place votes to hop over Michigan State and reach the top. Next up is Philadelphia neighbor Temple on Wednesday. Villanova reached No. 1 for the first time in February 2016 and stayed there for three polls before going on to win the national championship. The Wildcats held the No. 1 spot three different times last season, including in the final poll entering the NCAA Tournament. This year’s team started the year at No. 6 with preseason AP All-American Jalen Brunson. The Wildcats won the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas last month and beat No. 12 Gonzaga in New York last week, with Mikal Bridges (18.1 points) making a big leap to give Villanova a strong 1-2 punch. This year’s Wildcats rank third nationally in KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency (119.9 points per 100 possessions) and seventh in adjusted defensive efficiency (90.6). They are the only team in the top 10 of both categories. “We’ve handled all those challenges so far,” Wright said. “Now this is a new challenge. How do you handle this? How do you handle that teams come at you at a completely different level. Fans come at you at a completely different level. We’ve done that a couple of times. And now we’ve got to do it with this group.” SPARTANS NEXT Villanova and Michigan State were the favorites to take over at the top after the Blue Devils’ weekend loss at Boston College. The Spartans (9-1) earned 19 first-place votes to climb from third to second, while the other five first-place votes went to Arizona State — which leapt 11 spots to No. 5 after Sunday’s win at Kansas . Tom Izzo’s club returns to action Saturday against Oakland in Detroit. SUN DEVILS RISING Arizona State will carry its highest ranking since reaching third during the 1980-81 season when it hosts Vanderbilt on Sunday. TOP MATCHUP With many teams in exam breaks, the AP Top 25 schedule is fairly light for the week ahead. The top game comes Sunday, when No. 7 North Carolina visits No. 20 Tennessee. Both teams climbed four spots in this week’s poll. The Volunteers played the Tar Heels tough last year in Chapel Hill, with UNC having to rally from 15 down and block a late shot to secure a 73-71 win . HOOSIER STATE FIGHTS The Crossroads Classic is set for Saturday. The Indianapolis doubleheader includes No. 17 Purdue meeting Butler and No. 18 Notre Dame facing Indiana. CLIMBING BACK Arizona has gone from No. 2 in the country to unranked and now back in the poll again. All in a month. The Wildcats fell out after a lackluster performance in the Bahamas, but four straight wins brought them back into this week’s poll at No. 23. Arizona plays at New Mexico on Saturday. WATCH LIST Creighton is the top team among the “Others Receiving Votes” and hosts Maryland-Eastern Shore in its only game this week. But the next team in the list — Oklahoma — has the best chance to help its case of getting into next week’s poll. The Sooners visit No. 3 Wichita State on Saturday. ___ AP Sports Writer Dan Gelston in Philadelphia contributed to this report. ___ More AP college basketball: http://collegebasketball.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP_Top25 ___ Follow Aaron Beard on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/aaronbeardap

newcountry923.fm

2017-12-12 01:35:56

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/12/12/top-25-this-week-villanova-ready-for-burden-of-being-no-1/

Paul Rudd honored as Hasty Pudding Man of the Year

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — Actor and screenwriter Paul Rudd has picked up his 2018 Man of the Year award from the nation’s oldest collegiate theatrical organization at Harvard University. Rudd received the Hasty Pudding honor during a black-tie event Friday. The Boston Globe reports he was celebrated in a roast that targeted his “dad face” and his past as a bar mitzvah DJ. The “Ant-Man” star has appeared in genres from indies to mainstream films, from heartfelt comedies to superheroes. He plays the lead in the upcoming “The Catcher Was a Spy,” the real-life story of Ivy Leaguer and major league ballplayer Moe Berg, a spy with the forerunner of the CIA during World War II. Rudd says as a baseball fan it was “surreal.” Actress Mila Kunis was celebrated as Woman of the Year last week.

newcountry923.fm

2018-02-02 22:19:30

https://newcountry923.fm/2018/02/02/paul-rudd-to-be-roasted-as-hasty-pudding-man-of-the-year/

Lawsuit: The poor shouldn't lose licenses over traffic fines

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Because he can’t pay $228 in traffic fines, Seti Johnson faces revocation of his North Carolina’s driver’s license, which means he won’t be able to drive to the job he hopes to get soon. For Sharee Smoot, the amount keeping her off the road is $648. In a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday, attorneys for the two say North Carolina’s practice of revoking drivers’ licenses of people who can’t pay their traffic fines and court costs is unconstitutional because it violates the rights to due process and equal protection under the 14th amendment. “This revocation scheme disproportionately punishes impoverished residents in violation of federal law, taking away crucial means of self-sufficiency and further pushing them into poverty,” the motion for a preliminary injunction states. The lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Southern Coalition for Social Justice. Torre Jessup, commissioner of the state Division of Motor Vehicles, is named as the defendant. North Carolina law requires automatic revocation of licenses for nonpayment of a traffic ticket 40 days after a court judgment. The groups are suing because the law doesn’t require a hearing to make sure the driver can pay the fine and court costs. The statements by Smoot and Johnson describe a cycle of fines and attempts to catch up on their debts as they try to hold on to their jobs and support their families. Last year, Johnson said he paid more than $700 in fines, court costs and late fees on previous tickets. His driver’s license was reinstated, but he fell behind on rent payments and had to move in with his mother. But before he paid the $700, he was issued another ticket for not paying. He was convicted in April of a lesser crime — failure to notify the Division of Motor Vehicles of an address change — and sentenced to pay a $100 fine and $208 in court costs. He paid $100 that day, but was charged an additional $20 for an installment plan and set-up fee even though the bill says the entire amount is due within 40 days. He said he doubts he’ll be able pay the remaining debt within 60 days of May 22, as he’s required to do to keep his license. “I value taking care of my responsibilities,” he writes . “But that is hard to do when I am required to pay hundreds of dollars in fines and court costs and my driver’s license is revoked when I do not have the money to pay. … No one should have to live with the burden of their license revoked because they cannot pay off their traffic tickets.” Smoot writes that she was making $9 an hour while working at a group home when was sentenced to pay $308 for driving while her license was revoked in 2016. She was assessed a $50 late fee for not paying within 40 days. She and her 9-year-old daughter moved in with her grandmother in 2017 to save money. Smoot said she stopped attending school part-time at the University of North Carolina Charlotte because she couldn’t afford it. In 2017, she was issued another ticket for driving while her license was revoked and ordered to pay $235. That grew to $285 with a late fee; an order for her arrest was issued for not paying the fines, and she was charged a $5 arrest fee. She said her car was repossessed, and she lost her job because she didn’t have transportation to work. “I have been forced to make the difficult choice of staying home, losing my job and not being able to take care of necessities for me, my daughter, and my grandmother, whose I also pay, or continuing to drive illegally and risk more punishment,” she writes. A spokeswoman for the state Transportation Department, which oversees the state Division of Motor Vehicles, said Wednesday that officials are reviewing the lawsuit. ___ Follow Martha Waggoner on Twitter at http://twitter.com/mjwaggonernc . ___ This story has been corrected to show an order was issued for Smoot’s arrest instead that she was arrested

newcountry923.fm

2018-05-30 15:38:38

https://newcountry923.fm/2018/05/30/lawsuit-the-poor-shouldnt-lose-licenses-over-traffic-fines/

Uber self-driving vehicle hits, kills pedestrian in Arizona

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Police in a Phoenix suburb say one of Uber’s self-driving vehicles has struck and killed a pedestrian. Police in the city of Tempe said Monday that the vehicle was in autonomous mode with an operator behind the wheel when the woman walking outside of a crosswalk was hit. Sgt. Ronald Elcock says in an email that the accident happened overnight but did not say whether it occurred Sunday night or Monday morning. The woman died of her injuries at a hospital and her name was not made public. Uber has been testing the self-driving vehicles in Tempe and Phoenix for months. Uber says on Twitter that it is “fully cooperating” with the investigation and expressed condolences to the family of the victim.

newcountry923.fm

2018-03-19 12:15:16

https://newcountry923.fm/2018/03/19/uber-self-driving-vehicle-hits-kills-pedestrian-in-arizona/

AP PHOTOS: Dozens get hitched on Valentine's Day in Vegas

LAS VEGAS (AP) — In keeping with tradition, dozens of couples have obtained marriage licenses in Las Vegas this Valentine’s Day. The Clark County Marriage License Bureau reported issuing more than 110 marriage licenses by Tuesday afternoon. Its main office in downtown Las Vegas closes at midnight. A county spokesman, Dan Kulin, says the bureau issues about 120 licenses on a normal Tuesday. Nearly 380 couples obtained licenses last year’s Valentine’s Day, which fell on a Sunday. In an area where people can get married in venues that range from a shooting range to a Denny’s restaurant, the bureau is one of the busiest in the nation. It issues more than 80,000 marriage licenses every year.

newcountry923.fm

2017-02-14 19:47:18

http://newcountry923.fm/2017/02/14/ap-photos-dozens-get-hitched-on-valentines-day-in-vegas/

http://newcountry923.fm/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Las_Vegas_Valentines_Day_94920-995x498.jpg

California Senate supports state-backed bank for pot money

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California lawmakers moved Wednesday to create a state-backed bank to handle the billions of dollars flowing from the newly legal recreational marijuana market. The world’s largest legal recreational marijuana economy, created under a law that took effect this year, is projected to grow to $7 billion. The bill approved by a bipartisan 29-6 state Senate vote is designed to help pot entrepreneurs who usually deal in cash because most banks won’t accept money from a product that remains illegal under federal law. SB930 now goes to the Assembly for consideration. The bill would permit charter banks and credit unions regulated by the state Department of Business Oversight to provide limited banking services to pot-related businesses. They could use the banks to pay rent, state and local taxes and fees, vendors within California for goods and services related to the cannabis business and to buy state and local bonds and other investments. “We’re not using the federal system, we’re not using the federal wire,” Democratic Sen. Bob Hertzberg of Van Nuys said of his proposal. “This is a short-term creative approach to deal with this extraordinary problem.” He said the banks would suffice until what proponents hope will be an eventual change in federal law. Hertzberg said the current system is dangerous because it requires pot dealers to conduct their business using cash, sometimes tens of thousands of dollars. He said he’s heard of some businesses burying or hiding tens of millions of dollars for lack of an alternative. State budget officials project California will collect $600 million in cannabis taxes in the upcoming year, but that often requires the businesses to haul duffel bags full of cash to tax agencies. The cash economy also makes audits and other standard oversight measures difficult.

newcountry923.fm

2018-05-30 18:56:32

https://newcountry923.fm/2018/05/30/california-senate-supports-state-backed-bank-for-pot-money/

Spain's conservative leader faces no-confidence vote

MADRID (AP) — The Spanish parliament’s lower house is debating whether to end Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s nearly eight years in power and replace him with the leader of the Socialist opposition. Rajoy refused to resign after his conservative Popular Party was fined as beneficiary of a large kickbacks-for-contracts scheme. In a damaging ruling last week, the court questioned Rajoy’s claim that he and other top officials were unaware of the party’s illegal accounting. Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez, who is leading the no-confidence vote against Rajoy, would instantly become the country’s prime minister if he wins 176 or more votes in the 350-seat Congress of Deputies on Friday. His opening speech Thursday proposing an alternative government will be watched by other opposition lawmakers who are still undecided on whether to oust the government.

newcountry923.fm

2018-05-31 02:14:52

https://newcountry923.fm/2018/05/31/spains-conservative-leader-faces-no-confidence-vote/

US senator: Moscow must not meddle in the 2018 election

MOSCOW (AP) — A U.S. senator who is part of a congressional delegation visiting Russia says Moscow could help improve ties by not meddling in the midterm U.S. election in November. Sen. John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Russia’s “change in behavior” is essential for better relations. Thune says “the best way to demonstrate this as we head into the 2018 election is to show the American people and our Congress and our administration that the Russians have no intention of messing or playing with the American election.” Thune and other members of the delegation met with Russian officials and lawmakers Tuesday. Russia-U.S. ties have been bitterly strained by the fighting in Ukraine, the Syrian war and allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election.

newcountry923.fm

2018-07-04 08:18:30

https://newcountry923.fm/2018/07/04/us-senator-moscow-must-not-meddle-in-the-2018-election/

Calls for change grow amid capitol sexual misconduct claims

An Arizona lawmaker who repeatedly harassed women has become the first since the swell of the #MeToo movement to get kicked out of office by colleagues but likely will not be the last to face repercussions amid intensifying scrutiny of sexual misconduct in state legislatures. The heightened focus on harassment and misconduct has led to growing calls for change in a year that already has seen an unusually large number of women expressing interest in running for office. “This conduct perpetuates the good-old-boys culture all too familiar to women in workplaces across the nation,” said Ohio state Rep. Teresa Fedor, one of several female Democratic lawmakers who called this week for the resignation of Republican Rep. Bill Seitz because of offense remarks. “Women and men deserve better, not more of the same tired excuses. It’s time for a change.” With his expulsion on Thursday, Arizona Rep. Don Shooter became the 15th state lawmaker to leave office since the start of 2017 (the others resigned) after being accused of sexual misconduct. About 20 others have faced lesser consequences, ranging from forced apologies to suspensions to the loss of powerful leadership posts, according to a state-by-state review by The Associated Press. Sexual harassment investigations are ongoing against other state lawmakers, including in California, Hawaii, Kentucky and Oregon. On Friday, the Democratic leaders of the California Assembly and Senate released records that show four current lawmakers have faced such complaints since 2006, although none was formally disciplined. They include a 2017 allegation against a female lawmaker, Democratic Assemblywoman Autumn Burke, who later took responsibility for engaging in sexually charged banter. The issue is already beginning to resonate in election campaigns. Women have stepped forward as candidates in five of the eight upcoming elections across the nation to replace lawmakers who resigned amid sexual misconduct allegations. In California, a former legislative staffer who says she was aware that a co-worker was being sexually harassed is now running for the lawmaker’s seat. The alleged incident happened years ago when former Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra was serving as chief of staff for another lawmaker. Bocanegra resigned in November amid multiple allegations. Yolie Anguiano said she decided to run for Bocanegra’s seat in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley after the allegations surfaced and that she regrets not speaking up at the time about what she knew. Anguiano said she was fearful of retaliation and believes electing more women is critical to addressing issues such as health care and education. “I want to have that seat at the table to bring up these policy issues but also to hold those folks who are hurting other people, whether they are men and women, to hold them accountable,” she said. In Oklahoma, Amber Jensen, a Democrat who represents a rural part of the state, is running to replace former state Sen. Bryce Marlatt, who resigned in September after being charged with sexual battery stemming from an incident with an Uber driver. Jensen said she attended last year’s women’s march in Oklahoma City and was inspired to see so many women stepping forward. “I feel like a woman’s voice is missing from the very conversations that affect all women,” Jensen said. “I am tired of men making decisions for women.” In what could be a historic election, many women have said they plan to run for office this year for the first time at all levels of government, from statehouses to Congress. That is driven largely by Democratic frustration over the election of President Donald Trump, but the #MeToo movement also is playing a role. Experts say lawmaker resignations and retirements can provide an opportunity for women, because it’s easier for a political newcomer to be competitive in an open seat rather than challenging an incumbent with name recognition and a stockpile of campaign cash. “When the issue is sexual harassment and men behaving very badly, it also opens up a window for a woman candidate,” said Debbie Walsh, who leads the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University. “Whether it’s true or not, women are perceived to be more ethical and honest and far less likely to behave in the manner that these lawmakers did.” Some men also are citing accusations of sexual misconduct against male lawmakers as part of their impetus for mounting electoral challenges this year. Brian Kent Strow, an economics professor at Western Kentucky University, said he was frustrated when negotiations to fix the state’s multi-billion public pension debt fell apart last fall following reports that four Republican lawmakers had secretly signed a sexual harassment settlement. One of those lawmakers was Rep. Michael Meredith, Strow’s representative and someone he had voted for in the past. When the daughter of one of Meredith’s Republican colleagues subsequently accused the lawmaker of sending her inappropriate Facebook messages, Strow decided to challenge Meredith in the Republican primary. “That made me upset, that the real business of the state would get sidetracked because people were misbehaving personally,” said Strow, adding: “I had basically had enough.” Meredith declined to comment Friday about the accusations or his re-election bid. ___ Associated Press writers Adam Beam in Frankfort, Kentucky, Bob Christie in Phoenix and Julie Carr Smyth in Columbus, Ohio, contributed to this report. ___ An earlier version of this report had an incorrect spelling of Amber Jensen’s last name.

newcountry923.fm

2018-02-02 20:03:34

https://newcountry923.fm/2018/02/02/calls-for-change-grow-amid-capitol-sexual-misconduct-claims/

Low-key US-S Korea military drills ahead of N Korea summits

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Annual U.S.-South Korean military drills that infuriate North Korea will begin on April 1, the allies said Tuesday, but they will likely be more low-key than past years ahead of two highly anticipated summits among the countries’ leaders. This year’s drills were postponed during the Pyeongchang Olympics, which saw rare cooperative steps between the rival Koreas after months of confrontation over the North’s weapons programs. North Korea considers the exercises an invasion rehearsal and often conducts weapons tests in protest. After post-Olympics talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, South Korean officials said Kim indicated he would accept the maneuvers. Kim also offered to meet personally with President Donald Trump to discuss giving up his nuclear weapons on unspecified terms, and Trump quickly agreed to meet Kim by the end of May. Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in are to meet separately in late April. In a brief statement, the Pentagon said Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and his South Korean counterpart, Song Young-moo, agreed to go forward with the two sets of exercises, known as Foal Eagle and Key Resolve, “at a scale similar to” that of previous years. North Korea has been notified of the schedule “as well as the defensive nature” of the exercises, the Pentagon said. South Korea’s Defense Ministry released a near-identical statement. A ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of department rules, said there are no immediate plans to bring in American strategic assets such as aircraft carriers, nuclear-powered submarines or supersonic B-1B bombers during this spring’s training. The United States sent such assets during past drills when tensions ran high. The exercises begin with Foal Eagle, a field training drill that will last about four weeks, compared with its typical two-month run. The other drill, known as Key Resolve, is a computer-simulated command post exercise and is scheduled to start around the middle of April for a usual two-week run, the South Korean official said. “These are low-key drills. Now it’s a dialogue mode so they are trying to keep pace with that,” said Choi Kang, vice president of Seoul’s Asan Institute for Policy Studies. Choi said North Korea may respond by issuing a relatively mild diatribe but will likely avoid conducting weapons tests that could disrupt its recent outreach to Washington and Seoul. The timing and size of the annual maneuvers are especially sensitive this year because of heightened worry over the North’s accelerated work last year on a nuclear-armed missile potentially capable of reaching the United States. This was followed, unexpectedly, by prospects for a diplomatic solution to the nuclear crisis. “To avoid compromising exercise objectives, specifics regarding the exercise scenarios will not be discussed,” said a Pentagon spokesman, Marine Lt. Col. Christopher Logan. He said the purpose is to enhance the ability of the U.S.-South Korean alliance to defend South Korean territory. The planned summit meetings have raised hopes for a potential breakthrough in the North Korean nuclear crisis. But many experts say tensions will flare again if the summits fail to make any progress and leave the nuclear issue with few diplomatic options. A main sticking point in U.S.-North Korea talks would be what nuclear disarmament steps Kim would promise in return for what concessions from the United States and whether Trump would accept them. ___ Burns reported from Washington.

newcountry923.fm

2018-03-20 02:49:21

https://newcountry923.fm/2018/03/20/low-key-us-s-korea-military-drills-ahead-of-n-korea-summits/

The Latest: London fire donations overwhelming centers

LONDON (AP) — The Latest on the London high-rise fire (all times local): 8:10 a.m. Community centers in London have been overwhelmed by the number of donations flooding in for those left homeless by a high-rise apartment building fire. So much food, clothing, shoes and other items have been coming in that the centers, churches and mosques have had to start turning away new donations. At least 12 people have been killed in the inferno at the 24-story building, with the death toll expected to rise. Dozens of others have been hospitalized. Missing people posters have been put up throughout the north London neighborhood of North Kensington. Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has offered free food for survivors at one of his nearby eateries. ___ 7:40 a.m. London fire investigators are painstakingly searching for more victims of an inferno that engulfed a high-rise apartment building and killed at least 12 residents. Authorities say the death toll is expected to rise as emergency workers sift through more of the wreckage on Thursday. The fire early Wednesday in the 24-story building in west London’s North Kensington district also injured dozens, 18 of them critically, and left an unknown number missing. The cause of the blaze is under investigation, but a tenants’ group had complained for years about the risk of a fire. More than 1 million pounds ($1.27 million) has been raised to help victims of the tragedy as volunteers and charities worked through the night to find shelter and food for people who lost their homes.

newcountry923.fm

2017-06-15 02:13:54

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/06/15/the-latest-london-fire-donations-overwhelming-centers/

Sony will only release clean edits with directors' approval

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sony is revising its plan to make sanitized versions of R and PG-13 rated movies available for home viewing after directors like Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen publicly expressed their disapproval. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment President Man Jit Singh said Wednesday that they will only make the films available with the directors’ approval. Last week Sony unveiled their Clean Version initiative, which makes available the less violent, salacious and profane broadcast television and airplane edits of certain movies when you purchase the regular title on a streaming service. Titles currently available include “Pixels,” ”Ghostbusters” and “Moneyball.” Singh said they believed they had obtained approvals from filmmakers to use the airplane and broadcast television versions of their films for home viewing, but promised to pull individual titles if a director objects.

newcountry923.fm

2017-06-14 18:53:50

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/06/14/sony-will-only-release-clean-edits-with-directors-approval/

'Remember Me' songwriters on bittersweet Globes morning

LOS ANGELES (AP) — It’s a bittersweet morning for the songwriters of “Remember Me” from “Coco.” Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez learned of their Golden Globe nomination just as a bomb exploded on the New York City subway. The couple said they turned on the television to watch the Globe nominations when news of the Port Authority explosion broke Monday. This is the second nomination for the songwriting pair, who were previously recognized for “Let It Go” from “Frozen.” Anderson-Lopez said they are now at work on “Frozen 2” and the Broadway version of “Frozen.” The couple says it’s a “giant thrill” to be nominated, but they didn’t plan to do much celebrating. Their cat is terminally ill and may be put down today. Anderson-Lopez said they planned to sing “Remember Me” to him.

newcountry923.fm

2017-12-11 12:12:44

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/12/11/remember-me-songwriters-on-bittersweet-globes-morning/

China appeals to Trump to avoid 'trade war'

BEIJING (AP) — China’s government appealed to U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday to avoid a “trade war” ahead of what the White House says is a possible announcement of an investigation into whether China is stealing U.S. technology. An official told reporters the president would order his trade office on Monday to look into whether to launch an investigation under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 of possible Chinese theft of U.S. technology and intellectual property. “There is no future and no winner in a trade war and both sides will be the losers. As we have emphasized for many times, the nature of China-U.S. trade relations is mutual benefit and win-win,” said a foreign ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying. “Considering the importance of the China-U.S. relations, China is willing to make joint efforts with the United States to keep trade and economic relations on sustained, healthy and stable development on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit,” Hua said. Earlier Monday, a state newspaper, the China Daily, said Trump’s possible decision to launch an investigation could “intensify tensions,” especially over intellectual property. A decision to use the law to rebalance trade with China “could trigger a trade war,” said the commentary under the name of researcher Mei Xinyu of the ministry’s International Trade and Economic Cooperation Institute. “And the inquiry the U.S. administration has ordered into China’s trade policies, if carried out, could intensify tensions, especially on intellectual property rights,” the commentary said. It gave no indication of how Beijing might respond but Chinese law gives regulators broad discretion over what foreign companies can do in China. If an investigation begins, Washington could seek remedies either through the World Trade Organization or outside of it. Previous U.S. actions directed at China under the 1974 law had little effect, said the China Daily. It noted that China has grown to become the biggest exporter and has the world’s largest foreign exchange reserves. “The use of Section 301 by the U.S. will not have much impact on China’s progress toward stronger economic development and a better future,” said the newspaper.

newcountry923.fm

2017-08-14 07:02:04

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/08/14/chinese-newspaper-warns-trump-risks-trade-war/

Iranian president threatens to restart nuclear program

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s president has issued a direct threat, claiming his country is capable of restarting its nuclear program within hours. Hassan Rouhani says it could be done “in an hour and a day” if Washington continues with “threats and sanctions” against Iran. He says that once restarted, the program could quickly be brought to a much more advanced level than it was back in 2015, when Iran signed the nuclear deal with world powers. That agreement capped Iran’s uranium enrichment levels in return for the lifting of international sanctions. Rouhani’s remarks to lawmakers on Tuesday offered no evidence of Iran’s capabilities but are likely to ratchet up pressure further with the Trump administration. Rouhani also tempered his threat, adding that Iran seeks to remain loyal to its commitments under the deal.

newcountry923.fm

2017-08-15 01:09:32

https://newcountry923.fm/2017/08/15/iranian-president-threatens-to-restart-nuclear-program/

A Bermuda police spokesman says authorities have found a body amid search for US college student

A Bermuda police spokesman says authorities have found a body amid search for US college student

newcountry923.fm

2018-03-19 15:19:35

https://newcountry923.fm/2018/03/19/a-bermuda-police-spokesman-says-authorities-have-found-a-body-amid-search-for-us-college-student/

Trump to meet with families of victims of Texas shooting

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump will be meeting with the families of the victims of a Texas school shooting during a visit to the state Thursday. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders made the announcement at the White House briefing Wednesday. Eight students and two substitute teachers were killed during the shooting at Santa Fe High School on May 18. The president will be traveling to Houston and Dallas on Thursday.

newcountry923.fm

2018-05-30 14:17:37

https://newcountry923.fm/2018/05/30/trump-to-meet-with-families-of-victims-of-texas-shooting/